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// Arc 9-7: The Greatest Show in La Maresa 
// Story: My Little Pony: One as a Family.  "Life in Canterlot" 
// by SaburoDaimando 
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Starlight and Trixie: The greatest show in La Maresa




“Are you sure this is where Trixie is at?”  Starlight said as she was walking behind Pinkie PIe.
“Oh I know where Trixie is at,”  Pinkie Pie said.  “In fact, she was there this morning before the fair opened up.
Pinkie Pie was hopping away from the tent through a semi-crowded fair.  Right behind her was Starlight Glimmer, who was still holding onto her furbob plushie, and Twilight Sparkle.  Lined up right next to them were some souvenir stands from wooden trinkets to coffee mugs, and even promotions to a place called “BalBronco Park.”  While Starlight looked worried, Twilight Sparkle looked calm and collective while Pinkie Pie was excited.
“You look pretty nervous, Starlight,”  Twilight said.
“I’m just worried that I won’t get to meet my new friend,”  Starlight said.  “What if night falls in an instant and we have to go home?”
“Oh please,”  Twilight laughs with a silly snort.  “We have a better chance of buying that Neighstation 9 than to let you go friendless.  And those things are almost impossible to buy.”
“Wait,”  Starlight said as she was about to freak out.  “Are you saying that scalpers are going to buy out my friend?”
“No Starlight,”  Twilight giggled.  “That’s the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.”
“But what if it’s true?”  Starlight said as her eyes shrunk down.  “What if some greedy pony wanted to buy out my friend and sell her for a truckload of bits?  What if I…”
“We’re here,” Pinkie Pie said as everyone came to a complete stop.  They looked forward and saw a yellow wagon with a red roof on top.  Starlight felt a bit puzzled as she stared at the wagon.
“This is where he’s at?”  Starlight said as she stared at the wagon.  “This doesn’t look like much.”
“Oh believe me,”  Pinkie Pie said.  “She may not be much, but she knows her way around magic.”
“But how does this Trixie character show her face?”  Twilight asked.
But after she spoke, the wagon began to vibrate.  Somewhere within the wagon, a voice said “Come one, come all, to the amazing magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie.”  
Soon, the side of the wagon came down and unfolded into a mini-stage of some sort, as a cloth shade popped out from the roof.  A light blue curtain draped the interior of the wagon as a small unicorn filly popped out of nowhere.  She had a light brilliant azure coat, and a swirly pale cornflower blue with very pale cerulean stripes.  She wore a light lavender magic hat and cape, decorated with a variety of stars.
“Wow,”  Twilight said.  “So that’s Trixie?”
“Yep,”  Pinkie Pie said.  “She’s been a small wonder ever since she and her parents moved to La Maresa.”
Starlight took a closer look at Trixie and said “Something about this pony looks familiar.  But I can’t put my hoof on it.”
“Wait,”  Twilight said.  “You actually saw this pony before?”
“I recall seeing someone like her after passing the entrance exam for the School for Gifted Unicorns,”  Starlight said.  “But that was it.”
“Well, this is an interesting plot twist,” Pinkie said as she pulled out three chairs from the side and placed them down.  Pinkie sat down in one seat as Twilight and Starlight sat in their respective chairs, all while Trixie took a good look at the trio.
“I humbly welcome you three to the most Great and Powerful amazing show of all time,”  Trixie said as her cape flapped in the wind.  “I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, will show you the true art of magic, with a number of spectacular stunts that will amaze every pony in all of La Maresa.”
With the sound of her voice, fireworks went off behind Trixie’s wagon.  Starlight and Pinkie Pie looked up and they both let out an “oooooh.”  Twilight only looked on with a smug look.
“Not bad,”  Twilight said quietly.  “But let’s see what you got.”
Trixie pulled her hat off her head and showed Pinkie Pie, Starlight Glimmer and Twilight Sparkle that there was nothing in it.  She then pulled the hat to her face, and with a simple spark of her magic, pulled a mere rope out of it.  Starlight and Pinkie PIe clapped as Trixie held the rope above her head with her magic.
“Interesting,”  Twilight whispered.  “But I wonder why to start off with something like that.”
Trixie then lassoed the rope and threw it into the curtain behind her.  WIth a yank of her head, she pulled the rope out, which was attached to a box that was slightly taller than her.
“And now my fine fillies,”  Trixie said as she opened the box with her magic.  “I will make myself...DISAPPEAR!”
Starlight and Pinkie Pie gasped as Trixie stepped into the box, laying upwards as she shut the door.  The rope held up by Trixie’s magic wrapped around the now closed box.  With a flash, the rope unraveled itself and fell onto the floor.  When the box opened, it was empty.  Trixie was gone.
“Oh my goodness,”  Starlight said.  “Where did she go?”
“Wait for it,”  Pinkie Pie said.
Suddenly, a puff of smoke emitted from the center, blanketing the stage in its purple clouds.  In the midst of the smoke, Trixie leaps from out of the smoke and lands on her four hooves.  Starlight and Pinkie Pie cheered for Trixie.  But Twilight seemed puzzled.
“She’s talented,”  Twilight whispered.  “So why isn’t she a student like me and Starlight at the School for Gifted Unicorns?”
Back on stage, Trixie once again pulls her hat off her head and pulls out a deck of cards.  She shuffles them before pulling out the first five cards from the top of the deck, then presents them to the audience face down.
“Now,”  Trixie said.  “Who will be the one to pick any one card?”  
“I want to,”  Starlight said as she raised her arm high into the air. 
“Very well,”  Trixie said.  “Pick a card.  Any card.  And do not show it to me.”
Starlight pulled one card at random from the hand of cards being presented to.  Trixie shuffled the remaining cards back into her deck and closed her eyes.
“I am predicting that the card you have is the six of hearts,”  Trixie said.  “Is it?”
Starlight looked at the card that she was given and she had a worrisome look on face.
“Uhhhh, yeah,”  Starlight said.   “About that.”  Those words made Trixie a bit nervous.
“Is it the card?”  Trixie said as her voice became less confident.  “Did the Great and Powerful Trixie give you a dirty card?”
Starlight raised her card into the air and turned it around.  On the face, it was the six of hearts.  Trixie breathed a sigh of relief as Starlight and Pinkie Pie cheered.
“Oh it was the Six of hearts,”  Trixie said.  “Once again, the Great and Powerful Trixie has proven herself….to BE THE MOST POWERFUL BEING IN ALL OF EQUESTRIA!  Was there ever any doubt?”
As Starlight and Pinkie PIe cheered with Trixie taking a bow, Twilight just looked on and stood there with a smirk on her face.  “Really cute there, Trixie,” she said.  “Really cute.”
Suddenly, a tomato flies from out of nowhere and hits Trixie square in the face, causing her to fall flat on her back.  This caused Starlight, Pinkie Pie and Twilight to gasp in horror as Trixie got up and wiped the bit of tomato off her face.
“Who dares to deface the visage of the Great and Powerful Trixie with rotten produce?” Trixie snarled.
“Great and Powerful?  More like Weak and Pitiful.”  Twilight, Starlight and Pinkie Pie turned around.  Right behind them was Hoops, Dumbbell and Score, standing there as they each held a tomato in their hoof.  RIght next to them was a bag full of tomatoes.
“Those creeps again,”  Pinkie Pie said.  “The nerves that have to show their faces after they wreck Ditzy Doo’s birthday.”
“Wanda and Moondancer told me about those three,” Twilight said.  “No doubt they’re as horrible as Golden Lace is.”
Trixie took one good look at the trio, and her face went from anger to horror.  
“Now look here,”  Trixie said as she took a few steps back.  “The Great and Powerful Trixie does not want any kind of trouble.”
“Oh who said you were looking for trouble?”  Hoops said as he gripped the tomato.  “The thing about trouble is, you don’t go looking for it.  It comes looking for you.”  He turned his head towards Dumbbell and Score and said “Pelt her till she’s red.”
Hoops, Dumbbell and Score proceeded to throw tomatoes right at Trixie’s face.  The young unicorn magician attempted to flee, only for the tomatoes to hit her really hard.  Soon, he was being bombarded by flying tomatoes, covering her coat and mane in a bright red hue, and staining her hat and cape.  When the tomatoes stopped flying at her, Trixie looked extremely depressed as Starlight’s jaw dropped in complete shock.
“Well aren’t you looking a little red today, snowflake?” Dumbbell said as he gave Hoops a high five.
“Yeah,”  Score said.  “Why don’t you stuff yourself in a ketchup bottle?  It’s far more fitting than that pathetic excuse for a stage.
Trixie got up as tears flowed from her.  She looked down at Starlight, Twilight and Pinkie, who’s eyes were fixated on the three bullies.  
“I...I…” Trixie said as she struggled to get the words out of her mouth.  “I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!”
With that, Trixie turned tail and ran behind the curtain, crying her eyes out.  Starlight watched as Trixie ran offstage, looking fully concerned for the young street magician.  Twilight also turned her attention towards the stage, and then to Starlight.
“Go comfort Trixie,”  Twilight said as she put her hoof on Starlight’s shoulder.  “We’ve got a date with three party crashers.”
Starlight nodded to Twilight as she ran towards the stage.  Twilight turned to Pinkie Pie.
“What’s the plan?”  Twilight asked.
“Leave that to me,”  Pinkie said as she dove down.

Hoops, Dumbbell and Score continued to laugh as they each held up a tomato in their hoof.  They turned their faces towards Twilight Sparkle, who glanced back at the trio with a hostile stare.
“Aww,” Hoops said.  “The little snowflake is mad we triggered her.”
“Yeah,”  Dumbbell said.  “Why she’s defending that talentless, cringy hack is beyond me.”
“And to think,”  Score said.  “She dropped out of the School for Gifted Unicorns to be some dumb street magician.”
“Tell me about it,”  Hoops said.  “That brat should have curled up into a ball and cried like the little baby she deserved to be.  After all, it’s the destiny of all little snowflakes.”
Hoops, Dumbbell and Score pointed their tomatoes at Twilight Sparkle and began to swing back.  Twilight stood there, about ready to make her move.
“Bring it on, cowards,”  Twilight said as she kept her stare on the three bullies.
Suddenly, water balloons flew out from the side and pelted all three bullies, leaving them completely soaked.  They also lost their grips on their tomatoes, causing them to fall off and splat on the ground.  
“WHO DID THAT?”  Hoops yelled.  “WHO’S THE LITTLE SNOWFLAKE WHO DARES TO AMBUSH THE THREE OF US?”
“I DID!”  Hoops, Dumbbell and Score turned to their right and saw Pinkie Pie armed with some kind of light blue cannon with a flower on the hubcap of each wheel.  The faces of the three bullies were of complete shock.
“How?”  Hoops said completely dumbfounded.  “How in the hay did you…”
“Get out my party cannon?”  Pinkie said with a smirk on her face.  “You might as well ask yourself how I know about what you three did today.  Like how you decided to interrupt the contest between Danged Spell and Rainbow Dash with the intent of making Ditzy Doo cry.  Or how you picked on Fluttershy, only to be chased off by Mr Bovine.”
“THIS BRAT REALLY IS THE INCARNATION OF DISCORD!”  Dumbbell yelled.
“Oh that rumor?”  Pinkie Pie said with a low brow giggle.  “I get that all the time since becoming a party pony.  Oh and on a side note, do you notice something odd about your surroundings?”
“What are you talking about?”  Hoops said.
“Boss,”  Score said as his tone turned into complete fear.  “It’s gone.  Our tomatoes are gone.”
Hoops looked to his side and noticed that the bag of tomatoes were gone.  His face went from anger to horror.
“You took our tomatoes?”  Hoops said.
“Oh I didn’t take your tomatoes,”  Pinkie Pie said.  “I just borrowed them.  And now, I think it’s time I returned what I borrowed.”
Hoops, Dumbbell and Score stood there scared stiff as Pinkie Pie pressed a button on her party cannon.  Tomatoes flew right out and pelted all three bullies, covering them in bits and pieces of tomato as more flew right into their face,  causing them to slip and fall.  Twilight Sparkle stood on the sidelines and looked like she was about to laugh.
“Now that’s funny,”  Twilight giggled.
“We’re getting pounded into ketchup,”  Hoops yelled as he got up and began to turn tail.  “RUN AWAY!”
With that, Hoops, Dumbbell and Score ran off in the opposite direction as the party cannon fired its last tomato.  Pinkie Pie turned the cannon towards her face and blew off the smoke that came out of it.
“Never mess with a good friend, jerks,”  Pinkie Pie said with a smirk on her face.

Meanwhile, behind the curtain, Trixie was backed into a corner, crying her eyes out, still covered in tomato paste.  Starlight stood there, staring at the young, depressed, stage magician.
“She reminds me of myself,”  Starlight said. “I’ve got to cheer her up.”
Starlight took a few steps towards the weeping Trixie and put her hoof on her shoulder.  Trixie raised her head up and turned towards Starlight.
“Are you alright?”  Starlight said with a warm smile.  
“No,”  Trixie said with a sniffle.  “The Great and Powerful Trixie can’t stand those meanies.”
“You’re not the only one with problems,”  Starlight said.  “Sometimes I have to put up with a big meanie where I come from.  But as long as I have friends, like you do, I know I’m not going to be alone.”
“Friends?”  Trixie said, puzzled by Starlight’s words.
“Yeah,”  Starlight replied.  “Besides.  I think I saw you at the School for Gifted Unicorns during the entry exam.”
Trixie let out a sigh as she got up.  Starlight lowered her hoof and sat down, ready to hear from Trixie.
“Truth be told,”  Trixie said.  “I failed my exam.”
“You what?”  Starlight said.
“I was given a simple assignment of growing life from a mere seed,” Trixie said.  “I thought it would be easy.  I thought it would be a piece of cake.  But I could get the seed to sprout.  Feeling rejected, I fled from the school, vowing never to step hoof in Canterlot again.”
“Oh dear,”  Starlight said.  “So that’s why I didn’t see you after the exam.”
“When my daddy heard about this,”  Trixie said. “He offered to teach me the arts of magic the way he does it.  I was eager to learn from my Great and Powerful Pop.  If I couldn’t be a pony at the School for Gifted Unicorns, then perhaps I could learn what made my daddy great.”
“And it sounds so great,”  Starlight said.  “Whatever you did, I’m impressed with what you can do with your magic.  But it’s a shame that those creeps did that to you.”
“But I wonder why I keep doing this,”  Trixie said.  “Especially if those jerks keep egging on me just for their own amusement.”
“As long as someone like me enjoys what you did,” Starlight said.  “Then you should keep doing what you do.  I want to see more of your tricks, Trixie.  I want you to keep going.”
Trixie wiped a tear from her eye and said “You think so?”
“Yeah,”  Starlight said as she extended her arm towards Trixie.  “I know some friends who would enjoy your tricks.”  Trixie just smiled and reached out with her arm, allowing Starlight to grab her arm and pulled her up.
“You already performed for me and my friend Twilight Sparkle.” Starlight said.  “I’d like to introduce you to many of my other friends, including Danged Spell, Moondancer, Sunburst, Sunset Shimmer, and an even closer friend of mine, Wanda Young.”
“Wanda Young eh?”  Trixie said.  “Is this pony friend of yours a Great and Powerful friend?”
“Oh she is,”  Starlight said.  “But she’s no pony.  She’s a human.”
“A human?”  Trixie said, looking puzzled.  “I have never heard of a human before.”
“Oh when you get to meet her,”  Starlight said.  “I think you’ll enjoy her.  After all, she and Sunset are the adopted daughters of Princess Celestia.”  Those words surprised Trixie, causing her to cheer with glee.
“You’re best friends with the daughters of Princess Celestia?”  Trixie said.  “The Great and Powerful Trixie wishes to meet with these two.”
“Well I’ll be happy to bring them in to meet you.”  Trixie and Starlight turned towards the curtains to see Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie emerge.
“Twilight,”  Starlight said.  “What happened?”
“I made those fools taste bad ketchup,”  Pinkie Pie said as she pulled in her party cannon and gave it a good pat.
“And I think I know why Princess Celestia assigned Trixie to Starlight,”  Twilight said.  “You both have a thing in common, much like how I was paired with Pinkie Pie.  And knowing that there is someone who shares your own concerns and worries, it’s safe to say that you’re not alone in this world.”
“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie said as she hugged her party cannon.  “Besides, if ever those three creeps decide to crash your show again, you always got me and my party cannon to watch your back.”
Trixie wipes a tear from her eye and takes off her hat.  “It’s friends like you that give the Great and Powerful Trixie purpose,”  she said as she took a bow.
Twilight walked up to Starlight and said “What do you say we have Trixie here to prepare a show for all of our friends?  I bet even Wanda might enjoy it.”
Starlight turned to Twilight and said “I’m game.”


	To Be Continued in…


	Wanda, Sunset, Abigail and Applejack: The Apple Core of La Maresa