//------------------------------// // The Showstopper // Story: A Princess's Path // by Bluecatcinema //------------------------------// A week passed following Flurry and Moongleam's trip to Griffonstone. And things were once again quiet in the Crystal Empire (save for an incident on Wednesday where a small swarm of Parasprites flew into town, but Sunburst had found a spell that repelled them). Currently, Flurry was hanging out with Moongleam at her house. They were sat in the living room, reading a Daring Do book. Starlight was sat nearby, adding pictures to a photo album, while Sunburst was organizing some new books to his study. "I love this chapter." Flurry smiled. "This is the one where Quarrel Trousers uses his powers of deduction to figure out which door is hiding the Seven-sided chest of Chicomoztok!" "I can't stand Quarrel myself." Moongleam snorted. "He's such an arrogant know-it-all... who could possibly enjoy the company of such a pony?" "You'd be surprised..." Flurry smirked. Just then, there was a knock at the front door. "I got it!" Starlight stood up. Starlight made her way to the front door and opened it, revealing a blue Unicorn mare with purple eyes, a silvery blue mane, and a Cutie Mark of a magic wand. It was none other than Starlight's best friend, Trixie. "Surprise!" Trixie said dramatically. "Trixie!" Starlight smiled, hugging her. "Great to see you!" Starlight and Trixie had remained close friends over the years, despite their life paths leading them to very different places (Starlight in the Crystal Empire and Trixie in Baltimare), but Trixie still found the time to visit Starlight, and vice-versa. "It's good to see you too, Starlight." Trixie returned the hug with gusto. "Who's at the door?" Sunburst asked as he walked in from his study. "Only the Great and Powerful Trixie!" Trixie smiled. "Oh. Hello, Trixie." Sunburst smiled. "Good to see you. Though it would've been nice if you'd sent word ahead..." "Then it wouldn't have been a surprise, would it?" Trixie smirked. "Hi, aunt Trixie." Moongleam smiled as she approached her honorary aunt. "Moongleam." Trixie grinned. "Just look at how tall you've gotten since my last visit. Why, you're sprouting up like a weed!" "Well, I wouldn't know about that..." Moongleam blushed. "Hello, Trixie." Flurry declared. "Nice to see you again." "Always a pleasure to see you, young Princess." Trixie said respectfully. She looked out onto the street. "Come on, sweetie, we're all waiting for you!" A ten-year-old Unicorn entered the house. He had his mother's coat, but a black mane and blue eyes, and his Cutie Mark was that of a wand that was half invisible. "Hello, Trickster." Starlight grinned. "Hi." Trickster smiled back. "Just you and your mom this time?" Starlight asked. "Smoke wanted to come, but he was expecting a big delivery at the store." Trixie shrugged, speaking of her husband, Smoke Mirror. "So it's just us." "That's too bad." Sunburst declared. "I like Smoke. He's so well-read." "I know he would have loved to spend another day or so talking about magical lore with you, Sunburst." Trixie rolled her eyes. "Alas, duty called. But Trickster and I will be sure to have enough fun on trip for three. Right, honey?" "You know it, mom." Trickster nodded. "Baltimare's a decent place to live, but it can't compete with the grandeur of the Crystal Empire." He glanced at Flurry and Moongleam. "You two are so lucky to live here." "If you say so." Flurry shrugged. "To us, this is just... home. Nothing special." "I guess we've just gotten used to it." Moongleam declared. "Like I said, lucky." Trickster insisted. "So, I'm guessing you'll be putting on one of your impromptu shows before you go?" Starlight smiled. "Oh, you know me so well." Starlight grinned. "Besides, how could I come to this charming place and not regale the inhabitants with one of my glorious shows?" "How indeed?" Sunburst rolled his eyes. "Can I be in the show this time, mom?" Trickster asked. "I've been practicing my own tricks all week!" "Of course, my little show stopper." Trixie smiled fondly. "You can even be the opening act!" "Sweet." Trickster grinned. "I've been working on a new trick that's gonna blow the crowd away." "You definitely are your mother's son, Tricky." Starlight chuckled. "Let's just hope Trickster's opening act doesn't put the audience to sleep." Moongleam teased. "Ha, ha, very funny." Trickster scoffed. "At least I have some tricks up my sleeve. What would you do if you were performing? Read a book? That'd put the audience to sleep for sure." "Okay, you two. Play nice." Trixie ruffled her son's mane. "She started it." Trickster said, half-serious. Though he and Moongleam did tend to argue when they saw each, it was never anything too vicious. In truth, the two were quite close... they just didn't like to admit it. "And you know what, Moongleam? Why don't I show you what kind of tricks I've got? Then you'll see just how wrong you are!" "Doubtful." Moongleam rolled her eyes. "But I suppose stranger things have happened..." "You wanna come with, Flurry?" Trickster asked. "Sure, why not?" Flurry smiled. "Let's head up to my room." Moongleam suggested. "Give the grown-ups some time to talk." "You mean, save you from the humiliation when I inevitably prove you wrong?" Trickster teased. "Or vice-versa." Moongleam smirked. The three young ponies made their way up to Moongleam's room. Moongleam and Flurry sat on the bed, while Trickster fished in his saddlebags for the necessary props. "Okay, let's get started." Trickster declared, pulling out a deck of cards. "Would you care to be the volunteer, Princess?" He asked. "You bet." Flurry grinned. "Okay then... pick a card." He offered the deck to her, the backs of the cards facing him. "Any card." Using her magic, Flurry did as instructed, extracting a four of hearts from the deck. "Now, memorize your card, and put it back in the deck without showing me." Trickster instructed, turning his head to one side. "This old trick is your showstopper?" Moongleam snorted, as Flurry returned the card to the deck. "Please hold all criticisms until the end of the trick." Trickster retorted, as he shuffled the deck. "Now..." His horn lit up, and the card Flurry had chosen floated out of the deck. "Is this your card?" "That's it, exactly." Flurry nodded. "What'd I tell you?" Moongleam scoffed. "So pedestrian..." "It's not over yet." Trickster smirked, as the card rose up higher. The card suddenly exploded into a shower of heart-shaped paper symbols. "Ta-daa!" Trickster announced. "A new twist on an old classic!" "Cool!" Flurry smiled. "Eh, it was okay." Moongleam shrugged. "I wouldn't open with it..." "Oh, on the contrary." Trickster smirked. "This little number is just for starters. I've got plenty more tricks up my sleeve. Allow me to demonstrate..." For the next hour, Trickster showed off several more tricks. Most of them revolved around his special talent of illusion, including one where he created a replica of Moongleam (with a none-too-flattering impersonation of her). "Hi, I'm Moongleam." He spoke in time with the mute illusion's lip movements. "I'm so smart, and I act like nothing impresses me. I'm only fourteen, but I talk like I'm twice as old, hoping it'll get everypony to treat me like an adult. Aren't I great?" "Ha, ha." Moongleam scowled. "Hilarious." Flurry couldn't help letting out a little snort of laughter. "I think Moongleam would appreciate it if you didn't use that trick for your performance." She added, attempting to cover up her amusement. "Yeah, like I'd give her the honor of appearing in my performance." Trickster scoffed. "But now that you know what I've got up my sleeve, I'm sure you realize that I can provide one heck of an opening act?" "That's debatable..." Moongleam rolled her eyes. "I'm sure it'll be great." Flurry declared. "Your mom's shows are always amazing, and if you're anything like her, your opening act will be just as good." "Thank you, Princess Flurry." Trickster bowed. "It's good to know I have the support of royalty on my side." "Join the club." Moongleam snorted. Good luck, though. You're gonna need it..." "Please." Trickster snorted. "Luck has nothing to do with it. Performing's in my blood. You just wait and see. I'll have that audience eating out of my hooves." "If you say so." Moongleam said nonchalantly as she cleaned her glasses. "I'm not exactly a performer myself, so what do I know?" "Wow." Flurry smiled. "It's not every day you admit to not knowing much about something, Moony." "Well, there's no shame in it, is there?" Moongleam shrugged. "So I'll stick with my studying, and Trickster can stick with his illusions." "Works for me." Trickster grinned. The door to Moongleam's room opened, and Starlight popped her head in. "Dinner will be ready in ten, kids." She announced. "We've already put out the extra chairs for you and your mom, Trickster." "Oh, jeez, dinner." Flurry groaned. "I gotta head home. Tonight's nacho night. Can't miss that..." "Okay, Flurry." Starlight chuckled, as she stepped aside to let the young Princess past. "Don't let me stop you." "See you tomorrow, Flurry." Moongleam smiled. "You'll be coming to the show, right?" Trickster asked. "I'll be there." Flurry nodded. "Promise." Flurry headed back home, and enjoyed her dinner. Moongleam and her family did so as well, joined by Trixie and Trickster. Over the next couple of days, Trixie and and Starlight caught up on current events, while Trickster continued to practice his tricks, with Flurry and Moongleam as a (mostly) captive audience. "Whattaya think of this?" Trickster inquired, as he used his magic to create an illusion of a comet that flew around their heads, then exploded into snow. "Wow." Flurry gaped. "That's the best trick yet!" Moongleam was briefly awed herself, staring at the snow, her glasses having slid down her nose. "Speechless, are we?" Trickster grinned. "Guess I've finally found a trick you can't deny is great." Moongleam regained her composure. "It was... okay." She muttered, pushing her glasses back up. "Better than those other offerings, at least." "Thanks." Trickster smirked. "And if you think it was that good, imagine how my soon-to-be adoring fans will react..." On the final day of their stay in the Crystal Empire, Trixie set up the stage for her big performance, aided by Trickster. The show was being held in the center of the Empire, so as to ensure that Everypony could see it. Trixie and Starlight had already taken the liberty of spreading the word around the Empire, making sure there would be a sizeable audience for the show, just as Trixie liked it. "This is it." Trixie smiled. "Your big debut. Are you nervous, son?" "Nope." Trickster smirked. "Just the opposite. I can't wait for that curtain to go up, and the crowd to start applauding." "That's just how I felt before my first show." Trixie sighed nostalgically. "You really are a chip off the old block, sweetie. And soon, everypony will see that the Great and Powerful Trixie has an equally Great and Powerful son!" "I won't let you down, mom." Trickster pledged. "I'm not worried about that." Trixie ruffled his mane. "Honestly, my only worry right now is that your act will outshine my own." "That'll never happen." Trickster hugged her. "You're the best performer around, mom!" "For now, maybe." Trixie joked. "Now, I think I'll go double-check the spotlights. They were acting up the last time I used them..." As Trixie went to attend to the equipment, Flurry and Moongleam entered backstage. "Hey, Trickster." Flurry smiled. "Hey, gals." Trickster nodded. "What brings you here? You're a little early for the show..." "Mom said you and aunt Trixie were putting everything together." Moongleam declared. "We figured we'd help out." "You sure about that, Moongleam?" Trickster snorted. "These props aren't like books, you know..." "Oddly enough, I do know that." Moongleam rolled her eyes. " Besides, I think I'd prefer being backstage to sitting in the audience." "Your loss." Trickster shrugged. "But there are some trapdoor hinges that need oiling, and a vanishing cabinet to test." "I'll take care of that myself." Flurry declared. "First time I'll disappear without magic..." As the sun set, the Crystal Ponies started gathering around the stage, eager to see the show. Starlight and Sunburst were among them, having been the first to arrive. "It's almost showtime!" Trixie smiled. She walked to the front of the stage and peeked through the curtain. "Ooh, just look at crowd!" "Don't mind if I do." Trickster joined his mother at the curtain, and beheld a crowd of dozens, possibly over a hundred. His smug demeanor suddenly vanished, replaced by a look of horror. "That's... That's a lot of ponies." He declared redundantly. "I know." Trixie beamed. "Your big debut is going to be even bigger than we thought!" "I even invited my parents and little brother." Flurry revealed. "So... Royalty will be watching too?" Trickster quivered. "Not every performer can say their first performance was observed by royalty!" Trixie grinned, oblivious to her son's sudden change in attitude. "You're going to remember this day forever, sweetie!" "Yeah..." Trickster cringed. As Trixie headed off to get the last of the props, he added "But not for the reason you're thinking of." "This is it." Moongleam declared. "Your big opening act. Try not to be too insufferable afterwards, okay?" "I-I'll try." Trickster cringed. "But honestly, I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't be the opening act." "What do you mean?" Flurry frowned. "Y'know, I don't want to steal mom's thunder." Trickster said awkwardly. "So maybe I should just hang back, save my big debut for another time?" "...Okay, who are you, and what have you done with the real Trickster?" Moongleam frowned. "This is your big break, and you're acting like you don't even want to get out there." "Well... maybe that's because I don't!" Trickster blurted out. "What's wrong, Trickster?" Flurry asked. "I don't want to talk about it." Trickster looked away. "Even to me?" Moongleam asked. "We're practically cousins, Trickster. You can tell me anything." "And whatever you say, we'll keep between just us." Flurry added. "So, what's the matter?" "Okay. I... I've never performed for a crowd that big before." Trickster admitted. "I entertain the neighborhood kids back home, but this is way more of an audience than I'm used to! Not to mention there's going to be actual royalty watching..." "You're afraid of performing?" Moongleam gasped. "Never thought I'd see the day..." "Yeah, yeah, go ahead and laugh." Trickster pouted. "It's not like you'd understand." "I understand more than you think." Moongleam retorted. "I know what it's like to be so afraid of something, I could barely even move." "Oh, yeah?" Trickster scoffed. "What was it, returning an overdue library book?" "Actually, it was having to go the Dragon Lands." Moongleam retorted. "...Huh?" Trickster gaped. "I was terrified at the thought of going out there." Moongleam recalled. "Of being around those fire-breathers. But I went anyway, because I'd pledged to support Flurry Heart on her royal assignments. Then a bunch of rogue dragon thugs attacked us. I was petrified at first, but when one of them tried to attack Flurry, I put my fear aside, and did what I had to do." "You're serious?" Trickster asked. "It's all true." Flurry nodded. "Moongleam was scared the entire trip. But she didn't let it stop her from doing what she needed to do." "And if I can face off against a teenage trouble-making dragon, then surely you can perform in front of a crowd of Crystal Ponies." Moongleam encouraged him. "Well, uh..." Trickster stuttered, still unsure. "I dunno. What if I mess up? I'll be a laughing stock!" "You won't mess up." Moongleam smiled. "I hate to admit it, but you are really good at this stuff. It'd be a shame to deprive all those ponies of a great show." "...You mean that?" Trickster smiled back. "Yes, I do." Moongleam nodded. "This is your calling. You shouldn't let anything stop you. Especially not fear." "Moongleam's right." Flurry agreed. "If you don't get out on that stage, you'll regret it. And that regret will follow you for the rest of your life." "And don't forget aunt Trixie." Moongleam smiled. "I'd say she's been looking forward to this more than you. You don't want to disappoint her, do you?" "...No, I don't." Trickster admitted. Trixie returned, bringing with her some fake wands. "Okay, it's time." She announced. "Ready, Trickster?" Trickster glanced at Flurry and Moongleam, who gave him supportive smiles. "Ready." He smiled. "Break a hoof." Moongleam beamed. Trickster stepped forward as the curtains rose. "Citizens of the Crystal Empire, it is I, the Great and Powerful Trixie!" Trixie announced in her usual bombastic way. "Tonight, I have a plethora of incredible illusions and magical wonders for you! But first, I would like you to meet my son, the Great and Powerful Trickster!" Trickster waved his hoof as the crowd. "Knock 'em dead, honey." Trixie whispered as he stepped to one side. Trickster took a deep breath, then started his act. "Thank you all for coming." He declared. "Now, for my first trick, I'm going to need a volunteer." He looked around, and selected a sapphire blue Crystal mare. "How about you, miss...?" "Holly Blue." The mare nodded, joining him on stage. "Please, miss Blue." Trickster instructed as he brought out his card deck. "Pick a card." "Ooh, good start." Flurry grinned, as she and Moongleam watched from backstage. "You can do it, Trickster..." Moongleam whispered. Trickster performed the trick just as he did before, turning the card into a shower of paper symbols. The crowd cheered loudly. "Save your applause." He grinned, as Holly returned to her seat. "I'm just getting started..." Trickster regaled the crowd with trick after trick, finishing with his comet illusion. The crowd applauded like never before. "Thank you, thank you!" He bowed. "Way to go, Trickster!" Flurry cheered. "Nicely done." Moongleam nodded. "That's my little showstopper!" Trixie rushed back onstage and hugged her son. "Moooom!" Trickster blushed. "Not in front of the audience!" Moongleam watched as Trickster vainly tried to escape his mother's grasp. "A mother's love." She smirked. "Even the best escape artists can't get out of that trap..." Trixie finally released Trickster from her loving embrace. "And now, dear audience, you shall see what the Great and Powerful Trixie can do!" She said boldly. As Trixie went into her own act, Trickster returned backstage. "Great job out there." Moongleam told him. "Whoa." Trickster gasped dramatically. "That was not sarcastic! You sure you're feeling okay?" "Ha, ha." Moongleam rolled her eyes. "Seriously, though. Thanks for the encouragement." Trickster smiled. "Both of you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have gone out there... and I wouldn't have had the best night of my life!" "What are honorary cousins for?" Moongleam smirked. "Me, I just like helping ponies." Flurry shrugged. "Lucky for me, huh?" Trickster chuckled. He looked back at the stage. "Hey, mom's doing her classic 'water escape' trick! this is always a showstopper..." "Guess it runs in the family..." Moongleam remarked. After Trixie's grand performance, the audience applauded further. As the show ended, both Trixie and Trickster stood on stage and bowed. "You've been a great crowd!" Trickster declared. "Good night, Crystal Empire!" Trixie cheered. As the crowd dispersed, Trixie and Trickster started cleaning up. But they were soon joined by Starlight and Sunburst. "Great show as always, Trix." Starlight declared. "And you were amazing too, Trickster!" "Thanks, aunt Starlight." Trickster grinned. "It certainly was quite a performance." Sunburst admitted. "Don't you think so, Moongleam?" "Eh, it was okay." Moongleam shrugged. "Maybe after Trickster's honed his craft a little more, it'll really be something." She winked at Trickster. "Oh, you can bet on that." Trickster chuckled. "Next time, I'll be even better!" "That's my boy!" Trixie hugged him again. "What do you say we all go out to dinner to celebrate Trickster's first performance?" Starlight offered. "My treat." "No, I'll pay." Trixie declared. "I insist." Speaking of dinner, I've got to head home for mine." Flurry noted. "You guys have fun." "Oh, we will." Trickster nodded. "Why don't you sit beside me, Moongleam? I wanna hear more about this dragon encounter of yours." "Ask, and ye shall receive." Moongleam smirked. "Just don't get jealous of my tales of bravery." "In your dreams." Trickster teased. Flurry rolled her eyes as she departed. 'Some things never change...' She thought.