To: Princess Twilight Sparkle, Ruler and Prime-Sextarch of Equestria, Alicorn Princess of the Sun, Moon, and Friendship, Equi Regina, etc, etc.
From: AK Yearling
Date: 1138 Celestial Era*, 25 Twilight Era
*sorry, old habits

Princess Twilight Sparkle:

The following journal extracts were recovered from dig site G1#1020-231986, “The Tomb of Gusty the Great” by local legend, and one proposed location of the mythical City of Tambelon.

And by ‘recovered’, I do mean that I stole them. Well, the famous archaeologist and adventurer, Daring Do, stole them. I will never stop being amazed at how nopony has ever managed to see through my disguise. I mean, really! Ahuizotl even wrote a book about it!

Anywhoo, Princess, I hope you appreciate this report, since it was you who ordered this whole cover-up, I presume to protect the time-space continuum or just Equestrian historical records. I really hope you do. Do you know how hard it is to find a foalsitter on short notice? Caballeron can’t cook, so he and our little

Sorry. I’m an author. I like to elaborate. They used to pay us by the word. So, since it’s gonna take me months to get through this report, I’m subjecting you to my old authorial tricks. I think it’s only fair.

So, the boring parts you’re somehow not interested in:

There was indeed a cult attempting to use Gusty’s Tomb to bring back Grogar and the city of Tambelon. Don’t worry, they didn’t get close. Suffice it to say, I stopped the ritual and ended up banishing them to the realm of darkness they’d sought to unleash upon ponykind (you can read about the entire encounter in my upcoming book, Daring Do and the Return of Tambelon!).

Old Gusty… I really couldn’t believe she was real, that Grogar was real! And I was standing in her tomb! It was very swanky. Very beautiful.

Was. Past tense. I told you that temples and tombs tend to explode around me, and this time it wasn’t my fault!

Anyway, I managed to rescue a couple of artifacts from the site before it went all pear-shaped. Don’t tell Applejack I said that. I know she’s a Pear, technically, but it wasn’t

I’m just gonna stop rambling now. The one artifact you were hoping to find was, in fact, there. I really can’t tell you how bizarre it is to hold a journal that’s older than Celestia and Luna… heck, older than Equestria by several centuries! And yet, if you were being honest with me, this was written by a mare that’s alive today? A time traveler?

I’ve seen weirder, so I don’t doubt you. Still. The fact that Trixie Lulamoon, of all ponies, got to go back in time and shape the very earliest myths and legends of our ancestors. Can’t help but have a slight sense of existential terror at the prospect, but then… here we are.

I’ll try and clean up the text as much as I can. It… looks beat up. Several pages look like they’ve taken extensive fire and water damage, in addition to the erosion of time. My experience with such ancient tomes should come in handy as I work to restore what I can. I know uncovering the mysteries of that ancient time… without having to deal with Trixie to get at them, has been a high priority of yours for years.

This report will be a mixture of Trixie’s personal writings she made in a journal while taking her extended chrono-vacation (though considering some of the things she got up to, I wouldn't call it that), as well as my own editorial notations and additions. Don’t worry, I’m just adding a bit here and there for when Trixie missed something big and obvious. You’d be surprised… how often that happens. Still, I’ll reign it in. You want Trixie’s account, not my interpretation of it.

Oh, and if you do end up rescinding the Blackout order on this thing? Could you let me write the forward?

Entry #1

The Journal of the Great and Powerful Trixie

Trixie, the Great and Powerful’s Diary

Diary of

Dear

To whom

*indecipherable scribbles*

*indecipherable scribbles*

*doodle of Starlight Glimmer (presumed), file attached to report in Author Notes*

Trixie wants to go home.

Day 5

Starlight, if you’re reading this, use your freaky magic time travel table and COME RESCUE ME!!!

The fact that I just waited ten minutes for you to pop out of a time portal and nothing happened does not fill me with confidence in our friendship. Heck, I’d take Princess Sparkle’s help right about now. I’d grovel for her help.

Just so we’re clear, the Great and Powerful Trixie only said that to see if Twilight would come and save her. The fact that she didn’t voids any and all groveling Trixie may or may not have promised.

Just in case this diary ends up in the hooves of somepony who can read it, Trixie would like them to know that none of this was Trixie’s fault. She would also appreciate it if they could warn me in the future about not cribbing my spell-homework off of Starlight Glimmer’s Time Travel notes. Just wait until Summer in the year 1113, Celestial Era, and…

*text smeared, water-damage*

… Friendship.

Well. In case somepony doesn’t warn me in time, I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, would like there to be some record of my disappearance, and what I’ve been up to in the meantime. If nothing else, it will give me something to do besides listen to everypony blather on in that silly Old Ponish accent.

Like, I get it! We’re all talking like Luna now!

So, where to start?

I had initially come to the Castle of Friendship, in Ponyville, in order to perform for Twilight Sparkle and my best friend and magical mentor, Starlight Glimmer. I’d finally perfected a foolproof “Disappear-Reappear” spell that would allow me to, well, disappear and reappear! I had the whole thing down pat.

On paper. I had it all down on paper. But the spell I used to base mine off of was one of Starlight’s Time Travel spells. I know that sounds dangerous, but it was the perfect means of letting me appear somewhere, and then vanish for several seconds without being detectable like if I was just invisible, or dealing with teleportation, which would look a lot less impressive in a show.

So, the problem with the spell was that it needed Twilight Sparkle’s magical Cutie-Mark Table thing she’s got stashed in her castle as a magical focus. Alright, it also just didn’t work right, so there may be more than one problem with the spell.

Anyway, I cast the spell, and then there was this wind that picked up in the castle. I thought maybe somepony had opened a window at first, but then it picked me up! And before I knew it, I was falling up into the air!

My showpony pride wouldn’t allow me to leave without bidding a hearty farewell, however. After all, while I knew I’d be back in a second or two from their perspective, I still had to sow the illusion.

“Ta-da!” I said, just as the swirling portal opened above me and sucked me in.

A second later, I was not back in the castle.

I was plummeting through a sea of clouds, rain, and fog towards a sea of trees.

Now, Trixie is a great and powerful showpony, and so her reflexes are like that of a Tiger. But even she can be taken off guard at times, and there’s not a whole heck of a lot you can do to counter a thirty-foot drop into a dense forest.

Luckily, the trees broke my fall. One branch after another snapped under Trixie, slowing her descent, and allowing me to expertly dive into a large bush on the forest floor. But this incredible maneuver required a lot of Trixie’s energy, and so she decided to take a nap then and there.

I don’t know how long I was out. That crash expert maneuver took a lot out of me. I was in a small clearing, surrounded by tall trees under a flat, grey sky. And there wasn’t a single speck of green magical time energy, or a portal of any sort that I could see.

Trixie doesn’t panic, but she will admit to being a bit worried at this point. She

I was so scared. I screamed and hollered at the sky for hours trying to just get somepony, anypony to hear me. Stupid Trixie. Stupid, stupid stupid stupid stupid.

Trixie obviously had no need to edit anything, so this sort of thing will pop up more as we go. Only once or twice does she purposefully scratch out something to prevent anypony from reading it later. Most of her self-edits are just angry scribbles.

Well, after realizing the portal wasn’t going to open, I decided that I had to get myself shelter, food, and all the other necessities if I were to devise a means of returning to where I’d come from.

That hasn’t happened yet. The devising part. I’m basically screwed.

So, with my steely resolve, I resolved decided to seek out the necessities of life first.

It took a while, but I was able to whip up a new wizard hat and cape. Sure, they were made out of leaves backed by twigs and grass, but living a hard life on the road has taught me many necessary skills, like costume design. I may not be as skilled as Rarity, but I can do plenty of repair work on my own.

With that out of the way, I now set out to find food and shelter.

Trixie, despite her esteemed pedigree as a showpony and wanderer, hasn’t had to rough it in quite some time, so many of her skills have, shall we say, atrophied due to her wild success as a magician and school counselor. I ended up spending three days scouring those stinking woods for food, and all I found were some berries, grass, and a few mushrooms I at first assumed were truffles.

They were not truffles. Not at all. They were fantastic, but not truffles. All those things did was make me lose a day and make me hungrier.

I got so desperate at one point that I even attempted to eat a rabbit. Yes, Trixie will admit to this most shameful of actions. Few know this, or at least will admit it in polite company, but we ponies can eat small amounts of meat, if desperate enough. And let me tell you, honey, I was that desperate. I’d learned how to prepare such a terrible meal from my first wanderer-teachers, right out of Celestia’s School.

I can still remember that old stallion, Grey Prancer, teaching me all about surviving the wilds. I think I still had soot on my coat from the Incident* that saw my time at the Unicorn school ended, and he was kind and understanding enough of my circumstances to teach me his secrets.

The only things I could find on Grey Prancer were open-warrants for vagrancy and a few old playbills from before I was born for a play called Less Misery, in which he appeared to play a tree. If Grey Prancer was anything more than a conpony and a wanderer, there's no record of it.

*Trixie's Official Transcript gives the following as the reason for her expulsion, quoted by one Miss Spellcaster, 3rd grade Magic instructor at the CSGU: "FIRE! SWEET CELESTIA HOW COULD ONE FILLY TORCH SO MUCH!?"

Trixie wishes sometimes she could remember what her father looked like, since all she can imagine is Prancer

Disregard, Swirly distracted me. I’ll get to him soon.

I would have caught this one little bugger too. But the impish creature was quick and clever, and some ingenious pony-survivalist had set up a nearly-invisible, expertly crafted snare just like Trixie’s in the same area, which caught me instead of the rabbit. There was nothing I could do to avoid the insidious trap, except for cut myself out of it later.

Discord helpfully alerted me to the fact that this particular rabbit was, apparently, the ancestor of Angel. Who the heck this "Angel" is, I don't know. I assume you'll have some idea as to what that Draconequus was talking about.

Still, I had just enough to not starve. Shelter was, by far, much harder to find. I just could not find a decent cave to save my life anywhere in that stupid forest, and had to make due with hiding from the constant rain under tree branches while keeping an eye out for predators.

Eugh, it really was my fourteenth birthday all over again.

I was feeling pretty poorly around this time. Don’t speak of this to anyone, Journal, but the Great and Powerful Trixie isn’t the mare most believe she is. True, Trixie is beloved by all of Equestria, but in truth she is little more than a stage magician. Oh, I know plenty of real magic thanks to Starlight and Twilight, but

I know I’m a fraud.

*indecipherable scribbles*

Luckily, my time on the road, and in Starlight’s tutelage, has given me some other spells to fall back on. The one I started using the most then was a paper-fabrication spell. I went around all the trees I could hide under, and I spent a little magic turning the bark into paper so I could start my journal and stuff my cape and hat against the cold. It was far too wet to get a fire going, and my last attempts at heating-magic ended up with Twilight’s first-floor guest room bursting into flames.

Admittedly, that spell became redundant once I found

Oh, right.

Day 4, I finally found civilization! I had picked a random direction initially, once I’d pulled myself together enough to start traveling, and I was now rewarded with the sight of campfire smoke over the treetops! Oh, it filled the wanderer heart in me to see that.

*the following message is scribbled into the margins, same hornwriting, but pen instead of charcoal like the early entries*

I wish I’d never set hoof there. Maybe they’d still be alive.

This is called, Foreshadowing. Trixie will eventually go back through her journal and let loose some of her frustrations like this. It makes for an interesting read, at least as a writer myself.

Finally free of that forest, I found a frosty reception at the town’s fortifications following my foray out of the

I don’t know how Sparkle stands alliteration. It’s just annoying. Like her.

Seriously, what happened between you two? Even Caballeron and I weren't that snarky towards each other. Marriage came first. ;D

So, I took off from the forest woods, and made my way down the dirt path towards town. And, wow, this place is nothing like I expected. The walls, for one thing. Did not expect those. I’ve seen a few of the old, couple-hundred-year-old ones that they tell tourists not to touch in some cities, like Canterlot.

I’d never seen them ponied, however. With actual guards! Well, not until now. I also never saw ones that were more like a pile of earth backed up by wooden stacks, except for once in Vanhoover. But that was also a tourist trap. This town also looked a lot bigger than those dinky little frontier towns. At least, from the road it looked like it was about as big as Ponyville.

As I got nearer to the town, I could sense some hostility. Believe Trixie, when you’re as Great and Powerful a showpony as she is, you learn how to read a crowd, and a charging group of guards is definitely a hostile crowd. Over a dozen of the brutes surrounded me, and started aiming their spears.

These guards were dressed oddly. No gold armored unicorns here. They were all earth ponies wrapped up in leather with bronze caps. I could have sworn I’d seen that look in an old play or something, but when spears are that close to my face, I tend to gloss over details.

Anyway, they start shouting at me in Luna-speak. Which, while the Great and Powerful Trixie knows from her time at CSGU, she doesn’t use often, and so it took a few choice words on my part and theirs before I fully started translating what they were saying.

Don’t worry, I’ll translate into modern Ponish for the journal. Thank me later!

Two things: One, records from CSGU indicate that Trixie actually scored higher than Moondancer, Sunburst, and Twilight Sparkle in Old Ponish studies. In fact, it would seem Trixie can speak a variety of languages and dialects, to the point where I'd say she's a savant. Seriously, that's just... not fair. Princess Luna left me a note in a dream while I was writing this report. Apparently, Trixie now speaks Old Ponish with an accent since her time-hop. So that's neat.

Two: She had a year to listen to real Old Ponish. I know a few linguists who'd give their right hoof for that sort of insight into the foundation of our own language. And Trixie thinks she's doing us a favor by translating it!!! I can see why you hate her.

The lead pony was a big guy, with a bright blue coat and a raspberry pink mane. I actually thought he might be related to Mrs. Cake for a moment.

Anyway, he asked me, “Where did you come from? Who are you?”

“Who am I?” I asked, naturally curious as to how anypony could mistake the Great and Powerful Trixie for anypony else, “Why, I am the Great and Powerful Trixie! Mare of Mystery! The finest showpony to walk the roads of Equestria!”

That usually gets some sort of applause going, but for some reason these goofs didn’t seem to understand what I was saying.

“You’ve a pretty funny accent,” the guard captain said, “Where be this Equestria?”

I rolled my eyes at his ‘joke’. “Ha ha,” I said, sarcastically, “That’s funny. Now, can I come in or what? I haven’t had a decent bite to eat in three days!”

*page indecipherable, coffee stains*

First recorded instance of coffee in Equestrian history: 176 Celestial Era, in response to the Equestrian Government researchers finding a way to keep Celestia going through the night following her Assumption of the Moon in the wake of the Nightmare.

Approximate age of Trixie's coffee stain: 400 years before that.

I was panicking by this point. No Ponyville? No Equestria? This Bowtie fellow didn’t even seem to know who the Princesses were! I mean, sure, whoever heard of Twilight Sparkle, but Celestia!?

I fished out the lone possession I’d brought back with me, a small purse of bits I’d hidden in my mane. Let me tell you, that’s the most important thing you can hide on yourself. I wish I’d brought my cape and hat, but no use crying over split (sic) milk.

As soon as those ponies saw my bits, they were

Once my bits

I showed them the goods

Trixie’s not normally this way, I assure you.

The guards seemed dazzled by the money when I showed it to them.

“See!?” I said, really hoping by that point that I was entirely wrong about what had happened, “Celestia! Luna! Sun and Moon! Don’t you remember?”

Captain Bowtie just stared at the bit I gave him. At first, I was hoping he’d suddenly come to his senses. Then, he asked me how I’d come across so much gold.

I had to sit down when I heard that.

So, on the one hoof: I was in the past. I am in the past. I am trapped in the past, the past where the Sun and Moon move on their own, nopony has ever heard of Equestria, and where they don’t know about Hearth’s Warming, because that hasn’t happened yet.

On the other hoof, apparently thirty bits makes me one of the richest ponies in the world!

What records exist would indicate that the semi-historical Queen Mine Dust of the Golden Hoof was the richest pony of note in the pre-Classical era. Though she wouldn't be born for another century after the events of Trixie's Journal, if we used her by comparison, and took Trixie's at face value (ha!), Trixie might have been hauling around more gold than had ever been mined by pony-kind by that point.

Addendum: Starswirl the Bearded has confirmed that the gold value of thirty bits in those days (how old is he anyway?) would have made Trixie almost a millionaire by modern standards. Yet another reason to hate her.

No, I’m not stupid, Journal. Starlight even gave me a whole lecture on time travel once, after I’d pestered her for a few days. I just wish I could remember half of it. I’m pretty sure I’m not supposed to mess with established events, but since I don’t really know what those are, I figure as long as I don’t try to break anything, it should work out until I can get back home.

In the meantime, time to live it up!

I needed a lie-down after I read that. We could have all blipped out of existence the second she said that, I hope you realize. Luna better visit my dreams tonight, because I need it.

Captain Bowtie Wishes was happy enough to let me into town once he saw that I was a rich unicorn. Apparently, Hyneighria’s been economically depressed for a while, so a little more cashflow wouldn’t hurt. He even gave me a tour of the place.

Hyneighria: An ancient, poorly attested settlement in archaic pony lore that was purported to be the hometown of Starswirl the Bearded. Best estimates by modern archaeological research puts its location somewhere in the immediate vicinity of the future Ponyville, thought several millennia removed. And that's all from half a poem found carved into a rock in a cave some archaeologist found a century ago. If you ever let this stuff get officially published, it'll make academic heads explode.

And let me tell you, this place is kind of a dump. Even Ponyville was a ritzier joint, but then I guess that’s only to be expected of a primitive little town. The whole place is muddy, and all the buildings are like stone barns with wooden upper-floors added for the ponies to live, and everything is plastered white so it almost looks like Canterlot after a buckball riot.

Bowtie started pointing out places in town, but I really wasn’t paying attention. No offense to Bowtie, he seems like a nice stallion, but I was suddenly distracted by the fact that Applejack was minding a stall on the first corner. A peach stall.

I know! Applejack! Well, it looked like Applejack. Her face was like a clone of that mare, but her coat was a lot lighter, and her mane was this almost strawberry-pink color. I couldn’t believe it!

Everycreature complains about us ponies all looking alike except for mane-styles and cutie marks, and thinking about this bit makes even me wonder if they're right. Then again, I'm always told the Apples have ridiculously strong genetics, so it could just be an ancestor.

And then I was distracted again by a loud bang and a cloud of confetti. I thought for a second that Pinkie Pie had come back in time to get me, or that I had simply suffered a stroke and all my friends were starting to show up at the hospital.

Instead, I found myself staring at a unicorn mare filly really, with the exact same swirly pink man and light-blue coat as Bowtie, and her horn was blasting confetti and razzle-dazzle sounds like there was no tomorrow!

“Confound it Ribbon Wishes!” he’d cried out, clearly as exasperated at her antics as I was amazed (what? Can’t I admire a fellow performer’s skill?), “What have I told you about sneaking up on folk!?”

“Sorry Big Bro-tie, but I can’t pass up the chance to show off to a real Wizard!”

I liked this filly. Bright future, I could tell!

“Now, how in the hay can you tell she’s a wizard?” Bowtie asked, failing to mask how badly the magic-horn-confetti had spooked him.

I kinda miss Pinkie Pie, now that I think about it.

“The hat!” said little Ribbon, like it was the most simple concept in the world to grasp. And to be fair, it was.

Bowtie, stuffy as he seemed, I could tell he melted a little around his little sister, as he introduced her to me. She was thrilled to meet a Great and Powerful magician as myself, and I didn’t exactly dissuade her from calling me a wizard.

After all, if that Starswirl guy Twilight was gabbing on and on about was a Wizard, surely Trixie would equally qualify?

No. Even at the most generous, Trixie is not a Wizard by any stretch. A very talented illusionist, stage magician, and apparently wilderness survivalist, but not a Wizard.

Eventually, Ribbon was sent home to get dinner set up, as the Wishes siblings apparently lived alone. I didn’t prod too hard into the matter. Everypony needs a secret or two, and I know personally that stuff dealing with your parents is rough. Especially when they leave and never come ba

But in the meantime, ‘Applejack’ had taken down her stall and vanished. I wasn’t entirely sure what I saw, and I didn’t want Bowtie to think I was crazy or anything, so I figured I’d just let him take me to their mayor.

Now, future reader of the words of the Grea

Right, that’s getting old. You’ve probably already heard of the mighty and magical exploits of the Great and Powerful Trixie, so I shall endeavor to cut down on that talk in this journal.

She fails. Not forever, but it's going to be a while until she breaks the third-pony habit.

Most of the town was hay-roofed barns of wood and stone, but for what its worth, the Mayor’s Manor was something else entirely. It was a large, stone building, more like a great hall than anything else. But on one side of the manor, it looked like they’d let a tree grow wildly out of control. The thing was like Ponyville’s old oak library (felt bad for Sparkle when it blew up, losing a home is hard, I know) but over twice as tall, and clearly lived-in!

“Finally impressed you with something?” I didn’t realize I’d been staring as Bowtie caught me off guard.

I blushed, and tried to recover, “It’s… it’s a very nice tree.”

Nailed it.

Bowtie just smiled and led me into the manor itself. The place was actually really nice. Not like Manehatten or Las Pegasus, but nice. Like a clean but otherwise modest hotel. The whole building was colored pink on the inside, which I’m sure is going to get old if I end up staying here a while. The captain left me alone in a little lobby for a few minutes, which gave me plenty of time to check out the furniture. You can always tell a place is nice if they take care of their furniture. Nopony checks furniture, so a lot of places think they can skimp on upkeep there.

An earth pony servant came in and offered a pot of tea. When I asked for coffee, the gray-coated mare* gave me this confused look. I was sure she heard me, so at first I didn't realize what was wrong. When I started describing what I was talking about (I even showed her a couple of coffee beans I’d found growing wild out in the forest), she asked me if I wanted a tea brewed from them.

*Holy Luna. I just realized she's a dead-ringer for an earth pony Derpy Hooves! What is up with this place!?

I said yes, and it was only after Merry Weather (I asked! The Great and Powerful Trixie is nothing if not kind to wait-staff) left that I started to think if I could remember the history of coffee.

Well, a little more caffeine couldn’t hurt these ancient ponies, right?

Finally, the Mayor showed up, and I may have lost my mind. The stroke-theory suddenly felt a lot more plausible, in any case.

“Sparkle!?” I cried as I watched the Princess waltz into the lobby foyer, whatever.

Twilight was just as shocked as I was. “H-how do you know my name!?”

It was then that I got a good gander at the pony who was definitely not Twilight Sparkle. A unicorn, yes. But her coat was pink, instead of purple, and her mane was black with a purple stripe. More, her cutie mark was clearly a bunch of purple stars. Didn't make it any easier staring right at a color-corrected clone of the Princess.

“Mayor Sparkleshine,” Bowtie gasped, “I never told her your name.”

Cool, roll with it!

“Why, I am a Great and Powerful Magician!” I exclaimed, throwing down a quick smoke-spell and letting my admittedly makeshift cape billow behind me a moment.

Mayor Sparkleshine’s aide, a donkey, was clearly in awe of my stage-presence. “A… a wizard!?”

Ellipses show how he hesitated, so impressed was he by my amazing power.

As a writer, I hate both how Trixie writes, as well as how she isn't wrong... this time.

“Magician, Bray,” Sparkleshine corrected him, “She said magician. But the fact that you knew my name… where did you come from? There aren’t a lot of unicorn-settlements nearby, and your accent is so… strange.”

Bray is attested to in the ancient myths and legends of the Archaic Period. Nothing nice is said, especially after he joins forces with Grogar. Spoiler, I know, but you should really see the curses and explicit imagery Trixie's written and drawn into the margins around his name. "Traitor" is the only thing re-printable.

Oops. Trixie will admit she hadn’t thought of how to cover all of her great and powerful time-traveling quirks. Like the fact that the version of Old Ponish taught by my old CSGU teachers was apparently a rare dialect only Luna and presumably the ponies wherever she and Celestia were from spoke.

Official Ancient Alicorn Accent confirmed?

Again, roll with it.

“I am from a land very, very far away and full of magic,” I said, tipping my hat with a quick bit of telekinesis, “How else could I have known your name if not by magic?”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Sparkleshine gave me an odd look that reminded me so much of Twilight. She really does resemble her, like a lot!

Bray, the donkey, was also giving me an odd look. I think he might have had gas or something. But he just excused himself and left, apparently to visit his mother or something. I hardly noticed.

More explicit and unprintable language in the margins here. Trixie seems to wonder if she could use the Map Table to go back and do some unspeakable things to Bray here.

I explained myself the best I could to the mayor, going on about the forest and my traveling show (she seemed enthralled by the idea of a travelling wizard, to the point where I was seriously doubting how I could have mistaken her for Sparkle at all. Twilight, regardless of her accomplishments, is a terminal killjoy), while deftly skipping over the whole time-travel thing.

It helped that I could claim a bad teleportation experiment did it. Which wasn’t entirely untrue. But that was a mistake, since it turned out Sparkleshine is really into teleportation magic, at least the theory of it.

Yeah, they don’t have teleportation spells yet. And I just confirmed for this little bookworm-minor-noble that her research was going to one day work out. Or, one day originally. Now I’ve promised to teach her. Lucky me.

Anyway, it’s getting late, and I need my beauty rest. So I will hurry this last part up.

Trixie was able to whip up a list of all the things she would need to resume her travels. As much fun as it would be to lord my bits and my magic over everypony here, I know for a fact that would be a bad idea. Not only does lording over anypony never work out in the longterm, I kinda like the ponies here. Plus, as a traveling showpony, I can keep a low-profile and probably avoid altering history better than as a millionaire slumming it in this town.

See, Starlight? I learned something by listening to you.

Also, there’s no outhouses here. They just go in the fields! I don’t think I could look at these ponies for much longer knowing that! Knowing where their hooves have been.

Losing track, and paper. I

*coffee stains across page*

That was Merry Weather. I might have screwed up. She came into my room in the Tree-tower all jittery with my coffee. And then she spilled it on my new journal, freshly made.

Alright. I’ll be briefer this time.

It cost a few bits, but the town is more than happy to help me get a better outfit and a wagon set for traveling. I’m going to give a few shows here, then get out before I screw with time some more. I’m starting to see the downsides of introducing coffee to this time period.

But I am absolutely teaching them about toilet paper and outhouses tomorrow.

Goodnight, Journal.

Right, and before I forget, thank you for reminding me kid, I’ve met another little friend here. Apparently, Sparkleshine’s the mayor of this town, but she’s not the librarian like my Sparkle. So, she’s got a couple of ponies working in this Tree-tower doing just that.

And their kid is, admittedly, adorable, despite the way he pouts as I write and read this aloud to him. Apparently, he prefers Dark and Dangerous. Swirly is a little grey colt no bigger than those Cutie Mark Crusaders back home. He sounds like he’s a bigger fan of magic and wizards than even Ribbons was. So, as I’ve been settling in, he’s been bugging me for magic secrets and

From what you've said on how this whole adventure wrapped up, I'm going out on a limb here and guessing this Swirly is going to be a big deal down the line.

Just caught him checking my hat again. I pulled a bit out of there, and he’s been asking about pockets, transfiguration, and all that jazz. Yeah, he’s got the Moxy to be a magician. I’ll give him that.

But now I really do have to go to bed. I got a show to plan tomorrow.

Should be fewer and fewer notes from here on out. Don't want to repeat myself too often, and Trixie does get better about a lot of her anachronisms (the causing thereof).

Trixie's doodle of Starlight (Alleged)

An artist's quick mock-up of key ponies mentioned thus far.

If something looks different, it's because that's a thing that happened. This chapter should look a lot cleaner, like the rest of them.

25 Twilight, Canterlot Palace

It was the best night ever.

Every year, it was the best night ever.

Just get through these ridiculous greetings, and it will be the Best. Night. Ever.

No matter how many times Princess Twilight Sparkle repeated that lie to herself, she wondered how Celestia had managed to keep that beatific smile for the hours and hours she had to stand at the doors to Canterlot Palace, greeting every trussed up noble and self-important bigwig who’d weaseled their way into acquiring a ticket for themselves and their dates to the Grand Galloping Gala.

She was considering Luster’s proposal from last year. Her student had perfected a muscle-tightening spell by pure accident, and after an… initial panicked outbreak of a ‘pony-freezing plague’… swore to the formula’s safety in small dosages. Would be nice to keep her smile up at times like this.

The Friendship Letter from that one was certainly entertaining. Even Celestia laughed when I forwarded it to her, she thought, her smile briefly becoming genuine as she shook the hoof of a unicorn she neither knew, nor cared to know, but was aware he owned an obscene number of plastic factories. Some of which, even, didn’t contribute to his wife’s appearance.

“Welcome to the Grand Galloping Gala,” Twilight said, so mechanically she might have been mistaken for an equimatronic at Whimseyland or another theme park, “I am most pleased to see you tonight.”

The earth pony guardsmare who she’d said this to blushed furiously under her blue coat and heavy armor. “Um… thank you, Princess…”

“Oh, sorry, Rock Solid!” the Princess facehoofed, “I was on auto-pilot there for a bit.”

“It’s no big deal, Your Majesty,” the guard nodded understandingly, then grinned, “I remember you greeting empty air last year.”

Princess Twilight grinned sheepishly, and chuckled at the memory. Then, she looked about, only to find that Lieutenant Solid was the only pony or creature sharing the entryway with her.

“No more guests?” she leaned down, her own grin widening.

“Affirmative, ma’am. Ticket count has been verified. No unauthorized beings have been detected on the grounds… except for Discord,” the guard’s own smile tightened.

Twilight nodded acceptance. ‘Except for Discord’ was practically on the Royal Letterhead these days. If the Princess hadn’t gotten assurances from Fluttershy that she, Discord, and the children, would be taking an out-of-universe vacation during the Gala, she’d have kept a better eye-out for the old Draconequus.

“Good! Thank you, Lieutenant,” Twilight said, glancing towards the Gala itself, “Then I shall take this opportunity to mingle. You can take your break now, if you’d like.”

Solid bowed slightly to her sovereign. “Thank you, Your… oh!” her eyes lit up for a moment as she recalled something important, “Lord Spike wanted you to know your expected letter was delivered just now.”

The Princess’s eyebrows raised, then furrowed, “And… Lord Spike didn’t deliver this message himself because…?”

The guard shuffled her hooves, and the Princess could detect a single sweat drop making its way down her muzzle.

“Um… apparently he and Lady Rarity…”

Twilight threw her head back and groaned, as dramatic as anything Rarity herself had done and then some. When she brought her head back around, her annoyance was there, though plainly cut by a smirk.

“Those two are impossible somedays…”

The Princess finally let the smirk take its place. She leaned down again, and gave her guard a conspiratorial whisper, “Oh well. Let them have their fun. Once the baby arrives, it’s going to be work, work, work for those two. I’d like to see them do more than sneak off to nap at that point!

“Now,” she regained her regal bearing and tossed her head in the direction of the barracks, “You’re dismissed, Lieutenant. Have the night off, in fact.”

The guard nodded enthusiastically, and immediately made her way from the Gala with all due haste. Twilight laughed, seeing such spritely behavior in her guards. But she couldn’t stand there all night.

She had a Gala to enjoy. But first… with the arrival of that letter, a letter she didn’t doubt came from her and Daring Do’s little historical project… Twilight knew she wanted to talk to one pony in particular tonight. She just had to figure out where, in all the merry festivities, she would find that Great and Powerful Showpony.

The Gala was in prime form this year, Twilight noted. Pinkie had outdone herself, somehow pairing Prince Blueblood’s high-society style with just the right amount of whimsy. The ice-sculptures had been swapped out for ice-cream-sculptures, the string orchestra had been partly converted to electronic and electric instruments, and she’d managed to fit an entire relay-obstacle-course into the East Wing, which delighted even the most stuck-up social parasites in attendance.

The Princess assumed her friend was taking a cake-break out in the gardens about this time. The only other pony she immediately recognized was the Prince himself, and he was fulfilling his most important duty of the night; keeping the social parasites focused on him instead of Twilight.

She was most grateful for this service, as it allowed her a chance to spy out the crowd and pin down her ultimate target.

Trixie Lulamoon was near the back of the West Wing, milling about the buffet and drinks tables, watching the rest of the guests partake in a round of dancing. Princess Twilight kept to the edge of the dancers, hugging the palace walls so close she might as well have been a mural. Due to the distance, it took the Alicorn a minute to cross the hall and get near enough to engage her once-imagined-rival.

“Trixie!” she smiled as she approached. Trixie hadn’t really changed that much over the last few years. Her coat was still bright, and she’d kept in remarkably good shape. Probably a result of her performances, which she refused to fully cancel even after taking up her Counselor job so many years ago. She even wore her light purple robe-like dress to the Gala.

Trixie, a glass of red punch held in her magical aura, turned around and gave the Princess a hard look.

“Evening, Sparkle,” she sighed, “But before you accuse me of any wrongdoing, let it be known that Trixie was given a ticket for this little event of yours!”

Twilight’s genuine smile faded, “Um, Trixie? I know.”

“See!” the blue showmare reached into her dress and drew out a folded piece of paper. It looked like somepony had scribbled down one side of it. “I even got the mailchangeling to write me a receipt! So, who’s forging documents now, hm?”

Twilight stared, unimpressed, at the smug-angry expression Trixie shot her.

“Trixie, I know. I sent you that ticket.”

“… you did?”

Twilight nodded.

Trixie narrowed her eyes suspiciously, and took another long sip of her punch. She let the receipt drop to the floor.

“Well,” she shrugged, “I guess you’ve successfully lured me here then. I didn’t even need to hop the fence this time.”

“When did you hop the…?”

Trixie went on, heedless, “Nevertheless, you’ve succeeded, as I’ve said! So now, go ahead. Get your gloating out of the way.”

The Princess found herself fidgeting slightly. Her wings ruffled, and her hooves itched with nervous energy. She was clearly missing something here, and missing out on information was something she could not abide.

“Trixie?” she asked, gingerly, ears flattening atop her head, “Is… is something the matter?”

Trixie huffed, “Oh, I don’t know, Sparkle. Maybe you just wanted me to see how much bigger your palace is than the hoof-me-down you let Starlight keep. Newsflash, Princess!” she hissed the title, “We both live in castles! It isn’t that impressive!”

This… was a very strange conversation. Twilight started thinking up, not only her potential responses, but a couple of different ways she could steer this conversation back to normalcy. Or, at least whatever was closest to normalcy when Trixie was involved.

Said unicorn was busy polishing off her punch. And she looked ready to go for a refill.

Twilight sighed, “Trixie, I didn’t come here to complain, or to gloat, or to fight you at all. I just wanted to ask you some questions about your… time travel incident.”

“Why?” Trixie poured herself another glass, “So you can tell Trixie how historically preposterous whatever I say is?”

Twilight winced. She had said something like that, decades ago, when Trixie had hopped merrily back to the present day, after apparently spending over a year trapped in ancient Equestria. She probably wouldn’t believe her story now, except that Daring had started finding evidence…

Clearly, and the Princess didn’t know why she didn’t think this would be the case, Trixie was holding a grudge.

But, as Twilight went to apologize… something she was starting to realize she should have done years ago, and not just because she’d found a slightly more reliable document to compare Trixie’s current memories to… the showmare pitched to one side, and only barely got her hooves out under herself before she could smack straight into the floor.

“Trixie!” Twilight surged forward, catching Trixie’s falling punch cup in her magic before it could shatter, and the showmare herself with one of her large wings. Trixie’s face was flushed. She was awake, but the Princess could see her eyes were just now refocusing, as if she’d dozed off.

“Oh,” a blue hoof touched Trixie’s forehead, feeling the light fever in her temples, “Uh, guess I… overdid it there…”

Twilight held her up, and began walking them both towards a small service hall off to the side. Nocreature seemed to notice them, with the sole exception of Blueblood, who shot Twilight a concerned, quizzical look. He continued his vigil against the vile social climbers surrounding him, however, obviously trusting his sovereign to deal with whatever was happening.

Once the two were a ways from the party, Twilight let Trixie stand on her own four hooves. Trixie had seemingly recovered from her short lapse, but she did not protest Twilight’s support. In fact, she looked almost ashamed, even remorseful, once they’d stopped.

“Trixie, is everything okay?”

“Oh, I’m fine, Twilight,” she waved down the Princess’s concern, “I’ve been coming down with something all week.”

There was that wince again, and a look of embarrassment in her eyes. “I… Trixie is sorry for how she was behaving,” she looked away, “I’ve been sick. There’s a tough couple of cases back at the School… you know how tough dragons can be on their kids… and it’s still a school night. And… I’ve just been feeling a little down lately. But those aren’t excuses. Not good ones.”

Twilight smiled, sadly, and nodded. “I understand completely. You’re not up to it tonight. I wish you’d stayed home and taken care of yourself instead. I hate seeing you like this.”

“Pathetic?” Trixie smiled, but there wasn’t much laughter behind it.

“Angry,” Twilight nodded, “Resentful. Like you and I used to be. I thought… I thought we were friends. Good friends. Not like back then.”

Trixie sighed, “I know. It… just comes out. Like the third-pony thing,” she chuckled, but that set off a short burst of coughing.

“Trixie,” Twilight raised her head up, taking a commanding pose, “I order you to go home, and get some rest. Tell Starlight you need a few days off, as well. You’re exhausted!”

“I thought you had questions?” Trixie asked, though Twilight could almost hear the weariness in her tone.

“Next time,” the Princess shook her head, “Your health comes first.”

Trixie looked up into Twilight’s eyes. She didn’t move, didn’t say anything. After a few moments, she sighed… and seemed to almost deflate when she did so.

“Alright, I’ll head home. Sorry about… all this, Sparkle,” she turned, and started heading approximately back towards the front of the Palace, “Next time, I promise… Trixie will be better.”

Princess Twilight sighed. Well, there went the chance to talk about Hyneighria, Starswirl, or anything like that tonight. She supposed she would have to take solace in a new update from Daring.

Still, as Twilight watched Trixie walk away, she couldn’t shake the cold, sinking feeling in her stomach. There was something about the way Trixie was walking, something that bothered her. It was like she didn’t have any energy, like she was carrying some huge weight across her withers that was holding her down.

The way Trixie had deflated struck Twilight. Trixie never just let things slide, no matter how much she’d improved over the years. It was… disconcerting.

The Princess sighed, relegating her fears to the back of her mind, where they belonged. She needed to put in an appearance at the Gala before turning in to read Daring’s report, so, with no small amount of trepidation, she turned around…

Only to nearly run over two very familiar ponies.

Prince Blueblood and Celeste Lulamoon, Trixie’s daughter by Starswirl, and Twilight’s once-student of magic, stared up at the Princess of Friendship with worried frowns.

“Your Majesty,” Blueblood raised an eyebrow, “Is everything all right?”

Celeste pointed her hoof down the corridor, “Yeah, what’s going on with you and Mom?”

Twilight glanced back over her shoulder, noting that Trixie had fully disappeared around the corner. She sighed, and turned back to her two closest companions at the Palace, besides Spike.

“Trixie’s not feeling well,” she said, “I was trying to talk to her about… something, and she almost collapsed. Blueblood?”

The stallion stood a bit straighter. His attitude wasn’t always perfect, but he had grown by leaps and bounds since the first time Twilight, or rather, Rarity, had met him. His professionalism now did him credit.

“I want a guard escort for Trixie, but I don’t want her to notice them. Could you order a few Batponies to follow her and make sure she doesn’t get hurt on her way home?”

“It will be done,” the Prince took off at a quick canter towards where they both knew the nearest guard station in the Palace lay.

Twilight watched him disappear, and then turned back towards…

A grinning Celeste.

“So,” the gray unicorn mare smirked and spoke in a slow, teasing tone, “You tried to ask her about her journal?”

Twilight deadpanned, and then turned an inquisitive eye onto her student.

“That journal is classified. Princess-level, as far as I recall.”

“Yeah, well,” Celeste blinked, innocently, “If you didn’t want me to read your classified stuff, you should have used harder spells to lock the documentation away.”

“I used the best cypher-spells known to ponykind,” Twilight sighed.

To which Celeste merely sniffed, and said, “Guess I’m just as awesome and powerful as I think I am.”

The two stood silently in the hall, facing the other with stony stoicism. Neither blinked. Neither fidgeted.

Then, as though on cue, they both giggled. The two let the tenseness of the moment before pass with their laughter, and after another minute, they could both regard each other with their usual comfort and casualness.

“Alright,” Twilight smiled, “I’ll let you take an official look at the reports. Happy?”

Celeste nodded, “Thank you. Considering the only reason I was born was Mom time traveling, I think that’s fair. Need me to smooth anything over with her?”

Twilight shook her head, “Not at the moment. I didn’t get to bring it up. Just… take care of her? For the next couple of days, at least.”

Celeste rolled her eyes, “You know, she complains that I don’t spend enough time with her already, and I’m over there four nights a week. I think she suspects you’re trying to steal me from her.”

The Princess winked. “Well, why not? I get all of Trixie’s talent, without… alright, so the ego’s still there,” she tittered, “but I got to house-train you.”

“Okay! Okay!” the unicorn started walking away, back towards the Gala, “I get it! You love me! I’m going to save both our dignities and get some punch. You coming?”

Twilight shook her head. “No, I’m not feeling it anymore. I think I’ll… do some light reading.”

Celeste nodded, knowingly, but left things at that.

The Princess let a bit of her magic flow, and with nary an effort, she had popped away. Her private chamber appeared around her with that flash of purple light, and Twilight could sigh in relief.

No more Gala. No worrying about Trixie, or Celeste, right now. She removed her regalia and set it on its stand by her door, and then she turned eagerly back towards her luxurious, purple bed.

There was a brown paper package right in the middle of the bed. With an experimental brush of her magic, she could tell it was a heavy stack of paper. Probably heavily annotated. Ancient, yet not ancient.

“Now, Trixie,” she mused as she tore at the packaging, “Let’s see what happened to you after reaching Hyneighria…”

Returning to Trixie's misadventures, I'm sorry it's taken a while to get this compiled. A lot of the journal has slowly disintegrated in its tomb, so I've been painstakingly preserving the text while translating and annotating. Yeah, translating. Trixie's hoof-writing is pretty abysmal, and I think as she went on she subconsciously started using more archaic terminology. Most of it, I've fixed to be legible. Some of it, I've left. Mostly because she didn't always use it correctly, and that's hilarious!

Alright, so while Trixie may have called Hyneighria a dump before, she would like to amend that statement by stating that while it is indeed a dump, it is also full of appreciative, wonderful fans.

The day after I arrived here, I had a whole list of errands to run. I needed to get a new hat and cape made, load up on supplies for running my shows, as well as food for when I hit the road next, and buy a wagon. A traveling magician needs her wagon, after all. It’s part of the uniform.

Unfortunately, I would have to spend the morning with Sparkleshine, teaching her how to teleport, even when I myself was not an undisputed master of the technique yet. And so, at the crack of dawn right around nine-ish, Trixie had to rise from her cot and get the ball rolling.

That Swirly kid wanted to come with, and Trixie would never deny one of her fans the chance to be her go-fer, so I naturally allowed it. He helped convince the kitchen staff (both of them) that I was a big, important guest of the Mayor, which I was, which got us our breakfast for the day. Compared to most travel-food, it was alright. Stale haycakes and iffy cheese. It was no Spike-made pancakes, but then I wasn’t expecting fine dining.

You may already know this, Princess, but your Royal Adviser's cooking prowess is kind of a legend in and of itself. I remember right after my adventure with Rarity (Daring Do and the Curse of Skull-Smasher Island) he treated us to some of those pancakes Trixie's talking about.
I had pancake withdrawals after that. Just saying.

Sparkleshine was eager to begin as I entered the main hall.

“Ooh! I’m so excited!” the pink unicorn pony practically pranced

Right, enough of that. She was happy to see me. Unlike some Sparkles.

Now, teleportation is tricky magic. Not just anypony can master its secrets. That’s why only myself, the Princesses, Starlight, Shining Armor, Rarity, Sweetie Belle, Disc

Not just anypony can master it. So, I gave Sparkleshine a little lecture and some demonstrations. It felt good to finally hold something over a pony that looked so much like Princess Twilight. I will admit, in my past I had something of a rivalry going with her. But then, I was mature enough to move past it, while she held the grudge long into her princesshood.

Sparkleshine, I will admit, is a natural at this magic business. Must run in the family, so at least Twilight can’t claim she’s so high and mighty just from studying. Sparkleshine was teleporting mugs and chairs within minutes. She was so happy, so full of excitement, that Trixie even got a little worried.

Genealogical records are pretty accurate for the last two-hundred years or so. But it's hard to find records of non-nobles past that, and Pre-Celestial records on families is non-existent. So, we can't prove that Sparkleshine is your ancestor, Your Highness, but there are a few myths and legends that could help. Starswirl drifted away from most everypony mentioned in this journal after a few years, so we don't have a lot from him, but he did turn me onto a few mentions of a pink unicorn who founded one of the early Sorcery Schools in the Post-Grogar Era. Might have some luck looking there.

She almost reminded me of Pinkie. And just like Pinkie, she got carried away. Thankfully, Captain Bowtie and his sister Ribbon had joined us for the demonstration. Ribbon had been happy enough to teleport her brother’s helmet across the hall, and didn’t seem like she wanted to push the envelope (not like those exist yet).

Unlike Sparkle, who decided to try teleporting herself, despite Trixie’s warnings. I panicked along with everypony else. While I would never admit this to her face, as much as our rivalry has been a thorn in my side, I would never wish actual harm onto Princess Twilight. And causing her ancestor to vaporize herself through a bad teleport would be the worst possible thing.

I’d never have met my Bestie, Starlight, without the Princess.

Thank Celestia (who isn’t born yet) Bowtie found her on the roof. Turns out, she was afraid of heights, so it would take a few hours to coax her down. I took that opportunity to get my shopping done.

Again, Swirly tagged along. I get the feeling he’s taking notes on all the magic stuff despite not writing anything down. Paper’s pretty expensive, all things considered. I showed Swirly’s mom, Page Turner, the paper-making spell my first night sleeping in her library, and she seemed super-duper happy to learn it.

Confirmation of one of Starswirl's parents' names. Something so simple, yet so mysterious. Starswirl apparently doesn't like talking about his parents. It doesn't sound like a happy ending there. Sorry.

I think I accidentally invented that spell in this timeline. I have to stop doing that.

Get used to reading that. I wouldn't put it past her to accidentally invent the spell that let unicorns move the sun and moon.

Related: Trixie makes a lot of observations about how the natural world worked back then that makes it clear, at least to a laypony like myself, that the whole planet used to take care of itself, seasons and all. Might want to cut those parts if you let this thing get published. Don't want to prop up those Climate Changers in parliament, right?

The seamstresses were on the other side of town, so I decided to turn the tables on the pipsqueak and ask him some questions.

“So, Swirly,” I said, “How’d your folks get to be the librarians around here?”

“My father was born here, in Hyneighria,” he said, after thinking it over a second or two. He tends to do that, I noticed. Paranoid little fella. “And his kin served the Sparkles for generations. But my mother came from Roam, seeing as how she’s a unicorn.”

Okay, big revelations all around. Page Turner was from Roam? And if Starswirl specifies that she was a unicorn, does that mean his dad wasn't? Again, there's no information to go on.

Roam, at least, I can elaborate a little on. The Eternal City, it was called. Trixie's right in that it's a pretty legendary place of magic and mystery. It's currently a crater since a gang of thieves activated an ancient self-destruct device while trying to steal a vault under the city (Daring Do #34: All Roads Lead to Roam). Also, sorry.

“Your mother’s… from Roam?” I was shocked! Even I’ve heard of the legendary city. It was supposed to be a unicorn-paradise, a city of wizards, at least in the stories mom told me.

Swirly nodded, “Aye, at least until they threw her out.”

“What happened?”

T̵̺̾h̸͎͂e̷͕̞̖̰̊̇ṙ̸̩͎̒̍ȩ̸̹͔̊͊̐̈́ ̸͈̮͚̙͊͛i̴͓̎͐s̵̺̝̩̲͐̽͑ ̸̱̖̺̲͑͌n̸̙̘͗̓͝ò̸̮̀͘t̶̬̗̹͓́̒̄̇h̴͙̑͛̀͝i̵̹̦̦͂n̸͚̖̗̋̄͠g̷̼̅̑̕ ̷̮̟̺̩̓̏̑t̷̼͋͛o̸̢͋̽̎͗ ̷̦̀̃̑r̸̘͉̗͎͋̉̍̾e̵̬̟̰̾͘ą̶̜͕͔̀̚ḏ̴̜̰͓̉́͠ ̸̺͕̦̥̂̂h̶̖̖͆͌ͅe̵͓̲̾̈́̉r̶̬̪̪͊͠ȇ̸̺̝͖̈́͗͆,̴̡̂̓͒̆ ̵̪̈́͑͋̅s̶̹̼͇̞̓͆̈́͛ṱ̵͖̻̱̿́o̸̞̔̈̈́p̶̞̣͈͂̎̈́ ̵͔͇͖̫̓̍̚͝ṫ̷͍̝͖̦̽̋r̷̗̣̀̓͊ÿ̸̭͛̈́ỉ̵̻͚́̅͑ň̸̫̤͂͛̄g̸̙̟͔̊̏̂.̶̰̈́T̴͔̳̈h̶̢͔̖͓͆̆̏̂ȇ̷̫r̵̛̪̲ę̸̃ ̷̦̦̖̊̀͝í̷̘̞̭͜s̷̠̫̈̆͝ ̵̮̖͈̘̔͠n̵̢̦͕̍ơ̸̳̫͉͋̾̀t̴̮͐͝h̶̨̯̮͌̈͘i̴̥̩̝̍̍̕n̷̮͒͜g̸̢͉̮̿͠ ̶̘̦̎̅̈̚t̸͍͒͆͐o̸̗͍͉̽̏ ̵̹͎̦̯̒r̶̛͍̄̔͐e̴̻͇͎͠ä̵̧́̄̈d̷̼̯̙͎̔ ̶̙̣͐̀̀͑ḧ̴̭̩̼͂̆̕e̶̜̠͑̀̋́r̷̟̭͝ȅ̸͙̬̣̾̈́̚,̴͎̫̠̝̀̒ ̴̮̭͉͑̔s̴̟̥͙͊͜ẗ̵́̌͂͊͜ỏ̵͖͂͝p̸̨͙̀̌͒͝ ̵̢͎͇̯͌̔t̶͓̹͑̆͝ŗ̴̛͍̻̂̀y̵̲͋͂̚i̶̼̥̮̥͊̓ņ̴̪͓̭͋̀̈́̄g̸̠͋̂̌͝.̴̨̧̤̹̎̽̽Ṫ̴͚̿͝h̷̙̣͑̿ę̴̛̭̦̕̕r̸̲͗̍̈ḕ̷͔͛̕ ̵͈̖͘i̷̝̰͚̦͗s̷̢̯̹͙̽ ̸̖͍̄̽͜͠n̶̖̟͌͂͒̌͜ő̴͎͖͊t̸͍͛͐h̶͍̬̻̠̉i̸͙̮͉̔̾͒ṇ̵̏g̴̱̤̟̀͘ ̴̖͜͠ẗ̴̙͍̥́͊͠ȏ̸͚̤͔̟̇ ̸͈͊͐̊r̴͓̈͌è̶̱ã̴̖̀̌͐d̷̗͎̤͈͗̐̒ ̴͇̫̩͋̽̽ͅh̷̦̬̏̔͝ẽ̴̠r̷̹̩͖̠͑̐́͝ḙ̷̲͕̥̆͌͠,̶̦͌ ̶̘̼̫̆͌̉͜s̵̗͉̳̥̎̀̊t̸̢̟͆̕ͅỏ̸͍͍̝͍͛͆p̵̢̗̗̘̑͒͝ ̶̢̐̉t̸̼͛͜͠͠r̵̰̯̃y̵͊̀ͅi̸͍͋͗ñ̵͚́g̴̳̎͛͠.̵̛͇̺̭T̶̉͌ͅh̴͓̬̍̓͂e̸̼̜̊ͅr̷̨̗̯͉̃͝ē̶͎̥̼̬͐ ̴̤̮̂̊i̶̡̹͌̓̂ś̷́̉ͅ ̴̫̤͝ṅ̸͈͛̆͊ó̷̧͚̘ẗ̷͇̺̰̲́̏͠ḧ̸͖̘̮́̆i̷̠͆̋ǹ̸̹͌̐ǵ̸̞̝ ̶͈̆͒̾͆ẗ̴̯̱́̿ŏ̴͕̼͔͊ ̷̤͇̣̳́̓ṙ̶̞̙ḛ̷̾̽̉a̴̖͠d̵̢̡͔̤̈͐ ̶̨͉̫̝͠ḩ̴̯͇̅e̷̱͍͔̿̓ṛ̸͗̿͛ȇ̷͍͂̍,̴̙̯̿͜ ̸̛͔̼̣s̷̗̮̔̀̏t̷̢̰̘̟̿͛o̷̻̰͂͜p̸͖͚̣͛̾̊̈́ ̶̞̄͂̎̏t̷͉̀̂r̸̢̟̫͆̋͂y̸̘̺̪̦̑̾ï̷̡̝̞̈́ņ̷̰̣̰̆̌͆͝g̸̭̭͚̫̅̏̓͠.̷̞͙̳͂͌͜Ț̷̓h̷̠̳̑̇͋ẽ̵̮̠̩̂̈́̔͜r̵͓̽̾̈́e̷͇̭͌̈́́ ̶͈̯͑̀̚i̷̝̼͖̋̽͜͠s̷̡͔͍͌͐̕ ̷̠̤̂̽̓͝ṋ̵̛̕o̵̡̝̼̥̓̐ẗ̵̙̻̗̘̽̈́͐h̶̻̹̲̤͆̽̍́i̷̬͝ǹ̷̢̧̫͕͋̑̄ǧ̴̤͝ ̶̣̣͙̳̋̋̇t̴͓̱͆̀̊ǫ̸̖̻̆͝ ̶̪̹͓̄̐͝ŗ̶̫̠͗̇̚͝e̸͇̺͎͆̈́́å̶̺͍͕d̸̥̹̍ ̶̖̠͝ͅh̸̟͠ͅe̴̬͙͌͂́̋r̵͕͊̀͗̇é̵̫͓̰̕,̵̨̛̼̀̀̓ ̸̛̭̖̯̈́͝s̵͙̣̩͔̾t̷̲̬̆͛̈́̆͜͜ȍ̸̡̙͕̓̊p̷̖͖̒͐̚͝ ̶̳̑̅̚͠t̷̼̩̳̕r̸͔̋̉ẏ̵̨͕̿̚͝ḯ̶̡̪̣̲̈́̈n̶͍͗͌̍͝g̴͉̽̅͠.̶̮͝Ṭ̶͔͑̀̈́̚ḧ̴̲̝̊e̸̲̭͑̃̓ṟ̴̩̭̊ę̴̜̮̟̃̅̇̓ ̵̞̮͑̈́ī̴͚̄̏s̴̛͉̣̒ ̶̼̱̻̣̓͊ṇ̷̑̕̚o̷̖̼͐̔́͜t̴̺́̈́h̴̨͓̾̀̈́í̴̗̲̟́n̴̦̞̗̲͋͑̀̎ğ̸̠͜ ̸̱͛t̵̡̪͔͛̆ô̵̻̭̲͕͐̊ ̸̫͔͈̊̕ŕ̷̘e̸̛̛̞͖͆̏͜a̸̪͇͇̗̕ḏ̵͎̗̜̓̚ ̵̛̟̖͇̔͘͠h̵͙̣̓̿͠e̵̲͎̅͜r̴͉͉̯̍ë̴́͜,̴̢̗̫̑͋̋ ̷̠̱͝s̵̜̹̝̼̒t̵͉̚ơ̷̳̻̔̂p̸̨͚̙̔̌̈͗ͅ ̷̡̫͘t̷̝̀r̸̪̿̐̐͠y̷̆̑̽͜i̵͙̰̇n̴̗͓̻̈g̵̟̣͉͑̄̓͠.̷̫̞̮̱̎̍̈́T̶̢̺̀͐͋h̸̦̞͙̓̇͂ȩ̵̗̣̠̈̿r̷̡̦͊̈͘e̸͇̘̳͍̊͆̓ ̸̪͕͖̺̃̉̅̚i̴̥͈̻͋̅s̶̫̉̄̑ ̸̣̼͈͗n̴̪̦̳̈́̈́ǒ̴̫̰̽͑t̶̩̋̀h̸̺͈͊ȉ̵͖̦̙͑ṅ̵̜̳̤̼́̆g̴̙͔͑̓̒ͅ ̶̞̀͗̾̾t̶͚̂ŏ̷̯͐ ̴͌̇͜r̴̢̟̘͐̆͆̒e̷̗͔̗̚ä̷̺̩̳͇̆̿̀d̸̲̄͌̐̾ ̶̟̳̋̐h̸̨̰̬̳͛̅̔̎e̷̡̬͙̒̎̓r̵̯̊e̸̲̘͈͇̾̾͘,̸̫̫̭̎̀̔͜ ̷̘̹̜̀͌s̶͉̰͑̍ţ̸̬̩͛̕͝ò̸͓͠p̷̲̔͋ ̸̧͚̍̑̃̚ẗ̸̤͔̞́͊̂͐r̸̡̧͙͑̾̉̍y̷̩̥̞̅i̷̩̓ṅ̴̼̞̬g̸̛̕̕͜͠.̵̪̦̽̇T̸͍̩̍̽͠͠h̴̯̖̭̟̕e̵̝̜̟̅͝r̸̠̹̅͋e̵̮̳̩͐̅ ̵̼̃̈́̅̇͜i̴̬̭̣̐̌͜s̴̹͔͇̺̃̋ ̵̭̜̻͋̋ņ̵̻͔̮̈̅͑o̶̱̼̠͂̌̌̕ţ̸̳͇͈̚h̸̡̽̅̇̽i̸̝͐̍̀n̵̟̹̬̾̕ͅǵ̷͙͑ ̶͉̲̣̐͗̕ţ̵̖͕͖́o̷̞̞͊̄̊͝ ̴̞͋̑̆r̴̹̒ẹ̶̓a̷̲͛̀̒d̸͕̗̻͝ ̸͇̖̋̐̃ẖ̵̘̦̳̂͑e̵̠͔͒͑̽͘r̶̻̱̪̙̆̌ę̶͇͇̹̅̊,̷̹̫͍̟͛͑̅̀ ̵͍̠͙̓̈́́̇s̵͖̋ț̵̛̠̀͊̾o̷̫̰̠̫̍͠p̸̧͕̟̒ ̶͈͖̽͜ẗ̵̟͙̭̟̍̄͑r̶̝̍̃͠y̸͎̱̤̼̑̾͗ȋ̴͉̓ņ̴̔̔̽͛g̸͉̼̰̐.̸̭̂͛͝T̵͎̆͛h̴̜̫̝̑̐͛͝e̵̖̗̖͋r̴̢̪͊ę̸͇̪͂̀ ̶͈̩̈́ͅi̶͖͈̖̽s̶͎͙͔͎̀ ̵͓̱̌̀ṋ̴̛̩͖̲̍͝͝o̶̰͙͌͋ͅť̴̘͖̺̓͠h̵̰͑̔͑͝i̸̘͌n̴̢͇̪͂́g̵̬̀ ̶̱͚̅t̶̨̫͇͔͠ò̸̡͊̊ ̷̛̠̻́̍͆r̷̪̹̤̀e̴̪̐a̷̙͐d̴̰͊̏́̒ ̸̢̪͖̪̅̋h̴̥̟̻̅̒ͅe̸̤̤͈̥̐̈́r̷̮̓ẻ̵͔̝͓̇͑̚,̷̬̞́͝ ̷͙̈́̉̚͜͝s̷̩̽͋t̵̪̖̆o̷̺͈̼͈̅͆͆̀p̷̧̖̩̺͂ ̷̨̮̳͇̊͛t̸̙͓͑͆r̸̢̨̛̤͙͐y̷̨̤̙͋͝i̵̡͙͎̩̕n̶͎̼̟͌g̶̣̭̿̂̓.̴̤̦̳͆T̷̠͇͈̝̿̑̂̍ḩ̸̟͚̇͝e̷̞͈̽r̵̮̜̀ȇ̷̥̲͊̆ ̷̛͚̏̐̒i̴̜͐s̶͉͓̳͊͆̇̀ ̴͔̼̝͍̉̾n̶̰͓̞̦̓o̶̧̙̜̦̔͊̕͠t̴͈̳̑̊h̷͔͈͙͂̉̄͌͜i̸̛͚̣̚n̷̡̥̤͍̊̇̀̋ĝ̸͈̦ ̸̳̤̀͑ṭ̸̢̻̈͆̓͛o̶͉͂͋̃ ̷̢͕̟̅r̵̹̽ͅè̴͓̖͙ͅǎ̷̛͖̫̱͊d̸̡͕̖̏̆̚ ̸͔̺͒h̷͚̮͗͜e̷̜̒r̶̙͑͑̓̑e̷̎ͅ,̸̧̤̗̹̉̇͠ ̶̯̼͍̀̌ş̶̨̱̃t̶̼̜̓͑ͅó̶̜̼̻p̷̫͕͕̰̄͠ ̴̨̠̹̓͂t̴̯̔̐̓r̵̫̱͝y̷̨̺̍̅̀͜i̴̖̻͑͜n̸̳̓̎͛͠g̸̢̔.̴̞͛̂T̸̥͇̹̑͜ḧ̴́̿̌͜͝ĕ̸̠ȑ̸͎̣e̵͖̳̳̰͋ ̸̡̠̪̍ǐ̶̯͍̑s̶͓̺̗͐̓̎ ̴̙̦̼̏n̵̡̫̻̜̐̑͝ó̷̪͂͂t̴̡̧̥̖̅͝h̶͇͙͊̌̽ĭ̵̜͉͖̀n̴͇͂̋͗̌ġ̷̻̖̯̈́̅ͅ ̴̡̛͓̯̻͋̅̎ț̸͖̾́ọ̵̢͉̗͐́̊̀ ̷̘͕̅͑̓r̶͕͔̃ḛ̴̢̟͇͝a̶̢͉̖͆̌d̸̲̈́̏ͅ ̷͔͙̘̂́̚ȟ̷̖̺ę̷̖͝ṙ̷͍̮͎̿e̴͙͎͂,̴̩͔̪̊̓͌̊ ̵̭̺͕̔͝s̵̢͎̻̠̏t̵͎̽̍o̵̯̚p̵͔͎̣͔̽̈́̚ ̸̨͇͖̄͠t̶̞̀͗̾ͅř̵̠̹̥̓͜y̶̜̘͊̄̎͠i̷̪̋͂ń̸̼̙̗͙̓̇̓g̶̠̎̅̔̔.̸̘̦̎̆Ṭ̷̟̫̋̕h̵̫͐̍ë̵̫́̓͊͂r̶̮̀͘͜ẻ̴͎̒̏̄ ̵̢̗̤̍̈͑̎i̴̛͕̞̓̇͜š̸̻̼̟͊̃͘ ̷̖͜͝n̵̡̲̐͜ó̵̧̱̹͊͘͠t̶̳̔ḫ̶̑̉i̷̲̎̽̐͠n̸͈̔̉͠g̵̢̠͓̼̈́̍̿ ̴̫́̌̉͜t̵͔́o̴̻̻͎͠ ̶͉̞͖̽̄͘ṟ̷̰̹̾̇̕è̶̞̖̩ạ̸̅̈́̂d̴͇̰͇̈́͋̈́ ̴̹̲͉̎̌͂h̴͖̞͔͔͐́̈́͝e̶̠̟͈̓̾̓̚r̸̹̣͓̾̉͐e̴̋̄̕ͅ,̴̮͙̠̎͛̄̄ ̵̡͓͈̫̎͝s̵̛͖̅t̴̼̱̳͝ŏ̷̡̩̼͎̿p̴̬̣͇̌͐ ̷̡̥̬̥̊t̸͎̾͛ŕ̸̢͇ÿ̸̦̠̄̃ȉ̷̙̞̤͈͋͐n̶̺̪̪̠̏ǵ̶̼̠̉̆.̸̢̩̱̹̍T̷̈́͘͜ḧ̵̜͎́͂e̷͚͇̳͚͘ŗ̶̾̈͊̓e̵̛̮̣͔̔ ̸̡̨̺͙͝ȋ̵͈̬̤̏̈́͠s̷̯̳̯̽̀̅ ̶̦̹̋̽̔ṉ̵͖̝̇̆ó̷̮̯̹t̸̛̙̑͝ḧ̴͚́̈̎̎i̶̮͈̋̂̈͜͝n̴̳̙̳̎g̵͕̝͓̑̎̍̆ ̶̗̼̜̗̉̄̃̎t̴̹̳̣͗ͅơ̵̺̘̭ ̸̙͇̮̔́̚͜r̸̦̘̰̺̐e̶̝̥͗̽͌ǎ̵̺͔͉̼̈̏d̷̨̞͈̾̐̋͝ ̵̡̜̐̆́h̵̘͆ȇ̷̝̥̳̰̇̍r̶̻͚̞̓ḙ̵̯͛,̴̡͉̥͂ ̸͖͋̔͠s̵̬̆̉t̵̝́̌͐̇o̴̟͒p̷͙̗̼͖̌͆͌ ̵̼͋t̸͙͕̬̲͂̍r̴̭̠̈́̏͂ÿ̶̤̱͍͓́í̸͈̮̍n̸̳̭͉̆́͊̕g̷̨̲͒.̷̼̗̼̠̿̇̍T̵̯̖̖̾̃̄̓h̸̗̜͇̒̋̿e̵͎̻͝r̴̜͆̒̓ḛ̵͇̇ ̸̣͋̌ì̶̼̖͌̓͘s̵̡͍͙̐͂̚͠ ̸̧̭͑̈́̕ń̶͎̉̀o̶̧̩͆̅͂ṱ̵͖̓̂h̵͉̼̐̎̈́i̶̧̹͎̹̇̈́n̵̯̻̈́̈̐͊ğ̵̹̐ ̸̢̛̼̺̤t̷͙͑̃̔͒ǫ̵̱̺͇̅ ̴̨̢͉̈́̈́͛r̷̥̬̈́ę̶̂ȁ̶͉d̶̰̾ ̵̙̪͕̭̈́h̶̗̆̏̽e̶̼͛̈́̀̓r̴̢̿̕͝è̸̡̊͌̓,̷͈̩͈̂̌̾ ̴̭̦̰̠̓̋s̵̫̗͂̈́̎͝ṱ̷͓̒o̸̖̽͗p̷͍̏̄ ̷̛̪͚̲͋̀̋ṫ̴̟̚r̸̨̎̈́͗ỳ̷̹̔i̷̪̲̳̚n̵̩̭͚̝̓̎͘g̷̮̲͎̾̎̈́̕.̵̨̨̟͉͂̇̇̚T̴͚̮̼̅̉́̕h̴̡̤̑̌ë̴͓̀̕r̴̮̰͚͂ȩ̷̦̀̈̇̽ ̶͇̊͝͝i̷̩͎͊s̵͙͑̀ ̷̝͔̝̟̕̚n̷̮͑̀̀̓ő̷̻͈͓̊̎t̶̟̏h̴̦̔̎̉͜͠i̷̡̘̺̿̚n̷̨̦̎͆̀g̷̢̟͆̋̿͌ ̸̧̧̚t̸̠̏ó̷̟̔ ̷͙̲̀̈́͝r̸̡̯͗́͆ę̴̨̺͎̄̅ȃ̸̟̫̑͊͜͜d̸̥̯̙͉̓ ̷̭̤̭̺̿͝h̸̘̰͙̓̾̃e̷̝̗̋r̷̯̟̭̃̆̽͜͝ȩ̴͈̝̺̂̎͝,̷̛̙̄̈́ ̴̣̤͇̳̅̒s̶̛̬̝̠̲͆͋͝t̸͕͍̮̓͋̄͌o̶̖̜͠p̵͎̣͂ ̶̣͍̄t̵̹̤̮̘͗́͠r̵̗͓̹̓̉͝y̵̫̞̩̿i̶̢̞̅̂̿n̵̘̬̗̒̒̒g̷͉͈͔͑.̴̘̳̋͜T̴̢͚̓̃̽ĥ̶̦̯̿͒̈́e̴̛̞͙̬͚͒͐r̵̩͍̰͕͗͗̀ḙ̸̒̄ ̶͈̽̿̓̕ỉ̷̼͖̹͝ş̶̥̝̳͌̑ ̵̡͚̝͎̆͒̔̕ñ̴̙̇͘o̴̗̎ṭ̵̫͓̝͛̿̍̿h̷̬̤̗͍͌̇i̶̡̺̐̓̇n̵̦͔͓͈̿g̴̣͆͜ͅ ̵̹̊̈͘t̷͔̹͕̙̉̓̋͠ǫ̸͊̂ ̵̖͕͌̀̇̀r̶̤̮̿̔̔e̶̢͎͔͜͝ä̸̭̜̳͍͠ḋ̷̡̦̠͗̓ ̴̟̃̃ḣ̴̝͍́͒e̶̲̮̓͋r̶̦͛̂͌̕e̵̞̯̦͊͊͝,̴̨̮̂̋ ̸̨̗̤̫̆̽͝s̷͈̘̋̃t̷̨͔́̾o̷͇̠͙̒͌p̵̟̠̓͋̀ ̶̛̮̞͌͒̕t̴̻͈͕̿̔͝r̷̖͓̋̈̏̊ỹ̶͚͕̰͔̍͑̕į̴̫̪̞̆̌́n̶̢̻̦̱̄͊͝g̸̲̤̎̓̍.̷̾͒͜T̷̡̈́̋h̸̻̏̇͌ͅȇ̷̯̜̣͛ͅȑ̴͖͆̈̂e̷̫̠͆ ̸͚̋͜ỉ̶̹̅̎s̵̹̻̔ ̶̢̨̛̻̹n̷̻̲̈́̈͆̀͜͜ớ̸͈̭̝̊̊t̵̛̝̖̽̋h̶̩̓̌̐͠i̴̞̩̺̺̓ň̶̛̘̟͔́ğ̴̨̛̥͖͑̐ ̵̡̞͇̺̓t̶͍͂̔̿ͅò̷͖ ̴̰̭̘̊͝r̸͓̰̟͋̂̈́͘ę̵̝̩̌̈ạ̵̾̔͘̚d̸͇̝͒̌ ̸̦̪̳͔̀̂͊h̸̟̬̱̄̂̏e̵͓̎̆̀r̵̞̆ȩ̸́͗̈́̉,̸͎̤͠ ̵͖̓s̴̺͂͋͊̔t̵͉́̉̚ö̴͈̗́̃p̴̲͔͓̽̓͛̕ ̶͖̂̓̕͜t̴̞̥͉̔ŗ̴̢͖̺͂̅͊͝y̶̋̃̈ͅì̷̛͍̪n̸̮͇͆g̶̛̺̼͊̋.̴̰̗̑͂̈́͘Ţ̸̘̳͕̍̌͝͝h̷̡͔̎ę̴̨̛̉r̴̛̻̻̀͐̽e̷̢̧͊̈ ̶̼̀͌͛i̷̡̾͝s̸̨̏ ̶̢͚͔̯̓n̴̯̲̮̏̔͝o̵̧̩̺̖̾̈̍͗t̶̙̉͂ḥ̴̡̙͒̀͐̌i̸̦̝̍͂ṅ̸̟͚̳̔̍g̴͔̖͓̹͒͝ ̷̡͈̮̭́̾̽͛t̷̢̧̯͋ò̵̮͓̳͌̚͝ ̴̻̠̰̾̊ŗ̸̠̈́̀͑̄e̵̱̣̪͉͆̓̌a̵̗̖̻̿̃̕͝d̴͍̠̒̒ ̴̜̻̌͗͘h̸̢̟̝̾̈́̊ë̴̠̯́̌̓͌r̸̡̳̃͐́͌e̵̟̍̉͝,̵̢͍̱͉̄̓̚ ̷̜̳̍͆͒͝s̷͇̺̯͋̋̏ͅt̵̨͚͓̜́̀o̷͇̼̮͗̋͋͝p̵̥̪͖̀͌͋͜͝ ̴͖̯͎̻́͠t̵͙̠̑͘͝r̵̨̦͓̾͂ỹ̵̼̘͚̄í̷̘̉̆͠ṋ̶̂́͝g̷̡̨̻̥̕̚.̵͉͈̏̆ͅT̵͕̏͆͝h̶̠̝͠ė̴̡̦͛r̸̹͊̒͂͊e̶͍̋ ̴̛͓̌͠͝i̵̗̖̰̽͘͝ṡ̶̯̲̬̔͊͜ ̷̣̬̞̌̊̀͜ñ̸̯͕̀̋͝ǒ̶̩̼̪͓̃̃͘t̷͔̩̹̎ḧ̸̰̪̈́̓͝i̷͔̻̓̀͛n̸͚̥͉̏͑̌̂ǧ̷̥ ̶̡̧̭̈́͋͠ṫ̶̲̫õ̴̘̮ ̷̨͉̟́ŗ̵̞̼̔͆̈́͝e̸̥̦͒̈̃a̵̰̩͆d̴̦̹̺̤́ ̷̣̿̅̓h̴̗̦̿̑̌̒è̶̺̗͜r̶̟̋̓̇̑e̵͔̭̅̌͜,̷̡͙͎͊͋͠ ̶̛̥̘̺̭̉s̴̒͂̾̒͜ẗ̴͖́̑̎ȯ̵̖͚̬̤̽p̵̩̓ ̴̘͈̽̉t̴̥̤͖̮̅͑̕ṙ̴̩͕͇͙͐y̶͛͜i̴̖͆̄̂͂n̴̳͚̠̗̔͐g̸̛̺͚̀.̷̞̾Ṱ̴͕̂h̶̛̟̤̙̙̒͒ę̷́̆̈́r̵̫̥̆e̸̬̤̯̦͂ ̴̰̫̄ȋ̵͍̫̯͂͒́š̴̼͘ ̶̱͒̄͝ñ̸̞͙̫̤͐ȏ̶̩t̷̘̖͔͛̊͜ȟ̵̡̛͠i̵̱̊̈͗̈́n̵͈͚̺̈̈́͠͠g̶̹͓͗̕ ̶̤̮͐̌t̷̞͎͕̲̀ö̵̢͚̀̚ ̷̬͓̈́́r̷̗̥̅͂̒̽e̵̢̦̓̓̕͝ã̵͇͙̤̀̚͠d̴͔͓́ ̸̱̎̋h̷͉̠͋͠e̴͇̗̓͒͂̉ṟ̸̰̓͝e̶̱͍̮̟͋̔̕,̷̜̞̼̂̋̐ ̴̡̧̲͉̃ş̶͖̝̳̾ẗ̷̟̘̀͑̑õ̵͕̳̻̙p̵̢͈̐͂͂͜͜͝ ̸̧̱̘̣̍̌̿̚t̷̬̫͎͓͛̄r̶̫̀͗̿̅ẏ̷͔̻̥̆̿͝ĩ̵̪̝̼̍ṇ̷̳͊̇̕g̸̉ͅ.̸͇̠̿̍̄̄Ṱ̵̐́͊̀h̷͇͍̩̃̀͂̕ȩ̸̡̊͘r̸̟͈̄̓̈͛ḛ̵̩͙͆̀ ̴̟͖͑̉̀ͅi̷̢̽̂̎̀s̴̙̬̲̊͒͝ ̶̩̅̏̏͛n̷̟̊̓̈́̽o̵̪͈̲̎̂͆̿t̷̺͚͋h̷̢̡̩͎̅̿̚i̵̢̦̍̽͊n̴̡̖͚͕̋͘ģ̶̐̚͠ ̷̟͉̜͈̃t̸̺͍̞͖̒͗̐ò̸̞ͅ ̷͈̟̠̋̆͐̒r̶͓̪͕̃̅̿̌ê̵͇̦͔̣a̸͖͇͂d̴̺̮͔͖̿̈́͝͝ ̸̨͂̓h̵̹͖̭́͜e̴̻͎͝r̸̝̝̋͌͝é̷̙͒̄͠,̵̯͔̤͋͆͝ ̴̔̕ͅs̵͉͎̄̈͆t̵͎͇̺́̓͆ȯ̷̬͆́̄p̶͇͇͘ ̸̳̭͗̋̈́t̸̢̕͝r̷̳̅̈̅y̵̹͎̣̐̾́͜i̴̡̡̛̖̦̿̀͌n̶̥͐̓͝g̵̥̼̚.̴̨͈̱̳͗̕͘

The entire page has been scratched out with silver, magical ink. Starswirl did some editing of his own here, there, and during the final entry (you'll see when we get there). When I demanded to know what he'd crossed out, the old stallion said he was "Tired of erasing [my] memory, so please drop this inquiry." I honestly don't know what to think about that, so I stopped asking that question. Any chance I could ask you to double check my brain later?

I didn’t quite know what to say. Poor Swirly.

“But what about your kin?” he asked, “How mighty is the house Lulamoon to where you could cast such a mighty spell?”

“Spell?” I asked reflexively. Remember, reflexes of a Tiger.

“The… teleportation which brought you here? You said you came from someplace called Equestria.”

Shoot, I thought. I wish I’d been a little more discreet before. But I couldn’t just say nothing. Old traveler’s code says, a story for a story. And after he just sort of opened up like that, I had to.

“Well,” Trixie said this a few times to buy time to stall, “Back home I live in a magical tree that was grown from a crystal! And I work at a school.”

All technically true. As you know.

“A magic school!?” I swear he had stars in his eyes.

Stars. Swirly. That rings a bell. Gotta check with Starlight when I get back.

“A school of Friendship,” I corrected, “But since friendship is magic…”

“That’s not magic!” he cut the Great and Powerful Trixie off, “There’s hardly any fire or lighting! You need that for real magic!”

Trixe huffed at that little remark, but since Swirly was just a kid, she decided not to hold it against him much.

Especially since his next question was, “What about your family?”

“What about them?”

“How fair they? Your folk, your kin? I only have my mother and father, plus my brothers Starmane and Pen Stroke now this past year. Not since winter took my sister.”

Yeah, I know. He’s like, ten or something. Trixie knows she wasn't much older when her mother--

Sorry, he just corrected me. Twelve. He’s twelve. But he’s also good at guilting me without knowing it. Little smarty-squirt.

“Trixie’s mother died passed away when she was very small,” I said. “My father was never around, and ran away to Las Pegasus at the same time.”

Joking aside, part of the reason Trixie seems to have left CSGU was that her grades were steadily dropping during her last quarter there (prior to the firework instance) as her mother's health declined. Records indicate she ran away from home after her mother's passing and her expulsion, rather than face living in Canterlot Orphanage.

Agents of the Crown have made inquiries on our behalf (thank Bon Bon and Octavia for me!) that seem to indicate Jack Pot, a Las Pegasus resident and travelling magician, is the most likely candidate for being Trixie's father. There's is a strong familial resemblance, both in coloration and profession, as well as the fact that Trixie was arrested two years ago by the LP Police Department for savagely beating the stage magician during a performance. No charges were filed. Yeesh.

“Las Pegasus?” Swirly asked, and once again I found myself mentally facehoofing. I have to stop bringing up the future around Swirly.

But he kept on going, “Is your father a pegasus?”

I don’t like talking about my dad, but I figured it couldn’t hurt this once.

“No, he’s a unicorn.”

This definitely confused him, “But the pegasi and the unicorns hate each other. There was a war only a few years ago. My dad served in the earth-militia.”

I stopped. We’d arrived at the seamstress-place, but it was what Swirly said that really made me stop in the street. Ponies fighting ponies.

Ponies. Fighting. Ponies.

I remember the Hearth’s Warming story, of course, who doesn’t (in the future, I mean)? But I guess I never really thought about what it meant that all three tribes came together under the Fire of Friendship back then.

Swirly told me a little about the fighting. Then, and later that night. I never really thought about how even kids back then right now have to live through these kinds of things. He’s such a little sweetheart, but then he can just casually talk about ponies killing each other.

Trixie appreciates that old story a lot more now. I tried to explain to Swirly how, where I was from, all ponies lived together peacefully.

It's strange to think back to that time and realize how different things were. Ponies had to face death and starvation regularly in a way that we can't really conceive of anymore.

I don’t think he quite believes me. But I had to see the seamstresses, so I left it there.

If I’d seen an off-color Rarity working at the seamstress’s hall, I think I would have screamed and started begging Luna to rescue me from the coma.

As it turned out, Ribbon had beaten me and Swirly there

Sorry. Swirly and I. Swirly is a know-it-all NERD who wants me to write correctly, even though he probably can’t read modern Ponish.

Apparently, he can. So now I gotta hide this thing whenever he’s snooping. Great.

I really hate Trixie. Not only does she get to hear real Old Ponish accents, but she gets to experience written Old Ponish, and she didn't record any of it for us. I hate her so much.

Ribbon, as it turns out, is just as interested in magic as Sparkleshine, but her talents lend themselves more towards fashion and alchemy, according to her. Which, as she explained to me, is how Hyneighria became famous for colored clothing.

Also known as Ribbon Wishes in the historical and mythological record. She seems quite feisty in Trixie's account, but all the tales and stories that came down to present day paint her as a sort of mother-figure of the early Equestrians, often invoked by expecting mothers and angry ones who just caught their foals sneaking extra snacks at night. Everypony remembers the old rhyme meant to shame misbehaving foals: Mother Ribbon, Mother Ribbon / Isn't it shameful that love's a given?

Apparently, Trixie’s old magician cape and hat’s shade of purple is considered almost impossible, even with alchemy, magic, and dyes to create. Dark blue, though, is easy, Ribbon tells me. So after she took my measurements, she told me she could make it blue with any highlights I wanted. A little disappointing, but them's the breaks. I figured I could experiment with magic later, anyway.

She liked my sketches of what I wanted in terms of stars. And she really liked my stitch-work. She called it unique.

I kinda like Ribbon. She’s bubbly, but not like Sparkleshine. She reminds me of Starlight, actually. She gets this gleam in her eye whenever magic comes up, just like Starlight, and Swirly for that matter. Very excitable. Best of all, she could whip up some straight-jackets! I could perform a few of my world-famous escape tricks for the town!

Such escape tricks include straight-jackets, water-traps, a bricked-up shed, and the occasional angry mob, such as when that whole Ursa Minor thing happened.

Once she’d taken my order, Ribbon had to get back to work, so I decided to get going and get the local grocer to get my supplies. Food could wait, but paint and wood and curtains and such stuff was necessary for my show, which I did promise these ponies.

On the way, Swirly apparently hadn’t stopped thinking about Equestria, since he began to elaborate on exactly why all three tribes couldn’t work as one nation.

*following section illegible, coffee stains*

“- unicorns and earth ponies?”

“It’s not like we can’t work together,” Swirly said, “But to say that all three tribes could live together under the same system-“

*following section illegible, coffee stains*

Merry Weather came around with coffee again. I’m really regretting teaching her how to make that stuff.

Did I mention how much I hate Trixie? Because right now, I want to have some tea just to spite her in spirit. A young Starswirl, sharing political philosophy? And coffee stains stole it away from us? Hate. Hate. Hate.

Swirly and I were arguing so much that, well, Trixie can never be blindsided, but she will admit to being distracted enough by the little shrimp that she couldn’t get out of the way before a bright red pegasus smashed into her from out of nowhere.

I went flying, metaphorically. Just me and this pegasus who kept screaming ‘look out’ as we rolled down the dirt street. Once I got back up to my hooves, coughing up a small hill’s worth of mud I’d swallowed during the crash, I almost lost my cool and shouted at that stupid Rainbow Dash.

Which was when I got a good look at the mare before me. I don’t know what is with Hyneighria, but half of these ponies are dead-ringers for all my friends back in Ponyville! And this one was no exception! It was almost exactly Rainbow Dash, shaggy mane and all, just with a bright-red coat. Her mane was a rainbow still, just one that ran from dark blue to white (which still counts!).

“Sorry about that!” the pegasus apologized as she hopped back up. She had on a large burlap sack that had been strapped tight to her, and I could hear a bunch of jangling sounds from it, like she'd dumped a whole kitchen drawer full of spoons in it.

“Morning, Firefly!” Swirly greeted her warmly.

Firefly seemed to notice him, and I almost balked at how Dash the look she gave was. Like if you tried to explain advanced thaumological equations to Applejack.

Remembered in myth and legend as Dux Firefly, one of the legendary founders of Cloudsdale, as well as the first (alleged) pegasus to perform the Sonic Rainboom. As with your own royal self, records fail to indicate if Firefly was an ancestor of Rainbow Dash, but from reading ahead, Trixie might actually provide us a concrete answer to that question. But you'll have to keep reading to find it.

“Uh, hey Star,” she said, “Who’s the new-girl?”

“She’s the Great and Powerful Trixie!” he informed her, to my great and powerful pleasure, “She’s a real wizard!”

Firefly raised an eyebrow at me, and Trixie will admit that it felt like getting the third degree from a guardpony who’s just jealous that they didn’t get a comp’d ticket to the show. I know what it’s like to have an inquiring, judgefull* eye on oneself.

I'm not here to correct Trixie's spelling.

“Yeah, okay,” Firefly finally said, then held out a wing to shake, “Sorry about crashing into ya like that. Caught a downdraft wrong and came down hard.”

“No worries,” I decided to be gracious, despite the way my withers ached from the crash, “Trixie knows what that’s like.”

“Flying?”

“Crashing,” I said, laughing a little, “some performances can get rough.”

“So, you’re a performing wizard? That’s...” Firefly didn’t seem to know what to say. I suspect somepony dropped her as a foal.

“Cool?” I offered.

“Why would it be cold?”

“No,” I said, still forgetting not to do what I was about to do, “Cool as in awesome.”

Firefly’s eyes lit up.

I did it again.

“Like, inspiring awe? Awesome…” she whispered to herself, “I like that word.”

What else could I say? “Uh, you’re welcome.”

Firefly thanked me for the new word (I’m terrible as a time traveler) and was about to take off again when Swirly said, “Wait! We were coming to see you!”

“We were?” I asked the little colt.

“Firefly runs the grocer here,” Swirly nodded.

Said grocer had apparently been on a return trip for supplies when she decided to practice some aerial maneuvers (seriously! Wake me up, Princess Luna!) and lost control.

This day was so weird.

Well, colored me surprised, but Firefly had a pretty large and varied stock. I will admit, I’d written off Hyneighria at first as being in the sticks, but their storehouse, which I’d assumed was just a big barn someone put inside the city walls, had everything I could have ever needed, except for the wagon (but I’ll get to that).

I made sure to ask Firefly about canvas, bags, rope, basic tools, smoke powder (ingredients, anyway), utensils, flasks, lanterns, butter, cloth, some canned rations, etc etc. And while the mare seemed to keep up with what I was saying, I couldn’t help but think half of what I said had simply flown over her head. But, a few minutes later, she had basically everything set up for me.

The Guild of Equestrian Magicians (of which Trixie is a longstanding member) holds a monopoly on the stage-magician's profession in Equestria, so it's no surprise Trixie would keep their secrets even here. Talking with Starlight Glimmer, it sounds like Trixie may be using physical spell components as a shortcut in her spell-casting. Trixie's renowned impatience is probably the only reason she'd need such a shortcut considering her talent in some areas of magical knowledge.

“Don’t know what tin will do ya, unless you’re a tinker,” she said as she dropped a couple tin plates on the counter in front of me.

Tinkers were an itinerant profession in Pre-Classical Equestria known for doing odd jobs, and especially for doing repair work for other trades, mostly involving metal like tin. Hence, tinkers.

I sighed, and tried to speak slowly for her benefit, “Trixie said tin rations. Like, some beans? Or canned corn?”

“Silly,” she shook her pseudo-rainbow mane, “You can’t eat tin! It’d hurt your teeth!”

So, I didn’t realize they didn’t have canned goods yet. That was not ideal. Any traveling pony will tell you that canned anything is worth its weight in gold when you’re on the road and there’s not enough grass to eat.

“Alright,” I rubbed my head and tried to think of something else, “What do ponies around here normally pack to eat on long journeys?”

“Depends. How long are ya looking to travel?”

I had asked Swirly about other towns the night before, but from what I could gather, this place that would become Equestria was mostly scattered farmsteads and a few minor towns. The maps in Sparkleshine’s library were almost useless for anything except broad-strokes directions.

“I’m a traveler,” I said, “So I guess I never stop traveling… but the next place on my itinerary looks like Gallopoli. How far’s that?”

Gallopoli is an ancient city, currently known as Baltimare to modern Equestrians. Though now a hub of trade, back in this time Gallopoli is better known as a farming community that just so happens to have a port and ships. It was the sight of an ancient battle of some sort (few first-hoof records survived), from where we get the famous Equestrian folk song, The Star Spangled Mare.

I am terrified to find out if Trixie had anything to do with that.

Firefly smirked at me, actually smirked!

“Well, that depends,” she said, leaning on the table she used to lay out all the tools and food I was buying from her. “Most pegasi can get there in a day or so. If you’re hoofing it, Gallopoli’s closer to a week away.”

“Too bad there’s no train,” Trixie may have tried muttering under her breath, but years of stage-whispers and voice-projecting has given Trixie an unparalleled stage-presence, so Firefly heard what I said.

“Wagon trains would be even slower, to be honest,” she shook her head, then flexed her wings in front of me again, “Too bad you don’t have these!”

Now, I will admit that, once upon a time, in a Ponyville far, far away, I’d once had to deal with a heckler that Firefly was reminding me sorely of. An arrogant little pegasus named Rainbow Dash who didn’t seem to understand what performer’s do. She was the one who led her friends in heckling my show all those years ago in the future whenever.

But that was years ago. And I consider Dashie to be a very close friend of mine now. Even a Great and Powerful friend, on a good day. So, having her stupid doppler dipp dopplen Firefly here acting so smug and so arrogant really rubbed my horn the wrong way.

“So,” I said, in spite of a little bit of Starlight screaming in my head to not, “You think you’re the fastest pegasus around?”

“Around?” Firefly scowled, “Nah. I’m the fastest thing of all time! Trust me, I can get from here to the Canterhorn and back in half a day.”

Good to know it’s always been called Canterhorn. Nopony seems to have heard of Canterlot, however.

Canterlot shouldn't be founded until the Unicorn Separatist Movement some two-hundred years after Trixie's journeys. At least, that's how the story traditionally goes. It remained a backwater mountain-fortress for centuries until Celestia made it the seat of government following the Nightmare Moon Incident, mostly due to its central location and lack of painful history for her, no doubt.

“That might sound impressive,” I checked out my hooves, just to sell how bored of her nonsense I was, “But if you can’t even make a Sonic Rainboom, you can’t really call yourself the fastest.”

For the record, Starlight, I'm so, so sorry I said that. And, Rainbow Dash, if you ever find this, and you can get somepony to read it to you, know that Trixie is sorry for basically everything. Firefly's eyes lit up like the Summer Sun Celebration, and she started salivating. I really had no choice but to tell her about the Rainboom at that point. Which wasn't easy, since Dash never showed me how she did it, flying not being my specialty.

I suppose my explanation must have made sense, since she took off at that point to practice it. And for the rest of the day, I could hear her trying to break the light-spec light speed barrier. But, Swirly and I had one more errand to run, so we got going.

See, as Trixie said before, the main thing you need as a true wandering showpony is a wagon. It's not just a home, or a means of travel. I once met a pirate named Blackhoof down in Tierra Del Potro who said it best. To paraphrase: "A wagon means being Free." So, I needed a wagon. Ipso facto, dulce et decorum est.

I don't think she knows what that means.

"Well, we don't have much call for building new wagons hereabouts," Swirly pondered when I asked about them, "But I assume the Peach family will be your best chance..."

He paused, and we both watched Firefly crash through somepony's thatch roof trying to do her own Rainboom.

"That won't be a problem," I assured the lad, "Trixie still has most of her gold."

But Swirly proved that it doesn't take a purple princess to be a killjoy. "It may not be a question of price, but of material. The Peaches may simply not have a spare wagon built."

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. That's what I should have said. Would have been a good thing to say. Instead, I sputtered something out, not really responding to Swirly. This was because, in a way very typical of this entire crazy town, I'd just spotted a pink Applejack walking down the street.

I admit, in hindsight, I could have handled it better.

"Applejack!?"

The pink Apple pony saw me, and right away I could tell she was scared. Many are, rightfully, intimidated by the Great and Powerful Trixie, so I know what I'm talking about when I say she had a look in her eyes. She looked about nervously, like I'd just called her up as a volunteer for the sawing-in-half trick.

Not-Applejack then pulled a lasso from her mane, I kid you not, and she tied me up! Me! And, just like that, Trixie found herself getting dragged into the nearest alleyway

Trixie graciously followed Not-Applejack into the nearest alleyway, not that I had much of a choice. She was monstrously strong, as all earth ponies are, and Swirly kept telling me not to rile up Peachy.

So, now I had a name to the all-too-familiar-face.

Peachy Peaches. Surprisingly, there's a ton of info on her in the historical record. Zap Apple and Petrification "Petra" Dendrite Pie, of all ponies, recently compiled an exhaustive list of Apple and Pie relatives throughout both families' extensive histories. I think you were made aware of a common ancestor of theirs by the name of Applesauce Apple, but that was only one of the more recent shared relations. Turns out the Pies and Apples have been criss-crossing genes since, well, Peachy Peach. I'd make an inbred joke, but that'd be crass.

Peachy, and her five children, formed the basis of the Apple, Pie, Peach, Pear, and Cake families, incidentally.

"How?" was the first thing she asked me, once we were out of sight.

Trixie will also admit to being nervous. She's met one too many ponies in dark alleyways not to know how these things usually went. And as Trixie was wrapped up in rope this time as well, she was already hard at work trying to work her way out of her constrictors.

But, in the meantime, I had to play along.

"How, what?"

"How'd you know?" Peachy glared at me with her bulbous, blue eyes (which, now that I'm not directly under them, sort of reminded me of Pinkie Pie's), "Sweet Tooth and Bumblebee were the only ones at the wedding!!"

And there it was. This Peachy had eloped with somepony.

"She's a Great and Powerful wizard!" Swirly announced, "She could probably tell just by looking at you."

I love that kid. If I ever swing back this way

*scribbled in the margins*
For the love of Celestia, Starlight, you better get me out of here before then or I will have kids just so there's a line of Lulamoons throughout time looking to kick your flank when you show up!

Now, you and I both know she got back, but wouldn't that have been amazing to see?

If I ever swing back this way, I'll have to teach him some tricks.

"Oh really?" Peachy narrowed her eyes at me, suspicious-like, "If you know so much, then what am I thinking about?"

Trixie would normally be amazing at cold readings. It draws crowds like Changelings to a faulty lamppost. But just then, with my back against a wall and a pair of hooves holding me by the scruff of my neck, I wasn't feeling it.

"A-apples?" I choked out. Really, earth ponies need to learn how to not strangle unicorns they're accosting.

Peachy's eyes did something then that I've only seen Pinkie Pie do, and Derpy Hooves that one time she got hit by an out-of-control wagon that, for legal reasons, I will state was not mine. Her eyes nearly popped out of her skull, looked in different directions from each other, and got all glassy-looking. When Pinkie did it, it was just a Pinkie Thing.

This was downright weird. Didn't Trixie hear about Applejack and Pinkie being related once?

"You really are a wizard!" her eyes lit up like stars.

Her star-struck gaze was most appropriately timed, for it was at that moment I had managed to dislocate my forehooves, giving me a bit of slack, and causing the ropes to simply fall away from me. Trixie even managed to stick the landing, allowing her hooves to imperc unnoticed-ally snap back into place. Sure, there'd be swelling later, but at least I didn't break them this time.

Hospital records from Manehattan would attest to Trixie trying, and failing, to do this many times. Apparently, her first show in Ponyville was a comeback tour as well, after she managed to dislocate her hips and withers trying to get out of a safe. So, in hindsight, getting heckled by your friends on her first day out of a full hoof-and-horn cast probably didn't do her any favors.

Now, that bit of totally intentionally-planned

Fine. Swirly says I didn't plan that. Little runt. He's gonna drive some mare crazy one day, the way he nags.

Anyway, where was I? Why did Trixie write down that question?

Peachy was suitably impressed with my rope-skills, and the fact that I was a great and powerful wizard. It was easy enough to get her to back off then, and she even apologized for roughing me up.

"I'm awfully sorry about that," she said, "It's just... it's always been a bit of a prickly situation with my pa."

She half-turned, and showed me her flank, which, oddly enough, had an apple Cutie Mark. Five of them, to be exact.

Peachy was in her own world for a moment, then said, "It was a disgrace to the Peach family, since our greatest rivals were the Apples from the other side of the village. But..." her eyes went all lovey-dovey just then, "Then Malus Apple came into my life... and I couldn't imagine living without him. We've been planning on telling my folks for a while, but..."

"Say no more!" said Trixie, quickly spooling up the forgotten rope with a spell, "I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, have seen this sort of thing before. And I would never think to reveal another's secrets."

Which was true. Magicians never shared their secrets, except for once a month at the spa with Rarity. But, she was further sworn to secrecy, so that's fine.

But Peachy's eyes narrowed towards me. "I hate to ask... but I need ya to promise me ya'll never speak a word of this."

"Isn't what I said enough...?"

"PROMISE!"

Pinkie Pie or Applejack. I'm not sure whose ancestor Peachy is now. But she's scary. Scary enough that I even went ahead and made a Pinkie Promise right then and there.

"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," I solemnly repeated, even doing the silly motions with the promise.

"Eh, what's that?" Peachy asked.

Trixie shrugged, and said, "Oh, it's an ancient wizard's promise. It's very important. So important, that I could never break it. My lips are sealed, forever."

Peachy seemed to like that explanation. Her mood improved instantly, and the alleyway took on a far less foreboding feeling than it had before.

Oddly, I could have sworn I almost heard Pinkie Pie's voice saying 'For-EVER' somewhere nearby. Spooked me good until Swirly pointed out Firefly was still zooming about above us, trying to master the Rainboom. Probably just wind, I guess.

There isn't much to tell about Peachy after that. She's like Applejack with a helping of sugar on the side. A very sweet mare. She was even willing to help Trixie out with her wagon issues, so score! Trouble was, it would cost most of Trixie's bits. Wagons are really expensive, even here. But, it was a necessary thing, so I went ahead and promised the payment.

Hopefully, I'd make some of that back in performances here. I was down to about ten bits.

Sparkleshine had been fished down from her roof by the time Swirly and I got back, so after a quick evening meal with her and Swirly's folks, I decided to prep for my show before heading to bed. Guild rules prevent Trixie from remarking upon the specifics, but I did find a bit of time to teach Swirly how to

*half a page has been ripped out here*

Never again. Swirly likes fire too much to learn sleight of hoof.

Day 6

Not much happened. Just helped Peachy and Sparkleshine learn more about plumbing and outhouses. Page Turner and Swirly were horrified to learn about toilet paper. Something about 'desecrating a medium of knowledge' or something, blah blah blah, whatever.

Point is, nothing happened. At all. Nothing.

BULL. I called shenanigans as soon as I saw this bit, and I was right on the money. Starswirl was more than happy to fill me in on the juicy deets, as my kids say.

From the Desk of Starswirl, the Bearded

As much as I don't care to keep secrets from my wife, let it not be said that I don't know how egotistical she can get. And so, in the interest of proving her claims and showing the world what an amazing mare she really is, I shall humbly relate to you, Your Majesty, the events of that day. The day that Trixie Lulamoon invented the Outhouse. Once this report goes out, and she gets the recognition she deserves, this will be a humorous way to pony-ize my Trixie.

Now, Hyneighria was not a large city. We were a fairly small town back in those days, and so there wasn't really a need for a large-scale plumbing and sewage system. We had simple drainage canals cut into the roads, and there were plans to build a cistern. But, Trixie brought a lot of innovations to our town that I suppose would have either taken years to develop, or were straight from the future. Now, the present, as it were.

She began with a review of our systems, and I will admit, even then we were impressed with how much she actually knew about such systems. Now I am aware she briefly lived in the vast, underground sewer-city beneath Ponyland, Oregano Country, during her 'wandering' phase, but back then, I was astonished by her knowledge. I suspected she wasn't as great and powerful a mage as she claimed, but her ingenuity won me over. Not that I had much say in things, being a colt at the time. But Mayor Sparkleshine appreciated the information, especially that of hygiene.

It was the Pre-Classical Era. We didn't have paper or antimicrobial soap. Give me a break here.

But that wasn't what you wanted to hear. No, what you and any future readers of this account would love to hear about is how Trixie went out, into the Apple and Peach fields, and actually tried to show how we could make better drainages and outhouses. The Outhouse was a truly marvelous innovation at the time for us townsponies, and I would caution making fun of such an important improvement to health and saftey.

Sure, Trixie might have fallen into the various sewage pits she was constructing and helping to construct. She might have even fallen into the used drainages and canals over a dozen times. There was even a time she fell into a drainage, tried to climb out, and then fell in again.

I'll admit. It was funnier than I'll ever let her know. Peachy and Ribbon were howling with laughter, and even Bowtie had some fun at her expense. But we all appreciated her efforts, and she likely caused a revolution in hygiene that saved lives throughout Equestria in the following centuries.

So, there it is. My Trixie is the reason nopony dies of infection when they get a little cut these days. You're welcome.

Day 7

Trixie was very proud of her first performance in another timeline. Or, era. Whatever. She was very proud, regardless.

But it could have all turned out so much worse had I not realized my mistake right when I got up out of bed that morning. I had procured enough material for my spells, fireworks, and other tricks. I had costumes and a stage all set up (courtesy of Sparkleshine allowing me to use the front of town hall).

What I had completely forgotten about, however, was getting an Assistant for the show!

*page stained by coffee*

Assistant at hoof, Swirly and I raced for the stage, and our destiny!

Swirly is concerned Trixie is overblowing her performance. Little does he know that Trixie's shows always blow!

Trixie planned to perform during the lunch hour rush, so as many ponies as possible could see her great and powerful magnificence on display. Plus, crowds are easier to mess around with when they're bigger. Something my old CSGU Professor Candy Crush always used to say was that ponies have a herd mentality that makes them easier to dupe when there's a bunch of them.

Kinda like when Cozy Glow took over the school and almost destroyed the world that one time. Again, not blaming Sparkle, despite it being under her watch at the time, but just saying.

So, we were just about to set up, when suddenly

*page water-damaged beyond legibility*

Yeah, sorry about the damages here. In my defense, two-thousand year old water stains are a nag to get out.

Once that was taken care of, and Peachy could sit with her hubby in public next to the rest of the Apples and Peaches, Trixie was finally ready to put on her show, now with a newly appreciative audience. My hat and cape were ready, courtesy of Ribbon Wishes, and Sparkleshine had, admittedly, done a grand job organizing the stage decorations we'd talked about. All that we needed now, was a little magic!

Naturally, I started with a bang! Literally. The powder in this time may not be quite the same as back home, but I was able to get it to work with my firework spells, so I had a bright blue smoke cloud set up right at the beginning, with just the right amount of OOMF, you know?

I don't know why I asked you that, journal. You can't answer.

Trixie is off-track. And apparently lonely enough to write all this in her journal

That bit of razzle-dazzle clearly dazzled had the crowd excited. They'd probably never seen fireworks before, or at least ones as Great and Powerful as Trixie's.

Again, just to point out, Trixie's fireworks are apparently very famous amongst the magician community.

Too bad they wouldn't be invented, normally, for another six centuries. And about a continent away.

I went through some of my best routines. Some sleight of hoof with what passed for playing cards around here got the kiddies to come up close to the stage. Get the kids, and you've got their parents' wallets. That's what Grey Prancer always said, and he never went hungry. I followed that up with some acrobatics, using teleportation and smoke to show off how quick and impossibly fast I could be, at least when nopony was looking where I didn't want them to.

Misdirection! Another one of Trixie's Great and Powerful tricks!

The show was going well, though that didn't surprise me at all. Trixie knew she was a marvel of a magical mare. It was gratifying, all the same, to have even this little town recognize that fact. There was applause! There was cheering!

But then, instead of the clatter of bits on the stage, there was screaming.

I could see some sort of commotion going on near the town's main gate. At first, Trixie was worried that an angry mob had formed again, but that soon proved not to be the case. For one thing, I almost recognized the loudest screaming of them all.

That donkey, Bray, was racing up the road towards the center of town, shouting for help, and right on his hooves looked to be trouble. Behind him were four huge pigs, or boars, or whatever. Bigger than any I'd ever seen, even bigger than that one prize-winning pig Applejack raised last year for the big rodeo in Appleloosa.

Trixie apparently had some sort of adventure with your friend Applejack about a week after the whole Terrible Trio thing. Sounds like they had a rough time of it, as Rainbow Dash described it. Lots of calamity and stampeding pigs. And then they learned that the real giant pigs, were the friends they made along the way.

Or, it was something about respecting the special talents of ponies you don't otherwise like or get along with. You'd have to ask one of them about it if you didn't get a friendship letter.

Worse! These didn't look like regular giant pigs. They were wearing armor of some kind, and had axes hooked onto their tusks!

"Help! Help!" Bray was screaming, guardponies scattering as the warpigs slammed into them. I watched as Bowtie came thundering in after them, but it was clear this wasn't a good situation. I've seen things like this before (Manehattan, Celestia 1111, the Tartarus Alicorn gang, who I had hired as private security for my show, decided to start a riot. And this was looking about the same), and I wasn't happy to see it again.

Luckily, my show was only half over. And nopony nopig was going to interrupt my show!

Alright, Trixie won't sugarcoat it. I talk a good game, but I know where my real talents lie. And fighting four burly boars wasn't that. Never telling Swirly this, but I was just about to teleport backstage and make a run for it when I realized Sparkleshine was stepping in front of those monsters, and her horn was projecting a shield spell.

Why is that important? I hear you ask, journal. Well, because, as I've established, these ponies are backwards. And, Trixie, despite being a showmare, is still the most powerful mage around at the moment. And the most knowledgeable. And the best looking. And the smartest. And

Point is, Trixie remembers her Spell Combat courses from CSGU. Professor Snake may have been a gloomy guss, but he knew his stuff, and he was one of the only teachers I could stand. So, it was obvious to me that Sparkleshine was in trouble, with her magic shield barely measuring at a paltry second-level. First level shields help manage light rain and weather, or at least keeping it out of your eyes while traveling. At second level, you could stop a tenneighs ball.

Four murderous thugs, each the size of Big Mac? That wasn't happening.

Like I said before, I can almost tolerate Princess Sparkle at the best of times. But without her, I know my life would be miserable. How else would I have met Starlight? I suppose I owed her this one. And by 'this one', I meant, 'making sure she was born'.

Trixe snatched up some rope in her magic. She was going to impress everypony with a cut-rope-loop later on, but that would have to be postponed. She leapt into action, and sent the rope snaking down through the crowd.

I had the rope whip its way around the legs of the first pig, tripping him up, and sending the brute skidding to a halt on his chinny-chin-chin. That slowed the other three down, who saw their companion drop, and glared up at me.

"Ha!" I tried to laugh, but it came out as a bit of a cry, "You dare to intrude upon the performance of the Great and Powerful Trixie!? How un-neigh-borly of you!"

The crowd ate that one up. Despite more than a few ponies looking worried or scared, Trixie knows how a good laugh can take the fright out of anything.

"Grrr!" one of the pigs snarled in my direction, then slapped his companions and shouted, "Get that wizard!"

Wizard. I love hearing that.

I had a lot less love for the pig who reached my stage first. This big old brute just cracked the front of the stage with his tusk-axe, and shook the whole thing half to pieces. Even with shaking me up as well, I finally got a good look at these ambush-hooligans. Old chain mail armor, like you'd see at one of those Re-enactment Fairs, wrapped around a creature that honestly smelled like you'd expect a four-hundred pound pig to smell after running a few miles under a hot sun.

And those eyes

Creepy eyes, and familiar. Yellow eyes, with red irises.

I barely met the guy, and I could already tell Discord had something to say about all this. Creep just said 'Spoilers' and turned my hat into a piranha. Jerk.

The pig started churning up the stage, literally ripping it into bits and pieces, like he was a shark carving through water! Trixie

I was scared. So scared. The last time I'd done something that stupid and dangerous, I at least had Starlight to get me out of danger afterward. This was something else. And, I'm not proud to admit something. I

*Trixie has scribbled over the next section, apparently drawing several pigs in armor, badly*

I leaked. I was so scared that I mana-leaked. I haven't done something like that since foalhood. Even the ursa didn't scare me like watching that pig cut through wood like water.

You probably don't need reminding about Mana-Leaks, being a unicorn, but take it from somepony who had a unicorn foal and didn't have a clue about it, it's scary, and upsetting. Both of my foals are older now, but Zaldia had that problem real bad growing up. Me being a pegasus, and Cab being an earth pony, we really didn't know how to help her.

Heh. Another weird similarity between me and Dash, huh?

But, as it turns out, it was all a part of Trixie's Master Plan! My horn sparked, ever so slightly, the sign of an immature unicorn foal trying magic for the first time, unable to control her mana flow. But, this was all Misdirection!

My little mana spark just so happened to not be a failed magical blast at all, but rather fell down beneath the stage floorboards on purpose. The pig laughed, and kept up his charge, completely unaware of the cache of explosive spell-material stashed right below his hooves.

The stage vaporized in a wave of flashing blues and greens and purples! The sound was incredible! I'm absolutely sure I would have got tinnitus from that if it weren't for the Bell incident (ask Starlight, only witness). Trixie only just avoided going skyward with the pig, teleporting out at the last possible second. I grabbed Swirly, who was trying to drag one of the escape jackets out to me when the whole ordeal sprang up, and managed to clear half the town square.

Sure, I reappeared about ten feet up and landed in a chicken coop. But it was still a successful operation.

"Run!" I could barely make out through the reverberating sound of that firework explosion and shrieking, panicked chickens, "She's a real wizard!!!"

Oop. Hang on.

*the whole page is covered in coffee stains*

Gotcha that time, Merry!

Maybe Trixie shouldn't gloat about giving Derpy's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother a caffeine addiction.

So, there I was, lying in a broken chicken coop, my new hat and cape covered in straw, smashed eggs, and probably poop. The whole stage, and probably most of my props and equipment were either dust, or sailing through lower orbit with

Ha! I just got it! I made a pig fly!!!

Anyway, Swirly was hugging me and trying to pick me up, when Trixie had a sudden grip of panic. This is a natural thing for anypony who's seen so many other ponies crowd around them before. Last time, had it not been for my quick thinking, tiger-like reflexes, and a good right hoof, I might have had to give out a refund!

This time though, all the village ponies were making a strange sound. It sounded like cheering, but the show was a disaster, as far as I was aware.

The concussion prevented Trixie from fighting back or teleporting away when they laid their hooves upon me. But then, instead of tossing me out of town, they started cheering again. It was so surreal that it took me a few moments to realize what was happening.

And just like that, Trixie was surrounded by all those familiar-but-not-familiar faces.

"You were amazing!" Ribbon was at my side as the crowd set me down, "You were like 'Haha! You'll never best me, villains!' and then you were like, ZAP! Ka-POW!"

Sparkleshine was (annoyingly) also smiling, "I've never seen magic like that! How'd you get past Sew Crates' Paradox with the rope? That sort of fibrous material shouldn't..."

Bowtie slapped me across the back just a little too hard right then, and Trixie will not lie: she almost threw up a little.

"Such sorcery!" he said once he had picked me up again, "You wouldn't happen to be looking to join the guard sometime, would you?"

It was all so disorientating. It took everything I had to shake the cobwebs loose and get my bearings straight.

"What just happened?" was all I could think to say. "Who were those pigs? What were they doing here? Why did they interrupt my show!?"

The whole crowd, a moment ago jubilant and praising me, fell into utter silence. Trixie checked her ears again, just to make sure it wasn't the tinnitus.

"Wow," Rainbo Firefly stage-whispered next to me, "She really isn't from around here."

"Of course not!" Swirly stepped up, shooting me a look I'm still not sure what it was. "Trixie is a Wizard of the highest caliber! She can make books out of magic...!"

I think Sparkleshine started drooling at that one.

"... She can turn bits of dust and flour into exploding magical powders! And she's seen things nopony else would believe! The Great and Powerful Trixie has even been to a place where ponies of every tribe work together!"

"Ya'll saw how she mended my family's strife," said Peachy, nuzzling quite close to Mal Apple on the edge of the crowd, "She knew about me and Mal before I ever spoke to her, using her mystical powers!"

Still can't believe we lost that passage. Gotta remember to ask either her or Starswirl about what happened.

I was blushing somewhat by this point. I mean, Trixie knows she's great, and all. But it's not everyday that she meets ponies who really see her in the same way. Ponyville's the closest I've ever come to this level of fame and appreciation, and even then I had to wallow in shame and obscurity for a long, long time before then.

I somewhat earned my poor reputation there, of course. But here? No Ursa Major story and no idiots to misinterpret. No neighsayers heckling my show and forcing me to put them in their place.

Okay. Pig monster attack. But who's counting?

"You actually don't know," Firefly said again, this time less incredulous, and more incredibled cred ib

She didn't ask it like a question, alright? She said it like, 'oh wow! that's amazing' or something.

"Those brutes," Sparkleshine said, this time with that same, Princess-y tone that the real Sparkle always did when she was lecturing me on something. But, this time, I decided to listen. Trixie had almost been killed, after all.

Right, anyway.

"Those brutes," she said, "Were Troggles. A tribe of boars who serve the will of Grogar, the Dread Ram."

"Grogar?" I asked, the name just barely registering as something I'd heard once before, but couldn't place, "Who's that?"

"An evil Ram, whose black magic allows him to create terrible monsters," Swirly took a turn for the serious, "He's been terrorizing the lands for years now, but besides Gusty..."

"Oh, hush now!" a callous, crackly voice rang out over the town.

Things were moving so fast, I realize. Trixie didn't have a chance to think over what anypony was saying. But, sitting here and writing it all out, I do remember something about this Grogar character. I think there's a fairy tale about him and Gusty.

Mom used to tell me that story.

I miss her. She had a beautiful voice, I think. Don't really remember what she sounded like, or looked like. But I remember she was a dancer, and a singer. So, of course she could sing and dance. She must have been so great. I can only remember the words to one of her songs, but it's usually enough.

Right, Bray.

Bray walked back through the crowd, his sour little face making me think he was a relative of Cranky's. The donkey looked fine, considering he'd just been chased back to town by a band of monsters, but his muzzle couldn't have ever once been happy, the way he carried himself.

"Everycreature knows that Gusty's just a myth! There ain't no way someone could stand up against Grogar."

He turned his face back towards me, and through clenched teeth, he added, "Thanks, by the way. For saving me. Wizard."

"Eh, don't mention it," I said, knowing full well what he was going through. Trixie may be many things, but proud is certainly one of them. I know whenever my flank's been pulled from the fire, I've never liked thanking the other party for it.

*the following was clearly written at a later date, in Starswirl's hornwriting*

Why didn't we piece it together sooner? It was so obvious. He was so obvious. I wish Luna had been around then, some nights. At least then, I might have found some solace from the nightmares.

When I asked a few donkey-historians about Bray, they spat on the ground before they'd talk about him.

From the play, Bray, written by Playbill Shake-Spear.

BRAY: I have done a thousand dreadful things as willingly as one would kill a fly; And nothing grieves me heartily indeed, but that I cannot do ten thousand more.”

Well, the performance was a bust. But, Trixie found her time in Hyneighria well-spent, regardless. That whole day, she was treated like royalty by the townsponies. I guess beating a couple of Troggles was a big deal around these parts. So, I got some great haycakes, some funky peach cider, and enough cake to make Celestia happy.

Best part? My local suppliers were more than happy to help me replace all the stuff that got blown up! I was even in such a good mood, I promised to do another show the next day!

Day Eight of being in the past went a lot better than Day Seven. Well, mostly. Don't get Trixie wrong, not having to deal with a farmpony rivalry or a bandit attack was nice, but things got a little hectic right at the end there, just a few hours ago from when I'm writing this down.

Things started off fine. Got in a nice breakfast. Watched Sparkleshine and Ribbon practice magic a bit. Sparkle lost, so even better! Took Swirly down to Peachy's place to pick up my new wagon. Nicely built, too! It looks a little like the number I had back when I first reached Ponyville, though a bit more open. It even had the same red roof.

Trixie sort of wonders now if technology ever moves forward in Equestria.

So am I at this point. The change in models Trixie's talking about probably refers to the fact that the wagon she purchased before Ponyville was a Suncruiser Mk XII. A popular model for travelers and vacationing families. After Princess Luna's return, the company, Alfalfa Romeo came out with a star and moon-themed wagon, the Dream Astral, which Trixie purchased some time after the Alicorn Amulet incident. With what money, I don't know.

Though, since Las Pegasus banned her for life around the same time, I have a few guesses.

That done, I went ahead with my show. And this performance went off without a hitch. The stage had to be rigged up at the last moment from scraps, and none of my cloth supplies had been dyed yet, but nopony seemed to mind. Heck, I could have sworn they were enjoying the show more than yesterday.

I don't often get to say this, but for a while, I finally knew what it was like to be loved.

I was in such a good mood after the last trick, where I put all my illusory skills to work making my assistant Swirly appear to grow into an adult stallion, that I went looking for that Bray character. Couldn't seem to find him though. Hope he's okay. Trixie knows from experience how bad a hurt ego can be.

Swirly's complaining that I didn't get his look right. Apparently, he should have a beard, like his dad. He seems really insistent on it. Hang on.

Okay. That wasn't a good idea. And for a couple of reasons.

First. He looked good. With the beard, I mean. Trixie will admit (I just realized I'm saying that a lot) that her skills at illusions are second to none, and I take a lot of pride in my work. But I work with what I got, and Swirly has got a lot going for him in the genetics department. If he turns out like my spell, then he'll probably be a mare's stallion when he grows up. That kid will be beating them off with a stick.

But, second reason that wasn't a good idea.

I know him. I recognized him.

Swirly. Bearded Swirly. Starry-eyed, bearded Swirly.

Starswirl, the Bearded. The Great Wizard. He Who Wore the Bells. I don't know if that's a real title of his,

He took that one after reading this journal, apparently. I suspect he gets his hooves on this before too long.

but it might be. At least, what I recall from CSGU. And from Princess Twilight. And that one time I kinda bumped into him in the Crystal Empire.

According to Starswirl, he legitimately didn't recognize her when they met up in the Crystal Empire Library. He chalked it up to him being tired and suffering tunnel-vision from his current project, plus no small amount of emotional distancing. I guess he thought she might have been a relative or distant cousin or something. It wasn't until she returned from this adventure that he got around his own mental and emotional blocks and realized who was standing right in front of him.

It's romantic, and tragic. Nice? Glad that he did remember her, in the end. Their kid sounds like a swell pony.

Oh, Buck. I almost killed Starswirl the Bearded.

Okay, you can't tell anypony about this, journal!

Which you won't. Because you're a book. *Trixie drew a frowny face here, it's cute*

Trixie needs a moment. And a stiff cider.

I'm back. Okay. So. I almost killed the greatest conjurer of the Pre-Classical Era. No big deal. Time travel's a crapshoot anyhow, right?

After my show, Swirly Starswirl Swirly and I mostly hung around town. Most of my packing was done, and I was ready to take off the next day (tomorrow morning), so I took things easy. He showed me some of the other foals playing in their little common area. That was nice, until I realized most of them were on break-time, and had to go back to work.

Foals with jobs. Guess I forgot that was a thing.

But I also got a good look at a little playhouse. It was puppets, but I'm not some snob who dislikes puppets. And for what they were, they were cute. They were putting on a historical play, according to Swirly. The Tale of Princess Amore.

Apparently, when this Grogar fellow came to power, ponykind did something bad (I was only half-paying attention at that part) that made all the Alicorns abandon them to his dark cruelty. All except for one, the Crystal Princess, who led a small group of ponies north, to a fabled land of ice and snow, but that was protected from Grogar's evil.

For once, I kept my mouth shut about the whole Crystal Empire thing. See, Starlight? I'm learning.

Less fun was learning how there weren't any Alicorns around. Swirly said they ascended or something. Not sure exactly what that means, but I figure it was bad. I do wonder what ponies did that ticked them off so much they'd leave us all behind like that. Must've been bad.

If Celestia or Luna ever talked about where Alicorns came from, you need to spill, now! Trixie is not a font of information on this. She does meet up with one later, but even that's such a tease!

I'm stalling. Trixie is stalling.

That night (um, a couple hours ago), everypony decided to gather at the top of a nearby hill. If I was a betting mare, I'd say it was the same hill Starlight likes to fly her kites from, but that'd be crazy

Who am I kidding? This place is almost definitely Ponyville in a few thousand years.

Everypony was there. Peachy, Sparkle, Ribbon and Bowtie, and even Firefly, a little more bruised than when I last saw her. And they were all there to watch some fireworks. I'd managed to work up a doozie of a rocket, and I'd sort of promised fireworks, so that's what I was there to do. I set it up just on the edge of the hill, and used a few planks of wood to hold it up and steadied.

"Can I light this one?" Swirly begged me. At the time, I couldn't resist his almost puppy-dog stare. How was I supposed to know he'd be important?

"Sure thing, shrimp," I said, totally oblivious to how many ways Equestria could turn into a sandy wasteland with that one remark.

Anyway, so, we get underway. I give a big ole speech, like I do. Trixie was all "Great and Powerful", and "Behold" and such and such. It was a grand spectacle.

Sorry. I'm just not feeling it all of a sudden. I know this is for posterity, or so that Starlight can find me again. You're taking your sweet time, by the way. But, I can't get over how close I got to

Right. Rip the band-aid off.

Swirly sparks up his horn, just like I showed him. And he pranced right over to the rocket, which I'd managed to make over twice his size. I mean, the blasting powders for that thing are dirt-cheap in the past, and there's so much of it!

He lights the rocket, and after a few tense seconds, it roars to life! This thing was a lurid yellow, the cheapest color they could find me, and in an instant, it would be sailing off into the night sky at the end of a bright-red trail. The only problem with this would be that it took off with a bit of the rope used to haul it out here. Normally, not a big deal.

This time? The other end of that rope had coiled around Swirly's hind legs! The poor kid was yanked off his hooves, and sent soaring after the rocket!

All I could do was stare. The whole evening had gone so well thus far. Everypony was having fun. We were all talking about what our plans were. Sparkle was thinking of opening a school. Ribbon wanted to travel. I was planning on keeping a low-profile from here on out.

And now, the most important foal in the world was about to explode.

It was my fault. I must have been so caught up in the glory and the praise that I got sloppy.

Could really use Luna right now. My dreams will not be fun tonight.

But then, just as Swirly went sailing to his doom, there was a red flash, and I could see Firefly racing to catch him! I couldn't believe how fast she was! It was like watching Rainbow Dash again! But, there was a part of me that knew she wouldn't make it in time. She wasn't that fast.

Or was she? The rocket reached the middle of town, though several hundred feet up. The red streak followed it, just to the edge of sight. Trixie almost couldn't bear to watch. She knew what was about to happen.

And it did. The firework detonated, and sent out a wave of gold and blue flames across the heavens.

But then, a rainbow followed.

My jaw dropped as I saw it. The sound was incredible, like an electric guitar opening up all the valves and bellowing out across the sky!

This metaphor confuses me because I know she knows what a guitar sounds like. Trixie's being deliberately Trixie here.

My heart soared with that sound, and with the rainboom blast that flew out over the town. And when I saw the rainbow itself form and fly straight from the explosion back towards our little hilltop party? I was so thrilled. So happy.

Firefly came down lightly, like she hadn't any energy to spare and was trying to not crash. Admirable, especially seeing as how she held little Swirly in her hooves.

"Anypony drop something?" she smirked.

Trixie hardly cared. She rushed to the pegasus' side and wrapped my hooves around the shuddering little unicorn.

"I'm so sorry!" I cried out, scared, but not nearly as much as I probably should have been, "Swirly! I'm so sorry, I didn't see that rope...!"

"It's alright!" he hugged me back, at least for a moment, before he realized he was acting like a scared little foal. He pushed me off, and got back to his hooves, "It was I who missed the rope, Ms Trixie. I... I didn't see it."

However, if there's one thing Trixie has learned, it's to take responsibility for her own mistakes.

"Well," I said, "Mind your surroundings next time. Firefly won't always be there to save you."

I never said I was good at taking responsibility. Just that I know I should.

But bringing up the egotistical pegasus brought me and Swirly Swirly and I both up sharp. We spun around, and found the entire hilltop engrossed in a new spectacle.

It was like looking at Rainbow Dash again. Firefly's whole mane and tail radiated rainbow light. The trail of rainbows that hung over the town still stopped mere feet from where she stood. It was the most amazing thing I think I've ever seen. I sort of wondered what it would look like up close, but Dash hadn't ever shown me the trick in pony like that.

"You did it," was all Trixie could manage.

Firefly was equally engrossed in her new do.

"Awesome!" her smile could be seen from orbit, no doubt. "This! WOW! This is the... the Awesomest thing possible! What was that!? How did I!? WHAT!? WOW!!!!"

Nopony seemed much to care that a foal had almost exploded. Everypony circled around Firefly, Swirly included, and just took in how astonishing her mane and tail looked. Even as the rainbow faded from the sky, it remained as vibrant as ever on Firefly.

"Ha!" she suddenly pointed a hoof at me, her face full of triumph, "And you said I couldn't do it!"

"But she said it could be done!" Swirly shot back in my defense. Then, he turned back towards me, as did everypony else, and stared with awe.

"She predicted it," he said, quietly. Every head was pointed my way now, and from Sparkle to Firefly, it was all I could do to not see the sheer adoration in their eyes.

I guess, in a way, they all thought I'd caused this. Huh.

"Well, of course!" I said. Can't spoil a trick, after all. Even one I didn't mean to perform. "Now, do you all see? I am indeed a Great and Powerful Magician!"

They cheered Trixie. Of course they did. How could they not, after I'd predicted the Sonic Rainboom, and then seemingly performed it? I allowed Firefly to be changed by its magic, but to all those ponies, it was my trick.

The adoration was intoxicating. I really am going to miss it. Hyneighria wasn't so bad, as a first place to visit when lost in time.

Merry just came by. Looks like I'm the last one up, and she got worried about candles being left burning in the library. I can see Swirly sleeping on one of the benches next to me. I should have known he was being too quiet.

Oh well. Guess that's it for Hyneighria. Next time, I should either be in Gallopoli, or near by it. But, for now, I'd better get my beauty sleep. I've got a few friends to say goodbye to before I leave in the morning. Can't let myself sleep in again.

Hopefully, once I get out of here, I can stop threatening the time-space vacuum, or whatever Starlight called it. Things turned out well so far, but I couldn't live with myself if something happened to Starswirl before he gets as famous as he does.

Til next time.

Another pony joins the cast.

For anyone who noticed, the name of Daring Do's daughter has been changed due to temporal mechanics. Yeah...

Day 16

Dear Journal,

It's been a bad week.

I used to talk with Starlight Glimmer about everything. Friends, especially Besties, should be able to talk to each other about anything and everything, and so we did. I remember talking to her about the Ursa incident, and she would roll her eyes and laugh with me about it. I'd talk about that time I went power-mad with the Alicorn Amulet and took over Ponyville, and she'd chuckle and compare notes.

But whenever she talked about the things she'd done, I could tell it was different. I was just embarrassed at how foalish I'd acted. Not Great or Powerful. Not Great or Powerful at all. Most of what I did could have happened in a silly fairy-tale show, put on by those puppets Felt Hoof ran back in Hyneighria.

An angry child. That's what I was. A child looking for attention.

Starlight didn't laugh off her sins. I can tell, living with her at the Palace, that she still thinks about it. That world of dust and death. I hear her, sometimes, crying in her sleep.

I get it, now. I truly, truly get it.

I knew about Our Town. Most ponies have heard rumors, at least, about Starlight's cult. I kinda wish I hadn't gotten curious about that world of dust and death, as Trixie calls it. I couldn't sleep, the night I asked Starlight herself about it. For what it's worth, I think she's in a good place these days, your old student. But, to come back from that?

I got the gist of what happened between you two. I don't know if I could have lived with myself after that. Good on you, for whatever you did to help her through it. I'd ask Trixie how she held up, once you've read this. She might need the same sort of support.

I know you're not a real creature, journal. But, hopefully, one day, somepony will be reading this. Somepony like Twilight or Starlight, and it's really to that being I'm talking to now.

Trixie is sorry. So, so sorry. Please, don't hate her for what's happened, once you know what she's done.

Trixie actually got an early start that first morning. She was up with the rooster, to a grey dawn and an early breakfast. Admirably, the Mayor's staff were already up at that un-Celestial hour of seven, so Trixie was not alone. Sparkleshine and Swirly joined me at breakfast, apparently having taken a walk even earlier.

I am starting to wonder if I'm not as early a riser as I suspect. In either case, they both showed off some of the magical abilities Trixie had taught them over the last few days. Swirly conjured up a whole book, right there in front of me! He'd been paying attention, it seemed. Granted, he still needed work. The book he'd made was pretty moldy, since he'd used wet bark and didn't dry it first, and the binding fell out since he didn't remember how to convert some of the wood to glue.

Still, an amazing first try.

Sparkleshine teleported a bit around the room. It was okay, I guess. If you like that sort of thing.

After breakfast was done, Trixie went to pack her things and make ready. I had a lot of traveling, and a lot of showplanning, to do. Couldn't slack off just because I was a Great and Powerful Wizard these days. And I couldn't guarantee there would be the same firework-materials in the next town, so I had to prepare.

While I was doing this, I noticed Swirly come down from his room near the top of the library. I tried, I truly, truly tried to not laugh. I Pinkie Promise, I did!

But he was so adorable!

"M-Miss Trixie?" he nervously called out to me from the doorway. I had my back turned, and pretended to be checking out the straps and buckles holding the wagon together outside of Sparkleshine's house. Looking away, and the motions I was making to sell the effect, were instrumental in preventing me from collapsing in a fit of laughter and awww'ing.

He tried again. "Miss Trixie? I... I wished to speak with you about something important."

I couldn't drag it out any longer, it seemed. So, I was forced to turn around, and face the little colt with dignity befitting a showpony such as myself.

Starswirl the Bearded, this kid was not. Besides the obvious height issue, and the lack of a beard, he was wearing what appeared to be a bright red cape dotted with gold stars. It looked hoof-stitched, and just as well as Ribbon's work on my own cape. The stars, however, were clearly stuck on with pins. The whole thing had that wonderful look of earnest amateur that we in the showbiz can't help but fall in love with.

"Miss Trixie? What's wrong with your face?"

"Nothing, nothing at all," Trixie said, betraying nothing of the raging storm of D'awww in my heart, "Now, pray tell, what's the matter?"

He shuffled his hooves a bit, nervous about whatever it was he was going to ask. And it was obvious he wanted to ask something.

I'd hate turning him down. I knew that right away. I hadn't known the kid for very long, but I could tell he was something special. He was quick, like Trixie, if a little stuffy like Twilight. And he had some funny ideas about pony tribes living together despite being friends, ostensibly, with pegasi and earth ponies. Heck, his dad was one!

Ostensibly was the last Word of the Day Sunburst shared with me. Also the first. I told him to cram it, after that one. But, Trixie supposes she shouldn't be too hard on the nerd. He made Starlight very happy. Insane, according to what she told me of her foalhood and the whole Our Town thing, but happy.

Very happy.

*Trixie has added a 'winky' face here*

How is Luster Dawn doing? I heard she and Trixie got involved in one of my other little girl's adventures? I think it was covered in Indeedy Do and the Alicorn Amulet. Don't worry, Indy was appropriately punished for messing about with ancient, cursed artifacts.

I'm not a hypocrite. I'm a mother.

Swirly seemed to finally swallow some courage, and I was actually impressed how he held himself. Met my eyes and everything, instead of my flank (yes, I noticed).

"O Great and Powerful Trixie. I, the lowly and humble Starswirl of Hyneighria, would be honored if you would take me on as your apprentice!"

I promise, I had no idea he was going to ask that. Not in a million years. Not that I wouldn't normally be thrilled to be the Great and Powerful Teacher of none other than Starswirl the Bearded (sans beard) himself! While I'd always wanted to pass my knowledge and skills onto a younger generation, a protégé, a student of my own, this was not how it would go.

For one thing, Starswirl was definitely in an older generation. So, there. And, besides that, I was still thinking about the night before, and how I already came this close to snuffing out probably half of Sparkle's library, or maybe Equestria itself!

But, Trixie knows her way around stallions and their silly pride. She knew she had to let him down, gently.

Can confirm. I sometimes let Caballeron open the pickle jar, just so he doesn't get all whiny.

"Listen," I said, lightly tousling the kid's mane a bit with my magic, "I have no doubt that you will grow up to become the greatest Wizard of all time."

His eyes sparkled, for a moment, but I could see he saw where this was heading. "But... you won't...?"

I shook my head, and ran an appreciable hoof along his cape's edge, "No. Trixie is going to be traveling. I can't..."

"But that means you'll need an assistant!" Swirly hopped a little bit in his excitement, "Somepony to help you out! To learn from you! To carry on your legacy once you're gone."

Rude.

"First off, the Great and Powerful Trixie ain't going nowhere!" I might have led a bit strongly with that one, but who just comes out and talks about dying like that!?

Either way, Trixie could see how Swirly'd stepped back from that one, so I toned it down. "Second... Starswirl, it's dangerous out there. And you've got so much more of your foalhood to enjoy here, with your friends."

"I don't really have friends," he said, glumly. "But if I went with you, I could be your apprentice. Your protégé!"

My heart ached, just a little bit. I love my Bestie, Starlight, but how cool would it have been to tell Princess Twilight that while she had Starlight as her first pupil, I had Starswirl the Bearded?

Still. It was for his own good. I couldn't risk him getting hurt. He was too important.

"Firefly, Ribbon, Sparkle," I started listing off ponies, "Seems like you've got plenty of friends."

"Grownups," Swirly grumbled. Then, he turned his little, puppy-dog eyes on me one more time. "Please, Master Trixie, I will do anything to be your student!"

I sized Swirly up again. Mostly for show, but I needed a moment to think. The kid was bound and determined to be my student. He knew Greatness and Powerfullness when he saw it. And, at least before I'd been shot back into the ancient past, he would eventually become a legend.

Maybe this was what he needed to become that?

"Tell you what," Trixie hid her grin masterfully, not wanting Swirly to realize I'd come up with a brilliant plan, "I'll come back around Hyneighria in... oh, let's say a couple months. A year or so at the outside. And the next time we meet, I promise, I will make you my Great and Powerful Apprentice."

"R-really?" there was that eye-sparkle again.

"Cross my heart, and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," I said, even doing the hoof-motions.

Trixie

I was caught completely off-guard when he hugged me. As his forelegs wrapped around my neck, and his face sank into my shoulder, I tried to remember the last time I'd hugged somepony so close and tight. Maybe Trixie's fifth birthday, when Dad came home

I didn't stop to think about it until later on. He was a unicorn in an earth pony town with exactly two other unicorns as into magic as he was. And the first pony to show up in his life that shared his interests had to be the Great and Powerful Trixie, of all possible ponies. It was no wonder Swirly had followed me around for three days. He was infatuated!

Trixie gave the kid a pat on the withers, and we parted as friends. He might have been crying, just a little. But, I have that effect on ponies. I'd hoped, at that moment, that if Starlight didn't come and rescue me, that I'd like nothing more than to come back and make good on my promise.

Funny how things turn out.

The town was in good spirits when I left. Sparkleshine and Swirly waved me off from her manor, and it seemed like everypony I passed on the road to the main gates was smiling at me. Ribbon passed me a little parcel with warm-weather clothes packed in it, and asked me to drop her name as casually as possible when (not if) other ponies asked me who did my wardrobe. I was truly amazed at the stitch-work! If Ribbon had a different mane and face and age and

She wasn't a Rarity clone. Not sure when she'll show up, but I'm ready for it now.

But, in any case, Bowtie also wished me well, as did a giddy Peachy and her newly-public husband, Mal. They actually had some jarred peach and apple jam to give me on my way out. Not peach and apple. Peach and apple. Both, in the same jar. I've tried it since. Very sweet. Like, I can feel my teeth rot in my head when I smell the stuff.

Didn't see Bray anywhere, though. And nopony had seen him since he'd been run back into town. Oh well, I thought, some guys hold weird grudges.

Lastly, as I was getting on the road out of town and heading towards the forest, I took one last look around. Hyneighria sat behind me, warm smoke rising from its chimneys, and for a moment I wondered if I was doing the right thing. For a moment, I wondered if I could see myself settling down here, like I kinda did back in Ponyville. It wasn't a crazy idea, after all.

But, Trixie knew she couldn't. It might be a foal scout thing to teach kids to stay put when they're lost, but Trixie has learned at the hoof of those who know better.

If you're lost, keep moving until you're not.

How has she not been eaten yet?

Plus, there was no telling what could happen if I stuck around and messed with established events some more. Best to take a bow now and shuffle off-stage before I wound up in that stupid Hearth's Warming play.

Then again.

No, nevermind.

Trixie was snapped from her perfectly sane and not-time-destroying daydreaming by the sound of a wet sack burying itself in a mountain of stale crackers. And by that, I mean that Firefly crashed neatly into a crumpled pile at my hooves.

Once Trixie had stopped screaming reacting as would a tiger and making ready to pounce, I noted it was just the newly-rainbow-headed mare.

"Are...?" I asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yup," she said, pulling herself out of the little hole she'd made by the side of the road, missing my cart by about an inch, mind you, "Just getting used to the new do."

I was probably giving her a funny look at that remark, as Firefly chuckled, and said, "I, uh, I go a lot faster since that happened. Not sure what you did, or I did... but I just feel... faster, ya know?"

"Ah, yes. I see."

I had no idea. Magic? Magic was a safe bet.

"Aaanyway," she said, dragging out the word in a way I was starting to suspect was genetic by how much it reminded me of Dash, "I just wanted to give you a heads up. We spotted some storm clouds ahead, and I wanted to warn you before you got caught up in them. I'd say you got... like, four days before they hit if you're heading straight east."

"Straight east?" I tried reaching back into the wagon with my magic, looking for the map Sparkleshine had lent me, "But I thought I was supposed to swing north past the..."

Firefly made a disgusting sound with her mouth, and waved down my concern. "Nah! You don't need that stuff. Lemme tell ya, from my traveling experience, Gallopoli is a straight shot from here. Just keep heading east. Oh, and I asked Ribbon to give you some warmer clothes. Did ya get them?"

I nodded, which made Firefly smile. "Good. I'm thinkin' the weather's about to get... twenty-percent cooler than predicted. Just so you know."

I really didn't know how to answer any of that, but Firefly made it easier by just giving me a warm, pegasus hug and wishing me well.

It was a nice way to leave the town.

Trixie just wishes things had gone better from there.

Two days later (day 11, I guess), and I was lost. So, thanks a lot, Firefly. Turns out, it's a bad idea to take directions from a pegasus, since they don't use roads. I don't think she even realized you can't take a cart or wagon in a straight line ANYWHERE in a forest.

Trixie may be a great and powerful magician, survivalist, acrobat, author, alchemist, pioneer, illusionist

I'm getting off track. I may have the skills to survive in the woods, but navigating them is something else entirely. Back in modern Equestria, wanderers and traveling ponies used signs and markers to find our way. I'm not about to compromise them here (Grey Prancer had me take the Oath for a reason), but they were super useful to know whenever you were alone and too far away from an inn or someplace dry to sleep (wagons are also super useful for this purpose).

Actually, since Trixie's adventure, the Nomad Marks, as they were sometimes known, have been published. They were also very popular for adventurers, archaeologists, and tomb robbers alike, so Caballeron and I know them like the back of our hooves. They basically look like more basic, pictographic Cutie Marks. A few mundane ones, useful in lots of situations, might be symbols for "Don't sleep here", "Snakes", and "Cave in". Trixie's list, according to my research, would also include more esoteric issues. Such as, "Do not make eye contact", "Magical anomalies", and "Avoid darkness".

There's also a few freaky ones out there that'd make for some spooky reading. "You are being watched" is especially unfun to find while on a dig. As is "Get out fast", "Vanished friend", and "Does not stay dead". And Celestia help you if you're halfway through a creepy tomb or lost city, and you catch a glimpse of "Signs have been compromised".

Point is, I was lost. And quickly. Stupid rainbow pony.

Now, it wasn't all a horrendous waste of time that I would certainly seek vengeance for one day. No, no, no. I had a couple days to practice my act and get some ideas rolling. For instance, I used a little charm to steal the 'red' off of some berries, and magically fused the color into my hat and cape. Sure, it took a few dozen hundred berries to get the right shade of purple, but it was worth it!

While Trixie is technically a CSGU drop-out, she's actually rated as one of the top Spell-Crafters in Equestria. She really has a good head for taking apart better or more traditional spells, and re-purposes parts of them for her own ends.

And, as has been noted, her skill in such magic seems to be oddly proportional to how difficult the spell should be. I chalk it up to her being too thick-skulled to realize how difficult mane magic and illusions ought to be for most mages. The fact that her basic defense magic, telekinesis, and light spells are so... mundane, should almost be proof of that.

The storm was looking to catch up to me by this point, which was approaching true twilight, and it was only by chance that I noticed a wide, open clearing somewhere up ahead. Finally! I'd been dragging that wagon over rocks and tree-roots for ages looking for a nice bit of flat ground to settle on. It was like a dream come true for my aching hooves!

The clearing was only just big enough to hide the wagon in. From what I could tell, the only reason I'd seen the place was because a bit of wind had brushed some of the thick brambles and undergrowth aside as I approached. Trixie tossed a quick illusion over the entrance, to make sure nopony got the bright idea to sneak up on me later. My wagon had made the entrance a bit more obvious by flattening down the grass, so all I had to do was prop that up and make it look like it was a touch thicker. I don't like sharing. Not with bears and wolves and whatever else was in this Everfree knockoff.

Trixie knew, of course, that this was the actual Everfree. She was just testing you, reader

I had plenty of food, but foraging was still a good idea, so Trixie tagged her wagon with a locator spell and began walking into the nearby treeline. She planned to go about a hundred yards, no more, and just pick up whatever she could that was edible.

No rabbits, thank Luna. Trixie also wasn't that desperate this time. She did find some remarkable yellow berries. They appeared to be a type called Aliantha berries. For those in the know, these things were almost currency in some wanderer circles, and I found a whole bush of them. They're tasty, numb head and hoof aches, and if you mix them with a little bit of chocolate they'll stop you needing to stop too often on the road!

I really didn't need to know about itinerant ponies' Antidiarrheals. That wasn't in the job description for being your personal researcher.

They did turn out to be Aliantha, so Trixie didn't poison herself this time. And, as a bonus, she found another bunch of those wonderful mushrooms from before!

I didn't eat those, of course. Not yet. Those were for later. Like, a weekend with friends. And pizza. And some good cider.

That was what I found only a few feet into the woods. There was no telling what I'd find after a couple more.

Except then, I found Hyneighria.

"Oh, come ON!" I remember kicking at a tree stump, only managing to hurt my hoof in the process. Yes, I had somehow swung completely around, and was now looking at the eastern side of the town. Of all the stupid

I swore if I ever caught that red

SON OF A B

Right. Calm. Still a little peeved off.

But, I wasn't for long, then. I stomped about and swore. I kicked at things I thought I could kick. I promised myself that I'd do some truly despicable things to Firefly's house, like leave a flaming bag of something on her porch.

But I didn't.

Because at that moment, I finally noticed something. There had been an odd look to the stormclouds coming in. They hadn't dropped rain yet. Not too strange, Trixie will grant you. The real trouble came from the fact that the clouds suddenly dipped down to the ground. Right into the center of Hyneighria's town square, in fact.

If the outer walls hadn't collapsed at that moment from some titanic blow, I'd probably have kept snarling about getting petty, foalish revenge. Instead, I was witness to Hyneighria's holocaust.

As the walls fell, I could see the whole town ablaze. How I could not have heard the sounds? Smelled the fire and burning? Was the forest's musk so pungent? Could I have just been in denial?

I don't know. Trixie will never know. From her vantage point, she could never forget the things she saw. There were pigs, rampaging through the streets, a torch on one tusk and a sword on the other. For a moment, Trixie's familiarity with fireworks and flammables came back in a flash, and I wondered how screwed up must their nightvision be to have fire so close to their eyes?

I stopped thinking about that after a few seconds, when I saw Felt Hoof running from two pursuing Troggles. I don't know if it was just my imagination, seeing as how I was too far away to really tell if it was him, but I would swear even now that I saw his puppets burning on his forelegs even as he ran.

He didn't get far. Troggles, now that I thought about it, were so much faster. Trixie looked away from that butchery, but she couldn't unsee it, nor what else was going on. Fire consumed everything, and Troggles slew everything and everypony else. I didn't see any of my friends, but that didn't mean anything. The worst thing I was prepared to deal with was unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies not getting along.

I didn't know this

Sparkleshine's house was ablaze. The library too. I don't remember if I cried. All I remember is that I didn't try to help.

Trixie was rooted in place. My whole body seized up as I took in the slaughter. I could hear them screaming, too. But nothing happened. My legs wouldn't go. My body and my mind had decided to hold still. Maybe they wouldn't see me? Was that what went through my head just then?

Minutes passed before I could so much as blink. But, eventually, I had to turn around and run. There was nothing else to do. I wasn't a hero. I wasn't an Element of Harmony. I wasn't an Alicorn Princess.

I wasn't a Wizard. I wasn't Great or Powerful. Trixie is just a showmare, an illusionist. I entertain ponies and distract them from their everyday woes, I don't fight monsters! And the one time I did, I got captured anyway.

The Troggles didn't look like they were taking prisoners.

I don't think I would have handled that any differently than Trixie. Casual violence just isn't a thing among ponies in this day and age. Seeing it on that scale?

Now, I know you told me once that you saw how the whole Nightmare Moon event played out, but whatever that was, it wasn't the whole story. If that vision you had was all there was, then why is there so much archaeological evidence and eye-witness testimony about a war between Luna and Celestia?

According to Luna herself, the final battle between her and Celestia took place after a protracted siege and a months-long campaign waged between Batpony and the precursor military forces to the EUP. Apparently, that was the last large-scale war fought on Equestrian soil, partly due to Celestia withdrawing from foreign entanglements during Luna's Abeyance. So, outside of a few battles here and there, and mostly just policing duties, we ponies haven't seen a real war in over a millennium.

And yet, Trixie saw something like this up close. She watched ponies she cared for getting slaughtered. Gives you a new perspective on some things.

Back at my little camp, I tossed everything together as quick as I could. Trixie was getting the hay out of there, and nothing was going to stop her. Except for a frustratingly loose hinge on the straps that, in her panic concern panic, she couldn't quite get under control with her hooves, having somewhat forgotten how to magic at the moment.

Also, except for the sound of hooves. And claws. I heard the hooves first, a small set of them, rushing past my little hiding spot. I held my breath as they approached, but as I glimpsed who it was, my heart nearly exploded out of my chest.

Swirly! Swirly was alive!

And being chased by a manticore, a satyr, and a centaur. Each one was armed, and snarling with wicked laughter. Trixie felt like she swallowed her tongue as she saw them. It was like

I remember Tirek. That was such a horrifying experience the first time around. I couldn't do it again. Being left a husk on the side of the road, without a shred of my magic left to me. I didn't know if all centaurs could do that, and I didn't want to find out.

Tirek, as it happens, is quite unique among his people. I know the Centaur and Gargoyle Kingdom is very secluded and isolationist, but I've had to take more than a few pitstops there during my own travels. Tirek is regarded as a true monster back home.

According to a medical report filed in the wake of Tirek's rampage, it seems that Trixie was found by some forest rangers in the Smokey Woods a few days after your fight with the centaur. She was transferred to Mareland General Hospital to treat severe malnutrition and several lacerations all across her body. Apparently, after Tirek absorbed her magic and left her in the woods, she managed to drag herself back to civilization, though it took a toll on Trixie. I'm not sure if she ever had a chance to process that experience, since she broke herself out of the hospital before they could contact a therapist.

But Swirly was alive.

And I didn't move a muscle. Again, the sight thought of danger had rooted me to the ground. I could see the fire, and the smoke when I closed my eyes. I could hear the screams. I could see Felt Hoof, running for his life.

The monsters' laughter faded into the distance. All I could hear was the wind, and the rustle of the trees around me. The world was still. As still as a body. As quiet as the grave. But just at the edge of my senses, there was one sound. A single, terrified cry that spoke up and over the rustling of the trees, and the whipping of the wind.

It was Swirly. I could hear him. And he was scared.

That, my dear journal, is when something in me snapped. I became Trixie Lulamoon, the Great and Powerful. For a moment, I was a mare possessed, grabbing up rope and smoke pellets, and even some of Ribbon's straight-jackets she'd made for me. Trixie just stopped thinking about it as 'monsters attacking a foal'. She started thinking about 'how great a show she was about to put on'!

Tracking the brutes wouldn't be a problem, I knew. They weren't being careful. Trixie had hunted before, being a forager since she could travel. Now, I could put those skills to real use.

Swiftly, I raced after the monsters. Their claws had left deep gouges in the earth I could have tracked blindfolded, had it been bright daylight. As it happened, it was now definitely night. And so, as I ran, I let loose a special tracking spell. Most would need a magical signature, or a predictive matrix built into a heat-detection spell. That's what Princess Sparkle would have done.

Trixie is not Princess Sparkle. And so, all she did was run a leveled light spell out ahead of her, allowing it to trace the ground. Every bump and inconsistency flared to pink life as my magic touched it. Those three couldn't lose me even if they knew I was on their trail!

I raced along the forest floor, following the fiends' florescent footprints

I raced after them, my hooves pounding the earth as my heart pounded in my ears. But Swirly's pursuers had followed him out of the mud and over some harder ground. Tree-roots bubbled up here suddenly, leaving me to guess bedrock wasn't far below. But that meant the tracks were shallower and shallower. My spell worked like a height map, and when the ground leveled out too much, I would lose them!

But, just ahead of me was a tall, tall tree. From up atop its branches, I was sure to spot them, so I charged! I cast a spell as I ran, one usually meant to allow non-pegasi to walk on clouds. Now, this spell is usually pretty simple, and fairly cost-effective. But I was in a hurry, and I only needed one part of the spell right then.

I only cast one part of the spell, the bit that helped change a unicorn's weight so that a cloud could hold you up longer. Normally, this was a waste of a spell for most unicorns. But that was because most unicorns were lazy, and liked books more than a good jog.

All I needed right then was to be light enough when I reached the tree that my momentum would get me most of the way once I'd ran into it, my hooves sticking to the bark through sheer inertia. I ran up that tree, and sailed up into the night sky! Trixie had done it again!

I cast an eye about, and spotted my adversaries in no time! They had stopped mere yards away, in a small clearing, with a cowering Swirly at the monsters' mercy. Trixie came back down, hardly disturbing the tree branch she landed on. And with all the grace and skill I'd developed as a showmare, I leaped from tree to tree, from branch to branch.

All I had to do was get there.

Trixie readied her smoke pellets, holding them up in my magic as I leaped to the last branch.

Below me, the three monsters loomed over Swirly's prone body. The colt had tripped, and lay sprawled and insens unconc pretty well banged up. I almost cried out to him, but years of showmareship had taught me a few things about timing. And my cue was coming up.

But that was when I saw the three monsters up close. The centaur wasn't anything special, just some thug with too big a head and gut for his own good. Sharp swords, mind. I hadn't seen a manticore that could talk, or hold a spear with his tail, but then there's always something new out there.

The satyr, however. That gave Trixie pause. He wasn't the same as Tirek. No, not nearly the right number of hooves. But he was painted black and red. A bit edgy, if you ask me, but somecreatures like being wrong.

If you'll recall Dash and AJ's wedding, Rarity spent about an hour going over how black and red is the all-time worst color combination in existence. You had managed to ditch us (traitor), but she really opened up about her spa dates with Starlight and Trixie. I guess some of her fashion sense rubbed off. Or, Trixie actually has taste, but let's not go crazy!

Still, for a moment, Trixie's knees felt weak.

Then, he spoke. "Are we taking this one alive?" he asked his companions, all of whom were laughing at Swirly's vain attempt to conjure even a basic self-defense charm. He was tired. He was probably concussed by how he wobbled on his hooves.

Something boiled inside Trixie at those words. Something I still don't know what, but it angered me in a way that nopony ever had, Sparkle included!

"You're not taking him at all!" I shouted, suddenly not too terribly concerned if they spotted me. Trixie bit down on her tongue.

The monsters looked about as they heard me. The tree canopy had muffled my words a bit, I was sure, and it probably sounded like I was all around them. That was good, I thought. Very good.

"Who's there?" the manticore snarled, "Who stands against the will of Grogar?"

Well. In for a penny.

"Who am I?" I tossed the smoke pellets up into the air, and flared my horn's magic, "What a foalish question!"

The pellets exploded, showering the small glade in a hazy fog. Trixie quickly cast another spell of her own devising, allowing her eyes to filter out the smoke. She learned that one when she tried to join the Canterlot Fire Brigade. Long story, don't ask, it was a phase.

She thought she was going to work with the "hunky calendar stallions", and quit after two days when she discovered otherwise. I believe this was one of the odd-jobs she took to buy that stupid Alicorn Amulet, in addition to working the Pie Rock Farm. Speaking of which, isn't she Maud Pie's kid's Crystaler? Or, whatever Ponyville's equivalent is?

"I am the terror that canters in the night!"

Trixie had absolutely no idea what she was saying, journal. I was basically running on pure adrenaline and terror by this point

The beasts were startled, like mere foals before my rousing performance! I prepared another smoke pellet in my magic, when disaster struck.

As it turns out, I'd forgotten that my weight-lightener spell had a rather severe time-limit. The branch under me cracked, and I lost control of the pellet! It plummeted below me, and Trixie fell right after it, but I managed to wrap my hooves around the branch and held on for dear life.

And, naturally, the branch did not hold back. The whole stinking thing snapped off, and I went tumbling down with it. I could see my life flash before my eyes as I fell. Admittedly, Trixie's life is a stunning cavalcade of adventure and intrigue, so she was thoroughly entertained during her freefall.

Less entertaining was the realization that my saddlebag, full of smoke pellets, rope, and even a few of my props (I was in a hurry, don't judge, Journal), had gone flying when I snagged hold of the branch.

The pellet hit first, I knew from the sound of it bursting below me. I hit the ground a moment later, no clue where my other equipment had gone. There was an awful cracking sound as I landed, and it took a moment to realize I hadn't broken my spine. Through a fog of pain radiating from my flank, I looked up into the face of a manticore.

A manticore that had, up until that moment, been planning on attacking whoever it found in my accidental smoke cloud. Now? Well. That was a heavy branch, and that manticore clearly didn't have a thick enough skull. The branch lay atop his stupid, bulging-eyed face, some sort of muscle-reflex being the only thing now holding the unconscious manticore up on his paws.

Realizing what was up, I rolled back onto my hooves, though I knew I'd be feeling that one in the morning. No amount of padding or magic would help me with that. I glanced through the smoke, and realized the satyr and centaur were staring in my direction, but that my Hazy Eye would let me see them, while all they could do was not see me

I had the magic eye thing, okay?

Trixie knew she didn't have long. Before the smoke cleared, she needed cover. The manticore wouldn't cut it, and while Trixie is indeed a Great and Powerful magician, she will admit that she couldn't quite replicate Starlight's invisibility spell on demand. Not without a mana battery the size of her wagon, anyway.

Seriously, Starlight? If you ever read this, try coming up with spells that don't have to blunt-force their way to working through stupid amounts of energy? There's a reason only you and Twilight can cast half of what you've come up with!

Yet another instance of Trixie's callous disregard for her friends' feelings on display. I understand that you, when you were a unicorn, and Starlight both suffer from Record's Syndrome, which causes mana-channels to be stuck perpetually open in unicorns. Can lead to enormous magical reserves, but also uncontrollable magic surges post-foalhood and some lingering pain and nerve-damage in old age.

So, yeah. Trixie's still kind of a jerk.

So, Trixie threw up a much simpler illusion. She became nothing more than a regular bush. Just a jumble of palm fronds and berries, perfectly undetectable in the Everfree. And as the smoke cleared, the satyr and centaur could only look in horror at the crumpled form of their companion, slumped down beneath the broken tree branch.

“I am the sticky floor of justice, that makes you self-conscious about being noisy in a theater!”

Seriously, I have no idea where I was coming up with this stuff, but from the concerned looks on the remaining two monsters' faces, it was worth it!

And then, my bag of smoke pellets reappeared. I guess they'd been flung pretty high up during my fall, because they all came down at once, right on top of the satyr's head. In a blast of alchemical ingenuity, the bag flooded the clearing instantly, completely enveloping the monsters.

Trixie knew this was her chance! I dropped the disguise, and made a sprint for Swirly. Only, there were two problems with that. In the first place, there were still two monsters standing in my way.

And in the second? I hadn't just been carrying smoke pellets, recall. And at that moment, the rest of the supplies I'd grabbed before rained down. Only, instead of landing on the confused and panicking satyr and centaur, Trixie suddenly found a coil of rope, two straight-jackets stitched by Ribbon Wishes herself, and a couple of iron hoofcuffs the local farrier had whipped up for her crashing into my face!

Trixie's "accent" or "word tick" or "mental illness" grates on me, as a writer. I can't even begin to imagine what it's like to listen to her all day, every day. Starlight and Starswirl must have the patience of saints.

I panicked. I might have even whinnied, though Swirly heard none of that. I tripped, and went tumbling, head over hooves, straight into the mass of smoke! From what I could tell, I definitely crashed into one or both of the monsters, and I absolutely went bounding up into the air from the impact.

Turns out, ponies bounce. Who knew?

But, Trixie wasn't completely done for! As she descended back down, I cast the lighten-me-up spell (yeah, I still need a name). It wouldn't let me walk along the top of my smoke cloud like a real pegasus, but it would slow me down enough so that I could at least not break my legs.

It also bought me a few seconds to note what was happening below me. All of my stuff had been thrown off of me, and had now entangled both the satyr and the centaur. They flailed and shrieked as they tried to disentangle themselves, only managing to get more stuck as I watched, utterly flabergasted!

I'd never had something like that work out in my favor before. The two monsters began slapping each other around in their effort to fight free, and Trixie was allowed to watch them bludgeon each other senseless by the time she'd I had drifted through the smoke down to the ground again.

Trixie is, after all, a showmare, and so could you really blame me for hopping atop the tangled and beaten monsters? Nopony worth their magic hat and Guild Membership would dream of missing out on what was about to happen.

As the smoke cleared, Swirly beheld my radiance! I stood atop a pile of unconscious monsters, apparently unharmed.

“I am,” Trixie cried, standing on her hind legs, hoof-stitched purple cape dancing in the wind, “The Great and POWERFUL…!”

"TRIXIE!?"

Swirly's cry snapped me out of whatever fever-dream I'd stumbled into. It also caused Trixie to lose her balance and tumble down to the forest floor. He was lucky I didn't crack my horn, the way I fell.

But all that was just a quick flash of stupid, stupid Trixie thinking. Because in the next instant, my whole body flooded with relief. I couldn't believe I'd just done that. I couldn't believe Swirly was alright!

And then, then it was all too real again, as a tiny colt wrapped his forelegs around me in an ironclad hug, and his tears flowed like rivers. Gone was the brave little stallion I'd seen in him back at his village. There was just a sobbing child, weeping into my coat.

What else could I do? I hugged him back.

There wasn't anything else I could do for him.

"Trixie," he gasped between sobs, "They... they killed everypony..."

"I know. I know."

"My..." he swallowed, hard. It took him another minute, all crying, before he could work some words together again. "My family... my brothers... Mom and Dad... He killed them!"

"Who?" I asked. I squeezed him tighter, wishing, wishing, wishing this had all just been a nightmare.

Swirly looked up at me. He was a complete mess. His cape had been shredded by thorns, and lightly burned in places. His eyes were red and tears streaked his face. Snot poured out his nose, and I could tell his whole face just wanted to keep screaming, keep howling in pain.

What had been done to him

What I had done to him would echo forever, I knew.

"Bray," he finally uttered, taking another deep breath, "It was Bray. He led the Troggles in. He... when Mom wouldn't tell them where you were..."

I won't repeat what he said. Some details are best left forgotten. All that was important, all that would ever be important, was that Trixie Lulamoon had doomed a village. And Starswirl's mother, Page Turner, a unicorn mare from Roam, who liked reading books about far-off places she would never see, and who spoke six languages, and who taught the fillies and colts of her village for free, and who laughed at jokes you weren't sure she understood but just wanted to laugh for its own sake, who was a blessed light to those around her, was dead.

And I killed her. I killed her husband. I killed two of her sons. Bray held the sword. But Trixie made him swing.

Trixie couldn't cry. She couldn't ever cry again. She had no right. But she accepted Swirly's crying. I held him close, and I swore then, I would never let go.

This is hard to read. As an archaeologist and historian, I'm used to a lot of the bloodier, nastier parts of Equestria that doesn't get a lot of time or space in the plays and stories we tell ourselves. But, those dusty old tomes happened to ponies long dead. Ponies I'll never meet.

But, I know Trixie, at least a little. I can't imagine what she went through seeing all that. I can't imagine what Starswirl went through.

Your student, Celeste, came by while I was going over my notes on this part. I think she might have caught a glimpse. I don't know if I would show her it. But, that's really not my call. Maybe it's not your call, pardon the insubordination. I spent a long, long night holding my kids after this. They thought I was just being sentimental after the whole Grogar-cult thing. I don't know why I'm telling you that, but here we are.

I brought Swirly back to my campsite, and made sure that nocreature could follow us. There's a lot of spells unicorns use to control the weather when there's not enough pegasi living nearby, so I just re-purposed one to create a little, focused breeze to clear up our hoofprints in the dirt, and I reapplied the illusion spells to keep our camp a secret.

Really had no choice about it. There'd be Troggles about tonight, but by morning they'd have moved on, chasing after their companions' fears of a magical mare who'd made off with their prey.

I got Swirly tucked in as soon as I could. Trixie can't blame the kid for crying as much as he did, and so she let him. He eventually ran out of energy. Even hiccuping stopped after a while. He needed sleep, as much as I knew he didn't want to. He hardly spoke to me all night.

Of course not. Grogar was looking for a Wizard. Bray had sold out Hyneighria to help his master capture a Wizard. Because it was a Wizard, a Great and Powerful practitioner of the mystic arts, who was prophesied to defeat him. That's the most I got out of Swirly from before, and there wasn't a whole lot of reasons to think that had changed.

So, Bray had told Grogar about Trixie. And because Trixie had to show off, Hyneighria burned.

Deciding it would be easier to hear a patrol coming by if we were outside, I set up a little tent and blankets next to the wagon. After Swirly had gone to bed, I sat besides him, and spent a long, long night thinking. There was a lot to think about.

But, eventually, the nightmares wouldn't let him be. Swirly woke up a few times during the night.

I heard him, one time, whisper, "Mom," as he did so. In the silence that followed, I could hear him crying into his pillow.

He didn't deserve any of this. I bet Starswirl was supposed to live a long, happy life in his tree-library. I bet his mom would have lived to see her little colt grow into the best Wizard who ever lived.

There was nothing I could do for him, except be there. Trixie scooted as close as she could to him. I wrapped him in another hug, and as my mind raced for something, anything to give him even a little peace, I remembered a song my mother sang to me, whenever I was sick, or whenever I wasn't feeling as Great and Powerful as I thought I could be.

I sang my mother's song to Swirly. It was strange, being the one singing to another. I hoped my voice wouldn't crack, and luckily it didn't. Trixie knows she doesn't have the same voice as her mother, but I hope it was enough. He fell asleep by the last verse, but I kept singing, right to the end.

Like Mom did. I'll leave the lyrics here, just in case somepony wants to sing it themselves one day. Or, maybe you just want to know it, Journal.

Along I trot this moonlit path,
And think, I ought, to say to you,
Beware the home, the love of hearth,
And live as a wander’r may do.

It’s not hard to be a wander’r,
It’s not hard to be a wander’r,
To walk the roads, to ebb and flow,
Then on the road, you’re always home.

The path before you is yours, my dear,
As a king or queen may claim it,
But as king or queen grows old, I fear,
You must learn you have to leave it.

It’s not hard to be a wander’r,
It’s not hard to be a wander’r,
To walk the roads, to ebb and flow,
Then on the road, you’re always home.

When you take the wheel of life, my love,
And let the north star be your guide,
A traveler needs no masters above,
But the mem’ry of those loved, abide.

It’s not hard to be a wander’r,
It’s not hard to be a wander’r,
To walk the roads, to ebb and flow,
Then on the road, you’re always home.

So, if, when life in chaos,
And you wish to bid it adieu,
Take your cloak and your hat,
Swear you’ll never come back,
Yet my love shall still travel with you.

It’s not hard to be a wander’r,
It’s not hard to be a wander’r,
To walk the roads, to ebb and flow,
Then on the road, you’re always home.
Then on the road, you’re always home.
But the wander’r wanders alone.

That's The Wanderer. Holy buck, that's The Wanderer. Trixie Lulamoon, through yet another hoofstrap paradox, introduced the most famous piece of Pre-Classical Equestrian folk music to the world! And, in Trixie fashion, at least a century before historians suspected its creation.

I had to go to Vinyl Scratch and Octavia to research this. That song's older than anything. There just aren't older songs out there. Turns out, Miss Scratch teaches Music History in her off-season, so I got a full lecture on how important that dang song is. It's older than Greenhooves, for Celestia's sake!

Also worth noting, this is now the most complete version of the lyrics in existence. Octavia looked like she was going to sock me if I didn't let her read it.

Swirly and I didn't really talk for the next two days. We'd heard a few patrols go by in the night, so by morning I knew it was time to get out of that wood. I hitched the wagon up to myself, and Swirly followed alongside me. We ate a quick, cold breakfast in silence as we walked.

Normally, Trixie enjoys singing a few wanderer songs as she travels. This day, she didn't feel much like it, and she doubted Swirly would (or could) sing along.

It didn't help that neither I nor Swirly were very familiar with this part of the forest. I managed to scrounge up a whole bunch of yummy acorns, though Swirly didn't seem interested. Well, more for Trixie. Funny, I can remember talking to Human Trixie once about stuff from the human world past Twilight's mirror, and she seemed to think acorns were poisonous to ponies. Proof that not all Trixies were made equal.

Oh, sweet merciful Luna, there's more than one Trixie!?

Trixie remembers something once said to her. Somepony once said that, even when things were at their darkest, you could always laugh, and things would turn around. You'd think I heard that from Pinkie Pie, but you'd be wrong.

I miss Ribbon.

I'm getting maudlin. And I'm dragging. And this was only day 12, so I need to get a move on.

Swirly didn't sleep well that night, and neither did Trixie, despite us being in the relatively more comfortable wagon. I kept having the same dream, over and over. Every time I'd get to the end of it, it'd either start over on its own, or I'd wake up and find myself covered in sweat and falling out of my hammock.

It was a strange dream, though I didn't realize yet what was going on (that's what we in showbiz call foreshadowing, Journal). Trixie was trapped in Hyneighria as it burned, but besides the flames burning everything around me, there was no screaming, no sounds of battle, or nothing like that. It was eerily quiet.

Except for the Princess, of course. Which Princess? Couldn't tell you. It sounded like Twilight. You know, a little naggy and uppity? But she was tall, and graceful, like Celestia. But she was also magical, like Luna. Don't ask me what the difference is, but I've always liked Luna a bit more than the other Princesses.

Would it be weird to say Luna's my spirit animal? It would be weird. Yes.

Anyway, she kept calling out to me, but I couldn't find her, whichever Her that was supposed to be. The fire made it very unclear, and I tended to either catch on it, or the air was always too smoky for me to get a good look at her. But, definitely a Princess. Definitely an Alicorn.

But, I digress. Day 13 wasn't much better. The forest began to slope up, which meant hauling the wagon uphill more often than not. There really wasn't a road, so that was also working against us. To his credit, Swirly tried to drag the wagon himself for a bit.

And by a bit, I mean a whole five minutes. He was a lot like Twilight or Starlight in that way. A bit flabby from sitting around reading when he could have been out roughing it like Trixie did when she was younger. Then again, I didn't really have a choice at his age.

That was another issue. As slow as I was going with the wagon strapped to me, Swirly was almost as bad, and I could tell he was tired after only a short while. Trixie has nothing against scholars, really. They perform an important function, I think, for us Great and Powerfuls. But, in this case, Swirly's unfamiliarity with hiking was going to cost us time.

Well. Learn by doing, I always say.

I don't, actually. But it's a good saying. Glad I wrote it down.

Finally, just an hour or two before sunset (it's still so weird knowing nopony is controlling that), we reached the top of the hill. I was pulling the wagon again, and, for all the pain and misery it took to get there, it was really worth it. The hilltop was bald, and rose up above the treeline, giving us a commanding view of the Everfree.

It stretched to the horizon! I'd never seen a forest so big before. There probably wasn't a forest this big in all of modern Equestria! And the sun was at that perfect level where it just bathed the world in a warm, richly orange hue. Trixie's favorite color is blue, naturally. But blue works so well with orange sometimes. And the whole sky was like that! Blue and orange!

A moment of beauty I'd almost forgotten about.

"Good!" Swirly collapsed beside me, "Time to camp."

"Not yet, we're not," I shook my head and pointed with my horn down to the other side, "Can't see a road yet, so we're still heading east. And I'm not about to stop at the top of a hill."

"Why not?" he whined at my hooves, not bothering to move his, clearly, exhausted legs. "We can see for miles around us!"

I nodded, "And everycreature here will see us for miles. So, we're heading down the hill. It'll be quick! Don't worry."

Not sure if he grumbled or agreed. Either way, I started down the hill, and I could tell he was following me soon after. We reentered the treeline soon enough, where I was tempted to stop early. Heading downhill was still slow-going, almost dangerously so, as long as I wanted the wagon to stay in control during the descent. And with evening approaching, it'd get worse.

But, I noted something up atop that hill. A little depression in the tree canopy that I hoped would be a little grove to hide the wagon in. And I was right on the money! Just after sundown, Trixie found it, and we prepared the camp. The trees were really overgrown there, so much so that the canopy overhead had entwined the tree branches as tight as a regular ceiling. It was for that reason alone I figured it would be safe to cook over a fire tonight.

After boiling the acorns and making a mash, I managed to scrounge up some dandelions and hibiscus, and made a little sauce out of them. It took a bit of my cheese supply, but you gotta keep your strength up, hoofing it like we were. Even Swirly seemed to come around to the smell.

I whipped some of this up myself, just to see how it tastes. Not bad. I'd add cinnamon, but Trixie was working on something of a budget at the time. Most of Trixie's "recipes" are classic wanderer fare, and I've found a few similar references here and there.

Pinkie Pie showed up in a huff while I was annotating this. She gave me a gift basket of flour, sugar, and yeast, and told me to get my crap together. I have no words.

We sat together in silence, like the night before. Just me, and the future Starswirl, eating burnt acorn mash with cheese sauce. A Trixie special.

But then, I heard something break the silence. A little voice at Trixie's side, quiet, and just a bit hollow.

"Thank you," it said.

"Sorry?" I said. Then, "Oh. Right. Well, the sauce is good, but I always ruin the acorns..."

"No," Swirly chuckled, just a little bit, "I mean, thank you. For saving me."

I tried talking around a mouthful of mash, "Oh, well. You shouldn't have to thank somepony for something like that."

"You could have walked away, I'm sure," he stirred his mash with the wooden spoon I'd given him, "I mean, they were after you. You're the Great and Powerful Wizard Grogar fears, aren't you?"

Trixie's internal 'Starlight' voice started warning me about what to say. It does that, from time to time. I'm told other ponies call it a conscience.

I rarely listen.

"Of course! You doubted me?"

The colt blushed. "A little... um. Trixie?"

I nodded thoughtfully, before taking another deep slurp of my mush.

"What will you do with me now?"

Ah. Yes. That question. The one I'd been pondering for two days and nights by this point. Trixie knew Swirly had family. Technically. Very technically. I didn't know where Roam was, but I knew from talking with Page Turner that any family she had there wouldn't want anything to do with the little guy.

Swirly's dad, Clean Slate, hadn't told me much about his family, probably since he was an earth pony who didn't get out much. I think he had a brother living in Hoofburg, but the way they talked about him, it sounded like he wasn't around anymore.

Confirmation that Starswirl's father was an earth pony, and that his name was Clean Slate.

Unfortunately, that's all we get. Clean Slate, according to what info I could glean out of Starswirl before he tried to mind-wipe me again, was an architect from Hoofburg. He met Page Turner while studying in Roam, and from what I could tell, they hit it off right away. Unfortunately, there lay the scandal that saw Miss Turner's exile from the city. They moved to Hyneighria in order to raise their first son, Starmane.

And I'd put good money on them not being married until after getting there.

Which left one of two options. And Trixie would never abandon a foal on their own, no matter how bad things got. So, I only had the one option, really.

I could practically hear Pinkie Pie's 'For-eh-ver' echoing in the back of my mind as I looked down at Swirly.

"Well," I sighed, and swallowed another mouthful of mush, "Trixie did promise..."

"You... you mean...?" Have I ever told you, Journal, how adorable Swirly gets when his eyes do that 'sparkly' thing? Because they were doing that 'sparkly' thing. And he was adorable!

I nodded, "Crossed my heart and everything, right?"

While I had his undivided attention, Trixie reached out with her magic and took hold of her hat and cape. I'd set them in the wagon, and so I made sure to pull them out of the window facing away from me and Swirly.

"Swirly," I started talking, making sure to keep my hat and cape drifting in the air at the edge of the firelight, "You are a colt of remarkable ability and wisdom beyond your age. And, seeing as how you are Trixie's current Number One Fan, you've proven that you have excellent taste."

Trixie ignored his little snort. I was on a roll.

"But, you wish to learn from Trixie? To study her magical know-how and mystical arts? Do you wish to be..."

Pause for dramatic effect.

"Great and Powerful!?"

He wiped his eyes and nose quickly, then nodded. As he did so, I laid my hat and cape upon him. No matter how ordinary a job hiring this kinda was, I'd never forgive myself for not treating this with the theatrics my profession demanded.

"Then, by the power invested in me, by the Guild of Equestrian Magicians, I, Trixie Lulamoon, do hereby make you, Starswirl, my apprentice in magic!"

I then swatted him across the face with my hoof. Might have swung too hard, considering how hard he crumpled.

"Trixie!?" he screamed, and scowled at me through the tears, "What the buck was that about!?"

Trixie intoned, solemnly, "May that be the last strike you accept without retaliation!"

You may think Trixie just got ahead of herself, but I checked. This is actually how they induct new members into the Guild.

How the heck did Celeste ever get born?

Despite the hard hit, Swirly managed to stand up under his own power, and smiled once more.

"I won't let you down, Master Trixie."

Oh, how I love to hear that!

Don't worry. I know what I'm doing, Journal. And it's not like I could do anything else. I owed the kid more than I could ever repay.

He reached out, and gave me another hug, and this was a lot nicer than the last one. He'd be moody again tomorrow, Trixie knew. It took a long time to move past what had happened. But, if nothing else, I could make sure that Starswirl's foalhood from this point on was one of laughter, and magic.

But, as Trixie was holding her apprentice in a warm embrace, I glanced up and across the flames of our little campfire.

And just for a moment, though at the time I thought I was just seeing smoke and light, I could almost see a shape watching us through the trees...

Twilight twitched, irritably. While she was warmly embedded in her sheets, and her mug of tea was fully drained, and she was fully drawn into the tale before her... her own internal clock was screaming. She attended to that clock, and felt out with her magic.

Almost six in the morning. The sun was supposed to come up. Now, in fact.

So, with a huff and a sigh, the Princess of Friendship allowed herself to be dragged away from her reading in order to raise the sun and prevent the entirety of Equestrian civilization from suddenly plunging into anarchy and panicked destruction.

It was the right thing to do, she begrudgingly supposed.

But, she still had a few minutes before her Royal Duties would prevent her from partaking in her most cherished of activities, and so she decided to flip the page she was on, and take a little sneak peak at what she would find come this evening. She was only halfway through this section of the journal, after all. What better place to pause for a break?

Even Trixie couldn't ruin it with a cliffhanger, right?

And then... the Princess became most confused.

"The Return of... what...?"

Trixie Lulamoon will return, right after...

Dear Idea Works and Design Works:

Long time, no write! It's been a while since we talked about my next novel, and it would seem the muse has struck again. Between my husband returning to teach university and my kids getting old enough to handle themselves (despite my better judgement), I'm happy to say that I've still got some books in me. I know it's only been a year or so since you published Daring Do and the Rise of Marelantis, but I'm just too impatient to quit.

I've attached a preview chapter, to whet your appetites. The setup is simple: Daring Do has traveled to the Unexplored West in order to hunt down an artifact of ancient Equestria; Grogar's Bell. Or, one of them. Stories say he had multiple lesser bells besides the famous one. A lot of my story ideas were inspired by some government excavation work I was asked to help with, so if something sounds familiar to something else you've read in the papers, that would explain it.

And that's the Bell Daring's after, when she's caught by a mad cult led by an even madder pony, Wilspur Wheatley, who plans on using the Bell to steal Grogar's dark power.

I hope you enjoy it, as it was a lot of fun coming up with. Especially the cameos. Aren't my kids amazing writers too?

Hope you two enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Signed, your friend,
AK Yearling

Daring Do awoke suddenly as a bucket of cold water was splashed unceremoniously into her face. She sputtered and shook her sopping mane, bleary-eyed, but instantly ready for action.

Touch came back first, out of all her senses. Daring could feel the hard, cold bell pressed up against her back, and the tightly wrapped ropes holding her against it. Even her wings were pinned to her side.

Sound was next. She could hear water dripping somewhere far off, just audible over the chorus of birdsong and rustling greenery.

This was quickly confirmed as Daring's sight came back. Her mind was already trying to take in the surroundings, which seemed to mostly include a dark, ruined temple covered in moss, with blown-out windows that once might have held stain-glass mosaics. The whole place had that feel, that appearance she'd seen a thousand times before, one of rot and decay so old that even the Princesses would be taken aback.

Smell was last to return.

Did they hit her with filtered water?

Across from Daring, even as she struggled in her wakening, she could see her captors smirk. There were six of them at the moment, though from her groggy memories of the fight, she could remember more. Four of them were dressed in black, all-concealing robes. Typical of cults, Daring supposed, even though it was obvious they were all unicorns from their uncovered horns.

But at the front of this menacing crowd {eh, more of a gaggle, some word-choice options helpful} stood two figures Daring knew she'd seen before. The first was a stallion, dressed in black robes, yet crowned with a crown hat mantle helm made from a ram's horns.

But the other, a young mare dressed in a matching red fedora and trenchcoat, drew Daring's ire instantly.

"Carmare Sandeneighgo," she growled, "We meet again!"

The infamous thief and criminal mastermind, and secretly the daughter of Daring Do and her once-rival, Dr Caballeron, {I know this ship isn't that popular in the fandom, but I'm sticking to it for authorial vision. Also, if you're worried about legal, never fear! I've already obtained permission for Carmare's cameo appearance from her creator, my older daughter Zaldia} began to say something nefarious, Daring had no doubt, when the ram-horn-crowned cultist stepped forward.

"Excuse me!" he declared in a haughty, entitled voice that Daring found immensely familiar, "But I was the one who founded this cult! You shall speak to me! Daring Do!" he somewhat added her name to the end as an afterthought.

Daring rolled her eyes. Villains these days were drama princesses. Adding way too many exclamation points to their monologues.

"I don't even know you," Daring pointed out without being able to point, "Though, I suspect you're the ones who stole Kagrenicker's Tools!"

"Guilty as charged!" the stallion laughed, villanously {drawing a blank on better adverbs}. "And I knew, where an evil cult had stolen rare artifacts, there would be Daring Do to the rescue! Exactly as planned!"

Daring frowned, "You planned on me kicking your butts and stopping you?"

"What?" the stallion seemed confused, "N-no! It was my intention to capture you! That you might be the first sacrificed to Grogar upon his return! When I strike the Great Bell, the Heart of Lavan, the veil will be torn asunder, and Grogar the Great shall return once more!"

Daring stared at the mad cultist, and was unimpressed. "Okay, question."

Carmare snickered, knowing all too well where this was headed.

"Why sacrifice me?" Daring shook her head slowly, for emphasis, "I've dealt with all sorts of evil cults, weird artifacts, and spooky ruins before, but nothing related to Grogar. So, why me?"

"Erm..." the cult leader paused a moment, thinking.

But Daring wasn't waiting that long!

"Seems a bit personal, if you ask me. And what's that about bringing Grogar back? You do realize he's already back, right?"

One of the other cloaked figures tilted their head to one side, whispering to one of their compatriots in a heavy Canterlot accent, "Uh, wait... is that true?"

"Idiots!" their leader snapped, black lightning suddenly crackling between the horns of his helm, "She's trying to confuse you! Grogar awaits his Chosen in the void beyond!"

Daring chuckled, "Nah! He's probably helping Sugarcube Corner out with their latest order. Or, he's reading to his grandfoal. Or, he's playing poker with the other retirees at the home. You guys do get the newspaper out here, don't'cha?" {No, I'm not being paid a sponsorship to mention Sugarcube Corner. I just like the joint.}

The cult leader snorted, and strode forward. With a snarl, he conjured a roll of duct tape and snapped Daring's mouth shut. From this close, she could finally see who her captor was.

Wilspur Wheatley? The famous musician and adventurer unicorn? The one who'd disappeared under mysterious circumstances?

Of course! Daring shook her head ruefully.

It was so obvious, in hindsight! The bored, Canterlot elites making up his cult? The message in the cider bottle? The impeccable vocal control? How could she miss that!? {Clues will be dispersed throughout the text up until this point, I don't need to assure you.}

"Yes, Daring," Wilspur whispered, "I assume you recognize me now, hrm? All I wanted was to join you on one of your adventures, but you couldn't be bothered with your Number One Fan! And now, with the help of these hapless fools, I shall steal the power of Grogar himself, and... ascend. I will become all powerful, and worthy of your attention!. What do you have to say now?"

Daring rolled her eyes. This was why she didn't like getting publicized. Too many fan club members ended up going evil to prove themselves. It was a rather disconcerting statistic. {Rainbow Dash, the Official Daring Do Fan Club President, is cool. But I've noticed a certain toxic part of the fanbase in recent years, and figured I needed to address them somehow.}

Wilspur glanced down to her taped-up muzzle. "Oh... right. The tape. W-well..."

He coughed, and began speaking normally, or as normal as a monologueing villain could speak, saying, "Regardless! If the Eclipse weren't so important for the ritual, I'd stick around to make certain your demise... but sadly, we haven't the time."

"Uh, boss?" another cultist raised a hoof in question.

"Yes?"

The cultist who spoke looked around, "Um... we could just, like, hit her with a rock. Ya know?"

Wilspur looked aghast. His mouth hung low, and his eyes bulged.

"Are you out of your mind!?"

"Well, I thought..."

Wilspur's dark magic frothed about his, Daring now realized, surgically added ram-horns. And with a simple burst of his newfound magical fury, he vaporized the poor henchpony instantly.

"There is a proper way to do things!" Wilspur stomped through the ashes, "You do rituals to get your dark power, or summon your evil overlord, in this case. You conduct searches in standardized patterns, like how we caught Miss Do. And, when you have Daring Do hostage, you put her in the death trap!

"Bray's buckles!" he cursed, "I thought you ponies at least read my newsletter!"

Wilspur sighed, dramatically. His remaining cultists cowered before his dark power. That, to him, seemed to be all he wanted.

"And, in any case," he reached out with his magic and flipped a long, bronze switch on the wall, "We're out of time."

The gears and clockwork machines that lined the walls began to shriek and churn, ancient magic no-doubt keeping the whole system in working order, despite the relentless march of time and rust. The hammer, which had been suspended by such machines, now began to lurch backward, up and into the air with each ponderous tick of the gears.

It was some sort of evil, clockwork mechanism, like the Metal Ponies of Cyberquestria, from Daring's battle against the Maresians in Daring Do and the Space Invaders. {Scratch that. Too meta.}

Daring could tell at once that the hammer was being pulled back into position... to squash her at the ringing of the bell!

"Farewell, Daring Do!" Wilspur began laughing, maniacally, as he and his cultists left the chamber. Only Carmare Sandeneighgo paused. The scarlet-dressed mare watched Daring with a piercing gaze.

Then, Carmare trot up to the ensnared adventurer. The cultists watched, knowing that their ally had some sort of bone to pick with her.

Carmare said nothing. Her gaze said all that needed to be said. She reached over, and gave a clearly sarcastic, and maudlin, kiss to Daring's cheek, before she turned and strode away, Wilspur and his cultists taking their leave as well.

Daring sighed. If her little girl was one thing, she was an adventurous thief. And if she were two things, she was also a good kid. Daring reached down as far as she could with her muzzle, and flipped open one of her shirt pockets.

A penknife! Right where Zaldia had just dropped it!

"Atta girl!"

But, as she caught the knife in her teeth, there was a sudden quail from the machine! The gears popped and creaked, and somewhere a spring must have been busted loose, for there was an awful shaking of the room.

The knife dropped from Daring's grasp! It hit the floor, and lay just beyond where her tail or hooves could reach.

This was it, Daring thought. The end. She looked up at the hammer as it was brought fully into position.

There was a moment of silence.

The end.

Daring closed her eyes, and waited.

SPRING! The hammer snapped free...!

But no ringing. No splatter. Daring slowly opened her eyes, and saw that the hammer was mere inches from her face. The thin end of a whip had gripped the deadly device, and held itself taut.

Daring looked down the whip's length, and beamed.

"Indeedy Do!" her other daughter, the intrepid young adventurer herself, stood at the chamber's entrance, holding the entire machine's deadly strike back through brute earth pony power.

"Don't you worry, Mom!" she called out with a grunt, "I'll getcha out of there...!"

Which was when the whip snapped...

I bet you're on the edge of your seats now? I told you I still got it! Indeedy and Carmare play a big part of this adventure. Again, I got permission from Indeedy's creator, my younger daughter Treasure S Hunter. I have very talented kids, I know. I've also got a few gags with Indeedy giving her foalsitter, Ahuizotl, the slip, and the finale is all planned out. Hint: it involves Daring ringing some bells.

But, we can talk all about that when I see you in pony. How about that little cafe in the Crystal Empire. Applebucks? I know you love talking books over a nice brew!

Your friend,
AK Yearling

The Princess of Friendship shook her head. This... this wasn't at all how she wanted this to go.

Now she'd probably have to wait a year or something to find out what happened!

She laughed at her own little joke, at least internally. Externally, she was running Dusk Court, and had little time to ruminate on Daring's miss-sent letter. She found it rather amusing that her friend, favorite author, and current government researcher, had accidentally sent the Princess that little taste of her next manuscript, tucked away in the middle of her Trixie report.

That had been a week ago. Daring had apologized for the mix-up, and Twilight had offered to help her edit the final book when it was ready. A good time was had. And, through an all-too-short teatime with Daring and Rainbow, Twilight had learned that Wilspur and his cult had been banished to the Shadowrealm when they struck the wrong note on the bell, and Daring had to perform a harmonic-song-spell on the Wind-chimes of Fate in order to close the portal.

It sounded like a fun adventure, all told. Even Zaldia and Treasure learned a few lessons about friendship, and grand theft charges, at least in Zaldia's case.

Twilight had asked Grogar what happened to Wilspur and his cultists, seeing as how that old ram still had control over his dark realm.

He'd just laughed. And laughed. And laughed. Pinkie had to spritz him with a spray bottle to make him stop.

Still. As Twilight Sparkle conducted the ship of state, she couldn't help but wonder what wonders she would find in the second half of that journal entry. And, she also wondered how Trixie herself had been doing since the Gala...

Trixie tucked Swirly into his hammock that night soon after taking him under my metaphorical wing. I, however, stayed up a while longer. Normally, Trixie makes sure to get her beauty rest, but I was worried. I really thought I'd seen something off in the woods, and I didn't want to take a chance with Swirly by not checking up on it.

After a while, though, I started thinking whatever I saw had only been a trick of the light. But, just to be safe, I let the fire burn itself out before I ended watch. The woods were still dangerous, after all. It was still the freaking Everfree.

No monsters popped out that night. But, I was happy I'd stayed up anyway. Just after the fire burned out, Trixie looked up, and saw the stars. I guess I'd been busy, all this time trapped in the past, or the weather just hadn't ever been agreeable. I had never taken a moment to look up at night, and look at Luna's

She didn't exist yet, I realized, looking up into such a night sky as I've never seen. If Trixie lives to be one hundred years old, she will never forget the sight. It reminded me of once, in Art class, when I was practicing a tricky part of my future magic act. Yes, I know I should have been doing the assignment, but I heard that the Great Cosma could levitate stuff without using her horn, so naturally, Trixie had to figure it out as well.

The only records I could find of a magician named Cosma were a party clown license filed with Canterlot's Bureau of Fun, and an arrest warrant for a unicorn mare wanted in connection to a bank heist committed by a gang of criminal party planner ponies.

I tried getting more out of Pinkie Pie, she being my expert on such things (no, I don't know where my life went so wrong), but all I got was a slap in the face, and something about how "a Pinkie Promise must be held, FOR-E-VER". I have no idea what happened there.

Long story short, Journal, but Trixie might have instead combusted the various paint supplies she had access to. Luckily, nothing burst into flame that time, but it did result in me with a black portrait completely covered in specks of silver, blue, and purple paint. I thought it looked positively Great and Powerful. Professor Melting Clock didn't think so, and gave me a D a Gentlemare's C. Funny thing though, was that he changed it to a B when Princess Celestia came in and wanted to keep the painting.

I know! I mean, it was a very nice thing she did for a silly filly. It probably sat on her fridge door for a week before she tossed it. Saved my grade too. Not that it mattered in the end.

I wonder if you knew that Celestia kept that picture. I asked her about the incident, and she seemed to remember everything. Must've been hard to have fun while her student, am I right? Apparently, Trixie's little painting misadventure reminded the Princess of her long lost sister, since it looked like a starfield. I guess she'd been bored with her own stars for a thousand years by that point, so she kept it.

The painting looked just like those stars. Spots of silver on a black canvas, entwined in gold and blue and purple swirls. A small part of me wanted to twirl my cape a bit, but even the Great and Powerful Trixie had to bow to the night-sky's superior skill. It was beautiful.

But, Trixie hears you asking, Journal, why does all this matter?

Trixie will get to that. In time.

Trixie finished that page with a bunch of doodles of stars in the margins.

Day 14, and we were making good time for once!

Ha ha! Trixie was pulling your leg, Journal! Sweet Luna's horn, I'm so lonely.

No, actually. It wasn't a good day at all. It wasn't watch-a-village-burn bad the worst thing, but it certainly wasn't Great or Powerful. No, it was the exact opposite of Great and Powerful. It was downright Sparkle!

Trixie shouldn't say those sorts of things. The Princess hasn't really been a problem for me for a long while now. And she was responsible for me meeting my absolute bestie. How many times am I going to remember that while writing in you before it sticks?

Right, Day 14. Stupid day. Worse night. Very Sparkle stop that

For as cute and adorable as he is, Starswirl is such a complainer. I mean, I'm happy his mood improved, but if he just worked his legs more than his mouth walked more than he talked, maybe Trixie wouldn't have a throbbing headache right now. Then again, that might also be from the concussion.

Trixie will explain.

So, I started off Swirly's apprenticeship in the best way I knew how. It was the way Grey taught me, after all. The key to being a great magician, to be that a legendary Wizard or a stage magician of peerless skill, beauty, poise

"Magic isn't just about making your horn glow and throwing fireballs and laser blasts around," I told him before we broke camp.

The little twerp Swirly was very eager to start his tutelage, and so, interrupted me. "Yes! It's about harnessing the elementary factors of creation, binding them to your will, and changing reality with but a whim!"

I don't know where he gets it.

"Wrong-o!" said the Great and Powerful Me, "Magic is about all kinds of things! And the first, and most important, lesson you can learn is this: A Healthy Body is a Healthy Mind!"

His blank little stare was all I needed to know he didn't have a clue as to what I meant. So, Trixie decided to demonstrate. I went off into the nearby treeline, and quickly found just what I needed. It took me a few minutes, since I needed to find some leverage and a stick, but I was able to lever a small rock out of the ground, and tossed it over to our camp. The darn thing had to weigh fifty pounds or so.

"What is that?" Swirly asked as I got out the rope from my wagon.

"This," I said with a dash of a performance in my voice, "will be your luggage!"

"My luggage?" he asked, still not grasping what I was trying to teach him, "But... that's a rock. A rock that's almost as big as I am!"

I nodded at his finally understanding. "Indeed! And by carrying this rock while we're on the road, you will build the muscle and endurance to survive the life of a traveling magician!"

I actually know what Trixie's doing here! Trixie's teacher, Grey Prancer, must have learned from the same school as my first archaeology professor, Author Challenge Doily! Hauling heavy stones during intense physical training is a staple of Turtle Hermit's martial arts school. Turtle-style is good for building endurance and stamina, so a lot of The Hermit's teachings are used in Royal Guard training, and Rainbow Dash relies on it heavily for training her Wonderbolts. Seriously, I'd be dead a dozen times over if I didn't learn how to hoof it over a mountain while chained to a boulder.

He licked his lips, clearly eager to begin... or so I thought.

"That's crazy!" he shook his head at me, "I can't carry that! How does this help me with magic!?"

Trixie could only roll her eyes at the foalish foal. I couldn't believe how little such a supposedly legendary wizard knew about magic!

"Because, my apprentice," I drew myself up to look even more Great and Powerful than I normally was, "Your magic isn't just in your horn!"

"It isn't?"

Trixie had to pause for a moment at that. It never occurred to me that Starswirl, or anypony, for that matter, wouldn't know about something so elementary to magic. I mean, how could he not know about this stuff?

"Of course not! Magic flows throughout your body! All ponies have little nodes and pools of magic in their bodies, and unique ways for that magic to flow out of them. And the best way to keep those nodes going strong, is to keep your body in shape!"

"But Galen of Piggamon* said..." Swirly started rattling off a bunch of names and philosophies that I don't even care to remember. I like the kid, I really do. But sometimes, he goes full-Twilight when you bring up something even remotely related to magic.

Galen of Pegamon was a unicorn philosopher who was born in Pegamon, a Pegasus city-state. Since mixed heritages were still illegal among the pegasi back then (some 200 years before this point in history), he was exiled to Roam, where he became a leading philosopher and magical-theorist. Of course, literally everything he ever wrote has since been debunked, but by this point in history he was still considered the leading authority on the relationship between the equine body and magic.

The Mana-Chakra System (MCS) taught today was supposed to have been discovered by Starswirl himself, with help from Mistmane. Seems he started his theory by listening to Trixie talk about it.

*Trixie misspelled Pegamon. I chose not to correct her. Because it's funny.

It took an hour to convince him that I wasn't just being weird, and that this was legitimately how he could build his physical endurance. Luckily for me, he's a quick learner. Once he saw it was possible, Swirly fell right into line.

But, I wasn't done yet! While Grey Prancer had taught me the basics of Turtle Style and its endurance training, I'd already surpassed my own master in the mystical arts. For you see, Journal, there was one other thing Swirly needed if he was to be my true magical apprentice!

"Now," I began, once I'd tied the boulder to Swirly's back (he did not look happy with that thing on, but that was the point), "I'm going to show you a spell that will let you reduce the weight of the boulder, but only so long as you concentrate on it."

"What..." he gasped, "What's the point of that?"

"The point is," I said, patient as always, "that Magic is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. And it'll make the boulder manageable. So, there's that."

His eyes bulged out at me, though that could also have been the boulder crushing his little body.

"Wait, why didn't we start with that!? I feel like my hooves are sinking!"

"Do you question your master!?" I shot back. Even if I liked the kid, he needed to know who was boss.

Trixie was boss. Just in case you didn't know that, Journal.

"N-no, Master Trixie!" he panicked a little bit, and reset his stance to hold up the rock a little easier, "Please, teach me!"

Well, he took to my spell like Twilight does to a donut shop--

Rude.

Also, that training style sounds like unicorn Guard training. Technically, Trixie's on the rolls for the Ponyville militia, ever since Starlight sent her off with the Friendship School kids during Chrysalis's attack. Looks like she would have only just finished her first round of training with them when she was sent back.

Speaking of the crazy bug herself, you gotta tell me how that whole rehabilitation thing's going. Discord complains a lot about Cozy Glow whenever he's around, so I bet the other two former-statues have some fun stories to share?

-- and within the hour, we were off!

Too bad the storm caught up with us right after that. We even made some decent distance through the woods, when the wind kicked up and a shower started. A heavy shower, the kind where somepony breaks the head off and the whole wall starts flooding the bathroom. Starlight seriously needs to learn how to turn a pipe without crushing it in her mutant-strong magic grip. I couldn't even see that far once the rain started, like the whole sky and all the clouds were dropping on my head!

My luck, naturally. Well, Trixie wasn't about to let a little rain show her up. I happen to know a few weather spells. Alright, to be honest (I should try that more often), weather magic's always been a tricky thing for Trixie. I've been able to take a couple apart and modify a few others, but real weather magic takes a lot more raw power mana than I could muster up in one go.

But, as I was to teach Swirly soon enough: Power is nothing without being Clever!

So, I whipped up a quick umbrella-spell I knew from traveling the Everfree (before my little adventure started), where random weather just sort of happens. This rain was too thick for a shield spell, so I opted to take out the velocity matrix and thaumic feedback loop from Skydancer's Ballet, and used that to make a little tornado come out of my horn to blow all the rain in front of my face away!

Skydancer was a very strange pony from the 6th century, CE. She was a pegasus, a ballerina, and a close, personal friend to Celestia¹. Yet, despite ostensibly being an artist and an aristocrat, she was fascinated with unicorn magic, and helped her best friend, Lord Tumble Dry, develop some of the first weather spells used for Canterlot's Winter Wrap Up.
1. Very close²
2. Sexy close

Anyway, Trixie is listed in the Grand Spell Registry as having tweaked or modified a couple dozen spells. I didn't realize how seriously unicorn mages took sourcing spells and modifications until I tried looking Trixie up in the registry. Did you know she owns the patent on a spell called Glimglam's Glamorous Hams? Apparently, it used to be a fireball spell, until Trixie figured out she could use its heating properties to burn calories after eating too much. It nearly killed her, but she got the credit for inventing a new spell regardless.

And yes. I desperately want to know that spell, and I'm not even a unicorn!

But, Swirly wasn't having it. I don't really blame him all that much. When I learned the technique, it was hard to switch back and forth from straining my muscles to straining my magic. It helped the Great and Powerful Trixie become even Greater and more Powerful, but this was Swirly's first day. While he'd done a fantastic job huffing and puffing away at my side, right then and there, he was just drowning in mud.

After rolling the boulder over, I used the rain and Skydancer's spell to clean the poor colt off, though he protested the whole time. Even that spell, however, wouldn't push the rain aside enough to keep going. And so, with a heavy heart, and a water-logged hat, I pulled us into a small flat area in between a stand of trees, and we retreated into the safety of the wagon.

Warm and dry, we tucked into our trail rations with gusto! Firefly, as it turned out, had been a decent cook for these sorts of things. Or knew a decent cook, whatever So, we had a nice bit of honey-soaked bread with a paste I think she made out of beans and raisins. I wanted to stretch out the real food a bit, or else we'd have cooked something in the wagon.

Trixie supposes that, for a first day on the road, things hadn't gone well for poor Swirly. I mean, things hadn't really been going well for a while, but still, I felt bad about how my training had already gone off. So, I came up with an idea.

"Alright," Trixie said, once we'd gotten comfortable, "So, teaching you how to walk was a bust for today..."

"Hey," he interrupted, through a muzzle-full of food.

"Nevertheless!" I said with dramatic flourish, then to appease the irate youth, "But it was only your first day. You shall... grow into it, I guess."

I coughed, and stepped back into Showmare Mode.

"For today, I shall impart unto you, the secrets of... Sleight of Hoof!"

Swirly, being uninitiated into the true mysteries of the Stage Magician, balked at my teachings.

"There's nothing magical about... whatever sleight of hoof is," he pouted, like a child crap, he is a child.

It was at that moment that I produced... The Coin. The simplest, yet most effective, magic trick available to a stagehoof. It was a single silver Bit, the sort that most ponies in the here and now were using instead of gold bits. Crazy, I know. Who makes their money out of worthless silver when Gold is available?

Due to the efforts of Stressed Silver, Celestia's court Archmage from 344 to 420 CE, artificial Silver crashed the market on the once-precious metal. Its use as a reagent for magical research, as well as its aesthetic value, kept it in circulation, much like gemstones, but silver never recovered its old value.

Discord started laughing when I wrote that. Said something about how I should "buy gold", and that "gravity is a lie". Can you ask Starlight to ward my house from him, please? He keeps popping in and out of my annotations.

Y̧͍͍͖͚o̡͙̖͉͖u̧̱̖̝ͅͅ'̧̬̲͇̳͉r̡̝͍e̡͍̟ͅ j̢̱̣͚ụ̡̩̞s̩͉̝͜t̡̩̭̫͇̥ j̢̰̱̮̦ͅȩ̮̞a̢͕̞̟̠l͚̭̱̤̳͜o̫͍̳͜ų͓̟̣s̯̮̩͖͉͢ ţ͔͔̲̬͙h̢̥͔̣̦a̧͈͎t̬̬̳͜ͅ I̪͓̟͚͜ w̧͉̠e̪̪͢ą̟̯̟̳̩r̡̭͕̤ͅ i̢̜̟̤t̢̗̫ b̨̙̖̲͔̙e̱̜̣͢ţ̮̟̤t͓̠͢ͅe̡̙̲̱̙̜r͔͚̰͖͢.̱̟̗̩͢

Yeah, like that.

Swirly didn't seem too impressed, not at first. Which was understandable. Trixie knew from personal experience, the best tricks come in the least conspicuous packages.

"Magic," Trixie began, "is all in how you see things."

I began rolling the coin around the edge of my hoof, my voice, and the sound of metal rolling across keratin, mixing with that of the falling rain. But, though he looked bored, I could tell I still had his attention.

"Magic isn't about making fireballs," I said, "or about moving mountains, making portals to other worlds, or even creating life..."

He was very interested now. It was time for Trixie to lay down some truths.

"Trixie isn't the Great and Powerful because she only uses power to do her magic. Magic is more than power. It's taking the mundane, and making it mysterious. It's about taking the normal, and making it supernormal!"

I left the coin spinning in place at the tip of my hoof, and I think that as much as anything else, fascinated little Swirly. I should probably show him my coin-throwing later Nevermind, stupid idea. Bad Trixie.

Trixie learned a lot about knife and coin throwing from her time in the circus, but she only added it to her magic act after she got private lessons from Limestone Pie (Braytona Six-Time All-National Rock-Throwing Champion). She's currently banned from throwing in her act, by royal decree. Apparently, due to her training under Limestone, her throws "naturally and unerringly, drift into the subjects' heads", according to the Fillydelphia PD report.

On a related note, did you know Luna was in a week-long coma after that show!?

"Magic," Trixie decided to finish her demonstration, "isn't about being powerful. It's about being... Clever!"

And with that, the coin vanished. Of course, not really. Trixie merely flicked it to her other hoof and frogged it, as the sleight of hoof parlance goes. But Swirly didn't know that.

His eyes practically bulged right out of his head! The little colt looked at my horn, and back to my hoof. There was awe in his face, certainly... but also confusion, fascination... and finally, Joy!

"I... how did you do that!?"

"Magic," I said, in reply.

"But," he shook his head, like that would help him think through the trick, "But I didn't see your horn glow! How did you perform magic without your horn?"

"Because, magic isn't about being powerful," I produced the coin again, and this time Swirly focused on it like it was a snake about to bite, "It's about being clever. Here, watch..."

The next page or so looks to be lost to water damage and some sort of mold I can only assume to be beanpaste. The lost part can be read, but only in broken fragments.

To the best of my ability, I could decipher that Trixie spent an hour or more teaching 'Swirly' how to do that coin trick, and that once he realized it wasn't actual magic, he got real salty. He got over it, partly because he seemed to like Trixie and figured she was onto something with her 'clever' speech. Plus, she offered to teach him that Skydancer spell.

But, while she was doing that, the sound of thunder seemed to keep getting closer...

"... almost got it!" I said, encouragingly, "Just tilt the axis a little more back."

In hindsight, it was a good thing I tied everything down first. Trixie won't lie, she was surprised at how quickly Swirly picked up her umbrella spell. But, then, he was supposed to be a big deal wizard. Being a child-prodigy was exactly what I should have expected.

Like me, of course!

But there was that sound again. I was starting to think it wasn't thunder at all, but watching Swirly practice his spell, I suppose I got distracted. I was witnessing a young showstallion begin walking the path to fame and glory, and I could tell, even if I didn't know who he was supposed to be, that the kid had talent.

I hope he gets there, this time. I really do.

The sound was like a low rumble, and a hauntingly familiar one. And, now that it was so loud, I started thinking I should take a look. I let Swirly continue practicing while I went to the back door to the wagon, unlatched the lock, and looked out into what I thought was a dark and stormy night day (sorry, habit), but was in fact merely a rainy, foggy day with a slight case of Timberwolves.

There were easily a dozen, no! A hundre

Alright, so, a dozen. Not the worst thing Trixie has ever dealt with, except for the fact that the pack leader was only two feet away and charging the door!

Now, Journal? I promise you, everything that happened just then, was entirely, and completely, in Trixie's control. Recall, if you will, her cat-like reflexes? Trixie let out a mighty war-cry that startled the mighty beast, and she leapt back from its jaws to protect my student.

Then, with expert skill and precision, I Trixie kicked one of the chests over, spilling a whole bundle of fireworks out onto her back.

Swirly, startled though he was, executed my plan perfectly. My training had conditioned him, so that when he saw the Timberwolves, and the fuses to the rockets, he knew precisely what to do! He struck the rocket with his magic, and set the whole bundle, almost twenty rockets, firing into the Timberwolf's open jaws. It careened through the air, and erupted into a shower of fire, smoke, and wooden bits, almost flattening the whole pack in one go!

I'm calling shenanigans. And not just because Starswirl, at some point, wrote the following in the margins:

I don't remember it quite like that. Then again, I was a little under the weather by that point. Sorry, Trixie. Wish I'd told you sooner.

I remember focusing on that weather spell, straining to keep my mana flow consistent, when you started screaming, and screaming, and kicking around in, what I assumed was, a panic. That, in addition to the raging Timberwolves trying to bust down the door, scared me so severely that I, and I do not admit this lightly, had a slight mana leak, that ignited all of your fireworks, the whole bundle of which had fallen atop you in the blind scramble that was going on.

The explosion was just how I remember it, however. Great Ghosts, I'm so glad those explosives had been pointed out a window.

Stains heavily obscure the next section

I tell you now, Journal, that I have never run so hard from anything. Even that one time I had to slip out of Hope Hollow ahead of the guard, I wasn't running as hard as I was just then. Timberwolves have legs on them.

The explosion bought us, like, a minute, tops. I hitched myself up as quick as I could, and started hauling out of there like there was--

I just realized that there's no metaphor that really gets across how fast I was hauling it, except to say it was like Timberwolves were on my tail. Which they were.

As I've said before though, we were fetlocks deep in thick, cloying mud! But, Trixie had something up her sleeves for this occasion! I quickly cast my very own spell, the Glimglam's Glamorous Hams. Normally, this brilliant bit of arcane acumen was Trixie's super-secret means of keeping a svelte figure. But, it was originally a Fire spell, and so it took almost no time at all for the Great and Powerful Trixie to re-substitute some of the more fiery elements back in, and to target the mud itself.

The patch of mud we were in dried up after just a few seconds and, with a simple tug, I was able to pull us free. Unfortunately, the rest of the forest was still completely rained in, and muddy. So, plan B was going to take yet another clever play on my part.

"Swirly!" I called out, "Dump anything that's not nailed down!"

"Even the bits!?" he called back from the inside of the wagon.

I shouted back, "Don't be crazy!"

Honestly, I should have worded that better. Though I didn't yet know Swirly had started tossing out my money, I knew that losing weight wasn't the only trick to getting us away from those Timberwolves. Well, it was, but in a different way. I started casting the cloud-walking spell again, though this time, I tweaked one of the target vectors so that the spell would work on the wagon itself!

Thank you, Journal. Trixie is a genius.

And so humble, of course.

I actually checked with Zaldia whether or not that was impressive. She seemed to think making a whole wagon weigh nothing using a spell meant to copy pegasus magic was impossible. Par for the course with Trixie, I guess.

We flew through the forest after that! Not literally, don't be silly, Journal. But with the wagon weighing nothing, and with Trixie's peerless athleticism and skill, we were making excellent time racing against those monsters.

Or, so I thought. But a glance behind me proved what I'd always feared. Those Timberwolves had come in numbers! There must have actually been a couple dozen of the beasts, and they were nipping at our heels. Several of the quicker ones had caught up to us, and if it weren't for the quick thinking of Swirly zapping them on the snouts with magical blasts that were even weaker than mine just enough to tickle them, they might have stopped the wagon.

As it was, they merely kicked the crap out of it. Sure, Swirly shooed off one or two. But when ten come out of the woods and start throwing themselves into the side of your wagon? We were getting pummeled.

However, fortune found us! A rock, little more than a tiny pebble, got caught under Trixie's wheels, and with the wagon itself weighing so little, the whole thing bounced high up into the air, taking poor Trixie with it! I landed at the wagons' head, falling into the interior as the cord keeping me connected snapped from the violent shake we got.

The wagon sailed through the air, and down the slope of a rocky hill. If it weren't for the fact that we came down perfectly on the remains of some sort of cobblestone road at just the right angle, we might have crashed right then and there!

Instead, we crashed two seconds later, right in the middle of a pile of boulders. I was thrown from the wagon, and landed hard at the foot of one of the rocks. One of the wagon's wheels rolled past me, and disappeared into the jungle around us.

I tell you, my head was swimming. It still kind of is. But, at that moment, I didn't much care.

"Swirly!" I cried, realizing remembering what had just happened. I wasn't sure if I'd been out for a moment, a minute, or longer. The rain had stopped, and the earth beneath us was dry as bone.

The little colt was hanging out the front of the wagon, dazed, and clearly gut-punched by the railing, but once I got up to him, it was obvious he was just winded. Trixie pulled him out of there, and I started assessing the damage.

Not bad, all things considered. The wagon had slammed into some sort of dry pool right in the center of the boulders, losing one wheel, and most of the axle. No worries there. I could fix it in a jiff, assuming we weren't eaten by Timberwolves in the next few minutes.

Oddly, we hadn't been. I know if I was a Timberwolf, I'd be salivating at the chance to eat a pony as obviously Scrumptious and Delicious as Trixie.

I looked around, and found my answer. The wolves had all come to a dead-stop, just beyond the ring of boulders we'd landed in. In fact, if Trixie didn't know any better, which of course Trixie did, I'd guess that they were scared to follow us.

They remained there, at the edge of the circle, for only a few moments, before they retreated back into the depths of the Everfree. I can still feel their eyes on us, even now.

But, right then, I was more worried about Swirly. And I couldn't help but feel weirded-out by the place we'd landed. When I went back to him, Swirly was awake, and staring straight up at the sky above us.

"Swirly?" I asked, "Are you alright?"

He didn't answer.

"Swirly," Trixie huffed, in a dignified and non-pouty manner, "You know it's bad manners to ignore your Master, right?"

Again, he didn't answer me. He just started pointing straight up in the air. I went over to him, but when he refused to do anything else, I shrugged and followed his hoof.

And, well, it takes a lot to impress somepony as Great and Powerful as myself. But that was certainly impressive.

The clouds were parting around the weird boulders. Like, there was a hole in the sky, and all the clouds were going around us.

And that's when it hit me. These weren't boulders, Journal! They were Standing Stones!

I'd just crashed my wagon into Ponehenge!

Again!

I'll come clean on this one: I haven't been able to find out when or how she crashed into Ponehenge before. You and your friends were the first living beings to find it in about a thousand years. Wait, was it doing the cloud-thing when you were there? Curious.

Regardless, Ponehenge is still one of the greatest mysteries in all of academia. Starswirl wrote whole essays and studies on the thing, most all of which were lost to time, and even his latest research that touches on it basically reads like a literary shrug. Was it built by the mysterious, and borderline fictional, Alicorn Tribe? Was it the result of neolithic Grazer-Gatherers dedicating a spot to their ancestral religion? Was Discord bored? Nopony knows!

Trixie didn't realize it was Ponehenge the first time, Journal, but sometimes useful information filters down through one of Twilight's interm intro int really long lectures.

Well, for a moment, at least, Swirly and I could take a long moment, and breathe.

And then, scream.

Trixie

I'm not proud of what happened next, Journal. I was just so angry and frustrated. And once I realized that Swirly had tossed out basically everything we'd picked up back in Hyneighria, I was downright furious. We had some of the food left, and a few of the costumes and some rope. But that was basically it.

The fireworks? A smoking crater.

The mirrors? Shattered somewhere down the road.

The trick-chest I'd gotten Firefly to make? Busted.

Besides a few card tricks and some bits and bobs, Trixie's show was down to my and Swirly's costumes.

And all the money was gone.

Well. Except for that last silver bit. So. Yay.

I said some things, Journal. Things I wish I could take back now. I screamed, I yelled, and I hollered. Most of it was at Life, in general, and our circumstances, in particular.

But I know what I said to Swirly. I called him stupid. I said he didn't think before he acted. I said I regretted taking him along with me. I called him a terrible apprentice.

I'm stupid, Journal. Trixie never thinks before she acts. I just do things because it will show up Sparkle

I do stupid things, because I'm stupid. And short-sighted. And prideful, without earning it. No wonder Grey Prancer gave up on me. I'm a terrible pony, and Swirly's life would have been better without me in it.

And I know this, because after I sent him to bed, I got a good look at the wagon. The whole side of it's been torn to shreds by claws and teeth. And if any one of those Timberwolves had gotten closer, bit through any more of the side, I wouldn't be writing in you right now.

I'm going to apologize to him. Tomorrow.

I just hope he can forgive me.

Swirly's sick. Can't talk now. Will write soon.

Uh, day 15.

Day 16. I made Swirly as comfortable as I could, but the wagon is was really off-kilter with the missing wheel. I knocked out the rest so the wagon would lie flat. Bundled him up in whatever cloth we had, and tried cooking some soup.

Didn't have the right ingredients, so I went out into the woods. Stupid Timberwolves. Almost caught me once, but I know their game now! Can't follow me back into the ruin. One tried, actually. Hit some sort of shimmering barrier and--

Swirly's up. Gotta go.

Day Day eig Seven?

Trixie lost count.

Heven't slept. Swirly's still sick. One of the wolves almost took off my tail. It's fine, -ish. I managed to grow most of it back. I'm glad I listened to Zecora whenever I went through Ponyville. There's some good herbs and roots out here for healing, if you know where to look.

Don't know if Swirly would be as good as he is without it.

He still hasn't worken up.

Guess I can take a nap, then.

Zecora gave Trixie lessons in first-aid and medicine when Trixie had to get a first-aid emergency certification for that Firefighter career that went so smoothly. About half of Ponyville’s set up to give the certification, and Zecora wasn’t the first pony Trixie went to. She was just the one who Trixie didn’t drive insane before the mandatory thirty-minute lesson was over.

I got a little anxious, reading that part. If you recall reading Daring Do and the Curse of the Iron Monkey, Caballeron and I were forced to survive a month together in the jungle, bound by the mystical curse of the Iron Monkey Goblet. What I ended up leaving out of the book was the three days I spent nursing him back to health after he caught the Red Fever.

Sure, he was still the Bad Guy back then. But, watching him waste away, listening to him cry for his mom when he was hallucinating, it scared me to death. Add to Trixie’s case that she’s caring for a foal here, and I don’t know how I’d handle it.

Trixie really doesn't know where to begin. Trixie needs to talk about what happened. I need to. But there's nopony. Starswirl already knows. Wish that never happened, but then that was kind of the problem

Then, it's you, Journal. But nopony will ever believe me. Heck, I wouldn't. And I'm me! The Lovable and Truthful Trixie!

So. Where to begin? The beginning makes sense.

After Swirly got sick, and I'd spent a couple of days nursing him the best I could, I laid down to nap, before I had to go out again. Timberwolves were chumps, but they were mean chumps. Even Maud takes them seriously, and I once saw her bury a pack of them under a mountain. Still don’t know how she managed to lift that thing.

Pie things, Trixie guesses. None of them are normal.

It was Hyneighria again. I swear, I'd been having that dream ever since the attack, and it never got easier. Everything was on fire, again. And I could hear everypony's screams, again. I’d really forgotten what having nightmares was like, living at the same time as Princess Luna. I can remember calling out to her in that dream, wishing she’d show up, before remembering that she couldn’t. I was all alone in my dreams.

Or, so I thought.

Before, I kept seeing glimpses of the Princesses in my dreams. Memories, I thought. At least, until Luna actually showed up, walking through a wall of fire that had consumed Mayor Sparkleshine’s home. For the first time in a while, I had a familiar face in front of me.

"I wish you were really here, Princess,” I sighed, “I could use your help right about now."

The Dream-Princess looked at me funny. She scrunched up her nose, smiled, and said, "Well. I am here now. Pray, what hath happened that thy dreams would be so tragic? Let me mend thy heart, my little pony."

Took me a whole minute to realize she was talking to me. I barely remember if the flames had stopped burning in the town, or if they were still going. I think they faded away, but who knows? I suppose Trixie should, but I was distracted. Get off my back, Journal!

That was combative. Trixie apologizes.

"Huh," I shrugged, "If you were the real Luna, maybe. But you’re just a figment of my incredible, stupendous, and ingenious imagination."

She smiled, in that frustratingly perfect way Princesses do, "Oh? You speak very strangely. Yet verily, 'tis I. Princess Luna. I have finally retaken my place as the Protector of Dreams, the Dreamwalker. I know thou think’st Dreams and Nightmares be all in thy mind, but I am here to help."

"No, you're not," I sighed, again, "Princess Luna won't even be born for a couple hundred years! Assuming I don’t screw that up too!"

Now, that got her attention. The Dream-Luna's eyes shrank, and her jaw dropped.

"F-forgive Us," she said, in that way you just knew was using the Royal We, "We would have your name? Who... are you?"

Proof, once again, that this was a nightmare. How could anypony not know of the Great and Powerful Trixie? Much less Luna! I know the whole coma thing put a strain on our relationship, but Trixie knew perfectly well that the Princess had visited her dreams many times before. Once Trixie had mastered the Lucid Dreaming spell Starlight taught me, she was almost constantly aware of the Royal’s spying on my dreams.

I’d always been a little comforted by that. Like I had a secret super-fan. And now, having her pretend not to know me, I was sure this was all a nightmare.

As Appleseed might say, “Hoo boy!”

I think she meant Applejack.

Also, my mind is being blown right now.

“Ha!” said Trixie, conjuring her original hat and cape, “Naturally, a nightmare wouldn’t know to whom it was speaking! But you happen to be in luck, for the Great and Powerful Trixie requires a distraction from her temporal sojourn!”

Fireworks went off, the bass band played, I pulled out all the stops.

"Trixie Lulamoon?" Luna asked, wide-eyed, and star-struck, no doubt, "You are... Trixie Lulamoon?"

"The one and only!" I said, "Feast your eyes upon my greatness! I am the Greatest Showmare! I conquered the Moonshot Manticore Mouth Dive, and Time itself! But, I can understand a pathetic nightmare not knowing about me.”

Dream-Luna shook her head, and shouted (yes, she shouted at me!), "I am no mere shade or conjuration of the mind! I am Princess Luna! The Alicorn of the Night! And I have heard of you, villain!"

I rolled my dream-eyes at that. Even in my dreams, it would seem that Trixie is followed by hecklers.

"Yes..." Luna frowned at me, and tilted her head like she was trying to figure out a scam, "I have heard of you. Thou were't a confidence mare..."

"I am pretty confident," I said, now that the dream was back on track, recognizing Trixie's brilliance.

"... Thou were the knave who caused the accident with the Ursa Minor!" she snarled, "Our Sister's student, Twilight Sparkle, had to save the township of Ponyville from your gloating-troubles!"

"First of all!" Trixie declared, getting really tired of this dream by now, "Princess Twilight forgave Trixie for that business a long time ago! Heck, that was even before the stupid Alicorn Amulet thing! Admittedly, not one of my best ideas."

Trixie started marching forward and, right on cue, Luna began to back off.

"And secondly, it was those idiots Snips and Snails who got the Ursa Minor! I was just trying to put on a show, and deal with neighsayers! Why am I even bothering to tell you this!? You're just me in a wig!"

Princess Luna had started backing up from me, right up until she was about to fall back into a burning building. Then, she stopped, and stared at Trixie like she'd never seen me before.

I remember wishing the dream would make up its mind about that.

"The Alicorn Amulet?" she asked, "Princess Twilight...? Trixie, what did thou sayest about... conquering time?"

"Come on, Dream," I sighed, "Stop horsing around!"

Then, pointing a hoof at Luna, I asked it, "What year do you think it is?"

Luna hesitated a moment. "By My Sister's reckoning, it is the one-thousandth-one-hundredth-and-fourth year of Our Dominion."

"No," I explained, "That was when I first came through Ponyville. It’s Eleven-Thirteen!"

"Trixie..." Luna narrowed her eyes at me, "Thou were driven from Ponyville only three months past."

That gave Trixie pause. No nightmare, no matter how insidious and pervasive, would have kept up such a charade this long. And Trixie had taken notes from Starlight before on dream-magic. If this wasn’t Luna, then she was breaking several laws of dreaming to be as convincing as she was.

I was getting worried when the Princess spoke again.

"Trixie, didst thou actually travel back through Time?"

"What do you think I've been saying? I've been hoofing it through the Everfree since Hyneighria with Swirly!"

Luna took a quick look around, and seemed to become more, and more, alarmed as she did so. She didn't say anything for almost a whole minute, which was very rude, if you ask me, but I’m used to rude Princesses by now.

Finally, she whispered, "Hyneighria… 'Tis the same."

"The same what?" I asked, very under-control and not confused or panicking at all.

"As when last Starswirl asked me to mend the nightmares of his... Swirly?"

"Well," I shrugged, "It feels weird calling somepony who only comes up to my belly Starswirl the Bearded, you know?"

Luna's face looked like she'd just watched one of my old high-wire routines. Or if she remembered my Throwing routine, though I was starting to suspect she couldn’t. She paled immediately, and her jaw hung from the rest of her head. I had half a mind to dream up some birds to land in it, like a feeder.

"Trixie..." she seemed like she was about to say more, and confirm what Trixie was already starting to dread...

When the dream ended!

Everything Trixie just said, or implied, is impossible. Like, totally, completely flying in the face of logic, reason, and all modern magical theories of how Time and Dreams work.

I even checked with Luna. And you know what? Do you know what she said?

“Death is Dream’s other kingdom, where Time means naught, and in strange aeons, even Death may die.”

She then gave me the raspberry, knocked my pith-hat off my head, and yelled ‘Spoilers’ while she flew off to somepony else’s dream.

Princess Luna got weirder in retirement.

I know! It was so annoying! Like, everything started shaking, and glowing, and Luna said something about finding me again, and--

Whatever. It's not important. Not yet. Maybe never. No, what was really important, and what I have to write down, is what I met when I woke up.

When I woke up, it was very suddenly. I remember thinking that I might have fallen out of my hammock again, before I realized that I’d fallen asleep on the floor. But, for some reason, I was floating in the air, with a light-green aura holding me up in the middle of the cabin!

I’d seen that shade of green once before, when I cast my disappearing-reappearing spell back in Twilight’s castle.

Swirly was still sleeping in his hammock when I was ripped through the open door, and into the night. And the night was frigid! I landed hard in the wet grass around Ponehenge’s stones, and I could just feel my fur turning into icicles, like that!

When I tried to move, there was this weight atop me. The aura hadn’t gone away, and was now pinning me down. I tried to push back with my own magic, but it was like trying to lift Holder’s Boulder.

“Trixie Lulamoon!” a voice thundered throughout the dark.

I stopped. There, standing in the center of the stones atop the empty pool thingie, was the most amazing creature I’ve ever seen. A completely silver Alicorn, with her mane as ethereal as the Princesses’, wrapped in bronze armor that made her look like a War-goddess. She was beautiful, and terrible, all at once!

Trixie couldn’t move. Not from the aura, but from the fear in me. I’d never seen an Alicorn so tall. Sweet Celestia, even Princess Celestia wouldn’t come up much higher than her chin! And I’m including the horn!

And her fiery blue eyes were burning in my direction.

“Interloper,” she said, “You have wounded Time enough! By my authority, as the Princess Aeva, Alicorn of Time, I sentence you to Oblivion!”

Okay, so, I was salivating when I first read this part, and I think you are too, Your Majesty. Princess Aeva!? I have a few findings I’ll bring up later, but in that moment, I was positively screaming.

But then, as I started turning the page, a couple slipped out, and fell to the floor. Once I got them back in order, I realized something: they weren't Trixie's writing! Like before, Starswirl had started writing little notes and observations in the journal sometime long after his adventures with Trixie. It appears as though he had a lot to say this time.

And I told you before, since I have to edit this monster of typos, plot holes, and mixed metaphors, I was going to do it how I wanted. And that means, I've taken the liberty of cutting up Starswirl's account and filtering it in, chronologically, where it would fit.

It fits surprisingly well.

I recall that the fever broke in the middle of the night. I awoke, briefly, to see you sleeping nearby. It didn’t take long to realize what you’d been doing for me, for however long I was out. I can remember feeling at peace there, beside you, for the first time since my family was taken.

I dozed off, but only for a short time. Your shrieks, as you were ripped from the wagon, stirred me to wakefulness, and I followed quickly.

Though, I fear to say this, and know not why, for you can never know what went through my mind then, but I was stricken to silence by the sight of that creature. I’d never seen an Alicorn in the flesh, and the sounds you were making when she grabbed you took the heart from me.

I hid beneath the wagon, and spied upon you, for a time.

“What did Trixie do!?” I’m not proud of the way she’d startled me, but anymare can be taken unawares by a sneak attack. I’m sure I would have gotten myself back under control, given enough time.

But this Aeva wouldn’t be doing that.

“As I have said,” she said huffed, “You, Interloper, have meddled with the timestream. You have brought about calamity and chaos wherever you have gone, and you have disrupted the natural order of the world.”

“But, like, specifically!” I said back, “Also, I didn’t mean to do all that! I just…”

“Ignorance is no excuse!” she snapped, and then she began to pace around the clearing, saying, “You have, no doubt, traversed the timeline in order to somehow defeat the terrible monster, Grogar. That, as much as I wish otherwise, cannot be allowed to happen. He has been given Dominion.”

Much of what was said went completely over me at the time, but as you and she talked, the more I began to realize things were not as I had been made aware of them. This talk of Time? And the changing of destiny? Madness, I thought.

Oh, how ignorant I was. I wish I could have been left to imagine you a savior self-sent, the wizard of prophecy to cast down the Ram. But as you and the Princess spoke, the more I realized this was not the case.

“Wait, look!” I tried to get the silver drama queen’s attention, “I didn’t come back here to defeat Grogar, or whoever! It was an accident. And, if you’re the Alicorn of Time, or whatever, then… then you can fix this all anyway, right!?”

The aura let up, and Trixie was able to get back on her hooves. I looked up, hopefully, at the towering silver Princess.

“Of course, I can fix it,” she spoke in a stately voice.

“Well, that’s great! You can take me back to the future, and forget about this whole thing!”

The scowl on her face did not give me much hope once I’d said that.

“I shall fix this calamity,” she said, coolly, “By erasing you from history!”

I was completely shocked by what I’d heard, though not so shocked as you clearly were by her words. I could see your face fall from my angle, and my heart fell with it.

“But, but why!?” you shouted, as much in panic as in anger, “I didn’t mean to do anything wrong!”

“But you did!” Aeva snapped back, still pacing around you in a predatory circle, “Once I became aware of your tricks and your crimes, I tallied a list! Would you care to hear it?”

She leapt up to the top of a nearby stone, as though she weighed nothing at all, and began to speak with the acidity of a lawyer trying a murderer.

“The village of Hyneighria was made aware of the existence of coins from the future,” she began, “The appearance of a Wizard caused Bray to turn to Grogar. And then, Grogar slew the inhabitants and burned the town. This was before you interfered yet again with Starswirl the Bearded!”

“I saved Swirly’s life! How is that meddling or whatever!?”

“Starswirl should have gone on to be Hyneighria’s chief Sorcerer,” Aeva shook her head, and snorted, “It was not his fate to die for another hundred years, at least! And saving him after that fate was changed was yet another alteration to what is becoming a dangerously corrupt timeline!”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It couldn’t be true. Time travel was impossible! Galen of Pegamon said so!

I thought this, until you next spoke.

“Some Time Alicorn you are!” I couldn’t help but snap back, “Swirly’s still around back when I’m from! And he’s the greatest wizard who ever lived!”

“Confuse me NOT with your contemptible lies!” Aeva leapt back into the circle of stones, and her magic began to flare up around us.

“Wait,” I said, “What’s going on!?”

“I have seen the errant strand in the weave of fate,” she said, almost quietly, “And I shall now pluck it loose!”

Instantly, light filled my vision, and the world melted around us. It didn’t last long, barely a moment, but it felt so much longer than that. So many things flitted through my vision that I could hardly separate them all. But more than a few hourglasses passed by me in that short moment of non-time.

When we landed, I had a sudden terrible, terrible sense of déjà vu. I’d crashed down onto a slightly sticky, red-carpeted floor. There were tables all around, where ponies in suits and dresses were happily eating away at passable soups and salads, while laughter filled the halls.

It was a music hall.

“This is Cartnegie Hall,” I whispered to myself, looking up at the fancy columns, and the huge, legendary stage!

It didn’t hit me, just yet, why we were there. I was too enraptured by the sights, the smells! Just up on the stage, the Marks Brothers were finishing up an act I would have killed to see from the start. Music was playing them off, and all the ponies around us were cheering and stamping and—

Right. Aeva.

Cartnegie Hall is the premier musical theater (and for a brief time in the late 1,080’s, a Dinner and a Show) in all of Equestria. The Marks Brothers, in particular, got their start there doing variety acts and comedies. They’re really underrated these days. I never got why the Three Stallions became more popular.

Sorry. But Grouchy Marks’s material is too good to not take a moment and praise, one author to another.

I couldn’t begin to understand what I was looking at. A grand hall, filled with Lords and Ladies feasting. While, on a large stage, some fools danced and joked and played their merry tunes. It was all so confusing.

And then, it became terrifying, as one of the wait-staff stepped through me! It was as though I was a ghost!

I suppose, judging from how you also jumped when that waiter walked through you, that you’d noticed.

“We are as ghosts,” the Princess said, standing impassively in the center of the hall, “They can neither see nor hear us, and only my magic shall prevail while in this place.”

“But, why are we here?” I asked, a knot forming in the pit of my stomach.

I knew the answer before she gave it.

“Your mother is performing tonight, in this…” she looked about, like she was confused, “… Ponies?”

“Well, where else would she perform?” I asked.

Aeva shrugged, and continued, “Your father, if I read this right, shall fall in love seeing her dance, and they shall begin to court.”

Her ancient eyes turned back to me, and all I could do was shiver beneath her gaze.

“You shall be born one year hence, a month after their nuptials. I aim to prevent this, by forcing the young Spectacle to trip, and ruin her performance.”

“But, you can’t!” I cried out.

“I assure you, Trixie, and for the last time,” Aeva began charging her horn, as the piano music started, “I can.”

Journal, I can’t tell you how scared Trixie was at that moment. I knew I couldn’t stop her. I knew she could do whatever she wanted. But when she said she was going to ruin my momma’s show—

I don’t know. I know my heart felt like it was exploding. And, if there was anything I could get from all this, I knew now was the moment. Call it an instinct, but if Dad had done anything for me at all, it was to teach me how to cheat somepony good. How to see their weaknesses and play them for a chump.

It’s just, I wasn’t playing to win. All I wanted was to not lose. And that meant I had to play for Swirly. If I could win for him, then whatever happened next, would be for him.

I was the one who took his family away from him.

But maybe, I could get it back?

“Don’t hurt my mom!” you cried out, and wrapped your forelegs around the Princess’ hindleg in a tight, weeping hug, “Do something to Jackpot! Just don’t hurt Mom!”

I was still out of sight, and covering my mouth to not make a sound. Which would have been impossible if I hadn’t taken action. Watching you cry so, watching a pony I thought was so strong break down into a weeping mess. I don’t know if I could have stopped myself another way.

But I saw Aeva’s eyes. She turned, and looked at you with such surprise. I know you couldn’t see it, pressing your face into her flank as you were, snot and tears running free. I’d like to think she was startled by your sincerity.

“You care not if I prevent your parents’ meeting?” she asked, perplexed as I was.

“My mom,” I wept, “She went through a lot, putting up with him, and with me. She was always sick, and I didn’t help.”

What was there left, but the truth?

“She doesn’t deserve any more pain because of me,” I said, not caring about all the snot and tears getting into Aeva’s fur, “I can’t let you hurt her. Please. I’ll go quietly. But not this way.”

It has taken me years to realize it. But thinking back on that day, I can clearly now see that every time you said the word ‘Mom’, which I took to mean, ‘Mother’, the Alicorn’s face twitched, and her ears hung lower on her head.

I won’t lie, and say that I understand. But, now having two little ones in the other room as I write this, maybe I can see a little of what was going through her head then.

And then, you said, “Will this bring back Swirly’s family?”

Curse me, for a singular moment, my heart flurried to life. A fire burned in my breast, and my whole self became lighter than air.

I hate myself for that. For feeling that way for even a moment. I’m so sorry, Trixie. Sometimes, when the nights are dark, and cold, I think back to that moment, and I wonder if fate saw that, and went on to punish me later for it.

I miss you, Trixie. Oh, so much.

“… Yes,” she said, with hesitation.

Finally, under control, I stepped back and tried to wipe myself off. Since none of the napkins around me were solid, I had to make do with my foreleg.

“Good enough,” I said, “If you spill some of my dad’s wine, or something, he’ll probably leave without waiting. His suit and tie were always more important to him than anything else. Especially me.”

I thought, for a moment, that Aeva’s eyes were looking at me, softly. But it must have been a trick of the light.

“What is this place, Trixie?” she looked around, staring at all the ponies here for a show, “I cannot imagine Grogar would allow his slaves such luxuries.”

“Slaves? In Equestria?” you said. I was amazed. So, this was the Equestria you’d spoken so highly of? Its wealth was obvious, if even regular ponies could afford to eat so, and be entertained while the feasting went on.

“Equestria?” Aeva frowned, “What be that?”

“Equestria,” I said, stating the blindingly obvious, “You know? A thousand years in the future? The land of ponies? Ruled by the Alicorn Princesses?”

Aeva snarled again, “I said not to lie to me!”

“How am I lying!?” I shot back, “You’re the one who can time travel here! I only could because of Starlight.”

“I shall be dealing with the Anathema in my own…” the Princess looked peeved. Like, really upset with something I’d said. She stamped her hooves a few times, and said, “Why should I deign to look upon a future dominated by that fiend, Grogar?”

“Grogar’s dead, you moron!”

For a moment, I thought she’d kill you, right then and right there. The Princess stood still, like a statue. Even though there was music playing, and ponies cheering all around us, it felt like the whole world was holding its breath.

“That…” she said, so slowly that one wondered if an age could fall between one word and the next, “… is impossible. Grogar was meant to rule these lands in perpetuity, after the Betrayal.”

“Yeah,” I raised an eyebrow, “Tell that to Celestia and Luna.”

I really wish I hadn’t said that, Journal. My neck’s still sore from where Aeva’s magic snapped around it like a vice. Once again, I was being hoisted up, into the air, and once again I was staring into some bright, and blazing eyes.

“How do you know those names!?”

I couldn’t take it anymore. I knew there would be consequences, but the shame burning in my gut was too great. I’d dared think

It doesn’t matter. It never did.

“Stop!” I cried out, “Leave her alone!”

Oh, crap. If we both disappear in the next five minutes, tell Trixie I hate her. I know that’s not how time travel works, but it’s how I feel.

“Swirly!?” you choked out. One or the other must have shocked Aeva back to her senses, for her rage cooled quickly, and she let you down.

I’d never wanted a hug from you more, up until that point. And I don’t know this for certain, but I’ve always wondered if, in my dreams, it isn’t you holding me there as well, keeping me safe.

“Oh, Swirly! I…”

I will admit, Journal. Trixie’s brain broke for a second.

“SWIRLY!?”

I knew we’d have to have a talk about everything eventually, but in that one moment, I cared not a wit. You and I were together, and nothing some Time-controlling Alicorn said was going to change that.

And then, the world was light again.

Thankfully, this time, it didn’t end with me crashing into a ghost music hall or something.

Actually, it was worse. Very worse. Like, the worst thing besides being erased, worse.

We were at a coronation.

Her Coronation.

It was like nothing else! Marble halls decorated in gold, armored knights proudly standing before a crowd of thousands, and a small host of Alicorn Princesses upon the dais! It was magnificent!

It was horrible.

“Oh, why did you have to pick this one?” Trixie groused nobly, “You could have at least done the one where Trixie got her medal! That one was nice too!”

Trixie casually referring to the medal ceremony after she helped save Equestria from the Changelings as a coronation. Classy.

I could hear the choirs starting up that ‘Behold’ song. I hated that song. I mean, good for Twilight. Well done. A bit boring, but that’s you.

Trixie realized, however, at that moment, that she should stop talking. One rule of Grey Prancer’s was to ‘always leave them wanting more’. Another was, ‘know when it’s time to shine, and when it’s time to walk away’.

This was the latter.

Aeva looked utterly gobsmacked. I could perfectly understand the slack-jawed, baffled look she was giving the other Princesses, standing up on the dais with Twilight’s friends. Though, in my opinion, that look should have been reserved for the mares marching up the aisle, holding up those purple banners, and singing ‘Behold!’

Like we needed to be reminded.

“Celestia?” the silver Alicorn sounded distraught, vulnerable, “Luna? By the light… what is this?”

She turned back to you, and asked again, “Trixie! Explain this! This cannot be!”

“Of course, it ‘be’,” I said, as evenly as I could, trying not to upset the clearly freaking-out super-magical Alicorn Princess, “This is my home. This is where I came from, give or take a couple years.”

“But it cannot!” she cried again, and swiped at the air with one of her wings, like she could turn some giant page to see something else.

And, well. She did. It was weird. Like, the whole world just slid around us, almost like when I tried learning the tablecloth pull trick. Trixie is grown up enough to admit that, seeing as how neither I nor Swirly shattered into a million pieces, she pulled it off a little better.

She flipped a page, and we were in Ponyville.

It was so strange, to see a place that felt so much like home again, but not. Everything was colored pink and yellow, as though money grew on the trees for these ponies! Astonishing! Was this the Equestria you spoke so longingly about?

Heck, I could have reached out and smacked a passing Bonbon, if I wanted to. But, Princess Aeva didn’t look to be in the mood. She was much more focused on what appeared to be Princesses Luna, Cadance, and Sparkle, flying around and scraping gold and gemstones off of everything in sight.

I have no idea what that was about, Journal, but I really wish I’d been there.

I heard about that! Rarity, of all ponies, got into some sort of dark magic, right? I remember the headlines. Apparently, Ponyville dump had to be reclassified as a dark magic burial site, and had sixteen layers of steel and cement thrown over it.

Aeva seemed really focused on Luna, I noticed.

She flipped the page again, and we were in Manehattan. Winter in Manehattan. Bitter, awful, winter in Manehattan.

And apparently, whatever freaky magic thing Aeva was doing didn’t keep us warm.

It must have been a Pegasus city! Why else would it be so cold? And so tall!? I wish I’d asked to see the blueprints, or to speak with their grand architect. So many questions I would have had!

But, Princess Aeva was only focused on the white and dark-blue Alicorns who were surrounded by stallions and mares-at-hooves, all clamoring for their approval for something I could not even recall now.

Eugh, Journal. I recognized immediately what it was. Celestia and Luna both came up a few years ago to help the city keep warm after the magic power plant broke down, and Cloudsdale refused to bring in warmer weather. I remember because I was stuck in a rinky-dink apartment for four months while they tried to fix it.

It might have been colder in the apartment, but right now I was freezing on the street, while the Princess gawked at the buildings, and at the Princesses, coordinating relief efforts.

I was about to lose it, Journal! But then, she flipped the page again. And now we were in some Podunk backwater. Yes, worse than Ponyville! It might have been Appleloosa, even, but I didn’t care! The heat was phenomenal!

The heat was the worst. Or, perhaps not entirely the worst. Unlike before, with this shift in the world, I could feel a terrific pounding begin somewhere behind my eyes. I’m sure I startled you terribly when we shifted again, and the pain grew too great.

The page flipped, and we were in somewhere. I was just about fed up with this Alicorn, time-erasure or no! The only reason I didn’t haul her down to my level and give her Trixie’s Patented Put-Down was because there was a thump on the ground next to Trixie, and my blood ran cold.

“Swirly!” I tried to wake the colt up, “Swirly, speak to me!”

He muttered something; I couldn’t hear what. I tried checking his pulse, his eyes, even pulled down his tongue to check. All I could tell was he was in a lot of pain.

It only took a quick first-aid spell to figure out what was really wrong with him.

“It’s this time-travel,” I realized. He was burning up, even though we were in a cool, autumn forest, of all places. And his head was clearly pounding with the pressure of all this magic. He couldn’t survive it! Heck, I wouldn’t either!

I told that to the Alicorn, but Aeva couldn’t see or hear anything now.

“No,” she just kept saying to herself, tears streaming down her face, “No, no, no, no!”

She flipped the world again, and we were at Mount Rushmare. Then the Leaning Tower of Pinto. Hamsterdam. Burrlin. That awesome Burger Princess right down the street from

We were going everywhere, is my point. And my head was throbbing too, by now. The stress of jumping through time like that was going to tear us apart.

I screamed as much at the crazy Princess.

She couldn’t hear me. All she did was jump around the universe, always zooming in on fancy buildings, cities, and even occasionally parties and celebrations. But it always came back to the Princesses.

Why was she crying? I asked myself. Why was she crying over Celestia and Luna?

I didn’t get an answer then, as the headaches grew, and darkness claimed me.

(You can probably tell I didn’t die, Journal, but that was too cool of a transition to miss!)

An Alicorn of Time. A Princess. And one that was fascinated by Celestia and Luna? I’ll give you three guesses as to what’s up, and the first two don’t count.

I finally came to in a fog. Well, a haze. A mental

Right, enough. I woke up with a throbbing headache, and a layer of cold mist on my coat. So, it was Maredi Gras all over again. Only this time, I was wet, cold, trapped outside with a crying mare

Okay, so it was Maredi Gras.

I managed to pull myself up to a standing position before I even opened my eyes. I’m not sure if time had moved at all from the moment Aeva’d shown up, to whenever now was. It was still night/early-morning, and we were still stuck at Ponehenge.

Swirly was lying just a few feet away from me. He was completely out of it, but I wasn’t looking to wake him. Not yet.

No, Trixie had some business with the silver Alicorn bent over, weeping, into the shallow pool at the center of the standing stones. And by business, Trixie I mean that I was ready to put the Great and Powerful hurt on that mare.

Well, I was. Really, Journal. I had had it up to here with getting yelled at and almost erased by that blowhard, and she couldn’t even keep her cool during whatever that had been.

Though, Trixie was no fool. So, I started looking for a decent sized rock. I could be sneaky, and quiet. And working on the Rock Farm had given me some well-deserved tone and strength. At least, enough to bash an Alicorn over the head with said rock.

I’m a little worried about how quickly Trixie’s mind shifts to violence as an answer. Might want to remand her for some sensitivity training or something. Then again, I’m never more violent than when I’m stuck in an anger-management class.

Records show that she worked on the Pie Family Rock Farm for several months, during which time she was apparently a favorite of the family, a hard worker, and even got to be Maud’s Best Mare and Calcifier (Crystaller-equivalent, I looked it up) for Petrification Dendrite Pie (Petra, for short).) If it weren’t for her psychotic desire to one-up you, she’d probably still be there, being the best-loved rock farmer in Equestria, apparently.

Eventually though, Tri I realized something was wrong. The weeping thing seemed out of character, for one. Secondly, or

Aeva wasn’t wearing her armor anymore. I could even see her Cutie Mark, an emerald hourglass. It looked nice. Regal, even. I put down the rock I was going to use, and tried to get a better look at the Princess.

She was definitely crying. Which was infuriating. How was I supposed to get mad enough to bop somepony if they’re crying? I couldn’t, that’s how! Plus, she was doing that fake dainty-crying. You know? The one from those movies? The one’s without all the snot and gob and such?

Note to Trixie: remember to go see a movie when you get back home. There was a new Arrow Flint flick coming out just before I left, and I was going to take Starlight.

That would most likely be Arrow Flint’s last turn as Hooded Robber, the thief who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Hooded Robber vs Daring Do was a box office flop, due in no small part to the fact that the effects were awful, early-days stuff, and I never signed off on the script. My old publishers decided to make a quick buck and called it ‘licensing’ or something stupid. Either way, Dash’s boycott finished it.

Apparently, it’s still a cult classic. The Wonderbolts play it every year at their training camp. The action scenes used Historical Pegasi Martial Arts (HPMA) or something. You’d have to ask Dash. Yes, she liked it, despite leading the opposition for my honor.

That mare cracks me up!

I remember thinking, was I still going to be erased?

I asked her about that. Oh, I was polite about it, but I still asked.

She shook her head, but didn’t say anything else at first. I was starting to wonder if I should have invited her to breakfast, when Aeva looked back up at me.

I hate puppy-dog eyes. I use those on other ponies like Starlight. But having them used against me, the Great and Lovable Trixie? Just unfair, is what it is! And hers were good at it.

Fine! I admit, I felt bad for her.

“We have wronged you… all of you,” she said. She was almost whimpering. “When the Betrayal occurred, the Alicorns were beyond furious. After what happened…”

“Uh, not to put too fine a point on it, Your Highness,” I may have said, with a touch too much sass on that last part, “But, what exactly happened?”

I really wish I never asked that, Journal. Because she told me. Trixie still gets queasy, thinking about it. And I’m not about to put it down here. I need to ask Starlight to erase it from my memory once I get back. If I get back.

Seriously, I might need to go ask Grogar about what happened at this point. Tired of getting the runaround.

“After the Betrayal,” she continued, “We Alicorns swore an oath to leave the other tribes to their fate. It was a binding oath, of which only Amore refused to make.”

Aeva turned her head, and Trixie thought she looked very sadly off towards what I assumed was north, “She gave up much to follow her heart, to defend what ponies she could.”

Princess Amore Cadenza, of the Crystal Empire. Up until now, she was considered semi-mythical. She was said to have created the Crystal Heart and ruled over the Crystal Empire for many years, before Sombra stole the throne from her, though the details are lost to time. I bet Trixie has something to do with it, of course.

Always wanted to ask: If your old foalsitter became an Alicorn, but Alicorns seem to have Alicorn kids, then what’s up with the first Cadance not founding a line of Alicorns to lead up to the current Cadance?

Smells like a plot hole to me, but this is real life, not fantasy.

“And that’s important to this apology of yours…?”

She sighed, and looked back towards me, “Grogar tricked your ancestors into committing his dark deeds for him, to spite and anger us. And we were angry. We did not consider the consequences of leaving you to his mercies. We abandoned you… and we were wrong.”

Something about what she said caught my ear sounded odd.

“Wait, but you can see and move through time, right?”

“Indeed,” she nodded, “that is one of my…”

“So, how’d he trick you?”

“… I beg your pardon?”

I shrugged, more to avoid biting down on my own tongue. Trixie had seen that look in Aeva’s eyes. It was not a good look. It was the look of somepony just realizing that they’d been had.

“When the… Betrayal,” I gagged, “happened, why didn’t you look around and prove he tricked the other ponies to do… that thing to your friend?”

“Well… I was angry, as I said,” she said admitted, “We were incensed, and not in the right state of mind.”

I clucked my tongue. I knew where this was going, and I hated it.

“So… when you figured out that I was a time-traveler… you attacked me because…?”

“You… were going to change time,” I was very upset to see that silver Alicorn blush as she said that, “And… our pronouncement was that Grogar would… have Dominion…”

I couldn’t help snorting in her face. I really couldn’t. But, once done, I figured the worst thing she could do was erase me again. So, I might have snapped a little.

“Are. You. KIDDING me right now!?”

“I can see why you’d be upset,” she said, while holding her head down, bringing it closer to my eye level, “But I was just doing my duty! As the Princess…”

“You were going to erase me!” I decided then that holding it in wouldn’t feel nearly as good as letting it out, “You can time travel and you didn’t think to check if I was doing something wrong!?”

“I didn’t realize you’d made a closed loop, or are a closed…!”

“Ignorance is no excuse!!!”

I felt like a bad-flank, tossing that gem back at her. She even flinched.

“You are right,” she sighed, and stood up, “We erred, thinking ill of our pony kin based on… on the words of a serpent.”

“But Grogar’s a ram,” I added, helpfully, “Not a snake.”

Aeva said nothing for an extended moment. Probably just too embarrassed to have missed that.

I can feel Princess Aeva’s eye-roll from here.

Then, I kid you not. She bowed. Journal, I’m not making that up!

“Trixie Lulamoon,” she said, in a formal tone of voice, “We apologize for Our intrusion, and for the pain and embarrassment We may have caused thee, as well as for the pain and suffering of all ponykind We have caused...”

“Thee?” I said, without thinking. If there’s one thing I could never stand, back in CSGU’s drama classes, it was directors and actors who kept slipping in and out of the old Ponish accents.

Either be consistent, or skip it!

Trixie was in that class for about a week before she was kicked. Apparently, Haylet, Princess of Dammark, does not have an hour-long death scene. With an extended musical number.

I actually want to see that now.

Don’t think she heard me, because she kept on talking.

“You were right. We have been in error, and must make amends. I cannot directly aide you, not with the oath that I swore…”

“Figures,” I shook my head and wondered if something was going to go right for once.

“… However,” Aeva started blinking rapidly. I still don’t know if I saw what I saw, but it looked like I saw tears in her eyes.

She continued, her voice dropping a bit, “When the threat of Grogar has passed, the ponies of… Equestria, shall need a unifying voice. An Alicorn will be necessary. Or perhaps… two.”

You’ll be proud to know, Journal, that I kept my mouth shut this time. I could tell that something was up, and Princess Aeva needed a moment to get it out.

Finally, she said, “I shall return… once Grogar is no more… and I shall entrust unto you two… two fillies…

“My fillies.”

Trixie is the reason Celestia and Luna were around to be raised by Starswirl. Trixie is the reason Equestria has Princesses. Trixie is the reason why we have Alicorns. That is fascinating. This is amazing.

I’m going to go scream into a pillow for a few days. Then, I’ll get back to annotating.

Alright. I’m back.

“How is that an apology?” I asked, “You almost erase me over a clerical error and your own screw-up… and then you want me to take care… of your…”

You’ll be prouder that I realized what I was about to say, and stopped.

Aeva leaned in, and gingerly wrapped a wing around me. It was surreal. Well, this whole night had been surreal, but this was still pretty weird even considering all that.

“This is a sacrifice I make… for all who follow you. I am hoping,” she swallowed, then said, “that my Sun and Moon will be well-cared for, and that their reign shall make amends for Our long absence and abandonment.

“Promise me, Trixie,” I could hear her voice cracking, “Promise me, you’ll do this. I owe you a debt, and a debt paid in blood is a serious thing among the Alicorns.”

I didn’t know quite what to say. How could I? I know I’m Great and Powerful, but that’s all for the show, but this was incredible. This was historic. I’m not even going to spoil this by telling Sparkle to suck eggs.

And I was scared. Trixie has done many, many things. But none of them were like this. Raising kids? Alicorn kids? I’m not an idiot, Journal. I could read between the lines. Even I could figure out

Naturally, I knew what was being asked of me. The Great and Powerful Trixie that I am.

“I don’t do diapers,” I said, “Just so you know.”

She was quiet, for a moment.

“Perhaps I shall wait until Starswirl is older,” she whispered, though with my Great and Powerful senses, I could hear her just fine.

“I guess this means you’re not gonna let me go home just yet?”

“No, Trixie,” she said, while stepping back and away from me, “You are part of events that must play out, for good and ill. I fear much ill will befall you, in particular.”

“Gee, thanks,” I sighed, “That makes me feel better about this.”

“It should,” I swear, I caught a twinkle in her eye, “You’re strong enough to handle what comes next, I feel. And with Swirly by your side, and your wagon…”

“Joke’s on you,” I grumbled, and turned around, “The wagon’s…”

That’s right, Journal. Ellipses. Shock, and confusion.

Because, just beyond where Swirly lay asleep, Trixie’s wagon stood, as good as the day I’d gotten it! The wheels were back on, and the axle was fixed. Even the scratches and gouges in the side were gone!

It was miraculous! It was amazing!

“Did you have anything to do with this, Princess?” I stammered, in shock.

And I got no response. None at all.

I turned around, and Aeva was gone, leaving behind only the soft glow of sunrise as it began to filter through the trees.

“That’s not impressive!” I called out to the ether, “I can do that too!”

I waited a few more minutes, just in case a ‘ta-da’ was forthcoming. But, when it didn’t happen, I made a calculated, calm, and considerate sprint run at the wagon, during which I did not giggle like a filly.

Inside, everything was as it should have been. Sure, the fireworks and the money were still gone. But the mirrors were unbroken. The clothes and capes were back in storage, untorn and unblemished.

It was almost perfect.

Almost.

“Trixie?”

I turned, and spotted Swirly at the wagon’s door. He looked like he’d been sick for days, and then nearly killed through temporal overpressure. It was a very specific look.

I could see it in his eyes.

“Yes, Swirly?”

“We need to talk.”

Twilight re-read the last page again. It was her eighth time doing so, and she had gotten exceedingly good at it.

Trixie Lulamoon had revealed her time-traveling status to a twelve-year-old Starswirl the Bearded. She had been nearly erased from the Time-Space Continuum. And then, upon pointing out how the Alicorn of Time had blindly followed her tribe’s rules without thinking about them, set up the basis for Starswirl to, assuming history remained on track, adopt and raise Princesses Celestia and Luna.

The Princess of Friendship lay back down on her bed, and began to scream into one of her pillows. There were several hours left until sundown was due to occur. That gave her almost enough time to vent one-one-hundredth of the physical and existential pain gripping her soul, just then.

Around hour two, however, there was a sudden, frantic knocking at her door. She only heard it because she’d just taken a breath a moment before.

Deciding that she would have eternity to wail over Trixie’s cannonball-like nosedive through the timestream, Twilight collected herself, and calmly called out, “The door is open!”

The door, indeed, opened. Hard enough, in this case, to definitely crack the wall next to it.

In rushed Twilight’s most faithful of companions, the bulwark of friendship that was Spike, the Brave and Glorious, Advisor and Friendship Ambassador, as well as Sparkle Sibling Supreme.

But at that moment, he did not exude his usual air of knowledgeable confidence. Spike’s eyes were red, and wet, and, from the way he shook with every breath, it looked like he’d come bearing dark tidings, at a dead sprint.

“It’s Trixie,” he said, holding out a scroll that made Twilight’s heart sink like lead.

“She’s at Ponyville General…”

Deleted Scene:

The world settled, and Trixie could see it was still Canterlot Palace, though all the decorations were for Nightmare Night.

I wonder, at times, what is going to happen in my near future that so terrorizes Celestia that chickens of all creatures would scare her to her wit’s end.

“Lunaaa!” the Princess of the Sun cried, literally cried, as she galloped through the halls, and right through us, “Sto-o-o-op it!!!”

She was being chased by her sister, the majestic Princess Luna, Alicorn of the Moon.

In a chicken outfit.

The noonday sun was shining brightly over the town of Ponyville as the doors to the Castle of Friendship swung open, and some of its occupants made a hasty exit from the premises. First, as the doors swung open, a pair of fantastically-and-mystically-dressed ponies, the Great and Powerful Trixie and her apprentice, Starswirl the Bearded, sauntered into town, tails entwined, and eyes made only for one another.

Following them closely, and quickly surpassing them, sprinted Starlight Glimmer, panic in her eyes, and Spike, the Brave and Glorious, held aloft in her magical aura. Their flight was followed by the curious sounds of Princess Twilight’s wails of despair and anguish as she took out her temporally-induced fury on the Cutie Map Table in her throne room.

But the paired ponies had no time to consider Twilight’s latest meltdown. They were heading towards the town’s famous Burger Princess. Trixie Lulamoon had a promise to keep, and it came with hayfries and a soda.

“It’s so good to be home!” she cried. Her eyes sparkled as she took in the sights, and she walked with a joyous bounce to her step. “Nothing’s changed!”

“Trixie,” Starswirl chuckled, even his exasperated tone was brimming with gladness at the return of his mentor, “You’ve only been gone a few minutes to everycreature else.”

Trixie shrugged, “No matter! Now, if I remember correctly, there should be a sale on hayburgers this time of day. Oh!” she squealed excitedly, “You’re in for a treat, Swirly!”

“Ah, Trixie?” he leaned in as they walked together, “I haven’t gone by ‘Swirly’ for over a thousand years.”

“Well, duh!” Trixie rolled her eyes, “Trixie wouldn’t have it any other way! Starswirl is such a… dramatic name, after all. Perfect for wowing the crowds.

“I, of course,” she glanced up towards the, now, much taller stallion, “still have the privilege of referring to you by that other name?”

Starswirl grimaced, though not about the name. It had been one-thousand years, and he still couldn’t resist… that look. That pouty, sad, happy look that she used to get her way from before.

He loved that look.

“Of course,” he nodded, at last.

“Great! Now,” Trixie licked her lips, “I’m thinking of getting myself a Double, with onions and spicy hayfries in the burger. For your first time, I think we should do the classic. The Royale with Cheese!”

Starswirl winced. “Um, Trixie? About that…”

“Sure, Sparkle’s on the box, but I don’t hold that against them. I wonder if they still sell the toy, though… “

“Trixie, I’ve already…”

“Hm…” Trixie frowned in deep concentration, “We need to stop by my wagon and gets some bits, now that Trixie thinks of it. Wish I’d kept some of the local coins now. They’d probably be worth a fortune in the present…”

“Trixie!” Starswirl half-shouted.

Trixie almost tripped, but recovered quickly. They both came to a stop in the middle of the street, just down from Sugarcube Corner. She turned a startled look back towards the stallion.

He blushed. Then, in a softer voice, he said, “I… already know what a hayburger tastes like.”

She blinked.

“Oh…”

“I’ve been in this time period for a couple years now,” Starswirl tried to explain.

“No, no,” Trixie waved down his concern, “There’s nothing to apologize for. It was Trixie who missed her deadline.

“Typical Trixie,” she snorted, and looked away. She said, quietly, “Never there when you need her.”

Starswirl looked on as Trixie seemed to deflate before him. The way her eyes misted up, and the low set in her shoulders, brought a pang to his chest. He almost hissed at the sight.

He stepped forward, and carefully pulled her into a hug with one foreleg. Even compared to the sunny day around them, she was warm.

“Heh,” she chuckled, lightly, and then nuzzled into his beard, “Since when did you get so tall?”

“Growth spurt,” he smiled, sadly, “After our time. I took after my father’s side, after all.”

Trixie slowly pulled away from him, and gave a weak smile of her own.

“How…” she coughed, clearing her throat, “How long…?”

Starswirl’s smile faded, leaving only the melancholy that living for years will settle into a pony. He sighed, and closed his eyes.

“A long time. I was alone for… a long time,” he said. Then, looking back to the mare who meant so much to him, he continued.

“I spent decades studying the mystic arts, Trixie. I was determined to bring you back, no matter what it cost me.”

“But I wasn’t dead,” she tilted her head to one side.

“I didn’t know that at the time!” Starswirl’s brow knotted tight, “I thought you were, and I would do whatever it took to change that. But…”

He sighed, and for the first time, Trixie could see the lines of worry and age under his eyes. The youthful, vibrant, lively little colt she once knew had turned gray and tired beneath an avalanche of time.

“… No matter how many time-spells I created,” he whispered, voice crackling, “no matter how many times I tried to return your spirit to the mortal world, it never worked. I devoted my life to becoming the greatest wizard, ever… for you.

“My only consolation,” a smile touched his lips, and the sight of it almost ripped a cry from Trixie’s heart, “is that those efforts were unnecessary. You… came back to me.”

Though her eyes glistened, Trixie would not blink. She would not look away.

“Swirly?” she asked, “How old are you?”

At this, he snorted, and let loose a low, earthy guffaw.

Trixie frowned, “What’s so funny?”

“Sorry! Sorry,” he slowly brought his chuckling back under control, “It’s just… I don’t rightly know anymore. One thousand years in Limbo notwithstanding, a lot of my testing with Time Magic ended up with me skipping back and forth a fair bit. I’ve also got a few spells running right now that will keep me in prime form for… well, centuries, probably.”

“Hm,” Trixie hummed, “Guess that explains the silver mane…”

Starswirl glanced down at his beard. “Ah, no. I just… went silver a bit early.”

It was Trixie’s turn to snort, and hide her laughter behind a blue hoof.

“What?” Starswirl pouted, indignantly, “My mother’s side all had it… apparently. And Mistmane said it made me look distinguished…”

“Just…” Trixie took a deep breath, and composed herself, “Just tell me you’re not, like, a hundred years old, or something.”

Starswirl frowned. Then, to Trixie’s concern, he looked like he was doing a little math in his head. A few moments later, he nodded, affirmatively, and said, “I believe that I am no older than forty summers. Biologically.”

“Seriously,” she laughed, and shook her head, “How much time-screwery did you get up to while I was gone?”

Starswirl tilted his head back, and chuckled, “A lot, I suppose. I didn’t stop until…”

He grew silent. Trixie noticed, but said nothing. It was disconcerting, seeing her apprentice so melancholy and withdrawn. Not at all the jumping, jittery, excitable Swirly she once knew.

Finally, he said, “When Aeva returned, Celestia and Luna in tow, I realized that you were beyond my grasp.”

The two ponies resumed their walk. As they passed by a large fountain, Starswirl indicated one of its smooth, stone seats with a nod of his horn. Trixie reached out and held his hoof, giving him a few moments to listen to the bubbling water.

As he sat down, Starswirl sighed.

“I was already training Clover at the time. Having one rambunctious colt in my life was stressful enough, with my own studies taking up time. But now, having two Alicorn Princesses dropped in my lap? I couldn’t…”

“A colt?”

Starswirl paused. He quirked an eyebrow, and muttered, “Pardon?”

“A colt,” Trixie repeated, “You called Clover the Clever a colt.”

He looked around, as though he were expecting Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie to leap out and yell ‘Gotcha!’.

“I don’t understand,” he frowned, “Clover was most certainly a colt. I taught him myself. I essentially raised him!”

“Then why is Clover always played by a… oh, no…” Trixie’s eyes widened, and her breathing instantly turned shallow.

Starswirl noted the change, and started leaning in.

“Trixie?” he poked, “Are you…?”

“I changed something,” she whispered.

“You…?”

He didn’t say much else, as a pair of hooves wrapped around Starswirl’s collar, and pulled his muzzle almost to touching Trixie’s.

“This is the consequence!” she gasped, fear in her eyes, “The consequence of my meddling with History!”

“Trixie,” Starswirl sighed, “You didn’t…”

But Trixie would not be ignored. She spun around, and held up one hoof, in a dramatic pose. “It was the butterflies! The hurricane ones! I changed the events of history! Don’t you see!? If I hadn’t gone back… if I hadn’t fought Grogar, or Bray, or Sombra, then…”

A silver light appeared, and clamped down over her muzzle. Trixie squirmed, panic – and the rage of being interrupted – seizing her, for a moment.

But, as she noticed Swirly’s nonplussed expression, she began to dial it back.

“Trixie?” Starswirl held back a smile, valiantly, “If you’d changed Clover’s gender through time travel… then why do I remember the original timeline?”

That gave her pause. Trixie frowned, and scratched at her chin. Then, the logic of her apprentice’s words finally getting through, she gave a chagrined smile.

The aura faded from her mouth, and Trixie quickly said, “Sorry. I guess I was just… worried.”

“No need!” Starswirl’s horn flashed with light again, “I shall sort this out post-haste!”

A moment later, and with a faint pop, a book had materialized in the air before him. Starswirl immediately cracked open the yellow-covered tome, revealing the dark-green, four-leaf clover on the front.

“Let’s see here…” Starswirl hummed to himself as he read. Trixie waited, patiently, as she listened to him hum and murmur and ‘oh’ over and over and over again.

“We’re probably going to miss the lunch special,” she muttered darkly.

The book snapped shut, startling her. But, the look on Starswirl’s face completely arrested her attention.

He was smiling.

“Good for you, Clover,” he said to himself, “I’m happy you got that spell working.”

“Uh, Swirly?” Trixie tapped one hoof irritably, “You mind filling me in?”

“Never mind,” he said, vanishing the book in another puff of magic, “You didn’t change anything, Trixie. I just… didn’t see something clearly back then.”

He cleared his throat, and spoke again in a more… theatrical tone that caused Trixie to smile.

“Anyway… with three fillies to look out for, I realized that I had too many other responsibilities to keep chasing after your phantom. I had to found Equestria, to give you a home in that far, far distant future you showed me.”

A shadow passed across his face, and the wizened stallion glanced away. In shame or fear, Trixie couldn’t say.

Yet, she thought, sadly, though I want to make you feel better… I couldn’t be prouder of your dramatic skills, Swirly.

Starswirl clenched his jaw, and then said, “I’m not proud of what I did. I… used a memory charm to lock you away in my mind, where I wouldn’t be constantly reminded of you.”

“You…” Trixie’s throat felt dry, suddenly, “You forgot about me?”

He sucked on his cheek a moment. “I had to,” he said, pain in his eyes, “I couldn’t go through with erasing the memories, but I needed to focus! I had children, apprentices who needed me to be there for them. So, I re-read your journal…”

Trixie ‘eeped’ at this, but did not interrupt.

“… left a few of my own notes, and had one of Peachy’s grandfoals hide it in Gusty’s Tomb.”

“Where’s that?”

“No idea,” Starswirl shrugged, “My obsession with you more or less drove me away from the others.

“Anyway, that being done… I cast the charm, and that was that. And, perhaps, that was also a mistake. I can’t imagine treating Stygian as I did,” he sighed, and looked away, “Had I remembered all that you had taught me of Friendship. Maybe that, more than anything, was why I could never finish the Alicorn spell…”

As Starswirl fell silent, Trixie wiped at her eyes, and smiled.

“Trixie understands. She is, after all, a Great and Powerful distraction. It’s no wonder you had to wipe your own memories just to be able to do anything other than reflect on her… awesomeness.”

The older stallion chortled, but said nothing.

Trixie nodded, and laughed, “Well, that certainly explains why you didn’t recognize me when we met!”

Starswirl looked back to her, a quizzical eyebrow raised.

“I… wouldn’t have known you when we first met.”

“Not in the past!” she frowned, “Back in the Crystal Library! You remember? That whole craziness a few months ago?”

For the briefest of moments, for the splittest of seconds, Trixie knew something was up. Something was so very up. Starswirl’s eyes sank, slightly, into their sockets, and his lips puckered tight under his beard and mustache.

He coughed, in that very dramatic way that told Trixie he didn’t actually need to cough.

“Yes!” he said, a bit too loudly, and hopped up to his hooves, “That was… entirely what happened. Where did you say the Burger Princess was?”

“Swirly…”

“I’ve heard the Double Pickle is a real humdinger, as Big Mac keeps telling me…”

“Swirly I-don’t-know-your-middle-name the Bearded!” Trixie snarled, and stamped one hoof against the dusty ground.

Starswirl flinched at her tone, reflexively straightening up on the spot. He spun on one hoof, fast enough to get his hat-bells jingling, and came to a stop facing his old mentor.

Trixie folded her forelegs in front of her, and fixed the stallion with a scowl.

“What’s going on?”

Looking about, and finding no easy out, Starswirl sighed.

“I did recognize you,” he said, staring down at his hooves. “The memory charm wasn’t supposed to make me forget you, technically. Seeing you pop up in the Crystal Empire made it all rush back to me. But I didn’t want to risk altering the timeline, so…”

“Swirly…” Trixie warned.

Starswirl rolled his eyes, and groaned, “Alright! Alright! I…”

He looked about again. And seeing nopony near, he leaned in, as close as he could, to Trixie.

“You can’t tell anypony about this, right?”

She met his gaze, and felt the seriousness of what he was saying bear down on her. Trixie couldn’t help but see just a little bit of that little colt she’d wandered Equestria with for a year, staring back at her. But where once, she would have held his gaze, and comforted him with whatever words she had on hoof, now… she found a touch of iron, staring back. A stallion who had seen things, and done things, that would leave the rest of the world struggling to get out from under his looming shadow.

She was a little intimidated.

And proud of him, at the same time.

“A magician would never share another’s secret,” she said, a playful smirk appearing on her lips.

With his own smirk, Starswirl’s horn flared to life again. Silver light burned across his horn, and down his coat, changing all the colors in his hat and robe to gray.

Trixie watched, stupefied, as the grayness passed over to her, next. Her hooves changed first, then her legs. Her cloak soon followed, until the silver light caught up to her face.

Suddenly, the whole world was gray.

“You…” she examined her hat closely, to see how thorough the spell had been, “You created a color-filter spell? Swirly, even I can… I mean, the Great and Powerful Trixie is more than capable of…”

“Trixie, it’s fine. But, no. It’s not a color filter,” Starswirl said. Though, oddly, Trixie felt like something was off about the way he said it.

“Swirly?” she blinked, “Did you take up ventriloquism?”

Starswirl stood stock-still. He looked more like a photograph of a pony, holding his breath. At least, that’s what Trixie thought at first. His silver mane stayed as it was, but she could tell from the little details, like the tiny amount of pink and red on his cheeks that had disappeared, or how his cloak and array of golden bells were completely ashen, and still, that there was something more to this.

Then, she started noticing how the fountain had grown silent. And staring at it, she also noticed how it wasn’t moving. And how it was gray.

Everything was gray.

Including the mare in the showmare outfit standing next to her.

“Uh…”

“How do you like it?”

“GAH!”

Trixie jumped to one side, neatly fading through her own grayed-out doppelganger. Starswirl – one who wasn’t a photographic cutout, and was full of color – stood at her side, a smirking, smug grin on his face.

“What!?” Trixie swiveled her head around, “What’s…? Huh!?”

Everywhere she looked, the Ponyville she knew was utterly, and completely, devoid of color. Two pegasi flying past, in Wonderbolt finery, were mere gray streaks. The apples and carrots on display in the market may as well have been rocks on display.

Trixie looked down, and saw her own color was back.

“What is this?”

Starswirl chuckled, then held out one hoof in a dramatic wave.

“This, my dear,” he said with a flourish of his bells, “is the secret to my success!”

Trixie stared, in awe, at the towering stallion as he struck his most showpony pose. To see Swirly… her Swirly, so grown up, and so debonair…

“You froze time?”

He nodded, eyes closed.

“But… why?”

“I’ll admit,” he said, as he walked back to her side, casually passing his ghostly hoof through his own, frozen form, “There’s not a whole lot of applicability for something like this. But it gives me time to think.”

“Time to…?” Trixie’s eyes widened, “Wait… you do this often?”

Starswirl blushed, and kicked at the dirt, “You know how terrible I was at thinking on my hooves, back when. So, when I can, I like to take a moment to… plan out what I need to do.

“I was never as clever as you, or Clover,” he smiled, “But, power? Now, that I had in abundance. So why not use it a little?”

Trixie grinned, her eyes sparkling as she listened.

“And you say you’re not clever? Swirly! That’s ingenious!” she laughed, and pranced in place, “The ultimate sleight of hoof! You actually stole time! Is that how you came up with so many smart ideas?”

His smug smirk only grew.

“So, when you saw me before…?”

“I spent a few…” he coughed, “… days trying to perfect my poker face. I was serious about not letting something happen to the timeline, you know? I had to reapply the memory charm, and try very… very hard not to say or do anything that might trigger those memories.”

She smirked, “Well? Did I trigger any more of them?”

“Constantly,” he shook his head, and laughed, “I probably aged a few months, just hopping back and forth through this spell while you were around. And…”

“… And when you saw me return just today,” her smile grew, “You realized you didn’t need to hide it anymore?”

“Precisely—”

Starswirl didn’t know what hit him. For one instant – theoretically, since time wasn’t a thing at the moment, for one eternity – he was standing before his mentor, his friend, and the most beautiful mare in the world.

And in the next, she was kissing him. Her lips, pressed to his.

With a soft smeck, she pulled away, and looked up with half-lidded eyes into his own, starstruck ones.

“Hm,” she smiled, “How many stallions can say they won the affections of their foalhood crush?”

“Ah,” said Starswirl the Bearded, mightiest and wisest of Equestrian mages.

Trixie nuzzled him, gently, just under his chin.

“Alright,” she said, “I think a thousand years is long enough. By my right, as an official member of the Guild of Equestrian Magicians, I dub thee, Starswirl the Bearded. You are no longer an apprentice, my student. You are a Showpony, at last!”

“Ah.”

Trixie pecked his cheek, and then walked past the comatose stallion. She lightly flicked his nose with her tail as she did so.

“Right,” she sniffed, “I’m thinking onion rings, to celebrate!”

It was late afternoon as Princess Twilight Sparkle’s chariot finally made its landing approach towards Ponyville. The Royal Guards who pulled at the harness, one a pegasus mare, the other a buck hippogriff, were near exhaustion from the mad pace they’d set to get here in so little time. Their Princess hadn’t needed to order them to push so hard, but they could tell at a glance that speed was of the essence, and she hadn’t corrected them.

The chariot wheels clattered across one of the few paved squares in town, stopping just before an old fountain. While the guards unlatched their harnesses, Twilight and her Captain of the Guard, sitting beside her during the ride over, leapt out of the chariot, and began the brisk march towards Ponyville General.

“Soldiers!” Gallus called out, and waved his talons with authority, “Wait right here. This might be a while.”

“Sir!” both snapped to attention at the order. Gallus nodded in approval at their crisp, military bearing, and took up his place; at her side, one step behind.

Twilight glanced backward at her trusted Captain, the urgency of her stride not lessening in the slightest as she said, “Gallus, you don’t need to follow me in there. I’ll be fine.”

“Begging your pardon, Princess,” he responded, with a clip of his beak, “But I’d like to go in anyway, if it’s all the same to you.”

She didn’t say anything, at first. She merely observed her friend, Guard Captain, and former student with a studious eye, honed through the years. His armor was slightly loose around the back-harness buckles. The muzzle-strap was undone. And though he moved with almost mechanical perfection, she could see the way his talons scratched at the ground, and how his wings bunched behind his shoulders.

How many times was Trixie there for you, she thought, somberly, when you had nocreature else?

“I’m sure your old counselor would love to see you again,” she managed a light smile, and turned her attention back to the road.

“Thank you,” he nodded, curtly. If he trusted his voice to hold up, he didn’t show it then.

Ponyville General slowly loomed into view. The hospital had been renovated many times over the years, as new medical technologies were adapted from the world beyond the Mirror, and the population of the once-sleepy town ballooned. It was over twice as large as it once was, but the same familiar yellow-and-pink exterior was there to greet the Princess as she arrived.

Despite the late hour, there was still a hooffull of staff ready for the Princess’ arrival, including a rather familiar purple mare with a golden mane.

“Your Majesty!” the doctor knelt down to Twilight as she and Gallus reached the front desk, “We’ve been expecting you.”

“Good evening, Dinky,” Princess Twilight managed a soft smile for the young mare, “How is the patient?”

There was a flash of something in Dinky’s eyes, but she covered it quickly, and picked up a clipboard in her green aura.

“Come with me,” she said, evenly, “I’ll show you to the patient’s… to Trixie’s room.”

The hospital was deathly quiet. With normal visiting hours over, and most of the patients encouraged to rest, even this close after sundown the place was just about shut up for the night. The only sounds, to Twilight’s ears, were the clip-clop of their party’s hooves on hardwood, and the occasional sound of a vital machine beeping behind a closed door.

Princess Twilight was, naturally, fully aware of the movement of the sun and moon as the latter’s light began to beam into the building from its tall windows. She was glad to see it, and glad to have given the heavenly orbs a little extra inertia this time around. She wasn’t in much of a mood to keep exact track of them.

Finally, after a long, silent march up multiple flights of stairs, the three arrived at the top floor of the hospital. Trixie had been given the Princess-Room at the very front and center of Ponyville General, partly due to the large amount of ponies and creatures that would no doubt be in to see her, and partly how Doctor Feel Good, the Chief of Medicine, didn’t want to be turned into radioactive slag if Starlight Glimmer found out Trixie hadn’t been given the best room.

The area was a bit of a mess, Twilight noted, as they approached Trixie’s room. It was clear that nearly every chair on the floor had been confiscated by visitors and stacked all around the door to accommodate them all. Twilight could still see some bits of frosting from around where she guessed Pinkie’s family had sat.

Dinky stopped a few feet from the door.

“Trixie and her immediate family are still inside,” she nodded, after confirming something on her clipboard, “But, um… Your Majesty?”

“Yes, Doctor?”

Dinky glanced, nervously, over to Gallus, who was otherwise staring straight ahead at the door in front of them.

Twilight nodded, slowly. “Gallus? Why don’t you go on ahead?”

“Princess?” he asked.

“I want to talk with Dinky really quick,” she said, smoothly, “But you should go in. I’m sure seeing you will make Trixie’s night.”

“Heh,” he laughed, but then started forward immediately, “If she hasn’t already bumped into everycreature she’s ever met!”

Twilight watched her Guard Captain go, right up until the door clicked shut behind him. Then, she turned back towards the Doctor, the one she better remembered as a bright-eyed filly around the town, and sighed.

“You wanted to talk, yes?”

The warm, inviting smile Dinky had worn since the Princess’ arrival seemed to melt away as a torrent of concern, and professional weariness furrowed her brows. She set her mouth into the hard line of a pony whose tasks often had to be amended with a sorrowful, ‘I’m sorry, we did everything we could’.

Dinky took in a deep breath through her nose, and said, “Trixie was found collapsed in her office by a student. We don’t know how long she was out, but there was a two-hour gap between her meetings today.”

She flipped through some of the paperwork attached to her clipboard, eyes furiously searching for the right lines of ink.

“When we got her, her oxygen stats were rock-bottom. She could hardly breath without a ventilator, and even after we managed to get her respirating normally, it’s taking an Oxygenation Crystal on her nightstand to keep her stable. We think…”

“Dinky,” the Princess interrupted, “I don’t think this is appropriate. Trixie is awake, and I’m sure she hasn’t authorized you to share her medical record with me.”

Here, Dinky’s magic slipped a note out from her clipboard. It looked like a list of names, with Trixie’s signature at the bottom.

“Actually,” she said, holding the paper up, “You are. You, Trixie’s daughter Celeste, Starswirl, Starlight, and somepony named Human Trixie are all authorized to receive her diagnosis.

“Plus…” Dinky placed the paperwork back together, but did not return to look Twilight in the eye, “You’re the Princess. And you’re here. And… you might be able to help…”

Twilight stood still, and listened, as Dinky spoke. Hearing what Trixie had done, adding her to such a list, left the Princess feeling odd. Sort of unbalanced. She mulled the thought over in silence for a few moments.

Then, she gave Dinky an affirmative nod.

“Very well. What’s your diagnosis?”

The hospital staff really spared no expenses, Twilight was pleased to see, as she opened the door to Trixie’s room, and found that it was spacious enough to accommodate more guests than usual. Even accounting for the various medical machines of human-origin in the room, there was plenty of space for the flowers, candy, apples, and other gifts and treats left by visitors.

It was a gladdening sight, the gifts and shown affection for the showmare and school counsellor, as was the commanding view of Ponyville her room’s windows held. The breathtaking view could almost make Twilight forget she was standing in a hospital room.

Trixie, of course, held no such illusions for herself.

“Hey, Sparkle,” a scratchy, hoarse whisper grated against Twilight’s ears, and left a cold streak down her spine, “Didn’t think you’d show up.”

Trixie lay at the nexus of an array of medical devices. Plastic tubes carrying oxygen and various liquids ran from her small, frail form like a vast, life-supporting web. And yet, tucked into the large white hospital bed, she looked smaller still. Frailer, still. Like a little blue dot in a cloudy sky.

Gallus stood at Trixie’s right, holding up one of her hooves. He stood resolute and soldierly, despite the darkened tract of feathers beneath his eyes. Near him, Celeste Lulamoon, Trixie in all but color and mane – which she shared with her father, Starswirl – maintained her own silent vigil, her eyes hidden by the brim of her green wizard hat.

And on the other side, Twilight’s heart broke as she took in the form of Starswirl the Bearded. He sat in a chair, near Trixie’s left, his back to the windows. It looked like he hadn’t eaten in days, brushed his coat, or washed his mane. His eyes were hollow, and lifeless, dull orbs looking out on a scene he had no agency to alter, nor prevent.

“Of course, I came,” Twilight smiled, and tried to focus on Trixie alone, “I came as soon as I could.”

Oh, but worst of all was the showmare herself. Her colors had paled, and her coat was messy and unkempt. Her hair was almost as bad, drooping here and there, heavy with sweat, and yet almost dry and crackling.

There was something unnatural about Trixie Lulamoon sitting still, or lying down. Her shows were often daring exhibitions of acrobatics, in addition to her illusions and fireworks, and so to see her limbs listless at her side was a disquieting thing to behold. To see the loose skin pooling at her neck, her jaw, and along her exposed leg joints, without the supple strength and alacrity Twilight was used to seeing in her; it chilled the Princess’s very blood.

It’s like Granny Smith, she thought, as she approached, all over again.

Gallus made some sort of excuse, and tried to leave the room. Celeste, after inquiring with her father – who moved only to shake his head slowly – and watching Twilight a moment, went out with the Captain.

Twilight hadn’t heard a word of what passed between them. She was too preoccupied with the sunken, pale eyes that looked up at her with a sneer.

“Hmph,” Trixie sniffed as the door shut behind Gallus and Celeste, “At your earliest convenience, no doubt.”

“Yes, actually,” Twilight nodded, just managing a calm tone to her voice, “There were still a few things I couldn’t clear away before now, so…”

Trixie scoffed, though it was a hollow, little thing, choked by the breathing tubes sticking out of her nose and down her throat, “Bah! Even Grogar managed to come by and console his Greatest Rival!”

She pointed, weakly over towards Starswirl, who hadn’t moved as of yet, “Swirly here threw him out the window!”

Twilight frowned, and turned her attention to the aged stallion. “Grogar forgot about the restraining order?”

Starswirl said nothing.

“Swirly?” Trixie asked, her voice… softer than it was a moment ago. Starswirl’s ears instantly snapped to attention, though his eyes were a bit slower in following.

“Oh,” he said, quietly, “Um… yes. He remembered. But he didn’t realize I’d be here when he came by.”

Princess Twilight blinked. And then, pressing one hoof to the base of her horn, in a vain attempt to block out the coming headache, she sighed.

“… Trixie is Grogar’s rival… of course…”

There was a moment of quiet, ruined only by the hiss of an oxygen machine. Twilight glanced up, to find Starswirl sinking back down into whatever dark place he was in, eyes forward and unfocused.

Trixie, on the contrary, fixed the Princess with a steady gaze. Perhaps ‘glare’ would have been more appropriate, but Twilight could feel there was less than malice behind that look. There was something of a searching quality to Trixie’s glare.

She was hunting for something.

“Swirly?” she croaked, and half-turned her head towards her husband, “Could you see if there’s some more water outside?”

Starswirl blinked. His dull gaze lightened, a moment, as he beheld his wife’s face.

“Hm?” he questioned.

“I need water,” Trixie said, flatly, “Could you get some more?”

“Oh…” his mind seemed to take a moment to ponder this problem. Then, he stood up slowly, like a zombie rising again. His long legs carried him, with a mechanical gait, across the room, nearly crashing into Twilight, had she not taken another step into the room. In this way, he staggered out of the room, hardly even noting the half-filled jug of water on Trixie’s nightstand.

One of the monitors beeped.

“So…” the Princess glanced about, “They gave you the nice…”

“Sparkle,” Trixie said, with just a skosh less hostility than before, “How’re things?”

“How…?” Twilight blinked, “How are things?”

Trixie bit her lip, and narrowed her eyes.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Sparkle,” Trixie said, finally, then chuckled darkly. “You’re sort of jumping the party cannon there, aren’t you?”

“Trixie, please,” Twilight winced at the gallows humor, “Don’t talk like that. There’s…”

The glare came back, this time accompanied by a scowl.

“Rarity’s already got my measurements,” Trixie said in a cool tone, “Big Mac said he’d do the coffin ‘up proper’, whatever that means, and I guess Little Cheese will be providing the funerary cupcakes at the wake.”

She snorted, weakly, “I just need to talk to you about getting a nice spot in a cemetery. I like Ponyville, don’t get me wrong, but the only open plot is next to Filthy Rich, and you know how we never got along…”

Twilight slipped in as Trixie took another deep suck of air, “There are always options…”

“Not this time,” Trixie closed her eyes, “And… and I’m fine with that. Really.”

Twilight held her breath. Then, when Trixie said nothing else, she took a seat to her left. Seeing Trixie up close… the damage looked worse than from across the room. This close, the Princess couldn’t help but notice the little scabs from where tubes and needles scraped Trixie while they hooked her in, and marks from her fall back at the School.

Trixie almost looked asleep.

“Dinky filled you in?”

Twilight looked away.

“Breaker’s Disease,” she focused on the medical data she’d seen on the Doctor’s chart, “Type 2, so it’s genetic, as opposed to stress or infection-induced…”

“Dad left me a bunch of unpaid bills and some angry Bitalian debt collectors,” Trixie groaned, “and Mom left me her lungs. Trixie wins the lotto yet again. At least I’m older than she was when it happened. Small victories, right?”

“The…” Twilight shook her head, “Dinky said you should have manifested symptoms years ago. It looked like somepony was slowing down your lungs’ deterioration. Did you learn any medical magic when I wasn’t looking?”

“Scrapes and bruises… maybe a broken bone, if I’m on the road,” Trixie shrugged as best she could without ripping an IV out, “Can’t regrow lungs.”

Twilight’s muzzle scrunched up.

“Trixie? Did… did Starswirl teach you any Time magic?” she licked her lips, “Anything that tried to arrest the damages…?”

Trixie opened her eyes, and looked to Twilight with a tired smile.

“I didn’t get any mutant genes, Twilight. I’m just a regular unicorn,” she sighed, “I couldn’t cast those spells even if I gave it my all.”

“That’s not true,” Twilight leaned in, one hoof reaching for Trixie’s, “You’re resourceful! I bet you could have… could have torn up those spells, and whipped up something useable!”

“… maybe,” Trixie closed her eyes again, “But we’ll never know now.”

“No!” Twilight said, her voice rising by degrees, “I know so!”

“Yeah?” Trixie turned her pale eyes back to the Alicorn, “And how do you know?”

“Because, I read your… your…” Twilight coughed, covering her mouth with the hoof she had been reaching out to Trixie, “… your… patents.”

Trixie’s ears perked.

“My patents?”

“Your patents,” Twilight lied, smoothly.

“My spell patents?” Trixie looked over to her, and raised an eyebrow, “Really?”

“Really.”

Trixie’s eyes, as pale as they were, narrowed in on Twilight’s own. It may just have been Twilight’s old instincts flaring up, a need to please those of scholarly and scholastic authority, but that stare was already starting to bore down into her.

Images of past teachers sensing a misbehaving student’s lies from across the classroom started dancing in her mind’s eye.

It doesn’t take a great actor to know a bad one, Trixie’s look seemed to say.

“And…” Twilight took a deep, slow breath, and steadied herself.

She met Trixie’s stare.

“I read your journal.”

The room was silent, save for the machines. Trixie’s eyes, somehow, narrowed further.

But, as the seconds passed, a smirk crossed her muzzle.

“Joke’s on you, Sparkle,” she said, “But I don’t keep a journal. Everything is committed to my Great and Powerful memory.”

Twilight’s face slipped into an unamused frown.

“Your journal, Trixie,” she repeated, “The one in Gusty’s Tomb.”

For an instant, Twilight might have been forgiven for thinking Trixie’s whole illness was nothing more than a ruse. Her ears stood straight up, and her eyes became like gleaming gems, full of light and life. But, within the blink of an eye, her expression drew back in on itself, and she was suddenly guarded, unsure.

She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. Then, hesitantly, she asked, “Where was the tomb?”

Twilight quickly recalled the location Daring had scoped out, drew up the relevant information, and said, “The tomb was set down in the ruins of Tambelon, just near the…”

A wretched, hacking sound erupted from Trixie. Twilight gasped, and leapt out of her seat, only to watch, in growing horror as Trixie spasmed, coughing and sputtering…

And laughing.

“T-Trixie?” Twilight blinked a few times, just in case the blue unicorn had finally lost it.

Trixie’s laughter wracked her body, and she sounded like she was choking on her oxygen tube. Twilight pressed the ‘up arrow’ amidst the bed’s controls with her magic, quickly bringing Trixie up into a sitting position.

As Trixie’s laughter faded slowly, it was largely replaced with more wet coughs and gagging sounds. Twilight fetched a tissue box from the nightstand, and tried to help as best she could, but Trixie’s body wasn’t cooperating.

It took minutes for the heaving coughs to subside. By the time it was over, Twilight was afraid they’d gone through about half of the tissues. She carefully removed the bloodied things, tossing everything in a medical waste bin with her magic.

And with Trixie’s attack finally winding down, the sickly showmare’s energy appeared as low as Twilight had ever seen it. She practically sank into her bedding. An inner flame, alight in her eyes, was the only thing that gave Twilight pause in thinking she’d fallen asleep right then and there.

“Heh,” she croaked, “Swirly owes me fifty bits. Told him…”

“Trixie,” Twilight said, and came back to sitting at her friend’s side, “I’m so sorry this is happening. But… if you could create all those spells, and manage to do… everything you did…”

One of Trixie’s hooves weakly cut her off.

“How far did you get?”

Twilight’s mind reflexively brought up an almost eidetic recollection of the last entry she’d read.

“You just dealt with Aeva,” she recounted, “You convinced her not to erase you from the timeline…”

Trixie blew a little raspberry.

“… and I was just about to read what happened between you and Swi- Starswirl,” she corrected, “when I got the news.”

The showmare sighed, the light in her eyes dimming.

“So, do you believe Trixie now?” she said, low and quiet.

Twilight rolled her eyes, and groaned, “Trixie… lying about your accomplishments was how we met, if you’ll recall the Ursa Minor that…”

She stopped, and took a long, relaxing breath. She even swept one hoof out as she breathed. Twilight hardly ever needed that trick, these days. It was only when dealing with Trixie.

Trixie, who’d been telling the truth.

“I still should have given you the benefit of the doubt,” Twilight nodded, slowly, “When you first came back to the present, I didn’t want to believe you. It all just… sounded so much like your usual nonsense that I blocked it out. I didn’t want to hear about you… ‘saving Gusty’, or ‘mentoring Starswirl’, or whatever it was you said about Grogar and Bray.

“But I should have,” Twilight looked to the ceiling, as if an answer was up in the florescent lighting, “Because we were friends. Are friends. And… I’m sorry, Trixie. I’m sorry I never believed you without having to factcheck. Can you forgive me?”

“Yeah?” asked Trixie, her brows furrowing as she listened, “Nice to hear, I guess. Twenty-five years late. But nice.”

“I’m sorry, Trixie,” Twilight reached out again, and gripped one of her hooves, “But I believe you, now. You were… you are one of Equestria’s greatest heroes.”

“… and most Powerful?” Trixie tilted her head to the side, the shadow of a smile touching her lips.

Twilight chuckled, but pressed on, to Trixie’s slight annoyance.

“I would be honored if you would tell me the rest of your legendary adventure,” she smiled. And it was a gentle, almost motherly, smile.

Trixie’s grip tightened on Twilight’s hoof, but weakly, like it was a Breezie pushing on it. She looked away, and breathed slowly through her nose.

“No,” she said.

“… What?”

Trixie looked back, with a weary gaze.

“No, Sparkle,” she repeated, “You never could believe me without some kind of proof to look at. Even with Swirly backing me up, you never believed me before.”

“You two were practically engaged your first week back!” Twilight scrunched her nose, and said, “He wasn’t a reliable witness…”

“Even so!” Trixie’s monitors chirped a warning as a renewed vigor seized her. But, with that warning, she seemed to settle again, letting the softness of the bed hold her down.

“Even so,” she said, eyes misting, “You need the journal. You need evidence, Sparkle. So just head back, and finish it. I’m not dying for at least a week, if Dinky’s doctorate is worth anything.”

“I can’t just read it,” Twilight rolled her eyes, and waved one wing in the general direction of Canterlot, “Daring has to go through a process to restore the damaged bits before I get the entries.”

There was another spasm, though this one was mercifully short, and left only a spittle of blood splashed across Trixie’s sheets.

“Daring Do!?” she hissed.

Twilight nodded, and she dragged another tissue across Trixie’s blood-splotched lips, “She’s an excellent editor…”

“Eugh… that means Indeedy got her mitts all over my journal,” Trixie pouted, briefly releasing Twilight’s hoof until she realized what she’d done, and snatched it back up.

“I still don’t know why you dislike her. Indeedy’s pretty cute, and her books, while a little young, are very well written.”

“She stole the Alicorn Amulet from the woods that one time, and got me blamed for it,” Trixie snorted, “And then, she had the gall to reduce Trixie’s role in the tale to that of a secondary character! I deserved top-billing, and she knew it.”

The fuming unicorn glared into the distance.

“If the movie rights ever get optioned, I better get played by Carmare,” she scoffed, “She’s the only one of Daring’s brats who can carry a tune. And she’s almost pretty enough, I guess…”

“Wait, when did you meet Carmare…?”

Trixie shook her head, and spoke, hoarsely, “Not the point, Sparkle. Not the point, at all.” She huffed, but said nothing else.

But, to her mind, Twilight was fine with the sudden, companionable silence. It gave her a moment to check her old friend again. She’d need rest soon, Twilight reasoned, looking over the flecks of blood on the sheets, and the way her eyes twitched, striving to hold off sleep for just a bit longer.

Something was pushing her to continue, though her own body rebelled against anything other than sleep.

“Look,” said Trixie, in a low whisper, “Like I said. I don’t have… long. Magic won’t help me now.”

“You’re forgetting how stubborn and unreasonable I can be, Trixie. I won’t stop until I’ve completely exhausted that avenue,” Twilight leaned forward, and pressed another hoof to Trixie’s. Perhaps, with enough pressure and contact, she could will a bit of her own strength into the frail creature before her.

“You have my word.”

Perhaps, in spite of herself, Trixie smiled at that.

“Just…” she coughed, and cleared her throat, “Just make sure the statue captures my eyes. They’re my best feature. And, instruct a few guards to look appropriately shook up by my passing, if that’s alright?”

Twilight managed a little smile herself, though, like Trixie’s, it didn’t really reach her eyes.

“Of course, Trixie.”

“And make sure wherever you bury me,” Trixie’s eyes began to leak, and she brought her other hoof to hold Twilight’s, “It’s near a road. Old wanderer tradition. I have to be able to… see the crossroads, or else I’ll just be stuck in one place…”

“I will,” Twilight took a shuddering breath, “Don’t worry about it.”

“And…” Trixie swallowed, “Look out for Swirly. I left him... I already broke his heart once. You know how stallions are, sometimes. So emotional.”

“I’ll make sure Celeste takes good care of him,” Twilight agreed, biting her lower lip, her eyes never wavering from Trixie’s own.

The two mares held their silence. There were no cries. Sniffing, snuffling, gasping and sobbing were not permitted here. Only the resolve of two rivals, comfortable with one another, in the dark of a hospital room.

That was, until Twilight heard a strange sound. She realized, after a few seconds, that it was Trixie. The ephemeral unicorn’s lips were quivering as she held back a strangling cry, made so much more difficult by the tubes keeping her airways productive.

Trixie’s eyes, pale, pink, brimming with tears, locked with Twilight’s.

Her hooves tightened their grip, but only a moment. The urgency was there, but not the strength they once wielded. Twilight held her friend tighter still.

“Twilight,” Trixie said, her voice a frail shadow of the bravado that had dared an Ursa Minor, changelings, and demons of the darkest depths. Hot tears streamed down her face, and a whimper escaped from her lips.

“I don’t want to die. I’m… I’m scared…”

At last, the silence ended.

Twenty minutes later, once all her tears were shed, Trixie Lulamoon fell into a deep slumber. Twilight carefully dried her eyes, tucked her in to her bed, and quietly wished her friend a good night’s rest.

“Luna,” she whispered to herself, “Look after her?”

There was no response. Of course not.

Still, before the towering Princess left, she leaned over one more time, and placed a gentle kiss on Trixie’s brow. Perhaps it was the strange lighting of the room, or of Ponyville beyond, but Twilight liked to think that she saw Trixie smile, even if only in her dreams.

She made her way from the room, silent as a shadow. She made sure to coat the door in her magic, and apply a short-timed silencing spell before she closed it behind her. No need to accidentally wake Trixie up, after all… that.

The hospital was quiet. Deathly quiet. Twilight was not so fond of that phrasing, not today.

Sprawled over a couple of chairs, with a set of blankets lovingly placed over him, Starswirl slept soundly in the hall. While she could only see part of his face, it was clear his dreams would be troubled.

Princess Twilight looked up, and saw Captain Gallus, standing guard like a gargoyle by the end of the hall. It was clear he’d managed to straighten himself out, at least physically. Regardless the reality of his composure, she could tell, even from that distance, that he would need time to fully come to grips with today.

However, it was not loyal Gallus who caught the Princess’s attention. It was her student, the one and only Celeste Lulamoon, standing in the middle of the hallway, and facing her mother’s room.

She looked ready for a war.

“Princess,” she nodded respectfully, if stiffly. Celeste removed her hat with a steady, gold, telekinetic grip, setting it down on a nearby, unoccupied chair. Without its wide brim, her reddened, tired eyes could be seen, glaring through the gloom.

The lack of theatrics put Twilight on edge. Celeste was serious about whatever she had to say.

And I know what you will say, my faithful student…

“Celeste,” Twilight nodded back, respectfully, waiting to see what had her student in such a mood, “Is there anything else I can do for you tonight?”

The gray unicorn was staring daggers.

“Well?” she asked, unwavering, “Are you going to help her?”

Twilight was startled, somewhat, by the directness.

“Of course,” she said, solemnly, “Once I’m back in my lab with Dr. Dinky’s notes, I should be able to start working on some medical spells that should—”

“Not like that!” Celeste hissed, keeping her voice low in the halls of the hospital, “I mean, are you going to help her?”

Twilight’s mouth drew into a line.

“I don’t understand what you mean,” she lied.

Celeste glanced over her shoulder, towards Gallus, and then down at her sleeping father. With a gesture of her hoof, she bid the Princess to follow her. They went around the nearest corner, Twilight signaling Gallus to wait behind.

Once they were out of sight, and of earshot, Celeste whirled around at her teacher. Her eyes were hardened, and fearless.

“You know exactly what I mean,” she said, in a whisper, “You could fix this, right now.”

Twilight took even, measured breaths. It was now impossible not to have this conversation, despite having dreaded it for so long, wishing it would never happen.

“Celeste,” she said, slowly, trying to project calming thoughts into her words for both their sakes, “Princesshood is not something that can be given lightly. It…”

“Must be earned,” Celeste rolled her bloodshot eyes, “Yeah, I know! It’s not like I helped you explain that to Luster Dawn, back when she found out about her sister’s whole deal.

“Actually, speaking of Sunset Shimmer,” her face slipped into a scowling smirk, “What exactly did she do to earn her wings, hm?”

“Sunset was a special case, as you well know,” said Twilight, “And there isn’t a means of reversing that transformation. We just have to live with it.”

“But not my mom, apparently,” Celeste said, and came back with a biting snarl, “Because that’s what this is about. You two have always had this stupid grudge thing, and it’s making you both act nuts! You already know the spell, so it’s not like it’d be hard to do!”

“Celeste, I said no,” Twilight held her student’s gaze, not willing to look away now, nor willing to admit how hollow her own arguments sounded, “Such a power can’t be used lightly. I love her too, but the precedent could have disastrous effects! Trixie has done great things for Equestria…”

“Then, make her an Alicorn,” Celeste said, flatly, as if it wasn’t an epoch-changing event she was advocating.

Twilight shook her head, if only to shake loose the rising bile in her stomach that came with arguing with her student.

“Even the Pillars don’t get to become Alicorns, and they’ve saved Equestria just as often as my friends and I.”

“But your friends will get the option! I even helped you prove you could do it for them!” Celeste cried.

Twilight’s old love of decorum and procedure reared its head, forcing the Alicorn to snap-cast a spell. Within the span of a breath, their little corner of the hospital was wrapped up in a purple bubble of sound-dampening magic.

Twilight sighed in relief, but Celeste had hardly slowed down.

“So, is being an Alicorn like, a club? Can only your friends join? Why them, and not my mother!?”

“Celeste,” Twilight pressed, “I don’t want to have this discussion. Not now.”

“Why? Because you’d lose?”

“No,” Twilight growled, “Because I don’t have the right to make anypony an Alicorn.”

Celeste stepped up, and jabbed the Princess in her chest, “I’m not asking to make anypony an Alicorn!”

She stepped back, and waved her hoof about, “You have the means to help. It’s right there, in your head! You can walk into Mom’s room, right now, and make her better. Doesn’t she deserve that? Hasn’t she done enough to…?”

Her voice faltered. The anger in her eyes flickered, for a moment. Then, it began to fade.

“Is this all just because she… made fun of you and your friends once?” she asked, with the same quiver in her voice as Trixie had, and her eyes that same, haunting, pale pink, “Are you really holding that against her? Still?”

Twilight watched her student for another moment. She took her own step forward. Her wings wrapped around Celeste, and pulled her in close. Then, she laid her neck over the smaller pony, and held her tight.

So, this is what that was like, thought the Princess, as another silent tear rolled down her cheek. Thank you, Celestia, for being there for me, when it was my mother…

“Celeste,” she whispered, “Being an Alicorn isn’t a reward. It isn’t just for those I personally care about. It’s a responsibility. If I went around making everypony who was special an Alicorn, there wouldn’t be any ponies left.”

“Would that be so wrong?” Celeste whispered back with a crackle in her voice.

“Maybe,” Twilight answered, “Maybe not. But I can’t make that decision. It’s too big. And doing it for anypony, even a pony like Trixie… or my other friends… would be wrong, if they hadn’t done something to earn it.”

“But…” Celeste started to say, then fell silent.

“When I became an Alicorn,” Twilight spoke, quietly, “It wasn’t because Celestia decided I was ready, or chose me to become one. She had faith that I would do it. She believed I could. I bound Magic, Friendship, and Harmony into one force, and became its nexus.”

From the way Celeste shook beneath Twilight’s wings, the Princess could tell she was holding herself together by threads.

So, she continued, “Cadance was able to reverse a spell that would have destroyed all love in the world. And, in doing so, ascended, through her love, to become what she is today.

“Though your mother has done great things for Equestria, and for the world,” she paused a moment, to steady herself, “can you say, truly, that she has performed an act such as those?”

Celeste said nothing, at first. Then, in a trembling voice, she said, “No…”

Despite her size, Twilight was nearly bowled over as the smaller unicorn threw herself into her teacher. Two thin hooves wrapped their way around her barrel, and she felt the tear-stained face of her student press into her chest.

“I’m sorry,” Celeste wept, her words almost lost amid her sorrow, “I-I’m just… scared. I d-don’t know what to do…”

“I know,” Twilight closed her eyes, “I know. It’s not easy… and it’s not fair.”

She could feel Celeste press deeper into her hug. It was an old, familiar feeling. A feeling from a dark night in the palace, when a scared little foal came running to their teacher, and sitter, whenever the lightning struck.

“But,” she said, with terrible purpose, “I will do everything I can to help your mother.”

Celeste’s cries grew silent. Twilight opened her eyes, and looking up at her was that same little foal from all those years ago.

And in her eyes, there shone just a little more light than had been there before.

“You have my word.”

I promise, it gets happier after this.

Gods, I hope so...

Looking back over her notes, Trixie realizes that time may have gotten away from her. I never claimed I was perfect, merely Great and Powerful. Also, a wizard. I also once claimed student status to get into

Point is, I will try, Journal, to be precise with my dates from now on.

You’re welcome.

And Trixie am is going crazy.

Day Twenty-something

Quick update, in case only a fragment of this Great Epic survives the coming centuries. Trixie went back in time by about a couple thousand years, give or take, and met Starswirl the Bearded as a foal.

Colt, fine. I wrote it down, you ungrateful

*the following section is illegible, as if two unicorns were fighting over the quill, and spilled ink everywhere*

Anyway, after meeting the incarnation of Time, and whupping her flank using Trixie’s Incredible Powers of Persuasion™ --

Fie! Lies and slander, all! Thou could’st bemuddle t’future such?

Gimme that quill back! You’re screwing with the Dictation Spel!!! [sic]

Ye be a mighty wizzard indeed, Fair Trixie, however thou shalt not catch meeee!

*more scribbles, foul language, and what appears to be a crude hieroglyph depicting Trixie blowing a raspberry into a tiny Starswirl’s belly*

Dictation spells are the bane of my existence. I know I fight monsters and plumb cursed and trapped ruins, but these things tick me off worse than anything Cabbie put me through back in the day. Dictation spells automatically make corrections as you talk, but they were all designed by ponies with perfect pronunciation and certain ideas about how to speak and enunciate. Nothing’s more infuriating that finishing a chapter, only to have to go back and rewrite the whole thing because the stupid enchanted quill kept thinking you obviously meant to say Darling instead of Daring six-hundred times! I probably went through hundreds of spell-crystals trying to dictate my books.

Oh, and obligatory, “Trixie just invented that spell centuries too early”. But, since Starswirl was credited with it anyway, I guess this is just one more paradox for the pile.

Day Twenty-something, again

Future readers of the Great and Powerful Trixie? Stuff happened. Enough said.

Swirly’s a pest, and I’m not doing a dictation spell again. Just gonna use a regular, non-enchanted quill. Like a peasant.

I just stuck my tongue out at the little cretin. And I had to manually write down that I did that. With my horn. Jerk.

So, me and Swirly had a talk. Like, The Talk. About how I was from the future, and that I didn’t mean to get stuck in the past. He was a bit confused, to say the least. Started quoting that Piggachad guy at me again.

Galen of Pegamon, though I’m stealing Piggachad.

Now, I didn’t tell him everything. But he’s a quick and clever one, so I’m sure he’s got a good idea about a lot of things. Maybe. Trixie, naturally, kept a few things under her hat. I managed to avoid naming names too often.

Though, to keep a tally, he’s now aware of:

Cartnegie Hall, the place my mom and dad met.Celestia and Luna (though, not Nightmare Moon. Holy crud, would that have been bad!)The Hearths Warming Tale and Equestria in general (sorry, Future. He sussed me)The plot to the first three Daring Do novelsMy folksHis reputation (sorry, again)And hayburgers

Oh, is that all? Just all of that!?

And she didn’t even say if he liked the books! I could use a new blurb, you know?

Actually, I promised to show him what those taste like. But, since there’s no such thing as a sesame seed bun, at the moment—

Wait, Journal. I met him before! Like, back up-time! How didn’t he recognize me?

Time travel sucks. Best not to think about it. Especially—

Alright. Confession time. I’ll toss a little Invisible-Ink spell here, just in case Swirly gets a hold of it.

So, the Great and Powerful Trixie knows how she got here. But, Starswirl doesn’t. He still thinks I got dumped in the past because of a miscalculated Time Travel spell that I now lack the material components to fix, but that at some point, my esteemed and talented apprentice, Starlight Glimmer (didn’t give him the name, naturally), will show up to get me out of here.

I’m still mad about that, Starlight. Leaving your own bestie trapped in the past? Uncool.

It’s not lying—

Well, fine, it’s a bit of lying. But, there’s no reason to prove I’m a total fraud, right? Right. Because Trixie isn’t a fraud. Totally.

Interestingly, the ‘Invisible-Ink’ spell is a very poor name for what Trixie actually did. See, the original page has all these little hashes around the section she ‘just’ wrote. These hashes are actually little Runes, old earth pony magic from a long, long time ago. As I understand it, they’re rare these days for being so inefficient at doing anything on their own, and are usually incorporated into larger spells and arrays.

I point this out, because the runes, while clearly damaged and not working at one-hundred percent efficiency anymore, were apparently still running up to a century ago. Very nice spellwork.

I wrote to Starswirl, to ask if he was the one who originally dispelled them (there’s markers for a dispel cast on the page), but he hasn’t gotten back to me yet. Odd.

Anyway. We’re in a bit of a pickle. See, we never did get rid of those Timberwolves, and Trixie thinks there’s more of them out there now, beyond the rocks of Ponhenge. Like, a lot more.

I’m going to try a breakout, using my cunning intellect, and Great and Powerful abilities.

Wish me luck, Journal!

You didn’t wish me luck, at all! Not that you could, being a book, but Trixie is Venting.

Turns out, legging it didn’t work. Timberwolves are fast, and they don’t fall for the ‘look out behind you’ trick. On the plus side, we got back into Ponhenge before they caught us, or the wagon, again.

Alright, I suppose we also got to see what happens when a Timberwolf crosses the line past the stones. They explode, in case you didn’t know.

So, with more kindling at hoof, Trixie was at least able to set up a warm fire tonight. Unfortunately, we’re eating through our food supplies quickly, at this rate. So, hopefully, Trixie will come up with a new plan by tomorrow.

Okay, Trixie might have one way out of here, but since I don’t like testing out new spells during a performance, especially one with such a hungry audience, I’m going to leave it til the last chance.

By the way, if you’ve found this journal in Timberwolf poop, congratulations. You have the worst job, ever.

Day thirty? Who cares anymore?

So, that was weird. Trixie isn’t talking ‘put on a dark magical amulet and lost control of my own mind’ sort of weird. I’m not even talking ‘getting a medal from Twilight and she doesn’t even comment on our rivalry’ sort of weird.

I mean, ‘dream about Princess Luna from a couple thousand years away’ weird.

Because that’s what happened. Among other things.

For once, I didn’t dream about Hyneighria. No, that night, Trixie dreamed of Cartnegie Hall again. Though, this time, the audience was completely filled with Timberwolves.

Actually, they were a pretty appreciative audience, when all was said and done. I was up on stage, performing a classic routine, with the legendary Grouchy Marks himself! And we were getting cheers and laughs like you wouldn’t believe!

Grouchy Marks, again, was one of the Marks Brothers, and a celebrated comedian and stage actor. He’s legendary for his quick wit and sharp delivery, as well as his ridiculous eyebrows, mustache, and glasses, which became his persona. I hear they got him to host a show over those new radios you set up a while back, You Bit Your Life? Caballeron and Zaldia are huge fans.

Oh, it was a classic scene, Journal! Trixie was playing the lead mare, and I was sharing the limelight with one of my old heroes!

“Just think,” he said, waggling those ridiculous eyebrows of his and mugging to the audience, “Tonight! Tonight, when the moon is sneaking around the clouds, I'll be sneaking around you. I'll meet you tonight under the moon…”

Even playing the Heel, for the bit, I almost swooned at the dream-stallion. Made-up or not, he always had a certain je ne say cwa to him. Nothing could have come from it, he being, like, a hundred years old, and being too short.

What can I say? I like tall stallions. Ones with muzzle hair, especially.

“Oh, I can see it now!” he said, the Timberwolves eagerly awaiting the classic punchline, “You and the moon. The Moon and you. You, wear a necktie, so I’ll… oh…”

He trailed off. That wasn’t right. In case you never got to hear the joke in real life

The Journal isn’t alive, Trixie. Stop talking to it. But who else am I going to talk to?

STAHP

Right. Grouchy just Fished the whole bit, right in front of me. I was actually shocked. I mean, he was still just a dream of Grouchy, but still. There were professional standards to be upheld!

“That’s not the line!” I hissed, trying to get the act back on course before the booing started. Oddly, and this should have probably tipped me off right away, the Timberwolves were howling with laughter, as if the line had been delivered right on cue.

Grouchy stared, wide-eyed, at something behind me, and I knew, right away, that I did not want to turn around. In real life, or in dreams, the look Grouchy gave whatever loomed behind Trixie was never a good sign.

The gray stallion glanced back towards me, with some sympathy. Then, he looked towards the audience, and shrugged.

“You know?” he said, clearly judging the distance he’d have to jump, “I’ve had a wonderful evening. But this wasn’t it!”

He then leapt off the stage, directly onto a four-seater bike with the other Marks Brothers – Banjo, Cheeky, and the unfunny one – and rode off into the night.

Hey, it was a dream. Dreams are weird. I’m justifying myself to a book again.

Well, Trixie knows you can’t get out of a bad dream by running away. And if there was a monster behind me, or something truly terrifying, like another bogus parking ticket, I was going to, at least, face it directly.

Oh, Journal. It was so much worse than a parking ticket.

It was Princess Luna! Trixie, let it be known, was shocked. Shocked!

Well, not that shocked.

Mostly, I was just confused. I’d completely forgotten about seeing the once and future Princess in my dreams, what with her mother showing up and doing the whole Timey thing before. Frankly, I still wasn’t convinced that hadn’t all been some weird dream, either.

“Trixie Lulamoon,” she pronounced, regally, “We have come to stop thee- you, from making a terrible mistake!”

“If you’re here to warn me not to crib off some other pony’s spells, you’re a little late,” Trixie snarked, beautifully.

Swirly’s reminding me not to embellish. Fine. I’ll be “truthful”.

But I did snark, and it was perfect. Even the Timberwolves laughed.

Swirly’s reminding me that the Timberwolves always laughed, but whatever.

Luna paused. Either she was waiting for the laughter to die down, or to marvel at how perfect my snarking was, I don’t know.

“Trixie,” she said again, “There is no shame in being bested by one such as Twilight Sparkle. But what you are planning to do next will make you a monster!”

I rolled my eyes, “Lady, if running away from Timberwolves makes me a monster, then everypony’s a monster.”

Good joke. Everywolf laughs. Roll on snare drums.

“Timberwolves? What?” Luna seemed rather confused by what I said, sparing only a glance to the audience. Then, she shook her head and pressed on, saying, “Trixie! I speak not of Timberwolves, but of the Alicorn Amulet!”

“Yeah?” I had no idea where she was going with that, “What happened to it? Did Princess Twilight dig it up again?”

“Princess… stop that!” Luna snapped, irritatedly, “I am trying to help you…”

“Stop what?” I asked.

“Knowing things!” she snapped back, to thunderous Timberwolf applause, “Things you should not know! Things you cannot possibly know!”

She was getting upset really fast, Journal. Like, more than most ponies I meet. And I meet a lot of angry ponies in my line of work.

I don’t think she’s put that together yet.

“Don’t you remember our last conversation?” I said, with as much tact as the Tactful Trixie could muster, “I’m from your future, relatively speaking. Of course, I know things.”

Luna snorted, “I understand you were under much stress before, to invent such ridiculous tales and… and tomfoolery.

“But,” she raised herself up, to a cry and a holler from the audience, “Even your mastery of the illusory arts cannot trick me, Miss Lulamoon! Nopony can travel through time. Even Starswirl, wise as he was, could not manage such a feat.”

“Then how does your mom do it?” I asked, innocently.

Luna’s eyes pupils shrank. Trixie could see her esophagus, the way her jaw dropped.

The Timberwolves Oooooh’d.

Trixie assumed that Luna was mad before, Journal. But I was mistaken. The look she gave those Timberwolves was something else entirely.

I know this, because she shot freaking lightning out of her eyes! The whole crowd went up like a house of matchsticks, blue flames consuming the entirety of the Hall! It was so much scarier than when I did it that once.

A few days into her Apology Tour, after meeting your old student, Starlight, Trixie performed at Cartnegie Hall. She didn’t actually burn the place down, but she was meant to be the fall-pony in an insurance scam the owner cooked up. Literally.

Six months later, once the place had been put back together, it was redubbed Carneighgie Hall, as an attempt to distance the theater from its arsony past. Trixie had, naturally, jumped bail in the meantime. She might not even know they dropped charges against her once the truth came out.

Princess Luna rounded back on me, and I instantly worried she might zap me too!

“What did… thou sayest… to me?”

Her voice was so cold, you know? It was like the most scariest, fearsomest thing I’d ever heard, times a kajillion! If I was in my waking body, I might have peed a little.

“P-Princess A-a-A-a-Aeva?” I managed to say, through chattering teeth. Trixie couldn’t be sure, but I think the stage lights were also dimming around us.

*several lines lost to water damage*

Now, to Luna’s credit, she was a very patient listener. I missed having Cartnegie Hall there, but I suppose reciting my whole adventure up til that point, surrounded by the picturesque views of dream-Ponhenge, even surrounded by dream-Timberwolves, wasn’t exactly a bad setting for it.

Idea: Performance at Ponhenge. The tickets’ll sell themselves!

I can’t find any records of her holding such a performance, so I assume she never got around to it. Probably for the best. If she did hold one there, I have no doubt she’d get sent to the distant future to battle a robot apocalypse or something.

“I’m sorry, Trixie,” she said, looking up at an unfamiliar sky, “I am just having a hard time comprehending this. Wrapping my head around it, as Tia calls it now.”

I only really ever met Luna after all the Amulet – not to mention changeling – business, so this was the first time I’d really heard her talk in Old Ponish. Apparently, according to Sparkle, she slowly lost her accent after returning from the moon. As with most Old Ponish, it’s easier to speak than to write, so I’ve been cleaning that up for you, Journal.

But Luna herself has the worst accent of them all, at least in Old Ponish. I think she must have either hung out with her generation of thespians, or she picked up another dialect entirely. So, for this whole conversation, just imagine me having to take a moment in between each line to translate whatever the heck she just said!

I managed to talk with Luna and Starswirl before on this, but it’s worth mentioning here. Luna’s accent is the result of her isolating herself from mainstream Equestrian society over the years from when she began to feel underappreciated, up until the whole Nightmare thing. Apparently, all her batponies share that accent, to one degree or another.

Before Starswirl suddenly disappeared on me, he said that one of the enchantments he got set to Permanent on himself and the other Pillars was a translation spell to allow them to communicate with anypony. I guess he hated having to learn whole new dialects whenever he had to speak between pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies.

Ever wonder why he could speak modern Ponish when you summoned him back from the great beyond?

Trixie snorted back, “You’re telling me! A month ago, I was doing shows in Manehattan, and counseling teenagers at Twilight’s Friendship School…”

After another moment, I remembered to add, “Please forget you heard that.”

Trixie isn’t sure she heard me, as the Princess just lay on her back, staring at, well, nothing, as far as I could tell. But, Trixie never did well with silence, so I began thinking up something to pass the time.

“So… you can time travel too?”

“Hm?” Luna glanced up down—

Wait, Journal? If she’s looking down her own barrel, but I’m above her, is it up or down? Whatever, I’ll leave that for the editor.

Like somepony’s going to edit this! Ha!

“Ha” indeed, Trixie. “Ha”, indeed.

She looked at me and said, “It is… something I inherited from Mother, yes. The Dreamrealm is quite malleable in terms of time and space. Otherwise, dreamers would feel every second of time pass them by, and that would be a most distracting feeling, wouldn’t you say?”

“But that means you could take me home, right?” I asked, hopefully, “I don’t want to just dump Swirly here all alone. But if I can find some of his family in Hoofburg…”

Sadly, the Princess was ahead of me on that.

“I am sorry, Miss Lulamoon, but my form of travel is very limited. Unless you have found a way to physically enter the dreams of others, you will not be able to accompany me in a meaningful way.”

“Rats!” I kicked at an imaginary dream-rock… who yelled something quite vulgar in Prench as it sailed away. Then, another thought struck me.

“Wait. If you can dream back in time…”

“That is not how I’d describe it,” the Princess splayed out her wings, like she was getting comfy on the dream grass. If she were physically there, I’d have offered some of those awesome mushrooms, she looked so chillaxed, as Dash might call it.

“My Dreamwalking ability allows me to visit the dreams of those long gone,” she explained, tracing a few unknown constellations across the sky with one wingtip, “And from there, if I have permission, I can peer into the memories of those long-lost souls. But there is always some amount of interference due to the ages I must cross, and finding one soul amongst the billions and trillions that have existed is an astonishingly difficult task, even under ideal conditions.”

“You found me twice,” I pointed out.

“True!” Luna nodded towards the stone pillars around us, “Ponhenge seems to be amplifying your presence in the Dreamrealm. I daresay, if I didn’t fear corrupting the timeline, I’d take a look at young… Swirly’s dreams, right now.”

Trixie will admit to flinching, when the Princess said the word ‘corrupting’. As much as I was happy with how Aeva had decided not to erase Trixie, I still hadn’t shaken the—

Sparkle would be better with the fancy, big words. She’d be better at a lot of things, to be fair.

There’s that thing where a pony thinks about thinking, right? And the thought of not thinking ever again, or never having thunk in the first place, is super-scary stuff. I’m still shook over what Aeva almost did, and the thought that I might be making doomed timelines, every time I sneeze wrong, almost makes Trixie want to scream.

The word she’s looking for is ‘Existential’, like in existential crisis, which is what’s clearly happening now.

“You can’t just, like, fix things then?” I asked, “Go back and warn me not to do this? Or warn yourself not to…?”

“Not to let my own jealousy overrule my reason and compassion?” she finished for me, “Not to allow myself to be consumed by darkness and shadow and hatred, until only the Nightmare remains?”

“You said it, not me!”

She chuckled at my little joke – which I made while not cowering beneath my dream-hat – and said, “No, Trixie. I cannot cross my own personal timeline. I did not show up in my own dreams at that crucial time… and so I cannot.”

“That… makes sense,” I lied, but put on a good show of not being confused, all the same, “But, if you can see the past, what did Celestia get?”

“If you ever hear stories and tales of my sister’s visions,” Luna rolled back onto her stomach, “Many will be the truth. Dearest Celestia has always been able to see the future… though never at will, or by choice. The fact that she can change the events she sees…

“I will admit that some of my jealousy may have been born from that, as much as the love of our little ponies,” she sighed.

One sister forever looking backward, on things she can’t change. The other always looking ahead, but perhaps tunnel-visioning to the exclusion of all else. Dang, now if that isn’t poetic, I’ll eat my helmet.

It never really hit Trixie before then, just how normal the Princesses were. You live your whole life with them there, being all perfect and made of sunlight and—

Cadance is the Love Alicorn, right? She’s not just the Princess of Pink, or something?

Why am I asking you, Journal?

Either way, with the sole exception of Sparkle, I’d never thought any of the Princesses were normal. They were always above us mere ponies. So, seeing one of them looking so lost, so forlorn, just didn’t sit well with Trixie.

“Did…” I thought to break the silence that fell on the two of us, “Did you ever see Aeva again?”

Luna sighed.

“A few times, here and there, over the centuries. Though, these meetings are quite limited by the… circumstances.”

“I’m sorry,” was all I could say, “Trixie knows what it’s like not to have your mom there for you.”

“Fear not, Trixie,” the Princess said, as she stood back up. She trotted quickly to where I sat, and threw her wings around me in a hug.

A hug! Journal! A Princess was hugging me!

“We do not blame thee… I mean, you,” she said, and I could almost feel her words wrapping around me as she said it, “Without you, Equestria would not be. If ‘twere not for my Sister and I being present, perhaps the three tribes would not ever have worked together.

“We owe you a debt,” she finished, letting me go again. I was sorely tempted to ask for another hug. Wings are so soft!

After that, the Princess started looking around at the surrounding tree line.

“Trixie?” she asked, “How, exactly, are you planning on getting out of this? From what I can discern, you are most terribly outnumbered.”

“Well, there’s a spell I’ve been fiddling with,” I replied, though slowly, as I knew there was one big hitch in that plan I hadn’t worked around yet.

“Show me,” Luna commanded.

Oh, yeah. Commanded.

“Uh… how?”

Luna smiled at me, and said, “Merely allow me permission to view your memories.”

Now, with that, I had some reservations. Nopony gets into Trixie’s mind. My mind is as a steel trap, impervious! Nothing in, and nothing out!

But. How often do you get the chance to have a Princess root through your brain?

Naturally, I said yes.

Nothing in or out, huh?

Instantly, blazing with pink fire and light, I watched my spell take shape in the air around us. Within moments, it held itself up between me and the Princess, like a perfect array of letters and numbers and mathimagical computations.

It was beautiful, if Trixie can say so herself. But, she doesn’t have to.

“It is… beautiful,” Luna admitted to me, her eyes locked on my work, “You actually write spells in musical notation?”

You better not tell anypony that last part, Journal. Trixie means it! It’s proprietary

Journal is a book, not a pony. Journal is a book, not a pony. Journal is a book, not a pony.

Right, Luna.

Trixie is never tongue-tied, though in this instance, having my greatness recognized by a real Princess was nearly overwhelming.

“Oh, it’s… it’s nothing, really…” I said, in my most humble and powerful manner, “It’s just, since magic and music are so…”

“It is quite clever, actually,” she went on, “I can see a great many applications for such musical notation. It reminds me, somewhat, of my old court conductor, Night Song. At least, in the execution. Bit of an odd one, I’ll admit. He never took the Draught, unlike his sister. Shame…”

No, I have no idea what that meant either, Journal. Kinda wish I’d asked.

Night Song, as far as the records are concerned, was a rather decent mage working in Luna’s Night Court right after the Diarchy was established. He was an odd figure, at court. I think ‘eccentric’ is the word most commonly attributed to him. That means he was crazy, but rich. In case you didn’t know.

Actually, recent scholarship found that one of the oldest paintings of Starswirl was, in fact, a portrait of Night Song. So, if you ever see that one picture of a blue Starswirl with pink eyes, hanging in the Maretropolitan Museum? That’s actually Trixie’s forty-something Great Grandpappy. Oh yeah! He was one of the earliest Lulamoons on record. And if you told Trixie that, I bet her ego would eclipse the freaking sun!

Also, Draught. Batponies, in case you don’t know, aren’t a natural species. Luna created them via an alchemical concoction called The Draught. According to her, and to what records remain, this was her first big attempt to avoid her loneliness, by transforming some of her subjects into creatures of the night. I guess Night Song’s sister, Midnight Melody, was one of the few ponies who accepted the honor. While the batponies eventually bred true, the initial turnout was so small that it broke Luna’s heart, and may have significantly contributed to her feeling isolated from Equestrian life.

Small things, right?

“A Shadow Clone spell?” Luna’s eyes lit up, “Ambitious! Such a spell would normally be beyond the capabilities of even the most extraordinary unicorns.”

“Well, I am the Great and Extraordinary Trixie,” said I.

Then, without any pomp or circumstance, she dropped the other horseshoe.

“You can’t cast this,” she shook her head, “It’d kill you.”

Trixie understands that there are certain things you can’t say to royalty. There is a certain decorum that must be upheld, from one powerful individual, to another.

That being said, I won’t repeat what came, unbidden, to my mouth just then. Just that it mostly described how I, the Great and Lovable Trixie, would not be insulted to my face by a mere Princess. Luna was a bit shocked to say the least, especially once I got to all the four-letter words.

I coughed, to cover this minor faux pas.

“I mean… what do you mean by that, Your Most Excellent Highness?”

My apology must have been outstanding. Luna didn’t even zap me!

“What I mean, Trixie,” I could hear her teeth lightly grind up against each other as she said this, “is that most unicorns have… oh, how does that infernal new mana rating system go?

“Regardless,” she clearly gave up trying to remember the stupid mana chart system thing, “Your mana reserves are below average for a mare of your age, and apparent ability.”

Ah, magical academia. Perhaps the one field of research where I still feel like everypony involved thinks I’m an idiot just because I’m not a unicorn. But, for quick reference, Luna was referring to the old Aptitude – or M.A.G.I.C. – system, invented by Starswirl himself. It assigned letter-grades based on one’s aptitude and general power level. Being an M-class mage meant you were Magnificently magical. A-class meant you were Adequately magical. Being a G-class magician meant you were Generally Good at magic. I-class stood for Indeed-that’s-Technically magic. And C-class just meant you Couldn’t. Starswirl’s a bit sassy, isn’t he?

The modern system was created by Abra Cadabra, a leading magical theorist of the seventh century, and instead uses actual math to determine how much magical energy, or mana, a creature possesses, and what percentage of it they’re able to tap into regularly. Don’t ask me to do the math myself. All I know is it’s a ten-point system, with Alicorns at 10 (theoretically infinite), non-surging foals at 1, and Trixie at a whopping 3.

To put that in perspective, you were rated as a 6 when you were a filly, and a full 8-out-of-10 when you were living in Ponyville. Most ponies never crack 5. But I suppose it isn’t the size of the number that matters. It’s how you use it.

I’d bust out some numbers on all your other friends and acquaintances, but I got more Trixie to edit.

“I am not the Great and Powerful Trixie because I am powerful,” I snapped back, perhaps a little too quickly, “There’s more to magic than being powerful! You also…”

“… Have to be clever,” Luna said, and at the exact same time as me, “So, that’s where Starswirl picked up that old nugget! How wonderful!

“Again, though,” she dashed the spell with a wave of her hoof, dispelling it to the ether, “At best, you’ll never be able to cast spells again. At worst, your mind will be destroyed and your heart will explode in your chest.”

She had me, and I knew it. There’s only so much you can lie, especially to yourself, when not on stage. So, I admitted to all this.

“Well then,” she laughed, and clapped me on the back, “I suppose I shall have to help!”

Trixie thinks her jaw hit the floor when she heard that. And, it being a dream, maybe it did? Dunno. All I know for certain is that the Princess started glowing just then.

It was beautiful. Like, no joke, absolutely beautiful. If nighttime had its own rainbow, that’s what Luna was doing, right then, in my dreams.

Trixie doesn’t have the ability to describe it any further. Should have sent a poet.

But, after all the cool colors and light faded, I was even more shocked than ever before!

Yes! Trixie was actually shocked! For there, sitting on the dream-grass, was a little alicorn filly! Sure, she was made out of the night sky, and her eyes glowed purple. But a filly nonetheless!

Then, in an instant, she was gone.

“What was that?” I asked.

Luna took a few deep breaths, before she returned her attention to me. But, before she said anything, she looked away again. Just for a second. I didn’t bring it up then, but she almost looked embarrassed.

“That was a dream-construct,” she said, averting her eyes again, “The Tantabus is experimental, as of yet… but I can put it to good use here.”

Now, I might be out of the loop here, but that sounds like the dream-golem those crazed, conspiracy-theorist newsletter groups are always talking about. Do you think there’s some truth to that?

Aha! There it was! Luna was embarrassed about showing off her own spells! I was honored NO! Trixie was flattered, that a Princess would blush at the thought of showing an accomplished spellwright, such as myself, her work.

I gave her the best, most encouraging smile I could. As a master of magic, even a teacher, I knew I had to encourage those who came to me for advice, and to have their work appreciated.

“While it lays within your subconscious mind,” she continued to explain, “the Tantabus will provide a link between us. That link will ensure I might find you again, even without the aid of Ponhenge itself.”

“Useful,” I nodded along, “But how…?”

Luna cut me off with a smile.

“The connection will also allow me to direct the greater portion of my magic through the Dreamrealm, and into you, Trixie.”

Trixie was stunned.

“Your magic…?”

“Indeed,” she said, the dream humming with her words, “Your own mana reserves are too miniscule to utilize this spell. But, with the added might of an Alicorn Princess, you may yet be able to make your planned escape.

“But!” she added, with a stern glare, “Be forewarned. Though your mana channels appear impressively robust, the sheer power will—”

“Mana Burn,” I nodded, knowingly, “Yeah, I’ve had that before.”

Again, Luna nodded, “Then you are aware of the dangers. Prepare thyself!”

Zaldia went through a bout of Mana Burn, back when she was just a filly. Tried to self-levitate, so she could get herself and Treasure some cookies one night. Thankfully, a week of horn-rest, plus some salve from Apple Bloom, was all she needed to get better. If Trixie suffered from Mana Burn before, there’s no hospital record of it, and the effects can vary significantly depending on the amount of energy used.

Trixie took a moment, just to brace herself. I’d been Burned before, and knew it wasn’t too bad with the right ointment. But this would be on a whole ‘nother level. And, I’d only get one shot at it.

Then, Trixie noticed a curious look in the Princess’ eyes.

“Trixie?” she asked, looking straight through me, “A thought occurs. I followed you, once I knew you were aiming to collect the Alicorn Amulet…”

I started to sweat, instantly. A memory, long-forgotten in the back of my mind, suddenly popped back up.

Trixie was a dead mare.

So, confession time. See, Journal, Trixie’s shows didn’t start failing because ponies had heard about the whole Ursa affair, back in Ponyville. Nopony cared what happened in a little Podunk town like that.

My show fell apart because I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, was a fraud. And no, not like that! The Ursa thing showed me that there were mares ponies out there who could do all the things I just said I could. How could I be Great and Powerful on stage, when there was somepony out there actually being Great and Powerful in real life?

I tried my hoof at rock farming, but all that did was give Trixie time to seethe, and focus on my misery. I’ll admit to becoming a bit obsessed, at the time. It wasn’t all that bad, since I made friends with the Pies, but in the end, all I could think about was beating Sparkle at her own game, and proving to myself that I could be Great and Powerful again!

However. I needed to try, just one more time, to be that Great and Powerful pony, without resorting to what I ended up resorting to.

And that performance went poorly. Like, cart crash poorly. Like, puking on your coltfriend’s mother when you first meet her, poorly. Like, assaulted royalty, poorly.

For one, very obvious, Alicorn-shaped reason.

“Trixie…” Luna narrowed her eyes at me, “I walked into your performance tent. And came out onto a stage.

“In the Dreamrealm,” I could feel sweat rolling down my neck as she kept staring, “You wouldn’t happen to know what happened to cause this… do you?”

“W-well,” I scuffed the dream-grass with one hoof, and took my own turn at avoiding eye contact, “I went back to my circus roots for that performance, and throwing horseshoes was my best act back in the day… and… you surprised me.”

“You knocked me out with a horseshoe!?”

“Technically, it was a coma,” I added, hoping this nightmare would end soon, “And, in any case, they banned me from throwing in my shows, so…”

“You put me into a coma with a horseshoe!”

“You promised you wouldn’t be mad!”

“I promised no such thing!!!”

Trixie was so, so relieved when the dream began to fall apart, just then. I could remember seeing the Princess’ eyes, and hoping – like, a lot – that her Tantabus thing wouldn’t find me again.

“We will discuss this later, Lulamoon,” she hissed. Then, her horn lit up like the sun itself, if the sun was silver.

Yeah, that was a doozy. Trixie woke up with somepony shaking her. And despite

Swirly is reminding me to be honest. So, fine. I woke up screaming my head off. Happy now?

Once I’d calmed down, I realized it was Swirly who woke me up. We were lying out under the stars, and it was still very dark out. I asked him what was going on, but he was oddly quiet.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

Still, he said nothing. He just pointed at the top of my head. I reached up, but couldn’t feel anything.

“Your mane…” he squeaked out.

Panicking, hoping that a bat or something hadn’t nested up there again, I spun around, and got lost instantly. There was like, this mass of flowing silver and white stuff in my face! I sputtered, and backed away, but this stuff kept following me. It was like an aggressive spiderweb!

It was only then, that I realized something.

It wasn’t a spiderweb. It wasn’t spiderweb, at all!

It was my mane. In fact, Trixie’s whole mane and tail wafted around her. It was so surreal, being able to watch them flow, like a banner caught in a high wind. It was like Celestia and Luna’s mane.

Like a Princess.

Ah, the wavy mane. Something every colt and filly dreams about, at one point or another. I remember listening to a Mistmane lecture once, where she said it was a natural “magic exhaust” caused by mana-overflow. Ponies like her and Trixie, with reduced mana reserves, actually get it easier than those like Starswirl and Starlight, who’ve got absurd amounts from their Record’s Syndrome. Alicorns, obviously, all have it. Though, I suppose you can turn it off and on at will.

Who would turn something like that off!?

Trixie did not spend five minutes dancing around, by the way, marveling at her magical ‘do and giggling like a schoolfilly. That would be entirely out of character for me. Truly. And if I did, what of it, Journal? The wavy, ethereal mane look is cool!

Everypony dreams of having that sort of mane!

And I finally had it! For, like, five minutes. Before I’d probably blow up, or something.

But for those five minutes? Trixie was on fire! Take that, Sparkle!

Which, naturally, was when Swirly came back into the story.

“Trixie!” I could hear him, whimpering at my side, tugging on my cape, “Trixie, what’s going on? You’re scaring me!”

My whole world stopped, like I’d been hit with cold water, but for the soul. I hadn’t seen that look in his eyes since Hyneighria. Instantly, all that coolness and Great and Powerfulness I was jumping for joy over just stopped mattering.

Guess I have a soft spot for kids.

“Everything’s fine, Swirly,” I reached out, and gave him a quick hug. I could tell from the way he fidgeted that I was burning hot with mana overflow, just then.

I tried explaining what had happened, but it mostly came out as a jumbled mess. So, in lieu of the truth, I decided a fib would suffice.

“Through communing with the Magic of Friendship itself…!” Trixie declared, “I have temporarily absorbed a whole heck of a lot of magical energy!”

“How much?” he asked, to which I didn’t really have an answer, yet.

So, I found him one. I closed my eyes, and tried to feel along my mana channels, right down into the center of my being.

And oh mama! The POWER! It actually stole Trixie’s breath away, to look down where I’d always felt my magic, the core of what made me special, and see that—

I can still feel the void left behind, Journal. To look at your own self, where once you felt so secure, so mighty, and then to know how utterly, inconsolably tiny you really are. My normal magic is a puddle, Journal. But, for a moment, I knew what it was like to sail the Ocean.

My eyes were definitely blazing with white light when I opened them again.

“Swirly?” I said, my voice radiating with Power, “Get in the wagon.”

We quickly gathered up our things, and got ready for what might possibly be my greatest, and last, performance. He tossed the cooking wares back into the wagon, and I rolled up the blankets. While I hooked myself up to the wagon harness, he followed my directions perfectly, gathering up two of the small mirrors I’d been able to get back in Hyneighria.

Trixie felt terrible about smashing them, but it was the only way.

See, Journal

I’m explaining things to a book. I need to talk to a pony about these things. Maybe if I come up with a name for the Journal? Then, it’d feel like talking to a pony, kind of. At least, I’d be able to pretend I’m not going crazy, and could be talking to somepony far off in the future.

Got it. Since I am Trixie Lulamoon, how about a sun-theme?

So, Celeste (yes! like Celestia!), the funny thing about mirrors is, they don’t actually show you yourself. All a mirror is, really, is a different version of you. It’s already reversed, after all, so it can’t be the real you!

So, by applying Venetian’s Fifth Hexograph, inverting the Quantum Entanglement Matrix, and drowning the whole thing in more magical energy than even Starlight’s ever seen, you get a classic Shadow Clone Spell!

I smashed the mirrors up with my bare hooves. I needed as many as possible, one for every Trixie the Timberwolves were going to chase. I’d always wanted to use this trick in a show, but I could never crack the mana issue. Making one clone took a gigantic amount of power. But, luckily, each one after that cost next to nothing.

If I’d only had more energy myself, like Twilight Sparkle, I could have done it. But now? Now, I had the power of Princess Luna on my side!

And as I cast the spell, two things became apparent.

One: I had a lot more energy than I thought I did. The clone spell started popping full-sized Trixies into the circle of stones. But, more than that! Each one had a cape and hat. And each one had a wagon, too!

And sticking out of each wagon? A little Swirly. How cute! I think he had a mild panic-attack at the sight, though. I could tell, since all of the clones, while moving and acting slightly off-model from each other, as part of the illusion, still displayed Swirly and I’s general emotions and movements. That included panic attacks.

And Two: I had a lot more energy than I thought I did. Too much energy. I hadn’t even bled off a third of Luna’s magic, giving me a sudden, and very unwelcome, idea of just how far ahead of me Princess Twilight Sparkle had gotten.

No time to dwell on that, I thought.

“Alright, Trixies!” I called out to the assembled masses of me. There were dozens of us, practically bursting at Ponhenge’s seams! I could see the same look on each one’s face, that look of grim determination, and eagerness. I could see in their eyes my own excitement!

And, I could see the Timberwolves’ glowing eyes, off in the tree line.

They looked worried.

“EVERY MARE FOR HERSELF!!!”

And like that, we scattered! Trixies went left, Trixies went right! North! West! Mirror-wagons kicked up mirror dust and smoke as they tore off in every direction. The wolves panicked, and many were simply overwhelmed by the sheer mass of wood and equinity that hurdled through their lines.

It was chaos! It was a masterpiece of the arcane arts!

And it had nothing to do with Swirly or me. Because, while all the Timberwolves were scrambling to catch their supposed meals, I was busy holding up an invisibility spell.

Those things are like pigs, by the way, Celeste—

Hm. I actually prefer Journal now.

So, Journal. Invisibility spells eat mana like it’s going out of style. Starlight could work hers because, as I’ve said before, she has mutant-levels of magic to spare. And yet, I was still no closer to burning away any of the white-hot magic flowing through my body.

Having that sort of magical stamina was cool, sure, and I wish I could have had something like that for one of my shows. But looking back, I probably wasn’t as scared as I should have been.

The last of the wolves had run off, by this point. At least, that’s what I hoped. Trixie’s eyesight may be unparalleled in the annals of pony history, but even she can’t see in the dark. I held the spell for another minute, just in case. But, when no more Timberwolves popped out, ready to snack away at us, I finally cut power.

“I can’t believe that worked!” I heard the little shrimp call out, from the increasingly visible wagon.

“Yeah?” I asked, though my attention was a little off at the moment. My mane was still wafting on an invisible wind, and that wasn’t a good sign. I could also feel my hooves vibrating, even standing still.

In case you don’t know, Journal, this was a bad thing. Mana Burn is no laughing matter, even for one so great and powerful as I, the Great and Powerful Trixie.

I seem to remember promising I’d try and stop doing that. The third-pony thing. Oh well.

“Well, I always believed in you!” Swirly said, doing a good job of walking back his little moment of doubt, “But that the Timberwolves fell for it? That was, simply put, amazing!”

Trixie noticed a clump of grass near me begin to blacken and curl up. Another bad sign. I quickly unhitched myself, before the raw heat coming off me could combust the harness.

Swirly started to realize something was wrong.

“Trixie? You’re still saturated with mana.”

I may have snarked a little hard back at him. “Oh? I hadn’t noticed that. Thank you, Swirly! I, the Great and Boiling Trixie, would never have—”

I didn’t get a chance to finish. A crackle of pink magic snapped off of my horn, and vaporized a small stone laying nearby. I needed to burn off this extra mana, and fast!

So, I started running through what spells I could do, that would use up a huge load of mana all at once. Sadly, the perfection with which I design my spells rendered this plan a bit pooey. All of my spells were designed with efficiency in mind. At least, all the ones I’d ever used on the road.

Which was when I had an idea.

Oh, I told Swirly what was going on during all this, Journal. Just pretend I’m having all sorts of witty, hilarious banter with him while all this is going down. Trust Trixie, it was good, but I don’t quite remember how it all went.

“What do you mean you might explode!?” was the most relevant thing he said all night.

Right, my idea. There was a spell I cooked up a long, long time ago. Heck, I think I was in Professor Thunder Wave’s Evocation Theory class when I came up with it. He was nice, if a bit of a lunatic.

Anyway, all I had to do, I figured, was recreate that spell! The one that got me kicked out graduated out of Celestia’s School. You know, for burning it down.

Specifically, I would need the Unabridged version.

The Magic Mortar.

Remember what I said before? About Trixie burning down a part of the school, and possibly immolating Celestia herself as part of a show and tell gone horribly wrong? If I could just see what’s about to happen, I’d bring popcorn.

Thunder Wave was the senior professor of Evocation and Conjuration magic at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns going on forty years. He attributed his long life with eating only bread dipped in hay-grease, and drinking one bottle of phoenix-brand cherry juice every day. Professor Wave is mostly remembered as a bit of a pyromaniac, and for the way he quit his job to pursue his dream. Of being an arsonist.

Seriously, the dude’s pushing one-forty, and he’s up for parole in another sixty. Let’s see if he makes it.

The spell that got me my life on the road was, more or less, a big old ball of mana conjured from the ether, and set on fire. Because “fire” works, right? Twelve-year-old me was kind of less Great and Powerful than I sometimes like to remember.

But, when I first came up with the spell, twelve-year-old me was also ambitious. Stupid, but ambitious. See, the spell had this little flaw in it that, while I wisely took out back then, could be easily added back.

That flaw? Infinite mana draw.

And that was precisely what Trixie needed now. A nice, big, hungry spell to soak up all this power. The air around me was beginning to shimmer, Journal. I had about a minute, I guessed, before I would probably actually blow up.

So, I began to build the spell. I waved Swirly off, as best as I could, but you know him. He saw this gargantuan ball of roiling pink magic building up at the tip of my horn, and he couldn’t help but start taking notes.

The whole of Ponhenge started shifting colors. The clearing turned a hideously unnatural shade of pink. Yes, I know that’s my magic-color, but Trixie wasn’t in the mood for it, just then. I could feel my mane beginning to burn.

Finally, when the ball had grown to the size of my wagon, I swept my head around, and let loose the spell! It arced up, and over the trees, carrying itself like a comet over the southern horizon! I was fairly sure there was just more Everfree that way, so there really wasn’t a chance of the spell hurting anypony.

Actually, Trixie solved another thousand year-old mystery just now. Yeah, I know.

Ancient pony astronomers, as well as some Griffin myths, stories from the Diamond Dogs, and tales from the Algonhinn tribe of donkeys, speak of a bright pink star that flashed through the sky one night. It was said to have lit up the night, then disappeared, followed by an even stranger event that I’ll let Trixie get on to mentioning.

But, before that, a fun fact! Said Pink Star, in addition to heralding major epoch changes in all the previously mentioned cultures, was also the cause of the downfall of the Doggone Empire, who suffered a major catastrophe when the “star” obliterated most of their surface kingdom. The area was glassed by the explosion, and over the centuries this blasted wasteland broke down into rocks and gemstones, due to the heat and pressure caused by Trixie’s attack.

That’s right. Trixie created the Rambling Ridge. I bet Rarity will love her now.

I felt like I’d just run a mile. Surely, I thought, that had to be enough. But, as I looked back into myself, I was horrified. There was still so much magic! Like, I couldn’t see the bottom of all that magic. Even if I had the time to cast the Magic Mortar again, it would take days of casting it before I would be at a safe level.

Fear gripped me, Journal. Trixie I was scared. This wasn’t fun or exciting anymore. My nervous system was going to start burning away, if I held onto this much magic any longer. My brain could melt, and my heart would explode in my chest! And worst of all, I’d leave poor Swirly all alone. Again.

I needed something. Anything. I needed an idea. Some magic-wasting, totally crazy move, or else the Great and Powerful Trixie was about to become a Great and Powerful crater.

That’s what I was thinking. And then, Trixie made the connection.

Crater.

Craters.

What also has craters and would take a monumental amount of magic to affect!?

No.

THE MOON

Sure enough, that brilliant, silver ball was right overhead! And, really, how hard could it be to shove around? The Princesses can do it, and I was currently channeling one metric buckton of Alicorn juice.

How hard could it be?

I wish I could stop saying things before I try them. Tempting fate is such a Sparkle move.

My fur was starting to crackle, so I reached out with my mind, like you’d do for any sort of telekinesis spell. My horn lit up, and my magic tensed, but nothing happened. I tried again. Still, nothing.

I was running out of time. I tried one more time, but the stubborn moon wouldn’t budge. Worse, was that I could actually feel it! I knew I’d made contact, but nothing was happening! It was like trying to get a cat to do what you wanted!

I wasn’t having it. I even said as much.

“This isn’t over!” I remember saying, out of sheer frustration, “I’m not going to be beaten by some big, glowy rock! Not another one!”

Still, the moon held. And it held. And it held.

“I am the greatest magician…”

And there it was. Sometimes, even Trixie surprises Trixie how tricksy and clever I am!

See, I have no idea what actually keeps the Moon and the Sun up in the sky. Outside of the Princesses, of course. But there weren’t any Princesses yet. So, what was holding the Moon up?

Whatever it was, all rules were made to be broken! And what better way to break this particular rule, than by falling back on my best trick?

Playing to the crowd.

My bones started vibrating, and I knew that I had one more chance at this.

Trixie reached out, one more time. I could feel my magic about to wrap its way around the Moon… when I pulled back.

It was faint, but I could feel something else there, too. Before, the Moon had pushed back when I tried to grab it. Now that I was just holding next to it, it almost felt like the Moon was curious.

Oh, but it was more than curious, Journal. I knew it. The Moon was surprised. Like a foal who just saw one of my tricks, and wasn’t sure if any magic had happened at all.

I moved my magic away, just a bit. And I could almost feel the Moon’s attention draw nearer. I wonder if Luna had to work with the Moon like this?

Either way, the more and more I moved my magic across the sky, the more the Moon took notice. Also, not to put too fine a point on it, but Swirly’s voice was beginning to fade from my hearing. The stars twinkled, and winked out. I couldn’t feel my hooves anymore.

I was probably dying just then. No biggie.

Finally, I felt something else, up there in the heavens. Something that was every bit as hot, and as energetic, as the Moon was cool and placid.

Just below the horizon, I could feel the Sun.

My magic tickled it, as I approached. It almost giggled, even.

“Oh, what is this? Who are you? Are you a friend?” it almost seemed to say.

I teased it, prodded at it. The Sun didn’t so much push back, as it did simply let my grip slide off of it, like water off a duck’s back. Honestly, I felt like it was teasing me back. If I had more time, the Sun would have probably let me move it.

But I didn’t have time. And the Moon was right there, just floating in the back of my mind’s eye. It was curious, still. But it wasn’t surprised anymore.

It was jealous.

Oh, yeah. The Sun and Moon were just like their Princesses would eventually be. And, if everything I knew about Luna was true, then all I had to do was make it think I wasn’t giving her the attention she demanded.

And that, dear Journal, is when Trixie struck back!

I slammed the moon with my magic, wrapping it all up like a Hearth’s Warming present. It refused! It snarled, and it bit… but there was no escape!

Even the Sun seemed shocked!

In fact, it was so shocked, that its guard was down.

In for a penny, I thought, and so I grabbed the Sun as well!

“My name is Trixie Lulamoon!” I cried, though I’m not sure if I could talk at the moment, “I am the Great and Powerful! The most magical unicorn of all time! AND YOU WILL OBEY ME!”

The Sun and Moon glared daggers at me. I know. I could tell. There was something ineffably angry at me. I could feel it through my magical connection.

But, see, when you glare at anypony, it’s the first to look away that loses.

The Sun and Moon blinked.

And just like that, the sky lit up. Sun and Moon rocketed up to the highest point of the sky, half the world in gold, the other in silver. All my magic, borrowed and not-borrowed, seemed to fall away as the two spheres roared in the heavens.

They crossed, and for a second, I felt nothing. The Sun and Moon eclipsed, and the whole world turned gray.

My stomach dropped out from under me. The power was gone. All gone. Every drop. My mane drooped, and my legs gave out.

I thought I died. The whole world disappeared.

All except for Swirly’s scream, that followed me into oblivion.

I honestly have no words. What could I possibly—

I just got the news. I’m coming. I’m getting on the train to Canterlot in the morning, and I’m bringing the whole journal. We don’t have time. Cabbie and the kids are coming too.

I am not going to finish this thing posthumously.

Behold: Night Song (Lulamoon)