A Great and Powerful Comeback

by PrecogLaughter

Chapter Two - "Hello, Gorgeous"

Trixie pulled the cape out of the chest. It still had its familiar soft touch. Holding it activated memories she had long stored in the back of her mind.

Without haste she changed out of her coat and draped the cape around herself, fastening it securely around her neck. She stood in front of the mirror, adjusted her hat and took in the full picture she presented.

She admitted there was a bit of wear and tear. The colours of her hat and cape had faded a bit and some dust had gathered. The matching stars didn’t pop out as much as they used to.

“It just needs some ironing,” Trixie said with false hope.

She removed the hat and dusted it off a bit. In doing so, a little black spider crawled out.

“EEEEE!!” she squealed.

She jumped onto her couch to put as much distance between her and the spider as she could. The little hairy creature scurried off through a hole in the corner of the room.

Trixie looked back into her hat and saw the web the spider left behind. Using her magic to hold the hat away from herself, she shook out the spiderweb. She simultaneously brushed her hooves through her mane to make sure there were no other surprise spiders waiting to crawl out.

“Ugh!” she retched.

When she was certain it was free of any critters, she returned to the mirror and wore the hat again. The only thing that really stuck out now was how tired her face looked. The former illusionist wasn’t used to looking back at such an old face wearing this outfit. She leaned in close to the mirror and tried to smooth out some of the wrinkles under her eyes. When Trixie pulled her hooves from her face the wrinkles seemed to snap back into place.

“Nothing a little makeup won’t fix,” she muttered.

She didn’t hate the way she looked before but seeing herself now didn’t make her feel confident.

Trixie shook her head sharply, an attempt to shake the insecurities from her mind. She closed her eyes and took three sharp breaths, bouncing on her hooves.

“You’ve got this, girl,” she said, psyching herself up. “You’ve got this.”

All at once she jumped back from the mirror and reared up onto her hind legs. She flashed a coy, devilish smile with her eyes half-lidded. This was her signature pose and it was supposed to charm her audience. However, at present, she just looked like somepony’s mom trying to fit in at a party full of kids. She dropped back to all fours and closed her eyes again. She pressed her front hooves against the wall and pushed into it, forcing out all of the energy inside of herself.

“Okay, let’s try that again. Really feel it this time. They love you, they adore you,” Trixie said under her breath, psyching herself up again.

“This is your moment. 3… 2… 1… Look out Equestria! Trixie’s back at last!!”

She reared onto her hind legs again, posing for the world to see. It was as if time hadn’t passed at all. There she was, onstage again, her caravan behind her with makeshift curtains framing her in front of an audience. The centre of attention. The greatest performance act in Equestria. A one-of-a-kind star. The kind of star you had to see to believe. The kind of star whose talent and charisma everypony knew and loved. All around her, ponies were chanting her name: “Trixie! Trixie! Trixie!” Cameras flashed around her and roses showered the stage on which she stood a princess. No, more than a princess: a queen.

She knew this was what she was born to do…

Then she opened her eyes.

There was no chanting, no roses, no cameras blinding her.

She was standing alone in an office wearing a silly old costume. She was suddenly aware of how quiet it actually was. Only the sound of the ticking clock remained.

“Well…” she started, but before she could finish the thought her office door swung open to a familiar, if not confused, face.

“Oh,” Starlight said, clearly caught off guard.

Trixie instinctively pulled the cape around her face to hide, then realized that doing so didn’t help her embarrassment at all. She had been caught. There was no hiding from that.

Starlight knew Trixie didn’t want to be seen like that. She didn’t know if she should make eye contact or look away, so she settled for neither, glancing back and forth at her friend.

“If you’re in the middle of something I can…”

“What is it with ponies today?” Trixie asked in an attempt to change the subject. “Is this the year everypony decided knocking before entering was too much to ask?”

Starlight stifled a giggle. “Sorry, Trix. I’ve never expected to catch you in a … well … a compromising situation before.”

Trixie grunted in annoyance.

“And I thought you liked having your door always open.” Starlight finished.

“I swear I’m going to get a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign.”

Starlight entered the office and shut the door behind her. “Trying on the old gear, are you? How long has it been?”

“I don’t know. I’ve lost count of the years…” Trixie removed her hat and folded it up. “I was just feeling sentimental, I guess.”

She really did feel embarrassed being caught, even by somepony as close and as understanding as Starlight.

“Don’t worry about it, Trixie. I won’t tell anypony you still like to dress up if you don’t want me to.”

“I don’t still like to dress up. It’s just been such a long time since I wore it and I wanted to see if it still fit.”

Well it still suits you. It still looks like a second skin.”

Somehow Starlight always knew exactly what Trixie wanted to hear. Sometimes that fact irked Trixie to no end.

“If it was anypony but you, Star, I’d have to erase your memory. You know that, right?”

“Pffft, I’d like to see you try!”

Trixie smiled and swung the cape around, feeling it’s movement by her hooves.

“You really think it still looks good?” Trixie asked, posing a bit.

“Absolutely.” Then Starlight’s expression changed. “It could use a wash though. Smells a bit musty.”

Trixie brought the cape to her nose. “You might have a point there.”

She unfastened the cape and put it, and the hat, back into the chest.

“I had no idea you kept them so close,” said Starlight.

“Of course,” said Trixie, turning back to her friend. “How could I not?” She paused a moment, looking into the chest before closing it.

“So, are you ready to go or what?” asked Starlight.

“What do you mean?”

“Trixie, the day’s over. I was waiting outside for you.”

Trixie looked at the clock. Well how about that. It was the end of the school day. How long had she been posing in front of the mirror?

“Sorry. Lost track of time I guess,” said Trixie.

“C’mon, let’s go eat!”

“You head over. I’ve got, uh, some last-minute tidying to do,” Trixie said, remembering a desk drawer full of teacups. “And I need to change. I’ll catch up with you.”

“All right, just don’t take too long.” Starlight left the room.

Now that she was alone again, Trixie opened her drawer and began the tedious process of reversing her transfiguration spell on each individual teacup.

She had just lied to Starlight. A white lie, but a lie no less. She knew how long it had been since she last put on her cape and hat. She knew how many years, right down to the exact day. If today had taught her anything, it was that she couldn’t wait any longer to put the costume on again. She would perform in front of a crowd before the next moon. And she had a plan ready to be put into motion. She’d hear the masses cheering her name again.

Comments

[FoolAmongTheStars]

The Great and Powerful Trixie ready to take Equestria by storm again!

[Ocea Lights]

Oh boy, I've got a bad feeling about this. Hopefully Trixie doesn't do anything stupid! Who knows, maybe The Great and Powerful Trixie will stun her audience once more. Also, I love how with each chapter you're getting better and better at writing for Trixie. This feels like something that would actually be said/done by her, I love this story so much because of that. It makes it so much more enjoyable.

[PrecogLaughter]

10203148
Thank you for the compliments! Every chapter I try to figure out how much of her personality has changed over the years and how much has stayed the same. I want to play around with the idea that she may have grown too much and is now missing the kind of mare she used to be when she was younger, and maybe is realizing she should have taken more chances when she could have.
Happy to hear you like the story so far. Stay tuned!

[Ocea Lights]

10203962
It sounds like a great idea to play around with. It definitely feels like something Trixie would do, and from what I've seen of your story, it's working. And I don't plan on going anywhere, you've got me hooked. Lol