//------------------------------// // Trixie's Woe // Story: Let Me Dry Your Tears // by SteelyStrings32T //------------------------------// To say that Twilight was surprised would be an understatement. After their duel two weeks ago, Twilight expected Trixie to go on with her life and rebuild her showmare career. Now, the azure mare was standing in the middle of her living room with a look of distress on her face. "Trixie, what's the matter? I thought that after you left Ponyville you would restart your showmare career. Why are you back in town?" At first, Trixie did not respond to Twilight. Her initial thought would be to lie to Twilight about the nightmares plaguing her. Maybe tell her that she was just passing through and thought that she would stop and say hello. Trixie quickly thought against that idea. She came to Ponyville to seek out Twilight Sparkle specifically so that she could get help with her nightmares. "If she could free me from the Alicorn Amulet, she can free me from these horrible dreams." "I need your help, Twilight. You helped bring me to my senses two weeks ago and I need your help now more than ever." "What's going on Trixie? Have you hit a snag in your life? Is somepony after you?" "You could say that I have hit a snag, a pretty big one at that." Immediately, Twilight was struck with curiosity and concern. Two short weeks ago, Trixie seemed fine when she left Ponyville. She was a changed mare with a new outlook on life. How could something have gone wrong in such a short time? "What kind of a snag are we talking about here Trixie?" Twilight asked. "Are you having financial difficulties? Is it tough re-adjusting to life on the road again or is this a more...personal problem?" Trixie simple sighed. "You actually guessed right Twilight. I've actually been having some bad personal problems recently. I'm suffering and I need help, and you're the only pony I can trust to help me get through this." At this, Twilight couldn't say no to the blue mare before her. Something was seriously bothering Trixie, and Twilight was the only pony that she felt like she could turn to. Before Twilight could help her, she needed to know what was wrong with Trixie. Even though Twilight knew she would be delving into private information, she needed to know if she was going to properly help out Trixie. "Okay then Trixie, I think I can help you out. But before I do, I just need to know what's been causing you so much pain." "Do you have somewhere we could sit? Trixie has a fairly long story behind her problems, and she feels that we should at least be comfortable." "Absolutely, go make yourself at home, Spike is out of town on royal business so its just you and me right now. I'll go get us something to drink. Does hot tea sound good?" "That would be wonderful, yes Twilight." "Alright then, go make yourself comfortable Trixie, I'll be out in a few minutes." At this, Twilight turned around and made way for her kitchen, leaving Trixie alone in the living room. Trixie took a look around the library, for it being filled with books, it was actually pretty homey. The last couple of times that Trixie was in PonyVille, she never actually went inside Twilight's library. Sure she knew where Twilight lived after their first duel, but she never got the chance to view the interior of the library. The walls and the floor were all natural wood carved from the tree the library was made out of. The walls were adorned with shelves that seemed to hold an infinite number of books. "Somepony likes to read", thought Trixie. In the center of the room sat a dark red couch with a mahogany coffee table a foot in front of it. Directly in front of the couch sat a medium sized fireplace with a fire burning in it already. Upon sitting on it, Trixie noticed that it was a very well used couch as she sunk into the plush cushions. Trixie nearly drifted of to sleep on the couch but was interrupted by the sound of tinkling porcelain. Emerging out of the kitchen, Twilight was levitating a silver tray with two teacups, a steaming teapot, and a bowl filled with sugar cubes. Setting the tray down on the table, Twilight took a seat next to Trixie on the couch. As soon as Twilight sat down, she started pouring tea for both her and Trixie. The pleasing aroma of peaches soon filled the living room as Twilight poured the cups. Upon receiving her cup of tea, Trixie blew on the black, herbal drink to cool it slightly. Once it was cool enough, Trixie took a couple sips of it and she could feel the warm liquid coursing its way through her body. The tea was so comforting, that Trixie didn't notice that she let out a contented sigh. "Well, looks like somepony really likes peach black tea. That's okay, it's understandable. This is my favorite." The sound of Twilight's voice quickly brought Trixie back to reality. " Ah, yes. Trixie a-agrees with you, Twilight. T-this tea is very soothing to Trixie. After what I've been through this week, this has made Trixie feel just a little bit better." "Speaking of which, you said that you were having some personal issues that you needed help with. If its not to much trouble, would you mind telling me?" "Well, I might as well come clean with you Twilight." Trixie took a second to compose herself before diving into the truth. "You see Twilight, all of last week, I've been suffering from a nonstop marathon of nightmares. Very disturbing ones at that. Whenever I close my eyes, I am constantly reliving my past here in Ponyville. It's...frightening to see the harm that I caused to this town whenever I lie down for the night and whenever I wake up from them, I am overwhelmed with guilt. And if that's not enough, I also have to witness moments from my filly hood that I...thought was forgotten. Moments that have caused me an incredible amount of grief." Throughout Trixie's explanation, Twilight was listening carefully with genuine concern. Clearly, Trixie was very bothered by these bad dreams, but there was something connecting the two types of nightmares together. While she was listening, Twilight's mind was going through the possible connections between Trixie's grievances in Ponyville and her fillyhood. If she wanted to find out, Twilight knew that she was going to have to ask Trixie if her nightmares were tied together. "If you don't mind me asking, Trixie, is there a link between your dreams? So far from what you've told me, it sounds like there is a connection between your younger years and your actions here in Ponyville." "There's no hiding anything from you Twilight. My troubled fillyhood was the cause of my egotistical nature and the cause of my past crimes here in town" Trixie admitted. "My past drove me to enslave the entire town and kick you out as well. As I said, I didn't have the best times as a filly. Growing up was tough, especially when I turned ten, thats when things started to go downhill. If you have the time, Twilight, I can tell you all about it in depth. That is, if you want to hear it." With care, Twilight reached a comforting hoof out to Trixie and rested it on her shoulder. "Of course I would like to hear it, Trixie. I'm here for you and I want to help you." Upon feeling Twilight's hoof, Trixie felt a comforting warmth wash over her. At that time, Trixie felt safe and secure in the presence of Twilight. For once in a long time, Trixie didn't feel alone. "Alright, get comfortable, Twilight. This is going to take a while. You might want to brace yourself as well, for it is not a happy tale." Leaning back into the couch, Twilight levitated over a box of tissues just in case her or Trixie needed one. "Just start whenever you're ready, Trixie." Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Trixie delved into her story of woe. I grew up in a suburb in the city of Fillydelphia. It was a nice city to grow up in, most ponies living there were at least in the middle class so the city had a fairly comfortable standard of living. When I was in elementary school, I was fascinated with how to use my natural magic abilities. Whenever my teacher lectured on great unicorns of the past, I would always give my undivided attention to them. I figured, that every scrap of knowledge that I obtained would eventually help me tap into my magic. Every night, I would review the information in my books just to find any hint on how to use magic. Eventually my reviewing soon proved to be fruitless, but I was determined to not give up, so I decided to turn to a closer source. I figured I could ask my mother, Starlight Lulamoon, for magic lessons. "Hey mom," squeaked a young Trixie, "can you teach me how to use my magic?" "I suppose I can, but why do you want to know? Most unicorns your age haven't even started thinking about that yet." "Well, after learning about all of the great unicorns in history, like Starswirl the Bearded, I decided that I want to be just like them" said a beaming Trixie. Starlight couldn't help but chuckle at the adorable determination of her daughter. Here was her little filly, with dreams to ascend to unicorn greatness. "Alright then Trixie, I'll show you how to use and control your magic. It's going to take while, just so you know. Magic isn't something you master overnight. So if you find that you are struggling, don't get discouraged, just keep at it and you'll get it soon enough. Whenever I came home from school, I would always have a magic lesson with my mother before I started on my homework. I'll admit, it was tough starting out. My mother wasn't kidding when she said that magic was going to take while to master. "NNNnnGGGgg, HHHNNnnngGG, GYAH!" Trixie shouted as she collapsed to the floor exhausted. "Wow mom, you were right. This is hard work. Was it this hard for you when you learned magic?" Hugging her daughter, Starlight replied "Yes it was, Trixie. When I began exploring the the boundaries of my magic, I found it to be a very frustrating experience. There were times when I even believed that I would never be able to use my magic. Despite the trouble, I still kept at it and everyday, I noticed myself getting a little bit better. One day, I finally got my magic down and it became a normal part of my everyday life. Don't get discouraged Trixie, you'll get it soon enough. "But, whenever I try, my magic just doesn't come on and I just get tired right after. What's the point in going on if I'll never get it?" "Now Trixie, don't say that, you are only frustrated because your magic is not coming to you. As I said before, it's going to be a lengthy process. I promise you this though, you WILL be able to use your magic in due time and soon, you'll be able to fulfill your dream of being a great unicorn." "Thanks mom. I feel a little better hearing you say that. Anyway, can we keep practicing?" The sessions that I had with my mother soon proved to be invaluable. As the weeks went by, I noticed that I was able to tap into my magic easier than before. The teachings that my mother gave me were so easy to understand and in time, magic became almost as normal as breathing. You should have seen me the first time I was finally able to use magic, Twilight. I was so excited I was practically galloping through the house with glee. I felt like I was on my way to the ranks of the great unicorns. Silly, I know, but back then, I felt like I was on top of the world. My...father, Jupiter Lulamoon, heard my excitement and wanted to know why I was so happy. Ever since I was little, I always looked up to my father. He was a strong, dependent, and providing unicorn stallion. As I grew up, I wanted to do anything in my power to make him proud of me. When I used my magic successfully, I felt like I was finally going to make him proud. "What is going on here? Trixie, why are you running around the house and shouting so loudly?" "DAD, DAD, DAD! I JUST USED MY MAGIC RIGHTLY FOR THE FIRST TIME! You see that little box over there?!" Trixie pointed a hoof over to the living room where a small cardboard box was sitting on its side next to Starlight. "Mom told me to relax, take a deep breath, and picture my mind the box floating. It was real easy to do. All I did was listen to mom, I pictured the box floating in my mind and with my magic, I was able to make it happen!" "Congratulations Trixie! Learning how to use magic is a big, important step in a unicorn's life. Why, a unicorn who can't use magic is like a pegasus who can't fly. Unicorns who are skilled in their magic are productive members of Equestria's society, they can excel in areas where earth ponies and pegasai can't. Trixie, my daughter, I feel as if you will grow to be a contributing pony when you grow up." Right then and there, I felt like I had just accomplished an incredible feat. I had finally made my father proud. The feeling was just fantastic. From that moment on, I saw my magic as a special gift. Now that I knew how to summon and control magic, I began practicing on my own. One day after school, I went to the Fillydelphia library to see If they had any books on magic arts as well as magic tricks. To my luck, I was able to find a good amount of books and guides on how to flourish your magic into something captivating. Every night, after my homework was done, I would practice the magic that was outlined in the books that I borrowed. I soon began to to learn how to pull off common magic tricks. After a week and a half of practicing tricks, I soon became very good at them and decided to move on to more advanced moves. Magic tricks basically became second nature to me. Little did I know, however, that my mother had been secretly observing my skill in magic tricks. When my tenth birthday rolled around, I was in for a pleasant surprise. "Happy birthday, Trixie!" So far, the day had been absolutely perfect for Trixie. Fortunately, her birthday fell on a Saturday so she didn't have to go to school. Her parents surprised her with a special birthday breakfast which consisted of chocolate chip pancakes, hay bacon, fried eggs, blueberry muffins, and freshly squeezed orange juice. After breakfast, Starlight and Jupiter took Trixie out on the town to do whatever she wanted. At this, Trixie's mind was awash with opportunities, there were so many things that she wanted to do that she just couldn't decide what sounded best. As they were walking around, something caught Trixie's attention out of the corner of her eye. To her right was the Fillydelphia museum, usually an area of disinterest for Trixie, but one of the posters out front got her attention. For a limited time, the museum was having a special interactive exhibit on the important unicorns of Equestria. Immediately, Trixie was struck with interest and gleefully asked her parents if they could go. "It's your day Trixie, if you want to go to that exhibit, then by all means, lets go" replied Jupiter. Trixie had the best time at the exhibit. She learned about some of the greatest unicorns in Equestrian history and the incredible feats they accomplished. There were even some basic spells used by them for visitors to try out themselves. Trixie tried her hoof at some of them and were able to perform them with minimal strife to the amazement of her parents. Later in the afternoon, the Lulamoons went back home so that Trixie could open her gifts which was all leading up to this point. "Happy Birthday, Trixie!" Exclaimed both of her parents as they handed Trixie her gifts. Trixie had received a fair amount of birthday cards from her relatives and each of them had bits in them just for her. Trixie had one more present to open and it was from her parents. It was a large, rectangular box that was wrapped in star and moon paper. As Trixie tore away the paper and found out what it was, she squealed in delight. "A MARELIN MAGIC SET?! YES! Thank you so much mom and dad!" "You're very welcome, Trixie" replied Starlight. "I noticed that you had taken a particular liking to magic tricks so I thought that you would enjoy this." "Thank you again mom and dad, this is the best birthday I ever had." You wouldn't believe how much I loved that magic set, Twilight. Even though it was just basic tricks for colts and fillies, it was still fun to perform the tricks. Eventually, I became so good at magic tricks that I got an interesting idea in my mind: what if I can perform magic tricks for everypony when I grow up? It was a crazy idea at the time, but I noticed something at school that solidified that idea. "Do you have a special talent that you love showing off to everypony? Can you sing? Dance? Play an instrument? Perform show magic? Can you pull off incredible physical stunts? Can make others roar in laughter? Then the talent show may be for you. At the end of the month, Fillydelphia Elementary is going to be holding a talent show on the last Friday of this month at 7PM. Interested in performing? Sign up below for a spot. Good luck to everypony participating!" As Trixie finished reading the poster, she was seriously contemplating signing up. I want to perform to others besides my parents. It will definitely be scary, being up on stage in front of ponies I don't know. Should I, or shouldn't I? For a little bit, Trixie was going over the ups and downs of signing up. After a few minutes of pondering, Trixie levitated a pencil from her saddlebag and wrote down her name on the bottom of the poster. Once I got home from school, I dove right into practicing for the talent show. I wanted to blow away the crowd with the magic that I had learned. To make that happen, I would have to practice the tricks that I was best at. My main trick repertoire for the talent show would consist of novice illusionary tricks, card tricks, and summoning basic objects, things that were considered challenging for a filly of my age. Soon after weeks of practicing, I felt ready. The talent show was on Friday and I knew that I was going to wow not only the crowd, but my parents as well. Before the show, my mother wanted to talk with me, she said the she had some advice on how to do win the show as well as a little surprise for me. "Now Trixie, when you perform your magic on Friday, it is important to maintain your calm throughout the entire act. If you start to get stage fright, you going to start stuttering which will cause you to panic which will make a bad impact on the judges. When you perform your act, just keep taking deep breaths to help calm you down. Also, imagine that you are performing your tricks for your father and I in the comfort of our home. Just follow my advice and you should be able to steal the show on Friday night." "Thanks mom, I'm sure that I will do just fine. Is there anything else I should know?" Putting her hoof to her chin, Starlight tried to think of any final bits of information to help her daughter to succeed. All of a sudden, Starlight's face lit up with an idea. "How about a stage name for you dear? Anypony who performs on stage should have a special name that will stick with the crowd." "Are you sure that would be a good idea mom? I've never heard of ponies doing that before." "Of course it is, Trixie! Many famous ponies are well known because of their stage names. It's a common practice in the world of entertaining." "Alright then, if you say so. Hmmm...how about, the Amazing and Astounding Trixie?" "That would do, but it sounds to simple and basic and ponies might forget it. Try to be creative with your stage name." "Okay mom. Oh! How about this? The Shocking and Captivating Trixie?" "That does sound quite good, but there's one thing that jumped out at me. Having the word "shocking" in your name makes it sound like you like to scare ponies or you've done something wrong before. Try to be simple and creative," said Starlight with a reassuring smile. Once again, Trixie put a hoof to her chin as she delved deep into thought. She was trying to come up with a stage name that would be simple, creative, and memorable. Finally, after a few moments of thinking, Trixie's face lit up with glee as she came up with a name that fit her just perfectly. "Hey mom, how about this? The Great and Powerful Trixie! It's simple, easy to remember, and it describes me perfectly." "Hmm, sounds good to me, it's simple and it certainly fits you my dear. I already know that you are great and powerful, but your name will tell the audience that you are one of the most gifted unicorn fillies out there," beamed Starlight. "Thank you so much mom," said Trixie as she gave her mother a hug. "I'm really glad I have a great mom like you to help me prepare for the show. I feel even more prepared and confident now!" "One more thing Trixie, I noticed that you do not have a costume ready for the show. Seeing as how you are going to do a magic act, I felt like you needed some appropriate stage wear to go along with it. While you have been practicing, I have been making a costume that I feel will fit you and your act perfectly. They may be a little big, but they will be functional for the show." At this, Starlight levitated a flat white box over to Trixie. With eagerness, Trixie removed the lid and gazed upon the contents of the box. Inside was a purple magician's hat and cap adorned with a multicolored star pattern on them. Carefully, Trixie took the apparel out of the box and put them on. The hat was a little bit loose on Trixie's head and she felt herself having to push it up from time to time. The cap was slightly long in the back and Trixie had some trouble with the gem clasp in the front. Other than that, the outfit was comfortable to be in. The linen hat and cape allowed the garment to breathe easily. As a result, the costume kept Trixie at a cool, comfortable temperature. After adjusting to her new outfit, Trixie ran into the bathroom to see how she looked in it. While looking in the mirror, Trixie had an overwhelming sense of glee, she finally looked like the great unicorns of the past. The costume made it look like Trixie had the utmost control over the arcane arts. "Mom, this is one of the greatest gifts you have ever given me! I now look like a famous unicorn! I love it so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" "You are quite welcome Trixie. I love you and I just want to make you happy," said Starlight as she nuzzled her daughter. At the end of the week, the big night finally arrived: The Fillydelphia Elementary Talent Show. The auditorium was filled to capacity with family members who were all excited to see their colt or filly put on an amazing show. The situation backstage, however, was an entirely different story. All the performers who had signed up were very nervous. For many of them, this was their first show in front of many different ponies, Trixie being one of them. She was doing her best to keep her nervousness under control. She was practicing the breathing techniques her mother taught her to help her manage her anxiety, which helped her out a little bit. Trixie had everything she needed to help her with the show, cards, props, and most importantly, her hat and cape. When the clock hit 7, the show began. The first few acts were musical and comedy performances. They were nice to listen to and they helped ease up some of the tension that Trixie was feeling, she even found herself laughing at some of the jokes being told. As the minutes went by, Trixie's anxiety was slowly starting to return to her. It didn't help that she was one of the last few acts and the sight of a few performers running and crying offstage didn't offset her nervousness at all. What if that happens to me? What will everypony in the audience think of me...what would my father think of me? Trixie's train of thought was interrupted as she heard her name being called. "And now, please put your hooves together for our next act, the magical performance of Trixie!" Trixie quickly scrambled to her hooves and got all of her things together. As she emerged from behind the curtain, Trixie felt her heart beat speed up. In front of her was a sea of ponies of all ages staring back at her. At first, Trixie just wanted to turn around and run off stage and hide, but then, I wouldn't be living up to my Great and Powerful status, and my father is out there, I want to show him how far I've come in magic. Taking a deep breath, Trixie set her eyes on the crowd and began her show. "Fillies and gentlecolts! Prepare to be amazed by the magical talent of The Great and Powerful, Trixie! Tonight, you will witness incredible magic for a little filly!" The audience gave a polite round of applause at Trixie's miniature monologue in anticipation of her act. "Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy the mystical sight's of Trixie's magic!" With a hint of confidence, Trixie fired up her magic and began her show. Most of the tricks that she performed were ones that she could do herself, such as making objects appear and pulling off illusionary spells. The only time she needed a volunteer was when she went into her card trick section. To help her through that section, Trixie called on a random colt from the audience who was more than willing to help her out. Trixie found herself giggling softly at how amazed he was at her magic. As the show went on, Trixie became more relaxed with her act. She found out that since she was doing something she loved, the talent show turned out to be much less stressful. Before she knew it, her act was over and it was time for her to retreat backstage. As she went for the curtain, she glanced out into the audience and noticed her parents sitting off to the side. Starlight had a large smile on her face and was clapping her hooves with pride. Jupiter, however, seemed less enthused about Trixie's act. Granted, he was still clapping, but it lacked the energy that Starlight had, and, he wasn't beaming with pride. All he had on his face was a small smirk. Trixie just shrugged it off as stress from work and thought nothing of it. After the last few acts went on, the moment that all the participants had been waiting for finally arrived: the handing out of awards. Trixie, along with all the other competitors, walked out onstage and lines up so that each of them were facing the audience. "Fillies and gentlecolts, please, put your hooves together for our talented students!" After a round of applause, the announcer began to talk again. "We have seen many great acts tonight, from dancing to comedy to music to magic, all were very well done. Now, the time has come to pass out awards for the best acts. The award for the best music act goes to..." At this time, Trixie spaced out as the awards were being given out. She didn't care about the rest of the acts, she just wanted to know if she wowed the audience and the judges enough to win. All of a sudden, Trixie's ears perked up as she heard the announcement for the magic award. "And the award for the best magic act goes to...Trixie Lulamoon!" Trixie couldn't believe her ears, she won the magic section of the talent show? Trixie never expected that she would win in the talent show. The only thing that brought Trixie out of her stupor was the feeling of a medal being placed around her neck. Glancing down at the gold medal, Trixie loved the simple beauty of it. The design on the face of the medal had an upside down top hat with two criss-crossing wands at the bottom of it. Trixie felt an incredible sense of pride and accomplishment, she finally won something in her life. The best part about it is that she won doing something that she loved. Trixie was soon broken out of her reverie with a slight tingling sensation on her flank. Looking back through her cape, Trixie discovered that her flank was now adorned with a cutie mark. Her cutie mark consisted of a magic star wand with a celestial wave behind it. At this point, Trixie could hardly contain her glee. In one night, she had managed to win the magic section of the talent show, and get her cutie mark in the process. She now knew what her destiny was: to become an awe inspiring showmare that could captivate hundreds of ponies. Her parents were going to be proud of her. That night was one of the best of my life. I had finally learned what my special talent was and I won as well. Unfortunately, it was also the night that my life began spiraling downwards. At this time, Trixie's eyes were starting to water over just slightly. Without thinking, Twilight levitated a tissue over to Trixie so that she could wipe her eyes. After her eyes were clear, she resumed telling her sob story. So as I said, that night was when my life started to get bad fast. It all started when my parents and I returned from the talent show, they told me that they were proud of me and congratulated me on getting my cutie mark. My mother even told me that she had a feeling magic tricks and showmareship would be my secret talent, but something wasn't right. My father seemed, distant, hollow. Sure he gave me his share of congratulations, but they lacked the joy he had when I first learned magic. At first, I thought he was disappointed in me, that I had failed him, but I just shrugged it off as stress in his life. It was only until I went to bed that I realized that my worst fears were confirmed. My parents were having a discussion, and what I heard shocked me for the rest of my childhood. As soon as Trixie was finished brushing her teeth, she gave a long yawn and headed off to her room to turn in for the day. As she was passing by her parents room, she heard that they were having an argument. "I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of this, Jupiter. Trixie's life is her own, not yours, you have no right to decide what she should do." "But she is going down a dead end path, Starlight. Magicians are a dying and pointless branch of unicorns here in Equestria. What do magicians have to offer? All they do is entertain crowds, that's it. They don't come up with new spells, they don't contribute to Equestria's well-being, and they don't contribute anything worthwhile to society. If Trixie is truly going to be a magician, she is going to be an embarrassment to the Lulamoon heritage, and a disgrace to me!" "Stop right there Jupiter! That's going to far. Trixie is still your one and only daughter. You need to support whatever life decision she makes even if it's not what you want." "The way she's going, she doesn't even deserve my support. All she's becoming is a Celestia-damned disappointment! Jupiter's last sentence cut Trixie like a knife. Her father, the stallion that she looked up to and adored, had just labeled her as a disappointment. Even after all she accomplished, winning the talent show and discovering her showmareship destiny wasn't enough to satisfy him. It had done the very opposite. With tears in her eyes and a shattered heart, Trixie trudged away from the door and went off to bed. In a few minutes, my father turned my night of joy into a night of heartbreak. All I wanted was for my father to be proud of me, but instead, I became a failure in his eyes just because showmareship was my destiny. That night, I silently cried myself to sleep, feeling broken and distraught. The next morning, I asked my dad what he thought about my destiny. Needless to say, he wasn't happy. "I expected better from you, Trixie." "B-but dad, I thought you would be happy for me. I finally discovered my destiny of being a showmare, why are you mad at me?" "Because you are going down the wrong path in life, Trixie. Magicians are worthless in Equestria. They don't possess the ability to contribute to society and it shames me to see that you are following that direction." "But, I l-love doing magic tricks," whimpered Trixie. "This conversation is over Trixie." Things only got worse from there. As I grew older, my dad would talk to me less and less. It's almost as if I didn't exist in his eyes. My mother was always on my side throughout the rest of my fillyhood. She supported me as I continued on my path to become a showmare. As I grew up, I would still compete in talent shows to help further my magician skills. The only thing different was that my father never showed up for any of them. It hurt to see that he wouldn't even show up for those. By now, Trixie had tears running down both sides of her face. Telling her past to Twilight was no easy task. Throughout her time on the road, Trixie had done everything in her power to suppress her past. Twilight even found herself tearing up listening to Trixie's story. She had no idea that Trixie had such a hard time growing up. She just couldn't imagine what it would be like to have a verbally abusive father like Trixie's. Taking a tissue in her hoof, Trixie wiped her eyes and finished telling her story. Anyway, once I got to high school, that's when I was determined to not let my dad stand in the way of my destiny. At any school event, if they needed entertainment be it a pep rally or a half time show, I was more than happy to provide them. Whenever I did one of my acts at my old high school, they were always a success. My audience would give me their attention and they were always amazed by how well my shows were. Once I became a senior, There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to become a showmare. I didn't care what my dad wanted, if being a magician made me happy, then that's what I was going to do. Towards the end of senior year, I approached my father one last time before I started fulfilling my destiny. "Dad?" "What do you want," replied Jupiter with no emotion in his voice. "I just wanted to tell you that, I honestly don't give a damn about what you think about my life's choice. My life is my own, not yours. If doing magic tricks for crowds is what makes me happy then that's what I'm going to do. Once I graduate, I am leaving here to begin my life as a showmare." There was a long pause before Jupiter finally spoke, and when he did, it shook Trixie to her core. Looking up from his newspaper, Jupiter officially broke all ties with Trixie. "You honestly think being a magician is a legitimate life path? Hmpf, you're no daughter of mine, Trixie. I am embarrassed and disgusted to call you my child. You know what? Go ahead, leave, ruin your life because you know what, I no longer care about you, Trixie." As soon as those words were spoken, Jupiter leaned back and resumed reading as if nothing had happened. Trixie was trying her best to not break down into sobs. She wanted to remain strong to show her father that she would not be broken by him. After a few seconds of standing in front of him, Trixie turned around and went up to her room. There, with tears running down her cheeks, she began making a list of all the things she would need for her life as a showmare. In an instant, my father disowned me without a second thought. It really hurt knowing that I wasn't even his own flesh and blood in his eyes anymore, Twilight. When my graduation day finally came around, he was nowhere to be seen. My mother had showed up to congratulate me on making it through high school. When we came home, she had one more surprise for me. "Once again, congratulations, Trixie," said Starlight as she gave her daughter a warm smile. "Thank you mother, I'm glad that you still love me, unlike my so called father." "I'm so sorry for his attitude, Trixie. I never expected him to do this to you. Even I'm shocked with how bad he's treated you. I don't remember him being this cold when I married him." Trixie and Starlight were silent for the rest of the trip back to the Lulamoon residence. Once they got back, Trixie made a beeline for her room to get her things. When she came back out, she noticed that Starlight was still standing by the doorway. "Trixie, wait, before you go, I just want to give you one last thing." Starlight led Trixie into the backyard to where the shed was standing. Using her magic, Starlight opened up the double doors and revealed what was inside to Trixie. Standing in the shed was a decent sized wagon that could easily house one pony. The wood on the wagon was its natural tan color whereas the roof was adorned with red shingles. In the back there was one single door and both sides had a single shutter window with two wooden plank to seal them up. Lastly, the front had a yoke so that a pony could easily pull it. "You're going to need a place to stay while you're out on the road. It's not much, but I saved up as many bits as I could so that you wouldn't be homeless while you pursued your dream." At this, Trixie could not contain it any longer. Trixie broke into a full sob and hugged her mother as tightly as she could. Starlight hugged back with the same intensity, she just wanted to show her daughter that she still loved her even if Jupiter didn't. "Mom, you are, without a doubt, the greatest mother a mare could ever ask for. You stood by me when I thought no pony would. Thank you, for everything." "Of course Trixie, anything for you, as long as you're happy. Anyway, you should probably head out on the road. Your future is out there but know this, I will always love you, Trixie. And when you are out there and you are feeling lonely, just know this, I will always be thinking about you." Starlight and Trixie shared one last, tear-filled hug before Trixie hitched herself up to the wagon. With one last wave of her hoof, Trixie set out to fulfill her destiny "So now you know the whole story, Twilight. Because I was rejected by my own father, I just couldn't take rejection from my crowds. Whenever somepony would call me a fake or a sad excuse for a magician, I would hear my dad and it filled me with utter rage. When I was upstaged by your friends, I heard my father's voice. When you defeated that Ursa, I thought that my father was actually right. So, now you know why I caused so much harm to this town." At this point, both Twilight and Trixie had rivers of tears running down their cheeks. The area around them was littered with used tissues, whatever was left of the tea had gone cold, the fire had dwindled down to an orange glow, and a light thunderstorm had begun outside. "Trixie, you poor thing," wailed Twilight as she pulled the blue mare into a comforting hug. "I had no idea that you had such a bad time growing up. I swear, I am going to help you get over this to the best of my ability." "Thank you Twilight," said Trixie wiping her eyes. "I'm glad that even after all I've done, I deserve a second chance in your eyes." "It's no problem at all, Trixie. You can even stay here with me until you are all over this. I have a spare bed in the guest bedroom and it's fine by me if you use it." "Thank you again, Twilight. You're the first pony to show me any kindness in a long time." After another hug, Twilight led Trixie upstairs to show her where the bedroom was. Before Trixie settled in for the night, she called out to Twilight once more. "Good night Twilight, and thank you again." "Good night Trixie. Sweet dreams." As soon as Twilight shut off the light and closed the door, Trixie snuggled into the bed, hoping for a night free of nightmares.