//------------------------------// // Chapter Three - "The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of" // Story: A Great and Powerful Comeback // by PrecogLaughter //------------------------------// “ … well that’s what you get when you come across a pair o’ sprites!” The room went so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Starlight grinned from ear to ear as she leaned in toward Sunburst and Trixie in anticipation. They were not reacting. “Pair. O’. Sprites…” Starlight elaborated. “Parasprites?!” “Oh, yeah, I get it Starlight,” Sunburst said in an attempt to humour his friend. “That’s a good one. Ha-ha…” “Really? Fake laughter? You could at least groan at my bad jokes. I’d still take that as a win.” “Oh sorry,” Sunburst said. He let out a low fake sounding moan. “Fake groaning is even worse!” Starlight threw her hooves up in defeat. “Ah, the moment’s gone, Sunburst.” “No, no. Maybe if you told it again I’d laugh more, now that I know what the punchline is.” “That’s not how jokes work! It’s cheating if you know the punchline in advance. What about you Trixie? You always laugh at my bad jokes.” Trixie wasn’t listening. She was staring off into space, lost in thought. “Hello… Trixie!” Starlight exclaimed. “Hmm? What is it?” Trixie asked as her attention was brought back to the room. “I was just telling a joke and you didn’t laugh or groan at the punchline.” “Oh, sorry. Could you tell the first part again?” “Forget it. It’s about time get this meeting started anyway,” Starlight said as she pulled her chair. “I think that’s a good idea. Now that the Headmare Comedy Hour has ended…,” said the vice principal. “Good one, Sunburst,” said Trixie with a genuine laugh. “Oh now you’re just rubbing salt in,” Starlight said with narrowed eyes. “I can’t win with you guys.” The three of them were in a large boardroom used for faculty meetings. They sat across from each other at a long table. Sometimes the room was used to host larger meetings with all of the teachers present, but this was not one of them. As headmare, Starlight made it a point of order to hold a meeting every week to check in with Sunburst and Trixie, as well as to see if they had any ideas to bring forth regarding the school’s future. Starlight felt that keeping her two best friends at her side, essentially running the school in tandem with her, was the most productive way to keep things fair and democratic. It was a little awkward holding a meeting of three at a table made to seat 25 and the spaciousness of the room kind of ate the sound of their voices but Trixie never complained about needing to project. “What is the first item on the agenda,” she asked. Trixie had been waiting for this meeting for days. She just had to wait for the right moment to lay her plan into action. “Right.” Sunburst gathered his notes and adjusted his glasses. “First up, a matter that concerns school lunches. We now have a significant dragon population in our student body. These dragons have all signed a petition to add gemstones to the lunch menu.” “Dragon exclusive options?” asked Starlight. “I don’t know… Gems aren’t cheap. And they aren’t really a necessary part of a dragon’s daily nutrition.” “I know but gems are a major part of their culture,” Sunburst said, holding up the petition. “The consensus seems to say that they feel excluded without gems in the lunchroom in at least some capacity. Some non-dragon students have signed the petition too. I think to stand with them in support.” “Hmmm,” Starlight pondered. “It could introduce some non-dragon students to some aspects of dragon culture. And this petition; I wouldn’t want them to feel discouraged from standing together in the future. How about we add gems to the menu once a week. At least to start.” “Perfect,” said Sunburst as he began taking notes. “I’ll move some numbers in our budget around. This should be pretty easy to make happen.” He shuffled his papers to move on to the next subject. “Okay, next up we have an issue about the trip to Yakyakistan in a few weeks…” These meetings were never Trixie’s comfort zone. More often than not she was bored out of her mind. She was happy to be included and chipped in once and a while but she usually sat quietly and let Starlight and Sunburst handle things. They were more skilled at this sort of thing anyway. Trixie wasn’t a planner, she was a doer. And today she just had to wait for the right topic to come up… “One more thing I’d like to bring up is student mixers,” said Sunburst. Bingo! Thought Trixie, letting Sunburst continue. “The students have all gotten to know each other over the past week. It’s time we help them come completely out of their shells. They should feel free to be themselves around each other so they can start on the path to making life-long friends. Any idea-“ “Trixie has the perfect idea!” she stood up and declared. For the entire meeting Starlight and Sunburst were speaking in hushed tones so the sound of Trixie’s voice suddenly reverberating through the room made them jump out of their seats. Trixie didn’t even let them settle back down before she continued. “Trixie speaks to the students every … almost every day. Trixie knows what they want. They want a chance to make their mark here at the school. They want to feel the freedom to express themselves. To be able to say in front of everycreature: ‘This is who I am!’ That’s why Trixie suggests that we hold…” She paused for dramatic effect. “A talent show!” “A talent show. That’s a good idea Trixie!” Starlight seemed to be immediately onboard. “That should be a lot of fun for everycreature. Think of all the different skills they’ll get to show off.” “But wait, there’s more!” Trixie continued. “This talent show will give everycreature a chance to shine. And the best part is, the closing act will be none other than a comeback performance by the Great and Powerful Trixie!!” Trixie had finished her pitch. She had been practicing it to herself all day, waiting for the chance to deliver. She, as always, expected to be met with applause and cheers. Instead her friends just looked at her uncomfortably. “You … want to be in the show?” asked Sunburst. “Of course. I’ll be right up there to support them.” “You want to be in the students’ talent show?” he clarified. “Mm-hmm what’s the problem with that? “It’s a … highly irregular request, Trixie.” “Think about it. What if there are certain kids, too self-conscious to gather up the bravery to get up onstage? Imagine how they will feel when they see their guidance counselor making it look easy. Think of how inspired they’ll be!” Starlight and Sunburst just stared at her. They clearly didn’t follow this logic at all. “Well, guys? What do you say?” Sunburst looked at Starlight with pleading eyes so Starlight spoke up. “Trixie? Can I speak to you for a second?” “Sure thing,” said Trixie. “Thanks. Sunburst, we’ll be just a second. Okay?” “No problem. Take your time,” said Sunburst, returning to his notes and shaking his head. The headmare led Trixie through the door to the hallway. Classes were in session so it was quiet. “Trixie, what is this about?” “What do you mean?” “C’mon. Trix… You’ve been so quiet today, then suddenly you’re all gung ho about this talent show idea of yours-” “It’s a good idea Starlight.” “-making declarations in third person.” “Trixie doesn’t know what you’re talking about.” Trixie tried not to make eye contact with Starlight. “I know you. I know you only speak in third person when you get really excited about something.” “Well there’s no need to make Trix… um… me self-conscious about the way I speak…” “And you want to perform in it? What’s going on, Trixie? Does this have anything to do with you putting on your old outfit again?” Trixie sighed. She couldn’t keep anything from Starlight, could she? “Star, that day I felt something I haven’t felt in years. It was this … burning. I don’t know how else to describe it. This need. A compulsion. It’s been so long since I did a show. A real magic show. Not just some tricks for a welcome speech; an honest-to-Celestia, all out performance. That was all I did for the better part of my life. It’s all I thought I was good at before I put it all away for good. Putting on that hat made me feel young again.” Trixie realized she was pacing with anxiety. This meant more to her than she had realized, but it was too late to stop and turn back. “This isn’t just something I want. I think it’s something I need. My cutie mark is a magic wand for goodness sake, it’s who I am. And it’s not that guidance counseling isn’t unfulfilling. I like it very much, it’s just…” “You’re a showpony,” Starlight finished for her. Trixie finally met her eyes and was greeted by a warm smile. “It’s who I was. It’s who I am,” Trixie concluded with a nod, a look of determination in her eyes. There was a pause between them. Silence filled the hallway. Then Starlight started laughing. She put a hoof up to her mouth to contain it. “Starlight!” Trixie said as she put her own hooves on her friend’s shoulders. “This is serious.” “I know Trixie, but seriously, a TALENT show?” Starlight was laughing harder now. “I thought it was a good idea.” “I think so too. But not for you.” Starlight took a breath to compose herself. “I think it’s great you want to put on another show. But you didn’t need an excuse to do it. And you certainly don’t need to enter a talent show with the students. Why would you think that?” “I don’t know. I thought it would be self-indulgent, you know. Self-centred of me to want to have the stage all to myself.” “When has that stopped you before?” “Well it… Hey! I resent that!” “You know what I mean.” She did. “Trixie if you want to put on another show. Then that’s what we’re going to do.” “We?” asked Trixie. “You didn’t think I’d let you do this alone? I used to be your assistant, remember? I’ll help you every step of the way. We can even do it here at the school. But the talent show’s going to be a separate event.” “I think that’s a good idea.” Trixie was beaming. This was a better result than she anticipated. “Let’s head back inside,” said Starlight. “I think we’ve kept Sunburst waiting long enough.” “Agreed.” The two of them headed back into the boardroom. Trixie had an extra spring in her step. Starlight was happy too. This would be a fun change of pace for a while and it would make her friend happy. But one thing sat at the back of her mind that gave her pause. Trixie had said for the better part of her life she had been a magician. The better part. Now at first Starlight took it to be in the figurative sense; that if you took all the years of Trixie’s life, she had spent more of them performing rather than not. However, Starlight wondered if Trixie had meant it literally. Had her life been better before Starlight asked her to be the guidance counselor at the School of Friendship? Trixie always seemed happy. She never complained about the position. This was the first time she had expressed her desire to go back to performing. Starlight shook her head. She was overthinking things. Twilight’s influence again, surely. It’s not like Trixie was asking to do this regularly. This was just going to be a one-and-done deal. Right? Then again, Trixie did seem awfully certain of how much she loved doing this. Did she want to go back to her old life? Starlight didn’t have time to dwell on this now. They were already back in the room and seated and their respective places at the table. “So…,” Sunburst began. “Talent show?” “Talent show,” Starlight confirmed. “But first. You’re going to have to find room in the calendar for something else.”