Trixie, formely known as the Great and Powerful Trixie, was caught in a downpour. She only had a small tree on top of a hill for cover and even then it wasn't much. Life had gotten much harder for Trixie after the Ursa Minor incident.
Word had spread fast of failure to live up to her boasting. She had been branded as an official fraud far and wide, it had gotten so bad that not only would nobody watch her 'shows' or even let her stay in the hotels (her cart had been smashed and she had to stay somewhere). And she, the Great and Powerful Trixie, had been forced to find a dreary and dull day job of all things.
But even that had turned out to be a dead end, nobody would hire thinking that someone who was known for her 'talk' and not her 'walk' would be hideously bad for business. Everywhere she went it was the same thing, it was like she was blacklisted.
She even had to sell her hat and cape just to feed her belly. And now she was caught in the rain with only a tree with very few branches for cover. It was almost as if she was under a curse or something, like she had angered some deity enough to recieve divine punishment.
Short version? She had hit rock bottom.
A tear trickled down her cheek when suddenly the rain seemed to stop. She looked up to see a very lagre red stallion with an impressively large umbrella tied to what looked like a work harness around his neck.
"Now why would anypony want ta stay out in rain like this?" he asked her.
Trixie did her best to hide the sorrow in her voice "I don't have anyplace else to go."
"What'cha talkin' bout? Don't you gotta home?"
Her cart was her home and that had been smashed to smitherines. She shook her head 'no'.
"Aint you got anyplace in town ya could stay?" he asked.
"Everyone turns me away." she said quietly.
The stallion remained silent for a moment before finally speaking "Y'all can stay with me."
She snapped her head in his direction, wide eyed with surprise. "A-Are you serious?"
"Eeyup. Mind you Ah live on a farm, taint much...but it's home."
Trixie debated herself for a moment, but what choice did she really have? She stood up and followed the stallion down the hill, he was kind enough to make sure the umbrella stayed over her; which was actually rather impressive when you think about it seeing as how he couldn't do any magic at all.
"Y'all got a name?" he asked her.
"Yes..." she dried a tear from her eye. "It's T-Trixie."
"Well I reckon it's nice to meet you Trixie, Ah'm Big Macintosh."
She gave him a small smile, it was a long time since somebody showed her kindness.
They remained silent for the rest of way, heading towards someplace called 'Sweet Apple Acres'. It was an apple orchard apparently, which made sense when she looked at Big Macintosh's cutie mark.
They entered a small farm house where, after he put away his umbrella and work harness, he gave her a large towel and showed her to a guest room.
As she started to dry herself off of the bed, Big Macintosh took his opportunity to speak up.
"We'll let ya stay for as long as ya want, but Ah'm afraid y'all have to earn yer keep around here. But don't worry, pick something out fer ya that's real simple."
She gave him another smile before he bid her goodnight.
--
Trixie smiled in bliss as the sun shined in on her as she nuzzled herself in deeper into the soft warm bed.
"Miss Trixie..." called a voice. "Miss Trixie it's time to wake up."
She sat up in bed, her silvery blue mane a complete mess. She squinted her eyes at her awakener, it was the same red stallion that allowed her to stay. Suddenly the events of last night all came flooding back to her. She blushed slightly but got out of bed.
She stretched and groggily walked out of the room.
"WHAT IN LANDSAKES IS SHE DOING HERE?!" shouted a familiar voice.
Trixie winced at the volume this pony spoke, but when she saw who it was she couldn't help but smirk cockily.
"Well, well, well. I wasn't aware YOU lived here 'Little Heyseed'."
Applejack fumed and was about to come over to her to tell her off when Big Macintosh cut off her path.
"Everyone, this here is Miss Trixie, she's gonna be stayin' with us fer a while. Miss Trixie, this is my kin the Apple family. Ah take it ya already met my little sister Applejack."
Applejack snorted angrily at her.
Big Macintosh pointed his head over to an elderly mare sitting in a rocking chair asleep. "Over there is our granny, Granny Smith." she continued to snore contently.
"And then there's our youngest little Apple Bloom...hey where'd she go?"
Big Macintosh looked around but couldn't find the last family member to introduce.
"Wow! A wand cutie mark! What's that mean?" came a little voice.
Trixie looked behind her to see a little yellow filly with a big red bow in her hair admiring her cutie mark. She had on her a double pouched satchel that most ponies use to carry their things in.
"It means that I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, have the talent of being more magical than any other unicorn in all of Equestria."
Apple Bloom's eyes widened wonderment "Wooooooow! Wait...what about Princess Celestia?"
"She's a pegasus unicorn. She doesn't count." stated Trixie.
"Oh." said Apple Bloom.
"Cept for Twilight." smirked Applejack. "Ya know, the unicorn who calmed the Ursa Minor that y'all couldn't!"
Trixie glared at her but it was her turn to be cut off by Big Macintosh. "AJ you behave yerself around our new guest."
Applejack's mouth hung open at her older brother's slight scolding.
"The Great and Powerful Trixie..." Trixie was cut off as her stomach let out a loud growl. "Demands to know when breakfast will be served."
"Heh." scoffed Applejack. "After you work."
Trixie rolled her eyes "Very funny, little heyseed."
However, Trixie jumped slightly as Big Macintosh placed a satchel identical to Apple Bloom's on her back.
"Taint a joke. You want to eat? You gotta work."
"But...But breakfast is the most important meal of the day!" protested Trixie.
"All the more reason for ya to work up an appetite as ya pick berries with Apple Bloom." explained Big Macintosh.
"But...I'm the Great and Powerful Trixie!" she all but whined.
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes and started to head out the door.
"Well right now yer Trixie the Hungry Farm Worker." Big Macintosh gave her an honest smile. "Who knows, ya might learn a thing or two down here on the farm. Might even better yerself."
Trixie narrowed her eyes at him. She knew just how to handle this situation.
"If you can name one thing that you, a simple earth pony, are better then me, the Great and Powerful Trixie, then I'll do your chore without the aid of breakfast!"
"Ah'm more humble than you." Big Macintosh said bluntly.
Trixie's mouth did an odd series of openings and closings as she tried to find something to say. "I...you...but I...I..."
Big Macintosh rolled his eyes as he started to push Trixie gentally through the door.
"Hem and Haw all ya want, but do it while you're workin'."