//------------------------------//
// Chapter 10 
// Story: The Adventures of Trixie if Her Father Was a Badass Alien 
// by totallynotabrony 
//------------------------------//

	As stated by the last line of the previous chapter, Stabby Hooves was not happy.  Trixie had come to the Appleloosa prison to give her testimony of the train robbery and saw his state of unhappiness for herself.  Still, she did not care too much.  He was criminal scum, after all.  
That description sounded a bit harsh in her mind, and Trixie made a mental note to come up with better descriptors for ponies she disliked.  After all, she had supposedly put pettiness behind her.  She was arguably even more Great and Powerful than before, but also quite a bit more humble and sane.
Trixie frowned at that idea.  It seemed almost unhumble to have thoughts about herself like that.  Still, the fact that she recognized the edge of humility was comforting.  She didn’t used to.
When beckoned to come forward, Trixie gave her statement to the sheriff’s clerk.  The testimony would be taken down for Stabby Hooves’ trial.  With a name like that, Trixie wondered if he was related to Derpy, back in Ponyville.
Her job done, Trixie left the Appleloosa sheriff’s office and stood in the dusty street for a moment.  The town was slowly being rebuilt after the buffalo had overrun it.  Trixie remembered that Applejack’s cousin Braeburn had lived in the town and been severely injured in the massacre.
The buildings were being repaired and the displaced residents had started to return.  Trixie was not aware of any treaty that had been reached to get the buffalo to leave.  Maybe there wasn’t one, or maybe something else had happened.
That was a mystery for another time.  Trixie took the opportunity to build a fire and finally reload some of her ammunition.  
It was rather peaceful, sitting next to her campfire.  The weather ponies didn’t usually get out to this part of the desert, but the natural weather was being fortunately cooperative.  After casting and jacketing some bullets, and loading them into the casings with powder, Trixie had finished her loadout.  Sliding the finished cartridges back in their belt, she secured the M60 on its strap around her shoulder and headed for the station.  The next train would be coming in a short while.
After spending just a short time waiting at the station, the train pulled in and Trixie boarded.  It did not take her long to deduce that she would be sharing it with Flim and Flam, a situation that none of the three of them were quite pleased with.
“I’ll buy a little more of that oil,” Trixie told them, her supply of the lubrication she had used on the machine gun running low, “but take the rest of your things somewhere else.”
Flim and Flam agreed and moved away from her.  The last Trixie heard, they were trying to sell something to help a mare sleep.
Hey there pony, whatcha gonna do?
The train’s so noisy, too loud for you.
I’m Flim, he’s Flam; we’ve got something new.
A product to quiet that cacophonous spew!
To use it, here’s what you have to do:
Stick the plug in your ear; how is up to you.
Our payment plan is bits; shiny and new.
Or we can hit you with our studly spew!
Their songs were getting progressively worse and more sexually desperate, Trixie noted.  Then again, maybe bad music would actually help the sales of earplugs.  
The train departed the Appleloosa station.  There were a couple of stops to go, but Trixie’s ticket was for Ponyville.  She’d only been gone for a couple of weeks, but it would be nice to see the place again.  Despite being on the road for long periods as a magician, it was a comforting feeling to have a place to return to.
Of course, Valiant wouldn’t be there.  Trixie probably would have heard about his arrival back in Equestria or seen the fiery trail of rocket in the sky as it returned.  She wondered how long he planned to spend in outer space.
Trixie leaned back and pulled her hat down.  The Flim Flam Brothers went into the next car and the gentle rocking of the train on the rails soon lulled Trixie to sleep.