“Hey, Rainbow Dash.” It was Soarin', “Come on, there's something you gotta see.”

Rainbow sighed, “What's up Soarin'?”

“There's this unicorn magic show that just set up in the theater, they say she's one of the most powerful unicorns in all ever. Firestreak and Fleetfoot have seen her before and they say she's amazing. You coming?”

Most magical pony around? Twilight maybe? No, Twilight wouldn't do stage performances, she wasn't like that. “Sure thing,” Rainbow faked a smile, if visiting Rarity had been to forget about the Wonderbolts, maybe a good show would help her forget about Rarity. True, she would have to see it with the Wonderbolts, but at least they wouldn't be either complaining or boasting the whole way through.

“You are going to love her Dash, you hear all kinds of things about this pony’s famous exploits; she's a real hero!”

Rainbow and Soarin' made their way to Canterlot Theater without stopping to take note of waving fans or to give out autographs. Whatever was going on must be big; ponies were lined up for blocks waiting to get into the theater; it wasn't cheap either—forty bits a ticket on a Monday?—even the Wonderbolts only charged forty-five (at least when they opened the full stadium).

“Spitfire has already reserved a private box for the Wonderbolts. Let the ordinary ponies wait in line.”

“Awesome, tell her thanks for me. Do you reckon we could go see this unicorn before the show started?” Judging by the line they won't be starting for a while yet and it was still possible it was Twilight, right?)

“Well, probably not for normals but for ponies like us, it shouldn't be a problem.”

Rainbow and Soarin' passed through the VIP (Very Important Pony) entrance into a dimly lit hall slowly filling with eager spectators. Soarin' pointed out the Wonderbolts viewing box, (not that it wasn't obvious as it was the only one that had the ponies Rainbow saw every day in it) and left to get first pick from the snack bar while Rainbow poked her head around the stage curtain.

“Hello, anypony there?” Nopony responded and so Rainbow went backstage, still hoping the unreasonable hope she might find Twilight. Relying on memory from when she and her friends did the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant, Rainbow wove through a plywood maze that honeycombed the concrete exterior of the theater. Turning a bend and walking through an open door she saw the rump of a light blue unicorn with a white tail occupied fidgeting through some box of tricks, NOT TRIXIE! Rainbow hadn’t made a sound but the blue pony suddenly turned around casting a menacing glare at- ...hold on a second; that wasn't Trixie.

“What are you doing here!?” Whoever she was, she wasn't Trixie, but she was mad. “No ponies allowed backstage except performers and staff! Go back and wait in the theater, you impatient mule!”

Rainbow didn't know whether to retort, ask if she was maybe Trixie's sister or if she should just walk away when suddenly two pegasi landed behind her, both with identical pale blue coats and white manes; now things were going from weird to downright Freakyville.

“You think you could just sneak back and see how all the magic is done?” one pegasi accused, “Get out, or we'll drag you out and you won't even see the performance!”

Rainbow wasn't sure what was happening and she wasn't sure she wanted to know. She was about to leave, when a sweet yet arrogant laughter rang through the dressing room curtain and the accompanying voice drifted into the room. “Let her stay girls. That's right. Are you too dull to see that the leader of the mighty Wonderbolts has come so seek an audience with the Great and Powerful Trixie?” The curtain glowed and pulled itself back to reveal the real Trixie, holding herself up with an unbearably overbearing demeanor. The other blue and white ponies shrank away from her in submission. “Welcome Rainbow Dash. To what does Trixie owe the honor of this visit?”

Dash glowered at her blankly, “If I knew it was you performing, I wouldn't have come.”

Trixie seemed to take no notice of Rainbow's offense, apparently experienced in flattering ponies she thought she could use. “Well now that you're here is there anything Trixie can do for you?  Trixie is afraid it will have to be quick as she is on stage in ten minutes and couldn't stand to keep her adoring fans waiting, but if you come back after the show she will give you as much time as you desire.” Trixie kept smiling as though Rainbow was an old friend. Half of Rainbow wanted to believe her; the other wanted to wipe that smirk off her face with a hoof. She eventually opted for the middle ground and asked what was really on her mind.

“What's with all these other blue and white ponies? Usually, you don’t see two ponies together with the same colors, so why are there four of you in just one room?”

“There are six of them actually,” corrected Trixie. “Two unicorns and four pegasi. These are Trixie's support cast who have chosen to follow The Great and Powerful Trixie and assist in her performances, in exchange for the honor of being able to continually witness Trixie's miraculous powers and skills in showmareship. While they remain Trixie's disciples they take her colors as a sign of their loyalty. Perhaps similar to your Wonderbolt fliers.”

“Yeah, well I actually pay my Wonderbolts, and I train them, and I don't force them to dye their coats and manes so they look like little copies of myself.” The Trixie look-alikes exchanged glances but said nothing.

“Perhaps you’re just being a little bit soft on them.”

“Or maybe I'm just not a stuck up boaster who has more mouth than magic, and who doesn’t care who I have to hurt to get what I want!”

“Come now Rainbow Dash, you’re hurting Trixie's feelings. If you worked with Trixie it would be a huge help to both your careers. Perhaps you could do a joint show with Trixie someday. Trixie would like that wouldn't you?”

“No, I wouldn't.”

“Well then you and Trixie could support each other from a distance, little things you know; recommendations, advertising etc. Trixie could give you advice in showmareship if you wanted, she's been doing this a lot longer then you have. If you could just get Trixie one chance to perform in the palace, she could-”

“The Wonderbolts have been Canterlot's top entertainment for the last twelve years and since I've been captain our ratings have been at an all time high. I don’t need your help.”

“But Trixie could still help you with promotion. Look at the crowd out there, Trixie could put in a recommendation for my audience to see you perform if you would do the same for her. Trixie will advertise you at every one of my shows this week for just one recommendation, even in private if you like, to Princess Celestia.”

“There's nothing you could tell your audience about me that they wouldn't already know, and I'm not going to recommend ponies to see a show that's not worth watching; least of all the Princess.”

Trixie momentarily took her eyes off Rainbow and looked around at her assistant show mares. “The show will begin in eight minutes girls, get out there and make sure everything’s ready, if Trixie is not there in time, start the introductions without her. If she still has not arrived, go with routine five, Number Two can take Trixie's place”.

When they were alone Trixie shut the door and turned back to Dash who was suddenly feeling extremely nervous. “Really Rainbow Dash there's no reason's we can't be friends if you want to be. If you help Trixie, she's willing to help you in any way you like.” Her voice was softer now, almost compassionate and a spark from her horn pulled her cape a few inches down revealing more of her neck. “Trixie has heard about you and the Wonder-stallions, how you don't pay any attention to them. You don't have to be shy with Trixie; she helped Fancy Pants, and he got her this performance at the theater tonight.” Trixie took a few steps towards Rainbow, the main lights in the room dimmed and a row of candles mysteriously lit themselves. Trixie’s next words were slow and full of suggestion, as she spoke she wiggled her flank and fluttered her fake eyelashes. “A funny name for somepony who doesn’t wear any pants.”

Oh she had GOT TO BE JOKING!

“Trixie you're sick! As long as I am their leader the Wonderbolts will never perform with you, and I will never help you get your filthy hooves inside the palace! Get that in your head! I will not help you! Never, Ever!”

Trixie's seductive smile faded and turned to a sneer, and then the lights brightened again. “Well then Trixie will just have to get to the palace on her own. Watch out Rainbow Dash, pretty soon The Great and Powerful Trixie will be drawing larger crowds then the Wonderbolts. Trixie will see you humiliated and finished! But don't worry, when you’re out of work, perhaps Trixie will let you become one of her showmares and you can do your little tricks at her shows. You'll have to dye your mane and tail though.”

That was it! Dash braced herself and launched towards Trixie bringing her hind hoofs to bear. She had this brilliant idea about Trixie's head smashing into the concrete wall behind her in a colorful crescendo of white, blue and red; but before she could cross the room, Trixie's horn let off a powerful blast sending Dash flying backwards head over hoof into a table filled with little bits and pieces. Rainbow collided with the table with a loud thud and looked up to see an upside down Trixie leaving an upside down room to a chorus of applause. By the time she was on her hooves and seeing straight, Dash could already hear Trixie's voice ringing out over the hapless audience.

Dash just wanted to get out of there. She tried the back door but it was locked, the only other ways out were through the stage, or the side passages which led past the viewing boxes. She did the only feasible option, hoping that everypony would be too busy watching the performance to notice her sneak past, but there Rapidfire waiting for her in the hallway.

“Rainbow Dash! You're missing it! Did you meet Trixie? Wait, never mind! Tell me later; Trixie is amazing! Come and watch!”

Rainbow did the only thing she was able to; she sat down and watched, and the longer she watched, the more Trixie's arrogance became unbearable... for her at least. Everyone else, particularly the Wonderbolts, loved it. They cheered at the tricks, laughed at the jokes, stomped in time with the pegasi dancers, and didn’t seem to mind Trixie's boasting at all, if anything they encouraged it. What if Trixie did get popular and Rainbow had to see her on a regular basis? What if the other Wonderbolts suggested they do a show together with Trixie? How could she convince the Wonderbolts of Trixie's lameness? She had to do something.

“This stinks” it wasn't great but it was the best she could come up with at the time.

“Stinking awesome!” This time it was Lightning Streak but she was echoed by several of the other Wonderbolts.

“Seriously how can you guys fall for her lameness?”

“She's not lame, she's a hero” insisted Silver Lining, “I even heard that she once saved some town called Ponyville one time from a rampaging Ursa Major!”

Rainbow Dash flapped her wings in frustration and something fell to the ground.

“What's that?” asked Misty as the Wonderbolts momentarily took their attention off the performance to see what had fallen from Dash's wing. It was small, metal and had probably gotten lodged in her wing when Trixie threw her into the table. High Winds reached for it and as she nudged it the metal device suddenly started talking with Trixie's voice.

Blaize who had once been a showpony herself was the first to recognize it. “It’s a microphone, you know so she can talk quietly and give directions to her stagehoofs without the audience hearing. We can hear her much better with this. Now its like were listening from the front row but watching from the viewing box; awesome!” The Wonderbolts crowded around the infernal device. Wasn't it enough that there Trixie had to be in seven places on stage at once? Did she now have to be in the Wonderbolt's 'private' viewing box as well?

Trixie's voice rang clearly through the microphone as she told some bogus story about how the great dragon migration had really been a war gathering to plot the destruction of Equestria. Then how Trixie had found a magic bracelet, which turned her into a blue dragon, enabling her to infiltrate their secret meetings and prevent their maniacal plans from being carried out. Obviously the bracelet was lost forever at the end of the story so she couldn't demonstrate turning into a dragon, but the audience seemed to swallow it none the less.

“Incredible” gasped Fire Streak in a reverent voice, “She actually saved all of Equestria.”

“Come on, you can't actually believe that” Rainbow challenged, “She's making it up.”

Fire Streak looked at Rainbow as if she were stupid, “Look around you Dash. We're in the oldest and most prestigious theater in Canterlot. You don't think they'd let her come out here and say this stuff if they didn't check out all her stories to see if they were true or not, do you? I mean, how else do you think she got her performance here tonight?”

Rainbow's mind flashed backstage to Trixie and the row of candles, “Yeah, it’s a mystery.”

Trixie paced the stage, reveling in the applause, until the exceptional enthusiasm of Soarin' and Fleetfoot brought her attention to the Wonderbolt's viewing box. She watched for a moment as every Wonderbolt except Rainbow Dash cheered and then a cruel smile spread across her face. Turning around with her back to the audience she said quietly enough not to be heard by the crowd, but loudly enough to be heard by anyone with a microphone, “Prepare stunt X.” Then quieter, barely audible even on the microphone Dash partly heard, “Perhaps she was Trixie's fillyhood friend... tragic reunion... heart stricken remorse... obliged... perform … funeral.”

“Hold on what was that? All I heard was something about a fillyhood friend” this time it was Wave Chill

“I dunno” said Surprise, “The audience was cheering too loud for me to hear anything.”

“And now the Great and Powerful Trixie will invite a member from the audience to assist her in her next act.” Trixie had turned around and was speaking to the audience again, “Who will it be?” Half the audience and all of the Wonderbolts, (except Dash,) put their hooves high in the air. Trixie paced the stage several times to build suspense, then looked straight up at the tuft of rainbow colored mane sticking out from behind the railing. “You!”

Unfortunately for her, Trixie had forgotten to point to whoever she meant. The crowd went silent and everypony was left wondering who she was referring to; all except one little gray pegasus with a blond mane and slightly crossed eyes who fluttered up to the stage, thinking Trixie was talking to her. Trixie was so focused on the Wonderbolts box that she didn’t notice the pegasus until she was standing beside her. Trixie jolted, then swung around to face the innocently smiling pegasus.

“What!?...What is your name, friend of Trixie's?”

“Derpy” chirped the pegasus.

“Louder!”

“My name is Derpy Hooves!”

Dash's heart sunk as she saw Derpy climb the stage; she knew Derpy from Ponyville, that is to say she knew of her. They had never had a real conversation, but she knew Derpy was Ponyville's mail-mare. Derpy wasn't the kind of pony you wanted to hang around with. She was a bit slow mentally, would get mail mixed up sometimes, more than once Derpy had forgotten where she was going, and when she was the head weather pegasus Rainbow had learned it was easier to move the clouds herself then to clean up the aftermath of letting Derpy 'help'. Dash was at the top of the cool pyramid; and Derpy was sort of like a block that got lost on the way from the quarry and ended up falling in a ditch. Nevertheless, in her own pathetic way, Derpy was sort of generous and was always trying to be caring towards as many ponies as she could. She definitely didn't deserve whatever horrible thing Trixie was planning to do to her. Dash felt like her gut was filled with stones as she realized Derpy was only there because of her, and there was nothing she could do to save her.

Trixie nodded and waved her hoof dramatically, “Well then Derpy, prepare yourself to make magic history!” then much quieter Dash heard over the microphone, “Abort, abort go to stunt four, and hurry!”

“What did you say Trixie?” Derpy asked quizzically, loud enough to be heard by some of the audience.

“Trixie didn't say anything.”

“Did you?”

“Trixie just said she didn't!”

“Aren’t you Trixie.”

“Of course Trixie is Trixie.”

Derpy looked hopelessly confused, glancing between the various Trixie look a-likes, “Then… who are you?”

Trixie face hoofed and then spoke just loudly enough to be heard over the microphone, “I am Trixie. But I talk like this when I'm doing my performances.”

“Oh umm...OK” mumbled Derpy, still looking confused.

“Now Derpy” resumed Trixie in her usual stage voice, “Tell Trixie where you are from.”

“From Ponyville.”

“Ah yes, Trixie knows the town well, but Derpy, how many of Trixie can you see?”

Derpy looked confused, “There's only one of you Trixie.”

“Really? Because it looks to Trixie like you see two of her, or perhaps you think that Trixie has two heads?”

“I-I don't get it.”

“It’s just you’re looking in different directions so Trixie thought you might be looking at different things, or maybe you’re looking at an invisible friend.”

The crowd laughed, including the Wonderbolts. Derpy looked like she was about to laugh, but then she realized that everypony was laughing at her instead of with her. Trixie usually didn't interview her assistants because it took the focus off herself. Dash figured she was probably trying to buy time for her stagehoofs to change from 'stunt X' to 'stunt four', and was doing so by doing the first thing that come to her mind, (in this case making fun of a disability).

Dash was still trying to think of something she could do to make sure Derpy didn't get hurt, but all she could think of was hope that Trixie's stagehoofs had heard her, and were quick in changing between stunts. Dash couldn't live with herself if Derpy died because of her, and the last thing she ever heard was hundreds of ponies jeering her because of her mixed up eyes.

Feeling she had given enough time for the necessary preparations Trixie finally let up about the eyes “Derpy, are you ready to continue?”

“Yes, I am.” Said Derpy; seeming to have already forgotten that she had been made fun of.

“Very well then, if you would just stand over here... no, there- yes, that's it. Now if you’re ready, Trixie will disintegrate you into a flock of butterflies which she will then cause to fly to the other side of the stage and then reform them back into your old self. Unfortunately Trixie is afraid she can't do anything about your eye problem.”

“Oh, well umm... OK. Just make sure you put me back together right.”

“My dear Ms Derpy, you have Trixie's word, not a hair in your mane will be hurt.” It was amazing how convincingly Trixie could fake sincerity when she wanted to.

The crowed watched in eager anticipation, Dash stared in horror as Trixie's horn started glowing. Suddenly where Derpy had been standing was filled with a pillar of thousands of butterflies which seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. They flapped and fluttered and began moving to the other side of the stage, but when enough had gone to see some view of the stage (at least from the viewing box) Derpy's head and front hooves were still there, the rest of her had disappeared down some trap door. Music was playing too loudly for the audience to hear anything, but Dash could see behind the cloud enough to know Trixie saw what she did and was horrified.

Trixie's voice hissed Over the microphone, “What are you doing get down there!”

Derpy's voice responded weakly, like she was struggling, “I... can't, I'm stuck.”

“The audience will see you, get down now!”

“But I'm stuck.”

Trixie's places both forehooves on Derpy's forehead and shoved violently but Derpy didn't go down.

Dash couldn't take it anymore, Derpy needed help. She knew she couldn't take Trixie alone, but including her there were thirteen Wonderbolts and only seven Trixies, together they could do it, but she would need every one of her Wonderbolts to help. She turned to her crew, “Guys we need to do something, Derpy is in trouble!” Her call went unheeded so she tried again “Derpy really needs our help!”

“Relax Dash” Soarin' seemed unconcerned, “Trixie will get her down the hole, see she's helping her down right now. Still, it is a shame seeing how the trick was done.”

Trixie's voice came back over the microphone, “You’re going to ruin my magic show, now get down!”

Derpy’s voice responded like she was in pain, “I'm trying.”

One last time Trixie's voice yelled angrily, almost loud enough to be heard by the audience, “You get down the hole right now, or I will make you disappear forever!”

Dash waited for Derpy to respond again, hoping Trixie hadn't really carried out on her threat. When Derpy finally did answer her voice was shaking like she was crying“I-I'm sorry... I d-d-didn't mean to do a-a-anything w-wrong...  I'm sorry.”

Now Dash was yelling at her Wonderbolts and didn't care who else heard her. She would make the Wonderbolts help her help Derpy. “Guys, we've got to save Derpy Hooves!”

Spitfire almost stood up, but glanced round at the rest of the team and sat back down again, “Settle down Dash, it'll be OK.”

“ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Dash turned to see an unknown unicorn stallion with a dark red coat and jet black mane had teleported onto the stage, scattering butterflies in every direction and was staring down Trixie as though he meant to drill a hole through her with his eyes. His strong voice echoed through the theater. “They say you end your shows with a challenge. ‘Anything anypony can do you can do better!' WELL I CHALLENGE YOU!”

Trixie left Derpy hanging and crossed the stage towards the stranger, maybe hoping that this unexpected interruption would distract the crowd from the head that was still sticking out of her floor. Drawing herself up and poising her cape and hat she confidently asked, “And what, oh rude one, do you think you can do to defeat The Great and Powerful Trixie.”

The red pony's horn glared and flames broke out on the stage, quickly surrounding him and Trixie; but they died as quickly as they began leaving a scorched circle encompassing the two unicorns. (Derpy was on the other side of the stage and the flames did not come near her). “First pony to leave the circle looses.” His voice seemed at once both calm and ready to explode with anger.

“Very well” agreed Trixie, “let us begin, Number Two, begin the countdown.”

One of the Trixie look-alikes stepped forwards with a haughty smirk she must have learned from her mistress, “three...two...one...GO!”

BOOM! Trixie was instantly thrown across the stage like a bale of hay.

“Cheater!” Yelled Trixie, struggling to regain her hoofs, “You cast the spell before m-Trixie's assistant said go! You only won because you cheated. The Great and Powerful Trixie never cheats. You're disqualified!”

“You lie to avoid admitting defeat!”

“But you did cheat” said the pony who had given the countdown, "You cast before I said go, we all saw you.” the other Trixie look-alikes nodded their heads in agreement.

“Then step back into the circle and try again!” The red stallion wasn't about to let Trixie go, and Dash hoped he really could do it again.

“With pleasure” smiled Trixie as she calmly walked back into the circle and gave a nod to 'Number Two'.

“Three... two... one... GO!”

Trixie shot a beam of blue energy at the red unicorn, but before it reached him, it shattered against an unseen force. A half second later he retaliated, sending Trixie flying again, further then the first time.

“One more time!” shrieked Trixie, “The light was in my eyes!” She clearly couldn't keep making such pathetic excuses and the fact that she was referring to herself in the first person showed just how stressed she was becoming. This time had to count. Once more Trixie's assistant counted down and once more Trixie was hurled from the scorched circle. The stranger stood unmoved, waiting to see if Trixie would try again, but this time, Trixie merely sat there, as the crowed watched on in silence. After waiting long enough to cement his victory, the red stallion left the circle and began crossing over to where Derpy still hung with half her body down a trap door and was extending his hoof to help pull her out, when Trixie fell upon her final resort. “Ingrate! You are an ungrateful oaf who has no appreciation for the art of a good show, or respect for greatness!”

Something changed in the red unicorn's face when she said that and he stopped; horn glowing brightly. “Ingrate to greatness?” he muttered calmly. Suddenly he spun around and shot a beam of fire that would have killed Trixie, if one of her unicorn assistants hadn't run forwards and pulled her mistress away a second before a flaming hole was blasted in the floor of the stage. Moments later the assistant came barreling across the stage towards the stranger, her horn lowered and glowing with blue fire. Meanwhile one of the blue pegasi charged him from behind. In fact as if an unseen signal had been given, Trixie’s entire cast descended on the stranger from the front, left, right, above, behind and everything in between.

The red stallion stood still till the last possible moment, and then shot back with his hind hoofs, shattering the jaw of an approaching pegasus. He then dropped like a stone, and when the charging unicorn was just a few feet away, flicked out one of his front hoofs, knocking one of her legs and then the other out from under her. Was he crazy? She'd fall right on him, but then he wasn't there anymore, he'd teleported above her and used his weight to bring down his hind hoofs onto her horn, cracking it as she fell heavily. He disappeared again, this time he was fifteen feet in the air, kicking one of the pegasi in the neck. He teleported again, now back to ground level with his back to a wall so they could only attack him from one direction. He looked on the remainder of Trixie's army and snorted in challenge.

Dash watched in awe as, without even looking, the stallion deflected a blast from Trixie's remaining unicorn assistant back at her; knocking her unconscious. The pegasi were fast, the unicorns were powerful and this guy was on the verge of having cleared the stage in; in ten seconds flat! This guy was unbeatable! At least... if he were only defending himself, he would have been. As the three remaining pegasi (the one he kicked in the air had been hurt but wasn't taken out) charged in a final effort to bring him down. The red unicorn used his magic to grab the leading pegasus, and crash her into the one right behind her making them both fall in a crumpled heap to the ground. The third pegasus swerved dangerously to avoid the collision and lost control, (apparently that kick had some damage after all). She was heading straight for Derpy!

The stallion saw it only at the last instant as he had been preoccupied with his own safety until then. But seeing the wounded pegasus plunge towards the defenseless, terrified mare he teleported one last time, making himself into a living shield to protect Derpy. The pegasus hit the stallion with a whack Dash could hear all the way from her viewing box. The pegasus collapsed to the ground, either dead or unconscious; the stallion's horn stopped glowing, his face twisted in agony, as he dropped to his knees, winded. That was the opportunity Trixie, who had stayed out of the actual battle before this point, needed.

Her horn shot a chaotic energy beam and this time it wasn't blocked, the stranger took the full hit. Trixie erupted into shrill laughter and prepared to fire again and might have killed him then and there if she wasn't at that moment tackled by Rainbow Dash, who seeing the turn of events was no longer content to merely spectate. The two mares rolled on the stage floor, biting and kicking. Dash was stronger, and had the element of surprise, but Trixie still had her magic. Dash felt herself gripped by Trixie's magic and lifted off of her rival. Trixie's horn glowed as she prepared to annihilate Rainbow Dash but... the blow never came. Moments before Trixie would have ended the fight, another blast came from the unknown unicorn, nailing Trixie with pinpoint accuracy. Trixie collapsed, her horn extinguished and Dash was released from her power.

Surveying the battle scene, Dash was surprised at how much the stage had changed in such a short time: the lights, curtains and floor were all wrecked, and several large holes had appeared in the walls. Trixie's minions lay strewn around the stage, some groaning in pain, most werew unconscious, but at least they were all breathing so far as Dash could tell. The crowed was still there, but had moved well to the back of the theater to avoid the destruction, and Derpy was still there, still half-sticking out of the floor, with her remarkable rescuer behind her with his horn aglow, helping her wriggle her way out. Rainbow went over to help, but by the time she got there Derpy already was out and the new pony was using his magic to brush soot and sawdust off her fur.

“Are you all right?” asked the stranger, looking away from her even as he spoke.

“I... think so” Derpy answered, looking around at the defeated Trixies scattered around the stage, as if not sure what to do now.

“You think, or you’re sure?”

“I'll be OK, but...” Derpy gestured to the lifeless figures around her, “Will they?”

“Broken bones, torn ligaments, medium burns, but no fatalities. They will recover, but they will be in pain for a long time.” The unicorn spoke casually, examining the bodies, as though their state mattered nothing to him, yet he had spared their lives when he could have easily killed them all.

“Oh, good!” Derpy sounded relived, “I wouldn't want them to be permanently hurt but maybe they'll learn a lesson from this, and won't hurt anypony else when they're better. Th-Thank you for rescuing me, whoever you are.”

“You’re welcome” whispered the stranger softly, still looking away from her.

“And thank you Rainbow Dash” said Derpy turning to face her, “I saw how you helped.”

“It's OK Derpy.” It felt good to help sompony who really needed help for a change.

Without warning Derpy threw her hooves around Rainbow Dash and the stranger who still hadn’t revealed his name. With one hoof around each of them, she faced the crowed of spectating ponies and shouted, “These two ponies are my best friends!”

OK. That was too far. Rainbow was fine protecting her, but Derpy was about the uncoolest pony Rainbow knew, and Rainbow hadn't completely given up on trying to keep a reputation. Rainbow twisted out of Derpy's arm as fast as she could, “Whoa, hold on one second, I was glad to help you but that doesn’t make me your friend.”

“But, but...” stammered Derpy confused at Rainbow's sudden rejection of her.

“I would be happy to be your friend” said the red unicorn, but seeming to think better of it he quickly added, “But only for today though, I can't stay in Canterlot for long.” Where did this guy have to go that he needed to be so bad? Or was it just an excuse to ditch Derpy? Rainbow understood if it was, this guy was way too cool to hang out with an uncoordinated pony like Derpy; he should be hanging out with sport stars and movie stars... sport stars especially. Derpy swung round and hugged the unicorn with both hooves; making him go tense. Who did she think she was that she could claim him all for herself just like that? A few moments later the doors at the back of the theater burst open and a dozen Canterlot Guards started making their way through the crowds.

Derpy released her champion and turned to face the approaching guards. “I think we should get out of here guys. Those ponies look mean.”

Leaving was a good idea, thought Dash, but preferably not with Derpy, she would slow them down too much. True; if they left her alone, Derpy would almost certainly be caught, but she hadn't broken any laws therefore wouldn't be charged, and while the guards were apprehending her, Dash could run away with the stallion. “OK” she agreed “But let’s split up, it will be harder for them to follow us that way.”

The red stallion nodded in agreement, “Fair enough,” his horn glowed and a saddlebag matching his coat flew to him from in from somewhere in the audience, “Goodbye.” His horn glowed once more and both he and Derpy vanished and then reappeared by a distant window, he looked out for a few seconds and then he and Derpy disappeared from sight leaving Dash alone on the stage, with the guards coming fast.

Next Chapter: Laugh at how bad I was - Mysterious Stranger Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 25 Minutes