Magic Talentsby ZocarikChaptersCh One: ArrivalCh Two: BarterCh Three: CaptureCh One: ArrivalTrixie hated to admit it, but she was obsessed with Twilight Sparkle. It started days after the Ursa Minor. Trixie had felt nothing but resentment as she worked to rebuild her life afterwards. As months had passed, the resentment turned to a burning need to prove herself better than Twilight. Throwing caution down the drain, Trixie turned to finding the Alicorn Amulet. While the power boost got Trixie through their first duel, power could not trump cunning in the rematch. Yet, even though this definitive defeat calmed the resentment, Trixie still thought about the lavender mare constantly. It made no sense. Trixie had been beaten in three duels before she had ever seen Twilight, yet those defeats became nothing more than shameful memories in a couple days. She felt a connection to Twilight. Love had nothing on this feeling. Trixie had felt love in the past. This meant many times more to Trixie than that romance ever had. Which is why she was now standing outside Twilight’s door. At ten in the evening. Enough is enough. I will figure out why she seems so familiar and important to me. We have spent fewer than two days in each other’s presence. It makes no sense. Trixie felt no nervousness as she rapped on the oaken door. “Just a minute!” Twilight was clearly in the middle of something. “I’ll be there after I have stabilized this quadratics field.” More than just something. She was playing with the fabric of space. That is some impressive spell casting. Ten seconds later, Trixie heard that peculiar screeching of space being rent and repaired. Either Twilight had been working on that field for hours, or she is unnaturally fast at spell casting. “Thanks for waiting. Now what-” Twilight stopped suddenly as she opened the door. “Hiya Trixie. I didn’t expect to see you for a month. Weren’t you going to Staliongrad on an invitation from the mayor there?” Trixie suppressed a grin at the state of disarray in Twilight’s mane; apparently, her mane had been put through tornado force winds during the spell casting. “Might Trixie come inside before you start the questions? Oh, and you might want to find a mirror.” A hint of amusement colored Trixie’s voice. Twilight showed no sign of noticing the Trixie’s amusement or her own mane. Moments later, Trixie found herself seated on a soft couch while Twilight walked to her bathroom. “Eeep!” As the lavender mare got to work restoring her mane, Trixie giggled. “Thanks for warning me about my appearance.” Walking back into the room with her mane fixed, Twilight said “So, what’s up Trixie?” Trixie muttered to herself as she gathered her thoughts. “How do I explain this? Ah! There is the plan.” Looking straight at Twilight, Trixie asked “When I first came here to Ponyville, did you feel like you had seen me before, even though we had never met before?” “Yes. It was strange. Also, why did you drop the third person speech patterns?” “I only speak in third person to keep up my stage performance in public.” She gave a relieved grin. “It grows tiresome to perpetually speak in third person. Now, to business. I understand that you have received extensive training at the hooves of Princess Celestia.” “Yes. I have been her protégé for twelve years.” “I was hoping that you might know why we seem familiar to each other.” Trixie hoped that this could be resolved with one statement from the purple student. “Uh, no. I would imagine that it is something psychological. I have never studied psychology.” Twilight bashfully rubbed a hoof on the back of her head. Trixie had no idea why she would be bashful about having limited psychological knowledge, but she dismissed the issue. “I don’t think it is a psychological phenomenon. I did some research on déjà vu and similar occurrences; none of them match what I felt toward you. I hypothesize that magic is involved in some way. Which is why I came to you. ” “You mean there is more than the feeling of familiarity? What else is there?” Twilight’s curiosity colored her voice with excitement. Inwardly, Twilight thought a new area of study in magic? Yippie! “Ever since you beat the Ursa Minor, my thoughts started drifting to you. I literally can’t stop thinking about you.” Trixie held up a hoof to forestall any comments. “I have been in love before. I know the difference between this and romantic attraction. Love is a pleasurable sensation; this obsession ranges from pleasant to aggravating. I want to find out why I have it and how to stop it.” Already, Twilight was listing possibilities on a conjured sheet of parchment. Trixie’s eyes widened as she beheld the partially formed list: Accidental Want-It, Need-It spell Partial Thrall spell Magic Addiction (highly improbable) Destiny Bond spell …. It went on for half a scroll Is she capable of casting spells of that level? Naturally and unaided? No wonder I needed the Alicorn Amulet to match her. Come to think of it, how did I know… Trixie voiced her thoughts. “I just realized something else. I knew that I needed an artifact as strong as the Alicorn Amulet to beat you. I knew. Over the months, I felt how much power you had and searched for a corresponding artifact. It was like I received constant updates on how strong you were. Have you heard of anything like that?” This statement stopped the list making. “How could you have known how strong I was at any given moment?” “I do not know. I could just feel it.” “Okay. I will need a few new hypothesizes. Nothing I have ever read about would cause that sort of effect. Though I will have to test the ones on my list to see if any of them are similar to the real cause.” “How long will the testing take?” “About a week. Two weeks at most. But if the affliction is not a simple spell, it will require weeks to remove,” Twilight had already returned to scribbling down possibilities. “and that is only if the cause is on my list of ideas here. If nothing I have here caused this, I will have to research you directly. I hope that I don’t have to violate your privacy like that.” Her tone was hard to define. On one hoof, she sounded unsure and self-conscious, on the other, she sounded excited. “What do you mean, ‘research directly’?” Trixie was slightly nervous. She didn’t know why those words unsettled her. They simply did. “Let’s not talk about that unless we are forced to use direct research.” Twilight finished her list, and grabbed a horde of tomes from the shelves. “So, what do I need to do?” Trixie stared at the whirlwind of books. Wow. How can she handle that many books at once? There is a big difference between levitating one big object, and many smaller objects. Splitting focus in so many directions is hard. “Head downstairs to my laboratory. I’ll be in a minute after I’ve refreshed my memory on a few spells.” Five books opened before the lavender mare. Spotting the basement stairs, Trixie headed down. The room complemented the order imposed throughout the building. Nothing appeared to be out of place. All the jars, drawers, and mechanisms had labels. I never have anything organized. How can she stand living in such a structured place? There’s no room for creativity. The showmare had started investigating a shelf of samples from various Everfree plants when Twilight climbed down the steps. “Step away from the jars with blue labels. Those samples are poisonous.” Trixie jumped at the sound. “You keep poisons here? With an infant dragon living here as well?” Trixie thought that the lavender mare was more responsible than that. “The jars are sealed so that only unicorns possess the ability to open them. Spike is safe from them. You, however, are not safe.” “Okay,” Trixie did as she was bid. “What do I need to do for these tests of yours?” Twilight sounded cheerful as she said, “Not much. I will need a blood sample, a lock of your hair, some filings from your horn, and a solution of maguslime with your magic.” “Is that all?” Trixie sarcastically replied. “If you want my tests to be faster, you could allow me to remove a portion of your soul to study.” Twilight’s voice still carried that note of cheerfulness. “NO! I mean, no. I am fine if it takes a couple weeks. I would rather keep my soul intact, for sentimental reasons.” Trixie did not sound nervous, but inside she was scared. I thought spells for manipulating the soul were illegal. How does she know how to remove souls? Is her connection to the Princess that powerful, that she can access illegal spells? Before her mind got carried away, she noticed Twilight holding back giggles with a hoof. A few giggles slipped into the lavender mare’s voice. “I have wanted to try that prank for months. Don’t worry, Celestia hasn’t taught me any spells like that. I can’t touch your soul. I am surprised how many ponies think that I can remove souls.” “Okay. That was both amusing and scary. I can appreciate a good prank. Back on topic, why do you need those things? And what is maguslime?” “The hair will help search for any traces of mind domination spells like ‘Want it, Need it’. Blood carries conditions like magic addiction. Filings of your horn carry indications of advanced magics like Destiny Bond. The maguslime is a liquid that can contain magic in a liquid solution for months. Once it is charged with your magic, it will help me identify anything else.” Even as she spoke, Twilight pulled out the instruments she needed to collect samples. “You’re certainly efficient.” Trixie stated. “Of course. Wasted time serves no purpose.” A pair of scissors and a collection case floated to Trixie and removed a clipping of her mane in under a second. Fortunately for Twilight, the clipping was not noticeable. Trixie would have filled Twilight’s shampoo with brown hair dye otherwise. Levitating a flask for blood collection, Twilight approached the showmare. “Hold still. This will be quick.” One brief surge of magic later, a small cut appeared on Trixie’s front left leg. Blood trickled out of the wound, only to be grasped in magic and deposited in the flask. The flask floated to a table. A file appeared next. “Do be gentile with that. I don’t want my horn damaged more than necessary.” Trixie cringed inwardly. Professional horn filings are one thing, laboratory sampling simply made Trixie nervous where her horn was concerned. “Don’t worry. I only need a tiny shaving.” True to her word, Twilight filed at Trixie’s horn for less than two seconds before pulling away with a sample small enough to mistake for a bit of table salt from a plate of spaghetti. A tub of clear gel floated off a shelf. “Since you probably have never used maguslime, I will guide you through the saturation process. You will need to dip your horn in the maguslime. Focus on releasing magic without directing it to a task. The gel will absorb the magic if the magic simply enters it. If you direct the magic, the gel will not have a chance to become saturated.” Once the unique experience of saturating the maguslime ended, it turned blue. Trixie stared at it, fascinated. “Yay! Testing can begin!” Immediately turning to her instruments, Twilight submerged herself in a new experiment. This was a little awkward for Trixie. The researcher clearly had everything under control, while Trixie now had nothing to do. “Are you sure that you should begin an experiment so late in the day? I have no appointments to keep at the moment.” Pausing, the researcher thought for a moment. “You’re right. This can wait for tomorrow. Where are you going to be staying while I am doing the tests? If you need it, I have a spare bed in the library.” “That would be most welcome.” Twilight led Trixie up to the guest bedroom and bid her goodnight. Little did the mares know that this would be the last full night of sleep either would have for the next few weeks. Ch Two: BarterDawn woke Twilight with its usual method: a beam of light shining through a gap in the curtains. Blearily, she dragged her unwilling body out of bed. Why can’t I get the blasted curtains to block out all light? I need my sleep so my research goes properly. Now what was I doing last night? Just as she reached the library lobby, she smelled something cooking in the kitchen. Spike must have gotten up early today. Wait. Spike never gets up before seven, even when I tell him to get up early. So who is doing the cooking? Silently slipping into the kitchen, Twilight saw something that almost convinced her that Discord had locked her in a waking dream. At least it reminded her of the pony that came to the library last night. Trixie, wearing an apron, stood in the kitchen, her horn gleaming with power. Several pots and pans flew around. Even as Twilight watched, a potato flew to the stove with a cheese grater and promptly grated itself down into a pile of hash browns in a pan. A spatula, attending to another pan, casually flipped a few pancakes. Twilight, flabbergasted, spoke. “Trixie! What is going on here?” Glancing over at Twilight, Trixie said, “Is that how you great anypony making breakfast for you?” “Sorry. Good morning. Now, where did all this come from? I know that there were no potatoes in the pantry. And are those chocolate chips in the pancakes?” Twilight’s tone, initially shocked, started slipping into that of a pony holding herself back from devouring a slice of cake. The sight and smell of the kitchen made her hungry. “Ah yes. I commandeered your flour, eggs, and butter, but the rest is from my trailer. While I am on the road, I usually don’t have the time or resources to make something warm to eat. So, it had become my habit to cook a hot meal whenever I am in a town. The extra bits I can make by selling my cooking help out when my show is not attracting attention.” Even as she spoke, Trixie never once stopped manipulating the cooking implements. “That makes sense, I guess, but I never took you for a cook.” Twilight never took her eyes off the pancakes. Trixie chuckled as she said, “Well, early on in my career as a performer, I made a few discoveries. One: when I provide ponies with a good meal before a show, they tend to be more generous with their bits after the show. Two: being a good cook helps get me into some villages when there is not a restaurant present anywhere in the place. Three: cooking helps relieve stress after a show.” By this point, the smell had practically intoxicated Twilight. It took almost all of her self-control to not pounce on the pancakes. She started recounting some family history to attempt to distract herself. “To tell the truth, I’m jealous. My mother, grandmother, and great grandmother were all great cooks, but if I so much as touch a spatula, the Royal Guard would set up a quarantine perimeter. And I’m still thinking about food. This isn’t working. I can’t distract myself.” Trixie smiled as she said, “I see that my culinary artistry has once again captivated an audience…” Turning back to the food, she poked the pancakes with the spatula. “…but you will have to wait for the food. Even if you are allowing me to stay here, I cannot rush perfection.” Sighing, Twilight sat down at the kitchen table. “Well, that could be our deal. I do the research and provide the guest bed for you in exchange for your cooking.” “Fair exchange. Here is the first batch,” Trixie said. Even as she placed a plate of chocolate chip pancakes and hash browns with a bottle of maple syrup on the table, a thumping came from the bedroom. Moments later, Spike came into view, eyes closed and still clutching his blanket. Sitting down at the table, he carried on sleeping. Twilight stared at him for a few seconds before turning to Trixie. “It’s official. You are one of the six best cooks I have ever met.” Trixie was confused by the compliment. “Huh?” Understanding the confusion, Twilight explained. “Spike sleeps like the dead. The only thing that gets him to sleepwalk is extremely good food. So far, only my mother, grandmother, one chef in the royal kitchen, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack have ever gotten him to sleepwalk with their food. I almost want to see you, Pinkie, and Applejack have a cook-off. Regardless of the winner, the food will go down in legend. Now I have to know what you put in the food. Is there a secret ingredient?” Now that she understood the compliment, Trixie smiled. “A magician, whether on stage or in a kitchen, never reveals her secrets to anypony but her apprentice.” Settling down to eat, Twilight turned her mind back to the research project Trixie presented. It would be best to deal with anything that might be in her blood first. That stuff will stop being useful in a day or two. Speaking of time… “Hey Trixie, what do you plan to do while I am conducting research?” “I don’t know. I thought that I could help you with it, but you seemed to have everything under control last night. After the whole issue with the Alicorn Amulet, I do not think that the ponies here will want to attend one of my shows,” Trixie admitted. “You would be surprised. Two of my friends are incapable of holding a grudge, and a positive word from the three of us would clear your name. Anyway, we explained to everypony that you were being corrupted by the Amulet. Everypony knows that your behavior last time was caused by magic far beyond anypony’s ability to control.” “Really? You and your friends are that influential in this town?” Trixie asked, incredulous. Twilight smiled ruefully. “Well, not so much Fluttershy and me, but Pinkie fits the bill. She is at least passing friends with everypony in Ponyville, and when she says something will be fun, everypony believes her. One recommendation from her is almost as good as a recommendation from Celestia in this town.” Trixie picked her jaw up off the floor in order to ask, “Why would everypony believe her and value her opinion so much?” “Her special talent is spreading happiness. She is really good at her talent, too. They trust her word on all things fun. Once she sang a song that resulted in making every pony in town smile continuously for an hour. I don’t think any of us were able to frown for a week.” “Wow. That is an incredibly abstract talent.” Twilight smirked. “Abstract does not even begin to describe her.” While Trixie headed back to the stove, Spike mumbled and started to open his eyes. “Something smells good.” Opening his eyes fully, he looked around. “How did I get down here?” Trixie winked at Twilight. Before Twilight could speak, Trixie proclaimed, “I, the Masterful Chef Trixie, drew you down here with the scent of my culinary mastery!” Startled by the outburst, Spike fell off his chair with a “GAAH!” Twilight could not hold in a chuckle. “Spike, Trixie needs my help to resolve an issue that has come up. She will be cooking for us in exchange for my help.” “And she said that her cooking brought me down here.” Spike incredulously said. Though his tone sounded questioning. “It did,” both mares replied. “How long will she be staying here?” Spike’s mind already filled with food fantasies. “Two weeks.” Spike smiled at Twilight’s reply. Two weeks of Applejack quality cooking made his mouth water more than a rain cloud. Ignoring the obvious rapture on the dragon’s face, Trixie continued cooking as she spoke with Twilight. “If your friends will vouch for me, I would put on another performance tomorrow.” “No problem. Now, I am going to go get Pinkie Pie.” Despite her statement, Twilight remained seated. She simply reached with her magic to the door to the pantry. As the door swung wide, Pinkie bounced out with a sign bearing today’s bakery prices on her head. “Hi, Twilight. Hi Spike. Hi Trixie. What’s up?” Trixie stared at the party pony. “H-How d-did she get in there? I’ve been in and out of the pantry a half dozen times this morning!” “Trixie, I will explain later. Close your mouth for now or you will attract flies.” Turning to Pinkie, Twilight said, “Pinkie, Trixie is here because she needs my help resolving a magical problem. While I am researching, she intends to put on another show. Could you drum up some anticipation for the performance tomorrow? She promises not to try upstaging anypony this time.” With her typical “Okie-dokie-lokie,” Pinkie zipped back into the pantry and closed the door. Trixie quickly opened the door, but found the pantry devoid of any ponies, pink or otherwise. Twilight started giggling as Trixie started hyperventilating. “Now I know what I look like when I have one of my freak-outs. That was Pinkie Pie. She has been able to violate the laws of physics as long as I’ve known her.” “But-but she’s an earth pony. Earth ponies can’t do that!” “Wow. I never thought that there would be somepony who freaks out as much as Twi over Pinkie’s ‘Pinkie-ness’,” Spike quipped. Twilight could not suppress a grin. “If she continues these reactions, this will be an exceptionally amusing fortnight.” Laying out plates for Spike and herself, Trixie plopped down at the kitchen table; her fork levitated on autopilot as her mind tried to understand Pinkie. In half an hour, the three finished their meal and set about to their respective tasks for the day. Twilight descended into the lab. Spike dusted the library. Trixie nervously walked out into town, though nopony could tell that she was nervous from her expression or stride, both of which seemed filled with confidence. Deciding to go thank Pinkie (and start trying to understand the strange mare), Trixie directed her path to Sugarcube Corner. Before her senses could register the movement, a pink blur moved to intercept Trixie as she approached the bakery. “Hi Trixie!” After jumping from the startling arrival of Pinkie, Trixie collected herself. “Hello again Pinkie. I was just coming over to-” Before Trixie could finish the statement, Pinkie interrupted by shoving a cupcake into Trixie’s mouth. “I came up with that cupcake recipe two days ago, and I needed somepony from outside Ponyville to give me an unbiased opinion of my new recipe.” After chewing for a moment, Trixie answered. “Given the taste, I assume that there is applesauce and caramel in this?” Pinkie nodded. “It needs more applesauce to balance the caramel.” “Yay!” Pinkie wrote the critique down on a pad she pulled out of her mane. “So, watcha doin’?” “I came to thank you for agreeing to spread a few good words about my next performance.” Pinkie’s smile widened towards both ears. “No problem! I’m happy to be of service. By the way, do not ask the question you were going to ask about me getting into Twilight’s pantry. My Pinkie Sense says that if you ask that, you will fall into the next eleven mud puddles you see.” “What?” Trixie asked. How- What- Did- Can she read minds? “Oh I forgot. I need to keep today’s batch of white chocolate macadamia cookies from burning. See ya.” With that, the confectioner vanished in a blitz of pink back into the bakery. Trixie stood in the middle of the road for a minute trying to piece together the conversation with Pinkie. Finally deciding to deal with it later, Trixie turned to the town park. Upon arrival, she sought out a secluded area of the park and began practicing some of the basic spells in her performance. Nothing more than some levitation training and a few simple illusions, but they were a good warm-up. For three quarters of an hour, she continued her practice. It was at that point that she noticed a commotion approaching. Turning to the noise, she heard many ponies running away from something. Then the cause of the noise made itself apparent. Eyes gleamed with rage and hunger, fangs poised to strike, and throat letting out an enraged growl, a super-sized timberwolf turned around a corner and charged strait at Trixie. With each massive bound, the wolf approached its target. Most ponies would run. Trixie may not have been Twilight Sparkle, but she most certainly was not ‘most ponies’. Trixie stood her ground as the earth started shuddering at the beast’s approach. Author's Note As always, constructive criticism is appreciated. Sorry for the food descriptions. I wrote this during Lent, and I was fasting. Ch Three: CaptureTimberwolf breath smells horrible. Such was the only thought in Trixie’s mind as the timberwolf bounded ever nearer. As it took one last bound that would have it pouncing on Trixie, she finally acted. Now! Surging to the side, she evaded its first lunge. Before the wolf could react, she cast a small spell at it. The bolt of lightning from her horn did nothing more than scorch its leg, but that and enraging the beast were Trixie’s goals. She succeeded. Turning around, the wolf lunged at Trixie again. This time, she did not move to evade it. Its front paws landed squarely on her. When it lifted a paw to look for a pony-smear, the beast found nothing. “Submit to my will you beast, as you are no match for the skill of the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Turning around, the timberwolf beheld a dozen copies of Trixie. Swatting one, it felt nothing beneath its paw. Trixie giggled from her concealed position. This is almost too easy. These beasts are always so predictable. Conjuring a few storm clouds, she shocked the wolf again. With each jolt, it went further into a rage. Pouncing on the illusion-Trixies, it tried to kill them. Upon being swatted or crushed, their illusion bodies, and scents vanished, replaced with various pungent smells, ranging from rotting garbage to hydra breath. On the surface, each smell only served to confuse its nose. Underneath the wolf’s raging exterior, it was starting to feel fear. The unseen mare kept up her barrage of lightening while further ‘blinding’ the wolf’s nose. The mare clearly had an advantage. One that she did not press. Her spells continued to only sting and distract, not harm. Unseen by the wolf, Trixie carved lines into the ground a score of yards away. The brief flashes of magic went unnoticed it the illusion vs. wolf battle. Finally, when the ring of runes had been completed, Trixie emerged from her hiding place. Directing all of the illusions in the opposite direction, she drew the wolf away as she ran to the circle. As she reached the ring of runes, she started dispelling the illusions. One by one, the fake Trixies vanished even as the remainder started running behind the wolf. Keeping its eyes on the doubles, it turned around. Just as the last illusion faded, the wolf spotted the real Trixie standing still. Trixie watched as the now cautious wolf approached her. Instead of pouncing on her, it carefully padded closer to her. Come on. Come on. I’ve got you right where I want you. At this point, the wolf felt fear. This mare had proven more troublesome, and more painful, to hunt than any other creature it had ever hunted. Its nose had been heavily bombarded with unpleasant smells, removing one of its chief senses. The little pony stared straight into the wolf’s eyes, an ocular battle of dominance; a battle that the wolf was quickly loosing. The wolf wined deep in its throat. It felt the need to attack the mare, but she was fighting in ways it had never seen before. She was an unknown thing, and unknown things were the most terrifying things a wolf could face as they sometimes brought an unwary wolf to the Great Unknown, the end of life. Trixie quietly laughed. Everything has gone according to plan. The wolf is terrified and weakened… Three more steps on its part had the wolf right inside Trixie’s circle. …and weakened and terrified minds are so much easier to control. A surge of magic flashed from Trixie’s horn to the runes. They, in turn, lit up as brightly as Hearths Warming Eve decorations. Even as the wolf tried to jump back from the sudden light, the spell took hold. From the wolf’s perspective, everything changed. The light faded and the wolf beheld its home in the forest. Suddenly drowsy, it settled down on its haunches and prepared for a nap. Trixie watched as the wolf settled down for a nap in the middle of her circle. Once again, illusion and cunning trumps power and ferocity. Clearing her throat, Trixie exclaimed, “It’s alright. You can all come out now. The Great and Powerful Trixie has subdued the beast.” At the sound of her voice, the ponies started emerging from their homes and hiding places. One pony ran to town hall and rang a signal alerting the ponies of the end of the crisis. As the ponies gathered around (at a safe distance), murmuring started. Citizens of Ponyville openly stared at the wolf and the mare who had subdued it. Murmurs of confusion, awe, and curiosity emerged from the crowd. One pony was more outspoken than the rest. “What did you do to it?” Trixie responded honestly. “I scared it until I could put an effective illusion spell on it. On that note, stay away from the circle of runes. They are the only things keeping the beast in check.” Ponies started resuming their daily routines, albeit at a much reduced volume, so as to not disturb the wolf. Trixie turned to one of the stragglers and issued orders. “Go get Twilight. Tell her that the timberwolf had been subdued, but Trixie needs her assistance to truly get rid of it.” As one pony ran to carry out Trixie’s orders, a mint green unicorn approached and offered a suggestion. “Why not just burn it? It is made of wood.” Trixie eyed the unicorn like she was mad. “Two reasons. One: this is a living creature. Burning it alive would be cruel. I, the no longer corrupted Trixie, am only cruel when under the corruptive influence of the Alicorn Amulet. Two: there is a chance that a fire would not kill the wolf. Burning it could turn it into an ifrit, a fire spirit. That would be much harder to contain than a mere timberwolf.” The scathing and logical retort made the green unicorn back off. Trixie sat down and waited for Twilight. By the time word of the timberwolf attack reached Twilight, she had sunk deep into a studious trance. Nothing existed except the blood sample she had taken from Trixie, a blood sample from herself, and the spell forms she crafted to find a connection. Needless to say, being awoken from the haze of research to news of a timberwolf startled her. Fortunately, Bon Bon managed to calm Twilight down before she panicked. “Whoa Twilight, wait. That Trixie mare managed to stop it. She just needs your help to get rid of it.” Nodding to confirm that the message was understood, Twilight closed her eyes and focused. If she has subdued it, we will have to either kill it or send it back to the Everfree. The question is, do we kill, or is this wolf safe to send back. If it has a taste for ponies, it must be destroyed. Now, who could identify if this is a pony killer? Ah! Zecora! “Sorry that Trixie and I keep using you as a messenger, but could you go tell Pinkie or Rainbow to retrieve Zecora? I will go to help Trixie.” Word was deed, and Twilight soon arrived at Trixie’s circle. Inspecting the ring, Twilight studied the runes that Trixie used. “A Neighponese lock rune coupled with a Northern Day Sleep rune. Trixie, you and I are going to have a discussion of runes later. I mean, how did you get those two runes to mesh together without causing a small criticality that would have set Ponyville on fire?” Trixie laughed. “After the first ten times a timberwolf pack has attacked my trailer, I figured it out. We have a problem. I don’t know if we should kill this one or not. Now, I normally can spot a pony killer from a hundred yards, but this wolf is different. It does not look like a killer, but it behaved like one.” “Timberwolves that hunt ponies have a ‘look’?” Twilight was fascinated. “Yes. Their bark starts looking like fur. This one looks like bark, but it behaved like a killer.” “Do they take on the ‘fur’ look before or after they have already killed a pony?” “Before.” “Okay… so it definitely is a good thing that I contacted Zecora for advice on dealing with subdued timberwolves.” Settling down to wait for the zebra, Trixie turned to discussing Pinkie. “How did Pinkie get into the pantry?” Twilight chuckled as she said “I don’t know. I gave up trying to research her months ago. The only thing I know is that she somehow has the ability to fold the fabric of space.” “She bends space? Without negative effects or a horn?” Trixie sounded almost ready to pass out. “Yes. I know that feeling you’re getting. Frankly, she scares me sometimes. Currently, the leading hypothesizes are that she is either partially composed of solidified magic, she comes from another dimension, or she is Discord’s granddaughter. The scary part is that the last one seems most realistic if I allow for time travel.” “You think she is Discord’s granddaughter?” Pausing to think for a moment, Trixie contemplated the things she had seen the pink mare do. “You know what, that is actually plausible.” Before the two could get lost in their discussion of the impossibilities of Pinkie, the party mare showed up carrying Zecora on her back. “One Zecora, with a side of knowledge, as ordered,” Pinkie rattled off, as if she was delivering an order at a restaurant. Setting the zebra down, turned and bounced toward the wolf. The instant she stepped into the ring, she passed out. After staring at the unconscious mare for a few seconds, Zecora spoke up. “Pinkie’s arrival gave me quite a fright. What mysteries surround this beast, Twilight?” Trixie explained the strange behavior of the wolf when compared to its appearance. Zecora’s countenance gradually turned from one of amusement to one of intrigue. “Interesting. Thirst for blood without change in bark. Could disease have left its mark?” Zecora walked toward the wolf; a brief glow in her eyes signaled that she was using her own magic to guard against the rune circle. She poked at the wolf for a few moments. Then she started chanting some unknown words under her breath. Motes of light swirled around the wolf in time with her chanting. Watching Zecora work filled Twilight with the familiar thrill of observing unknown magic. She spent nearly a minute simply ogling the spell. From right next to her, Trixie let out a sigh. “Wow. I never realized that zebra magic was so pretty. I mean, look at those spell forms. So intricate.” Trixie sounded almost enthralled it the display. Like a mare sighing over a handsome stallion. “What spell are you using to view the forms?” Twilight responded. “Believe it or not, I’m not using a spell.” That got Twilight to look away from the display. “How are you viewing the spell forms? They should be invisible to an unassisted unicorn without a special talent in-” “Magic. Like you, Twilight, my talent is magic itself. The only difference in magic between us is that I did not spend years studying under the princess and I have a smaller font.” Even if Twilight was not looking at Trixie, she could have heard the smirk in her voice. “Wait. Your talent is magic? I thought it was stage performance.” Twilight started seeing Trixie in a new light. If her talent is magic, that would make her one of the only five ponies in the world with the same talent as me. “I simply choose to use my skill for stage performance.” “Well, that’s as good a use for a talent in magic as any use I could come up with,” Twilight comented. Before another word could be said, Zecora turned around. “I found the cause of this wolf’s plight. Spells and potions of great might. This wolf was taken from its home And sent to Ponyville to roam. Something forced this wolf to fight A simple spell will set its mind right.” Twilight processed the Zebra’s statements. “Wait. Are you saying that something sent the wolf here as a deliberate attack on Ponyville?” Author's Note I am sorry that this was late. School got in the way. (That, and I found a couple of stories on this site to read like this awesome story. Seriously, go read it.) Comment on my weaknesses. If you tell me where I am weak in my writing, I can work to correct it.
Ch One: ArrivalTrixie hated to admit it, but she was obsessed with Twilight Sparkle. It started days after the Ursa Minor. Trixie had felt nothing but resentment as she worked to rebuild her life afterwards. As months had passed, the resentment turned to a burning need to prove herself better than Twilight. Throwing caution down the drain, Trixie turned to finding the Alicorn Amulet. While the power boost got Trixie through their first duel, power could not trump cunning in the rematch. Yet, even though this definitive defeat calmed the resentment, Trixie still thought about the lavender mare constantly. It made no sense. Trixie had been beaten in three duels before she had ever seen Twilight, yet those defeats became nothing more than shameful memories in a couple days. She felt a connection to Twilight. Love had nothing on this feeling. Trixie had felt love in the past. This meant many times more to Trixie than that romance ever had. Which is why she was now standing outside Twilight’s door. At ten in the evening. Enough is enough. I will figure out why she seems so familiar and important to me. We have spent fewer than two days in each other’s presence. It makes no sense. Trixie felt no nervousness as she rapped on the oaken door. “Just a minute!” Twilight was clearly in the middle of something. “I’ll be there after I have stabilized this quadratics field.” More than just something. She was playing with the fabric of space. That is some impressive spell casting. Ten seconds later, Trixie heard that peculiar screeching of space being rent and repaired. Either Twilight had been working on that field for hours, or she is unnaturally fast at spell casting. “Thanks for waiting. Now what-” Twilight stopped suddenly as she opened the door. “Hiya Trixie. I didn’t expect to see you for a month. Weren’t you going to Staliongrad on an invitation from the mayor there?” Trixie suppressed a grin at the state of disarray in Twilight’s mane; apparently, her mane had been put through tornado force winds during the spell casting. “Might Trixie come inside before you start the questions? Oh, and you might want to find a mirror.” A hint of amusement colored Trixie’s voice. Twilight showed no sign of noticing the Trixie’s amusement or her own mane. Moments later, Trixie found herself seated on a soft couch while Twilight walked to her bathroom. “Eeep!” As the lavender mare got to work restoring her mane, Trixie giggled. “Thanks for warning me about my appearance.” Walking back into the room with her mane fixed, Twilight said “So, what’s up Trixie?” Trixie muttered to herself as she gathered her thoughts. “How do I explain this? Ah! There is the plan.” Looking straight at Twilight, Trixie asked “When I first came here to Ponyville, did you feel like you had seen me before, even though we had never met before?” “Yes. It was strange. Also, why did you drop the third person speech patterns?” “I only speak in third person to keep up my stage performance in public.” She gave a relieved grin. “It grows tiresome to perpetually speak in third person. Now, to business. I understand that you have received extensive training at the hooves of Princess Celestia.” “Yes. I have been her protégé for twelve years.” “I was hoping that you might know why we seem familiar to each other.” Trixie hoped that this could be resolved with one statement from the purple student. “Uh, no. I would imagine that it is something psychological. I have never studied psychology.” Twilight bashfully rubbed a hoof on the back of her head. Trixie had no idea why she would be bashful about having limited psychological knowledge, but she dismissed the issue. “I don’t think it is a psychological phenomenon. I did some research on déjà vu and similar occurrences; none of them match what I felt toward you. I hypothesize that magic is involved in some way. Which is why I came to you. ” “You mean there is more than the feeling of familiarity? What else is there?” Twilight’s curiosity colored her voice with excitement. Inwardly, Twilight thought a new area of study in magic? Yippie! “Ever since you beat the Ursa Minor, my thoughts started drifting to you. I literally can’t stop thinking about you.” Trixie held up a hoof to forestall any comments. “I have been in love before. I know the difference between this and romantic attraction. Love is a pleasurable sensation; this obsession ranges from pleasant to aggravating. I want to find out why I have it and how to stop it.” Already, Twilight was listing possibilities on a conjured sheet of parchment. Trixie’s eyes widened as she beheld the partially formed list: Accidental Want-It, Need-It spell Partial Thrall spell Magic Addiction (highly improbable) Destiny Bond spell …. It went on for half a scroll Is she capable of casting spells of that level? Naturally and unaided? No wonder I needed the Alicorn Amulet to match her. Come to think of it, how did I know… Trixie voiced her thoughts. “I just realized something else. I knew that I needed an artifact as strong as the Alicorn Amulet to beat you. I knew. Over the months, I felt how much power you had and searched for a corresponding artifact. It was like I received constant updates on how strong you were. Have you heard of anything like that?” This statement stopped the list making. “How could you have known how strong I was at any given moment?” “I do not know. I could just feel it.” “Okay. I will need a few new hypothesizes. Nothing I have ever read about would cause that sort of effect. Though I will have to test the ones on my list to see if any of them are similar to the real cause.” “How long will the testing take?” “About a week. Two weeks at most. But if the affliction is not a simple spell, it will require weeks to remove,” Twilight had already returned to scribbling down possibilities. “and that is only if the cause is on my list of ideas here. If nothing I have here caused this, I will have to research you directly. I hope that I don’t have to violate your privacy like that.” Her tone was hard to define. On one hoof, she sounded unsure and self-conscious, on the other, she sounded excited. “What do you mean, ‘research directly’?” Trixie was slightly nervous. She didn’t know why those words unsettled her. They simply did. “Let’s not talk about that unless we are forced to use direct research.” Twilight finished her list, and grabbed a horde of tomes from the shelves. “So, what do I need to do?” Trixie stared at the whirlwind of books. Wow. How can she handle that many books at once? There is a big difference between levitating one big object, and many smaller objects. Splitting focus in so many directions is hard. “Head downstairs to my laboratory. I’ll be in a minute after I’ve refreshed my memory on a few spells.” Five books opened before the lavender mare. Spotting the basement stairs, Trixie headed down. The room complemented the order imposed throughout the building. Nothing appeared to be out of place. All the jars, drawers, and mechanisms had labels. I never have anything organized. How can she stand living in such a structured place? There’s no room for creativity. The showmare had started investigating a shelf of samples from various Everfree plants when Twilight climbed down the steps. “Step away from the jars with blue labels. Those samples are poisonous.” Trixie jumped at the sound. “You keep poisons here? With an infant dragon living here as well?” Trixie thought that the lavender mare was more responsible than that. “The jars are sealed so that only unicorns possess the ability to open them. Spike is safe from them. You, however, are not safe.” “Okay,” Trixie did as she was bid. “What do I need to do for these tests of yours?” Twilight sounded cheerful as she said, “Not much. I will need a blood sample, a lock of your hair, some filings from your horn, and a solution of maguslime with your magic.” “Is that all?” Trixie sarcastically replied. “If you want my tests to be faster, you could allow me to remove a portion of your soul to study.” Twilight’s voice still carried that note of cheerfulness. “NO! I mean, no. I am fine if it takes a couple weeks. I would rather keep my soul intact, for sentimental reasons.” Trixie did not sound nervous, but inside she was scared. I thought spells for manipulating the soul were illegal. How does she know how to remove souls? Is her connection to the Princess that powerful, that she can access illegal spells? Before her mind got carried away, she noticed Twilight holding back giggles with a hoof. A few giggles slipped into the lavender mare’s voice. “I have wanted to try that prank for months. Don’t worry, Celestia hasn’t taught me any spells like that. I can’t touch your soul. I am surprised how many ponies think that I can remove souls.” “Okay. That was both amusing and scary. I can appreciate a good prank. Back on topic, why do you need those things? And what is maguslime?” “The hair will help search for any traces of mind domination spells like ‘Want it, Need it’. Blood carries conditions like magic addiction. Filings of your horn carry indications of advanced magics like Destiny Bond. The maguslime is a liquid that can contain magic in a liquid solution for months. Once it is charged with your magic, it will help me identify anything else.” Even as she spoke, Twilight pulled out the instruments she needed to collect samples. “You’re certainly efficient.” Trixie stated. “Of course. Wasted time serves no purpose.” A pair of scissors and a collection case floated to Trixie and removed a clipping of her mane in under a second. Fortunately for Twilight, the clipping was not noticeable. Trixie would have filled Twilight’s shampoo with brown hair dye otherwise. Levitating a flask for blood collection, Twilight approached the showmare. “Hold still. This will be quick.” One brief surge of magic later, a small cut appeared on Trixie’s front left leg. Blood trickled out of the wound, only to be grasped in magic and deposited in the flask. The flask floated to a table. A file appeared next. “Do be gentile with that. I don’t want my horn damaged more than necessary.” Trixie cringed inwardly. Professional horn filings are one thing, laboratory sampling simply made Trixie nervous where her horn was concerned. “Don’t worry. I only need a tiny shaving.” True to her word, Twilight filed at Trixie’s horn for less than two seconds before pulling away with a sample small enough to mistake for a bit of table salt from a plate of spaghetti. A tub of clear gel floated off a shelf. “Since you probably have never used maguslime, I will guide you through the saturation process. You will need to dip your horn in the maguslime. Focus on releasing magic without directing it to a task. The gel will absorb the magic if the magic simply enters it. If you direct the magic, the gel will not have a chance to become saturated.” Once the unique experience of saturating the maguslime ended, it turned blue. Trixie stared at it, fascinated. “Yay! Testing can begin!” Immediately turning to her instruments, Twilight submerged herself in a new experiment. This was a little awkward for Trixie. The researcher clearly had everything under control, while Trixie now had nothing to do. “Are you sure that you should begin an experiment so late in the day? I have no appointments to keep at the moment.” Pausing, the researcher thought for a moment. “You’re right. This can wait for tomorrow. Where are you going to be staying while I am doing the tests? If you need it, I have a spare bed in the library.” “That would be most welcome.” Twilight led Trixie up to the guest bedroom and bid her goodnight. Little did the mares know that this would be the last full night of sleep either would have for the next few weeks.
Ch Two: BarterDawn woke Twilight with its usual method: a beam of light shining through a gap in the curtains. Blearily, she dragged her unwilling body out of bed. Why can’t I get the blasted curtains to block out all light? I need my sleep so my research goes properly. Now what was I doing last night? Just as she reached the library lobby, she smelled something cooking in the kitchen. Spike must have gotten up early today. Wait. Spike never gets up before seven, even when I tell him to get up early. So who is doing the cooking? Silently slipping into the kitchen, Twilight saw something that almost convinced her that Discord had locked her in a waking dream. At least it reminded her of the pony that came to the library last night. Trixie, wearing an apron, stood in the kitchen, her horn gleaming with power. Several pots and pans flew around. Even as Twilight watched, a potato flew to the stove with a cheese grater and promptly grated itself down into a pile of hash browns in a pan. A spatula, attending to another pan, casually flipped a few pancakes. Twilight, flabbergasted, spoke. “Trixie! What is going on here?” Glancing over at Twilight, Trixie said, “Is that how you great anypony making breakfast for you?” “Sorry. Good morning. Now, where did all this come from? I know that there were no potatoes in the pantry. And are those chocolate chips in the pancakes?” Twilight’s tone, initially shocked, started slipping into that of a pony holding herself back from devouring a slice of cake. The sight and smell of the kitchen made her hungry. “Ah yes. I commandeered your flour, eggs, and butter, but the rest is from my trailer. While I am on the road, I usually don’t have the time or resources to make something warm to eat. So, it had become my habit to cook a hot meal whenever I am in a town. The extra bits I can make by selling my cooking help out when my show is not attracting attention.” Even as she spoke, Trixie never once stopped manipulating the cooking implements. “That makes sense, I guess, but I never took you for a cook.” Twilight never took her eyes off the pancakes. Trixie chuckled as she said, “Well, early on in my career as a performer, I made a few discoveries. One: when I provide ponies with a good meal before a show, they tend to be more generous with their bits after the show. Two: being a good cook helps get me into some villages when there is not a restaurant present anywhere in the place. Three: cooking helps relieve stress after a show.” By this point, the smell had practically intoxicated Twilight. It took almost all of her self-control to not pounce on the pancakes. She started recounting some family history to attempt to distract herself. “To tell the truth, I’m jealous. My mother, grandmother, and great grandmother were all great cooks, but if I so much as touch a spatula, the Royal Guard would set up a quarantine perimeter. And I’m still thinking about food. This isn’t working. I can’t distract myself.” Trixie smiled as she said, “I see that my culinary artistry has once again captivated an audience…” Turning back to the food, she poked the pancakes with the spatula. “…but you will have to wait for the food. Even if you are allowing me to stay here, I cannot rush perfection.” Sighing, Twilight sat down at the kitchen table. “Well, that could be our deal. I do the research and provide the guest bed for you in exchange for your cooking.” “Fair exchange. Here is the first batch,” Trixie said. Even as she placed a plate of chocolate chip pancakes and hash browns with a bottle of maple syrup on the table, a thumping came from the bedroom. Moments later, Spike came into view, eyes closed and still clutching his blanket. Sitting down at the table, he carried on sleeping. Twilight stared at him for a few seconds before turning to Trixie. “It’s official. You are one of the six best cooks I have ever met.” Trixie was confused by the compliment. “Huh?” Understanding the confusion, Twilight explained. “Spike sleeps like the dead. The only thing that gets him to sleepwalk is extremely good food. So far, only my mother, grandmother, one chef in the royal kitchen, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack have ever gotten him to sleepwalk with their food. I almost want to see you, Pinkie, and Applejack have a cook-off. Regardless of the winner, the food will go down in legend. Now I have to know what you put in the food. Is there a secret ingredient?” Now that she understood the compliment, Trixie smiled. “A magician, whether on stage or in a kitchen, never reveals her secrets to anypony but her apprentice.” Settling down to eat, Twilight turned her mind back to the research project Trixie presented. It would be best to deal with anything that might be in her blood first. That stuff will stop being useful in a day or two. Speaking of time… “Hey Trixie, what do you plan to do while I am conducting research?” “I don’t know. I thought that I could help you with it, but you seemed to have everything under control last night. After the whole issue with the Alicorn Amulet, I do not think that the ponies here will want to attend one of my shows,” Trixie admitted. “You would be surprised. Two of my friends are incapable of holding a grudge, and a positive word from the three of us would clear your name. Anyway, we explained to everypony that you were being corrupted by the Amulet. Everypony knows that your behavior last time was caused by magic far beyond anypony’s ability to control.” “Really? You and your friends are that influential in this town?” Trixie asked, incredulous. Twilight smiled ruefully. “Well, not so much Fluttershy and me, but Pinkie fits the bill. She is at least passing friends with everypony in Ponyville, and when she says something will be fun, everypony believes her. One recommendation from her is almost as good as a recommendation from Celestia in this town.” Trixie picked her jaw up off the floor in order to ask, “Why would everypony believe her and value her opinion so much?” “Her special talent is spreading happiness. She is really good at her talent, too. They trust her word on all things fun. Once she sang a song that resulted in making every pony in town smile continuously for an hour. I don’t think any of us were able to frown for a week.” “Wow. That is an incredibly abstract talent.” Twilight smirked. “Abstract does not even begin to describe her.” While Trixie headed back to the stove, Spike mumbled and started to open his eyes. “Something smells good.” Opening his eyes fully, he looked around. “How did I get down here?” Trixie winked at Twilight. Before Twilight could speak, Trixie proclaimed, “I, the Masterful Chef Trixie, drew you down here with the scent of my culinary mastery!” Startled by the outburst, Spike fell off his chair with a “GAAH!” Twilight could not hold in a chuckle. “Spike, Trixie needs my help to resolve an issue that has come up. She will be cooking for us in exchange for my help.” “And she said that her cooking brought me down here.” Spike incredulously said. Though his tone sounded questioning. “It did,” both mares replied. “How long will she be staying here?” Spike’s mind already filled with food fantasies. “Two weeks.” Spike smiled at Twilight’s reply. Two weeks of Applejack quality cooking made his mouth water more than a rain cloud. Ignoring the obvious rapture on the dragon’s face, Trixie continued cooking as she spoke with Twilight. “If your friends will vouch for me, I would put on another performance tomorrow.” “No problem. Now, I am going to go get Pinkie Pie.” Despite her statement, Twilight remained seated. She simply reached with her magic to the door to the pantry. As the door swung wide, Pinkie bounced out with a sign bearing today’s bakery prices on her head. “Hi, Twilight. Hi Spike. Hi Trixie. What’s up?” Trixie stared at the party pony. “H-How d-did she get in there? I’ve been in and out of the pantry a half dozen times this morning!” “Trixie, I will explain later. Close your mouth for now or you will attract flies.” Turning to Pinkie, Twilight said, “Pinkie, Trixie is here because she needs my help resolving a magical problem. While I am researching, she intends to put on another show. Could you drum up some anticipation for the performance tomorrow? She promises not to try upstaging anypony this time.” With her typical “Okie-dokie-lokie,” Pinkie zipped back into the pantry and closed the door. Trixie quickly opened the door, but found the pantry devoid of any ponies, pink or otherwise. Twilight started giggling as Trixie started hyperventilating. “Now I know what I look like when I have one of my freak-outs. That was Pinkie Pie. She has been able to violate the laws of physics as long as I’ve known her.” “But-but she’s an earth pony. Earth ponies can’t do that!” “Wow. I never thought that there would be somepony who freaks out as much as Twi over Pinkie’s ‘Pinkie-ness’,” Spike quipped. Twilight could not suppress a grin. “If she continues these reactions, this will be an exceptionally amusing fortnight.” Laying out plates for Spike and herself, Trixie plopped down at the kitchen table; her fork levitated on autopilot as her mind tried to understand Pinkie. In half an hour, the three finished their meal and set about to their respective tasks for the day. Twilight descended into the lab. Spike dusted the library. Trixie nervously walked out into town, though nopony could tell that she was nervous from her expression or stride, both of which seemed filled with confidence. Deciding to go thank Pinkie (and start trying to understand the strange mare), Trixie directed her path to Sugarcube Corner. Before her senses could register the movement, a pink blur moved to intercept Trixie as she approached the bakery. “Hi Trixie!” After jumping from the startling arrival of Pinkie, Trixie collected herself. “Hello again Pinkie. I was just coming over to-” Before Trixie could finish the statement, Pinkie interrupted by shoving a cupcake into Trixie’s mouth. “I came up with that cupcake recipe two days ago, and I needed somepony from outside Ponyville to give me an unbiased opinion of my new recipe.” After chewing for a moment, Trixie answered. “Given the taste, I assume that there is applesauce and caramel in this?” Pinkie nodded. “It needs more applesauce to balance the caramel.” “Yay!” Pinkie wrote the critique down on a pad she pulled out of her mane. “So, watcha doin’?” “I came to thank you for agreeing to spread a few good words about my next performance.” Pinkie’s smile widened towards both ears. “No problem! I’m happy to be of service. By the way, do not ask the question you were going to ask about me getting into Twilight’s pantry. My Pinkie Sense says that if you ask that, you will fall into the next eleven mud puddles you see.” “What?” Trixie asked. How- What- Did- Can she read minds? “Oh I forgot. I need to keep today’s batch of white chocolate macadamia cookies from burning. See ya.” With that, the confectioner vanished in a blitz of pink back into the bakery. Trixie stood in the middle of the road for a minute trying to piece together the conversation with Pinkie. Finally deciding to deal with it later, Trixie turned to the town park. Upon arrival, she sought out a secluded area of the park and began practicing some of the basic spells in her performance. Nothing more than some levitation training and a few simple illusions, but they were a good warm-up. For three quarters of an hour, she continued her practice. It was at that point that she noticed a commotion approaching. Turning to the noise, she heard many ponies running away from something. Then the cause of the noise made itself apparent. Eyes gleamed with rage and hunger, fangs poised to strike, and throat letting out an enraged growl, a super-sized timberwolf turned around a corner and charged strait at Trixie. With each massive bound, the wolf approached its target. Most ponies would run. Trixie may not have been Twilight Sparkle, but she most certainly was not ‘most ponies’. Trixie stood her ground as the earth started shuddering at the beast’s approach. Author's Note As always, constructive criticism is appreciated. Sorry for the food descriptions. I wrote this during Lent, and I was fasting.
Ch Three: CaptureTimberwolf breath smells horrible. Such was the only thought in Trixie’s mind as the timberwolf bounded ever nearer. As it took one last bound that would have it pouncing on Trixie, she finally acted. Now! Surging to the side, she evaded its first lunge. Before the wolf could react, she cast a small spell at it. The bolt of lightning from her horn did nothing more than scorch its leg, but that and enraging the beast were Trixie’s goals. She succeeded. Turning around, the wolf lunged at Trixie again. This time, she did not move to evade it. Its front paws landed squarely on her. When it lifted a paw to look for a pony-smear, the beast found nothing. “Submit to my will you beast, as you are no match for the skill of the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Turning around, the timberwolf beheld a dozen copies of Trixie. Swatting one, it felt nothing beneath its paw. Trixie giggled from her concealed position. This is almost too easy. These beasts are always so predictable. Conjuring a few storm clouds, she shocked the wolf again. With each jolt, it went further into a rage. Pouncing on the illusion-Trixies, it tried to kill them. Upon being swatted or crushed, their illusion bodies, and scents vanished, replaced with various pungent smells, ranging from rotting garbage to hydra breath. On the surface, each smell only served to confuse its nose. Underneath the wolf’s raging exterior, it was starting to feel fear. The unseen mare kept up her barrage of lightening while further ‘blinding’ the wolf’s nose. The mare clearly had an advantage. One that she did not press. Her spells continued to only sting and distract, not harm. Unseen by the wolf, Trixie carved lines into the ground a score of yards away. The brief flashes of magic went unnoticed it the illusion vs. wolf battle. Finally, when the ring of runes had been completed, Trixie emerged from her hiding place. Directing all of the illusions in the opposite direction, she drew the wolf away as she ran to the circle. As she reached the ring of runes, she started dispelling the illusions. One by one, the fake Trixies vanished even as the remainder started running behind the wolf. Keeping its eyes on the doubles, it turned around. Just as the last illusion faded, the wolf spotted the real Trixie standing still. Trixie watched as the now cautious wolf approached her. Instead of pouncing on her, it carefully padded closer to her. Come on. Come on. I’ve got you right where I want you. At this point, the wolf felt fear. This mare had proven more troublesome, and more painful, to hunt than any other creature it had ever hunted. Its nose had been heavily bombarded with unpleasant smells, removing one of its chief senses. The little pony stared straight into the wolf’s eyes, an ocular battle of dominance; a battle that the wolf was quickly loosing. The wolf wined deep in its throat. It felt the need to attack the mare, but she was fighting in ways it had never seen before. She was an unknown thing, and unknown things were the most terrifying things a wolf could face as they sometimes brought an unwary wolf to the Great Unknown, the end of life. Trixie quietly laughed. Everything has gone according to plan. The wolf is terrified and weakened… Three more steps on its part had the wolf right inside Trixie’s circle. …and weakened and terrified minds are so much easier to control. A surge of magic flashed from Trixie’s horn to the runes. They, in turn, lit up as brightly as Hearths Warming Eve decorations. Even as the wolf tried to jump back from the sudden light, the spell took hold. From the wolf’s perspective, everything changed. The light faded and the wolf beheld its home in the forest. Suddenly drowsy, it settled down on its haunches and prepared for a nap. Trixie watched as the wolf settled down for a nap in the middle of her circle. Once again, illusion and cunning trumps power and ferocity. Clearing her throat, Trixie exclaimed, “It’s alright. You can all come out now. The Great and Powerful Trixie has subdued the beast.” At the sound of her voice, the ponies started emerging from their homes and hiding places. One pony ran to town hall and rang a signal alerting the ponies of the end of the crisis. As the ponies gathered around (at a safe distance), murmuring started. Citizens of Ponyville openly stared at the wolf and the mare who had subdued it. Murmurs of confusion, awe, and curiosity emerged from the crowd. One pony was more outspoken than the rest. “What did you do to it?” Trixie responded honestly. “I scared it until I could put an effective illusion spell on it. On that note, stay away from the circle of runes. They are the only things keeping the beast in check.” Ponies started resuming their daily routines, albeit at a much reduced volume, so as to not disturb the wolf. Trixie turned to one of the stragglers and issued orders. “Go get Twilight. Tell her that the timberwolf had been subdued, but Trixie needs her assistance to truly get rid of it.” As one pony ran to carry out Trixie’s orders, a mint green unicorn approached and offered a suggestion. “Why not just burn it? It is made of wood.” Trixie eyed the unicorn like she was mad. “Two reasons. One: this is a living creature. Burning it alive would be cruel. I, the no longer corrupted Trixie, am only cruel when under the corruptive influence of the Alicorn Amulet. Two: there is a chance that a fire would not kill the wolf. Burning it could turn it into an ifrit, a fire spirit. That would be much harder to contain than a mere timberwolf.” The scathing and logical retort made the green unicorn back off. Trixie sat down and waited for Twilight. By the time word of the timberwolf attack reached Twilight, she had sunk deep into a studious trance. Nothing existed except the blood sample she had taken from Trixie, a blood sample from herself, and the spell forms she crafted to find a connection. Needless to say, being awoken from the haze of research to news of a timberwolf startled her. Fortunately, Bon Bon managed to calm Twilight down before she panicked. “Whoa Twilight, wait. That Trixie mare managed to stop it. She just needs your help to get rid of it.” Nodding to confirm that the message was understood, Twilight closed her eyes and focused. If she has subdued it, we will have to either kill it or send it back to the Everfree. The question is, do we kill, or is this wolf safe to send back. If it has a taste for ponies, it must be destroyed. Now, who could identify if this is a pony killer? Ah! Zecora! “Sorry that Trixie and I keep using you as a messenger, but could you go tell Pinkie or Rainbow to retrieve Zecora? I will go to help Trixie.” Word was deed, and Twilight soon arrived at Trixie’s circle. Inspecting the ring, Twilight studied the runes that Trixie used. “A Neighponese lock rune coupled with a Northern Day Sleep rune. Trixie, you and I are going to have a discussion of runes later. I mean, how did you get those two runes to mesh together without causing a small criticality that would have set Ponyville on fire?” Trixie laughed. “After the first ten times a timberwolf pack has attacked my trailer, I figured it out. We have a problem. I don’t know if we should kill this one or not. Now, I normally can spot a pony killer from a hundred yards, but this wolf is different. It does not look like a killer, but it behaved like one.” “Timberwolves that hunt ponies have a ‘look’?” Twilight was fascinated. “Yes. Their bark starts looking like fur. This one looks like bark, but it behaved like a killer.” “Do they take on the ‘fur’ look before or after they have already killed a pony?” “Before.” “Okay… so it definitely is a good thing that I contacted Zecora for advice on dealing with subdued timberwolves.” Settling down to wait for the zebra, Trixie turned to discussing Pinkie. “How did Pinkie get into the pantry?” Twilight chuckled as she said “I don’t know. I gave up trying to research her months ago. The only thing I know is that she somehow has the ability to fold the fabric of space.” “She bends space? Without negative effects or a horn?” Trixie sounded almost ready to pass out. “Yes. I know that feeling you’re getting. Frankly, she scares me sometimes. Currently, the leading hypothesizes are that she is either partially composed of solidified magic, she comes from another dimension, or she is Discord’s granddaughter. The scary part is that the last one seems most realistic if I allow for time travel.” “You think she is Discord’s granddaughter?” Pausing to think for a moment, Trixie contemplated the things she had seen the pink mare do. “You know what, that is actually plausible.” Before the two could get lost in their discussion of the impossibilities of Pinkie, the party mare showed up carrying Zecora on her back. “One Zecora, with a side of knowledge, as ordered,” Pinkie rattled off, as if she was delivering an order at a restaurant. Setting the zebra down, turned and bounced toward the wolf. The instant she stepped into the ring, she passed out. After staring at the unconscious mare for a few seconds, Zecora spoke up. “Pinkie’s arrival gave me quite a fright. What mysteries surround this beast, Twilight?” Trixie explained the strange behavior of the wolf when compared to its appearance. Zecora’s countenance gradually turned from one of amusement to one of intrigue. “Interesting. Thirst for blood without change in bark. Could disease have left its mark?” Zecora walked toward the wolf; a brief glow in her eyes signaled that she was using her own magic to guard against the rune circle. She poked at the wolf for a few moments. Then she started chanting some unknown words under her breath. Motes of light swirled around the wolf in time with her chanting. Watching Zecora work filled Twilight with the familiar thrill of observing unknown magic. She spent nearly a minute simply ogling the spell. From right next to her, Trixie let out a sigh. “Wow. I never realized that zebra magic was so pretty. I mean, look at those spell forms. So intricate.” Trixie sounded almost enthralled it the display. Like a mare sighing over a handsome stallion. “What spell are you using to view the forms?” Twilight responded. “Believe it or not, I’m not using a spell.” That got Twilight to look away from the display. “How are you viewing the spell forms? They should be invisible to an unassisted unicorn without a special talent in-” “Magic. Like you, Twilight, my talent is magic itself. The only difference in magic between us is that I did not spend years studying under the princess and I have a smaller font.” Even if Twilight was not looking at Trixie, she could have heard the smirk in her voice. “Wait. Your talent is magic? I thought it was stage performance.” Twilight started seeing Trixie in a new light. If her talent is magic, that would make her one of the only five ponies in the world with the same talent as me. “I simply choose to use my skill for stage performance.” “Well, that’s as good a use for a talent in magic as any use I could come up with,” Twilight comented. Before another word could be said, Zecora turned around. “I found the cause of this wolf’s plight. Spells and potions of great might. This wolf was taken from its home And sent to Ponyville to roam. Something forced this wolf to fight A simple spell will set its mind right.” Twilight processed the Zebra’s statements. “Wait. Are you saying that something sent the wolf here as a deliberate attack on Ponyville?” Author's Note I am sorry that this was late. School got in the way. (That, and I found a couple of stories on this site to read like this awesome story. Seriously, go read it.) Comment on my weaknesses. If you tell me where I am weak in my writing, I can work to correct it.
