Chapter 8: A New Beginning
CaNtErLoT - PhOeNiX ThEaTeR
JuLy 19 - 09:04 p.M.
The Phoenix Theater is one of the oldest buildings of all Canterlot. Almost as old as the Royal Palace itself.
Built over a thousand years ago to honor the victory of the two royal Princesses against the Spirit of Chaos, Discord, the Theater was named after the mythical fire bird to symbolize the will possessed by the ponies of those days, to raise the capital and all Equestria from the ashes left by the empire of the old tyrant.
The theater seems to reflect very well it’s name, since, in all the years in which it was open to the public, it underwent at least 18 fires, whether accidental or not, many of whom have also threatened to definitely bring it down to the ground.
However, just like the mythical bird, it has always risen, reaching to present days almost completely unchanged from its original design, albeit being constantly updated and renewed almost every 25 years.
Composed almost entirely in hardwood and Coltara marble, painted in gold and fire red, the theater can accommodate almost a thousand spectators, redistributed in three tiers with 100 seats each, a gallery with 120 seats, a balcony with 170 seats, a box for the Royal Family which can hold up to 50 ponies and two alicorns and a main hall for 350 spectators, in addition to the space to accomodate over 80 ponies of the orchestra, all in a perfect oval shape suitable to amplify even the slightest note.
On this day, the theater was filled to the last place and the crowd was in a total ecstasy.
This was the greatest show Trixie had put on since... well, since she started to be a magician.
She was standing on the stage, front hooves wide open and a big smile pictured on her face, as she was receiving all the admiration and attention of the public.
This was it. This was the respect and fame she was going after for all those years, and she was loving every single second of it.
‘This is for you dad.’ She thought with great pride ‘I finally became the greatest of all!’
“Thank you, thank you everypony.” She said, inviting the crowd to compose once again “And now, for the next magic number, Trixie will need the help of one of you, ponies from the public.”
Immediately, all the ponies present raised their hooves towards the sky, loudly asking to be chosen.
Trixie took a couple of seconds watching at them all and after a quick pondering, pointed at a young unicorn filly, with a light blue coat, greyish mane and pink eyes, standing in the front row “You! Trixie believes you’ll be perfect for this.”
The filly was in a jubilee, happily jumping on her spot as her parents started to push her towards the stairs that lead to the stage, while Trixie used her magic and a couple of smoke bombs to make a transparent pipe appear on the stage.
“Now, my young admirer, what is your name?” Asked Trixie.
“Bloo.” Replied the filly with a high pitch tone.
“Very well, Bloo. Now, what Trixie wants you to do is enter this tube and stand as still as you can. Can you do that for Trixie?”
“Of course, oh Great and Powerful Trixie!” The young unicorn replied in a joy before rushing towards the tube.
“So young and yet so smart, isn’t Trixie right?” Asked the show-mare to the public, sending all the ponies bursting into laughter.
“Now...” Trixie continued, gaining her seriousness back while levitating with her magic a violet drape, so as to completely surround the pipe, hiding it to the crowd’s gaze “...watch in awe, as the Great and Powerfull Trixie will make this little filly….disappear!”
As the drape was free from Trixie’s spell, it lifelessly dropped on the ground, revealing the pipe to be empty, just as Bloo never entered it.
An astonishment sound echoed throughout the crowd, immediately followed by their cheers and several rounds of applause.
“Thank you, thank you everypony.” Said Trixie after bowing a couple of times “It is better now for Trixie to bring the little Bloo back as well. After all, Trixie wouldn’t like for her parents to chase after her for the rest of her life.”
A chorus of laughter boomed again, as Trixie was using her magic once again to let the drape cover the pipe.
“Salute the public, little Bl-” Started to say Trixie, while dropping the drape, but the phrase was abruptly cut in her mouth.
Inside the pipe was not the young filly named Bloo. Instead, a full grown mare, a brilliant jungle green unicorn with a mint mane, held by a black band, was inside it. Beyond her red glasses were pistachio eyes as cold as ice, and the smile on her face overflowed with malice.
“Well well well. If it isn’t the Weak and Useless Trixie.” The mare adjudged towards the show-mare.
“M-Mother?” Replied Trixie, in a state of shock and terror.
“My my. I heard you were having a hard time, but I was not expecting for you to have sunk so low.” Said Trixie’s mother, while coming out of the pipe and approaching her daughter. “Entertaining a crowd of noponies with magic tricks of such a low level, aren’t we?”
As Trixie tried to drift away, averting her gaze from her mother, she noticed that the crowd and the surroundings were disappeared, as now a dark void was endlessly surrounding the stage.
“I mean, what would that poor and meaningless stallion of your father think about you?” Her mother added.
As Trixie was trying to find the courage to reply to that accusation, the dark figure of a grown stallion started to materialize on her left side.
“F-Father?” Trixe asked in fear, as the shadow started to assemble in the figure of a brilliant azure earth pony.
His face was pale, tail and mane reduced to a mere tuft of white mangy hair, eyes sunken and mouth half torn apart, as the rest of his body showed the clear evidence of advanced decay, with rips of flesh hanging all over him.
He rose a skeleton hoof toward Trixie, and with a cadaveric voice sentenced “You killed me!”
Tears started to flow through Trixie’s eyes “N-No! I-I didn’t want to! I d-didn’t mean to…”
Trixie’s mother burst into an insane laughter, that echoed through Trixie’s ears like the banging of a hammer on a table “HA HA HA! Oh Trixie. Can’t you see that you are only capable of ruining the lives of those who surround you?”
As those words were uttered, another dark figure started to materialize next to Trixie. This time, it was one of a lavender unicorn, with her horn torn apart, a giant nerve hanging from the break point, with sparks of magical power flowing through it, while her face showed the empty cavities that once used to be occupied by a pair of violet eyes.
“You did this to me! It’s all your fault!” Accused her Twilight.
“N-Nooo…. I-I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry!” Cried Trixie out, now curled into a ball, her front hooves in her mane as she was heavily shaking in fear.
*HA HA HA*
Her mother’s laughter echoed into her mind, becoming more and more deafening with the passing of time, until another voice, deeper and more dreadful, whispered into her ear.
‘Give up already!’
*BAM BAM BAM*
“HELLOOOO!”
~ ~ ~
PONYVILLE - TRIXIE’S CART
JULY 19 - 09:12 A.M.
*BAM BAM BAM*
“HELLOOOOOO? IT’S THE MAILMARE! IS ANYPONY HOME?”
Trixie suddenly woke up, gasping in the air.
She was sitting in her bed, dripping with sweat, eyes wide opened and short of breath. She took a moment to look around herself, as she then dropped her head back on the pillow with a sigh of relief.
‘It was just another nightmare.’ She reassured herself.
Last days were not easy for Trixie. After she and Twilight came back from Hoofington’s Hospital, most of her mornings have been spent sleepless, as her dreams frequently turned into nightmares.
She was also starting to reconsider the choice she made to become Princess Luna’s protégé. Due to the princess’ nocturne duties, they were forced to set their lessons throughout the evening and all of the night, with the time occurred to Luna to rise the moon as the only break given.
Luna’s classes ranged from astronomy to history (which seemed to be the one subject that, that night, had left a deeper impression on her, judging by how detailed was the Theatre of her dream), from math to practical use of magic, to self defence. All of them performed every single day, one after another, until Luna had to lower the moon, marking the end of the lesson.
Trixie didn’t have time to relax even in the morning, as, on Luna’s suggestion, she also had to hang around with Twilight’s friends, which, on the other hoof, always seemed to be too busy to spend their time trying to form a bond with her.
Trixie believed that most of them were still blaming her for what had happened to their friend, while she was sure that a couple of them had just developed a hatred for her so deep that they were not even trying anymore to bring the Elements back.
*BAM BAM BAM*
“HELLOOOOOOO?” The mailmare kept banging on the door.
“Just a minute!” Yelled a sleepy Trixie, as she dragged herself out of the bed and opened the door.
“Oh, good morning Trixie!” Said Derpy with her usual happy tone, smiling towards the unicorn while her eyes were wandering around, one regardless of the other.
“Good morning miss Doo.” Yawned Trixie back. In these few days she had spent in Ponyville, Trixie was almost immediately able to take a like for this odd mare: Ditzy Doo, or, like most of the inhabitants of the town used to call her, ‘Derpy’.
So clumsy and yet so radiant in her way of being “What do you have for Trixie?”
“Uh, the latest number of ‘Ponies’ has arrived, together with ‘Equestrian Monde’ and today’s ‘The Foal Free Press’.”
Trixie didn’t even know why she was still buying that last newspaper, although the fear that another menace, as dreadful as that Gabby Gums, could have revealed another one of her secrets was more than enough to let her keep an eye on that paper.
“Thank you.” Replied Trixie, while levitating 10 bits into Derpy’s saddlebag “Are you going to Twilight’s house today as well?” She then asked.
“Yep. She’s my last stop for today.” Replied Derpy “You wonna come with me?”
“Sure” Replied Trixie, just like every other morning Derpy have asked her that same question “Just give Trixie a couple of minutes to fix her mane.”
Once Trixie had closed the door to her cart, the two mares had to take just about ten hooves before finding themselves in front of the library that also served as Twilight’s residence, as Trixie’s cart was practically standing near the library’s sign.
They knocked at the door a couple of times before the figure of a little green and purple dragon would appear before their eyes.
“Oh, hey Derpy!” Spike greeted the mailmare “Trixie.” He then added, with a slightly less joyful tone.
“Hey Spike, there’s a package you need to sign for.” Said Derpy, her tone slightly muffled by the delivery list she held in her mouth.
“Is Twilight up already?” Asked Trixie.
“Yes, she’s in the kitchen” Replied Spike while inviting the two mares inside “Feel yourselves at home.”
Trixie went up ahead while Derpy was waiting for Spike to take ink and quill to sign for the package. Crossing the ground floor of the library, Trixie noticed Owlowiscious sleeping on his perch near the window, while Peewee, Spike’s baby phoenix, was happily moving back and forward on the swing inside his cage. Finally, she could hear Blacky barking in the next room, as he was probably begging Twilight for a treat.
‘A phoenix, an owl, a dragon and now a dog. This doesn’t seem like a library at all.’ Thought ironically Trixie ‘More like a pretty weird zoo, if you ask me.’
As she entered the kitchen, she was able to see Twilight standing near the pantry, as she was trying to decipher the content of a jar by smelling it, while Blacky was sit next to her, frantically wagging his tail left and right.
“Good morning Twilight.”
“Oh, good morning to you Trixie.” Cheerfully greeted Twilight, turning her head in the direction of the voice “Did you sleep well?”
“Not really, I had another nightmare.” Wearily replied Trixie “Maybe I should ask Princess Luna to go a little easier with her lessons. I’m starting to think that I’m too exhausted to have sweet dreams.”
Twilight jiggled in reply “Yes, or maybe you’re still afraid about this whole situation. When I became Celestia’s protégé, I couldn’t sleep properly for weeks, fearing I could not measure up her expectations.”
“Perhaps you’re right.” Said Trixie as she reached the other uicorn “Anyway, what are you baking?”
“Oh, Spike and I were trying to make some banana muffins." She started to explain "It’s Wednesday, so Derpy should arrive at any minute now.”
“She’s already here. We came togheter.” The show-mare replied, as she glanced at the jar held between the hooves by Twilight “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, what is it?”
“Do you always put coarse salt in your muffins?” She quizzically asked.
“What?” Twilight replied with surprise, as she put a hoof inside the jar and tasted its content, making a disgusted face when she attested that was not sugar.
“Ugh, I told Spike a hundred of times to not change the order of the objects in the kitchen.” She started to complain “How am I still supposed to recognise the spices if he keeps moving them around?”
She then regained a calm tone and asked “Why won’t you lend me a hoof, what do you say?”
“Yes, with pleasure. Just tell me what you need.” Replied Trixie, as she used her magic to put away the salt and took the sugar instead.
“Well, first of all, we nee-“ Twilight started to instruct her, but was abruptly interrupted by Derpy, who had just entered the kitchen together with Spike.
“GOOD MORNING TWILIIIIGHT!” She started to scream “HOW ARE YOU FEELING TODAAAY?”
“Ugh, for the twelfht time, Derpy, she’s blind, not deaf!” An annoyed Spike scolded her.
“Whoops, my bad.” Midly replied Derpy “Anyway, what are you cooking?”
“We were trying to bake some muffins. Banana muffi-“ Started to say Trixie
Derpy gasped in delight “Ooooooh, I love muffins. Can I help you? CanIcanIcanI?” She frantically started to ask.
Both Twilight and Trixie started to laugh in delight “Sure, why not.” Replied Trixie.
~ ~ ~
“So, tell me, how are things going with that friend of yours? Time Turner, wasn’t it?” Twilight asked Derpy, their plates already emptied, as Trixie was now serving them all some coffee.
“Oooooh, the Doctor is the best!” Replied a joyful Derpy, as her cheeks started to turn red “Yesterday, he brought me and my little muffin on a picnic near the Neighagra Falls. It was sooo romantic.” She said, her look lost in the distance, as a smug smile started to form on her face.
“The Neighagra Falls? You must have left pretty early in the night to be there for lunch.” Replied a surprised Twilight.
“Oh, that’s quite easy with the T.Aaaaaa…..” Started to say Derpy, but stopped in mid-sentence “...aaa-I mean, y-yeah.” She then continued, while heavily sweating “W-We actually left a little past midnight, but, you know…I can’t say no to Hoowsy, heh heh.” Her mouth twisted in a fake smile as her eyes tried to unnecessarily divert Twilight’s gaze.
“Well, the important thing is that you’ve spent a pleasant day together.” Added Twilight with a big smile on her face.
She then winced, as she just remembered something important “Uh, right. Trixie, Fluttershy passed by earlier and asked me if you could go to her cottage before midday.”
“What for?” She curiously asked.
“I don’t know, she didn’t told me.”
“Oh, ok.” Replied Trixie a little surprised “Will you come along?”
“Oh, I would like to, but I have to do a couple of commissions in town later.”
“Are you sure you don’t need a hoof with those?” Asked a concerned Trixie.
“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” Replied Twilight with a smile “Spike will come with me.”
“Ok.” said Trixie, as she used her magic to levitate the plates and the cups they had just used into the sink “I should better be on my way then. See you later Twilight. Till next, miss Doo.” She greeted the two mares as she left the kitchen.
“Byeeee!” replied both mares, waving her hooves towards her until they heard the slamming of the front door “Do you think she suspects something?” Asked Derpy after a dozen of seconds.
“I don’t think so.” Replied Twilight, as she cautiously jumped off the chair. She then drew up her white cane and started to head to the back door “Come on, let’s go! We have a long day ahead of us.”
- - -
PONYVILLE - FLUTTERSHY’S COTTAGE
11:45 A.M
“Oh, thank you so much for coming here with so short notice.” Fluttershy greeted Trixie “I didn’t know who I could ask this favour.”
“So, what can Trixie do to help you, miss Stutterdry.” Asked Trixie.
“Uhm…It’s…Fluttershy.” Coyly whispered Fluttershy.
“I’m sorry, Trixie couldn’t understand what you just said, what was that?”
“Oh...uhm…it’s nothing.” Replied Fluttershy “Anyway, I called you here because I really, really need somepony to look after the animals I’m taking care of. You see, I’ve a very, very important…uhm… commission I have to perform in Cloudsdale that will probably take me up until sundown.”
‘Another pony that has a commission to do? What’s up with everypony today?’ Annoyingly wondered Trixie.
“So, as you see, I would really need somepony to take care of them while I’m away… I mean, if you want to.” Concluded Fluttershy, her front hoof twirling a few inches from the ground and her look focused on the terrain.
“And your first thought was that Trixie could do that for you?” Oddly asked Trixie “What about your other friends?”
“Oh, the girls had already….other plans.”
“So, Trixie was your last resort, is it?” Stung Trixie “Well, don’t worry Butterfry-“
“Uhm….it’s Fluttershy.” Fluttershy tried to correct her again with a very low tone.
“-Trixie, in a fit of generosity, will give you a hoof.”
“Really? Oh, thank you so, so much!” Replied Flutteshy with a soft smile.
“So, what does Trixie has to do?”
“Oh, that’s simple actually, you just need to feed them in a couple of hours and keep an eye on them… You know, just make sure they won’t start to fight each other or stray too far away.”
Fluttershy then stopped for a second, a big concern stamped in her eyes, as she moved her look towards an old toolshed.
“Oh, and one last thing,” She then added, with a serious expression on her face “If you could, please, avoid to go into my shed.”
“Why so?” Curiously asked Trixie.
“Oh, you see...” Said Fluttershy, regaining her charming tone “It’s just that it’s a real mess in there, and some implements are really sharp, so I don’t want something to drop on you.”
“Ooooo…kay?” Replied a not fully convinced Trixie.
“Good. Well, I’d better go now.” The pegasus said, turning her back to Trixie “I’ve left the fodder for all the animals inside my cottage.”
She took a couple of steps away from Trixie, lowered her head towards one of her critters and seemed to whisper something to it, before she spread her wings and took off the ground “And remember: stay out of my shed, ok?” She added, turning one last time towards Trixie.
“Don’t worry, Trixie won’t even look at it if that can reassure you.” Promised Trixie.
- - -
FLUTTERSHY’S COTTAGE
6 HOURS LATER - 06:25 P.M.
“This has not been ‘simple’ at all!” Moaned Trixie.
Taking care of dozens of little creatures revealed to be harder than Trixie thought, as she had to trot all day around Fluttershy’s yard, chasing after chipmunks, rodents, birds and dozens of other little critters. And she wasn’t even able to peek into the shed once, as Fluttershy’s personal pet Angel mounted guard in front of the door all day.
She even tried to bribe him with a tuft of carrots, but the mild little creature just slapped them into her face and intimated her to regain her duties.
“How can Clutterguy do this everyday?” She asked out loud in frustration.
“That’s because Fluttershy is the Element of Kindness. She’d be able to tame even a hydra if she would ever want to.”
“Spike!” Exclaimed a surprised Trixie “What are you doing here?”
“I came to inform you that you can come back to the library.” Said the baby dragon “It seems Luna decided to bring forward today’s lesson.”
“Great, seems like Trixie will not be able to relax for five minutes straight today.” Replied an exhausted Trixie “What about Sputtereye’s pets?
“Don’t worry about them, Fluttershy will be back soon.” Replied Spike, putting even more emphasis on the correct name of her friend than before “She was able to complete her commitment earlier and stopped by the library for a little chat with Twilight.”
‘Wonderful, she can linger in chatters while Trixie is breaking her spine all day.’ Thought an over irritated Trixie. “Very well, let’s go.”
As both Spike and Trixie left Fluttershy’s cottage and went beyond the horizon, a yellow and pink figure came out of the bushes beyond the shed and approached the door.
“Did she peek inside?” Asked a worried Fluttershy to the little rabbit, who responded with an energetic shake of his head.
“Good boy Angel. Tomorrow, I’ll make you the biggest citrus salad with the largest cherry I’ll find.” She promised the rabbit, while opening the shed’s door and going inside “After all, we couldn’t allow Trixie to see this before due time, could we?”
TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 9
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Well, Trixie's redemption should be quick. I just hope Trixie doesn't collapse from all the training, trying to make amends and the nightmares she keeps having.
2202999
Remember, though, that some of the Mane 6 were not so willing to forget her. Only time and effort will allow Trixie to reach that goal.
2203740
Whoops.
I meant, 'Well, Trixie's redemption should not be quick.'
And did you mean 'not so willing to forget her.' or 'not so willing to forgive her.'
2204100
.
Whoops...I derped too.
I started to write "to forget what she did" and then I wanted to change it with "to forgive her" and I forgot to erase that "forget"
Shed.mov reference.....really?
6442547
Hahaha, yeeeeeeah.
Let's just say it was my little homage to what the fandom had (at the time) recently offered to the world.