Saturday, January 23, 2016
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Friends and music are the perfect combination today. Enjoy music with your friends.
Daytime
Pinkie decides to take the day off from Sugar Cube Corner today so that she can go to the karaoke box with me and Twilight. We invite Rainbow Dash and Rarity to tag along; Twilight invites Sweetie Belle, but Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom have plans to spend the day with their friend Scootaloo. Applejack is spending the day with her dad and Big Macintosh, and Fluttershy is out doing her usual Saturday animal playdate.
We didn't invite Sonata along for...obvious reasons. We didn't even tell her we were going to a karaoke box. I hope she's not too lonely back at the dorm...
After three hours of karaoke and a late lunch at the pizza buffet, we head back to the dorm to rest up before Trixie's concert.
Just before we leave for the concert, I get a text from Trixie.
Would you come backstage after the show tonight? I'd like to talk to you for a minute.
Evening
Trixie's concert is booked at a large hall on the north side of Canterlot. With everyone going, it takes two vehicles to get there. When we arrive, we run into Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna at the ticket gate.
"It's so exciting to see my students living their dreams!" Celestia says.
We all find seating near the front, having arrived early. The hall is quickly filling; most of Canterlot High turned out for the show.
Our tennis team manager runs out onto the stage, dressed like a roadie. It takes her a minute to find the microphone, and then only after she trips over a cable. Once she finds the microphone, she grabs it and takes a deep breath...
...then disappears in a bright purple puff of smoke.
The disembodied voice of Trixie fills the arena:
"Put your hands together for TRRRRRRRRIXIE AND THE ILLUSIONS!"
Three spotlights pan over the stage, which has a thin layer of fog clinging to it. Suddenly, multiple explosions on the stage send up fountains of sparks and brightly colored plumes of smoke. The spotlights converge on the center of the stage; as the smoke begins to clear, Trixie and her band start playing their first song. Each of the girls is wearing a purple hat and cape covered with stars and moons.
The first song...sounds a lot like the old, boastful, contemptuous Trixie. But even as she's singing, she's smiling and tossing handfuls of colorful party favors out into the crowd, even as impossible amounts of confetti and glitter burst from her sleeves.
After the song, Trixie steps forward and throws out her arms, a bright smile on her face. "Hello, Canterlot! The Great and Powerful TRRRRRRIXIE! welcomes you! We have a lot of music and a lot of magic to delight and amaze! I hope you're ready to be ABRACADAZZLED!"
The Illusions immediately launch into their next original song, which I suppose is called "Abracadazzled". It's catchy; the crowd seems to be getting into it. All during the song, Trixie and her two bandmates perform simple illusions, such as pulling strings of scarves from their sleeves and doves out of empty hats.
In between songs, Trixie performs larger, more elaborate illusions, occasionally asking for a volunteer from the audience. She saws one of her bandmates in half; amusingly, she doesn't do the "putting her back together" part of the trick until after their next song, leading to the rather bizarre spectacle of a sawn-in-half girl playing and singing. Trixie herself goes through several wardrobe changes, including a very sexy corset-and-nylons outfit that draws much approval from the male half of the audience. The approval for this outfit is so great, in fact, that she remains in it for the last third of the show.
All in all, the show is a success; the audience seems to love the music and the magic, and after the last song and the grand finale, Trixie receives a standing ovation.
Trixie and her bandmates take a bow. "Thank you, Canterlot!" Trixie says. "You've been a wonderful audience! Trixie would love to do an encore, but we need to get the doves out of here before they make a mess!" Everyone laughs. "Goodnight everybody!"
And with a last eruption of fireworks and smoke, Trixie and the Illusions leave the stage.
"Wow, that was a lot of fun!" Pinkie says.
"Yeah...who knew Trixie could put on a show like that?" Rainbow agrees.
"It was most impressive," Celestia says.
"Combining music and magic like that is simply amazing!" Luna cheers.
Everyone starts to head out. I lag back, telling Twilight I'll head out to the parking lot as soon as I talk to Trixie. I head backstage; the tennis team manager slash roadie smiles and waves at me, then lets me in.
I find Trixie in her dressing room; she's already changed into a blue track suit. She smiles happily at me. "Did you enjoy the show?" she asks.
"Hell yeah!" I grin. "That was amazing! Everybody loved it!"
"I'm so glad," Trixie says, letting out a shaky breath. "I was so nervous up there..."
"You sure didn't show it."
Trixie laughs. "Well..." She shakes her head. "Listen...I wanted to say thank you...thank you for everything.
"It's hard to believe that just a few months ago, everyone hated me...everyone thought I was a total joke. And...I guess I was. I'd convinced myself I was so much better than everybody else...I didn't have friends because I didn't deserve friends.
"You gave me a wake-up call and helped me learn how to make friends, and reminded me why I started learning music and magic in the first place. It wasn't so I could prove how much better I am than everyone else. It was so I could reach out to people..."
Trixie walks over to the dresser and picks up a box. "I wanted to give you something," she says. She hands me the box; I open it and find a black plastic wand inside.
"That...was my very first magic prop," Trixie says. "It's just a cheap plastic wand; it used to do the fake bouquet of flowers trick, but it broke a long time ago." She smiles fondly. "I used to put on magic shows for my dad. I never quite got the tricks right, but he always smiled and clapped...he was a great audience, and he was patient, and...and eventually I did get the tricks right, and I moved on to bigger and better tricks...but I always kept this, because this is where it all started." She looks up at me. "I want you to have it...to thank you for helping me remember what's really important."
The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.
The innermost power of the Moon Arcana hath been set free.
We bestow upon thee the ability to summon Ursa Major, the ultimate form of the Moon Arcana...
The Aspiring Performer Social Link of the Moon Arcana has reached its maximum level!
Flash Sentry has mastered the Aspiring Performer Social Link!
The power to create Personas of the Moon Arcana has reached its maximum!
Flash Sentry has forged a bond that cannot be broken!
Flash Sentry can now summon Ursa Major, the Bear of All Cosmos!
Trixie stretches. "You think maybe I can get you to play with my band sometime?"
"I'd love to."
Trixie smiles. "Maybe I'll even saw you in half!" She laughs. "See you at Music Club on Tuesday!"
I head out to the parking lot, where everybody is waiting for me. When we get back to the dorm, we all have sandwiches for a light late dinner, then head to bed.
It was a good day...
