Harmony Arena, a small stadium sitting on the outskirts of Ponyville. Due to the town's pretty small population, the arena wasn't used often, reserved for events that have the potential to draw in a massive crowd.
"We should've left sooner," Spike muttered, watching the pandemonium outside the entrance of the arena. A crowd of ponies were gathered outside, screaming and shoving each other. Many were dressed in blue capes and hats that matched Trixie's, some holding photos and shouting for autographs. The security guards were doing their best to keep things in order.
Sunset and Twilight led the way to the arena, Spike riding on Twilight's back and followed closely by Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Sparkly Skies. All of them were wearing mock-ups of Trixie's cape and hat, courtesy of Rarity.
"I didn't know Trixie was THIS popular," Fluttershy murmured quietly, nervously pulling the brim of her hat over her face.
"All the shows I've seen during my patrols were packed," Sunset said, gazing towards the crowd as they passed by. "At least this crowd isn't as big as the ones in the cities."
"Still a pretty big one, though," Spike pointed out.
"And there might be even more coming," Twilight added with a chuckle. "Trixie's really come a long way since her first arrival in Ponyville. I'm so proud of her."
"There she is!" Pinkie Pie shouted, jabbing her forehoof towards the arena gates. At the entrance was Trixie, signing autographs and taking photos with excited fans. Twilight and Sunset noticed that she genuinely seemed to be enjoying herself as they made their way through the crowd, doing their best to avoid getting separated.
"Hey Trixie! Over here!" Pinkie Pie called out, jumping up and waving her hooves wildly. This caught the showmare's attention as she looked up and smiled, waving back to her friends. As her gaze fell on Sunset, however, her smile faded. Sunset noticed this and tried her best to keep smiling, but Trixie's distrusting look made it difficult for her. She lowered her head and let out a small sigh.
"You okay, Sunset?" Twilight asked, noticing her student's upset expression.
"I... I'm fine," Sunset answered, tugging her hat and watching as Trixie went back to interacting with her fans. "It's nothing."
Twilight wasn't convinced, and she followed Sunset's gaze. "It's about Trixie, isn't it?"
"She still doesn't trust me," Sunset admitted.
Twilight placed her hoof around Sunset's shoulder. "I know you two have had a rough history, but don't let it get to you," she told her student. "Try to enjoy yourself tonight. After all, you finally get to see her performance up close," she added, giving Sunset an encouraging wink.
Sunset returned the smile and nodded. "You're right," she said. "Let's worry about that later." Putting her worries in the back of her mind, she joined Twilight and her friends as they arrived at the gates to present their tickets.
Meanwhile, Trixie was entertaining her fans, but her mind was on Sunset. So you decided to show up, huh? she thought as she scribbled her name on a fan's photograph. Dressed up in my hat and cape, no less. But it'll take a lot more than mere flattery to win me over, Shimmer.
A young stallion approached her, gesturing to the camera his mother was holding. Trixie placed her arm around the stallion and smiled as the camera flashed. As the stallion walked away squealing excitedly, Trixie was lost in her thoughts again. Sparkle says you deserve a second chance. While I may trust her, that doesn't mean I have to trust you. If you want us to become friends, you have to prove to me that you deserve it.
"Okay, fillies and gentlecolts!" Trixie declared loudly, handing out one last autographed photo to a young foal. "The Great And Powerful Trixie needs to get ready for her Showstopping Spectacular Magic Show! Trixie knows you are all looking forward to what she has in store for you! Until then..." Rearing up on her hind legs, she slammed her forehooves to the ground, setting off a massive smoke cloud accompanied by a chain of fireworks that left everypony screaming excitedly.
"Wow, these are some really good seats here!" Spike exclaimed as he jumped off Twilight's back and stood up on his seat. He leaned over the railing, gaping at the vast stage in front of him.
"Her shows have gotten pretty massive, going by the size of the stage here," Rarity noted as she stepped up beside Spike and followed his gaze.
"You think she does all this by herself?" Spike wondered out loud.
"Not a chance," Sunset replied, taking her seat next to Twilight. "Trixie may be great and powerful, but she can't set up a massive show like this all by herself. Most likely she's got some stage workers helping her out."
"So what are her shows like, Sunset?" Spike asked, sitting down next to Sunset and removing his hat. "You said you saw a couple during your patrol breaks."
Sunset chuckled. "Trixie chose the right word to describe them: spectacular. Especially her storytelling segments. She really goes all-out with the effects, you almost feel like you're actually in the story."
"Wait... storytelling?" Spike raised his eyebrow and crossed his arms. "She's not spewing out some nonsense about how she took down an Ursa Major by herself, is she? That's what got her in trouble during her first trip to Ponyville."
"She's still telling those types of stories, but they're about other ponies, not her," Sunset explained. "She just serves as the narrator."
"Uh huh," Spike muttered, still skeptical.
"She's also got a whole bunch of magic tricks that are just really mind-blowing," Sunset continued. "I won't spoil them though, you'll have to see them for yourself. That's how great they are."
"She... she's not wearing any kind of amulet or anything, right?" Spike asked, nervously twiddling his claws. "Y'know, something that could boost her magic?"
Sunset shook her head. "Doesn't look like it, as far as I'm aware."
For the next fifteen minutes, the arena seats slowly began to fill up as ponies crowded in. Stage workers ran across the stage, setting up lights and fog machines. Octavia Melody and Vinyl Scratch were discussing the music they would play to accompany the performance, the former tuning her cello and the latter hooking up her speakers and turntable. The audience talked amongst themselves, waiting eagerly for the show to begin.
Soon enough, a voice boomed throughout the arena. "The Great And Powerful Trixie's Showstopping Spectacular Magic Show is about to begin." Cheers and whoops echoed throughout the arena as the lights slowly began to dim.
"Ooh, it's starting!" Rarity squealed, leaning forward in anticipation and clapping along with the rest of the audience. Soon enough, the entire arena was dark, except for a small light in the center of the stage, and the audience fell silent.
Octavia's bow slowly ran across the strings of her cello as a blue smoke cloud began to emerge. All the spotlights on the stage pointed towards the cloud as a figure slowly rose up from the floor. The figure reared up on her hind legs, her cape flapping behind her.
"BEHOLD!!!" Her voice boomed throughout the arena, and the audience began cheering and stomping their hooves in excitement. The figure brought her front legs down, sending out a small shockwave once they hit the floor. The smoke cloud dispersed, and fireworks erupted on the stage as the mare of the hour was revealed.
"THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!!!" With a confident smile, Trixie looked out to the crowd of ponies and bowed as they cheered her name. This was something she had been longing for since she was a young filly. You're living the dream, Trixie. You've made it. Now go put on a show for these ponies.
"I see Trixie's made some changes to her wardrobe," Rarity noted, glancing at the new outfit that Trixie was wearing. She still had her trademark cape, but now she was wearing a top hat that retained the star design of her original magician's hat. In addition, she was now wearing a black tuxedo, featuring a blue tie decorated with stars. "She looks absolutely fantastic!" Rarity exclaimed, eyeing Trixie's outfit with glee.
"Welcome, fillies and gentlecolts!" Trixie declared, giving a smug smile as her voice echoed across the stands. "Trixie knows you are all looking forward to what she has in store for the show: tricks and illusions beyond your wildest imaginations! But first..." The showmare lit up her horn, and the lights throughout the arena dimmed. Stars popped up all over the stage as Octavia began playing a mystifying tune on her cello. Vinyl dropped a record on her turntable and turned the volume up, adding some percussion.
"Trixie has yet another tale for you folks," she said as a mountainous backdrop slid into view behind her. "Surely you've all heard of the ancient Neighponese civilization from many centuries ago. A time of samurai and ninjas, a time of war. Swords clashing, the impact of the two blades igniting sparks as brave, highly skilled warriors fought in battle for honor." Lowering her head, Trixie lit up her horn, and the stars surrounding her flew in circles, spinning around in a tornado until they formed a constellation. The audience gasped as they saw a stallion standing on his hind legs, gripping a sword that burned a demonic green.
"Though most were fearless, there was one warrior whose mere name would strike fear in their hearts." Trixie lifted her head, her eyes lighting up as she spoke his name. "Akino."
In that instant, a pair of red, demonic eyes opened, and flames erupted around the stallion, sending chills down everypony's spines. Octavia's eyes remained closed as she began playing a fast, haunting solo on her cello.
In the stands, Twilight and Rarity were watching intensely, amazed at the effects Trixie was showing off. Spike leaned forward on the railing, his interest in Trixie's story suddenly piqued. Fluttershy held onto Sunset, whimpering and shuddering at the sight of the demonic Akino. Pinkie Pie and Sparkly Skies only stared, slack-jawed and wide-eyed.
"Though he has the appearance of a mere stallion, Akino is anything but," Trixie continued, pacing slowly on the stage as Akino roared behind her. "To most, he is a demon. His speed and strength are unmatched; most who went up against him were unable to land a single blow, let alone even see him move across the battlefield. Instead of a steel blade, he carries a wooden sword. Arrogant fools would tease him for it, completely unaware of the power that lies within. A fatal mistake for those who choose to challenge him." Akino unsheathed his sword, raising it above his head as the green flames intensified. Magical runes inscribed onto the blade began to glow brightly.
"Akino's blade is cursed, forged from the deepest pits of Tartarus. The wooden appearance is merely a deception: it cuts like a white-hot shard of magma, with the force of a jackhammer. Coupled with Akino's unnatural strength and speed, it makes him an incredibly terrifying opponent. Those who were lucky enough to survive clashes with him were crippled, and their tales all had one thing in common: they never saw him coming." Behind Trixie, a dozen warriors made up of stars closed in on Akino, their swords drawn. Without so much as a flinch, the demonic warrior swung his weapon in a wide arc, scattering his opponents across the arena. They tried to get up, but before anypony could even blink, Akino had already teleported across the stage, sheathing his sword as his fallen foes vanished into clouds of smoke.
"Whoa," Spike muttered.
"Please tell me when this is over!" Fluttershy squeaked, pulling her hat and cape over her face as she trembled in fright.
"This sounds like something out of a nightmare!" Twilight remarked, staring at the monster standing beside Trixie.
"What'd I tell ya?" Sunset replied, nudging her mentor with her forearm. "She's got a natural talent for storytelling."
Trixie continued her story about the demonic Akino and Swift Wind, the courageous young pegasus mare who challenged him. Everyone, especially Spike, was on the edge of their seats as Trixie narrated her tale, the two warriors clashing behind her in a duel to the death. Gasps and screams echoed throughout the arena as Swift Wind narrowly avoided the devastating slashes of Akino's sword.
"This is some really good stuff!" Spike exclaimed, never taking his eyes off the battle for one moment.
"Something doesn't quite make sense to me, though," Twilight muttered, rubbing her chin. "How is Swift Wind able to keep up with Akino when everyone else who fought him can't even see him coming?"
"Maybe the fact that she's named Swift Wind?" Sunset replied with a snarky grin.
"But why would her name have any bearing on-"
"Stop nitpicking, Twilight."
"Hey! Twilight!"
"I'm just pointing out some problems with Trixie's story. What's wrong with that?" Twilight scoffed.
"Some ponies just want to enjoy a good story," Sunset told her with a shrug. "They don't really care about the insignificant details."
"Twilight!"
"But some ponies do. They spend a lot of time analyzing stories, trying to look deep into it to find out- wait..." The alicorn turned around, her ears perking up. "Is somepony calling me?"
"Huh?" Sunset strained her ears, and after a few moments, she could barely make out a familiar voice calling the name of her friend.
"Twilight!"
The two of them turned, and they were greeted with the sight of an earth pony galloping towards them. "There you are, Twilight!" she called out, ignoring the irritated glances of the nearby ponies.
"Applejack?!" Twilight blurted out, standing up to her hooves as the farmpony skidded to a halt beside them. She was filthy, her body smeared with dirt and scratches, her mane ruffled and unkempt. "What are you doing here?!" Twilight whispered, trying to keep her voice low. "And where are Daring and Dusty?" she added, glancing behind Applejack and not seeing the archaeologists.
"We got split up in the Everfree Forest," Applejack gasped, taking some deep breaths as she removed her hat and wiped the sweat off her forehead. "I don't know what happened to them, but I've got the Relic."
"What?!" Sunset stood up, casting a wide-eyed glance at the saddlebags on Applejack. "You've got it?!"
Applejack quickly opened her saddlebag, revealing the crystalline unicorn bust inside. "It's right here," she said hurriedly. "But Star Gazer and her goons were also there when we found it."
"Star Gazer?!" Twilight began to panic, her eyes wild. "She tracked you three down?!"
"That's why we need to get this back to the castle pronto!" Applejack exclaimed, quickly closing her saddlebag and turning around. "They're probably closing in on us right now!"
"Hey! Keep it down over there!" a disgruntled audience member shouted, glaring at Applejack.
"Uh... Sunset?" Spike nervously tugged at Sunset's cape.
"What is it, Spike?"
"This... this isn't part of the show, is it?"
Sunset turned towards Spike, who was pointing a claw towards the stage. Sunset looked in the direction he was pointing, and her eyes widened. On top of the rafters far above Trixie's head, she could barely make out a couple dark figures: ponies in black cloaks. That only meant one thing.
"No," Sunset replied, her voice shaking as the cloaked ponies descended onto the stage, their silhouettes visible against the sword fight behind them. "This isn't part of the show at all."