*** 4 ***
After all the fun of ‘Magic Lanes Bowling’, some of the families and their children had to say their goodbyes so they could attend to other obligations they had for celebrating New Years.
“Hey!” glowed an eager, blue-colored earth Pony as he noticed Fall approaching him with Backyard Brawlers cards in her hoof. “Are you playing now?”
“No,” Fall said while shaking her head and handing the cards to the colt. “These are the cards you asked to have back at Pint’s party.”
The colt grinned upon taking the slightly-weathered cards from the little, brown Pegasus.
“Awesome!” he cried. “Now tell me what they do?”
***
Bucky finished thanking all those guests who had to leave for other obligations until he came across River Runner happily listening to Fall describe the Backyard Brawlers cards she had planned to return to him.
“I see you got your cards back?” he asked.
“Yeah!” exclaimed the Earth Pony colt. “Fall even told me what they all do, too!”
“She’s one smart foal,” remarked River Runner’s mother. “Thank you so much for such a wonderful time, Bucky.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied. “Thanks for coming.”
“Okay, my little run-run,” stated his teal-colored mother. “Time to go play with your cousins over at grandma’s house.”
“Okay!” he cheered while galloping off towards his mom.
“He didn’t say thank you,” grumbled Candy as she, Pint, Fall, and Bucky watched the young, blue Earth Pony head off into the distance with his mother and father.
“That’s okay,” stated Fall. “He looked happy and that’s what matters.”
***
“Did every pony have fun?” asked Bucky’s mom, Bright Skies once all those who were staying all had made their way back to Bucky’s home.
There was a loud roar of cheering from all the fillies and colts in attendance.
“Wonderful!” cheered the motherly mare. “We have even more fun planned before Princess Luna helps us celebrate the New Year!”
***
For the next ten, or so, minutes, the children all tried to get Bucky to share what fun thing was going to be happening next. The birthday boy had an idea what it could be, but he didn’t want to give anything away.
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK
The house grew silent as all the youngsters looked with anticipation towards the door.
“Coming!” announced Bucky’s mom as she merrily trotted towards the door.
KA-CLICK
“Ah!” beamed Bright Skies. “You must be-”
“-The Great and Powerful, Trixie!” exclaimed the blue Unicorn mare from the other side of the door. “I am here to put on a great and powerful magic show for your son!”
Bright Skies allowed the caped Unicorn to enter into the house. The children all marveled at the various tricks she was doing, such as causing magical, colored sparkles to rise from the ground with each of her hoof steps.
“Greetings, fillies and colts!” boomed Trixie. “I, The Great and Powerful, Trixie, will amuse you this New Year with magic that you have never seen before nor will ever see again from any other pony in Equestria!”
***
As Trixie showed off for the children, the parents talked.
“You weren’t kidding when you said you found a charismatic magician,” commented Bucky’s uncle, Touchdown.
“I’m surprised she was willing to work on such short notice,” added Bright Skies. “She was in the hospital around Hearths warming entertaining some of the patients and I thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask.”
“She seems a bit obnoxious to me,” stated Pint’s mom, Patches. “A little too much ego.”
“Nah,” grinned Touchdown. “Kids love these sort of performers.”
“Does she live around here?” asked Moon Cloud.
“I don’t think so,” replied Bright skies. “She said she’s a traveling magician on a sort of redemption tour.”
“Redemption tour?” asked one of the other parents.
Bright Skies nodded.
“Something about being able to return to Ponyville someday,” she said. “I guess she was booed out of town and wants to work on her performance before making a comeback.”
“Ponyville?” asked another parent. “That’s miles from here.”
“She must’ve taken the harsh criticism from the citizens there pretty hard,” a mother stated sympathetically.
“I know I would,” added Touchdown. “The ‘Elements’ all live there, which makes it a pretty important town with a lot of influential citizens.”
“That’s right!” proclaimed a snow-white colored Pegasus stallion. “It’s also the home of our newest princess! Princess Twilight Sparkle!”
***
Trixie had finished setting up for her show in front of the children as her ear caught wind of the name ‘Twilight Sparkle’. There was an urge to growl and make a scene, but that would go against what she was aspiring to do.
“Okay,” she said. “Would the birthday colt please come to the front with me!”
Bucky grinned from ear-to-ear as he pranced to where the Unicorn magician was standing.
“Tonight!” she announced while levitating her magical hat on top of Bucky’s head. “The Great and Powerful, Trixie will have a great and powerful assistant!”
The children all cheered for Bucky who was in disbelief over how happy he felt to not only be seeing a magic show, but now an active part of it.
“Hey, kid?” whispered Trixie. “What’s your name?”
“Bucky!” he answered proudly.
“Well, then!” exclaimed Trixie. “Every pony give a hoof to my assistant, Bravo Bucky!”
***
After the cheering had come to an end, Trixie and Bucky went about performing a number of amazing feats of prestigious prestige. Most of which didn’t go quite as well as Trixie had hoped as Bucky’s eagerness to perform caused many of the acts to either backfire, or go wrong from him not making his cues on time.
Despite all the times Trixie was brought to a blush from the laughter of children from things like having magical flowers fly into her face, Bucky exiting the trick box too early, and a magical dove making a not-so-magical dropping upon her head, Trixie maintained her cool and finished the show with her trademark, ethereal fireworks.
CLAP-CLAP-CLAP
WOO!
YAY!
“Thank you! Thank you!” bowed Trixie upon her act coming to an end. “The Great and Powerful, Trixie is most humbled by your praise!”
“Here,” said Bucky as he handed the magical mare back her hat that he had accidentally used to blast ethereal fire, flowers, and sparks into the magician’s face.
“Keep it,” she replied with a bit of a scowl. “I think you were meant to have it.”
“Really?” gasped Bucky. “I can keep it?”
“Think of it as a reminder of when you got to assist the Great and Powerful, Trixie before she became the greatest and most powerful magician in all Equestria,” she smiled. “Now, please excuse me as I go and talk to that mother of yours.”
The children all rushed towards Bucky.
“She’s letting you keep that really cool hat?” asked Pint.
“Sure is!” he beamed. “Feel it!”
The kids all took turns feeling the hat. Each amazed that it didn’t feel like one of those cheap things they’d usually get at parties.
“I bet you could do some real magic with that hat!” fluttered a Pegasus who was a year older than Bucky.
“Don’t get better at magic before I can learn it,” whined a Unicorn colt who was about five years old.
“I can’t make any promises,” grinned Bucky. “After all, did you see how I got the magic to happen even before she said the magic words?”
FWEET!
“Time for dinner!” cried Pint’s father, Blissy.
The children all galloped to the dining area to be served their meals with their parents.
“Come with me, Fall,” giggled Candy Cloud while reaching a hoof out towards the little, brown Pegasus. “You can sit with me.”