Trixie's Shadow

by Paul_Daniel

Chapter 03

3.

When the yellow gypsy wagon first rolled into Ponyville, it attracted all the usual attention that comes from rustic townsfolk who delight in interesting travelers. As the ponies sighted Trixie, however, their mood took a turn for the worse. Most were polite enough to simply ignore their unwelcome guest, but several took to snickering behind her back, and a few actively stuck up their noses.

“Ignore them,” whispered Trixie. “They’ll come around once they see how magnificent my show is.”

The black stallion beside her nodded and held to his course, drawing the wagon with no visible effort. He was by far the largest pony in sight, and his powerful physique and regal cutie mark drew a number of curious glances. If the stallion noticed, he gave no sign, nor did he pay any attention to the crowd, whose members seemed to sense that he was not to be trifled with, and always stepped out of the way before he reached them.

“We’ll set up there,” said Trixie.

She gestured to the far end of Ponyville Plaza, directing the wagon until it had been settled in an open spot. As her companion got out of his harness, Trixie released a catch that let down the wagon’s side, creating a small stage. Further adjustments added curtains, lights, and a wide glass vase with some coins on the bottom, to make sure the audience members knew where they could direct their generosity. Last of all, Trixie readied her fireworks and drew on her purple star-studded cloak and wizard’s hat.

It was time.

“Citizens of Ponyville! Are you ready to witness the most spectacular show of the year?”

Trixie lit several fuses with her magic. Fireworks roared to life, exploding into colorful comets above town. Ponies everywhere glanced skyward to watch, and foals started cheering and clapping their hooves.

“Are you ready for a once-in-a-lifetime experience?!”

Another series of fireworks burst into flame, leaving a short advertisement in their wake. Groups of ponies began following it into the plaza, and the crowds surrounding the vendor stalls grew quiet.

“Then come one, come all, to witness the magic and grandeur of Trixie!”

The next volley of fireworks was the largest yet, filled with flower-like explosions of silver and gold. The resulting “Ooohs!” and “Aaahs!” from the crowd were music to Trixie’s ears, and she noticed with smug satisfaction that even those ponies who had so frostily greeted her were caught up in the excitement.

She was just considering what sort of pyrotechnics to use next when a colorful blur zoomed over her head. The blur stopped near the middle of the stage, revealing a pegasus pony with a light-blue coat, and a cloud and rainbow-colored lightning bolt for her cutie mark. The pegasus’ mane and tail (both of which were rather unkempt) also had rainbow colors running their length.

“Trixie?” said the new arrival, with the air of one who has stepped in something unpleasant. “When did you get—”

“Well, well!” interrupted Trixie. “It’s Ponyville’s star athlete, here to join the show. Let’s have a big round of applause for Raaaaainbow Dash!”

It was not at all what Rainbow had been expecting. Uncertainly, she hovered in place, caught between a desire to confront Trixie and her own natural showmanship, which was clearly delighting in the thunderous applause that had followed her introduction.

Meanwhile, Trixie selected a new batch of fireworks and sent them aloft. There were ten in all, and each left a flaming ring in the sky. Trixie returned her attention to the audience.

“Mares and gentlestallions! If you kindly look upward, you will see the legendary Concourse of Doom! Many have tried to fly through. None have ever succeeded. Can Rainbow Dash be the first?”

The words prompted Rainbow into immediate action.

“Psssht! You bet I can!”

She flexed her wings and zipped skyward, taking off with so much force that Trixie’s mane and tail fluttered wildly in the aftermath. Two death-defying loops, an aerial corkscrew, and a jaw-dropping dive were required to complete the course. Rainbow hit each of them perfectly, leaving her signature multihued after-blur in the wake of each movement.

“Amazing!” cried Trixie. “Let’s hear it for Rainbow Dash!”

Rainbow zoomed earthward into a perfect landing. She strutted happily across the stage, basking in the riotous cheers while Trixie silently congratulated herself for turning a former enemy into a means of buying time.

The thought made her glance toward her companion. He was standing near one side of the wagon, watching the crowd. Discreetly, he shook his head, and Trixie returned to her act.

“Now,” she said, “do we have any foals in the audience with a birthday today?”

A pair of young ponies excitedly raised their front hooves. Trixie took note of their cutie marks: pom-poms on one and a leaping dolphin on the other.

“Well! The Great and Powerful Trixie wishes you a very happy birthday!”

She adjusted her fireworks and sent up a new volley. An enormous pink pom-pom appeared over town, shimmering and sparkling until a plume of blue rockets—grouped in the outline of a dolphin— leapt through it, and the whole display burst into a medley of color.

Just as the sparkles were fading, Twilight and Applejack arrived at the far end of the plaza. Owing to the crowd, they were obliged to stand quite a distance from Trixie’s stage, and had a poor view of the proceedings, at least until Applejack suggested they leap into the back of a nearby hay wagon. From this new vantage point, the view was much better. As the two friends settled in, Trixie began another display, and for the next ten minutes, the late afternoon sky became a blur of fizzing lights and colorful rockets.

“You know,” mused Applejack, “old Trixie may be a bully, a braggart, and a witch. But even I have to admit, she puts on a mighty good show.”

Twilight didn’t respond. Her eyes were watching elsewhere and what they saw disturbed her greatly.

“Applejack, do you notice anything… odd about Trixie’s assistant? The one standing next to her stage?”

“You mean besides thinkin’ that he and Big Mac would have one heck of a hoof-wrasslin’ contest?”

“Yes,” said Twilight dryly. “Besides that.”

“Uh-uh.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes. Other than herself, the black stallion was the only pony who didn’t seem to be enthralled by the fireworks. In fact, he ignored them completely, and kept his gaze on the crowd. After a few moments, he began a methodical sweep, turning his head from left to right.

Twilight felt a sudden urge to run. She was halfway to her hooves before she mastered the feeling and sank back in the hay. As the stallion faced her, she forced herself to stare upward, pretending to enjoy Trixie’s display. In the next second, a jolt of panic tore through her, as though every magical instinct were crying out in alarm.

“Twilight?” said Applejack. “You okay over there? You look like you just saw the ghost of Nightmare Moon.”

“I’m… fine,” said Twilight.

A bead of sweat rolled down one side of her jaw. She glanced toward the black stallion and sighed in relief when she saw that he had taken no notice of her. Instead, he was watching Trixie light the last of her fireworks. When the final fuse was burning, Trixie leapt off the stage and the black stallion strode forward to speak with her.

“I cannot find anypony matching your description of Twilight Sparkle,” he said, low enough that no one in the audience would overhear. “Are you certain she will attend the show?”

“Why wouldn’t she?”

A wicked gleam flashed in the stallion’s eyes.

“I was only thinking that perhaps she might not put as much importance on this feud as you do. Perhaps she feels you are an unworthy recipient of her attention.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! What could possibly be more important than me? I bet Twilight’s been terrified for months, never knowing when I might come back to put her in her proper place.”

“And yet she is not here…”

Trixie swished her tail. The final fireworks had gone up and the crowd was wildly applauding. They would be expecting her to address them shortly. Trixie sniffed and returned to the conversation.

“I take it you have a suggestion?”

“That I do,” replied the stallion. “You had planned a magic show next, did you not?”

“Yes. I was going to put on a magic show and you were going to help me humiliate Twilight. We’ve already been over this!”

“Very good. I do not suggest that you alter your plan. Only that you increase its potency.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s very simple: you told me that Twilight is a student of the magical arts? If we perform a suitably potent trick, she should sense it from afar, and curiosity would drive her to investigate.”

“What kind of trick?”

The black stallion leaned forward to whisper in Trixie’s ear.

“Of course,” he added, when he had finished and drawn back, “I have promised to obey you. So you would need to grant me permission before I—”

“Yes, fine!” said Trixie. “Do whatever you have to. Just get Twilight’s attention! I want her here as soon as possible.”

The stallion made a deferential bow. Trixie whirled around and returned the way she had come. Rainbow Dash—who apparently had no interest in fireworks unless she could risk life and limb flying through them—had already hovered away, and the stage was empty.

“Thank you all! The Great and Powerful Trixie is truly honored that you like her show. The best part is that we’re just getting started—fireworks are over but it’s time for magic! Are you ready?!”

A raucous cheering moved across the plaza.

“Faaaaantastic! We’ll begin with a trick I’m certain you’ve seen many times: the disappearing pony! Of course, ordinary magicians can only make a single pony vanish. The Great and Powerful Trixie can handle three at once! Do I have any volunteers?”

Hooves shot up all over the audience. Twilight shifted uneasily in the hay wagon.

“Applejack,” she said, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this…”

“How bad is bad?” asked Applejack. “Should we stop it?”

“Too late.”

Indeed, a trio of ponies were already stepping forward. When asked, they introduced themselves as Bon Bon, Carrot Top, and Aloe.

“What lovely names,” said Trixie. “If you’ll all stand in front of me, we can begin.”

The trio leapt eagerly onto the stage. Trixie lined them up and began trotting around them. Each time she completed a lap, she picked up speed, until she was practically flying, her purple cloak streaming behind her. Suddenly, she paused and reared on hind legs. A brilliant flash of light burst from her horn. As one, the audience members averted their eyes. When they could look back at the stage, they found that Trixie was standing alone. All of the volunteer ponies were gone!

A moment of stunned silence turned quickly into furious applause. Trixie bowed, and couldn’t resist smiling as a shower of coins flew into her tip vase.

“Twilight,” said Applejack, “how in the name of a heap hollerin’ hog did she do that?”

Twilight peered carefully around before responding. She had felt a tremendous surge of magical power during the trick, and she doubted very much that it had come from Trixie. She also thought she had seen a strange darkness on the stage floor, as though the shadows of the three volunteers had somehow persisted for several seconds, even after the volunteers themselves were gone. Most curious of all, the black stallion was nowhere in sight.

“I don’t know. But I promise that I’m going to find out.”

Comments

[Yubella]

“You know,” mused Applejack, “old Trixie may be a bully, a braggart, and a witch. But even I have to admit, she puts on a mighty good show.”

When was she a bully and a witch? Not including the amulet incident