“Me? You want me to run the Hearth’s Warming play?” Starlight asked. “I’ve never led a play, and I don’t like big groups like that. I don’t want a repeat of Our Town.”
Twilight nodded. “Oh, I know you like helping individuals as a counselor more than running a group, but I need to be in Canterlot for Hearth’s Warming this year because Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are on vacation, and my other friends here are helping in the Ponyville celebration. Please, Starlight. We need someone to direct the play here at the School of Friendship, and you’re the only one I would trust with this responsibility.”
Being called to Twilight’s office was always a little bit stressful, even after the last year of working as the school guidance counselor. Twilight’s desk, formed directly out of the crystal the School of Friendship was made from, was covered in books and notes on dozens of subjects. Starlight understood the notes and books on magical theory, but the volumes on politics and laws made her head spin. Who knew understanding the tax code would be harder to understand and change than Starswirl’s notes on time travel?
“I mean, if you’re sure I can handle it, I guess I can run a play. I’m sure you have a long list of instructions for me to make sure it goes perfectly!” Starlight giggled.
“Of course!” Twilight said. She pulled scrolls and books out of the bookshelves on the walls, with Starlight catching them in her aura.
“Here’s the list of costumes needed. And this is the venue reservation, list of actors and their characters, list of supplies, list of special effects, and the list of caterers. Actors get very grumpy when they’re not fed,” Twilight whispered. Starlight dizzily caught the storm of papers and scrolls tossed her way as Twilight dug through her desk.
“Are you sure I need all of this? Starlight asked. “Your lists can be, how do I put this, too extensive sometimes?”
“Of course you need them. I researched it thoroughly!” Twilight continued to add to the pile hovering in Starlight’s magic. “And last of all,” she strained under the weight of the biggest book Starlight had seen, embossed leather and flowing paintings on the cover. “The script! I hunted down the original so I could be historically accurate. Starswirl even told me it fit with how he remembered Princess Platinum!”
The pile of books and scrolls sagged as Starlight caught the enormous book. “T-thank you, Twilight. I’ll just go, and uh, put this in my office and start studying!” she said, grunting under the weight.
“Perfect! I knew I could count on you!” Twilight said, clapping her hooves.
“It’s— urg— no problem, Twilight!”
What have I gotten myself into? Starlight wondered to herself.
Later that day, Trixie came to visit Starlight in her office.
“So, whatcha working on? Don’t tell me Twilight has you working on Hearth’s Warming Eve. You told me last year you hated the holiday!” Trixie said. “Besides, The Great and Powerful Trixie knows you would love the magic show she’s putting on for the foals.”
“I’m sorry, Trixie, but I don’t think I can help you with your magic show this time. Trilight asked me to direct the Hearth’s Warming play here, and she’s was very insistent. You know how she is.”
“She WHAT! Starlight, you’re running the Hearth’s Warming play? Why didn’t you tell me?” Trixie exclaimed.
“Yeah, Twilight dumped this on me an hour ago. Seriously, she could have given me last year's script and I would have gone with that., but she insisted this year be ‘totally accurate’ and dumped this book that’s almost bigger than me.” Starlight sighed. “Actually, you know how to run a show better than me. Do you have any tips?”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie knows how to woo a crowd like nopony else! It must be dramatic, with high stakes to leave the audience in fear of how it will end. Trust me, Starlight. Let me help you run this play, and I will have the audience eating from my hooves!”
“That’s good. Hey, do you think Twilight will be mad if we just use a last year’s script? My Old Ponish isn’t good enough for me to even read all this before Hearth’s Warming, much less translate it into a play.”
“Who cares what Twilight wants? She only knows how to do things by this book. This is show business! You’ve got to improvise! Let’s show her how a real showmare runs a play.”
“Beats me spending hours conjugating verbs from a language that predates the Princesses. Let’s do it!”
A few days later, Starlight and Trixie were directing rehearsals.
“Come on! Let’s see some emotion in this!” Trixie called. “Imagine you are Commander Hurricane! Those annoying Earth Ponies won’t give you their food! Now action!”
Gallus shifted uncomfortably at Trixie’s yelling. “Hey, what gives? You’re supposed to bring us food, otherwise we aren’t going to help keep the snow away, or wherever it is that pegasi do.”
“Um, Puddinghead not give food until pegasus brings sun.” Yona read off the script. The two stood awkwardly on the stage.
Ocellus looked around at the stage. “Isn’t there supposed to be wind? The script says my line comes after the wind and snow blows.”
“Where’s Effects? They need to be rehearsing too,” Starlight said. “I’ll go check on them. You three, keep practicing your lines while I’m gone.”
The stage was a cluttered affair, with boxes of supplies and decorations strewn around. They pulled out items as they needed them, like the backdrops and lights, but overall, it was disorganized and messy. Walking behind the backdrop showing the indoor scene, Starlight found Snips and Snails struggling with a box filled with crystals and cones shaped devices.
“What’s wrong? Are the wind spells not working?
“Vice Principal Starlight! We haven’t turned them on yet, because we can’t figure out how to fit them together,” Snips said.
“Wasn’t there instructions in the box?” Starlight asked.
“Yeah! The gems put out wind in all directions, so they have to fit inside the cones so it all goes in one direction. But these gems won’t fit!”
Starlight looked at the cones. They were hollow, with a set of hooks inside them on the narrow end. Inspecting one of the gems, she saw wire hooks on them as well. It seemed simple enough. But when she tried putting the gem inside the cone, the hooks wouldn’t line up. Turning it around didn’t help. And when it looked like the hooks would finally line up, pushing the gem in only made the wire and cloth flex like it was about to tear. After a few minutes, Trxiie appeared around the backdrop.
“What’s taking so long? Wind spells are so easy to set up, a foal could do it.” Trixie saw the box. “Oh, you’re using Dazzler’s spells. Yeah, those are strong and last a while, but they really failed in the ease of use department. Here, give me one.”
“Wait, I think I’ve got it! See, it’s set up now! Starlight held up one of the cones, which had become severely misshapen from her handling. Just as she smiled, though, the gem fell out. “Oh, come on!”
Starlight passed over her cone. Trixie unfolded the cone and smoothed out the bends and twists.
“Now, you’ve got to keep the wires straight, because if the cloth unfolds wrong, you never get the wind where you need it. Instead of folding the cloth and putting the gem in afterward, wrap up the gem as you fold it into the cone. That way, you keep the wires straight. If you do it right, you can reuse these three or four times before the wires or gem wears out.”
“Wait, Trixie, you know about this?” Starlight asked.
“Of course! The Great and Powerful Trixie knows all about running a show. When she was a filly, she had to use all manner of charms to use in her shows. Though Trixie prefers Phantom’s designs over Dazzler’s. Phantom’s designs are made to be taken apart and reused elsewhere, Dazzler’s gear is for permanent installation. Here, you let me work on these, and you work with the students. I’ll get the wind charms working. And I think I see your snow and ice enchantments aren’t set up either. I’ll get these special effects working better than anypony else could!”
And with that, Starlight went back to the front, where she could help the students practice acting. Ocellus needed help projecting her voice, Gallus had to take the story seriously, and it was a constant struggle for Yona to speak in normal Equestrian. Still, all their quirks led to the play having more… personality than the rote recitations happening in Canterlot and Ponyville. Starlight worked one on one with the children in the play to help them build confidence in themselves enough to present to their school.
Trixie worked just as hard. She cleaned the stage of the supplies strewn about, assembled the set, and taught Snips, Snails, and a few other creatures how to run the play behind the scenes. Starlight and Trixie barely saw each other during rehearsals, but afterward, they came together to discuss how each creature would act, where they would go, and what cues they would use.
Finally, after a week of hard, nonstop work, the play was ready. Everycreature attending the School of Friendship invited friends and family from their homes, to varying degrees of success. While a whole section of the auditorium was filled with reformed changlings, only a single griffon answered Gallus’ invitation, and he seemed to be more interested in the food than the play itself. Even Chancellor Neighsay lingered in the back of the crowd, muttering under his breath about the choice of actors. Still, everycreature clapped or stomped their hooves at the end, and the audience joined in singing the Hearth’s Warming Carol.
“That was so worth it, Trixie. Your magic with the fire and snow was truly great and powerful,” Starlight said.
“I know! Did you see Chancellor Neighsay in the back? I thought his head was going to explode watching everycreature work together!”
“And I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Of course. That’s what friends are for.”
