Sleight the Mystifying and Extraordinary

by Bluecatcinema

Wherever The Wind Takes You

A traveling circus had arrived in Baltimare. As the performers prepared for their acts, an Earth Pony worker was looking for somepony else.

Entering a caravan, he found his target.

He was a light silver colored unicorn, with a messy black mane, clad in a rather old and patchy black jacket with a white undershirt. On his flank was an 'ace' playing card. His name was Sleight Gambit… though to the circus, he was known as 'The Mystifying and Extraordinary Sleight Of Hooves'. He was currently in the middle of teaching (or rather, flirting) with the newest assistant for his magic show, a Pegasus mare.

"Here." Sleight gave the mare a Queen of Hearts card. "This once belonged to my great grandmother. She told me only to give it to a mare I thought was extra-special."

"Oh, thank you..." The mare blushed.

"Sir?" The Earth Pony asked. "The show's about to start."

Sleight let out a begrudged sigh.

"Oi, another day, another show." He sighed, as out of thin air, he conjured a old top hat, and placed it on his head, "Come along, my dear."

"Oh, and here's the cash takings for yesterday's show." The Earth Pony handed Sleight a bag full of bits.

"Not bad." Sleight took out two bits and gave them to the Earth Pony. "Here's your cut. Don't spend it all in one place."

The mare followed Sleight as he left the caravan, leaving the Earth Pony with his payment.

"...Cheapskate." The Earth Pony growled.

Inside a small tent, several ponies were seated, waiting for Sleight's show. Sleight stepped out on stage, his lovely assistant behind him.

"Welcome, one and all." He smiled. "Let's see what's in the cards for us all!"

He pulled a deck of cards out of his pocket.

"It is quite amazing how much you can do with just 52 cards in a deck... with a bit of magic and a lot of ingenuity, you can create anything you can set your mind to… but for ponies like yours truly… they can go far beyond what you can comprehend…" He declared, using his standard spiel.

Sleight used his magic to lift the deck into the air, and with a few swishes of his hooves, the cards soon spread out above him. Quickly, with a few swishes of his hooves, the deck soon took the shape of a griffon. He paused for a few seconds, before shuffling his hooves again, turning the griffon into a dragon. Finally, he placed the floating card-dragon on the ground, and with a few more movement of his hooves, not even breaking a sweat, the dragon soon turned into a scale model replica of Canterlot Castle. Most of the crowd cheered, but a few weren't so accommodating.

"Is this it?" One rowdy Pegasus stallion called. "Lame!"

"Yeah, any normal Unicorn can levitate a bunch of cards!" An Earth Pony female agreed.

"Ah, but I am not your normal Unicorn, madam!" Sleight smiled. "For I am Sleight, the Mystifying and Extraordinary. I happen to possess powers that could easily rival that of an Alicorn, from the princess of the sun to the princess of friendship and magic! As they should, as I am a descendant of Starswirl the Bearded himself! However, for my next trick, I'll need the help of my lovely assistant..."

The mare stepped forward. Sleight formed the cards around her, encasing her in a card-formed box. Then, with a dramatic spread of his hooves, the cards all blew away, with the mare nowhere to be seen. Pulling out another deck, he quickly used his magic to form yet another box on the other side of the stage, and with a flicker of his horn, the cards all dropped to reveal the mare.

"Oh, please!" A Unicorn in the back heckled. "There are trap doors in the stage! You can see them!"

The crowd started getting hostile.

"Uh... wait!" Sleight yelped, getting desperate. He pulled a card out of the mare's ear. "Ta-daa!"

Everypony started booing and hissing, appalled that he had resorted to such a cheap trick.

"Close the curtains..." Sleight told his assistant, trying to keep a straight face. As the curtains closed, he let out a heavy sigh.

Sleight began to return to his caravan, barely noticing that the weather was turning stormy, when the same Earth Pony from before approached him.

"Sir, a... certain lady-friend of yours is waiting for you." He declared.

'Probably the assistant.' Sleight thought, as he entered the caravan.

Instead, to Sleight's surprise, it was a familiar white-maned blue unicorn that was waiting for him.

"Hey, Trix!" He smiled. "This is a surprise!"

"I just thought I'd drop by." Trixie smiled.

"Great to see you." Sleight smiled.

"You, too." Trixie smiled. "I, uh... saw what happened at the show..."

"Oh... you saw that mess?" Sleight drooped. "I swear, ponies these days have no taste for subtle tricks anymore. It's all gotta be flashy, impressive stuff like those posers in Las Pegasus. Nopony goes for simple illusions these days..."

"Well, I thought it was rather lovely. I still don't get how you can make so many things with just 52 cards." Trixie tried to cheer him up.

"Thanks…at least somepony appreciates true magic…" Sleight sighed, as he paused for a moment. "Have a seat, I'll get ya some tea..."

Sleight opened up a cupboard and pulled out a tea kettle. As he did so, he pulled out his hip flask and took a sip, Trixie noticed with a frown.

"You still have that thing?" She asked.

Sleight looked at her, then at the flask.

"Yes." He said simply. Trixie was about to say something. "I know, I know, I shouldn't drink, but it helps take off the edge. Celestia knows that I need one after today."

Trixie saw the sad expression on his face. He made tea, poured it into a cup and gives it to Trixie. The two sat in silence.

"So... how long has it been since we last saw each other?" Sleight wondered. "I haven't seen you since..."

"The last time you rolled into town, a few months ago." Trixie gave him a sad smile. "It's not often enough, seeing you only once in a blue moon."

"Well, it is a traveling circus." Sleight shrugged. "I just go wherever the wind takes me. That's how I roll, you know."

"Sleight..." Trixie sighed.

"How's life been treating you?" Sleight asked.

"Just fine." Trixie answered.

"How's Trickster?" Sleight inquired.

"He's doing well." Trixie smiled fondly. "Finally got him to stop showboating. He's been practicing his magic tricks a lot lately. He really wants to take after his mother and his 'honorary' uncle in becoming a magician."

"Well knowing his mother, I think he will do just fine..." Sleight returned the smile. The two chuckled. But then his smile faded. "How about Smoky? He's been treating you right?"

"Sleight, you know Smoke doesn't like that name." Trixie rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Trix, you know I just kid." Sleight smirked. "How's his magic shop been doing?"

"Sleight..." Trixie groaned.

"Has he been pitching in around the house?" Sleight asked.

"Sleight." Trixie said, peeved.

"Did he ever get that weird thing on his hoof checked?" Sleight smirked.

"Sleight!" Trixie yelled.

Sleight stopped, as he let out a heavy sigh.

"Sleight... I came here for a reason... Sleight, we used to be close friends... but lately, we've been drifting apart." Trixie said solemnly. "And each time I see you, you look more and more sad... and I think I might know why..."

"Trixie, everything is fine..." Sleight insisted.

"Sleight, you can use your magic to hide yourself from the world, but you can't hide yourself from me..." Trixie declared.

Sleight looked away.

"Sleight, I am truly sorry that things between us ended the way it did." Trixie admitted. "You know I still care a lot about you..."

"Of course I do." Sleight nodded. "You have nothing to be sorry for. We broke up because we wanted different things in life. You wanted to settle down and start a family, I didn't. It's simple as that."

"I wouldn't say so..." Trixie sighed. "Sleight, what you and I had... it was amazing and beautiful... but..."

"But nothing, Trixie." Sleight stopped her. "You moved on and found a stallion who can take care of you better than I ever could. You could had honestly done a lot worse. Smoke Mirror is a good pony."

"But so are you..." Trixie told him.

"No... no, I'm not." Sleight confessed. "I am many things... but a good pony isn't one of them."

"You could be though." Trixie suggested. "I know without a doubt that you are capable of being one."

"That's just the thing..." Sleight got up and started pacing around. "I don't want to. You see, Equestria is full of good ponies. Honest hard-working ponies that get married and raised families. Ponies like Smoke Mirror. Ponies like my grandfather, who spend the remaining years of his life in regret, only to die with it in the end. I don't want that, Trixie. I don't want to be a good pony... I want to be a great one. I want to be Starswirl The Bearded and Harry Hoofdini rolled into one..." He glanced at Trixie, with a melancholic look. "A pony that you would deserve... that's all I ever wanted for you."

"Sleight... I never thought you didn't deserve me." Trixie told him. "And I still don't."

"...All I ask now, is that you stop worrying about me, Trixie." Sleight sighed. "You should go home, home to your son and your husband. It's what you deserved. Better than all this... and better than me."

"...Very well." Trixie stood up. "Just know... that no matter what, I will always be there when you need me... and you will always have a place in my life." She walked up to him and nuzzled him softly. "Farewell."

Trixie made her way out of the caravan. Sleight let out a deep breath. As soon as she was gone, Sleight turned to a picture on a wall. It was a photograph of a younger him and Trixie, in a loving embrace. On it was signed "Sleight, The Mystifying and Extraordinary + Trixie, The Great And Powerful". Sleight stifled a tear as he took another drink from his flask.

Suddenly, there was a banging on the caravan door.

"Sleight!" Yelled the circus' resident strongpony, rather peeved and angry.

"Um... who is it?" Sleight asked nervously.

"It's the stallion whose wife you flirted with yesterday!" The strongpony roared.

"Flirted?" Sleight gulped. "I just gave her a card!"

"Everypony knows you give cards to all the mares you're interested in, pal!" The strongpony growled. "Now open this door, before I break it down!"

"Now, hold on, can't we talk about this?" Sleight tried to reason.

"Oh no! No pony tries to get lucky with my wife and lives! You're dead meat!" The strongpony screamed.

"Oh, horseapples…" Sleight cursed. Knowing he had to get out of there, he quickly lit up his horn and starting packing necessities into a travel bag in a hurry.

"OPEN THIS DOOR!"

Sleight let out a curse as he looked around for more things to pack. He quickly glanced at the picture of him and Trixie, and without a second thought, he took it and placed in his bag.

The door was bashed down as the steamed strongpony stormed in.

"I'm going to rip your head off!" He roared.

"Okay, you got me." Sleight held up his hooves in defence. "But before you kill me… can I do one last trick?" Quickly, he pull out a deck, and before the strongpony could say anything, he encased himself in a card box.

"Not so fast!" The strongpony charged through the card box, sending cards flying everywhere. But no Sleight.

"Huh?" The big stallion gasped, as he then looked back, and saw a trap door. He then glanced out the window and saw Sleight running off in the distance.

"Oh no, you don't!" The Strongpony gave chase.

Running for his life, Sleight spotted a hot-air ballon, and climbed into it (dropping his hat in the process). He fired up the burner, and dropped the weights. The balloon rose up just before the strongpony could reach it

"Why you! Get your flank down here so I can crush you!" The strongpony roared.

"No can do! Sayonara, sucker!" Sleight jeered, before noticing his bare head. "My hat!"

"Here!"

The hat suddenly flew up, encased in a blue aura. Sleight looked down, seeing Trixie below.

"Thanks, Trix!" He smiled. "Farewell to you! And farewell, circus!"

"Good luck, Sleight!" Trixie called. "And.. be careful!"

"I'm always careful!" Sleight chuckled.

Several ponies on the ground started pointing frantically. Wondering what they were pointing at, Sleight turned... and saw a giant twister, heading directly towards him.

"Oh, no..." He gulped.

Trying desperately to change the balloon's direction, he and his balloon was sucked up in the funnel.

"No, no, no, no, no! No!!" Sleight cried out in fear, as he kept getting thrown around in the basket. "Whoa! Please, I don't wanna die!"

Sleight soon fell onto his flank, trying to brace himself, as he pleaded to the stormy skies "Please, I haven't accomplished anything yet! Just get me out of here and I'll do great things!"

Suddenly, a wayward flying shard of wood pierced through the basket, as he begged some more. "Please! Give me a chance! I promise! I promise I can change!"

With that, he let out one loud scream as the balloon was sent flying out from the tornado and through the stormy skies…

Comments

[danick]

OH BOY I'M ALREADY HYPED

[Diamond Sparkle]

I look forward to more of this story.