That morning, Soul was ready for a fairly relaxing day. When he returned to the hotel last night, he had inquired about the courier system from the front desk – which, to his relief, was then manned by a chipper, mauve pegasus – and learned that a courier box was located on the main balcony of the 2nd floor. His first order of business was to write a letter to Rarity. He searched the desk in his room to find a sheet of parchment and a pencil. He wrote as follows:
Dear Rarity,
If you are not too busy, I would be pleased if you would come see a show with me tonight. I should inform you that this is related to the Elements of Nature. I have reason to believe this performer is the element bearer I am looking for, but I need the opportunity to talk with her to confirm this. As a member of high society, I was hoping you would be willing to assist me in reaching her. I understand that you have your own business to attend to, and if what I ask would interfere with that, just let me know. The show starts shortly after sunset. Please send a response as soon as you can. I am staying at The Sunrise Spire, Room 205.
Sincerely,
Soul Seer
Soul folded up his letter and labeled it, “Rarity, Palace Guestroom”. He made his way to the 2nd floor balcony, which was right above the lobby entrance. The courier box was a blue wooden container that stood on a wooden pedestal. It bore a picture of a scroll with a pair of wings; the emblem of the Canterlot Courier Service. As he was about to slip the letter into the slot on the side of the box, he remembered that the Princess wanted him to update her on his research. He let the letter fall into the box and decided that he would write up his report after getting some breakfast.
Soul headed down the stairs and out the lobby door. The sound of flapping wings drew his attention to the sky above him. He looked just in time to see a white pegasus wearing a uniform and carrying a satchel leave the balcony above him. That was fast, he thought as the pegasus flew out of his view. I wonder how they know when a message needs to be delivered. This thought still was on his mind by the time he got to the marketplace. In the end, he shook it off thinking; cities are strange places, especially where magic is widely used. He bought some carrots – apples were nice, but he needed some variety – and headed back to the hotel.
Back in his room, Soul gathered more parchment from the desk at set to work writing his report to Princess Celestia. He wrote about the book from the archives, including the legend at the beginning and unknown sixth element, comparing them to the Elements of Harmony. He told of how Scootaloo possess the Element of Air, and how it should best be kept secret from her for the time being. He also mentioned his current search for the element in Canterlot, and how he believed it is in the performer known as Trixie. He wrote slowly and carefully; he was writing to royalty after all, and he wanted to make sure his writing appeared formal.
Soul eventually got to the point where he had to write about Everfree:
Twilight and I have met the guardian of the Elements of Nature. He is a draconequus, currently residing deep in the Everfree Forest, which would seem to indicate that it was once the sanctuary for the elements. When prompted about his name, he decided to take the forest’s name as his own; from this point on, I will refer to him as ‘Everfree’.
Everfree appears to be connected to the elements, and can sense their general location. He says that they ‘are calling out to him’ and that they ‘know that they are being sought out’. He is assisting me and locating the Elements of Nature under the condition that I gather them for him. He wishes to return the element’s power ‘back to their rightful place’, to which I assume he means to give the power back to nature. His intentions seem good enough, but I worry about what he is willing to do to achieve them. He appears to have great power over the creatures of the forest, and he was not above attacking us to get our attention.
For now, I am playing along so that I may find the other Elements of Nature, but I did convince him to let me gather the elements in Ponyville before bringing them to him. That should at least give us all sometime if Everfree decides to get more aggressive in his approach.
I should also mention that he has a rather fierce hatred towards the spirit of Chaos known as Discord; Everfree claims it is Discord’s fault for the Elements of Nature being lost, which would make Discord the ‘dark force’ mentioned in the legend.
I know it is not my place to give you advice, but for I would ask that we make sure Everfree remains ignorant to your involvement in my search. I am unsure of how much he knows about you, but he seems to be well informed about events that have occurred in or around the forest. I will try to get some more information out of him the next time we meet. The more I know about what he knows, the better I can determine his motives. I will send my next report as soon as I can.
Signed,
Soul Seer
Soul read over his report to make sure that he had not left anything out. Satisfied that it was complete, he rolled it up into a scroll and carefully placed it in his bag. While writing it, he considered whether it would be a good idea to send it to the Princess via courier. While he had no reason to doubt that the courier pegasus would deliver it to the palace, he was worried about it not getting to the Princess directly. He didn’t think anyone at the palace would look at the report if it was addressed to Princess Celestia, but he thought that if it wasn’t brought to her immediate attention, it could get lost amongst other incoming message for her. She was the ruler of Equestria after all; He was sure she was busy dealing with important business all the time. In the end he decided it was best to make sure it got delivered to her personally. Perhaps Rarity can get my report to the Princess, he thought. I’ll ask her about that after my chat with Trixie.
He headed downstairs, wondering when he would get a response from Rarity. As entered the lobby, the dark orange mare behind the desk turned to look at him. “You’re the one staying in Room 205,” she called out. “Is your name Soul Seer?”
Soul was surprised for moment that she was talking to him before he registered what she said. “Yea, I’m Soul Seer.”
“A message for you was just dropped off.” She quietly turned and grabbed the folded parchment that was resting in the cubbyhole labeled “205”.
Soul approached the desk quickly. “She wasn’t kidding, those couriers are fast.”
The hotel mare rolled her eyes as she pushed the message across the desk. “Yeah, whatever.” Then she leaned forward, making direct eye contact with Soul. “Since you’re here, mind giving me your payment for tonight? I assume you are staying tonight as well.”
Soul averted his eyes, giving a quick sigh before returning a weak smile. “Yes, of course.” After taking another twenty bits from his money pouch, he took his message over to one of the couches and proceeded to read it:
Dear Soul Seer,
As it so happens, I do not have any previous engagements for this evening, so I would be delighted to see a show with you. I do hope I am able to help you, and as you say, I do have a certain amount of influence in this society. I do wish you would have told me what kind of performance this is so that I could have picked out the perfect outfit. I’ll just have to wear an ensemble that is appropriate no matter what. I will meet you outside the palace gates shortly before sunset.
Sincerely,
Rarity
Soul folded up the note and placed it in his bag. That takes care of that then. He began to think about what he would do until that evening. I kind of wish I had taken the time to get my street booth permit. I’ve been ending up with a lot of downtime…. He gave a weary glance over at the front desk. …and considering the amount of money I’ve been spending…. He gave a quiet sigh as he lifted himself off the couch. …but it isn’t worth it to try to get it now. Hopefully I’ll only be here for about one more day, and who knows how long it would take to authorize the paperwork. In the end, he decided just to walk around the city and enjoy the day. He took his glasses from his bag, placed them over his eyes, and headed out the door.
********
The sun was slowly approaching the horizon as Soul approached the palace gates. He could see that Rarity was just arriving at the gates as well. She was wearing an azure dress with trim around the neckline and hem and a stylized saddle, both a golden-yellow. Her mane was pulled up into a fashionable tower of hair.
“You didn’t have to get dressed up on my account,” Soul said as they met just outside the gates.
Rarity let a burst of air escape her lips as she shook her head. “You simple don’t understand anything about high-class society, do you?” She looked at him, determined to pass on some class to this ignorant pony. “I dress according to any outing, as it is the fashionable thing to do; it is expected of me as a fashion designer.”
Soul rolled his eyes. I don’t think I’ll ever understand high-class society. “Well, I do hope I’m not impairing your image if you’re seen with me.”
Rarity smiled and waved a hood at him. “Don’t be silly, you look....” She looked him over as she tried to think of the right word. ”… You look fine.” Then she saw the top of his head; she clicked her tongue and sighed as she tilted her head. “But those sunglasses… I mean really, sunglasses at night? That’s just common sense.”
Once again, Soul rolled his eyes; this time rolling head along with them for emphasis. “You know why I need these glasses. Besides, it’s not like I’m actually wearing them.” He wanted to change the subject before he was critiqued anymore. “We should get going. We wouldn’t want to miss the show.”
They began walking into the heart of the city, with the palace gates and setting sun behind them. They exchanged small talk – how Rarity’s business was doing, the wonderful weather that was being maintained, and the efficiency of the courier service – but as they grew closer to their destination, the conversation switched over the show.
“Now, you have kept me in suspense for far too long; who is this performer that you absolutely must talk to?” Rarity was walking side-by-side with Soul; her head was now turned to face him.
Soul had been waiting for her to ask. He kept himself facing forward as he began to talk. “Actually, you might have met her once before. She was in Ponyville a couple of years ago. She is an illusionist that calls herself ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie.’ I’ve heard stories about what happened back then, and about how she has been improving her talent. I’m not sure what she was like back then, but she’s really good at what she does now. I’ll think you’ll be surprised at - Rarity?” Soul had turned his head to face Rarity, only to find that she was no longer beside him. He looked back to see her standing still, staring to space. He trotted back to her, saying, “Rarity, are you ok?”
Rarity shook herself out of her daze. She said calmly, “I’m sorry dear, I didn’t quite catch that. What did you say her name was?”
Soul repeated her name with concern in his voice. “Trixie… you have met her before, haven’t you? That day, two years ago…”
Rarity suddenly stared at Soul, a glint of anger in her eye. “What she did that day is unforgivable,” she said in a loud whisper.
Soul took a step away from her. He had never expected to Rarity angry. “Look, I understand it was bad, but that was two years ago. Besides, it’s not like it was really her fault-“
“She turned my hair green! GREEN! Of all the things she could have done, that was the worst possible thing!” Even angered, Rarity knew she was in the presence of Canterlot society, and managed to keep herself mostly composed.
Soul just stared at her. That’s what she’s angry about? Forget high-class society, I know I’ll never understand Rarity. He pulled himself together so that he could try to calm her down. “Look, I’m sure it couldn’t have been that bad-“
Rarity continued her angry stare. “It was a crime against fashion that I will never forget!”
Soul decided he needed a different approach. He furrowed his brow and returned Rarity’s stare. “Rarity, I need you to calm down.” He spoke with a calm but stern voice. “Like it or not, I am positive Trixie is the element bearer I’m looking for, and I need to speak with her. On the train, you expressed an interest in helping me, but you were unsure how. An opportunity has arisen for you to help me, and you are letting an incident two years ago affect you emotionally. If you no longer wish to help me, fine. You can go back to the palace, and I’ll find a way to handle this on my own.”
They stood in the street, staring at each other, ignoring the world around them. The city ponies that passed them chose to ignore them as well. The remained in silence for about half a minute before Rarity closed her eyes and quickly turned her head, breaking her gaze.
“Fine, but I’m only helping because I know how important this is,” Rarity said with her strong, sophisticated voice. “I will have nothing to do with her.”
Soul gave a small sigh as his eyes returned to their usual caring appearance. “All you have to do is help me get to her. She doesn’t even need to see you.”
“Very well,” Rarity said, keeping her head turned away from Soul. She began to walk off in the direction they had been going. Soul quickly caught up with her and made sure they were going the right way. Shortly after the magic lamps had been lit, they arrived at the Horseshoe Theater. A few ponies were milling about outside, and Rarity muttered about how there were no high society ponies here. Soul ushered her inside, which she acknowledged with a polite nod of her head. He followed her inside, where they took a seat at a table near the backstage entrance.
As the show started – and Trixie made her flashy entrance – Rarity forced air through lips as a sign of disapproval. She whispered to Soul, “She hasn’t changed at all.” The show was almost exactly the same as the previous night; some of the details of the stories were different, but they were all basically the same. While Soul got caught up in the illusions, Rarity scoffed at Trixie’s transparent attempts to make herself look like a hero. She looked about at the other audience member; purposely avoiding looking at Trixie for too long.
For her final act, Trixie ‘transported’ the crowd to a vast desert with a blazing sun overhead. Several ponies reported feeling the sand vibrate under their hooves and a low rumbling coming from beneath the ground. After the scene had vanished, Trixie explained that there was a fearsome creature that lived under that desert that dragged ponies down to their doom in the sand. “I was lucky… to get out of there… alive!” Trixie said as she was recovering from final spell.
After Trixie retreated behind the curtain and the lights rose in the theater, Soul asked Rarity, “So, is she the same Trixie you knew?”
Rarity turned just enough that one of her eyes was looking at him. “I will admit that her… illusions have improved… but even I can do that. I’ve used my magic to create lighting effects for fashion shows, similar to her immersive illusions.”
“… But just visually.” Soul smirked at her. Rarity conveyed her annoyance by lowering her eyelids before quickly turning her head away from him. Soul just shook his head. “Come on Rarity, she’s a performer, but you’re a fashion designer. There’s no point in comparing you’re abilities because they are going to be different. Now prove you’re the better pony….” He stood up and walked around her until he was in front of her. “… We’ve got work to do.”
Rarity sat there for few seconds before raising her head to look at Soul. A determined smile had appeared on her face. “You’re right!” She quickly stood up, maintain eye contact with Soul. “I am a prominent fashion designer in Canterlot, and I’m not about to let some show-mare get the better of me!”
Soul kept his happy smirk as he pointed his hoof towards the backstage door. “Lead the way.” Rarity trotted towards the door with determined poise and grace and made had hesitation when opening it. Soul followed right behind her.
The door led to a straight hallway with door marked “Exit” at the end. Another hallway intersected it, going behind the stage and leading to the dressing rooms. A large stallion stood in this hallway, turning his head to see the two when the turned the corner. He spoke with a deep, gravelly voice that added to his intimidating appearance, “What are you doing back here?”
Rarity gasped with exasperation, “Do you know who I am?” The stallion tried to respond, but she didn’t wait for him to respond. “I am Rarity; Fashion designer extraordinaire! This is my assistant.” She nodded her head towards Soul, who waved a hoof in greeting. “I absolutely must speak with the Great and Powerful Trixie, for she has inspired me with her illusionary artwork! I have to let her know that I wish to work on a fashion line featuring her immediately!”
The stallion stood there with his eyes wide and mouth hanging for a moment before saying, “I’ll be right back.” He went down the hallway and knocked on a door on the right before opening it.
Meanwhile, Soul and Rarity were conversing in whispered tones:
“You’re quite the actor, Rarity.”
“Thank you. I’ve always had a flair for the dramatic and it has its uses every now and then.”
“Do you think it will work?”
“Do give me some credit; no performer worth their talent would give up the publicity that having a fashion line named after them would bring.”
Less than a minute passed before large stallion returned and beckoned them to follow him to Trixie’s dressing room. The room was small, but comfy compared to the cramped backstage corridor. There was a low-lying table in the center of the room with a couch right next to it. Trixie’s pointed hat rested on a hat rack that stood next to the couch. Trixie was standing in front of a vanity mirror along the back wall, still wearing her cloak and brushing her mane. The brush was levitating, surrounded by a pale magenta glow. She spoke with that same tone she used on stage: dramatized and brimming with confidence. “Well, it’s about time the Great and Powerful Trixie was recognized for her beauty.” She shifted her eyes to look at the reflection of the stallion, who was standing in the doorway. “You may wait outside, Bastille. I wish to be alone with my guests.”
“Of course, Miss,” the stallion uttered before stepping outside and closing the door.
Trixie’s brush slowly landed on the nearby table as Trixie turned around to view her two guests. She looked them over casually while sporting a smug smile, but then the smile began to fade as her eyes grew slightly wider. “Trixie recognizes you…,” she said quietly, staring at Rarity,” … from Ponyville.” Her eyes squinted, seemingly increasing the intensity of her stare. “You’re acquainted with Miss Sparkle, aren’t you?” The emphasis on Twilight’s name dripped with spite. Suddenly, her face seemed to lighten; her eyes returned to normal and a smirk appeared on her face. “Now I remember… green hair, right?”
“Why you….” Rarity attempts to take a step forward - anger burning in her eyes - but Soul holds out a hoof in front of her, stopping her advance.
“Not now, Rarity,” Soul said calmly, while maintaining eye contact with Trixie.
Trixie let out a short, smug laugh, before turning her smirk towards Soul. “This isn’t about a fashion line featuring Trixie, is it?”
“No, it’s not.” Soul maintained his calm demeanor, but started talking casually. “I’m the one that needs to talk with you. Rarity is only assisting me because of the importance of mission.”
Trixie raised her voice slightly. “You better start explaining yourself before the Great and Powerful Trixie is forced to take action.”
Soul gave a slight cough to clear his throat. “My name is Soul Seer. I have the ability to look at a pony’s ‘spark’ – what makes them unique – and you possess a power known as an Element of Nature; in particular, the Element of Fire.”
Trixie raised an eyebrow. “What are these Elements of Nature you are speaking of? Trixie has never heard of them.”
“That’s not too surprising,” Soul continued in a calm voice, “The Elements of Nature were lost long before the events of Nightmare Moon even occurred. Somehow, they have ended up in the souls certain ponies, and you’re one of them.”
Trixie raised her muzzle with a huff and a smile. “Trixie already knows she is great and powerful, but what proof do you have of your claim?”
Soul hazarded a glance at Rarity, who rolled her eyes before returning a glare back at Soul. Soul gave a slight cough. “Right now - only your personality and your talents. You see, the Elements of Nature express certain aspects of their element onto the bearer. In your case, the Element of Fire reveals itself through your desire to grow in power, your determination not to be outdone, and your particularly mesmerizing illusions.”
As Trixie absorbed these words, her smug eyes and confident smirk slowly began to droop. This reaction confused Soul. Isn’t this want she wants? Why does she look sad?
After a few seconds, Trixie looked up at Soul. “Very well,” she said in a somber tone that seemed out of place coming from her, “Trixie will allow you look at her soul.” A bit of energy came back to her. “Only long enough to confirm your suspicions, understood?”
“You can trust me,” Soul said with a slight smile as he dropped his glasses over his eyes. As soon as his power activated, he felt the temperature rise. The intense spark that burned before him was reddish-orange in color, and its tendrils softly flitted towards the sky, like a dancing crown. Soul was careful not to look at it for too long, as he could feel it trying to draw him in. He was afraid its power could make him forget everything else, just so he could stare at it for eternity. He began to feel himself getting weaker, and knew he could no longer stay. He closed his eyes and violently shook his head to break the Element’s enchantment.
Both Trixie and Rarity were looking straight at him; the latter with concern, and the former with anticipation. “Well?” Trixie blurted out, eagerly awaiting an answer.
As his strength returned, Soul brought his gaze upon Trixie. “It is as I predicted. The Element of Fire – a powerful force of nature – exists inside your soul.”
Again, Trixie surprised Soul by looking relieved instead of excited. “Trixie always knew… Trixie could feel a power deep inside her, but could never quite reach it.”
Soul nodded his head slowly. “No doubt a driving a force behind your desire for power.”
Trixie nodded her head in response. “But now I know why. I was always looking for a source of magic in my head, not an elemental power in my soul.”
The three stood there in silence for a moment before Soul brought up something on his mind. “If you don’t mind me asking: I understand that you didn’t start focusing on illusions until after the incident in Ponyville, and I can’t help but wonder why. What changed?”
Trixie raised her head slowly, fixing a glare on Rarity. “Miss Sparkle was the first pony Trixie ever met that bested Trixie at her own game.” The spite behind Twilight’s name was still there, but it was not as thick. “She gave Trixie a goal; she was determined to gain more magical talent then Twilight.”
Her gaze shifted towards Soul. “As for Trixie’s illusions: She has always used them, though generally only to gather the crowd’s attention before the real show began. It wasn’t until Trixie was learning some new tricks that she realized just how powerful they could be.” A large smirk grew on her face. “Now that Trixie knows of this Element of Fire, not even Twilight can ignore how great and powerful Trixie is!”
Rarity shook her head and sighed. “You really haven’t changed all that much…”
Before Trixie could interject, Soul spoke up. “I have one last favor to ask of you: I need you to come back with me to Ponyville.”
“What?” Both mares shouted in unison. They look at each briefly, before turning their heads away from one another, their muzzles in the air.
Soul sighed. “The current situation is… complicated, but I’ll give you the short version: I need to gather the Elements of Nature together so that they can eventually be returned to where they rightfully belong. Right now, Ponyville makes the most sense as the gathering point. Not only is Twilight helping me with my research, but from what I have heard, the Elements of Harmony have done a fine job of keeping the town safe so far.”
Trixie thought for a moment; her forehoof just under her chin before waving it across the air. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has no intention of giving up her newfound power! However… going back to Ponyville would mean meeting Miss Sparkle, and this time, it is TRIXIE that shall claim victory!”
Soul nodded his head in relief, but Trixie continued before he could speak. “Regardless, Trixie has an obligation to uphold. She must perform her final show tomorrow night before she can consider leaving Canterlot. The Great and Powerful Trixie will give you her answer after her performance.”
“Of course, I understand,” said Soul as he bowed his head. “Then for now, we shall say farewell, and I will see you tomorrow night.” Soul turned around to see Rarity already heading out the door. He quickly followed her, noting the guard stallion eyeing the two as they walked through the door.
The theater was mostly empty by now, save for a few patrons taking their time at the bar. As the entered, Rarity started to whisper loudly into Soul’s ear. “You not seriously considering taking Trixie to Ponyville, are you?”
“I don’t have a choice,” Soul said quietly as he turned his head slightly towards Rarity. “The Elements of Nature need to be gathered together, and I already told Everfree that I would bring them to Ponyville. They need to be kept under watch, and the Elements of Harmony can manage that.”
Rarity huffed, not liking the idea of being volunteered for watch duty. “Why not leave her here in Canterlot. Let the Princess and her guards watch over them.”
“Too risky; Everfree still knows where the elements are, and if he starts to realize that I’m gathering them in Canterlot, he might think I’m going against our arrangement. He clearly doesn’t like Canterlot, and I’m not sure how he feels about the Princess. For now, it is best that Celestia remains unconnected to my mission, at least as far as Everfree knows.”
“You know, there is going to be trouble when Trixie meets Twilight again, right?”
Soul stopped in his tracks as he thought about this. How is Twilight going to react to Trixie? Will she try to diffuse the situation, or will she make it worse? How exactly is Trixie going to ‘claim victory’? “I’ll think of something when the time comes.”
“Of course…” Rarity said with a roll of her eyes as they both made their way outside. Soul walked with Rarity back towards the palace. Just because he didn’t care for high-class society doesn’t mean he couldn’t be a gentlecolt. Rarity went on talking. “I should be finished with my business here tomorrow, which means I’ll be ready to go home the day after.” Rarity addressed Soul through her peripherals. “You should be ready to leave then as well, yes? All you have left to do is get your answer from…” She trailed off, but kept her pace as her eyes began to stare into space. “Oh sweet Celestia, I’m going to have to share a train car with her, aren’t I?” She turned her head to look directly at Soul. “Please tell me there is a way to avoid this.”
Soul looked at Rarity and quickly thought of a possibility. “Trixie seems to enjoy attention. Even on the train, she’ll probably try to draw an audience, which means she will naturally move towards a more crowded car. If you stay in a quieter car, she shouldn’t be a problem.”
“I suppose it will have to do,” Rarity said, turning her head forward. “She is still going to be Ponyville, but I suppose that can’t be avoided now.”
It wasn’t long before they were back at the palace gates. Rarity turned to face Soul one last time before heading to her suite. “I don’t mean this to offending darling, but… tonight did not turn out as enjoyable as I had hoped. You do understand, don’t you?” She did not wait for him to respond. “Now, I simple must get my beauty sleep. My clients have expectations of my appearance, and a good night’s sleep is necessary to uphold them. Good night, Soul.”
“Good night Rarity and I am sorry,” Soul said as she turned to walk away. He began to walk back to hotel when he remembered about his report to Celestia. Rarity has already done enough for me, he thought. At this point, it’s probably just as well that I wait until I can give the letter to Spike. It's the only way I can guarantee my report gets to the Princess directly. Besides, it’s not like she gave me a deadline or anything.
He looked up at the starry night sky as he let his thoughts wander. They were mostly pleasant memories of his travels, until a certain thought raised its ugly head. My reservations about revealing Scootaloo’s power had a lot to do with her just being a blank-flanked filly, but how is Trixie’s situation different? It both cases, the Element inside them can give them what they want. Now that Trixie knows, what is she going to do? He hoped nothing, but only time would tell, and he needed sleep just as much as Rarity did.
********
Soul’s final day in Canterlot was uneventful; that evening would hold all of the excitement. Since he had nothing to do, he decided to visit the public Canterlot archives for some personal research. He looked into the various creatures that live through Equestria; especially the Everfree Forest. He grew worried as he learned that both dragons and ursas resided in the forest. He also read about manticores, cockatrices, timberwolves, phoenixes, and parasprites. Out of curiosity, he tried to look up the mysterious desert beast that Trixie had reported encountered, but found no records of such a creature. She probably made that one up, he thought. She is a storyteller after all. Sometimes you have to bend the truth to make life more interesting.
The rest of the day was spent wandering around Canterlot and relaxing, and it wasn’t long before night began to fall. Soul made his way through the crowded streets to the Horseshoe Theater. He claimed his spot from last night and waited for the show to start. His thoughts from last night crept up on him, but he tried to dismiss them. Certainly she understands the importance of practice, he thought as he tried to comfort himself. She wouldn’t do anything reckless… I hope.
As the curtain rose, Trixie started her show with same entrance she had used the previous nights and proceeded as usual. Soul found that he was relaxing, but took note that this was probably in part to the mesmerizing illusions. He hoped that he was beginning to build some kind of resistance to their mesmerizing effect, but it still felt that same. At least they don’t seem any stronger.
When Trixie reached her final act, she began to speak instead of preparing an immersive illusion as usual. “All of you that have gathered here tonight are in for a treat,” she spoke with her showmare’s flourish. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is about to perform a trick, the likes of which no pony has ever seen!”
Soul’s eyes grew wide. No, she wouldn’t dare…. Soul could only stare as Trixie began to channel energy into her horn… before she burst into flames. Idiot! Soul screamed in his head as his face contorted into a mixture of fear and anger. He wasn’t one to normally let himself get angry, but this act struck him deep in his soul. I have to stop her! He tried to get up, but it was in vain; the flames were mesmerizing him, locking him in place. He couldn’t move; he could only watch as blaze raged on. The rest of the audience took in the sight with ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’; to them, it was just an act.
Soul began to feel tears reaching his eyes, but then he noticed the flames start to move in an unusual way; they were rising off the stage. The flames rose into the air above the stage and began to take shape. Soul began to realize it was taking the form of a phoenix, when he finally noticed what was left on the stage. Beneath the fiery visage stood Trixie; up on her hind hooves, with her fore hooves stretched out in front of her. She appeared unscathed; not a burn on her or her cloak. She just stood their smiling, but it wasn’t long before she started to speak.
“Like the noble phoenix, Trixie has been reborn; Greater and more powerful than ever!”
The phoenix hung in the air for a few more moments before it faded away. Wisps of fire extinguished themselves in silent explosions, and soon there was nothing left of the flaming image. The audience applauded with vigor; stamping their hooves on the tables and cheering for the performer. Trixie basked in the glory and bowed her head several times before leaving the stage.
Soul just stared at her the entire time with an angry look in his eyes, a promptly headed backstage soon after she left. He headed straight for her room, but was blocked by the stallion guard standing in front of the doorway. “I need to talk to Trixie. Now,” Soul said with a loud, stern voice.
The stallion just stood and stared back until Trixie’s voice came from the room. “Let him in, Bastille. He is allowed.” The guard stepped aside, and Soul forcefully entered Trixie’s room, closing the door behind him.
“What were you thinking?” Soul yelled at Trixie, but tried to keep his volume down, so that the security pony didn’t think he was a threat.
“Trixie though it would make an absolutely amazing finale… which it did,” Trixie said with an air of smugness about her. She removed her cloak and placed in on the nearby rack where her hat rested, and began to brush her hair.
“You not only risked your own life, but the lives of everyone in that theater! Can you imagine what could have happened if you couldn’t have control that fire? What if it had jumped to the curtains or the tables?” Soul didn’t want to be angry, but Trixie’s nonchalant reactions to his outburst were not relieving his emotions.
She stopped brushing her hair and gave a slight frown towards Soul. “Do you think Trixie is some amateur? She practiced all day to make sure she could perform that act perfectly.” She turned and pulled her hair to the side to reveal a small burn on the back of her neck. “This was my only injury, and I would say it was worth it. There was never any doubt that the Greater and More Powerful Trixie could pull off that finale!”
Soul just stood and stared at her. He wanted to say more, but he realized there was no point in arguing with her. She did practice, just for all the wrong reasons. He brought his hoof up to his forehead and sighed. At last he said, “You’re coming with me to Ponyville. It’s simple too dangerous to leave you anywhere else.”
“Of course,” Trixie said before giving a sly smirk. “I can’t wait to see Twilight again.”
That’s what I’m afraid of, Soul thought. “The train leaves tomorrow morning. I’ll meet you at the station.”
Trixie let out a small laugh. “Don’t you worry. The Greater and More Powerful Trixie will not be late.”
Soul shook his head as he left the room. The guard eyed him warily as he left, but Soul didn’t care enough to notice. He had other things on his mind. As he went out into the cold night air, his thoughts of the past and the future intermingled. I have traveled many roads since I left home, but none will be more treacherous then the one this journey will lead me on. It will be long, and it will be difficult, but it must be done. It is my burden to bear because no one else can.