A Flawless Encoreby DuskstrikeChaptersIt's curtains for meThe hand we're dealtSetting the StageNothing up my sleeves!And for our opening act...It's curtains for meShe had lost. the flawless combination, created from the best of both of their sides. She wasn't meant to lose. But then, she wasn't meant to be either. Life had been a cycle of violence from the moment of her creation, but even still she wanted to live. She deserved to live. She recalled those first waking moments. Coming to consciousness, walking out of her prison of glass. Immediately she was meet with hostility. "What have you done??" Shouted the one with purple hair. "Bring them back immediately!" "Awful early to be accusing Flawless of things she hasn't got a clue about." She smirked. "Rarity, yes? I am-" "Yes yes, Flawless. I've seen cheap jewelry with less faults! Bring back our friends at once!" She could tell the fashionista was getting worked up. But the party had just begun. What was all this about? "Yeah! Bring them back or we'll make you bring them back" Rainbow Dash. She was trying to look threatening? Whatever. "Oooo, I've got this one girls! I'll show you, you big meanie!" And following that childish language, flawless felt pain for the first time and her she was bucked by the pink horse. "Tough crowd." She dragged herself off the ground." Maybe you'll like this next one!" What happened next was a blur. In the flurry of violence that followed, she found each of the five lying on the floor, knocked out cold. Was that the way this worked? A fight for the top? Well she was the best of the best. Guess it was time to ascend. In one last desperate bid as the light she had only held for a short time left her eyes, she escaped again into her own dreams. Lost within her own mind, wounded, half dead, she knew she was on borrowed time. She looked around the decaying landscape. It was the same place she had been wounded in. This was a neat trick, but how long could she keep it up? How could she be flawless and have fallen so far? The cracks grew. She knew she had to control her thoughts. She was holding this place together through pure willpower, but it was so hard. What was she holding on for? She didn't have anything left. To be fair she hadn't had anything to begin with. Just a stubborn desire to live. She had to live. Why else was she made if not to do so? She couldn't leave this place, she was fairly certain of that. Still, one step at a time. She thought about what she'd do when she got out, thinking it would cheer her up. But she once again concluded there was no one out there that cared for the Mare in the Mirror. She spent time to reflect on her actions. Maybe if she had fought harder. Maybe if she hadn't fought at all. Would she have been allowed to exsist either way? darkness swirled around her mental space. Flawless found herself dragged kicking and screaming into her own dream, and now it appeared she was once again outnumbered. There was almost no way out of this. Her two halves, the two pieces that made her whole, and the princess of the night. Flawless would not give up. She began to tear down her dream. Controlling the space so they couldn't use their magic. "Behold! You are at my mercy! Surrender now, so that you may yet l-" There was a sensation of flesh tearing. She looked down to see the cause, before feeling it again and again. Three horns jabbed through her. Huh. She hadn't considered that. She looked over at the other two. Twilight was mumbling sorries, refusing to meet her eyes. Trixie was hidden under the brim of her hat. She supposed this was all her fault after all. Luna prepared for a night of her work after a harrowing day. She couldn't get the mirror mare out of her head. But she knew it was her life or their three lives. She hated that she had been reduced to the logic of a beast. Entering the dreaming nearly immediately caused her a migraine. This was, without a doubt, one of the worst dreams she'd ever witnessed. She gave no thought, rushing to the aid of this creature in need. Peering inside, sitting there, looking as she remembered her last, was Flawless. She looked around for the dreamer, but there was no other creature. This WAS the dreamer. She was alive. This was bad... right? Her sister had specifically ordered this one a threat to all equestrian life. She had fought the creature herself! Her power was terrifying and her heart blackened. Luna remembered when such things were said about her. She threw aside her thoughts. Her mission was to aid dreamers, and this one might not have long left Flawless tiredly looked up at the princess, not believing that anyone could have found her here. In the end it made sense. "Come to finish the job, princess?" She managed, panting heavily. "Or just here to enjoy the final act?" The princess was silent for a moment. "It doesn't need to be this way, Flawless Sparklemoon." The mirror mare let out a laugh. "Awful late for that! The show's over!" She coughed, interrupting her own thought. "T-that's curtain call for me. Been nice knowing you, moon butt. Come on, give me a cool death! A performer goes out in style." The cracks deepend. She didn't have long. "We will be doing no such thing." Luna said softly. "Take our hoof! Tis not safe here! We will discuss elsewhere!" "The fuck are you doing princess??" Her world continued to fall apart. "You're meant to kill me!" "YOU DESERVE A CHANCE TO LIVE! TAKE MY HOOF. I AM NOT ASKING." the canterlot voice startled the resistance from her, and flawless reached out. Collapse was imminent. Luna reached out in turn, showing the first bit of kindness she had seen since being created. She couldn't understand. It seemed like they wouldn't make it... But they locked hooves! Luna pulled with all her might! Then there was blackness. Author's Note Ready for a wild ride? No editor this time, so sorry for increased spelling errors should they occur. Been wanting to write this for months but I need to finish up chrysalis. The hand we're dealtFlawless opened her eyes to an unfamiliar landscape. Well maybe landscape wasn't the right way to describe it, after all, she was floating. (And not due to a levitation spell this time.) She looked around rapidly. She was in a strange, purple, starry space. Around her floated many blue spheres of unknown purpose. She gently placed a hoof on one to look at it. She could see something inside!! A surreal site of a red earth pony stallion. Currently they were an alicorn princess ruling kindly over their people. Unlike some princesses. "Honestly good for her." She chuckled to herself and let go of the orb. "I did not bring you here to spy, Flawless" she nearly jumped. So startled was she that it took her a moment to realize she was no longer beat to shit. She looked over herself in shock. Her wounds were mostly closed, though she bore a set of scars on her chest from the stab wounds. They were a little cool, but hardly flawless. She'd have to get rid of them somehow. "Luna. Where the hell are we?" She asked bluntly. "The realm of dreams, the Dreaming. This is where I do my nightly work." She completely ignored her rude tone. "Huh. Wait so that means..." She looked back in the direction she sent the orb drifting "Indeed. These are the dreams of others. When a nightmare occurs, we feel a pull to one of these, and begin our thankless work." She let out a sigh. "That one there is yours. Flawless winced as she looked at it. It was like a shattered stone, barely held together. Spiderwebs of cracked glass marred the surface. "So it is... Uh... Yikes" she shook her head. "Well thanks for showing me the sites before I kick the bucket. It's not bad around here." Luna rolled her eyes at her. "We did not bring you here as a last wish. We have brought you to this place to save you." The princess had a official tone, but Flawless shook her head. "No one, neither alicorn or a perfect creation like me, can bring back the dead." "It is good that we acted quickly then." She smiled. "You are well aware of the night's veil curse yes?" She reached into her pool of shared memories. Sure enough it was there, though fuzzy like usual. The spell the 'princess' had used on her student, and afterwards her student sought to break with twilight. Which of course led to the moment of her creation. "We did not understand quite the ramifications of the spell when we used it. We knew it linked the power and knowledge of two creatures. Thus after seeing Trixie's potential, we thought we could be the key that opened the way." "Well at least you were the key to making a flawless mare with flawless hair." She flashed a smile. Luna rolled her eyes. "As you likely know part of my power is over dreams. Given your... Stunt.. that day... it should be possible you bring you back to life, as you seem to be linked to dreams as well. I only need repair your dream, or send you into another. I will repair it, as the later would simply put you in their body as well." "Hm. Yeah. I think this one is perfect. Let's not do that." Can you imagine if she was green? She'd rather puke. "So be it. With our aid and no small effort you will return to the waking word. However, there are conditions " "I knew that was too easy." She poofed up her hat with a puff of confetti and the faintest sound of party blowers. She hadn't realized she lost it in the escape. "Our sister believes you a threat to Equestria. But we have seen your dreams and your tears. We think perhaps you are simply lost, without purpose, save for the calling of thy namesake." Luna looked thoughtful. Flawless scoffed. "What else could there be? I'm already perfect. I just need to keep being perfect at everything. That's the only reason I'm still here." "Oh? Truly?" She turned on her. "Yet you lost. Surely you should be a perfect combatant? Oh and forget thee not that you gave into rage in violence first thing. Surely a perfect creature would be more saint-like? And let us not forget-" "Alright! For fucks sake, get off my case!" She sighed and let herself calm down. "Well I'm meant to be perfect. I don't know why I'm not." She looked down, forgetting their was no ground to stare at. "It is fine that you are not perfect." Luna said with a much softer tone. "This is a good opportunity to become your namesake. Live your life! Show kindness and generosity. Fight for the sake of others, not just yourself." She paused. "Pick up a hobby for my sister's sake." She chuckled to herself. "Ok, ok." She thought about it. It did make sense. Clearly she wasn't flawless. Not yet. But she could become flawless. "You know what? I think I will. I'll give a performance that will make any pony jealous. Mark my words, princess" "Consider thy words marked. Back to our conditions: you will not intentionally do evil. Doing so would force our hooves." "Guess that's fair enough." She nodded her head. "Condition two: you will not be going to ponyville, not for awhile. We have a different city in mind." Flawless raised an eyebrow at her "Huh? Where's that?" She was a little shocked by the excited look on the princess. "Manehattan! The big apple! You're a performer at heart, ergo the big city seems to us the perfect place for you to find yourself. Would thou not agree?" Once again flawless considered her words. This princess of the night was making more and more sense. "Yeah. Yeah actually that's perfect. Get ready princess, I'll put on a truly flawless magic act, the likes of which nopony has even seen!" She grew excited. She could feel her heart calling her. "Excellent. One day we hope to witness it ourselves. It seems you are ready then." "So uh... Neither of my halves have any memories on this. How does this work? Do you like... Shoot me with a beam?" "Nay, it is extremely simple. First, you just wake up." Flawless snapped awake, breathing heavily. She was in the middle of the park, on the bench. "God damnit, princess." Setting the StageShe looked around herself in confusion. The park was a verdant place, probably slightly overrun and in need of a trim. Old playground equipment that had long since lost it's paint was nearby. This didn't stop young kids from running all about Across from her she could see a vine covered brick building, probably at least as old as the playground, with various ponies trotting around near it. A passerby spared her a glance and a shrug. Some older gentlemen with a grouchy face and a ill fitting baseball cap. Homelessness wasn't really a problem in Equestria, but it wasn't unusual to see strange ponies sleeping on park benches, even in the middle of the day. She got up and straightened out her coat and hat until it was perfect. "Right, first order of business: find a place to stay." She muttered. "I can worry about the stage later. A performer can't do her best without a place up rest her head." She wandered around the park, looking for... Something. She wasn't really sure yet. Perhaps a spare newspaper. Check some classifieds or the like. She passed by a gaggle of creatures. A sporty unicorn on a jog with their prized pooch. A posh woman who looked like she may be lost, who sneered as she passed her. Eventually she can across an even more poorly kept area. That's when she saw it. A stage! Mind you it was in a absolutely shitty state. The area was further overgrown and the wood was rotting with age. For anyone else, this would be a hell of a renovation project. Not for her. Flawless began casting a spell in which she had no idea whether it would work. It wasn't uncommon for her to mess with time to swap places with others, but she's never tried using it in any other way. The spelled fizzled. She tried a different approach, instead using a restorative spell. It was working at least.. extremely slowly. What a pain in the ass. This would likely take her a couple of hours. Which to be fair was better but not as fast as she hoped. She decided to focus her efforts on the backstage area for now. Seeing as this place had been abandoned so long, she should be able to use it as a place to stay without being bothered by other, stupider, more flawed ponies. She took a breath to calm herself and continued her work on the back of house. It was slow going but finally it was enough to be safe to enter. She levitated herself over the stage part, able to tell the boards were too far gone to even hold her weight. The door was flung open. Yup. Pretty dusty in here. She figured she'd poke around before she committed to how to deal with that. Old costumes, dresser areas for actors, a row of mirrors with one still functional. Seeing so many reflections made her think about her own origin.. How was she any different then the rest of these mirrored images? She shook her head, determined not to dwell on it. There was a least a few top hats and cloaks, meaning with a bit of a wash she'd have some spare outfits. Good. This look was a great one, but any trick could wear out it's welcome if overused. She found a pin board covered in dust. A quick gust spell she she could see fliers, going back a long time, all the way to the origin of this place. She coughed a little as she looked over them. Each one for another performance, some yellowed with age. She gave a small smirk. She loved that this place has a history to it! When she was done maybe she could read up on it. There was a couch too. Guess she had a place to sleep at least. This was perfect. Flawless didn't need much to be satisfied with her lot in life, something she figured she may have gotten from Trixie. She surrounded herself in a bubble spell, and cast a powerful gust, hoping to blow all the dust out of the decrepit back stage. This worked with the small side effect of knocking several fliers from the pin board. She let out a sigh and started picking them up, before deciding to stop have have a read. Old play summaries, cast lists, the works. She wondered where any of these ponies even were these days. Neither she nor the two halves that made her had ran into any of them. Her twilight-esc reading session was interrupted by the growling of her stomach. Oh right. She still needed to figure out food. She decided to leave her top hat behind and head to the nearest soup kitchen. Hunger also really wasn't a problem in Equestria, as the princess had ordered that every creature had a right to be fed. Still she felt embarrassed that she had to do this, and her hat would draw attention she didn't want right now. She took stock of her new home city on the way there. So many ponies running about, each having their own lives to live. Their own goals. It was like a patchwork of life. There was a mare with a dark grey coat and black mane, serving mad goth vibes with her outfit. Just a little ways away, going the opposite direction there was a tan pony with cyan hair who appeared to be chasing the most annoying woman in the world. She found no trouble navigating these streets, though she still had zero idea where the soup kitchen would be and wasn't having much luck finding a map. Time to be annoying and ask someone. Looking around there was a blue Pegasus with white hair fiddling with something. Perfect. They clearly had nothing better to do. "Excuse me." She gave a performers bow. "My name is Flawless. I'm new to the city. Do you know where the soup kitchen is?" The Pegasus looked around like they wanted to make sure she was talking to her. She sat aside the small object, which looked a bit like a cloud. "Oh uh... Good to meet you! I'm Cloud Shaper." For some reason she seemed slightly out of sorts at what was clearly a flawless greeting. "Yeah the soup kitchen is down that way.. Like third left? You'll know when you see that old brick building with the really, really red bricks" "Excellent. Flawless thanks you, miss Cloud Shaper." She bowwed again. Nailed it. She tried to walk away. "Hey uh... You're new in town in town right? Did you move in without even getting a job set up? Do you have a place to stay?" "Of course. You can locate Flawless at the one place she belongs the most: the old stage in the park! Recently renovated to perfection by yours truly! As for a position... Well keep your eyes peeled dear Pegasus, for the show will soon begin!" Her stomach made noise again "But first, food. Ciao!" The Pegasus looked like she wanted to say more but Flawless marched confidently away. The soup kitchen was filled with down on their luck ponies. It has a homely sort of vibe to it, and she appreciated not being asked questions. "Reminds me of a grandma's home" she thought to herself as she sat in line. She soaked in the very brown room until finally it was her turn. Flawless sat down by herself. The soup... wasn't very good. But it was food and the was enough. Well fed, she went home to finish her work. She could probably reuse stage props as part of her magic act, but she needed to figure out the exact details. Her power may be great, but magic was also a performance! She barely paid attention to her surroundings until the sounds of music caught her attention. Street performers. Now aware of her environment, she walked by the many hucksters with small booths of what was likely low quality items. The park was much quieter which was good. She continued to work on repairing the stage until a yawn reminded her she was far from immortal. She cautiously stepped on the repaired boards, not sure if they were strong enough yet, and entered. Flawless flopped onto her "bed" and stared at the ceiling, trying to plan out her newest act before eventually succumbing to slumber. Author's Note Heyo! New chapter up! Hope you like it. Had to rewrite parts of this one. It just didn't have the "sauce" Nothing up my sleeves!She struggled, pushing her way forcefully into the real world. The ground shattered like glass. The other ponies started yelling something but she couldn't hear. Her ears were ringing. She could tell they meant business. Fine, if this world had no place for her, then she'd make sure no one else could have it either. She began charging whatever was left of her magic. This would be the final act, turning herself into the greatest firework ever seen. More shouting. It was time. She went to unleash the spell, only to find herself encased in a bubble. Time slowed for her. She knew she was only going to hurt herself with her own explosion. They couldn't even let her go out in style. She desperately retreated to the dream as the spell seared her flesh in the real world, separating her mind and body. This wasn't right. She was meant to be... Flawless jumped awake in shock, panting heavily, sweat on her brow. She looked around her at the much more comforting site of the backstage, just like she left it. She got up the out of bed, poofing her favorite top hat onto her noggin with a small burst of confetti. "Stupid dream princess. One job damnit! What happened to guarding creatures from nightmares. Apparently Flawless is not a high priority!" She yelled to no one. She stopped to calm down, summoning a pocket watch so she could see the time. She hadn't replaced the batteries in the only clock in the room yet. It was around noon. She wasn't actually sure if that that was a normal time for ponies to wake up, but none the less began to plan her day. There was a lot to do. She needed to get some kind of income so she could purchase things like wood, paint, and nails. That way she could construct her own props. Her pride also made her not want to rely on charity, so finding a way to get food was a must. Maybe she could summon it? That would mean a trip to the library. She went to the uncracked mirror of the group and made sure her mane was flawless. Yup. Looking good. It was time to go. Stepping out of the back room she made her way to the stage, she paused for a moment, imagining the crowds she would one day have. She hopped down with only a shake of her head and entered the park. Shockingly there was a completely different cast of characters at the park today. Someone who looked like she was a mother of three on a bench chatting with a friend. Well at least the big city wouldn't be boring: a new site every day. She turned to the comfort of the familiar vine covered building as she started making her way to the soup kitchen. Passing by more bright signs, though less so under the light of the sun. A dishelved looking man took a smoke break outside of a deli, watching the clouds go. A group of teens ran past her in a hurry to find trouble. Their interruption caused her to pause. A general goods store, and a chain at that. All white and corporate on the inside. She'd seen one in Ponyville for sure. At least she thought. Maybe it was Twilight? Flawless entered, wondering why she was even there until she felt herself drawn you the games section. There was a whole section for cards. The trading variety didn't interest her but the playing cards did. She smirked and selected a set she thought was pretty. Flawless pretended to browse shelves for a bit, moving to a spot where she should see the front windows. In reality, she was waiting for something. A slack jawed pony listening to headphones began to pass, and she made her move. Her greatest trick was that she could swap places with another creature, making it so the were doing what she was just doing and vice versa. So she did! Suddenly she was the one on the street listening to music (though their music taste sucked) and the other pony was inside browsing sleeves. They looked around in confusion, and Flawless booked it before they saw her! Now she has a music player and a way to make money! She wondered if the soup kitchen had any place to charge it. Skipping through several terrible songs, she settled on one and made her way to the kitchen. Naturally with her new headphones she was completely ignored by passerbys, which was fine. Your average office worker. Tourists. She passed by them all. She spotted her landmark: a building with extremely red bricks. (That Pegasus had been right) She confidently strode into the kitchen. The line today was long. Really long. It seemed line there was only one employee. She wanted soup now damnit! She started scheming. Without a word she hoped the counter, poofed up a hair net and took a bow. "The fanatastical mare in the mirror will aid you in your time of need.. in return for soup." The older pony working there breathed a sigh of relief, chided for for scaring them half to death, and grateful put her to work. The air was tense at first but Flawless naturally won her over with her incredible personality. An hour or two would pass. She was graciously washing dishes, trying to get them spotless, when she received a tap on the shoulder. "Heya hon. Thanks for the help today. I can take it from here, go eat. Y'all must be starving." They gave her such a warm smile that any quip or attempt to deny got caught in her throat. She simply nodded her head and sat down, this time in the much less decorated but much more secluded break area. She thought about that smile. No one had ever smiled at her yet huh? Not more then a passing nod at least. She supposed she must be doing pretty good if she got her first smile in only three days. She looked at the music player. A peculair feeling hit her chest. With a sigh, she cast a simple spell. That random pony should find it back in their pockets in a moment. She was keeping the cards though. Flawless tipped her hat to the employee as she made her way out. "Thanks again hon! See y'all tomorrow!" Not if she had anything to say about it. Next stop: the library! She began confidently marching down the street. ... She had no clue where the library was. She made her way back to the soup kitchen and peeked her head in to ask. Directions had her on her way to 32nd Street, past the convenience store at the corner. A man exited the store with what appeared to be a bag of marshmallows and nothing else. Flawless reached the library. Old and rustic, but well loved. Copper statues had been turned a bronze color from many soft touches over time. A group of ponies somewhere between their teens and their 20s hung out on the steps, just talking. She entered the library, aware that she'd need to put her usual bombast on hold. A quiet conversation with a librarian who gave her a knowing look sent her to the section on spells. She stopped to observe the library. Hundreds of old oak shelves. Ponies sitting in comfy bean bags or at hard wooden tables. She felt a bit of a calling here. She thought perhaps there's no creature on the planet who could resist the quiet peace this place brought. She passed by someone else browsing. She wasn't quite sure what kind of spell she would need, so she just took down a bunch of books. She stopped when she had a satisfactory pile in front of her, and grabbed the comfiest seat she could. It would be closing when she finally left, not even noticing the passing of time while absorbed learning so many trivial spells she could cast. She had already found what she needed and kept going anyways. Flawless gave a small apology to the librarian and made her way home through the now quiet streets. It was much too late to make a ruckus. Tomorrow she would perform her first act for the city. Familiar sites, signs now too bright against the night gloom. The old building with vines. A playground absent of children. Flawless sat aside the book she day borrowed in her small make shift home. She settled down, and prepared to debut her newest act: self sufficiency. She began casting the spell, 'create meal' She got a sandwich. Flawless let out a sigh, finished her 'meal', and got ready for bed. Author's Note Good evening! Time for a new chapter. Flawless still isn't good at the morales thing yet, give her time! And for our opening act...Flawless got an early start the next morning. No visions of her past haunted her slumber. She made her way to the soup kitchen and after her own meal, volunteered again. She hated taking charity, so she deemed it necessary. After a few hours she contacted one of the other workers. "I will be making my flawless exit! It's time for my first performance in this city." She gave a smug grin. "Oh I was wondering if you performed! Well thanks again for the help hon. You've been a real blessing. Celestia bless you and y'all be safe out there." Ugh, Celestia. She managed to nod in response but her mind was elsewhere. She barely noticed the passing faces on the street. The two alicorns crashed down, horns already aglow. "We told you we sensed a disturbance, sister!" Some alicorn with a dark coat. She should know this one right? "Then let us make short work of her, this creature was never meant to be." Said the one in white. Her voice was calculated and cold. "Jealous because I'm this perfect?" She gave them a flashy smile. "Come on, the show's just beginning! Must I keep doing this song and dance with every pony I meet?" "There will be no time for either when we exterminate you like the vermin you are." The sun princess looked with anger in her eyes and blue magic on her horn, her every word envomed. "Prepare to die." Flawless had never heard such cruelty in one creature. Shaken to the core, she teleported away, only leaving behind a plume of confetti. She shook her head and tried to push did the memories. Lesson learned. One Princess was a bitch, and the other one was her bitch. Grim thoughts about equestrian royalty wasn't going to stop her though. She went to the area where she usually saw street peddlers and performers. This was as good a spot as any. Parking herself in front of an abandoned building, she cleared her throat. "Fillies and gentlecolts! I, the mysterious mare of the mirror, will show you tricks the like of which you've never seen before! With but a simple deck of cards I will wow and amaze you!" She scanned the area. Most creatures just ignored her. A posh man rolled his eyes. An elderly couple hobbled past. She sat down her hat for donations, undeterred. "Absolutely no cost to you! No obligation! See the mare who will set this city on FIRE with her fantastic magic. Step right up! Trained from two of the best, brought into your humble city!" Kids she'd seen around the park ran right past her. A gaggle of girls didn't even look her way. Such a mass of creatures and not one was interested?? "May I remind you this is a LIMITED time performance! You're only going to get this today! No cost to you, watch the masterful Flawless Sparklemoon wow you with tricks you've never seen before!" At this point her heart felt like a rock in her chest. No one gave her more then a glance. Was she stupid for trying this? She certainly foolish, standing on this curb shouting. Before she could get too depressed, a slubby looking man approached her. "How about this missy, I'll bet ya two whole bits you can't show me nothing I ain't sent before." This gave her some pause. She didn't actually HAVE two bits to bet with. At the same time, this was a golden opportunity to perform. She made up her mind.. now was the time for confidence! "I like your gumption. I'd even wager five!" She shuffled the deck in a flashy manner to emphasize her point. (Though it was only a simple riffle shuffle with a bridge.) "You're on!" Said the man who she wasn't entirely convinced whether they were drunk or not. By now a few passerbys were stopping. Time for her to strut her stuff. "Well start off extremely simple and will give the cards a good mix." She gave the deck a few faro shuffles, adding a bridge for style. "Now my friend." She floated the cards out in front of her, spread flat. "Pick any card in the deck and do not show it to me." The man looked amused and picked his card. "Good! Remember that card because I have no idea what you picked! Alright." She gave the cards a shuffle again. "Go ahead and put it anywhere in the pack." The man did so she she went on to shuffle again. She then pulled out the two red aces and told him they would find his card. This was a classic trick. Time for a magical twist. "And between the two cards iiiiiss." She pulled out a blank card "how odd. You've seen for yourself this deck has no blank cards!" The man looked smug, apparently thinking she failed. "Ah here we go!" She gave it a flex and suddenly it was the five of clubs. The man looked skeptical "Sorry dear volunteer! The cards like to pull pranks on me from time to time. "Yeah like giving you the wrong card!" The smirked at her wider. "Oh did it now? Naughty little things. Well we can't have that. Let's put that little trouble maker back into the pack..." she demonstrated " ..and give them a good mix! Now, I can Guarantee this next card will be your. Pick any card in the deck." This was where the actual magic happened. The man picked his card, and sure enough it was the seven of hearts. "See? That's a magician's promise! Oh but go on, try picking another card. See how close I was." The listened and when they picked another card. It was also their card. And another. Flawless spread out the deck " I knew for certain that was your card because the deck felt awfuly sorry about it earier pranks, so now they're all your cards! Except for one troublemaker." She slowly removed a singular out of place card. "The five.. of clubs." She hadn't realized there was a crowd and until she heard them clapping. It was a small assemblage but it was her crowd! She took a performers bow, remembering to turn her deck back into a ordinary deck. The man grumbled. "Alright, you got me. Five bits it is." Her heart skipped a beat as she heard them make a dull thunk on the inside of her hat. The first time she had EVER had money. She felt pride welling in her chest. (Though that could also be the stab wound that had scared over.) From their her night picked up. She continued to wow and amaze with magical versions of old slight of hand. It felt like the calling of her destiny. She'd never actually gained get Cutie Mark, just having been made with it. But she could tell this was where it was taking her. How strange it was to feel this way. It made her feel... Real. Eventually traffic slowed and she began to count her coins. She summoned a 'meal' and sat down to relax with a paper. It was her first ever purchase on her own bits, and she was egar to spent it on something useful. Maybe the classifieds had callings for stage magicians. She nearly spat out her sandwich when she discovered a familiar name. "Special effects artist for hire: Cloud Shaper. Located at... Blah blah blah.. specializing in practical effects, 'if the weather can do it so can I?' " She looked at the paper, incredulous. "That girl's a special effects artist???" Author's Note GRRRREEEEETINGS DEAR READER. Be wowed and amazed by the authorial comments! I used to watch card trick asmr for sleep. Always fun to watch someone strut their stuff. I'm sorry if anyone who actually knows card magic finds this little trick bad or underwhelming. It.. will probably happen again with a diffrent form of stage magic. Looks like i'm off to look up classic stage magic. You stay safe out there! confetti's away!
It's curtains for meShe had lost. the flawless combination, created from the best of both of their sides. She wasn't meant to lose. But then, she wasn't meant to be either. Life had been a cycle of violence from the moment of her creation, but even still she wanted to live. She deserved to live. She recalled those first waking moments. Coming to consciousness, walking out of her prison of glass. Immediately she was meet with hostility. "What have you done??" Shouted the one with purple hair. "Bring them back immediately!" "Awful early to be accusing Flawless of things she hasn't got a clue about." She smirked. "Rarity, yes? I am-" "Yes yes, Flawless. I've seen cheap jewelry with less faults! Bring back our friends at once!" She could tell the fashionista was getting worked up. But the party had just begun. What was all this about? "Yeah! Bring them back or we'll make you bring them back" Rainbow Dash. She was trying to look threatening? Whatever. "Oooo, I've got this one girls! I'll show you, you big meanie!" And following that childish language, flawless felt pain for the first time and her she was bucked by the pink horse. "Tough crowd." She dragged herself off the ground." Maybe you'll like this next one!" What happened next was a blur. In the flurry of violence that followed, she found each of the five lying on the floor, knocked out cold. Was that the way this worked? A fight for the top? Well she was the best of the best. Guess it was time to ascend. In one last desperate bid as the light she had only held for a short time left her eyes, she escaped again into her own dreams. Lost within her own mind, wounded, half dead, she knew she was on borrowed time. She looked around the decaying landscape. It was the same place she had been wounded in. This was a neat trick, but how long could she keep it up? How could she be flawless and have fallen so far? The cracks grew. She knew she had to control her thoughts. She was holding this place together through pure willpower, but it was so hard. What was she holding on for? She didn't have anything left. To be fair she hadn't had anything to begin with. Just a stubborn desire to live. She had to live. Why else was she made if not to do so? She couldn't leave this place, she was fairly certain of that. Still, one step at a time. She thought about what she'd do when she got out, thinking it would cheer her up. But she once again concluded there was no one out there that cared for the Mare in the Mirror. She spent time to reflect on her actions. Maybe if she had fought harder. Maybe if she hadn't fought at all. Would she have been allowed to exsist either way? darkness swirled around her mental space. Flawless found herself dragged kicking and screaming into her own dream, and now it appeared she was once again outnumbered. There was almost no way out of this. Her two halves, the two pieces that made her whole, and the princess of the night. Flawless would not give up. She began to tear down her dream. Controlling the space so they couldn't use their magic. "Behold! You are at my mercy! Surrender now, so that you may yet l-" There was a sensation of flesh tearing. She looked down to see the cause, before feeling it again and again. Three horns jabbed through her. Huh. She hadn't considered that. She looked over at the other two. Twilight was mumbling sorries, refusing to meet her eyes. Trixie was hidden under the brim of her hat. She supposed this was all her fault after all. Luna prepared for a night of her work after a harrowing day. She couldn't get the mirror mare out of her head. But she knew it was her life or their three lives. She hated that she had been reduced to the logic of a beast. Entering the dreaming nearly immediately caused her a migraine. This was, without a doubt, one of the worst dreams she'd ever witnessed. She gave no thought, rushing to the aid of this creature in need. Peering inside, sitting there, looking as she remembered her last, was Flawless. She looked around for the dreamer, but there was no other creature. This WAS the dreamer. She was alive. This was bad... right? Her sister had specifically ordered this one a threat to all equestrian life. She had fought the creature herself! Her power was terrifying and her heart blackened. Luna remembered when such things were said about her. She threw aside her thoughts. Her mission was to aid dreamers, and this one might not have long left Flawless tiredly looked up at the princess, not believing that anyone could have found her here. In the end it made sense. "Come to finish the job, princess?" She managed, panting heavily. "Or just here to enjoy the final act?" The princess was silent for a moment. "It doesn't need to be this way, Flawless Sparklemoon." The mirror mare let out a laugh. "Awful late for that! The show's over!" She coughed, interrupting her own thought. "T-that's curtain call for me. Been nice knowing you, moon butt. Come on, give me a cool death! A performer goes out in style." The cracks deepend. She didn't have long. "We will be doing no such thing." Luna said softly. "Take our hoof! Tis not safe here! We will discuss elsewhere!" "The fuck are you doing princess??" Her world continued to fall apart. "You're meant to kill me!" "YOU DESERVE A CHANCE TO LIVE! TAKE MY HOOF. I AM NOT ASKING." the canterlot voice startled the resistance from her, and flawless reached out. Collapse was imminent. Luna reached out in turn, showing the first bit of kindness she had seen since being created. She couldn't understand. It seemed like they wouldn't make it... But they locked hooves! Luna pulled with all her might! Then there was blackness. Author's Note Ready for a wild ride? No editor this time, so sorry for increased spelling errors should they occur. Been wanting to write this for months but I need to finish up chrysalis.
The hand we're dealtFlawless opened her eyes to an unfamiliar landscape. Well maybe landscape wasn't the right way to describe it, after all, she was floating. (And not due to a levitation spell this time.) She looked around rapidly. She was in a strange, purple, starry space. Around her floated many blue spheres of unknown purpose. She gently placed a hoof on one to look at it. She could see something inside!! A surreal site of a red earth pony stallion. Currently they were an alicorn princess ruling kindly over their people. Unlike some princesses. "Honestly good for her." She chuckled to herself and let go of the orb. "I did not bring you here to spy, Flawless" she nearly jumped. So startled was she that it took her a moment to realize she was no longer beat to shit. She looked over herself in shock. Her wounds were mostly closed, though she bore a set of scars on her chest from the stab wounds. They were a little cool, but hardly flawless. She'd have to get rid of them somehow. "Luna. Where the hell are we?" She asked bluntly. "The realm of dreams, the Dreaming. This is where I do my nightly work." She completely ignored her rude tone. "Huh. Wait so that means..." She looked back in the direction she sent the orb drifting "Indeed. These are the dreams of others. When a nightmare occurs, we feel a pull to one of these, and begin our thankless work." She let out a sigh. "That one there is yours. Flawless winced as she looked at it. It was like a shattered stone, barely held together. Spiderwebs of cracked glass marred the surface. "So it is... Uh... Yikes" she shook her head. "Well thanks for showing me the sites before I kick the bucket. It's not bad around here." Luna rolled her eyes at her. "We did not bring you here as a last wish. We have brought you to this place to save you." The princess had a official tone, but Flawless shook her head. "No one, neither alicorn or a perfect creation like me, can bring back the dead." "It is good that we acted quickly then." She smiled. "You are well aware of the night's veil curse yes?" She reached into her pool of shared memories. Sure enough it was there, though fuzzy like usual. The spell the 'princess' had used on her student, and afterwards her student sought to break with twilight. Which of course led to the moment of her creation. "We did not understand quite the ramifications of the spell when we used it. We knew it linked the power and knowledge of two creatures. Thus after seeing Trixie's potential, we thought we could be the key that opened the way." "Well at least you were the key to making a flawless mare with flawless hair." She flashed a smile. Luna rolled her eyes. "As you likely know part of my power is over dreams. Given your... Stunt.. that day... it should be possible you bring you back to life, as you seem to be linked to dreams as well. I only need repair your dream, or send you into another. I will repair it, as the later would simply put you in their body as well." "Hm. Yeah. I think this one is perfect. Let's not do that." Can you imagine if she was green? She'd rather puke. "So be it. With our aid and no small effort you will return to the waking word. However, there are conditions " "I knew that was too easy." She poofed up her hat with a puff of confetti and the faintest sound of party blowers. She hadn't realized she lost it in the escape. "Our sister believes you a threat to Equestria. But we have seen your dreams and your tears. We think perhaps you are simply lost, without purpose, save for the calling of thy namesake." Luna looked thoughtful. Flawless scoffed. "What else could there be? I'm already perfect. I just need to keep being perfect at everything. That's the only reason I'm still here." "Oh? Truly?" She turned on her. "Yet you lost. Surely you should be a perfect combatant? Oh and forget thee not that you gave into rage in violence first thing. Surely a perfect creature would be more saint-like? And let us not forget-" "Alright! For fucks sake, get off my case!" She sighed and let herself calm down. "Well I'm meant to be perfect. I don't know why I'm not." She looked down, forgetting their was no ground to stare at. "It is fine that you are not perfect." Luna said with a much softer tone. "This is a good opportunity to become your namesake. Live your life! Show kindness and generosity. Fight for the sake of others, not just yourself." She paused. "Pick up a hobby for my sister's sake." She chuckled to herself. "Ok, ok." She thought about it. It did make sense. Clearly she wasn't flawless. Not yet. But she could become flawless. "You know what? I think I will. I'll give a performance that will make any pony jealous. Mark my words, princess" "Consider thy words marked. Back to our conditions: you will not intentionally do evil. Doing so would force our hooves." "Guess that's fair enough." She nodded her head. "Condition two: you will not be going to ponyville, not for awhile. We have a different city in mind." Flawless raised an eyebrow at her "Huh? Where's that?" She was a little shocked by the excited look on the princess. "Manehattan! The big apple! You're a performer at heart, ergo the big city seems to us the perfect place for you to find yourself. Would thou not agree?" Once again flawless considered her words. This princess of the night was making more and more sense. "Yeah. Yeah actually that's perfect. Get ready princess, I'll put on a truly flawless magic act, the likes of which nopony has even seen!" She grew excited. She could feel her heart calling her. "Excellent. One day we hope to witness it ourselves. It seems you are ready then." "So uh... Neither of my halves have any memories on this. How does this work? Do you like... Shoot me with a beam?" "Nay, it is extremely simple. First, you just wake up." Flawless snapped awake, breathing heavily. She was in the middle of the park, on the bench. "God damnit, princess."
Setting the StageShe looked around herself in confusion. The park was a verdant place, probably slightly overrun and in need of a trim. Old playground equipment that had long since lost it's paint was nearby. This didn't stop young kids from running all about Across from her she could see a vine covered brick building, probably at least as old as the playground, with various ponies trotting around near it. A passerby spared her a glance and a shrug. Some older gentlemen with a grouchy face and a ill fitting baseball cap. Homelessness wasn't really a problem in Equestria, but it wasn't unusual to see strange ponies sleeping on park benches, even in the middle of the day. She got up and straightened out her coat and hat until it was perfect. "Right, first order of business: find a place to stay." She muttered. "I can worry about the stage later. A performer can't do her best without a place up rest her head." She wandered around the park, looking for... Something. She wasn't really sure yet. Perhaps a spare newspaper. Check some classifieds or the like. She passed by a gaggle of creatures. A sporty unicorn on a jog with their prized pooch. A posh woman who looked like she may be lost, who sneered as she passed her. Eventually she can across an even more poorly kept area. That's when she saw it. A stage! Mind you it was in a absolutely shitty state. The area was further overgrown and the wood was rotting with age. For anyone else, this would be a hell of a renovation project. Not for her. Flawless began casting a spell in which she had no idea whether it would work. It wasn't uncommon for her to mess with time to swap places with others, but she's never tried using it in any other way. The spelled fizzled. She tried a different approach, instead using a restorative spell. It was working at least.. extremely slowly. What a pain in the ass. This would likely take her a couple of hours. Which to be fair was better but not as fast as she hoped. She decided to focus her efforts on the backstage area for now. Seeing as this place had been abandoned so long, she should be able to use it as a place to stay without being bothered by other, stupider, more flawed ponies. She took a breath to calm herself and continued her work on the back of house. It was slow going but finally it was enough to be safe to enter. She levitated herself over the stage part, able to tell the boards were too far gone to even hold her weight. The door was flung open. Yup. Pretty dusty in here. She figured she'd poke around before she committed to how to deal with that. Old costumes, dresser areas for actors, a row of mirrors with one still functional. Seeing so many reflections made her think about her own origin.. How was she any different then the rest of these mirrored images? She shook her head, determined not to dwell on it. There was a least a few top hats and cloaks, meaning with a bit of a wash she'd have some spare outfits. Good. This look was a great one, but any trick could wear out it's welcome if overused. She found a pin board covered in dust. A quick gust spell she she could see fliers, going back a long time, all the way to the origin of this place. She coughed a little as she looked over them. Each one for another performance, some yellowed with age. She gave a small smirk. She loved that this place has a history to it! When she was done maybe she could read up on it. There was a couch too. Guess she had a place to sleep at least. This was perfect. Flawless didn't need much to be satisfied with her lot in life, something she figured she may have gotten from Trixie. She surrounded herself in a bubble spell, and cast a powerful gust, hoping to blow all the dust out of the decrepit back stage. This worked with the small side effect of knocking several fliers from the pin board. She let out a sigh and started picking them up, before deciding to stop have have a read. Old play summaries, cast lists, the works. She wondered where any of these ponies even were these days. Neither she nor the two halves that made her had ran into any of them. Her twilight-esc reading session was interrupted by the growling of her stomach. Oh right. She still needed to figure out food. She decided to leave her top hat behind and head to the nearest soup kitchen. Hunger also really wasn't a problem in Equestria, as the princess had ordered that every creature had a right to be fed. Still she felt embarrassed that she had to do this, and her hat would draw attention she didn't want right now. She took stock of her new home city on the way there. So many ponies running about, each having their own lives to live. Their own goals. It was like a patchwork of life. There was a mare with a dark grey coat and black mane, serving mad goth vibes with her outfit. Just a little ways away, going the opposite direction there was a tan pony with cyan hair who appeared to be chasing the most annoying woman in the world. She found no trouble navigating these streets, though she still had zero idea where the soup kitchen would be and wasn't having much luck finding a map. Time to be annoying and ask someone. Looking around there was a blue Pegasus with white hair fiddling with something. Perfect. They clearly had nothing better to do. "Excuse me." She gave a performers bow. "My name is Flawless. I'm new to the city. Do you know where the soup kitchen is?" The Pegasus looked around like they wanted to make sure she was talking to her. She sat aside the small object, which looked a bit like a cloud. "Oh uh... Good to meet you! I'm Cloud Shaper." For some reason she seemed slightly out of sorts at what was clearly a flawless greeting. "Yeah the soup kitchen is down that way.. Like third left? You'll know when you see that old brick building with the really, really red bricks" "Excellent. Flawless thanks you, miss Cloud Shaper." She bowwed again. Nailed it. She tried to walk away. "Hey uh... You're new in town in town right? Did you move in without even getting a job set up? Do you have a place to stay?" "Of course. You can locate Flawless at the one place she belongs the most: the old stage in the park! Recently renovated to perfection by yours truly! As for a position... Well keep your eyes peeled dear Pegasus, for the show will soon begin!" Her stomach made noise again "But first, food. Ciao!" The Pegasus looked like she wanted to say more but Flawless marched confidently away. The soup kitchen was filled with down on their luck ponies. It has a homely sort of vibe to it, and she appreciated not being asked questions. "Reminds me of a grandma's home" she thought to herself as she sat in line. She soaked in the very brown room until finally it was her turn. Flawless sat down by herself. The soup... wasn't very good. But it was food and the was enough. Well fed, she went home to finish her work. She could probably reuse stage props as part of her magic act, but she needed to figure out the exact details. Her power may be great, but magic was also a performance! She barely paid attention to her surroundings until the sounds of music caught her attention. Street performers. Now aware of her environment, she walked by the many hucksters with small booths of what was likely low quality items. The park was much quieter which was good. She continued to work on repairing the stage until a yawn reminded her she was far from immortal. She cautiously stepped on the repaired boards, not sure if they were strong enough yet, and entered. Flawless flopped onto her "bed" and stared at the ceiling, trying to plan out her newest act before eventually succumbing to slumber. Author's Note Heyo! New chapter up! Hope you like it. Had to rewrite parts of this one. It just didn't have the "sauce"
Nothing up my sleeves!She struggled, pushing her way forcefully into the real world. The ground shattered like glass. The other ponies started yelling something but she couldn't hear. Her ears were ringing. She could tell they meant business. Fine, if this world had no place for her, then she'd make sure no one else could have it either. She began charging whatever was left of her magic. This would be the final act, turning herself into the greatest firework ever seen. More shouting. It was time. She went to unleash the spell, only to find herself encased in a bubble. Time slowed for her. She knew she was only going to hurt herself with her own explosion. They couldn't even let her go out in style. She desperately retreated to the dream as the spell seared her flesh in the real world, separating her mind and body. This wasn't right. She was meant to be... Flawless jumped awake in shock, panting heavily, sweat on her brow. She looked around her at the much more comforting site of the backstage, just like she left it. She got up the out of bed, poofing her favorite top hat onto her noggin with a small burst of confetti. "Stupid dream princess. One job damnit! What happened to guarding creatures from nightmares. Apparently Flawless is not a high priority!" She yelled to no one. She stopped to calm down, summoning a pocket watch so she could see the time. She hadn't replaced the batteries in the only clock in the room yet. It was around noon. She wasn't actually sure if that that was a normal time for ponies to wake up, but none the less began to plan her day. There was a lot to do. She needed to get some kind of income so she could purchase things like wood, paint, and nails. That way she could construct her own props. Her pride also made her not want to rely on charity, so finding a way to get food was a must. Maybe she could summon it? That would mean a trip to the library. She went to the uncracked mirror of the group and made sure her mane was flawless. Yup. Looking good. It was time to go. Stepping out of the back room she made her way to the stage, she paused for a moment, imagining the crowds she would one day have. She hopped down with only a shake of her head and entered the park. Shockingly there was a completely different cast of characters at the park today. Someone who looked like she was a mother of three on a bench chatting with a friend. Well at least the big city wouldn't be boring: a new site every day. She turned to the comfort of the familiar vine covered building as she started making her way to the soup kitchen. Passing by more bright signs, though less so under the light of the sun. A dishelved looking man took a smoke break outside of a deli, watching the clouds go. A group of teens ran past her in a hurry to find trouble. Their interruption caused her to pause. A general goods store, and a chain at that. All white and corporate on the inside. She'd seen one in Ponyville for sure. At least she thought. Maybe it was Twilight? Flawless entered, wondering why she was even there until she felt herself drawn you the games section. There was a whole section for cards. The trading variety didn't interest her but the playing cards did. She smirked and selected a set she thought was pretty. Flawless pretended to browse shelves for a bit, moving to a spot where she should see the front windows. In reality, she was waiting for something. A slack jawed pony listening to headphones began to pass, and she made her move. Her greatest trick was that she could swap places with another creature, making it so the were doing what she was just doing and vice versa. So she did! Suddenly she was the one on the street listening to music (though their music taste sucked) and the other pony was inside browsing sleeves. They looked around in confusion, and Flawless booked it before they saw her! Now she has a music player and a way to make money! She wondered if the soup kitchen had any place to charge it. Skipping through several terrible songs, she settled on one and made her way to the kitchen. Naturally with her new headphones she was completely ignored by passerbys, which was fine. Your average office worker. Tourists. She passed by them all. She spotted her landmark: a building with extremely red bricks. (That Pegasus had been right) She confidently strode into the kitchen. The line today was long. Really long. It seemed line there was only one employee. She wanted soup now damnit! She started scheming. Without a word she hoped the counter, poofed up a hair net and took a bow. "The fanatastical mare in the mirror will aid you in your time of need.. in return for soup." The older pony working there breathed a sigh of relief, chided for for scaring them half to death, and grateful put her to work. The air was tense at first but Flawless naturally won her over with her incredible personality. An hour or two would pass. She was graciously washing dishes, trying to get them spotless, when she received a tap on the shoulder. "Heya hon. Thanks for the help today. I can take it from here, go eat. Y'all must be starving." They gave her such a warm smile that any quip or attempt to deny got caught in her throat. She simply nodded her head and sat down, this time in the much less decorated but much more secluded break area. She thought about that smile. No one had ever smiled at her yet huh? Not more then a passing nod at least. She supposed she must be doing pretty good if she got her first smile in only three days. She looked at the music player. A peculair feeling hit her chest. With a sigh, she cast a simple spell. That random pony should find it back in their pockets in a moment. She was keeping the cards though. Flawless tipped her hat to the employee as she made her way out. "Thanks again hon! See y'all tomorrow!" Not if she had anything to say about it. Next stop: the library! She began confidently marching down the street. ... She had no clue where the library was. She made her way back to the soup kitchen and peeked her head in to ask. Directions had her on her way to 32nd Street, past the convenience store at the corner. A man exited the store with what appeared to be a bag of marshmallows and nothing else. Flawless reached the library. Old and rustic, but well loved. Copper statues had been turned a bronze color from many soft touches over time. A group of ponies somewhere between their teens and their 20s hung out on the steps, just talking. She entered the library, aware that she'd need to put her usual bombast on hold. A quiet conversation with a librarian who gave her a knowing look sent her to the section on spells. She stopped to observe the library. Hundreds of old oak shelves. Ponies sitting in comfy bean bags or at hard wooden tables. She felt a bit of a calling here. She thought perhaps there's no creature on the planet who could resist the quiet peace this place brought. She passed by someone else browsing. She wasn't quite sure what kind of spell she would need, so she just took down a bunch of books. She stopped when she had a satisfactory pile in front of her, and grabbed the comfiest seat she could. It would be closing when she finally left, not even noticing the passing of time while absorbed learning so many trivial spells she could cast. She had already found what she needed and kept going anyways. Flawless gave a small apology to the librarian and made her way home through the now quiet streets. It was much too late to make a ruckus. Tomorrow she would perform her first act for the city. Familiar sites, signs now too bright against the night gloom. The old building with vines. A playground absent of children. Flawless sat aside the book she day borrowed in her small make shift home. She settled down, and prepared to debut her newest act: self sufficiency. She began casting the spell, 'create meal' She got a sandwich. Flawless let out a sigh, finished her 'meal', and got ready for bed. Author's Note Good evening! Time for a new chapter. Flawless still isn't good at the morales thing yet, give her time!
And for our opening act...Flawless got an early start the next morning. No visions of her past haunted her slumber. She made her way to the soup kitchen and after her own meal, volunteered again. She hated taking charity, so she deemed it necessary. After a few hours she contacted one of the other workers. "I will be making my flawless exit! It's time for my first performance in this city." She gave a smug grin. "Oh I was wondering if you performed! Well thanks again for the help hon. You've been a real blessing. Celestia bless you and y'all be safe out there." Ugh, Celestia. She managed to nod in response but her mind was elsewhere. She barely noticed the passing faces on the street. The two alicorns crashed down, horns already aglow. "We told you we sensed a disturbance, sister!" Some alicorn with a dark coat. She should know this one right? "Then let us make short work of her, this creature was never meant to be." Said the one in white. Her voice was calculated and cold. "Jealous because I'm this perfect?" She gave them a flashy smile. "Come on, the show's just beginning! Must I keep doing this song and dance with every pony I meet?" "There will be no time for either when we exterminate you like the vermin you are." The sun princess looked with anger in her eyes and blue magic on her horn, her every word envomed. "Prepare to die." Flawless had never heard such cruelty in one creature. Shaken to the core, she teleported away, only leaving behind a plume of confetti. She shook her head and tried to push did the memories. Lesson learned. One Princess was a bitch, and the other one was her bitch. Grim thoughts about equestrian royalty wasn't going to stop her though. She went to the area where she usually saw street peddlers and performers. This was as good a spot as any. Parking herself in front of an abandoned building, she cleared her throat. "Fillies and gentlecolts! I, the mysterious mare of the mirror, will show you tricks the like of which you've never seen before! With but a simple deck of cards I will wow and amaze you!" She scanned the area. Most creatures just ignored her. A posh man rolled his eyes. An elderly couple hobbled past. She sat down her hat for donations, undeterred. "Absolutely no cost to you! No obligation! See the mare who will set this city on FIRE with her fantastic magic. Step right up! Trained from two of the best, brought into your humble city!" Kids she'd seen around the park ran right past her. A gaggle of girls didn't even look her way. Such a mass of creatures and not one was interested?? "May I remind you this is a LIMITED time performance! You're only going to get this today! No cost to you, watch the masterful Flawless Sparklemoon wow you with tricks you've never seen before!" At this point her heart felt like a rock in her chest. No one gave her more then a glance. Was she stupid for trying this? She certainly foolish, standing on this curb shouting. Before she could get too depressed, a slubby looking man approached her. "How about this missy, I'll bet ya two whole bits you can't show me nothing I ain't sent before." This gave her some pause. She didn't actually HAVE two bits to bet with. At the same time, this was a golden opportunity to perform. She made up her mind.. now was the time for confidence! "I like your gumption. I'd even wager five!" She shuffled the deck in a flashy manner to emphasize her point. (Though it was only a simple riffle shuffle with a bridge.) "You're on!" Said the man who she wasn't entirely convinced whether they were drunk or not. By now a few passerbys were stopping. Time for her to strut her stuff. "Well start off extremely simple and will give the cards a good mix." She gave the deck a few faro shuffles, adding a bridge for style. "Now my friend." She floated the cards out in front of her, spread flat. "Pick any card in the deck and do not show it to me." The man looked amused and picked his card. "Good! Remember that card because I have no idea what you picked! Alright." She gave the cards a shuffle again. "Go ahead and put it anywhere in the pack." The man did so she she went on to shuffle again. She then pulled out the two red aces and told him they would find his card. This was a classic trick. Time for a magical twist. "And between the two cards iiiiiss." She pulled out a blank card "how odd. You've seen for yourself this deck has no blank cards!" The man looked smug, apparently thinking she failed. "Ah here we go!" She gave it a flex and suddenly it was the five of clubs. The man looked skeptical "Sorry dear volunteer! The cards like to pull pranks on me from time to time. "Yeah like giving you the wrong card!" The smirked at her wider. "Oh did it now? Naughty little things. Well we can't have that. Let's put that little trouble maker back into the pack..." she demonstrated " ..and give them a good mix! Now, I can Guarantee this next card will be your. Pick any card in the deck." This was where the actual magic happened. The man picked his card, and sure enough it was the seven of hearts. "See? That's a magician's promise! Oh but go on, try picking another card. See how close I was." The listened and when they picked another card. It was also their card. And another. Flawless spread out the deck " I knew for certain that was your card because the deck felt awfuly sorry about it earier pranks, so now they're all your cards! Except for one troublemaker." She slowly removed a singular out of place card. "The five.. of clubs." She hadn't realized there was a crowd and until she heard them clapping. It was a small assemblage but it was her crowd! She took a performers bow, remembering to turn her deck back into a ordinary deck. The man grumbled. "Alright, you got me. Five bits it is." Her heart skipped a beat as she heard them make a dull thunk on the inside of her hat. The first time she had EVER had money. She felt pride welling in her chest. (Though that could also be the stab wound that had scared over.) From their her night picked up. She continued to wow and amaze with magical versions of old slight of hand. It felt like the calling of her destiny. She'd never actually gained get Cutie Mark, just having been made with it. But she could tell this was where it was taking her. How strange it was to feel this way. It made her feel... Real. Eventually traffic slowed and she began to count her coins. She summoned a 'meal' and sat down to relax with a paper. It was her first ever purchase on her own bits, and she was egar to spent it on something useful. Maybe the classifieds had callings for stage magicians. She nearly spat out her sandwich when she discovered a familiar name. "Special effects artist for hire: Cloud Shaper. Located at... Blah blah blah.. specializing in practical effects, 'if the weather can do it so can I?' " She looked at the paper, incredulous. "That girl's a special effects artist???" Author's Note GRRRREEEEETINGS DEAR READER. Be wowed and amazed by the authorial comments! I used to watch card trick asmr for sleep. Always fun to watch someone strut their stuff. I'm sorry if anyone who actually knows card magic finds this little trick bad or underwhelming. It.. will probably happen again with a diffrent form of stage magic. Looks like i'm off to look up classic stage magic. You stay safe out there! confetti's away!
