The Great and Powerful Trixie had been all prepared to get onto the streets of Greenhoof with her most incredibly display of power ever, thanks to her newest spellbook and enchanted pendant. True, neither would allow such an impressive amount of magic as to actually change members of the audience, but the new spells she had been practicing would keep her material fresh, and the pendant worked wonders for staving off the migraine from overuse of her abilities.
She had been performing the same show for so long that she had forgotten just how much heckling a pony could get from a crowd that was actually used to seeing a unicorn's true magical potential, and after a few rather... disastrous attempts at getting a profitable performance in Ponyville, Trixie had decided that it would be for the best to prepare something new, something that even the most adept Unicorn's could be shocked by! She had needed nearly two years of preparation, performing small shows and odd jobs to earn enough bits to purchase her newest mystical equipment. Then came the study, to which she went with a fervor that would have made a younger Trixie gag.
Trixie hadn't minded. For once in her life, she had wanted to see herself bettered.
Not that there wasn't a decent goal in mind, as she wondered what the Princess of Friendship might think about the New and Improved, Great and Powerful Trixie! Tonight was to be her first performance, and she doubted that there even were any unicorns in Greenhoof, which made it the absolute perfect place to practice her act before taking Ponyville by storm!
But of course, Trixie found herself running later than she had expected, her map having led her along paths that were confusing, or quite a bit longer than she had been led to believe. By the time the cobblestone streets and rather quaint looking buildings came into view, the sun had already set and night had come upon her rather suddenly. Not like that would have been enough to stop her should, it wasn't particularly all that late as of yet, and even the smallest of villages tended to be willing to see some entertainment after a good dinner. Besides, she had already been to Greenhoof once before, and they had always been rather amazed by her magical talent, and it's ponies were a friendly lot that always had something of interest going on.
Yet, as she trotted into town, all that she could hear was the squeak of her cart's wheels and the echo of her hooves clopping against the street below. Not a single pony shared the cool night air with her as she slowly pulled her cart through town. The only light came from the stars above, shining down just enough to let her see what was directly in front of her. After a minute of walking around almost blind, she stopped and let out a low sigh as her stomach gave a grumble of disapproval. She supposed the show would have to wait until morning, if nopony would be around to see it.
She unhooked herself from the harness of the cart, deciding it would be for the best just to find something to eat and hit the hay herself, exhausted from the days of travel. Even opening her cart just to climb inside was enough to realize just how much her poor legs ached! Honestly, the things she would do just to reclaim her respect in one town astonished even her sometimes.
Trixie hadn't even shut herself into her carriage when the sound of a door squealing as it opened hit her ears. Poking her head back out of her traveling home, she saw a small lamplight coming from one of the buildings, “Well, at least someone is ready to welcome the Great and Powerful Trixie.” She muttered, as a stallion slowly stepped from the door, grasping an old oil lantern in his mouth. A large grin was plastered upon his face, as his eye's stared directly in her direction. It was, in all honesty, a little creepier than she had remembered the denizens of Greenhoof being.
Still, she wasn't about to look a gift pony in the mouth, any acknowledgment of her arrival was appreciated! Trixie opened her mouth to greet the dimly lit Earth Pony, when the sound of another door opening echoed through the street. Then another, and another after that. It continued that way, with every single door on the street opening, the shadowy visage of different ponies emerging from each, all moving with the same slow steps, and all with the same, wide grin.
Trixie found herself surrounded nearly immediately by a mob of Earth Ponies and Pegasi, with only enough lanterns between them to let the unicorn know that she had most definitely been acknowledged. Her carriage was surrounded by them, with only more and more coming down the nearly pitch black streets to join the mass, “C-Can Trixie help you all tonight?” She didn't know what to make of them all, a hoard of smiling faces and vacant eyes all glaring.
A hundred calm voices responded, their tone soft yet cheerful, “Welcome to Greenhoof, Trixie!”
“My, the Great and Powerful Trixie has never received such a, er, warm...welcome!” She had been to the town before, of course some would remember her name. Her show had been one of the few things of actual intrigue to happen around there in decades, “Truly, Trixie is glad that this little town would remember such a Grand and Powerful Unicorn!” Emphasis on the power, she was better than before, a unicorn scholar's could be jealous of!
It didn't change the fact that they surrounded her, staring in dead silence with nothing but the weak lamp light bouncing off of their muzzles.
“...Well, it was truly wonderful to greet you all once again, but the great and powerful Trixie needs her sleep, it's quite late.” She didn't waste another second before climbing all the way into her carriage and shutting the door quite tightly, using the rather flimsy iron latch to lock it shut. Unfortunately the best she could do for the window was to close the curtains, “Good night, everypony!” She called out as she used every little spare item that was moderately large to block the opening on her cart.
The knocking upon her door afterward was rather light, a gentle tap tap tap that made Trixie's heart race as though she were surrounded by a pack of timberwolves, “Good Night, Trixie.” Their voices spoke together once again, as a cacophony of hoofbeats slowly marched away from her home. She sat within the small carriage for several minutes, curled up and just waiting for the mob to pull her from her home and do... she didn't want to even think about what it was they all wanted.
After nearly half an hour of silently waiting, her heart trying to escape from her chest, Trixie stood up just enough to peer out of her window. The streets had been emptied once more, and not a lamp was lit along the street, nor a door open.
Whatever had happened, it had ended, and Trixie wasn't about to let the perfect chance to escape before the lunatics all came back out. Rushing to the doors, she pulled them open and leapt outside... Only to be face to face with a massive, grinning Stallion. His eyes looked right through her, ignoring as she screamed out of shock. He breathing was rapid, and she backed up toward her cart once again, “I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were passing by when I-”
The last thing she remembered was a rather loud smash.