A Grand Entrance
The blue Unicorn leaned back, tilting her chin high to the sky to catch a glimpse of the tip-top of the highest castle spire. Her long, pointy wizard’s hat fell backward off her head and tumbled to the shimmering floor. “Oh fizz!” she grunted, fumbling to pick it up. She squashed the wide purple brim down over her pale-blue mane again.
“Helloooooo?” Trixie knocked her hoof again, growing impatient. It took all her willpower to refrain from using a glittering smoke bomb to vanish and reappear inside. She was following the rules. Twilight Sparkle loved rules. So first she would knock. Then Trixie would be welcomed into the Castle of Friendship for an extended stay.
Nopony knew she was coming. She usually parked her wagon near the castle and camped out. But this time, Trixie thought it might be nice to stay in the comforts of a place that had more room to stretch her hooves. It was a gigantic castle, for Celestia’s sake!
In truth, Trixie had not always gotten along with Twilight. After all that had transpired between the dueling magicians, the two still saw each other as somepony to impress and simultaneously challenge. Even if one of the ponies was a “princess” now. Trixie still couldn’t fathom that Twilight had received the honor when the two of them really were quite equal in talent and charisma.
But finally, Trixie and Twilight Sparkle had something undeniably special in common: their friendships with Starlight Glimmer. Trixie would never admit it out loud, but it felt wonderful to put the rivalry to rest. Besides, Trixie reasoned, there was still plenty of time for Princess Celestia to decree that Trixie was a princess, too. Stranger things had happened in Equestria before: Princess Luna had once been banished to the moon, Discord had become friends with ponykind, and an entire horde of changelings had been taught to love one another.
It could happen.
Trixie had just begun conjuring images of herself at her grand coronation when the heavy door swung open. A familiar magical aura danced around its edges. Trixie perked up. She’d know that glow anywhere! It was exactly the pony she wanted to see—her new best friend and unexpected confidante, Starlight Glimmer. Trixie exhaled with relief at the friendly face.
“Trixie!” Starlight beamed. “I didn’t know you were going to be in Ponyville!” She lifted her hoof and gestured to the cavernous abode. “Come inside and have a slice of apple pie. It’s been ages since you’ve visited me.” Starlight was unusually sunny today, for somepony so sarcastic and rebellious. “We have tons to catch up on since that whole epic changeling-hive journey where we saved everypony from certain doom,” Starlight joked. “Let’s keep it a little more casual this time, eh?”
“The Observant and Suspicious Trixie notices that you are in a particularly great mood.” Trixie narrowed her eyes. “Why?”
Starlight smirked. “Can I vent for a minute?” Her face morphed into a frown.
“What are friends for?” Trixie replied, eager to hear the dirt. This was the Starlight she knew.
“Well, it’s just”—Starlight entered the castle kitchen—“friendship lessons are great and all, but sometimes I feel I’m not getting anywhere.” She sighed. “I guess that’s it. It’s just a little frustrating.”
That was the big venting session? “Oh,” said Trixie, trying to hide her disappointment. It’s not that she wanted things between Starlight and Twilight to be unpleasant; Trixie just wanted Starlight to like her best. Was that so much to ask? “Sounds rough!”
The purple Unicorn activated her magic to open the pastry cupboard, where an enticingly fragrant apple pie with a latticed crust sat. “At least I finally know how to bake the perfect pie, thanks to Applejack. Can you believe that we baked this using zero magic, just the Apple family recipe and good old-fashioned hoof grease? Here—have some.” Starlight’s smile beamed with pride.
The golden crust shone as Starlight put the pie in front of her guest. Trixie took a huge bite and spoke through it. “I don’t understand—you’re actually happy to be doing slow, boring things with Twilight and baking pies?” A confetti of flaky crumbs rained down.
“Well, yeah.” Starlight shook her purple-and-teal mane. “But I’m also happy because the second you showed up, I realized I have been working way too hard lately,” she explained. “I need to have some totally wacky, pointless fun, and you’re the perfect pony to join me! What do ya say?” Starlight smiled hopefully.
“Pointless fun?” Trixie raised a judgmental brow. “What’s the point of that?” She hoped this project wasn’t going to hinder her best friend’s ability to help her with her very important magical mission.
“To enjoy ourselves! There doesn’t have to be a reason.” Starlight laughed and added, “Pinkie Pie taught me that.”
“Gosh, Trixie. When did you become such a hoof-in-the-mud?”
“All right, sheesh. We will go find some frivolity.” Trixie rolled her eyes. “But can we do it after you help me on my project?”
“Sure!” Starlight Glimmer took a bite and gave Trixie a sideways glance. “What is this mysterious project that can’t wait?”
“Well, that’s the problem,” Trixie admitted impatiently. “I don’t know yet. But I do know I have to come up with a brilliant new act practically by yesterday!”
Starlight ate the last bite of her pie and licked the leftover crumbs from her hoof. “Well, sitting around here isn’t going to inspire us.” She looked around the cavernous, echoing room. Twilight and Spike weren’t even home at the moment. Starlight sprang up and slammed her hooves on the table. “Come on, Trixie! We’re going for a trot around Ponyville.”
“Ponyville is supposed to be the friendliest town in Equestria and all that.” The slight hint of hometown pride in Starlight Glimmer’s voice rubbed Trixie the wrong way. She was starting to sound just like Twilight! Ponyville was okay and all, a great place to pass through and do a performance or two, but Trixie had never really seen the fuss. Starlight nudged her. “Maybe if you try saying hello to some ponies, you’ll relax a bit.…”
“Relax?” Trixie’s smile morphed into a yawn. “Brilliant idea! Maybe Princess Luna will give me an idea for my new magic act in my dreams.” Small talk with random ponies was a complete waste of time. Trixie turned on her hoof and started back toward the castle. “Byeee!”
“Hey, wait!” Starlight exclaimed, shooting some magic at Trixie. A glittery orb surrounded her, rendering her unable to walk any farther. Trixie pouted and knocked her hoof against the force field. Her eyes darted back and forth as she checked for wayward onlookers. The last thing Trixie needed was a bunch of ponies seeing that she, the Great and Powerful Trixie, couldn’t even escape from a simple shield spell! It would tarnish her reputation as a magician. “Let me out of here this instant!”
“Oops!” Starlight said. “Sorry.” Sometimes she was a bit too impulsive with her spells. She sent a counter zap at the bubble, which popped immediately. Trixie tumbled to the ground, looking quite grumpy.
Trixie feigned a yawn. “Bor-ing.” Trixie stood up and brushed herself off with the corner of her starry purple cloak. “Enough of this meandering! I’ve got a much better way to spend our time, O Wise and Brilliant assistant Starlight!”
Starlight frowned. “But I—”
“Hush, best friend!” Trixie interrupted. “Trixie has something of greater importance to achieve. You see, this brand-new magic act that we’re going to create has to be the best I’ve ever performed because…” Trixie trailed off as a wave of nerves rushed through her. Her knees felt wobbly. “Because…”
Starlight Glimmer raised her brow, waiting. “… Because?”
“Because I’m about to be the first magician accepted into the Starmane Society of Magicians since the Lunar Return!” Trixie was practically bubbling over with anticipation. “How, you may ask, am I going to achieve this impossible task? The answer is obvious. I am going to attempt a brand-new feat of magical trickery, the bravest stunt to have ever been dreamed up by anypony throughout the history of magicians. And you’re going to help me. Now, where’s my room? I’m going to need a lot of practice space.”
“Your room?” Starlight had barely said anything before Trixie took off back toward the castle in a gallop. “Wait up!” Starlight shouted as she ran after the rogue magician. “Let me help you choose one!” Starlight recalled the secret, magical suite she’d recently discovered in the castle. It had turned out to be an Andalusian Amplifier, causing any magic performed inside to go haywire and create a vortex! There was no telling what might happen if Trixie found one of those. “Trixie, wait!” Starlight called out.
As Trixie burst through the front doors of the castle and ran through the halls, the blue Unicorn couldn’t help but chuckle to herself. What harm was there in a little impromptu disappearing trick? She loved to keep her audience guessing, and her best friend, Starlight, was no exception. It was all part of the show.