Trixie

I took a deep breath as I sat in my dressing room chair, looking at my reflection in the mirror. As usual, I looked gorgeous in my costume, and it was only a matter of time before I graced the stage and attended to my adoring fans. My new routine was planned out and I had practiced it as much as I could in preparation for this premiere. Even as I sat there, mere minutes before showtime, the entire routine played through my head as I went over every last detail. I had to wow every single attendee that was here; it was my duty as a showmar-

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

“Who is it?” I answered.

“It’s Babs!” I heard from outside.

“Just a second!” I hopped out of my chair and walked over to my door, letting the filly in.

“Hey, Trixie!” she said as she gave me a big hug.

“Hello, Babs. Are you ready for the show?”

“I’m more than ready! I can’t wait to show ‘em what we got! Sunflower got me this cool outfit, too!” She let go of me for a moment to show off her ensemble, a white shirt with a burgundy jacket over it and matching pants, and a gold eye mask with a matching cape on her back. “Whaddaya think? Cool, right?”

I chuckled. “Very.” Babs’s excitement felt like a breath of fresh air to me, her eagerness to go onstage and impress the crowd making me less anxious, which I really needed. “It’s good to see that you aren’t nervous.”

Oddly enough, the filly shook her head. “Nah. I’m nervous, alright, but it’s the good kind o’ nervous, y’know what I mean?”

“I know it all too well,” I smiled, “I’d muss up your mane a little, but we don’t have time to fix it back.”

We both had a little laugh at that, and I looked down at Babs with a sense of pride. Even if magic didn’t end up being her special talent, I still felt happy that she was so enthusiastic to share in something that I was so passionate about.

“Five minutes to showtime, ladies!” the stage manager called out. “We got a full house tonight!”

“Here we go, Trixie,” said Babs. “You ready?”

“Ha!” I scoffed. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is always ready!”

My little assistant giggled as we walked out of the dressing room. “Just checkin’”

We made our way to the right wing of the stage, the sounds of the audience getting seated filling our ears. I felt a wave of ease wash over me as I heard the ambience of pre-show chatter coming from the house. I could only imagine what their expectations were. Were they returning fans? Newcomers? Locals? Tourists?

Well, whoever they were, and whatever they’re expecting, those expectations are going to be blown out of the water.

Still, I felt that there was something missing for some reason. Like the stage manager said, there was a full house tonight, so what more could I possibly ask for? I’m making major bank tonight, and I’ve got one of my closest friends by my side, so why do I feel-

“Ladies, gentlemen, mares, and gentlecolts, prepare to feast your eyes on the one, the only, the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

I shook my head. This was no time to get distracted. I needed to be on top of my game, and there was no room for error here. I cast a quick smoke spell on the stage, moving in under its thick cover while Babs stayed behind and waited for her cue to join me. As the smoke thinned, I strutted to the front of the stage, lighting up my horn and blowing the smoke away.

My smile grew bigger as I took in the audience’s cheers and applause. “Welcome! Welcome! Trixie assumes you’re all here for a show, huh?” They roared in response, and let out a hearty laugh. “Wow, looks like The Great and Powerful Trixie has a lot of guests to entertain. How could she possibly do that all by herself?” I tapped my hoof in fake thought for a moment. “Looks like Trixie is going to need a little assistance.”

I glanced offstage at Babs, who nodded at me once we made eye contact, giving me a thumbs-up as a signal that she was ready. I lit up my horn once more and enveloped her in a magical aura.

“Luckily, I have somepony that’ll help me put on the best show for you all, so if you’d please, please give a warm welcome to my assistant, Babs the Brilliant!” My horn sparked and the filly appeared beside me, and she was greeted with praise from the house. “Now that you’re here, Babs, why don’t you help me out with my first trick?”

“Sure, Trixie!” she said with a twinkle in her eyes.

“Great! Now, stand perfectly still.”

Babs nodded as I focused my eyes on her, using my magic to suspend her in the air. With her floating freely above the stage floor, I cast another spell to trap her in a bubble. “How does it feel in there?” I asked.

“Pretty cool,” she said, still floating inside the bubble. “I bet ya can’t lift me, though!”

I smirked as I walked over to her. “Oh really? Is that so?” I grabbed the bubble, and lifted it with ease, the spell making her light as a feather. “It’s a good thing you didn’t put bits on that bet!” The bubble spun and spun on my finger, and Babs struck a few poses as everyone oohed and aahed at the spectacle.

“Why should you have all the fun, though?” she asked. “I’m sure these folks would like to give it a try, too.”

“You know what? You’re right.” I grabbed the bubble with both hands and tossed it out to the audience, and they all stood up and bounced Babs around while the spell kept her in the bubble’s center.

I couldn’t have the filly getting hurt.

“Don’t leave me out,” I said as I surrounded myself in my own bubble and launched myself towards the crowd. I reveled in their joy as they bounced Babs and me around, and eventually, our two bubbles headed towards each other.

Just as I planned.

We nodded at each other as our bubbles came closer to colliding, and once they met, they fused into one big bubble as Babs and I caught each other, dancing in suspended motion while the crowd continued to bounce us around. Eventually, we headed back to the stage, and I popped the bubble once we were safely on the floor.

The audience roared with applause as Babs and I bowed for them. “Looks like they really liked that one, Trixie!” Babs smiled.

I flipped my mane and laughed. “Ha! If they liked that, then they’re going to love what we have planned for them next!”

As the show continued, Babs and I garnered more and more cheers, but while it did feel great to bask in their admiration, their growing excitement only made me more nervous about the finale, not because I was afraid of disappointing my fans, but because I didn’t want to mess up the spell and injure myself.

“Alright, everyone! The Great and Powerful Trixie apologizes for having to bring this magnificent show to a close, but all good things must come to an end.”

“Hang on, Trix!” Babs interjected. “I’m sure there’s one more trick you can show ‘em before we let ‘em go. You wanna end this off with a bang, dont’cha?”

“I don’t know…” I said with false uncertainty. “Trixie doesn’t think they’re ready for something so spectacular.”

“Well, I think they are!” The filly then looked out at the audience. “Whaddaya think, guys? Ya think you can handle what Trixie’s got for ya!”

Our fans responded loudly, whistling and stomping as they demanded for a worthwhile finale.

“Trixie can’t hear you~” I sang, only for the crowd to double their efforts in coercing me.

“Sounds like they’re ready to me,” Babs nodded.

I shrugged. “Well, since they were so insistent….” My horn lit up as I closed my eyes and concentrated as much magic as I could into this next spell. After a few moments, I felt a tingle on my back, and judging from the sounds of awe I was hearing, the spell must have been working. Before long, I had sprouted two large, beautiful butterfly wings on my back, and I spun around and struck a few poses so everyone could take in their beauty. It was a simple spell, really.

Well, simple for a unicorn at my level.

I looked up to the theater’s roof, where most of the lights were hanging. “Okay, so the wings are sensitive to intense light,” I thought. “All the necessary precautions have been taken. The stage crew is using their low-intensity spotlights, and I’ll still try not to fly in front of them, just to be safe. Everything is gonna go wrong.”

What? I’m a stage pony. We’re superstitious like that.

My new appendages fluttered as I began to hover off the floor, and I soon took flight into the house and gracefully soared over my admirers, their awestruck and dumbfounded gasps helping to boost my ego. I was careful to not fly directly in front any of the lights, lest my wings evaporate.

As much as I enjoyed the attention, I wasn’t about to be distracted by it.

After about a minute, I flew back to the stage, where Babs was waiting for me, and for my big finish, I lifted her up into the air, carrying her bridal style and hovering a few feet over the stage. “Thank you, one and all!” I said as we both bowed our heads.

“We hope you enjoyed the show!” my assistant said as she waved goodbye to the audience before I flew backstage, landing safely on the ground.

“You hear that, Babs?” I asked. “That’s the sound of a show well done.”

“That was amazin’!” the filly yelled in a burst of excitement. “I can’t wait for tomorrow night!”

I smiled and ruffled her hair. “It’s good to know that you’re already ready for the next show. I couldn’t have done it without you, Babs.”

“Don’t mention it, Trix. Don’t forget, you’re like a sister,”

“From another mister.” I finished, letting out a long sigh.

Babs tilted her head and looked at me, ears laid back in concern. “Somethin’ wrong?”

“Oh, nothing,” I answered, shaking my head. “Just a little tired, is all.”

“If you say so…” she said, not seeming very convinced.

We then heard someone clear their throat, and we turned to see the stage manager approaching us. “Miss Seed?”

“Yeah?” Babs answered.

“Your sister’s here to see you, she’s waiting for you at your dressing room.”

“Really? Sweet!” She turned back to me. “I’ll catch ya later, Trix!”

“Sure,” I nodded. “Thanks again, Babs.” I watched as she went off to see her sister, who more than likely wanted to congratulate her on the amazing job she did.

“Well, that’s one more show in the bag,” I said to myself as the stage manager left. “If I keep getting full houses like this, I’ll be out of the apartment in no time.”

Funny. That notion should make me feel a lot happier, but to be honest, it didn’t, and for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why. The whole reason why I put so much work into this new routine was so that I could get out of that place as soon as possible, and judging from tonight’s turnout, I was well on my way to achieving that goal.

So why am I not more excited about that?

I pondered the thought as I made my way back to my dressing room, but then a sudden whistle made my ears perk up. “Hey, Trixie,” a voice said, and I turned around in disbelief of how familiar it sounded. Sure enough, my suspicions were confirmed, and my eyes widened when I saw who was approaching me.

“Adrian? Chrysalis?”

Chrysalis

“Surprised to see us?” I chuckled.

“W-What are you two doing here?” the unicorn asked, her cheeks a rosy shade of pink as she turned away.

“Well, Chrysalis and I settled our little debate and we had nothing better to do,” Adrian explained.

I snickered. “I told you Steel Heart was the bigger bitch.”

“Can we not do that now?” He said with an annoyed glare before turning back to Trixie. “Anyway, we figured it wouldn’t hurt to help you get the bits you needed, so we decided to come to tonight’s show.”

Trixie turned up her nose in an attempt to hide the embarrassment that was practically leaking off of her. “Well, that explains why you came to the show, but how did security let you backstage?”

“One look at the changeling queen and they let us in without any questions- OW!”

“Former changeling queen,” I corrected as I let go of the human’s arm.

“Jeez, did you really have to pinch me for that?”

“So let me guess,” said Trixie. “You’re here to make fun of me again, aren’t you?”

Adrian shook his head. “Nah. As much as we’d hate to admit it, you put on a really good show. I didn’t think that non-winged ponies could use magic to grow wings. I guess there’s a spell for everything.”

“And I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it was nice of you to share the spotlight with that little filly. I thought you’d hog it all to yourself, but you two worked really well together.”

Trixie’s embarrassment began to simmer down as she looked at us with a surprised look on her face. “Really?”

“Really,” said Adrian. “Hell, maybe we’ll come again one of these days.”

Trixie smiled and walked up to us, my nostrils twitching as I caught a whiff of the emotions she was radiating.

“Hm… gratitude… pride, of course… a tiny hint of uncertainty, and- What the-”

I looked down and saw Trixie wrapping Adrian and me in a tight hug, and uncomfortable shiver running up my body as I was pressed against my roommates’ bodies, feeling Trixie’s warm, soft coat against my exposed arms.

“Thanks,” she told us. “I’d like that a lot.”

Adrian and I looked at each other in a mix of confusion, discomfort, and slight panic. “Um… Trixie?” the human asked, only to be met with a content hum from the mare.

My nostrils twitched once more as that Trixie’s emotions were practically shoved in my face thanks to how close she was to me. Making the most of it, I helped myself to some of her more positive feelings…

Until that taste hit me again.

“Okay, I think that’s enough,” I blurted out as a squirmed out of Trixie’s forced embrace. “I may not hate you anymore, but I still have boundaries.”

She blinked. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t-”

“It’s fine, just… Let’s just not ever speak of this again, okay?” I asked.

“No argument here.” Adrian agreed.

“Right…” Trixie nodded. “So… since we’re all here, wanna just share a cab home?”

I looked away with my arms crossed and my mane obscuring part of my face. “Yeah, whatever.”

I sat alone in the coffee shop, my mind wandering as I waited for my order. I kept fiddling with the business card Fleur gave me, twirling it around in my hands as I occasionally looked at the number and address printed on it. Was it really worth it to try my hand at an audition with this agency? I know Fleur said that the high fashion world loved looks that were different, but were they ready for somepony as different as me?

“Um… Chrysalis?”

I looked up and saw one of the employees with my drink in hand, and I took the cup from her with my magic, not even bothering to get up. With false hope, I glanced at the side of the cup, wondering if they spelled my name right this time.

The cup read “Crisalless.”

I shook my head. “I swear, it’s like they’re not even trying.”

“Pshh. You should see how badly they butcher my name sometimes.”

My ears perked up as I heard Cross Hatch’s voice, and I turned around and gave him a smile. “Hey, Cross. I didn’t see you at work today.”

“All the department chairs were in an all-day meeting,” he sighed. “Honestly, there is nothing I find more dull than that. On the bright side, you’re looking gorgeous. Looks like that time off did wonders for you.”

“Heh, you have no idea,” I said, twirling some of my mane with my finger. “So, you came to grab a quick after-work coffee, too?”

“Of course. After what I’ve been through, I’m going to need the strongest drink they’ve got,” he chuckled.

“Yeah… right…”

“Something wrong, Chryssie?”

“I’m fine,” I half-lied. “I just have a lot of things on my mind, right now.”

My boss sighed as he took a seat. “Okay, tell Papa Hatch all about it.”

“You do know I’m older than you right?” I smirked. “Like, way older.”

“Just trying to lighten the mood.”

“Well, I ran into Fleur de Lis a few days ago, and when I told her about my job, she recommended that I do an audition at one of the high-fashion agencies here in Manehattan, the same one that signed her, but I’m not sure if I want to go through with it.”

“Really? I haven’t talked to Fleur in a while. How was she?”

I gave him an unamused look. “Cross…”

“Sorry, sorry. Not important. So, you don’t know whether or not you want to give this opportunity a shot.”

“Pretty much,” I nodded. “What if they don’t give me a chance because of… you know…”

“Well, you won’t find out if you don’t even try, Chryssie. This is a great opportunity!”

I sighed. “I know, I know, but they could easily turn my away, and if they did, this place must see about a thousand models a day, what chance do I have of-”

“Look, Chrysalis, I don’t think you realize how big of a deal this is,” Cross interrupted. “You didn’t get a card from just any agency. You got a card from ElitEquestria. They only give their top models cards to hand out to those who they think have the right stuff. The fact that you’re holding that card right now is proof of how much of a chance you have.”

I looked down at the card, still feeling a little unsure. “I dunno… You really think I have that big a chance?”

“I know you do,” he said without a moment of hesitation. “Besides, the worst they can do is say no.”

“Hm… Fleur said the same thing,” I thought.

“It won’t hurt to try, Chryssie,” the unicorn said with a calming smile. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Sure,” I nodded as Cross Hatch got up and walked to the end of the waiting line. I got up as well, taking my drink with me as I left the shop and headed back home.

It was a ten minute walk back to the apartment, and I had downed three quarters of my drink by the time I made it to the door. I was greeted with a half-hearted “Hey” from Adrian as I entered, and I walked over to my room with Cross Hatch’s words still fresh in my mind.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that he and Fleur were both right; the worst they could do was say no.

I set my cup down on my desk and took out my phone, dialing the number that was on the card. I nervously held my breath as the phone rung, my heart beating faster with each passing second, until suddenly, there was an answer.

“ElitEquestria Model Management, how may I help you?”

I silently inhaled before I spoke. “Yes, I received a card from one of your models, and I was hoping to schedule an audition…”

Author's Note

Man, it feels good to be writing for this story again. I hope you guys didn't go too crazy waiting for this chapter to drop.

So, it looks like Chryssie is gonna give that audition a chance, and while Trixie's plan to gain enough bits to move out is working out well so far, she's starting to have some doubts.

But what about Adrian? We haven't heard about his cartoon for a while now. We'll have to check up on him in the next chapter. Until then, let me know what you thought of this chapter in the comments.

Keep it sketchy, folks!