Sunny Flare huffed as she stepped out of the meeting room. It was designated for the different clubs and their presidents—and it was where the club schedules were kept. She looked to her friend, Lemon Zest, who was nodding along to the beat playing through her headphones as she leaned against the wall next to the door.
“Lemon,” Sunny called.
Lemon jumped, her headphones falling down around her neck. She quickly switched them off. “Oh, hey Sunny. Finally ready to go?”
“Yes, I just needed to pick up the Drama Club’s schedule,” Sunny said, her eyes scanning the document on the clipboard. As she walked off, Lemon followed along beside her. “Now, what were you saying?”
“I was saying Sugarcoat had an idea for the science fair. Something about food and energy output,” Lemon said. “We just need a time so we can all meet up to confirm it.”
“Right, let me just check my schedule to see when I’m available…” Sunny said, checking the next page. She stopped dead in the hallway, her eyes wide. Lemon flinched as she let out a bloodcurdling scream—the other students in the hallway whirled around to see what was wrong, only to dismiss it when they saw who it came from.
“What’s wrong, Sunny?” Lemon asked. “They didn’t kick you out of Drama Club, did they?”
“What? No! It’s worse!” Sunny exclaimed. “There’s some sort of talent show in my time slot!” She bit her lower lip, looking up and down the hallway. Her eyes caught the woman she was seeking and she bolted towards her.
“Principal Cadance!” Sunny called, pointing at her clipboard as she ran up to her. Lemon followed behind her at a slower pace.
“Sunny Flare, what seems to be the problem?” Cadance asked, turning to her and tilting her head.
“There seems to be a mistake with the stage schedule,” Sunny said. “There wasn’t a talent show on the schedule yesterday.”
“Oh, yes. I’d been meaning to let you know: we’re hosting Canterlot High School’s Talent Show. It seems their stage was recently damaged, so in a show of good faith, I’m letting them host it here,” Cadance explained. “And, in fairness, the talent show is also open to Crystal Prep students.”
“B-But,” Sunny protested. “We’ve been rehearsing a play for that date.”
“Don’t worry, Sunny. The play has just been moved to next week,” Cadance reassured her. “This will just be a one-time thing. Once Canterlot High’s stage is fixed, they’ll go back to using it. And look at it this way: your actors have more time to rehearse and you have more time to get it ready.”
Cadance flashed her a reassuring smile, patted her on the shoulder, and moved on.
Sunny, meanwhile, grumbled as she shoulders sagged, her grip on the clipboard tightening.
“Huh,” Lemon remarked. “Wonder what happened to CHS’s stage?”
The door to Crystal Prep’s backstage banged open, harder than Trixie had intended. She lowered her hood as she stepped in, gently shutting the door behind her this time. Her eyes narrowed as she surveyed the backstage area, making her way through slowly.
As she walked over and began poking some guide ropes, someone cleared their throat loudly behind her. Trixie let out a yelp and whirled around, holding up her hands defensively.
Sunny put her hands on her hips as she glared at her. “Who are you, and what do you think you’re doing back here?” she demanded.
Trixie straightened up, smoothing out her hoodie. “I am the great and powerful Trixie! Stage magician extraordinaire!” she proclaimed. “I came here from Canterlot High to make sure the stage was up to standards.” She looked around with a snobbish frown. “I suppose this will have to do.”
Sunny grit her teeth. “Well I’m Sunny Flare, and you and your talent show messed up my Drama Club’s play!” she snapped, narrowing her eyes and leveling an accusing finger at Trixie. “No one messes with my schedules. Besides, I bet you’re all bluster. You’re no great and powerful magician.” She crossed her arms with a smirk.
Trixie let out an affronted gasp that would have made Rarity proud, a hand going over her heart for added effect. “How dare you! Well, at least I can stand on my own—you wouldn’t last a second in the talent show without your little troupe backing you up.”
Sunny’s fists clenched. “Alright, that does it,” she said. “You, me, this stupid talent show. I’ll show you what I can do.”
“So it’s a Show-Off, is it?” Trixie remarked with a raised eyebrow. “Fine. May the best performance win.”
“Oh, I will,” Sunny said with a grin.
The two thrust their hands out, shook on it, and stormed off their separate ways. Both grumbling under their breaths—and both flushed red in the face.
“I can’t believe the nerve of her!” Trixie exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. Sunset and Pinkie watched her pace back and forth before them. Fortunately, there wasn’t band practice that day.
“Yeah!” Pinkie agreed, before frowning. “Wait, who are we talking about again?”
“Sunny Flare! That insufferable drama queen! She had the nerve to say I was ‘all bluster.’ Can you believe that?” Trixie whirled around on the two.
“A little,” Sunset admitted with a shrug.
“Acting all important because she’s head of her Drama Club or whatever,” Trixie growled.
“Listen, Trixie, I’m sure she’s not that bad. She probably has a lot on her hands as president of her club. We did kinda mess with her schedule,” Sunset said.
Trixie brushed it off. “Well, I’m going to show her I really am great and powerful! I need you two’s help,” she said.
“With what?” Pinkie asked.
Sunset winced. “Please don’t tell me you want us to sabotage her or something.”
Trixie looked taken aback. “What? No! Trixie would never stoop that low. I mean I need your help coming up with a daring enough trick to wow the audience and win this Show-Off!”
Sunset relaxed, though her sigh didn’t seem of relief. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” she muttered.
“Yeah,” Pinkie remarked. “I think she should just tell Sunny.”
Sunset frowned and looked to her friend. “Tell her what?”
All she got in response was Pinkie miming zipping her lips shut, sealed with a wink.
“I can’t believe her! That our stage was ‘good enough.’ Good enough! Can you believe that?” Sunny exclaimed.
Sour Sweet and Sugarcoat each raised an eyebrow from their seats, glancing at one another before looking back up at Sunny on the stage.
“Could you care to elaborate?” Sugarcoat asked.
“Yeah, who?” Sour added.
“That insufferable blowhard Trixie from CHS!” Sunny exclaimed, her voice echoing in the empty theater. “She thinks she’s some sort of great and powerful stage magician. Please, as if. I’ll show her at this stupid talent show.”
“You’ve got a talent outside of acting?” Sour remarked.
Sunny shot her a murderous glare.
“Well, stage magicians are similar to actors: they both try to entertain the audience based on a stage-based performance,” Sugarcoat reasoned. “Perhaps in her circles she is this talented.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Sunny said, brushing it off. “I need to come up with a performance that will outdo that blowhard, and I need you two’s help brainstorming just what that will be.”
Sour sighed. “This feels like some sort of weird déjà vu,” she remarked, sinking into her seat.
“I agree,” Sugarcoat said, nodding. “This would probably go better if they talked it out civilly.”
The night of the talent show, the auditorium was more crowded than usual. Not only did the Canterlot High crowd fill the seating, but a few Crystal Prep students wanted to see what the big deal was.
Backstage, Trxie stepped up to the curtain, swishing her cape and adjusting her oversized hat for good measure as she held a haughty look. Sunny, dressed in a glittery leotard and tights daintily skipped in, stretching her legs.
When the two saw one another, they turned away their heated faces before composing themselves.
“Time to show you how ‘all bluster’ the great and powerful Trixie really is!” Trixie proclaimed, standing a little taller.
“Yeah right. It’s time I showed you this ‘drama queen’ can pull her own weight,” Sunny said with a smirk.
“Hah! Wait until you see what Trixie has up her sleeves,” Trixie said, smirking at the stage. “It was so simple, once I took out the pyrotechnics. This flimsy stage of yours is probably more flammable than the last one.”
Sunny’s eyes shot open and her pupils shrunk. Her face went red as she clenched her fists. “You were the one who damaged the Canterlot High stage?” she nearly shrieked. “And you dare step on my stage?!”
“Uh, last I checked, this was Crystal Prep’s stage, not yours,” Trixie said, seemingly unbothered. “And tonight, it shall be mine, for the great and powerful Trixie!”
Sunny grit her teeth, but before she could shout another retort, the announcer cut her off.
“And now, the Great and Powerful Trixie Lulamoon!” he announced.
Trixie stuck her tongue out at Sunny as she strolled on stage, waving to the applauding audience.
“Thank you, thank you!” she proclaimed, giving a sweeping bow. “Tonight, the great and powerful Trixie shall dazzle you with her magic! First, Trixie’s famous card trick!”
She took off her hat and produced a deck of cards. Slipping her hat back on, she shuffled the cards from hand to hand. “Now, watch closely. Here’s your card!” She drew a card to the deck and looked away, showing the audience it was a two of hearts, before slipping it back into the deck.
After some more fancy shuffling, she dropped the deck into her hat. “And now, your card!” she proclaimed, reaching into her hat. After feeling around for a few seconds, she seemed concerned and physically looked. Then she turned her hat right-side up and shook it.
“Oh c’mon! Where are you, stupid card,” Trixie muttered, before blushing as the entire deck spilled out of her sleeves. She flashed a grin to the audience and picked up the cards amidst their laughing.
“Seems that one wasn’t, heh, in the cards for me,” Trixie said. She frowned and caught the two of hearts as it fell from her hat, pocketing it with the others. “Up next, the ring trick!”
Reaching behind her back, she produced golden hoops, each the size of a bracelet. She twirled them around her hands before smirking and linking the two together. “Now, watch as I break them apart—without breaking them!” she proclaimed.
As she moved to pull them apart, her hands slipped into the hoops, which caused them to act more like handcuffs. Trixie flashed the audience another grin, their laughs growing louder as she tried to tug them apart. After a great deal of struggling, she finally managed to pull them apart.
Grumbling under her breath, she tucked the hoops back up her sleeves. “Well, that’s all the time I have for tonight, folks. For my final trick: my famous disappearing act! Behold!” she exclaimed, raising her hand.
As she cast it down, smoke erupted at her feet. The audience gasped as it slowly cleared away—revealing Trixie was indeed gone, but unfortunately her hat wasn’t. The hatless magician snuck back on stage, flashed another sheepish grin, and took her hat back. The audience applauded and laughed as she retreated backstage.
Trixie huffed as she replaced her hat, passing by a smirking Sunny, who was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. “Hah!” she guffawed.
“And next, we have Sunny Flare!” the announcer said.
“Now for a real performance,” Sunny said to Trixie, walking gracefully onto the stage.
The lights dimmed and a spotlight lit up the stage as Sunny took center stage. She raised her hands above her head as a melodic song started playing. Sunny shut her eyes and took a deep breath, before dancing gracefully to the rhythm.
While she had some ballet experience, Sunny was less graceful at interpretive dancing. She sometimes stumbled on her twirls as the music shifted, or faltered when she tried to strike a pose. Admittedly, she had spent more time planning than practicing for once—and if anyone in the Drama Club found out, they’d never let her live it down.
After a few minutes, the music drew to a close and Sunny gave a graceful bow to the audience. As she left the stage and the lights came on, she could hear their applause, but it didn’t erase how hot her face felt.
She stepped out of the auditorium and was surprised to see Trixie sitting against the wall in the hallway outside, her oversized hat in her hands. She glanced up at Sunny before looking away.
“So, Trixie supposes your performance really was better and that you won,” she muttered.
Sunny opened her mouth, wanting to lie and agree with her, but she ultimately sighed. Her shoulders slouched. “Not… really. I don’t think I did that much better a job,” she admitted. “I’m… I’m sorry about arguing with you, and all this. And I’m sure those pyrotechnics were probably an accident.”
“Trixie… I’m sorry, too,” Trixie said. “I was… actually trying to impress you.” Pink flushed her blue cheeks.
Sunny’s eyebrows raised. “What?”
“When I first saw you, I thought… well, that you were cute. And you being the head of the Drama Club and running such a great stage? I thought that was… really cool.” Trixie shrunk back into her cape, trying to hide her face.
Sunny blinked in surprise, feeling her own cheeks warm. “I… I have to admit I was trying to impress you too.” She looked away and ran a hand through her bangs. “I thought you were pretty cute too, and pretty stylish. But my friends were right, we’re also alike. And doing your act solo? That’s impressive.”
“Perhaps you would like to… meet up later?” Trixie offered, eyes looking hopeful.
“Yeah, I’d like that,” Sunny said, smiling warmly.
“And now, the winner of the talent show…” came the announcer’s voice from back in the auditorium.
Trixie and Sunny’s eyes widened, the former scrambling to her feet before they raced backstage together, joining the other contestants.
They skidded to a halt when they saw Fluttershy standing on the stage, her cheeks flushed as she bowed to the applauding audience. Rows of birds on perches stood beside her, chirping and squawking away.
“Fluttershy and her bird symphony!” the announcer concluded.
Sunny’s jaw went slack while Trixie just sighed.
“How does she keep doing it…” she muttered, eyes narrowing.
“Well,” Sunny said with a huff. “Looks like our Show-Off is a draw?”
“It looks like it,” Trixie agreed, turning to face her. “And… perhaps that’s for the best.”
She smiled and offered Sunny her hand. Sunny smiled and nodded, taking it. The two walked back out into the hallway together.
Pinkie and Sugarcoat, backstage, watched them go, nodding in approval.
Author's Note
Date of Creation (D.o.C.): 07/01/24
The third of my Shadowbolts series. I'll admit, Sunny was a little harder to write. I took some inspiration from another story I've read and went with the "Drama Queen" angle. The intent was her and Trixie being two peacocks: showing off is how they impress.
I'm still planning out the next story. Working out their connection has been a little difficult.
The song I listened to while writing this was "...Baby One More Time" by Tenacious D.
-yours truly,
The Legendary Bill Cipher, Equestria Enthusiast
14-1-13-5: 19-21-14-14-25 6-12-1-18-5
8-15-13-5-20-15-23-14: 3-1-14-20-5-18-12-15-20
3-1-12-12-19-9-7-14: 19-8-1-4-15-23-2-15-12-20 6-15-21-18
16-15-19-9-20-9-15-14: 16-15-14-25 18-5-19-15-21-18-3-5-19 1-14-4 18-5-3-15-14-14-1-9-19-19-1-14-3-5
2-12-1-3-11 1-14-4 2-12-21-5, 6-12-25 20-18-21-5
