//------------------------------// // Chapter 02 // Story: Long Road Home // by BlackSkulls //------------------------------// Celestia's sun slowly rose over the land. It washed Equestria in a warm light that woke animals and ponies alike. Early-risers dutifully shook the slumber from their eyes, while the late-sleepers fought their hardest to get several more hours of sleep. Trixie let out a soft yawn as she rubbed a hoof over her eyes. While she would have loved to stay in bed to her beauty sleep, she also acknowledged that she had to keep moving. With another yawn, Trixie sat up and rolled off of the futon...and bumped her hoof against something that was breathing. "Eek!" She gasped, flinching in surprise. She looked down to see what she had hit, to see Clara, sleeping peacefully with her arms wrapped around a stuffed bear. She blinked a few times, before remembering the bizarre encounter she had in the middle of the night. She let out a groan and brought a hoof to her face before carefully stepping over the girl. "And here I thought that was just a dream." Trixie unlocked a large chest with her magic and rummaged through it. In her magical grip she floated a loaf of bread, a knife, and a book of pressed flowers onto the desk. She huffed as she prepared her meal of a simple Daisy-Pansy sandwich. While it was far from her idea of a good breakfast, it was better then scavenging the forest for edible grass and berries. Just as Trixie was about to take a bite of her breakfast, she heard soft groans from the other side of the caravan. Glancing in Clara's direction, she watched as the girl roused out of her slumber. Clara mumbled in her half-sleep, her half-lidded eyes scanning the room she was in. "Mom...my...?" Clara spoke as she slowly rose to her feet. "I had a strange dream. I--" She locked eyes with the blue unicorn sitting at the desk with a sandwich held up in the air by a pink aura. There was silence. Clara's lips folded to a frown as she once again looked around the room. "It wasn't...then..." She walked over the mirror and pressed her palm against it. The lack of reaction from the mirror confirmed her suspicions: She wasn't dreaming, and everything that happened the previous night was real. Trixie shook her head and let out a deep sigh. "What was your name again?" Clara piped up and turned to face the one addressing her, grabbing the bottom of her night dress as she spoke. "Clara...My name is Clara. Are you nice, Miss Unicorn?" The unicorn waved her hoof at the question. "My name is Trixie. The Great and Powerful Trixie to be specific. However..." She eyed the young girl. "You may simply call me Trixie." Her stomach growled, and she turned her attention back to her lackluster breakfast. "Now, Trixie is eating. I will talk to you when I finish." Clara simply nodded and slumped on the floor. She had so many questions to ask; How did it happen? How was she going to get home? What happened to her mother? What's going to happen to her? She hugged her knees to her chest and watched the blue showmare as she ate. She couldn't believe a real unicorn was in front of her, right at that moment. Studying the mare, she couldn't help her curiosity. "Why aren't you white?" At this, Trixie tensed up. She chewed the last bit of her meal and swallowed before slowly turning to face the girl. Her face showed a mix of offense and curiosity. "What do you mean, 'Why aren't you white' ?" Clara bit her lip. "Well...it's just that unicorns in fairy tales are always white," She smiled as she continued her description, "And they're big! With pretty long hair and as graceful as a swan! They're beautiful! But...you're blue. And as big as me. And--" Trixie shot her a glare, causing Clara to cut off before she could say anything further. The unicorn rose off her haunches and huffed as she pulled out a brush from the chest, grooming her mane. "Trixie is an incredibly beautiful mare, I'll have you know! And my coat is an exquisite shade of blue." She faced Clara, who suddenly regretted saying anything. "In Equestria, ponies come in all colors, not just white." "E..ques..tria...?" She questioned. "Yes, Equestria! You are in the land of Equestria." Clara took a moment to process the new bit of information, finally putting a name to the area she found herself in. She grabbed one of her long braids and played with it as she thought. So I'm in a world of ponies... She took to her feet again and walked to the other side of the small caravan, where her makeshift bed and bear were on the floor. However, she ignored those for the moment and grabbed the book she had been thumbing through the night before. While the previous night she had been trying to decipher the language, she instead looked at the drawings that occupied the pages under the paragraphs. A pegasus! There are pegasi here! And some without wings... Clara slowly set the book down, her earlier fears bubbling back to the surface. "Miss Trixie! Can you send me home? I need to see my mommy, and I need to get ready for school, and and and I can't be here! Please can you send me home?" Trixie's ears folded against her head as she shook it. "Trixie, while a most powerful unicorn, cannot." Clara's shoulders sagged at this. She quickly spoke again as she levitated a purple magician's hat and matching cape onto her body. "However! Trixie does have her connections! But we must set a few ground rules." Clara twisted a braid in her small fingers. Her expression showed excitement, yet nervousness. "Ground rules?" With a curt nod, Trixie made one last check of herself in her mirror, and pulled out a scroll. "First, you must stay in the caravan at all times, unless I tell you otherwise. Sometimes ponies will make a big deal out of nothing. As long as you are truly harmless you shall not earn Trixie's wrath, but other ponies may not be the same way. Second, Trixie will not tolerate whining and foalish questions. Third, you are not to go through Trixie's belongings. Is that clear?" The unicorn craned her neck to see Clara nodding in understanding at her rules. "Good!" Trixie gave a half-smile to the girl before opening the door. She lowered a set of steps, and used her magic to fold them up again to close the door behind her. Clara watched as the door shut her inside the small caravan. She knelt down and picked up the bear and stared down into its button eyes. "What do we do now, teddy?" She climbed back onto her feet...only to be caught off balance once the room started moving. With a gasp, she scrambled to the window to see a forest slowly passing her by. Now that I have some alone time to think...just what am I going to do? Will I really be able to ask her for help? And what about the girl...though she seemed like a harmless foal, who knows just what a 'human' can do? Trixie let out a groan of frustration and glanced down at the unfurled scroll--a map of Equestria--as she walked. "Alright...I'm right here in Unicorn Range... The closest town is Tall Tale..." She made a face. While a nice, budding metropolis, the last time Trixie had visited had been shortly after the Ursa Minor incident in Ponyville. Although she had been reduced to a laughing stock all over Equestria, Tall Tale had especially left a bad taste in her mouth. Manehatten-wannabe ponies. While I do admit, I wasn't the nicest of ponies, they had no reason to treat me like that! She huffed and rolled up the scroll and placed it on a small basket that had been attached to the outside of her caravan. The lack of a permanent residence made it harder for her to receive mail, yet she felt that when she was in a town--for a week at the least--that she needed a place for the mailponies to deliver to. Trixie trotted at a deliberate, slow pace. Though certainly the most boring aspect of a traveling showpony, she couldn't help but feel it was a much better solution as opposed to riding the train between towns. Having to spend bits for travel and for lodging--bits she didn't have--didn't sound appealing in the slightest. Neither was having to share a space with countless other ponies. She belonged to the public, but she needed her space. She groaned again as the realization hit her that she would have to be sharing her home for an undetermined amount of time. Just going to have to suck it up, I suppose... The scene of Unicorn Range passed Trixie by at her slow pace. Though it was still early morning, the animals were fully awake and basking in the warm rays of the sun. Birds chirped and sang as she trotted past. The breeze cooled her fur, something she was thankful for as she was sure it would only get hotter as the day progressed. Trixie couldn't help but turn her thoughts back to the girl inside the caravan. I need to get answers the next time I speak to her...If I am going to be traveling with the creature all across Equestria, I better know what I'm getting into. With an annoyed flick of her tail, the unicorn continued on her long journey towards the town of Tall Tale. The sun had reached its peak in the afternoon sky. Clara could see it if she leaned against the glass window and tilted her head up. It had been several hours since she and Trixie had begun moving, and in that time Clara had done all she could within the enclosed space. She gone through the rest of the books Trixie had piled near the futon. She sat in front of the mirror and, using Trixie's brush, unbraided and straightened out her hair. She spoke her fears to her stuffed friend as if it would respond to her. She hoped Trixie would be able to send her home soon. When the caravan stopped, she looked out the window to see that they were near a stream. Quietly, she opened the door and lowered the steps. As Clara stepped out the door, the bright light from the sun had blinded her and she raised her arm to shield herself from it. Once her eyes had adjusted to the change in lighting, she got a good look of the world she had been thrown in to for the first time. She let out a gasp. It was beautiful. She saw a forest directly in front of her. For miles were thick, strong trees with leaves in every shade of green. Clara tilted her head back and she could see the top of the gigantic trees touch the sky itself. She turned, and behind her she saw a flowing stream with water so clear she could see the rocks at the bottom. On the other side of it, a large plain, colored by thousands of wildflowers in every hue she could imagine. Her stomach snapped her out of her awe with a low growl. A quick scan along the stream and she saw Trixie, with her head low as she drunk from the stream. Clara jogged up to the unicorn, who only gave her a look of annoyance. She blushed from embarrassment and put her hands behind her back. "I though I told you that you had to stay in the caravan," Trixie stated as she floated a canteen and filled it up with stream water. "Oh! Yes, well..." Clara pressed her hand against her stomach as it let out another growl. "I'm hungry. Can I have something to eat?" Trixie stared at her for a moment before motioning towards the caravan, "Trixie's chest has a loaf of bread and some pressed flowers. You can make a sandwich. Do not take all of it!" She grunted as she screwed the cap onto the canteen. "Trixie does not have a lot of bits to spend. I have to stretch out what I have for as long as possible." Clara looked at Trixie as if she had grown a second head. "But...I can't eat flowers!" "You can't eat flowers?" Clara nodded. "Well what do you eat?" The question rattled in Clara's mind. "Well, I can eat a lot of things...umm, chicken, fries, cookies...Oh! I like berry jelly!" Trixie let out a soft hmm as she listened to Clara list her favorite foods. She held up a hoof to silence her. "I suppose I could...help you find some berries to eat." With a flick of her tail, she turned and trotted into the woods, with Clara following close behind. The young girl was amazed at the plants and critters that were around as Trixie used what little knowledge she had to point out edible berries. Rabbits, squirrels, birds, lizards...Clara grinned wide at every one. When Trixie stopped to inspect a bush, she knelt down next to a tiny brown squirrel. It blinked, puzzled at the strange creature, and scurried up a nearby tree. Clara was about to try to find another animal to look at when-- "Girl! Trixie has found these berries safe to eat." She jumped, and quickly joined Trixie. The berry bush was rather small, but the bright red and yellow fruits were plump, round, and plentiful, and just perfect for picking. Clara's eyes flicked between the bush and Trixie before she plucked one off the branch. Hesitantly, she ate the berry. Her eyes went wide. It was a burst of flavor--like lemons and strawberries. "Mm!" Clara hummed excitedly as she plucked several more off their respective branches and ate them as well. Trixie watched her, amused. When Clara seemed to have her fill, she spoke up. "Grab as many berries as you can carry. We are not stopping again until nightfall." She turned and started walking towards the caravan, while she kept an eye on the girl. Clara smiled and plucked several dozens of berries off the bush. When her makeshift basket out of the bottom of her dress was full, she carefully followed, making sure not to spill any of the delicious fruit onto the forest floor. Trixie rolled her eyes as she held the door open in her magical grip as she impatiently waited for the human to waddle over to her. "There is a small bowl on the desk inside. You can put the berries there." "Okay Miss Trixie," Clara said as she carefully climbed into the caravan. Once Clara had been inside, Trixie shut the door behind her. She huffed as she shimmied back into the harness attached to the caravan's front. "This whole trip is going to be a nuisance," she muttered to herself as she started to trot the caravan along behind her, "Hopefully this girl will be able to return 'home' soon and not cut in so much into my performances. I belong to Equestria, after all! It is a shame to deny my public my magic." A cocky smile spread across her lips. She held her head up high. She giggled to herself. "Oh, what would ponies do without me? Equestria is lucky Trixie is so nice." Trixie rolled up the map of Equestria and slowed to a stop. She had followed the stream to its trickling point, and continued on for several miles more. She had determined she was about half a day's journey from Tall Tale. Proud of what progress she made, she stopped for the night. Clara, feeling that the caravan had stopped moving, opened the door a crack. She watched as Trixie shrugged off the harness and stretched out. When the unicorn turned to open the door, she let out a gasp and quickly closed it. She hurried away from the door and sat on the floor where her bear and the bowl of berries were placed. Over the course of the afternoon, Clara ate, slept, and watched as the world went by. She wished she had something to do. While Trixie was walking outside to take them to their destination, Clara was stuck inside with nothing to do. Trixie unceremoniously opened then slammed the door, letting out a loud yawn as she did so. "Augh, Trixie is so tired!" She trotted over to the chest and levitated out the pressed flowers, knife, and bread. When the loaf of bread floated past her head, she couldn't help but notice how much smaller the loaf had gotten since she ate earlier in the day. She whipped her head around to Clara, who was desperately trying to make herself as small as possible in the corner, even though they were the only two in the room. "You ate most of my bread. You ate most of Trixie's bread!" Clara whimpered. "I-I'm sorry, Miss Trixie! I was just hungry and I wanted to see what the berries and the bread tasted like and--eep!" Trixie's eye twitched. The two had an uncomfortable silence between them. The unicorn broke that silence with a grunt as she stomped over to Clara. The young girl cowered under the unicorn, in fear of her wrath. Her eyes closed, awaiting a punishment that never came. Clara cracked open one of her eyes to see that the unicorn was no longer towering above her. Instead, Trixie had merely stepped over the girl to crash angrily on her futon. "Not another word tonight. Trixie is going to sleep." She snapped, pulling the covers over her head. Clara frowned and stared at the floor before following suit. She curled up on the floor, rubbing her bear against her face. I'm sorry, Miss Trixie...I'll be good from now on.