//------------------------------// // Episode 2: Dan Vs. Trixie // Story: Dan Vs. The Magic of Friendship(Season 1) // by Barrobroadcaster //------------------------------// Intro: Rise Up- Theme of Dan Vs. The Magic of Friendship One day, You wake up to find~ Nothing That you know is right! Feels like You've gone completely blind But somehow, you can still see the light~ You can show any rule You're not scared to defy it Show the world some healthy opposition If there's something new, you're not afraid to try it And you're free to make your own decisions This is your life- no matter what others say~ Rise up! You can face the day! So you're stuck There's not much you can do It's like Everything's out to get you But still You can still find a way to forge a path and make your dreams come true! You can show the whole world You're not scared to believe it! Stand tall and defend your position! No matter how cold the truth is, you're not afraid to receive it! And keep moving forward with your own mission! This is your life- you've gotta live it your own way Rise up! You can face the day! It's tough to see what the truth really is When all you've got is mixed messages Seems like the problems that come around Are setup just to keep you down Nothing seems right! And it's like your entire life's just plight after plight! But no matter what the problem is or how long the struggle's length, You can still find the courage to stand, to find your inner strength~ You can show any rule You're not scared to defy it! Show the world some healthy opposition! If there's something new, you're not afraid to try it! Because you're free to make your own decisions! This is our world! The game is on and we're gonna play! We'll rise up! We can face the day! Dan and the others woke up early the next morning. They sat down at the kitchen table to eat a modest, quiet breakfast at home consisting of bowls of shredded oats. Fluffle Puff engulfed her entire bowl in her mouth and then spat it out, minus the contents of cereal and milk. It was just like any other morning at Twilight's house despite what had transpired the night before. Twilight ate slowly from her own bowl, half-waiting for Dan to say something. He'd told her that he wanted to be more involved with Twilight and her friends but she didn't know how he planned to accomplish that. Was he planning on following them around all day? She watched him out of the corner of her eye as she ate. But the young man didn't say anything; he just sat there occasionally lifting his spoon to eat as he read from a folded newspaper in the other hand. Spike broke the silence. "So, we got anything planned for today, Twilight?" Casually, all the eyes around the table drifted towards Twilight. She swallowed uncomfortably, quickly trying to form a response. "Um, I don't think we have anything really planned for today, Spike," Twilight said with forced smile. "Huh, that's strange. Normally, we always have something to do," Spike remarked as he ate from a bowl full of gems. Dan raised an eyebrow at the alicorn. Twilight maintained her composure, trying not to sound nervous despite that she was almost sweating. "I might update some of my scrolls later but I don't think we have any pressing matters to attend to right now." She answered Spike even though her eyes were still mostly on Dan. But as she answered, he simply went back to reading the newspaper and soon the table was silent again. And then there was a knock on the door. "Fluffle Puff, dear, you think you could get that?" Chrysalis asked. The amorphous ball of hair gasped and then lowered her body to the floor. The table shook as she crawled underneath it and Dan and the others had to steady their silverware. "Hey, Fluffle Puff," Rainbow Dash's voice said from the door. A gasp responded to her followed by a pause. "Hey Twilight! I'm gonna take everypony for a cloud ride today, you want to come?" "Sure, Rainbow, that sounds awesome!" Twilight said with enthusiasm. She almost walked out the door to join Rainbow Dash right then and there but a cold tingling at the back of her spine stopped her in her tracks. She turned around to see Dan sitting at the kitchen table, looking at her with an inquisitive look on his face. She turned back to Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow, do you think Dan could come with us?" Rainbow looked over Twilight to the man sitting in the kitchen. "I guess so. Doesn't he normally just hang out at your house though?" "Yeah... he was feeling left out lately, so I thought of inviting him to do some things with us." Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "How many things?" "I... have no idea," Twilight admitted. "Well, I guess he can come along. Just as long as he doesn't try to fly again or anything." "Great!" Twilight said, forcing some eagerness. She turned back to Dan. "Um, Dan?" she asked innocently. "Yes, Twilight?" Dan asked back, smiling and batting his eyelashes innocently. "Would you like to come with us for a cloud ride?" "I'd love to!" Dan shouted, jumping up from the table. "Thank you for inviting me, Twilight!" He ran over and hugged the purple mare. "Let's get going!" "Wait," Twilight stopped as Dan stepped outside. She turned to the others in the kitchen. "What about Spike, Chrysalis and Fluffle Puff? You guys want to come with us?" "Nah," said Spike. "We have to give Fluffle Puff a bath today." The pink ball 'pbbthed' and shook in response. Her head recoiled into the rest of her fluff, forming an impenetrable sphere of cuddly pink pony, the most secure defense known in Equestria. She was going to be difficult. "You and Dan have fun! Tell Rarity I said hi!" "We will!" Twilight called through gritted teeth. Twilight wasn't looking for a reason not to take Dan but she was looking for something to make the situation a little less... awkward. And she was failing. But it's always awkward when you mix things up a bit so she wasn't worried. Not that much, anyway. She followed the others out of the quiet and safety of her home. The group began walking down the familiar Ponyville street. Dan breathed in sharply. "Finally! I'm actually getting to do something with you guys!" "Yeah... it'll be fun," Rainbow remarked, a distinct lack of confidence in her tone. She leaned over to Twilight as they walked. "So, why are we bringing Dan along with us?" "He's feeling left out, wants me to take him with us when we go... 'adventuring'," Twilight whispered. Dan was so ecstatic he was actually leading the way ahead of them, unable to hear them talk about him. "Does he know magic or anything?" Rainbow asked, watching the young man happily marching ahead of them. "No..." Twilight admitted. "Well, what can he do?" Twilight thought for a moment. "He's... loud." "Loud?" Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Don't we already have Pinkie for that?" "Well, we'll see what he can do," Twilight said confidently. It was true that they didn't know much about Dan. Maybe they could be surprised? "Okay..." Rainbow Dash still sounded uncertain. "Think of like this: you'll have someone new to show off all your tricks to." The rainbow Pegasus smiled. "Hey yeah, you're right! I bet there no one can fly as fast as me where he's from!" Twilight smiled. "I think flying fast is something he'd be very impressed with." The three turned a corner to the Ponyville square to see a huge crowd in the town center. From the back of the crowd, Pinkie Pie turned around to see the group approaching. "Guys! Over here!" Pinkie waved them over. Fluttershy, Rarity and Applejack were standing next to her in the crowd. They turned around to face others as they walked over to them. "What are you guys doing here?" Rainbow asked, confused. "I thought you were getting ready to go cloud riding." "We were!" Pinkie said. "But then this huge crowd appeared out of nowhere and we kinda got swept up in things." "What is this even for?" Dan asked, looking over the ponies. "It's Trixie's new magic show," Applejack informed them. "She's giving it another shot in Ponyville, it seems." "Didn't she already try this?" Rainbow Dash asked, skeptical. Twilight turned to her. "She's still a magician, Rainbow Dash and she's not like she used to be. She's changed." Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh..." she replied to Twilight. Dan was one thing but Trixie? She was even more skeptical. "It's the truth, Rainbow," Twilight affirmed. "After what happened with the Alicorn Amulet, Trixie's really turned things around. You should've seen her at the demonstration for the Saddle Arabians. Trixie's our friend now and she's really reformed." Twilight turned back to the stage with a smile on her face. She truly believed every word she had just said. "Salutations once again, Ponyvillians!! Presented for you once more is the GRRRRREAT and POWERFUL TRIXIE!!" The curtains pulled back on the stage in front of the audience. Fireworks erupted from the base and spinning sparklers twirled atop the wooden set. In a flash of light, a lite blue unicorn in matching purple pointed hat and cape appeared on stage to an awed audience. "Yeah. She looks really reformed all right," Rainbow Dash commented on the display. Dan's face was lit up. "What are you talking about? Did you guys see that?! That was amazing!" Every single one of Twilight's friends slowly turned their heads to Twilight. The purple unicorn blushed horribly and smiled sheepishly. "So, who's up for a cloud ride?" Rainbow Dash asked, pulling away from the crowd. Her friends started following her. "You guys are leaving? You don't want to see the show?" Dan asked. Why were they walking away? The show looked like it was going to be spectacular! "Uh...nah, we've seen it before, Dan," Rainbow Dash explained. "Yeah, I think we'll skip this one, Dan..." Twilight said. She noticed her friend's slight disappointment. "But you can stay and watch it if you want to." Dan looked back to the stage and then turned back to his friends. "No... that wouldn't be right. You invited me to go cloud..." "Riding," "Yes, that and that's what we're going to do. Let's get going," Dan said and joined the group as they departed. "You! Yes, you in the back!!" Trixie's voice shouted. Dan, Twilight and the others turned to see every pony in the crowd staring at them. "You! The two-legged one! The great and powerful Trixie requires your assistance!" the magician declared. The audience of ponies in front of them looked at the young man with eager anticipation. They became loud as they waited for Dan to ascend to the stage. Dan turned back to Twilight among the crowd's outcries. "What do I do?" Dan asked over the shouting. Twilight didn't really have an answer. "I don't know. I remember the last time she asked someone to go up on stage-" "Go up on stage?" Dan asked, only hearing part of Twilight's answer. "You're sure?!" Twilight raised her voice. "I don't know if you should go up on stage-" "All right, I'm going! Wish me luck!" Dan shouted back, the crowd coming together and practically carrying him forward. "Dan, wait I said-" But it was too late. He was already halfway through the audience by the time Twilight tried to stop him. "Trixie thanks the volunteer for his assistance!" Trixie proclaimed as Dan climbed up on stage. Twilight and her friends shoved their way through the crowd, quickly edging their way to the front row. "Greetings, good sir! Introduce yourself for the great and powerful Trixie!" "Uhh, I'm Dan," he replied awkwardly. "Welcome, Dan! Now, let me ask you this..." the mare turned around and pulled a pedestal with a top hat on it out from behind a curtain. "Are you at all familiar with magic?" "Well, yes. I mean, no," Dan stammered. "I mean, I've had problems with 'magicians' before but these were frauds. They didn't actually know how to perform real magic." "Parlor tricks! Illusions and shenanigans, I assure you!" Trixie closed her eyes and scoffed. "Trixie's spells are only the most masterful examples of sorcery in all of Equestria!" she declared. A jet of green flame erupted from the hat ending her sentence. A light rumble echoed out as a portion of the audience applauded. Dan's eyes actually narrowed as he got a closer look at the demonstration. "I dunno... I've seen a lot of magic." He took a look around the stage. "Something about your trick seems a little fake." Trixie spun around and glared at him. "You might think it's fake but. This. Is. REAL MAGIC! "We've seen it all before!" a random pony from the audience shouted. "Real magic?" Dan asked, his tone now skeptical. "Well, my friend Twilight Sparkle just so happens to be able to-" "Oh of course, of course," Trixie interrupted and dismissed Dan's comment. "But Trixie's spells are mysterious and not normally seen by those in Ponyville!" "They're not normally seen because nopony bothers coming to your show!" a Pegasus hovering above the crowd shouted. Trixie gritted her teeth and growled at the heckler. "So, what trick am I going to participate in?" Dan finally asked. "Ah, yes," Trixie turned back to Dan. "Trixie was recently on a great and noble quest to the far reaches of the Crystal Empire! There, Trixie learned the art of vanishing spells! Using these rare magical techniques, Trixie can make a subject completely... disappear!" That actually caught Twilight's attention. "Disappearing magic?" "What's wrong, Twi?" Applejack asked from a few ponies over. "I'm not sure. I've never heard of magic that can make things disappear before." "I dunno," Rainbow remarked from overhead. "She's definitely making this crowd disappear..." Several ponies had already trotted off. After the cheesy pyrotechnics display, they were leaving in droves. "You have nothing to fear!" Trixie said. She prepared to cast the spell, her horn glowed with magic and she reared back on her hind legs. "Trixie's skills are entirely unmatched! Now, watch Ponyville, as Dan disappears from your very eyes!" Without warning, the blue unicorn blasted the young man standing before her. An electric ray arced from Trixie's horn and collided with Dan, enveloping him in a bright, blue aura. The aura exploded in a flash, momentarily blinding the entire audience. "Behold! Trixie has-" she stopped midsentence. The remaining dozen or so ponies left in the audience along with Twilight and her friends weren't exactly surprised to see Dan still standing right where he'd been hit with the spell. No, in fact, Trixie's spell not working was something they'd all expected. What they were unprepared to see was the fact that her spell had at least partially succeeded. But only partially. "Did it work? Am I invisible or something?" Dan asked. He quickly examined himself. Arms, legs, clothes, all seemed to be fine yet Trixie stood in front of him with her mouth agape. He turned to his friends in the crowd. "What happened?" Dan's friends were speechless, too, all except Pinkie Pie. The pink mare cringed, covered her mouth and then burst out in laughter. "Dan..." Twilight started but stopped herself, holding a hoof over her mouth. "What's going on? It didn't work, did it?" "Oh, it worked all right," Rainbow Dash said, on the verge of tears herself. "If she was only trying to make your hair disappear!" "My... hair?" Dan asked. He placed his hands on his scalp and felt only bare skin and the now-exposed top of his head. His eyes went wide as the realization hit him: his hair was gone. He was completely bald. An inhuman amount of rage slowly built within him. He turned to the magician responsible for this. "You made my hair disappear?" "Uhm, yes," Trixie said nervously, backing away. "And now for her next trick... Trixie will make herself disappear!" A plume of blue smoke burst at her hooves, obscuring Dan's vision momentarily. The smoke quickly cleared, however, revealing Trixie galloping down the street at full speed. "Wait... where are you going?!" Dan shouted after her. He turned to Twilight and the others. "Aren't you going to go after her?!" "I'm sorry," Rainbow Dash said, laughing to herself. "I didn't see where she went; I was kind of distracted by the reflection off your dome!" Dan turned around to see the blue unicorn had vanished from the street in front of him. He stood on the stage, bald, humiliated and with the guilty party fleeing the scene. A pulse of pure fury built in his stomach. Dan's fists became balls, his jaw clenched and his eyes shut as his entire body pulsed with rage. The anger built in him as his blood began to boil and a white-hot, concentrated ball of hate hit the back of his throat. Dan threw his fists up and shouted to the heavens above,"TRIXIE!!!" "Dan... calm down," Twilight said. Dan's voice was still ringing in her ears. "CALM DOWN?!" Dan shouted. "My hair is gone!! That magician is gone! MY PATIENCE IS GONE!" Rainbow Dash hovered closer, still trying to contain her laughter. "Hey, look at the bright side, Dan!" she said with a giggle. "What bright side?!" "No, I mean actually look at the bright side of your head! It's so shiny!" Dan practically foamed at the mouth. "RRAAAGGGGHH!!!" Running to the side of the stage, Dan ripped a portion of the blue curtains off. In a single rage-filled motion, he fashioned himself a turquoise turban for himself. The other ponies climbed up on the stage as Dan stood and fumed. "Dan, please calm down," Twilight reiterated. "How... did you do that?" Rarity asked, pointing to the turban Dan just made. Dan looked up, noticing the hat on his head. "I... don't... know... we need to find that magician! When I get my hands on her, I'm gonna rip every strand of hair off her mane and make it into a wig!" "Dan, it's all right," Twilight said. "She just used a bit of magic; it's nothing I can't fix." "How do you know you can do that?!" Dan backed away. "You said before that you've never even heard of disappearing spells!" Twilight stopped for a moment. "That's right, but I do know about curse-reversing. And a lot about magic in general," she modestly added. "Yeah! Twilight's the best at magic! She's fixed the trouble Trixie's caused a couple times before! Wait," Pinkie Pie stopped herself. "Don't you live with Twilight, Dan? Don't you know all this?" Whatever small amount of calm Dan managed evaporated again in an instant. Slowly, he turned to the pink mare who had poised the question to him. "NO!!! I don't know all of this because THIS is the first time we've ever done anything together!!" "Oh...," Pinkie realized. "Well, are you having fun?" The muscles in Dan's face burned like hot coals. His eye twitched rapidly. "AAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!" "Well, you did want to see Trixie's magic show, Dan," Rainbow Dash reminded him. "But I bet you didn't think you'd... lose your hair over it!" The rainbow mare almost fell over chuckling. The others couldn't help but laugh either, except Twilight. "Please, Dan," Twilight stepped forward. "Let me help you." "Rrrrgghhh... fine," Dan said through gritted teeth. "But then, we're going after that magician." He removed his turban. His bald scalp glimmered in the sun. Twilight rolled her eyes. Hopefully, with his hair back, Dan would forget about trying to get back at Trixie and they could move on with their day. Whatever Trixie's magic was, Twilight was sure a simple reset spell would clear it up. She charged her horn with the appropriate counter-magic and took aim for the young man's domed head. A ray of magenta light shot from Twilight's horn and collided with Dan's scalp. For a moment, another blinding flash lit up the area. It cleared quickly and the ponies looked to Dan to see the result. "What?!" Twilight yelled in disbelief. "What happened?! What did you do?!" Dan asked quickly. He ran his fingers over his head again but felt the same lack of hair he'd felt earlier. Nothing but the smooth surface of his scalp greeted his fingertips. Twilight continued to stare at him in frustration while the others were silent. "What's going on?" Dan was almost panicking. "What's the problem?!" "Nothing happened, Dan... that's the problem." Twilight moved closer, scrutinizing Dan's head. Same as before; nothing had changed. She put a hoof to her chin. "Let me try again." "Uh, wait, I-" Krzzap! She blasted him again. Still though, the results were the same. "Hmm..." Twilight said. She blasted him again without warning. And again, and again. "Why isn't it working?" her tone more curious than frustrated. "Maybe a different spell." She blasted him with another ray; this one spawned a puff of smoke with it that quickly dissipated. When the cloud of magical smoke was gone, it revealed only the same bald human frowning back at her. "I don't understand," Twilight said. "None of the cleansing spells are working." Twilight didn't want to admit it but it seemed that whatever spell Trixie cast was beyond her at the moment. Despite being an alicorn princess, there were still things she was learning about magic. It was a reminder that knowledge could come from any source and also that she may have to go find that source as Dan had suggested. Or demanded. "Of course it's not working!" Dan shouted, pulling the turban back down over his head. "Obviously, this is some kind of voodoo you're not used to!" Twilight put a hoof to her chin. "It does look like it..." "Maybe we could try something different?" Rarity asked. "I know of plenty of products that can help you conceal your... lack of hair, Dan." "Oooh yeah! Like a wig or a mask! You could pick out a new one for every day!" Pinkie proclaimed excitedly as she bounced. "Maybe Zecora has a potion for something like this..." Fluttershy timidly suggested. "Or I could let ya borrow my hat," Applejack offered, removing her trademark Stetson. Twilight put a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful, Dan." "Oh, I know exactly how you can help. How you can ALL help," Dan said with a twisted smile. "We're going to find that fraud show-pony and I'm going shove a dozen solutions for hair loss down her throat!!" "How're we going to find her?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Search the whole town? Cuz, I'm down for that." "No, I have a better idea," Dan said, walking to the side of the stage. He picked up Trixie's cap off the floor. "We won't have to search a single spot. She's going to come right back here to the scene of the crime soon enough." "How do you figure that?" Twilight asked. Dan pointed to a sign to the side of the stage. It read: The Great and Powerful Trixie Powerfully Presents: The Great and Powerful Trixie Terrific Traveling Show Show Times: 9a.m. ~ 10a.m, 2p.m. ~ 3p.m. and 6p.m. ~ 7p.m. Tips appreciated Tomorrow Bingo "Ohhhh," Pinkie said, understanding. "Wow. She does three shows a day. That's gotta be rough." The others nodded in agreement. Dan began pacing. "We'll wait right here for her... set a trap or something. And we she shows up, BAM! We shave her bald in front of the entire town!" "You really think she's going to come back for the next show, Dan?" Twilight asked. "She'll have to," Dan held up a glass jug full of bits. "She forgot her tip jar." The six ponies and bald biped waited for the magician to return. Twilight didn't know how things would work out, how she was going to get Dan to calm down or how she would get his hair back. What was this spell Trixie had tried to perform and why didn't it work out? For that matter, why did it seem none of Twilight's magic wasn't working on Dan either? Hopefully, getting ahold of Trixie would provide an explanation provided that getting ahold of her didn't involve Dan strangling her. They'd each taken different positions: Dan, Twilight and Applejack hid in some bushes a few feet away from the stage, Pinkie and Rarity were just on the side of either curtain, Rainbow Dash observed from a carefully-placed cloud above the stage and Fluttershy watched and prepared for the confrontation from the safety of a nearby tree. Dan checked his watch. "It's almost two-thirty... where is she?!" he whispered angrily. He checked the stage again and surrounding area. Nothing. Not a single other pony walked through the streets, nopony else approached the stage. It was quiet enough to hear the bouncing of the obligatory tumble weed roll its way across the area. "Maybe she skipped town... gettin' humiliated like that in public, I sure wouldn't want to be seen 'round after somethin' like that happened," Applejack commented. Dan turned back to her. "Humiliated? Her? What about me? SHE'S the one who did this to ME! It was practically a sick joke in front of every other pony in town!" "Well, I'm just sayin' Dan, she went and messed up that trick of hers in front of the whole town, too. I'd be pretty embarrassed if I was a magician." "Yeah, well if she thinks she's embarrassed now, I'm gonna show her ten different kinds of embarrassment when she shows back up," Dan turned back around. Applejack was actually referring to something else and Twilight knew it. Some time ago, what felt like a long time ago, Applejack actually did leave town out of her own shame for a similar situation. They literally had to track her down and then chase her down to try and find out why she had run away. The cowgirl mare may not have been a magician like Trixie but she knew about living up to expectations and performing for large crowds. She also knew the feeling of not living up to those expectations. Twilight could tell she even sympathized for Trixie; Twilight did, too. She and the others had learned quite a few lessons about friendship from dealing with Trixie, lessons Dan hadn't been involved with. Twilight still remembered meeting Dan, Chrysalis and Fluffle Puff around the same time, what seemed like ages ago. Apart from seeing each other at home or bumping into each other in town, Twilight hardly ever saw Dan or the others. In fact, she interacted with them in person almost as often as she spent time with Princess Celestia. The thought was discomforting. As they crouched in the bushes in anticipation of the culprit's return, Twilight's gaze was fixed on the back of her enraged houseguest's neck. She realized then her problem: she hadn't done the best job in balancing her friends. Dan, Fluffle Puff, Twilight, even her own brother, there were in actuality very few other ponies that were privy to Twilight's journeys with her friends. While Twilight did send a weekly letter to the princess and most other ponies heard about her adventures anyway, she didn't talk to any of her other friends regularly. Dan continued to seethe in front of her. She put a hoof on the back of his shoulder hoping it would calm down but his focus was fixed on the stage in front of them. He was going to be hard to get through to. If her friends outside of the regular five had more contact with Twilight, maybe Dan would be exercising forgiveness instead of retaliation right now and maybe she would've known Trixie's act hadn't changed much. Twilight came to the sudden realization that while she had learned many lessons about friendship, there were others who hadn't learned the same lessons. It wasn't just about Dan not being involved; this entire incident was a clear indication that Equestria itself wasn't benefiting enough from her learning about the magic of friendship. She would have to find some way to teach others as well as her friends from now on. But right now, sympathy wasn't going to prevent Dan from being as bald as Cranky Doodle Donkey for the foreseeable future. More time passed as the group continued to wait. Other ponies actually showed up to watch the show, not many but a few. A family spread out a picnic blanket to sit upon as they waited. Some even placed a bit or two into the glass jar sitting at the foot of the stage; it was beginning to almost overflow. Despite the increase in activity, the star remained absent. "Rrrrggh," Dan growled. "Where is that gypsy?" Pinkie gasped, peeking out from behind the curtain. "Oooh! I know a thing or two about gypsies! I even know this song!" She took a deep breath to begin to sing. "When-" "SHHHHH!!!" Rarity shushed her. "Sorry!" Pinkie whispered back. "But it's a really good song!" Rarity facehooved and shook her head silently. Dan checked his watch again. Almost 3o'clock. He scratched his head and was reminded AGAIN at his lack of hair. "Hey, Twilight?" Pinkie asked from behind the curtains. "Pinkie, what is it? We're not supposed to be drawing attention to ourselves!" Twilight chastised. "I know, it's just, I'm wondering why you're casting a levitation spell." "What?" Twilight checked her horn. "I'm not levitating anything." "Then why is the tip jar floating away?" Pinkie pointed. Sure enough, in front of the stage the tip jar hovered in midair and moved slowly away from them. It bobbed from side-to-side as it drifted over the grass, heading down the street. "GET HER!!" Dan ordered, leaping from behind the bush. The others sprung from their hiding places to rush the jar. In response, the jar seemed to pause and then accelerate in the direction it was heading. The spectators turned to see the six ponies race towards the floating jug as it hovered down the street. Rainbow Dash jumped off her cloud and dove for the jar, speeding for it like an arrow. When it looked like she was about to snatch it, it abruptly stopped and turned at the last second and the Pegasus shot past it. "What the hay?" Rainbow said, puzzled. Dan and the others approached from behind, blocking the jar's attempt at reversing course. It spun in midair and shook. "Wait a minute," Twilight said, slowing down. Looking at the jar, she noticed something strange about it. "It's not glowing. She's not casting a spell on it." The other ponies took notice of this as well. As she said, the container had no mystical aura around it to indicate it was being moved by magic. "PONYVILLE IS HAUNTED!!" Pinkie screamed. Twilight narrowed her gaze. "No, this is something else." Dan didn't slow his advance; he ran right up to the floating jar. As he bore down on it, he undid the turban around his head and spread the cloth in both hands, preparing to catch the unicorn wherever she was. The jar kept trying to get through Rainbow Dash but the Pegasus stood between it and the street beyond, blocking any attempt at escape as the others approached from behind. "Thought you could get away from us, didn't you?" Dan said as he ran up to it. "Dan, she's not levitating it; this is something else," Twilight cautioned. While Dan wasn't that familiar with magic, he'd spent enough time around Twilight to know when something was being influenced by a levitation spell. "But if she's not levitating the coin jar, then where is she?" Rarity asked. "I don't know!" Dan bellowed, rage still coursing through him. "But that fraud's not getting away with anypony's hard earned money!" He lunged at the jar with the blue cloth in hand when something else happened. He collided in the air with something else and the jar fell to the ground, spilling its contents. As if from thin air, Trixie appeared underneath Dan as he tackled her to the street. "Ow! Hey, those bits are mine!" Trixie yelled. "Trixie? Where did you come from?" Rainbow Dash asked. Both Dan and the magician got up, brushing the dirt off of themselves. "I've been here the whole time. You just couldn't see me." Something about her had changed; her tone was more submissive, nothing like the way she was on stage. "You made yourself invisible?" Twilight asked. Trixie nodded. "It's the disappearing spell." "Trying to grab the cash and skip town after making me bald, ey?" Dan asked in an accusing voice. The blue unicorn turned to him. "I had no intention of leaving... I was just trying to empty my jar before the next show." "So, you were planning on going through with your other shows?" Fluttershy asked. Trixie adjusted her cap and cape. "Of course. If I schedule a performance, I owe it to the audience to conduct it. It would be unfair otherwise." "Then why did you jump off stage and run away after making my hair vanish?!!" Dan demanded. "I..." Trixie paused for a moment. "I'm sorry. It was a mistake. I had no idea that would happen when I used the disappearing spell on you." "Sorry?! You're sorry?!" The bald man shouted. "After humiliating me on stage in front of every pony in town, you're just sorry?!!" Trixie nodded. "Yes... I'm very sorry." Her expression and tone conveyed both regret and concern. Dan still trembled with rage as the mare apologized in front of him. The others looked at him, all equally concerned. His jaw clenched, he looked ready to tackle the magician again. Twilight walked over to him. "Dan, she said she was sorry," Twilight reminded him softly. Standing on her back legs, she grabbed him by the shoulders to try to calm him down. Dan's eyes scanned the faces of his other friends; they all shared the same concerned expression, wondering what Dan would do next. He looked to the frightened unicorn in front of him. She didn't try to run or hide, didn't try to avert her fate. It was as if she stood in the road waiting for Dan to render judgment for her error. Her fate was in Dan's hands. It was exactly what he wanted; justice. But for some reason, surrounded by his friends, he was unable to render it. Fists slowly un-balling, Dan's demeanor turned from sheer fury back to mild contempt. "Fine... I...accept your apology," he said, exhaling sharply. "Thank you, Dan," Twilight said, patting him. Trixie's mouth slowly formed a smile, as did the other ponies. Disaster had been narrowly averted it seemed. "So...," Trixie began. "If you all will excuse me, I have a show to perform." She walked towards Dan and the others, back to the stage. "Oh, absolutely," Dan said, sounding cheerful as she passed. "There's just one little problem." The blue unicorn looked over her shoulder. "And... that is?" Dan bent over and pointed to his head. I'M STILL BALD!!! he shouted. The pale dome practically sparkled in the sunlight. Looking closely, Pinkie almost could see her own reflection. "Oh, um, right. Sorry," Trixie turned back around. "Um... I really wasn't expecting for the spell to make your hair disappear, believe me." "Sure," Dan said stoically, staring back at Trixie with the same apathetic look of contempt. Pinkie put a hoof to her chin. "So, you're able to make the spell work on yourself... but not others?" "I tested the spell on several things and they all seemed to work. It took a while to learn but eventually it became like any other spell," Trixie explained. "Right. I'm sure there are plenty of spells that make people go bald," Dan said sarcastically. "I don't exactly know why the spell didn't work but I'm sure the standard cleansing spell will be able to reverse it," Trixie said, charging her horn. "That won't work-, we've already tried-" Dan started to say but was blasted by Trixie's beam. A second later, a cloud of bluish smoke evaporated and the still-bald form of Dan finished with, "cleansing magic." "What? Why didn't it work?" Trixie asked, surprised. Twilight moved to her side. "I tried a couple of different spells after you left, none seemed to work." Trixie put a blue hoof to her chin. "I don't understand. This spell seems to work on everything else. Why did it make only your hair disappear?" "It's because he's a human," a voice answered. The other ponies looked around but didn't see anyone else in sight. "Who said that?" Rainbow Dash asked. A book sailed through the air and landed in the middle of the group between Dan and Trixie. Twilight walked over and picked it up. It was a large tome with a hardback; she recognized it as a spell book almost immediately. "Arcane Apology?" Twilight read the title on the cover. She noticed it was heavy as she picked it up off the ground. "That should help you out. Take good care of it," the voice said. It almost sounded like somepony Twilight had met before.. but she couldn't put her hoof on where exactly. Looking around, she caught a glimpse of a pony in a brown hooded cloak walking away from them. Whoever it was, Twilight quickly lost them as they walked behind a tree. "What is it, Twilight?" Rarity asked as the others gathered around Twilight. "It's a spell book... but not like any book I've ever seen before." Dan narrowed his eyes at the large tome. "It reminds me of those old textbooks from college." Twilight opened it. The book was thick, its pages almost brittle they were so thin. She quickly flipped through it and found a table of contents. Looking over them, she turned to a chapter marked "Arcane Effects" towards the middle of the book. Twilight noticed other spells, diagrams, charts and detailed information as she skipped through. "If there's something here, it should be in this section," Twilight said, flipping the pages one hoof at a time. "Stop!" Trixie put a hoof on the page. "That's the disappearing spell I learned!" Twilight looked back at the page. It seemed to list detailed instructions on how to perform magic that rendered the target invisible to the naked eye. The page provided examples of its use, suggested targets and even the proper counter spells. "Is this your book, Trixie?" Twilight asked. "No..." Trixie replied. "I didn't learn the disappearing spell from this book. A stranger in the Crystal Empire taught it to me. But I recognize the spell." "Well, it looks like this has the proper counter spell we need." "Fantastic!" Dan cheered. "All right, use it on me and everything will be back to the way it was!" Twilight turned to Trixie. "I think we should let Trixie perform the spell, Dan." "What?!" Dan asked in shock. "I can't trust her! She's the one who did this to me in the first place!" "Which is why she should be the one to fix it," Twilight responded, giving a knowing and encouraging smile to Trixie. Trixie returned the expression with a shy and modest grin, understanding what the purple princess was doing for her. "I... all right," Dan said, giving up. "Just hurry up and get it over with." "Gladly," Trixie replied. Giving the spell a quick glance, Trixie conjured the cleansing spell with her horn. A blue aura pulsed around it and a bright ray launched from the tip, causing a flash of light when it hit Dan. Dan kept his eyes shut this time. Dan had experienced a couple different spells, mostly Twilight's and Chrysalis's and he had to say, each one was unique but they had some similarities. Magic had its own feeling, a tingling sensation with a warmness to it like the rush of a breeze with a static surge. It had all the feelings of a force all its own, a whisper in the ear, a warm breath on the shoulder, something that shouldn't be there and yet undeniably was. Sometimes, it was terrifying and at other times, it was comforting. "Dan, open your eyes!" Pinkie Pie cried enthusiastically. But Dan didn't have to open his eyes. He ran his fingers over his head again and was both relieved and satisfied to feel his hair back in its place, even in the same style he'd left it in. A smile spread across his face as the stress left him. "Ahh... at last," Dan sighed with relief. "The baldness is gone... I'm glad that's over with." "What do we say, Dan?" Twilight encouraged, leaning over and looking at him. "You're right, Twilight," Dan agreed. Twilight smiled. It was good to see everything coming full-circle, the cycle of forgiveness complete. Dan turned around. "Thank you, guys, for helping me track down Trixie and get my hair back." Trixie's face scrunched up a little bit and Twilight's smile immediately turned into a frown. "Um, don't you think there might be somepony else you should thank, Dan?" Twilight was wanting Dan to thank Trixie; despite the fact she had humiliated Dan, she had also been the one to fix her mistake. Dan facepalmed. "Oh, I almost forgot." Twilight's smile returned. Sometimes it took people a minute to get things straightened out. She listened for Dan to express his gratitude to Trixie next. Obviously, that was what he was about to do. Dan picked up the book off the ground. "Thanks to whoever gave us this free book! Appreciate it!" he called out. He then turned back to the others. "All right, let's get going," he said, walking past Twilight and Trixie without another thought. "Wait, Dan, where are you going?" Twilight asked, shocked. Dan looked over his shoulder. "I'm gonna head back and check out this new book. I'll see ya back at the house." He continued walking off with the new book tucked under his arm. Twilight felt almost devastated; it didn't look like Dan had really forgiven Trixie. She could only imagine how the blue unicorn must've felt. Her friends gathered around her. "I'm sorry, Trixie. Dan can be a little-" "It's quite all right, Twilight Sparkle," Trixie interrupted. She quickly brushed up her tip jar and bits. "Now, if you'll all excuse me, Trixie has a show to perform." Her tone sounded pompous again. She began walking back to the stage. "Wait, y'all are still gonna perform after what happened?" Applejack asked. "Of course!" Trixie answered. "The show must go on!" Twilight's head drooped to the ground. Just like that, the problem was over. All though it appeared to have been resolved with a satisfactory solution, it didn't seem like either Trixie or Dan had learned anything from the incident. Both of them seemed to remain unchanged by the events as if the situation hadn't happened at all. Her friends noticed her demeanor. "What's wrong, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked. Twilight exhaled sharply. "Sometimes, it doesn't feel like anypony else is really learning anything about friendship." "Now hey," Applejack interjected. "I know that's not true. All of us use the lessons we've learned almost every day." The others around her nodded in agreement. "I know," Twilight said, her voice distraught. "But I feel like sometimes it might be just as that has learned, no one else." "Ah, don't worry bout it, Twi," Applejack replied, patting her on the back. "People can just be a little stubborn sometimes. I'm sure they'll come 'round eventually." "I guess so," the alicorn said, her voice heavy with uncertainty. The six ponies walked back towards the stage. A few more spectators had gathered in front of the stage but not many, a dozen at most. Twilight and her friends approached as the curtains pulled back. "Come one, come all, come see! Prepare to be astounded by the Grrrreat and POWERFUL Trixie!" Fireworks shot into the air as the unicorn made her announcement. In a bright flash, she appeared on stage. A pair in the audience applauded but that was about it and nopony seemed very enthusiastic to be there. "Trixie," Applejack said, approaching the stage. "There's hardly anypony here. Why're you still going on with this?" "The stage is here and so am I!" Trixie proclaimed. "It is as I said: the show must go on!" "Doesn't seem like much of a point to me..." Applejack commented. Trixie grinned back at her. "Well, allow me to explain..." I remind myself when I get started That on this stage I am an artist And all those ponies out there came here to see me But although the tensions are high I still go out there and I try To show my audience what they all came to see! 1...2...3... Pull back the curtains! Cue the spotlight! There might not be many ponies out there tonight But I'll still shine so bright that they'll all think it's dawn! Because no matter what the show must go on! How about producing fire from my hat? (Audience)We've already all seen that! How bout I turn my wand into a snake? (Audience)Who're you trying to fool? That's clearly fake! I won't stop until you're impressed! (Audience)Get off the stage! Give it a rest! Sometimes you are the queen, sometimes you are the pawn But no matter what the show must go on! When I was young, I found I had a flair For attracting attention from everywhere! It was a talent that nopony else possessed! I think of that when I'm on this stage Though my audience my start to rage I'm here right now so I might as well try and do my best! I work so hard that I get frazzled Hoping to see my audience dazzled Even if it's applause that I have yet to spawn Because no matter what the show must go on! Maybe what you need is a good scare? (Rarity)Please, not again with the green hair Perhaps something with magic cards? (Rainbow Dash)Anypony can do that; it isn't hard! Look at these unbroken rings! (Applejack)I think that I can see the strings... Can I ask for a volunteer? (Pinkie Pie)Why don't you try again next year? How about I show off my animal charm? (Fluttershy)I wouldn't want them to be alarmed... Should I take somepony's request? (Twilight Sparkle)Maybe another time would be for the best? I'll win you over; I promise this is not a con! And no matter what the show must go on! I've traveled around the world to perfect my magic It's a journey so long that I refuse to let it end tragic Some ponies may think that my show's one-dimensional... And things may happen sometimes, unintentional... But Trixie's got plenty inside her bag of tricks! Not every single spell works out But I keep trying and I have no doubt That eventually I'll find the one that clicks! I remain confident my spells and plans Will get them cheering in the stands! And I promise to keep performing till my energy is gone! Because no matter what, the show must go onnnnnnnn!!!!!!! A fireworks finale erupted as Trixie's presentation ended. The entire audience applauded including Twilight and her friends. "Thank you, thank you!" Trixie said, bowing. "Now, for her next trick, the great and powerful Trixie would like to ask for a volunteer." And that was Twilight and her friends' cue to leave. Together, they turned around and departed the stage, putting distance between them and Trixie's latest performance. "Now that that's over... are we all ready to go cloud riding finally?" Rainbow Dash asked impatiently, hovering above the group. "I... think I'm gonna go check on Dan," Twilight confessed, her tone concerned. "What?!" Rainbow was shocked. "After wasting all that time, you're just gonna go back home now?" "Dan's been through a lot today. I'm sorry; we'll hang out some other time." Applejack put a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "It's all right, Twi. Always plenty of time to ride the clouds.." Twilight smiled. "Bye girls. I'll see you later!" she called, trotting in the direction of her house. Rainbow landed on the ground and stomped a hoof. "I don't believe this... after everything that happened..." "Twilight's got a lot on her mind right now, Rainbow," Rarity said. "It probably won't be easy involving Dan in our activities form now on." Rainbow turned to the white unicorn. "Who says we're gonna invite him next time?" Applejack's gaze was focused down the road. "I have a hunch Twilight will." This comment got a disappointed huff out of Rainbow Dash. "Aww, don't be so hard on Dan, Dashie!" Pinkie said. "It can be tough being the new pony-err, person in town." Fluttershy nodded. "It takes time for new creatures to adjust to their environment," she added. "Hasn't he been here for like... months?" Rainbow asked. "Sure but he hasn't really been 'round for much that's happened. It just means he'll need a little bit more time to adjust," Applejack said. Rainbow thought for a moment. "I guess so...," she turned to the others. "Well, whatcha wanna do now?" "We could watch the rest of Trixie's show!" Pinkie suggested. Rainbow turned back to the stage. "All right but if she asks for a volunteer, I ain't getting up on stage." Pinkie laughed. "Yeah, you wouldn't wanna wind up as RainBALD Dash!" The group of friends chuckled as they headed back to watch the rest of Trixie's performance. Unbeknownst to the five mares, another pony in a hooded brown cloak was among the crowd as they approached the stage. But this pony wasn't there to watch the show. It was late in the afternoon when Twilight got home. She opened the door to her house, wondering who else was home. "Hi Twilight," Spike greeted her upon entering. "Hello, Spike," Twilight said back, noticing something strange right away. Spike, Chrysalis and Fluffle Puff all sat on the couch in the living room, looking soaking wet. They looked to be trying to dry off. "Did the two of you wash Fluffle Puff?" "Sort of," Chrysalis answered. "I think I'd rather not get into it..." "Okay..." Twilight said, deciding not to pry. "Where's Dan?" "Up in his room... where it's dry..." Chrysalis shivered. "All right, I'll go check on him," Twilight said, walking past them and up the stairs. As their host left, Chrysalis looked over to Spike. "Never. Again," Chrysalis said to Spike. The purple dragon shivered in response and the pink puff ball pony in between them stuck out its tongue. 'Pbbthd' was all it said. Twilight knocked on the door to the room Dan shared with Chrysalis and Fluffle Puff. "It's open," Dan called back. Twilight opened and entered to find the young man lying back on his bed, hands behind his head just staring at the ceiling. "Hi, Dan," Twilight said, making her voice sound comforting. "Did you... have fun today?" Dan kept his eyes on the roof. "Is it like that every time you're out with your friends?" Twilight knew what he was referring to. She thought about the question. "It definitely gets exciting. You never know who you're going to meet at times." "I hope we don't meet too many other ponies like Trixie," Dan replied, rolling over. Twilight thought hard about how to phrase her next statement. "It's fun to meet new ponies. Sometimes you meet somepony you don't get along with but by interacting with them, they can teach you something new. I try to look at it as an opportunity to learn. Maybe... you could, too?" "Yeah, yeah..." Dan grumbled, still on his side. Twilight walked back to the door and closed it, casting one last glance behind her at her guest before shutting it. She realized it was going to be difficult getting through to Dan but she wouldn't give up. It might take a while but Dan was her friend, too and she planned on involving him when she did things with her friends. It was what friends do and she believed she could help Dan. She trotted back to her room and decided to write a letter to Princess Celestia about the matter. Meanwhile, back in Dan's room, Dan didn't hear the door shut as Twilight left; he was too busy focusing on his cell phone. He scrolled through the menu until he reached the video he'd recorded some minutes ago and pressed play. On the small screen before him, the recording of Trixie's magic show played. In the quiet of Dan's room, he watched the blue unicorn sing along with his friends. And he smiled. Outro- Closing Theme of Dan Vs. The Magic of Friendship Parody of 'Just the two of us'- feat. Bill Withers You see us walking down the street We're not the type you'd like to meet But if you greet us, we'll still say hello We may not have been here all that long Once in a while, we're in the wrong But when squee goes down, we're the ones you want to know Just don't screw with us Don't mess around, don't even try Just don't screw with us (Just don't screw with us) Jussssst don't screw with us You can't cross us, you won't get by Just don't screw with us That's good advice We don't always fit in with folks in town But when trouble comes around You'll be glad that we're all here Some people still don't see the signs They come here, cross a couple lines But we still try to make things clear Rule Number-One: Just Don't Screw with Us Don't mess around, don't even try Just don't screw with ussss (Just don't screw with us) Jussssst Don't Screw With Us! Unless your name is Pinkie Pie! Still, don't screw with us. That's no lie. This is the part with the saxophone, songs sound better with saxophone solos That's why we added this part with the sax-o-phonnnnnneeee This is the instrumental portion, I hope that we made it clear somehow But if it wasn't clear before, I'm sure it's- clear- now! You see us walking down the street We're not the types you want to meet But when you call on us, we sure to get the job done We might not be what you expect Celestia knows, we're not perfect But you can still join us for the fun Just don't screw with us Don't mess around, don't even try~ Just don't screw with us (Just don't screw with us) Jusssst don't screw with us! Alright, maybe Derpy or Fluttershy, the rest Don't screw with us HEY WHAT DID I JUST SAY, YOU GUYS?! Just Don't Screw With Us~ Yes, that's what I said, but you're just repeating the chorus and- Jusssssssttt Don't Screwwww With Usssssssss! It's passive-aggressive, baby Why does Spike have the deep voice in this? Jussst, Don't Screw With Ussss~ We can make it, just don't screw with us~ Yeah, that's what the song is about, but I'm serious Just don't screw with us~ Hey, the saxophone is back Just don't screw with us~ We can make it, just don't screw with us Okay... fine. As long as you get the message. We'll see you all next week, okay now? BYE. We'll be back soon. And next time, we do it right! Fourth Window Section All right, and... now. ... Come on, Dan. Say it. "Unggggg. Fine. I'm... the 'D' to the 'A' to the 'N'... and you better be recording because I'm NEVER doing this again. I'm... I'm... Danlicious." Awesome, thanks Dan. "Right, now who do I talk to about payment cuz I-" Next time on Dan Vs. The Magic of Friendship... A rude awakening sends Dan on the warpath but when he tries to retaliate, he finds his world getting rocked in more ways than one. He'll need a little more than just SOUND advice to return peace and quiet to Ponyville. It's a battle of the bands next Saturday on Dan Vs. The Magic of Friendship! "You might wanna put on these earplugs." "Why?" "Because this is gonna BLOW YOUR MIND!! Next Saturday: Dan VS. DJ PON-3. The all-new episode of Dan Vs. The Magic of Friendship. Spend your Saturdays with some DANFiction! "Hey, I'm getting paid for that whole 'Danlicious' thing right? Right?" Only on FIMFiction.net.