Chapter III: Memory Lane
It looks almost as if the stars from the night sky are gently falling down to the sleepy little town of Though Bay. The Great and Powerful Trixie decides to try and catch one of the millions of puff of snow with her tongue, like she use to do as a young filly. It tasted cold to the touch, but it was refreshing. She looks out in front of her, watching the town continues to be blanketed in snow, on the rooftops and all over the streets. Street lamps are lined up, lighting all the way down to the end. It seems as if the snow magically replaced the gray asphalt streets and the bed bricks that line along the stores and shops on both sides of the blue unicorn as she travels down between them.
She immediately recognizes the places as memories conjure up in her head. Over on her right, she sees the small building with the words "Mr. Shake and Mrs. Bake Shop." Originally, Mr. Shake and Ms. Bake where business rivals, fighting to get as many ponies as each can get in order to get other out of business. Then, out of the blue, the two got married and combine the two shops together as a milkshakes and bakery shop. An odd combination, but it certainly helps, now that you can get both a cake along with a shake. The Great and Powerful Trixie smiles, commending herself on helping them make a good business decision.
On the opposite side, she finds the restaurant that is own by a family friend, who happens to be her brother's wife's father.
She remembers when her brother asked her to come with him for moral support so he could ask his fillyfriend's father for her hoof in marriage. She found it very silly, telling him that he would be happy about it. That is when he explains that she is with foal, and Trixie immediately comes along, but still reassures him that everything will be okay. The two went and have lunch with the future father-in-law, where her stupid brother kept walking around the bush. So, she did it for him, careful to leave out the fact that they already started a family. And, just as she predicted, the man was overjoyed by the news. She has not told a soul about it, as her brother made her promise.
"So, don't tell anybody about it." The Great and Powerful Trixie tells the reader who is the writer hopes is enjoying the story thus far.
It did not take long for her to get to the end of the road, which lead her to where solid land should meet liquid. With this season as the exception. She could see, as far as the street lamps could illuminate the empty lake where hundreds of boats used to line the piers and docks along the lake in the summer time. Now, ice and snows blankets it, out into the darkness where she could see what is out there with her memories as her flashlight.
To her right, there is the Black Forest, getting its name from the simple fact that the canopy is so thick that, even in the brightest of days, it is quite dark on the forest floor. It is sort of like Ponyville's Everfree Forest, except for that it is not as dangerous. It is, also, where The Great and Powerful Trixie had her first kiss. She got it from the mayor's younger son, who was very popular with the fillies. She was very surprised, along with the popular girls, when he asked her if she would like to spend time with him during the Summer Sun Celebration. She found it very strange, given that she is not a popular filly back then, given to some circumstances. But, nevertheless, she did not let that bother her and accepted his offer. Even now, she is amazed how the two had a great time together, and it made her feel as if she is the most special filly in all of Equestria. The Great and Powerful Trixie blushes as she remembers how long the two stayed in those woods, invisible to everybody as the two kissed until the sun came up. It was quite chaste, but it made her feel like she was on fire. It was too bad that the relationship did not go as well as she hoped, but they did remain friends after it. She makes a mental note to visit him.
As she scans to the left, out where she should see, about a few thousand feet from shore, there should be an island with a 300-year-old mansion sitting on top of it. Colt Castle is the crown jewel of her little town, drawing in many ponies from all over Equestria during the summer and early fall just to visit the famous landmark. She remembers, as a little filly, on how she and her many classmates would go on camping trips to the mansion during Nightmare Moon Night. They would tell ghost stories that related to the castle they are staying in to make it more exciting and scary, and play hide and seek, as long as they don't do anything to ruin the old building. When she left, the town was talking about either renovating the famous tourist attraction, or leave it to the elements, as the years go by and people seems to forget that it is even there and focus more on the beaches that where hoof-made recently. She hopes that it is still standing out there.
As she moves her head more, another road interests the one that she is on and it leads up over a small hill. Along that road, about half way, is her family's home. She took in a deep breath of cold air and begins traveling down her last mile.
The road is called Lake Side Road, but it is known to the citizens of Though Bay as Millionaire's Road. This is where all the prominent and wealthy pony families live. Some of the families are as old as the town itself, nearly four hundred years old.
The youngest family is 187 years old, which are the Carnivals.
Her family.
Her family business was, and still is, in the tourism of the town, which helped capitalized the small town from becoming extinct. They had to fight off the town's phobias for outsiders. However, after that successful first summer, the town, not only survived, but flourished year after year with its boom in tourism. Now, after what it seems to be another successful summer, the town is taking a rest during the cold, quiet winter.
The Great and Powerful Trixie now remembers why she ran away in the first place. As much as she hates to admit it because of how embarrassing it is, she has been a "blank flank" for most of her childhood. In fact, her Cutie Mark did not appear until after she graduated from high school. It was very frustrating for her to not know what her Cutie Mark and what her destiny are. Her parents have always hinted at her that her Cutie Mark would be something related to her interests and that is how she could find it. She always knew that storytelling has always been her interest, so she thought she would be following in her brother's hoof steps, who is the town historian. But, no matter what she does, her flank remained empty.
It was not until in her last year of high school that they took a little field trip to Canterlot, which The Great and Powerful Trixie was the most excited about. She was the only pony there who took in everything that is thrown at her. The sights, the sound, the history, and the magic. For the first time, she actually found magic fascinating, which is unusual for a unicorn to think like that, but her family has never really relied on magic before, only using when it needs be, so she figured that she did not need to, herself.
However, when she returned back home, she has purchased as many books as she could carry that focuses on magic.
That whole year, she studied like crazy, practicing the basics of tricks, honing them, and executing them. She, then, starts to have the crazy idea of combining her magic with her talent of storytelling, coming up with visuals that would tell the story like an avant-garde movie. The more she does this, the more she got excited. She loved the whole experience, the experiments and the artistry. She starts to feel that she is getting closer to finding her destiny. But, her Cutie Mark is still invisible. That is when her family encouraged her to share her passion.
Her first performance was on the first week of the summer tourism, where ponies from every corner of Equestria are coming.
Her hooves where shaking wildly, knocking into each other she tries to step out onto the stage with her start-studded hat and cape that her mother made for her. Her voice quake along with her body as she tries to keep her brain from running away from her as she started to tell her first tale, about the inception of her hometown. She continues, her body slowly falling into her command as she view the audience slowly becoming entrapped with her stories and her magic as she conjured up ponies, animals, monsters, forgotten lands, everything with just the use of her magic. By the end of the show, she received as wild cheer from the audience. Along with her Cutie Mark.
As the summer rolled on, her name, The Great and Powerful Trixie, became the number one thing to see in all of Equestria. Every pony wanted to see her shows. Even Princess Celestia decided to show up for one and invited her to do a show at the Grand Galloping Gala, which is a huge honor for the young showmare. She feels like she is rising into the sky like a rocket, becoming one of the stars shown all over Equestria. She has never felt so beloved by so many ponies, it felt intoxicated to her. She wanted more. She wanted to travel, to show her magic to everypony. She wants to follow her destiny.
But, her parents refused her, telling her that she is too naive and young to go out into the country all alone. They asked her to wait a few years before leaving, after she gain some experience. She answered it with anger, accusing them on trying to capitalize on her talent, telling them that it is hers and hers alone on what she could do with her talent. They heavily denied it, saying that she should slow down, that she is too excited to think properly. That only made her more angry at them, feeling that she is becoming trapped in her own home, that her parents are keeping her away from her destiny. As day turn into night, her father postpones the discussion, which they will continue it in the morning when everyponies' heads cool down.
She did not give her parents the chance to talk her out of it.
The Great and Powerful Trixie stops in the middle of the road and looks to her left, finding what should be there; her family home. Separating her from her home is a brick wall with a steel gate that feels as though they tower over the young mare, interrogating her as to why she returned. The two lamp post on both sides of the gate lit the opening along with other lampposts lining where the path to the front door should have been.
She walks in cautiously as if an alarm will ring her an intruder. She made past the gates without incident and looks at the front door that is protected by a wide, expansive porch that extended from one side to the other. She sees that porch swing that she used while she studies her magic. And, she finds that one of the windows on the first floor is lit up.
She immediately recognizes that the window leads to the living room. Her parents usually go to bed a couple of hours ago. The only reason why they would stay up so late is if they have guests over.
"Well, at least I don't have to worry about waking them up," she tells herself in an attempt to calm herself.
She pushes herself further into her family's property, feeling like an interloper as she walks slowly with her chin barely scraping the snow on the ground. She gulps down her fear a few times as she climbs up the steps onto her porch. She shakes off the snow off her body and coat, happy to be out of the thick snow. For a while.
As she stands there, she could bear voices mix with joyous laughter coming from the lighted window. Her heart sank a little at the happy sound. It sounds as if they have never missed her at all.
"No," she shakes her head forcefully, getting herself to calm down. She hears more laughter coming from it again and she is curious to see how happy they really are. With quiet tiptoeing, she edges herself close to the windowsill, her eyes above it as she looks inside.
She sees her father, Lightning Carnival, sitting on his favorite chair. His orange coat almost blends in with the fire that is providing warmth and light in the large room. She could see the glasses on his nose as it rises up in the air as he lets out another bust of laughter. On the opposite side, she could see two mares sitting on the sofa. Many ponies have told The Great and Powerful Trixie that she resembles her mother, Moonbeam Carnival, which she always thought was a great complement because her mother is very beautiful. Her coat is of a darker blue and her mane and tail is as white as the snow. Next to her is her brother's wife, Cherry Pop Carnival. The pink earth pony is laughing hard as she whips her short blond mane back. The three are looking at the red pony on his hind legs, telling a story that he may have found in his research of the town. His name is Herodotus Carnival, or "Roddy" as most ponies call him. As well as being the town historian, he is also the museum curator which he founded after he graduated from college. He was the one who gave her stories to help with her show, as well as being her editor and proofreader. He was like her first manager.
The four inside continue laughing.
"They look so happy," she said to herself, as she backs away from the window. The Great and Powerful Trixie cannot ruin this by showing up like this, a disgrace to her family. She turns around and is ready to run out into the snow again. They will never know that she was outside of their window.
She stops before her first hoof touches the snowy ground.
She cannot leave. She is not giving her family a chance. It is not fair to them. In fact, they could be thinking that she hates them, which is not true at all. She loves them, and misses them very much. She just wants to feel that she still matters. And, she feels utterly foolish that they would treat her like dirt after all the love they have given her for all these years. They deserve better than that.
She turns around, returning back to the porch. The laughter continues inside. They do not even know that she is here.
Well, it is time that they do.
Slowly, she walks up to the door, looking at the small, circular button on the right side. She brings her hoof up to it and let it hover next to it for a bit. She can feel her heart punching at her rib cage, the sound reaching her ears. She takes in more breaths to calm it down before she pushes the bottom of her hoof into the button and pulls it back quickly.
The sound of the bell echoes all around her. The talking and the laughter inside dies.
The Great and Powerful Trixie took a few steps back until she is exactly in between continuing and escaping her destiny. She frequently pushes down her fear with each gulp as she waits for the door to open. She strains hard to hear if anypony is coming. Each second felt like an hour went by her. Maybe they did not hear it.
The doorknob turns, freezing the Great and Powerful Trixie were she stands. The door moves inward as it lets the house's light out onto the porch over the blue unicorn's body.
She is almost there.
Home.