My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic: Stallion Edition

by SuperPinkBrony12

Chapter 15: A Magician's Tale

Shining Armor had to admit it was weird seeing all five of his friends at the exact same place, at the exact same time. Heck, he was surprised that Braeburn had come back from Appleloosa after having been gone for the past few weeks. Boy was he going to be surprised to learn he'd missed a chance to see a griffon.

Granted, Gilda quickly lost sympathy with her temper and bad attitude, but it wasn't too often you got the chance to see a creature like her.

But that was a story for another time and another place. Right now, everyone's attention seemed to be focused on a stage of some sort. Shining Armor was pretty sure that hadn't been there earlier this morning.

He was just about to ask who or what had brought this stage here, when a voice suddenly called out from the blue.

"Watch and be amazed at the spectacular feats of The Great and Powerful TRIXIE!" the voice shouted. And in a puff of smoke, a smug looking light blue unicorn appeared on stage. Decked out in a little purple hat and matching cloak with white stars and moons stiched all over it.

It seemed pretty obvious, to Shining Armor at least, that this pony was a magician. After all, that hat and cloak looked suspiciously similar to the hat and cloak worn by one of Twilight's idols Star Swirl the Bearded. She enjoyed talking nonstop about his many accomplishments, much to the annoyance of everyone around her. Even Shining Armor and Spike had to admit they were getting a little bit tired of hearing about Star Swirl's achivements, not that they weren't impressive.

However, with the exception of a few colts and fillies, it seemed like no one was at all impressed by "Trixie's" appearance. But then, when you had the star student of Princess Celestia herself, and the captain of the royal guard living in the same town, magic was as common as the sun rising every day.

As the show went on, Trixie did not seem to notice that a lot of ponies in the audience were casting angry glares at her. Including ponies like Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, who Shining Armor would've thought were incapable of ever holding anyone in a negative light so soon. Then again, Pinkie Pie had surprised him when she complained to Twilight about Gilda, so who was he to judge?

"Man, that mare just loves to hear herself talk doesn't she?" Soarin asked.

"She reminds you of someone, doesn't she?" Braeburn teased.

"Yes, and unfortunately, I must admit that who she reminds me of, is someone I'm not too fond of." Soarin replied.

"She's got some nerve going after my sister like that. Even if she wasn't trying to be mean." Big Macintosh grumbled.

"I honestly can't tell if she's completely ignorant of the fact, or just doesn't care, that everyone is getting fed up with her." Thunderlane commented.

"Even if Miss Rarity wasn't conducting herself very professionally Trixie had no right to do what she did to her." Fancy Pants complained "If I wasn't a gentlecolt I'd give that so called 'magician' a piece of my mind.

"Does she seriously expect anyone to believe that story about the Ursa Major?" Braeburn asked "Even a guy like me can tell when something is so absurd there's no possible way it could be true. And that's saying something."

"Please don't tell me you guys actually HATE Trixie for what she's said and done." Shining Armor said accussingly "You guys have no right to do such things you know."

"Don't get us wrong, we don't hate her or anything, Which is more than I can say for some other ponies." Big Macintosh replied.

"But you can't deny she's not exactly making herself look like a saint." Soarin finished "It's almost as if she WANTS us to hate her. But who in their right mind could possibly want that?"

"Well, if you guys don't like the show you're free to leave. I mean, who's stopping you?" Shining Armor asked.

"We were just about to do so actually." Thunderlane said.

"And we intend to set some 'other ponies' straight about hating on someone for no good reason." Big Macintosh commented.

"Good." Shining Armor said happily "After the Gilda fiasco I don't think we need another problem on our hooves."

"Who's Gilda?" Braeburn asked.

"It's a long story, one that I don't have time to tell you right now." Shining Armor replied "Princess Celestia has requested that I come back to Canterlot to oversee the royal guards for a little bit."

"You're leaving?" Thunderlane asked.

"Yes, but I shouldn't be away for too long. A few hours at most. I'll probably be back by nightfall." Shining Armor explained.

"Alright then Guess we'll see you later." Big Macintosh replied, and with that the six stallions went their seperate ways. Little did they know that things were going to be a lot different when they next met.

Shining Armor's time in Canterlot wasn't all that memorable, though he did get the chance to see Princess Luna briefly. She was still recovering from the 'Nightmare Moon Incident' but already Shining Armor could tell she was looking a lot better.

As for the royal guards, they treated their new captain with the respect and dignity he deserved, but still teased him a little. Shining Armor didn't mind. He knew they all missed Gleaming Shield, and he didn't blame them. Part of him wished Gleaming Shield was still around to give him advice. After all, she was the one who saw potential in him, and had convinced the royal guards not to turn him away when he first applied. He could only hope Gleaming Shield was enjoying her well earned retirement. And he made a mental note to ask Princess Celestia where he could find the former captain, when he got the chance. Gleaming Shield would be happy to hear that Shining Armor was continuing her legacy.

When nightfall came, Shining Armor was allowed to go home. He knew he would be needed back in Canterlot a couple of weeks for a longer period of time, but for right now he was really looking forward to seeing his friends again. (As well as a quiet evening with Twilight, and a good night's rest.)

Nothing could've prepared him for the sight that awaited him upon his return. The entire town seemed awake and alive, despite the sun having set probably a good half hour ago at the earliest. On top of that, he could've sworn he saw what looked like an Ursa Minor being floated out of town, and a crowd of ponies gathering around his sister. Some of them incredibly familiar, and some of them not even the slightest bit familiar. Something was going on here, and he was going to find out what.

As soon as his chariot escort landed, Shining Armor hopped out, and was instantly greated by the prescence of his friends. They all seemed either cross or shocked.

"Shining Armor, boy are we glad to see you!" Fancy Pants exclaimed.

"What do you mean? You guys knew I was in Canterlot. I was perfectly fine all along." Shining Armor explained. Needless to say he was confused.

"You'll have to forgive Fancy Pants, he's a little shaken up right now." Soarin apologized "But you are never gonna believe what just happened!"

"Well, out with it already! The suspense is killing me!" Shining Armor said firmly.

"An Ursa Minor came rampaging through town, and Twilight was the one who sent it packing." Braeburn explained "It was an amazing display! I've never seen anything like it!"

"What?! An Ursa Minor?! Are you sure?!" Shining Armor asked.

"Eeyup." BIg Macintosh nodded "You should've seen it. I was running some errands for Granny Smith, when all of a sudden there was this huge roar. I turned to look, and who should come running past me but Snips and Snails? And then came the Ursa Minor. And wouldn't you know it, that 'magician' actually tried to fight it off."

"Really?! Trixie actually attempted to fend off an Ursa Minor all by herself?!" Shining Armor asked "Was she nuts?! She could've gotten herself killed!"

"Guess it's a good thing Twilight bailed her out then." Braeburn stated.

"I see." Shining Armor said. Then a thought came to him "Why am I hearing this from you guys, and not from Trixie?"

"Because, as soon as Twilight sent that Ursa Minor away Trixie just up and ran off." Big Macintosh explained.

"What?! Didn't anyone try to stop her?!" Shining Armor asked. His friends all shook their heads "Why didn't any of you say something in her defense when you had the chance?"

"Because it was Trixie's fault that this whole mess happened in the first place." Soarin said crossly "She had to go and open her big mouth about that Ursa Major story, which somehow gave Snips and Snails the boneheaded idea to go find a real one for her to banish. Be thankful they only found an Ursa Minor."

"There's no way she could've known that would happen." Shining Armor stated.

"That may be, but she should've known better than to say such a thing outloud to begin with. That big ego of hers got her into trouble." Big Macintosh said sternly.

"What you both fail to understand is that Trixie is a magician. an entertainer. It's her JOB to attract the audience's attention by any means possible!" Shining Armor replied "Sure that story was a bit far fetched, but the same could be said of all those classic fairy tales. After all, what are the odds of 'magic beans' being able to grow a beanstalk overnight? Just because something isn't true doesn't mean it necessarily makes for a bad story. Fiction and fantasy exisit for a reason."

"You have a point there." Thunderlane admitted "But what would you have wanted us to do with Trixie? She had the perfect opportunity to explain herself to the whole town and she decided to run away."

"If one of you had at least tried to reach out to her and encourage the town to listen to her, then perhaps things would've turned out differently." Shining Armor said crossly "But now, an innocent pony is out there all alone, with nopony to call a friend. Nopony to count on to help her. Nopony to offer her support."

"Considering the fact that she had a cart I think it's safe to say she 'chooses' to live alone." Big Macintosh suggested "Maybe she doesn't need anypony."

"Perhaps, but I believe. That regardless of what Trixie may have been like, she deserves to know that not all ponies in Ponyville are so mean." Shining Armor said firmly "And I intend to show her that regardless of whether or not you guys feel sorry for her."

"We do feel sorry for her, really. We never thought she was trying to cause trouble." Thunderlane hastly explained "She was certainly no Gilda."

"But she wasn't a saint either. She said things that weren't very nice, and you know that just as well as we do." Fancy Pants finished.

"That is true, but at the least I can't afford to let her get away after a misunderstanding." Shining Armor stated, and with that he set off to find Trixie.

"Why does bad luck always seem to follow me around?" Trixie muttered to herself. It was still hard to believe that just a few minutes ago her life had been ruined because of a misunderstanding. Were Snips and Snails really dumb enough to believe she could actually vanquish an Ursa Major? She had thought for certain the story was so absurd everyone would know it was fake. Apparently, she had thought wrong. And because of that, her cart had been completely demolished, along with all of her belongings.

"Hey, Trixie!" an unfamiliar voice suddenly called out. Trixie was surprised. Who in their right mind would want to waste their time with a sorry sight like her? The answer came much sooner than she would've ever wanted.

"What do you want?" Trixie asked "Have you come to laugh at The Weak and Humilated Trixie as well? Well, go ahead! Laugh yourself silly for all Trixie cares!"

"That's not why I came here at all." Shining Armor said honestly "I just wanted to say, I'm sorry if you didn't exactly get the best impression of Ponyville during your visit. I can't speak for everyone, but I know at least a couple of ponies who didn't feel like you were some sort of villan. I guess ponies are still just a bit on edge after Gilda's visit."

"Who's Gilda? Actually, on second thought, never mind." Trixie said febely "Trixie appreciates your concern, but she doesn't recall asking for your pity."

"Would you just listen? I'm trying to help you!" Shining Armor said crossly.

"If you really wish to help Trixie then you can make yourself scarce." Trixie replied "Trixie doesn't need your help, or anyone else's help. She is perfectly fine on her own thank you very much."

"Look, I heard about what happened with the Ursa Minor. It wasn't your fault." Shining Armor explained "And I'm sure if you just explained that to the citizens they'd understand perfectly."

"Surely you jest." Trixie retorted.

"No, I mean it." Shining Armor said.

"They wouldn't care. And even if they did it wouldn't change anything." Trixie said crossly "Trixie's life has been miserable for a long time. That Ursa Minor was mearly the latest in a series of bad hands that life has dealt Trixie. It seems that Trixie is destined to be a punching bag for the universe, and she is perfectly fine with that."

"You don't have to delude yourself and lie to me. I can tell you've dealt with a lot of hardships in life, but that doesn't mean you have to be alone. I'm here now and I can help you turn your life around." Shining Armor offered "So please, let me help you."

"Trixie has already told you that she doesn't need your help!" Trixie protested "Now go away!"

Shining Armor sighed. He had hoped that he might be able to break through to Trixie and reach out to her somehow. Apparently that was not the case. "Very well then." he said somberly "Guess I won't be seeing you around." And with that, he turned to leave.

"Good ridance." Trixie grumbled. But as Shining Armor began to slowly disappear, she began to realize that she was missing out on a chance to convince at least one pony in Ponyville, that she wasn't a "bad guy". Reluctantly, she shouted "Wait!"

"Have you changed your mind?" Shining Armor asked. Freezing in his tracks.

"Indeed I have." Trixie said, her tone implying that she was having a hard time swallowing her pride. As was evidenced by the fact that she was no longer talking in third person. "At the least I believe you deserve to know a little bit about me. My actual name is Trixie Lulamoon, The Great and Powerful Trixie is mearly a stage name I created for myself."

"I figured that out pretty easily." Shining Armor nodded "But why exactly did you choose to become a magician? Especially when it seems like your magic is average at best. No offense."

"None taken, but don't push your luck." Trixie replied "Anyway, to answer your question, it's because of my father."

"Your father?" Shining Armor asked.

"Yes. I can't recall any memories of my mother, and my father never talked about her." Trixie explained "So she either passed away while I was young, or just left my father for a reason I do not know."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Shining Armor said somberly.

"It's alright, I've moved on." Trixie continued "Anyway, my father was a really good magician. Probably one of the best of all time. He called himself The Great Hoofdini."

"I've heard about him. Wasn't he a well known escape artist?" Shining Armor asked.

"Indeed he was. But he was more than that." Trixie explained "He was, for the longest time, the only one I could consider a friend. In school, I was teased and bullied almost everyday for many things. Even when I finally obtained my cutie mark the tormenting didn't stop, until I put those bullies in their place. I realize now that I probably did not handle the situation in the best way."

"So what happened?" Shining Armor asked.

"I had to drop out of school because of the way I acted. But I realized that, I liked being in control." Trixie went on "I became convinced that the world as I knew it was a cruel place, and the only one a pony could count on was herself. It has taken until this faithful night for me to see that life doesn't work that way."

"I'll say." Shining Armor said "Glad to see you've realized that. So, whaddya say we head back into town and clear up that misunderstanding?"

"Thank you for the offer, but I'm afraid I must decline." Trixie said somberly "Trixie always has, and probably always will be, a wanderer."

"Will I ever see you again?" Shining Armor asked.

"Trixie cannot say for certain." Trixe admitted "Hopefully, if you do, Trixie's life will be better than it is now. But for right now, tell that goody twohoreshoes Twilight Sparkle to watch her back. Because one day, Trixie has a feeling that we shall meet again. And on that day, we will see for ourselves who the highest level unicorn is." And with that Trixie took off again.

Shining Armor was quite surprised at what Trixie had told him, but outside of his friends, and his sister, few ponies truly believed that Trixie had told him the truth. Eventually, like Gilda, Trixie became a distant memory. Few ponies talked about her. For better or for worse, Shining Armor couldn't tell. He could only hope that if Trixie ever did return, she would show everyone who she was inside.

Comments

[SWEETOLEBOB18]

"I've heard about......... Wasn't he a well known escape artist?" Shining Armor asked.

him

[Yoshifan30]

"There's no way she could've known that would happen." Shining Armor stated.

You know what hes got a good there I mean sure Trixie Didn't help her case For being a show off and acting like a jerk But she didn't bring the Ursa Minor here It was snip and snail who brought brought the bear here so its there fault not hers but unfortunately people kinda jump to conclusion And she got all the blame It's a really unfortunate

[Yoshifan30]

"None taken, but don't push your luck." Trixie replied "Anyway, to answer your question, it's because of my father."

Ohhh she talking about Jack Pot huh dang 😔

[Yoshifan30]

Shining Armor was quite surprised at what Trixie had told him, but outside of his friends, and his sister, few ponies truly believed that Trixie had told him the truth. Eventually, like Gilda, Trixie became a distant memory. Few ponies talked about her. For better or for worse, Shining Armor couldn't tell. He could only hope that if Trixie ever did return, she would show everyone who she was inside.

well both trixie and glida did They prove themselves they are not as bad as everyone thinks They just need to work on their there attitude problem

[SuperPinkBrony12]

10448514 This was originally written long before the idea of Jackpot ever existed.