Festival

by Silverquill

Prologue and Day 1: The Festival Has Begun

“It’s just not fair! Nopony deserves this… especially not the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

Trixie navigated her way through the thick foliage of the Everfree Forest, a detour she’d made in an attempt to speed up her journey to the nearest city. She’d taken a shortcut into the forest, promising herself that she'd stay close to its edges. The unicorn had immediately regretted that decision; the forest had closed off any way of escaping right after she deviated from wandering along it, its trees blocking off both sunlight and freedom. Now, she was stuck with dodging all kinds of muck and obstructions as she desperately looked for a new way out of the labyrinth-like woods.

Speaking of muck, Trixie groaned as she found her path blocked by yet another patch of mud. She backed up, judging the distance, before charging and leaping. She sailed over the pit, barely clearing the mud, and landed on the opposite side with a satisfied smirk.

Crrrmble.

“No!” Trixie cried out, the ground beneath her falling away. She’d landed a little too roughly, causing the floor to crumble and send her sliding down a muddy embankment. She rolled, trying her best to cover her head, until she landed in a heap back on the forest floor. She moaned and lifted her head, dazedly surveying where she’d ended up. Right next to her sat a little pond, completely undisturbed except for a scrap of paper floating along its surface. Across the pond sat another line of trees, and peeking out from in between the trees…

…sunlight! Aha! Of course Trixie meant to do that. Freedom at last! Free… She got up and looked into the pool; a grimy unicorn stared back at her, shame written all over its face. …at last. She dipped a hoof into the pool, unwilling to believe the raggedy looking mare in the pool could possibly be the Great and Powerful Trixie. Her hoof touched the pond and ripples spread out, making her image bounce around. The image’s ruffled hair and muddy coat remained, reflecting a truth that Trixie didn’t want to accept. There was no mistake… she’d fallen on hard times.

She sighed, flopping to the ground and resting her head in her arms. This is all that blasted Twilight Sparkle’s fault, Trixie grumbled. Just two days ago, Trixie was on top of it all… her own caravan, another awed audience, and she’d just gotten new supplies, too. Now look at her… filthy, her caravan destroyed, left with nothing but the small pouch of bits she’d had on her, starving away as she wanders in search of a new town to perform in… An image floated through her mind: a silky purple hat and cape, torn to shreds and lying under the destroyed remains of her caravan. …and missing something very important to her.

She shook her head, quickly getting rid of that thought. Glancing back into the pool, she tried to brush her mane into something that would pass for acceptable. Trixie has to look decent if she wants to have a great show… after she finds some old-fashioned one pony town, of course. She scooped up some water and washed her face, the dirt stubbornly refusing to come off. She reached for the pool again, pausing when she saw that the paper she’d seen floating around the pond had passed over into her side of the pool, blocking the spot where her reflection had been.

“Hmph. Litterers… how crass.” Trixie reached into the pond, retrieving the soaking wet parchment from the surface. Curious as to what kind of litter could have found its way into the Everfree Forest, Trixie gently put the paper on the ground to dry as she read it over.

Trixie rubbed her head. In all the craziness of the last couple days, she’d completely forgotten about the upcoming holiday. Held every year, starting a week before the summer solstice and ending a week after it’d passed, ponies from all around Equestria were invited to Canterlot’s city district to join in one big festival to honor the first time the sun was raised. Ponies could come and go at will; some never came, some stayed at the festival for awhile, and some ponies would even stay for the entire event. Meanwhile, Celestia herself toured to numerous cities and made speeches, whenever her schedule allowed it. In short, it was one big party. Trixie has never been to such an event before, the unicorn pondered, and if she can help it, she never will. Trixie skimmed over the rest, half-mindedly reading a list of attractions and scheduled events. An ad at the bottom caught her eye, drawing Trixie‘s interest.

Trixie’s eyes bulged out at the VERY generous number. This… this could pay for a new caravan, new supplies, everything! The hat and cape floated through her mind again. …well, almost everything… but no matter. Trixie just has to dazzle the crowd for a couple weeks, and she’ll walk away back on her hooves! She’d be a foal to pass this up. Now, when does this ragtag event start…? Her eyes darted around the page, seeking out where she could apply and how much time she had to do so. The event begins in three days, so… two days for Trixie to get to Canterlot… hmm, yes… well, Trixie might be a little lost right now, but she can easily find another town and fill up her stomach, as well as finding a map. Trixie will have to do without a bath, but hopefully she’ll be able to have one once she’s lounging in her free lodgings. The thought of a hot bath made her feel warm inside; she loved when things were going her way.

Noticing that the advertisement had dried up, she folded it and delicately stored it in her bits pouch. Taking a quick moment to fix her appearance as best she could, she rose to her feet and exited the forest. The sunlight fell over her, illuminating the first smile the unicorn had had in days.

“Next!”

Trixie remained planted in her seat as the earth pony next to her stood up. He was a brown stallion wearing a brightly colored hard hat; she quickly guessed he was here for a maintenance position. The worker crossed the room and entered the door leading into the office, where ponies officially applied for work. Trixie drew her eyes away from the door and lazily surveyed the waiting room again.

It'd been two days since Trixie's tromp through the Everfree Forest. After escaping from the woods, she'd stumbled upon a small town not far from where she wandered out. Using some of the bits she had left, she'd managed to find a cheap place to stay for the night. She'd rested, eaten her fill, and found a map as well. Once the afternoon had come, Trixie had set off in the direction of Canterlot, only stopping in another town once the sun started to set. The next morning, she'd set out extra early, managing to make it to Canterlot with time to spare. After she'd found the staff recruitment center, she'd entered and taken her place in the waiting room... though she wasn't very pleased with the present company.

Hmmph. If not for her current state, Trixie would never be seen near such riffraff as this. Trixie leaned to the side again as the chatty mare next to her, once again, waved her forelegs in Trixie’s personal space. Resisting the urge to shout at the intrusive pony, Trixie huffed and took a magazine off the table in front of her. She idly flipped through a bunch of articles on how to show off your cutie mark, trying to tune out all the other applicants in line.

The office door opened, letting out the stallion just as quickly as he had entered. He smiled and trotted out of the waiting room, no doubt heading out to find his free living arrangements.

“Next!”

Hearing her cue, Trixie set the magazine down and got up, leaving her eccentric neighbor behind. She entered the office, finding herself opposite a desk and a swivel chair. Occupying the chair was a light-red unicorn, sporting a suit and glasses that matched with her blonde mane bun. The pony motioned for Trixie to take a seat, so Trixie took the chair in front of the desk.

The red pony cleared her throat, extending a hoof. “I’m Easel, spokesperson for the festival management,” she explained, nodding politely as Trixie shook her hoof. “Let’s keep this brief… what position are you applying for?”

“Performing.”

“Experience?”

“Public shows in cities such as Hoofington, Maretle Beach, and…” Trixie stuttered for a moment. “…Ponyville.”

“Style?”

“Magic shows.”

Easel scribbled a few notes onto a sheet of paper. “Alright then, you’re good to go. Your room is 201E at the Pegasus Plaza, you’re to perform one show every night, and you’ll be the last performer to go on.”

Trixie’s eyes blanked out. “What do you mean, ‘last performer‘? Trixie is never last place!”

“You were the last performer to sign up, and unless another one comes along, you’ll be the finishing act every night. It‘s nothing personal. Now, kindly make your way to the Pegasus Plaza, where the front desk will give you your room key. Your first performance will be tomorrow night, and once every night thereafter. Thank you for joining in on the festival, and have a nice day.”

Choosing to let the last act decision slide, Trixie took her leave. Retrieving a map of Canterlot she’d taken at the same time as the map she’d used to get here, she hovered it in front of her as she took note of where to go. This drab little building’s on the western side, and the hotel’s on the east… Trixie shouldn’t have to walk this far. With a sigh, she replaced the map in her bit pouch and finished her walk across the waiting room. She opened the exit door and departed, starting her trek through the streets of Canterlot.

The door to the apartment creaked open slowly, Trixie making her way inside. It’d taken awhile for her to find her way along Canterlot’s streets, though she did get a chance to see some of the rides that were being put up. Eventually she’d made her way to Pegasus Plaza, a rather tall hotel built with glossy white marble and adorned with statues of noteworthy pegasi. She’d made it there as the sun was setting, claiming her room key from the front desk and climbing her way up to the fifth floor. Now, she was in her new temporary residence, ready to flick the light switch to gaze upon where she’d be staying for the next two weeks.

After fumbling around on the wall for a minute, she found the switch and flipped it. Light spread out over the room, casting a glow over the living area. Trixie let out a low whistle; they sure liked to make sure their staff was well cared for. She was looking at a green-carpeted living room, complete with a coffee table, two sofas, and a cozy looking fireplace across from them. A bookcase filled with random titles sat next to a desk, which stood next to a doorway leading into the kitchen. Trixie stepped into the blue and white tiled room, inspecting the (notably empty) fridge, cooking necessities, and dining table.

Finishing off the tour, Trixie walked down a hallway connecting to the living room. She passed by a bathroom, finally reaching a bedroom at the end of the hall. Inside was a queen-sized bed, alongside a dresser and a closet. Trixie crossed to the window and opened it, letting in the cool night’s breeze. With a content sigh, Trixie flopped down onto the bed, making herself at home.

Well, it is Trixie’s home, she mused, at least until she gets her work done and gets out of here. She rolled over, nuzzling into the warm, soft pillow. Good thing Trixie stopped for a bite on her way here. This is the first time she’s been in a good bed for months… and any bed at all, really, for the past couple days. Trixie will hit the hay, after she puts away her hat and ca-…

Trixie flinched, swatting the thought away. On second thought, Trixie will just skip straight to going to bed. Tomorrow, I’ll start planning my first performance… check out the stage… and… The exhausted unicorn’s soft breathing filled the room as she fell into a deep sleep. The night’s wind washed over her, gently caressing her as she dreamed.

The unicorn felt herself being drawn back into the waking world. Trixie sat up and stretched, a yawn escaping her as she glanced around. It took her a moment to remember that she was in her all-expenses-paid apartment, instead of her caravan's interior. For a minute, Trixie missed that cramped- yet cozy -little cart she'd called home for so long. The homesickness faded as she remembered something her carriage had never provided: working plumbing.

Soon, Trixie was straightening her mane, having just finished taking a relaxing shower. She’d needed it more than she realized, and the sight of the lovely mare staring back at her from the mirror brought a smile to her face. Satisfied, she exited the bathroom, snatching up her bits pouch from the living room table. She latched it to her hip before leaving the apartment, heading out in search of breakfast.

Moments later, she found herself out in the streets. Celestia’s sun hadn’t quite risen yet, which Trixie assumed was the reason the streets were so empty. Her stomach growled and she quickened her pace, finally finding an early hours café. She stepped inside, the building’s window brightly advertising the café: Breezy Sky’s Snack Shack.

The place was deserted, aside from a pegasus lazily tapping his hoof on the counter in tune with some unheard melody. Trixie stepped forward and read the menu, deciding on a pastry with tea to start off her morning. “Excuse me, clerk, Trixie would like a crepè and your finest cup of warm tea.”

The yellow-coated pegasus glanced around the store curiously before raising an eyebrow at her. “Well, my name ain’t Trixie, and there’s nopony else here. Where’s your friend?”

“I am Trixie.”

“Oh. My apologies, miss… one moment.” The pegasus got to work warming up some tea and fetching a pastry, muttering under his breath about crazy ponies referring to themselves in the third person. He brought the crepè back and began pouring her drink. “Ya know, I didn’t think we’d get any customers this early,” he wondered aloud. “I figured everypony would be watching Celestia’s carnival starting ceremony.”

“Ceremony? What ceremony?”

The pegasus slid her purchases over the counter, explaining as Trixie dug through her bit pouch. “You from outta the country? Ya know, the ceremony Celestia performs every year that kicks off the partying. Everypony crowds around, she raises the sun in view of everypony, ya know?”

Tossing the bits onto the counter, Trixie feigned knowledge of the subject. “Yes… right. Trixie’s heard of it.”

“Fair enough. Actually, I was about to close up and head to the event myself. Hope ya don’t mind me showing you the way out, miss; enjoy your breakfast.”

Taking her meal with her, Trixie exited the store, watching as the pegasus closed up shop and took off in the direction of Canterlot Castle. Trixie found a bench nearby and ate quietly, not a single pony passing by while she enjoyed a quiet breakfast.

The longer she ate, the more curiosity ate away at her. By the time she’d finished her meal, Trixie had decided she’d go and see the opening event for herself before she got to work planning that night’s performance. Tossing her plate and cup into a nearby trash bin, Trixie set off towards Canterlot Castle, jutting out from the horizon. Well now, she thought, Trixie shall see what all the excitement is about.

Trixie nudged her way through the crowd, ignoring protests from the ponies she disturbed. After a moment, she found an acceptable spot near the front of the group. A giant wooden stage loomed over her, erected specifically for the carnival so that performers had a place to put on their shows, as well as giving the princesses somewhere to perform the occasional special event.

On that note, the crowd began to settle down as trumpeting filled the air. Up on stage, a procession of guards had arrived, filling the air with the cry of trumpets. From in between them, a large white alicorn stepped into view, smiling brightly upon all her subjects. The crowd went wild; their Princess of the Sun had arrived.

The guards and the crowd quieted down as Celestia stood, tall and proud. Once the crowd had quieted, a powerful glow began to surround Celestia’s horn. Without a word, she took to the sky, slowly drifting up into the air. She rose higher and higher, and Trixie noticed the sun peeking out over the horizon, following the princess as she reached the top of her ascent. With a powerful burst of magic, the sun settled in the sky, a bright glow flowing out over the crowd from Celestia’s body. A rainbow of colors danced across everypony's faces, eliciting awed reactions from the audience. The glow died down after a moment, showing Celestia once more. The crowd gasped in awe at the spectacle, the sight of such a powerful type of magic being shown to them never dull in their eyes. Every pony in the crowd began cheering and stomping their hooves, celebrating the fact that one of the most wonderful events of the year had finally arrived. Trixie even found herself applauding along with them, albeit quietly, as Celestia’s voice boomed over the crowd.

“Let the Celestial Carnival begin!”

After the event started, the crowd had dispersed to head out and begin the celebration in the best way the ponies decided on. Trixie, however, had immediately went back to her hotel room and gotten to work planning that night’s performance. It hadn’t taken long, and she’d spent most of the afternoon just lounging around her hotel room while she waited for night to fall. Once Luna’s moon had started to rise, Trixie went out and headed to the stage, stopping for a quick bite to eat on her way there.

Now, she found herself right outside the area she’d have to visit every day for the next couple of weeks. Trixie stepped through the door ahead of her, finding herself in the backstage area of the stage she’d been at earlier. Numerous performers flitted past her, chatting with their fellow ponies and rehearsing their acts. Trixie paid them no mind, instead inspecting a list a helpful maintenance worker had put up on the wall. The list detailed which ponies would perform first, down to the ones who would perform last. Trixie’s eyes traveled down the page until she found her own name at the very bottom.

But… Trixie is never last! She will have none of this! Trixie fumed. The thought of a hefty pouch full of bits drifted through her mind, however, and she made herself cool down. Two weeks, that’s all Trixie has to put up with. Now then, let’s go see what the Great and Powerful Trixie has to work with.

Trixie worked her way to the props area, pleasantly surprised at the amount of supplies she found lying around. She found just what she needed for that night’s show; some fireworks here, a couple of smoke balls there. Trixie took everything she planned on putting to use in her performance. Once she’d rounded up a little hoard of supplies, she trotted to the costume area to pick out an outfit for that night’s show.

Finding a clothes rack, she began shuffling through it. Dress… no. Tutu… hay no. Tiara… who even wears that onstage? Cape… A jolt pounded Trixie’s heart as the green cape in front of her reminded her of a certain missing outfit. Tentatively, she removed the cape from its hanger and rubbed it between her hooves. It was a silky green cape, shorter than her old one, and without a pattern. She slung it over her back and tied it around her neck, then cantered around a little to see how it felt. It’s… just not the same, Trixie sighed, but it will have to do. Grabbing a matching hat to go with it, Trixie took her supplies and moved them to the stage right area.

After setting her supplies down, Trixie noticed the performer onstage was the one that was on the list just above her. He was a yellow unicorn, dressed up in a red and maroon patterned jester’s outfit, his hat jingling as he moved about the stage. The jester stallion grabbed a few jars and began juggling them, leaving the crowd relatively unimpressed. With a quick motion, he smashed the jars between his hooves as he juggled them, causing the audience to gasp in awe as the jars let forth a burst of fire.

Dragonfire, Trixie realized. A difficult commodity to acquire, let alone master. The suppliers really went all out. Trixie watched as the stallion’s jar juggling act became a fire juggling act, the flames not even scorching him as he skillfully twirled them around with his forelegs. Stepping it up a notch, he got on all fours and began kicking the balls of flame between his front and back hooves, the crowd applauding as he barely avoided dropping one of the flames. As a finale, the stallion rose to his hind legs again and grinned as the flames all fell into his outstretched hooves. He watched as the fires all gathered together, before he drew them to his face and blew.

FWOOOOOOOOOSH!

A jet of fire rocketed from his mouth, extending above the heads of the front of the audience. The audience burst into applause as the fire dispersed, the jester bowing and taking his leave. Hmmph. Trixie could do much better than that, she grumbled. The stallion passed by her and Trixie gathered up her supplies, heading onstage as the applause died down. Trixie waited for the audience to direct their full attention at her before she began.

“Ponies, prepare to be dazzled! Tonight, you have the honor of being performed for by the great… the powerful… the one and only Trixie!” The audience applauded as she set off fireworks behind her, spelling out her name in sparkling blue and white lights. She wasted no time, quickly grabbing a smoke ball with her magic. She juggled it around, tossing it every which way, before she smashed it on the ground in front of her. A plume of black smoke burst from it, giving her the perfect cover to sneak across the stage with. She burst from the cloud on the other side, the smoke blocking her from the audience’s view. Grabbing a few more fireworks, she charged back through the cloud and burst out of it, startling the crowd. Opting for a bigger bang, Trixie channeled her magic into her fireworks and set them loose.

But something was off. The fireworks burst as planned, to a round of applause from the audience, but they refused to go where Trixie wanted them to. To make matters worse, they refused to produce the bang she was hoping for. Her magic was barely affecting them. Not understanding why, she quickly glanced around the stage to see if anyone had interfered. Her eyes settled back on her impromptu cape choice, and she realized why she just couldn‘t get the fireworks to give off the bang she wanted.

Without Trixie’s special attire… her heart just isn’t into it. Trixie couldn’t deny it, without that familiar purple and star-patterned cape and matching hat, she just wasn’t feeling the show. But the show must go on, she commanded herself. Retrieving another round of fireworks, she lit them, mixing her magic into them as best as she could as she glanced over the crowd.

…Wait one moment, Trixie thought. Out in the crowd, near the front and to the side, sat a pony. Its appearance was shrouded under the bright lights of the theater, its hat covering up its face. Trixie felt an odd mixture of relief and anger burst through her as a realization struck her. Those are Trixie's hat and cape, she thought furiously, she could recognize them anywhere!

Trixie’s sudden burst of anger mingled with her magic, giving her the strength she needed to give the fireworks an extra boost. They exploded into a pattern of glowing stars and sparks, which sank down towards the ground before fizzling out. Trixie continued with her show, determined to finish up so she could hurry out and confront the cretin who had the nerve to steal her outfit from the ruins of her caravan. She flung fireworks, performed tricks, and shouted at the audience the whole time. As a finale, she made a staircase of fireworks, pointing them over the heads of the audience. Climbing up each of them one by one, she set them off as she walked over them, letting them fly over the crowd and burst into various figures and patterns. As she stepped off the last firework, she grabbed onto the stage’s curtain and slid down, landing on the platform before leaping forward and letting off one last barrage of fireworks into the sky. The audience applauded. Trixie took a couple of polite bows before hurrying offstage. She had a thieving pony to deal with.

Trixie departed backstage and ran around to the front, determined to get to the crowd before the pony disappeared. As she arrived, the crowd was dispersing, ponies chatting excitedly as they went to enjoy some nighttime attractions. Trixie darted between them, searching through the crowd for the familiar purple of her missing cape. She inspected every pony she passed, though none of them were wearing what she was searching for. Eventually, most of the crowd had left, and Trixie could clearly see that the mysterious pony she’d been looking for was no longer in the crowd.

Trixie will not give in! she thought, running back around the stage. She reentered the backstage area, startling a few performers who stubbornly refused to leave until they’d finished their chats. Trixie spotted a white mare putting away a few props into a saddlebag, preparing to leave. Trixie approached the lone mare, determined to use all possible sources.

“You there!” She called out, grabbing the mare’s attention. “Have you seen somepony around? Purple cape, purple hat, star patterns?”

The mare tapped her chin. “Well, there was one pony that met that description. They walked around backstage lookin’ for somepony for a few minutes before one of the performers told them whoever they were lookin’ for had already gone. After that, they just upped and left.”

“Did they leave any names?”

“Didn’t say who they were, but they did say they were looking for a Trixie. That you?”

“Unfortunately,” Trixie sighed. “Thanks for your time.” Trixie exited, leaving the white mare to finish packing up. Defeated, Trixie stepped outside and let the cool breeze wash over her, the unicorn heading back towards her apartment.

Trixie flopped onto her bed, pulling the covers over her. She’d come straight home and tried to plan the next day’s show, but her mind kept going back to her barely missing the chance to reunite with her cape and hat. Eventually, she’d sighed and resigned to just going to bed.

She rolled over, closing her eyes and letting her thoughts unravel. Trixie should be glad that her outfit is safe, she pondered. But how is Trixie going to get it back from this… this unscrupulous foal. Trixie smiled as an idea came to her. The pony wouldn’t come in costume if they weren’t planning on staying for awhile, let alone not planning on showing it off. All Trixie has to do is go out searching through Canterlot’s streets tomorrow, and she’ll find that thief in no time! Content with her plan for tomorrow, Trixie let sleep overtake her, allowing herself one last thought before she fell into a dream.

Trixie will be getting her possessions back, one way or another.