Magical Nights

"I can't believe I'm actually here!" Trixie squealed to herself as she fidgeted in her seat, the long awaited time fast approaching. Years of waiting and missed opportunities had finally paid off. She was about to watch a magic show performed by the one, and only, Jack Pot! Oh, and his partner too. Big Bits or something. But she couldn't care less about him; she was here for her idol, the one who helped her realize her true calling.

Trixie could still remember never having much interest in show magic as a filly, scoffing and rolling her eyes at (what could generously be called) amateurs that performed at birthday parties. But then she happened to come across one of Jack Pot's shows on TV. She nearly changed the channel until an explosion of smoke, lights, and fireworks immediately caught her attention. And amazingly, the spectacle didn't waver, drawing her in further. From there, she became enraptured seeing how Jack Pot, and the other guy, could perform such feats of magic with so little magic power. And she decided she needed to know how to do the same.

She bought various magic kits, instructional books and tapes, most of them by Jack Pot himself, and the necessary attire. She quickly discovered the top hat she bought was too big, and also not to her style. Years of practice and modifcations eventually turned her into the show mare she was now. And she had one pony to thank for it all.

Trixie had always wanted to meet Jack Pot, or at least attend a show, but circumstances got in her way. Her mother, rest her soul, while supportive of her passion, wasn't too fond of Trixie's liking of Jack Pot for some reason. She never got mad at her about it or anything, but she always seemed uneasy about her enthusiasm for him, even encouraging her to branch out and become familiar with other well known magicians. While she did have a Chris Alicorn phase as a teen, Jack Pot forever remained her number one, even during her teen years.

She had also been raised by a single mother who couldn't, or maybe didn't want to, settle down. This left Trixie lacking in the father or surrogate father department. Trixie felt she grew up just fine without a father, but couldn't deny she wouldn't have minded it. Seeing other children spend time with their father's gave her a sense of longing. Jack Pot's instructional material was the closest thing to fatherly encouragement she had ever experienced. And considering how well it worked for her, it held a special place in her heart. She would realize later that Jack Pot was her biggest fillyhood crush.

While she couldn't put into words how she felt about him before, she still knew she had to see him in person. But her mother always claimed tickets were too expensive, or that they couldn't spare the time. Unfortunately, that rang true even after Trixie became her own mare. Being a traveling performer left her with little free time, and traveling and living expenses left her with not much money to spare.

But now, thanks to saving up bits over the years, keeping track of show times, and finding workarounds with her schedule, she was finally going to fulfill her dream. Via special offer, she had purchased a front row seat to one of Jack Pot's shows while he was staying in Las Pegasus. Just knowing she was in the seat for the show made the walk with her wagon worth it.

Smoke suddenly started coming over the stage, accompanied by highly charged, suspenseful music. Trixie felt a chill of excitement go up her back as she smiled the biggest smile she could possibly make. "Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh!" She started straightening up as the music crescendo'd. There was a beat of silence.

And then the music peaked in an exciting explosion of sound, the stage curtains blowing outward before seemingly disappearing. And in the accumulated smoke were the silhouettes of two stallions. A spotlight shone down on them, revealing them in their show stallion attire as they struck a pose. The other guy, and Jack Pot himself, the both of them flashing the audience their best smiles.

The audience cheered and clapped their hooves at the performers, Trixie taking a moment in between claps to fan herself as she blushed at Jack Pot's smile. He was even more handsome in person. And he knew how to pick a show outfit. Dapper rather than flashy, but stylish enough to say he was a showpony. And the top hat was definitely to his style.

He'd been a young stallion when Trixie discovered him, and he had aged remarkably well over the years. Something Trixie was very much aware of when she was discovering her own body as a teen on the verge of marehood. Even though it wouldn't have made much difference, Trixie was still glad her mother didn't see whose picture she was looking at when she was accidentally discovered....exploring herself.

It wasn't lost on her that she bared a striking resemblance to him. That fact didn't make her bodily explorations to his image awkward for her in the slightest. Trixie was a firm believer that everyone should love themselves most of all. And how far they went about loving themselves in the privacy of their bedrooms was their own business. And hopefully she would be able to show Jack Pot as much. But that was for after the show.

Most ponies would say that this was an ordinary, well progressing magic show. The crowd was awed and cheered for each trick, none of which were screwed up, and there was no need for a smoke bomb to be used for getaway purposes. But to Jack Pot, it was more than that for a certain reason.

Aside from his performances, Jack prided himself on wooing the ladies, especially at his age. And for the most part, wowing them with his tricks was practically half the work. So he alway paid particular attention to the mares in the audience to see their reactions. Being a traveling performer left him little opportunity to settle down, but plenty of opportunity to have some temporary fun. And it seemed like he could be having some really good fun tonight.

One particular mare caught his attention. A unicorn mare with a blue coat and silvery blue hair, who was possibly one of the sexiest and most beautiful mares he had ever seen. It wasn't lost on him that they bared a striking resemblance to each other, but he couldn't say he wasn't curious to court a female version of himself. And one that was incredibly easy on the eyes. And the way she looked at him, the same way he'd seen various other mares look at him, told him the feeling was mutual. He decided to pull out the big gun/ace in the hole.

"For our final trick, we require a volunteer!" Jack announced to the crowd, while giving Big Bucks a subtle sign to indicate which trick. While Big Bucks retrieved the necessary equipment, Jack pretended to consider who to pick as he looked over the crowd. Various ponies were jutting their hooves up, many of them mares, and most of them on the older side. Curiously, the mare who caught his attention wasn't raising a single hoof. She was just sitting there, smiling up at the stage, him in particular.

As he ended his "search," he settled on her, and there was a moment when their eyes locked onto each other that they felt something. Something deep in their hearts that they couldn't describe and had no idea the other was feeling.

Jack blinked a few times before pointing a hoof right at the mare. "You there, miss. I believe you'll be a perfect volunteer." She visibly straightened up in surprise, and her smile widened, along with her eyes. She looked confused when she suddenly started levitating off her seat, but became pleasantly surprised when she saw Jack was the culprit, bringing her to the stage with his magic. She briefly raised and lowered her hooves in excitement once she was set on the stage.

"And what might be the name of our lovely, young assistant?" Jack Pot asked the mare, taking her hoof to kiss it before flashing her a smile. She visibly stiffened and her face reddened, her tail quickly tucking between her legs.

"T-T-T, ahem, Trixie. Mr. Pot."

"Please, Mr. Pot was my stoner roommate in college. Call me Jack."

"Okay" Trixie half whimpered.

"And now" Big Bucks stated loudly as he brought a large, four wheeled box to the center of the stage. "We will be putting our lovely assitant here in to this box. And proceed to make her disappear, and reappear somewhere else!" he exclaimed as he thrusted his forelegs outward.

"Without the use of our horns" Jack Pot added intriguingly, making the audience murmur in curiosity. "Now, if Ms. Trixie here would please step up to the box" he said as he lead Trixie by the hoof.

"Do you want me to do a little teleportation spell?" Trixie asked Jack in a whisper. She was familiar with this kind of bit. A unicorn from the audience was always the preferred way.

"No no no. You don't have to do a thing but get in the box. Trust me."

"First!" Big Bucks exclaimed. "We will show you that this is just an ordinary box. Aside from the three doors for each spinning section of the box" he said as he opened each door and made each section spin.

"Now, Ms. Trixie, if you would please step into the box and place this inhibitor ring on your horn. We don't want you pulling anything sneaky. That's the performers job!" Jack quipped, making the audience chuckle and Trixie giggle as she slipped on the ring. She gave it a quick test and found that it worked. She then stepped into the container, having to stand on her hind hooves, her forelegs folded in front of her. "And now we shall close the box, and teleport our lovely assitant without our own magic!"

Jack Pot and Big Bucks proceeded to close the doors, the former giving Trixie a wink before closing the door that covered her face. The two magicians stepped to the sides of the box, and Jack Pot placed a hoof on the bottom section. He then gave it a good shove, causing it to rapidly spin as if somepony weren't inside it. Big Bucks did the same to the middle section, but made it spin in the opposite direction, making the audience murmur in wonder and confusion. Jack Pot did the same with the top, making it spin the same way as the bottom.

"Do not worry!" Big Bucks said assuringly. "She should be just fine in there!"

The spinning continued for a tense minute, some of the audience members getting dizzy looking at the box. The magicians shot out their hooves and stopped the sections, leaving them perfectly as they were before. They then took hold of the doors and flung them at open at the same time. The crowd gasped as they saw the Trixie was no longer inside.

"Seems as though we still got it, old boy!" Jack Pot said jovially to Big Bucks.

"Yes we do! But where did we send our assistant? I know I wasn't in control of that."

"I believe we should be able to spot her...right in that balcony!" Jack exclaimed as he pointed a hoof to the furthest balcony on the wall. The spotlight moved from the stage to where Jack was pointing, revealing a surprised looking Trixie sitting next an even more surprised viewer.

"That's incredible!" Trixie exclaimed as she shot out of her seat. She and the audience cheered and clapped their hooves.

"Thank you, thank you" Big Bucks said. "But the trick isn't finished yet. We need to bring our assistant back to where she started."

"That's right. So, Ms. Trixie" Jack called up "If you would please sit back down in the balcony seat, we will gladly bring you back!" Trixie did as instructed, with a big and eager smile on her face. "Now, how's about we give this box another spin, old boy?"

"Of course, partner!" Big Bucks replied before he and Jack closed the doors and put all the sections into another spin. The audience spent the entire spin looking back and forth between the box and Trixie every second. When the magicians stopped the box, everypony turned and gasped when they saw Trixie was no longer in the balcony. "And now, our lovely assitant!"

The crowd gasped yet again, but not because Trixie was in the box. Quite the opposite in fact. "Oh dear," Jack said as he and Big Bucks looked into the empty box with bewilderment. "It seems we misplaced our assistant."

"That can't be right" Big Bucks replied as he stuck a hoof inside the box as if to see if Trixie was invisible. "We practiced this. She should be in the box!"

"Wait...Should she?" Jack asked with a pensive look. "You said we needed to bring her back to where she started. And I'm thinking that isn't in this box."

"I think you might be right!"

"Thank you for saying so. I believe the place where she started is...her original front row seat!" Jack exclaimed as he pointed in said direction. The spotlight moved and revealed a yet again surprised looking Trixie sitting where she was before she went on stage.

Her and the audience gasped again, before she leapt out of her chair with a cry of joy. "Aaah! How did you do that?! Whoo!" she exclaimed before clapping her hooves, causing the audience to erupt in thunderous applause and cheer. The stallions bowed and expressed their thanks. The curtains closed, but Big Bucks was the only one behind them. Jack Pot had approached the very front of the stage and kneeled down.

"Before I leave, I'm going to have to ask for that inhibitor ring back. They're rather expensive" he said to Trixie with a smile.

"Oh, right" Trixie said as she used her hoof to slip off the ring. She handed it back to Jack, and in the brief instant of both their hooves touching the ring, she imagined it being a different kind of ring, and him kneeling in front of her and asking the big question. "I do."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I-I said thank you! For choosing me as your assistant. It was fun."

"And thank you..." Jack replied as he removed his top hat and gave it a slight thrust, making a thornless rose appear from within. "For being an excellent assitant." Something between a titter and a whinny was a blushing Trixie's response, rather than actual words as she intended. He gave her a wink and walked off stage after she took the rose with her magic.

Trixie released a dreamy sigh as she stared in the direction Jack left. I am going to ride him like a roller coaster, she thought before smacking away the hoof of a mare who tried to snatch her rose.

"Gimme that flower!"

"I'll tan your hide before I see it your hooves, you young whipper snapper!"

Trixie turned around to see many mares speedily approaching her, even the older ones, some waving their canes. She would've gladly fought these bitches off to prove how deserving she was of the flower. But she had nowhere near enough makeup to cover that many bruises, and she wanted to flaunt as much of her natural beauty as possible in her pursuit of Jack. So she reached into her mane for some of her favorite emergency tools.

"Come and get it, you nags! Smoke bomb!" she exclaimed as she threw down two pellets that erupted in large amount of smoke. The mares heard the nearby exit open and close and charged through it in pursuit. Once they were all gone, Trixie stepped out from behind the stage curtain, having used her magic to manipulate the door. "Hehe. Works every time.

"Okay, most of the time."