//------------------------------// // Episode 2-Don't Give Up On Magic!: Abra-ca-dabra's Debut // Story: Adventures in Magic and Friendship: Season 1 // by kurusagi16 //------------------------------// Episode 2-Don't Give Up On Magic!: Abra-ca-dabra's Debut There was excitement stirring for both the students and teachers alike at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Everypony was working together to put on a big magical talent show to showcase their skills and what they've learned to their parents and the public. Outside the main building of the school, a group of students were helping to build and set the stage they'd be using. Some of the Unicorns used their magic to build the sets, and others used them to work on the lighting and special effects. And it was all being supervised by one of the newer teachers and a former student of Princess Celestia's, Professor Sunset Shimmer. She directed the young Unicorns where to go and what to do, and checking things off on her clipboard once they were complete. "Good work everybod--I mean, everypony!" called out Sunset. "You're all doing a great job. We'll have this show up and running in no time." Also working outside, not too far from the stage (that was still partly under construction), were the Unicorns who'd be performing their magical feats. Some had partnered up, and others went solo, but all of them had their muzzles buried in spell books, trying to figure out which spell to use on opening night. Once they had one picked out, they immediately began practicing so that they could get it to perfection for the show. Morning Star, an amber Unicorn with a wavy crimson mane, had long picked out which spell she wanted to do and had it memorized, so she spent the rest of the free time she now had sitting on the ground and reading ahead in her textbook while the other Unicorns were working around her. Just as she was in the middle of a particularly interesting passage, Morning was called on by Sunset Shimmer. "Morning Star, can I have a word with you?" "Hold on!" Morning Star called back. She closed her text book and trotted up to her teacher. "What is it, Professor Shimmer?" "I noticed that you were reading ahead again, have you finished your act for the show?" Sunset asked. Morning nodded. "Yep! I've got it all picked out and everything." she replied. "Then in that case, there's something I want you to do for me." "What is it?" "You know Abra-ca-dabra, right?" "Yeah, we're in the same class together, and our moms know each other, why?" "She's been a little sad lately, ever since they announced about the show. I want you to go and see what's wrong, and if you can. maybe even help her with her problem." Morning Star looked at Sunset Shimmer befuddled. "What? Why do you want me to do that?" "Everypony else is busy with the show, and since you already know her, maybe she'll open up to you and tell you what's wrong." Morning frowned. It wasn't that she didn't like Abra-ca-dabra, but she didn't really know or hang out with her, so she doubted that she'd get her to open up. And what made Professor Shimmer think that she'd be able to solve Abra-ca-dabra's problem anyway? Still, Professor Shimmer was a teacher, and asked her to help. Morning Star sighed. "Fine, where is she?" she asked. "She's right over there, helping the pyrotechnics." said Sunset, pointing a hoof toward the stage. Morning Star turned her head and saw Abra-ca-dabra, she was a periwinkle Unicorn with a silvery white mane, and a cutie mark of a star wand with two ribbons wrapped around it. She had a sad expression on her face as she mixed different powders that would be used to create dramatic sparks and flames. Heaving another sigh, Morning Star went over to Abra-ca-dabra, looking up at her as she stood on the stage. "Hey, Abra." said Morning. Abra-ca-dabra stopped mixing the powers and looked down at Morning Star. "Oh, hey Morning. Is there something you need?" said Abra-ca-dabra. "Not really, no." said Morning Star. "I just came to check and see how things were coming along with the stage and such." "It's going well." replied Abra-ca-dabra. Her lavender eyes fell downward and her sad frown seemed to deepen. "Are you alright?" asked Morning Star. Abra-ca-dabra's pupils shrunk as she began to stammer, "O-of course I'm alright. I'm perfectly alright? Why wouldn't be alright?" she let out a nervous laugh. Morning arched an eyebrow. She could definitely tell that something was up and it was starting to worry her a little. "Abra, what's going on?" she questioned. "Nothing's going on." insisted Abra-ca-dabra. "Really." "Come on Abra, you're not fooling anypony. Just tell me what's wrong." Abra-ca-dabra looked left and right and then leaned down to whisper in Morning's ear. "Alright, but not here. It's too embarrassing to talk about with other ponies around. Meet me in my dorm room later and I'll tell you." Morning Star gave a nod and trotted away. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing Abra-ca-dabra's expression change from one of sadness to anxiousness. What is t that has her acting like this? wondered Morning Star to herself. Later, outside Abra-ca-dabra's dorm... Morning rapped her hoof against the door and waited for Abra-ca-dabra to answer. The door opened a crack before Abra-ca-dabra opened it all the way and pulled Morning Star inside. "Good, it looks like you weren't followed." said Abra-ca-darba in relief. "Alright Abra, now tell me what this is all about." said Morning. Abra-ca-dabra anxiously rubbed her arm as she began to explain. "Well, you see, it's...it's the show." Morning Star tilted her head. "Huh?" "Everypony has something special that they're doing for the show, but me, I've got nothing." Abra-ca-darba hung her head and frowned. "That's it?" asked Morning. "You want to be in the show?" Abra-ca-dabra nodded. "Then why didn't you say so? I'm sure Professor Shimmer will let you if you ask her." "It's not as simple as that!" said Abra-ca-dabra, turning to face Morning Star. "I want to perform with everypony, but I can't." "Why not?" questioned Morning. "Because I can't use magic like everypony else." Abra-ca-dabra hung her head. "You've seen me in class! I can only use low level magic, and every time I try to cast higher spells, I end goofing up and creating a big mess." She began to pace back and forth around her dorm room. "If I went up there onstage, I won't only make a fool of myself, but I'll probably ruin the show entirely." "Don't exaggerate, Abra." said Morning Star. "Sure, you might not be very skilled in magic, but I'm sure you can still put on just as good a performance as everypony else." Abra-ca-dabra sniffed. "I don't know. It's always been a dream of mine to be like my mom, and to travel around Equestria, performing in front of everypony and entertaining them with my magic." For a moment, Abra-ca-dabra smiled as she thought about her dream, only for her face to fall once more as she let out a depressed sigh. "But now, I'm starting to wonder if I should just give up on magic entirely." Morning Star's eyes widened in shock. "But, you love magic." she pointed out. And it was true. While Abra-ca-dabra wasn't very good with magic orally, she was good on written tests and exams, and always paid attention in class. "I do love magic." said Abra-ca-dabra sadly. "But what's the point in it if I'm not good at it?" That did it. Morning Star knew she had to do something. "You don't have to give it up." she said. "Look, my dad wasn't all the good with magic either, and yet he knows more about it than any of the teachers at this school." She kept going, as Abra-ca-dabra listened. "Don't give up just yet, Abra. Let me help you out, and together, I know we can put on an amazing act that'll blow away the crowd." "You really think so?" asked Abra-ca-dabra hopefully. Morning Star nodded. "I know so." Morning Star walked with Abra-ca-dabra as the two went to Sunset Shimmer's classroom, where Sunset Shimmer herself was double checking the lineup for the show. Morning knocked on the side of the open door and called out, "Professor Shimmer, can we come in?" Sunset looked up at them and smiled. "Yes, of course, come right in." she said brightly. "What can I do for you girls?" "Abra-ca-dabra here wants to be part of the talent show." said Morning, gesturing to Abra-ca-dabra with her hoof. Abra-ca-dabra smiled weakly at Sunset Shimmer. "If that's alright." she said. Sunset beamed. "That's great!" she exclaimed. "We've actually been looking for one more act to add to the show." Sunset levitated a slip of paper and showed it to the girls. It was a list of all the scheduled acts, with one empty spot left. "I can place you in near the middle of the show, if you'd like." Morning glanced at Abra-ca-dabra, who was becoming more and more ecstatic. "Yes, please." she said. "Very good." said Sunset, taking back the paper and scribbling Abra-ca-dabra's name on it. "Do you have an act picked out?" Abra-ca-dabra's smile fell. She'd been so caught up in the thought of being in the show that she didn't even think of what she would be doing. She gulped as she tried to answer, "Uhhhh...." "I'm helping her with the act." interjected Morning, she gave Abra-ca-dabra a little smile. "Alright then." said Sunset. "Just remember, the show is in three days, so you'll have to be ready by then. Got it?" "Got it." the girls said in unison. They both turned and left the classroom, talking to one another as they walked. "I can't believe I'm going to be in the show!" said Abra-ca-dabra. Her pupils then shrunk. "I'm going to be in the show. What am I going to do? I haven't planned anything or--" "Relax." said Morning Star, putting a hoof on Abra-ca-dabra's shoulder. "Just leave everything to me." "But the show is in three days." Abra-ca-dabra said worriedly. "How're we going to come up with a good act in time?" Morning smiled. "You'll see." she said. Outside on the school grounds, Morning Star had gotten a trunk filled with all the necessary supplies they'd need to prepare for Abra-ca-dabra's act. Abara-ca-dabra stood at attention as Morning paced in front of her, giving her a run down of what they were going to do. "Since this is a talent show as well as a magic show," said Morning. "I think the best way to figure out your act is by having it correspond to whatever special talent it is you have." "But will that be good enough?" asked Abra-ca-dabra. "You're mom is in show business. right?" questioned Morning. Abrab-ca-dabra nodded. "Then you should know that when it comes to any show, it's all about dazzling the crowds. Even the simplest of tricks can look amazing if you execute them right." Abra-ca-dabra blinked and then gave Morning a baffled look. "How do you know that." "Oh, I borrowed a book from the library about performances to help with my own act a while ago." she explained. "Now then, back to the matter at hoof, what sort of talent do you have?" "Well, I'm pretty good with light spells." said Abra-ca-dabra as she began to demonstrate to Morning. Her horn lit up, and shapes made of shimmery light swirled and danced over their heads. Morning nodded thoughtfully. "That could work." She then turned to the trunk and opened it up. "Let's see if these will help to add a little more pizzazz." Abra-ca-dabra peeked inside the trunk, and recognized a lot of the objects inside from her dorm room. They were the things that she'd brought with her to magic school before leaving home. She turned to Morning Star and smiled. "Let's get to work!" * * * Abra-ca-dabra had been practicing really hard on a couple of new spells Morning Star had shown her, mustering as much strength as she could so that they looked spectacular. "Come on, you can do it." Morning encouraged her, as she attempted to strengthen her projection spell. But as she strained to project the light illusion farther out, the spell fizzled out, and aura around Abra-ca-dabra's horn dimmed. Abra-ca-dabra let out a groan. "Hey, you did a little bit better on it that time." said Morning reassuringly. Abra-ca-dabra sighed and smiled. "Thanks, Morning." "Why don't we move onto the other parts of the act?" suggested Morning. "Okay." The two Unicorns had come up with a great idea for the act, and had been going over the magical and technical sides they needed to perfect. Luckily, it seemed that Abra-ca-dabra had a real knack for the technical mechanics of putting on a show, having had some past experience from helping out her mom backstage. With Morning providing some assistance, she whipped up a batch of smoke pellets and picked out which types of fireworks they should use. They kept working on it until late in the afternoon, when it was almost time for the students to head back to their dorms for curfew. "We made a lot of progress today." said Abra-ca-dabra, grinning from ear to ear. "We might actually be able to pull this show off!" "I told you so." said Morning Star. "But I still think we should work on your big entrance and exit." "Agreed. Same time after classes?" "Wouldn't miss it." "Great! See you tomorrow." Abra-ca-dabra was trotting for her room, when she stopped and turned to Morning Star. "Um, Morning?" "What is it?" "Thanks again for all your help." Morning smiled. "You're welcome." And with that, the two went back to their separate dorms to get a good night's sleep. "Mares and gentlecolts! Witness as I, Abra-ca-dabra, shall dazzle you with my magnificent tricks!" declared Abra-ca-dabra in a grand voice. She and Morning Star were running through the routine they had planned out, after introducing herself, Abra-ca-dabra's horn glowed with an intense aura. Morning nodded approvingly. "Keep it up! You're doing good!" she called. Abra-ca-dabra spun in a circles, causing the light to swirl around her. When she stopped, she shot out the light from her horn, projecting images of light out over where the crowds would be. But after a few minutes, the images began to flicker and then disappear. Abra-ca-dabra sighed. "Don't worry, you almost had it. We just need to keep working on making those illusions last longer." said Morning. "Okay, I'll try." "Hey! What're you two doing?" The girls turned their heads to see one of their classmates, a Unicorn stallion named Poker Chip, approaching them. "Hey, Poker!" Abra-ca-darba greeted cheerfully. "Morning and I are working on the routine for my act for the show." Poker Chip frowned, narrowing his eyes at Morning Star. "So, you've got one of the best students at school helping you out. Sounds like your performance is going to be a real winner." he said snarkily. Morning frowned back at him. Everypony at school knew that Poker Chip was nothing but a jerk who liked to get under other ponies' skin, much to the annoyance of both the students and staff. But Abra-ca-dabra didn't seem to notice as she went on talking to him. "You think so? We only came up with it last minute, but we've been putting a lot of effort into it." she said. "I'll bet." said Poker Chip with a sneer. "And what's that supposed to mean?" asked Morning Star sharply. "Oh, nothing. It's just that, since you're great at using magic, something like a magic show should be easy for somepony like you." He then turned to Abra-ca-dabra and added, "Looks like you'll be able to sit back and rest easy with Morning doing all the work." "Morning isn't doing all the work." said Abra-ca-dabra defensively. "She's just been giving me a few pointers and helping me out with my own magic, that's all." "Really? Then I guess your performance won't be so great after all." he said. "Poker..." Morning began in a warning tone. "What do you mean?" Abra-ca-dabra asked worriedly. "You don't honestly think that your lame low level magic is going to impress anypony, do you?" "I....I--" "That's enough, Poker, leave her alone!" said Morning Star. "What? I'm just being honest." Said Poker. "Why you--" "Ah! Morning, Abra, there you are." said Sunset Shimmer heading up to the girls. "How are things coming along with your act?" "It's coming along nicely, professor." said Abra-ca-dabra, trying not to let what Poker Chip said get to her. "Good. I also have some big news to tell you." "What is it?" Abra-ca-dabra asked. "I got a letter from your mother, and she says that she'll be here on opening night! She's really looking forward to seeing your performance." Abra-ca-dabra's eyes widened. "M-my mom's coming here? To see me?" she asked. Sunset nodded "Yes, isn't that great?" Abra'ca'dabra's throat tightened a little as she gulped. "Yeah, great." she said nervously. "Why don't you girls show me what you have done so far?" asked Sunset. "Sure, we can do that. Right, Abra?" Abra-ca-dabra said nothing, lost in her worried thoughts. "Abra?" "Huh?! Oh! Yes, I can do that." Abra-ca-dabra bit her bottom lip as she got ready to begin the routine in front of Sunset Shimmer. She started with her big entrance, and introduced herself to the imaginary crowd, but as she said her name, her voice cracked. "Sorry." she said apologetically. Poker Chip snickered from the side lines, which made Abra-ca-dabra feel more self conscious. She tried to continue on with the act, but her thoughts began to drift to a worst case scenario of what would happen if she messed up on the night of the show. Everypony would laugh at her, and her mom would be ashamed of her embarrassing mistake. She was so consumed by this growing anxiety, that when she was doing the spinning part of the trick, her hoof slipped, and she tripped onto the stage. "Ow!" she cried. "Abra! Are you alright?" asked Morning Star worriedly. "I'm fine." said Abra-ca-dabra getting up. She glanced over at Poker Chip, who snickered once again, she heard him whisper, "Some Unicorn." Her eyes teared up as she trotted off the stage. "Do you want to try doing your trick again?" asked Sunset. Abra-ca-dabra shook her head. "No thanks, Professor Shimmer." "Alright then, you can show me again later if you want." "Actually professor, I changed my mind. I don't want to be in the show anymore." "What?!" cried Sunset and Morning in surprise. "I'm sure it won't be hard to find somepony to replace me." she said with a sniff, and galloped off. "Abra, wait up!" called Morning Star, running after her. She caught up to her and put a hoof on Abra-ca-dabra's shoulder to stop her. "Abra, what's wrong? Just a few minutes ago you were really excited about being in the show, and now you want to quit?" Abra-ca-dabra sniffed. "I did, but now, I don't want to. I just can't, not if I end up making a fool of myself onstage." "You're not letting what Poker said get to you, are you?" asked Morning. "I don't know, maybe! But he's right. I thought maybe there was a chance I could do something amazing, but..." Abra-ca-dabra looked away, unable to finish her sentence. "Abra..." "Please, just leave me alone." Abra-ca-dabra trotted away, back to her dorm room, leaving Morning Star alone and stranded. The next day... On the day of the show, Morning Star was feeling stressed, and needed something to calm her nerves. So she went to the Rose Cafe, where one of her best friends, Harmony, was the owner. She entered the cafe and went up to the counter. "Hey, Morning. What can I do for you?" asked Harmony. "I'd like a cup of coffee please, with plenty of cream and caramel." said Morning tiredly. "Rough day?" inquired Harmony, pouring Morning a cup of coffee and adding the cream and caramel to it. "You don't know the half of it." replied Morning. She took her coffee and told Harmony what had happened with Abra-ca-dabra and how Poker Chip had made things worse for her. "Now the show's tonight, and I don't know what else to do about Abra." Harmony propped her cheek on her hoof as she thought about it. "Maybe you should give Abra some space, so she can have some time to herself to think things over." she suggested. Morning sipped her coffee and sighed. "Maybe you're right, but, I just don't know." "It sounds like you're really worried about her." remarked Harmony. "Is she a friend of yours?" Morning shrugged. "Not exactly, but she's close enough I guess. I met her a couple times as a filly when her mom came to visit my mom, and we share some classes together. And to be honest, I was a little skeptical at first about helping her." "And why is that?" asked Harmony. "I didn't know what kind of problem she had or if I'd even be able to help her with it. But when she told me how she felt like giving up on magic and her dream just because she wasn't as good as everypony else, I started to feel sorry for her, and I wanted to try and help her." Morning took another sip of her coffee and continued. "Daddy talks about how hard it was for him in magic school, knowing all sorts of great spells but not being able to do them. Abra kinda reminded me of him, and I felt like she shouldn't have to give up something she loved even if she doesn't think she's able to do it." Harmony smiled. "If Abra loves magic as much as you say she does, and has somepony like you looking out for her, then I don't think you have anything to worry about." she said reassuringly. "Thanks, Harmony." Morning said smiling back. She finished the rest of her coffee and licked the cream and caramel from her lips. "This is really good coffee!" "It's my own special blend." said Harmony. "It helps relax ponies and lets them open up and talk about whatever is bothering them." Morning Star wasn't sure if Harmony was serious or not, but that didn't matter. Right now, she felt a whole lot better. She paid for the coffee and headed out of the cafe to get ready for the show. "I gotta go, I hope I see you later at the show tonight." Harmony smiled to herself as Morning Star left. "I wouldn't miss it." That night... A large crowd of ponies had gathered around the stage, all talking excitedly about the show and wondering what sort of tricks they'd be seeing the students performing. Meanwhile, backstage, the students and stagehooves were setting up the stage and adding the final touches in preparation for when the show would actually begin. Hiding off to the side amongst the props was Abra-ca-dabra. Though she was still a little anxious about going through with her act and performing in front of everypony, she at least wanted to wish Morning Star good luck, as further thanks for all her help. When she saw her pass by, Abra-ca-dabra hissed, "Psst! Morning! Over here!" Morning Star's head turned, surprised to see Abra-ca-dabra. "Abra! Did you change your mind?" Abra-ca-dabra shook her head. "No, I just wanted to wish you good luck, I hope you do well tonight." "Thanks Abra." said Morning. "You know, there's still if you do change your mind and want to perform." "I don't know." said Abra-ca-dabra nervously. Then, Sunset Shimmer frantically ran backstage and called for everypony's attention. "I've got some bad news everypony." she said seriously. "I'm afraid our opening act has canceled, apparently they all got a bad case of the pony pox." Murmurs instantly rose among the students over this. "But don't worry, we'll simply have to continue the show without them." Morning then had an idea. She let out a groan as she talked to Abra-ca-dabra. "Oh no! Now what are we going to do?" "What do you mean?" asked Abra-ca-dabra. "The opening act was going to be a big part of the show. Everypony is expecting to see it tonight, and now they're all going to be so disappointed." said Morning. "If only there was somepony who could take their place. But where could we find somepony like that?" Abra-ca-dabra tapped her chin and went down to the heavy red curtains, pushing the back just a hair to look out at the vast crowd. All of them appeared happy and eager to see the show. That's when she saw her mother, the Great and Powerful Trixie, arrive and stand right up front, so she could be as close to the stage as possible. A large smile was on her face. Abra-ca-dabra pushed away all the thoughts she'd had about what Poker Chip and said and making a fool of herself out of her head. She turned to face Morning Star and gave her her best determined smile. "I'll do it!" she said. Morning Star smiled and called out to Sunset. "Professor Shimmer, Abra here has something to say!" Sunset Shimmer went over to them. "What is it?" she asked. "I changed my mind...again. I want to be back in the show, only this time, I'm willing to help replace the opening act for you." said Abra-ca-dabra. "Are you sure?" asked Sunset Shimmer. Abra-ca-dabra nodded. "Everypony is excited to see the opening act as well as the show, and it'd be a shame to disappoint them. Not to mention, mom looked pretty excited too. So for them, I'm willing to go on in the show."She said, speaking with as much confidence as she could muster. Sunset Shimmer looked to her and then to Morning Star before saying, "Very well, but Abra..." "Yes?" asked Abra-ca-dabra. "Don't just do it for them, do it for yourself." she said smiling. "Go out there and have a good time." Abra-ca-dabra smiled back. "I will, professor." "Alright everypony, listen!" Sunset Shimmer called out, getting students' attention. "There's been another change in plans. ABra-ca-dabra will now be replacing the opening act." She gestured a hoof to the pony in question. The students looked at her doubtfully and began whispering to one another. Abra-ca-dabra began to feel her confidence slip away, but she shook her head. She would go on stage, and she wouldn't let any silly worries stop her from giving the crowd the show they were expecting. "We need to get into our positions." said Sunset Shimmer. "Morning, Abra, I leave it to you to get ready with the opening." "You can count on us, professor." said Abra-ca-dabra. Morning laughed. "Hey, I was going to say that." The crowd had begun to settle down, as the show was about to begin. Starlight Glimmer and her husband Sunburst had just arrived, and were scooting up to the front of the crowd so they could get a good look at their daughter's performance. "Starlight! Over here!" called a voice. Starlight turned and smiled as she saw her friend, Trixie Lulamoon. "Trixie! How've you been?" asked Starlight, coming over to stand by her. "Oh, you know, the usual." answered Trixie. "But as soon as I heard Abra was going to be performing in tonight's show, I simply had to stop by to see it." "Abra-ca-dabra's performing? How wonderful!" said Sunburst. Starlight nodded in agreement. "Do you know what she'll be doing for the show?" she asked. Trixie shook her head. "No, but I'll bet it'll be nothing short of spectacular." She lifted her chin into the air and placed a hoof on her chest. "She is my daughter after all." Starlight and Sunburst rolled their eyes at Trixie. Then, a cry rose up from somewhere in the crowd. "Hey! Look at that!" they cried. Everyponys' head turned toward the sky. Colored lights were gathering around a star, wrapping around it as it shot down flying over the heads of the crowds and toward the stage. When the shooting star hit the floor of the stage, the light burst into a flash, and in the place of the star was Abra-ca-dabra. She smiled to the crowds and spoke out to them in a clear voice. "Welcome to the show, everypony! Witness, as our school wows and bedazzles you with its awesome feats of magic!" she declared. Abra-ca-dabra shot out a flare to the sidelines, signaling the stagehooves to use their magic to create silvery archways over the crowd. Everypony murmured as they gazed up at the arches. Her horn then glew brightly, she spun around a few times in a circle, the light from her horn wrapping around her, before she stopped and shot the magical beam out at the crowd. The crowd gasped in shock, not knowing what to expect. From her horn, she shot out a projection of little animals and breezies made of colored light. The ponies oohed and ahhed at the spectacle. Starlight held out her hoof as a little breezie landed upon it. The crowd then looked back up and saw a giant balloon of what looked like a winged serpent. Abra-ca-dabra levitated a broom up to her and hopped onto it, riding it to the top of the archway. Her horn lit up again, and Abra-ca-dabra blasted the balloon, till it burst into a spectacular display of colorful fireworks. The crowd cheered and clapped loudly. Abra-ca-dabra smiled and bowed to the crowd. "Enjoy the show, everypony!" Abra-ca-dabra threw down a smoke pellet at her hooves, and with a little help from Morning Star, she disappeared in the puff of smoke. Morning Star made Abra-ca-dabra appear next to her backstage. When she appeared, Abra-ca-dabra squealed excitedly. "Did you see me?" she asked. Morning nodded. "You were amazing out there!" "Do you think my mom liked it?" Morning shrugged. "We'll have to wait and see." After the final act of the show, Sunset Shimmer stepped onto the stage and addressed the crowd. "Thank you everypony for coming to our show." She gestured a hoof to the curtain as it began to rise back up. "Let's give a hand, er, hoof, to the students of Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns for their great efforts on tonight's performance!" The curtain rose, and the students all stepped out, giving a curtain call bow. Everypony cheered and stamped their hooves wildly in applause, tossing out flowers onto the stage. Abra-ca-dabra grinned. She felt amazing as she looked out at the crowd, feeling great after helping the others to put on an amazing show. * * * The proud parents of the students immediately went backstage, and offered their children their praise and congratulations on a job well done. Morning Star was surrounded by her own parents who hugged her and gushed over how wonderful her act was. "Your performance was amazing!" complimented Starlight. Sunburst nodded. "Where did you ever learn how to do a spell like that?" he asked curiously. Morning smirked at her father. "Oh, I think you know the answer to that, daddy." she answered. "We're both proud of you." said Starlight. Abra-ca-dabra stepped up to Morning and he family and said, "Hello, Mrs. Glimmer, have you seen my mom?" Starlight looked around. "She's around here somewhere. I just saw her not too long ago." Suddenly, there was a tremendous puff of smoke, and from it appeared Trixie, declaring, "Behold! The Great and Powerful Trixie has arrived!" The three Unicorns rolled their eyes, but Abra-ca-dabra just burst into a wide grin and went to her mom. "Mom!" she cried, wrapping her arms around her. "How was the show? Did you like it?" Trixie tapped her chin, pretending to think about it. "Well, I wouldn't say I liked it..." Abra-ca-dabra's smiled began to fall. "Oh." she said sadly. "...I loved it!" Trixie exclaimed, surprising Abra-ca-dabra. "My favorite part had to be with you and the opening act." She took her daughter's hooves in hers, bursting with pride. "You've got real potential, Abra." "Really?" asked Abra-ca-dabra. "Even if it's not as impressive as everypony else's?" Trixie nodded. "You'll always be impressive in my eyes." Trixie took a step back and then made a grand gesture with her arm. "I can see it now. 'The Amazing Abra-ca-dabra and her Fantastic Feats of Magic!'" Abra-ca-dabra smiled, liking the sound of that. "Of course." Trixie added. "You'll need this first if you're ever going to start out on stage." She pulled out a package wrapped in paper and handed it to Abra-ca-dabra. She wasted no time, and immediately tore off the paper to see what her mom had got her. She let out a delighted gasp as she lifted it up for all to see. It was a cloak similar to Trixie's, with a star clasp, colored a deep purple with a print of crescent moons and constellations. "My own magician's cloak!" she cried joyfully. She pressed it to her chest and smiled at Trixie. "Thanks mom, you're the best!" Trixie laughed. "I know." "Hey, Morning!" Morning turned to see Harmony coming toward her. "That was a great show, you guys really killed it out there." "Just doing our best." said Morning Star modestly. "And you must be Abra-ca-dabra." said Harmony turning toward her. "Morning's told me all about you. I didn't expect to see you up for the opening act though." "Yeah, well, a lot happened and I ended up filling in for the ponies who were originally going to go on." Abra-ca-dabra replied. "Well, it was great nonetheless." said Harmony. "And it was all thanks to my daughter." Trixie stated proudly. "Mom!" Abra-ca-dabra smiled, her facing turning red in embarrassment. Morning felt somepony tap her on the shoulder. She turned and saw Sunset Shimmer standing behind her. "Oh! Hello Professor Shimmer, do you need something?" "Yes, I was wondering if I could have a word with you." said Sunset. "Oh, sure, just give me a sec." Morning told her mom and dad that she had to talk to Sunset real quick and that she wouldn't be too long. "So what is it?" Morning asked her teacher, once they were a good distance away. "Abra-ca-dabra said that she didn't want to let the audience down because they were expecting the opening act, when really it was no different than all the other acts the students would be putting on." said Sunset. "Oh?" asked Morning Star innocently. "You tricked Abra into thinking the opening was more important than it actually was so you could get her to perform, didn't you?" Morning smirked at Sunset. "It's possible I did. She needed something to help give her confidence, and it seemed like a good opportunity." Sunset arched an eyebrow. "And I trust that you'll tell her the truth?" "I will." said Morning, turning her attention to Abra-ca-dabra, basking in the adoration of her mother as the two talked about her performance. "But for now, I think I'll just let her enjoy the attention for a while. She deserves it after all."