Chapter 4: Show Biz

“Welcome, one and all!” First Light cheered from the stage to the crowd gathered around. “To the most amazing, incredible, spectacular show you will ever see! Gather 'round and hear tales of glamour!” First Light struck a pose. “Adventure!” She flew a circle overhead. “And magic!” She sent multicoloured sparks from her horn into the air like fireworks. The crowd cheered at the display. “Please welcome... The Great and Powerful TRIXIE!” At the final word, the crowd erupted further into cheers. First Light ran behind the curtain and pulled the cord, unveiling Trixie standing on her back hooves, with lights and sparks flying around her.

Trixie called for silence and stepped forward onto the stage, First Light used her magic to put a spotlight on Trixie's face. She began her routine as she often had before, using her magic to form shapes of animals and monsters, which she would destroy just as easily. First Light looked at the crowd to see their reactions. They all seemed to be enjoying it a lot, save for a few hecklers.

Throughout the show, First Light noted that Trixie was very passionate about her act, believing every story she heard. The crowd gaped in awe at the spectacle before them, taking in all of the sights.

Suddenly, a unicorn from the crowd called up at the stage. “Come on! This is just a bunch of cheap tricks!”

“Who said that?” Trixie called out, her current display vanishing. “Who dares mock the Great and Powerful Trixie?”

“Me!” The unicorn came forward. She was white with an orange mane which had been curled. “Even I can do those, and I'm no great sorceress.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie does not have to prove herself to you.” Trixie sneered. “Trixie puts on this show out of her own time and will for you ponies to enjoy. If you don't enjoy it, you don't have to be so rude about it, you could just leave.”

Trixie's horn was enveloped with magic as she lifted the rude unicorn off the ground and drifted her out of the crowd. She dropped the unicorn forcefully in an alleyway. She immediately returned to the act, as if nothing had happened.

Even with the heckler, the act went over smoothly, and Trixie had gotten some fairly good reception from the crowd. After returning the trailer to its normal state, Trixie and First Light sat inside. Trixie counted up the money they had made from impressed ponies while First Light relaxed after the long work day.

“I had to try really hard.” Trixie frowned, looking down at the cash. “I had to try really hard not to throw that unicorn across the town.”

“Why?” First Light was surprised. “She was only heckling.”

“She reminded me of another time I had some troubles.” Trixie shook her head. “They were only heckling then too. They thought I was just doing cheap tricks too.”

“What happened?” First Light leaned in, as if Trixie was getting quieter.

“Her and her friends decided to teach me a lesson.” Trixie looked increasingly sadder. “At first, they tried showing me up.” She chuckled. “But I got the best of them. Then they told their smart friend. And then these two little tools woke up an Ursa Minor and let it loose on the town. The smart one took care of it, and I skipped town.” She slouched, a little embarrassed. “I came back later with a vengeance, and kicked the smart one out. I thought I was so clever. But she came back and showed me that power isn't all it's cracked up to be.” Trixie avoided making eye contact with the pink Alicorn that reminded her so much of the town. “I put on a tough-mare act and pretended like they had shown me the light. But from then on I was so confused. I went back to the only thing I knew; show business.” She paused. “Crap. I was gushing, wasn't I?”

“It's okay.” First Light shrugged. “Everypony needs to vent at some point. I remember when I first came to town, I started telling everypony who I was and what it should mean to them. I was a real jerk.”

“Did they laugh at you?” Trixie cocked her head.

“No.” First Light shook her head. “They all didn't really like me, but they still tried to help me get over my ego.”

“That must have been nice.” Trixie sighed, a little bitterly.

“I'm sure the ponies who didn't like you would have done the same.” First Light noted, soothing the blue mare.

“Do you have somewhere to stay tonight?” Trixie attempted to change the subject, looking up from her loot.

First Light looked up. She hadn't considered that. She needed somewhere to sleep, and she could get on with her adventure in the morning.

“I guess I could rent a room.” First Light nodded.

“Well...” Trixie looked for words. “I suppose... You did work very hard today, so...” She looked down. “I suppose you could stay the night here, I have a sleeping bag you could use.”

“Thank you!” First Light squealed as she enveloped Trixie in a hug, restraining herself from making it a back-snapper. “You're the best!”

“Yes, yes.” Trixie nodded, pushing First Light off of her politely and flipping her own mane with a hoof. “I know I am.” She thought for a moment. “What happens tomorrow?”

“I guess we head our separate ways.” First Light bit her lip. This was the first real acquaintance she had made since Ponyville, and she didn't want to just abandon her.

First Light took out the sleeping bag and rolled it out on the floor of the small trailer. There was just enough room for one mare in the bed and one on the floor with a little bit of organization. The rest of the trailer was taken up by props for the show and other such objects. First Light curled up in a ball on the floor and almost immediately fell asleep, not realizing how tired she was until her head hit her forelegs.

The next morning, First Light woke up a little unnerved. She knew she had just had a nightmare, but it was the kind that erases itself from your memory just after you wake up. Shaking her head to clear her mind of the after effects of the dream. The sun had risen outside, and First Light yawned as she pulled herself out of the sleeping bag.

“I might as well get up.” First Light told herself. Looking around the trailer, Trixie was nowhere in sight.

She headed outside where she found it was fairly early in the morning. The sun had only just come up, and the town looked barren. First Light looked around to gain her bearings, and hopefully find Trixie. There was nopony anywhere to be seen, so First Light decided to take a quick stroll around the block and see if she could find her. She walked between houses, making sure she could find her way back to the trailer. She did not want to get lost.

Suddenly, she saw a bright flash from just beyond one of the houses near the edge of the town. More out of curiosity than urgency, First Light rushed out to find out what had made the sound. She found the source in a clearing just outside of town. When she arrived, she stopped dead in her tracks. Standing in the clearing was Trixie, but that was not what frightened her. There was a massive dragon. Teeth like razors, claws like knives, its scales shone in the sun like ruby, and its eyes were like fire. Trixie looked like a mouse in comparison to the gargantuan beast.

The dragon raised its head and an orange glow came from its throat as it opened its mouth.

“It's gonna barbeque her!” First Light gasped as she barrelled in to push Trixie out of the way.

Trixie had enough time to look over her shoulder to see the pink and rainbow blur screeching towards her before it connected with her and both of them skidded across the clearing into the bushes. As soon as Trixie was hit, the dragon stopped moving, then turned into a big red balloon and deflated by spinning and sputtering all around the area before exploding like a firework.

“They don't make dragons like they used to, eh?” First Light was confused more by the exploding dragon balloon than anything else.

“What was that for?” Trixie grumbled, dusting herself off after the tumble.

“Uh, duh?” First Light stated in a matter-of-fact way. “You were just about to be made into some spicy meatball by the most ridiculous dragon ever.”

“I was not.” Trixie shook her head. “I had everything under control.”

“That's not how it looked to me.” First Light replied. “From where I was, you were just standing there. Perfectly still. Doing nothing but waiting to become mare meat.”

“No.” Trixie groaned. “The dragon was my creation. It was just a projection. Not real.” First Light looked confused. Trixie took off her hat to reveal her horn. It started glowing, and within a few seconds a tiny version of the dragon appeared out of thin air. “I was working on it for an upcoming show.”

“So...” First Light wrapped her head around the situation. “You made the dragon.” Trixie nodded. “And it wasn't about to cook your goose? Roast your rump? Toast your tootsies? Burn you to a little itsy bitsy crispy Trixie bit and eat you all up like popcorn?”

“No.” Trixie said flatly.

“Good!” First Light bounced up and down. “Can you do it again?”

“Again?” Trixie asked.

“Everything is better when you see it two or three times.” First Light shrugged. “Like a good movie! Or a book! Or almost getting eaten by a dragon!”