//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Trixie: Take two // by MrGreat //------------------------------// Princess Luna let out a bored sigh. She may have returned from the moon to rule Equestria by her sister’s side, but night time was still majorly uneventful, apart from the occasional animal here or there. Although she had once embraced silence, she had come to loathe it from being trapped on the moon for a thousand years. Luna decided to lay back and let her mind wander to pass the time. She started humming a song she had heard earlier that night, but she couldn’t place which band had played it. She attempted to recreate it as best she could, but knew she hit the wrong notes at times. She was playing it over for the third time in her head when she was interrupted by what sounded like crying, and, Sensing that she might get to do something interesting, bolted upright and immediately started searching for the source. Trixie sat beneath a tree, head between her hooves, and wallowed in pity. “How could I have let this happen? How did I let my ego get so out of hand?” She had lost everything, and she knew it. Her mobile home, along with all of her possessions had been crushed by an Ursa Minor, forcing her to leave Ponyville with nothing but her hat and cape, both of which she sold so she could buy something to eat. Food! She bawled at the thought that this poor, sleep deprived pony on the brink of starvation had once been a rich travelling magician, widely known for her spectacular abilities. She could think of nothing else to do besides weep, and weep, and weep. “Hey, I know you! You’re the Great and Powerful Trixie! ” Trixie’s head shot up to see who had addressed her. She was about to tell the stranger to leave her alone; before her, however, stood Princess Luna staring at her. “No… I’m sorry; you have me confused with someone else…” Trixie stood up, eyes red and puffy, and started walking away when she felt her hat start to slip down over her head. Her hat! Trixie couldn’t believe it! Her hat was back! She looked at her flank, only to be greeted by a purple/blue cape with stars concealing it from view. Luna stepped forward nonchalantly and said “One should not lie to a princess. If I weren’t in such a good mood, I could have you banished!” She meant this purely as a joke, but Trixie winced in pain when she mentioned “banished”. “It’s too late for that” She chuckled with a weak fake laugh. Luna stared at her with a look of sincere concern, asking why she was so sad. Trixie had assumed that everypony in Equestria had heard about her incident in Ponyville, but was evidently incorrect. “Don’t worry about it” she mumbled half-heartedly, trotting off into the nearby forest, and was not surprised when she discovered her hat and cape had disappeared. “You can tell me what’s wrong, or you can sit out here and starve. Your choice.” Luna couldn’t understand why The Great and Powerful Trixie could be anything besides rightfully haughty. Last time she had checked, Trixie had not only vanquished an Ursa Major with her powers, she had been performing amazing magical feats on stage, being cheered on by hundreds of fans, many of which waited on her hand and foot. In many ways, Luna was jealous of her. Of course, this was a long time ago, and Luna was shocked when Trixie explained the events in the past week. Stunned at the princess’s matter-of-fact cruelty, she realized she didn’t have much of a choice. “I was doing a show in a nearby town called Ponyville, like I do every year, you know, card tricks, illusions, magic, all that good stuff, until an obnoxious dragon claimed I was nothing to strut about. Obviously, The Great and Powerful-no,” she sighed, her disappointment palpable, “no, just Trixie, was deeply offended. I foolishly challenged any Pony to top my tricks, and when anypony offered, I humiliated them instead of actually performing… all except the strongest mare challenged me, and it was this mare that saved me, as well as the whole town from an Ursa Minor.” “But you’ve vanquished Ursa MAJORS! How could-“ But Trixie just shook her head “No I haven’t, I made that all up… I was humiliated, and after the beast destroyed my cart, I ran away from Ponyville, and sold the clothes off my back for even the tiniest morsel of food!” At this point, she was speaking through waterfalls of tears; undignified, weak, and pathetic, Trixie screwed her eyes shut and let the tears fall, and was startled when Luna sat down beside her, put her hoof on her shoulder and started… Comforting her! Luna wasn't sure how to deal with the information. Trixie had been a legend, this spectacular performer, capable of performing impossible acts, when, in reality, she had been a lie, a fake! Yet Luna felt sympathy for the young mare. She offered Trixie a stay at her palace for a few nights, a few meals, and a bath. Trixie, throat sore from crying, accepted Luna’s offer, and thanked her in a sore raspy voice. Once they had arrived at the palace, Luna showed Trixie to her private chambers where she could freshen up in every sense of the word. Trixie would have gladly accepted a hose and some soap, never would she have thought she would be bathing in a royal bath! And what a bath it was, she had the water comfortably boiling, and laid back and allowed every muscle in her body to relax. It was only a matter of time before she was consumed by her exhaustion and fell asleep. *** Trixie awoke to Princess Luna standing over her, holding back chuckles. It took Trixie a moment to remember where she was. She sputtered an apology to Princess Luna, quickly washed her body and hair in the now frigid water, dried herself off and exited the bathroom, only to be greeted by Princess Celestia herself, who was, at first pleased to have a guest, but upon recognition, a shrill cry was heard throughout the castle, and within minutes Trixie was surrounded by Castle Guards. ______________ EDIT: An old story I was writing, but I decided to revamp it. Feel free to leave comments, suggestions, criticisms or all three! Thanks for reading, and expect new chapters in the future!