Trixie kicked the ground and let out a huff. She finally had it: a place to call home. A place where she could be happy, where she could eat well, sleep well, bathe well, and where she took no grief from anypony. She had everything she wanted… but at what cost?
‘Take over Equestria? What the hay was I thinking?! I just wanted to show up Twilight Sparkle. Maybe if I did that, ponies would stop laughing at me… I’d be able to go back to my shows…’ Trixie sighed, and looked at her reflection in the water. ‘What a mess I am. I can’t believe I let that amulet’s power seduce me like that. I’m such a-’
“You’re still here?” Trixie jumped and turned her head to look behind herself. She recognised the voice well. It was probably the second-to-last voice she wanted to hear right now, because she knew that this pony was like her: easy to aggravate, and aggressive when upset. “I thought you would’ve cleared outta town by now.”
“… I would, except I have no idea where to go from here.” Trixie turned her attention back to the river beside her, and rested her head on her forehooves. “Every town I go to, ponies turn me away. I could try bigger cities, like Canterlot or Manehatten, but without any money, I would only die after aimlessly wandering around for hours. And besides, I don’t feel like really doing anything right now, Rainbow Dash.”
The rainbow-maned Pegasus walked closer to Trixie. This was it, the former showmare thought. This was the beating that was coming to her. And she deserved it. For holding Ponyville in an iron grip. For turning the small, quiet village upside-down, and covering it in darkness, whilst enslaving its citizens.
“Yeah, that’s gotta suck,” Rainbow Dash said, sitting down on her haunches next to the down mare. “Hey, have you been crying?”
Trixie turned her head away. “Why would I? What right do I have to feel sad, after what I did?”
“Well, it just sort of looks like-”
“Will you just get it over with already?!”
Rainbow Dash looked confused. “Get what over with?”
“Just… kick me or something! Dump me in the water, or rip my mane out, or do whatever it is you came here to do! After all, I banished your best friend from Ponyville, and I enslaved your whole town! So just-”
Rainbow Dash got up and moved herself in front of Trixie, and glared down at her. “Now hold on one second there!” a voice from behind said. She recognised this one, too. “Ah don’ know what’s goin’ through that there head of yours, but that’s not how we do things ‘round these parts!”
“We may be angry, but we are certainly not going to conduct in such barbaric actions as those.” Trixie turned around to face the two new ponies: Applejack and Rarity. “And besides, we are not here for revenge.”
“Why not? I deserve it, after what I did.”
“That wasn’t your fault!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Look, we know about what the Alicorn Amulet does to ponies! How it makes ‘em go crazy.”
Applejack nodded. “Ah can’t say ah like ya very much, given our previous encounters an’ all, but gosh darn it, a pony in need is still a pony in need, regardless of who it is!”
Trixie scoffed. “Idiots,” she said coldly. “I put that amulet on. All of what happened was a result of my own bitterness! My own desire to get even with you all! It’s all my fault that all of that happened, and you know what?! Part of me wishes that I never removed that amulet!”
Rarity took a few steps closer to the hyperventilating pony. “And why is that, dear?”
“… Because I was happy like that, that’s why.” Trixie turned her head away. “I got happy off of your suffering. Maybe… Maybe I deserve to live like this…”
Applejack shook her head. “If that’s how ya think, then fine. But we ain’t havin’ any of it in our town.” She knelt down beside Trixie, and laid a gentle hoof on her shoulder. “Trixie. We forgive you.”
Trixie’s ears twitched, but she didn’t meet the farm pony’s eyes. “…”
“An’, we all felt mighty sorry for ya, after recalling how… how badly yer life’s been since that day one year ago. So, we decided ta do a lil’ somethin’ for ya.”
Rainbow Dash grabbed Trixie’s head, and moved it to force her to look at something. Trixie’s eyes widened at what she saw: a flowing purple cape, with a star pattern running down it, and a matching pointed hat, both of which were resting on a small wagon behind Rarity.
“Rarity fixed up a new hat and cape for ya,” Rainbow Dash said. “The wagon’s an old one that me and Pinkie used to use. We don’t really need it anymore…”
Applejack wiped away the tear that was falling down Trixie’s face. “Fluttershy an’ ah baked ya some treats, for the road. They’re underneath the cape. Also, ah sent a letter ta mah cousin down in Appleoosa. Gave him a good word for ya, so that ya can perform there without any trouble. If y’all are bent on perfomin’ again, ah reckon that’d be a good place ta start.”
Trixie couldn’t believe what she was hearing, or seeing. It made absolutely no sense to her. “Why?” she asked. “How can you forgive me? You should be hating me! You should be chasing me out of town with absolutely nothing, not sending me off with smiling faces and baked treats under new garments!”
Rainbow Dash sighed and slammed a hoof against her face. “You really don’t get it?”
Rarity grabbed Trixie forehoof gently. “It’s because we forgive you, Trixie, that we’re not going to ‘chase you out of town’. And, it’s because you’re sad, and alone, that we’d like to ask you to be our friend.”
Trixie’s eyes widened, and she quickly pulled her hoof away. “… T-Thanks, for the offer…” Trixie shook her head. “But I can’t. Not after what I’ve done. I don’t… I don’t deserve friends like you.”
“C’mon now, that’s just crazy talk,” Applejack said, and tried to approach Trixie, but the blue mare just backed away.
“I-I’ll accept these generous gifts… since it would be a shame to waste all the effort you went through… But, I really, really can’t accept your friendship. Somepony like me, should just live their lives alone.” Trixie sighed, and lowered her head. “I think that that would be best for everypony…”
The three friends shared disheartened looks, and we’re about to speak up again, but Trixie was already walking away from them. “Trixie-” Rainbow Dash tried, but was cut off by her.
“I’m… going to find Twilight. I need to tell her I’m sorry, and then I’ll be out your lives, forever.”
As Trixie continued to walk away, Applejack decided to speak out. “Ya don’ have ta do that, y’know? Even if ya don’ wanna be our friend now, if ya ever change yer mind, just remember that the offer is always open to ya.”
Trixie smiled, and forced back the tears building up in her eyes. ‘Idiots… I’ve done nothing to warrant anypony’s forgiveness, and I really don’t deserve such kindness…’ Not sure how else to react, Trixie resorted to her default: throwing a smoke bomb on the floor, and running away, making sure that nopony could follow her.