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       #Post#: 1292--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Smoke and Mirrors
       By: Nightingale Date: October 18, 2016, 11:48 pm
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       With a gasp for air, Nightingale's eyes shot open again as
       Trixie's hoof laid on her, causing the illusion to shatter and
       the wagon to come surging back into 'existence' in an instant.
       Nightingale brought a hoof to her head, holding it for a moment
       before shaking it quickly as if to clear it, only to beam up at
       the mare when she said someday she might outshine Trixie.
       Probably not, but the praise was nice! Especially from her idol
       herself.
       The filly's ears flopped some when she mentioned making the
       illusions seem real, something that Nightingale knew she still
       had to work on a lot. She looked to the trap door, nodding some.
       "Yeah... That would be neat, but I can only do the whole..." She
       raised her hooves, waving them in ambiguous circles around the
       wagon. "Room thingy, when I'm in, well, a room. Doesn't really
       work as well if I'm outside... Not to mention it's kind of hard
       to keep going as it is." She tugged idly at one of the tied
       bangs. "...And, I know I've still got a long way to go. I still
       only know how to play with light. Still trying to figure out how
       to make sounds and touch and smells and all that stuff."
       She paused, before returning her attention to the mare. "S'pose
       I could focus the illusion around your stage, and fall through
       the trap that way. I'd be able to show myself falling through
       anyway--plus me falling through the air--if the whole thing
       weren't already hard enough to hold together..." Then, she
       beamed again. "I'm really glad you liked it, though! I could
       cast another one for you, if you'd like!"
       #Post#: 1293--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Smoke and Mirrors
       By: Trixie Lulamoon Date: October 19, 2016, 12:21 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       While Trixie was amazed with the filly and her powerful light
       magic, a bit of fear sunk into her chest as Nightingale spoke of
       manipulating all of the senses. Even more bewildering is that
       Trixie had trouble thinking of anything to say about the filly's
       ability to skip all of the smoke and mirrors her own brand of
       illusions required.
       "Ah-ha... No need to tire ourselves out, we have a busy
       morning." Trixie levitates a stack of fliers over to
       Nightingale, putting some under her cape as well. She ushers the
       filly out of the wagon and leads the way once again. This time,
       however, her confidence seems to have sunk, there was no way
       bringing this filly along was a good idea anymore, she'd be
       out-shined in a moment, but she wasn't going to hurt her
       feelings.
       Trixie's eyes trace the ground and her gait has diminished in
       form.
       #Post#: 1304--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Smoke and Mirrors
       By: Nightingale Date: October 19, 2016, 6:09 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       "Mm, yeah! Gotta get all the posters up for your show~!"
       Nightingale cheered at the mention of busy work, grinning wide
       as she hopped up onto her hooves again. "I'm so excited to see
       you perform up close! I've been looking forward to you coming
       back to Ponyville for so long~." Initially, the filly was in
       high spirits as she marched out of the wagon with TRixie--though
       even a child was able to note the difference in demeanor, and
       her jubilation sunk into concern and confusion. She glanced over
       at Trixie now and then, not really knowing what to say--until
       eventually, a stuffed bear manifested in front of Trixie. It was
       brown, smiling, and had a glowing heart embroidered in its
       chest. With outstretched arms, it moved in towards Trixie and
       hugged itself against her, before pulling away again and waving
       its arms in a cheer for the mare, intended to try and help boost
       her mood.
       #Post#: 1389--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Smoke and Mirrors
       By: Trixie Lulamoon Date: October 24, 2016, 8:01 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Trixie recoils from the teddy bear as it appears, another
       example of the filly's power. Frustration and fear swirl in her
       mind, she begins to think this filly could easily take her place
       and cast her into the shadows, these illusions are perfect and
       effortless in comparison to hers. She tries to swat the teddy
       away, but her hoof passes through the incorporeal stuffed bear.
       Her hoof flows from her attack straight into her hat as she
       snatches a smoke bomb and throws it down, fleeing as a large
       cloud momentarily covers her escape.
       #Post#: 1454--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Smoke and Mirrors
       By: Nightingale Date: October 26, 2016, 10:42 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Taken aback, the teddy bear disappeared back into nothing as
       Trixie's hoof swatted through it. Nightingale's ears folded down
       against her head as she looked over at the mare--or rather, the
       smoke bomb that she'd tossed down. Worry and confusion took over
       her face as she looked about, trying to figure out where the
       mare had gone, before catching sight of her darting away.
       Nightingale watched sadly as her idol ran without a word, tears
       soon welling up in her eyes. She fought hard to keep them back,
       however, to the point where she hung her head some as she turned
       to keep walking into town, the fliers she was given still in her
       possession. She had no idea if she did something wrong, but the
       filly was unspeakably crushed. Self-doubt and crippling thoughts
       raced through her head as she continued on her way to post the
       fliers, any tears that broke free being wiped forcefully away
       with a hoof.
       #Post#: 1455--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Smoke and Mirrors
       By: Trixie Lulamoon Date: October 26, 2016, 11:06 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Trixie looks back from a vantage point away from the filly's
       eye. The fear that had welled up in her from all the thoughts
       that a filly could outclass her so, one that didn't need a
       moment's notice to make an illusion come to life. To be seen
       alongside her, Trixie's show would be petty in comparison, she'd
       be a loser again, just like when compared to Twilight.
       However, the filly's sorrow, her continued commitment to hanging
       up fliers, made Trixie think. She follows the filly along from
       out of sight, Trixie couldn't leave her like that and had no
       plans to... but what could she do? Her fame could be crushed
       this time, there was nothing to teach her about illusions, and
       toting her along will most definitely put Trixie in her shadow,
       never to escape. She couldn't reject the filly to her face
       either.
       There was no other choice, she had to admit, she made a mistake.
       Trixie easily gains ground on the filly as she mopes along.
       Waiting ahead of her, stealthily positioned around a corner she
       would pass or turn into. She uses the surface of her gem once
       more to confirm the filly would run into her before swallowing
       hard and taking a deep breath. Her lower lip shakes as the filly
       draws near. She takes off her hat and puts it to her chest.
       She wasn't ready, the filly's hoof breaches the corner and
       Trixie takes a hard stance to gain her attention, "I... you..."
       With a long sigh Trixie falls to her rump, eyes to the ground,
       "You wanted to hear about the time I put Ponyville in a
       fishbowl..." She scrunches her hat hard into her chest.
       #Post#: 1456--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Smoke and Mirrors
       By: Nightingale Date: October 26, 2016, 11:16 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Nightingale barely paid attention as she moved through
       Ponyville, slapping fliers onto walls and posts, wherever she
       thought ponies might see them. Her thoughts lingered on Trixie
       and her abrupt exit, still trying to figure out what she'd done
       to make the mare not want to be around her. Had she been rude
       without meaning to be? Did she do something to insult Trixie?
       Her ears remained flattened against her head as she asked
       herself those questions, not knowing what to think.
       She was eventually startled by Trixie's presence in front of her
       as she rounded a corner, and she couldn't help but just stare up
       at the mare again for a few moments before more tears welled in
       her eyes, this time unable to keep them held back, much to her
       shame. "Trixie... What did I do?" she croaked out, ignoring the
       older unicorn's words for the moment. "Did I make you mad...?
       Did I say something? Do something? Why did I make you run
       away...?"
       #Post#: 1457--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Smoke and Mirrors
       By: Trixie Lulamoon Date: October 26, 2016, 11:41 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Trixie takes off her cape once again and wipes the filly's tears
       away. She casts an image of a unicorn filly into the air, but it
       was nothing more than sparkles of light in ones shape that made
       motions no better than what could be done with neon lights.
       "A long time ago, there was a unicorn. She wanted more than
       anything to be the most powerful of them all... but she wasn't
       and her odds didn't look good either. One day though, she found
       a solution, she could play a little trick, make her friends
       think she could cast a much more powerful spell than she was
       capable of. The faces of her friends lit up in amazement, and
       that unicorn felt on top of the world. She performed for crowds
       and traveled Equestria, until one day she may have boasted a bit
       too much, made the ponies believe she could do anything. It was
       then that her fans sought to prove it, and the unicorn could do
       nothing, until another stepped in and saved everypony."
       The points of her story had characters fade in and out, friends,
       fans, and an ursa minor, but she wasn't able to display more
       than three or four at a time.
       "The unicorn was ridiculed and cast away, her shows became
       nothing but a fraud, the illusion she had cast over them all had
       faded and she couldn't put it back up. A thought crept into the
       unicorn's mind, that it was all the fault of the other one, and
       if she could overpower her she could take her fame back. She
       sought dark, evil powers to aide her and returned to the
       village. She challenge the other and imprisoned the village,
       upon her victory she threw her out... but the darkness of her
       powers took hold and she enslaved the village to do her
       bidding."
       Trixie's spell fades but she continues,
       "The other... Twilight Sparkle found a way back in, she used
       Trixie's own brand of illusions to stop her and remove those
       dark powers. She had saved Ponyville once again, because I had
       once again put them in danger. I got so wrapped up in being seen
       as the best that when somepony came along who was actually
       better I just made things worse for everypony..." Trixie looks
       up to the filly, "and now there's somepony else who's better, I
       just got scared."
       #Post#: 1458--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Smoke and Mirrors
       By: Nightingale Date: October 26, 2016, 11:57 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       The filly's gaze lowered in shame when Trixie wiped away the
       tears she hadn't been strong enough to keep at bay. It stayed
       there a few moments, until Trixie started her story and cast
       those images. Looking still like she was trying to fight her own
       emotions, she watched the display set in front of her; most of
       the story she knew already. Of course she'd kept up with the
       events after Trixie's show. She'd been there for almost all of
       it, having followed the mare to try and get more glimpses of the
       one she'd begun to admire.
       The rest of it was new to her--or at least, somewhat. She'd
       heard about it second-hand from other ponies, but was certain
       they were only intentionally making Trixie seem like the bad
       pony. The sound of an 'alicorn amulet' that gave her all that
       power sounded amazing, and her only regret was not having been
       there to see it all.
       Then, she was only taken aback again when Trixie mentioned
       another pony who was 'better', making Nightingale's eyes widen
       as her ears pinned again. "No... Trixie, I'm not better," she
       insisted softly, shuffling a bit closer to the mare. "I mean...
       I know I'm good, but you're amazing... You're The Great and
       Powerful Trixie. I'm just... some orphan. I'm not better..."
       #Post#: 1459--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Smoke and Mirrors
       By: Trixie Lulamoon Date: October 27, 2016, 12:14 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Trixie found herself confused at that response, 'just some
       orphan?' This filly clearly has something wrong with her senses.
       It's so off Trixie laughs, "Pfft, ha!" Trixie fits her hat onto
       the filly, "Looks like Trixie's illusion still works on
       somepony."
       She blushes a bit, realizing that other ponies might start
       getting out and about by now. She clears her throat and raises
       the edge of her hat from the filly's face, "That's a good look
       for you, but we've still some fliers to put up." She takes her
       hat back and puts it on, "Just remember that Trixie is the star
       of the show." She smirks to the filly as her magic posts a flier
       nearby.
       She stands ready to lead the way once again.
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