"Yes, mam. No, mam. Yes, mam. I understand, mam. Okay, mam. Yes, mam, I heard you the first time, mam. No, mam, I'm not back talking you. Okay, mam. Goodbye, mam." The light red stallion sighed, before rubbing his head with his hooves. "I need a nap..." He placed a hoof on a nearby intercom and spoke into it. "Will Trixie please enter my office?"
Giggles McJoyheart waited in his office for several minutes, staring at his mahogany desk, before staring at his pink, soft hooves. He sighed and pressed on the intercom again. "Will the GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie please enter my office, before I fire her?"
Said Trixie must have been waiting right outside the door, because it suddenly launched open and she stepped out, basking in the ever amazing perfection that was herself. Truly her perfect perfectness was more perfect than even the perfectest of perfectionists.
"Trixie, take a seat."
"How may the Great and Powerful Trixie be of service to you, Giggles?" The cyan pony inquired, taking a seat as she sipped on the straw of her drink.
"Trixie..." Giggles growled.
"Apologies, apologies. Trixie forgot you do not enjoy being referred to by your first name."
"Just Mister Mc will suffice, Trixie."
"Of course, Mister Mc," she nodded, keeping her holier-than-thou attitude and tone.
"I just got a call from Miss Ching."
"Ah. Yes. Ka Ching. Trixie remembers her." The pony mentally fumed as she remembered yesterday's party.
"Well, she just called. Can you guess what she said?"
"That she wishes to pay me double for my amazing and stupendous services?" Trixie smiled, placing a hoof on her chest.
"No. She's complaining about how you made her son cry. Something about, electrocuting his flank?"
"That little snob was yelling at me throughout the entire performance! Obviously, his parents are doing a poor job of raising him," she declared, keeping her chin up.
"The customer is always right, Trixie. Miss Ching is making me give her a refund because you electrocuted her son."
"It was a small one."
"That money is coming out of your paycheck."
"WHAT?! You can't do that! Not again!"
The room suddenly shook as the pink stallion slammed his hoof onto the desk. Trixie did not bow down though. Her arrogance wouldn't let her as she glared at her boss as he yelled. "This is the third time one of your customers have asked for a refund, Trixie! If you don't do something about your attitude, then you're out of here!"
"Trixie is doing her best, with the tiny budget YOU have given her, Giggles!"
"I am running a business, not a charity. I have already increased your budget, and I won't do it again."
"Trixie requires the best equipment possible to do her best work, and Trixie will not perform for those that do not show her proper respect!" The pony got off her seat and turned with an angry grunt, before she began walking to the exit.
"Trixie, wait," Giggles sighed, rubbing his head once more. "I'm sorry. I know the customers are always right thing is a load. They're not always right. But this is a repeating occurrence. I can't keep you if you keep costing me money. I gave you this job because I pitied you-"
"Funny. Trixie doesn't remember it like that," she commented, examining her hoof.
"AND because there's something about you I really like."
"My skill? Charm? Showmanship?" She smiled, striking a new, Great and Powerful pose with each word.
"No, your hammyness," he corrected, before glaring at her. "But I can only do so much. This is a business. I still need money, and so do you. I hope we don't have a talk about this again."
Trixie let out an long, exasperated sigh and nodded her head. Giggles nodded back, before he excused the blue unicorn to leave. He sighed and looked for his stash of apple cider, mumbling to himself about "Kids these days..."
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Trixie quietly walked down the streets of Baltimare, in a huff over her recent meeting with her boss. Ever since her humiliating humiliation at the hands of one TWILIGHT SPARKLE, the Great and Powerful Trixie had led herself to Baltimare. Now, here she was, performing for birthday parties and weddings, lacking her trademark hat and cape.
She growled and stomped her hooves into the ground as she stopped in line for some food. Perhaps some sweets would get her mind off her outrage.
"E-excuse me?"
Trixie sighed, rolling her eyes to the source of the voice. No doubt a loyal fan pleading for an autograph. Or an annoyed customer demanding payment for damages. If it was the former, she would shoo them away. If it was the latter, she would shoo them away. With a lightning bolt.
"Do you know where we can find the Petunia Hotel?" A pink maned, yellow pegasus asked, looking to the ground and back at Trixie.
The unicorn rolled her eyes once more before raising her hoof and pointing down the street. "Go down that way and take a left, then right on the third exit. Can't miss it."
"Oh, umm...Thank you...Trixie?" She raised a brow as she realized who she was talking to.
"Does the Great and Powerful Trixie know you?"
"Fluttershy! There you are! We've been-Trixie?"
A group of ponies walked over. An orange earth pony, a blue pegasus, a pink earth pony, and a white unicorn. But it was their leader that made Trixie's eyes widen, before they narrowed in hatred.
"Twilight Sparkle. What are you and your, lowly friends doing here?" She asked, turning her head and pretending to not even notice the six.
"Well, look who's exactly the same as when we last saw her," The blue pegasus, Rainbow Dash, mumbled.
"Trixie...Um...We're here for the 'Unicorn Competition.' Have you heard about it?" Twilight sheepishly asked, smiling as her other, lowly friends grimaced at the sight of the Great and Powerful unicorn. Well, save for the pink one. She was being annoyingly perky about it all.
Look at her...So smug. Trying to act so coy. I know what you're thinking Twilight Sparkle!
"Of course, the Great and Powerful Trixie heard. She has been deemed ineligible though, for being sooo Great and Powerful!"
That was an outright lie, of course. Trixie wanted to join the competition, but could not due to the entrance fee being more than she could afford in such a short time. Of course, Twilight and her band of misfits couldn't be allowed to know that.
"What a load of flying feathers," the blue pegasus mumbled, before being poked by Twilight.
"Well, that's...spectacular! Really! Um...So, how are you?"
"Look, Twilight. I don't know what game you're playing, but I don't want to hear it! Go and take part in your little competition, the Great and Powerful Trixie does not care! Now be gone! The Great and Powerful Trixie just wants her food."
"Sorry, everypony! Sold out! Come again tomorrow!" The baker yelled.
The line of ponies groaned as they began to disperse. Trixie could have sworn one of her eyes twitched as her anger broke.
Before the the blue unicorn could give the baker a stern scolding over refusing the services of the Great and Powerful Trixie, Twilight's voice rang out. "Pinkie, can I see the food you baked?"
"Okai-dokei-loki, Twilight!" The pink pony produced her saddle out of nowhere (where did that come from?), and the purple unicorn opened it with her magic. She took out a cupcake and a muffin from it, before bringing them over to the Great and Powerful Trixie, who held them with her own magic.
"You're giving her our food?!" Rainbow Dash shouted.
"Calm down, Rainbow. These were meant for me. Here, Trixie." The sweets were released into Trixie's telekinetic hold, as Twilight looked at her Great and Powerfulness. "Trixie, I know last time we met things didn't go...well. I don't want any bad blood between us, though. You don't have to if you don't want to, but we'll be at the Petunia Hotel. If you can, could you come over so we can talk?"
"The Great and Powerful Trixie...shall think about it."
"Great. You do that," the purple unicorn nodded, nervously smiling. "Come on, girls. Let's get to the hotel. See ya, Trixie!"
No one, save for Pinkie Pie gave such a cheer goodbye. The most she got were glares, perhaps a mumble or two. She slowly took a bite out of the cupcake, her eyes widening in joy at the taste of the sweet delicacy. It was the best thing she had eaten in a while.
"Curse you, Twilight Sparkle. I know what you are planning. You are trying to lure the Great and Powerful Trixie into a trap with your delicious sweets! Well, the Great and Powerful Trixie shall show you she is not outwitted by anypony! With Celestia as my witness, I shall arrive at Petunia Hotel, and we shall see what you have to say!" She declared, raising a hoof into the air as she nibbled on her cupcake.