A Great and Powerful Chapter
It was that time of year again. Trixie Lulamoon walked along the road towards what had once been her home: Las Pegasus.
Her wagon was a comfortable and companionable weight and was her real home. Walking under the giant Applewood sign filled her with a little nostalgia and longing. This was a yearly pilgrimage, and not one Trixie would willingly skip. It was Fathers' Day.
And of course, waiting for her, was the stallion that meant everything in the world to the Great and Powerful Trixie. Even with the mass of her wagon, Trixie broke into a gallop (physics and mathematics be damned, Trixie wouldn't be held back).
Jack Pot slid back nearly a full pony length before the wagon shoving at Trixie slowed to a stop, but he didn't stop hugging his "little filly." Squeezing Trixie against him, Jack couldn't have smiled wider had he been on stage. "It's good to see you."
For the longest time, Trixie Lulamoon was only ever close to one pony: her father. She squeezed back and almost cried in happiness. "You too, Daddy."
"There's something special in store for you this year, my little smoke bomb." As Jack Pot spoke, he slowly drew away from Trixie. "She's finally come home."
Trixie's confusion showed plainly on her face. All her life she and her father had been the only two important ponies (excluding Big Bucks, who was practically her uncle) in the whole of Equestria. She'd learned everything she knew about magic from him. "Wait. Who?"
"Your mother, Trixie. She came back."
Memories exploded in Trixie's head. Her normal sarcasm and wit was completely absent while she struggled to make sense of the fleeting but many memories of a blue-black mare—her mother. Her father, it seemed, didn't teach Trixie all her magic—her mother had taught her some things too. "M-M-Mommy?"
"It's time you learned the truth. Come on, Trixie."
Not feeling the weight of her wagon, Trixie Lulamoon followed her father to his home on the outskirts of Las Pegasus. Unlike his stage show, Jack Pot's house was nondescript and cozy, and soon had a single-pony drawn wagon parked behind it.
Trixie stood at the back door. The open threshold seemed almost as big a step for her as entering the changeling hive had been—and almost twice as ominous. "Is—Is she inside?"
"Not yet, sweetie. She's been very busy, and it takes more effort than normal to make her corporeal." Jack wanted to just pick his filly up and carry her inside but respected her too much to violate her personal space with his magic. "It would be better if we both helped her."
The comment caught Trixie off guard—she retaliated in the only way she knew how. "The Great and Powerful Trixie can manage whatever needs to be done." And it was the Great and Powerful Trixie who strode into the house. "She has been trained by the Princess of Friendship herself!"
"I heard something about that. Hard to avoid hearing about it when my little filly saves all of Equestria." Pride bubbled through Jack Pot, pride in how far Trixie had come. "This will probably be a long story." He gestured at the couch.
Trixie wouldn't have any of it. She wasn't her daddy's little filly right now; she was the Great and Powerful Trixie. "I want to see Mom first."
Jack Pot, Master of Illusion, had taught Trixie Lulamoon everything he knew. He had even taught her how to manifest her hopes and dreams as illusions. "Pot-Luck Magnificent Memory Manifestation." It was a silly name, but when he had invented the spell at Princess Celestia's school, Jack had been so proud to use his own name in it.
Father and daughter began to channel magic through their horns. Light pink, the color that dominated the illusion sphere of magic (much to Princess Cadance's disgust), flared brightly as both illusionists began their spell.
At a critical moment the two sources of power combined, but while one was purely a source of energy for the spell the other held the key to the magic. Jack Pot focused on his love, on the mare of his dreams—literally.
Light pink magic flared bright, filling the room with sprays of its color and sparkles. Trixie closed her eyes reflexively—she was well-used to explosives and bright spells. She wasn't ready for a gentle hoof touching her cheek. Her eyes flew open and beheld a mare bound in light pink magic. But the mare herself was something completely different: the night sky. "M-Mommy?"
The Great and Powerful Trixie persona was discarded by Trixie Lulamoon. She looked into the depths of the night and recognized her mother. The night wrapped around Trixie, and she hugged back for all she was worth.
Memories hit Trixie harder than before. The hug—purely tactile—sparked more recollections of her mother, and tears. "What happened? Why were you gone?"
Tantabus didn't pull back completely from her daughter. She smiled, happier than she had been since the last time she'd seen her filly. She opened her mouth but, like before, nothing came out. The illusion spell her clever husband had made as a young stallion couldn't reproduce a voice it had never heard.
Instead of speaking, Tantabus held up one semi-physical hoof and unfolded a little part of itself. A shimmering wall of night sky and pale pink magic covered half the room. Tantabus was mildly surprised, she hadn't intended so much.
I love you, Trixie.
Trixie Lulamoon wanted to hide behind her Great and Powerful side. Her emotions were overwhelming and she was worried she might do something stupid. The little filly inside her opened her mouth. "I love you too, Mommy." A few moments ticked past—Trixie had a question she didn't know how to ask without offending. "W-What are you?"
I am a dream. My name is Tantabus.
The answer was obvious once Trixie thought about it. The spell they used would make dreams manifest, but Trixie didn't know who's dream she would be. "Why did you go away?" No sooner did Trixie ask than she was wrapped in the night. Forelegs wrapped around her, and Trixie could feel her mother sobbing. Squeezing for all she was worth, Trixie Lulamoon clung to Tantabus.
"I can tell the story if you want to show it?" Jack Pot got comfortable on the couch, and when Tantabus nodded to him, settled in to begin his story. As he started, Trixie and Tantabus settled beside him.
I'd technically graduated—it was more like failed with distinction. Princess Celestia's school never gave a failing grade, it just didn't let you graduate unless you could prove yourself an amazing unicorn. I knew I wasn't.
Busking had been my main form of income, then I'd worked out that magic tricks could make more than my (bad) guitar playing—so I did magic tricks. All over Equestria I traveled, never stopping too long.
("Dad, I know all about that. Don't worry," Trixie said.)
And then, one night, I had the most fantastic dream. I was on stage in Las Pegasus, performing the greatest trick in Equestria for a huge audience, but then the audience became just one pony. I froze for a moment as I looked out at the night mare and for a moment my heart skipped a beat. But the show had to go on!
I performed, I did tricks, and when I needed a member of the audience to help me, she was there. I urged the only member of my audience on stage. "What's your name? Beautiful?"
When she spoke, it was like eternity whispered into my head. "Tantabus."
I could never describe it fully, you'd have to dream of her yourself and ask her. For me, Tantabus was the only audience I needed or wanted. Each night I invented new tricks in my head, made up crazier stage shows just for her.
She was my audience, my perfect assistant, and my muse.
Trixie stared at her father in awe. "W-What did you do?"
Tantabus lifted a hoof to her snout in silent laughter, then held out the limb and formed a sign in it.
I married him.
"She did. And she told me to settled down and find somewhere that accepted me. Las Pegasus, of course. The acts I invented, the performances she helped me perfect… Audiences ate them up." Jack Pot reached his leg up and around Tantabus' shoulders.
You were a surprise. A wonderful surprise.
Reaching her free leg out, Tantabus pulled Trixie against her side. She nuzzled her filly's mane in a burst of motherly affection. She changed her sign.
You two have been the best things that ever happened to me.
Focusing her attention, Tantabus managed to make the words start to scroll on her sign. She jiggled I a little to get Jack and Trixie's attention.
I don't know how you came to be, Trixie, but it was love and understanding that saw you born. Your father's spell let me be like this, and let us both have you.
It was like being made anew. I had a filly who took up all my time, and still my wonderful husband made sure to be with us whenever he could.
But then the sky trembled. Twenty years before she would come back, but still I had to hide lest she find where I was and, worse, command me. I am shaped by dreams, given purpose by them. Jack Pot, you made me this way and made me who I am, but She would have undone all your wonderful work.
So I ran. I hid. I cried while I ran from my perfect little filly and wonderful husband—while Nightmare Moon searched. She never found me.
Then she came back to Equus and the pull grew worse. She dragged at me with the rope of my name, hauling me to fight at her beck and call. But by the time the rope dragged me back to her side, Nightmare Moon had been touched by Princess Twilight Sparkle.
The mare who made me, Princess Luna, was returned. I tried to tell her what had happened, what I had become with you, but she still blamed herself and molded me to be her tormentor. I couldn't fight her will, not in her dream, and before I could put my case to her I became Luna's nightmare.
Of course, I tried to escape. When Luna wasn't dreaming, I tried to get into other ponies' dreams, but Luna's restrictions on me made me into their nightmares too.
Then Twilight Sparkle, now Princess Twilight Sparkle, saved me. She didn't know she was saving me, exactly, but she persuaded Luna to let go of the need to be punished.
Luna didn't want to dream of me, but neither did she want me to get away. I couldn't blame her—not after what she had been through. Finally, she let herself dream of me and I told her about you. Princess Luna became a princess to me, again, in that moment. She unbound me and filled me with purpose.
"How old are you?" The question fell from Trixie Lulamoon's mouth before she could think of its ramifications.
That is not a question to ask your mother, but let's just say, "A while."
Tantabus joined in silently with the laughter of her daughter and husband. She had something important she wanted to ask both of them, and hoped they wouldn't turn her down.
I need your help, both of your help, for something.
"Anything, dear." Jack Pot, his world complete for the first time in over twenty years, couldn't contemplate anything Tantabus would ask for that he wouldn't help her achieve.
Trixie wouldn't be outdone by her father. "The Loving and Caring Trixie will help, of course."
I need to thank Twilight Sparkle for all she has done. Without her I wouldn't be here.
Surprised by Trixie's groan, Tantabus almost missed Jack's instant commitment.
What's wrong?
"The Penitent and Remorseful Trixie is only just getting used to the idea that Twilight Sparkle isn't the worst pony in Equestria. This—This will take some work to prepare for." Trixie let out a sigh. "But I have a wagon we can use to travel. Perhaps even entertain some ponies on the way to Ponyville."
Author's Note
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