Chapter 2
The sun continued its rolling path through the morning sky.
Just looking at it or the quiet cottages that lined the streets of Ponyville, one wouldn't guess how close disaster had come. How the quaint dirt roads and straw-roofed homes had nearly being shrouded by eternal night. All was peaceful and silent near the town's edge. Somehow, even the sun itself gave off the feeling as though its temporary imprisonment had been nothing more than a bad dream. It simply made its way above Ponyville, travelling its familiar path.
Though even the sun seemed to halt for a brief moment as it cleared the rooftops, shedding its light into the streets below.
All across the normally brown road were patches of garishly bright color. Blues, purples, pinks and even some white all blended into a chaotic mix; dotting the streets and buildings like strange flowers. If not for the occasional ripple of one in the summer breeze, an observer could be forgiven for thinking some crazy pony had gotten their hooves on Equestria's strangest business stamp.
One such observer was staring down the littered street, an eyebrow raise so far it was dangerously close to tangling with her brown hood.
Her gaze slowly shifted back and forth along the road. Not a single living soul was in sight. The only indication that anypony had come through was the brightly hued posters fluttering in the occasional wind. Cautiously, the cloaked traveler trotted to one of the pages. A striped hoof darted out, pinning the flier in place as her eyes narrowed on it. She could just make out black writing on the paper, straining to stand out against its own background.
The most amazing show of your life!
A guaranteed, unforgettable experience!
Come see the magic of
THE AMAZING SPARKLER!!!
LIVE!
9:30 in front of Town Hall
The hoof lifted, releasing the poster to the breeze. Looking up, the cloak-wearer could make out the wooden spire of Ponyville's central building jutting over its fellows.
With the soft clop of hooves on the path, she started toward the structure.
Chapter 2
Hat? Check.
Trixie was wishing she'd set her show time for earlier.
The view out of the peepholes on either side of her wagon had only done so much to stave off her anxiousness. Much like the newspaper she'd torched, she'd been looking outside so much she could already picture the plaza beyond in her head.
Cape? Check.
The (somewhat) impressively tall tower that the locals called Town Hall took up the entire view out of one side. From this close she couldn't even see the top with her limited view outside.
The other peephole would undoubtedly show half of what she wanted. The large town square, dotted with flag poles flying colorful banners. Small stalls selling fruits, vegetables, and flowers were scattered along the edges in a makeshift market place. Given that they'd only sprung up in the last half-hour, Trixie had a safe guess about the cause.
Stage make-up? Check.
Looking through the peephole to the plaza once more revealed the suspected source. A sizeable crowd of ponies milled about, most simply shopping at the vendors. A few seemed content to sit or stand near her cart, simply chatting amongst themselves. Almost all of them holding one of her posters, adding their bright blues and pinks to the rainbow crowd filling Town Square.
"So where is he?" Trixie muttered, her eyes narrowing in frustration.
Anticipation set her hooves pacing once more and drew her eyes to the small clock at the back of the wagon. Trixie's teeth clenched as her mind started through its pre-show checklist for the umpteenth time.
"Ooooh... Ten minutes until show time," she spoke in a low growl. "What, did he get lost or something?"
Her pacing stopped as she mulled the words over. A small smirk lit the mare's features followed by a giggle.
"Okay, that could be funny," she admitted to herself as she walked back to the peephole.
The same crowd waited outside. Now with even more ponies migrating to join it with the approach of nine-thirty. Trixie shifted, straining to find some angle to look out to see more of the plaza beyond her audience.
There!
She stopped, a small dot of purple across Town Square catching her attention. Purple eyes widened along with her smile as she just managed to make out a sprig of green mane attached to the dot. She barely even acknowledge the speck of gray above him or the smaller purple mite on his back.
"Perfect," she said.
"Hurry up, Spike!" Ditzy's voice called from above. "We're gonna miss the show!"
Two weeks ago, the unicorn might have been worried about a pegasus trying to fly so soon after crashing. Two weeks ago, he knew, he'd definitely get worried about them flying backwards.
Two weeks ago, the reporter recalled, he hadn't known Ditzy Doo.
The Element of Laughter didn't seem worried in the slightest about her bubble-marked flank leading her flight. As much as Spike wanted to return her infectious grin, his green eyes instead darted to a powder-blue envelope hovering nearby. Supported by his magic, it had contained nothing but another copy of the garish posters that had been seeded around Ponyville.
One with six simple words written across the back of it.
Can't wait to see you, Spike.
Even after nearly an hour re-shelving books, those words felt like they were burned to the inside of his eyelids. Something about the loopy cursive tickled at the back of his mind even as it had drawn his eyes to it again and again.
"Still looking at your mail?" Ditzy asked, her voice suddenly much closer to ground level.
Spike lifted the letter aside, his hooves halting just in time to avoid bumping into Ditzy Doo's upside-down face. He tapped at his chest with one hoof, taking a breath as his heart regained its rhythm. Ditzy hadn't seemed to notice, simply giggling as she twisted in midair and landed on all fours.
"Spike, honestly! You need to watch where you're going," Twilight scolded from his back. "I know fan mail is great, but you haven't put that thing away since we left the library!"
A purple claw darted out and snatched the letter from his telekinetic grip. Spike's head whipped so fast his hat almost flew off as the envelope was pulled back. Twilight sat in her favored spot on his back, the letter clenched in her claws and a frustrated frown on her face.
"Come on, Twi," Spike said, emerald light sparking around his horn. "Let me enjoy the fame for once?"
With a quick, magical tug, Spike's mail was pulled from Twilight's claws. An action, he noticed, that did little to lighten her expression. The sudden brush of gray feathers over her side, however, caused her to jump. Spike bit down on his tongue to avoid laughing as Twilight struggled to keep her balance.
"Ditzy-hee hee!" Twilight admonished, trying to suppress her giggles as she pushed the mailmare's wing away. "Cut it out!"
"Aww, why so grumpy Twilight," Ditzy asked, fluttering her feathers. "Aren't you excited about the magic show?"
Spike could feel the dragon's balance shift as she just managed to grab hold of his mane. The tug on his hair quickly wiped away his own smirk as Twilight swallowed back her laughter.
"Look, it's not... I do want to see the show," Twilight said, crossing her arms. "But we also have a job to do."
"I know, I know," Spike said as he started walking again. "But we handled the Summer Sun Celebration and Nightmare Moon! Covering this should be easy."
His horn sparked once more, pulling a quill and notepad from his saddlebag. As they floated dutifully to the side, his gaze followed only to stop. The invitation was still hovering innocuously in his magic grip, and Spike could feel curiosity begin to bubble into his mind.
"Spike, this is the biggest thing to hit town since then," he could hear Twilight say with a heavy sigh. "And we only got enough interviews for the Celebration thanks to Pinkie Pie."
"Well, there's a whole bunch of ponies around," Ditzy's pointed out. "Why not talk to some of them now?"
Spike could almost see the colors bleeding out through the envelope. More importantly, though, was the message on the back. The loopy penmanship prodded at the back of his head...
"Usually that comes after the show. But we should plan who to speak with now," Twilight explained, her claws rattling as she drummed them on her camera. "That way we're not just running around like last time, remember Spike?"
... something felt familiar about it...
"Spike?"
... he could swear he'd seen it before...
"Spike! Watch o—"
"GANGWAY!"
Twilight's shout had started to pull Spike out of his thoughts. The newer, shriller voice finished the job. He looked up with a start, searching for where it had come from.
Just in time to see a blue and orange blur heading straight for him.
He could feel Twilight leap from his back in the split second before it reached them. He had just enough time to realize the blur was a pair of unicorn colts before the taller of the two tried to leap over him. The purple stallion gasped as the lanky, orange pony sprang off his back. Spike's legs splayed under the unexpected weight, sending him sprawling to the ground. Just in time for the chubbier, blue colt to gallop after his friend, leaving a trail of hoof-shaped aches across the reporter's back.
Knockdown number two.
Spike groaned, willing his brain to keep its tally to itself. As the hooves of his attackers trampled into the distance, Ditzy's concerned face filled his vision.
"You okay Spike?" she asked, hooking a hoof under him.
The young stallion could only let out another grunt. The ache in his sides and back discouraging any attempts to talk as the mailmare started to pull him back to his hooves. Looking up he could see Twilight, seated on Ditzy's back now with a nervous little smile on her face.
"Wow... heh heh heh," Twilight said with an awkward chuckle. "Um... I hate to say 'I tried to warn you' but..."
Spike simply let out another groan in response.
"Oh dear," another new voice spoke up. "Is everypony alright?"
A soft clop of approaching hooves accompanied the voice, and Spike turned to see something purple coming closer. That was all he had time to see as the support of Ditzy's hooves suddenly vanished. With a startled cry, the unicorn sprawled back to the ground once more.
"Hi Cheerilee!" Ditzy cheered, oblivious to her blunder as she waved enthusiastically.
Spike did his best to ignore Twilight's stifled giggles. Seeing the deep-purple mare that approached made that easier. The kindly look in her green eyes and sympathetic smile on her face both brought to mind the article that hung over his bed. Perhaps that was why he couldn't help but see the caption appear under her for a brief moment.
Cheerilee (Element of Kindness)
"I guess I'm not the only one to run into Snips and Snails today," she said, offering a hoof to the stallion. "You're not hurt are you?"
"Ugh... I don't think so," Spike managed to say, his voice finally coming back.
The teacher's hoof gently pulled him back up as soon as he took it. Something tickled over his side, the ache from his trampling throbbing as he tried to suppress a laugh from the sensation. Ditzy's wing continued to brush over him, sending small clouds of road dust puffing off of his coat.
"I'm sorry about my students, Spike," Cheerilee was still speaking, her tone worried. "I just don't know what's gotten into them."
"Maybe Sparkler made their manners disappear," Twilight suggested, one claw covering her smirking mouth. "Those posters seem to have that effect."
Spike didn't need to look at the dragon to know she was jerking her head toward him. Cheerilee simply looked confused as the unicorn rolled his eyes. He started to turn toward Twilight, mouth opening for his own retort—
CRACK-BOOM
An ear-splitting explosion almost sent Spike to the ground again. He spun to find the source, barely able to hear the oooh's of the distant crowd over the ringing in his ears. In the sky near Town Hall, a blossom of colorful lights was slowly drifting to the ground. It was swiftly replaced by several smaller, much quieter bursts as more fireworks popped into the air.
"Oh boy!" Ditzy cheered, her wings flaring. "The show's starting!"
"I noticed..." Spike said, his ears flattening in pain.
"Well, it seems Miss 'Sparkler' knows how to get attention," Cheerilee commented, glancing away from the fireworks. "Twilight? Is something wrong?"
Spike tore his own eyes away from the pyrotechnic spectacle and back to the dragoness. Twilight was scrambling to adjust her camera, her face suddenly flushed with panic.
"We haven't prepared yet!" Twilight fretted. "We still need to get good seats for the pictures and taking notes and WHOA!"
She was cut off as Ditzy suddenly took off in a blur of gray feathers. Spike's hoof flew itself, pinning down his hat before the resulting slipstream could yank it away. Twilight's shout was carried away with the wind, leaving a trail of very startled ponies in its wake. Before Spike could even blink, there was a clear path through the crowd ahead, leaving a rather large wagon visible under the cloud of crackling fireworks.
"So..." Spike said, carefully lowering his hoof and looking to Cheerilee. "Want to join us?"
"How can I refuse with an invitation like that?" Cheerilee answered, one hoof covering her mouth.
Whether it was shock or trying to suppress a laugh, Spike wasn't sure. Whichever it may have been, the two darted off. They quickly vanished into the ever-growing herd attracted by the dancing colors above. The attention of everypony in the plaza was magnetically drawn to the firework spewing cart.
If anypony had bothered to turn around, they might have noticed the cloaked figure sidle into the plaza from a narrow side street. She stopped just at the edge of the Town Square, watching the swelling ranks of the mob.
Her rear settled to the ground as she took a seat, her eyes focused on the show ahead.
Trixie groaned as she picked herself up from the floor of her wagon.
"Is she doing that on purpose?" she grumbled, stomping over the peephole.
The blue mare didn't have to look far for the source of the shockwave that had knocked her flat. Especially since most of the ponies outside were suddenly going out of their way to give her space. If Ditzy Doo even noticed that nopony was coming within five strides after her explosive entrance, she certainly didn't care. Trixie could see she still wore the same vapid smile as she stared up at the pyrotechnics launching above the wagon.
Something purple slowly slid from the gray mare's back, causing Trixie to bite back her grumblings lest she be heard. Twilight had one claw to her head, gasping for breath and wearing the expression of one that had just taken an unbelievably fast trip.
"Ditzy Doo! Twilight!"
Somepony shouting pulled the pegasus and dragon duo's attention, and Trixie's eyes followed them. The path that Ditzy had inadvertently plowed through the crowd was closing fast as more ponies joined. Not fast enough to keep a pair of purple ponies from joining them, however.
Trixie didn't even spare a glance for the mare who walked up to Ditzy, shaking her head all the while. The showmare's eyes immediately went to Spike. The stallion seemed barely able to control his chuckling as he walked over Twilight. Though Trixie couldn't make out what was he was saying between the explosions of her own magical fireworks overhead, and the slowly returning chatter of the crowd.
The grin on his face all she could perceive, and that was enough. The same smirk he wore in the article that was scattered somewhere on the winds around Ponyville. A mocking smile that he continued to wear even as he waved off a giggling apology from Ditzy. One that didn't falter even with Twilight delivering a quick jab to his side with a roll of her eyes.
Behind her, the clock she had set began to ring furiously.
"Show time," Trixie growled, her horn flaring with pink energy.
The wagon rattled around her, the foot locker and vanity shoving themselves aside. A purple curtain snaked around, placing itself between her and the wall. Trixie took a deep breath, her magic flashing once more to fold her cot back into the wall with sharp BANG!
She could hear ponies shout in surprise as the wall shook with the impact before falling out. In her mind's eye she could see the stage unfold and force the audience back. The unicorn could feel the hidden caches around the wagon spring open, releasing scores of trumpets that began blaring music. The sky appeared above her as the roof flipped open, several firework spewing devices rising out of the top to lend their ammo to the vibrant show her magic had already created above.
She took one final, deep breath, feeling the flow of magic steady. Pink energy tingled around the clasp of her cape and a smile came back to her muzzle.
"Fillies and gentlecolts! Foals of all ages!" she called out, feeling the gem-clasp vibrate. "Come one, come all!"
Beyond the curtain she could hear the audience fall silent. Not that she imagined anypony could hear anything other than her magically amplified voice. She cautiously peeked through a gap in the curtain, smiling as she made sure the eyes of everypony were on the stage.
"Come and witness the most amazing show of your lives!" she intoned, her horn sparkling again with one last spell. "Come and see the magic of—"
Another deafening BANG was slightly muffled by the curtains. A thick cloud of blue smoke filled the stage, and Trixie's legs kicked off the ground as hard as she could. An easy leap through the curtain, right into center stage as the smokescreen began to fade.
"THE AMAZING SPARKLER!"
She almost regretted the extra decibels. The sound of her stage name echoing from the buildings caused her ears to flatten on instinct. The pain was nothing, however, compared to the swell of pride as cheers followed the sound of her spectacle. A few hooves stomping on the ground in polite applause as the smoke began to clear.
And even those faded to silence as she was revealed to her audience and looked down at the ponies in the front row.
She smiled right into the shocked, green eyes of a purple stallion.
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Alright, apologies for taking so long with this chapter folks.
I know it's mostly build-up, but with it out of the way we can finally dive right into the meat of the story! Enjoy the cliff-hanger for now I guess!
I hope either Spike is a bit more mature with how he reacts(than the mane6 were in cannon), or Trixie/Sparkler acts more deserving of being upstaged.
God dangit, Trixie. Why must you cause such discord?
3288498
It should be interesting... in Canon, Spike was trying to push Twilight, who was more reserved. If pony Spike and Dragon Twilight stay true to their canon selves, one could expect Spike to play the role of Scrappy Doo (lemme at 'er!) with Twilight trying to remind him of why Trixie's here in the first place.
It will be interesting to see Ditzy's reaction, as well as the rest of the Flipped Six if they're present. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy didn't react until Magic Duel... they were mere spectators during the first encounter, so if Ditzy Doo and Cheerilee were to call Trixie out, it would be unexpected.
Also, in canon Rainbow Dash fired the first shot by booing. Big Mac, despite being Loyalty, doesn't seem to be the type to antagonize Trixie in that way. Neither does Time Turner, for that matter.
Considering that Trixie's set the whole event to draw Spike out in the first place, I fully expect her to shoot first in this story. If not, it comes down to Spike or Thunderlane... or somepony else in the audience, maybe even Rainbow Dash again.
3288498 Well, in this continuity, Spike and Twilight already know Trixie as an insufferable jerk, due to their time at school with her. Plus she came into town with the intention of ruining Spike's reputation, so even if they don't start anything, she will.
Good
so is this a trixie/spike ship?
3289187
oh god i hope not ...
didn't he have the hots for somepony else in the original story? Cheery? or Derpy? i forgot who it was ...
Sparkler "Mom!"
Dizty "Yes dear?"
Sparkler "Somepony stole my name!"
Bitchin'
Also, OH NO SHE DIDN'T
Great chapter. What is Trixie planning?
Not a bad chapter, but it left me with one major question: where was Dinky in all of this?
ZECORA!!!
I love her mysterious entrance!
3289416
Spike still wanted Rarity because in every universe, Spike likes to look at Rarity's cutiemark!
Interesting.
I know that cloaked figure is Zecora. Having her and Trixie show up in the same story? Very interesting, indeed.
Snips is GREEN not blue.
Also Trixie's name is already taken. As a fake name.
(Amethyst Star aka Sparkler)
Ooh, horse apples are about to hit the fan at terminal velocity!
Trixie is going by an alias to avoid being identified prematurely, isn't she?
...
Called it
I'm pretty sure this fic is dedicated to committing mass genocide to it's audience with adorabetes through Twilight, isn't it? If I end up hospitalized because of this fic, I'm sending you the bill.
If we're doing a "knocking down Spike" counter, does that count as 3?
3288814
Fun Fact: Trixie and Twilight actually went to School together in show canon too. I mean, technically it's comic canon. But since the show never contradicted that comic, it qualifies as show canon. I don't know if they knew each other personally in that school. But they did go to school together.
Fun Fact #2: Not only was Trixie deserving of going to that school, Trixie was in fact stronger with magic than Twilight. I think where Trixie failed is her knowledge of spells. Where Twilight learns through books, Trixie learns through experience. The reason why I know it's canon that Trixie is a stronger spellcaster is in Season 7 Episode 2: All Bottled Up. Starlight teaches Trixie a few spells. One of those spells is a transfiguration spell. When she figures out how to cast it, it's simple to her, as if it's nothing (and turns a bunch of Twilight's belongings into teacups). Now let's go back to Season 1 (I don't remember the specific episode, though I think there are a few examples in Season 1 in general). We see Twilight attempting to cast a transfiguration spell. But it's taking her a lot more effort to cast than it did for Trixie. And one little distraction cost her the entire spell. Another spell to compare with is teleportation. Granted, there may be a difference between teleporting an object and teleporting yourself. But it took Twilight a lot more effort to teleport than Trixie did. So in canon, it's reasonable to assume that she wasn't just a fraud, she just wasn't a good spellcaster. And when Twilight one-upped her, that hit her pride. Perhaps calling her the most powerful magician is an exaggeration. But she's certainly up there in power.
3919030
I think that just explained Pinkie Pie.
4818981
Technically, Snips is somewhere in between blue and green. Specifically, it's a shade that can be considered either blue or green. It might be easier to see him as green because the human eye sees more shades of green than any other color (which is why night vision goggles show everything in green). Personally, I've always seen him as blue. But when I did a google search, I was surprised that he wasn't as blue as I remember him to be.