“What happened to her?” Trixie asked with a raised eyebrow as she pointed to Sid, out cold and in a happier place.
“Hu-wha?” Slick let out as he glanced over his shoulder, “Ya sayin' this ain't your doin'?”
“Did Trixie do it?” she asked as she thought on it, “Well, she's not prone to feinting around auspicious unicorns, show ponies, royal students, or experienced truth enhancers, is she?” Trixie asked, dead serious, getting a flat look from Slick.
“She probably doesn't handle boxes being applied to the face very well,” Reina chipped in as she peeked over the side, her tail pointing at a indentation on the box that matched Sid's face. Slick's eyes widened as he noticed the filly, his face turning a light shade of red as he glared at Trixie.
“H-Hey! Dontcha know it's against the law to open somepony else's mail!?” he claimed, self-righteously. “Put our goods back in the box, or I'll report ya crime to Luna herself if I must!” he added, making Trixie blink at him for a moment.
“Pfft,” she snorted out, before breaking out into a fit of side-splitting laughter.
“H-Hey, what's so funny-” he began, but faltered as Trixie fell over, holding her sides as her laughter escalated, tears welling in her eyes as she tried to look at him.
“Y-You-” she let out, between fits of giggles that earned a concerned look from Reina. Slick however adopted an impatient look as Trixie tried to breath, “Y-You think you- That you can blackmail Trixie to Luna,” she got out, trying to get on her hooves, her shoulders shaking a little as Slick's shade of red deepened, from embarrassment. “Oh, ooh~ That was a good one,” she added, feeling a little relieved as she collected her breath.
“You laugh at breaking the law?” Reina asked as she looked at Trixie oddly, making the mare shake her head.
“Trixie was Luna's student. She's not worried of what a two-bit crook has to say about her.”
“Ya might just hurt somepony's feelins sayin' stuff like that,” Slick replied, sounding hurt as he eyed the straps that connected him to the carriage. “So, ya gonna give her back?”
“Trixie thinks not. She told Reina she'd help her find her mother.”
“Right. Good luck with that. That old broad's on the other side of Equestria,” Slick replied, making Trixie blink in surprise.
The other side of Equestria? That was more than a short stroll. Trixie then glanced to the side. Oh well. It is what it is. She had no intention of turning her back on the filly. She'd just have to put her tour on hold.
Her moment of affirmation came at a cost. Slick lurched the carriage forward, before quickly jolting back. The rocking caught her off guard, making her fall from her perch, crashing into the mud. She then heard the sound of wood snapping, as she pulled her face out of the road.
“Ms. Trixie! He's getting away!” Reina said, which wasn't really needed. If fact, it only helped to fuel Trixie's pivoting mood, as her eyes glared daggers at the fleeing stallion, his companion still on his back. She also couldn't help but notice that parts of her carriage's straps were accompanying him on his journey.
“Whoa-! Slick, what's going on!?” Sid asked in surprise, now holding onto her companion as he fled for his life.
Trixie's horn glowed, revealing a hidden drawer on the front of her carriage, filled with an arsenal of fireworks. One of the biggest in the box flew out, sending out a stream of sparks as it was guided towards the fleeing stallion. She got on her hooves as the firework reached them. It was at this moment that poor Sid looked behind her.
The duo was caught in a flashy display of Trixie's show-stopper, a privilege she doubted they'd appreciate. After the spectacle of blue fire, purple sparkles, and orange hues came to an end, Trixie couldn't help but smile. However, it didn't last, since she could make out Slick still running, with an even toastier Sid on his back, out cold once again. Shortly after the smoke cleared, the stallion rounded a corner, and disappeared from sight.
“Anndd they're gone,” Reina stated, her voice thick with disappointment. “Ms. Trixie-”
“Just Trixie,” the blue mare interrupted, her horn flickering as she magicked away the taste of mud pie from her mouth.
“So ... what now?” she asked, her green lizard doll in her hooves as she looked down on Trixie from the roof. “He said mom's on the other side. How far is that?”
“Assuming he was being true, that's a long ways from here.”
“But how long? I'm not dumb, Trixie, I want to know,” she added, getting a considering look from the mare.
“On hoof, it's a couple months away.”
“Oh,” she replied as her ears fell, before looking at the burnt crater Trixie's attack created. “Those two, they had me in the box. You found them, and took the box from them. Was that intended?” she asked, making Trixie shake her head. “Are you really gonna take me to her?” she added, giving Trixie a skeptical look.
“Stop looking at Trixie like that,” she requested flatly. “Yes, Trixie is gonna take you,” she added, making Reina look to the side, blushing slightly as she eyed her doll for a moment.
“Why?”
“Because Trixie wants to,” she replied, without even a hint of hesitation. Her answer surprised Reina, making her look at Trixie for a moment, before putting a hoof to her glasses. She then smiled, her body becoming less tense as she glanced from Trixie to the doll.
“Reina should thank the pony,” the doll said in a slightly deeper voice than the filly's, making Trixie blink. She eyed the doll, raising an eyebrow as she looked to the filly.
“Thank you Trixie, for helping me,” Reina said as she glanced to the side.
“See, that wasn't so hard~!” the doll quickly replied, Reina's hooves making it move in time with its words. It was subtle, but Trixie could make out her lips moving when the doll talked. “You should be nice to the pony, since she's helping! And those things on your face, that was nice too!” it added, making Trixie smile as she looked between the doll and its speaker.
“Those are called glasses. Reina, what's his name?”
“He's Tiko. Mom made him so I'd have a friend. He's always with me.”
“Well Tiko, Trixie thanks you for your kind words-”
“Don't talk to Tiko, you dum-dum!” the doll quickly replied, making Trixie blink in surprise.
“Tiko, you said be nice to her!” Reina chided.
“You. I said you! I'm just a stuffed doll, I owe that pony nothing! I bet she has more fluff in her head than I do in my whole body!” he let out, getting an annoyed look from Trixie. “What's with that dum-dum look? Wanna fight! I can take you on any day, my little pony!” it added, Trixie's horn starting to glow as Reina quickly hid the doll behind her. “Let me at her, let me at her!” it added, eliciting a sheepish smile from the filly.
“Cute,” Trixie replied flatly.
“So, you're really fine with it?” Reina asked.
“With Tiko? No.”
“Dum-dum!”
“N-No,” Reina replied, “Fine with helping me. For several months,” she said, making Trixie let out a small sigh, before nodding.
“Trixie said she'd help, and that's what she'll do,” she replied dismissively, moving around her carriage to appraise the damage to the straps as she did. A little bit of magic and some branches later, and it was almost as good as new. Almost. Slick was going to pay, next time she saw him.
“Magic sure is helpful,” Tiko pointed out.
“Mind helping us down?” Reina asked, before she let out a small yelp in surprise as Trixie levitated her and her things off of the roof. The filly blushed at her own reaction, and Trixie thought better than to place her on the muddy path. She opened the front window of her carriage, and levitated Reina inside. She peeked out through the opening as Trixie pulled her cart off the path, before going inside.
“Well Reina, Welcome to the home of the Great and Powerful Trixie!” the blue mare let out boisterously, getting a small snicker from Tiko, which the others ignored as Reina's eyes took in the small space.
A unkempt bed. Several drawers and cupboards with food and traveling amenities. As well as a bunch of this-and-thats resting on the wall, hanging from the ceiling, plushing on the bed. It was small, and cozy, but there was something about it that bothered the filly.
“It smells funny in here,” she pointed out, making Trixie clear her throat, her horn flickering before the place smelled of apples and flowers.
“You can sit in here, or rest on the roof, while Trixie gets us to Vanhoover.”
“What's a Vanhoover?” Tiko asked.
“A city Trixie was going do a show at tonight.”
“Show? Show what?” Reina asked, making Trixie adopt a sly grin. “What's with that look?”
“You'll have to wait and see,” she replied, before eyeing the cupboards. “If you're thirsty, Trixie has apple-juice here. You can have some, but the carrot juice is off limits. Low of food right now, but that'll change once Trixie's resupplied. If you need help reaching the higher drawers, just ask Trixie for help,” she divvied out as she nodded to herself.
“Why do you talk like that?”
“Because she's a dum-dum!” Tiko quickly interjected.
“That's just the way Trixie prefers to talk,” she then raised an eyebrow as she gave Reina a sly smile, “Just like you prefer to speak your mind through Tiko,” she added, getting a flustered look from the filly.
“S-She's onto us Reina!” Tiko let out. “I knew it was odd, the way she didn't freak out when I talked!”
“Hah!” Trixie let out as she stood tall, “Trixie can do the talking doll trick too. Without magic! It's called ventriloquism,” she explained, making Reina glance to the side.
“I didn't know its name,” she admitted in a low mumble, before looking Trixie in the eyes. “You don't mind?”
“You mean Tiko?” she asked, getting a nod from Reina, “Trixie can tolerate him.”
“Glad to hear it!” Tiko let out, “Now go outside and get moving!”
“Though, Trixie may be inclined towards using him as tinder,” she replied with a small frown, making Reina place Tiko behind her.
“Sorry,” Reina said with a small smile, “Thank you, Trixie.”
“You can thank Trixie when she's found your mother. With any luck, those two goons will try to take you back. When they fail, we can try asking them for details again.”
“-She said, after letting said goons escape,” Tiko chimed in from over Reina's shoulder, getting an aggravated sigh from Trixie, before going outside, and strapping herself to the carriage. She then eyed the muddy path apprehensively, before setting out.
“So, is your home on the other side of Equestria?” she asked.
“No. It's in a desert to the south,” Reina replied as she rested her chin on her hooves, perched on the front window sill. “I've never been in Equestria before,” she added as she eyed the passing surroundings, a hint of wonder in her gaze. “It's really green.”
“She likes it more than home~!” Tiko pointed out in a teasing voice, making Reina frown for a moment.
“It feels more alive, that's all.”
“That's because it is,” Trixie said flatly, getting an unamused look from the filly. She then dipped out of sight, getting a curious look from Trixie, before shrugging as she continued to Vanhoover.
She then faltered when she heard cupboards open, hearing things being moved around and rummaged through. “What are you doing?”
“Just looking!” Tiko replied, instilling little confidence in the mare as she pulled the cart through the mud. It wasn't long before Trixie had to wipe sweat from her brow, cursing the path as she did.
After pulling the cart for about half an hour, she was too wrapped up in her impromptu workout to realize how quiet it's been. She did however notice a break in the path ahead, revealing how thankfully close the spires of the city were.
“Hey, Trixie?” Reina chimed in, almost making Trixie jump in surprise, before looking over her shoulder. The filly had an embarrassed smile on her face, and she was avoiding eye contact with Trixie as she pulled into view an empty juice jug with her tail. “This, ugh, apple-juice. It was really good. Can you get more?” She asked, her face turning a deeper shade of red as Trixie gave her an odd look.
“There were two jugs.”
“Not anymore!” Tiko proclaimed, making Reina bury her face in her hooves, her ears adopting her blush. “She really liked the stuff,” he added, making Trixie adopt a sly smile.
“Trixie can get more, but why should she?”
“Because...” Tiko began, before letting out an annoyed sigh, “Because you're a nice pony?”
“That's right, and don't forget it~!” Trixie replied with a slightly victorious smile. She then stumbled when her hooves found firmer ground. Looking ahead, she saw that the path connected to a stone road, that seemed to go in the same direction as the muddy path she'd been following...
“W-Where was this path earlier!?” Trixie let out in dismay, getting a small chuckle from Tiko as she eyed the new road. Her ears then fell when she saw a sign indicating the path she'd been on. 'The Road Less Traveled --->'.
She honestly didn't know if she should feel proud, or embarrassed.
The new path was wide enough for several carriages to take it up side to side, and it lead directly to Vanhoover's eastern bridge. Trixie brought her carriage onto the stone, before cleaning herself off with a spell. She then pulled out her map, frowning as she saw no evidence of this nice, mud-free road. To be fair, she did get the map at a fairly cheap price.
“Is that a map of Equestria?” Reina asked as she joined Trixie's side, getting a nod from the mare. Reina then looked from the map, to the city nearby, her mouth falling open as she took it in.
Further down the road was a large bridge spanning a river. The bridge was high enough for boats to sail under. Past that river was a wall of mismatched buildings that pierced the sky. The road itself was full of busy ponies, a number of them passing Trixie's gaudy carriage without even batting an eye. Some noticed Reina, but didn't know how to react. Not many ponies have ever seen a lamia before, let alone one as young as her.
“Is that Vanhoover?” Reina asked as she turned to Trixie, an excited look in her eyes.
“That's right. Biggest city on the west coast,” Trixie explained as she put the map away, before giving Reina an amused smile. “Like it?”
“It's so big! How did those mountains get shaped like that?” she asked, getting a small chuckle from Trixie.
“A lot of ponies worked together to make them, that's how.”
“Worked together?” she repeated, the notion sounding alien to her.
“Yep! And Trixie's gonna show her tricks here! But first, we gotta enter~!”
“Right! Then you can do that show thing. Is that how you make, uh, money?” she asked, getting a nod from the mare, which made Reina's smile widen. “Which means more juice~” she said more to herself, before quickly slithering back on the carriage.
“Let's see the city!” Tiko decreed, leaving Trixie with a silly grin on her face, as she continued forward.
As they reached the bridge, a pegasus and earth pony, both stallions in uniform, approached Trixie.
“Well met miss,” the earth pony began, “I'm Roller, and this is Turbine. You here for business?”
“That's right!” Trixie let out energetically, before giving the stallions a sly smile, “You should know, you're speaking to The Great and Powerful Trixie! And she shall be performing a show at Hoover Park tonight.”
“That's quite short notice, is it a side-show show?” the earth pony asked.
“Carriage side,” she replied confidently, “Trixie however would like to set up in the park, if that's not too much trouble.”
“Trixie?” The pegasus said as he eyed her carriage, “Trixie Lulamoon? As in Princess Luna's student? 'Disciple of the Moon'? That Trixie?”
“But of course!”
“Well, you're in luck,” Roller replied as he wrote a few things on a clipboard, “The park isn't booked for any major events right now, so it's open to the public. Just make sure you clean up after yourself,” he explained, Trixie's smile growing in the process.
“That's great news~!”
“Well Ms. Lulamoon, would ya like a tour of Vanhoover?” Turbine asked, “It's only ten bits for the brief runabout. It'll help ya from gettin' lost.”
“Trixie appreciates the offer, but she'll abstain. She wants to see it at her own pace,” she explained, unaware that Reina was nodding in agreement, her eyes on the pegasus' wings.
“Heh, aren't you a cutie,” Turbine said as he noticed Reina looking at him, “Ya look like ya've never seen a pegasus before.”
“She's lived a sheltered life,” Trixie said with a smile, which was short lived. She expected Reina to snark back, but her words only seemed to pop Reina's little bubble of wonder. Turbine then raised an eyebrow as he flew closer, adopting a confused look as he better saw the young lamia.
“Um, Ms. Trixie, are ya aware that your filly has a snake's tail?” he asked, getting an confused look from Roller, while Trixie looked a little flustered at his discovery.
“Paint a picture, it'll last longer!” Tiko let out, Reina hiding behind him as Turbine raised an eyebrow.
“Magic eh? Neat trick. What's this filly to you, Trixie?” He asked as he gave the mare a suspicious look.
“Assistant!” Tiko let out, getting a surprised look from both Trixie and Reina, prompting the filly to throw the doll over her shoulder, “This is not how you treat a doll!” he let out, from inside the carriage.
“Assistant? That true little one?” he asked as he flew closer to the window, making Reina glance to the side.
“That's right! She's Trixie's stage assistant!” Trixie let out confidently.
“I was asking the filly, not you, or the doll.”
“...Yes, I'm her assistant,” Reina replied, giving him a forced smile as he scrutinized her.
“Welp, good enough fer me!” Turbine said suddenly, backing away from the carriage as he gave Trixie a hearty smile. “Enjoy your stay in Vanhoover you two. I'm lookin' forward to the show tonight!” he added, making Roller roll his eyes.
“About that, Turbine,” Trixie began, levitating out ten bits, “Though Trixie doesn't want the tour, she would like a favor, if it's not too much trouble?” she asked as she gave him a sheepish smile, making herself blush as she eyed him. He blushed in turn, before coughing into his hoof.
“Just name it!” he let out as he eyed the bits.
“Could you tell everypony you can about Trixie's show tonight?” she asked with a heartfelt grin, making him look a little more bothered as he quickly nodded.
“Keep your bits ma'am, it'll be my pleasure!”
“Glad to heart it!” she let out cheerfully, making Roller roll his eyes again as Turbine adopted a sheepish grin, before flying off. Trixie then nodded to the remaining stallion, before continuing on.
She then eyed Reina for a moment, who lowered her head to the point that her eyes were barely peeking over the sill's edge, as they entered the city in silence. After putting some space between themselves and the bridge, Trixie coughed into her hoof.
“Assistant?”
“Tiko said it-”
“And Tiko is you, Reina. Call Trixie a dum-dum all you like, but she's not gonna buy your act,” she assured, before adopting an amused smile, “Still, it wasn't a bad idea,” she admitted, “We can use that story to get you around Equestria,” she added, making Reina blink in surprise.
“Wait, so it's fine?”
“Yep!” Trixie let out, before adopting a sinister smile, “Hope you're ready, assistant,” she added, making Reina's eyes widen, before she let out a painful groan, thumping her head on the sill.
Just what had she gotten herself into?