Pinkie Pie, the Stage Magician

Chapters

Strangeness Attracts
The Journey Begins
Training Day
Prelude
Destined Rivals: Part 1
Destined Rivals: Part 2
Destined Rivals: Part 3
Quick Escalation
Reunion

Strangeness Attracts

‘Twilight and her stupid friends,’ She thought to herself as another rock was cracked when Trixie’s pickaxe hit it. Well, not her pickaxe per se. She was stuck working on an obnoxious rockfarm in the middle of nowhere, trying to earn the bits to get a new wagon after her old one was…permanently displaced by a rampaging Ursa Minor. It sounded as ridiculous as the stories she spun to entertain ponies far and wide.

“This is all their fault. Trixie will rise again and smite them with the force of a thousand --.” She took note of the sudden presence of the most emotionally despondent pony she had ever met. “-- suns. Hello, Maud.”

“Plotting revenge again I see,” she said in a tone so vacant of emotion that Trixie didn’t know how to take it. Knowing Maud, she was probably being “humorous.” Ponies would likely find her more entertaining if they knew she was trying to tell a joke.

“At this rate, Trixie will forever curse the name, ‘rock farm.’ However, Trixie will also very soon have the bits for a new wagon!”

“Manual labor isn’t for everypony,” Maud observed dryly. She went to pick up a small rock that was laid on a bigger rock nearby. “Thank you for looking after Boulder. Dinner is soon; we’re having rock soup again.”

Trixie dismayed at the news. “Why? We just had it.”

“My sister is coming back to visit soon, and rock soup is her favorite.” Apparently, having had her fill of conversation, Maud made her way to the house.

“Pinkie Pie is coming today…?” She had heard Maud talk of this mysterious missing pony before. When she asked for a description she got, “She likes parties, and she has a lot of friends.” Not exactly a detailed biography, but she couldn’t imagine anypony that description applies to hailing from the Pie family. Then again, someone could just as easily describe Maud as, “Somepony who loves comedy and does stand-up frequently.” It wasn’t untrue.

Trixie shrugged her shoulders and decided to go eat; her shift was over.

Trixie later found Maud getting ready to leave to greet her sister, when Trixie stopped her. “So, Maud, care to introduce me?”

“Why?”

“Well, I would just love to meet your sister. From all you’ve said, I bet she’s a splendid person.” Actually, she was kind of starved for a meaningful interaction. This farm was about as social as a strict library.

“Sure,” she said, leading her to the place outside where they were going to wait. “Pinkie is scheduled to arrive in about 2 hours.”

‘2…hours!?’ She shouted in her mind. “Why are we out here then?”

“She usually shows up early.” As she said this, a pink blur rocketed across the ground screaming, “Maud!” Right before it hit Maud, it slowed down, and a pink pony with puffy hair like Trixie had never seen hugged Maud tightly.

“Maud! Oh, I haven’t seen you in forever and forever. That’s 2 forevers ago!”

“Hi, Pinkie,” Maud responded with a typical lack of vocal enthusiasm.

“This…is Pinkie Pie?” Trixie was truly baffled. She studied the pony in front of her intently.

Pinkie, having just noticed Trixie for the first time, gasped and began shaking her hoof at great speed. “Oh my gosh! I never met you before! My name’s Pinkie Pie!”

She stopped shaking her hoof, but it took a moment for Trixie to realize it as she stopped her hoof from continuing to shake in the air. ”I…am the Great and Powerful Trixie!” She closed her eyes and struck a dramatic pose; she was then shocked to hear giggles. She opened her eyes to see the pink pony giving an honest smile that seemed to light up the world around her.

“That’s awesome! We should all introduce ourselves that way!”

Strangely, she did not seem to be mocking Trixie. Ponies usually just got annoyed with her or humored her, and sometimes, the colts and fillies would be wowed by her claims. Never had somepony responded quite like this. “…Thank you?”

“Let’s eat; I’m starving!” After Pinkie said this, she began bouncing, yes bouncing, to her destination.

She was beginning to wonder if she wasn’t better off before.

Trixie spoke up, “How long are you visiting, Pinkie?”

“Oh, a couple of days.”

The few days that Pinkie had stayed had been difficult for Trixie. They were also surprisingly fun, though she might not admit as such. The monotony of the farm was Trixie’s bane, but Pinkie Pie was certainly not monotonous. She constantly hung around Trixie, between visiting her family presumably, talking about anything and everything. Constantly startling her with sweets, and the oddities that she had learned to ignore.

This was Pinkie’s last day on the farm, and the thought was not a comfortable one. Pinkie was strange, but Trixie herself was…not entirely normal. Pinkie never looked at her weirdly and she never ignored what she was saying. Trixie felt…odd about this; she felt as though Pinkie lit up her dull world here, and even if she left the farm, it would never be quite the same. She had also been feeling rather strange around her in general.

Trixie sighed and made to smash another rock, before she screamed and fell backwards at the sight of blue eyes that had suddenly filled her vision. “Hey, Trixie! Whatcha thinkin’ about?” Pinkie stood with her beautiful, ever-present smile.

Trixie shook her head, “Pinkie! Nothing.” She stood quickly. “Trixie was just thinking that it was high time she left this terrible place,” she said, straightening her hat. “She finally has enough bits.”

Trixie’s heart dropped as she saw a frown overtake Pinkie’s face for the first time. “What’s so bad about it…?”

Trixie winced; Pinkie sounded genuinely hurt. “The farm is fine. Trixie just isn’t meant for this life. She just...has another calling is all.”

Pinkie shook her head and gave a sheepish smile, “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to assume you were insulting the farm or anything. I actually felt the exact same way about this place once." Her smile grew to be a normal Pinkie smile. "But one day, I found out that my calling is to make ponies smile. After that, I just had to venture out.”

“Is that right? Well, Trixie knows better than anypony how important it is to follow your dream. Once I save enough bits, my dream will be in-hoof again!” Trixie gave a sly grin, “Serious business aside, this farm isn’t so bad considering the company around here is top-notch.”

Pinkie’s face lit up to Trixie’s delight. “Yeah! Maud is the best!”

“…Right.” She should probably just let that slide.

“I was sooo surprised when I found out somepony was working here, and that they were Maud’s friend! I just had to talk to you, and you’re awesome too! Maud always did have a good judge of character,” she said all of this at an amazing pace, leaving little room for interjection.

“F-Friend? Maud's friend? You mean me?”

Pinkie looked surprised, but quickly her look was replaced with a joyful one. “Of course! She always says the best stuff about you! She even let you take care of Boulder, right? Her pet rock is super important to her!”

Trixie replayed their interactions in her mind. She supposed…they were friends? “Trixie has never had a friend before.”

Trixie could have sworn Pinkie looked sad for a moment, but the next moment it was gone. “Well, now you have 2 of them!”

Trixie hated the hopeful feeling that creeped up on her. “2 friends…?”

Trixie saw a look of uncertainty pass over Pinkie’s face. “I mean, yeah? We are friends, right?”

Her heart began racing, and her face heated up. So, that’s what this feeling was! She had made a friend! Still, she never felt this way around Maud. Surely, she doesn’t…no, no. That would be ridiculous. “Yes. We’re…friends.” The words felt so foreign in her mouth, but she did her best to smile and make the sentiment come across as genuine.

Pinkie’s face lit up like Trixie had never seen. “Yeah! By the way, what are saving up bits for? What’s your dream?”

Trixie looked around conspiratorially, “I’m going to buy a wagon to travel in. Then, I’ll become the best stage magician ever! And once I’m on top of the world, I’ll rub it in the faces of those jerks that ruined my life!”

Pinkie gasped, “Somepony ruined your life…?”

Trixie felt a familiar feeling of anger rise. “That’s right! That town is cursed! A bunch of neighsayers dissed me in the middle of my performance! It led to my wagon being crushed, and all of my possessions being lost forever. I couldn’t even afford another cape; I only got a hat.”

A genuine sadness overtook Pinkie, “Why would somepony do that?” It was unimaginable to her. What if someone tried their best to ruin her party?

Trixie shrugged, “Trixie supposes that they thought she was a braggart. It’s almost like it was a show. So, they tried to show Trixie up by being even bigger braggarts. 2 dumb kids brought an Ursa Minor and Trixie heroically tried to fight it off, but she couldn’t. Now, Nopony takes her seriously.”

“Wow…I’d love to see your show, Trixie! I bet it’s amazing!”

“Yeah…Seeing all those smiling faces, and awed looks; there’s nothing like it. It’s…it’s like having a party in peoples’ hearts.” She felt silly for saying it that way, but the way Pinkie’s eyes twinkled with amazement made it worth it. “Anypony can do it, though it is easier for unicorns. It’s pretty tough wowing ponies in a world with magic everywhere.”

“Cooool! Do you think I can do it too?”

Pinkie’s question caught her off guard. Ponies rarely took any real interest in her craft. “Of course! In fact, with your strange…quirks, it might just come naturally.” Another thought came to her. Maybe she won’t have to say goodbye after all. “Pinkie, would you like to be Trixie’s assistant?” Pinkie hesitated and started to answer when Trixie cut her off, “Tell you what, if you come to my next performance, you can decide then. I’ll teach you how to make the biggest and brightest smiles around!”

Pinkie put a hoof on her mouth and gasped dramatically. “How can I refuse an offer like that!?”

In that moment, Trixie’s smile might have matched Pinkie’s in terms of pure joy. “Great! I’ll write it down for you later.”

Trixie bought a new wagon and new gear for her shows, including a new cape to match her hat. When she performed her show for Pinkie, she tried even harder than usual. She spun grand tales and brought out her best fireworks and light tricks. By the end of it, the crowd was applauding, and Pinkie Pie looked awed.

After the show, Pinkie tackled her into a hug saying, “That was super wonderful! Please please please teach me how to do that.”

Trixie could feel it. This was the start of a wonderful partnership. “Fear not, Pinkie Pie. Together, we will bring smiles to every corner of Equestria and beyond!”

Pinkie let out an adorable squeal of excitement.

Twilight and Spike were confusedly staring at Mrs. Cake in Sugarcube corner. Twilight stepped forward, “Um, excuse me, but is Pinkie Pie not working today?”

Mrs. Cake gave a slightly sad smile, “Sorry, Twilight. She told me to give you this note when I saw you.”

Twilight read the note with some concern.

Dear the first friend who receives this note,

I have instructed Mrs. Cake not to read this note, for I do not wish for her to worry. I have begun a spiritual journey to discover how to provide more and better smiles to the ponies of Equestria. Are parties truly the only way for me to bring joy? This is the question I must answer. I have found a mentor to guide me, so rest assured, they shall see me returned one day. But for now, just know that I am safe. Wish me luck, my friends. It will be a difficult journey on these here wheels, but I will see you in three weeks. On Applejack’s birthday.

Love,

Apprentice Magician Pinkamena Diane Pie

P.S. Seriously though I’m doing fine. Hugs!

Twilight rubbed her eyes, “It’s just Pinkie being Pinkie. Still, I am a little worried. It sounds like she has a lot on her mind.”

Spike just shrugged, “Well, it’s not like we know where she went. I’m sure she’s fine.”

“You’re probably right. Still, maybe we should try to find her? Make sure she’s okay?”

Spike just sighed, “You’re going to look for her no matter what I say, aren’t you?”

“Pfft, what? Of course not. But what if she’s being manipulated by a crazy criminal!?”

Spike just shook his head. Maybe he could convince her to wait 3 weeks.

The Journey Begins

Pinkie Pie bounced across the ground towards Trixie’s new wagon, barely containing her giddiness. She had decided to return home to get some essentials, but she Pinkie Promised Trixie that she would return. She couldn’t help but smile when she imagined all the wonderful things she would do and learn. The way Trixie’s stories captivated ponies, and the way her magic made the whole world feel more special…she couldn’t explain it; it was just so awesome! Pinkie giggled to herself when she realized how much she sounded like Rainbow Dash.

She finally saw Trixie’s wagon, located on the side of the road she was trotting down, and she waved. “Trixie!” she shouted gleefully.

Trixie was sitting at a little table she had set up, reading a comic book decorated with a colorful front page. To Pinkie’s delight, despite the interruption, Trixie’s face lit up after Trixie saw her. “Pinkie! Trixie is all ready to hit the road. Well, first we must practice some…” Trixie was left stunned by the sight of the odd creature that had somehow procured a spot on her new companion’s mane. “Pinkie, there is…an alligator on you.”

Pinkie traced Trixie’s line-of-sight to the toothless alligator currently biting her mane. “Oh, This is Gummy!” She took Gummy off her mane and held him out to Trixie, “He’s really friendly!” In response, Gummy slowly blinked at her. “See, he likes you!”

Trixie shook the bizarre situation off. Perhaps the need to have strange pets runs through the family? “Yes, well, Trixie never said you could bring pets. However, she will make an exception for her favorite pink friend.” Trixie was feeling rather proud of herself in that moment; she had not hesitated at all when saying ‘friend.’ Just as well, the look of gratitude in Pinkie’s eyes made any potential downsides to the pet arrangement null in Trixie’s eyes.

Pinkie looked as if she was restraining herself from hugging her friend with her pet in-hoof. “Thanks, Trixie! I was just going to send him home!”

Confused, Trixie couldn’t help but ask, “And how is that exactly?”

Pinkie began making slow, circular movements with her free hoof. “It’s a mystery…”

Trixie simply raised a brow and Pinkie broke into giggles. “Actually, I have a friend who lives close by and she takes care of animals! I just wanted you to meet Gummy. He’s been really excited to meet you ever since I told him about you.”

Trixie gave a sly look as she, in an amused tone, accosted the alligator for information. “Tell Trixie, little reptile, just what exactly has Pinkie said about her great and powerful friend?”

To Trixie surprise and confusion, Pinkie covered Gummy’s mouth hurriedly. And though Trixie did not see it, Pinkie had cheeks that were spectacularly red in hue. “There’s no need to answer that, Gummy!” Pinkie said, moving away as if the slight distance would prevent further questioning.

Pinkie was well aware that her magician friend likely didn’t have the ability to decode Gummy’s many blinks, but in that moment, she felt that she couldn’t take that chance. It was a panicked response that she was already beginning to regret.

Trixie stared at the ground feeling somewhat awkward. Had she already done something wrong? That bizarre response wasn’t exactly what she was aiming for. Quite suddenly, Pinkie was suddenly standing right in front of her; Trixie restrained a squeak that nearly escaped her throat, unbidden.

“Um, you like the Power Ponies too?” Pinkie asked, trying to cover up her own embarrassment.

Trixie was glad to have attention drawn away from her little blunder. Moreover, the word elicited a sort of hesitant joy: she had never met a fellow fan of the series, but most ponies turned their nose up at them. “You like the Power Ponies? Aren’t they just the coolest?”

Pinkie shook her head and stepped back, “Nope! My friend, Spike, loves them! He’s my friend’s assistant and he’s the best baby dragon you’ll ever meet!”

Trixie’s jaw dropped; an occurrence all too common with her pink friend. She collected herself and came to the realization that Pinkie’s odd nature probably attracted all sorts of strange ponies…and dragons. Trixie’s mood dropped quite a bit when she realized her new friend didn’t share her affinity with the greatest comic books of all time. She felt a bit worried over Pinkie’s reaction to her pastime. She dreaded the that’s-for-kids argument for its lack of value.

Pinkie wasn’t sure what happened. One second her newest friend was all smiles and the next, her new friend was all frowns. Thinking on her hooves, Pinkie latched onto the thing she just learned about her. “Can I read the comic too? I bet I’ll like it, and we can talk about it and stuff!”

To Pinkie’s relief, Trixie’s eyes lit up and she gave a beautiful smile. It was more of an honest smile than the cocky smirks she usually wore. Pinkie noticed that her heart was beating faster, and she almost let her smile falter. She realized that she was trotting into dangerous territory. She had already made a mistake by acting the way she did in regards to her private conversations with Gummy. She was beginning to think that 2 weeks in close proximity was a bad idea.

“You bet you can read it! Obviously, if Trixie likes it then it must be worth liking. Or, it has time travel. Trixie is great and powerful, but she is also a sucker for time travel stories.” Trixie began folding her table and she smirked. “Pinkie, today we begin your training. It’s time for you to learn magic, stage magic that is, from the master,” Trixie said gesturing to herself with her hoof.

Pinkie began bouncing in place eagerly; her earlier woes completely forgotten. “Wow!”

“Do not worry. In Trixie’s infinite wisdom, she has procured you your very own stage costume. You seemed to be about Trixie’s size.” The way Trixie had said this was overflowing with confidence as usual, but she was giving Pinkie a side-long glance to gauge her reaction.

Luckily, Pinkie seemed all too happy with the idea. She ran into her wagon and ran out covered by Trixie’s cape. “Is it this one? How does it look?”

Trixie narrowed her eyes. “That is Trixie’s cape. Your outfit is in the wagon still.”

Pinkie lost her smile. “Aww. But it looks like the hat you used to wear. I really liked that hat…”

Yet again, Trixie was surprised. No one ever paid a genuine compliment to her attire before. Well, aside from colts and fillies anyway…if Pinkie was half as good at surprising an audience as she was at surprising her, she would make quite the magician. “Trixie…supposes that you may wear her amazing cape for the time being.”

Pinkie let out an excited cry and enveloped Trixie in a hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Trixie blushed lightly and pushed Pinkie away gently. “Yes, the Great and Magnanimous Trixie is an amazing friend.” In response to her proud nature, ponies typically got at least a little annoyed. Pinkie however, simply continued shining her brilliant smile.

Trixie maneuvered her cape in a dramatic fashion. “Onwards! Today, Trixie teaches her expansive skills!” Trixie began to ready her stage for a faux performance while Pinkie talked to her about a variety of random topics.

Trixie wiped her forehead as she finished preparing the stage. Pinkie continued her strange story about her unusual ‘power,’ and her friend whom decided to try to understand it. Trixie wasn’t sure whether to believe Pinkie’s purported accuracy of her ‘Pinkie Sense.’ But then again, Pinkie was a bundle of mysteries. Pinkie was always doing things that seemed to defy logic and reason. Trixie stood still, patiently waiting for the tale to conclude.

“So, she was like ‘Sometimes you just have to choose to believe in them,’ and that was that!” Pinkie finished with a happy look.

Trixie grimaced at the ending of Pinkie’s tale. “Pinkie, that’s an awful takeaway. Nopony chooses what to believe, and one should not believe in something when they can’t prove its falsehood.”

Pinkie frowned and her mane lost some of its bounce. “You mean, I taught my friend a bad lesson?”

Trixie gave Pinkie a reassuring tap on the shoulder. “Do not worry. Once you see your friend again, you can make things right. Trixie must say though, you have great potential in the art of spinning a yarn. Although, your delivery could use work.” Trixie nodded to herself, as if she was seeing the obvious wisdom in her own words. “Your imagination is spot-on: a hydra attacked you all.” She shook her head, amused. “So, what was it, really?”

“It was a hydra!” Pinkie reaffirmed, having recovered her usual pep.

Trixie nodded after a moment of pause. She had not known Pinkie for long, but she had a strange way of making the impossible seem all too possible; this made her the perfect pupil. Perhaps it was only natural that 2 ponies so excellent would be drawn together.
She smiled in anticipation. “Very well, Pinkie. A mentor can be a vital aspect in a ponies progression. Today, I will teach you the basics of sleight of hoof. Misdirection is a stage magicians greatest tool!”

End of Chapter

The prologue is now over!

Author's Note

Does anyone still care about this story? Sorry that it’s been so long guys. I’ve been working hard behind the scenes outlining this story. Plus, I was on my annual vacation. Updates will be coming much more frequently now. On another note, I would really appreciate if you took a couple of seconds to leave a comment. Feedback really keeps me going.

Training Day

Chapter 3:

After a restful sleep, Trixie and Pinkie drank delicious juice and discussed Pinkie’s love of baking: all at once, they were excited and anxious about Pinkie’s training throughout the conversation. Pinkie prodded Trixie for her favorite treats and she admitted that she had a “proclivity for the confections of the blueberry kind,” an answer which seemed to please Pinkie a great deal for unknown reasons. Pinkie gave her a strange, happy look that Trixie could scarcely decipher.

They both decided that they had wasted enough time in pleasant conversation. And so, they trotted along in peaceful silence as Trixie imagined all the ways she could impart wisdom on her new protégé. She might have been nervous if she were anypony else, never having had an apprentice in the stage magic arts. Trixie was certain however, that Pinkie’s bizarre mannerisms would make her an ideal candidate for magic. And of course, the only candidate capable of allowing such natural talent to flourish was Trixie. Trixie who was not even slightly concerned. Nope.

Contrary to the impression Trixie got on the rock farm, it seemed that Pinkie was fully capable of holding her tongue for minutes at a time. Although the entire time, Pinkie was looking at every movement and sound she could perceive.

Trixie glanced to the side, taking note of the blue, starred cape that flapped slightly as Pinkie walked. Because of her own generosity, Trixie was forced to wear the cape she had prepared for Pinkie; a simple black thing, much the same as her old cape but lacking in color and design.
Trixie felt rather annoyed that her outfit no longer matched, but seeing the proud look on Pinkie’s face when she wore her favorite cape made her rather…well, she wasn’t sure.

‘Ah! It must be friendship I feel!’ Trixie thought to herself, satisfied. Friendship was truly illusive.

Trixie noticed that Pinkie grew more and more excited as they walked until she was quite literally bouncing again. Trixie noticed, with some interest and a small smile on her face, that Pinkie did not simply jump up and down. She instead bounced as though she were traveling atop a trampoline instead of the earth everypony else travelled.

It seemed that Pinkie could no longer contain herself, and she looked at Trixie. “When do I get a cool hat too?”

Trixie, having expected such a question, smirked. “You will have one once Trixie has imparted all of her wisdom upon you; when you are a true stage magician.”
In response, Pinkie simply smiled, nodded, and continued her bouncing.

Trixie gave a side-long glance as they approached the stage she had already set up. “So then, do you have any experience in stage performance of any kind?”

Perhaps for the first time since she Trixie had met her, Pinkie’s sunny disposition had almost vanished completely. “Well, I guess I have…”

Feeling her body tense, Trixie was nearly panicking. She searched the deep, dark corners of her mind for the appropriate response. She then nearly smashed her hooves on the ground in triumphant pride when she remembered something she read in one of her Power Ponies comic books. “Don’t worry, Pinkie. You can tell me anything. We’re friends, right?” It was rather strange. Trixie found that her chest tightened and hurt at the sight of her usually jubilant friend losing her cheer. Perhaps this was why Pinkie went to such lengths to bring out her friends’ happiness.

Pinkie gave her a much more tame smile than usual. Her hair had lost most of its bounce. “I always kinda wanted to be a stage-pony,” Pinkie admitted. “But, I’m kind of…bad at it.” The last part had broken into a whisper.

“Trixie is certain it’s not as bad as you think.”

Pinkie looked embarrassed. “I sort of started a war one time,” she admitted.

Trixie flinched, but nodded in understanding. “Sometimes the work we do can be divisive.”

“No, I mean that it started a literal war between the buffalo and the ponies. It was one of the shortest wars ever and it was fought exclusively with pies.”

Trixie massaged her head to combat the oncoming headache. “Trixie would never believe such an outrageous claim if she did not read the incredulous news reports.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter…look, Pinkie, you may want to sit down for this one.”

Pinkie shook her head. Her eyes were wide with anticipation and her face portrayed a good deal of confusion. “I’m okay.”

Trixie was surprised to hear the subdued tone in Pinkie’s voice. She almost sounded like a different pony. She sighed, expecting that the following story would be quite difficult. “Trixie has never admitted this before, so I hope you feel quite honored!” Suddenly, she was struck with an inability to speak. It felt as though her throat refused to allow her to form words.

Pinkie was flattered and sad all at the same time. She wondered, not for the first time, how Trixie managed to never have friends. Pinkie put a reassuring hoof on her shoulder and Trixie looked grateful before her typical confidence made its return.

Trixie began, “You see, Trixie’s cutie mark, the indication of her natural talents, is not at all for stage magic,” she divulged as Pinkie’s jaw dropped in surprise.

Pinkie managed to collect herself speedily. “But that’s your passion, right?”

Trixie nodded, paused, and shook her head. “Yes and no. Trixie loves stage magic truly, but her cutie mark was in magic itself. At Celestia’s School For Gifted Unicorns it was considered quite the honor. The thought was that for a pony’s special talent to be magic itself they must be something special. Trixie felt that her gifts went unappreciated however, so she left to pursue her passions her own way; it was much the reason for Trixie’s hatred for hecklers. But, that’s a long story and it’s not the point,” she paused and took a deep breath. “What Trix- I am trying to say is that even I wasn’t always the brilliant stage magician you see today. In fact, I was…bad at some point, some ponies might say.”

Now, Pinkie was in awe. Trixie had admitted her own shortcomings. She said ‘I.’ Pinkie had to restrain herself from launching into a hug at Trixie’s showing of vulnerability.

“The point is,” Trixie continued, looking as though she had swallowed something sour. “Even Trixie makes mistakes. And not even she, as great as she is, can become a great stage magician immediately without a cutie mark. Simply try your hardest and Trixie will show you the way!” she said, typical attitude returning.

A pink blur smashed into her and began squeezing her tightly as Trixie hugged back slightly, unsure of how she should react. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!” Pinkie sputtered at incredible speed. “Maud was so right about you. You’re super awesome! You’re the best! You’re great, and powerful, and and nice, and beautiful-“ Just as fast as it arrived, Pinkie’s smile was gone. She escaped the hug as though Trixie had suddenly become too hot to remain in contact with.

Trixie had blushed at the compliments, especially at the last one, and had been prepared to thank Pinkie until she saw the look on her face. “Pinkie…?”

Pinkie realized she was probably making her friend uncomfortable. “Sorry! Um, thank you!” she repeated, her smile returning.

“Uh, what are friends for…?” Even Trixie wasn’t sure to whom the question was directed. She rid herself of all reservations and doubts. “It is time to begin…your training!” she stated ominously.

After a demonstration of the play-that-had-started-a-war, Trixie let out a sigh of relief. “That was not nearly so bad! Trixie has seen far worse.”

Pinkie looked hopefully, and a little doubtfully, at Trixie. “Really?”

Trixie laughed haughtily. “Worry not! The great and powerful Trixie shall make you one of the greatest stage magicians in all of Equestria! No, the world! Then, after we spread joy far and wide, we will crush that evil Twilight with the weight of our great success!”

“…come again?”

Twilight sipped her tea, having calmed down significantly due to Spike’s reassurances. What an amazing little assistant she has; she should get him something nice.

“Mail is in,” Spike commented as he entered the room. He laid the letters in his hands on the table and made to attend his other assistant duties.

“Thanks, Spike,” Twilight said. She began combing through the letters and she spotted a rather peculiar one.

“Were we supposed to organize books today or tomorrow?” Spike asked.

“Twilight? Twilight…?” He saw that she was frozen in place with an open letter in her hoof; her mouth was open in abject terror. Spike snatched the letter and began scanning the page

Dear Twilight,
Pretty please don’t panic, but I’m pretty sure someone stole your identity. Trixie said that someone named Twilight was running around doing evil stuff and her description sounded just like you! She sounds like a real meanie-pants so be on the lookout! This crazy Nega-Twilight practically ruined Trixie’s life! I guess it might be a clone from the mirror pool. You didn’t use the mirror pool did you? I’ve always kind of wanted to try it.
P.S. Tell Spike that the Power Pony comics are super awesome
P.S.S. I totally forgot to mention that Trixie is my teacher! She’s this super awesome blue unicorn that does stage magic! We’re practically best friends already!
Hugs,
Pinkie Pie

Spike lowered the letter slowly. “She sure has a variety of different writing styles,” he observed, trying to lighten the mood.
His words seemed to snap Twilight out of her trance. “Spike! We need to gather the girls and find Pinkie as soon as possible. She’s being slowly manipulated by a stage magician out for revenge!”

Spike looked at the letter while he scratched his neck. Those weren’t words he expected to hear when the day started.

“How would we even find her?” he questioned.

“We will just have to figure it out,” she said resolutely.

There would be no talking her out of this now. Besides, this actually was pretty suspicious. He just nodded, resigned to his fate. Twilight threw him on her back and prepared to tell her friends the news.
.

Author's Note

I want to take a moment to sincerely thank everyone who took the time to comment. I'd also like to thank everyone who bothers to read my little story. These last 2 chapters have been written exclusively on my phone and it's been quite a challenge.

Prelude

Pinkie realized something while Trixie was teaching her. Trixie loved stage magic. Maybe that should have been obvious, but Pinkie never really grasped how much Trixie loved it until she saw Trixie smile during their lesson. It was a wonderful smile that never quite left her face…

“Pinkie!” Trixie repeated.

“Huh?” Pinkie snapped out of her daydream. She was supposed to be learning how to perform a card trick. Apparently, it would teach her some of the ‘magician essentials.’

Trixie shook her head. “Just remember to memorize the bottom card.”

Once again, Pinkie had attempted to do the trick; the entire time, finding herself quite distracted by Trixie’s ever-present smile. Luckily, this time she had not zoned out. Trixie exercised amazing patience as Pinkie continually produced an incorrect card, simply shaking her head and maintaining her happy disposition.

Suddenly, Trixie had lost her smile and leaned over. “So, this Twilight Sparkle is your friend, yes? Purple unicorn? Celestia’s student and all that?”

Pinkie stopped her meddling with cards for the time being. “Yep! She’s great! It’s too bad that Nega-Twilight is making a bad name for her. I’m sure she can handle it.” Pinkie shrugged, fully confident in her friend’s ability.

Trixie returned to her previous position whilst adopting look that Pinkie did not understand.

“Right,” Trixie said plainly.

Pinkie continued her practice, but she realized something that she found rather sad. Her friend’s wonderful smile never quite returned.

Twilight gathered 4 of her best friends together to plan for the recent emergency. Now, all of them had finally gathered in her little library with concerned looks on their faces. Twilight galloped in and began quickly setting up the presentation she prepared.

Applejack made to say something, but she was cut off when Rainbow Dash was the first was the first to ask, “What the hay is going on here!?”

Instead of being annoyed at the interruption, Applejack only agreed with the sentiment and nodded. “Ya’ made it sound like the world was ending, sugarcube. Where’s the fire?”

Fluttershy adopted a notably more timid stance. “Um, the world isn’t ending, right?”

Rarity sighed dramatically. “I certainly hope not. I’ve been busier than you would believe. My beauty sleep has taken a real hit. I need a spa day not a traipse through swamplands or some other such ‘adventure.’”

Twilight managed to finish setting up and she turned to address her friends. “We all know that Pinkie has decided to undergo some sort of journey to learn…something, but I just received a letter from her that has me really concerned. I know exactly what Pinkie has decided to learn and who is teaching her.”

Everypony present lost most of the concern and anxiety that colored their features. They weren’t particularly happy about being dragged into a paranoid lecture. Applejack in particular was rather unamused; giving Twilight a raised brow, having already talked her down recently. “Twilight, I’m sure it ain’t as big a deal as you think. Let’s all just read the letter together. You’ll see,” she assured gently.

Twilight sighed lightly. She had expected doubt to form and she couldn’t exactly blame her friends for it either. She levitated the letter in front of herself and began relaying Pinkie’s message word-for-word. As she got further into the letter her friend’s expressions all darkened as their earlier concern came back. Twilight finished the letter as her friends looked at each other unsurely.

Uncharacteristically, Fluttershy was the one to break the silence. “So…I guess we really should save Pinkie?”

Rainbow Dash launched into the air angrily, turning to Fluttershy causing her to squeak and backpedal. “Of course, we should! Obviously, she’s being manipulated!” She stopped looking directly at Fluttershy, instead glaring at empty air. “I knew I should of went after her!”

Twilight looked to the side rather guiltily. She too had felt she could have done things differently the day Trixie came to town. She was the one who stopped Rainbow from chasing after Trixie when she was leaving Ponyville. Maybe they could have all talked and none of this would be happening.

Applejack was about to say her piece when she noticed something strange. “Where did Rarity run off to?”

Rarity had apparently left at some point during everypony’s concern. Suddenly, the door swung open as Rarity rushed in with several bags levitated by her magic. “All right, girls! Let’s save our friend!”

Rainbow rubbed her head in confusion. “What about beauty sleep, or the spa, or whatever?”

“Ugh. I can’t even believe you would be thinking about such things at a time like this, darling. Pinkie Pie needs us right now,” she reprimanded lightly. Rainbow simply rolled her eyes in response.

Twilight looked down at her hooves. “Actually, we can’t just run off and find her. She could be anywhere by now.”

This seemed to subdue Rarity’s emotions somewhat. “Then, what do we do?”

“There’s only one thing to do,” Twilight boldly proclaimed. “We have to go to the library in Canterlot and find Starswirl’s tracking spell. I’m not exactly sure what it requires, but we should probably take some of her hair or something.”

All her friends looked much more confident now that they had a plan to follow. But then, Twilight remembered something vital that she had somehow let slip her mind. She gasped and bit her lip anxiously. “I forgot about the presentation!”

Looking to the unused podium she set up next to her well thought-out presentation made her stomach twist into knots. Her plan was already off to a terrible start.

Trixie was lying in her hammock thinking on recent events when she heard light snores coming from the opposite end of her wagon. A pink pony was curled into a ball like a dog, sleeping soundly as though she’d slept in hammocks her entire life.

Trixie sighed exasperated. It wasn’t as though she was sick of her pink friend; quite to the contrary, a part of her wished these days on the road would never end. Instead, her frustration lied in Pinkie’s incredible aptitude for stage magic. Yes, despite Pinkie’s misgivings, Pinkie was a natural. It was to be expected since she was scouted by Trixie herself.

She rolled over with a sad sigh and almost yet out a cry at the purple eyes blinking owlishly at her. “Gummy!” She sleepily carried Pinkie’s strange alligator pet to Pinkie’s hammock. Upon putting the creature on the makeshift bed, Pinkie began to cuddle with the carnivorous reptile like a stuffed animal. This might typically make Trixie roll her eyes or make her smile, but instead she felt an odd bout of jealousy towards the still-staring-at-her alligator.

Trixie felt her cheeks grow hot and she shook the thoughts from her head, forcing herself not to think about the possible implications of wanting to snuggle with her pink friend. Ponies like hugs from their friends, yes? Surely, this is no different.

Satisfied with her quick justification, Trixie returned to her own hammock and began stewing all over again. Due to Pinkie’s progress with stage magic, she would soon be ready for a real performance as an assistant. What better way to learn than to be a part of such a brilliant act?

The real problem here was that either Trixie would need to come clean about being not entirely honest, or she could roll the metaphorical dice as to whether she would be laughed off stage or not. She let out a quick breath and promised herself that she would come clean. Telling the truth was nothing for a pony of her ability. Or so she reassured herself as she stared anxiously at the ceiling of her wagon.

Author's Note

This chapter is extra short and a little late. Sorry about that! My birthday is tomorrow, so I kind of typed this out quick and it came out a little shorter than expected. As the name suggests, this is basically just a prelude for the more important next chapter. I'm back to typing on a computer! Tell me if you notice a difference. I'm also sick, so idk how good this chapter is. Well, that's enough sick, tired ramblings from me. Hope you enjoyed!

Destined Rivals: Part 1

Trixie anxiously paced outside the wagon, waiting for Pinkie to come out. She felt her spirits plummet as she imagined all the reactions Pinkie might have upon discovering the truth. Maybe it wouldn’t be a big deal, she reasoned to herself.

She never exactly set a date on when she would tell Pinkie the truth. That was the flimsy justification she provided for herself as she spent 3 stress-filled days training Pinkie. It became increasingly obvious to her that Pinkie was ready, and it became equally obvious to her that she was now just stalling for time. Her mane was a mess…

She heard the telltale signs of a waking pony as items in her wagon began to get shifted around. Some ponies might call her precious wagon cramped, but Trixie called it cozy. At the very least, Pinkie seemed to not mind.

Her racing, random thoughts were interrupted when Pinkie emerged from the wagon. Pinkie saw her, smiled, and opened her mouth to speak. “Hey Trix- “

“Pinkie Pie!” Trixie cut in leaving Pinkie looking surprised. “There is something that Trixie must say before she loses her nerve to do so.”

Pinkie jumped out of the wagon and landed on the ground in front of her, smiling. “Okie dokie!”

Trixie swallowed the lump in her throat and briefly considered making something up on the spot. She shook her head. Dishonesty would gain her nothing now. “You have been traveling with Trixie for a little over a week and your skill has improved considerably. In fact, Trixie believes it is time to join forces and become an amazing duo!”

Pinkie gasped and gave a large smile. “Awesome!” But then, her smile faded into a look of confusion. “Hold on. Why would you lose the nerve to tell me that?”

Pinkie is more perceptive than she first appears, Trixie reminded herself. “The Great and Dishonest Trixie has been hiding something this whole time,” she admitted. Pinkie’s expression became one that was difficult for her to read. “Trixie did not lose her hat and cape in Ponyville.”

Pinkie tilted her head to the side, puzzled. “Why would you lie about that?”

Trixie took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to say this. She had spent hours staring at her wagon’s ceiling, thinking of what to say. Now, her words were jumbled in her mind. “Trixie has told you the truth about her situation in passing, though she certainly never gave details. I once said ‘Nopony takes Trixie seriously,’ but that was a bit of an understatement. The thing is-,“ she paused her monologue and readied herself mentally. “-I am the laughingstock of every town I go to. And…I really lost my hat and cape running away from a crowd of jeering ponies.”

Pinkie put her hoof over her mouth and gasped again. “But I saw your show! Everypony loved it!” Her chest tightened when she saw tears forming in Trixie’s eyes

Trixie looked down ashamedly. “That was just one town. I knew that was a town that would never judge me no matter what they heard. Trixie didn’t save them from a rampaging Ursa as she claimed, but she did help them a lot. They had a…slightly less threatening pest problem.”

Pinkie was just glad she was referring to herself in the third person again. She took it as a sign that Trixie had regained some of her confidence. It struck her how difficult this must be. Trixie is such a proud pony, but she was revealing a vulnerable side to herself; and not for the first time.

“The point is, Trixie might be…less than well-received at some point. She will try to keep to areas that are not privy to gossip like Mareway. Her extensive knowledge of such things comes from many years of travel,” she said without any of the usual bravado. She glanced at Pinkie uncertainty and then at the ground, repeating this process several times before asking, “So, are you mad at Trixie?”

Pinkie was so surprised by this turn of events that she had forgotten to respond. She gave a genuinely warm, understanding, and reassuring smile; putting her hoof on Trixie’s shoulder. She got a tentative smile in return, but then Pinkie gasped melodramatically and sped off faster than Trixie had ever seen a pony move, leaving a pink blur behind her.

Trixie stood stunned, mouth agape, watching her friend’s quick retreat with a look of utter bafflement. She had thought she was used to Pinkie’s…quirks by now, but she was obviously wrong. She closed her mouth and deduced that perhaps nopony truly got used to Pinkie Pie. She smiled to herself. “But that is what makes her Pinkie Pie.”

She wouldn’t have it any other way.

Twilight spent the last few days with her friends in the archives of Canterlot’s most knowledge-filled locations. The Library of Magic didn’t seem to have what she was looking for, so she personally made a request to Princess Celestia to see the Canterlot Archives. Unfortunately, the latter venture was about as successful as the former.

The doors to the archive swung open and Twilight knew that could only mean one thing. Her head snapped to the entrance and a smile formed despite her exhaustion. “Princess!”

Even the loud acknowledgement of their ruler’s presence did not wake her sleeping friends. Their efforts to stay awake long enough to complete their objective was admirable, especially for the hyper Rainbow Dash whom was the first pony to surrender to mental exhaustion. Twilight stayed awake but she was on the brink of sleep as well. Refusing to submit to sleep, her mane was frizzled, and her eyes had heavy bags under them. She felt as though her eyelids were constantly forcing themselves downward.

Celestia walked over to her with a gentle smile. “I’m sorry, Twilight. I wish I could have come sooner. Have you had any luck?”

Twilight shook her head sadly. “We’ve looked everywhere. We must have combed this entire archive by now. Is there somewhere else the spell could be?”

Celestia thoughtfully glanced around the room. “Perhaps. However, I think that you should consider another approach. It may be that his tracking spell is lost forever. As thorough a collection as this archive is, some of his spells were inevitably lost one way or another.”

Twilight was inclined to heed her teacher’s wisdom but shook her head stubbornly, glaring at the ground. “I know that spell is around here somewhere. It has to be!”

Celestia merely laid a hoof on Twilight’s head, causing her to look up. “You shouldn’t be so set on one course that you refuse to divert to another when it is necessary,” she lectured. “That was a lesson I once received from Starswirl himself.”

Hearing words relayed to her by her mentor from Starswirl himself had the intended effect; Twilight relented. “But, what should I do then?”

Celestia removed her hoof from her student’s head. “Tell me, what exactly happened that has you so thoroughly searching for this spell? As I recall, you came to me about Pinkie Pie going on a journey with somepony you don’t approve of.”

“It’s not just that!” Twilight corrected quickly. “She’s being manipulated! She’s travelling with a vengeful stage mare named Trixie who’s trying to convince Pinkie that we ruined her life!”

The worked-up shouting of Twilight finally managed to wake up her friends. Some of them were awake long enough to catch the end of Twilights tirade and were floored by Twilight’s lack of tact towards her mentor. Her stress built up over not being able to help her friend had finally reached its boiling point. Twilight seemed to realize what she just did herself, but she stopped short of apologizing when she saw the odd look on the Princess’ face.

“Trixie…Lulamoon?” Celestia asked hesitantly.

Confused, Twilight nodded.

Princess Celestia had suddenly been struck with the inability to make eye contact. “I may know where she is, or more specifically, where she was.”

Twilight and her friends perked up at this strange turn of events. Twilight, despite being desperate and tired, found this to be strange and couldn’t help but ask a simple, “Why?”

Celestia, regaining her composure, responded, “Well, I never said as much, but I used to be quite into the stage arts, one might say. I keep an eye on stage performances of all kinds.”

Twilight accepted this explanation immediately, but her friends shot confused glances at each other. This is great news!” Twilight exclaimed. She glanced towards her friends. “Now, we have a real, solid lead!”

“Twilight,” Celestia said to capture the full attention of her student once again. “Try to keep in mind that this may all be simple miscommunication.”

Twilight looked surprised that her mentor would doubt her. “But Pinkie sent a letter about the lies that Trixie is feeding her!”

“Where is this condemning evidence?”

Twilight quickly produced the letter, always close at hoof. Celestia skimmed the letter herself for the first time, quickly becoming more concerned.

“Did she give you a transcript of their conversation?” Celestia asked rhetorically. “Honestly, this seems ripe for misinterpretation to me.”

“B-But it’s obvious what Trixie is doing! What other explanation is there?”

Celestia shook her head. “All of you are blinded by your concern. Perhaps Trixie is being genuine, but she simply interpreted the events in a different way. Or maybe, harmony forbid, there really is some manner of doppelganger causing mischief. There are certainly even more possibilities that I did not consider.”

Twilight looked unconvinced but still thoughtful, Rainbow rolled her eyes in complete disbelief, and Applejack rubbed her neck; not sure what to think. Rarity and Fluttershy both looked to each other, feeling that they may have misread the situation in their haste.

“Just remember,” Celestia said, slipping into the teaching voice she used when imparting her most valuable lessons. “A pony’s intentions are not always as they seem. Try not to assume the worst and go in with an open mind.”

Twilight heard the wisdom accrued over a thousand years of experience and nodded. “I’ll try my best princess.” Twilight’s friends all gathered at Twilight’s side and vocalized their agreement.

Celestia smiled. Her little student had certainly gathered many wonderful friends. “I will send you letters once I know more about where Trixie is,” she promised.

Twilight said gratefully, “Thank you, Princess.”

As they all fled the room Celestia called after them. “Don’t forget to get some rest!” she fussed. After Celestia was alone in the archives, her lips thinned, and her brow furrowed. She stared at the letter still in her hoof and sighed.

Author's Note

Next chapter will be much more about Pinkie and Trixie. This is the first time I wrote a chapter without being forced to use a phone, or while I was sick! I'm pretty proud of this one. I figured I should split it into parts rather than make you guys wait a month for an 8,000 word chapter. There will probably be 3-5 parts, if you're wondering.

Destined Rivals: Part 2

Trixie had arranged for her newest and greatest show in Mareway earlier in the day. She had already parked her wagon and was currently attempting to procure a room to sleep in. Indeed, she was proactive. Pinkie deserved as much, and more, for being so amicable about sleeping in her wagon.

Although, the motel itself was rather humble in size and comforts. Trixie needed to cut down on her spending. Her bits were already running a bit low. She spent considerable time earning coin at the rock farm but buying all her magician necessities had come at a hefty cost.

So now here she was, standing in a decent, but not great, motel with a look of great frustration as the purple maned, purple furred pony continued to annoy her.

The purple mare sitting on the other side of the Front Desk stared at her with a raised brow.

“What?” Trixie questioned impatiently.

“We only accept real names,” she stated plainly.

“That is Trixie’s real name!” she defended.

The mare looked at the paper that read ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie!’ and simply said, “First and last name, please.”

Trixie let out a long-suffering sigh and levitated a pen with her magic. “The things Trixie does for her friend.”

The mare looked at the corrected signature. ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie Beatrix Lulamoon.’

“Are you happy now?” Trixie asked sardonically.

“Thrilled,” the purple mare responded dispassionately. “Now I need identification.”

Trixie had no idea that getting a room would be so terrible. She looked around the room and wondered where Pinkie had gone off to. She had been acting very strangely.

Pinkie wondered the streets a little longer than she usually would have. Honestly, it was starting to get a little difficult to act normal around Trixie. Pinkie wasn’t the best at keeping things to herself, and her feelings seemed to be getting a teensy bit out of control.

It’s not like she was going to kiss Trixie, she was just thinking about it a little bit. She had reacted to the thought in a way that ensured suspicion. She really needed to stop panicking around her. Luckily, Trixie seemed borderline incapable of reading a pony’s reaction.

Later, she told Trixie that she was planning something really fun, which was true. Her super awesome party for Trixie was really coming together! It was pretty unusual but Pinkie Pie, party-planning extraordinaire, never backs down from a challenge!

She giggled to herself when she realized that she was starting to sound like Trixie now. It was just the pick-me-up that Pinkie needed as she started bouncing to the motel. First, she would throw an awesome party for her friend. Then, her awesome party would make her realize that making her friend smile was all she wanted the whole time!

Pinkie returned to the motel and hesitated only slightly before opening the door and walking through.

Trixie saw Pinkie come through the door and gave a joyful smile, contrasting her previously annoyed expression. “Pinkie! Where in Equestria do you keep running off to?”

Pinkie’s smile became more awkward. “Well, uh, I was out making friends! I’ve never been here before! Crazy, huh? And, I was saying hi to an old friend! I didn’t meet her here. Obviously.”

Everything Pinkie said was true, but she did leave out the part where she was planning a party for Trixie.

Trixie looked suspicious for a moment, but then she shrugged. “If you say so. Trixie was just procuring a room for us, which was a much more of a hurdle than she anticipated.” She threw a dirty look at the purple pony. “Luckily, the Great and Powerful Trixie is up for any task!”

Pinkie felt her smile slip as anxiety overtook her. “Um, ‘a’ room? As in, one room? For both of us?”

Trixie, feeling as though she had read Pinkie’s mind, gave a haughty grin. “Yes. But Trixie has seen to it that we get two beds! No need to worry. She is very considerate.”

The purple mare cut in with, “It’s actually just cheaper that way.”

Trixie glared at her and turned back to Pinkie with her smile returning. “It was cheaper, yes.”

Pinkie forced herself to calm down. They weren’t sleeping in the same bed and they had already slept in the same wagon. This was practically the same.

As Trixie led her to an area she designated ‘the practice stage,’ the purple pony grumpily mumbled something under her breath that Pinkie couldn’t make out. Pinkie stopped in her tracks when she realized something terrible. She sped to the desk and the mare looked up in surprise. “Whoa! I’ve never seen a pony move so fast! You got a cutie mark in marathons or something?”

“Nope!” Pinkie replied. “I just remembered that I never introduced myself. I’m Pinkie Pie!”

The mare’s face relaxed into a more neutral expression. “Starlight Glimmer.”

Pinkie’s suspicions were practically confirmed. She pulled a magnifying glass out of her mane and examined ‘Starlight’ with more scrutiny. “I don’t suppose you’ve been calling yourself ‘Twilight’ recently? Ruined any stage performances?”

Starlight lowered the magnifying glass with her hoof. “No, I haven’t.”

“Which one?”

“Both…Neither!”

Trixie stepped in between them. “That’s enough, Pinkie. As entertaining as it is to watch you interrogate this troublesome pony, there is practice to be had.”

Pinkie felt disappointed. “But she could be the mare impersonating Twilight! Or Nega-Twilight impersonating someone else. Or something!”

Trixie sighed. “Look, Pinkie, there’s something I have to tell you about this whole ‘Nega-Twilight’ thing. The truth is…a thing. That is…maybe we should talk about this when we’re alone.”

Pinkie was deeply confused. “Are you…still hiding stuff about the you-know-what incident?”

Trixie looked conflicted. “Not exactly ‘hiding stuff.’ I’ve got it!” Trixie clapped her hooves together in excitement. “Once the act is over, I’ll tell you all about what happened! No more secrets! Not from this magical mare.”

Pinkie nodded her head contentedly. “Well, Okie dokie! You know the truth about Nega-Twilight?”

Trixie cleared her throat. “You could say that…I didn’t tell you because it has certain implications. It’s not important right now. All we need to worry about right now is making you the third best stage magician in the world!”

“Neat! But who’s the best and second best?”

Trixie smirked. “Trixie is second best, only behind the greatest stage magician ever, Hoofdini! He’s Trixie’s hero.”

Pinkie could practically see the stars in Trixie’s eyes. “All right! We’d better hurry if I’m going to be as great as those ponies.” She nudged Trixie playfully.

Trixie gave her a glowing smile before flinching and looking behind her. Pinkie looked behind her too, and felt her face heat up a bit when she saw Starlight desperately trying to look like she was reading. Starlight noticed the gazes, looked up, and said, “Sorry, it looked kind of personal and I didn’t know how to leave you alone without interrupting you.”

Brushing off the awkwardness of the situation, Pinkie opened the door and turned to Trixie. “Off to the stage!”

Trixie threw her treasured hat on their room’s floor. “What a disaster!” She was shaking from anger and shame. Never had she had a performance go so poorly!

“I’m sorry…” Pinkie said, her hair seeming to have lost all its poofiness. It hung straight down to her shoulders. Her body also seemed a lot more grey than usual.

“It isn’t your fault Pinkie. It was those, those savages!” Trixie stood in front of a mirror and tried to rinse the soot out of her mane. She could feel the tears streaming down her face, unasked. “This is it! I’m done for! I’m going to go back to eating pinecones! I’ve had interrupters, but they never turned the whole crowd on me before!” Trixie wasn’t just crying anymore, she was sobbing.

She really tried to stop the tears. Any possible chance that Pinkie saw her as anything besides a loser had flown out the window the second Pinkie saw her sob like a filly. Oh, who was she kidding? It flew out the window the second Pinkie saw that on-stage catastrophe.

Trixie felt a warm hoof pat her on the back comfortingly and her tears finally stopped. Trixie looked up hopefully.

“It’ll be okay, Trixie. I Pinkie Promise!” Pinkie’s sympathetic eyes nearly made Trixie begin to cry again. Instead, she hugged Pinkie. She gripped her and refused to let go.

Trixie never noticed that Pinkie had regained some of her color, or that her eyes now sparkled with determination.

“Surprise!” rang out through the room. The word came from Pinkie Pie and another pony Trixie never met before. She had a reddish pink mane, redish pink eyes, and a light blue coat. They both threw multi-colored confetti into the air.

Trixie was truly surprised. First, she registered that a very small party was being thrown for her. Then, she realized that Pinkie’s mane had returned to its previous state, and even her color seemed to come back. It made her feel relieved. She didn’t think Pinkie was capable of falling into such a miserable state. She asked Pinkie the first thing that came to mind. “Don’t your parties usually have more ponies?”

Pinkie bounced over to her. “Well, yeah. I was gonna invite some more people, but I remembered one of the first things you said to me. ‘I hate parties!’”

“Trixie doesn’t remember that,” Trixie said. She was surprised Pinkie became her friend with her saying such a thing.

Pinkie nodded, as if already expecting her forgetfulness. She stared off into the distance, remembering one of their first conversations. “Yeah. At first, I was like ‘whaaat?’ But when I asked for an explanation, and you said you just hate big parties! You like small get-togethers with a few ponies and not a ton of noise. And I was like, ‘Oh! She must like Fluttershy parties!’” She paused her recollections to look at Trixie with an optimistic expression. “Do you like it? I sort of thought you’d need cheering up.”

Admittedly, Trixie had been feeling rather…defeated since her show. She was certain that Pinkie was moments away from ditching her. She would finally realize that she gained nothing from hanging around a washed-up stage magician.

Tears began to well up again, much to Trixie’s annoyance. She rubbed her eyes quickly and looked at Pinkie with an expression she was sure seemed out of place given the context.

Pinkie shifted in place. “Um, do you not like it?”

Trixie rushed forward and hugged Pinkie. She may have been doing that a little too much lately. “Thank you, Pinkie,” she said with as much sincerity as she could muster. Despite her greatest wishes, she could not hug Pinkie forever, and she decided to end the contact before she made things awkward. She might have imagined it, but it seemed to her that Pinkie didn’t wish to stop the hug either.

“That’s just the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen!” the mysterious pony said.

Trixie looked at her, slightly embarrassed over forgetting her presence entirely. “Who are you, exactly?”

The mare smacked herself on the head lightly. “Oh, that’s right! I never introduced myself. My name is Ruby Splash. I’m Pinkie’s friend!”

“Many ponies are,” Trixie pointed out. “What Trixie means is, why are you here?”

Ruby looked a little uncomfortable. “Well, I sort of saw your performance. I had no idea birds could be so aggressive!” She laughed nervously when Trixie began glaring at her. “A-Anyway, I wanted to help Pinkie cheer you up! She’s always been a pal!”

Trixie’s glare slipped away. “Very well. Trixie will allow your staying here.” And then, under her breathe, she said, “Although, her choice in friends has been questionable in the past.”

Ruby grabbed a pie off the table. “Pinkie said you love blueberry! This isn’t blueberry, it’s mixed berry. My specialty!” She pointed to the cutie mark on her flank depicting a strawberry alongside many green grapes.

Pinkie hopped to Ruby’s side. “Her mixed berry pie is the most delicious pie in Equestria!” she looked at the windows. “Don’t tell any bakers I said that!” she whispered.

Trixie felt quite touched that somepony would wish to bake her such a treat. Pinkie was the only one to ever go through so much trouble for her. She had come to really appreciate free meals. But she especially appreciated delicious ones.

Over the next few hours, they all three had a great deal of fun. Pinkie told Trixie that she met Ruby Splash in Canterlot. She had quite the wanderlust. She had been to just about every major location in Equestria, in fact. She wondered if the two of them had ever crossed paths and didn’t know it. Pinkie Pie didn’t seem to have that problem.

Trixie never once imagined she would have so much fun at a party. Playing silly games, drinking punch, and even, dare she say, making a new friend. She had to admit that she did feel considerably better than she did before the party began.

She made to express her gratitude to Pinkie once more before her stomach rumbled. She realized that she had not tried any mixed berry pie yet.

Gathering everypony for a slice of pie, she observed Pinkie eat the pie and literally float through the air. She assumed it was just that good.

Ignoring Ruby’s confounded expression at Pinkie’s antics, Trixie bit into the pie and couldn’t help but be amazed at the taste. “This really is the best pie that Trixie has ever tasted. And I’ve eaten Pinkie Pie’s baked treats!”

Ruby looked proud. She looked at Pinkie, whom was standing off in the corner preoccupied with Gummy, and back to Trixie. “You know, Trixie, blueberry is great; but sometimes, we need to mix things together to bring out the best in the individual flavors.” She winked.

Trixie chuckled. “Yes, yes. Trixie admits that your mixed berry confection is best.”

Ruby shook her head. “No. Sometimes, you mix things together and they bring out the best in each other. Like, even if a pony doesn’t like strawberry, they might like mixed berry pie!” She motioned to Pinkie with her head.

Trixie squinted. “Are you trying to say something?”

“Yes,” Ruby confirmed. “You really don’t do subtlety, do you? During your show, something struck me when that one thing exploded.”

Trixie flinched. “Trixie can’t afford to pay for your medical expenses at the moment.”

“Not like that! I’m trying to say that I don’t think the ponies were laughing at you. I think they were laughing with you.”

“Trixie is pretty sure that they were laughing at us.” She looked at Pinkie, who was currently drinking a troubling amount of juice. She was devastated when the crowd started laughing. She didn’t think Pinkie could look so sad. Maybe if they were laughing with them…an idea struck her. She could feel her old courage coming back already.

“Thanks, Ruby,” she said quickly before galloping to Pinkie.

“Hey, Trixie!” Pinkie said, most of her cheer having returned.

“Pinkie! Ruby gave Trixie an idea. A brilliant idea! Trixie will never eat pinecones again!” she said with more flair than usual.

Pinkie’s smile grew, then turned sad, then remained in a strange in-between state of happiness and sadness. “That’s really great, Trixie.”

Trixie was sure that Pinkie had tried to make that sound more enthusiastic than it had. “Pinkie, what’s wrong.”

Pinkie now refused to meet Trixie’s gaze. She chose to instead stare at the floor. “Well, I sort of decided I should pack it in early.” Her ears flattened at the sight of Trixie’s devastated look. “I just wanted to make sure that you cheered up. I’m obviously not cut out for stage stuff.”

“That’s not true!” Trixie disagreed vehemently. “You’re practically a natural stage magician!”

Pinkie shook her head sadly. “I totally messed up that performance! You’ll never make your comeback if I’m weighing you down.”

Trixie stomped her hoof, causing Pinkie to jump. “Trixie was the only pony to blame for that show, and don’t tell anypony she said so! I’ve got a plan, Pinkie. But I can’t do it without you! Please, give being a stage pony another chance. Give me another chance?”

“I think it was technically both your faults,” Ruby corrected. Upon becoming aware of the fact that she had interrupted a tender moment, she finished pouring her juice and ran off.

Trixie glared at the fleeing pony, then resumed her wait for Pinkie’s reply.

“Okay,” Pinkie said quietly.

“Okay?”

Pinkie nodded and Trixie leapt with joy. “Trixie and Pinkie shall become the most amazing duo in the world!”

Trixie had trained Pinkie almost constantly until the day of her great return. Well, technically she returned when Pinkie saw her act, but that didn’t count. Everypony in the crowd would love her no matter what nasty rumor flew around. Also, there was the unnamed performance she will never speak of again. That return definitely didn’t count. She was genuinely concerned over how the performance would go if there were any hecklers.

She peeked out from her curtains and saw a sizable group of ponies had gathered. “Perfect.” She let the curtain close and turned to her friend. “Okay, Pinkie. It’ll be just like we practiced. Just like we talked about. They’ll love it!”

Pinkie looked unusually nervous and Trixie shared her pain.

If this plan of hers failed, her life would be ruined. Or would be back to the rock farm. She remembered where her thoughts went when her other performance failed. She thought of little else but the destruction of the ponies behind it all. More accurately, the destruction of Twilight Sparkle.

Who knows what might have happened if Pinkie had, in fact, abandoned her as she thought she would? She shuddered.

Trixie shook her head. These things weren’t important right now. First, she would nail this performance and create a new genre of stage performance. Then, she would reveal her last secret to Pinkie Pie and Pinkie would forgive her. Together, with her magic and Pinkie’s humor, they would become the most amazing duo there is!

After psyching herself up sufficiently, Trixie flung open the stage curtains and leapt onto the stage. “Welcome to the re-return of the Great and Powerful Trrrixie!” She swung her still plain cape and gave a dramatic pose while fireworks lit up the sky above her.

Ruby was the only pony to enthusiastically cheer, while some ponies applauded politely. Most of the crowd however seemed skeptical of her. They would likely take some convincing after Trixie’s previous show. She was fully prepared to win them all over!

Pinkie burst out from behind the curtains. “And don’t forget about Pinkie!” She came pushing a cart with pies on it.

The crowd seemed to soften at Pinkie’s appearance. Unlike with Trixie, they seemed to hold no ill will towards the pink mare. Trixie would exploit it for all it was worth. “Prepare for a show, the likes of which you’ve never seen before!”

The first act had to be done carefully. It had to be impressive and amusing. Trixie knew exactly how to start things off. “First off all, Trixie will perform a magical feat so undeniably brilliant that she will be lauded as the greatest magician ever!”

To say the crowd was skeptical would be a bit of an understatement. Still, they seemed much more affable than before. She wondered if Ruby had scolded them all into a more friendly state. That might explain her confidence in what she said. Or maybe Ruby was correct, and the crowd was laughing with them.

Trixie finished digging the book out of the trunk Pinkie had drug on to the stage. “Behold! The Great and Powerful Trixie will cast spells on her assistant’s person! With her permission, of course.”

This got the intended awkward reaction. Pinkie dutifully raised a hoof to her head in salute. “Ready, sir!”

Trixie flipped through the book casually. “Let’s see…aha! This one will do nicely. I will transform this mare’s signature pinkness into a color more pleasing to Trixie’s eyes.”

Before anypony had time to register what was said, Trixie made it seem like she had built up a lot of energy before shooting Pinkie with a blinding pink light.

The ponies in the crowd were suitably impressed by Pinkie’s ‘transformation.’ Pinkie, once pink head to hoof, now had white fur and a blonde mane. “Surprise!” came from her lips directed at the now impressed crowd. Pinkie then giggled at a joke only she seemed to understand.

Trixie noticed, with some satisfaction, that the crowd was whispering to each other with smiles on their faces. In reality, the spell was nothing but illusion. It wasn’t a particularly long lasting one either. Any pony that studied at Celestia’s school should be able to handle this much. What came next however, would be what really stole the show.

“Excellent!” Trixie said with false pride. “Now, Trixie will give her, a real Earth pony, the ability to soar like a Pegasus! Remember Pinkie, if you remain still for Trixie’s spell you can eat one of the delicious pies.”

A murmur broke out through the crowd. It was true that such spells were only reserved for the greatest wielders of magic.

Pinkie looked confused. “Why do I only get one?”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “We have been over this. Assistants get less compensation. They also get less pie. Trixie does not create the rules.”

Trixie played the part of the struggling magician well. She made it seem like she was trying hard to gather an extraordinary amount of energy. Not that she had to act very well. The spell, in fact, had taken a lot of effort. A large, quiet flash overtook the performance.

Once the ponies saw the once pink pony stage, their jaws dropped. Pinkie had two large butterfly-like wings that sparkled beautifully in the sunlight. Of course, that too was part of the illusion. This time, she didn’t need to fake any pride as she stared at her new illusion.

“Go ahead, Pinkie,” Trixie said with a sense of achievement. “Give those wings a whirl. Show this fine audience what Trixie’s amazing spells can do!”

“You got it! How?”

Trixie lost her smile. “Um, you flap. Hold on.” She flipped through the book. “Maybe the counter spell was in the other one.”

While Trixie was getting the other book, Pinkie began flapping her wings, and a look of excitement crossed her face. Then, they flew off into the air without her. The crowd snickered lightheartedly.

Trixie turned around and made a show of being confused. “Trixie must have cast the spell…slightly the not correct way. She will find out how to cast it correctly!”

The crowd seemed to be catching on rather quickly that the stage magicians weren’t being serious. The air went from uncomfortable to humorous. Though, It might have been in Trixie’s head that it was uncomfortable in the first place.

Pinkie, apparently satisfied that the spell was successful, made to eat the pie on the cart. To the amusement and amazement of the audience, every step Pinkie took carried her into the air as though she were walking on air itself. She didn’t realize it until she was standing over the pies, out of legs-reach. “Nooo!”

Trixie finally noticed her friend’s ‘plight.’ She ran forward. “Don’t worry, Pinkie! I can fix this!”

And at last, the climax of the routine came. Trixie cast a spell to cancel the effect of her other spells while Pinkie stopped doing…whatever she was doing to stay suspended. Pinkie reverted to her original colors and fell onto the table, flipping it and sending the many pies directly into Trixie. They all hit her without exception.

The entire crowd erupted into booming laughter. Pinkie shrugged and bit into the only pie she could save.

The performance continued as Pinkie and Trixie threw their all into the performance. Trixie’s best acts and Pinkie’s best comedy. The two had meshed better than Trixie could have dreamed.

As they continued, the now captive audience was laughing and stomping in approval more and more. The massive turnaround from what Trixie was used to almost made her head spin.

The last part of the show was met with nothing but adoration. For the first time in a very long time, Trixie had enthralled an audience. She could have leapt for joy. Instead, Trixie let displayed her most impressive fireworks. “You’ve been a lovely audience! Now, the Great and Powerful Trixie and her Great and Powerful assistant will both take their leave!” Pinkie took a bow while Trixie threw the smoke bomb that aided their exit. Trixie barely had time to grab the box. Maybe she should invest in smoke bombs that last longer.

Behind the curtains Trixie could no longer contain her joy and she addressed her friend with the biggest smile she had. “Pinkie, we did it! They really loved us!” She could hear the disbelief in her own voice.

Pinkie smiled heartily and nodded. But before she said anything, she frowned. “You said you were going to admit something, but I think I should go first. Actually, I kind of wasn’t honest about why I didn’t want to keep performing.”

Trixie was sure that her confusion had showed. Honestly, no matter what she said, Trixie’s adoration of the pink mare would make her prone to be forgiving.

“Well,” Pinkie started. “I really didn’t want to because I was worried the crowd would laugh at us. I didn’t want to help you because I was afraid…I’m sorry, Trixie.”

The serious tone of Pinkie’s voice took Trixie by surprise. “Water under the bridge. That’s no big deal!”

Pinkie only looked relieved for a moment. “There’s also...” Surprisingly, Pinkie seemed at a complete loss for words. She had an expression Trixie could not decipher.

Seeing that Pinkie was not about to finish her thought, Trixie held her hoof up in a silencing motion. “before Trix- before I forget, I have something I wanted to give you.”

Trixie dug a hat out of her trunk that was identical to her own. Pinkie’s mouth hung open as Trixie walked the short distance between them and placed the hat on Pinkie’s head. “You’re a real stage magician, Pinkie. You’re every bit as great and powerful as I am, and you’re an even better friend than you are a stage pony. Somehow, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Trixie finished saying the words she thought she would never utter. Pinkie looked deeply touched. And now, came the more difficult part. She promised Pinkie that she would be honest. ‘Tell her the truth. Tell her the truth. Tell her the truth.’

Trixie was too preoccupied with her thoughts to notice Pinkie struggling with her own thoughts. She only noticed that Pinkie had started to close the distance between them when her face was inches away. Pinkie’s lips met her own and Trixie froze in shock. Very quickly, Trixie melted into the kiss as her heart gave her the impression that it would thud out of her chest. Nothing had ever felt so right to her. She was hit with a sense of clarity over her own feelings.

She had feelings for Pinkie. Had she always? When Pinkie pulled away from the kiss, Trixie was sorely disappointed. She wished to express her feelings, but the words died in her throat. Pinkie looked to be on the verge of tears, in stark contrast to her previous expression.

“I’m sorry.” Her body was tense. It seemed to Trixie that she might flee at any moment.

Trixie put a hoof on her to keep her in place. Her words refused to form, so she instead settled for placing a chaste kiss of her own. Pinkie looked calmed, and she leaned into Trixie. Without moving, Pinkie said, “The other reason was that I thought you wouldn’t feel the same way about me, and my feelings for you felt like they were just getting stronger.”

“I’m not nearly foolish enough to pass up somepony as great as you, Pinkie,” Trixie declared with certainty.

“Actually, I kind of sorta got rejected by somepony before. I guess she wasn’t into mares. That’s probably why I was so afraid to…tell you.”

Trixie was surprised. She turned her nose up with a ‘hmph’ and said, “They missed out on a lot then.”

Pinkie smiled and backed out of the partial embrace. “Weeell, that’s enough of that serious stuff! Let’s go to Ruby’s bakery and have some celebration pie!”

Trixie looked on with a sense of giddiness as Pinkie bounced more happily than usual. She then realized that she never finished what she was saying. She shrugged and followed Pinkie. She was convinced that no matter what, the two of them could get through it. She supposed that she believed in the strength of their bond.

She would tell Pinkie her original motivation for wanting to talk to her, and Pinkie would shrug it off. The real bad news would be when Trixie told her the truth about her evil friends. It would be difficult, but Trixie learned all the way back on the rock farm that Pinkie wasn’t like those ponies. Nopony could stop them now.

Twilight and her friends were not very far from Mareway. It was the last place Trixie performed, according to Celestia. But then, to Twilight’s shock, Trixie had planned another performance in Mareway. Catching up to her had been foal’s play.

Twilight tried to remember her mentor’s words, butt a nagging feeling persisted. She had a sense that the next day’s confrontation would not be pretty.

Author's Note

Phew! That was by far the longest chapter I've written. Let me know what you think! I never wrote a chapter this long, so I'm a little worried about how the chapter turned out. I ended up deleting a good portion of it once and I lost my edits of it twice! So, you know, if it has a bunch of mistakes...anyway, I hope you enjoyed!

Destined Rivals: Part 3

Author's Note

I can't believe it took me this long to write this chapter! And it ended up being my shortest one!? I was very particular about how it turned out, I guess. Now, I'm more proud of this chapter than any other. Let me know what you think!

Also, I've been obsessed with a new game. if you own a Switch it's time to buy the new Fire Emblem game. It is truly amazing.

Destined Rivals: Part 3

Trixie’s heart was beating at a pace she found worrying. She was never quite so nervous around Pinkie before the recent turn from friends to…marefriends? They both went back to Ruby’s humble bakery for some celebratory treats. The bakery was little more than a counter and a kitchen, but it had a cozy warmth to it. Trixie and Ruby were sitting at a small table that Ruby had set up. Three chairs were there to be used, but Pinkie was clear on the other side of the bakery at the moment. She looked nonchalantly at Pinkie who was currently muzzle-deep in a freshly baked mixed berry pie. Did she always look so cute when she ate baked goods…?

Trixie was shaken out of her musing by a blue hoof waving in front of her face. Trixie turned to her newest friend, surprised. “What? Trixie was not…S-She was simply thinking about her performance,” she stuttered unconvincingly.

It had apparently sounded just as unconvincing to Ruby’s ears, if her raised eyebrow was any indication. “You keep…looking at Pinkie like that. Do you…have feelings for her…?” The question was asked awkwardly, with flushed cheeks that indicated Ruby’s embarrassment.

Trixie felt her skin heat from her neck to her ears in a full blush. “W-We’re together.”

The words filled Trixie with happiness and pride. She couldn’t have stopped her smile from forming if she tried. She tentatively looked to Ruby with some concern over her possible reaction. She was never good at reading ponies, nor predicting their responses.

Ruby gracelessly let her mouth gape before she realized that she hadn’t said anything. Noticing Trixie’s growing anxiety, she put on a reassuring smile, and patted her on the back. “That’s great?” It certainly wasn’t supposed to come out like a question.

Despite Ruby’s less than stellar reassurance, Trixie smiled haughtily. “It is pretty great!” Apparently, the questioning nature of Ruby’s encouragement had flown over Trixie’s head.

“She’s the best,” Trixie said with surprising sincerity. “And, Trixie is the best; so, deserving the best herself, it was only natural that we find each other.”

The absolute confidence in her tone was prideful, to be sure. But it was the way that she said it that made Ruby grin from ear to ear. She said it with such warmth. It became obvious to her that Trixie respected Pinkie in a way Ruby didn’t know was possible for her fellow blue-coated mare. “You really like her, huh? I never normally hear about two mares getting together like that, so it took me by surprise.”

“Once you become as worldly as Trixie, such things are hardly even worth noting,” Trixie said, causing Ruby to roll her eyes. Ruby had traveled around Equestria quite a bit. Trixie continued. “Besides, there is nothing ‘normal’ about either of us, anyway.”

That got a short laugh out of Ruby. “You got that right! That’s especially true for that ball of crazy over there.”

When Ruby pointed her hoof at Pinkie’s previous location, she became confused at her absence. “Does that mean we’re especially together?” Pinkie questioned, right next to Ruby. Ruby gave an undignified yelp and fell out of her seat.

Trixie was mortified. “How much of that did you hear!?”

Pinkie tilted her head. “Um, all of it? This bakery isn’t that big, and it’s not like you were whispering.”

Trixie sunk into her seat, as if the cushion would hide her. Pinkie was the best. Better than she was, though she would never admit as much. She knew that without Pinkie, she would have simply given up. She would have done something stupid like go after Twilight. She found that recently her thoughts never strayed to revenge. Maybe she simply realized that revenge was pointless. Maybe she just found something better to live for then revenge.

No, she admitted to herself. In a weird way, she was almost grateful that Twilight wrecked her life. She made friends, she only ever met Pinkie Pie, because of that awful day. If Twilight prostrated herself before her, Trixie might even…forgive her. It hit Trixie like a runaway wagon. The past was behind her now. She could rebuild her reputation. Her life could be better than it ever was before…maybe it already was.

Pinkie and Ruby stared with blatant concern as Trixie finished her inner monologue. As tears began gathering at Trixie’s eyes again, this time she did not resist so heavily. “I’m glad I met you, Pinkie.” Then, turning to Ruby, she said, “And I’m glad we’re friends, Ruby.”

They both looked utterly bewildered. Pinkie hurriedly asked, “What’s wrong?”

Trixie shook her head. “Nothing at all. Trixie is just happy. I think I should really tell you something.”

Before Trixie could say anything else, Pinkie left her seat and nuzzled into her neck, then transitioned into a hug. “Just let me do this for a while. I’ve wanted to ever since I heard what you said to Ruby.”

To Trixie’s surprise, Ruby also hugged her, from the other side. “I’m glad we’re friends, too.”

Trixie giggled at the impromptu group hug. A warmth, and contented feeling, spread through her. She sort of wished Maud was there. Then again, she didn’t strike Trixie as the hugging type.

Her basking in her happiness was cut short by the telltale noise of a casted spell. The hug was cut short as Trixie grabbed the mysterious letter that floated in mid-air. “Is this some new mail system that Trixie is unaware of?” she asked studying the letter with suspicion.

Pinkie leapt at the chance to help. “It’s a spell that Twilight uses when she’s sending letters to Princess Celestia!”

Trixie looked at the letter with an all-new wariness. “Twilight sent this?”

Trixie moved past her own trepidation and opened the letter. She paled considerably when she saw who sent it, and she read the letter as quickly as she could, growing more worried by the second. She dropped the letter when she was finished reading it, and she began pacing anxiously across the floor.

“Trixie, breathe!” Ruby said, causing her to stop. “What’s going on?” Ruby picked up the letter and couldn’t believe her eyes. “You know the Princess?” she asked in disbelief.

Trixie snatched the letter with her magic and placed it under her hat. “Thank you for the pie, Ruby.” She grabbed Pinkie’s hoof and drug her along. “We need to talk about something before it’s too late!”

Trixie galloped at full speed, and the letter seemed to weigh more on her head than it should.

Dear Trixie Lulamoon,

I know I have not talked with you for quite some time. However, I feel that it is, at least somewhat, my responsibility to alleviate this situation as much as possible. My student, Twilight Sparkle, is currently on her way to confront you. I believe that she is likely misinterpreting your actions. Please, do your best to be amicable. I am certain that this does not need to devolve into an argument or, heaven forbid, a fight. Understand that her heart is in the right place. She cares deeply about her friend. I implore you; look into your heart and try to understand each other. I know I have no right to ask these things of you, but I do not wish to see you both fight over misunderstandings.

I have this one sincere request that I hope, more than anything else I have written, you take to heart. Ms. Lulamoon, please do not let your negative feelings towards me cloud your judgment of Twilight.

Best regards,

Princess Celestia

Quick Escalation

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Reunion

Trixie ducked and weaved through the crowd of ponies, glancing back quickly to see that the 5 ponies from before were still in hot pursuit. Her heartbeat quickened as she tried her best to think of a way out of the fight, that she found herself in. She tried her best to be friendly!

Trixie threw a big bundle of cloth from a nearby stand at Rainbow Dash with her magic. Rainbow looked surprised for a moment before she was stuck in the cloth, unable to free herself quickly enough. She crashed into the ground ungracefully.

All of Rainbow’s friends looked in concern and Trixie took the opportunity. She ran into a nearby alley and leaned against the cold stone, hoping against all odds that they would just give up.

She took the moment to catch her breath and reflect on the fact that she may not have managed the situation with peerless grace. Perhaps it was presumptuous of her to try to handle the situation without Pinkie in the first place. They were her friends and all. Then again, they did seem to be jumping to a lot of conclusions. Maybe having Pinkie there would have made the situation worse.

Trixie did not react to the expected arrival of Twilight and her friends at the alley entrance. “Look, this is all a crazy misunderstanding! I’m sure we’ll all laugh about this later.”

“Then why did you run!?” Rainbow demanded. “The only reason you would run is because you did something wrong. Were you going to try and trick Pinkie again?”

“T-That’s not…” Trixie’s face became, according to all ponies present besides herself, unbearably smug. “You’re right,” she conceded.

Everypony’s expressions flickered from indignant to confused.

“What?” Twilight asked.

Trixie held her hooves out. “I surrender because I didn’t do anything wrong. I’ll take you to Pinkie and we’ll sort this mess out. Once we do, you’re the one who will come out of it looking worse for wear. In fact, Trixie has a proposal.”

“What’re you playing at?”

Trixie put a hoof on her chest in mock offense. “Trixie, playing? Trixie proposes that we go to Pinkie and talk this out like rational ponies.”

Applejack stared at Trixie; suspicion clearly written on her features. “How exactly do ya suppose we know ya won’t lie? Maybe you just want another chance to manipulate her.” Despite leaning towards skepticism at one point, Trixie had done little to endear herself to the Earth pony.

“Trixie didn’t manipulate anypony!” Trixie snapped. “Look, it’s simple. Trixie was told by…an old acquaintance that she should try to clear up potential misunderstandings. Trixie thought that friends of Pinkie might not be so bad, so she agreed that she should give them a chance.”

Twilight pushed down her annoyance because of a strange coincidence she couldn’t shake. It couldn’t possibly…could it? “That pony is…who, exactly?”

Trixie saw an unexpected opportunity to get her way. Despite Twilight’s disregard for the feelings of others, she might elicit a positive response from her friends on authority alone. She levitated her hat slightly with magic and produced a small letter. “Princess Celestia,” she said with gravitas.

Twilight snatched the letter and her friends gathered around her to read it. “It’s…really from her,” Twilight said. “This is her hornwriting. It’s her writing style.” She would know; she spent enough nights reading and rereading the Princess’ letters.

Trixie snatched the letter, placing it back in its rightful place, and basked in the stunned expressions of the ponies before her. “There you have it. Trixie will take you to Pinkie, and then every truth shall be revealed.” She looked at Twilight pointedly. “Trixie doesn’t suppose you have a problem with that?”

Twilight wondered why she looked so confident. She must have a plan. “How do we know you won’t try to pull something?”

“How is Trixie supposed to pull something in front of Pinkie’s best friends while she stays in Pinkie’s good graces?” she asked rhetorically. “And Trixie won’t lie and manipulate because she will be unable to.”

“Meaning?” Twilight led.

“Meaning, we will all be under a truth spell. You did learn how to cast one of those, right, Princess’ favorite student?”

She was annoyed with the tone, but she had to admit it wasn’t a bad idea. What game was Trixie trying to play here? Thoughts ran through her head, she ruminated over the possibilities. Maybe she really thought she could turn Pinkie against them? They had Trixie backed into a corner so why did it feel like Trixie was in complete control?

Rarity nudged her from the side and Twilight looked at her. Her expression was pleading instead of angry or annoyed as Twilight expected. “Remember what the Princess said, darling?” Rarity whispered. “This could be our chance to clear up any possible misunderstandings. Besides, what do we have to lose?”

Twilight didn’t think they had anything to lose. That was what was so strange. But the Princess did say it they should talk it out. And Trixie also received the Princess’ plead for a peaceful resolution. At least, that’s what she got out of skimming the letter. “Okay.”

Trixie’s face lit up. “Trixie knows you won’t regret it.”

Twilight was already regretting it. If she hears Trixie talk in the third person again, she might lose it.

Pinkie saw Trixie come into the bakery and gave her the best happy smile she could muster, which promptly became more of a confused smile when she saw her other friends follow behind her. “Um, hey! It’s not Applejack’s birthday!”

To Pinkie’s joy, all her friends smiled at the sight of her. They all crowded her and began bombarding her with questions, all overlapping with one another to create a bundle of noise.

Pinkie just smiled. “Yes, no, I’m fine, yes, and of course!” Everypony, save Trixie, rushed into a group hug.

Twilight wasn’t sure how Pinkie understood all of that or to whom each answer was directed, but she didn’t care. “It’s good to see you again, Pinkie.”

Pinkie nodded, smiled, and returned the hug. “It’s great to see you guys!” Once they all stopped the hug, she bounced to Trixie. “Did you all work it out?”

Trixie tugged on her hat. “Not…exactly. We may need to talk for a while.”

Pinkie tilted her head in confusion as Trixie tugged the hat down to cover her eyes. “Sorry. Trixie may have…made the situation a little worse.” The admission shocked everyone besides Pinkie. Not that she made a mistake, but that she would admit to it.

Pinkie pulled Trixie’s hoof away from her hat, revealing Trixie’s embarrassed gaze. “Aw, you should rely more on your awesome apprentice! You’re trying to do stuff yourself still, but we’re a duo, remember? We’re team Tripie! Team Pixie! Team Trixie! Oh, wait, that’s just your name.” Pinkie rubbed her chin thoughtfully, as If this team name she had suddenly decided they needed was the most important thing in Equestria.

Trixie couldn’t help but break into a genuine, mirthful laughter. “Correct, Pinkie! This dynamic duo shall never be felled, for we have the truth on our side!”

Twilight stared at Pinkie’s lit up face and wondered if she wasn’t misunderstanding something after all. The interaction seemed so genuine. She supposed the reality of the situation would be exposed soon enough.

Trixie stood before all of them with a renewed energy. “Ruby won’t close the bakery until tomorrow, but Trixie will try to be a gracious host until then. In any case, Trixie is sure Twilight needs time to study up on this spell. Our conversation tomorrow will be concise and effective,” Trixie reassured. “Now then, here is Trixie’s plans for the preparations.”

Ruby pulled another pie out and laid it on the counter. “You wanna borrow my bakery for your weird trial?”

Trixie waved her hoof dismissively. “It’s not a trial, it’s scrutiny for an alleged crime under threat of punishment! Completely different.”

“How’s that?”

“This will be informal, in a bakery, and run by ponies who have an obvious bias against Trixie,” Trixie pointed out.

Ruby began looking concerned. “Why exactly are you going through with this?”

“The Great and Honest Trixie has nothing to hide.” Her face grew a bit darker. “They will soon realize just who’s been the dishonest one.”

Ruby sighed. “You can have my bakery. Just don’t do anything crazy. If you’re honest, I’m sure they’ll see how much you care about her.”

Trixie smiled and gave her thanks. Tomorrow, everypony will see the two-faced nature of that purple mare.

Rarity tried her best to find alone time with Pinkie, but it was rather difficult with everypony’s incessant need to make sure she was okay. Rarity counted among those annoying ponies; she was sure of it. But the thought gnawed at the back of her mind wouldn’t leave her alone.

She admits that she got carried away with everypony else chasing Trixie. She was caught up in the tizzy. But now that she saw Trixie and Pinkie together, her willpower had begun to waver again, and a new thought clawed its way to the surface. Rarity ambushed- politely happened to in the same place as Pinkie while she was going somewhere else in the bakery, presumably bouncing towards Trixie as that would be the only place Rainbow Dash wasn’t.

Rainbow had not taken kindly to the situation at all. Rarity presumed this is what she would look like when she thought someone was toying with her friend’s feelings. Stubborn loyalty had its ups and downs, she supposed.

Despite being approached after being approached all day, Pinkie greeted her with a radiant smile. “Hey, Rarity! I guess we haven’t talked much yet, huh? I guess you’re worried about me, too.”

Pinkie was surprisingly observant. “I think Rainbow is worried enough for all of us, darling.”

She giggled. “Yep! So, what’s up?”

“Have you…noticed any similarities between this flame and your old one,” Rarity asked tentatively. Despite her attempt at tact, she was met with an unusual defensiveness.

Pinkie’s eyes narrowed and her whole body seemed to ready itself to sink backward. “What are you talking about?”

“A brash, arrogant, loves to show-off, Blue-coated mare with big dreams?”

“What are you talking about?” Pinkie repeated with more force as if saying ‘get to the point.’

Rarity figured she should stop beating around the bush. “I know that Trixie is a lot like Rainbow Dash-“

Pinkie cut her off with an honest-to-Celestia groan of pure irritation. “What are you trying to say? Are you going to say that ‘she totally knew about that and now she’s trying to manipulate you?’”

“I just think that maybe you’re projecting what you saw in Rainbow Dash onto someone else. Maybe she isn’t the mare you think she is.”

Pinkie’s hair lost most of its bounciness. “All you girls talk about is how bad she is or how I might be seeing something that’s not there. She’s not out to get me! I didn’t tell you about Rainbow so you could use it against me!”

Rarity gasped. “Pinkie, I would never! I’m only concerned that you’re not seeing her for what she is.” She was beginning to hear the unintentional implication. “I’m worried that you’re turning her into some sort of replacement. It wouldn’t be fair…to either of you.”

Pinkie’s face softened. “You don’t get it. I…sort of, maybe, was attracted to her at first because of how much she reminded me of Rainbow Dash, but they’re nothing alike! Trixie loves blueberries!”

Rarity shifted in place uncomfortably. “Pinkie…”

“That’s not it! She always takes me seriously no matter what I’m doing or saying, and she joins in sometimes because she loves being dramatic and weird. She always talks in the third person which is super cute.” Rarity flinched at that. “She loves comics and she looks really cute when she’s talking about them. She loves all sorts of geeky stuff, and her face lights up when you say it’s okay to like that stuff.”

Rarity grinned, feeling her inner romantic coming out. “Darling, that’s…”

Her mane was back to normal and her cheeks for a darker pink than usual. “She makes me feel like I can do anything. I-I’ve never felt this way about anypony before; not even Rainbow Dash.”

Rarity pulled her into a hug. “Oh, Pinkie Pie, I understand. If you really feel that way, I’ll trust you.”

Pinkie really wanted to believe her. Rarity could see in the hopeful, teary-eyed look she was giving her. “Really? I kind of thought none of you trusted her for some reason.”

“You’re a grown mare, darling. If you’re sure, I’ll support you,” Rarity said kindly. “Besides, after I saw the way you two act around each other, I’ve had my doubts that she’s all bad. Still a bit of a braggart for my tastes.”

Pinkie frowned. “But you said Rainbow is a show-off, too. You like her, right?”

“Why, of course! That is…different,” Rarity finished lamely.

Pinkie shrugged and smiled. “Thanks for trusting me, Rarity. I’m gonna go tell Trixie what I told you! She had this crazy speech and all I could say was ‘I love you, too’ ‘cause I couldn’t think of anything to say, but now I know so thanks!”

After the flurry of words, Pinkie bounced away with a quick ‘bye.’ Rarity stood, staring after her and feeling flummoxed. “Love!?” Rarity shouted after Pinkie left her vision.

Author's Note

My hope is that this chapter re-contextualizes some earlier interactions between Trixie and Pinkie. There was a reason that Pinkie was so attracted to Trixie right after they met. Anyway, this is my first crack at a romance, so I'm kind of worried its coming off as unbelievable. Actually, I'm pretty worried about the story in general, such is my nature. I'll assume that as long as I'm not getting dislikes and negative feedback, I'm doing something right. I'm stoked about how many people drop in to read my little story in this corner of the internet.