The trio had entered the train to the Crystal Empire a few hours ago. There, the three had a relatively hard time getting along. Well, Twilight and Trixie had a hard time. Then, about a good three to four hours into the trip...
“She's asleep.” said Sunset as she entered the cabin where Trixie was staying. There, Trixie was sulking in the cabin's chair with a sour look on her face. “Did you hear me Trixie?”
“Yes...Trixie heard you.” she groaned. “Trixie still can't believe we're on this trip with a stupid criminal...”
Sunset let out a huge sigh. “Okay Trixie, I'm not going to let this go any longer. For the past week you have been doing nothing but insult Twilight. You need to stop!”
Trixie turned to Sunset. “She's a criminal! Don't you get it Sunset?! She. Is. A. Criminal. What part of that don't you understand?!”
“I understand it perfectly. However, she's also a criminal that got a pardon and was chosen by Harmony.”
“Again with the stupid pardon...will you stop bringing that up?!”
Sunset let out another sigh. “Fine. But I don't have a choice here Trixie, she's needed for Equestria's future, so deal with it!”
Trixie gave a disgruntled look and then said. “Ugh...alright. Trixie will drop if for now...but after this is done...”
“I know.” said Sunset in a monotone voice. “Now, can I ask you something Trixie?”
Trixie gave a curious look. “Sure, what do you want from Trixie?”
“I...I've been thinking about this for a long time...but...I didn't know if I should ask you or not...” Sunset then began fiddling with her hooves. “Um...why is your cutie mark a wand?”
Trixie's face turned from curiosity to surprise. “Oh...uh...why do you ask?”
“It's just...that isn't a cutie mark that represents law enforcement...or even catching criminals or being a detective.”
Trixie gave a small sigh. “Well...um...”
“If you don't want to talk about it, its fine Trixie.”
“No!” said Trixie as she gave a slightly panicked look. “It's just...its been a long time since I've talked about it...”
“About what?”
“My parents...and my talent...”
“Your parents? Oh, you mean...um...what were their names again?”
Trixie gave a huge sigh. “Comet Hat and Tricky Moon.”
“Right! Twilight said they were showponies, right?”
“Yeah...they were.” Trixie's expression continued to become sadder and sadder. Sunset quickly picked this up and said. “Look...if you don't want to talk about it...”
“No...it's fine. Trixie will tell you...you are Trixie's friend and...you should know...” Trixie then looked directly at Sunset and said. “It all started a few years before Trixie was born...” Trixie then began to narrate a tale of many years in the making of a pony called Trixie Lulamoon.
“For starters Sunset...” said Trixie as she gave out a slight huff. “My father was a stallion unicorn named Comet Hat. He was an extraordinary stage magician. The best in the business!” Trixie began to wave her arms in the air with glee. “He traveled city to city, showing off his stage magic...until one faithful day, he was approached by a certain circus...there he met my mother, Tricky Moon. She was a young earth mare acrobat known for her daredevil stunts! She had just entered the circus as well. Over the next few years, they fell in love and before you know it...”
“The two had you, didn't they?” said Sunset with a soft smile.
“Yes.” Trixie nodded. “Trixie was their only foal. Over the next few years, Trixie traveled with them everywhere. When Trixie was just a little filly, my father asked if Trixie wanted to try one of magic tricks. Trixie...Trixie always looked up to Trixie's father and...Trixie tried to do the magic trick.” Trixie's eyes lit up as she told this part of the story. “Trixie got it on Trixie's first try! Trixie was so happy that day!”
“Was that how you got your cutie mark?”
“Yes! It appeared right after Trixie did the trick!” Trixie gave another huge smile. “Trixie's parents were so happy and we had a giant party after that! Oh...those were the days...”
Sunset's smile continued to grow as she saw Trixie get happier and happier. “You really loved being with them, didn't you?”
“Yes...Trixie loved her parents...”
“So...um...what happened next?”
“Well...” Trixie's smile disappeared and was replaced with a small frown. “It all began when a certain pony visited Trixie's parents...”
“Who?”
“A pony called Stale Rope...”
“Stale Rope?”
“Yes.” Trixie nodded again. “He was a loan shark pony that...um...was an old friend of my dad's...”
“I don't like where this is going...”
“Trust Trixie...it only gets worse...”
Many years ago...
Trixie was still a little filly back then. Her family was living in a small circus trailer, where the little filly would usually sleep with her parents. One night, she had woken up in this middle of night to get a drink of water. As she got up, she realized neither of her parents were in bed with her. The little filly slowly got out of the bed and slowly tried to exit the little room. As she approached the door, she heard several voices. Trixie then stopped at the door, placing her ear to the wall.
“What do you mean no?!” yelled a raspy, crude voice as it slammed its hooves onto the table in front of Comet Hat and Tricky Moon.
“I mean no, as in I'm not going along with your deal Stale Rope!” yelled Comet Hat. “I don't need your dirty money!”
“Aw come on Comet!” said Rope as he gave a big mischievous grin. “Just listen to me for a second old pal, old buddy...”
“I'm not your buddy...”
“Look...” Rope then gave a slight sigh. “Here's the deal. You take my loan and I can get you a full trip to Las Pegasus, no problem. Easy trip. Done deal. All you have to do is strike it rich there and pay me back! I've seen your magic act Comet, you could score big there!”
“If I'm going to Las Pegasus, it will be on my own money.”
“Comet, come on my stallion...You'll never get the money to even get there if you're performing in scrub towns like these...”
“Get out!”
“Comet...come on...”
“GET OUT!”
“Comet, calm down. You don't want to wake up Trixie...” said Tricky Moon as she grabbed her husband.
“Sorry...”
Stale Rope then got up and gave a glare at the two. “Sigh...I'll be back Comet...you'll take my deal...and we'll both be super rich...” Stale Rope then left the trailer in a huff. Comet and Tricky then hugged and Comet asked. “Um...do you think I made the right choice?”
“You did...Don't worry about it...”
Trixie then turned around and got back in her bed before her parents noticed.
The Present...
“This Stale Rope guy sounds like really bad news...” said Sunset as she saw Trixie's face switched between depression and anger.
“You have no idea...” Trixie gave another huff. “Now, over the next few weeks...let's just say Stale Rope...um...didn't give up. At all.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah...” Trixie's hooves began to tremble as she began the next part of the story, “Stale Rope kept going to my father...Trixie isn't sure how many times he came, Trixie only overheard about three or four of their conversations...”
“But you suspect he came and talked to your father even more?”
“Yes.” Trixie nodded. “Then...one night, father finally got fed up with Stale Rope and began yelling at him...needless to say, the outburst woke Trixie up...”
The Past...
“Uhhnn...” moaned Trixie as her eyes tried to open. Her ears had woken her up as they had heard something beyond loud that night. The little filly rubbed her eyes as she tried to listen to what had woken her up. Before she knew it, the filly had gotten out of bed and went up to the door. There, she heard a very unpleasant conversation.
“GET OUT!” yelled Comet Hat as steam blew out of his nostrils.
“Calm down dear.” said Tricky Moon as she patted her husband on the head. Stale Rope just smiled and said. “Aw c'mon Comet...you can't escape this deal. Either you take the loan or I'll blackmail the rest of this stupid circus you run with.”
“I will tell you only one more time Stale Rope...GET OUT OR ELSE!”
Stale Rope then got up from his chair and gave a small shrug. “Fine. Be that way...but know this Comet. If you don't take my deal right now...you'll lose more than your circus friends.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Oh...let's just say...I have my connections.” Stale Rope gave a small bow and turned around to leave. “Also, I would keep a close eye on that little filly of yours...”
The Present...
“Wait a minute!” interrupted Sunset. “He threatened your dad by going after you?! How low is this guy?!”
Trixie just sat there for a moment, she didn't say another word. Then, tears began to run down her face. Sunset, seeing this then said. “Wait...don't cry Trixie, I didn't mean-”
“It's okay Sunset...” Trixie said as her body began to shake. “It's just...been a while since Trixie's talked about this...”
“I understand. If you want to stop, that's fine.”
“No...Trixie will be fine...” Trixie then let out a deep breath and then a short sigh. “Now...the next day was when everything changed...”
“What do you mean?”
“Well...Trixie had gone back to sleep and...woke up later, still wondering what Stale Rope meant by his last words before leaving...Then, it was the middle of the afternoon when it happened...”
“What happened?”
“Trixie's parents...were killed...” Tears began to flow like wildfire down Trixie's face. Sunset gasped at the words, putting her hooves over her mouth. “How?! Why?!”
“Well...” Trixie's body began to shake all over. “Trixie was walking to the other side of the circus, doing a favor for one of father's friends. Then...Trixie was knocked out suddenly by one of Stale Rope's men...”
“Knocked out?”
“Yeah...and when Trixie woke up...they were gone...”
“Wha...I don't...” Sunset kept trying to find the words but nothing came to mind. Trixie's mouth slowly opened at the next part. “Trixie...Trixie later found out that...Stale Rope lied to my parents and said that he had kidnapped Trixie and had tied Trixie up in our trailer...then...then...” Trixie's face was completely covered in tears. “When they went inside to get me...he trapped them inside and set the trailer on fire...”
“No...” Tears began to flow from Sunset's eyes as well. “That monster...Don't tell me he got away with it!”
“For a long time...he did.” Trixie stopped looking at Sunset as she told the next part. “Not only that...he set the rest of the circus of fire too...the tent...the other trailers...everything.”
“Wha...”
“Then...he left town...the police never caught him and-”
Sunset then leaped onto Trixie and gave her the tightest hug she could give her. “Oh...I'm so sorry that happened to you! Nopony should ever have to go through that!” Trixie hugged Sunset back. “Thank you Sunset...”
A few minutes later, Trixie and Sunset stopped hugging each other. Sunset began to think, 'So this is why she hates criminals so much...it makes sense...then again...if she hates them this much, then she probably...' Wanting to confirm her theory, Sunset then asked, “I don't want to guess but...did you become a police officer to...um...catch Stale Rope?”
Trixie nodded. “Yeah...Trixie did. Trixie trained for years, trying to find every clue to find that evil stallion...”
“It eventually led you to Manehattan, didn't it?”
“Yes.” Trixie nodded again. “After years of searching...Trixie finally found Stale Rope...”
“And...what happened then? Don't tell me you tried to kill him?!”
“No.” Trixie shook her head. “Instead...fate was even crueler to me that day...”
“What do you mean? Don't tell me something even worse happened?!”
“No...Trixie found what she had been looking for for so many years and...” Trixie began to cry again. “Trixie was so...so...disappointed...”
“Why were you disappointed?”
“Stale Rope...I found him in an alley...and he had become a broken, beaten, drunken bum...”
“Wha...” Sunset didn't know what to say after that surprise statement. Trixie began to softly laugh. “You see Sunset? After all those years of training to be a police officer, all those nights of wanting to catch that monster, all the nightmares I endured, thinking about that stallion...and in the end...he was a nobody...”
“Trixie...”
“Trixie later found out that he had recently done a bad deal with the Manehatten mafia and lost all of his money. Before he knew it, he had become a smelly drunken bum on the streets...when Trixie finally found him...Trixie didn't even want to blast him with magic or even punch him because he was so pathetic...it wasn't worth it Sunset...But, Trixie already had evidence to put him away for the rest of his rotten life so...”
“You arrested him?”
“Yeah...he's in prison now...” Trixie finally broke down and cried even more. Sunset hugged her again and said. “Thank you for telling me this...I'm so sorry that happened to you.”
“It's fine Sunset...thanks for being Trixie's friend.”
“Of course.”
The two continued to cry for another hour or so. After that, the two continued to talk for the next several hours until Twilight woke up. After that, the two took a nap on the train. They knew they needed their sleep for the battle to come in the Crystal Empire. As for Trixie, she felt so much better after talking about her past to Sunset. Sunset was just glad she understood her friend even more.
A little over two years ago, one month after Trixie had arrested Stale Rope...
Trixie sat in her Manehattan apartment, completely slouched over on her desk. She had gone out and made a few arrests over the past month, but after arresting Stale Rope...she was considering quitting the police force. Then, she heard a noise on her police radio.
“Any officers available, please respond!”
Trixie's horn glowed a little as her magic pushed the responder button on the radio. “Officer Trixie is available, go ahead.”
“Please come to the Museum of History in Manehatten! We believe the Gold Statue of the Stars has been stolen by the infamous group of thieves known as the Rainbooms!”
“The Rainbooms?” Trixie said to herself. “Why are they in Manehattan?”