Great and Powerful Diary!

I had trouble sleeping after the party. My mind was telling me I should record everything I’ve been through and the inability to do so was irritating me. I went up to the roof of the tower and found Princess Twilight staring at the night sky. We chatted, I mentioned the cause of my insomnia, we went down to the kitchen to grab a glass of milk and then we went to bed. I slept fitfully.

It’s morning now and I’ve just woken up, and one of the first thing I see is you on my bed table, wrapped in a bow and with a little card attached that says ‘from a grateful friend’. That’s Princess Twilight down to a tee. She must be suffering from inverse paranoia, seeing friends everywhere. Well, she’s certainly not my enemy or anything like that anymore. In fact, she’s quite pleasant company. But Trixie would say she’s an acquaintance only. You don’t get friends that easily. Right?

Come to think of it, I never did ask exactly what Twilight was princess of. She might have a better grasp of this friendship thing than Trixie. Oh well. Trixie shall entertain the Princess’ notions. Another friend would only be good after all.

Wednesday evening, eleven days before autumn equinox:

I forgot to note the time in my first entry! It’s still the same day though. We’ve left the tower. The village’s name is apparently still unknown, so it’s just ‘the tower’ until somepony goes through the archives of the crystal library and finds a mention of it. Anyway, once we’d all recovered from yesterday’s party we discussed what to do next. Visi was impatient to leave and we all found ourselves agreeing. Home beckoned. Well, I say ‘home’ but Crystal was invited to Ponyville for the time being by Princess Twilight and Visi is, of course, still a long way from home when she returns to Canterlot University. Broth wouldn’t reveal where his path ends. As for me, Canterlot sounds nice right now and I think Electrum could appreciate some place to establish a base in before we discuss touring the country.

I write this on the night train to Canterlot. I’d forgotten that trains are a somewhat recent invention, only to be reminded by Electrum’s innocent remarks as we approached Crystal City station. She wondered out loud how organising wagon trains could have become so standard as to have its own station. Watching her discover another wonder of the modern world was a delight and I’m very happy that it doesn’t seem to alienate her. She’s absorbing every new thing like a sponge, after seeing nothing but the inside of a dark and bare castle her entire life.

When we reached the Crystal City train station we still had some time to wait. Ellie spent a bit of that time studying images of locomotives inside the terminal, but eventually I saw her heading towards the platform itself. I followed with some alarm when she climbed down onto the tracks and with confusion when she continued onwards, circling around the waiting train to the fields of grass beyond. Then she bent down and took a bite.

I didn’t have the heart to explain that what to her was the blissful taste of freedom was a sign of utter poverty to most others and was considered something not done in public by proper ponies. My hesitation when she invited me to join her almost spoiled the moment but I rallied for her sake, and I managed to explain away the other passengers’ stares. I didn’t want to ruin her unbridled joy of eating sun-grown grass. I must admit it tasted better than I’d expected. As I munched on the tundra grass a thought struck me: would the Great and Powerful Trixie ever have stooped to grazing on the open fields before the expedition? The answer is no. I just can’t understand why that seems so important to me.

We’ll arrive an hour after sunrise tomorrow and it’s close to midnight now, so I better try to get some sleep. Ellie finally seems to have managed: the noise and motion of the train made her quite sick at first and it definitely made catching sleep difficult for her. Goodnight for now.

“And here we have the Lulamoon compound— oh no.”

Electrum was so distracted by the sights, sounds and smells of a living, bustling capital city that she didn’t notice Trixie come to a sudden stop, consequently walking into her guide. When Electrum got her bearings she saw Trixie standing stiff and staring with dismay past the gates of a large mansion. Electrum moved up next to Trixie and looked through the gates to the yard beyond.

“What’s wrong? Did we arrive at a bad time?”

It seemed like all the mansion’s inhabitants and the entire staff had lined up, waiting to greet somepony. Trixie sighed, her face haggard.

“It’s worse. We’re being expected.”

“But... I thought you would like this kind of attention?”

Trixie stuttered. “Well true, but I try to stay out of family business.”

Electrum nuzzled her on the cheek and smiled. “Sorry. It seems Princess Celestia has made that impossible for you right now.”

After a sigh and a dejected nod from Trixie they entered the yard, walking up to the half-circle of ponies. Cygnus Lulamoon stood in the middle, flanked by Escape Clause. Cygnus looked at her daughter with a wide grin and spoke.

“Princess Celestia visited us – in person – to inform that you were returning together with company. She was also kind enough to let us have a copy of your journal.” Her smile wavered as her lower lip wobbled and her eyes teared up. “Bellatrix... Trixie... I’m s-so proud.”

Trixie simply ran up to her mother and hugged her. “This feels good, Mom. It’s good to be back.” A smattering of hooves against ground came from the assembled ponies.

A tray with two wine glasses and two empty bottles of Trottingham Red Hoofpressed lay between them. The fire crackled spiritedly in front of them, adding to their ruddy cheeks. Cygnus was trying and failing at relating the gossip surrounding Lord Wallbreaker, who was smart enough to know he wasn’t smart enough and had managed to hire a very large retinue of very smart ponies indeed on the mere promise of gold later. It took somepony with an unconventional way of thinking to willingly seek employment with such circumstances, and the impression House Wallbreaker (because the Bluebloods, as their attempts to deny the minotaur what the will gave him kept failing, were ever more fervently refusing to associate with him) and its affiliates was creating on Canterlot looked destined to become legendary.

Trixie watched as her mother writhed with unstoppable laughter, catching a few chuckles herself. “Then he – hah – he-he punched the waiter!”

Trixie gasped with alarm. “What?!”

“The waiter had applied a neckerchief without asking! Get this: Wallbreaker thought – ahah – that he was being strangled!”

Cygnus lost herself to laughter again. Trixie winced and chuckled while shaking her head. “That can’t have won him many friends.”

The elder unicorn composed herself so she could grin at Trixie. “You’d be surprised. I hear that the gossip rags in all the pegasus cities just can’t have enough of his antics. Several letters to the opinion columns have expressed that it was time Canterlot was reminded what nobility really means.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

“Being ready and willing to fight for what’s rightfully yours, as well as what isn’t rightfully yours I guess!”

Both ponies laughed until tears were running down their cheeks. Eventually the sounds in the dark hall settled down to laboured breathing punctuated by an errant chuckle or two or a pop from the fireplace.

“Trixie, I’m going to milk this for everything I can and I’m warning you ahead of time that some of it might be a bit unpleasant for you.”

Trixie’s ears twisted to face her mother but she remained otherwise still. “Mmhmm?”

Cygnus peered into the fireplace while absentmindedly levitating her empty wine glass to her mouth and trying to sip from it. She peered at it with a disappointed frown. “For one, you’ve lit a fire under your brothers’ and sisters’ tails. I sort of encouraged it as well when I named you my titular designate.”

Trixie started and glared at her mother. “Why would you do that?! I hate nobility and being a countess...” Trixie’s face twisted as various emotions warred within her. “...sounds kinda nice now that I think about it. Countess Bellatrix, huh?” She panicked. “No! What am I saying? I can’t be a countess! I hate other nobles!”

“What about Electrum? Do you hate her too?”

Trixie calmed to a sullen pout. “No, and that’s different. She’s not like the others. Nothing like her mother, for that matter.”

Cygnus nodded slowly while seemingly endlessly fascinated by the wine glass in her magic. She rotated it, letting its slightly uneven surface distort the flames in the fireplace. She spoke quietly. “You know, there are others like her. Well, not... like her. I mean, there are other noble children who refuse to fall into the same old molds. What if I introduced you to a couple of them? They’re much more common in lesser and non-unicorn Houses.”

“Mom...” Trixie sighed. “Why are you pulling me into this?”

The wine glass was set back on the tray while Cygnus looked away. “Honestly? Because you’re the best candidate right now. You’ve had actual leadership experience, even if brief, and that’s more than any of your siblings can say. They think the way to the top is to push others down, not to acquire skills and merits relevant to the position.” She turned to look at her daughter again. “You wouldn’t know, but four of them are actually here at the mansion right now. They had a crisis meeting instead of coming out to greet you. Right now they regard you as a threat and... I fear they’ve decided you aren’t off-limits to their scheming anymore. It’s partly my fault, of course, but...” Her face hardened. “I’m not sorry. I see an opportunity to teach them a lesson and I’m going to take it.” She turned to Trixie with a pleading look. “So if you could play along for a time and pretend to be the glossy image of noble perfection then I’d be very, very happy. Please?”

Trixie tiredly rubbed her forehead with a hoof for a moment before speaking. “And if you would happen to find all of them wanting then, oh how convenient, Trixie suddenly has a lot of experience and connections, huh?”

“Don’t sound so bitter. You do realise that Electrum is going to need all the help she can get being an Equestrian duchess with a lot of potentially very lucrative real-estate in her hooves? Would you rather hoof her off to some advisor of uncertain trustworthiness when she asks you?”

There was a small pause before Trixie shook her head and glared into the fireplace. Cygnus nodded, mostly to herself.

“Well then, Trixie. It seems like you’ve brought change to Equestria... and you’re not able to avoid it yourself. It’s up to you if you decided to suffer or thrive with it. I’ll support you either way, but... do listen to your mother this once. You can enjoy it if you just give nobility a chance.”

The silence stretched, again interspersed by the sounds of the fire. Then trixie took a sharp breath and spoke defiantly. “Electrum wants to see Equestria and I promised her she’d get to follow me on a tour.”

“That’s perfectly fine. Being in charge of a noble house involves a lot of travel anyway. We just plan around it. That’s why your father took his golf clubs when he set out for Zebrica and why I will bring my camera and birdwatching guide when I leave for San Palomino next week. You already know how to get in contact with Essie.” Cygnus rose and walked over to her daughter, giving Trixie a gentle pat on her mane. “Your old life won’t end just because you pick up some responsibilities, dear. We’ll work them into your schedule.”

Trixie gave a noncommittal grunt and let her eyes close.

Trixie stared at the chest in front of her. It was a literal treasure chest, flanked by two solar guards, golden bits spilling over its opened lid to jingle on the floor. She felt her mind lock at the thought of all that gold, and it was hers.

A unicorn notary levitated a clipboard and read off it as if the transfer of enough gold to crush an elephant was the most boring event of his life. “Reward payment to one Bellatrix Lulamoon. Included are wages for seven weeks’ government work at two hundred bits per week, as well as four shares out of a total forty-four of a reward sum of one point five million bits. The total is...” He paused and raised an intrigued eyebrow. “One hundred and thirty-seven thousand, seven hundred and sixty-three bits.”

Trixie went rigid. She found to her amazement that she was able to speak, although with a squeak. “That... are you serious? Trixie was expecting something like forty-five thousand!”

The notary raised both eyebrows and scanned his clipboard. “Thirty-five thousand would be one share plus wages. That’s what the support team is being paid. There are thirty of them.” He continued in a bored sing-song voice. “Three shares each go to the ponies Boiling Broth and Crystal Brightfeather. Four shares go to you as well as to the estate of the late Terra Incognita. Further, one Visi Vidi will receive wages but no share of the reward and one High Life will receive nothing.” He held his leg forward, presenting his clipboard to Trixie. A charcoal pen was attached to it with a bit of string. “Sign at the dotted line, please.”

She did as asked but in such a daze that her signature became distorted. The notary still accepted it without comment, pulling off the topmost sheet and giving it to Trixie before tucking the clipboard under a wing and nodding to the guardsponies. All three left, leaving Trixie to stare incredulously at her own personal fortune. Not in private, because behind her stood Cygnus and Escape Clause and they were whispering furiously back and forth. Eventually Trixie felt a nudge on her flank and heard her mother speak.

“Trixie, do you have any idea what to do with all those bits?”

“Yes... Well, no...” She spoke in a distant voice. “I’m thinking of commissioning another wagon.”

Escape Clause spoke next. “Another wagon? I see. And how much will that cost?”

“Five hundred to two thousand, depending on how crazy I go.”

There were two chuckles from behind Trixie. Cygnus spoke next. “And after that? Trixie, you realise a pony could live comfortably for her entire life with the kind of fortune you have. Do you have a plan?”

Trixie shook her head slowly. Then she saw Cygnus and Clause walk up beside her, Cygnus on her right and Clause on her left. She glanced from side to side and saw them both looking at her and smiling. “Well,” Cygnus spoke slowly, “we could always help you come up with a plan...”

Three days later, at sunrise, Trixie exited Lulamoon Mansion. She was carrying saddlebags in addition to her usual hat and cape. Electrum walked out behind her, followed by Cygnus and Clause. Clause held a clipboard in her magic and was reading it while she walked.

“Your train leaves in half an hour. Remember to visit the bank there. We’ve arranged for your credit so you’ll have no problems withdrawing bits. Mayor Sachertorte has been informed that you’re there to negotiate the purchase of her family’s claim to portions of the Earthen Republic. She’s smart, and Seaddle is so close to the Crystal Mountains that she’s probably heard about the warming climate, so I expect she’ll put two and two together. I’ve taken the liberty of making sure a dossier with guidelines for negotiating real estate is waiting for you at the Seaddle train station.”

The gravel of the front yard crunched underhoof while they walked towards the gates. Trixie nodded while listening to Clause and slowed down so she could walk side by side with Electrum. They exchanged smiles while Clause continued. “After the meeting you’ll have a coach waiting to take you to the craftsponies’ commune. Your wagon should be ready; if it isn’t then you can deduct from the price a bit. Where do you intend to head after that?”

Trixie considered this for a moment. “Ponyville.” Then she grinned at Electrum. “You’ll need a costume for the stage and I know just the mare for the job.”

Electrum blushed nervously and looked away. There was a rustle of paper as Clause quickly browsed through the notes on her clipboard while muttering. “Ponyville... Ponyville...”

Cygnus leaned over and spoke a single word: “Rich.”

“Ah yes! The Rich family lives in ponyville. According to our information their ancestral claims mostly consists of mountain slopes, including some very good mines. Mr. Rich is a shrewd businesspony, but he’s unlikely to have heard of and understood the implications of the changing weather. On the other hoof he’s a Ponyvillian and a long-time tradespartner with the Apples, so he values a modicum of honesty. We’ll have informed him of your agenda and organised a meeting by the time you arrive in Ponyville.”

Trixie nodded and spoke. “I don’t know where I’ll head after that exactly.”

“That’s alright”, Cygnus said. “By that time the other houses will probably have noticed that we’re making a big financial move. We’ll have to take stock of the situation then.”

They arrived at the gates. Trixie turned around and hugged her aunt and her mother. Cygnus kissed her on both cheeks before glaring into her eyes. “Don’t forget to write! I want to hear from you!” Then Cygnus turned to Electrum with a broad smile. “Think! You might have a chance to achieve with business what your mother, grandfather and great grandfather could only scheme and go to war about: a unified kingdom!”

Electrum grinned but it was a bit forced. She bowed quickly before it would be noticed. “Thank you, Countess.”

Cygnus chuckled and bowed back. “Please, no need for titles! We’re all friends here. Have fun!”

Electrum and Trixie stood on the threshold of the outer gates, looking out at Canterlot ponies walking by. They shared a grin. Trixie spoke. “So, how does it feel to finally be your own mare?”

“Great and powerful.”

Trixie snorted and shoved Electrum gently. They both stepped onto the street while laughing.

Cygnus and Escape Clause watched them leave. When the two young mares rounded a corner Clause leaned towards Cygnus and spoke. “Aren’t you worried she’ll be mad when she finds out her brothers and sisters haven’t even heard of her adventures?”

Cygnus sighed but kept smiling. “I know she’ll be mad, but she’s smart and will understand. She’ll also be much too busy to really care.”

They turned around in unison and walked back towards the manor. They were halfway down the path when the crunch of gravel behind them alerted them to a third pony. A pegasus military courier laden with heavy saddlebags slowed to a halt and saluted just as they turned again.

“Ma’ams, I am looking for one Bellatrix Lulamoon, alternatively Cygnus Lulamoon.”

Cygnus and Clause exchanged glances before Cygnus stepped closer. “I am Cygnus. What is it?”

The stallion saluted again and opened a saddlebag, withdrawing a thick package. “Documents detailing a request from Weather Corps, Ma’am. Please sign here.” He produced a form, a pen and a clipboard. Cygnus did as requested and was given the package. She passed it on to Clause and walked back to the manor.

They opened the package in Cygnus’ office. Clause speed-read through two pages before raising her eyebrows and speaking. “They are asking Trixie to accompany them as a consultant to the northeastern coast, in between the Crystal Mountains and the sea. It’s a cartography expedition being planned to look for suitable sites for a port city, as well as scout out the mountain passes there for routes into the Old Kingdoms. They’re worried they’ll encounter rimewolves and would like Trixie to act as an advisor on how to repel them.”

Cygnus leaned back in her chair and let it swivel around while she stared at the ceiling, deep in thought. “So Celestia has plans to extend Equestrian naval trade north..? Just in time for the Old Kingdoms re-emerging too...” She grinned. “And we’ll be in on it from the start.”

Cygnus grinned with her. “Sounds like Trixie will get to have some more adventures.”

The head of House Lulamoon opened a cabinet with her magic and levitated out a bottle of wine and two glasses without looking. She poured a measure into each glass and levitated one over to Cygnus before raising her own in her magic. “A toast, to the Great and Powerful Dame Trixie of House Lulamoon!”

“Dame Trixie Lulamoon!”

They drank. Both burst into happy laughter while setting down their glasses.

Author's Notes:

... And they lived through many interesting adventures!

See, that's the thing about stories: unless the main characters die then life, with all its chaos, is sure to march on. No doubt many exciting things will befall Trixie in her future, not to mention Rarity or Electrum or the rest. But that is for other stories.

This one ends here.

I'd like to thank my pre-reader, Volgrand. He was instrumental in making this story what it is today. If you liked this Trixie then some of the thanks should definitely go his way. He was also an excellent ballplank to bounce ideas against.

Karzahnii was conveniently open for commissions when I was looking for cover art. Thanks to him, too, for the swell job he did.

And thanks to you, reader, for reading. I hope you enjoyed my story. Mayhap we'll meet again.