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Popularity isn't Everything2,903 words
. . .or is it?1,779 words

. . .or is it?

“You told her what?” Rarity gasped, her shrill voice echoing throughout the boutique like a church bell.

“Did I do something wrong, Rarity?” Twilight asked timidly, crossing her hooves nervously.

“W-well, not quite but. . .yes!” Rarity replied. “Twilight, darling, I’m surprised that you don’t know this about show business! It may be that ‘popularity isn’t everything’ in the long-run, but for ponies like Trixie, popularity is everything. It is their living, after all! Without the crowds, ponies like her would no longer be able to raise the funds necessary to support themselves in doing what they do. What if ponies stopped coming to my boutique and, instead, went to a different boutique nearby because its fashion and style was more appealing?”

Twilight lowered her head.

“Oh. Right.”

“And what about Rainbow Dash and the Wonderbolts? If ponies suddenly didn’t like their performances anymore and stopped going to their shows, they would no longer gain any popularity and, therefore, they could no longer host any more of their shows.”

Twilight nodded with a sigh.

“Right. I’m sorry, Rarity. I thought I was saying the right thing at the moment. Guess I didn’t after all.”

Rarity put a hoof to her chin.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that you said the wrong thing necessarily. After all, you did manage to convince her to continue performing in her magic shows. What she needs is a way to stand out!”

She tapped her head.

“Which reminds me. . .I recall that there is a filly performing in magic shows here in Ponyville as well? What was her name again?”

Twilight recalled what Trixie said.

“Dusk Shine, I believe.”

Rarity scowled.

“That’s her name? Sounds more like a brand of furniture polish to me.”

She shook her head.

“Anyway, I was thinking that perhaps she and Trixie could perform together in a show of their own.”

Twilight straightened.

“Ah, you mean like a collaboration!”

“Exactly, Darling! That way, more ponies can come and watch them both and see them at their best — working together!”

She clapped her hooves.

“Perfect! Now, Twilight, have Trixie come over here. I’ll invite Dusk Shine. Together, they’ll promote the biggest magic show in all of Equestria! They’ll just need our help to do it.”

Twilight grinned.

“Sounds like a plan, Rarity! I’ll go get Trixie!”

She galloped out of the boutique and headed straight for Trixie’s trailer.

***

The door to the boutique opened and Twilight and Trixie walked in. Inside waiting for them were Rarity and Dusk Shine, a yellowish-orange unicorn wearing a black starry cloak and a black top hat. When Trixie saw Dusk Shine standing there, she stopped abruptly.

“What is she doing here?” she whispered to Twilight.

“Rarity and I thought you both could work together on a magic show,” Twilight replied. “That way, ponies in Ponyville can see both of you doing what you do best.”

Trixie shook her head rapidly and started backing away.

“I. . .I don’t know about this.”

Twilight stopped Trixie by touching her hoof.

“Please, Trixie? We only want to help.”

Trixie scowled.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t need anypony’s help!”

She sighed.

“But I suppose I must be more open to it. Lead on, Twilight.”

She hesitantly stepped forward and allowed Twilight to lead her to Rarity and Dusk Shine.

“All right, Rarity,” Twilight said, motioning to Trixie. “Trixie’s here with me.”

Rarity smiled.

“Very good!”

She turned to Dusk Shine.

“Dusk Shine, may I present — ”

Dusk Shine suddenly lept in the air, her eyes wide and sparkling like stars.

“Trixie!? The Great and Powerful Trixie!?”

She came and shook Trixie’s hoof so rapidly that Trixie’s hat flew off.

“I am a huge fan of your shows, especially that one trick where you shot off a firework and it turned into a manticore! Ha ha! I never got tired of seeing that one!”

Trixie stared at Dusk in disbelief.

“You — you know of me?”

“Why of course!” Dusk exclaimed. “You were the one that got me performing in magic shows in the first place!”

Trixie’s eyes widened.

“I — I was?”

“Yep! Ever since I was a filly, I went to every single one of your shows. Even when fewer ponies showed up, I still went.”

Trixie cocked one eyebrow.

“Why? After what I did to Ponyville, why did you keep seeing my shows?”

“Because. . .well, I wanted to be confident like you. Back then, I wasn’t confident to do anything really, especially hosting a magic show. But seeing you perform made me have the courage to do it anyway. Because of that, I found that I was good at hosting and performing in magic shows! That’s how I got my Cutie Mark, too!”

She turned and lifted her cloak, revealing her Cutie Mark: a black top hat with a black magician’s wand hovering over the top. All the while, Trixie stood and stared at her. This filly who had more crowds attending her shows looked up to her? When Dusk showed her her Cutie Mark, Trixie could no longer hold back the tears.

“You — you looked up to me? But. . .why?”

Dusk stared back at her with a puzzled expression.

“Why?”

She chuckled.

“Because you were the best, that’s why!”

Trixie smiled a little sadly.

“Yes, well, the Great and Powerful Trixie is the best, but. . .”

She turned to Twilight.

“I wasn’t the best back then. I let my pride get the best of me until Twilight stepped in and stopped me from further using that alicorn amulet to cause more damage to Ponyville. I must admit, I was far from being the best then.”

Dusk Shine shrugged.

“Well, I knew you weren’t perfect, but I also know one other thing: I’m now a performing magician thanks to you, and I love it!”

Twilight leaned to Trixie.

“See, Trixie?” she quietly said. “You never know whose life you’ll touch.”

Trixie smiled back.

“I suppose so. Thanks, Twilight.”

“All right!” Rarity declared. “Let’s get started! If you both like, I can supply the costumes and the props.”

Dusk nodded.

“I think that’s a splendid idea, Rarity! Um, if that’s all right with the Great and Powerful Trixie, that is.”

They turned to Trixie, who blushed and crossed her hooves.

“That. . .would be nice. Thanks. And, please, call me Trixie, Dusk Shine.”

Dusk smiled brightly.

“If you call me Dusk, then you’ve got a deal!”

***

Trixie and Dusk Shine’s performance was a huge success. Ponies from all over Ponyville came to watch the performance while Twilight and Rarity watched from backstage.

“Trixie’s come a long way,” Twilight commented as she watched the two magicians perform onstage.

Rarity nodded.

“That she has. Do you remember how we first met her?”

Twilight chuckled.

“How can I forget! She bragged that she bested an Ursa Minor! When I called her bluff, she came back and tried to take over Ponyville with the alicorn amulet. She wanted so badly to be better than me.”

She sighed.

“And yet, do you know what she told me this morning?”

Rarity shook her head.

“She told me she wanted to be just like me. Weird that Trixie of all ponies would say that.”

“Quite.”

Rarity looked back at the magic performance.

“You know, I’ve been thinking. It’s fairly easy to become jealous of other ponies’ successes. You remember that time when Photo Finish chose Fluttershy as her new model? I felt cheated that Fluttershy got to work with Photo Finish and not with me. Looking back, I can see why Trixie was so driven to best you with magic. She was jealous that you got all the attention and not her. It’s strange but, in some ways, I can actually relate to her.”

Twilight nodded. She remembered how jealous she felt when her friends were socializing and having fun with Discord without her. She was so convinced that it was all one of Discord’s tricks that she had Zecora make a brew that would supposedly “cure” her friends from his spell. What it all really was was simply a mask to hide her jealousy towards him.

“Well, I guess being jealous happens to the best of us,” she commented as Trixie and Dusk Shine finished their final magic trick and took a bow towards the audience. The crowds cheered and Twilight and Rarity joined in the applause.

As Trixie and Dusk retreated backstage, Twilight gave each of them a hug.

“You two were amazing!”

“Just listen to that crowd out there!” Rarity exclaimed. “You both were simply fabulous!”

Trixie took off her hat and gave a slight bow.

“Thank you, Twilight, Rarity. Dusk Shine is quite the magician herself!”

Dusk shrugged as she blushed.

“Aw,” she giggled, “I’m just learning. You’re quite the magician.”

“Now, don’t be so modest,” Trixie grinned, placing her hat back on her head. “The Great and Powerful Trixie approves of your performance!”

Dusk smiled.

“Gee, thanks, O Great and Powerful Trixie!”

Trixie’s ears perked up.

“Say, that reminds me. . .we still need to come up with a worthy title for you. After all, Great and Powerful magicians have titles. Now, let’s see. . .how’s this?”

She stood tall and poised as she dramatically declared, “The Amazing and Dazzling Dusk Shine!”

Dusk’s eyes sparkled like fireworks in the night sky.

“Ooh! I love it—I love it—I love it—I love it!” she squealed, hopping up and down like a schoolfilly.

“Looks like you have a new student!” Twilight chuckled.

Trixie’s smile grew as she held her head high.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie will teach her new student everything that she knows!”

Dusk’s eyes widened in awe.

“So. . .awesome!”

Trixie took off her hat and laughed.

“Of course, it seems that you already know more about magic show performance than I do. In reality, you don’t need my help.”

“Well, I would absolutely love it if I was taught by the master herself,” Dusk said. “Besides, there’s still more things I can learn from you.”

Trixie placed her hat back on her head and nodded.