"Well, Miss Trixie?"
Trixie stood, quivering from head to hoof, her legs threatening to buckle out from beneath her any moment. Before her was a rather large lavender egg. All she had to do was break it open with magic. Simple. Nothing too hard. A piece of cake. Right?
Trixie tried.
And tried.
And she tried some more. But no matter how hard Trixie focused, nothing happened.
Finally, she was forced to give up, the enormous amount of mental effort taking its toll. She looked up at the stares from the expectant ponies above her. "I. . . I can't do it," she choked out.
The panel of pony judges, using magic, scribbled something quickly onto their clipboards before looking back up at her again, unsympathetic looks scrawled across their faces. The mare who had shown her in looked down at her blandly. "We are sorry, Miss Trixie, but you have not passed. The door out is on your left. Thank you for coming out to audition."
Trixie just stared blankly up at them. She didn't want to believe it. Deep down, she had known that this was what was bound to happen, but she still didn't want to face the grim fact that was staring her in the face.
She had failed.
Her violet eyes began to water over, but she furiously blinked them back. She would not cry in front of these ponies. Broken and defeated, Trixie slowly trudged out.
Trixie started down the hallway that led out of the university, but something made her stop. What about Twilight? Trixie really did want to know what her new companion's outcome would be. That's what friends were supposed to feel, right? Would she pass? Deep down, Trixie prayed that she didn't, which in turn made her feel horrible.
Trixie placed her ear against the door, straining to hear even a fragment of the events unfolding on the other side. For the longest time, there was silence. What in Equestria was going on in there?
Suddenly, a huge wave of energy erupted from inside, sending her flying backwards into the wall with a loud thud. Shaking her head to clear away the stars that dizzied her, she looked up as the roof was destroyed.
Trixie's jaw dropped. Towering above her was the massive head of a purple and green dragon. Was that from the egg from before? Her whole body began to shake violently. A dragon, a real, live, meat-eating dragon was right above her. She wanted to scream her lungs out, but her voice had mysteriously vanished. All she could do was cower on the ground and pray that it wouldn't see her and find her tasty looking.
And then, as quickly as it had appeared, the over-sized dragon's head vanished back into the building.
Trixie sat on the ground, stunned, her heart racing faster than the Wonderbolts. Finally, when she had regained her composure somewhat, she got shakily to her hooves and walked over to the now wrecked wall that separated the two rooms. She peeked through one of the many newly-formed holes and gasped.
Princess Celestia was gazing down at Twilight, a look of satisfaction on her face. Trixie squinted. Twilight's cutie mark had appeared, and she was leaping with joy, prancing around the room, much to the amusement of her parents and Celestia.
Trixie stepped away from the wall. A wave of sadness washed over her.
Twilight was an amazing unicorn, even better than Vanity. There was no way in Equestria they could be friends. When Twilight found out how pathetic Trixie's magical ability was, she'd laugh in her face. Why wouldn't she? Why would such a talented unicorn waste time with somepony like her? In fact, why would anypony? Isn't that what Bright Rose had been telling her all along? That a unicorn who knew no magic was unworthy of anypony's attention?
Her head hanging low, a single tear sliding down her cheek, Trixie shuffled down the hall feeling lonelier than she ever had in her life.
"Trixie!"
Trixie's head snapped up. Slowly, she turned.
Twilight was standing there in the doorway, a broad grin spead acoss her face. "Trixie!" she called again. "Hey, Trixie! I made it! I got in! I got my cutie mark!"
Trixie just looked back at her, her eyes sad, her expression weary.
". . . Trixie?"
Trixie turned away from her former friend, squeezing her eyes shut from the tears that threatened to burst forth. She tore off down the hall, not daring to look back once.
Twilight Sparkle gazed after her, her expression pained. She had liked Trixie. The pony had seemed genuinely nice. She had thought they might actually be friends, which had sounded like such a refreshing change for Twilight, who had none to her name. Now it seemed as though that wouldn't be possible.
"Twilight?"
Twilight turned to see her parents looking down at her, a hint of concern in their eyes. "Twilight, who were you talking to?" questioned her father.
Twilight turned back to the now-empty hallway before her, her eyes sad. "Nopony," she murmured quietly. "Nopony at all."
---
Trixie slowly opened the front door of the mansion, taking great care not to make too much noise. In the distance, she could hear Storm Song spinning a complex melody out on the grand piano.
Gently, she closed the door behind her and turned around to head upstairs. She found herelf in front of Bright Rose, the mare sitting on the bench in the welcome hall. Her leaf green eyes were cold, her face screwed into an uncaring frown.
Dang it.
"Where were you?" she questioned, wasting no time.
Trixie gulped. She hadn't really thought this through. "Out," she replied simply, her voice cracking at the end.
"Don't you give me that crap," snapped Bright Rose. "Tell me where you were."
"Wait, where's Daisyjo?" It had suddenly hit her that she hadn't seen the earth pony on her way inside, which was odd indeed, seeing as Daisyjo was always working at this time of day.
"Oh, that earth pony who helped you out?" inquired Bright Rose, a smirk on her face. "Yes, I saw her allowing you out. Needless to say, she won't be working here anymore."
Trixie's mouth went ajar, her eyes filling with tears. ". . . No. . . no." Daisyjo had lost her job, and it was all her fault.
"Now tell me where you were," demanded Bright Rose.
Trixie's head hung low. "Canterlot."
A sharp intake of breath indicated just how furious Bright Rose was. "And just what in sweet Celestia's name were you doing there?" she hissed through clenched teeth.
"I. . . I was auditioning for Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns," admitted Trixie, bracing herself for the onslaught that was sure to follow.
A screech caused Trixie to collapse to the ground as Bright Rose hurled herself at her, Storm Song still playing his song in another room, simply ignoring the onslaught.
---
Trixie lie in her creaky bed, the pillow bearing the same tear-stained markings her cheeks wore. Her entire backside was racked with pain from multiple spots that were sure to become bruises.
She couldn't do this anymore. For four years of her short life, she had endured this hatred towards her for something she had no control over. After a while, she had accepted it. But meeting Twilight had given her an inkling of hope. Perhaps there was a better life for her out there.
And Daisyjo. . . . Trixie squeezed her eyes shut. Her one friend here had been fired because of her. Not only that, but this was Daisyjo's home too. Now, she was homeless, and it was all her fault.
She couldn't stay here anymore. If she remained in this place, her life could only, would only get progressively worse and worse. If she wanted a chance to experience something better, she would have to leave. Trixie had dreamed about leaving hundreds of times, but up until now she had never seriously considered it.
Trixie sat up in bed. She had already left the mansion once. What was stopping her from doing it again? Her eyes narrowed in thought. Getting out would be no problem, but where would she go? She had no money. And she highly doubted anypony would simply allow her to stay in their home without questioning her, and Trixie didn't want to lie. No, she couldn't go into any town. So, where then?
Trixie gingerly crawled out of bed, her body sore, and went to her window. She gazed out at the vast expanse of woodland on the property that was bathed in the pearly white moonlight.
The woods. That's where she'd go. As terrifying as they were, they would provide shelter along with food and water. She'd have to put a great deal of distance between her and the mansion, though, which was daunting for a filly of only eight.
Trixie turned to nightstand and pulled the top drawer open. Inside was the costume her mother had made for her all those years ago. It was the only thing Trixie had to remember her by. She put it on and creeped downstairs.
Storm Song was still playing on the piano. The melody had changed though, for now he was playing a melancholy waltz. Although he wasn't much better towards her than his wife, Trixie still found herself loving to listen to his music. In a different setting, she would silently enjoy the song he played from afar, but Trixie knew that she would not be able to enjoy this last performance for her.
Silently opening the door, Trixie slipped outside. Well, this was it.
The pony had only managed a couple of steps forward before she found herself suspended in midair. She looked at the grey aura that surrounded her and turned around. In the doorway stood Storm Song, his face grim.
Crap.
"Trixie."
Her eyes widened. Her uncle had never addressed her directly before.
He took a few steps towards her. Trixie's heart pounded faster and faster. "I do not blame you for doing this."
"Wh. . . what?" questioned Trixie, incredulous. She had to be hearing him wrong.
"You are a bright young unicorn, Trixie," he continued, his grey eyes emotionless. "And you have a beautiful singing voice."
Trixie's eyes widened even more, if that was even possible at this point. She hadn't ever realized anypony could hear her when she sung to herself.
"Perhaps that is your special talent, perhaps not. Regardless, you will not find out here." He lowered her to the ground.
"You. . . you're not going to tell Bright Rose? You're not going to bust me?"
"No, Trixie, I am not," replied Storm Song in a deep baritone. "You do not deserve the treatment my wife has bestowed upon you. Somewhere out there, there is a better life waiting for you, one filled with family and friends who truly care about you. But the journey you must take to find that life will not be an easy one. I wish you the best of luck, Trixie, and I wish I could've gotten to know you better."
Shocked at this revelation, Trixie turned and ran into the forest, Storm Song's words repeating in her head like a broken record.