The summer had gone finally. The leaves had turned yellow red and brown. Applebucking season. The Fall weather races. The wind blew colder now, the days had grown shorter.
Trixie didn't recognize the street, she was walking along - it doesn't matter anyway. Her pride was gone, as her hope.
Four moons had passed, since Trixies attempt to subjugate an entire town. Maybe under the influence of some infernal artefact - but nonetheless done by herself. And since that darned day anything - her whole life - had gone down the hill. Her try to start new in Canterlot had utterly failed. No stage, no engagements. No one willing to talk, let alone help her. Her safe money had dwindled like ice in the sun.
The last thing she remembered, before she run off the city, were the little dark shop in one of Canterlot's more notorious districts. She gave her beloved hat, for two coins. Barely enough to keep body and soul together. For a day. Her cloak had gone a similar way weeks before.
Call it irony of fate. After leaving, she remembered the street, the store and the shopkeeper as well. The spot, where the Alicorn Amulet had stood and waited for her, was still empty.
At least - her hat couldn't do any harm to anypony.
Trixies hooves led her along the way, while the sun descended behind the woodland in front off her. A forest, familiar to her on second look. The wild trees and dense scrubs. The Everfree Forest.
Lots of legends wound around this old and wild wood. But, of more interest, was the small town adjacent to it. Looking up, she could spot the straw-thatchet cottages and houses.
Trixie shivered, ready to turn around, searching for another way. Somehow, she feared Ponyville by now. If she was treated like a pariah in Canterlot - she didn't want to imagine, which fate would waiting here...
But, it was about lunch and her stomach roared like a timberwolf. And there was an Inn - a few miles before the city, seated on the crossroad leading south.
* * *
"And how do you plan to pay for it, missy?" the innkeeper asked. The gray coated earth pony didn't even stop to polish the mug, he was holding.
"The grr... uhm, I could do tricks. You know - like a performance.", Trixie replied, with a hopeful smile.
An awkward pause unfolded.
Speaking in first person felt still uncommon to her. Old habits die slowly. But Trixie had learned to hide herself the hard way.
"Tricks.", out of the keeps mouth it sounded like something icky found under a stone deep in a swamp. "You serious?"
Trixie swallowed dry and peeked to the real tasty looking carrots behind the counter. A night and a half day she had walked without food or rest.
"But.. I have no money. Not yet. You know, I am planning to make a stageshow...", she gave back, embarrassingly sobbing.
"Yeah. I see. Now. In this particular case.... it's the best if you come back, when you have earned some bits with your... tricks. Okey?"
What in Celestias name was this guy thinking?! Hunger and despair stood back to make place for her furore. Trixie stomped with her hoof, ready to show this jerk his place.
"Do you even know who I am?" her voice a dangerous low growling.
Maybe it was the hungry gaze of hers, or the keeper got her wrong otherwise.
"Hey. OK. I got it. T'was a bit rude of me. Beg your pardon, missy. But look. We - I mean relatives of me - had have a heap of trouble with some trickster up in Ponyville, you know. Not long ago.
My aunt - who is mayor there - was even put in a cage and teased real badly! From such a bad little brat of wizard. So please excuse if I don't wanna hear from any tricks, y'know."
Trixie shut her mouth, just before she got herself in real trouble. Swallowing her rage, she just nodded with an unlucky face.
Yeah... maybe she got carried away a bit.
"Ahm... understand that.", she stuttered. "I could do dishwashing, too." hanging her head low.
* * *
"Hey - do you guys want to hear a story?", Trixie announced friendly towards the bunch of fillies, playing in the backward part of the main-room. After the few hours of rest, she felt a bit better. Now it was evening and the small ones did a hell of a noise back in the guest room, annoying the ponies sitting and eating here. So she had offered her help to Pewter Tankard, the innkeeper, as she heard the rumble outside the kitchen.
"Try, missie.", he had sighed.
Numerous small heads were turned towards her.
Just minutes later Trixie sat in front of the great chimney, surrounded by the kids of Mister Tankard and the guests.
Curious looks in her direction. A dozen attentive eye-pairs.
Just one of them stood back a few steps. A young brown and white colt, watching the scene with a visibly mixture off anxiety and curiosity.
Sadly, one of his eyes were hidden under an eyepatch.
Smiling towards him, she started to speak.
"As winter is on its way, I will tell you a story about winter. "- short pause -" Do anyone of you know, where the snowflakes came from?"
She waited for a few blinks. Then she proceeded, her smile grew bigger.
"So you probably don't know that snowflakes were invented from a filly just like you...", she waited for a moment - exactly knowing how to add some drama.
"Good then. Over a thousand years ago - even before the banishment of Nightmare Moon - there was a little filly, called Snowdrop..."
As the words start to flow, small illusions began to appear in midair.
The shy one, approached now, and then he sat between the other fillies, listening and watching.
For a moment the blue, white maned mare felt wonderful.
She remembered this feeling. Far back in her past. Oh. She sounded like a granny to herself. Ok. Maybe ten - fifteen years ago.
Sitting amidst the other schoolfillies reading stories. No not just reading. Tell them - Bring them to life. The amazed gazes, open mouths, as the words expand to tales and dreams.
Trixie had always been good with stories.
"Missy... didn't we came to the agreement, that ... tricks ... are no good idea 'round here", the innkeeper yelled from his counter.
And the moment was gone.
She managed to finish the story. Without magic. And she was certain, no one of the fillies had recognized her mood. After all she was a professional stagepony.
Afterwards they trotted away back to their parents or directly to bed.
Just the young one-eyed waited for a moment.
"Wow. That was amazing.", he cheered with fascination.
"Thanks.", for a long time she hadn't hear anything like this. So this was more then just a courteous reply.
"Say - how did this happen?", more to fill the beginning pause, she pointed at the covered eye.
"Oh. This. Don't worry, Lady. The doc said, its for a few weeks only. Because one eye is develelopping faster or so.", he grinned.
"Buuut, this eyepatch makes me a pirate. Because its no costume, but for real."
He turned to trot away.
"Have to tell my parents, that you are no bad pony after all."
"Wait? What?!", Trixie startled.
"Ah. Because of the trouble home in Ponyville."
"Oh.", she panted for breath "Nonono! Please. Don't tell them!"
"Huh? Why? Are you still evil after all?", the boy asked, but without the slightest sign of fear.
"No. I am not. But... hey... why didn't you run away, as you have seen me in the first place?"
"You offered to tell a story. And nopony seemed to be upset about you - so I thought its alright. And nopony, telling such nice stories could be evil." the pirate explained with a shrug.
"Ok.. Ok I see," This boy was crazy. "Look. Maybe you understand that. Buuut your parents may still be mad about me. I just want to have time to... find the right way to apologize. You know."
"Okay.", he just stated. "Then ma'am - your secret is safe by Pipsqueak the Pirate.", with kind of a polite bow he ran away.
Pirate... But, who was she, to dissent on this point?
Trixie sighed sad.
Only watched by a quiet cloaked figure, sitting in a dark corner, like it was lurking.