//------------------------------//
// Chapter 133: Return of the Magician 
// Story: My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic: Stallion Edition 
// by SuperPinkBrony12 
//------------------------------//

A few weeks had passed since Shining Armor had worked out a deal with Starlight Glimmer in regard to her lesson plans, but now the young prince (and father) was ready to start taking a more "hooves on" approach with his student. In fact, his decision came at an important time, because Princess Celestia expressed an interest in coming over for a casual dinner, which Shining saw as a chance to show how far Starlight was progressing.

Starlight, for her part, took notice of an odd fact as she helped set the table. "What's with the fourth seat? I thought this dinner was just supposed to be between you, me, and Princess Celestia?" She asked.

Shining smiled, and informed Starlight. "Well you thought wrong. And before you ask, that extra seat isn't for Twilight, or Spike. It's for your guest."

"Guest? You mean..." Starlight began rather nervously.

Shining nodded as he cut Starlight off. "I want you to bring a friend, a new friend. That way, Princess Celestia can see for herself how good a student you are. Plus, this gives me a chance to see how you spread the magic of friendship, which is what you're learning about."

"Oh, is that so?" Starlight asked, as a fiendish smirk briefly broke out across her face before she added. "Well maybe I'll 'spread' the magic by enslaving everypony in Ponyville, then I'll have all the friends I need!"

"Starlight!" Shining glared.

Starlight gulped and with a blush she retorted. "Too soon?"

"Too soon," Shining said with a shake of his head. "And that kind of stuff isn't funny to begin with. So kindly refrain from even 'suggesting' that at dinner. I know some ponies already think you're a mental case, and the last thing either of us need is for Princess Celestia to think the same way. I doubt she will, seeing as you've already met twice, but I'd rather not tempt fate."

"Well, in all seriousness, I've been trying to make friends, really I have," Starlight sighed, adopting something of a guilt ridden face. "But... it hasn't been easy. I've... made some 'mistakes'."

The way Starlight emphasized "mistakes", was enough to make Shining's happy mood fade, replaced by one of worry and concern. "Starlight, what have you been doing in my absence? Please tell me you haven't brought the wrath of the entire town down on you."

"Oh no, no, no, it's nothing like that," Starlight nervously laughed. "But, well, there are two cases where I did things I probably shouldn't have." And she began to flash back to those two occasions.





The first took place shortly after Starlight had become "reformed" (and changed her mane style in the process, her mane now had a curl that hung slightly to the right). Pinkie Pie had taken the liberty of introducing her to Mrs. Cake.

"H-hello Mrs. Cake," Starlight nervously greeted. "I assume Pinkie's told me about you, correct?"

Mrs. Cake replied with a nod. "Of course, deary, but she hasn't told me much. Still, it's always nice to meet a new face, and any friend of Pinkie Pie's is a friend of mine."

"O...kay," Starlight trailed off, unsure of what else to say. Then, suddenly, she got an idea! Recalling something she'd faintly overheard from Pinkie once, she decided to whip up a cake for Mrs. Cake. With her magic, it was easy to produce one in a matter of minutes, which she then presented to Mrs. Cake. "Nothing says 'Let's be friends' better than a cake, right?" She asked quite hopefully.

But Mrs. Cake was anything but impressed. "Starlight, did you just use my baking utensils, my ingredients, and my oven, just to bake a cake?" She asked.

"Yes," Starlight nodded. "It's not like there's anything majorily wrong with that, is there?"

"Well, I don't come into your house and use your things without permission, do I?" Mrs. Cake scolded.

Starlight frowned, and hung her head as she realized her mistake. "Good point, I'm sorry. I just... wanted to make a good first impression and I couldn't think of any other way."

Mrs. Cake adopted a gentler tone of voice, and a softer expression, as she then reassured Starlight. "It's alright, Starlight. But next time, please ask before you do something like that. Besides, a proper cake takes time to be made, it's not just something you can magically put together."





The second occasion that Starlight found herself remembering, involved someone who was a much closer friend of both Shining Armor and Twilight (not to mention Spike, for reasons Starlight couldn't figure out). About a week after the "Gauntlet of Fire" episode, Starlight decided to try her luck with friendship again, this time at Sweet Apple Acres.

Big Macintosh was bucking apple trees with his strong back legs, as Starlight and Applejack approached. "So, you're settlin' in to life in Ponyville, huh?" Applejack asked with a smile. "Well, I think I have just the pony for ya to meet if that's the case. Starlight Glimmer, meet Big Macintosh. I know you two already kind of know about each other, but think of this as your chance to really make your friendship personal."

"Howdy, Miss. Glimmer, or do ya prefer I just call ya Starlight?" Big Macintosh politely greeted, but said nothing more.

"Just Starlight will do, thank you. There's no need for us to be so formal." Starlight innocently smiled. In the back of her mind though she was thinking. "He's got quite the body. I can see why all the mares want him. But didn't somepony mention he already has a marefriend?"

"Good, Starlight it is." Big Macintosh replied, but said nothing more.

Applejack quickly explained. "Don't mind Big Mac, Starlight, he's not much of a talker 'round strangers. It takes a while for him to warm up to new friends, and even then he tends not to say a lot. Ain't that right, Big Macintosh?"

"Eeyup." Big Mac nodded with his trademark catchphrase.

"Gee, that's too bad," Starlight innocently commented. "I do love a good conversation." Then, an idea came to mind. She lit up her horn, and aimed a spell right at Big Mac's mouth.

Big Mac was quite surprised, but he soon found out what had happened when he opened his mouth to speak. "Eeyup-yup-yup-yup-yup-yup-yup-yup-y-y-y-y-you did somethin'!" He exclaimed as he pointed a hoof accusingly at Starlight. "W-what's happenin', w-what did you do to me?! I-I feel really weird! I'm talkin' so much! And I'm so articulate! Enunciatin' with such precise pronunciation! Oh no!" He put a hoof to his mouth to try and keep himself from saying anything more, but unfortunately it didn't help as he then blurted out. "Annie Apple awoke and accidentally ate an auburn azalea!" He proceeded to let out a scream and dashed off, as he demanded. "Make it stop! Somepony, please, make it stop!"

Applejack immediately turned an extremely harsh glare on Starlight, but said nothing. She didn't have to, her glare spoke volumes.

"What? I can't help it if I can't exactly be good friends with somepony who doesn't talk much," Starlight innocently protested. Applejack just glared harder at her. "And I guess maybe my first instinct shouldn't be to just magically command ponies to do what I want?" Starlight replied, hoping that would satisfy Applejack. It didn't, the farm pony only glared even harder at her. "Okay, okay, I'll go change him back!" She finally relented, and went to track down a rather frightened Big Macintosh.





"So, between those incidents, and apparently not knowing just who the hay the Wonderbolts were until Soarin clued me in," Starlight explained to Shining. "I haven't exactly been feeling in the mood to tackle friendship lessons again. If it's taken until now for me to even hold a conversation with your friends without messing up, how exactly do you think I'm gonna just be able to befriend somepony in time for the dinner tonight?"

Shining put a hoof around his student, and reassured her. "I know you still have your doubts, Starlight, but take it from somepony who's been down the same road as you once. Don't let a bad experience or personal worries stop you from giving friendship a chance. Nopony's perfect, and everypony makes mistakes. What's important is learning from your mistakes, so you don't repeat them," Then he added. "Besides, Ponyville is the friendliest place in all of Equestria. Just about anypony can make a friend here if they try, and I know you won't be any different. Now get out there and make a friend! I know you can do it!"

"Well, I guess I'll try. W-wish me luck." Starlight nervously called, before she slowed trotted out of the throne room.

"You don't need luck, Starlight." Shining called back, but Starlight was already too far away to hear. Shining let out a sigh. "I knew I was undertaking a big responsibility when I decided to make Starlight my student, but I really can't help but worry about her. I know she has the potential to be good if she just learns to stop dwelling on her past. If only I knew how to make her see that." He thought to himself.





Fortunately for Shining, Starlight returned about two hours later with a massive smile on her face! "Shining, great news, I made a new friend all by myself!" She proudly boasted!

"Excellent news," Shining smiled. "So, who's the lucky pony? Mind telling me about 'em?"

"Oh, absolutely!" Starlight nodded and then began to elaborate. "She's unlike anypony else! She's great!"

"Great, huh?" Shining commented, something about that statement felt odd but for whatever reason he couldn't explain why.

"And she's powerful too! Great and powerful you might say!" Starlight said with a giggle.

"Wait! 'Great and powerful'," Shining began, then gasped! "But that can only mean-"

But he needn't have said more, for at that very moment, a familiar light blue unicorn with a light purple hat and cape appeared in the throne room doors. "Hello, Prince." She greeted. Was it Shining's imagination, or did that line seem to have been delivered with the faintest trace of malice?

"Trixie?!" Shining exclaimed! "How... unexpected. It's been a long time."

"Indeed it has, and it seems Trixie's missed a lot since last we met," Trixie greeted in a not so innocent tone. "But you can rest easy, Shining Armor. Trixie didn't come here to bother you today. In fact, she had no idea her new best friend was the student of the prince of friendship, and that said prince has his own castle right here in Ponyville. By the way, how's your family? I hear it's gotten bigger."

"They're doing quite fine, not that it's any of your concern," Shining slightly snipped, as he turned to Starlight. "If you'll kindly excuse my student and I for a bit. There's a little something I'd like to discuss with her, in private if you wouldn't mind."

Trixie nodded, tipping her hat to the prince. "As you wish, your highness."





Shining proceeded to pull Starlight close to him, and then whispered to her. "Look, I know I said I wanted you to make a new friend all on your own, but Trixie isn't quite the pony I had in mind. As you can see our past association is... complicated to say the least."

"Now that you mention it, Trixie did mention a few 'incidents' from prior visits to this town," Starlight commented. "But whatever it is, it can't have been any worse than what I did, right?"

"Well, that's hard to say..." Shining replied, scratching the back of his head with a hoof as he began to recall Trixie's previous visit to Ponyville.





The now disgraced magician had somehow gotten her hooves on something known as the alicorn amulet. But at the time, neither Shining Armor (who was still just a unicorn, it wouldn't be for a few more weeks that he'd ascend to alicornhood) or Twilight were aware of this. All they knew, was that Trixie had become rather nasty, and an outright bully. She seemed to have it out for Twilight in particular, accusing her of having ruined the show mare's life when she defeated the Ursa Minor.

To that end, Trixie challenged Twilight to a magic duel. But Shining Armor quickly intervened. "I don't know why you're acting like this, Trixie, but I won't let you get away with hurting my friends and my sister!" He said quite boldly, as he stepped forward. "If you're going to pick on someone, try picking on me! I may not be as magically adept as my sister, but I think you'll find I'm a worthy opponent all the same!"

Trixie let out a wicked laugh. "Oh, this is too rich! Are you seriously going to challenge me, the Great and Powerful Trixie?!"

"Of course," Shining replied. Then with a smirk he added. "Unless of course, you're afraid you'll get your butt kicked."

"Pah! Me?! Lose to the likes of you?! Fat chance!" Trixie snorted.

"Then, why don't we make a little wager?" Shining offered to Trixie. "If I win, you'll leave now and take off that little trinket you're wearing. I think it's changing you somehow."

"Fair enough," Trixie remarked, idly dismissing Shining's comment. "But if I win, and you know I will, you have to leave Ponyville, forever!"

Against his better judgement (and despite the protests of his friends), Shining accepted. "Looks like we have a deal. Now give me your best shot, Trixie!" In his mind, he thought. "This is a gamble, but even with her new found power, Trixie's still only a magician. If I can just wear her down, I should be able to defeat her before she has a chance to hurt anypony."

But Trixie proved to be too powerful, effortlessly defeating Shining with a double age spell that she performed on Snips and Snails. "Trixie is the highest level unicorn!" She boasted to her defeated foe. "And now it's time for you to leave Ponyville, Shining, as was our deal!"

"No! This has gone far enough, Trixie!" Twilight protested, stepping forward! "Whatever your deal is, take it up with me, and leave my brother out of this!"

"You fool, he's already gone!" Trixie laughed quite wickedly! And with a flick of her horn, she effortlessly tossed Shining out of town as if he were nothing but trash. Then she threw up a giant dome of dark red magic, effectively sealing off the town.





"I ultimately managed to get the upper hoof over Trixie in our rematch," Shining explained to Starlight, having drawn on his memories of the experience as best he could. "Ironically, or whatever, it was through smoke and mirrors and not traditional magic. And just as I thought, it was the Alicorn Amulet that made her so evil. But the fact that she got her hooves on it and put it on despite the dangers, it definitely gave me cause for concern. That's not something you can just do and walk away from."

"I... see," Starlight commented, unsure what to make of this new revelation. "But Trixie did mention that you forgave her for the incident, didn't you?"

Shining reluctantly nodded. "She seemed to be truly sorry for what she'd done, and even stayed to help my sister show off her progress to Princess Celestia. All the same, given your past, and her past, I'm worried that you two might not be the best influence on each other."

"So, you're going to just decide I can't be friends with her because you two fought in the past?" Starlight asked in a tone of voice that was all but accusing.

Shining shook his head. "Don't go putting words in my mouth, Starlight. I did tell you to make a new friend, and Trixie is certainly far from the worst choice you could've made," He paused for a considerable amount of time, before he added. "Part of having a student means letting the student learn on their own, even if it means they might get hurt. I can't do everything for you, and you'll certainly never learn how magical friendship can be if I pick and choose your friends. Just please promise me you'll be back in time for the dinner tonight, okay? And if it's not too much to ask, try to stay out of trouble, okay?"

"Don't worry, I assure you your trust in me isn't misplaced," Starlight smiled. "And I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by Trixie."

"Let's hope," Shining commented, as he then turned his attention back to Trixie and asked the magician. "So, Trixie, may I ask what brings you back to Ponyville after all this time?"

Trixie flashed a toothy smile at Shining. "Oh, I was wondering when you were going to ask. The Great and Powerful Trixie has come to Ponyville to make amends for her past misdeeds, and kick off her newest tour in style!" With a puff of magic smoke, she produced a flyer and showed it to Shining Armor. "I'm calling it 'The Great and Powerful Trixie's Equestria Wide Repentence and Apology Tour'."

"Wow, that really rolls off the tongue there." Starlight sarcastically remarked.

"It's a working title," Trixie retorted. "Anyway, if it's all the same to you, prince, I'll be 'borrowing' your student for the time being. She already promised to help me get set up for the show. 'Two heads are better than one.' as they always say."

But before Trixie could leave, Shining quickly called out to the magician. "Hey, Trixie!"

Trixie spun around. "Yes, Prince Shining Armor?"

Clearing his throat, Shining spoke in the most serious tone possible. "You listen and you listen good, because what I'm about to say is very important. Starlight is my student, so you treat her well, understand? She trusts you, and so I shall reluctantly do the same. But if you give me any reason to think you're not being pure about your intentions, that you're just using Starlight for your own goals, or if I find out you hurt Starlight in any way, shape, or form, I'll make sure you regret it. And for both our sakes, I hope it won't come to that. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Trixie grinned. "And you have my word, prince. I shall take good care of Starlight Glimmer. See you tonight." And then she and Starlight departed the throne room without another word.





Shining spent the rest of the day getting things ready for Princess Celestia's visit that night, only slightly concerned when Starlight never checked in. He'd made it clear what time the dinner was and trusted her to manage the time she had carefully.

But as night fell and the dinner got under way, Starlight still didn't show. Assuming she must've gotten lost within the castle again, Shining searched all the rooms and hallways, but found no trace of Starlight's presence anywhere. So that could mean only one thing. "I hope I'm wrong on this, I really really do." He thought to himself, as he raced out of the castle and into Ponyville.

Sure enough, as he topped a hill, he saw a massive crowd of ponies sitting in front of a stage. And flyers just like the one he'd seen before were posted on either side of the stage. "I hate when I'm right." Shining mentally groaned. What he was going to do next was not going to be pretty, but a line had to be drawn somewhere.

Making his way backstage (and to his luck finding the door open), Shining found both Trixie and Starlight talking and laughing, although Trixie had yet to put on her hat and cape. Clearing his throat, Shining caught the attention of the two unicorns. He proceeded to speak severely to Starlight. "So, let me get this straight. I specifically told you about the important dinner with Princess Celestia, and you gave me your word you'd be there. Yet now I find you here, halfway across town, without so much as a note or a heads-up about where you'd be?"

Starlight gulped and cowered ever so slightly. "I... didn't mean to forget about the dinner. I was gonna leave you a note, honest," She innocently insisted. "It's just, Trixie and I hit it off so well and I wanted to help her out. Be her assistant for her show. There's nothing wrong with that, right?"

"Any other night there wouldn't be, Starlight," Shining frowned. "But you already gave your word you'd be at that dinner, and it's rude to just decline at the last minute. It's even more rude to keep the princess waiting. I'm sorry, but Trixie will just have to perform her little magic show without you," Then, turning to Trixie, he added. "And don't think you're without blame in all this, Trixie. You should've asked me before you made Starlight your assistant, or at least asked if she had other obligations she needed to take care of first, not jump to conclusions and make her your assistant on a whim."

However, Starlight refused to budge. She instead said in a defiant tone. "I'm sorry too, Shining Armor, but I promised to be Trixie's assistant and I couldn't call myself a good friend if I backed out on her now. This is her big chance to truly make a name for herself and turn her life around. And if you ask me, that sounds far more important than some random dinner with Princess Celestia. If there's time, I might swing by the castle to visit, but you'll just have to tell the princess tonight isn't going to work out. I'm doing what you asked, I made a friend, and now I'm helping her out. You should be proud of me, not trying to tell me what I can and can't do."

"Starlight, you know that's NOT what this is about!" Shining glared in reply. "Any other night this wouldn't be a problem, but tonight it is."

"Then I guess you know where I stand!" Starlight said with a humph.

Then, much to the surprise of both teacher and student, Trixie decided to chime in. "Ha! You hear that, Shining Armor?!" She declared in a tone that might as well have been boastful. "Your own student has chosen to spend time with me instead of you. So it doesn't matter if you want to give me a second chance or not, because Starlight does, and that's all that matters to me. It looks like I finally win!" The magician gasped a second later, as the gravity of what she'd just said sank in! "W-wait, that came out wrong!" She insisted, but it was too late.

Starlight found herself struggling to hold back tears. "So, this was all just to settle some silly rivalry I didn't even know existed?" She shouted accusingly at Trixie. "Here I thought I'd finally met a pony I could truly connect with, a pony who really understood me, and you were just interested in using me for your own selfish purposes."

"Starlight, please, it's not what it looks like!" Trixie hastily insisted, trying to think of a compelling argument. "Everything Trixie said before was true. Beating Shining Armor was just a nice little bonus and... Oh, wow, my words are completely failing me tonight."

Now the tears were trickling down Starlight's face without end. In a sharp and hurt tone of voice, she snapped at Trixie. "I should've known! Hardly anypony else was willing to be my friend, why should you have been different?!" And before anypony could stop her, she ran off through the open back stage door and disappeared.

Shining, in vain, called out to her. But there was no reply, Starlight was gone. "Well, Trixie, I hope you're pleased with yourself," He remarked with a shake of his head. "I trusted you, and this is how you repay me. What do you have to say for yourself? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't make you pack up your wagon and take your magic show somewhere else?"

To the surprise of Shining, Trixie burst into tears as well. And these weren't crocodile tears either, they were genuine. And even as they trickled down her face, Trixie replied. "Well, you're right, prince, I am happy. Thank you so much for chasing away the only pony who's ever offered to help, the only pony I ever truly had a bond with. I most certainly don't feel like my heart's breaking into a million tiny pieces right now. It looks like the Great and Powerful Trixie is back to being a solo act again."

"Trixie?" Shining asked with concern. "I-I'm sorry."

Trixie didn't acknowledge Shining's response, she merely went on saying. "Which is EXACTLY how she always wanted it! Trixie was always meant to be a loner, and that's the way it has to be! I wouldn't expect an apology from you, let alone Starlight, and I don't blame either of you. Don't waste your time with a sorry sight like me, go make amends and forget about me, you both deserve better." And with that, she ran back inside her wagon, and slammed the stage door shut!

Shining knocked on the back door in the vain hopes of getting Trixie to respond, but after several minutes of pointless knocking, all he'd managed to do was make his hooves sore. Sensing that he wasn't going to get anywhere with the heart broken performer, he decided that the best he could in this situation, was tend to his student and hope that she could get through to Trixie.





It didn't take long for Shining to track down Starlight this time, he found her resting on top of the same hill from which he'd spotted Trixie's wagon a short time ago. But just by observing her from a glance, it was clear that she was greatly upset, and it was going to take a lot to get her to feel better.

"Starlight?" Shining called, as he carefully approached his student, pretending not to notice the tears in her eyes.

Starlight was merely looking out towards the stage. The crowd was going restless. The show was supposed to have long since started, but there were no lights, no announcements, not even a puff of smoke. It wasn't hard to hear their jeers, and the chorus of boos that were ringing out.

With a sigh, Starlight turned to face her teacher, hastily wiping away her tears. "Oh, it's just you," She glumly commented, and then sighed. "I guess you were right about Trixie after all, I never should've doubted you."

But Shining only shook his head. "This is part of what being a teacher is all about, Starlight. Sometimes, it means you have to let your student learn on their own, even if it means they get hurt," Sitting down and draping a wing over Starlight, he then added. "I know it's not easy to make new friends. I wasn't the best at friendship when I first came here, I felt it was never really worth it with my path in life. But coming here helped me to realize that I was wrong, that friends are one of the most important things anypony can have in life. If it wasn't for their help, I wouldn't be the pony I am today."

"I fail to see how this is supposed to help me with Trixie, you heard what she said back there," Starlight sighed again. "I just wonder, did she really mean all those things she said before then? Or was she just faking it to get on my good side and take advantage of me?"

"I can't answer that for you, Starlight," Shining replied. "You have to find the answer to that question yourself. It's up to you whether you think Trixie was being truthful or not. Whatever your choice, I'll be here for you if you need it, and I won't judge you."

Starlight just sat on the hill, thinking over everything that had happened to her since meeting Trixie, and even recalling her meeting with Trixie back at the spa earlier that day. Everything had seemed so genuine, it had truly seemed like Trixie wanted to be Starlight's friend with no strings attached. She'd claimed that her remarks back stage weren't her true intentions, but was that really the case, or had she merely been trying to save face?

Suddenly, the stage lights flickered on, and a depressed looking Trixie stumbled onto the stage as she spoke in a monotone voice. "Come one, come all. Come and see the Pathetic and Friendless Trixie's 'Way to go, dumb-dumb! You really messed it up this time!' Repentence Tour," The crowd stopped jeering, instead exchanging odd glances and whispers. "It's a working title!" Trixie grumbled, but said nothing more.

Starlight watched, as Trixie failed magic trick after magic trick with little effort. It seemed like the magician had lost her will to perform, and was just going through the motions. She didn't even seem phased by the crowd patrons getting up and leaving, or throwing tomatoes at her. Starlight expected such scenes to bring her satisfaction, but they just left her with an empty feeling in her stomach. It was then that she knew what she had to do! She rose to her hooves, and rushed to the stage! "Hang on, Trixie, I'm coming for you, you big dumb-dumb!" She thought to herself!





By the time Starlight had reached Trixie, the magician had already decided to begin the grand finale. A fearsome manticore appeared on the stage, tied up with chains. "Behold, the Moonshot Manticore Mouthdive," Trixie spoke in a montone voice. "For the grand finale of tonight's performance, the Pathetic and Friendless Trixie shall blast herself into the manticore's mouth, and then magically appear unharmed in the black box," The crowd began to gasp! Only one magician had ever been crazy enough to attempt such an escape trick, and when he'd died everypony had assumed the secret to the trick died with him. Surely, Trixie knew this and wasn't being serious! But Trixie's only response was. "Now now, save your gasps, for when Trixie emerges from the black box." Before she climbed into a nearby cannon.

All that remained, was for Trixie to light the fuse, and launch herself into the waiting mouth of the Manticore. But she couldn't bring herself to do it, not even as the crowd went back to jeering and booing.

Then, suddenly, the fuse was lit (though not by Trixie)! Before Trixie had a chance to perhaps reconsider her decision, the cannon fired, launching her through the air! Horrified, Trixie shut her eyes!

Everypony watched, as the magician was launched directly into the manticore's mouth and was swallowed whole! The manticore letting out a belch to indicate it was satisfied with its meal! But just a second later, there came a flash of magic, and the black box on the stage began to rumble and fall apart! Sure enough, Trixie emerged from the black box, dazed (and her hat and cape torn in several places) but unharmed, just as she'd promised! That was enough to get what remained of the crowd to applaud!

Trixie was surprised when she found herself back on the stage, and being helped to her hooves by none other than Starlight Glimmer. Her passion reawakened, Trixie cried out in a thunderous voice! "Mares and gentlestallions, I give you three cheers for my assistant and best friend Starlight Glimmer! Without her help, I could not have attempted the Moonshot Manticore Mouthdive, let alone pulled it off!" The crowd went wild, as the curtain fell upon the stage.





With the privacy of the red curtain, Trixie and Starlight shared a passionate hug. But it was soon interrupted when Shining appeared and called out. "Hey, Trixie."

Trixie groaned, reluctantly breaking off the hug with Starlight. "Oh great, what do you want from me, Prince? Come to rub your victory in my face?" She grumpily complained.

"Not everything between us has to be a contest, Trixie," Shining laughed, and then explained. "I wanted to say, I'm sorry if I was hard on you earlier. Given our past, I was a little weary of your possible motives. But I see now, that you really meant no harm, you truly did want to change. And I really do have to hoof to you and Starlight, I certainly could've never done anything like that. Heck, when Twily and I were younger and we were just fooling around, we couldn't even do the magic box or the sawing a pony in half tricks right. Stage magic's definitely not as easy as you make it seem. So whadya say? Friends?"

Trixie looked across to Starlight, who just smiled back at her. Tipping her still battered hat to Shining, Trixie smiled and bowed. "Friends. And this time, I really mean it when I say 'Thank you, Prince.'" And then she made some fireworks shoot off above the stage.

"So, about that dinner with Celestia?" Starlight asked, as the fireworks occupied the crowd.

"Well, it's getting late, but I think the three of us can swing by for a quick chat," Shining suggested. "After all, you two must be starving after a performance like that."

"It's like you read my mind, Shining," Trixie happily replied. "Whatever you've prepared has to be better than the grub I have to eat on the road."

"Is it true what they say? Do you really eat pinecones?" Starlight asked Trixie.

Trixie gagged. "Not in a million years! I don't know where ponies get such ridiculous ideas!" And that made her, Starlight, and Shining all laugh.