(This story is still missing a lot of plot points, and passage insertion from Magic Duel.)

Sprite woke up early that morning. Silently, she sat up as the streams of light came through her window and splashed onto her fuzzy red blanket with a golden star in the middle. Turning toward the window, she heaved a heavy sigh before yawning.

"Another day, another job ta be done." She said to herself before stretching.

She hopped out of bed and went about her usual morning activities; eating, cleanign herself up and preparing to work out in the orchards. It had been several months since she and Trixie had their dance during Ponyville's Couple's Night, and things were going smooth between them. A few weeks ago, Trixie told Sprite that she was going around Equestria again to do more shows. Sprite had been suspicious of Trixie's intentions a few days after she left, but she merely tried to shrug them off.

Standing in the mirror, she brushed her mane. "She wouldn't do anything bad.. Would she? Ah mean she's got a good heart and all..." She said to herself.

Just then, Applejack silently walked up behind her. "Ah dunno, sumthin' ain't right about that mare." She stated calmly.

Sprite had jumped a bit in surprise of Applejack sneaking up on her. She dropped her brush and grumbled a bit as Applejack chuckled at the reaction she got.

"Ya KNOW ah don't like ya doing that cuz'... It ain't funny." Sprite responded sourly as she picked up the brush once more.

Applejack chuckled a bit more. "Well ah heard y'all talkin' ta yerself, and couldn't help but do it."

The grey mare simply sighed as she continued to style her mane. "Well, ah have the utmost respect for her." Sprite replied, sticking her tongue out at Applejack using the mirror to reflect the image. Applejack merely chuckled at the gesture.

"Well, she seemed rather... Spiteful the last time she was here, what makes ya think that she has changed at all?"

Sprite turned toward Applejack. "AJ, ah KNOW her... Ah know what she is truly like. She isn't some power-crazed pony like that there Queen Chrysalis, or Discord, or even NIghtmare Moon!" Sprite looked into Applejack's eyes with a great level of seriousness. Applejack, however, did not budge.

"Now Sugarcube, ya danced with her ONCE. That dun mean anythin' at all--" Applejack began to dispute before Sprite cut her off.

"Applejack, ah told ya, do NOT underestimate the ability that ah have of draggin' ponies' true selves out." Sprite glared at her, a bit spitefully. Applejack merely shook her head and walked off.

Sprite sighed deeply and returned to fixing her tail. "Ah know she wouldn't do anything bad... Right?"

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Sprite, having seen the entire magic duel for her own eyes, stood there in shock as she watched Trixie banish Twilight from Ponyville. How could she do such an advanced spell? She NEEDED to know.

After the other ponies had left Trixie, Sprite walked up to the mare with a bit of pride in her to cover her lack-lustre courage she contained within herself, the fear being caused by the powers Trixie possessed.

"Excuse me, um... Trixie?" She called out from behind the mare's carriage.

"Travel ponies, halt!" She commanded with a crack of her whip. The azure mare turned her head toward Sprite with a scowl on it, as if not recognizing her at all. "What do YOU want, you petty little pony?"

Sprite flinched at the insult. "Oh, Trixie... What has happened to you? Do you not remember me?" She asked, pulling out her photo of Trixie, the mare's signature on the back, the i's dotted by two stars. "Do you not remember our special night?"

Snips and Snails looked back at Sprite and both gave an obnoxiously loud gasp. "SPECIAL NIGHT!?" they shouted in unison.

Trixie merely turned her nose up at Sprite. "That's the Great and Powerful Trixie to you, and I haven't the slightest clue as to who you are! Now, BEGONE with you, knave!" the magician mare snapped.

Sprite stood her ground, puffing out her chest. "Trixie, you aren't yourself! I DEMAND that you come off of that rickety rust bucket you call a chariot and set these ponies free!" She commanded with a powerful surge of courage. Trixie merely glared down at her as her eyes glowed red, along with the amulet. In a single second, Sprite was shot by a powerful blast of red-colored magic, sending her flying back with burn marks on her body. Weakly, she struggled to her feet to confront Trixie again.

The corrupted magician merely raised an eyebrow. "Back for more? So be it." With another quick charge, Trixie shot a second blast as Sprite, knocking her down for good. "Hmph, serves you right. Now, TRAVEL PONIES! Get moving!" She demanded once again, cracking her whip as Snips and Snails returned to pulling the wheel-less wagon.

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Sprite, having been knocked out cold by Trixie was eventually found by Big Mac not too long later and was brought home. The Apple family had her body soaking in a cold tub to help the poor girl's body to recover from the magic burns that it had suffered.

Applejack kicked the floor in anger. "Ah KNEW nothin' good would come from that Magician mare and her fancy tricks! Jus' look at what she's done to poor Sprite!" She yelled. Big Mac merely trotted over and held the Orange farm pony in a warm hug as she began to sob. Applebloom carried an expression of extreme hate which welled up from her pain of watching her own cousin being in such pain. Granny Smith was sleeping in her rocking chair peacefully.

"Ah know, but there's nothing we can do but tend ta her wounds." Big Mac responded almost emotionlessly. "If we don't, she might not recover on her own. The heartbreak she must feel right now may or may not heal over..." He finished, looking over at the grey mare who stirred in her sleep.

Everyone watched her in suspense. Within a moment, Sprite slowly began to wake up.

"Ugh, sheesh, what happened? Where am ah?" She asked before yelping from the coldness of the water. "GACK! Are y'all tryin' ta give me hypathermia!?"

Applebloom ran over and hung her hooves around Sprite's neck to hug her before splashing into the tub. "Yer awake Cuz'! Oh, we was worryin' that ya might not wake up!" the little filly sobbed.

Sprite merely blinked before turning to Applejack and Big Macintosh. Applejack lowered her gaze to the floor and took off her hat. "Trixie blasted you with magic, and Big Mac found you lying on the ground with magic burn marks," the orange mare started to explain. "Be careful when ya move, it'll most likely hurt a lot."

Sprite tried to move, but sank back into the water when her body collapsed. She heaved a great sigh of pain. "Ah gotta find Trixie..." she started. "Gotta know what happened ta her..."

Applejack looked at the poor girl struggling to fight against her own body. "We already know." Sprite looked at Applejack with an expression just begging for the answers she seeked.

"There's this amulet thingy she has now called the Alicorn Amulet. Says in one of Twi's books that the wearer gets unimaginable powers, but they cannot control themselves."

Sprite grabbed Applejack. "There MUST be a way fer us ta take it off of her! Maybe steal it if we have to!"

Applejack merely shook her head. "Not that simple, sugarcube. Y'see, only the wearer can take it off. It has a magic lock on it that only Trixie can remove, since she's the wearer. Anypony else can try, but they won't be able to make it budge."

Sprite's eyes welled up in tears. Letting go of the orange mare, Applejack merely stood back in defeat. "Our only hope is if Twilight and Zecora can find a way ta beat Trixie, or trick her."

The grey mare began to sob uncontrollably. "Ah can't believe ah lost mah mare... Ta some piece of jewlery, no less!" She began to mentally beat on herself as Applebloom got out of the tub, drying herself off.

"Well, ya still got us Cuz'..." the small girl said, giving Sprite a pouty face. Applejack dragged her back

"Come on y'all, we should leave the girl ta sort herself out..." Applejack stated, trotting out with the two others, leaving the sleeping elder and the injured pony in the room alone.

A bit after leaving, Granny Smith woke up. "Ah whuzzat?" She jumped to attention. "Oh, Sprite, you're awake..." The old pony hopped out of her chair and slowly walked to the tub with her squeaky limbs. "How do you feel dear?" She asked with a warm smile.

Sprite merely sank further into the tub. "Ah feel like a giant brick jus' landed on me and ah can't do nothin' about it..." She stated, causing Granny Smith to chuckle.

"Well, I heard everythin' y'all was talkin' about. Don't let some piece of junk Jewlery get ya down. Believe in your friends' abilities, and they'll overcome that no-good Trixie mare." She spat out sourly, shaking her right hoof like an angry elder would.