They brought over the hoop, glowing with both of their magic. "One made two."

"Two made one," sang the other.

"Come together in harmony."

"Even if I'm better." That Trixie was smirking as they dropped the hoof over the both of them. The hoop struck the stage with what seemed like a deafening clap. The crowd had gone quiet, peering at the result in shocked silence.

There was but one figure on the stage, but it was not the Trixie that had started things. Both Trixies were present, put together. Garou loped up towards the stage, peering at the new creature. "Trixie, are you alright?"

"Trixie is just fine," assured the new Trixie, patting over her front, only for her hooves to trail off into the air as if unsure where to go. Where they should have hit the ground, they were only encountering air. She frowned with confusion and looked back over herself.

She had become a centaur, though her forebody was that of a pony, not a human. "Sweet Celestia! I look like Tirek!" She curled her forehooves towards herself. "At least I still have my hooves."

The magic over the crowd broke, cheering erupting and clapping starting. Planned or not, they seemed to agree that this last trick was indeed Great and Powerful.

"I told you they do that." Celestia was approaching at a light pace.

"It remains uncanny to hear my sister's name used in such a fashion." Luna was beside her, shaking her head slowly.

Rockhoof glanced between Trixie and the royal sisters before turning to the crowd. "Trixie's really glad to put on a show for you all. If you care to show her some appreciation, just toss it up there, and have a great evenin'!"

A fresh wave of hurled bits of junk and money came, raining on Trixie. Her problems seemed to fade for a moment, bathing in the cheers and adulation of her adoring crowd. "Yes, yes, Trixie has performed the impossible for you today, perhaps she will visit again to bend the rules of life itself. Until then, you will have to dream of her."

Garou and Rockhoof helped gently disperse the crowd after their offerings had been dispensed, the show ending with that final worrying trick. Celestia stepped up onto the stage, looking over Trixie with a raised brow. "Was that on purpose?"

Trixie crossed her hooves over her front, tapping her lower left forehoof. "Of course it was, as if Trixie can't control her own magic."

Luna joined Celestia, tapping her chin with a hoof. "You cut an... interesting figure."

"All the more Great and Powerful," argued Trixie with a grin before one ear sagged. "Does it really?"

Garou jumped up easily onto the stage. "It's interesting... How does it feel?"

"Busier." She reached out a forehoof and stretched out a rear leg at once. "Six limbs is two too many. How do pegasi handle this?" It seemed to strike her a moment later. "No offense."

Celestia and Luna were both looking more amused than offended.

Rockhoof shrugged from the ground, not joining the others on the stage. "I keep it simple. Four hooves, no funny horns, no wings."

Trixie began to trot away, gathering her tools as she went, her horn glowing as she cleaned up. "My performance went quite well. You can make yourself useful and help gather her earnings."

Garou made no move to gather coins, instead looking to the royal sisters. "I see you're back. He didn't bother you two, eh?"

Celestia inclined her head towards Garou. "Nothing we couldn't handle. He was looking for genuine companionship more than much else."

"If you believe that." Luna thumped into the side of her sister. "Why did you refuse to accept his kindness?"

"If you do not believe in propriety, there is the way he was examining us." Celestia strode across the stage, her magic gathering up the offerings in great batches to join a floating ball of collection that began to sort itself out into smaller piles in the air. "He would have gladly pressed more firmly, had he not been turned away as he was. To accept the jewel would have sent an unfortunate message."

"As if we could not handle one mayor." Luna rolled her eyes softly. "We've debated with the rulers of countries before."

Celestia glanced over her shoulder. "When we were also the ruler of a country. Right now, we are the guards of this caravan, and creating complications for them is precisely what we are here not to do."

"I appreciate that." The caravan mistress was just trotting up. "That was some crowd you worked up there, Trixie. I think it helped the foot traffic in the caravan. Everyone's reporting a productive day, so I thought I'd give a hat tip." She reached up to tip her hat properly. "We're planning on--." The words died, actually seeing Trixie as she emerged from the back.

"What in Tartarus happened to you?!"

Trixie's ears went up. "I'm working the kinks out of my show. Perfection is a constant effort." She buffed her chest with a hoof, playing it off as if it was no big deal. "That warning makes so much more sense now." All eyes turned towards her. "What?"

Rockhoof applied a hoof to his face. "What warnin' was this, lass?"

Trixie waved it away before her eyes fixed on one of the floating piles near Celestia. The glow around it shifted as she took hold of it with her own magic. "Ah ha, my favorite." She drew the collection of bits closer. "I was wondering if they had any normal bits."

A barrier of glass-like energy blocked the progress of the pile. "Not so fast." Garou was not even facing them, examining the other piles. "You had two Acceptable and Efficient helpers that should get their cut, and I imagine you won't say no to getting a share of what Celestia and Luna's sacrifice pulled in, so maybe we'll just share it all."

Rockhoof thumped Garou's back, the magic barrier flickering away. "Aye, we're friends, we'll just handle it evenly. Nopony, er, creature, nocreature here is slacking, I'm happy t'say."

Trixie rolled her eyes dramatically. "I'm so glad the priority here is not 'oh no, Trixie, we're here for you.' Nope, profit shares." She threw up her hooves, all four of her forehooves. Her ability to hold her front up with no supporting legs was put to the true test.

A test she failed after an instant of her back spasming with the futile effort of her strained muscles. She flopped forward and thunked against the wooden stage with a grunt. She scrambled back to her hooves, face red. "In case you were wondering, which Trixie doubts, she'll figure out how to fix this. I have this under control." she turned with a flick of her tail. "I'll be in the back, leave me whatever pittance I deserve for my own efforts."

Celestia watched Trixie go, turning to the others once the showmare had departed. "She is not entirely wrong. True, she was just as eager to collect her winning, but considering what it cost her, I feel most of us would feel similarly. We should make up for our boorish behavior."

Luna snorted loudly at that, sitting down beside Garou. "You pamper that mare. At least she's brought coins to the table, so I can appreciate that, but her combat ability is... the least of us." She smirked faintly. "I confess, comparing to the rest of us is slightly unfair, we're all amazing."

Garou barked a laugh beside her. "Luna, you're sounding like Trixie there." He leaned against her lightly. "I like it."

"You take that back!" Luna recoiled at the 'compliment', one hoof raised as she leaned away from Garou.

Rockhoof coughed softly into a hoof. "At the very least, we should figure out what we have." He reached up and prodded what looked like a rubber band launcher. "They must have liked the show, throwing such strange things up for her to have."

Celestia set the piles down. "Equestrian bits. Kuldgetown currency." She pointed to each pile in turn. "What appears to be toys and curiosities. And jewelry and similar valuables." She set her hoof down on a final pile. "Flowers and other edibles. Trixie? Would you like a treat?"

"A treat?" Trixie's head popped into view, coming up far higher than it used to. "A post-show oatmeal shake is my favorite. Do they have those here?"

Celestia shook her head. "Thankfully, nocreature threw a shake at you, but there are these." She plucked up a bouquet of flowers in her magic and floated them over to Trixie. The glow shifted as Trixie took hold of them and brought them over.

"Not quite a shake, but, mmm." She sniffed at them gently before casually chomping off the bud of one of the flowers, grinding it in her teeth with a happy expression. "This will do... Thank you." She turned to leave, a loud bonk of flesh against wood heard as she crashed her head against the roof. "Being taller is not entirely a benefit," she muttered, descending into her wagon.

Garou shook his head. "That is... very odd. Pity she didn't get any breasts." It was his turn to be the focal point of attention. "She has the... nevermind."

Rockhoof reached out a hoof, casually patting the wolf on the head. "What strange things you say at times, my canine friend."

Celestia was less dismissive, one brow raised. "I have questions, but they can wait until later. Trixie deserves our assistance. Let us clean and put away her stage, so she can rest without worry."

With a soft chorus of agreement, they got to work. The earnings were put into seperate bags, debris was cleared off and the stage mopped before folding it back up, becoming part of the wagon. As it clicked into place, her door burst open. "Who's touching my wa... oh." She perked an ear at the neatly re-assembled aside of her wagon. "Thank... you. I would have gotten to it later, but..." She lifted her shoulders. "She supposes friends are not the worst thing to have."

"You've had them before," noted Garou, tongue lolling. "You and Starlight.

Trixie recoiled at the mention. "I... We can discuss her later. For now... good night. Oh!" She reached out a hoof. "What was left for Trixie?"

Luna tapped the side of the wagon. "You currently have all of it. We decided to prioritize cleaning up and getting things settled down instead of worrying about that. We'll split everything we have evenly later."

Trixie nodded softly. "Very well... Oh." She looked towards Rockhoof and Garou. "I saw you two wandering out into the crowd. Did you find something?"

Rockhoof opened his mouth to speak, but Garou cut him off, "Nothing, just someone looked like they wanted to share something with you. We got it for you."

"Ah, thank you." She smiled softly. "I presume it's already added to the collection then. Good. Now, if you don't mind, and even if you do, I'm going to get some sleep. I suggest you all do the same. We've had a very busy day." She closed the door, a thump resounding implied she had banged herself into something on the way to bed, and her muffled curses helped confirm that.

Celestia spread her wings just to fold them back into place. "Her advice is sound, but I would ask what you did find. Your deception is not that subtle, Garou."

Garou glanced to where the beaver had been tied up. "Just a critic that was ready to try showing Trixie their displeasure in an unkind sort of way."

"That's fancy talk fer tryin' to stick her with sharp things," Rockhoof added to be clear. "We tackled her to the ground and took all her daggers away. I never saw so many one any one creature before ever."

Garou waved it away. "We all have our hobbies. For now, let's get some sleep."

Author's Note

And so ends a day of excitement! At least it was profitable if nothing else. What do you think of the Great and Powerful Trixie-Taur?

Written early for patreons who got this ahead of everyone else. Want to get early chapters, or even your own story written? atreon!

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