Season Z, Episodes Y-Z: Showtime

Season: Z

Episode: Z

Showtime (Part 2)

(By: Flame Runner)

Light chitchat and a healthy dose of snoring came from a cozy room in the Grand Palace hotel. Spike and Applejack lay snoozing up a storm despite Pinkie’s best efforts to talk all night.

Wham! The door flew open and all heads quickly turned to find Rarity, more precisely a white blur of Rarity, whiz through. This had the unfortunate side effect of waking Spike and Applejack who began to scream, which caused Rarity to jump like a scared kitty cat and scream herself, which then caused the others to scream. Soon everypony was running around the room and screaming and running into each other and screaming again. A young couple happened to walk past the room. They decided to skirt around the edges of the hallway. Twilight noticed this and suddenly stopped screaming long enough to watch her friends yelling at absolutely nothing and running around like puppies chasing their own tails.

“STOP!” she yelled.

They all stopped dead in their tracks, including Pinkie who managed to stay floating mid-air. The purple bookworm calmly closed the door and then set about figuring out what was going on.

“Rarity, why did slam the door open like that? Didn’t you know some of us were sleeping?”

“I’m sorry everypony. It’s just that I saw the most bizarre thing. I went back to retrieve my hat,” which she then took off her head and placed gently on the end of a bed. “It was pitch black in the building and I thought nopony was in it, but when I walked past Trixie’s room I saw that awful green light. I tapped on the door to see if anypony was in there. Suddenly the light exploded from underneath her desk and I heard a terrible scream! Needless to say, I was quite startled and ran, very ladylike of course, out of the building.”

“A scream?” Spike asked with interest.

“Trixie’s room?” Rainbow said, almost accusingly.

“And that horrid green light, I know!” Rarity added.

Twilight paced around the room as she took the info in.

“Alright,” she finally spoke, “this, coupled with Trixie’s odd behavior, has me a bit worried. I think we should investigate and see what we can find. Everypony agree?”

A general chorus of encouraging nods and noises settled the issue quickly.

“Great! Then let’s get a good night’s rest. Tomorrow we’ll find out what’s really going on.”

(Insert Theme Music Here)

* * * * * * * * *

The group of friends had once again braved the mob outside of Trixie’s game show, walked down the small hallway, and now found themselves seated quite comfortably in the guest room. Twilight was busy talking.

“So to recap the plan: Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity you will be taking as much time on stage as you can so we can investigate. Applejack and Spike, Trixie likes to go into her room between events. It’s up to you two to keep her distracted so that Rainbow Dash and I can search it.”

A few knocks pounded against the door and a muscular guard waltzed in.

“It’s time,” was all the guard said.

“Alright, good luck everyone!” Twilight whispered as they all made their way backstage.

Once behind the velvety red curtains Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie popped their heads out to see the audience. If they thought the building had been full the day before, they didn’t know what full meant. “Standing room only” was the phrase of the day and many, many ponies were actually standing. Every aisle was teaming with folk big and small. The place was practically overflowing with candy colored equines.

“Breathtaking isn’t it?” came a voice to their left.

The three turned to find Trixie also peeking through the curtains and marveling at the sight. “And you haven’t seen anything yet. Just wait for this show to really get started. I’m literally going to take this show to new heights!”

The blue showmare then stepped out of the curtains and onto the front stage. Her words could barely be discerned through the chorus of applause and loving screams.

“Thank you everypony! Welcome once again to Bring It On! This show promises to be our best yet. In fact, this will be a day that none of you will ever forget! As soon as everypony has filed in we’ll get this show on the road!”

Backstage the friends were listening intently.

“Twilight, now might be our best chance,” Rainbow Dash almost had to scream to speak over the noise of the crowd. “Let’s go now!”

“Ok. Applejack! Spike! You know what to do!” Twilight said.

“Right!” Spike gave a quick salute as the two mares dashed off to investigate.

The two quickly reached Trixie’s room, as it was only a few feet away, and proceeded to enter, as it wasn’t locked.

“Huh,” Rainbow commented, “it’s smaller than I thought it would be.”

Indeed, for Trixie’s standards it was quite small. The room was square but had that Trixie flare to it. The walls were plastered with the same star design that her hat and cape were decorated with. There were a few small chairs in the room and one really large, cushioned, chair just behind Trixie’s massive desk. Propped against a wall was a small end table with more of those magazines that showed Trixie on the front cover. There was also a plethora of filing cabinets teaming with loads of folders and paper.

“Let’s get started,” Twilight said.

* * * * * * * * *

Trixie was still showboating on stage and entertaining the masses as the last few ponies entered the large building. Finally the entire building was filled up to maximum capacity and the show officially began.

“Mares and gentlecolts, now is the moment you have all been waiting for! For today one lucky contestant has the privilege, nay, the honor of competing against the Great and Magnificent Trixie one on one for the grand prize of 250,000 bits!”

If the crowd was loud before, then they somehow managed to get even louder. Still Trixie continued, her voice booming even over the crowd.

“Without further ado, I welcome three brave contestants: Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity, out to the stage!”

The three took their cue and all walked out, front and center. Four gigantic spotlights shown bright one on each mare and one on Trixie as well. The crowd went absolutely nuts when Fluttershy blushed and gave one of her winning wave and smile combos.

“And now to see which event they will compete in!”

The event wheel slowly raised and pushed through the fog laden floor. Trixie wasted no time in spinning the device. Every single pony had their eyes glued to the spinning contraption which slowly came to a halt.

“Eating Competition!” declared Trixie.

The crowd roared and cheered once again. One long table rose from the ground as the wheel receded back into the floor.

“This competition is quite simple. Contestants will be given food and whoever can eat it all first wins. It’s a piece of cake, or should I say…cornbread? Today each of our contestants will devour three of the largest loafs of cornbread ever baked in all of Equestria!”

Three muscular guards walked out on stage, each carefully balancing a loaf of cornbread that was the size of the guard carrying it. They were actually straining under the weight. Thunk! The bread slammed onto the table and shook the stage. Rarity’s eyes went wide and her mouth hung open in horror.

“We have to eat THAT?!” she shrieked.

“Yipee!” Pinkie Pie squealed in delight. She couldn’t stop licking her lips and eyeing the bread ravenously.

Fluttershy tried to simply lift the loaf, but it wouldn’t budge an inch. They must have each weighed the same as a bag of bricks.

“Good luck contestants!” Trixie said. “But wait! I promised that we would take this event to new heights and I wasn’t lying!”

In front of the blue unicorn a large red button rose through the multicolored fog. Trixie practically skipped over to the button. She hovered her front hoof above the button.

“Are you ready?”

The crowd responded with yet another blaringly loud shockwave of cheering. With a huge grin, Trixie slammed her hoof down on the red button. Suddenly, the entire building lurched and groaned. The audience looked around in confusion as did the three on stage. Next, the walls of the building slid down to reveal carefully hidden windows. Through these windows they could all see that the ground and town was growing steadily smaller. They were flying!

“Mares and gentlecolts, today Bring It On! becomes the first both ground and air game show in Los Pegasus history!” screamed Trixie.

* * * * * * * * *

“Urgh! Nothing!” Dash moaned as she swished her hoof under Trixie’s desk. “I don’t see anything out of the ordinary and it feels like a normal floor.”

Click! Click! Twilight clacked her hooves on the walls, searching for any sort of hidden compartment.

“Nothing here either,” stated the purple unicorn.

Rainbow Dash got out from under the desk and began to rummage in the drawers without much luck. She threw its contents on the floor behind her one object at a time.

“Gum. Quills. Paper…”

Twilight soon moved over to the file cabinets. She opened one up and shuddered.

“That’s even messier than the library during one of my study sessions.”

She pulled out a file and loose papers floated lazily down to the ground as she began to read over its contents.

“…Business cards. More of those magazines,” Dash was still throwing stuff on the ground. “A spare gem for her cape. What is she doing with a rubber chicken in here? And half a piece of birthday cake?”

“Hey Rainbow Dash, I’m not seeing anything.”

“No! There has to be something here!”

Twilight stopped her search and went over to Rainbow Dash.

“Why does there have to be something?”

“Because it’s Trixie! And she’s always up to something! Remember the first time we met her? She led an Ursa Minor on a rampage through town. And it was no better the second time we met!”

“But we forgave her for all that. Why can’t you just let it go?”

Without warning, the building shuddered and shook. All the file cabinets flew open and papers spilled everywhere. The chairs fell over as did the small end table. Finally, Trixie’s enormous desk finally relented with a creaking groan and toppled to its side. The two friends weren’t much better off. Twilight popped her head out from a mountain of papers now littering the floor when the shaking came to a stop.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know,” replied Dash, “but look.”

Rainbow was pointing toward the ground at where Trixie’s desk used to be standing. There was a crack in the floor, placed in such a way that the desk covered it perfectly. Twilight crawled out from Mount Parchment and bent her head close to the crack.

“I feel a slight breeze. It might be a trapdoor.”

“Alright, but I don’t see any handles.”

Twilight’s horn blazed to life and the flooring began to shimmer violet as the unicorn yanked on the trapdoor with her magic. It lifted up without even a creak; it must have been well oiled.

“Oh, well that works,” Dash shrugged and then entered.

Twilight soon followed after her cyan colored friend.

* * * * * * * * *

The crowd didn’t stop cheering for a long while as Trixie reveled in the applause.

“Thank you! Thank you!”

At last the cheers dimmed down to a low roar.

“It is now time to see just who will be left to challenge Trixie! Let the games begin!”

She walked behind the red curtains. This was the signal for Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie to start eating. They all leaned their heads in and began to eat but between bites Rarity whispered to the others.

“Remember now, we have to stall for time. Take small bites.”

Fluttershy fulfilled her role perfectly, barely pecking at the massive loaf in front of her and looking totally natural while doing it. Rarity was also quite suited for this sort of work. She went at her cornbread with elegant style and grace, never eating too much nor too little for the audience to think anything of it. Pinkie, on the other hoof, started to devour her loaf.

“Pinkie! I said small bites!”

“This is a small bite!”

The pink pony dove in for yet another mouthful of corn-tastic goodness.

“Then take itty-bitty, teeny-tiny, itsy-bitsy, little-wittle, super-small bites!”

“Oh! Why didn’t you just say that in the first place?”

Soon Pinkie Pie was also taking small-ish bites into the delicious cornbread. Despite the small bites they were taking the crowd still wouldn’t be quiet. They started cheering for their own personal favorites with many a “Fluttershy!” “Rarity!” and “Pinkie Pie!”

Behind the stage things were going a bit differently. Trixie, per usual, was trying to get back to her room. Unlike usual she found this simple task to be more complex when faced with a persistent dragon and a stubborn farm pony.

“I am trying to get back to my room. There is something I need to check on!” Trixie demanded.

“Now jus’ hold up one second,” Applejack stood in Trixie’s path. “Can ya’ tell me how ya’ got this entire buildin’ into the sky?”

“Hmph…” sighed the showmare. “Magic. Happy? Good.”

“Whoa.Whoa.Whoa. You can’t just use ‘magic’ as a copout answer. There has to be a better explanation!” Spike pressed.

Trixie could not seem to get around the two trouble makers. So she finally stopped to give an answer.

“There are magic turbo motors powering some of the largest fans that can be made which have now lifted us into the sky. It’s all very aerodynamic…or so I’m told. Now please, GET OUT OF MY WAY!”

She shoved her way through the two, only to be swung back around by Applejack.

“Hey, one more question,” the orange mare said. “What’s so important that ya’ have to check on it durin’ your own show?”

“That…is none of your business.” Trixie shoved her nose into Applejack’s face and then tried to trot away, but not before Spike stepped in her path.

“Oh. I think it is our business. After all, we’re competing in your little game show.”

Trixie was taken aback, but then grew angry at the young dragon.

“Wait. You’re not even competing!” She then turned and moved the curtains apart slightly to show Spike the competition. “They. Are competin…What are they doing out there?! They’re supposed to be smashing their faces into that cornbread! They’ll ruin my show! I have to do something and fast!”

Trixie rushed out onto the front stage. Applejack and Spike gave each other a fist bump. The crowd once again cheered when the blue hostess rushed on stage. The three mares stopped eating to figure out what had just happened. Trixie looked slightly flustered but spoke anyway.

“Mares and gentlecolts! If you want any ordinary eating competition you can get one at a state fair. Here at Bring It On! we seek to raise the stakes to the extreme! A-And so…um…to push our contestants to the max…uh…” She quickly dashed over to the far end of the stage and pulled a random lever. A beam jutted out from the wall and slammed into each of the competitors. With an “oof” they each grabbed on to the beam with their front hooves as it lifted them off of the floor.

“Eeeep!” squealed Fluttershy as she looked down.

“Um…our competitors must eat their cornbread while dangling mid-air! If anypony falls off, they lose instantly! Trixie ran out and handed each of the three their heavy cornbread loafs.

“And…And that’s not all!”

She ran back and pulled another lever. The floor below them slowly opened to reveal a pool filled with a gooey brown substance.

“Chocolate puddin’!?” wailed Applejack as she watched in horror.

The farm pony shuddered and then ran over to a corner and assumed the fetal position.

“Applejack? Applejack!” Spike shouted as he ran over to comfort his friend. “Snap out of it!”

“Ch-Chocolate puddin’…”

Back on the front stage the three hung dangling over the chocolate filled pool of doom.

“Now that is an extreme eating competition!” roared Trixie.

The audience seemed to agree with an enthusiastic roar of their own. The showmare slunk back behind the curtains and easily snuck by the decommissioned Applejack and Spike to reach her room without any problems.

Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy were in a bind. The heavy cornbread was weighing them all down which was literally forcing them to eat it or let it pull them to a chocolaty doom. However, Pinkie Pie didn’t see this as a problem.

“Chocolate!” she screamed happily and then did a perfect swan dive into the brown goop. Someone in the audience held up a sign which read 9.5. Along with her fell in her loaf of bread, she pulled it up to find it covered in the chocolate substance. She licked her lips and then took a big bite.

“Mmmm…everything tastes better dipped in chocolate!”

* * * * * * * * *

Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash found themselves walking down a long, skinny corridor. It was very dark and Twilight needed to use her magic to light the way. The walls of this passageway seemed to be covered in some sort of sticky substance.

“Ick! It’s like there’s some kind of giant spider down here or something,” Dash said as she shook her hooves in an attempt to remove the sticky goop.

“Come on, we need to keep moving,” Twilight replied.

The two continued and soon came across other hallways that branched off from the first one. These were just as dark, but led to larger rooms that all turned out to be dead ends. Still the duo persisted in their trek down the passage, hoping to find some answers. At last they came to the end of the main corridor.

“It’s a dead end!” Twilight said.

Rainbow Dash pounded on the wall, trying to find a secret button or something. But there was nothing to find.

“Ok, that’s just plain weird. Why even have a creepy secret passage if you’re not going to use it for something?” Rainbow mumbled.

Then they heard a feeble cough echoing through the tunnel. They turned toward the sound and found that there was one last branch they had not explored. Cautiously, the two mares made their way down. As they came closer, they could see a dull green glow. Twilight let her horn sputter and fade as they neared the end. Finally the two reached the source of the cough and they found something they would never have expected.

“Trixie?” Twilight said in disbelief.

Sure enough, the blue showmare was standing before them both. But her hooves were covered in the sticky, gooey substance that covered the walls and floor. Her horn was also covered in this gunk. She didn’t have on any of her magician’s garb and was looking quite exhausted. She looked up at the two and opened her eyes, they were green.

“So,” a haughty voice stated from behind the two, “you’ve found my little secret.”

Both mares turned toward the sound and found Trixie, fully decked in her show clothes. In a flash this new Trixie brushed her hat aside and allowed her magic to flow freely. Her horn lit up a bright green and instantly a gooey, sticky substance sprung to life midair and flew at Twilight’s and Rainbow Dash’s legs. It landed perfectly and stuck them to the ground, just like the feeble Trixie.

“Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!” laughed the blue fiend.

“What’s going on here?!” Twilight managed to shout.

The Trixie who had stuck them to the ground moved casually around the three and assessed her handiwork. She flung some extra goo onto Twilight’s horn, for good measure.

“Haven’t figured it out yet? I’m not the real Trixie.”

“Then what-? Oh no!”

“Oh yes!”

Green flames burst around the fake Trixie and soon she was transformed. Her blue skin was now black and thick, like a bug. She had no hair and her legs were filled with holes. Her wings were insect-like and she had but the stump of a sharp and pointed horn.

“A changeling!” shrieked Rainbow Dash.

The devious creature cackled once more.

“A very astute observation,” mocked the changeling.

Twilight tried to use her magic, but the gunk on her horn made it impossible. Finally, in desperation, the purple mare spoke.

“But why take Trixie? And why are you in Los Pegasus?”

“Why Los Pegasus? Well it’s quite simple actually. You know that changelings gain power from feeding on love. That includes every kind of love. When the crowds cheer and applaud for ‘Trixie’ they are giving all of their devotion to me instead. You know those lights covering the entire room? The green ones? They are powered by my magic and they, in turn, make the audience want to love me even more!”

“The game show is a power trap?!” shrieked Rainbow Dash.

“Why yes, it is.”

The changeling then walked over to the far wall, where the real Trixie was attached, and inserted her horn into a small socket.

“As to why I took Trixie…well you’ll find out soon enough. The grand finale is coming up and it’s one that you won’t want to miss!”

* * * * * * * * *

On the front stage Fluttershy and Rarity were but moments away from joining Pinkie Pie in a chocolate pudding bath. Behind the stage Applejack was seated on the ground and taking deep breaths with Spike encouraging her to, “Breathe in. Breathe out.”

Without warning, the front stage began to quake and shudder. Rarity and Fluttershy both plummeted toward the brown goop, but they never hit it. Coming up from the stage was a black spike which bore straight through the pudding pool. The chocolate pudding slid down its black sides as the spike continued to grow through the floor. Fluttershy and Rarity slid down either side of this black object and Pinkie Pie was left scrambling around on the stage trying to lick up the last remains of the chocolate.

The spike finally ground to a halt and then opened. The black walls holding the spike together separated and fell to the ground with a thunderous crash. Standing in the remains of the spike were Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Trixie, and the changeling.

In the blink of an eye, the hole-filled creature had flung her green goo at the other contestants and easily stuck them to the ground. The audience wasn’t quite sure what was happening or what to do. Some of them still applauded and cheered. The changeling laughed. Her stump of a horn lit up brightly and the lights followed suit.

Soon the entire audience had been thoroughly bathed in the green glow. When the light finally died down, the entire crowd was standing stock-still with mouths open, dumb expressions on their faces, and green eyes.

“Wh-What’s going on!?” wailed Rarity as she tried to pry her hooves from the changeling’s magic. “Help! Somepony help!”

“Heh!Heh!Heh! Nopony is going to save you,” chuckled the changeling. “The entire audience has been under my influence for weeks now without knowing it. They are mine!”

“Um…” Fluttershy whimpered. “I hate to interrupt, but why is there a changeling on the stage?”

“Because she stole Trixie’s form and used this game show as a trap!” Twilight replied.

“Oh ok, thanks.”

“Now then,” the changeling continued as she turned to face Twilight and Rainbow Dash, “I promised you a grand finale and here it is.”

She motioned over the entire mind-controlled audience.

“If you haven’t realized it yet, we are in the air. This ensures that not only can you seven not run away but it makes it near impossible for any curious authorities to save you. My magic can keep any pesky pegasus at bay and the earth ponies and unicorns are stuck on the ground! It’s truly brilliant!”

The changeling grinned to herself.

“Yeah, yeah,” Rainbow Dash dismissed the changeling’s plan nonchalantly, “So you’ve got a floating love battery. What are you going to do with that? Take over the world or something?”

The black fiend hovered over to Dash.

“Hardly. That would be Queen Chrysalis’ job. No. I am here to raise an army.”

“I’m not sure that Los Pegasus would want a changeling hive as an attraction,” Pinkie Pie said.

“I will not raise an army like that you fool!” the changeling turned on Pinkie and then quickly turned back to Twilight. “You wanted to know why I picked Los Pegasus and Trixie? Well let me show you what happens when you drain all of the love from a pony.”

The changeling walked up to Trixie.

“Oh Trixie. Are you ready?”

Her black stubby horn ignited once more as the changeling poured all of her magic into the blue unicorn. As she worked, the changeling spoke.

“Changelings can’t feel love anymore, but we can feel pain and hatred. To make a changeling is easy. All you need to do is to rip the love from another and devour it, but there is one slight hitch. The pony must give up the last of their love on their own or else they will still have some left. Trixie here has been a hard egg to crack, but it’s been weeks and I think I’ll finally get some results.”

Trixie shuddered as the green magic entered her. She seemed to be fighting off some sort of inner demon, but at last her resolve failed. She hung her head and as she did so, her color began to fade until it became pitch black.

“Yes! Yes!” cackled the changeling.

The mastermind then clicked on Trixie’s black body. It made the sound of something hard and hollow. Seconds after this, the black shell began to crack and soon another changeling was standing on the stage, as black and devious as the first.

“Welcome Trixie! You are the first among many brothers and sisters!”

“No! Trixie!” screamed Twilight.

The librarian grunted and stained at the glop rooting her to the ground.

“You think Trixie is the end of it? No,” the villainous changeling gloated as she motioned toward the captive audience. “Behold a new changeling army! But first Trixie is going to prove herself to me.”

The changeling waltzed up to Rainbow Dash and the cyan mare snorted in her face and furrowed her brows angrily. This only made the changeling smile more wickedly than before.

“Trixie, come over here,” called the evil creature.

The newest member of the changeling armada walked over to Rainbow Dash.

“It would seem that Rainbow Dash’s love has grown somewhat cold toward you as of late, of course I’m sure that I didn’t help much, but your task is simple. Her heart toward you is that of a changeling and she is ripe for the picking. You are going to make her our next addition while all of her friends watch!”

Trixie, the changeling, nodded her head and then started up her new stumpy horn. It glowed a sickly green and soon her draining magic filled Rainbow’s head. The eyes of the pegasus quickly turned green. She could barely hear her friends screaming for her to hold on before blackness took hold and she slipped from consciousness.

* * * * * * * * *

“Hello Rainbow Dash,” a haughty voice spoke from somewhere in the dark.

Dash tried to open her eyes and slowly they began to obey. She looked around and found that it was almost pitch black. A thick and clinging fog shrouded the distance so she could only peer a few feet in front of her. But she turned around and found the source of the voice. It was a mare, she looked like Trixie except that her coat was much darker than usual and she had holes in her legs. This other mare began to walk up to Dash.

“It’s been a while since we met last. Trixie has something to show you.”

Trixie’s horn glowed darkly and at once some of the fog lifted and a bright light illuminated a small ramshackle stage, around this stage stood a few ponies. Dash walked into the crowd to see what was happening. There were two mares on the stage; one of them looked exactly like Trixie the first time she came to Ponyville.

“There’s no need to go strutting around and showing off like that,” a brash cyan pegasus with rainbow hair said. “That’s MY job!”

The young pegasus then flew off, spun around a windmill, dashed through some clouds, puncturing holes in them, and posed epically before the light of the sun. Soon she blazed back through the cloud holes she had created and gathered water droplets which followed closely behind. She re-spun around the windmill and finally came to a stop back on stage. The trailing water splashed off her coat and formed a miniature rainbow above the cyan mare.

“They don’t call me Rainbow and Dash for nothin’!”

The small crowd cheered and Rainbow Dash gazed on in shock as she realized she was watching a younger version of herself!

“When Trixie is through the only thing they’ll call you is Loser!” spoke a younger Trixie.

This younger Trixie then shot a beam of light purple magic at the rainbow above Dash and the rainbow suddenly became alive. It wrapped itself around Rainbow Dash’s entire body and spun her so fast that she went flying into the air and ended up spinning on her face in the dirt. Then everything paused. There was no more noise and no more movement of any kind.

“Trixie can see why you don’t like her so much,” the dark Trixie said.

The pegasus turned to find Trixie standing by her and eating popcorn. Dash jumped back in shock.

“Oh calm down scaredy-cat. Trixie is not going to hurt you. In fact, Trixie is going to give you what you’ve wanted for quite some time. You’re going to finally get to give Trixie what Trixie deserves.”

With another flash of magic from the dark one’s horn the crowd was gone and Rainbow found herself standing on the stage. A dim red spotlight was focused on Dash and there was another focused on Trixie.

“Well go on then!” the dark Trixie said.

Dash turned angrily toward Trixie and then turned and gave her a quick kick to the gut.

“Oof! You’ve always wanted to do that. Go on! Hit me again!”

Rainbow Dash happily obliged and punched at the dark Trixie, this time knocking her to the floor. In a flash, Dash was on her again. She raised back another hoof to punch once more, but stopped when her eyes and Trixie’s met.

“Well what are you waiting for?” shouted Trixie.

Dash pulled back her hoof again, but again stopped. Trixie picked herself from the floor.

“Come now. We both know what you want. Why hold on to any silly sentiment of love for others when love only brings you pain?”

At these words the dark Trixie ignited her horn and Rainbow Dash felt a jarring pain in her head. She began to scream and beat at the air. Soon the pain subsided and Trixie was no longer standing over her, but to her side. Rainbow jumped up in rage and pile dived Trixie to the floor. She unleashed another quick blow to the horrible fiend and wound up for another punch. But once again her eye and Trixie’s met and the punch never came. Her cyan hoof clacked instead to the stage floor.

“Why don’t you just finish it already?!” roared the dark Trixie. “Come on! Hit Trixie!” There was silence for some time before Trixie continued, much softer this time, “Why not give the monster what she deserves?”

Trixie hung her head and closed her eyes as she awaited another blow. Rainbow Dash looked at the pitiful creature and then looked at herself. She also hung her head and a bitter tear trickled down. Rainbow didn’t know what to do until something odd happened.

Rainbow Dash saw Twilight’s head, only her head mind you, floating right before her face and saying, “Why can’t you just forgive her and move on?” Then the vision of Twilight, or her head to be more precise, was gone.

Dash stood there for a long while, looking at Trixie, until she finally found her voice.

“Trixie,” said Dash softly.

The dark Trixie looked up at the pegasus curiously.

“Trixie, I…I don’t know if there’s any of the old you left in there to hear me but…but I…Oh! I’m not good at this sort of thing. Trixie, what I need you to know is that after everything you’ve put me through. All of the mocking and everything else, I don’t hold that against you anymore. Trixie what I’m trying to say is…I forgive you.”

A tear trickled down Rainbow Dash’s cheek and she waited for more shouting to come from the dark Trixie, but it never came. Instead a soft hissing came from Trixie’s general direction. Dash looked and found that the dark Trixie was now wearing an expression of horror, mixed with hope. She was also beginning to crack, like a shell, and a bright light was flying out from the small cracks.

The stage around them began to fall apart as large wooden beams groaned and toppled to the ground and the earth shook violently; the stage lights tumbled and shattered on the floor. Even the thick fog began to swirl and whirl around uncontrollably. All the while the cracks on the dark Trixie became longer and larger and the light brighter and brighter until pure white was all that Dash could see.

And suddenly, Rainbow Dash was standing back on the front stage in Los Pegasus with her feet covered in changeling magic. She groaned. All Rainbow could think of at that moment was that there was a really annoying popping noise coming from in front of her.

It was a changeling. No, not any changeling, Trixie the changeling. Small sparks of green lightning were crawling up her black legs and coursing through her body. Trixie seemed to be frozen as the lightning crawled across her entire body. The sparks soon began to smoke until Trixie’s body could no longer be seen and then, the noise stopped. When the smoke cleared, Trixie the blue unicorn stood before them all.

“What?! No! No!No!No! That’s not possible!” wailed the changeling mastermind.

The changeling’s eyes were filled with horror at the scene she had witnessed. She didn’t have much time to stand there in shock for soon an orange blur flew through the air and pinned her to the floor. When the dust settled, the Applejack stood victoriously over the changeling.

“How did you get free?”

Then the changeling watched, between Applejack’s legs, as Spike breathed some dragon fire on Rainbow Dash’s legs and the changeling magic melted away. Soon Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Spike, and even Trixie came to join Applejack.

“It looks like we stole the show,” Rarity stated happily.

“Grrr! I would have gotten away with it if it wasn’t for you meddling kids and your dragon too!” wailed the changeling. “But if you think you’ve caught me, think again!”

The changeling then used her magic one last time. All of the green lights in the building shut off. Still Applejack held the changeling firmly against the ground.

“Ya’ want to try that again?” the farm horse chuckled.

But the changeling smiled anyway.

“Mares, you will always remember this as the day that you almost captured Captain Rose Thorn.”

She looked out one of the giant windows and soon the others found out why. The entire building suddenly lurched and began to plummet. The sudden movement launched the mares off their feet and into the sky. Rose Thorn laughed, flapped her wings, and crashed through a window zipping through the skies of Los Pegasus and away with ease. Another effect of the sudden movement was that it broke the changeling’s spell on the audience, who began to scream.

“We have to do something fast or this entire place will crash!” shouted Spike.

“Twilight! Help me!” Trixie called.

Her horn was already aglow.

“Right!” Twilight agreed.

With both unicorns’ combined magic they were able to grip the building and slow its decent.

“Not slow enough!” screamed Applejack.

They all braced for impact, but luckily the building managed to land on the enormous inflatable Trixie balloon. The air in the balloon escaped with a loud “Eeeee” as did the air in Fluttershy’s lungs, but the building came to a safe rest back on the ground with only a small bump. Everypony let out a universal sigh of relief.

The eight on stage turned out toward the audience. An extraordinarily buff white pegasus stallion stood up from the crowd and shouted, “YEAH!!!”

Then a clap started and soon the entire building was clapping and whistling. Many a, “Best show EVER!” were heard. Those on stage smiled happily, sighed gratefully, and waved back.

* * * * * * * * *

It was a bright and sunny day in Ponyville. The birds were singing, the kids were playing, and a gigantic inflatable Pinkie Pie said “Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie, welcome to Ponyville!” whenever anypony passed near it. Six mares were seated comfortably, enjoying a picnic in the sunshine.

“It’s nice that Trixie gave each of us the grand prize to split,” Rarity commented to Rainbow Dash as the dress maker placed shined a large ruby.

“Yeah, hold up one sec,” Dash said.

The pegasus had a pencil in her mouth and was scribbling furiously on a scrap of paper.

“What’cha writin’ RD?” asked Applejack.

“It’s a letter to the Princess, want to hear it?”

“Sure!”

“Dear Princess Celestia,

Recently I learned a hard lesson about forgiveness. I absolutely refused to forgive somepony even after all of my friends had forgiven her. But holding in all that hate made me like a changeling. It took some of my best friends’ help to finally see that by forgiving her, I was actually setting both of us free. Forgiveness is essential to any friendship, even if it hurts to give.

Sincerely yours, Rainbow Dash.”

“Hey girls!” Spike shouted as he ran over to the group.

He had a letter clutched in his claw that he was waving around.

“What’s that Spike?” Twilight asked.

“It’s another letter from Trixie. She wants to know if you’d like to come back and visit her in Los Pegasus as honored judges for her next show.”

“Only if there’s no changelings this time,” Fluttershy said.

They all laughed and made plans for their next trip out to the bustling city of Los Pegasus.