//------------------------------// // S8 E19: Road to Friendship (What If?) // Story: My Little Pony Friendship is Magic What If?: Volume 11 // by SuperPinkBrony12 //------------------------------// Although she was primarily employed as the School of Friendship's guidance counselor, Starlight still found time to serve as the assistant for Trixie whenever the magician wanted to put on a show. Their schedules actually worked out pretty well, especially since Trixie hadn't been doing a lot of traveling as of lately and had made Ponyville her more or less adopted hometown. Starlight was currently in the midst of another one of these shows, keeping the audience enthralled as she spoke with practiced dramatic flare. "I don't know, folks. She's been in there a long time!" She even held up a pocket watch to emphasis this fact. "Do you suppose 'The Terrifying Trunk Escape' is too much for her?!" She declared as she raised her hooves over the locked blue and purple colored trunk Trixie was currently inside of. The audience let out collective gasps, which included Twilight Sparkle and even Princess Cadence and Flurry Heart who had come to Ponyville for a visit. Flurry Heart was so scared, in fact, that she covered her eyes with her wings and started to whimper ever so softly. Having reeled the audience in, Starlight went on prattling at length. "What if The Great and Powerful Trixie can't-" But just then there was a flash of a light grayish-pink magical aura, and who should appear behind the audience but Trixie herself?! She looked none the worse for wear and even sported her trusty hat and cape as she announced. "-Escape?" As the audience gasped anew, Starlight dramatically questioned. "But if you're there, who's in here?!" Disappearing in a puff of smoke and reappearing on the stage, Trixie undid the lock on the trunk as she answered her assistant. "Why, our volunteer of course. Ta-da!" "Crab apple surprise!" Granny Smith exclaimed as she coughed. "You really oughta warn somepony before you go and poof 'em in there like that!" And she climbed out of the trunk but a second later, a little bit dusty but otherwise unharmed. Trixie and Starlight, meanwhile, stood on stage as they together basked in the audience's applause: A chorus of claps, cheers and whistles. When the show ended a short time later and Starlight and Trixie were busy packing up the supplies, the two were greeted by Twilight and Cadence (who had Flurry Heart riding atop her mane). "Hey, you two. Great job on another successful magic show!" Twilight sincerely praised them. "The students absolutely loved it! And I think Flurry Heart did too." And as if to prove the point, Flurry Heart cooed. Trixie just smiled. "Anything's possible when you know somepony as well as Starlight and Trixie know each other." Cadence seemed to agree. "Your bond of friendship is truly unique. It kind of reminds me of the bond Twilight and I shared when she was a little filly. In fact, it's a bond we still share to this day," And she pointed out. "Just think, you two can share your own secrets. Like a secret chant," Then she and Twilight did the familiar chant and movements to accompany it: "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" It didn't seem to occur to the alicorns that little Flurry Heart was embarrassed by the display. Even Starlight seemed to be embarrassed by it. "Uh, we'll just stick to what works for us, thank you." She sheepishly answered. "The Great and Powerful Trixie does not chant!" Trixie added. "Now, if you'll kindly excuse Trixie, it's time for her to retire to her wagon. Trixie is expecting some important mail." And she trotted away to see if any letters had been delivered during the course of her most recent show. What neither Trixie or Starlight could anticipate, was that the important mail Trixie was expecting was going to set into motion a series of events that would test their seemingly unbreakable bond of friendship. Starlight trotted after her friend. "What's this about mail? I thought you still lived on the road more or less, Trixie?" "All the more reason why it was necessary to have all my mail delivered to my wagon," Trixie explained. "Even if Ponyville may be my adopted hometown now, the call of the road still beckons to me every now and then," Then she added. "And you know, Cadence is right about one thing. We do work well together. You've been a fantastic assistant." Starlight Glimmer did her best to look modest. "Well, thanks. And you know what, doing a show with you is almost as much fun as counseling students at Twilight's school!" Then she remembered something and gasped as her eyes widened! "Which is what I'm supposed to be doing now! Oh, I hope Twilight doesn't hold this against me!" And she teleported away with the greatest of ease. Trixie only sighed. "Well, see you later, Starlight," Then she turned her attention toward her wagon that rested in the shelter of some nearby bushes. "I'll just... clean up, alone." She tried to light up her horn to teleport into her wagon, only for her horn to sputter in failure and make the magician groan. "Still can't pull off long distance teleportation the way Starlight and Twilight do! I can only do it for short bursts. Good for escape tricks but not much else," She thought to herself. "What am I still doing wrong?" Well, that was a problem to figure out at a later date and time. Right now there were only two ways to get into her wagon: Climb in through the window which would be rather difficult, or just go up to the front door. The magician who still traveled from time to time opted for the latter. She approached the door and tried to turn the knob with her magic, but it wouldn't budge. It took a great deal of straining to yield a result, and that was the entire door flinging open and the knob popping right off. Just as Trixie was getting her bearings from this unexpected surprise, she was given another one as she found herself looking up at a rather strange looking unicorn stallion with a coat similar in color to her own. He had gold eyes and a very dark blue mane and tail that looked bushy. He had goggles attached to a brown scarf like turbine hat. Down his neck ran a yellow colored scarf that looked like it could be pulled up over the mouth. And his lower body down to his legs sported an orange and brown jacket of some kind. "Excuse me, Ms. Powerful..." The stallion greeted. "...May I be of assistance to you?" Trixie only smiled as she turned around and glanced at the stranger before. "Not at all, everything is under control. And usually, most ponies just call me Trixie," Then she added. "Although 'Ms. Powerful' does have a nice ring to it." The stallion simply nodded. "I figured you would say as much," He bowed his head in respect. "I am called Hoo'Far, a native of Saddle Arabia who has traveled afar to see the sights all over the world," He gestured to his wagon that looked much more stylized. It had even a gleaming coat of paint that sparkled in the sunlight. "And it appears we have much in common. I am a traveler myself. And I am awe in of your remarkable magical acts. From here to Saddle Arabia, I have seen nothing that compares with your wondrous show. Uh, would you consider blessing my homeland with it?" "Actually, I was just about to set out on tour again. It's been a while since I traveled last," Trixie pointed out. "But Saddle Arabia is much farther than my usual route," And blushing she admitted. "My well worn wagon may not quite be up to the challenge." Hoo'Far was quick to propose. "Well, what if I were to offer you the use of my own caravan that you see behind you? It has much more storage space and I am certain it would leave plenty of room for you." But Trixie shook her head, she wasn't about to make such a trade. "Trade away my wagon?! Heavens, no! This is more than just some great and powerful wagon you see before you!" She explained while walking backwards. "It is shelter. It is transportation. It is my only friend on the long and lonely nights on the road. It really is my home way from home. And I would expect a traveler such as yourself to see your caravan in much the same way." Hoo'Far appeared to understand. "Very well. Then I must see as many of your performances as I can in the mean time. If I cannot convince you to bring your tour to Saddle Arabia, then I must be prepared to relate the magnificence of it to your many fans there." Hearing the words "many fans" inspired something deep within the magician. She always longed for the applause of a receptive crowd, and while her shows in Ponyville sometimes yielded that her shows elsewhere seldom did and were largely treated with the fanfare of a passing carnival act or circus. The idea of there being an entire country of fans just waiting to see her sounded quite tempting. However, the sound of a mail bag thumping and spilling out its contents reminded the magician of why she'd initially come to her wagon in the first place. "Well, Mr. Hoo'Far," She told the Saddle Arabian native. "Why don't I see if I can squeeze you in? Just wait here for a bit." And she then strolled into her wagon, inspecting the mail bag that had been left for her. It largely consisted of fan mail from the occasional supporter or "big fan" she met on the road. But one letter amidst the clutter stood out, it was from Las Pegasus! Tearing it open, Trixie's dark grayish violet eyes scanned the whole thing from top to bottom and lit up like stars! This letter changed everything! The unicorn with a light blue coat found herself unable to stop smiling as she rushed back outside with the letter firmly in the aura of her horn! "Sorry, Mr. Hoof'Far," She sincerely apologized. "But a family reunion has just opened up and Trixie aims to make the most of it! Saddle Arabia will have to wait. Trixie is heading for Las Pegasus!" "Ah. That was going to be a stop on my trip, though not until much later," Hoo'Far admitted. "If you're going there though, I will follow you for as long as I can. I hope that one day soon you will be able to come to Saddle Arabia to grace your fans with your presence. And should we meet on the road and you change your mind about your accommodations, my offer remains open." And he trotted away with his modern caravan in tow. It didn't seem to be giving him any trouble at all despite how heavy it seemed to be. Trixie quickly rushed to the School of Friendship and made a beeline for the guidance counselor's office to tell Starlight the good news! "My father wrote back to me! After all these years, I'm finally going to see him again!" Having reconnected with her own father a while back, Starlight was equal parts excited and hesitant about the news. "You never really mentioned you have a father. I just kind of assumed you were on your own because of the whole 'traveling magician' thing." Trixie shook her head as she lay down on the couch in Starlight's office. "My mother was a wonderful pony, and we still keep in touch," Then she explained. "But it was my father that inspired me to become the great and powerful magician I am now. Heck, in his prime he was said to be the greatest magician since Hoofdini himself, and you know how much I looked up to Hoofdini." "I assume your father has a name, even just a stage name?" Starlight inquired of her magician friend. She'd begun picking up these kind of subtle interrogating skills due to her time as a guidance counselor. Trixie happily nodded as she held up a picture of a stallion who looked almost completely identical to her in every way. "Jackpot. Or as he was known on stage: The Great and Powerful Jackpot." "I guess that's something that runs in the family." Starlight commented to herself, and was quite relieved that Trixie didn't pick up on it. Trixie let out a sigh of longing and regret. "Even though he loved Trixie, he loved performing even more. So it was that when Trixie was still just a filly he left to pursue his dream. He took to the road, and only wrote home occasionally," Floating over the letter she added. "This letter is the first time he's responded to any letters I've sent to him in a long time. He now lives and performs full time in Las Pegasus, and he has an assistant of his own: Big Bucks. Apparently, they're a frequent headlining act, and a real crowd pleaser. And now my dad wants to see me, me! No doubt he wants to see what's become of his only daughter. Boy will he be surprised to learn how great and powerful a magician I have become in my own right." The unicorn with a pale grayish-purple coat spoke up seconds later. "Sounds to me like your mind is made up. You didn't have to come all the way here just to tell me this. I'm quite busy with my own profession, especially since we're approaching mid-terms here." She hoped her friend would pick up the hint about the long line that was starting to form outside. But the traveling magician had other news she wished to share. "Well, it's not that simple. You see, the road can be quite a lonely place when you're own. And this trip shall be even more lonely. I was hoping I might convince my grrrrreat and powerful assistant to come along as company?" Starlight began to fidget with her hooves as she nervously replied. "I don't know. It seems like whenever you're tagging along with me or even just hanging with me, trouble always follows or finds us." Trixie wasn't about to take no for an answer. "Come on, Starlight. So we've had a few bumps here and there. So have Twilight and her friends. Think of all the times they've had things interrupted at the worst possible time: Summer Sun Celebrations, royal weddings, festivals and summits, you name it. They seem to come out of every scrape they're in with their friendship intact. Why shouldn't it be the same for us?" And she then added. "You're not just my assistant and my counselor, Starlight. You're also my friend, my first and best friend in fact. And what's better than a road trip with friends like us?" "Well... when you put it like that it really doesn't sound like a bad idea," Starlight Glimmer appeared to agree with Trixie's logic. "Oh, what the heck, if this road trip is so important to you I guess I can tag along," She then flung open the door to her office, immediately being reminded of the incredibly long line that seemed to stretch on to the horizon. And she blushed. "...Right after I talk to Twilight about somepony to take my place while I'm gone." "Why not just make Spike do it? It's not like he does much else besides assist Twilight." Trixie proposed. But Starlight wasn't convinced that was a good idea. "He didn't want to be vice headmare, I highly doubt he'd want to be acting guidance counselor. I'll have to make other arrangements." And she teleported away to talk to Twilight about her dilemma. As luck would have it, Twilight was not only accepting of Starlight's abrupt decision, but also had a suitable candidate in mind to take over guidance counselor duties while Starlight and Trixie were on their road trip. A quick trip to Sweet Apple Acres confirmed that Big Macintosh would be willing to serve as acting guidance counselor, and so all was set. Starlight was still a bit hesitant to leave her office in the care of somepony else, even despite knowing by now that Big Mac's reputation gave every indication he could be trusted. "You're absolutely sure you can manage on your own for a few days?" Starlight asked the stallion. Big Macintosh gave a nod. "Eeyup." The unicorn breathed a small sigh of relief. "Well, you're a good listener, that's for sure. Still..." She paused and pulled out two little objects that looked like they hadn't been touched in a very long time. "A little 'souvenir' from one of Chrysalis' visits. If something urgent comes up, just put the two halves together and you should be able to talk to me. I made all the modifications necessary." Big Mac just took the objects, tucking them into a saddle bag he'd brought with him. Then he gestured a hoof, indicating for Starlight to leave. And he waved to her as she trotted off to go join Trixie. Trixie was already waiting on the outskirts of Ponyville with her wagon, though she'd had to clear up some space. "Took you long enough! One traveling wagon for two all set!" She declared, but was then quite surprised when she saw that her friend had brought a few boxes worth of supplies. "Oh, you brought luggage," However, the magician quickly recovered and tried to play it off. "I mean, of course you brought luggage! I'd have to be silly not to expect that." It wasn't hard to notice the nervous laugh she gave off. "Yup!" Starlight smiled as she stretched her legs. "I've never been on a road trip before, although I have gone camping on the occasional friendship retreat. And I learned from those retreats to come prepared. I've packed everything two ponies could ever need for the road trip of their lives!" She floated over various objects while listing them off. "Three one-thousand-piece puzzles, one copy of Dragon Pit – the best board game in the history of ponies – my famous collection of campfire spices, and of course an inflatable raft just in case." The magician gave off another nervous laugh. "Wow! You managed to pack all of that so quickly?" "Twilight showed me the spell, I'll have to teach you it sometime," Starlight grinned before questioning. "Am I forgetting something? I'm sure I could pop back to the castle and grab it." Trixie shook her head. "Oh, no. It isn't that." And she gestured a hoof to her already considerably packed wagon. it didn't seem like there'd be much more room for some of Starlight's things. Starlight Glimmer managed to pick up on what her friend was saying. "On second thought, maybe we don't need the raft, or the spices." But after moving some boxes around and stacking some others up, while leaving a few other things out, it seemed there was just enough space to move about in the wagon and haul everything that was truly needed. Trixie and Starlight both wiped the sweat from their brows as Trixie declared. "We just needed a little great and powerful rrrrreorganization! And now, everything... should fit... just fine..." She groaned as she tried to shut the door of the wagon, only to struggle to do so due to the enormous weight behind it. Several objects came tumbling out with a large crash! Fortunately, Trixie was unharmed. But she unhappily sighed. "Who am I kidding? My wagon is too small for the both of us and our supplies," And she looked to Starlight. "I'd understand if you're having second thoughts about all of this." "Second thoughts? Me?" Starlight scoffed at the very suggestion. "We can make this work. Your wagon isn't small so much as it is..." She paused, trying to think of a better way to describe the cramped conditions before eventually settling on something that seemed more suitable. "Cozy. And there's no such thing as too cozy." "Unless we're talking about that weird Cozy Glow. Seriously, what's up with that filly?" Trixie pondered. Starlight shrugged her hooves. "Beats me. She rarely tells me anything. But Twilight seems impressed and she's been good at staying out of trouble, so it's one less problem for me to worry about." Just then, the door of the wagon burst open again and some smoke bombs came tumbling out, causing both unicorns to cough and sputter. Only once the smoke cleared did Starlight declare. "Okay. Maybe there is such a thing as too cozy." After a little bit more reorganizing and trimming down of the wagon's load, the two friends were ready to set off on their road trip to Las Pegasus. Starlight was trotting alongside Trixie as she towed her wagon behind her. "You sure you wouldn't rather just ride inside?" Trixie asked her friend. Seconds later one of the wagon's wheels hit a bump in the road and some smoke bombs that hadn't been properly stored were set off. That was all the encouragement Starlight needed to reply. "I think I'm good out here." "And you still wanna do this?" Trixie questioned. "The two of us trying to sleep in that 'cozy' wagon might get tricky." Starlight immediately shook her head as she pulled out a map. "Who says we'll need to share the wagon, Trixie? There's plenty of high quality inns for an affordable price we can stay at along the way, to say nothing of the hotels Las Pegasus has," And she insisted. "I'm not backing out of the greatest and most powerful road trip bonding experience two ponies could ever have." The magician nodded as she looked to her fellow unicorn. "Well, when you put it like that, I'm actually kind of excited! And not just because of where we're going or who we're going to see!" "I feel the same way," Starlight agreed and then commented. "You know, it's a good thing we're not like Twilight and the others. Knowing them, they'd probably sing a song about it." Trixie giggled. "Yeah, they would." Yet after only a minute or so of silence Starlight looked across to her friend and asked. "You wanna sing a song about it?" Trixie reluctantly agreed with a sigh. "Fine, but only to pass the time." And so the friends started to sing as they left Ponyville behind: We're off, on the road to friendship. Our ride might be tiny and small. Trixie soon found herself singing on her own: But road trips are a great way, we've been told, to get along. And Starlight chimed in: I'm glad we're sticking to it, we've already got a song! The two continued to sing as their journey soon took them along a narrow gorge, with the two opting to ride in the wagon for safety before Trixie had the idea to "remove" one of the wagon's wheels and drop it into a small river below. All the while she and Starlight both sang: We're off on the road to friendship. Side by side, just like peas in a pod. Our bond of friendship is stronger than the trip demands. As they floated across the river they happened to pass by Hoo'Far, who called out to Trixie. "My offer to trade caravans still stands!" Starlight didn't hear the Saddle Arabian properly. "What'd he say, Trixie?" But Trixie, who had heard properly, brushed off the suggestion. "Nothing, Starlight," And then called out. "Get the raft!" A few seconds later the inflatable raft that Starlight had brought with her "just in case" was deployed, enveloping the entire wagon and pressing both unicorns up against a window before they were able to squeeze their way out of the front. And they could be heard singing as they drifted down the river: We're so tight, we can't even move around. I guess we're stuck together 'cause we're friendship bound! "Sure is great to be traveling with you, buddy!" Trixie said to Starlight. And Starlight said right back. "You too, buddy!" Eventually the two were forced back onto dry land, and soon found themselves navigating through a swamp of fire. They took turns shielding each other from the flame geysers while also making sure no embers landed on the wagon to catch it on fire. And together they sang: We're off, on the road to friendship. "Yes we are!" Trixie happily shouted as she and Starlight pressed themselves close together for a second, and then they sang again: We've each got the other to blame! As the two passed by a pair of stranded pegasus delivery ponies (and helped them to safety), Starlight couldn't help but sing: Any trip can be exhausting if you make a fuss. And Trixie sang: But we get on so well that there's no way that could be us. The swamp of fire gave way to a jungle with thick vines and lakes infested with cragadiles. Yet even that didn't stop the two unicorns. They quickly found some vines heavy enough to support not only themselves but also the wagon, and they swung across while singing: We're off, on the road to friendship! And there's nowhere that we'd rather be! Starlight began to enthusiastically sing: Be it winter, spring, summer or fall, we're friends throughout the year! And Trixie added: For untold seasons yet to come, our friendship will be here! "For nine, at least." Starlight Glimmer commented before she and Trixie were tangled up in vines with the wagon. And they started singing again: We're so tight, we can't even move around! Trixie seemed to know what to do as she pulled on a vine while saying. "Like a race where you tie your hooves together and you have to move in perfect synchronization to win!" Freed from the vines, the two made their way out of the swamp and to a small town where they planned to spend the night while singing: We're friendship boooooound. Starlight found herself chuckling as she suggested. "Or more like a buddy movie where the two protagonists can't get away from each other because they're wearing hoof-cuffs!" And she conjured up a set of fake hoof-cuffs to symbolize this point, before she and Trixie jumped into the wagon and rode it down the hill while triumphantly singing together: We're friendship boooooound! And the song came to an end as the two unicorns giggled. The first leg of their road trip had been rather enjoyable. And now they were looking forward to a good night's rest, after taking care of a few things. "Wow. This place kind of reminds me of where I grew up!" Starlight exclaimed as she looked all around. "Cozy little town, actually." Then she wandered off as her stomach began to rumble quite audibly. Trixie, meanwhile, unaware of her friend's sudden departure, began to say out loud. "The marketplace. Perfect! I've learned the hard way that life on the road requires very specific supplies. And we only have so many bits to use every night if we're going to make it to Las Pegasus and back. So that's why we need to spend the bits we have now wise..." But she was cut off as she saw that Starlight had already gone and purchased a rather expensive snack. "Sorry, I couldn't help it! I had to have something in my belly!" Starlight complained! "I knew I should've eaten before we left." "It's okay, this is your first time on the road after all. Mistakes like this are bound to happen," Trixie sincerely apologized to her friend. "Lucky for the both of us I thought to conserve my share of bits for the trip. I take pride in my ability to stretch the bits I get as far as they can go." "Maybe I should have you teach a class on that to the students sometime," Starlight suggested, before questioning. "So, now what?" Trixie looked at her sack of bits. "Well, I'll have to scale back on some things. But we should still have enough to buy..." She tried not to blush. "Haycakes and juice. Probably enough to get us through dinner and breakfast." Then she trotted over to a stand that had quite a long line already. Starlight couldn't help but suggest as she gestured a hoof. "Why don't we just go over to that stand over there? No wait at all." The magician shook her head. "Out of the question. The reason nopony's lining up is because everything there is too expensive. We'll blow our budget for sure if we go there," And she insisted. "Sometimes, if you want to get the best deals you have to be willing to wait." "Waiting-in-line bonding," Starlight sarcastically remarked. "Great." The long line unfortunately moved very slowly for the two, and the sun had set by the time Trixie was able to make her purchase for the next meal. Both ponies knew it would be too late to really have anything other than a quick dinner. "Well, the good news is we're still set for breakfast tomorrow!" Trixie declared at long last. Starlight yawned as she seemed to optimistically proclaim. "And I'm sure we'll find out that waiting in that super-long line was totally worth it, right?" Trixie nodded while insisting (as well as yawning herself). "A few hiccups always happen the first time around. But not to worry, we'll be back on the road to friendship after a good night's sleep." Unfortunately, the small town had only a locally run inn for tourists to spend the night. And the inn keeper told the two unicorns. "I'm sorry, we're all filled up. Unless you made a reservation there's nothing I can do to accommodate you two." She was an earth pony with a dull brown coat, faded green eyes, and a rusty red mane and tail that hung flat against her sides. Her cutie mark was an open book and a red quill. And she wore a dress whose colors of red and gold had faded, to say nothing of how well worn it seemed. Just like that, the two friends were forced out into the night without shelter. Hoo'Far happened to pass by at that very moment. "Most unfortunate. It would appear this is peak tourist season. Luckily, for fortunate travelers such as ourselves there are our caravans," And he again offered. "You're certain you don't want to trade, Miss. Trixie? I believe my caravan would be to your liking." "Sorry, Mr. Hoo'Far, but I'm not interested. I care too much about my wagon to trade away it, even though I'm tempted by the offer." Trixie replied as she shot down the proposal. Hoo'Far appeared to understand as the Saddle Arabian declared. "Very well then. See you in the morning, Miss. Trixie. I trust you and your assistant will provide a fantastic show before your departure for Las Pegasus." And he trotted away, his huge, sparkling wagon following close behind. "Seriously, is this guy gonna follow us every step of the way?" Starlight frowned. But Trixie had a more pressing matter she was thinking about. "I don't have time to worry about some fanpony," And she gestured to Starlight while mockingly declaring. "'Don't even worry about it.' you said. 'There'll be plenty of places to stay.' you said. Well you might have thought to double check or make a reservation." Having been called out, Starlight defensively retorted. "Uh, excuse me! I've been with you the whole time: Singing and standing in line. When would I have had time to do that?" With narrowed eyes and a hushed tone of voice, Trixie replied. "I don't know, Starlight. But I'm beginning to think you're not as great and powerful of an assistant as I thought!" "So you just brought me along to do your legwork, is that it?!" Starlight growled back. However, the magician sighed as she willingly confessed and apologized. "No. I'm sorry I yelled at you like that, Starlight. But I'm tired and frustrated from a long trip. And I'm not much of a night pony if I'm being honest." Starlight Glimmer pulled her fellow unicorn close as she replied. "I'm tired too, Trixie. I was really looking forward to a relaxing stay at an inn or a hotel," Then she turned to the wagon and sighed. "But since there's literally no room, I guess we'll have to share the wagon for tonight. I'm sure we can make this work," Under her breath she added. "Maybe, I hope." The sleeping arrangements within Trixie's wagon were anything but ideal, especially with all the boxes the two had stacked up despite leaving several others behind. A good deal of them were full of magic props. The only "beds" available were two small hammocks set up on the left and right sides of the center of the wagon. As the two unicorns began to settle in for the night, they were anything but enthusiastic about what they would have to put up with. Starlight especially considering she was not used to such cramped conditions after having always had a bed and a bedroom all to herself no matter where she went (aside from her time spent on the run, but the less said about that time the better). "Sleeping-in-tight-quarters bonding," She flatly remarked, Trixie joining her in rather un-enthusiastically saying. "Yaaaaay." Yet when the unicorn with a light purplish-gray coat tried to lean back into her hammock and close her eyes, she found the cramped living conditions giving her no room at all to wiggle. And that was a problem when she wasn't able to immediately fall asleep and began tossing and turning. She began to shove various boxes around, pushing them right up against Trixie. Trixie did her best not to sound annoyed as she asked her friend. "Is there something I can do to make things more comfortable for you? Or would you rather sleep outside?" "Well, you could get rid of all this junk for one thing." Starlight proposed as she swatted a hoof, knocking down a pan tied to a series of magic colored handkerchiefs. But Trixie had a different idea in mind. "Or, instead of throwing out the rare magical props passed down from my father that are irreplaceable, we could just switch hammocks. Assuming you don't wanna sleep outside, that is." "I've half a mind to do just that, but why don't we swap hammocks first and see if that solves things?" Starlight suggested. "For the record though, when we get back to Ponyville you're having a yard sale. I think even your father wouldn't have needed nearly this many props in his shows. I could always buy them and store them in my room if it'll make you feel better." Trixie only humphed. "We'll worry about that after this road trip is over." And then she and Starlight swapped hammocks, both eventually managing to fall asleep. However, Trixie hadn't been sleeping for very long when she heard loud noises nearby. It jolted her awake, causing her to stumble out of her hammock as she gasped! "Starlight! I think there's a wild animal outside, what are we gonna do?!" But when she approached her friend she found that the loud noises were just snores. "Starlight! Wake up!" She shouted, jolting her friend awake. Starlight woke with a start! "Huh? What?" The magician whispered as she stood beside her friend's hammock. "I'm sorry. But your snoring is a bit too, um..." "-Loud?" Starlight guessed and sheepishly confessed. "Yeah, I do that. Kind of forgot to warn you. Though my dad says it used to be worse, I used to sleep trot a lot. Good thing I stopped doing that," And then she chuckled. "Funny story, actually. When my village heard my snoring and mentioned it, I convinced them were being attacked by ursa minors and only I could fend them off. Still can't believe they bought it all the time." Trixie was anything but amused. "Well, I think we're going to need a better solution here. And fortunately for you, Trixie knows just the thing." The "solution" involved placing a cloth across Starlight's mouth to muffle the snores. But soon after the two unicorns fell asleep again, Starlight was woken up. And this was not by snoring, but by her friend talking and mumbling in her sleep. "Seriously?!" She grumbled, but was unable to wake her friend up. A rough night translated into a rough morning for the two traveling unicorns as Trixie eventually woke up and exited her wagon only to spot Starlight cooking haycakes on a fire. Both had bags under their eyes that indicated they hadn't slept well at all. Despite this, they tried to pretend like nothing was wrong as Trixie grumpily asked Starlight. "Sleep well?" "Sure did," Starlight grumpily replied. "What about you?" And Trixie nodded. Trixie approached the fire a few seconds later as she noticed something. "Say, is that the last of the haycakes?" "Oops, sorry." Starlight grumpily answered while munching on it. "Well, it's fine. We needed to restock anyway." Trixie declared as she poured her a glass of juice. "And, let me guess," Starlight questioned with a quirked brow. "That's the last of the juice, isn't it?" Trixie gave the same reply Starlight had given. "Oops, sorry. You got the last of the haycakes, so I got the last of the juice." Starlight Glimmer just groaned. "Whatever. Let's just restock and get out of here! If we're lucky we can make it to Las Pegasus before sundown tonight, meaning we won't have to spend another night sharing the wagon." "I offered you the chance to sleep under the stars, but you insisted the wagon was fine for both of us," Trixie protested. "And we can worry about restocking after our show. The Great and Powerful Trixie isn't going to disappoint her fans, even if her assistant snores like an ursa major all the time." Starlight only snapped back. "Yeah? Well it was sure nice of you to go over the routine in your sleep all night. It's not like I didn't already have it memorized." At that moment, Hoo'Far came upon the scene and he could hardly believe his eyes. It was clear to him (and probably to anypony who could see it) that Starlight and Trixie's bond was being strained almost to the breaking point by their rough night. "Sorry to interrupt," He spoke up. "I was just going to wish Miss. Trixie well before I depart back to my home in Saddle Arabia. But it seems there's trouble on the road to friendship." Trixie and Starlight both laughed and loudly snorted! "Ya think?!" Trixie then teleported away and stormed off into the distance! "I'm going to take care of some personal business before we get the show on the road, Starlight. Perhaps you should take this time to kindly give Mr. Hoo'Far my regards and take care of anything you need to take care of. Or maybe even just be a good assistant and get the stage ready." Yet as soon as Trixie had left, Starlight's attention was immediately drawn to the wagon Hoo'Far was hauling behind him. It looked far more spacious and accommodating than Trixie's old, worn down wagon that had clearly seen better days. "Say, Mr. Hoo'Far," She spoke up to him. "I think I know a way you can show your support for Trixie beyond just spreading word of her show. She'll never admit it, but she could really use a new wagon." "So Miss. Trixie wishes to make the trade after all? How odd considering her previous spoken opposition to such a thing." Hoo'Far commented as he put a hoof to his chin. Starlight quickly insisted. "You and I both know a new wagon would be just the thing to help her overcome the rough patch she's having with me. And I'm sure her father will be most impressed by it when we show it off to him in Las Pegasus. So what are you waiting for?! We have a deal, don't we?" Hoo'Far was considerably hesitant about the proposal. "I would like to be able to clear the deal with Miss. Trixie. It is her wagon after all." "But you don't understand, Mr. Hoo'Far!" Starlight protested and pleaded! "I'm saying this not just as her assistant but as her friend, she needs that wagon of yours! Please, I wouldn't be reaching out to you like this if I didn't think it was a good idea. Trixie will understand that it was for the best. And she can always trade wagons back at a later date if she doesn't like her new one." Hoo'Far began to consider. "...Well..." However, at that very moment, Trixie came back. Her time alone had allowed her to clear her head and the magician now felt refreshed and ready to take on the world. Unfortunately, her happy mood was short lived when she spotted Starlight bringing Trixie's wagon over to Hoo'Far. To Trixie that meant only one thing! "No!" She cried as she lit up her horn, teleporting directly in front of Starlight and throwing herself at her friend's hooves to stop her. "Trixie! Just what do you think you're doing?!" Starlight frowned in protest. Trixie only protested back. "Taking a stand by lying down! Not that you'd care, Wagon-Trade-Away-er!" Hoo'Far confusingly commented. "But Miss. Trixie, your friend insisted that you would appreciate my caravan. It was a fair trade. You would get a brand new wagon to share with your best friend, and I would have your old one to cherish and take with me back to Saddle Arabia. I assure you I would've taken good care of it." The magician only frowned. "I may trust Starlight with a lot of things, but I would never allow her to just trade away my wagon!" Starlight groaned. "You're so attached to that thing. When are you going to wisen up and realize it's falling apart?! I was trying to do you a favor! For the life of me, I can't understand why you're so darn attached to that old thing. It's just a wagon." "'Just a wagon'? 'Just a wagon'?!" Trixie huffed and roared! "Starlight, how can my own friend say such a thing?! It's not just a wagon, it's so much more: Shelter, transportation, a friend and a home away from home. It has been in my family since my father was my age, probably even longer. It's the one thing I've had besides our letters to remember him by," Then she turned to Hoo'Far. "I'm sorry about this misunderstanding, but your unfair procurement of my wagon will not be tolerated. The deal's off!" The stallion from Saddle Arabia only answered. "You misunderstand, Miss. Trixie. There was nothing about the deal aside from your friend trying to speak on your behalf without permission, and even then it seems she did without fully realizing just how much your wagon means to you. I never would've imagined your wagon held so much sentimental value to you had you not told me just now," And he pointed out. "Still, I simply desired your wagon and provided one of equal and better value in return. It seemed like a perfectly honest and fair trade to me." "Yes, well unfortunately for you it is more nuanced than that," Trixie complained. "So will you please step away from my wagon? At this rate, Starlight and I will have to scrub our planned show here if we're going to be able to make it to Las Pegasus as planned." Starlight reluctantly let out a sigh. "Okay, Trixie, I get the point. The wagon wasn't mine to trade away and I never should've even considered doing it. It sounded like a good idea but it wasn't," And she then pleaded. "I don't want to stay mad with you, or cost your your only chance to see your father before I have to resume my guidance counselor duties." Hoo'Far pointed out. "Well, the deal was all but made before Miss. Trixie intervened. In accordance with Saddle Arabian traditions though, if you were truly friends I suppose I'd be honor bond to undo the proposed swap." "You mean you don't think we're friends despite this set back?" Trixie grumbled as she stood up and pulled Starlight close. "We're friends! Best friends who share a deep bond who weren't prepared for the emotional challenges of traveling. Happy now?!" The Saddle Arabian unicorn didn't appear to be convinced. "I'm not really seeing it. It seems odd that 'friends' would let a disagreement between them escalate to the level where one almost did something the other would've never forgiven them for," And he suggested with a wink. "Perhaps you could prove your friendship to me." An exasperated Trixie could only groan. "How?" But Starlight suddenly seemed to have an idea! "Uh, I know, we could do our friendship chant!" And she looked down at Trixie. After a bit of silence Trixie seemed to realize what her friend was suggesting. "Oh, right... Our world-famous chant of friendship that we do all the time because we're such great friends. Great idea, Starlight!" She did her best to sound sincere about it. Of course, the "chant" was anything but "world famous" as the two unicorns made all sort of weird gestures while saying together: "Magic... magic... poof of smoke... want to wave your hooves... and tell a... little joke!" Hoo'Far's reaction after a moment of stunned speechlessness said it all! "I'm sorry! But that was the worst friendship chant I have ever heard! And you two were clearly just making it up as you went along." The hearts of both Trixie and Starlight sang quite a bit upon hearing this. It sounded like they'd made a fool of themselves for nothing. However, the unicorn stallion smiled as he went on to say. "But only true friends would be willing to act so ridiculous for one another. The deal is off." Trixie was so happy to hear the news that she all but leaped up and pulled Starlight in for a hug right then and there. Any hostility she might have had before was now gone, simply because she was so pleased and so relieved to not have to part with her old wagon. With the "trade" undone, Hoo'Far departed with his wagon. And Trixie and Starlight departed the little town they'd spent the night in after quickly restocking for the trip to Las Pegasus. They managed to arrive in the bustling entertainment capital of Equestria only a little bit behind schedule, just as the last rays of sunlight were vanishing into the night and dusk was settling in. Fortunately, there was still room for them at the hotel where Jackpot and his assistant Big Bucks were performing. Starlight immediately let her body sink into the bed sheets upon reaching the hotel room she and Trixie would be staying in. "Ah, it feels so good to have a proper bed again! I've never taking my bedroom in the castle for granted again!" "That's another benefit to being on the road so much," Trixie pointed out as she rested on her own bed. "It makes you appreciate the finer things in life a bit more," And then she instructed. "We'd better get to bed early, I want to be well rested for tomorrow when I finally get to see my dad again! Oh, I hope he won't be too busy!" "I'm sure he won't be, Trixie," Starlight reassured her friend. "Now, like you said, let's get some sleep." The two unicorns had far less trouble sleeping in hotel beds, largely because there was a divide between their beds that prevented them from bothering each other with their snoring and sleep talking. They awoke in the morning refreshed, well rested and ready for the day. There wasn't a hint of hostility between them any longer. And after a hearty breakfast courtesy of the hotel, Trixie and Starlight were able to make their way backstage where Jackpot was preparing to rehearse for a show that evening. As soon as Jackpot saw Trixie, he smiled as his daughter came rushing up to hug him! "Oh, Trixie! I've missed you so much, my precious little filly!" "Me too, Dad! Me too!" Trixie smiled back. "You really should come to Ponyville some time, because I guarantee you'd be amazed at how much of a name Trixie's made for herself there." "Ponyville, eh?" Jackpot commented. "Well, I'd have to clear it up with my bosses and my assistant, but I'm certain I could find the time eventually. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that where Princess Twilight lives in her own castle, and where she's established her own school of friendship?" Trixie nodded. "That's where my best friend in all the world works," And she gestured a hoof. "Dad, it gives Trixie the honor to introduce you to her great and powerful assistant and great and powerful friend, Starlight Glimmer!" Starlight just waved a hoof. "Um, hello." Jackpot smiled. "Any friend of Trixie's is a friend of mine. A pleasure to meet you, Starlight," And after shaking Starlight's hoof he asked his daughter. "By the way, Trixie? How was your trip here? Did you really come all this way with your friend with only that old wagon for company?" "Yes," Trixie blushed. "Although it's kind of a funny story. I almost didn't come here in it." But she wondered if she should tell him? Starlight, for her part, just watched the reunion unfold with a smile upon her face. "My first road trip with Trixie may not have turned as well as I'd hoped, but at least now we both know not to do it again any time soon," She thought to herself. "Not all friends need to travel all the world with each other just to prove their bond is strong. Just being there for each other as needed should be all the proof needed for anyone."