Chapter 1 - Yesterday's Heroes
AUTHOR'S NOTE - Yes you've guessed it, this is another warning that this story won't make sense if you've not read the first two stories in the series. They're just as badly written as this one, so there'll be no nasty surprises waiting for you. Go check them out if you haven't already.
#1 - http://www.fimfiction.net/story/30120/The-Braggart-and-the-Bug
#2 - http://www.fimfiction.net/story/32554/Back-to-the-Swarm
Alternatively, don't. Just don't complain when this story makes no sense. :D Anyway, for those of you still with us, read on...
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The hazy midday sunshine spread an inviting, warming light over the royal city of Canterlot as its residents bustled about their daily business. The air was cool and clear, with a pleasant breeze that carried with it the enticing smells of the affluent downtown areas of the city. The delicate fragrances of expensive teas and the tempting scent of Canterlot's finest restaurants mixed with the divine aromas of the high-end perfume stores to form an exquisite olfactory treat. Classical music could be heard emanating from many buildings, merging with the crisp, perfectly spoken upper-class accents of all the ponies around to complete a scene that massaged all of the senses with velvet hooves. It was the sort of day that made everypony present feel glad to be alive.
Yet amid this perfect scene, one pony in the city wasn't feeling quite so cheerful. From the balcony of a 3rd floor apartment in the city center itself, a familiar blue unicorn gazed down at the other citizens going about their everyday tasks. Her mane was disheveled, and her face was contorted into a fearsome scowl. Unable to stomach any more of what she was seeing, Trixie strode back into her apartment, slamming the balcony door shut as she did so. The noise caused Leech to awake with a start from his midday nap.
"Careful Trixzzie," warned Leech with his usual buzz, "Thizz izz Czelezztia'zz apartment, not ourzz! If Trixzzie break doorzz, we'll be in big, big trouble!"
Trixie stopped for a moment and glared at her friend, attempting to think of a reasonable, yet bitingly witty comeback. Alas, she knew Leech was right for once, and instead resumed cantering up and down the living room of the apartment.
"Why izz Trixzze szzo upzzet anyway?" ventured Leech, not entirely sure if he wanted to know the answer.
"Why am I upset? Just look at them all, Leech! Going around, doing all their everyday things, without a moment's thought for me - I mean - us. We saved all of them from becoming freaky mutant pony-bug thingies and yet now we barely turn anypony's head when we walk down the street!" Trixie said sulkily, her bottom lip curving into a pout.
"Well..." began Leech, cautiously, "It wazz two monthzz ago now."
"So what?" hissed Trixie. "It would have taken considerably more than two months to set things right if Aurora's plan had come to pass! Canterlot's debt to the Great and Powerful Trixie should be nothing less than eternal!"
"Even if we aren't heroezz anymore, we zzstill have awezzome apartment!" enthused Leech, attempting to lift Trixie's spirits and failing miserably in the process.
The apartment was indeed a grand one. It was one of several properties owned by the Canterlot royal family around the city. Typically it was used to put up guests of the royals when there were no spare rooms at the castle itself, or sometimes simply as a place for the princesses to relax - out of the public eye, but still easily reachable if they were needed. Open-plan and spacious, its white marble floor seemed to stretch forever in either direction, with a sitting area at one end and a kitchen/diner area at the other. Its side walls contained large leaded windows, giving the place a bright and airy feel. Along its back wall were silver-framed doors leading to a bedroom (Trixie used this. Leech slept in a basket by the couch), a bathroom and of course, the balcony. Sturdy stone pillars in each corner completed its stately appearance.
Alas, even such a fine dwelling as this could not improve Trixie's mood.
"Where did we go so wrong?" she complained, throwing her head back and applying a melodramatic hoof to her forehead.
At that moment, a newspaper was pushed through the mail slot in their front door, the clanging of the slot and the soft flump of the newspaper landing breaking Trixie's concentration on her perceived woes. Curious, she trotted over to the newly delivered document and levitated it to her eyes - it was the daily Canterlot Chronicle, the city's most-read newspaper. As she began to read, her face once again took on a deep, intense frown. Leech looked on, worried that Trixie's face would collapse in on itself if she screwed it up any harder!
"Bad newzz?" he asked quietly, before shutting his eyes in anticipation of the shouting that would almost certainly follow.
"Yes. Yes, you could say that," answered Trixie calmly, setting down the paper and trotting off to her bedroom.
Leech was surprised at Trixie's somewhat neutral reaction - she'd had something of a hair trigger temper over the last week or so. Intrigued, Leech cantered over to the dumped newspaper, and attempted to read the front page. His literacy had once again improved since arriving in the city, although he still preferred not to read if he could avoid it. His eyes scanned the paper in front of him, and after several minutes he made sense of the headline:
ELEMENTS OF HARMONY SAVE EQUESTRIA! YET AGAIN! FOURTH TIME IN AS MANY WEEKS!
"Why Trixie upzzet? Surely Equezztria being zzsaved izz good thing!" he buzzed to himself.
"Because we're yesterday's news, Leech!" said Trixie bitterly, her voice making Leech jump and scatter the newspaper all over the floor. Leech hadn't seen her exit the bedroom, and her sudden reappearance had startled him.
"Really?" asked Leech. "Leech doezz not remember zzseeing uzz in yezzterday'zz paper..."
"Exactly!" replied Trixie.
"How can Leech and Trixzzie be yezzterday'zz newzz if we not mentioned in yezzterday'zz paper?" he enquired, scratching a hoof to his head.
"It's a figure of speech!" Trixie began exasperatedly. "Those Elements save Equestria on such a frequent basis, they've taken all the glory. They're the big heroes now. They are the recipients of the love and admiration of Canterlot. They are getting the attention that is rightfully mi... um, ours!" she ranted.
Leech wasn't listening, however - his attention had been drawn to a bag of magic show props that Trixie had retrieved from the bedroom. He also noted that she'd put on her stage costume, consisting of her signature cloak and hat.
"What izz Trixzzie doing?" he asked. "Trixzzie hazz no showzz planned, hazzn't done showzz zzsince we arrive here!"
"Exactly!" replied Trixie with a firm nod. "That is something I aim to correct. If we can't be heroes anymore, we'll have to win back the hearts and minds of Canterlot the good old fashioned way - with our amazing stage routines!"
Leech wasn't entirely sure this would be feasible in such a high-standard city as Canterlot, but he was for anything which would make his friend happy. And less bad tempered. But mostly, he was concerned with Trixie's happiness.
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Trixie left the apartment building, and trotted through the early evening sunset with her magic trick bag levitated behind her. There were still plenty of ponies in Canterlot's streets, making the most of the summer evening's residual warmth. Trixie's head hung low as she dodged and weaved her way through the crowds of ponies, many of whom were too self-absorbed to even watch where they were going.
There was once a time, not so long ago, that Trixie would be plagued with adoring fans every time she set hoof outside. Everypony who was anypony would greet her as she passed by, passing ponies would whisper to each other about her - Trixie often overheard the word "hero" mentioned. She could walk into any business in Canterlot, and immediately be offered wares or services free of charge. Trixie had adored every moment of it, and had hoped that her day in the limelight would never end.
Alas, she had discovered the hard way that Canterlot culture was a fickle and rapidly-shifting one. Everything was transient and nothing was permanent. Clothes came into fashion one week, and were out the next. Celebrities were made and cast aside every day. The so-called "in" crowd changed their preferred eateries and hang-outs with alarming frequency, taking their entourage of admirers and hangers-on with them wherever they went.
And, as inconceivable as it had once seemed to Trixie, Canterlot dealt with its heroes just as it did everything else - they could be dropped in an instant if something else came along. Some ponies did remember Trixie and Leech, and did give them a respectful nod or a quick greeting as they passed by. But it wasn't a patch on what Trixie had become used to. A determined smile appeared on her face as she raised her head.
"They don't see me now, but their eyes will all be on me soon enough!" she thought.
With this, she approached her destination - Le Cheval Merde, one of the more prestigious of Canterlot's cabaret bars. A large sign near the entrance advertised that they were looking for acts, in particular magicians. Trixie's cocky smile became even wider.
"This will be too easy!" she grinned, and with a deep breath she entered the bar.
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Making her way through the heaving crowds, Trixie began to search for the manager's office so that she could impress him with what would doubtless be the finest assortment of tricks he had ever witnessed. He would immediately offer her a million-bit contract, and she would once again be the darling of Canterlot. As she searched, she passed through one of the bar's several performance rooms. A magic act was just beginning on the stage - Trixie decided that it may be amusing to see what she was up against. She quickly took a table near the front of the stage so she could get a good look at whatever feeble parlor tricks this so-called magician had up his hat...
Fifteen minutes had passed, and Trixie had been unable to take her eyes off the tricks being performed on stage. They were some of the most technically difficult and spectacular feats of magic she had ever witnessed! Self-transmogrification, self-levitation (which was much harder than it sounded), precise teleportation and even a time travel routine were just some of the incredible things the magician had done.
As one may expect, the best trick had been saved for last. The gray unicorn on stage removed his black velvet top hat to reveal his deep raspberry-colored mane. Closing his eyes in concentration, blob-like clusters of mysterious energies of various hues began to gather around his horn. His concentration deepened as the magical streaks of color began to spin in an ever-enlarging vortex around his head. Soon they were spinning intensely, becoming a glowing halo-like band around the stallion's entire body.
Then without warning, one streak of color shot upwards, bursting into a magnificent rainbow-colored shower of light. One by one, the others followed suit, creating a breathtaking indoor firework display, composed entirely of magic energy. As the magician took a bow, riotous hoof stomping accompanied his departure from the stage. The audience were amazed!
Trixie on the other hoof, was horrified. She couldn't compete with this! Her plan to get back into Canterlot's collective eye was in ruins - she sulkily hung her head again as he heart began to sink. As she shifted her gaze upwards to give the departing magician one last angry glare however, something bizarre happened. Trixie's horn very briefly flashed green, and a bright green flash appeared in her vision, leaving an faint image of the magician briefly burned into her retinas.
She blinked profusely to get rid of both the image and the spots she was seeing before her eyes, as if she'd been staring at a high-powered light. With a few blinks, these passed, and Trixie decided it would be best if she just went home. She couldn't hold a candle to anything she'd just witnessed, and figured that any attempt to impress the bar's management would be embarrassing at best. However, as she turned to head for the exit, a large Earth pony stallion stood behind her. His white fur looked bright yellow in the glow of the stage lights, but his jet-black mane and matching black suit jacket retained their normal appearance. He adjusted a small pair of spectacles upon the bridge of his snout and addressed Trixie.
"Judging by your attire, you are here for the magic act auditions, yes?" he said, in a snobbish, nasal tone. "I do hope so, since fancy dress is against our dress code."
Trixie didn't know how to respond - she certainly didn't want to be seen committing such an etiquette faux-pas in front of a gathered crowd of Canterlot's must-know ponies! Attempting to gather her thoughts, she stammered out a reply.
"Oh y-yes, of c-course! Magic tryouts! Yes, wh-why else would I be here dressed like this? I'd be a very silly filly to come to a bar dressed like this if it wasn't for magic tryouts!" she spluttered, a nervous smile doing nothing to detract attention from the bullets of sweat on her brow.
"Indeed," replied the stallion, "Allow me to introduce myself - I am Class Act, the owner of this venue. Please step into my office, and we can begin your audition."
Without another word, Class Act turned on his hooves and briskly trotted towards a room marked 'Private'. Trixie stumbled several paces behind, her mind a confused mess as she attempted to figure out what to do. She'd never suffered from stage fright before - it was certainly an experience she thought she'd never encounter!
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Ten minutes later, Trixie nervously fumbled through her card tricks for the third time as Class Act stood behind his desk, looking distinctly unimpressed. Trixie's own magic repertoire was still fairly limited - without her special effects and Leech's assistance, she didn't have much material to work with. Her teleportation still wasn't working as it should, and she'd ended up teleporting herself to the top of a nearby set of shelves. Her chainsaw juggling act fell flat after she realized she'd only packed one chainsaw, and her other tricks were simple sleights of hoof rather than genuine magic. Under her breath she cursed herself for not bringing Leech with her - ironically, she had been afraid he would botch her big chance. As it turned out, Trixie was doing a fine job of messing it up for herself!
"Miss Lulamoon," interrupted a bored-sounding Class Act, "Is there really any point to continuing this act? I think we both know that such tricks are not of the caliber expected of my venue's performers. Please, don't waste any more of either of our time."
"Wait!" cried Trixie desperately, "Please, let me do one more trick!"
Class act sighed and looked at his pocket-watch.
"Fine," he said half-heartedly, "But do make it quick. I have other acts to evaluate."
Trixie's mind raced as she attempted to think of a spectacular finisher. It was now or never - if she failed this audition, her reputation as a magician would be ruined throughout Canterlot. She would never be the center of the populace's attention again. Failure was not an option, and yet it seemed an inevitability as every avenue Trixie's thoughts followed turned out to be a dead end. Just as she was about to give up and burst into tears, the blinding green flash once again appeared in her vision, causing her to jump back a little. The image of the magician from earlier once again briefly appeared before her eyes, and an overwhelming feeling of calm and confidence washed over her, although Trixie didn't understand why.
Her mind seemingly acting of its own accord, her horn glowed and slowly began to summon colored orbs of light from thin air, just as the magician on the stage had done. She began to spin the orbs around her head, until they became an intense, streaky halo of brightly glowing magic energies, again just as the magician had just minutes previously. Class Act's eyes widened and his mouth began to open as the halo glowed brighter and even more intense than the stage magician had conjured.
Trixie's new confidence began to falter as she struggled to control the dozens of spinning orbs, and before she knew what had happened, she released all of them at once. They shot upwards and simultaneously detonated into a sparkling spectral blur of rainbow colors, more spectacular but shorter-lived than the display the stage magician had performed.
A tense silence followed, as Trixie buried her face in a front hoof, chiding herself for losing control of the orbs too soon. She had no idea how she'd even managed to summon them in the first place, not that it mattered - rejection was a certainty. However, when Trixie removed her hoof from her eyes, she saw that Class Act was smiling broadly. As he retrieved his glasses from the floor and balanced them back on the end of his snout, he approached Trixie.
"That was the most stunning rendition of the classic Prismatic Orb Shower routine that I have ever witnessed! And I loved the comedy act at the beginning, you really had me going. I genuinely thought you were a terrible magician!" he laughed.
Trixie was too shell-shocked to be offended by Class Act's cruel dismissal of her usual routine.
"So does this mean...?" she asked nervously.
"Absolutely." beamed Class Act. "Trixie Lulamoon, you are hired! You'll have a regular evening slot as of this time next week."
Trixie's mouth couldn't help but bend upwards into a jaw-aching grin. This was it! Soon she and Leech would be back in the spotlight, and living the high life once again! Excitement tingled through her whole body as her mind contemplated the limitless possibilities that now lay before her. She turned to Class Act, who was preparing her contract.
"That's not all I can do, you know," she said grandly, "I have another routines which I do with my assista-"
"And I must say Trixie, I'm jolly pleased you seem to have stopped palling around with that beastly changeling creature." interrupted Class Act. "I remember him from when you first arrived here, frightful little monsters they are. I'll bet with powers like yours, you did most of the heroics when you saved Canterlot, eh? Shifty things, changelings, never know what they're thinking. Who knows what sort of plan his so-called heroism is a part of? I expected to have seen him tagging along with you tonight, but am most pleased that he is not."
Trixie's excitement suddenly dropped several levels upon hearing her friend spoken of in such a way. Had this not been such a prestigious venue, Trixie would have walked away then and there. Instead she looked awkwardly at the floor and shuffled a hoof.
"Now then," continued Class Act, "Here is the contract. Did I hear you say something about needing an assistant? Well, the contract stipulates solo acts for the first few weeks, but after that we can get you an assistant. As long as it's not that ridiculous changeling chappie of course!" he said with a snooty snigger.
Trixie looked down at the parchment before her, and gripped the quill shakily in her magic. Fighting her heart's urge to walk away for the sake of her friend, she signed the document and passed it back to Class Act. She still felt excited at the idea of performing on the Canterlot circuit, but couldn't help but feel a heavy tinge of guilt among it all. She thanked Class Act for his time, and headed for home. A thousand questions without answers rattled around inside her mind, but one question rattled louder than the rest:
What was she going to tell Leech?
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Uh uh Trixie you didn't change a bit.
Im glad to see that duet again.
Ah...So Trixie can copy other's acts now. Good, except for the whole 'not having Leech for an assistant' thing.
Well, things could be worse. She could have been forced to audition here.
Woohoo trilogy continuation gooooooooooo!
Stalker Leech in the picture, but I can't wait to read this!
yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes!
Aw, poor Trixie, put in such a hard spot like that...
Well it seems I've finally gotten my lazy rear in gear and gotten around to reading this! And I must say, it looks just as promising as its predecessors! I look forward to more!
Trixie...didn't defend Leech's honor?!
1376382 how did you link somthing to your words?
13 weeks? I feel horrible. Well I'm finally starting and I don't care if its late. Great chapter
Class Act: Living up to
's name
Just finished chapter 1 and I am looking forward to the rest of the story.
Hmmm... A prestigious cabaret named "Le Cheval Merde" - I see what you did there...
)
(21 weeks late to the party and no one's mentioned it?!
With a name like that did Class Act simply pull some fancy sounding words out of a dictionary, was this a final act of revenge by a pink slipp'd intern, or is he simply taking the piss out of the snobbish, fickle Canterlotians?
I wonder what they call the Canterlot sewer and water treatment then?
Boîte de Nuit Chic?
i was sort of expecting Trixie to transform, Changeling style, to look like that other performer...