You look to the side of your hotel room to see a box you've wrapped with gift paper sitting on the floor. You felt so bad for making Trixie hurt yesterday and are trying everything you can to make her feel better. You pick up your present and head for the door.
"Well welcome back mister human!" A voice calls out to you from ahead.
You turn your head to see that cheery grey mare looking happy to see you.
"What brings you back here?" She asks.
"Oh, I'm here to see Trixie again, she wasn't feeling the best yesterday so I thought I'd be able to cheer her up."
The mare looks at you with a worried look. "What's gotten into her?" You think.
"I thought she would've told you." The mare states.
"Tell me what?" You ask with confusion.
"She left yesterday, with not so much as a peep. She gave the bits that were do and just hurried out of here, she looked awfully pale."
"She... left!? But.... why?" You wonder to yourself as to why she would leave without saying anything. Your worry goes into overdrive as you think of the possible locations she would have gone to.
"She did ask me to tell something to you though." The mare says.
Your ears perk up with intrigue.
"She told me to tell you that she was sorry, for everything, and that she doesn't want to hurt anyone else anymore. I have no idea what she could've possibly meant by that though."
You feel your chest tighten as the grey mare talks about Trixie's last words to you. Your head and body feel like it's about to implode as a sinking feeling of regret sets in. You told Trixie from the beginning that you'd never leave her and yet you made the foolish mistake of abandoning her in her darkest time.
You tell the mare goodbye as you hurry back to your hotel to pay your debt's and make your way back to Ponyvile. It's the only place you can think that'd she be.
-------*-------
Stepping off the train and back into your familiar small town, you see no sign of your beautiful blue friend as you look around hastily, asking random ponies in the process if they'd seen any blue mare walking by. To the shock of no one however, every pony you ask has seemingly not a clue to her whereabouts.
You think back to the first place you ever saw her at. "The farm! Maybe Applejack knows something." You yet again make your way to your old familiar work place to ask the orange mare for any directions. Approaching the large field of property, you see that AJ and Big Mac have definitely made short work of all the apple tees, as none of them hold any of the red fruits you've become so used to seeing. You trudge along as fast as you can to the front door as the thick and heavy snow takes a toll on your speed and legs.
"Anon?" Applejack says surprised, she looks at you up and down at the front of the entrance, she almost cannot believe her eyes.
"I can't believe it, you're here!" She says still surprised but relieved all the same. "Where have ya been these past couple weeks? I almost got ready to search for ya myself!"
"AJ, we need to talk." You tell her sternly. She motions you in and you find a place to sit right in the apple family's living room.
She sits right beside you intently, her whole body facing toward you as the astonished earth pony looks you straight in the eye with disbelief. "What's this all about Anon? If ya think I'm upset don't be. I'm honestly just glad to see you aren't a pile of left over apple scrapings. Me and Big Mac got all the tree's bucked in time so we'll just need ya'll to worry about selling the apples, but I've also made some apple fritters if you-"
"AJ." She blinks a couple times as you stop her in her tracks. She shakes her head slightly as she focuses her attention back on to you.
"Oh gee, sorry Anon, I guess I do get a bit carried away every now and then huh? I'm just really happy to have ya back on the farm and-"
"AJ." You cut her off again.
"What is it sugarcube?" She asks softly.
You sigh to yourself before speaking. "There's something I haven't told you, something that I've forgotten to tell you, I never thought it was that big of a deal but there's been this mare I've been helping out-"
"A mare?!" Applejack says excitedly. "Now gosh darnit Anon why didn't you ever tell me about this?"
"Huh?" You question with confusion.
"Ya'll should've told me when you've gotten yourself a nice lassie to call your own!"
"N-No AJ it's not like that I-"
"Oh come on now sugarcube, it ain't something to be embarrassed about! I reckon it can be hard to get yur' feelings out from time to time. What's this special pony's name that you've come to fancy anyhow?"
"Her name is Trixie."
Applejack freezes as she looks like she's seen a ghost, her eyes widen and her ears freeze in place. For some reason she looks terrified.
"Applejack? Is something wrong?"
"W-What's this 'Trixie's' last name?" She asks with caution, her voice now lowering into an almost mumble.
"Uh..." You hesitate, you're beginning to worry about this whole thing. "Lulamoon, I think."
Applejack stares at you with disappointed eyes, you know she wants to say something but is holding back for some reason.
"Oh Anon."
"What's the matter Applejack?"
The orange mare takes a deep breath and looks at you with a serious face. "That mare Anon, she.... she's no good."
Applejack's words shock you as somehow she knows who she is and that apparently the two of them have seemingly had a history together.
"What do you mean? How do you know her?" Your interest has definitely peaked as Applejack seems reluctant to talk about her.
"Do you really want'a know?"
"More then anything." You tell her.
"Alright sugarcube fine." She begins her story.
"A while back I was heading into the market to find some fruits that'd be good to go with this apple pie I had just finished making, there was a large crowd as far as my eyes could see just standin' in front of this, what looked like to me and the rest of the girls, a makeshift stage. I felt intrigued so I decided to see what all the fuss was about. This blue pony was standin' on that stage just monologuing to every pony out there. I felt it kind of annoying to start braggin' your tail off and I wasn't alone. Me, Dash, Pinkie, Rarity, Spike, we were all gettin' heated with this unicorn that just had shown up without even a greetin', was now tellin' every pony that she was the best at magic. We all felt she was full of it and decided to challenge her, needless to say, she embarrassed the crud out of us and used her magic to do just that."
"All because you challenged her?" You ask.
"Well... sorta. We all got pretty heated like I said. Maybe I was a tad jealous that some random mare that no pony had ever seen before, was now as popular as the princess herself! Alright maybe not that much but you get the idea."
"So then, what ended up happening?"
"I can't tell you the full story as I don't know much myself. Ultimately her soon to be 'ex-fans' decided to track down an ursa minor and bring it back to Ponyvile for Trixie to conquer, which as you'd expect didn't go so well as at the point the whole town knew she'd been fibbing."
"Wow, I had no idea."
"Yeah well she ain't really accepted here no more and every pony that sees her wants nothing to do with her." She says with a bit of distain.
At that moment, Applejack's words make you realize the reality of why everyone was avoiding you and her. This whole time, with the doctors refusing to help her at the hospital, the mares and stallions talking behind their back and walking away from you both; it was because Trixie was never appreciated here, and that honestly hurts you.
"But she isn't a bad pony." You fight back.
"How could'ya say that Anon? She made a fool out of me, out of every pony. If you ask me, she got what she deserved."
"After you mocked here in the first place." You retort. "I know her AJ, she isn't bad at all."
"Is that why it took ya so long to get back?"
You nod your head.
"I.... see.... well honestly Anon I don't understand out of every mare ya'll would pick her but-"
"It's not like that!" You yell out. "I came to her aid because she needed me.... and to tell you the truth.... I need her."
"If that's how ya really feel...."
"It is. I need help finding her AJ, she disappeared without even a goodbye. I can't leave her out there not knowing what all could happen to her; I'd never forgive myself if something did."
Applejack's eyes move side to side and her body looks to be uncomfortable. "I'm... sorry Anon, I can't help."
"No, not you too." You say with despair. "Please AJ, you have to, I need to know if she's ok, I need to if-"
"If you really care about her that much Anon, then you should find her yourself. It isn't that I don't want to help you, it's just that I don't really trust that mare as far as I can stick'er." She finishes with a cautious tone. "And besides, I'd have no idea where she'd be. For all I know, she could be terrorizing some other town and I really don't want nothing to do with it."
"You really won't help me?" You ask once more with desperation.
"I'm really sorry Anon, to tell ya the truth, even if we did find her, she'd most likely just be shooed outta the town by all the mares and stallions."
The thought of Trixie not being accepted in Ponyvile, let alone anywhere, has you surprised. She always presented herself as this popular, respected mare that'd have hundreds of fans lined up just to see this talented magician, was it all a lie?
"Well that's that then." You say. "I'm going to go search for her."
"Anon, you can't possibly be serious about this."
"I am. Trixie isn't bad. She's a good mare with a good heart. Just because you had one bad encounter doesn't mean-"
"It wasn't the only one actually." She tells you abruptly.
"W-What?" You say shocked.
"She isn't the pony you think she is. Just stay away from her, ain't nothing good can come from being friends with that heathen."
"Applejack I can't believe you're saying this. What happened to friendship? You let me work here not even knowing what species I was and you-"
"You also didn't try to earn pity points by winning in a duel with another unicorn by cheating."
Her words stun you even more. You can't believe what you're hearing, she has to be lying, right?
"N-No, that can't be true! I know her, she isn't like that she-"
"She's tricked you Anon. Like I said ain't nothin' good can come from being her friend, nothing."
"I'm sorry AJ, I can't believe you. I know who she is, I've seen her at her darkest. She cried alone in the woods hoping no one would see her, but I did. She came to me for comfort, and I helped her open up. You can say whatever you want but it won't change a thing. I know what kind of pony she is and I'm not about to just abandon her."
You get up from the couch and head for the door to find any whereabouts of where she could be.
"You know Anon." A voice calls from behind you. "Even if you did find her, she wouldn't be able to come back to Ponyvile with you."
You stop in your tracks before opening the door and look down slightly.
"Then I guess I won't either."
You head out the door and back to the outside world. You look down at the box that you have in your hand and then up again to the setting sun.
"I'm not going to leave you Trixie, not this time, not ever."