My Little Pony--Trixie and the Razzle-Dazzle Ruse

by G. M. Berrow

  “Don’t feel bad, Rarity,” Twilight said, shooting her pal a sympathetic look. “It was an accident.”

  “The important part is that we were able to find some of the Gleam Berries in the castle stores,” Starlight reminded everypony. “The Radiance Remedy potion Twilight whipped up should work to restore Trixie.”

  “That is, if she’ll drink it!” Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Good luck prying a special power out of that pony’s hooves. Remember the Alicorn Amulet?”

  The ponies all exchanged an awkward look. They knew that Trixie had apologized for the incident in which she’d exiled Twilight from Ponyville out of jealousy for her magic skills. And she had definitely changed for the better. But still, there was a sliver of doubt in each of their minds.…

  Starlight Glimmer, however, knew a different side of Trixie. She’d come through for her on a number of occasions. Starlight owed her best friend. “One way or another, I will find a way to get this tonic into her and cure Trixie.” Starlight held up the bottle to the light for a closer inspection. There was barely a sip’s worth inside.

  “Better get it right on the first try,” Applejack warned with a furrowed brow. “That amount there couldn’t quench a flea’s thirst.”

  One drop would do the trick.

  Cloak and Swagger

  Word had spread quickly about the magnificent mare with the Glowpaz hoof. Ponies across the kingdom had the name Trixie on their lips. Everypony wanted to see her in action and catch a piece of the glowing bounty.

  Once she’d arrived in Canterlot, Trixie had taken her time setting up the stage. Partly because she wanted to build suspense, and partly because she was physically unable to move very fast with her heavy hoof. Why did it feel like her entire foreleg was heavier now, too?

  Trixie was just finishing the task of unfurling her new giant “The Hoof That Holds the Glowpaz” posters when she heard the annoying babble of a loud group of friends yelling some nonsense at her. Trixie covered her left ear and winced in mock pain. “Trixie’s ears are delicate! Why must you make such terrible sounds at me?”

  “Don’t go onstage!” Twilight shouted.

  “Stop the show!” cried Fluttershy.

  “Pretty please?” Rarity whined.

  Trixie looked at them and laughed. “I’m going to razzle-dazzle every single pony out there because it’s the only chance I have to impress the ponies of the Starmane Society of Magicians. They are right across the street as we speak!” She rolled her eyes. “You came all the way to Canterlot to try to stop all that? That’s not very friendly! Aren’t you all supposed to be the experts in that department?” She looked right at Twilight for the last part.

  The sky was beginning to darken. Trixie’s hoof and foreleg were beginning to look even more brilliant in the low light. Rarity couldn’t tear her eyes away from the way the light was creeping onto Trixie’s back.

  “Listen to me!” Starlight begged. Her purple-and-teal mane swayed in the breeze as she pointed to Trixie’s bright shoulder. “You have to stop your hoof from glowing or else it’s going to spread. It will turn you into a very… pretty… glowing… statue!”

  “I don’t believe you,” Trixie replied with a sassy expression. She began to trot away. “This is all just a ploy to take the attention away from me again, isn’t it?”

  “No, of course not,” Twilight Sparkle replied sincerely. “We’re your friends!”

  Trixie scoffed. “My show is starting in three minutes, and I hope you will all be in the audience to support me.” She stuck her nose in the air and turned back to look at them. “You know, what friends do.”

  The magician trotted off backstage to prepare. Starlight followed her. “I’m going to fix this,” she told the others. “I promise.”

  Starlight remained hidden as Trixie puttered around, checking props and peeking around the curtain to look at the growing crowd outside. There were hundreds of ponies waiting to catch a glimpse of the famous glowing hoof! When Trixie went to adjust the faucet on the hose, a lightbulb went off in Starlight’s head. That was it! Starlight could administer the Radiance Remedy through a random water mist, just like she’d done at the other show. Then Trixie would be doused in the magical tonic and be saved.

  Starlight felt better instantly. All she had to do now was wait for the right cue.

  Torn and Restored

  “Welcome to the most marvelous sight you will ever see! Mares and gentlecolts, I present to you… without further ado… the one… the only… the always-glowing, gem-giving, incredible illusionist… THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIEEEE!” Trixie burst onto the stage in a flash of light.

  The crowd gasped at the shocking sight of her. Half of Trixie’s body was glowing! Trixie looked down at herself and her eyes went large. She quickly covered up her surprise and continued on, limping across the stage in an awkward fashion. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will now perform a never-before-attempted, one-of-a-kind stunning stunt—‘The Hoof That Holds the Glowpaz!”

  Trixie held up her shining hoof. The brilliant light illuminated the crazed expression on her face. “Behold… my hoof of wonder!” She waved her hoof in the air and began pacing the stage slowly. Her body felt quite heavy. Everypony in the crowd followed her with their eyes, back and forth. “I will now transform any item, of any substance, into a beautiful jewel!”

  “Any item at all!” Suddenly, Starlight Glimmer appeared, wearing a sequined bow tie and skirt. She struck a pose and flashed a cheesy smile. Then she stepped forward and did a dramatic twirl. Starlight pranced over to a young colt in the front row and leaned down.

  “Do you have an item you’d like the Great and Powerful Trixie to transform, young sir?” The colt reluctantly passed her his stuffed toy bear.

  Trixie shot an angry look at Starlight. Who did she think she was, trying to ruin the show?

  “When do we get the Glowpaz rain?” a random mare shouted from the audience. “Hurry up!”

  Trixie ignored her and continued on. “Behold… behold…”

  “Behold the beautiful glowing hoof as this bear becomes made of precious gems!” Starlight finished with a wink. “And that’s not all, folks—by the end of this show, so will Trixie herself become fully made of Glowpaz!” The audience gasped and erupted into applause. Even Trixie looked surprised.

  “That’s right!” Trixie hollered. “I will transform and return to normal, unscathed by the unbearable weight and considerable—Ahhhh, oohh!” Trixie fell over on her side, like a wooden pony doll. Her legs stuck straight out, immobilized in their glowing casts.

  The audience started laughing. Trixie’s face burned with embarrassment. She tried to get up but just scooted across the stage.

  Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Applejack watched in agony from the audience. Fluttershy covered her eyes and whimpered helplessly.

  Even though it was earlier than she’d anticipated, Starlight Glimmer couldn’t wait another second. She wheeled out the hose from backstage, cranked it on, and poured the Radiance Remedy right into the misty stream, blasting it all the way over to Trixie!

  As soon as the potion hit Trixie’s hide, a blinding light surged through the entire street and a ringing sound pierced everypony’s ears.

  The ponies blinked away the stars in their eyes that had been left by the light of the spell taking effect. The audience stumbled around, grasping for their hoofing, and began wandering off in a confused stupor. The show was over.

  Starlight Glimmer rubbed at her eyes. When her sight finally returned, she saw Trixie curled into a tiny ball on the ground. Her eyes were closed tight. “Is it over?” she whimpered. “Is my beautiful, magical glow hoof gone?”

  “I’m afraid so.” Starlight reached out and helped Trixie up again. She felt as light as a feather. “But thank Celestia!” Starlight broke into a genuine smile. “I was so worried about you. And I really wasn’t sure if changing the show like that would work!”

  “So…” Trixie sighed and smiled
back. “I guess you were right about the whole glowing-statue thing.” She plopped down on the ground and shook her head. “I’m sorry I got so carried away again. I just really wanted to impress the ponies from the Starmane Society so badly!”

  “We know, sugarcube.” Applejack smiled reassuringly at her. “Maybe there’ll be another chance?”

  “I thought… that if they saw my glow hoof, they might think I was special.…” Trixie explained.

  “You are special. And the thing we love about you most, Trixie, is that you never give up!” Twilight admitted with a grin. The others nodded in encouraging agreement. They were all impressed by how quickly Trixie had bounced back. “That’s a quality that everypony admires.”

  “I didn’t get to give this to you earlier,” Rarity said, stepping forward. She unzipped the dress bag, revealing a perfectly stitched, one-of-a-kind cloak. Trixie’s jaw dropped. “I wanted to say sorry for… uh… the whole hoof thing.” Rarity laughed nervously.

  “Whoa!” Trixie swung the new cloak around her body. It was smooth, shimmery, and showy—perfect in every way. “Thank you so much.” Trixie was so touched, she looked like she might cry. “I don’t deserve friends like all of you.”

  “Of course you do!” they replied in unison. Everypony enveloped Trixie in a traditional group hug.

  “I’m still going to find a way to impress the Society, if I can.” Trixie grinned, the wheels turning in her head already. “Maybe I can try to come up with a whole new never-before-attempted feat… something involving crocodiles—”

  “Excuse me?” an older mare dripping with emeralds interrupted, stepping forward. “The Great and Powerful Trixie, I presume?” Her silver mane was laden with shimmering stars and she wore a mischievous expression on her face. “I’m—”

  “Starmane!” Trixie gasped in reverence. “Wow. Of course I know who you are.”

  “That was quite the amusing performance you put on,” she said with a sly smile. “Such a clever show. I loved how you pretended to not know what the act was! I haven’t laughed that much since I saw ‘The Hilarious and Amazing Piebald’!”

  “Oh, thank you…” Trixie replied, feeling an odd mixture of starstruck and confused. She looked to her friends. They were all grinning and motioning excitedly.

  Starmane cocked her head to the side. “Say, Trixie… would you like to come join me and the others for a mug of cider across the street? Tonight’s our big Society ball, and we could certainly use some new blood to liven up the party!”

  “Trixie would love nothing more!”

  The Starmane Society Ball

  Trixie stood before the enigmatic members of the Starmane Society of Magicians. Candles floated everywhere, and there was soft, jazzy music playing throughout the secret lounge below the ballroom.

  It was a more-than-suitable setting for an exclusive Society party, Trixie thought as she spun around dramatically. Her brand-new shiny cloak of swirling colors swung out and landed softly upon her pale-blue shoulders. A devious look sparkled in her violet eyes. “And that, Society members, is the tale of how my friends and I saved Equestria from the most fearsome villains known to ponykind—the evil Queen Chrysalis and her army of love-sucking changelings!”

  “Well done!” commended a magician named The Daring and Fearless Wild Card. He tipped his shimmering black top hat to her. A white dove flew out and perched upon another magician’s head.

  “Cheers to you!” said a Pegasus aptly named The Incredible and Gifted Gimmick as she passed Trixie a glass of cider. “You had me on the edge of my seat. True entertainment!”

  Trixie nodded in agreement, a slight blush on her face. Starmane herself had been listening to the story. The old mare gave a nod of approval and slowly made her way over to Trixie. Her jewels clink-clank ed together and her long, royal-blue velvet cloak floated along the floor. It felt like Trixie’s heart was going to beat right out of her chest.

  “You may be a bit different, but you’re spunky, young filly! You’re a true entertainer. That’s something we here admire very much and need more of in our esteemed group.” Starmane put a hoof on Trixie’s shoulder. “So, I believe this belongs to you, O Great and Powerful Trixie…” There, in Starmane’s very hoof, was the only thing that Trixie had dreamed about, the only thing that meant more than glowing riches or endless praise from audiences—a Starmane Society of Magicians official member brooch!

  “I… I…” Trixie sputtered as she studied the symbol of the two crossed wands surrounded by a halo of stars. “I’m in awe. Thank you, Stupendous and Astounding Starmane!”

  The ponies erupted into convivial laughter and applause. Trixie took a deep bow, trying to keep a serious magician’s face. But she couldn’t help but grin. She was really here; she was really a part of this! Every ounce of Trixie felt truly magical, right down to the tips of her hooves.

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