Shade lurches up from her bed. She takes in shallow breaths and stares wide eyed at the wall. Searching the room yields nothing. She examines the clock next to her bed. At least she had not woken up too early. She decides to hop into the shower for another cold shower to help ease her mind.

As she dries herself off in the restroom, her mind ruminates over last night's thought of a grand opening for her store. She leaves the restroom and heads to the kitchen for breakfast. When she touches the swinging door to the kitchen, she freezes as the front door unlocks. The door opens and a fluffy, curly mane pokes though.

"How did you get a key?" Shade turns to the door to question the obvious culprit.

The door slowly closes but Shade opens the door with her magic to reveal a bashful Pinkie.

Pinkie smiles innocently and tosses the key in her mouth into her mane. "DB gave me it," Pinkie answers as she steps inside.

"Oh, okay." Shade replies nonchalantly and pushes through he swinging door.

Pinkie exhales a sigh of relief and skips after Shade. "I thought you were going to be mad," Pinkie shares as she enters the kitchen.

"I did always wonder how you got in but I didn't mind since you're my friend. A key makes perfect sense," Shade answers as she picks up three bananas in her magic from a bowl in the middle of the island.

"Have you heard from DB lately?"

"No." Shade chews on a banana and watches Pinkie sit across from her at the table.

"What?" Pinkie grins.

Shade stares at Pinkie pensively. "My original intention to ask for your assistance with something was dashed by the realization of utilizing my magic; but thinking more about it, your assistance—no matter how invaluable it it—would be unnecessary for this endeavor. I do not wish to interfere with your work time."

"Oh."

If a single syllable could cut like a knife, that would be it. Shade kicks herself as Pinkie's quick change of expression expires.

"I apologize, Pinkie," Shade says. "I know how you always like to help. I should have just asked instead of giving you a chance."

Pinkie giggles. "It's fine. Really. Whenever you start using big words, you are trying not to hurt my feelings. I understand."

Shade cocks her head curiously at Pinkie. After several moments of thinking, Shade slowly nods her head as Pinkie's observation reveals Shade's subconscious behavior. Shade takes a bite of the second banana and affirms with a short grunt, "Huh. I guess I do do that."

Pinkie giggle-snorts into her hooves. "You said 'do do!'"

Shade finishes the second banana and smiles at Pinkie.

Pinkie beams from ear to ear.

"Thanks, Pinkie," Shade says after a moment of serene silence.

"No problem, Shadey-wadey!" Pinkie salutes.

After Pinkie leaves for work, Shade begins her preparations for the grand opening. Luckily, the local party supply store had the flyer and banner she had in mind for the grand opening. Once outside the store, Shade had teleported the banner home and duplicated the flyers ten fold.

A thunderous noice catches her attention. From down the road, Shade notices a yellow wagon speeding down the lane being pulled by a mare with an azure coat and stops inside the town square.

"Curious," Shade muses and heads to the market where the wagon had parked.

Shade begins to hang up flyers in the market, with stall owner permission, while observing the the mare out the corner of her eye. The mare with two different shades of pale blue mane busies herself by going in and out of the red roofed, yellow wagon which has a sign with her cutie mark. Two colts walk up to the pony who Shade recognizes as Snips and Snails.

"I am the Grrreat and Powerful Trrrrrixie!" Shade over hears the mare introduce herself to the colts.

Shade's curiosity decreases with every increase in pitch of the mare's voice. Shade's selective hearing zones out the boisterous pony as she walks past the pony to make her way home. Shade places a flyer on the wall of her house and secures it with magic, when a second flyer covers hers and a paintbrush brushes over it.

Shade stops the two colts from running away with her magic and hauls them over to her face.

"Now, I know you two only have a few brain cells to share with each other," Shade hisses low, "so let me demonstrate what will happen to you if you cover up one of my flyers again." Shade levitates the paint can of paste over to her and precedes to crush the can with her magic. Snips and Snails gulp audibly. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Chrystal!" Snips and Snails squak in sync.

Shade teleports the colts to the park.

Fireworks explode and pop outside. Shade glares at her front door as if the problem of her not selling anything lies within it.

"Insufferable ponies," Shade grumbles. "I bet if I were a sweet shop there would be lines of ponies waiting to get in," she continues to gripe as she head out the door and locks up her shop.

"Boo!"

Shade exhales a sigh. She turns around to smile at her bubbly friend. "Heya, Pinkie-winkey."

Pinkie looks at Shade with a knowing expression and hugs Shade. "Want to see the magic show with the rest of us?" Pinkie asks as she breaks away from their embrace.

"Spending time with you all is worth more than trying to make bits," Shade replies, which earns her another hug from Pinkie.

"Come one, come all! Come and witness the amazing magic of the Grrrreat and Powerful Trrrrixie!" the pony exclaims as fanfare and fireworks add emphasis to the pony's showboating.

The crowd awes in amazement.

"Watch in awe as the Grrreat and Powerful Trrrrixie performs the most spectacular feats of magic ever witnessed by pony eyes!"

"My, my, my! What boasting!" Rarity comments.

"Come on, nopony's as magical as Twi—Twi—Twi—Oh!" After realizing who he is standing beside, Spike clears his throats and turns his attention to Rarity, "Hey, Rarity, I, uh—mustache!" He zooms away to fetch the object he hopes will woo the mare of his dreams.

"There's nothing wrong with being talented, is there?" Twilight asks uncertain.

"Nothin' at all, 'cep'n when someone goes around showin' it off like a school filly with fancy new ribbons," Applejack inputs.

"But that's kinda her job," Shade adds to the conversation, "she is performing a show."

"Just because one has the ability to perform lots of magic does not make one better than the rest of us," Rarity proclaims.

"Uh, yes it does. You have your fashion, AJ has her bucking, Pinkie has her parties, and Rainbow Dash has her speed," Shade begins to list.

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash concurs.

Applejack gives Rainbow Dash and Shade a disapproving frown.

"Do you mind!" the show pony shrieks, finally having enough of ponies interrupting her show.
"Who is so ignorant as to challenge the magical ability of the Grrreat and Powerful Trrrrixie? Do they not know that they're in the presence of the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria?"

Shade stares at the mare with dubious eyes. She ignites her horns and teleports the pony to the Dragonlands along with wagon.

"Well, looks like the show is over and the Great and Powerful Pain in my Flank is gone," Shade announces to the crowd and starts her short trip home.

"Nice one!" Rainbow Dash chortles and follows after the ivory tricorn.

Twilight gallops after Shade to ask, "Where did you send her?"

"Where I sent the others," Shade replies.

"And where is tha—wait. 'Others?!'"

Shade stops and places a hoof on Twilight's withers. "Twilight. You're welcome." Shade smiles and resumes her walking.

Meanwhile
In the Dragonlands...

"What the flames!" Ember exasperates. She groans and shakes her head, "Not another one."

"Please don't eat Trixie!" the pale azure show pony begs.