The Card Trick

There is a large stage set up in downtown Manehattan. The spotlights attracted nearly everypony in the city, and the loud music attracted everyone else. The stage was set in a large courtyard. It overlooked a number of small stands selling various foods, drinks, and trinkets from their respective shops and cities. Lights were hung overhead between each of the stands, as well as over the large empty space in the middle of it all. However, it could hardly be called an "empty space". Hundreds of ponies occupied the area. Some were eating, others were talking, few were dancing to the band playing on stage; everypony was having fun. As the sun set, the music died down and a grey mare approached the center of the stage. She brushed her mane from her face and spoke into the microphone.

"Hello, everypony."

The crowd became silent, and all eyes were set on her.

"How are you all tonight?"

The crowd cheered and stomped their hooves on the ground. The grey mare simply smiled until the commotion died down again.

"I'm happy to hear that. Most of you know, but I am Octavia, and I would to personally thank all of you for coming out here to support the rebuilding of our Manehattan Theater."

Octavia looked back to a white mare at the control panel. Octavia gave a nod to her. It's possible the white mare winked back, but no one could see behind her purple glasses. The white mare at the control panel dimmed the lights around the courthouse and lit up the spotlights on the stage.

"It's time to start our main event, the Talent Competition. I would like to ask all of our participants to meet back stage for a few last minute instructions. Everypony else, please enjoy the show." With her last words, Octavia gave a smile to the crowd and left to join the judges in front of the stage. It took a few minutes for the first participant walked into the stage. It was a green pegasus filly with a long white mane. She wore thin glasses and carried herself in a confident manner.

One of the stallions at the judges table spoke up, "What is your name?"

"Quartet" She said.

"And what will you be doing for the audience today?" Octavia asked her.

"I-I I will be c-c-c-conducting an orchestra b-band." Quartet shuffled nervously on stage.

"Oh, that sounds lovely." Octavia closed her eyes and smiled at the filly on stage. "Anytime you are ready." She added.

Quartet bowed her head and turned away from the audience. She had band members set up beforehand behind the curtains. When she had her head turned, two stagehands brought her a music stand and a conductor's baton, matching her cutie mark. She tapped the baton on the music stand six times, the standard for the band to get ready and the audience to be silent. The audience did become silent by the sixth hit and the band members straightened their pose.

The music that Quartet composed brought half of the audience to tears. It did not last long, it was definitely shorter than most orchestra pieces, but it is probably a good thing it was short. Once it was over, Quartet turned and bowed her head. The band followed her motion. The audience stomped their hooves on the floor, after they wiped the tears from their eyes of course, and cheered loudly for the filly. Quartet looked up at the judge's table. Octavia was gently tapping her hooves together. No one saw it, but Quartet smiled more than anypony else in the crowd when she saw that.

The next few acts were just as excellent as Quartet's. A unicorn colt was able to dance with fireballs, an earth mare pushed a large boulder across the stage, a pegasus filly drew a detailed sketch of a group of random ponies in less than ten minutes. Every act was exciting to watch. The show went on late into the night. After a few hours, the judges called for the final act. A light blue mare took the stage. She wore a purple cape with a matching wizard's hat. She had a wooden wagon in tow.

"And what is your name, ma'am?" Octavia asked in the same cheerful voice she had all night.

"I am. The One. The Only. Great and Powerful. TRIXIE!"

As she said that, colorful rockets launched from the wooden wagon, and exploded around the crowd and stage. A few ponies in the crowd gasped in shock. The white mare at the control panel looked over to Octavia. Octavia met her gaze. While the other two judges were stunned by the sudden lights and sounds, Octavia gave a reassuring look to the mare behind the control panel. The white mare shook her head. Octavia nodded, keeping her calm expression. The white mare removed her glasses. Her purple eyes met Octavia's. Her face clearly read, "I have a bad feeling about this. We should leave or stop her." Octavia simply closed her eyes and smiled. The white mare sighed, put her glasses on, and resumed her job at the control panel.

The judges did not get the chance to ask Trixie what she would be doing for the show; she had already begun her routine.  Tons of random objects came from her wagon and she levitated them in the air. There were about twenty objects she held. Things from children's toys, books, a vase, simple things one would find around the house. She moved each object in a circle through the air. The audience stamped their hooves on the ground and cheered at Trixie. After a few seconds of retracing the pattern of flying objects, she made each object disappear. Trixie took in a deep breath. Although she was very skilled in Magic, it still took a lot out of her. She focused all of her energy into the rest of her act.

The audience, at first, would applaud and cheer at every trick she did; however, near the end of her act, they could only stare in awe at what she did. She was covered in sweat. She looked at the crowd and said. "The Great and Powerful Trixie, thanks you all for your time." After that, a large cloud of purple smoke covered the stage. By the time it cleared, Trixie and her wooden cart were gone. The audience cheered louder than they did for any of the other contestants. Everypony stamped on the ground and cheered. Everypony except for one. A red colt that was in the front of the crowd. He could only stare at the ground that Trixie was on a moment ago. He smiled, and ran to backstage.

Back there, he saw everypony who was on the stage. They all conversed with each other about the show. Passing both praise and criticism. The red colt walked through the crowd of ponies, looking for either the light blue coat of Trixie, or her wooden wagon. He circled the crowd three times, but did not see her anywhere. Everypony turned their head to the entrance to the stage. Octavia stood there with the white mare from the control panel.

"You all did wonderful." Octavia told the crowd.

"Psht. C'mon Tavi. They were awesome out there." The white mare cut in.

"Yes, Vinyl, I suppose that would be another way to put it."

"Seriously, you all rocked out there!" Vinyl wandered through the crowd, giving hoofbumps to whoever passed her by.

Octavia cleared her throat. "Anyway. The judges chose the top performers, and they will be performing in Canterlot."

Excitement filled the room. All the ponies started chatting with each other, sharing their hopes that they will be on their way to Canterlot.

"Will Trixie be there?" A voice shot from the commotion.

Everypony's voices died down, and they all focused on the red colt.

"I don't seem to recall you on stage tonight." Octavia addressed the red colt.

"Well, duh. He's a blank flank!" One of the fillys shouted from the crowd.

"Not cool." Vinyl replied in that direction.

Octavia looked over from Vinyl to the red colt.

"Why do you want to know where Trixie is?" Vinyl broke the silence.

"Because I want her to teach me how to do magic!"

Silence filled the room. It was very tense, until the young performers started laughing. The adults in the area tried to calm down the younger ones, but to no avail. Octavia motioned Vinyl to get the red colt and get away from the ponies in the area. Vinyl did so, and Octavia followed. She turned around to give one last statement, but nopony was looking her way. She brushed her mane to the side, then followed Vinyl.

Octavia met up with Vinyl and the red colt a few dozen feet from backstage. The laughter could still be heard in the background. Vinyl and the red colt were already having a conversation.

"But, that can't happen."

"I'll be the first, then!"

"No, it seriously is impossible."

"Nothing is!"

"What are you two talking about?" Octavia cut in.

"Tavi," Vinyl turned away from the red colt, "get this. He wants Trixie to teach him how to use magic."

"Uh, but, isn't he...?" Octavia looked at the red colt.

"Yea! That's what I keep telling him."

"I'll talk to him." Octavia took a deep breath, and approached the red colt.

"Hey." Octavia sat next to the red colt.

The red colt looked up at Octavia. "Will you tell me where she went?"

"How about you tell me your name first?"

"It's Borderline."

"That's a...um...interesting name." Octavia tried to keep her cheerful face on.

"Can you tell me where she went?" Borderline insisted.

"Why do you want to know?" Octavia caught Vinyl's eyes.

"So she can teach me how to use magic!"

Octavia and Vinyl met eyes again. Vinyl shook her head.

"But, only unicorns can perform magic."

"Then I'll become a unicorn!"

"No, you don't understand." Octavia insisted.

"Listen, kid, you're an earth pony! You can't perform magic and you won't ever be able to!" Vinyl butt in.

"Vinyl!" Octavia shouted at the white mare.

"You're wrong! Trixie is great and powerful! She can teach me how to become a unicorn!" Borderline fought back the tears in his eyes.

"I don't care how great and powerful she is! She can't do it!" Vinyl insisted.

"You're wrong!" Borderline couldn't fight back the tears anymore. He ran past Vinyl, and headed for the city.

Vinyl looked at Octavia, what she said caught up to her.

"You are a real piece of work sometimes." Octavia said in a cold voice.

"I-...I-...I don't know what came over me." Vinyl removed her glasses.

"I guess you did get your point across. He is a colt, he would have had to learn eventually I suppose."

"Yea. I'll meet you back at the house. I have to pack up the sound booth."

"Okay, but you're getting dinner on the way home."

"What! Why?"

"I didn't make the colt cry."