"T-Trixie?" Beatrix cried in bewilderment, "but... but I don't--"
"Now, now Beatrix, this is you're time to shine," Hoofdini said with a wink at the filly, "and if you're gonna shine, then you need an appropriate stage name, don't you think?"
"Well..." Beatrix began with an unsure frown, "I... guess so..."
"Come on, Trixie," Hoofdini urged as he gestured to the crowd, "embrace the name! Let the world know that Trixie Lulamoon has taken to the stage, and that she's here to entertain!"
Beatrix looked out over the crowd of ponies and was surprised to see that a great many of them were cheering and stomping their hooves. She could even hear a few shouting words of encouragement.
Needless to say, the filly was overwhelmed.
Never in her life had she received so much positive encouragement -- or indeed any positive encouragement. It was a strange feeling and without realizing it, Beatrix found herself wearing a genuine smile for the first time that she could remember.
"There's that smile I was hoping to see."
Beatrix turned to Hoofdini and he gave a nod and a soft smile of his own as he spoke.
"Look at that crowd, Trixie," he said turning to do just that, "look at how enthusiastic they are. They want to see a performance, they want to see something spectacular -- something they've never seen before!"
He looked back to Beatrix with a wide grin.
"And then there's you, my dear," he said gesturing to the awe-struck filly, "when I first laid my eyes on you, I saw a filly who looked like she had nothing -- a filly desperate for something to cling to, and now look at you! Brimming with enthusiasm just like those ponies out there!"
He once again faced the crowd and waved a hoof dramatically.
"Keep up that enthusiasm, Beatrix Lulamoon!" he cried, "there is nothing more contagious than exuberant enthusiasm!"
The ponies redoubled their cheers, spurred on by the showpony's speech, and Beatrix's spirit soared at Hoofdini's words. No longer did she dread being abandoned by her Father, no longer was she a scared little filly fearing the wrath of her Mother, no longer was she the shivering sniveling mess sleeping beneath the floor.
No.
As of this moment, she was Trixie Lulamoon -- assistant to Great and Powerful stage magician, Harry Hoofdini.
"Alright, folks! I believe we've kept you waiting long enough!"
He lit up his horn once more and a large box wheeled itself out from behind the large red curtains.
"This one's an oldie but a goodie, ladies and gents!" Hoofdini said to the crowd, "for this performance, I'm going to use this box to make my adorable assistant disappear!"
Trixie... can you hear me?
The ponies in the crowd began muttering in skeptical tones, but Trixie wasn't paying attention.
Her ear flickered and she furrowed her brow in confusion.
"Now I know what your thinking, folks!" Hoofdini continued, "and I assure you, this--" he tapped his horn "--will not be involved in any way!"
Trixie...
Trixie shook her head and looked over to Hoofdini who was still explaining the trick to the crowd. She had missed the explanation because of the odd--
Trixie, it's me, Hoofdini. If you can hear me, stay calm and don't panic.
Trixie eyes widened in shock and her heart began to race.
"H-Hoof--"
Trixie, I know this is surprising, but I need you to stay... calm. I am speaking to you via Telepathy. All you have to do is think about what you want to tell me and I'll hear it.
Trixie looked back to Hoofdini and, sure enough, the stallion was still talking up the crowd. She had to squint and look closely to see it, but she could just make out a translucent white glow coming from Hoofdini's horn.
You can... read my mind?
Not in the way you're thinking, Hoofdini replied, I can only hear the surface thoughts you direct at me. I'll only be using telepathy to give you instructions. We need to be quick about this, so try not to ask too many questions and follow along with what I say. Can you do that, my assistant?
Trixie briefly mulled over what she had heard. She had no idea how Hoofdini was able to communicate directly to her mind and had several questions she wanted to ask.
But right now, she was supposed to be Hoofdini's assistant, and she didn't want to disappoint the only pony who had been nice to her -- who had given her a chance to be something more than she was. She looked over to Hoofdini who was glancing at her over his shoulder.
She set her face in a determined frown and nodded silently.
Hoofdini gave her a small smile and turned back to the crowd.
"Now, just to prove that there will be no use of my horn," Hoofdini continued, "I will be making use of an anti-magic horn ring."
Now, Trixie, this is an actual anti-magic horn ring. In order to demonstrate it's authenticity I'm going to ask you to wear the ring briefly. It's not going to be pleasant, but neither will it hurt. It's perfectly safe, but it will block off all access to your magic until it's removed. Are you okay with this?
Trixie gulped nervously but nodded nonetheless.
I can do it.
Excellent, Hoofdini replied as he levitated a small wooden box over, Now before I do this here's what I need you to do...
Hoofdini explained to Trixie how the disappearing box trick worked while simultaneously showing off the horn ring to the audience. Once he had finished his explanation, Trixie gave him an unsure frown.
She felt and odd mix of disappointment and amazement at learning the secret behind Hoofdini's disappearing box trick. Hoofdini saw this and gave her a small smile.
Trixie, I can tell you're confused on how to feel about what I've told you, but always remember this. A stage magician is only an actor -- a showpony if you will -- and the secret to showponyship isn't about what you actually do, but what the audience thinks you do.
Trixie contemplated what Hoofdini had said while the stallion in question address the audience.
"Now, I will have my assistant demonstrate the horn ring's authenticity for all you skeptics out there," Hoofdini turned to the blue filly with a questioning raise of his brow, "Trixie, are you ready?"
Trixie shook herself out of her thoughts and nodded. Hoofdini nodded in turn, took the ring out of the box and placed it onto Trixie's horn.
Trixie gasped in surprise and shuddered at the unpleasant sensation.
"Now then," he removed his hat and -- reaching a hoof inside -- he withdrew a white plastic ball, "try to levitate this if you would."
Trixie eyed the ball and tried to lift it with her magic, but her pink aura only sputtered and died. Hoofdini nodded in satisfaction before removing the horn ring -- much to Trixie's relief.
"You see, folks?" Hoofdini exclaimed levitating both the ball and the box back to the table, "one hundred percent authentic!"
The audience seemed satisfied and Hoofdini gave them a wide grin before nodding to Trixie.
You know what to do.
Trixie nodded back and trotted over to the box as Hoofdini placed the horn ring onto his own horn.
"Now that everything is in place, my assistant will show that the box is solid and completely empty!"
Trixie did just that -- opening the large black box from the front to reveal nothing inside. She then rotated the box, knocking on each of it's walls to demonstrate how solid they were before turning it so that the door was facing the audience. Remembering what Hoofdini had said about showponyship, she tried to get into it by waving to the audience and flashing a big smile.
She had been afraid of standing in front of so many ponies and had feared being laughed off the stage once she was up there. But now that she was actually making a conscious effort, she had realized her fears were unfounded. For the first time in her life, she was enjoying the task that was given to her.
She was actually having fun, despite the countless eyes watching her.
"Now if you would please step into the box, Trixie?"
Trixie complied, entering the box and giving the crowd one last wave before Hoofdini shut the box. He rotated the box a few times before speaking to the audience.
"If all goes well, then my assistant will have completely vanished from the box," he stopped the rotation as he spoke, "and now I open the box to reveal..."
He paused for dramatic effect before pulling open the door.
"...absolutely nothing!"
Sure enough, the box was completely devoid of any small blue fillies. The crowd gasped in amazement and stomped their hooves in approval of the trick. A few were still skeptical of the act and muttered their own theories about what had happened to the filly, but Hoofdini paid them no mind.
"Alright, settle down, folks," Hoofdini said after a moment, "another spin and I'll have my assistant back in a jiffy."
He closed the door and gave the box another spin.
"And now, ladies and gentlecolts," he exclaimed, preparing to open the door, "I give you..." he pulled open the door, "Trixie!"
The box was still empty.
"Now wait a minute. That's not right..." Hoofdini muttered in a confusion mirrored by the increasingly worried crowd. He stepped inside the box, scanning it briefly before turning to the crowd with a horrified expression.
"She's gone!"
The crowd's murmurs became cries of shock.
"Now, now folks," Hoofdini said raising his hooves placatingly, "I'm sure I can bring her back, I just need to--"
The door slammed shut.
The crowd grew silent as the box spun itself around a few times.
It slowed to a stop.
The audience waited in stunned silence.
After a few seconds, the door creaked open to reveal a waving blue filly. The crowd began to cheer, but it died down quickly when one of the ponies noticed something wrong.
"Where's Hoofdini?" the pony cried.
The other ponies looked at each other and murmured in confusion. Trixie played the part of the confused and scared little filly as she stepped out of the box and looked around. She turned back to the now empty box, only to yelp in surprise as the box once again slammed itself shut and spun around a few more times.
Several ponies in the crowd gasped and others waited to see what would happen with bated breath. The box slowed to a stop and Trixie tentatively trotted up to the box and, after a moment's hesitation, pulled the door open.
She smiled and turned to the crowd, giving a dramatic wave of her hoof towards the open box that now housed a bowing Hoofdini. The audience stomped and cheered and shouted their astonishment at the feat as Hoofdini stepped out of the box. He turned and winked at the little blue filly and Trixie giggled in return.
"That wasn't so bad now was it?" Hoofdini asked.
Trixie shook her head and gave a wide smile in response.
"It was a lot of fun!" she replied, "I... I get it -- what you said about show... show... pony--"
"Showponyship, my dear Trixie," Hoofdini finished, "and I had no doubt in my mind that you would understand," he smiled at Trixie again before turning to the crowd, "now why don't you give your audience a bow?"
Trixie nodded and together they gave a deep bow to the still cheering audience.
That's when Trixie felt it.
She didn't know what it was, but something was happening.
She frowned at the odd sensation and missed what Hoofdini said next as she tried to focus on that feeling.
"...not over yet, ladies and gents!"
It was warm -- a gentle warmth that spread throughout her body and, oddly enough, seemed to center itself around her flanks.
"...next trick might be a bit gruesome, folks, but I guarantee..."
The feeling grew warmer and warmer and Trixie's eyes slowly widened as she began realize what was happening.
...have here a long thread of needles that I will...
With a growing smile, she turned her head towards one of her glowing flanks to see the appearance of her--
"WHAT THE BUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING UP THERE, GIRL!?"
Beatrix's terrified gaze snapped towards the audience and she stumbled back in horror.
Standing right in front of the stage was Father -- his cerulean eyes blazing with fury.
Just like that, the glow died out.
The feeling was gone.
The gentle warmth ripped away and replaced with cold dread.