Lil' Twi and the magician's pointy hat
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Enjoy!
It was another typical, sunny afternoon in Ponyville. Only, it was exceptionally, brutally humid outside. It was so unbearably hot that some weather ponies used their time off to steal a raincloud and use it to cool off some dry spots. Still, it would take more than the entire band of weather ponies in Equestria to mitigate the sweltering heat.
The weather affected almost everypony with the exception of fleeing weather ponies. Rainbow Dash, being the holder of the Element of Loyalty, stayed and monitored the skies. Applejack kept bucking apple trees with her brother Big Mac. Pinkie Pie served lemonade and milkshakes for half their original prices at Sugarcube Corner. Rarity offered free cups of water for her customers or anypony at the boutique. Fluttershy left all the windows in her animal shelter open so birds and squrrels could take refuge inside and for her own pets. Every resident in Ponyville left his or her windows open to make the heat more tolerable.
Almost every resident.
"Twiliiiiight!" Spike groaned and squirmed as he took another tray of ice cubes from the kitchen's fridge. "Open a window! Please!" He dumped the ice cubes into a bucket he found and hopped into the bucket. Still dissatisfied, Spike hopped out of the bucket and ran to Twilight's bed chamber. Her door was wide open, but she was definitely ignoring him and immersing herself in the pages of another book - again.
"Twi - " The baby dragon did a double take of the room. The lavender mare was in the center of the room. Her mane was frizzy and disheveled. Her bed was a wrinkly mess with blankets and pillows in miscellaneous places. She was using her magic to levitate herself and several opened spell books from the castle's library. Her eyes had turned white and shined before Spike.
"Twilight? What are you... Have you been here since morning? Have you even brushed your teeth yet?"
Suddenly, the mare shut her eyes and landed gracefully on all fours. The books fell. Twilight opened her eyes, revealing their usual, royal purple irises. She narrowed them as she looked at her adopted baby brother/assistant/scribe.
"Spike, can't you see I'm busy?"
"With what?" The alicorn grinned excitably.
"Remember that letter the princess sent me this morning?"
"Don't remind me," Spike begged. "I don't like burping and you know it. It grosses the others out."
"Like... Rarity?" Twilight's grin widened.
"Please don't dodge the question," Spike pleaded, blushing and rolling his bright green eyes.
"Well, anyway, she specifically asked me to find a few de-aging spells and practice. Sometimes, even the most adept unicorns and alicorns could not perfect the spells."
"Challenge accepted, huh?"
"As per usual," Twilight responded confidently, spotting another book and skimming through its pages. "Hmm... I haven't looked through this one, at least not thoroughly... Dagger spells, Daytime spells, Dazzling spells, Dead animal spells..."
"Eh?"
"Ha! De-aging spells!... De-aging spells are extremely difficult to master. Please precede with caution..."
xxx
"Twilight!" Rainbow Dash zipped through the slightest bits of clouds and entered Twilight's castle, landing on all fours in her library. "Twilight?" The cyan pegasus looked around the room. Nopony was in plain sight. Books were sprawled out everywhere.
"Guys?" She began to feel uneasy. Twilight never lays books out like this, not that many and not so carelessly... Great! I'm a nerd.
"RAINBOW DASH!"
"GAH!" Rainbow Dash yelped and jumped in fright. Spike quickly made his presence known and ran over to her. "What the hay, Spike?!"
"Rainbow Dash! Twilight, er, spell, uh, de-aging, uh, WENT WRONG!"
"Spike!" The pegasus grabbed the dragon's face and laid her forehead against his. "Calm... down... Talk... slowly."
She released him, and Spike nodded and panted slowly. "It's Twilight."
"Is she hurt?" Rainbow asked worriedly. Spike shook his head.
"No. Well, I don't think. It's just, she, er..."
"SPIKE!" A young filly's head popped out from a bookshelf. As soon as she spotted him, she skipped over to him and nuzzled him. "Spike! Spike! I found you! I found you! Let's play anotha game of hide and seek! Pwease?" Spike blushed and patted her head.
Rainbow Dash observed the filly. She looked awfully familiar. She had a long and dark purple mane, a lavender coat, a magenta star Cutie Mark, big and inquisitive violet eyes...
"Is that..." Spike nodded miserably.
"Uh-huh."
Little Twilight noticed Rainbow Dash and squealed, making the pegasus wince. "HI! YUR SO PWETTY! I'M TWILIGHT SPARKLE!" She tackled Rainbow Dash into a huge, warm hug, making Rainbow Dash grin a little. She was kind of cute, for a mini egghead.
"Thanks, kid. You're not so bad yourself." The pegasus ruffled the filly's mane, making her giggle and blush. "And if you ever need a lesson on pure and unadultered awesomeness, just ask me, the brave and ever so awesome Rainbow Dash!"
"Wainbow Dash?"
"That's me."
"Rainbow Dash!" Spike cried out. "We need help. Now! No, we need to - "
"Wanna go for a ride, kid?" Twilight nodded eagerly and hopped on Rainbow's back, and they soared before Spike could get another word out.
"...We need to write to the princess."
xxx
Applejack looked at Twilight, who was playing tag with the Crusaders. Then, she looked at Rainbow. Then, she looked at Spike, then back at Twilight.
"Rainbow..." Applejack said in an unusually soft, calm voice. "What happened?"
"Heh." The pegasus nervously blew some stray hairs off of her forehead. "Well, I kind of flew in and saw Spike with a... a mini Twilight. So, this is kind of funny, eh?"
"Funny." The orange earth pony gritted her teeth. "Funny? Funny?! FUNNY?!"
Rainbow Dash bit her lip and poorly tried to suppress her smile. "About as funny as your face looks right now - "
"THIS AIN'T DARN FUNNY!" Applejack's face turned crimson, and the pegasus and dragon could have sworn they saw smoke pouring out from her ears and nostrils. "Spike!" The baby dragon winced and looked up at her. "What the hay happened?"
Twilight saw her new friends in distress and stopped running. Applebloom, being it, saw this as an opportunity to tag her and did so.
"Tag! You're it!"
"Applebloom, I'll be it in a minute." She marched up to the cow pony. "Hey! How dare you yell at them, missy! These are my friends!"
Applejack looked down sternly at the filly. "Twilight, please hush up for a minute."
The filly gasped in amazement. "How do you know my name?!"
"Hello, darlings!" Rarity trotted over to the group. "I came to pick up Sweetie Belle and - " She released a shrill scream, making everypony else plus Spike jump. "Is that... Oh, what happened to her?!"
Smiling shyly, Twilight tried to be friendly to the stranger. "Hi, um, I'm Twilight Sparkle. Yur pwetty."
Rarity could not help but chuckle and whip her mane to the side. "Thank you, darling." She looked at Applejack pointedly. "Care to explain?"
Applejack sighed tiredly but nodded. "Spike here says Twilight was tryin' out a new spell. When Rainbow Dash flew in, she saw Twilight like this."
Rarity thoughtfully pursed her lips. "Well, she looks younger than Sweetie Belle, but she's not an infant either."
"I am gwown up!" Twilight declared stubbornly. "I even know all my ABCs, Latin, and how to make a hay sandwich all by myself! I know how to speak Hydra, and - and - "
"Who wants ice cream?" Applejack interrupted her. All the Crusaders and mini Twilight hopped up and down.
"Me! Me! Me!"
"Alright, kiddos! Dashie's gonna take you."
"Wuh? AJ - "
"And Rarity and Spike will write to the princess," Applejack finished, unintentionally making Spike the happiest dragon alive in that moment. He stared up at Rarity dreamily, who just pouted stubbornly at Applejack.
"Why do I need to help Spike, darling?"
"You know how he has trouble spelling words."
"And what will you be doing to help the situation?"
Applejack whirled around to frown at Rarity disapprovingly. "Rarity, Ah've got work to do, if y'all haven't noticed!"
"Well, so do I!"
"I have an idea!" Twilight declared cheerfully. "I can help Spike wite the wetter! I'm a good speller!"
"Oh really?" Rainbow Dash asked teasingly. "Okay, Egghead. Spell 'disaster'."
"D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R!" The filly chirped.
"That one was easy. Spell 'crisis'"
"C-R-I-S-I-S."
"Transformation."
"T-R-A-N-S-F-O-R-M-A-T-I-O-N."
Rainbow Dash blinked. "Uh...exasperating!"
"E-X-A-S-P-E-R-A-T-I-N-G."
"Uh... ignominious?"
"I-G-N-O-M-I-N-I-O-U-S."
"Well, I'll be." Applejack whistled and grinned at Twilight, who beamed with pride in return. "She seems to still have her memories as a filly then. You got outsmarted by a lil' Twi, Dash! Your spelling sucks!"
"Hey!" Twilight frowned at the cow pony. "That's not a vewy nice word, Applewack!"
"Applejack, sugarcube. Now how about I make a deal with you, smart cookie?"
Twilight confidently raised her chin. "I'm listening, ma'am."
"Why don't you help Spike with the letter, and Rainbow Dash will go get you girls some ice cream? Okay?" Twilight nodded eagerly. "Perfect. Now run along with Spike and - "
Out of nowhere, a shopping bag full of toys for pets hit Twilight's forehead, knocking her down. Everypony else plus Spike gathered around her worriedly, and Scootaloo helped her up.
"You okay, Twilight?"
The little filly pressed a hood against the ugly, blue bruise forming on her forehead, and tears welled up in her eyes. "That...T- That was s - so m - mean..."
Fluttershy rushed over to the others. "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" She did not recognize the filly right away. "I'm so very sorry! I tripped on a rock, you see, and - "
"WAAAAAAAH!" Twilight bawled, flailing her arms around wildly. Applejack clicked her tongue at her. It was strange acting so motherly towards her friend, but she felt compelled to say something. Poor Fluttershy was about to cry herself!
"Twilight, you stop them water works this instant and act like the grown up filly you say you are, you hear? You're upsetting Fluttershy!"
"Yeah!" Rainbow used one of her wings to pull the whimpering filly closer to her. "She didn't mean it - "
"WAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
"Ouch!" Rainbow shook her wing, which felt burnt and hot against Twilight's coat. Suddenly, the filly's eyes glowed white, and a neon green dome surrounded Twilight. It was so strong that it sent everypony else meters away. Then, before anypony could get up, Twilight and the dome disappeared.
xxx
The Great and Powerful Trixie glared at her unruly, light blue mane. It simply refused to cooperate today because of the insufferable heat. If there was one thing Trixie could not stand, it was when inanimate things refused to cooperate with her.
"Trixie will cut your ends right off if you still refuse to cooperate!" She snapped to herself. She was using her magic to hold a hoof-held mirror and brush her mane. Her cart laid beside her. And even though it was very hot outside, she wore her starry cape and matching hat.
She had recently decided to return to Ponyville after a short commute for three reasons: 1) to amuse herself, 2) to earn some extra bits for a train ticket to somewhere better, preferably a bustling city, and 3) to get revenge on Twilight Sparkle.
Princess Twilight Sparkle, Trixie reminded herself bitterly. True, she had asked for and earned Twilight's forgiveness, but Trixie was always the best. Twilight was the first pony who seemed to challenge that.
But Trixie was certainly not jealous. No! Never. She would never stoop that low. She was simply concerned; even Twilight did not deserve to face her wrath.
"Curse her," Trixie muttered under her breath. "Curse you, Princess Twilight Sparkle! With your magic and pretty little face and goody-goody attitude and - "The magician gasped as a green dome appeared out of nowhere. Inside of it was a filly. Soon, the dome vanished, leaving the crying filly.
Trixie stared at the filly in amazement. She had never seen a pony so young perform such an impressive teleportation spell. It took so much magic out of the average unicorn or alicorn, and Trixie did not master it until she was about twice the filly's age!
She glanced back at the filly, who was still crying pitifully. Trixie was about to ask her what was wrong, but she suddenly stopped herself, lost in thought. That filly... It looks like... No, it can't be!
But after visiting Ponyville, even the Great and Sensible Trixie learned that not too many things were impossible.
"Twilight Sparkle?"
xxx
"Thank you for proofreading the letter, Fluttershy." Spike took a deep breath and set the scroll aflame, sending it to Princess Celestia.
The yellow pegasus grinned timidly at Spike. "It's no trouble. It's the least I can do after I scared poor little Twilight away. Poor thing, I hope she's not hurt!"
Rainbow Dash scoffed and gave Fluttershy a light shove. "She was being a crybaby anyway, Flutters! Besides, it's Twilight we're talking about. She'll be okay!"
Rarity shook her head at her. "Rainbow Dash, she is pretty much a baby. I myself was much more sensitive than that at that tender age. But I do agree with you on one thing; she will be fine. We all saw how powerful she still is."
"And she's got her wings," Spike added optimistically. "Let's just hope she knows how to use them!"
"You're right, Spike." Rarity began trotting away. "Well, I'm returning to the boutique, darlings! Lunch breaks can't last all day, you know. Let me know if you need anything!"
"Well, I should get back to work." Applejack looked at the others sternly. "And I suggest all of you try to find Twilight so the princess can fix this. Except you, Applebloom. I need you to help me around here."
"Dang it!"
Rainbow Dash, Spike, Fluttershy, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle saluted and marched off, searching and calling for the little princess.
xxx
"Twilight?" Trixie cautiously approached the whimpering filly. "Is that you?" She could not believe it. Her archenemy was reduced to a small filly!
The little alicorn sniffed and looked up at the magician with teary eyes. Trixie was about to say something else, but Twilight quickly silenced her with a tight embrace and more sobbing. Trixie stiffened and looked around awkwardly. Passing ponies were giving them strange looks.
"There, there, little one..." Why am I comforting her? "All is well." She patted Twilight's back. "Perk up now." So Trixie can think of a new amazing plan of revenge...
The filly grew still in her arms, and Trixie suppressed a giggle as Twilight yawned. "Tired yourself out, didn't you?" The filly blushed and nodded, releasing Trixie.
"I'm sowy," Twilight apologized shyly, her eyes averting to her hooves. "This mean pegasus hit me with a bag. I was so upset that I used magic before I could think and teweported here. I - I didn't mean to hurt anypony but... it just happened. It always just happens."
Trixie frowned at that statement. Typical of these lowly, ignorant hypocrites. That's just what I'd expect them to do, harass an innocent filly because she was a little different and she had magic - WHAAAAT?
That's right! This is Twilight! She's magical! And if I took her under my wing now... Trixie smiled evilly to herself. She'd work for me, and Trixie would be her mentor! The tables would turn, and I could show all of Ponyville, no, all of Equestria who really deserved to be a princess, who deserved all the glory, the fame, the praise... BREAKING NEWS: CHARISMATIC AND GENEROUS MARE DEVOTES THE REST OF HER LIFE TO MENTORING PRINCESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE!
"Oh, Trixie, give us another breathtaking smile!"
"Oh, Trixie, perform at my wedding!"
"Trixie, is the princess your daughter?"
"Trixie, be the mother of my children!"
"Trixie, I want to have your children!"
"I want your name tattooed on my flank!"
"There's nothing wrong with using magic," Trixie cooed, snapping out of her daydreams and patting Twilight's head. "Why, it's a gift, my dear! You just need to learn how to control it and show those mean ponies who's the boss."
Twilight gasped and smiled hopefully at the magician. "Really?" Trixie nodded.
"Really. Now what's your name, dear?" Even though I already know, and I know how powerful you are... You're just not as powerful as Trixie.
"Twilight Sparkle. I wike your pwetty pointy hat. What's yours?"
Trixie smirked and flipped her mane. Then, with a flick of her hooves, fireworks lit up the sky, and the name TRIXIE was sprawled out before Twilight in bright pink letters.
"Awesome!" Twilight squealed, gazing at Trixie with pure admiration and awe. "Pwease teach me? Pwetty pwease?"
Trixie blushed before scolding herself mentally. There is no time for being bashful! Save it for the cameras!
"Of course, my dear. Of course."
xxx
Two hours after searching, Rainbow Dash hovered over the other pegasus and two fillies on land. Spike was on her back. "Any sign of her?" They shook their heads, and Rainbow Dash sighed tiredly.
"She couldn't have gone that far! Could she?"
"Maybe we should wait for the princess," Spike suggested, but Fluttershy shook her head at him.
"Who knows where she could've ended up, Spike? She could be drowning or stuck in the Everfree Forest or -"
"We already looked in the Everfree Forest, Shy!"
"Guys!" Sweetie Belle yelped. "I see her!" She ran as fast as her tiny hooves could carry her. Behind her ran Fluttershy and Scootaloo. Rainbow Dash and Spike zipped across the sky, seeking more help.
xxx
"...And that just about sums it up," Trixie ended her speech confidently. "Trixie is your actual birth mother, and Celestia stole you. Trixie is here to make amends and teach you, her daughter, everything she needs to know about the art of magic!" Sparks flew from her cape. Trixie smiled haughtily and looked at the filly expectantly.
"Any questions, dear?" Twilight cocked her head and did not look as shocked or as excited as Trixie had hoped.
"Why do you speak in third-person?"
"Because Trixie can," the magician snapped back. Maybe I'm not as fond as children as I thought... Trixie decided to soften her tone. "Twilight, sweetie, you have your guilty habits, right? Like reading and staying up late to stare at the stars or whatever you students of Celestia do?" Twilight nodded. "Well, let Trixie have hers. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Anything else before we continue?"
Twilight's eyes shot up to the sky, and her tongue stuck out of her mouth. Trixie could not help but find the contemplative expression adorable. "You don't wook wike me though, Twixie."
"It's Trixie, dear, and Trixie has told you that the princess placed a spell on you to make you look different from me."
"But why would she do that?" Twilight wondered aloud. "She wouldn't do that. She's too kind. I don't think that's wight, ma'am."
Trixie pouted and felt herself quickly losing her patience. "It - It is so, young filly! No don't talk back to your mother!"
"But I'm not talking back," Twilight argued stubbornly, pouting cutely herself. "And it's true that you don't wook wike me. Besides, you wook too long to be a mother. And who's my daddy?"
"Well, um, ugh! Enough questions, Twilight!"
"And if I wook wike you for real," Twilight continued, ignoring Trixie's rising anger. "Then why can't you just change me back if you're so great and powerful?"
The magician felt ready to explode with rage and obscenities, all of which were inappropriate for any filly's innocent ears. So, she counted to ten and did the unthinkable.
"TWILIGHT! LOOK!" The filly fell for the old trick, and Trixie used her magic to levitate her on the spot, grinning wickedly.
xxx
"HEEEEEEEEEELP!"
Fluttershy pinned the stunned show pony to the ground, giving her the stare. Rainbow Dash swooped down and scooped up Twilight, whose eyes were red from crying. Spike, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle put on their bravest faces and glowered at Trixie.
"What did you do to Twilight?" Scootaloo demanded. Rainbow Dash landed beside the smaller pegasus and glared ardently at Trixie. If looks could kill, Trixie would have been fried on the spot.
"Yeah! She was crying for help! Haven't you already caused enough trouble here?"
"Twilight!" Applejack and Rarity galloped over to the group, staring worriedly at Twilight.
"We came as soon as we heard the news from Spike and Rainbow Dash," Applejack told the fillies, frowning at Trixie. "So what'd you do this time, you ol' snake?"
Trixie, under the influence of the stare, resorted to begging. "Please! Stop! Stop! Trixie will do anything! Anything!"
"Tell us what you did to Twilight," Fluttershy ordered.
"She didn't do anything bad," Twilight defended Trixie. "We were just pwaying. We had the best tickle fight ever! Well... It was one-sided, but it was still the best tickle fight ever."
The four friends gave both Trixie and Twilight incredulous looks. "Y'all serious, sugarcube?"
"Uh-huh! And next she was gonna tell me where fillies and colts come fwom!" Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle could not help but giggle.
"Trixie was about to do no such thing!"
"Why are you wearing her hat, darling?" Rarity pointed out.
"Twixie gave it to me." She turned to Trixie. "And you pwomised sweets and magic and fun," Twilight remembered. "And secwets! Like how not to bewieve evewy tabwoid I wead! And how to shake my fwank for the camera!"
"That's why it's called a secret, Twilight!"
Both Rainbow Dash and Rarity facehoofed, too flabbergasted to speak up. Applejack rolled her eyes. Fluttershy ended the stare with a dirty look aimed at Trixie, who gulped, still terrified of the stare. Spike and the two fillies were clutching their stomachs and rolling in the grass, laughing.
Applejack helped Twilight off of Rainbow's back. "Twilight, didn't your parents ever tell you not to talk to strangers?"
"Nope!"
"Great parenting," Rainbow Dash groaned.
"Maybe they thought she was too young to be given that talk," Scootaloo suggested.
"And anyway, Twixie told me that she's my birth mother and that after she teaches me magic, we're gonna be famous!"
"You're terrible!" Rarity screeched, pointing accusatorily at Trixie. "How dare you corrupt our little Twilight's mind with lies!"
"Are you that hungry for fame that you'll teach a young princess how to shake her ass in front of cameras and be your puppet?" Rainbow Dash shivered in disgust. "I thought you were bad before, but now you're just plain despicable."
Spike suddenly burped, and a bright light hovered over Twilight's head. Then, in a flash, she was back to her usual, bibliophilic self.
"What... What happened? Spike, where's the book? And why am I wearing Twixie's hat?" Everypony else and Spike giggled to themselves, making Twilight frown bemusedly.
"What's so funny?"
Rainbow Dash wiped a stray tear from one of her magenta eyes. "Ask... Ask your mommy Twixie!"
Twilight flushed and slowly turned to the show mare, whose eyes widened with terror. "What did you do?"
"Th-The G-Great and P-Powerful Trixie..." Damn, she looks pissed! I'm dead meat!
"Bye! You're a cute filly!" Trixie threw a smoke bomb and disappeared... from her current spot. It did not take long for Applejack and Rainbow Dash to find her and give her some well-deserving flank-whooping.
xxx
"Once I get home," Twilight began before slurping her blueberry vanilla milkshake, "I'm going to get to the bottom of this and fix this speech impediment." She was at Sugarcube Corner with her six friends and the Cutie Mark Crusaders after the princess showed up and fixed Twilight's little problem. "I won't bother the pwincess with this one."
"Say what you said earlier one more time," Pinkie begged. "Please?"
Twilight sighed irritably, but she could not ignore Pinkie Pie's cerulean puppy dog eyes any longer. "Fine, but just one more time... May I have a bwuebewy milkshake, pwease?"
"DAW!" Rainbow Dash grabbed Twilight and nuzzled her cheek, making the alicorn blush. "Twixie was right about one thing; you were so cute as a filly!"
"Whatever. But I'm begging all of you... Pwease..." Rarity giggled. "Pwease don't tell another living soul about - "
"Hewo!" Discord appeared, imitating the filly version of Twilight. "I'm Twiwight Sparkle, and I'm so vewy cute and fwuffy and adorkable!"
"Fluttershy..." The alicorn glared daggers at the shy pegasus, who gave her a sweet, bashful smile.
"Please don't be mad! I just took one picture of you after you absolutely insisted and Rainbow put you on Facebit and Rarity put you on Saddlechat and - "
Discord showed Twilight the picture, and she saw nothing but red.
"WHY AM I IN A DIAPER?"
"...You wanted to wear one..."
The End