Great and Powerfulby conceitedcakeChaptersPrologue - The Canterlot DungeonsChapter I - A Night to ForgetChapter II - A Parasprite's ProposalPrologue - The Canterlot DungeonsGreat and Powerful Prologue - The Canterlot Dungeons Canterlot Castle, the famed home of the royal pony sisters, was quite lovely. I hadn’t seen much of it besides the dungeon, but if my prison cell was the tiniest bit like the castle above it, I’m sure it was definitely befitting of a couple of goddesses. I had stayed in 4-star hotels more menacing and under-furnished than my current accommodations. They even left a bowl of grapes on a dais in the room. I’d remember to break the law more often if this was the way Canterlot treated its prisoners. A knock on the door interrupted my future criminal plans. I turned around and saw a grey pegasus enter the room and buck the door shut. She stared at me heatedly, or more accurately, one of her eyes did. The other eye traced off to the grapes next to me. If her withering gaze could burn, those grapes would have been raisins within minutes. She broke the silence. “Ms. Lulamoon,” she said coldly. “Ditzy,” I replied evenly. “Friendquisitor Doo, to you,” she snapped. After our re-introductions the conversation froze over. The silence returned. I decided to banish it this time. “So, do you usually prisoners locked up in classy cells like this, or is it because I’m a VIP?” Ditzy looked away and pawed the ground nervously. “Actually, Canterlot Castle doesn’t have a dungeon. Haven’t had a need for one in a long time. We ended up stuffing you into one of the private rooms Celestia and Luna keep for their guests.” She frowned, the heated glare gone from her face, “ It's not secure at all, I mean, just take a look at the balcony!” she gestured behind me with a hoof. I turned around. The back of the room led out to a beautiful stone patio balcony, complete with lounge chairs and a breath-taking view of countryside below Canterlot. I knew this was too nice to be a prison. Even by the merciful Celestia’s standards. “I thought as much, good thing I’m not a pegasus, right?” I joked. Ditzy narrowed her eyes. “Why? If you were, you’d only end up adding ‘attempting to escape royal custody’ to that already impressive list of crimes you've managed to bring upon yourself.” Figures that it went over her head. Friendquisitors are known for their absolute loyalty to the princesses and maintaining their kingdom. Comic sense, not so much. “Of course,” Ditzy continued, “You probably knew this wasn't a pleasure visit. She reached into her saddle bag and removed a huge scroll. After snapping the wax seal, the paper spilled down, and across the ground a comically long distance. She began to read. "Kidnapping. Extortion. Grand Theft Auto. Property damage. Aiding traitors to the crown. High Treason. Conspiracy against Harmony. Public Intoxication-” I felt my face flush at the memory. Ditzy stopped reading and tossed the scroll aside. We both knew that she could spend hours reading off every offense on that sheet. “And beyond the criminal offenses, you managed to sabotage the mission of a group of sea ponies, enrage a sphinx, partake in a war outside Equestia, and consort with demons from Tartarus. Honestly, I’m not sure what the legal precedent there is to punish ponies who consort with demons. Hay, I don’t even think there is a legal precedent to punish something like that!” I grimaced. After everything that had happened, I was sure I didn’t need any additional punishments to atone for the demons. “Look,” I said, pointing a hoof accusingly at Ditzy, “You’ve managed to repeat just about the same thing everypony has said to me ever since I’ve been imprisoned against my will in th-“ Derpy let out something of a half snort, half chuckle. “This is no prison Ms. Lulamoon.” “I know,” I responded, “I’ve spent a lot of time imprisoned in places nowhere near as nice without even a hope to a fair trial.” I hinted. Ditzy frowned again. She failed to catch my drift. I knew the Friendquisitors were supposed to be stubborn, they weren't known to be stupid. "I'm pretty sure Equestrian law mandates everypony had a right to a fair trial." I suggested. “Then, Ms. Lulamoon I don’t think you do know what's happening here.” I wasn’t quite sure what to make of that. But I was worried. Friendquisition interrogations were something I no desire to experience. “Could you please elaborate, Friendquisitor?” I asked timidly. “Despite breaking more laws than I thought existed in Equestria, Princess Celestia has informed me that she has postponed your trial until I manage to get the whole story of what happened. From your point of view, and present it to her Majesty.” “The whole story?” I asked. “The whole story,” she affirmed. “We might want to sit down, it’s going to take awhile.” I suggested, a bit relieved that the friendquisitor hadn't broken out some medieval torture device. She nodded, and pointed a hoof at two pillows near a low lying table in the corner of the room. After getting comfortably settled I enveloped the bowl of grapes in a sheen of magic, and slowly drifted it onto the table between us. “Whenever you’re ready to begin,” Ditzy prompted. Despite sitting on what may have been one of the comfiest pillows in all of Equestria, Ditzy sat uncomfortably straight, as rigid as a pole. I popped a grape into my mouth, it was a bit unnerving sitting in a cozy spot like this with my captor, who currently looked more like of the stone guard statues than an actual pony. Albeit, a cross-eyed guard statue. “Grape?” I asked, gesturing to the bowl between us. Ditzy shook her head. “I can’t be deriving a prisoner of her food, now can i?” she said with a grin. I felt a shadow of a smile creep across my own face. Maybe she wasn’t as rough and mirthless as our past run-ins had made me think. Maybe she wasn’t a heartless cog in Celestia’s secret service after all. The grin fell off Ditzy’s face as quickly as it had appeared. “In all seriousness, that’s the only food you’re going to get until you explain this mess.” Maybe not. “The rest of your friends are being interrogated right now." She continued, " any inconsistencies between your recollection of the past events and that of your friends will be noted. Please, don’t make this any harder than it needs to be. We don’t need to add ‘lying to the Friendquisition’ to your list of crimes.” Ditzy put her hoof under her chin thoughtfully, “not that it really matters when you’ve been accused of consorting with Discord. To be honest, I’m not sure why anypony in their right mind would be driven to request his help.” I let out a sigh, “First, let’s get one thing straight. I didn’t ask for help. He did. And we didn’t just wreak havoc on all of Equestria like you keep saying. If you want to hear the real story. The story of how I ,the great and powerful Trixie, and a group of ponies ended up saving Equestria with the help of the spirit of chaos, I might as well start at the beginning. It all started out on the outskirts of Ponyville, after a disastrous night…..” Author's notes: I'm still getting used to the publishing format on FIMFiction, so I apologize for any spacing issues. That said, I hope you enjoyed the prologue! Trixie's story will start out immediately after the events of 'Boast Busters', I hope you'll enjoy what I have in store and stick with me through it. Welcome aboard! Chapter I - A Night to ForgetI lost everything. My show. My cape. My hat. My home.... For Celestia's sake, at this point I had even lost my way. After running deep into the Everfree Forest to escape Ponyville, I had been derived of any sense of where I was in this forsaken landscape. The wooden grove was blindingly dark, I could barely see my own hooves in front of my face. I looked up, trying to catch some small glimpse of the sky through the dense canopy. Even a speck of Luna's moonlight failed to penetrate this deep into the forest. I stumbled through the darkness, occasionally bumping into trees and other brush that remained invisible to me in my blind state. I had been trotting along for what felt like hours. With the sky hidden from me, I couldn't even tell if midnight passed, if twilight had.... Twilight. My mind conjured up the image of a purple unicorn. The one who robbed me of my right to revenge. To avenge my home that Ursa Major had crushed underneath his paws. Ursa Minor, remember? Twilight explained that. Twilight should explain why she stole my show! I was just about to defeat that the Ursa Minor. Caught in my snares, weakened by my lightning, that bear was on it's last leg before Twilight came forward and saved my plot from that bear! Wait. No. That's wrong. She stole my glory by finishing off the bear I had softened up. It didn't even attack her because it was so enfeebled! It didn't fight her because she didn't try to beat it out of town with violence. I shook my head. just nagging thoughts. Deep doubts the great and powerful Trixie carried with her from time to time. No doubt a result of Twilight's theft of m- Or maybe it's because you almost died? Because you lost everything you held dear? I felt a twinge of guilt. My scrolls, props, letters, and my hat and cloak... I really had lost everything. In one night. I stopped trotting blindly about. It was too much to think about. To even process. How could it all just - No. No. It wasn't all gone. I hadn't lost everything. My home was splinters, my reputation ruined. But, I still had my title. I was the Great and Powerful and Powerful Trixie. I am Great and Powerful! No minor interruption to the show, loss of reputation, or upstage attempt could change that. My name was something I could hold onto. I could easily restore my reputation, afford a new cart, props too. What about the cloak? The hat? You can't even pretend you could buy that back. I ignored the last thought. All I needed was a quick opportunity to set it all straight. To reclaim everything I lost. Now, to find a way back to my former glory, an opportunity I could seize. I took a look around (or, at least tried to in the absolute darkness). Too bad there ain't too many opportunities to seize in the middle of a forest at night, huh? Then, as if fate itself decided to spite me for that sarcastic quip - a sound. A faint buzzing from behind me. I turned around to see.... nothing. Whatever was making that noise was obscured by the dark foilage surrounding me. Timber Wolf? No. Manticore? Not a chance. Ursa Minor? Definitely not. A giant bear wouldn't make that noise. I mean, it hadn't heard it lumber into town until those kids alerted me, but, still.... You have no idea whether or not an Ursa Minor would make those sounds. You've got no experience with them whatso- I felt a bead of sweat trickle down the side of my face. Whatever it was, I had to know. Now. I'm wasn't scared. I just... really don't like surprises. I lifted my forehooves off the ground and focused. I needed a bit of light. eeeeeeeeeeeee..... CRACK! The Roaman candle I had summoned shrieked up into the canopy and exploded in a dazzling display of white light. After clearing my eyes, I could see from the light of the firework that my stalker was... a lone parasprite. Only a couple feet away, the grey parasprite buzzed in front of me. I was surprised the explosive display and fiery aftermath of my magic hadn't scared it off. Even then, the stench of the sulfur and burning wood would have frightened off most animals. Wait. What? Burning wood? I looked up to see the tree immediately above me consumed in flames. Maybe that spell had a little too much juice behind it. A large flaming limb snapped off the tree and came crashing down onto the forest floor. small red tendrils of fire began to snake off the fallen limb and ignite the mossy ground. Definitely too much juice. I could see it now. The headline across Equestria, "Everfree Forested burned to cinders by magical arson. Celestia promises lunar banishment for the perpetrator." I would tried, and profess my innocence to the court while Celestia herself would- What are you doing! Stop performing a bucking soliloquy and put it out! Storm clouds! Quick! Right. I closed my eyes, focusing on the air above the blazing tree. Usually, magical weather is domain restricted to pegasi. Most unicorns can't work with it. Fortunately, I'm not like most unicorns. For summoning and illusory magic, imagination is the key component. To place something, you need to have an fully formed idea of what you want to place before you can impose it into the world. Any weakly formed thought or half baked idea will fizzle out almost immediately. I had a good idea of what I wanted. The same thing I had planned with the Ursa Major. I could see in my mind the cloud's swirling coal black tendrils gathering together, cracks of lightning sputtering forth from the growing monstrosity. Then, a final crack of thunder, and a torrent of rain. An ear splitting crack broke out from the sky, and I could feel a deluge of water pour down on me. As I opened my eyes, I could see the fire drown underneath the torrent of rain, sizzling loudly before vanishing in puffs of steam. The fire was already squelched. Now, I just had to dismiss the storm. I could see the rain letting up, the black clouds slowly turning grey, white, then into a fine mist that disper- Another loud crack of thunder broke my concentration as the storm raged on. The problem with summoning a giant event like this was keeping under control. Usually, summoning spells were loyal to their master's thoughts, but, once you place something out in the real world, it's possible for some other force to wrench control of it away from you. Or, if it's too massive for it to go completely out of control. Suddenly, the storm imploded in on itself with a very audible pop. A very quick and powerful dismissal, something to be expected out of a trained and powerful wielder of magic. Except, I hadn't been the one to do it. Without the burning brush, everything was once again coated in darkness. The only thing I could sense was the buzzing wings of the still present parasprite. I was beginning to get the feeling this was no ordinary sprite. As if in response, a laugh echoed across the forest, "Now, my dear, what would give you that impression?" Chapter II - A Parasprite's ProposalCautiously, I allowed my horn to glimmer with a faint sheen of magic, casting a dull purple light out around me. No fireworks this time. The grey parasprite was there. Watching me. "Well," it said, comically raising an eyebrow, "Are you going to introduce yourself? Or is that something else you can't handle?" This is too much. A parasprite talking to me in the middle of the night? I'm going insane. No, it wasn't just talking to me, it was insulting me. I stared menacingly at the bug, "That storm was perfectly under my control. Watch your tongue, worm. Or I'll close it for you!" Sweet Celestia. What did I just say? That didn't make any sense at all! The parasprite seemed just as confused. It fluttered there idly, soaking in the retort. "I was about to complement you. That storm was an exquisite display of magical genius. No ordinary pony could have even attempted such a spell. However, with that last comment of yours I'm worried that display may have taken a bit more out of you than you anticipated. How do I put this, the energy and concentration necessary may have... scrambled your brain, if you will." He quickly added, "Or you may be a complete idiot with a bit of talent, who am I to judge." The parasprite grinned. "Yes, who exactly are you to judge the Great and Powerful Trixie!" I shouted. "remember your place, unless you want to end up like that tree behind me!" The parasprite's grin only widened at my display. "Finally, we're getting somewhere. Trixie. How quaint. Now, what tree are you talking about? I can't seem to remember, would you mind point it out for me?" I swung around to point out the tree, only to find a wall of perfectly healthy trees behind me. The blackened timber, the scorched skeleton of the tree, all perfectly replaced. Once again, indistinguishable from the rest of the forest. "I know it's around here somewhere." It said innocently. "But, then again, it might have disappeared. Just like that storm of yours I took care of." I risked a glance at the parasprite. The ghostly glow of purple light only served to make the wicked grin on it's face even more intimidating. "Now..." the parasprite hissed, "are. you. scared?" The parasprite's appearance changed immediately, taking on a more thoughtful expression. "I want to be a tad frightening, but not melodramatic, you know? I thought I'd get an opinion from a fellow performer." "Wh-wh-wha?" was all I could muster. The parasprite rolled its eyes. "Never mind, I'll get a second opinion later." It shook it's head. "Regardless, you must be dying to know who I am." I nodded dumbly. "I have many names. I am the Forest Lord. The Everfree Avenger. The Warden of the wood. But, you can call me Dave." "Dave?" It (he?) nodded. "Well, Dave," I ventured, "Why would a parasprite be the all powerful master of the EverFree forest." The sprite laughed, "This is a form I created to follow you around. This is a projection, just like that storm of yours. Besides, I needed a body to speak with you, to ask for your aid." I felt a sudden surge of pride. Of course an all powerful being would require my assistance. This was the shot I needed. The first step to recover my career. "I need a courageous pony…" It continued. “fearless!” I shouted. “… To go on a dangerous quest that may prove to be fatal.” “Of cour- w-wait. What? How dangerous are we talking about here?” The enthausiasm leaked out of my voice suprisingly quick. “Not that I’m scared of danger, just… an important pony needs to know what she’s up against.” I said, for his reassurance. A frown took root in the parasprite’s face. It was silent for a few moments before saying slowly, “I have something in mind that may be slightly risky, for an average pony. For the Great and Powerful Trixie it wouldn’t be more than a minor annoyance.” I felt a flush of relief. Of course I was up to it. The Great and Powerful Trixie was no common pony! I had the skill to accomplish this spirit’s request, without a doubt. “The Great and Powerful Trixie would be glad to assist you, spirit.” No doubt. Whatsoever. What are you doing? A talking parasprite appears out of nowhere deep in the Everfree forest with a ‘quest’, and you accept? Are you crazy! This is how your picture ends up on the front page of Equestria Daily with you in a body bag! “However,” I added quickly, “Trixie requires proof that solving this ‘minor annoyance’ of yours is worthy of my assistance.” I studied my hoof with mock interest, “Trixie assures you her time is very valuable.” "I can't reveal the details of the quest at this moment. However, I can leave you with a promise, and, a gift." With those final words, there was an audible pop, and a flourish of sparkles, a brown paper package tied with twine appeared between us. "Go ahead, open it. Take it as early payment." I loosened the twine easily with a bit of magic, and mangled the wrapping paper to see, my, my.... "Your cap and cape. The original pair. i managed to take them from the wreckage of your cart." I immediately searched the two for their distinctive markings, they were there. I couldn't believe it. I thought I had lost them forever. I wiped away some water on my face, something leftover from the storm I reasoned. I looked at the Parasprite's eyes. Dave continued, "I can't promise that you will be successful in what I ask of you. What I can promise is that if you succeed, I will reward you with wealth beyond description. You will never be of want. Whatever you desire will be before your hooves. You will not only have material wealth, but will also be peerless in fame, you will be the most famous unicorn in living history. No pony will ever forget you Trixie, you will be immortalized in the minds and history books of Equestria." The parasprite waited. Allowing me to process everything it had uttered. "Trixie has one request." I finally answered. "Name it." the insect responded. "You control the beings of the EverFree, correct?" "Hmm, the lesser beings, insects and the like." "Can you operate outside the EverFree Forest?" "No, my magic is limited to the confines of the Forest, but, I can implant commands in the minds of the sprites that they will follow regardless of location." "Trixie would like you to beset Ponyville with a horde of parasprites. Create chaos. Show those ponies the wrath of Trixie." "why didn't I think of that," the sprite muttered, "Done. You know, Trixie. I think this might be the start of a beautiful friendship." I stared down the Forest Lord. "Silence, Dave. You have Trixie's attention, not her friendship."
Prologue - The Canterlot DungeonsGreat and Powerful Prologue - The Canterlot Dungeons Canterlot Castle, the famed home of the royal pony sisters, was quite lovely. I hadn’t seen much of it besides the dungeon, but if my prison cell was the tiniest bit like the castle above it, I’m sure it was definitely befitting of a couple of goddesses. I had stayed in 4-star hotels more menacing and under-furnished than my current accommodations. They even left a bowl of grapes on a dais in the room. I’d remember to break the law more often if this was the way Canterlot treated its prisoners. A knock on the door interrupted my future criminal plans. I turned around and saw a grey pegasus enter the room and buck the door shut. She stared at me heatedly, or more accurately, one of her eyes did. The other eye traced off to the grapes next to me. If her withering gaze could burn, those grapes would have been raisins within minutes. She broke the silence. “Ms. Lulamoon,” she said coldly. “Ditzy,” I replied evenly. “Friendquisitor Doo, to you,” she snapped. After our re-introductions the conversation froze over. The silence returned. I decided to banish it this time. “So, do you usually prisoners locked up in classy cells like this, or is it because I’m a VIP?” Ditzy looked away and pawed the ground nervously. “Actually, Canterlot Castle doesn’t have a dungeon. Haven’t had a need for one in a long time. We ended up stuffing you into one of the private rooms Celestia and Luna keep for their guests.” She frowned, the heated glare gone from her face, “ It's not secure at all, I mean, just take a look at the balcony!” she gestured behind me with a hoof. I turned around. The back of the room led out to a beautiful stone patio balcony, complete with lounge chairs and a breath-taking view of countryside below Canterlot. I knew this was too nice to be a prison. Even by the merciful Celestia’s standards. “I thought as much, good thing I’m not a pegasus, right?” I joked. Ditzy narrowed her eyes. “Why? If you were, you’d only end up adding ‘attempting to escape royal custody’ to that already impressive list of crimes you've managed to bring upon yourself.” Figures that it went over her head. Friendquisitors are known for their absolute loyalty to the princesses and maintaining their kingdom. Comic sense, not so much. “Of course,” Ditzy continued, “You probably knew this wasn't a pleasure visit. She reached into her saddle bag and removed a huge scroll. After snapping the wax seal, the paper spilled down, and across the ground a comically long distance. She began to read. "Kidnapping. Extortion. Grand Theft Auto. Property damage. Aiding traitors to the crown. High Treason. Conspiracy against Harmony. Public Intoxication-” I felt my face flush at the memory. Ditzy stopped reading and tossed the scroll aside. We both knew that she could spend hours reading off every offense on that sheet. “And beyond the criminal offenses, you managed to sabotage the mission of a group of sea ponies, enrage a sphinx, partake in a war outside Equestia, and consort with demons from Tartarus. Honestly, I’m not sure what the legal precedent there is to punish ponies who consort with demons. Hay, I don’t even think there is a legal precedent to punish something like that!” I grimaced. After everything that had happened, I was sure I didn’t need any additional punishments to atone for the demons. “Look,” I said, pointing a hoof accusingly at Ditzy, “You’ve managed to repeat just about the same thing everypony has said to me ever since I’ve been imprisoned against my will in th-“ Derpy let out something of a half snort, half chuckle. “This is no prison Ms. Lulamoon.” “I know,” I responded, “I’ve spent a lot of time imprisoned in places nowhere near as nice without even a hope to a fair trial.” I hinted. Ditzy frowned again. She failed to catch my drift. I knew the Friendquisitors were supposed to be stubborn, they weren't known to be stupid. "I'm pretty sure Equestrian law mandates everypony had a right to a fair trial." I suggested. “Then, Ms. Lulamoon I don’t think you do know what's happening here.” I wasn’t quite sure what to make of that. But I was worried. Friendquisition interrogations were something I no desire to experience. “Could you please elaborate, Friendquisitor?” I asked timidly. “Despite breaking more laws than I thought existed in Equestria, Princess Celestia has informed me that she has postponed your trial until I manage to get the whole story of what happened. From your point of view, and present it to her Majesty.” “The whole story?” I asked. “The whole story,” she affirmed. “We might want to sit down, it’s going to take awhile.” I suggested, a bit relieved that the friendquisitor hadn't broken out some medieval torture device. She nodded, and pointed a hoof at two pillows near a low lying table in the corner of the room. After getting comfortably settled I enveloped the bowl of grapes in a sheen of magic, and slowly drifted it onto the table between us. “Whenever you’re ready to begin,” Ditzy prompted. Despite sitting on what may have been one of the comfiest pillows in all of Equestria, Ditzy sat uncomfortably straight, as rigid as a pole. I popped a grape into my mouth, it was a bit unnerving sitting in a cozy spot like this with my captor, who currently looked more like of the stone guard statues than an actual pony. Albeit, a cross-eyed guard statue. “Grape?” I asked, gesturing to the bowl between us. Ditzy shook her head. “I can’t be deriving a prisoner of her food, now can i?” she said with a grin. I felt a shadow of a smile creep across my own face. Maybe she wasn’t as rough and mirthless as our past run-ins had made me think. Maybe she wasn’t a heartless cog in Celestia’s secret service after all. The grin fell off Ditzy’s face as quickly as it had appeared. “In all seriousness, that’s the only food you’re going to get until you explain this mess.” Maybe not. “The rest of your friends are being interrogated right now." She continued, " any inconsistencies between your recollection of the past events and that of your friends will be noted. Please, don’t make this any harder than it needs to be. We don’t need to add ‘lying to the Friendquisition’ to your list of crimes.” Ditzy put her hoof under her chin thoughtfully, “not that it really matters when you’ve been accused of consorting with Discord. To be honest, I’m not sure why anypony in their right mind would be driven to request his help.” I let out a sigh, “First, let’s get one thing straight. I didn’t ask for help. He did. And we didn’t just wreak havoc on all of Equestria like you keep saying. If you want to hear the real story. The story of how I ,the great and powerful Trixie, and a group of ponies ended up saving Equestria with the help of the spirit of chaos, I might as well start at the beginning. It all started out on the outskirts of Ponyville, after a disastrous night…..” Author's notes: I'm still getting used to the publishing format on FIMFiction, so I apologize for any spacing issues. That said, I hope you enjoyed the prologue! Trixie's story will start out immediately after the events of 'Boast Busters', I hope you'll enjoy what I have in store and stick with me through it. Welcome aboard!
Chapter I - A Night to ForgetI lost everything. My show. My cape. My hat. My home.... For Celestia's sake, at this point I had even lost my way. After running deep into the Everfree Forest to escape Ponyville, I had been derived of any sense of where I was in this forsaken landscape. The wooden grove was blindingly dark, I could barely see my own hooves in front of my face. I looked up, trying to catch some small glimpse of the sky through the dense canopy. Even a speck of Luna's moonlight failed to penetrate this deep into the forest. I stumbled through the darkness, occasionally bumping into trees and other brush that remained invisible to me in my blind state. I had been trotting along for what felt like hours. With the sky hidden from me, I couldn't even tell if midnight passed, if twilight had.... Twilight. My mind conjured up the image of a purple unicorn. The one who robbed me of my right to revenge. To avenge my home that Ursa Major had crushed underneath his paws. Ursa Minor, remember? Twilight explained that. Twilight should explain why she stole my show! I was just about to defeat that the Ursa Minor. Caught in my snares, weakened by my lightning, that bear was on it's last leg before Twilight came forward and saved my plot from that bear! Wait. No. That's wrong. She stole my glory by finishing off the bear I had softened up. It didn't even attack her because it was so enfeebled! It didn't fight her because she didn't try to beat it out of town with violence. I shook my head. just nagging thoughts. Deep doubts the great and powerful Trixie carried with her from time to time. No doubt a result of Twilight's theft of m- Or maybe it's because you almost died? Because you lost everything you held dear? I felt a twinge of guilt. My scrolls, props, letters, and my hat and cloak... I really had lost everything. In one night. I stopped trotting blindly about. It was too much to think about. To even process. How could it all just - No. No. It wasn't all gone. I hadn't lost everything. My home was splinters, my reputation ruined. But, I still had my title. I was the Great and Powerful and Powerful Trixie. I am Great and Powerful! No minor interruption to the show, loss of reputation, or upstage attempt could change that. My name was something I could hold onto. I could easily restore my reputation, afford a new cart, props too. What about the cloak? The hat? You can't even pretend you could buy that back. I ignored the last thought. All I needed was a quick opportunity to set it all straight. To reclaim everything I lost. Now, to find a way back to my former glory, an opportunity I could seize. I took a look around (or, at least tried to in the absolute darkness). Too bad there ain't too many opportunities to seize in the middle of a forest at night, huh? Then, as if fate itself decided to spite me for that sarcastic quip - a sound. A faint buzzing from behind me. I turned around to see.... nothing. Whatever was making that noise was obscured by the dark foilage surrounding me. Timber Wolf? No. Manticore? Not a chance. Ursa Minor? Definitely not. A giant bear wouldn't make that noise. I mean, it hadn't heard it lumber into town until those kids alerted me, but, still.... You have no idea whether or not an Ursa Minor would make those sounds. You've got no experience with them whatso- I felt a bead of sweat trickle down the side of my face. Whatever it was, I had to know. Now. I'm wasn't scared. I just... really don't like surprises. I lifted my forehooves off the ground and focused. I needed a bit of light. eeeeeeeeeeeee..... CRACK! The Roaman candle I had summoned shrieked up into the canopy and exploded in a dazzling display of white light. After clearing my eyes, I could see from the light of the firework that my stalker was... a lone parasprite. Only a couple feet away, the grey parasprite buzzed in front of me. I was surprised the explosive display and fiery aftermath of my magic hadn't scared it off. Even then, the stench of the sulfur and burning wood would have frightened off most animals. Wait. What? Burning wood? I looked up to see the tree immediately above me consumed in flames. Maybe that spell had a little too much juice behind it. A large flaming limb snapped off the tree and came crashing down onto the forest floor. small red tendrils of fire began to snake off the fallen limb and ignite the mossy ground. Definitely too much juice. I could see it now. The headline across Equestria, "Everfree Forested burned to cinders by magical arson. Celestia promises lunar banishment for the perpetrator." I would tried, and profess my innocence to the court while Celestia herself would- What are you doing! Stop performing a bucking soliloquy and put it out! Storm clouds! Quick! Right. I closed my eyes, focusing on the air above the blazing tree. Usually, magical weather is domain restricted to pegasi. Most unicorns can't work with it. Fortunately, I'm not like most unicorns. For summoning and illusory magic, imagination is the key component. To place something, you need to have an fully formed idea of what you want to place before you can impose it into the world. Any weakly formed thought or half baked idea will fizzle out almost immediately. I had a good idea of what I wanted. The same thing I had planned with the Ursa Major. I could see in my mind the cloud's swirling coal black tendrils gathering together, cracks of lightning sputtering forth from the growing monstrosity. Then, a final crack of thunder, and a torrent of rain. An ear splitting crack broke out from the sky, and I could feel a deluge of water pour down on me. As I opened my eyes, I could see the fire drown underneath the torrent of rain, sizzling loudly before vanishing in puffs of steam. The fire was already squelched. Now, I just had to dismiss the storm. I could see the rain letting up, the black clouds slowly turning grey, white, then into a fine mist that disper- Another loud crack of thunder broke my concentration as the storm raged on. The problem with summoning a giant event like this was keeping under control. Usually, summoning spells were loyal to their master's thoughts, but, once you place something out in the real world, it's possible for some other force to wrench control of it away from you. Or, if it's too massive for it to go completely out of control. Suddenly, the storm imploded in on itself with a very audible pop. A very quick and powerful dismissal, something to be expected out of a trained and powerful wielder of magic. Except, I hadn't been the one to do it. Without the burning brush, everything was once again coated in darkness. The only thing I could sense was the buzzing wings of the still present parasprite. I was beginning to get the feeling this was no ordinary sprite. As if in response, a laugh echoed across the forest, "Now, my dear, what would give you that impression?"
Chapter II - A Parasprite's ProposalCautiously, I allowed my horn to glimmer with a faint sheen of magic, casting a dull purple light out around me. No fireworks this time. The grey parasprite was there. Watching me. "Well," it said, comically raising an eyebrow, "Are you going to introduce yourself? Or is that something else you can't handle?" This is too much. A parasprite talking to me in the middle of the night? I'm going insane. No, it wasn't just talking to me, it was insulting me. I stared menacingly at the bug, "That storm was perfectly under my control. Watch your tongue, worm. Or I'll close it for you!" Sweet Celestia. What did I just say? That didn't make any sense at all! The parasprite seemed just as confused. It fluttered there idly, soaking in the retort. "I was about to complement you. That storm was an exquisite display of magical genius. No ordinary pony could have even attempted such a spell. However, with that last comment of yours I'm worried that display may have taken a bit more out of you than you anticipated. How do I put this, the energy and concentration necessary may have... scrambled your brain, if you will." He quickly added, "Or you may be a complete idiot with a bit of talent, who am I to judge." The parasprite grinned. "Yes, who exactly are you to judge the Great and Powerful Trixie!" I shouted. "remember your place, unless you want to end up like that tree behind me!" The parasprite's grin only widened at my display. "Finally, we're getting somewhere. Trixie. How quaint. Now, what tree are you talking about? I can't seem to remember, would you mind point it out for me?" I swung around to point out the tree, only to find a wall of perfectly healthy trees behind me. The blackened timber, the scorched skeleton of the tree, all perfectly replaced. Once again, indistinguishable from the rest of the forest. "I know it's around here somewhere." It said innocently. "But, then again, it might have disappeared. Just like that storm of yours I took care of." I risked a glance at the parasprite. The ghostly glow of purple light only served to make the wicked grin on it's face even more intimidating. "Now..." the parasprite hissed, "are. you. scared?" The parasprite's appearance changed immediately, taking on a more thoughtful expression. "I want to be a tad frightening, but not melodramatic, you know? I thought I'd get an opinion from a fellow performer." "Wh-wh-wha?" was all I could muster. The parasprite rolled its eyes. "Never mind, I'll get a second opinion later." It shook it's head. "Regardless, you must be dying to know who I am." I nodded dumbly. "I have many names. I am the Forest Lord. The Everfree Avenger. The Warden of the wood. But, you can call me Dave." "Dave?" It (he?) nodded. "Well, Dave," I ventured, "Why would a parasprite be the all powerful master of the EverFree forest." The sprite laughed, "This is a form I created to follow you around. This is a projection, just like that storm of yours. Besides, I needed a body to speak with you, to ask for your aid." I felt a sudden surge of pride. Of course an all powerful being would require my assistance. This was the shot I needed. The first step to recover my career. "I need a courageous pony…" It continued. “fearless!” I shouted. “… To go on a dangerous quest that may prove to be fatal.” “Of cour- w-wait. What? How dangerous are we talking about here?” The enthausiasm leaked out of my voice suprisingly quick. “Not that I’m scared of danger, just… an important pony needs to know what she’s up against.” I said, for his reassurance. A frown took root in the parasprite’s face. It was silent for a few moments before saying slowly, “I have something in mind that may be slightly risky, for an average pony. For the Great and Powerful Trixie it wouldn’t be more than a minor annoyance.” I felt a flush of relief. Of course I was up to it. The Great and Powerful Trixie was no common pony! I had the skill to accomplish this spirit’s request, without a doubt. “The Great and Powerful Trixie would be glad to assist you, spirit.” No doubt. Whatsoever. What are you doing? A talking parasprite appears out of nowhere deep in the Everfree forest with a ‘quest’, and you accept? Are you crazy! This is how your picture ends up on the front page of Equestria Daily with you in a body bag! “However,” I added quickly, “Trixie requires proof that solving this ‘minor annoyance’ of yours is worthy of my assistance.” I studied my hoof with mock interest, “Trixie assures you her time is very valuable.” "I can't reveal the details of the quest at this moment. However, I can leave you with a promise, and, a gift." With those final words, there was an audible pop, and a flourish of sparkles, a brown paper package tied with twine appeared between us. "Go ahead, open it. Take it as early payment." I loosened the twine easily with a bit of magic, and mangled the wrapping paper to see, my, my.... "Your cap and cape. The original pair. i managed to take them from the wreckage of your cart." I immediately searched the two for their distinctive markings, they were there. I couldn't believe it. I thought I had lost them forever. I wiped away some water on my face, something leftover from the storm I reasoned. I looked at the Parasprite's eyes. Dave continued, "I can't promise that you will be successful in what I ask of you. What I can promise is that if you succeed, I will reward you with wealth beyond description. You will never be of want. Whatever you desire will be before your hooves. You will not only have material wealth, but will also be peerless in fame, you will be the most famous unicorn in living history. No pony will ever forget you Trixie, you will be immortalized in the minds and history books of Equestria." The parasprite waited. Allowing me to process everything it had uttered. "Trixie has one request." I finally answered. "Name it." the insect responded. "You control the beings of the EverFree, correct?" "Hmm, the lesser beings, insects and the like." "Can you operate outside the EverFree Forest?" "No, my magic is limited to the confines of the Forest, but, I can implant commands in the minds of the sprites that they will follow regardless of location." "Trixie would like you to beset Ponyville with a horde of parasprites. Create chaos. Show those ponies the wrath of Trixie." "why didn't I think of that," the sprite muttered, "Done. You know, Trixie. I think this might be the start of a beautiful friendship." I stared down the Forest Lord. "Silence, Dave. You have Trixie's attention, not her friendship."
