Chapter 1
“A GIFT?!”
“Ugh, another one of those disgusting letters full of uncouth!”
Trixie groaned at the sight of any mail now. All they had were complaints about her last show in Ponyville and how that meddling Twilight Sparkle was always better. She fell into the bed of countless amounts of mail. They came in so many numbers that even mail had their own room now. She wouldn’t dare throw any away for she feared that even the trashpony would hate her.
Trixie simply rolled around in all the hate. “It’s one stupid show! Can’t those fools get over it? They should be proud that The Great and Powerful Trixie even came to their town!” Trixie whined. She played back her time in Ponyville and decided to get a cup of tea to calm her down. A knock came from her door just as she was about to pour the boiling water into a tiny cup. “Who dare comes to The Great and Powerful Trixie’s house without ever calling?” she grumbled. She walked through her living room full of headshots that showed her good side. “Tsk. Must be more of that stupid mail that never seems to stop,” Trixie mumbled.
She opened the door about to snatch away whatever the mailpony, Ditzy Doo, wanted to give her. Trixie was surprised when in fact, the pony at the door was not Ditzy but rather a bigger mass than her. It was Big McIntosh. “Hey Trixie. Ah’ came from Sweet Apple Acres to give yah these.” Big McIntosh passed her a basket of apples. “Ah hope you enjoy ‘em,” Big McIntosh commented, “Twilight Sparkle thought yah might ha’ wanted some. Ain’t she nice?”
Trixie thought for a moment for something to say that wouldn’t destroy her career anymore, but ponies always said that you should share your opinion. “How dare you speak that name to The Great and Powerful Trixie?!” she boomed, “That purple bookworm has already destroyed my career, and now she expects me to accept these apples?! How about no!” Trixie picked up the basket of apples and threw it out the door and slammed it right in front of Big McIntosh’s face.
As shocked as he is, Big McIntosh picks up the basket and walks away. On the other side of the door, Trixie is furious with Twilight’s actions. “What is she trying to do?” She asked herself, “Can she not understand that her essence is bad enough never the less GIFTS?!” After calming down and finally getting to her cup of tea, she thinks about her own actions. “Maybe I was too harsh. It was the first nice mail that I have gotten in a while…” Trixie thought, “No! I cannot give into the enemy, even if they were nice!” Trixie slammed the cup down on a nearby table. “Then again, that mare is the only pony that even thinks about me anymore,” Trixie started to calm down, “and that big red colt even came to my house even if he was going to ruin his reputation.” Trixie shakes her head and goes back into her original mood. “They must be tricking me!” Trixie yelled. Her voice bounced off the walls of her room straight back to her, feeding the thoughts of hate back to her.
Trixie went through the rest of the day simply forgetting about the delivery.
That night, the memory came back to her. “Curse these thoughts before I sleep!” she shouted in her head, knowing that nopony would hear her. She rolled over to her side with a thoughtful face. Thoughts were running through her mind about what she would do. What she could do, maybe to visit Ponyville and get those apples or to get revenge. Then she remembered that she needed some new ingredients for some new spells that she learned. “Fine then,” She gave in, “I’ll go to Ponyville tomorrow only to get some flowers and potions.” After that, it was as if her mind had finally let her go to sleep.
Chapter 2
“Don’t blow my cover!”
“I cannot believe I am doing this!” Trixie mumbled, “I have to practically be a different pony simply to walk into a town to get some products!” Trixie carried some hair dye bottles with her magic in random assorted order. “Now let’s see…” Trixie poked her hoof at random colors in order to find the perfect two colors to dye her mane, “Aha! Red and pink are perfect colors!” She applied it to her mane in despair, making disturbed faces every time she felt the good touch her scalp.
An hour later, she looked in the mirror. “It’ll come off with some other spell.” Trixie said trying to calm herself. Now I need to paint myself red. “This will be much easier,” She thought, “It can’t be any more difficult than applying dye carefully to each strand of my mane with highlights.” After her terrible experience with trying to jump into a bathtub full of red paint, she decided to simply do it manually, covering her real cutie mark along the way.
“Hmm… I do know a few fire spells,” She thought to herself, “I’ll simply have a fire cutie mark.” Drawing it was harder than she thought. Trixie had to redo it a few times with the paint since magic would never make it last long enough. After half an hour or so, she finally got the “Real Cutie Mark” look. “I am complete!” She shouted, “Now for the hard part… actually stepping into the town.”
She decided to stall time and actually get a list and saddlebag. As she wrote the list she thought to herself, “Ugh, I’m becoming that purple unicorn.” Trixie had finally gotten enough courage to walk outside her door and walk a few steps. “Trixie you are being a fool!” She thought, “I am fully disguised! No one will see through my clever colors.” After walking for about 5 minutes, she had realized how slow it was without her trailer bringing her everywhere.
Trixie arrived to the destination. With thoughts of turning back in her head, she proceeds. She recognized some “neighsayers” and luckily, they didn’t recognize her. She trotted through the town trying not to hold her head high in pride and accidently have somepony recognize that pose. “My, my,” Trixie thought, “I guess my disguise is pretty good.” Her eyes had wandered to various stores that she never got a chance to even see at her last visit in Ponyville. After all, she was only there to put on a show. “Now let’s see… I think the-“ She was interrupted by a random passing pony. “Hey there!” The random mare said, “I haven’t seen you around before. Do you need any help?”
Trixie tried to lower her head to keep from having eye contact. Through her peripheral vision, she saw a pink coat with a curly pink mane. She remembered that this pony’s name was “Pinkie Pie” and apparently held the greatest parties in all of Equestria, even greater than the Grand Gala. Trixie coughed a bit to keep her from saying “I am The Great and Powerful Trixie!” “Well,” Trixie coughed a bit to change her voice, “I’m looking for a shop for magic ingredients…do you knows where that is?”
Pinkie Pie looked at her with great confusion. “I don’t really know where that is,” the pink pony said giddily, “but I do know who does!” “Really?” Trixie replied, “Could you show me that pony?” Pinkie Pie looked more than happy to lead the way. She spoke the whole time about how great this so called place “Sugarcube Corner” was.
“And here’s her house!”
It seemed like forever until they would arrive. The giant tree standing before Trixie seemed to have been an actual house. There were some windows on the side and a balcony protruded out of a branch. In some of the windows I could see some shelves filled with books and two beds sat behind the windows on the higher levels. This was probably a library.
The pink pony jumped in front of me, knocking me out of the state of awe Trixie was in, and banged her head on the door a few times. A familiar voice sounded, “Coming!” A purple mare opened the door with her magic. She had a purple mane with pink streaks running through it. Twilight Sparkle. “Hey Pinkie Pie!” Twilight Sparkle said joyfully, “And who is this here?” Trixie wanted to scream in her face that she wanted no help from a pony like her but she decided to just keep quiet since Twilight knew where this store was.
“I- I..” Trixie began to speak, “I’m Flarea…”
Twilight just stood there shuffling names through her mind. “Nope never heard of you!” She finally replied, “I suppose you need something if you are here and I don’t know who you are.” “Yeah Twi!” Pinkie Pie had answered for Trixie, “Flarea needs to find the store with various potions for her “Magical Powers!” Pinkie Pie made ghostly noises. “Ah!” Twilight replied, “I see Flarea, allow me to lead the way. Pinkie Pie, you better go back to Sugarcube Corner. Mr. and Mrs. Cake called me to ask if I saw you. They apparently had a problem with “too many cupcakes.”
Pinkie’s face lit up when she said this, “Oh boy! Extra snacks for Pinkie!” The pink mare bounced away quickly leaving a trail of confusion for Flarea and Twilight to pick up on.
“Now err, Flarea,” Twilight said, “What kind of magical items would you need?” Trixie felt like she could explode. She was getting help from this annoying, big-headed bookworm. Flarea replied slowly, “Well Twilight, I need items to help me with fabrication magic.” Twilight was confused. “Uhh… but wouldn’t you need items in fire magic?” She asked. Trixie had never thought of that but had to come up with a quick response. “Well, it’s simply a new kind of magic I’m trying.”
Twilight finally understood and let her go. Twilight led the way while rambling on and on about some sort of other magic store that Trixie had no interest in.
Trixie was saved when they reached the shop. She couldn’t hear anymore of Twilight’s voice or she would completely burst. The store was called “Fabrication, Fabrication” and obviously was different from all the stores down the road. It wasn’t very big, more like an average two-story house. It was like a cartoon house you find in TV shows. The outside was painted yellow and the roof was a light red. Some climbing ivy grew around the house leaving a spooky feeling to such a joyful store. Then to complete the store, two small windows were beside the door.
“Now Flarea,” Twilight interrupted Trixie’s daze, “You’re the second pony that I have seen using fabrication magic. The first was Trixie when she had run away.” “Oh, uhm really?” Trixie tried to hide her face, “that’s… nice.” Big Mac walked out the small store holding a bag full of random magical items.
“Oh Big Mac,” Twilight exclaimed, “What are you doing here?”
“Howdy Twilight,” Big Mac replied, “Apple Bloom wanted something else to do while trying to get her cutie mark, she decided to try magic.” Oh great, that giant big red monster was here and he was looking right at Trixie. “Howdy Trixie,” Big Mac walked casually by her, “I didn’t know you would be here.” “Big Macintosh,” Twilight asked with a hint of confusion, “This isn’t Trixie, her name is Flarea.”
Big Macintosh wasn’t convinced. “Nope Twi,” Big Mac replied, “This here gal is Trixie. Ah ain’t crazy or nottin, I just speaking the truth and my eyes ain’t blind either. This is just Trixie in her weird disguise.” Trixie’s face turned bright red. That idiot, she thought, how the hell could he see through her clever costume? “I must say I have never seen you before,” Trixie said, “Are you sure you are not mistaking me for somepony else?”
“ Trixie,” Big Mac started to raise his voice, “ Ah know that’s you. Ah recognize that voice and that hair. You ain’t foolin’ nopony like me.” Trixie wanted to break free and just go all out on him for revealing this but she had decided to keep it in longer. “I’m sorry sir,” Trixie tried to get away, “but I’m pretty sure I have never met any colt like you. I live far away from Ponyville and I’m just visiting for now, I doubt you would know who I am.”
Big Mac’s expression didn’t change, he knew well enough that Trixie was lying. “Now now Big Macintosh,” Twilight had tried to defend Trixie, “I think you might be mistaken… this here isn’t Trixie at all. She’s simply a visitor. And besides she-“ “Twilight,” Big Mac interrupted, “Ah’m not no crazy pony and ah know that pony there is Trixie whether you believe it or not. You know what? Ah’ll prove it. Trixie, I bet every pony in Ponyville has better magic than you.”
“Fine then,” Trixie couldn’t handle it anymore, “You may have gotten through my scheme this time but mark my words! Trixie shall return! How dare you blow my cover?!” Ponies surrounding the scene started mumbling and whispering about how she had returned. Trixie’s face was flustered and she wanted to run away and be a coward like last time. No, she thought, I will stay and walk in pride.
“Hey look!” a random pony from the crowd yelled out, “It’s Trixie! That one pony that couldn’t even beat an Ursa Minor! The weak unicorn without any magical ability at all!” This had made Trixie’s heart shatter. Is that how I’m represented here, she thought, is that what everypony thinks of me? Trixie collapsed in the middle of the crowd. She wanted to run away and never come back. “I’ll become stronger! Just you neighsayers watch!” Trixie ran. She wanted to leave and never show her face again. She never thought that terms like weak could break her down like that.
She finally made into her home. Trixie slammed the door behind her and started to cry. I know what to do, Trixie thought, I’ll work on magic and put on a show they’ll never be able to forget. Trixie’s tears become a devious smile. Ponyville will fall in my reign, she thought, one year Ponyville, just one.
Chapter 3
Visitor
Trixie woke up early in the morning to start practicing. Day 1 of magic training has begun. The monsters out at the Everfree Forest would be great for training and some ingredients there are good too.
For the next 3 hours until 12:00, Trixie had worked hard reading books and learning a few spells with the few ingredients she had left. Her levitation had gotten better and so did her ability to make things out of thin air. Just as she was about to perform another spell, there was a knock on the door. Trixie picked herself up and walked grimly to the door. She was exhausted and not in a good mood.
Trixie opened the door and said, “What is a visitor doing here at Trixie’s house? State your purpose and leave.” She opened her eyes after finishing her speech realizing it was Big Macintosh. “OH you,” She said grimly, “What do you want? Do you want to destroy my life even more?” Big Mac looked at her with a saddened expression. “I’m glad you got all of that paint off,” Big Mac had tried to be friends, “Say… Ah’m sorry for doin’ all that in Ponyville. Ah didn’t know all that would happen and ah hope you ain’t made or nottin.”
“It’s okay,” Trixie started to say, “It’s not okay that you ruined my life though! Now I’m trying to learn all the magic that I can to beat that purple worm in skill and finally prove myself to be worth something again! Now excuse me-“ Big Mac pushed Trixie out of the way to walk into her small house. “Wow Trixie,” Big Mac admired her house, “You have been workin’ mighty hard. Say, do you wanna go back to Ponyville?” “What?!” Trixie raised her voice, “You expect me to go back there?! Especially when my mane looks like this?!” “Don’t worry your head off,” Big Mac said, “Ah brought mah apple cart and a quilt for you to hide under and you’ll get through without anypony seeing you.”
Trixie started to wonder why this pony was being so nice to her. Would this last for long or would she have to pay him back? “Ah can help you rebuild your reputation,” Big Mac started, “without learning any fancy-shmancy magic you unicorns got. Ah swear you can make friends without proving nothin’.” Trixie got a wake-up call when she heard “friends.” Ever since then, she hasn’t been able to make any and here he was trying to help. “Fine then,” Trixie gave in, “I’ll take this offer, but first let me fix up my mane.”
Big Mac went out and prepared Trixie’s ride whilst she fixed up her mane. He decided to have Trixie simply hide below the blanket with a cushion under her. When Big Mac was done, Trixie walked out without her cape or as a matter of fact, without her whole ensemble. Big Macintosh was rather surprised since he had never seen Trixie without her weird show costume, but he decided to accept it and move on. “Now Trixie,” Big Mac pointed to his apple cart, “You just lie on that there fancy cushion from Carousel Boutique and ah’ll place this blanket on top of you.” Trixie had followed the instructions and curled herself up in the cart. “So let me see,” Trixie said, “You will help me make friends right? And change my personality?” “Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed.
They rolled slowly towards Ponyville hoping that both of them would be able to get along despite their differences.
Chapter 4
Lessons
Trixie walked through Sweet Apple Acres, not admiring what was before her. “All these apples,” Trixie said in disgust, “this place is so gaudy. I mean seriously, who has a barn these days?” Big Mac’s expression seemed unbothered but inside, he felt offended and hurt about Trixie’s words. He decided to correct her behavior in a nice fashion. “Now Trixie,” Big Mac said with an apologetic voice, “Ah know Sweet Apple Acres might not me your place buy yah gotta appreciate what’s here. You ain’t see nature like this anywhere else. Besides we’re here to make friends, not observe mah space.”
Trixie decided to accept the fact that she was doing something wrong and passed the subject. She wasn’t happy at the way he spoke to her though. “Well then,” Trixie grumbled, “looks like someone here needs a lesson on good manners.” “That’d be you,” Big Mac replied, “Ah heard that you were rude but not tah this point. Yah gotta learn how to respect others and their things if yah wanna be their friends. Yah gotta learn how tah give in and accept their opinions, even if yah gotta lie about whatyou’re sayin’.” Big Mac kept his fixed expression and decided to start the lesson.
“See that pony over yonder?” Big Mac pointed to a mailmare, “What do yah think of her eyes? They pretty or is they full of uncouth? Think about your answer in a way that you would be directly speakin’ to her.” Trixie had to think for a moment to think of all the things. “Well,” Trixie began, “My dear your eyes need some fixing up, you can’t fly around with those hideous ogles. You look like you were dropped on your head as a filly!” Trixie gave a laugh and ended it with good posture.
Big Mac facehoofed. “Now Trixie,” Big Mac said in a disappointed tone, “If you want to make friends, you have tah be nice.” “But you said they would accept my opinion if they wanted to be friend!” Trixie whined. “That there was no opinion,” Big Mac boomed, “That there that you just said was downright an offense! You gotta say somethin’ like “your eyes be unique” or “Ah like the shade of your eyes” not just go ahead and send out every bad thang. Look at them good points, ain’t that color pretty?”
Trixie squinted and still couldn’t see anything that was nice about her face. All she saw was an abomination of a pony; bad posture, eyes that couldn’t even focus on one direction, a ruffled, yellow mane, and a disgusting gray coat. “Big Macintosh,” Trixie complained, “How can you see anything good about her? She’s a disgrace, an eyesore, an atrocity to all of pony-kind! Her looks are equal to an Ursa Major!”
“Apples and celery Trixie,” Big Mac’s temper was starting to rise, “Yah have got to learn how to be respectful! Yah caint walk up to somepony and call them an atrocity! Ah’m tryin’ hard here to change you but you ain’t workin’ with me! Looks like we gotta take some baby steps here ‘cause obviously, you don’t get what respect is!” Trixie was shocked by this outburst. Usually in this situation, she would back talk him but somehow, his persona had created a barrier from all that and weakened her. Instead she backed down and accepted her punishment.
“Alright,” Trixie mumbled, “I’ll take your lessons, I’ll learn what respect is, I’ll make some friends.” Big Macintosh was surprised by Trixie’s sudden white flag but he simply didn’t ask just in case that he would say something that would change her mind. “Now Trixie,” Big Mac had ideas of what respect was swirling around his head, “Can you now think of any nice things about the mailmare that yah had recently… offended.”
After this experience, Trixie suddenly saw things in a new light. She replayed all the reels of tape from when she had seen that pony. “Your cutie mark is adorable,” Trixie began to say all the nice things without even keeping track of what she could say, “your eyes have a nice golden shade, they match your personality. A pony filled with ideas unable to stay in one spot.” Trixie put her hooves around her mouth. What did she just say?
Big Macintosh was surprised at such a change throughout a few minutes. He even changed his monotone expression. “Well then,” Big Mac was proud of her either way, “looks like you’ve learned a lot already. Now all we gotta do is keep that tone and language.”
