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Wagon wheels creaked as they rumbled along the unpaved dirt road, dipping periodically into potholes. The air was chilly, the wind howling down the forested lane. Trixie shivered, pulling her cloak tighter about her shoulders before glancing at the cloudless night sky.
I can't be too far from Manehattan by now. She glanced back at her wagon, tired eyes roaming the stupid wheels that carried it along. One looked ready to come undone, its main nut hanging loosely at a slight angle from the wheel. She perked up at the sight, unhitching herself and stumbling slightly to it.
"Ha! Trixie knew you were planning some treachery, wheel." She opened a flap on her wagon with her pale pink magic. "Too bad for you, Trixie came prepared!" Bringing her wrench to the nut, she spun it expertly, the nut tightening until it sat flush with the wheel. She smiled to herself. "There. Now The Great and Powerful Trixie can continue on her way without worrying about your sudden but inevitable betrayal."
With a sigh of satisfaction, she placed her toolkit back into the wagon. A gust of wind, much stronger than the ones before, broke against her body, seeming to nearly go through it and permeating her with a deep chill. She glanced around, noticing the looming trees that seemed so much closer than before. Calls of strange animals began to surface in the wood, and she chuckled nervously to herself.
"Well. Perhaps Trixie can stop for tonight." She adjusted her cloak, clearing her throat. "But tomorrow, wheel, you will bring us to Manehattan. And Trixie wants none of your guff on the way, understand?" She glared threateningly at the wheel for a moment, before nodding slowly. "That's what Trixie thought." With a small huff, she hitched herself back to her wagon, pulling it slowly to the side of the road and into the damp grass.
She surveyed the area, and nodded to herself. "Seems safe enough." She clambered into her wagon, shaking off her slightly wet hooves as she went. The door secured behind her, she finally allowed herself to relax, flopping heavily on her small pile of bedding. She lit her horn, glancing with tired violet eyes at her meager food stores. Not nearly enough... I have to make it to Manehattan by tomorrow. I knew I should have stocked up in Fillydelphia... Still, she drew an apple to her, munching it halfheartedly as she let her eyes and mind both wander.
The wagon was a conservative affair; the interior very sparsely decorated as it needed to spring open at a moment's notice for her shows. Her eyes fell on a photograph, taped securely to what would be the underside of the stage when the wagon was open. Four unicorns, two parents and two fillies, stood smiling out of it at her. She allowed a tired smile to cross her face, reaching one hoof up to give the picture a gentle stroke.
"Miss you guys. Hope you miss me, too."
Tossing her apple core aside, she rolled over, pulling her small quilt around her as she allowed her hornlight to finally die.
Trixie was decidedly not a morning mare. Getting up early to travel before the heat of the afternoon was important, of course! Yet, she still refused to rouse herself before ten most mornings, preferring to get as much sleep as she could. Contrary to what some ponies might think, this served a practical purpose as well: sleep helped recharge a unicorn's font of magic much more efficiently than simply waiting while being awake. And so, Trixie stuck stubbornly by her love of late morning rising.
It was for this reason that she was less than pleased to be awoken at dawn by a strange grating sound coming from behind and beneath her wagon. Annoyance was quickly overridden by fear that forest animals had decided to chew a home into her only possessions, and she rocketed out of bed, rubbing her bleary eyes as she pulled back the flap of her wagon's makeshift window.
She glanced back and forth, squinting her eyes against the dawn light. The wagon appeared to be all in one piece, and she sighed out her relief before stopping suddenly, powder-blue ears pricking up under her disheveled mane. What the hay is that sound? It came again, a loud, deep grating noise. Both curious and slightly afraid, Trixie clambered out her window, lighting her horn with a minor stun spell.
She crept around her wagon cautiously, hooves making no sound on the dewy grass beneath them. Seeing nothing at eye level, she lowered herself to a crouch as she continued on, flicking her tail back and forth nervously. A shadowed lump lay under her cart, impossible to see properly with the sun behind it.
Coming around the back finally, she spotted two tan pony legs sticking out from beneath her wagon. Suddenly, the grating noises made sense, and she facehoofed. "Stars above..." she muttered, before poking the legs of the sleeping pony. "Hey. Hey, you. The Great And Powerful Trixie demands that you get out from beneath her wagon."
The legs recoiled at her touch, the pony waking and turning around beneath the wagon. A head, topped with a messy golden mane and a spiraling unicorn horn, poked out. "Mm, good morning..." The younger unicorn blinked up at Trixie sleepily, a small smile on her muzzle.
Huffing, Trixie shook her head. "This is not Trixie's Home For Wayward Unicorns. Please remove yourself at once." She glared down at the strange mare, the effect somewhat ruined by the cowlick in the back of her mane.
The mare squirmed out from under the wagon, shaking herself before righting her cloak on her frame. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, still beaming. "Trixie! I followed you all the way from Fillydelphia! I loved your show." Eyes shining, she pranced in place as she babbled on. "I was just really impressed and it looked like so much fun and oh please, please teach me how to do it?" She batted her eyes at Trixie, a huge grin splitting her cheeks.
Trixie just rolled her eyes. "Nor is this Trixie's School for Wayward Unicorns." She leveled her best disinterested stare at the pony. "What are you, fourteen, fifteen tops? Trixie has no interest in teaching homeless waifs her craft."
The other pony huffed. "Eighteen, actually. And I'm not homeless."
Trixie's eyes roamed over the pony, split hooves to tattered cloak to disheveled mane. She arched an eyebrow, smiling humorlessly at the mare. "It would appear differently."
Having the good grace to blush, the other unicorn shook her head. "No, I mean, I'm... I look homeless but I live in Fillydelphia with my parents and... oh, let's start over." She stuck out one tan hoof. "I'm Perfect Timing. My skill lies in minor illusions for the most part. I'd like to learn from you."
"Trixie believes she has already told you that she is not interested in taking a student." She ignored the proffered hoof, sniffing in disdain.
Perfect Timing slumped to her haunches, face falling as Trixie began a slow walk back to her wagon door. "I... Trixie, please... I just want to make my family proud."
Ice shot through Trixie at the mare's words, and she paused, turning her head back slightly. Tears were beginning to stream down the other unicorn's face as she babbled. "I... I can't do much, and we thought maybe, maybe my special talent had to do with time... I tried to get hired on to the Fillydelphia Circus, but they already have an illusionist, and they wanted me to have experience, and I just don't know..." She rasped breath in, shaking her head. "My mom and dad... they told me that I need to start pulling my weight or move out or something soon, or they're not going to let me stay with them either. I just want to make them proud."
Trixie hesitated. She had a show to get to, but more pressing than that was how painfully, obviously oblivious this mare was to what being a showmare really was. If I turn her away, she's just going to try on her own, and that... will not end well. She winced at the thought, remembering her own first blundering attempts, and her heart softened to the young mare.
She sighed.
"Well, come on. Let's forage up some breakfast, and then Trixie will attempt to make a reasonable showmare out of the mess you've given her." Perfect Timing glanced up, hope replacing the desperation in her eyes, and she followed Trixie cautiously into the forest.
One hour and two hooffulls of berries later, the two found themselves once more on the road to Manehatten. Perfect Timing had been hitched to the wagon, Trixie reasonably pointing out that if she wanted to be a showmare, she'd have to pull her own someday. Trixie herself sat perched on the front carriage seat of the wagon, lounging as she nibbled her last few berries.
She tossed the last one back, and smirked. Time to begin. "Trixie could not help but notice that you did not bring saddlebags with you on your little stalking adventure."
Perfect Timing's head wheeled around, cheeks burning as she glared at Trixie. "H-Hey! I wasn't stalking you! I... I was just... enthusiastically following." She laid her ears back in shame as Trixie chortled.
"What you lack, filly, is confidence." The blue unicorn nodded to herself, shifting slightly in her seat. "And that's a problem, since being confident is the biggest part of being a showmare. Trixie would know, you know." She smiled, buffing one hoof against her chest. Perfect Timing's ears laid even flatter as Trixie gave her an appraising glance. "And Trixie supposes she must teach you about how to take care of yourself. She hasn't seen a rat's nest of a mane like that since Ponyville!"
"It's not like I had a brush with me," Perfect Timing mumbled back, turning to the road once more and restarting her trip, hiding her flushed cheeks with a dip of her head. "Besides, even if I did, all this wagon-hauling would just mess it all up again anyway."
Trixie snorted, rolling her eyes. "That's hardly an excuse. Why, if Trixie were not so invested in her show of wonders and might, she could pass for a supermodel even on her worst days."
The tan unicorn's teeth ground together as Trixie boasted. I knew she was full of herself, but... I guess... I thought she was different when she wasn't working. She sighed, stopping once more to turn to glare at Trixie. "Could you maybe stop talking about yourself as if you aren't here? You're not putting on a show, you know."
Trixie hopped down from the wagon, landing in front of Perfect Timing with a shocked, affronted look on her face. "But of course Trixie is! That's your second lesson, by the by: when you are out, you are always on." With a sage nod, she took up an easy trot beside her new apprentice, weaving minor light spells in the air.
"What do you mean, 'always on'? It's just you and me here." She grunted as something crashed through the woods beside the road, catching a glimpse of a furred tail. "Well, you, me, and the animals, I guess."
"Ah, but who knows who awaits us around the next bend? A throng of admirers? A group of ponies out for a stroll, looking for some entertainment? One never knows for certain, so it is best to be prepared." A flare went up from Trixie's horn, ending in a small burst of violet fireworks above Perfect Timing's head. "See, now, had you bothered to try to look presentable, that would have looked amazing."
The tan unicorn just rolled her eyes, glancing at Trixie. "Were you planning on doing it for me? Otherwise, you're going to just have to deal with it."
Grinning, Trixie nodded. "Trixie thinks she can arrange that. After all, you are traveling with The Great and Powerful Trixie. Can't have you messing up her stage presence with your bedraggled moppet look."
Perfect Timing sat on the sparse hay making up Trixie's bed, having some fairly severe second thoughts about leaving Fillydelphia. "Trixie, don't you think this is a little... much?"
Trixie's eyes widened, a theatrical gasp leaving her. "Of course not! This is not nearly enough!" She floated satellites of brushes, powders, makeup pencils, and combs in her magic, darting one or the other forward from time to time to add something to Perfect Timing's visage.
"I'm just not used to wearing makeup, and it seems like you're putting... kind of a lot on." She sighed, resigning herself to the eyeliner pencil that began painting a thick line above her upper lashes.
"Trixie knows what she is doing." She finished the line carefully, moving to the other eye. "If you're going to be a showmare, you're going to be up on a stage. Your makeup won't be visible to the audience unless you put it on thicker than usual."
The tan unicorn winced away from the lipstick hovering nearby. "I don't have a 'usual'." She pricked her ears at Trixie's sudden chuckle, eyebrow arching. "Is that funny?"
"No, no... it is simply that Trixie also does not have a 'usual'." She swept a deep berry color across the other mare's lips, and smiled. "I... don't usually wear makeup unless I'm performing. I'm just... always performing, that's all."
Perfect Timing smiled back, glancing in the mirror beside her. She had to admit, she looked pretty nice. "You dropped that weird way you talk."
With a smirk, Trixie pulled her comb through the other unicorn's mane, blasting it with a shot of hairspray. "I figured I could be a bit more casual if we're inside the wagon. Now, stand up, and show me your flank."
"What?!"
"Geeheeheehee..."
"It's not that funny, Trixie." The wagon rumbled on, and if she lifted her head, Perfect Timing could see the city of Manehattan fast approaching. She only had eyes for the ground, though, and her ears again laid flat against her skull.
"Like hay it isn't!" Trixie chortled, rocking back on the carriage seat. "The look on your face! You truly thought Trixie would make a pass at you? Trixie just wanted to spruce up that cutie mark a little."
The other unicorn grunted, shooting a cross look at Trixie before continuing to pull. "Well the way you said it, it sounded... you know what, never mind. How much farther do I have to pull this awful wagon?"
"Oh, stop complaining. Trixie does not remember you thinking her wagon to be awful when you camped beneath it like some vagabond from a terrible story." She hopped down from the seat, stretching her legs out one by one before taking up an easy pace beside her apprentice. "In any event, Manehattan is just ahead." Perfect Timing finally lifted her head, taking in the sight before her.
The path wound easily through the trees, finally opening up to a less forested area. The path itself widened, turning more into a road, and the two ponies passed many more travelers than they had previously. Up ahead, Perfect Timing could see the wider dirt road giving way to smooth stone, the clack of hooves reaching her ears as they drew ever closer. Her tired body perked up at the sight, head held a little higher and steps more confident. With a shining smile at Trixie, she pulled even harder, upping her pace as the showmare cantered alongside to keep up, purple cape flapping in the wind behind her.
Tall buildings began to dominate the sides of the street, wooden apartments giving way to taller stone storefronts. Shop owners propped open their doors, letting the sunlight and cool wind of early fall into their businesses. Perfect Timing chuckled, turning to Trixie. "Just like home."
Something strange passed over the showmare's face, her brow creasing slightly as her mouth turned down. She recovered quickly, simply nodding. "Indeed. Trixie thinks we ought to find a place to set up her show. There seems to be no shortage of patrons." Indeed, the streets fairly bustled with activity, foals and grown ponies alike rushing from place to place.
Perfect Timing bobbed her head agreeably, following the main road to a plaza at the center. Statues of both alicorn sisters dominated the square, chiseled from white marble and dark onyx. A fountain rose between the statues, shooting crystal-clear water into the crisp, fall air. Around them, the hustle and bustle of Manehattan continued, Trixie nimbly dodging two teenaged colts as they dashed across the square.
Perfect Timing pulled the cart centered with the fountain, and unhitched herself. "This seems to be a good spot." Trixie nodded back, eyes flicking over the ponies of Manehattan from under the brim of her star spangled hat.
"Trixie agrees. Now, watch and learn." Striking a pose, one hoof raised in front of the wagon, Trixie raised her nose to the air. "The Great and Powerful Trixie and her assistant Timeless Perfection will be in our wagon! The show begins in one hour!" She tugged a rope with her magic, a banner unfurling and finally laying flat against the wagon. A few ponies gathered around, reading The Great and Powerful Trixie! Skilled acts of illusion and tales of derring-do! As the smiles and buzz began in the crowd, Trixie swiftly herded Perfect Timing into the back of the wagon, securing the door behind her.
On the well-worn bed of hay, Trixie curled her legs beneath her, pulling out her makeup kit once more. "And now, we wait."
Perfect Timing settled beside her, a curious look flitting across her features as she turned to her mentor. "Wait? Why did you tell them we wouldn't be out for an hour? There's plenty of ponies there now... won't they leave if we wait?"
A small tube of gloss, held in a pale pink aura, swept across Trixie's lips. She smacked them together once, before shaking her head. "No. Some will, certainly. But I find it is better to build a buzz in the town. Who was that beautiful mare? What wonders and acts of heroism can she show us? That's your next lesson, by the way." She winked, laying her head down on her forelegs. "Play up the mystery. Keep them interested."
Perfect Timing blinked, looking down at her own tan hooves. "So... it's like courting a stallion?"
With an amused snort, Trixie opened one eye to regard her apprentice. "I hadn't really thought of it in quite that way, but yes." She shifted on the hay, sitting up once more, eyes raised in thought. "The beautiful mare, blowing into town one day with just her wagon and the cloak on her back. He is caught, ensnared by her beauty!" She waved a hoof to the ceiling, eyes shining. "He watches and waits, seeing her every movement and likening it to awful poetry written by the long-dead! And then, once he's screwed up the courage to ask for a date, a token, a sign from her... she's gone. The mare of the road, leaving under cover of night, never to be seen again!" Trixie gave a mock-swoon, and Perfect Timing rolled her eyes with a good-natured chuckle.
As the giggling died down, Perfect Timing looked over at Trixie once more. "But... isn't it... I mean, don't you get lonely?"
Hay shifted beneath Trixie's hooves as she pawed the bed restlessly. "Not... not anymore. It was, at first. I was a starry-eyed idealist once too, you know." She gave a playful nudge to Perfect Timing's side, before sobering once more. "But... after traveling, and having to leave constantly and keep moving to make bits... well. There's been stallions and mares alike that had interest, and a few Trixie had interest back to... but none could deal with Trixie's lifestyle."
Idiot! She loosened up, and now you've gone and made her clam back up. Great. Perfect Timing sighed, laying her head on her hooves. "You mean being a performer?"
Trixie shook her head, distractedly lighting her horn. "Not exactly." Two shapes took form as she concentrated, her magic condensing into a tiny blue unicorn and a larger, nondescript earth pony stallion. "They are always impressed and pleased with Trixie when they meet her." Perfect Timing lifted her head, smiling slightly at the illusion before her as the little blue unicorn avatar shot off a tiny firework spell. "They court Trixie, bringing gifts and tokens. Some Trixie even agrees to date."
The tiny stallion stomped up to the tiny mare, who shrank back slightly. "But after some time, they insist Trixie stay. They insist she give up her show and stay in... whatever town it was that week. Sometimes they get angry. Sometimes they say things about Trixie that are patently untrue." Her eyes glittered, magic poofing the stallion into nothingness, leaving the tiny Trixie standing by herself. A moment later, it too faded away in a glitter of magic.
One hoof reached over, tentatively covering Trixie's own. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... to make you think about bad things..."
Gathering herself, Trixie pulled her hoof back, and forced a smile. "No, no. Trixie is fine. That is your next lesson, Trixie supposes." The tan unicorn raised her head, shocked when her golden eyes met shining, wet violet ones.
"Never let anypony get too close."
"Is that... is that why you're so... abrasive? To keep them away?" Perfect Timing tilted her head, brow furrowing.
Trixie held her gaze for the barest of moments, before suddenly brightening. "So, Trixie hopes you do not mind her choosing a stage name for you. It's a bit of a requirement, after all, and Timeless Perfection just sounds so much better, don't you think?" She turned a cracked, brittle smile to the other unicorn, who merely nodded.
"It's fine, Trixie." Struck with a sudden thought, she grinned mischievously, eyes rolling up in mock thought. "Although... I do have to wonder what your real name is. I'm assuming your parents didn't saddle you with The Great and Powerful Trixie from birth."
One glance at Trixie told her that her comment had its intended effect, as the blue unicorn was blushing and smiling in embarrassment. "Well, no. They saddled Trixie with something much worse than that."
"How is that even possible?" Perfect Timing clapped her hooves over her mouth immediately after speaking, eyes darting to meet Trixie's incredibly flat look.
She finally gave in, chuckling. "Trixie shall remember that slight. But her parents named her... named her Bellatrix."
Perfect Timing looked at her askance, grinning at her discomfort. "Sorry, what was that now?"
"Bellatrix." Trixie mumbled that last, pulling her hat down over her eyes to break their gaze.
"Bellatrix. Really? What does that even mean?" Perfect Timing snickered, gently flicking Trixie's hat back up.
A look drier than the Badlands met her. "If you must know, it was the name of a Gryphon warrior many years ago. My mother admired her story, and named me for her." She sighed, before cracking a smile. "It is pretty terrible, though."
The two laughed together easily, the hay beneath them even more inviting than before as they settled down to wait out the rest of their hour.
The buzz outside the wagon had grown to a veritable roar by the time Trixie deemed enough time had passed by some unknown feeling (as she had no timepieces in her wagon, something that Perfect Timing, from her family of clock-makers, could scarce understand). Trixie stood, brushing loose bits of hay off of her cloak with her magic before ushering Perfect Timing to the rear of the wagon. The two slipped out of a small panel door set into the back wall, coming out on the lip of the fountain behind the wagon. Trixie balanced carefully, eying the back of the wagon.
"Now, I'll show you how I make my stage," Trixie whispered. She spun on her hooves, bucking out and hitting a small panel towards the bottom of the wagon.
With a great rumble, the wagon sprung apart, the front of it folding down with a bang to create the stage floor, a purple curtain coming down in time with it to hide the interior. The sides flew down, extending the stage, and a small door swung open at the rear to allow the two unicorns access to the stage. Trixie stayed on the lip of the fountain, carefully clearing her bedding to a hidden panel in the rear wall of the stage. Perfect Timing looked on as the chatter and excited noise of the crowd out front grew, a goofy grin appearing on her face at the sight of the behind-the-scenes secrets of her favorite performer.
With a wink, Trixie nodded. "Now, simply follow Trixie's lead." Her face tensed, horn beginning to glow. She poured more and more into the spell, holding it all in her horn. For the first time, Perfect Timing could see the lines of effort on the showmare's face, and the sweat beading on her brow before being wiped away by a foreleg.
"The entrance... is so important. You need to... make a splash." Trixie grit her teeth, keeping her eyes focused on the thick velvet curtain.
Perfect Timing did not consider herself to be a stupid pony, generally. She was good at minor illusions, fixing clocks, and her timing was naturally impeccable. Still, balancing carefully on the lip of the fountain's basin and feeling the chilly water lightly splash her hocks while she watched her hero—nay, her mentor now—actually sweat, actually seem to work; in that moment, Perfect Timing felt like a very, very stupid pony for assuming that performance was an easy thing to do.
In a flurry of starry cape and blue fur, Trixie exploded on to the stage. Perfect Timing followed, noting how Trixie let go of the magic. First, the curtain actually flew both upwards and outwards, immediately grabbing the attention of the patrons. Fireworks and wheels of light discharged from Trixie's horn as she reared up, forelegs spread dramatically as more magic allowed her cape to do the same. The cocky grin most associated with the blue showmare surfaced on her face, and she shot out one more spangly, golden firework right behind her to halo her head and hat.
Picking up on the idea, Perfect Timing emerged from behind Trixie's spread cloak to the right, firing off her own icicle light spell to hang across the entire stage as she became visible. She allowed that same cocky grin, or what she hoped was a reasonable facsimile thereof, to spread across her own muzzle. The crowd cheered wildly, and she lifted her head, looking down on them as though they were mere subjects in her domain.
After a quick nod to her apprentice, Trixie came down on all fours, stepping in front. "Behold! The Great and Powerful Trrrrrrixie has arrived!" Another illusion spell fired from her horn, framing herself and Perfect Timing in a shimmering, ornate golden picture frame. "And of course, as Trixie does so love Manehattan..." She paused, allowing the crowd to finish cheering at the statement. "Trixie has decided to not only grace you with her own talents, but also those of her apprentice, Timeless Perfection!"
At the sound of her name, the tan unicorn twirled, raising on her hind legs and shooting a fountain of golden sparks from her horn. The golden flecks circled her body as she twirled, and she smiled in pure joy before flinging her forelegs wide, scattering the magical sparks across the crowd. The crowd stamped in approval, the foals giggling at the harmless sparks landing in their manes and tails. She hit the floorboards of the stage solidly with both front hooves, internally giddy at Trixie's impressed glance in her direction.
This. THIS is what I knew it could be like.
With a nod to each other, they began the show in earnest. Perfect Timing, predictably, was able to keep pace with Trixie without missing a single cue. As Trixie set up an ethereal puppet play about some sort of large, starry bear, the tan unicorn shot off light spells and minor time-related spells to smooth the movements of the puppets. Between spells, she watched the puppet show with just as much interest as the crowd, despite seeing it already in Fillydelphia.
Trixie, the poor put-upon showmare, dragged into a dangerous situation at the behest of two careless foals. Perfect Timing chuckled at the doofy looks Trixie spirited upon the puppet's faces, their magical legs sluggish and bumbling. The giant Ursa, crashing into town to harm the townsfolk. The little blue unicorn faced the massive bear, refusing to give up.
Suddenly, a different unicorn mare, this one purple, was shaped from Trixie's magic. The cutie mark on her flank clued Perfect Timing in—this was the personal student of Princess Celestia, now a princess in her own right. She could scarce stop herself from hopping from hoof to hoof in excitement as the purple unicorn dug in beside Trixie's avatar, the two lighting their horns. The entire story played out—the Ursa being cradled, the music through the reeds, and the amazing lifting and dragging of the Ursa right back to the Everfree Forest.
Perfect Timing's horn glowed, wisps of an amplification spell surrounding the avatars to carry the sound to the back of the crowd. She struggled slightly under the effort of maintaining both the smoothing and amplification spells, hooves planted firmly on the stage as a small trickle of sweat tickled just beneath her horn. It was cast away with a small flick of her head, and once more, Perfect Timing was in awe of her teacher's ability to maintain so many spells at once.
The avatars of Trixie and Twilight hoofbumped one another as the avatars of the townsfolk cheered, and Trixie began releasing her magic slowly to let the conjurations fade away. Trixie smiled to herself. While the story was not entirely truthful, still, she couldn't help but feel proud of the friendship she had forged with Equestria's newest princess. One last poof of tiny firework went off over Twilight's avatar, and then it faded entirely to nothingness.
A cheer swelled up from the crowd, rolling and tumbling over Trixie and her assistant. Pleased with the part she had played in helping Trixie, Perfect Timing bowed, before charging her horn. With the barest arch of a brow, Trixie turned back to the crowd, throwing her forelegs wide again.
"And now, prepare to be amazed by the magical art of Timeless Perfection!" The crowd cheered again, some hooves stamping as every eye fixed now upon the small tan unicorn.
You can do this. The magical stage spotlights, controlled by Trixie, swiveled to catch the tan unicorn dead in their sights. Never had they seemed quite so bright, or quite so hot. Her fur seemed to almost curl under it, drying even as she felt herself sweating. She used her magic to whisk away another developing sheen of that sweat from her forehead, her cocky grin morphing into more of a pained rictus. Trixie stepped back, nearly melting into the shadow of the pulled back curtain to the right, violet eyes intently watching her apprentice.The crowd grew silent, each pair of eyes resting on her expectantly; but to Perfect Timing, it felt as though they were drilling, boring directly into her very being and finding not the cocky showmare she wanted to be, but the scared filly she was. She looked out over that sea of faces, and hesitated.
For the second time in as many hours, she severely regretted leaving Fillydelphia.
A sharp prod to her flank snapped her out of her trance, and she whirled her head towards Trixie, keeping the grin plastered on her muzzle. The blue showmare tapped her front hoof impatiently, gesturing with the other and mouthing words. Go on. Show them what you can do. Perfect Timing swallowed past a lump in her throat, and nodded once to Trixie before turning back.
Her eyes slipped closed, shutting out the stares of the crowd that was now shuffling and murmuring, and lit her horn. Golden tendrils of magic wound outwards, coalescing into an assortment of ghostly clocks that rotated lazily around her head. With a deep breath, she prepared the other illusion spells she would need, her tail twitching nervously. Age magic was, of course, nearly impossible to actually perform, but after some study she figured that layered illusions could have the same effect.
Possibly. Maybe.
With her horn fully charged with the line of spells she needed, she brought one of the clocks before her, eyes sliding open to regard the crowd. "F-For many years, ponies have studied the nature of time, trying to find ways to halt its endless march forwards." Straining a little, she moves the hands of the clock, making them go faster. "And in some cases, ponies wish to make time go faster, to get to where they're working to be quicker."
Despite herself, Trixie found a brow raising in interest as she watched the younger unicorn make her first stuttering solo performance. Time magic? I suppose it makes sense. She sat back on her haunches, noting the strain on the other unicorn's face. Oh, I hope she doesn't overdo it. She stood again, preparing a shield spell just in case.
The ghostly clock came ever closer, descending towards Perfect Timing's horn. "H-How would it feel, some ponies wonder, to be a foal in this day and age? Or an old mare, grown and wizened with age, living in a new world?" The clock hit her horn, hands twirling, and a flash of light enveloped the small unicorn. Inside the flash, she had but a moment to deploy several illusion spells, one right after another. Keeping her eyes shut again against the blinding glare, she layered the spells, hoping they would hold. Gold magic wound around her, creating a contained image that looked like her, but her as a much older pony. As the flash faded, she was rewarded with the gasps of the crowd.
"She's old!"
"Look at those wrinkles!"
"Is that what she really looks like, or is the younger her actually her? How would we know?!"
The excited babble continued as Perfect Timing wearily lifted her head, tiredly triumphant. She tottered across the stage, intentionally slow, shaking her legs for effect. "As you can tell, sometimes speeding up time isn't the best thing to do." The crowd laughed, stamping their hooves appreciatively.
Despite herself, Trixie found herself grinning like a foal. Her trained eyes could not resist looking deeper, however, since illusions of that kind were supposed to be rather difficult. She looked out under slightly furrowed brows, tracing the edges of the illusion. Ah! There!
It was very faint, but she could detect a fuzziness. It was almost an aura, pulsing with the same gentle golden glow of Perfect Timing's magic. Trixie sat back appreciatively, clopping her hooves together gently to cheer on her apprentice. Well done.
The other unicorn had stopped in the middle of the stage, shaky legs not all for a show of being elderly as she felt her magic being taxed. She released the illusion with a grand flash, standing before them again as a young mare in her prime. With an effort of will, she shored up her legs as much as she could, taking a shaky breath as she regarded the crowd.
Shouts and whistles filled the air, and a bubbly chill started from her hooves up to her eartips as she watched and listened. Cheering! For her! She took another deep breath, a sly grin surfacing. Wouldn't do to leave them wanting! Let's give them the best show I can! She kept the clocks whirling, bringing yet another close to her horn. "Of course," she began, "being younger might be preferable."
She shut her eyes again, closing out the crowd and left with only noises and her ability to sense magic. She could see the clock, lined against her lids, as it drew closer. It touched, causing her horn to tingle slightly, and she released a flash. Again, she layered illusions, these much more difficult to maintain. She let the sweat fall as she was shielded from the crowd, teeth gritting out of their view as she pictured herself as a small foal. The main illusion wavered for a millisecond, and she poured even more power into it, horn showering sparks. The flash faded, and she looked out to the audience, trying not to pant. I think it worked...
Trixie, who had been quietly collecting the bits thrown into the small container to the side, glanced up... and froze. There, standing shakily on the stage before her, was a tiny foal. She blinked, rubbing her eyes once, before again tracing where she thought Perfect Timing should be. The same aura surrounded the unicorn's real body, but it flickered periodically, and Trixie frowned. She's almost out of magic...
Deciding that she didn't need bad press for letting her assistant faint, Trixie rolled her eyes and sent a tendril of magic out to touch Perfect Timing's horn. She felt the touch, a shiver running through her body at the chill through Perfect Timing's connection, gradually warming as the tan unicorn became more stable. They met eyes for a moment, and Perfect Timing nodded her thanks.
Thus bolstered, Perfect Timing felt her illusion smooth, the jagged edges laying more flush in her mind. She stood proudly, willing the eyes of the illusion into open, wide innocence. The illusory foal reared, giggling, before beginning to run across the stage. The crowd cheered, stomping again, and she felt pride well up inside her again. I'm doing it! I'm really doing it! Another laugh bubbling up inside, she pranced happily across the stage.
The crowd had been impressed... perhaps too impressed. Several mares and stallions began throwing flowers to the stage. Roses, daisies, and even an orchid or two landed around Perfect Timing's hooves as the throwers whistled out their appreciation. In a moment of perfect chaos, her hoof landed on a fallen rose's stem, the thorns pricking her hoof suddenly. She tripped, drawing her injured hoof up, and landed hard on another unfortunately placed bed of roses. Squealing, her illusion dispersed, leaving the fully-grown Perfect Timing scrabbling and stumbling in a very sharp bed of the crowd's appreciation.
Trixie rushed forward, skidding to a halt beside the other unicorn, even as it started. Oh nononono...
Laughter.
Shouts came from the amused crowd. "Hey, pretty great trip! See you next foal!" The audience roared it's appreciation for the pun, every color of hoof pointing at the fallen unicorn as they lost themselves to their mirth. Perfect Timing scrambled to her feet, a hundred pinpricks of pain across her body, and stared out with wide, watering eyes.
"I... I just..."
Her voice broke, and Trixie acted as quickly as she could. Tearing off her own cape, she threw it across Perfect Timing's shoulders, turning her away from the crowd as Trixie's hat pushed firmly on her head. Trixie scowled out at the audience, and the laughter died down almost abruptly, and she nodded once.
"The Great and Powerful Trixie and her assistant thank the City of Manehatten for its warm welcome. Trixie is pleased to see that the ponies of this city show so much care and appreciation for their fellow ponies." With that, she sent up a poof of violet smoke, covering their escape out the back panel. Trixie spun and bucked, more savagely than strictly necessary, and the stage snapped back up into a wagon. She opened the back door once again, ushering Perfect Timing inside.
The two sat quietly on the hard wooden floor for a time, the only sound between them Perfect Timing's sniffles from beneath Trixie's hat. The unicorn had her front hooves firmly over her head, tan muzzle peeking out as lines of tears dripped to the floor. Trixie sighed and shifted her weight, violet eyes fixed regretfully on the mare.
After a time, when the noises outside had dulled to that of simply Manehatten in the evening, and Perfect Timing's sniffles had stopped, Trixie gently lifted her hat off the other mare. Dull golden eyes flicked up to meet her own. "I'm sorry, Trixie. I didn't mean to ruin your show."
"Nonsense. It was an accident. And your illusions were quite good... better than I expected, really. Now, come on, sit up."
Perfect Timing did as she was bade, wiping the last trails of tears from her face. "I must really look like a foal, huh?" She chuckled sadly at her own joke, eyes finding the floorboards once more.
Trixie smiled, shaking her head. "No. It happens to everypony, you know. Screwing up, I mean."
"You don't screw up."
"Oh, but I do. I did in Ponyville, the first time, I mean. Um, and the second time too, technically." Trixie shrugged, moving to lay beside the other unicorn. "But... the important part is to understand that it happens to everypony, and to learn from it. And I guess that brings me to your next lesson."
Perfect Timing glanced up at Trixie, curious.
"Never let them see you cry."
The next day dawned clear and bright across the square, and Trixie, to her distaste, was awake. She shifted on the hard floor, groaning to herself slightly. Should have brought the hay back out. Glancing around, she realized that Perfect Timing was nowhere to be seen. She reached a hoof out, feeling the floorboards where the other unicorn had lain, a whisper of warmth still emanating from them.
Well. Couldn't expect her to stick around after that. This life isn't for everypony. With a sigh, she drew the bits she had gotten from the show to her, counting out enough to buy breakfast. Well, at least she took some of the money. She'll need it to get home. Depositing the bits into her saddlebags, Trixie floated a brush to her and began doing some light grooming. Buy food, then head out. I don't want to be here any longer than I have to. I wonder if the Crystal Empire would like my show?
She tried her best to ignore the little pangs that came with the thought of her apprentice, and busied herself with getting ready. So occupied was she with her own thoughts, that she missed the sound of hoofbeats approaching her cart. So obsessed with getting that front curl of her mane just right, she was, that she missed the sound of hooves on the stairs. So it came as a great surprise when the canvas covering her window pulled back, a tan head poking inside.
"Hey, Trixie! Good morning! I brought breakfast." Trixie stared, somewhat shocked, as Perfect Timing let herself into the wagon and cheerfully deposited a bag of pastries between them. "I wasn't sure what you liked best, so I got all different ones. There's orange, and apple, and boysenberry. Oh, and one raspberry one." Two paper cups floated in the door, carried in a golden glow. "I brought coffee!"
Suddenly finding herself encased in two blue forelegs, Perfect Timing chuckled and hugged back. "Whoa, hey, it's just breakfast."
Trixie laughed, pulling back and lightly punching her shoulder, as the two sat down to eat and plan their next show.
I guess she's tougher than she looks.