Trixie made her way down the long path. What a lonesome day it had been. It has been a few months since she left Ponyville for her next grand adventure. So lonely. She used to have Starlight but now she had broken that tie off as well. And what did she need it for anyway? The Great and Powerful Trixie needed nopony else! All she required was herself and herself alone!
Trixie took a rest by the tree, undoing her harness and pulling a map from her saddle bag. By her estimate, she should be just at the foot of the Shaded Woods. There were some creepy rumors about that place. Many said all manner of monster and monstrosity lived within the woods and others claimed it was even a bridge between worlds! Some ponies would walk in and never come back out, sucked in to a new reality by the perpetual fog that surrounded the area. It gave Trixie shivers just thinking about it. But it mattered not if this was fiction or falsehood to her. She needed to see this through to the end. Trixie put the map back into her saddle bag and clamped the harness back around her waist, taking a deep breath. Nothing to be scared of, she told herself. Nothing.
She began her slow walk through the woods, pressing through a thick layer of chilled fog. It lit goosebumps all along her body. Trixie it her horn but to no avail. The fog seemed to absorb light itself, only adding to the spooky atmosphere. Just as she though she was beginning steady herself, a few howls and barks came from the distance. She had nearly forgotten that this was Timberwolf territory. And they sounded close. Trixie stood in place, frozen with fear when she heard something peculiar. It was the sound of a child crying! Trixie's instincts, as well as her curiosity, took over her. She went over to the source.
Indeed, it was a child, but none like she had ever seen. This one had no fur, except for a brown tuff on the top of it's head, it also had long fingers and short stubby legs. It had a similar body structure to a griffon, yet it was nothing of the sort. It had no feathers or wings. He had pale skin and was quite short. Trixie had been so busy gawking she barely noticed when the odd little creature spoke.
"W-who are you? Y-you didn't come to eat me did you?" the boy saidd
Trixie scoffed
"How do you not know who I am? It is I, The Great and Powerful Trix-"
As Trixie began her grandiose diatribe the child began to wail and cry. The yelling must have frightened him. She quickly went to calm him down.
"Shhh, shhh! It's ok! Please don't cry! Um... uh" Trixie begged
The child continued crying and yelling. If he kept this up he was going to draw the Timberwolves closer! But how does one calm down a distressed child? If there was one thing Trixie had no inkling of, it was maternal instincts. Just then she had an idea. With a flicker of her horn, she began to make a dazzling light show of sparks and lights. And as if on cue, he calmed down, enjoying the spectacle. Trixie smiled.
"Well if you liked that, then you are going to love this!"
Trixie shaped the lights to form the shape of the Ursa Major and herself. She mad her little form vanquish it of course, rather than what really happened.
"And that, dear child, is how the Great and Powerful Trixie conquered one of the most terrifying creatures ever to besiege this land!"
The child clapped, loving the story. His laugh was infectious, making even stone cold Trixie laugh as well.
"What is your name little one?" she said with a smile
The kid looked down
"My name is... my name is... um..."
"Well child? Spit it out. Don't tell Trixie you don't even know your own name."
He just stared at the mare with a confused look on his face. Did he really not know his own name? How was that possible?
"Well can you at least tell Trixie what you are? She's never seen anything quite like you."
"What do you mean? I'm human!"
He said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Trixie had never even heard of such a creature. A human? Where did they come from? And why hadn't you seen them before? You had been all over Equestria on tours. Maybe they just weren't in Equestria.
"Trixie does not know of you... humans. Where can Trixie find the rest of your tribe?"
"Tribe? What do you mean? Where am I?"
The little kid began to look stressed, as if he might cry again. His face slowly formed into a frown and she could tell he was building up from a wail.
"Tell Trixie what happened. How did you get here? Where are you from?"
>The child's voice becomes quiet
"W-well... all I remember is falling asleep in my bed and then waking up here. I don't know what happened."
Where the rumors true? Was this really in fact a bridge between worlds? Was this child really from another plain of existence? If so where? And how?
"And how are you talking? You're just a horse!"
You couldn't help but take offense to that. You stuck you your nose.
"Well, I never. The Great and Powerful Trixie is no lowly beast! She is a pony and demands to be treated with respect! Why I ought too-"
The child breaks into tears again.
"Shhh! Shhh! Trixie is sorry! Just please don't cry anymore!"
To Trixie's surprise, the child quiets down. She honestly didn't expect that to work. What was a mare to do now? She certainly couldn't just leave him alone here at the mercy of whatever horrific creature that came along! But it would also mean another mouth to feed and Trixie didn't have the food or the money. She barely had enough to make it through to her destination. But it wasn't as if she had a choice. She already had enough regrets, she wasn't about to have another.
"Human."
"U-uh yeah?"
"Come with me. We need to go."
"B-but what about home?"
"We will figure that out child. But there are monsters in these woods. So unless you want to get eaten, we must leave."
The little boy stood up from the cold ground, brushing the tears from his face. He walked over to Trixie and began trying to climb on her back.
"What exactly are you doing?"
"R-riding you?"
Trixie glares at him. Such disrespect.
"No child. I don't know how humans treated ponies in your world, but we are not for riding."
The child dropped from Trixie's back, a guilty look strewn across his face
"S-sorry."
"Trixie would hope so."
Trixie and the little boy both head back through the fog to the caravan. It was a miracle she could even find it with the fog this thick. Trixie would say it was due to her superb navigational skills, but we all know very well it was just luck. The little guy pulled on her tail.
"What!?"
He gets a bit spooked
"S-sorry... I just wanted to know your name again?"
"The Great and Powerful Trixie!"
He pouts at your long and completely made up title
"Can't I just call you Trixie?"
"Trixie supposes you can." Trixie sighs
"Where are we going Trixie?"
"We're going to the next town over."
"And how far away is that?"
Trixie looked at the map
"About fifteen or twenty miles by Trixie's best estimate." she said
The little kid looks dumbfounded
"Fifteen or twenty miles!?" he cried I'll never be able to walk that far!"
That was a far point. She could hardly expect a child to walk fifteen or twenty miles, especially on only two skinny little legs. She relented.
"Fine," Trixie said with a frown "Trixie will allow you to ride in her caravan. But you must walk first."
He crosses his arms and frowns
"But-" he began to complain
"Trixie will hear none of it." she said, cutting him before he could even start whining "Now let's get moving."
He pouts but just does as he's told. They both walk out into the fog, making sure to keep on the path. If they deviated they would be hopelessly lost. Even with Trixie's horn, she could see no more than two feet in front of her snoot. The further down the path Trixie traveled, the closer the child got to her body. Trixie looked down and smiled gently.
"What's the matter little one?" she said, gently
"I..." he looks down, embarrassed "I'm afraid."
"Relax," Trixie giggled "There is nothing to fear. In fact, this thick fog makes it safer since those wild monsters can no longer see us."
The little boy didn't let go of Trixie's side, despite the reassurance. Trixie sighs.
"Do not get used to this." She motions to her back "The Great and Powerful Trixie will not do this for free, but she will make an exception this one time only."
You see a huge smile erupt on his face and he climbs on her back
"Trixie will only offer this once you hear? Don't get used to it."
The boy motions his hand forward as if to point a sword up.
"Onward!"
Trixie did her best to hide how adorable she found him. Such a cute and innocent little thing. They both keep walking through the misty forest, barely being able to keep track of the only path that led to the exit. The mist had only gotten thicker since she had entered and thus the light was having a harder and harder time penetrating it. She could only see one hoofstep ahead of her at any given time. Just as Trixie was getting her focus on, she felt a cold hand slowly run through her hair. It sent chills up her spine.
"What in the name of Celestia are you doing child!?" Trixie said irritably
"U-um..." his cheeks go red "Your mane just looked pretty is all."
"Trixie has no need for your flattery child." she said with a smug grin "She already knows her mane is the most beautiful and stunning mane in all of Equestria, if not the entire world!"
The kid's face lit up like a Hearth's Warming Eve tree
"Really!?" he said with glee
"Well of course little one," Trixie said "Nothing in the world can compare to Trixie's beautifully flowing tresses."
The kid looked as if you had given him a million bits. Trixie had never seen someone so interested in her before. Usually they just tossed sticks and rocks at her, called her names. Ponies were so cruel. They never forgive or forget. The little guy interrupted you from your thought.
"Trixie?" he asked
"Yes?"
"Can you tell me a story?"
Trixie rolled her eyes
"What kind of story?"
"A story of your adventures!" he had a look of wonderment on his face "You must have a ton of them."
Trixie blushed. This poor ignorant child, looking to her as if she was one of the most noble and brave, as if she as some knight in shinning armor. It felt so good to be viewed so highly though.
"Well if you insist, Trixie shall share with you one of the stories of her grand adventures."
For the first time in her life, Trixie actually felt guilty about lying. But she couldn't very well back out of it now. She wanted this praise so bad. Trixie began.
"Trixie was once employed as head mage to her royal highness, Princess Celestia. You see, the Princess was being terrorized by a mighty dragon. one so evil, it cast a shadow over light itself! You see..." Trixie trailed off
He looked so excited. So happy. She just couldn't bring herself to lie. It didn't feel right.
"Perhaps that story is just to grand to be heard by human ears! We must give you another story!"
"But I wanted to hear the dragon one." he said, pouting
"I'm sorry dear child." she said sympathetically "Anyway, you need a name to go by. Trixie shall bestow one upon you, an honor of very high worth."
"A name?"
"Yes," she said "since you don't remember yours."
He nodded
"Trixie shall will give you one. A mighty one!"
The boy smiled, awaiting his designation. But what name would fit him? She walked a little further down and thought of the perfect one, a name that would cut through iron.
"The Great and Powerful Trixie has figured out what name she will bestow upon her most faithful companion." she said with glee "How does the name Leo sound to you?"
"I like it! It's the best name ever!"