The Great Crusade

by TheGJ90

Chapter #5 - A Great and Powerful Performance

Sweetie Belle

---

CHS Cafeteria. Tuesday afternoon.

I was enjoying my lunch alongside Scootaloo while the other students around us chatted it up. Unlike my big sister, I didn't find listening to all of the latest gossip all that fun. Still, even I knew that some interesting stuff can from gossip. Sometimes. Now, I couldn't make out all what the students were saying, thanks to the distances between their tables and ours. But, I did catch a few sentences here and there;

"Who do you think will make the team?"

"It's gotta be Sunset and her friends. They're basically shoo-ins by now!"

"Haha, I don't think I'll ever get used to cheering Sunset on! Will those girls be enough though? I mean, I'm getting sick of us losing all the time."

"Yeah, this losing streak stinks. Especially when the Shadowbolts rub it in..."

It was great to hear our fellow Wondercolts show the Rainbooms support. But, something about that last sentence got the gears in my head to turn. I decided to ask Scootaloo after taking a bite out of my sandwich;

"Shadowbolts... I know I remember that name from somewhere... What do you think, Scoots?"

She was chowing down on her apple when I asked her that question. She stopped mid-chomp to look at me with a shocked expression. After slowly chewing the bits of apple that were in her mouth and swallowing it, she told me with a slightly raised voice;

"Seriously, Sweets?"

I was confused to say the least. I made sure to listen to Scoots almost exclaim to me;

"We're talking CHS pride here!"

Thank goodness, she used just enough restraint to not make a scene! I gave her a quick nod to show her my attentiveness, which prompted her to explain in a more calm fashion;

"Every four years, a competition is held between Canterlot High and Crystal Prep: the Friendship Games."

Oh... the Crystal Prep Shadowbolts! I was so focused on recent events, not to mention our crusade, that I completely forgot about them and the Friendship Games. Before Scootaloo could speak further, I heard the clanging of a metal food tray. Looked at the source, it turned to be Apple Bloom, who apparently decided to sit with us for lunch that day. She was clearly in high spirits, given the bounciness of her bow and the contented smile on her face. That smile grew wide when she looked at each of us and you better believe that we smiled back at her. She asked us calmly;

"So, what are ya'll talkin' about?"

"The Friendship Games, AB.", Scootaloo told her simply while taking another bite out of her apple. After enjoying a sip of her milk, Apple Bloom noted;

"AJ was tellin' me about 'em this mornin'. Teams from both schools take part in all sorts of competitive games. The team that has the most success in them games wins the whole thing for their school."

Her bow drooped like a deflating balloon while she looked down at her food with sadness in her eyes. AB then try to add;

"But..."

I heard Scootaloo groan out of frustration while putting her apple back on her tray before she exclaimed with indignation in her words and vocal tone;

"Crystal Prep beats us every time! Every time! That's bad enough as it is, but they just keep rubbing it in our faces!"

Without further ado, she face-planted her tray, right into her food. The poor apple and chicken patty never stood a chance. I felt Scootaloo's frustration right along with her. But, Apple Bloom responded with a hopeful tone;

"That may be true, Scoots, but this time, us Wondercolts got somethin' that we didn't have before."

Our friend's voice, muffled under her destroyed meal, could still be heard by us;

"What?"

I knew the answer, but I had let AB say it for us, which she did with a confident smirk;

"An awesome band of girls."

Upon hearing the word 'awesome', Scootaloo shot her head back up to face Apple Bloom with the speed of a rocket. Her faced was covered with bits of apple and chicken, but her giant smile proved that she didn't care. With renewed enthusiasm, she exclaimed;

"You're right! I mean, we've got a whole school's worth of awesome people! But, the Rainbooms are the best of us all! If they get picked for our team, they'll win it for CHS!"

It was great to see Scootaloo be so enthusiastic. It was part of her charm. Of course, it helped that we held out hope that, somehow, our school would end its losing streak against Crystal Prep. Much to our surprise, a visitor at our table would quickly take our minds off of the Friendship Games for a good while. That visitor got our attention by loudly clearing her throat. Who we saw when we turned our heads made me want to gulp out of nervousness. The visitor was Lavender Lace, a lady who we hadn't talked to a lot by that point. She also happened to be one of the people on our list and, frankly, neither Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, or myself expected to deal with her so soon! The serious glare she was giving us wasn't helping matters much either. But, I had learned a few things from Rarity about handling tense moments in a way that was 'lady-like' as she would put it. I could hear one of those lessons in my mind as I took a quick breath to ready myself;

"Keep a cool head, a straight posture, and a calm tone of voice when speaking during those difficult moments, darling. Even when the opposite party appears intimidating."

I followed her advice to the letter while greeting Lavender as politely as I could, with a hint of honest cheer added to my voice for good measure;

"Good afternoon! What can we do for-?"

She interrupted me by quickly reaching passed my right side with a folded note in her hand and placing it on the table behind me. After straightening back up, she calmly declared with no malice to speak of and a warm tiny grin;

"I don't hate you kids and neither does Fuchsia."

Hearing that alone eased my nerves like you wouldn't believe! As she turned away, she added before walking over to another part of the cafeteria;

"I hope she doesn't hate you either."

My nerves regained some strength upon hearing those words. I turned to face my friends, who looked as nervous as I was. We all glared at the folded note for a moment or two before Scootaloo grabbed it and unfolded it. After laying it flat on the table to reveal its contents, she read them to us aloud;

"You have been summoned by..."

She paused to groan out of restrained annoyance before continuing;

"The Great and Powerful Trixie to settle a matter of great importance. You are to meet Trixie behind the auditorium stage today after school. Come or be disgraced by the Disappointed and Frustrated Trixie."

The logo for her band, Trixie and the Illusions, was drawn with bold colors and a large size just below the end of the message to serve as the signature. We looked back at each other to silently show our intent to honor this request. Apple Bloom herself made sure to note with a sigh;

"Well, it's a dern good thing Ah don't got no chores to do right after school today..."

I could just barely hear Scootaloo ask herself with another groan;

"What is that egomaniac gonna have us do for her?"

I figured it wouldn't be anything really bad. Sure, Trixie was the most arrogant girl in the whole school. But, with the Dazzlings' magic no longer affecting her, she wasn't going to do something evil.

Again.

Maybe.

I hoped.

It was all I could do to hold back the fear inside.

---

Auditorium Entrance. After school.

There we stood, the three of us, at the doors that led to our destination. It was hard to tell who among us was the most nervous. On the one hand, Fuchsia and Lavender didn't hate our guts, which was wonderful! On the other hand, it wouldn't be the first time that Trixie nestled a grudge. We were simply hoping that she wouldn't act on that grudge...

Trixie was humiliated because of you!

As frightened as we were of the possibly scary future, I knew we had to stay the course. So, I turned to face my two friends and gave them a pep talk;

"Come on, girls! We're not gonna give up on our crusade now, are we?"

I saw tiny sparkles of confidence shine in their eyes. A small yet firm smile grew on Apple Bloom's face as she replied with a nod;

"We ain't done yet, sugarcube."

Scootaloo gave us one of her confident smirks before adding;

"Not by a long shot!"

With our fears weakened, we performed our traditional movie club high-five and walked through the doors together, determined to face down whatever it was that Trixie and the Illusions had in store for us. Well, Apple Bloom and I walked through them. Scootaloo kicked them open with her right boot and lots of gusto. Before we knew it, we found ourselves walking through the curtain that hid the back of the auditorium's stage. To our surprise, there was a table set up with drinks and a deck of playing cards on it. At the end closest to us was a trio of empty chairs placed neatly in a line. Sitting at the end farthest from us was none other than CHS's resident stage magician and bombastic boaster: Trixie Lulamoon. She was giving us a focused glare with narrow eyes. Her mouth showed no frown or smile and her chin rested on her hands. All in all, she showed no hint as to what her mood was. Lavender and Fuchsia were standing at her sides, their faces calm and clearly showing politeness and a welcoming demeanor in their eyes and smiles. Apple Bloom, being our leader, stepped up to greet them as only an Apple could: with honest sincerity and goodwill. Although, there was a tiny hint of fear in her voice as she spoke;

"Howdy, ya'll! What can we do for ya'?"

"Sit.", was Trixie response. She sounded polite, which I took as a sign that she meant no ill will. But, the deadpanned tone of voice she used was still... concerning. It reminded me of what Rarity once told me;

"A person's unfeeling tone of voice can mean many things, my dear Sweetie. It is best to watch and listen while not assuming too quickly."

Remembering my sisters words calmed my fears a little. Trixie responding in the way she chose didn't immediately mean trouble for us. For all we knew, she could have been performing one of her acts! So, I took a breath as my friend and I took our seats in silence. I saw Trixie's eyes move to each of us slowly from her left to her right. She did this repeatedly for a few seconds before she sighed and declared with a soft voice;

"Trixie... is in a pickle right now."

She groaned to herself, as if annoyed by the notion she had noted to us, before explaining;

"Trixie has a magical performance coming up tomorrow. Normally, this would be a cakewalk for someone as great and powerful as yours truly. However..."

She gave the two girls who stood at her sides a look of annoyance and understanding mixed into a truly odd blend. They gave her apologetic glares in return before she looked back at us again and continued;

"This particular show requires extra hands to get right and, unfortunately, my two Illusions will be held up by family matters tomorrow. So, Trixie needs.."

She groaned again, this time louder than before, as a frustrated frown formed on her face. Her eyebrows wrinkled as she spoke again with a more frustrated tone;

"Trixie kindly asks for..."

She was starting to look like she was going to explode from the increasing tension she was expressing on her entire face. Thankfully, Lavender stepped in to speak on her leader's behalf;

"She asks for your help."

This was not at all what I would have put on any bingo card! I mean, Trixie? Arrogant, self-centered, boastful Trixie Lulamoon asking for help?! The only thing that was more bizarre than that was her asking for our help! Working through the shock, I asked her as politely as I could;

"We don't mind helping you out, but why call for us? Why not have other students help you, like Flash or the Rainbooms?"

What I got for that question was a loud slam on the table from Trixie's right hand that made my friends and I recoil back a bit out of shock and fear. Her face revealing clear anger and the subtle hint of a different emotion that I couldn't recognize at the time, she exclaimed;

"Do not speak of the Sonic Rainbooms to Trixie unless Trixie speaks of them first!"

We nodded in agreement to her request within an instant. Clearly, the Battle of the Bands in general was still a sore spot for her. She released her anger with an audible sigh and spoke with a calmer voice and demeanor, her hand returning her to its place under her chin;

"That band aside... Trixie could have picked anyone in CHS. Flash Sentry, Micro Chips, Sandalwood, Twist, anyone at all. But, Lavender and Fuchsia recommended the three of you to me."

I was about ready to give those two sweet girls a big bright smile to thank them when Trixie added while rolling her eyes;

"At first, Trixie was going to scoff at the idea."

She then moved her hands to hold her chin with her right hand while resting her left hand by her side. After a pause while she turned her head to face her right side, she spoke again;

"But, the more she thought about it, the more it seemed... intriguing to Trixie. After talking it out, Trixie agreed to send for you."

She allowed both hands to rest at her sides as she turned her head to give us a narrow glare before giving us a stern warning;

"If you are going to assist the Great and Powerful Trrrixie with performing a marvelous feat of magical prowess, then..."

She raised her right arm to point her right index finger directly at us while finishing with restrained anger;

"Do NOT mess it up for Trixie!"

"Yes, ma'am!", was our unified and, frankly, fear-powered response. Seemingly satisfied, Trixie went right to explaining her plan for the show, with her two partners helping us understand our roles. It was quickly becoming clear that the next day's performance was going to be a real test for us movie buffs!

---

The roles given were pretty straightforward. Scootaloo and I filled the same roles as Trixie's Illusions: her assistants on stage. It was our job to make sure that the show went smoothly, so that Trixie could focus on performing. As for Apple Bloom, I'll just say that hers was a truly important role for said performance. Of course, performing our roles properly was a challenge by itself, and since we only had the previous day to prepare, I felt the rush right alongside my friends. Thankfully, Lavender and Fuchsia did all they could to help us out before they had to focus on family, so that took the edge off a bit. Even so, I couldn't help but feel nervous as we made the final preparations backstage at the auditorium. It wasn't time yet for Apple Bloom to perform her role, so she was helping with prep as well. All three of us were wearing dazzling outfits that were made in a style similar to what Trixie's band normally wore. While we were not official members, we still needed to look the part. Thankfully, Trixie had a few spare outfits from her youth lying around, so I didn't need to call Rarity that time. As I carefully placed the smoke bombs into the launchers with slightly shaky hands, I heard Trixie herself ask me from behind in a confident voice that was surprisingly softer than usual;

"Why are you so nervous, Sweetie Belle?"

I finished placing the last bomb before turning to find that she was baring a seriously confident smirk that bordered on arrogance. Her outfit, like her smirk, not unusual to me. It consisted of her purple cape, matching star-covered witch's hat, and blue clothing. What I found strange, however, was the slight softness in her eyes as she gazed at me while bragging with the dramatic flare of theater itself;

"The props are in position!"

She waved her right hand at the prepared props all around us, including the loaded launchers, before adding;

"The magic is in the air!"

She did a quick and graceful twirl while stretching both arms out to the sides. After stopping to look back at me with that smirk of hers, she finished;

"The adoring audience waits with bated breath!"

Sure enough, I could hear the audience talking softly among themselves from beyond the curtain. The star of the show to come struck a pose while pointing her right index finger to the ceiling and declared with absolute pride;

"This will be a performance worthy of fond remembrance, so says Trrrixie!"

Somehow, Trixie's sheer arrogance had cleared away my nervousness, which made way for my excitement over what was coming to take over. With a big smile, I nodded my head and went back to work on helping with the prep. That lady could be a good person, when she wanted to be. Before long, we had the finished preparing the show with only two minutes before showtime! Apple Bloom ran off out of sight to get into position while Scoots and I took our places at Trixie's side to stand just behind the closed curtains. As we waited patiently for them to rise, Trixie told us while staring daggers at the curtains;

"Just as Trixie told you and your friends when we started this: Do as Trixie says and don't be shocked by a surprise or two, for surprises are part of the magic we make on the stage."

I could feel the anticipation in her voice, which strengthened my own excitement. Soon enough, the smoke bomb launchers, which had been set to fire mere seconds before showtime, had done so without fail. The resulting explosions of smoke could be heard as the curtains rose, allowing Trixie to slowly step up onto the stage while hiding her face with her cape and loudly introducing herself with well-practiced dramatics;

"Prepare yourselves to witness the magical brilliance of..."

The curtains fell down before well before the smoke could dissipate, so no one in the audience saw Scootaloo or me. This was fine for us, since we had no interest in upstaging the star of the show. As we ran to get the props ready for her first trick, we heard Trixie finish her introduction as only she could;

"The Great and Powerful Trrrixie!!!"

The crowd's applause, I was sure, would feed that girl's ego for at least a day and she had only just begun to eat.

---

The first trick was one that Trixie was all too happy to announce;

"Trixie shall begin with something simple, yet dazzling: Trixie shall saw an Apple in half!"

That got confused mutterings from the crowd as I took her words as my cue to run over to the wheeled rectangular box that Scootaloo was pushing up to me. It was purple with stars and fireworks painted all over it, which fit the visual theme of the show perfectly. It also had a small but recognizable gap in the middle. As Scoots was pushing the box from one end, I made sure to pull it from the other. With our combined efforts we moved it in front of Trixie from stage left. After positioning it in its proper place, we made a graceful exit to stage right without attracting too much attention. I chose to stay back while Scootaloo grabbed a hand saw backstage, walked back up to Trixie, and handed it over to the magician's right hand before returning to our hiding spot at stage right. The mere sight of the blade made some of the audience members gasp out of fear. Trixie, without skipping a beat, declared to the crowd with plenty of theatrical ham and cheese;

"Fear not, for you have the Careful and Well-Meaning Trrrixie's word that no one will be harmed during the course of this show!"

It didn't really help that she was waving the saw around by the handle as she said all this, which made some folks in the crowd sweat a little. I looked over at Scootaloo, who gave me a wink and smile to soothe my concerns. I was very glad that she had prepared the box for this trick earlier! Trixie, after giving the box a few quick knocks with her left fist, requested aloud;

"Trixie would like for the Apple to reveal herself!"

Sure enough, the Apple, or rather, Apple Bloom, did just that by poking her head out from the right end of the box and her wiggly legs from the left. With one of her bigger smiles, she looked at the surprised audience and belted out;

"Howdy, ya'll!"

The crowd laughed jovially, their concerns eased a bit. Applejack, who sat in the front row alongside Big Mac and Granny Smith, waved happily at her little sister. Apple Bloom would have waved back, if her arms weren't trapped in the box. Trixie, with a slightly more strained voice than before, continued her act;

"Anyway, let us begin the sawing!"

She then got herself into position at the middle of the box and raised her saw by the handle, as if she was about to get right to cutting! The crowd gasped in renewed fear as they watched the magician freeze in place. I could not see her face, but I could imagine her revealing a manic gleeful expression for added effect. Trixie stayed frozen for three seconds before she stood up straight and raised the saw up to her face to inspect it. After about a second, she tossed it to the side while declaring with a 'humph' and a dismissive tone;

"This saw is much too old fashioned for a magician such as Trixie."

Recognizing our cue, Scoots and I ran to backstage, grabbed a gray steel divider that had a sharp blade at the bottom, and carried it over to Trixie together, who responded to our offer excitedly;

"Yes, excellent! Trixie approves of this!"

I could feel the crowd's nerves grow stronger by the second. As we rushed to grab a second divider, she showed the first one to the audience with a graceful flourish. After giving them a few seconds to gaze at the object, she moved the divider over to the middle of the box, and aimed it above the gap blade first. Apple Bloom gulped loudly just before Trixie shoved the divider into the gap blade-first, which made the crowd gasp. The folks sitting in the front row, Applejack especially, knew what to expect, so they kept their cool with ease. The little Apple shut her eyes and tensed up as Trixie performed her seemingly dark deed, only to open them back up when she felt no pain. She looked around with confusion on her face while the crowd exhaled in relief.

Oh, that girl was a great actor!

Just then, Scootaloo and I ran up to Trixie with the second divider in our hands, which she took from us, allowing us to stand at her sides. Without hesitation, she shoved it into the gap just as she did with the last one. It took both dividers to fill up the gap completely. With quick glances at each of us being our signal, we walked up to each end of the box, with me taking the one that held Apple Bloom's head. I gave her a supportive smile, which she showed to me in return, as I waited quietly for Trixie to speak again. After making a dramatic pose, she told us aloud and with absolute confidence;

"Split the Apple!"

With a good pull from each end of the box, we had split it in half. Thank goodness, each end had four wheels, or else they would have tipped over! Apple Bloom's head and legs were smoothly moved all around the stage, which surprised and amused the audience, much to Trixie's visible delight. AB's enjoyment of the situation helped us earn some additional chuckles from those in attendance as she belted out a jovial;

"Yee-haaaw! Ah'm on a roll, ya'll!"

I held back the urge to cringe over my leader and friend's use of a bad pun. Trixie seemed to share my distaste, for after we stopped the boxes to have AB's legs placed behind her head, the magician took her hat and shoved it over AB's head while saying with a smug smirk;

"The Apple will be silent."

Laughter broke out through the crowd. Out of respect, I held back my snickering, even as Apple Bloom's muffled voice reached my ears. After that, Trixie pulled her magic wand out from her pants pocket and struck a pose with it. This was the cue for Scoots and me to move the two halves of the box around again, this time to put them back in their proper places. Once that was done, Scoots briskly moved back behind the curtains while the magician gave the middle of the reassembled box a few quick taps with her wand. She then raised it to the sky and yelled out with absolute confidence;

"Ala-squidam!"

"Ala-squidam?", I thought to myself out of confusion as I watched Trixie vigorously point her wand at the box. Right when she did this, more smoke bombs exploded from behind her, obscuring us and the box containing Apple Bloom from the audience's sight for a few seconds. Once the smoke cleared, Trixie cried out as dramatically as she could while raising hands to the sky;

"RELEASE THE APPLE!"

I opened the two lids on top of the box, allowing an unharmed Apple Bloom to stand up like a rocket, the spotlight shining bright on her. After Trixie reclaimed her hat, AB gave the crowd a big grin and waved at them while laughing happily. The crowd applauded in loud appreciation of our performance, appreciation that I was sure Trixie was gladly eating up like Applejack with apple pie. But, the show had only just begun, a fact that Trixie made clear soon after she took a few bows while the clapping died down;

"Thank you, thank you! Now, for my next trick, Trixie would ask for a volunteer..."

Many hands shot up through the crowd, but their excited owners would quickly be thrown for a loop. With a toothy grin, Trixie finished;

"But, she already has one on hand!"

Before anyone else could even process what she had just said, she turned right around, pointed her wand directly at the curtains, and ordered;

"Trixie calls for Scootaloo to take the stage!"

Okay, that was not what I was expecting! Sure, we helped Trixie practice the trick during prep, but I thought we were gonna have a volunteer from the audience do it! I looked at the curtains just in time to see a dumbfounded Scootaloo slowly walk through them, the spotlight adjusting its aim on her. The normally rambunctious go-getter was about to smile nervously at the audience when Trixie ran up to her, grabbed her by her right arm with her left hand, and quickly brought her to the center of the stage. Once her grip was released, Trixie announced to the audience;

"For Trixie's next trick, we will need..."

She paused for dramatic effect before finishing with gusto;

"The Vanishing Closet!"

The crowd oooohed in response to this announcement. During all of this, Apple Bloom had stepped out of the box and walked over to stand at my right side. Sensing our cue, we ran back behind the curtains to get the tall blue closet on wheels. As we made ready to move it over to the stage, we could hear Trixie engage in some live performance banter with Scootaloo;

"So, Scootaloo, how do you feel right now?", she asked her excitedly. It took my friend a second to respond with less nervousness in her voice than I had feared;

"Surprised and excited! I've seen the Vanishing Closet before, but I've never been in it."

"Haha, who else but Trrrixie could make this young lady so excited?", Trixie bragged with arrogance in every word. I could easily imagine the smug smirk on her face as AB and I rolled the closet to the stage. Soon enough, Scootaloo was guided into the closet by Trixie and hidden behind its own aqua curtain, with the audience watching closely. I smiled in quiet support of our friend while hearing the hurried footsteps of a running little Apple as the magician struck another pose to the right of the closet and declared;

"Your Great and Powerful star will now make Scootaloo disappear!"

It was not hard for me to hear a certain athlete hype our friend up from the audience after Trixie spoke;

"YOU GOT THIS, SCOOTS!"

It was also not hard for me to imagine Trixie's right eye twitching a little out of restrained frustration. Chuckling to myself, I rushed over to help Apple Bloom. Just in time too, for Trixie regained her composure, pointed her wand at the closet, and yelled out;

"Rala-burhirrim!"

"Rala-bur-okay, I'm starting to think she's making these up as she goes!", I thought to myself as AB and I did our part from backstage. I knew exactly what would happen next, thanks in large part to our earlier rehearsal. Right after saying her magic words, Trixie had given the closet a few good taps with her wand. At the precise moment she had tapped it, the lights above the stage slowly dimmed, giving the auditorium darker lighting that got some 'ooohhhs' from the crowd. A few seconds later, a layer of fog flowed along the stage floor, covering it at a smooth pace. Trixie maintained a stiff pose while keeping her wand on the spot she tapped, as if she were deep in concentration. A moment or two after the fog had covered the floor, the lights returned to normal. This prompted Trixie released her pose, raised her wand to the roof, and yelled out;

"Scootaloo is now..."

She briskly pulled the closet's curtains to the right, revealing it to be utterly empty as she finished;

"Scoota-gone!"

The audience gasped in surprise. As if sensing their concern, Trixie soothed their worries with plenty of verbal ham and cheese;

"Fear not, dear witnesses! Trixie promised that no harm will befall anyone during this performance and Trixie shall honor that promise!"

She closed the closet's curtains, readied her wand once more, and cried out again;

"Rala-burhirrim!"

Another couple of taps prompted the lights to become dim again, only the smoke from before remained as it was. After posing for a few seconds to express her concentration again, Trixie grabbed the left side of the curtains and began to declare with the theatricality of a theater major;

"Behold! Scootaloo is now..."

She pulled the curtains open again and proudly revealed its contents;

"Scoota-back!"

Scootaloo, unarmed and jovial, ran out of the closet to wave and smile at the cheering crowd. I ran back through the stage curtains alongside Apple Bloom to catch our friend giving a thumbs-up to Rainbow Dash and Sunset, who were sitting at the front along with Applejack and Rarity. They all smiled back at her as Trixie reasserted her place in the spotlight by standing in front of Scootaloo, who ran back to join us near the curtains, and declared with a bow and satisfaction;

"Yes, yes, thank you, thank you! You have been a marvelous audience!"

After taking a moment to bathe in the glory a little more, she rose up and announced while the crowd calmed down;

"Trixie has one more trick up her sleeve! Her assistants will now prepare it."

Our orders made clear, the three of us ran backstage, checked to make sure the next trick's props and other important items were ready to go, and brought them to the stage. What we had brought was a wheeled table with aqua curtains handing it. If anything was under the table, it would be completely concealed by the curtains. Sitting upside down on the center of the table was a black top hat with a large dark blue band and little white stars stitched all around the band. With lots of theatrical flare that I was sure Rarity was enjoying, Trixie introduced this hat to the audience;

"Feast your eyes on the Fortune's Hat!"

One dramatic pause later to let the crowd gaze in awe at the dapper headgear and she continued;

"An ancient heirloom of Trixie's family, passed down from one Lulamoon to the next. It is said to bring good luck to the good at heart and terrible misfortune to the cruel."

During prep, she had told us about the hat and its connection to her family. I wasn't sure if she was telling the truth about how it worked or not, but the story was still interesting to me. Lying or not, she sure knew how to keep an audience engrossed! Oh, she was not done yet. With a loud and haughty laugh, she added;

"It's good that Trixie has a heart of gold then!"

She also knew how to toot her own horn really, really well. Before I could feel the urge to groan, however, she motioned to us while asking with pure natural confidence;

"Could you three assistants step over to the hat, please?"

Just as we rehearsed, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and I walked up to the hat. Our faces glowed with smiling anticipation and curiosity. Soon enough, we were in position, with Apple Bloom in the middle, Scootaloo to her right, and myself to her left. With a growing grin, Trixie ordered while gracefully moving to stand behind AB;

"Take the hat into your hands without moving it."

As we did this, I remembered what Trixie had told us during prep, particularly when she was explaining this trick;

"We can practice the setup for the Fortune's Hat trick before the show, but I'm saving what comes after you hold the hat together for the spotlight itself. You need not worry, my young assistants! Just do your part and Trixie will handle the rest!"

Our curiosity grew as we each took the hat's brim into our hands. What was going to happen with the hat? To us? I felt a twinge of fear poke at my heart, fear of Trixie taking this moment to get her payback on us. Mixed with that was another fear, fear of the hat bringing us bad luck over who we used to be...

And what we did to the whole school over one good person.

I looked around the audience and caught sight of Twist, who sat between Derpy and Roseluck. She was staring me and my two friends down with that cold expression that bore no emotion that I could recognize. We saw this look on her face before, back when we had joined the school in making Sunset's gift. More at that moment than ever before, that girl's piercing glare flared up the guilt in my mind. Not willing to bare looking her in the eye anymore than I had to, I looked around for anyone else to gaze at. I quickly found Rarity looking back at me with sisterly love and warmth all over her face. Just the sight of her was enough to ease my fears and soothe my guilt. Thanks to her silent help, I was able to focus more on how it felt to hold the hat. Its texture was smooth and, for some reason, it felt a tad warmer than I expected. After all, the auditorium's temperature was somewhat chilly that day and I didn't move around enough to break a sweat. Odd, but not concerning enough to really catch my attention. I looked over at Trixie, who had moved to stand in front us. Without skipping a beat, she addressed the audience;

"Trixie, too, shall hold the brim of the Fortune's Hat and reach inside of it with her free hand!"

She walked up to the spot in front of the hat, directly opposite Apple Bloom, and finished with flare;

"What happens next, not even the Great and Powerful Trrrixie knows!"

She placed her wand on the table and took the brim of the hat into her left hand. She then raised her right hand to the ceiling, held it there for dramatic flare, and swiftly reached inside. I watched her rummage through the hat while making sure to not look inside. Something in my gut told me that taking a peek would make Trixie furious and I really did not want that! I checked on my friends, who seemed to be doing the same thing, their smiles indicating to me that all was well so far. I returned my gaze over to the magician as she stopped her rummaging and began proclaiming to the audience;

"Let our fortunes..."

She practically fired her right hand out of the hat like a cannon and up to the ceiling while finishing with pride;

"BE KNOWN!"

Right when she moved her hand, four fully grown white doves flew out from the hat, their wings flapping wildly, much to the audience's shared shock and amazement. They flew all over the auditorium some of the folks in attendance tried to reach out for them. The younger kids, the eighth graders especially, jumped and giggled with glee over the sight. My friends and I watched in awe as the doves continued their flight. Knowing Scootaloo, she probably thought this was super cool, while Apple Bloom was likely reminded of the animals at her family's farm. I quickly looked over at Trixie again, just in time to catch her giving us a quick glance that, for a brief moment, showed satisfaction and... relief? I wasn't sure on that last one. After that, she focused her attention on the audience and boasted with laughter;

"It's sometimes hard to tell what is more amazing: Trixie or the magic she brings!"

The doves decided to perch themselves on the heads of Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Sunset. Seeing this caused the crowd to belt out well-meaning chuckles that the four ladies joined in on. Once the chuckling died down, Trixie took this chance to bring the show to an end;

"Alas, dear witnesses, that was Trixie's last trick for now."

She then took a deep graceful bow while receiving an appreciative applause from the audience. The three of us clapped for her as well while making sure to keep our distance. She was the star of the show, after all.

---

After my friends and I moved the hat and its table back to its spot backstage, we turned over to Trixie while standing together in a row. She had her back turned towards us and was standing as still as a statue. Sensing the incoming awkwardness, I tried to congratulate her;

"You were amazing out ther-!"

Her sharp raised right hand, its palm aimed right at us, silenced me within an instant. No other word was said for three seconds as she allowed her right arm to rest at her side. She then spoke with a calm and certain voice that had none of her usual bluster;

"Trixie wasn't certain before..."

She turned right around to give us a gentle smile, her eyes filled with an understanding that only she knew. She finished with a hint of softness added to her voice;

"She is now."

Before we could react, she walked up to us and got down on her right knee. She then grabbed the brim of her trusty pointed hat with her right hand and tipped it over on its side to reveal three white feathers resting on her head. With her free hand, she took each feather and handed them to each of us one by one. We didn't fully understand what she had meant by doing this. But, we understood this much: Trixie Lulamoon, the girl most likely to hold a grudge in CHS, was being really sweet to us that day. So, with grateful smiles, we accepted the feathers, our hearts made warmer by the gesture alone.

Author's Note:

The club has established a positive connection with Trixie and it couldn't have come at a better time! The Friendship Games are looming closer by the day and we all know what that will mean for both schools...

Mad cackling laughter echos in the distance

As for how I'm tackling the movie itself, let's just say that there's at least one thing I want to do with the kids...

For now, the Great Crusade is progressing apace, with the trio earning new treasures for their efforts. One pair of eyes watches them from afar in deafening silence, however, but what does this mean for our young heroes? When will Twist's silence end?

---

Crusade Bio #8 - Trixie

Full Name: Trixie Lulamoon

Nickname(s): The Great and Powerful Trixie, The Maestro of Magical Arts, The Gloriously Beautiful Trixie, The Unscareable Trixie, The Boundlessly Popular Trixie, etc, etc, etc... (this section would reach the character limit if every nickname was listed down)

Student Status: Enrolled

School: Canterlot High School

Grade Level: Sophomore

Closest Relatives: Jack Pot Lulamoon (father) and Spectacle Lulamoon (mother).

Friends: Lavender Lace and Fuchsia Blush.

Description: The first thing that one is quick to figure out when first meeting Trixie Lulamoon is that she is absolutely unabashedly self-confident. She typically describes herself as great and powerful to everyone around her. She especially enjoys demonstrating her great and powerfulness, whether it be as a stage magician or as the vocalist and electric guitarist of her band: Trixie and the Illusions. She is a full-on braggart who detests being upstaged, but she has the music playing skills, sleight of hand, and theatrical flare to back up her claims. She may be outrageously boastful, but underneath her nigh-limitless arrogance is a girl who can do what's right when it counts. Especially if doing so benefits her.

Just don't interrupt or ruin her performance, least you feel her Great and Powerful wrath.*

*This bio was not approved by the Great and Powerful Trixie.

Comments

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

I was enjoying my lunch alongside Scootaloo while the other students around us chatted it up. Unlike my big sister, I didn't find listening to all of the latest gossip all that fun. Still, even I knew that some interesting stuff can from gossip. Sometimes. Now, I couldn't make out all what the students were saying, thanks to the distances between their tables and ours. But, I did catch a few sentences here and there;

stuff Dane from gossip.*

"Haha, I don't think I'll ever get used to cheering Sunset on! Will those girls be enough though? I mean, I'm getting sick of us losing all the time."

Sounds like the Friendship Games are getting close.

"The Friendship Games, AB.", Scootaloo told her simply while taking another bite out of her apple. After enjoying a sip of her milk, Apple Bloom noted;

AB," Scootaloo*

"Good afternoon! What can we do for-?"

for-"*

"Sit.", was Trixie response. She sounded polite, which I took as a sign that she meant no ill will. But, the deadpanned tone of voice she used was still... concerning. It reminded me of what Rarity once told me;

"Sit," was*

"That band aside... Trixie could have picked anyone in CHS. Flash Sentry, Micro Chips, Sandalwood, Twist, anyone at all. But, Lavender and Fuchsia recommended the three of you to me."

Huh.

"Yes, ma'am!", was our unified and, frankly, fear-powered response. Seemingly satisfied, Trixie went right to explaining her plan for the show, with her two partners helping us understand our roles. It was quickly becoming clear that the next day's performance was going to be a real test for us movie buffs!

ma'am!" Was*

Somehow, Trixie's sheer arrogance had cleared away my nervousness, which made way for my excitement over what was coming to take over. With a big smile, I nodded my head and went back to work on helping with the prep. That lady could be a good person, when she wanted to be. Before long, we had the finished preparing the show with only two minutes before showtime! Apple Bloom ran off out of sight to get into position while Scoots and I took our places at Trixie's side to stand just behind the closed curtains. As we waited patiently for them to rise, Trixie told us while staring daggers at the curtains;

gad finished repairing*

"Ala-squidam?" , I thought to myself out of confusion as I watched Trixie vigorously point her wand at the box. Right when she did this, more smoke bombs exploded from behind her, obscuring us and the box containing Apple Bloom from the audience's sight for a few seconds. Once the smoke cleared, Trixie cried out as dramatically as she could while raising hands to the sky;

"Ala-squidam?" I*

"So, Scootaloo, how do you feel right now?", she asked her excitedly. It took my friend a second to respond with less nervousness in her voice than I had feared;

now?" She*

"Haha, who else but Trrrixie could make this young lady so excited?", Trixie bragged with arrogance in every word. I could easily imagine the smug smirk on her face as AB and I rolled the closet to the stage. Soon enough, Scootaloo was guided into the closet by Trixie and hidden behind its own aqua curtain, with the audience watching closely. I smiled in quiet support of our friend while hearing the hurried footsteps of a running little Apple as the magician struck another pose to the right of the closet and declared;

excited?" Trixie*

"Rala-bur-okay, I'm starting to think she's making these up as she goes!" , I thought to myself as AB and I did our part from backstage. I knew exactly what would happen next, thanks in large part to our earlier rehearsal. Right after saying her magic words, Trixie had given the closet a few good taps with her wand. At the precise moment she had tapped it, the lights above the stage slowly dimmed, giving the auditorium darker lighting that got some 'ooohhhs' from the crowd. A few seconds later, a layer of fog flowed along the stage floor, covering it at a smooth pace. Trixie maintained a stiff pose while keeping her wand on the spot she tapped, as if she were deep in concentration. A moment or two after the fog had covered the floor, the lights returned to normal. This prompted Trixie released her pose, raised her wand to the roof, and yelled out;

goes!" I*

"It's good that Trixie has a heart of gold then!"

Right...

"You were amazing out ther-!"

ther-"*

Before we could react, she walked up to us and got down on her right knee. She then grabbed the brim of her trusty pointed hat with her right hand and tipped it over on its side to reveal three white feathers resting on her head. With her free hand, she took each feather and handed them to each of us one by one. We didn't fully understand what she had meant by doing this. But, we understood this much: Trixie Lulamoon, the girl most likely to hold a grudge in CHS, was being really sweet to us that day. So, with grateful smiles, we accepted the feathers, our hearts made warmer by the gesture alone.

Seems like working with Trixie wasn't bad after all.

[TheGJ90]

11890349
Yeah, Trixie rarely lowers the giant wall that is her Great and Powerful Arrogance (TM). So, when she does, it's a big deal.