//------------------------------// // XXXII. // Story: The Nobody's Regret // by Synthetic Soul //------------------------------// Unadorned with her magician’s attire, Trixie Lulamoon or the Great and Powerful Trixie as she monikered herself, pulled her caravan into the town of Ponyville just as the sun began to rise over the horizon. At first glance it looked like any other countryside town in the nation of Equestria. But as Trixie ventured farther in she saw that a portion of the town contained crumbled and shattered buildings, as if a haywire tornado had torn them apart. “Hmm…” hummed Trixie. “Such devastation. If I didn’t know any better I’d say that an Ursa Major tore through here.” ‘Perhaps this might not be the best town to perform in. They must have bigger concerns than entertainment.’The mare’s internal dialogue was interrupted by an intense grumbling in her stomach as hunger ate away at her. ‘Then again…’ Trixie decided to park her caravan in an open part of the town, a spot that looked to be in the center of the shopping district. She unlatched herself from the harness and stretched out her tired limbs. She had been trudging along for a full four hours. She had several hours until her first show; so she decided to explore the town, and freshen herself up before she unveiled herself to the crowd. The local venders were just setting up shop in the morning light, which cast their shadows in impressive magnitude. Trixie only had a hoof full of bits so she’d have to budget herself. She looked at the signs posting the prices of various goods. Watermelons – 8 bits each Bananas – 2 bits each Apples – 3 bits each Based on the prices, Trixie couldn’t afford to buy very much food, at least not until after her show. She stopped in front of a stand that displayed fresh grown carrots. The price listed that a small bundle would cost 4 bits. Deciding that this option had the best product for price ratio, Trixie engaged with the vendor. “One bushel of carrots please,” requested Trixie, too tired to put on her performers persona. “That will be four bits,” replied the orange earth pony manning the stall. Trixie used her magic to retrieve the bits and placed them on the counter, and took the carrots that were handed to her. Deciding to learn more of the town, Trixie raised a question to the mare. “If you don’t mind my asking, what happened to that part of the town?” questioned the unicorn as she gestured to the collapsed buildings that lay in ruins. “Oh, it was awful!” exclaimed the mare. “Some monster appeared out of nowhere and went on a rampage!” “Monster?” questioned Trixie. “What was it, a Dragon? Hydra? Ursa Major?” “No it was something completely different, something we’ve never seen before!” Trixie looked back at the destruction. ‘Whatever it was it must have been big…and powerful.’ “What happened to this beast?” questioned Trixie. “Is it still running around?” Trixie now felt a quick surge of anxiety at the thought of whatever could do this still lurking about. “Oh no, it was defeated,” replied the mare. “Defeated?!” asked Trixie incredulously. “By whom?” “Well there are some ponies who live in town that took care of it. They’re heroes of sorts, always helping the town when a crisis hits. They even fought off Nightmare Moon!” Trixie’s jaw dropped. ‘Impossible,’she thought to herself. ‘This nameless little town has it’s own defenders? One’s that fight off monsters and magical tyrants regularly?’ “T-thank you,” she said as she collected her produce and left. She tried to keep a calm façade, but inside she was panicking. ‘If what that mare says is true…than this town has seen feats of magic and skill, much more than what I can give them! My show…my show won’t even hold a candle to it!’ But then, Trixie tried to rationalize the situation. ‘Maybe she’s just crazy! Making up stories!’But then looked at the rubble. ‘But then again, something did damage this town. And whatever it was, it’s gone now. Perhaps I should do a little more digging.’ Trixie traversed the town a bit more and asked around. Several ponies confirmed the story she was told by the carrot vender. From what Trixie could gather, the monster was indeed defeated by a small group of ponies. Well there was one thing that seemed abnormal. While most ponies recognized that these mares did indeed contribute, there was one figure that had fought longer and harder then the rest. According to the ponies Trixie spoke to, the being who struck the killing blow and did most of the actual fighting was a two legged figure in black. Trixie thought this part seemed the most outlandish, but multiple ponies did confirm this beings presence. Trixie didn’t know what to do with her self. She decided to head back to her caravan while in deep contemplation. ‘What can I show these ponies that they haven’t already seen? My little parlor tricks won’t hold a candle to what they’ve seen! Maybe I should just move on to a new town?’ Trixie stepped into her run down shack on wheels, setting the carrots down on her vanity. Only now that she was shut off from the world did she allow her inner emotions to bleed to the surface. “What am I going to do? If I can’t put on a show that amazes the crowd then I’m just wasting my time! No pony’s going to give bits to see cheap tricks when they’ve seen REAL magic!” Trixie began contemplating, trying to think of her next move. ‘Well…perhaps I need to dip into my old playbook. After all, I am a performer! What performer doesn’t add a bit of…exaggeration? They say they saw a monster defeated by a group of ponies? Well then they’ll most certainly be impressed to see a mare who bested an Ursa Major all by herself! In fact, why can’t I be a hero myself? A great and powerful unicorn that’s saved town after town on her adventures? They’d pay to see such a mare, wouldn’t they?’ Trixie began combing her hair while munching on one of her fresh bought carrots, with a surge of confidence running through her. “It’s time the Great and Powerful Trixie put on the show of her life!”