Silence, anticipation, held breaths and fidgety hooves. Hushed whispers and hissed appeals for silence.

An audience enraptured by the slow opening of two red velvet curtains, pulled apart at a snails pace, revealing an empty wooden stage, and a simple crystal ball upon a stand.

Silence descends over the scene, as the performer behind it all begins to count, waiting until the first whispers of confusion bubble over in the minds of the crowd, wanting to still the words as they hung upon the lips of her first neighsayers of the evening.

And then, movement.

A thick, mystical fog rolls across the stage, subtly at first, but soon more thickly and in greater quantities, until the mist covers the entire space, even beginning to descend into the crowd, where it quickly dissipates into the cool night air.

Ponies nudge each other and grin, giggles and noises of anticipation begin to circulate, before the sound of a flute fills the air, high and clear, above every other sound in the wide open space before the simple stage.

A voice accompanies the flute after a moment, a clear, proud, feminine voice emanating from the centre of the fog, as a dark shape becomes visible, nothing more than an outline, standing tall behind the orb that forms the stage's centerpiece.

She sings gracefully, her song loud, yet also slow and intimate, with only a few lines. It sounds like the beginning of a grand old tale of ages past, as the figure on stage raises its head, revealing itself to be a mare, in a fine cloak and pointed wizard hat, who sang the simple, yet subtly beautiful song.

" In ancient times, in a land far off, full of dragons and mages and brigands and kings, valiant ponies tempted evil's wroth, for honour and riches and magical rings. ♫"

"Some found fortune, some found despair, but all found things they had not known were there, now ages after, though their stories doth pale, their deeds live on within the words of my tale… ♪"

The song and flute fade to silence in complete synchronisation, the dark silhouette bowing its head as the slow tune comes to a close.

Ponies stare uncertainly, unsure of whether or not to stomp their hooves in applause, when the figure within the fog moves, her hat is removed from her head, and a horn is revealed.

An instant later, the fog is blown away by an explosion of brilliant, shimmering stars, which bathe the stage in light and twinkle amongst the crowd, as fireworks jet out from the back of the stage, leaving fizzing trails of golden sparks, and fill the night sky with bright blue and silver explosions, bringing awed gasps and pointed hooves, before quickly fading away.

"Good evening, mares and stallions, fillies and colts of Canterlot. It is with great pleasure tonight, that I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, present to you, this grand tale." The brilliant azure mare spoke, voice powerful and imperious, as she held her head up proudly and gazed upon the crowd with her dark violet eyes, seeming to place her gaze upon every member of the audience individually, as she scanned the assembled ponies.

Her pale cornflour-blue mane and tail flapped and flickered, (as did her purple, star studded cloak) in an unseen wind that cleared the last of the fog, and only served to accentuate the beauty and power of the mare who now approached the crystal ball, replacing her hat (of the same pattern as her cloak) upon her head, re-covering her horn in the process.

"Tonight's tale will be: The Pharaoh's Phylactery!" The azure mare cried, her voice resounding like thunder, as she flung hooves wide to the crowd, as if welcoming one and all to hear her tale, another wave of fireworks much like the first, accompanying her announcement.

The crowd were all stomping their hooves and cheering by this point, and onstage, the storyteller grinned, taking the crystal ball in her hooves, as she began to weave her wondrous tale, full of adventure, intrigue, and, just like Trixie herself, Magic.