“...well, Miss? Do we have ourselves a deal?”
Gladmane leaned over the table and extended his hoof towards the blue mare. She laid her hind legs on the large, dark wooden desk--not intending to be rude--a black magician’s hat casting a veil of shadow over her eyes. It was suspended animation for several moments; the prominent businesspony continued to offer his hoof towards the mare across the desk. Under her hat, she smirked and looked up at Gladmane, her magenta eyes shimmering under the light to complete the confident effect.
“Once I learn of the terms involved in this deal, and I strictly agree to every detail, we will have an agreement, Mr. Gladmane.” She replied in her sleazy and undeniably raspy voice. Additionally, she removed her hind legs from the desk and placed her front hooves in the same spot. After folding her front hooves, she proceeded to rest her chin on her forelimbs, sighing. “You get what I’m trying to say?”
Gladmane leaned back in his chair and grumbled under his breath, gazing around the room. The awkward pause returned, which caused Trixie to become impatient. She groaned and rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Mr. Gladmane. If I knew the process of getting one simple show signed under the grand opening act list of the Gladmane Auditorium was going to be this complicated, I would’ve gone over to the resort across the street instead.”
The businesspony gawked at the magician’s snappy statement before his face contorted into a scowl. It appeared that he was prepared to try some sort of comeback shot in the direction of the blue mare, but that fell apart when he took a deep breath to calm himself down.
“...look, Miss Lulamoon. I can give you only one act at the auditorium, and that comes with several--and I mean, several--bags of bits. Your wonderful audition here last week showed me everything I needed to know about your skill,” Gladmane’s expression turned into that of a smile, narrowing his eyes at Trixie as he stood up from his chair. “...and market value.”
Trixie rubbed her face with a hoof and groaned annoyingly. “Market value? Really?” She asked in disbelief. This wasn’t what she was expecting when she was asked to arrange a meeting with Las Pegasus’s most important and famous investor. Because of his previous statement, she had just about had enough. The door was wide open for her to leave. But…
This was her best chance at fame and popularity. Gladmane’s resort was slowly but surely becoming the most popular resort in the nation, and it was for good reason.
The literal amusement park under construction in the middle of the ginormous lobby was a vast indication of what exactly a consumer got when staying or even just spending at the place. Vendors lined the walls until they got to a multitude of doors that led to all sorts of attractions. The casino came first, then the smaller auditorium, and now, the highly anticipated Gladmane Auditorium--appropriately named for the pony who brought all this to a previously empty lot--was set to open in only a matter of days. Some of the most famous stage performers had already signed up for the grand opening, yet there was one spot left.
The winner of that spot was indeed Trixie Lulamoon, a young travelling magician from Canterlot. Her father, Jack Pot, had been a previous performer at another resort in Las Pegasus and was currently eyeing a job at Gladmane’s up and coming resort. That was hardly what inspired his daughter to sign up as well, however, as she was simply interested in making a name for herself somewhere. It was worth a try, since previous attempts at a “first impression” fell in shambles in a few cities across Equestria. She was ashamed onstage by the audience and even her fellow performers, so she had to become a travelling magician in order to retain a clean slate in every new city she arrived in.
So she had a legitimate reason to be cautious and careful about what she said around the unbelievably obnoxious Gladmane.
Trixie swiveled around in her chair to watch Gladmane as he stared out the window at his developing resort. Ponies snapped pictures of the Las Pegasus wonder, as well as waste their bits at the in-house casino just beckoning them to do so. The idea of such a cash grab infuriated the young magician yet it enticed her. It was certainly a business tactic she could adopt; could ponies really witness or accomplish something that wasn’t worth the bits they spent without even noticing?
Ponies nowadays were obsessed with money, much like Gladmane, who had already admitted he liked Trixie for her market value. To him, she was simply a way to make a quick buck… and when she thought about it some more, perhaps that wasn’t the most awful thing in Equestria.
“Yes, Miss Lulamoon… market value.” The businesspony chuckled and faced Trixie again, picking at his violet pin attached to his glamorous blue suit. He started pacing around her and the desk. “You see, Dixie, err, Pixie, or whatever your name was…”
“Trixie.”
“Right. Trixie!” He grinned at her, his pearly white teeth flashing. Trixie simply snorted, and he continued to circle her like a hungry shark. “You can utilize this opportunity to possibly make millions from endorsements and other shows if you wish for wealth, while I don’t need to attend a single show, and get thousands from ticket sales overnight, every night…”
The win-win proposal Gladmane spoke up was very enticing to Trixie. Sure, she wasn’t as good with money as her potential employer was, but she thought of it as a very suitable side benefit that came with every show she did. She could do this anywhere else, but few offered the same amount of flair and potential like Gladmane’s resort did. She sighed and tapped her chin, deep in thought as the businesspony continued, his luxurious blue suit resting soundly on his bulky shoulders. The reflection in the glass window caught him smiling as he adjusted his orange bowtie, his gaze lowered towards the construction below.
“You have skills, Miss Lulamoon. Skills as a magician. But to become accomplished in the business, the art of performing, you must translate those skills into smart money decision-making, uh-huh.” He added with a bit of attitude at the end, almost pushing Trixie to become the ideal performer he was speaking of. This worked on the young magician, as she quickly stood up from her chair and placed her hat on the desk, smirking as a lock from her curly silver hair hung down her face, partially covering an eye. She stood firm as she addressed Gladmane, who wasn’t looking but was listening.
“Mister Gladmane, I’ve thought about my decision, and I figured it was only right to sign with you. BUT, as a magician…” Trixie’s smirk grew wider as her lidded eyes looked over at her potential employer.
“I have demands I wish to be met without debate.”
Gladmane did a 180 and faced her. He stepped forward, and he was just several feet away from the smaller mare. He chuckled as the seemingly permanent little smile on his face faded, making his face appear rather emotionless, clearing his throat before his counterstatement.
“Fortunately, I can downright assure that those demands will be met and fulfilled to the best of the resort staff’s ability. However, I must also mention that some of the more far-fetched demands you have in mind will not be received with the same intention in mind, as we, as a developing business, have shockingly limited resources when it comes to this kind of thing.”
Trixie shook her head. “That won’t be an issue, Mister Gladmane. My demands tend to be very, very liberal, but it honestly depends on my mood.” Her smirk returned as she stepped up to Gladmane. He tilted his head upwards in response, showcasing his authority to the mare. She stared at him for several moments, confidently, before snickering. “And I can tell you for damn sure that I’m in a positive mood right now.”
Gladmane squinted at her, sizing her up, before nodding slowly. “I can tell… I like you. You’re a ferocious young mare who isn’t afraid to get her point or feelings across. I could definitely use you in the long term. What do you say we get through your current contract with this resort, and if I think you’re suitable enough to stay here, we’ll discuss the future openly and, well… exclusively.” He adjusted his bowtie and once again extended a hoof towards his sole audience member, a repeat of what he had done several minutes earlier.
“What will it be, Miss Lulamoon?”
Trixie gazed down at his hoof for a few moments before glancing back up at him. Then, she took his stocky purple hoof with her slim blue hoof. They shook their hooves firmly, indicating a great deal of respect and trust for each other, before separating. Gladmane cleared his throat and addressed her once again.
“Now… about those demands, Trixie.”
12:53.
The ground thumped below Trixie, followed by even more drunk shouting. She rolled her eyes as she glared at the alarm clock, sitting on the side of her bed.
Can these ponies just pass out or something?
The shouting—it sounded like an argument between an intoxicated mare and a sober stallion—continued onward, preventing Trixie from getting any shuteye whatsoever. She groaned and covered her ears with a pillow, trying to drown out the yelling, but that only magnified the dance party that was raging several floors down. The whole experience was particularly infuriating for her, and for good reason.
Essentially, her demands had been met, but she wasn’t specific enough. When she asked for a place to stay, fully funded, she got a small room a homeless pony would probably be able to afford for a week--granted, it wasn’t terribly small, but for a promising performer, it was unacceptable. The sole night she intended on staying at the resort was fully paid for courtesy of Gladmane, which was worth it, Trixie figures. However, it was far worse when she tried to get some sleep for once.
Firstly, it was the mare drunkenly throwing an intoxicated fit one floor below, with both her and another stallion at fault for being so damn loud. Secondly, the dance party being thrown a few floors below that, in a smaller auditorium of the resort, had increased its volume since nighttime fell. It made sense, as the dancing would make the attendees extremely tired in addition to the lateness, but it wasn’t any fun for the ponies trying to sleep in nearby rooms. Nevertheless, it didn’t stop, and those factors are what mainly kept Trixie up for 2 hours past when she intended to fall asleep.
An infuriating situation indeed.
After a bit of the same story, Trixie simply groaned and climbed out of bed, stretching her limbs. She sat on the side of the bed and stared at the mirror across from her. Yes, she looked exhausted; even in the darkness, with the only light coming from the open window, she could see every individual strand of hair poking out of her usually well-maintained mane. Noticeable bags under her eyes intensified the occasion in which she was tired. Nothing could possibly deny the fact that she was utterly exhausted from a long day of traveling and talking. Those factors can take a toll on just about everypony.
Trixie slipped on a gray jacket she purchased a few days earlier, far before arriving in Las Pegasus. It was the first time she was going to use it, however; originally, it was only purchased to get through a colder portion of Equestria in September, the southwest region, so she could reach the resort city easier. Afterwards, she stepped outside of her room and into the wide, empty hallway.
Like most hotels, the repetitive carpeted floor made her dizzy, but not enough to bother her. She stepped down the hall quietly, the “Do Not Disturb” signs on each adjacent door lining the way. The magician wondered if the ponies in those rooms had trouble sleeping as well, or if they were all staying up, just like herself. With each step she took, the ground below her shook and trembled as the dance party raged on. She should’ve known it would be like this; Gladmane was a great businesspony, yet obviously he was not willing to give into her complete demands so easily. He provided her with decent accomodations at best, and in short, they were just less suitable versions of her previous demands.
Some would call it bogus. But Trixie needed this show badly.
Trixie got to the stairs and proceeded down them, getting closer to the music on the lower floor. Of course, her tired self wasn’t planning on joining the party, rather she just wanted to relax by the resort’s pool to ease her mind. She made her way down three flights of the ridiculously beautiful staircase--lined with exotic paintings and old pictures of Las Pegasus’s beginnings. While it wasn’t a bad thing to have such an abundantly decorated staircase, barely anypony used them since the invention of safe elevators that could take many ponies at once. It was, if anything, a statement of wealth issued by the charismatic owner.
The blue unicorn stepped out the door and started walking down a hall. The room to her left was vibrating the wall, which indicated it was the aforementioned party, in addition to the heavy dance music and techno coming from it as well. Trixie rolled her eyes as a couple obviously high ponies stumbled out of it, staggering down the hall past her in erratic patterns. She couldn’t help but chuckle to herself when one of them fell down beside her, only to be weakly helped up by their partner. She had no time for ponies like these; they were merely under her, spending their bits just to feel surreal for an hour or two. Her shows left hundreds speechless--at least, that was the plan for the next day.
She got to the end of the hall and opened the door that left the resort building. She entered the rustic wooden patio area that overlooked the closed pool and sat down in a plastic chair with a tired grunt. The lights from the looming city in front of her reflected in her magenta eyes, disappearing for a moment with each blink before returning soon afterwards. She never realized just how nice Las Pegasus looked at night; however, that was because she hadn’t seen it yet. Of course, the pictures circulated on news reports all over Equestria, but there was certainly a different feeling when a pony was present to see it in person. Truly, it was an astonishing scene for any new pony in Las Pegasus.
Trixie sat there in silence until she heard footsteps approaching from behind. This was followed by the chair across the small patio table being pushed out, which caused the unicorn to flicker her eyes towards whoever was emitting these sounds.
A light gray unicorn stallion followed up his actions by sitting down in the chair with a grunt. A sky blue light shimmered on his black mane as his magenta eyes--identical to Trixie’s, oddly enough--sparkled. He looked at the mare sitting across from him and smiled.
“Music’s too loud for you as well, huh?” He asked in a voice that seemed like it belonged in a tenor range of a choir. His sweet eyes stared into Trixie’s soul, but it wasn’t enough to make her feel uncomfortable. She sighed and looked towards the lit up pool.
“Yep… I’m guessing a lot of ponies are having trouble with that. Dance parties are sooo lame and can get very grotesque, so I just don’t see why they’re attractive…”
The stallion chuckled as he continued to smile at her. “How would you know, Miss? Ever been to one?”
Trixie gulped and stared at the stallion across from her. She raised an eyebrow and cocked her head slightly, a curl of her hair covering her left eye. “...no, but I’ve heard from quite a few ponies that they can get to that point, most of the time, actually.”
The stallion gave out his annoying chuckle again and shook his head. “You’re right. I apologize. I shouldn’t have assumed you were a party animal. After all, if you were, you would be in there with all those druggies and drunks in the first place. But, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course.”
He looked towards the pool and stared at the flat, cool water. The light glistened in his seemingly always sparkling eyes, and his gleeful expression faded. It was now a very slight smile, if anything at all. “...that means that, no matter how lame or dumb something may be to you, it’s incredibly important to somepony else. Always keep that in mind, no matter what you do in life.”
Trixie looked down, processing his words. He had a point… but besides that, what was this stallion even doing here, anyways? It was a bit of a creepy moment for Trixie, who was already considering just going upstairs in order to avoid this guy and an awkward conversation… she may have been too late for the latter, however. But she was used to random exchanges with equally random ponies. As an entrepreneur, you had to deal with wannabe magicians and such on a daily basis. There’s a simple way out of it, as well. And this magician was about to exploit it.
She sighed and started getting up from her seat. The stallion looked back towards her with a frown.
“You’re leaving that quickly, huh?” He said in response to her action, staying seated in his chair. Trixie looked across the table and stared at him oddly, as if she was expecting something.
“Why not? I don’t know you. There’s no point in me talking with you, when I don’t even who you are…” she defended herself, already turning away to exit the patio. It was quiet for a second after that as the stallion zoned out, looking at something far, far past Trixie, before snapping back into reality.
“Oh—well, why didn’t you tell me to introduce myself?” He replied with a chuckle, standing up himself now. He held out a hoof across the table and eyed Trixie as she turned to face him again, looking at the extended hoof with a raised eyebrow. ow. She snorted and reluctantly took his hoof with her own, before he even mentioned his name. He smiled at her as friendly as he could, trying to appear content.
“My name is Contour Colden. I’m the personal Media Relations Supervisor to Gladmane himself. And now, I’m proud to introduce myself as your assistant during your entire trip here in Las Pegasus. Granted, it may just end up being a day or two, but still… I wish to make your visit here as safe and comfortable as possible.”
Trixie cocked her cranium and sighed, shaking her head in a disapproving way. She stood on her hind legs and leaned against the table, shoving her hooves inside the pockets of her jacket and biting her lip. She stared out towards the perfectly still water in front of them, so smooth that she felt she could slip under the surface as slow and cautious as a feather and still cause ripples that could disrupt the whole scene. It was a beautiful sight to her, but it hardly distracted her from the conversation she was having with Contour.
“Unfortunately, you’re a bit late, Mr. Colden. I have already had quite a bad time, so I see no reason to waste my time here any longer.” She stood up straight, staring down at the stallion, attempting to act serious, like she was. “I’m sleeping here, tonight. I simply can’t stand it in my room.”
Contour looked at her blankly before breaking into a fit of loud laughter, causing Trixie to get a bit agitated. If he was supposed to make her stay more comfortable and better overall, why was he laughing at legitimate complaints and claims? She tapped her hind hoof on the ground while she waited for him to calm down, which he eventually did, wheezing and wiping below his eye.
“You’re serious about sleeping out here, Miss Lulamoon?” He looked around, scoffing, before returning his attention back to her and standing up. Trixie noted that he was slightly taller than her but by no means intimidating, which probably meant he wasn’t lying about being Gladmane’s assistant-thingy.
“First of all, it’s illegal to sleep on the patio or even be on it when it’s closed, like we are right now… secondly, supposedly, it’s going to rain tomorrow, so you don’t want to wake up like a soaked mess in the Las Pegasus County Jail when the day breaks, do you?”
Trixie sighed and rolled her eyes, tapping her hoof on the ground again. She thought for a moment before going back on all fours, staring at him with shining magenta eyes before nodding.
“I accept your proposal, whatever that even means.” She replied to him, already walking to the patio’s exit. “What can you possibly do make my visit here more ‘comfortable and adaptable’ like you said, Mr. Colden?”
“Oh, please, Miss Lulamoon. No need to be formal. Just refer to me as a friend and as just Contour.” The stallion smirked at her, but was surprised when she smirked back.
“Once you call me by my first name, of course, Contour.” She responded in a snappy tone of voice before exiting the patio, expecting the stallion to follow her.
“Besides… I’m not too keen on this whole ‘friend’ thing either. I’ve always just despised friendship, after all.”
Contour bit his lip before following her off the patio, making his way back to the main resort building alongside his newest client. It was quiet during this time as they both entered the place, the party still booming next door. Trixie gagged as soon as she heard the clear EDM music being blasted through the wall separating the walkway and the hall. Obviously it was a thin wall, since she heard nearly every beat and record scratch involved. Contour noticed this and looked over at her, though the music was definitely not what he had on his mind at the time.
“...anyways, sources show that friendship and the term ‘friend’ is becoming increasingly popular after it supposedly was the reason for the Elements of Harmony’s return,” Contour mentioned with a sciencey-like voice, trying to sound smart and on top of what he was speaking about. Trixie rolled her eyes and groaned in response, walking past the door of the giant hall to their left, attempting not to bat an eye towards it.
“Well, Contour, this whole friendship fad can kiss my fat--”
“Would you wish for me to upgrade your room? There is a spare room upstairs. Consider it a gift from the Gladmane company board.” The stallion cut in with a smile before the magician could mention an expletive. This prompted yet another eye roll from her, indicating she was quite grumpy at the moment.
“Hmm… don’t you think it’s a bit too, well, late to switch rooms at this time? I mean, I’m pretty settled in as it is in my current place of rent, despite all the ruckus going on down here.”
The stallion shrugged as they walked up to the door that led upstairs, Contour opening it for his ‘client.’ Trixie huffed and walked through the doorway, and the two silently made their way up the stairs and onto the magician’s floor. They passed the many rooms covered with ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs as the floor trembled beneath their hooves with each EDM beat. Once they approached the room, and Trixie reached for the handle, the door suddenly flew open, prompting a few ponies with the blue mare’s things in their possession to leave the rented space. Her eyes opened wide as she watched them proceed down the hall, causing her to attempt to pursue them before Contour stopped her.
“What the—?! What’s going on? Why do they have my stuff?!” She frantically questioned, looking up at the stallion holding her. His face was blank as she looked back down at her.
“Please calm down, Miss Lulamoon. You said you wanted to stay down here… but I had already ordered my staff to transport everything upstairs. That was probably the last of it, honestly.”
Trixie’s sudden and hyper movements suddenly stopped as she sighed with relief, moving herself away from Contour and looking inside her resort room. Sure enough, everything was gone, leaving the room looking like no one had ever been there in the first place. The bed sheets were tucked tightly to the mattress, sparing housekeeping some extra work, and it looked good as new. She silently shut the door and glanced back at Contour Colden, biting her lip.
“So… you really did arrange for me to upgrade my room with no extra cost?” Trixie asked quietly, staring at the stallion. He rubbed the back of his head and nodded with a shrug.
“I mean… yeah. I think it’s wrong to refuse such a gift. This resort is pretty packed, you know. You just never figure how many ponies are going to stay here.” He smirked at her, causing another rush of energy to pulsate through her body. “And why not give such a discount to one of our most promising guests?”
Trixie giggled as she started walking down the hall again, prompting Contour to go alongside her in order to guide the way upstairs. “Wow… I really appreciate it. You’ll have to tell Gladmane that I am really grateful for such a generous gift.”
He looked at her oddly in response, tilting his head a bit. “Why not tell him in person? You’ll meet him before breakfast, even. You’ll need to head down to the resort lobby at around 9 in the morning, and you will meet with other entrepreneurs and event hosts just like you in one giant breakfast feast…”
Again, the odd expression intensified, and Trixie got a feeling that she wasn’t informed of all the benefits that came with this show.
“No one ever told you what the plan was?”
The magician smirked at him as they went back to the stairway, this time heading upstairs some more, the music slowly starting to drift away.
Just like her fears.
Just like her doubts.
She looked down before a sneer crossed her lips.
“Now that I’m aware… the Great and Powerful Trixie appreciates such a warm reception.”
Author's Note
Hello everyone!
This is the longest work I have ever written. 4,000 words is nothing to scoff at...
Okay. You can scoff at it.
Anyways, I’m really proud of this piece, and the simplicity of publishing it is enough to push me through this cool little series that will hopefully satisfy people in this fandom. Now, I do not wish to cause any debates or arguments in the comments that are initiated by how I think a pony’s background may contain. This is simply my opinion.
Next, the format for this series may be interesting to a lot of people. There will be short mini-stories between each feature story. The feature stories are arcs, and they will include: Trixie, Thunderlane, and Fleur de Lis. The mini-stories will include: Octavia & Vinyl, Coco Pommel, and Lyra Heartstrings.
Sound cool? Good!
Hope you all enjoyed my piece!
