Abra-ca Ga-ga

by Shadowmane PX-41

The Show's Over

The chase continued as Trixie dashed through corridors, leaving nothing behind her while handing the infant teens at the same time. Through the shenanigans that Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Scootaloo did to her face and body, coupled with the speed that her pursuers were chasing her at, and the fact that her deadline for failure was fast approaching, she could not afford to slip up any time soon.

She fumbled around for her smoke bombs, but Fluttershy got there first and tossed some haphazardly around and in front of Trixie. As she blindly ran through the cloud of smoke, she arrived back in the foyer, seeing the front door once she broke free of the mist. Thinking that she was home free, she charged like a furious bull towards said door and towards the street, only for a car to pull up and cause her to stop in her tracks.

There, standing before her, was Applejack. And calling her unhappy would have been a kind thing to say. Her hands were tightly clenched into fists and her eyebrows were firmly rooted to her eyes as they were lowered viciously. She took her hat off and hastily tossed it into the back of her wagon, before giving Trixie a menacing glare.

"What do you people have against magicians?" Trixie asked, turning away from Applejack, only to see Pinkie, Rarity, and Sunset cornering her. "Do you just hate the way they dress? Or the fact that their magic acts are all smoke and mirrors? Well... maybe not entirely that, but still—"

"Can it, Trixie." Sunset didn't even lower her voice as she took a step forward. "I'm not about to let you get away with all of this just because there's some stupid, insignificant talent show going on. Now. Give our friends back, or so help me, Celestia, there will be heck to pay."

"Stupid? Insignificant? I'll have you know that this is the ONLY WAY Trixie will be able to succeed in life!" She barked, not even caring that the babies were trying to climb off using her legs. "What job do you think that Trixie will have once she leaves Canterlot High? Some dead-end one at the local burger shop, a janitor at a place that's actually successful and has a wonderful atmosphere? Or maybe something even more degrading and meaningless like a trash collector! Do you want me to have a future like that?!"

"Oh, give me a break already." Applejack wrapped her arm around Trixie's head immediately, as the rest of the Rainbooms took back the rest of their group. "Ya need to STOP this, Trixie. The future ain't gonna be served to you just through some fancy-schmancy magic tricks and hooey like that. Ya need to EARN your future, through hard work AND your hobby; not just by waving some stick around and making it so you're some kinda performer."

"Yeah. And stealing our friends is only gonna get you a one-way ticket to a nasty, grey, party-less jail cell!" Pinkie glowered as she turned shielded Fluttershy from Trixie. "Magic or no magic, they're not yours. You don't own them, so why do you even need to go through all this trouble?"

"Because..." Trixie tried to think of an excuse to win back her prize, but no matter what came to mind, the looks that the Rainbooms were giving her immediately caused that response to evaporate into thin air, along with her hopes of winning the show and furthering herself as a magician.

"Nothing to say?" Sunset asked, holding on tightly to Rainbow Dash. She looked down at Trixie and just let out a long sigh as she held her hand. "Trixie. You can't just make your future entirely out of magic; especially Equestrian magic like this. It's only going to end up making you an underachiever, getting low grades and being shut out of the good paths in life. Do you want to get constant Fs and never get recommended to any kind of college or university because of some hobby and penchant for sleight of hand?"

"No... But—"

"Then WHY do you even need to take part in some silly show like this?" Sunset asked, looking Trixie in the eyes with a much less violent stare. "And why rope our friends into all of this? It doesn't help you as a person, and if anything, it just inflates your ego much larger than it already is." Sunset then released Trixie's hand and turned away. "You're a talented person, Trixie, but don't go chasing silly things like our school's contests. If you want to perform and try out for some magical group, then by all means, go ahead. We're not going to stop you. But if you do that here at a SCHOOL, where the main point of it is to learn the stuff you need for the working world, then you're not really helping your cause at all. It's only going to drive people away and drag yourself down in your grades. And we don't want to have any of that at CHS, now do we?"

Now that all of the cards had been laid out before her, Trixie was beginning to feel doubts form in her mind about the contest. What had she really accomplished through her magic? Turning three innocent teenagers back to infancy without a way to fix them, as well as severing their connection with their families, friends, and any others that might have been helping them out. As she looked back at the school one more time, then back to Sunset, and with one final glimpse of Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Scootaloo playing gently in the arms of their friends, she could only give in and swallow, knowing that there would be no way out of this.

"Alright." Trixie hung her head and felt Applejack release her arm. "You win, Sunset. I'll forfeit the contest and let you and your friends figure out a way to return the others to normal."

"Good. That's what we were hoping to hear." Sunset glanced back at Trixie once again and gave her a smile before heading back into the school. "Now, you'd better let everyone else know that there won't be a way to turn the others back in time for the results. We don't want any of them believing that you're going to chase after this crazy dream."

"Especially not when said dream is nothing more than a nightmare in disguise, spelling trouble for you and your real future." Rarity added, before accompanying Applejack and carrying Scootaloo back into the building. "In the future, try doing what you love outside of CHS, instead of regressing to a one-trick pony the second you walk through those doors."

"It's the only proper thing to do, Trixie." Applejack crossed her arms as her former headlock-victim turned to face her. "There ain't no point in chasing something that doesn't exist; even if you think you've got a good shot at trying to get it."

"I..." Trixie choked on her own words and tried to raise her hand, only to let it fall back down to her side as she watched the babies finally disappear from her sight. "Applejack... do you think that I'm a... good person?"

To that, Applejack immediately flinched, lifting her brows at the sound of Trixie's question. "Well... you're not exactly the worst person there is, but at the same time, you're not the best person either. Always running your mouth and saying your name instead of 'I', 'me', and 'my' like you're part of some kinda storybook character."

"So I'm average?" Trixie lifted a brow of her own. "A simple, by-the-numbers human like all the rest?"

"No! That's not what I said at all!" Applejack waved her hands in front of her face. "You're not ordinary at all, Trixie. You're always flaunting those tricks like a real magician should, and I think you have a lot of potential to become some big name in that line of work, but if you just keep on doing it here at Canterlot High with a limited audience, it'll become harder and harder for you to learn new things and make yourself a better magician in the process. And, like Sunset said, you need to focus more on your grade work at a school; not lollygag and think that you're going to win every single competition you put yourself in. Remember the Battle of the Bands?"

"Oh yeah... That was a thing that happened." Trixie just blushed, coiled up, and wrapped her finger around the curl at the front of her hair. "Not one of my better moments, was it?"

"Nope. And this is very similar to that. You're just letting your ego run away with you, and that's not gonna go down well with everyone else here at this school. Heck, I bet those other two girls you hang out with must be tired of hearing you say, 'The Great and Powerful Trixie' this and 'The Great and Powerful Trixie' that," she said, her voice firm, yet cold as ice in the process. "Ego is going to be your downfall someday, Trixie. If you can learn to get rid of it and just act like a normal girl, but still keep up with the magic you've got outside of Canterlot High, then I think you'll be on the right path to a happier future."

Trixie had never much been one to take life lessons to heart. Most of the time, she was just focused on proving how good she was at misdirection, sleight of hand, and all of the other tricks of the trade that a magician like her would use to draw a crowd. But now that her world was crumbling down before her eyes thanks to the words of the Rainbooms, she reflected back on all of the times she had tried to show off, instead of letting anyone else show how good they were at what they did. From her days when she was in kindergarten, to grade school, and even as a freshman at CHS, it was the one thing that she focused on, because it was the one thing that she was good at and she knew that she was good at. She never considered trying to branch out, multitask, and try letting someone else take the limelight.

"All this time... I've been letting magic and prestidigitation rule my life," Trixie's voice became hoarse, her usual boastful tone a whimpering one as she looked down at her hands. "And now, because of it, I've caused nothing but grief for Sunset Shimmer and her friends. I should be suspended for this, shouldn't I?"

"Well, if you own up to your mistakes before they get out of hand, then I'm sure that Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna will understand. And hey, they might even commend you just for trying to put on a good show. Might being the key word there."

"I... I..." Trixie couldn't find the strength to speak anymore and just turned back towards Canterlot High's doors. "I need to go, Applejack. I need to set the record straight before it's too late!"

"Alright then. But I'm coming with you. Just to make sure that you don't end up going off the rails or say the wrong thing." Applejack ran after Trixie, and the both of them made their way towards the hall.

---

"And thank you, Snips and Snails for... whatever that act was supposed to be." Principal Celestia was leading the two boys off stage, along with what appeared to be an assortment of cans and pipes that resembled a plumber's attempt at making an instrument out of scratch.

"Yes, and with that being the last act of the night, and with the fact that Trixie hasn't returned yet, I think it's time that we announce the—"

"Wait!" Trixie barged through the doors, immediately being met with a swarm of eyes. "I have something to say. I-If you'll allow me, that is."

"Trixie. Did you manage to fix the others? We haven't seem them return to their seats yet." Celestia walked over to Trixie, her hands by her side. "Are you sure that your magic is reversible?"

"No. My magic isn't fixable. Truth be told, it isn't even my magic. It was just a freak accident that I have no idea happened before it was too late to repair it." Trixie slumped as Applejack came back to her side. "So because I can't fix Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Scootaloo in time for the results, I'm going to have to say sorry to you and to the students, but I'm forfeiting from the competition."

Gasps and murmurs followed, as the other students took notice of Trixie's act of resignation. They took their eyes off of her and focused more on their neighbouring audience members, talking almost inaudibly. Celestia and Luna on the other hand kept a stern glare on her as they watched her turn away.

"Trixie. This was never really a competition to show that you were good at what you do, but rather a showcase of everyone's talents, not just your own." Celestia put a hand on Trixie's shoulder and turned her back. Though, instead of feeling fury for what had happened to her students, she could only let out a smile. "Everyone is good in their own ways, Trixie. And no matter what happens, you're never going to be noticed by everyone all the time. Take a good look at the Rainbooms, for example."

"Yes. Those girls have faced magic before, and have had their time to shine more often than we can count. Both here and away from CHS." Luna added, being the next to place her hand on Trixie. "If they wanted, then they would be the most noticed and popular students in the whole school, but they choose to be humble with what they do, and don't brag about their accomplishments or go around fighting the forces of magic on a daily basis."

"Wait. You're not going to get mad at me for what I did? Turning your students into babies?" Trixie asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Well, if I know these girls like I think I know these girls, they should be working on the solution right now." Celestia turned to the doors. "Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle are especially talented girls, and I think it would be a good idea if you followed in their footsteps, taking time to learn more from your peers, as well as more in your lessons."

"Not everything in life will be about performance magic, Trixie Lulamoon. At times, you'll have to come back to reality and face the world that you live in. And here at Canterlot High, we're planning on giving you and everyone else here a path to follow, so that you may grow and blossom into a truly remarkable human being." Luna's other hand went on Trixie's chest, as her eyes locked with hers. "All you need do is do what you love, but make sure to rein it in when it's not necessary. Do you think you can do that?"

"Y-yes, miss." Trixie nodded, a small tear forming in her eyes. "And I'm sorry for causing you all that trouble with my act."

"Oh, it's nothing, Trixie. If anything, that could single-handedly be one of the greatest magic tricks that I've ever seen in my life. Just as soon as the others manage to find a way to reverse it, that is." A much wider smile grew on Celestia's face as her voice became more playful. "Do you think that you could try and teach me your secret? What I wouldn't give to get back a few of my lost years."

Applejack wanted to find something wrong with what Celestia said, but she couldn't help herself. She just let out a small chuckle that was soon followed by laughs from Luna and Celestia, leaving Trixie caught in the middle of their giggles.

Author's Note:

We're back! And let me just say that I intend to finish this as quickly as possible.

So, the reason why I'm deciding to cut this one short is for a number of reasons, really. First of all, I don't think there's much that I can do with the idea. Second, now that Forgotten Friendship has aired and Trixie's a much better EQG character for it, I figured that I might as well finish this up quickly, so that she doesn't seem like such an arrogant jackass.

So yeah. That's the short version, and I won't leave you with anything more, except one final chapter. Then, we close up shop on this story and I can focus on all of the others ones that I have sitting on the backburner.

See ya soon.