//------------------------------// // 2 - Assigning Roles // Story: Trixie's Class Of Theatrical Arts // by Yukito //------------------------------// “Well, now that the boring stuff is over, stop pretending to still be paying attention and actually snap to it!” Trixie shouted as she clapped her hooves together. Most of the fillies jumped a little bit, the exception being Silver Spoon, who seemed to have actually been paying attention. Trixie made a mental note to make Silver Spoon the secondary advisor for any of the foals who had questions. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has here the first script that we will be performing.” The Crusaders ‘ooh’d as they admired the holy documents before them, before Trixie began to pass them out. “‘Conspiracy – The Descent of Unicornia’,” Apple Bloom read out loud. “What’s it about?” she asked as she opened it up and began to read. “It is a play from olden times, depicting the major historical event that led to the collapse and near-extermination of the Unicorn society. An event whereby a Pegasus group known as the Thunderbolts, early ancestors of our modern day Wonderbolts, plotted and orchestrated the assassination of the leader of the Earth Pony tribe, and then framed the Unicorn government. Set roughly fifty years after the founding of Equestria, it depicts how the Alicorn Princess Celestia and Luna came to take the throne, and also shows the struggle between the Unicorn Prince and the Earth Pony Princess, both desperately in love with one-another. In the end, it was that love, ending in dual-sacrifice, that allowed the three tribes to narrowly avoid going to war with each other.” “… Cool!” Scootaloo said as she began to skim through the pages. “So, there’re a lot of action scenes, right?” “There is a sword-fighting scene, yes,” Trixie said. “Now, keep in mind that this is set a long time ago, so it is written in an old tongue.” “What is this?” Diamond Tiara asked. “I can barely read it!” “That’s why we’ll practise,” Trixie said. “It sounds like a sad story,” Sweetie Belle said, looking at the front of the script with an unsure look on her face. “Can’t we give it a happy ending? Like, the two heroes get married and raise a happy family?” Trixie sighed and shook her head. “It is a play based on history. The point is to show ponies what actually happened, not how we would like for things to have happened.” “Whoa!” Babs shouted, her eyes wide as she looked at one particular page. “T-There’s a curse word in here!” “There is?!” Scootaloo asked excitedly. “Where?!” “Page twenty! A-Are you sayin’ that we’re gonna be cursin’ in front of our parents?!” Trixie nodded, and used her magic to summon a bunch of papers. “Your parents have all signed these wavers to allow you all to be here, and these wavers list, in detail, the kind of plays that you can be expected to perform.” The documents poofed away as Trixie’s magic went out. “No way!” Apple Bloom shouted in disbelief. “Swearin’ in front of mah granny… an’ not gettin’ in trouble fer it?” “Keep in mind, young foals, that whilst on the stage, you cease to be who you once were, and take on the role and identity of the character you are portraying. In essence, it is not you that will be cursing, but the characters that you are assigned.” “But I like being me,” Alula said, her expression falling a little bit. Trixie gave the filly a disbelieving look. “N-No, it’s not… Oh, never mind! Yes, you will be swearing! No, you will not get in trouble for it! Happy?” The fillies all nodded, except for Diamond Tiara, who raised her forehoof into the air. “So, like, what are our roles?” Trixie’s smile returned to her face, and she summoned a pair of glasses with her magic and placed them on her face. “Well, to begin, Trixie would like to get to know each of you a little better. You past acting experiences, you hobbies, your interests, you talents… All of this will help Trixie allocate you into roles that should be easy for you to become accustomed to.” The fillies nodded in understanding, and Trixie decided to start with the ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders’ first. “Now then, you three… what can you all do?” “Ah can burp ta ten!” Apple Bloom boasted, earning disgusted looks and groans from the two rich fillies. “Cannot,” Scootaloo challenged. “Can too,” Apple Bloom protested. “Prove it!” Apple Bloom accepted Scootaloo’s challenged, and proved her boasts true by proceeding to count to ten whilst belching. “… Huh. I guess you can.” “Gross,” Diamond Tiara said as she backed away from the filly. “Seriously, were you raised in a bar- Oh, right. You were.” Apple Bloom scowled at the pink filly. “Ah was raised in a house, same as you!” “Obviously not the same as me, given your total lack of manners. Oh, and by the way, you’re still a blank flank. No shock there.” Apple Bloom jumped to her hooves, looking ready to pounce Diamond Tiara and give her a good kick to the face, but Trixie stopped her by reaching out a hoof. “Whilst that was a rather… interesting talent, Trixie was thinking of stuff related to acting. You know, accents, memorising things, acrobatics…” “Oh, I’m good on my scooter!” Scootaloo shouted. “And I can dance kinda well, too.” Apple Bloom put a hoof to her chin. “Ah’m not sure… Ah can design costumes and backdrops, but ah can’t really act that well, to be honest… Oh! But Sweetie Belle can sing good!” “Hey, yeah!” Scootaloo added, the two Crusaders turning to look at their friend, who was smiling and blushing as she looked away. “Sweetie Belle’s got the best singing voice in all of Equestria! She should totally be the Princess!” “The Princess has few singing lines,” Trixie told them. “But, if what you say is true, then there is a part that is perfect for Sweetie Belle. And for you, too, Scootaloo. The role of the jealous Pegasus Baron who engages the reluctant Prince in a swordfight to the death.” “Sweet!” Scootaloo shouted, pumping her forelegs excitedly. “Oh man, I can’t wait! Rainbow Dash is totally gonna see how awesome I am!” “Uh,” Sweetie Belle said, raising her forehoof slightly. “I… don’t feel comfortable singing in front of so many ponies.” Trixie raised an eyebrow. “And why not?” “I just get nervous easily…” Trixie waved her hoof dismissively. “That’s the whole point of this class: to mould you all into top-tier actors. You do realise that you can’t have a Cutie Mark in acting, if you refuse to act because you’re nervous, right?” Sweetie Belle thought about it for a second. She really didn’t want to have to sing in front of so many ponies, but then, she did want a Cutie Mark. “Well… I guess, I can give it a go.” “That’s the spirit!” Apple Bloom said. “Cutie Mark Crusaders Actors, go!” Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes. “Please. Don’t you three remember what happened the last time you tried to do any kind of performance work? Let me remind you: you embarrassed yourselves in front of everypony.” Apple Bloom grit her teeth and turned back to Diamond Tiara. “We still won! And who came in last? Oh, right, it was you two!” “Oh please! That contest was obviously rigged!” Diamond Tiara responded. “How else would three stupid blank flanks like you have got that medal?” “Because we earned it, by workin’ hard! Ya know what that is? Workin’ hard?” “Maybe if you said it right, I’d understand better! There’s a ‘G’ in there, blank flank!” “Miss Cheerilee said it ain’t polite ta make fun of the way ponies talk!” Apple Bloom shouted, getting up and glaring at the pink filly. Diamond Tiara said something, but nopony could hear it. They all looked at her questioningly, and the Apple Bloom said something too. Again, not a single word of it was heard. It was then that the fillies noticed two purple domes formed around the two fillies, and Trixie’s horn glowing the same colour. Despite neither filly being able to hear each other, the fight still raged on. “Are they always like this?” Trixie asked. ‘Honestly, they’re arguing like an old married couple.’ “Yeah,” Scootaloo said, glaring at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. “These two are always driving us crazy.” Silver Spoon looked at her hoof with a bored look on her face. “Well, you three blank flanks just get wound up so easily. It’s your own faults, really.” “What was that?!” Scootaloo asked, jumping up and flaring her wings at the gray filly. “See?” Silver Spoon said with a grin on her face. “Uh, just so ya know,” Babs began, “I’m kinda neutral in this conflict…” “How can you be neutral?” Scootaloo asked. “These guys are jerks! You should come over to our side! You too, Alula!” Babs’ eyes lowered to the ground. “Well, it’s just… t-they have their good points, alright?” “And she’s cute, too,” Alula mumbled, though everypony still managed to hear her. She blushed, and quickly turned her face to the side. “N-Nothing! Nothing at all!” “… Anyway,” Silver Spoon said, ignoring Alula’s little slipup, “For a blank flank, Babs is actually pretty cool. You should be more like her.” “What kind of good qualities could they possibly have?!” Scootaloo asked Babs, ignoring Silver Spoon’s comment. “Uh, well… t-they have good toys, an’ they like the same bands and stuff as me, an’ they… they can be pretty funny. Y’know, when they’re not pokin’ fun at you guys on account of your blank flanks.” “You mean they do other stuff?” Sweetie Belle asked, tilting her head to the side. “Of course we do,” Silver Spoon deadpanned. “What, do you think we only exist simply to bother you three blank flanks?” “… I… actually did,” Sweetie Belle admitted with a blush. “Interesting,” Trixie said, putting her hoof to her chin. The seven fillies stopped their talking and turned to her. She noticed this, and shot them all a confident grin. “Well, this is only an experiment for now, but based on what Trixie has seen and heard of you all, she feels she has some good roles for you. But first, perhaps we could finish this little interview? Without any more distractions?” The two sides exchanged looks, and eventually nodded together in agreement. “Good. Next up, Babs.” “Okay, the roles have now been assigned!” Trixie announced, declaring an end to the short recess that she had given her class. The fillies all gather around her to hear their roles. “This is only a first draft, and certain changes may be made later. But for now, your main roles are: “Apple Bloom, you are the Prince, and the knight to the Pegasus Duke.” “Cool!” Apple Bloom shouted, receiving a hoofbump from Scootaloo. “Ah can’t wait ta tell Applejack!” “Scootaloo, you are the Pegasus Baron, the Pegasus Duke, and the Earth Pony’s leader.” Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. “Soooo, basically, I get killed twice?” “… Yes. But you also get to boss your friend around.” Scootaloo’s ears perked up. “Oh! Well, that’s a plus, I guess!” “Sweetie Belle, you are the Prince’s cousin, and the priest.” Sweetie Belle nodded nervously. “O-Okay…” “Babs, you are the Princess’ knight and friend, and you are also the peasant who sells information on the Prince’s whereabouts to the Queen.” “I can do that, no problem!” “Alula, you are the Prince’s knight, and also the assassin.” “Uh… O-Okay,” Alula said, not liking the sound of having to kill somepony in front of her parents. “Silver Spoon, you will be assisting Trixie backstage mostly, but you are also going to be playing the advisor to the Prince, the Princess, and the Baron. We will rework the script to remove the few scenes they share together.” Silver Spoon raised an eyebrow. “Why not just assign a different pony to each? I mean, you easily put Sweetie Belle as one of them.” “Because there is some comedic value to having you play advisor to all three,” Trixie said. “And as Trixie said, this is a first draft. She has plans that may or may not work, and they would make it impossible for anypony else to play any of the advisor roles.” “… Okay, I guess.” “And finally, Diamond Tiara…” Trixie paused for a second, and then looked down at the fillies with a grin on her face. “… You will be playing the merchant, the alchemist, and… the Princess.” Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara’s eyes widened, and they both looked at each other in complete shock. “NO WAY!” They both shouted in unison, looking away from each other and crossing their forelegs. “Not happening!”