15. Trixie the Uncertain
The office door opened and Lieutenant Daisy trotted in. Her brow arched behind her dark rimmed glasses. “You look worn out, Day.”
I turned the logbook around and pushed it towards her. “Twelve contacts at the wall, and then there was a small riot in the gift shop. The tours are all off schedule and the 30-minute rule has failed. I’m actually surprised to see you because I didn’t even realize it was time for shift change.”
Daisy moved over to the chair opposite mine and sat down. She ran her hoof along the log. “This is amazing. We might need to request additional guards if this keeps up.”
“You’re right about that but I imagine all the other sections are in the same boat as us,” I said as I got up and started to gather my things.
“Doesn’t hurt to ask. I relieve you, ma’am. See you tomorrow,” she said formally. Scarlet Daisy was by the book. Unlike Ginger Snap. I always wondered how their mornings went.
“True. I stand relieved.” When I got out onto the battlements I called, “Lieutenant Daisy has the wall.” There was an acknowledgement by the guards around me and that was that. I was off to the palace to visit with Princess Celestia.
I was making my way down one of the back halls when Lady Cadence came out from one of the side doors and turned my way.
When we were in speaking distance, I smiled at her. “Hello, Lady Cadence, it‘s good to see you again.”
She paused and looked at me curiously before replying, “Oh, yes. Yes, it is. Nice to see you too, that is.”
Had she forgotten who I was? We’d spent over an hour together! More than that. “So, do you believe all of this craziness over your wedding?”
Lady Cadence shrugged. “Is it not appropriate? An occasion such as this should be celebrated. I think it is wonderful that all of these ponies want to share their affection for me. The more, the better.”
Maybe I was the pony that had forgotten who the other was supposed to be! Wasn’t that the exact opposite of what she’d said before? I tried to keep smiling. “Yeah, I can see your point.” I cleared my throat. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I need to visit the princess.”
She nodded and tipped her nose in the air. “You are excused.” And then she just trotted on.
“That was weird,” I muttered as I turned the corner, went down the hall, and ended up at Princess Celestia’s office. As usual, Sergeant Storm Rider was outside the door with one of his subordinates.
Before he could even say a word, I pulled out my pass and levitated it in front of his eyes. “I’m in no mood today! Door, please.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, knocking on the door loudly three times and then pulling it open for me. He learned! “Have a nice visit.”
“Thank you. Be glad you’re not a palace guard right now. It’s a nightmare out there.”
Storm Rider grinned briefly. “I tackled a pony today that managed to get inside. Be glad you’re not the palace guard officer in charge of the section that let that one get by.”
I winced. “Oh, ouch. Was it really necessary to tackle him?”
He shook his head. “No, but I wasn’t going to take the chance. Nopony gets that close to her while I’m standing here.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” I walked through the open door and as it started to shut behind me, I whispered at him, “I’m going to boop her nose. Try to stop me!”
“What!” he shout just as I magically shut the door in his face.
I took my helmet off and set it on the entry table. Princess Celestia was looking at me over the rim of some reading glasses, a scroll levitated in her magic.
“Why are you wearing those?” I asked. “Aren’t you an immortal pony with perfect everything?”
“I like to try new things. How do they make me look?” She brought the scroll down so I could see her face.
I set one hoof on her coffee table and leaned in close to peer at them. “Well, let me get a good look. Come closer?”
The princess leaned in so I set my hoof on her nose. “Boop.”
Her head tilted and she smiled. “Is that all I’m going to get out of you?”
“No, you look good with them, but not in the ‘I’m a smart pony’ way.” I settled back against the soft cushions. “In fact, I’d say they give you more of the sexy secretary look.”
She frowned briefly.
“What? You knew I was going to say something like that.”
“Oh, I did. What bothers me is that Raven said the same thing, which is most vexing. Evidently, if I wear anything different, I’m being a ‘sexy something’.”
“Well, that only makes sense, right? We have certain things we’re expected to wear. You wear a crown, I wear armor. Anything else we put on is meant to attract attention. We dress up to get looks. So when I see an immortal—”
“Ageless,” she interrupted.
“Pardon?”
“I’m not immortal. I’m Ageless.”
I sat up straight. “What’s the difference?”
“An immortal is a creature that cannot die. An ageless simply does not age. Though it would be difficult to achieve, I most certainly can be killed. Thus, my House Guard.”
“Really? I thought they were just there to keep ponies from bothering you so much that you couldn’t do your job.”
Princess Celestia laughed and shook her head. “No! Well, I mean yes. That too. I love my ponies but there has to be some boundary. Make no mistake, my House Guard and even you are there to protect me from violence.
“I am an alicorn and I am ageless. I am also a powerful sorceress, but I am not immortal or eternal. At some point, I may cease to be. For now, I’d prefer to just be me and not a sexy version of something.”
My nose wiggled. “I already took my job seriously, but now I’m going to have to take it more so. I didn’t realize I was also protecting you from harm.”
“Well, you are.” Her head tilted to the side. “How about some tea?”
“That would be lovely. Say, while you brew that, I just saw Lady Cadence. She was different than last time. She suddenly wants more ponies to pay attention? What happened to the small, quiet wedding?”
The princess’s tea set was floating by and setting itself up on the coffee table. “I suppose all brides have the right to change their mind. Her decision was sudden, I’ll admit, but that is her right.”
“I suppose so. I’ve never even thought about it,” I replied as I watched the kettle swirl about, heated by magic. It then tipped over, pouring through the infuser, and drained into my mug.
“You’ve never thought about your own wedding?”
I shook my head. “Nope. Not interested.”
“Not that I am judging, but when you were a filly, did you play pretend? If so, was it not about weddings and the like? Most fillies at least imagine or play at a wedding,” she said as she finished off the preparation.
“Well, my mother is an actress, so most of the time I was in her theatre watching her,” I mused while I sipped my tea. “Most of my games were me fantasizing about going on from there to become a big celebrity. Mom even called me her little star back then. And you know I don’t have a dad, so I never saw any of that romance stuff. It was just the plays and the work.”
The tea was outstanding as always. Hundreds of years of practice just couldn’t be beat.
“That speaks volumes in explaining the background that resulted in an exceptional pony like you,” the princess said before sipping at her own tea.
I grinned. “Exceptional? You think I’m exceptional?”
“Of course. Most things about you are an exception to the usual.”
My hoof wagged at her. “I see what you did there.”
“Do you? Are you sure? Would you see it clearer with my sexy secretary glasses?” They levitated off her snout and flew onto my face.
“Ha ha ha,” I said dully. “Actually though that is a pretty decent joke for you.”
“For me? What do you mean by that?” She frowned.
“Oh come on, don’t be upset. Look, you’re a wonderful pony. I mean the pony part of you, not the ageless alicorn sorceress thing. Despite that, your humor is a bit… well… I’m going to guess four hundred years old. I appreciate it, but I’m not going to laugh about it later.”
She tipped her nose in the air. “How rude!”
“You’re the one that taught us to be honest!”
She grimaced and peered at me. “Rude and honest are two different things, Sunny. Perhaps my humor is just too subtle for you.”
“Sure, sure. We’ll just have to agree to disagree.” I picked up a biscuit and nibbled on it. “Hey, tell me something?”
Her brow arched. “What do you want to know?”
“Besides tea with me, what do you do for fun?”
“Oh, you think this is what I do for fun?”
Another biscuit flew its way lazily to my mouth. “Uh -huh.”
“I see. We’re at that stage now where we open up a bit more about each other? Although I shudder to think what more you could open up about.”
With a swish of my tail, I leaned forwards and said with a grin, “If you don’t share, I’ll just have to.”
The princess leaned back and took a long breath in. “You’re a devious little pony. Fine, if you must know, I enjoy reading more than anything.”
It took all of my effort not to roll my eyes. “With all due respect, Princess, everypony in this kingdom knows that reading is your favorite thing to do. Tell me something I don’t know!”
Her nose wiggled and she set a hoof on her chin.
I just stared back at her.
“I like to take showers in waterfalls,” she said softly.
Oh, that was priceless. I couldn’t help but grin. “That is amazing. So you just sneak out, hop in a waterfall, and have at it? Is it the part about showering in public view? Naughty!”
She gasped and her ears shot up. “No! Bad, Sunny. It isn’t like that at all. There is just an amazing experience. I know of some hidden glades with perfect pools of crystal water. As the river crashes down from above, it displays a rainbow in the spray.
“I’m surrounded by peace, calm, and nature. The bird songs, the chittering of creatures, and even the fish swimming by. It makes me feel like I’m a part of the world once more instead of being a princess cooped up in a castle.”
Oh. This actually wasn’t a priceless joke worthy of mockery. It was a beautiful sentiment. “So, you really do just want to be a pony sometimes?”
“Of course, I thought you understood that better than most.”
“Well I assumed! I just wasn’t sure. Now I’m sure!”
She smiled. “Indeed. Now, tell me something about you that everypony in the kingdom doesn’t know.”
“That’s a tough one. Not because I like keeping secrets, but because I don’t. Let’s see,” I said as I pondered. Then it hit me. My nose scrunched up.
In an immediate reaction, the princess leaned forwards. “Oh yes, the look on your face tells me this is going to be good.”
After glancing at the door to make certain it was shut, I ran my hooves through my mane and whispered, “I actually like that ponies call me Miss Thunder. I regret that stupid calendar, but I love the attention.”
The princess chuckled softly and her horn lit. She opened the door of her desk and flew a small bundle out of it. When it landed on my lap, I realized immediately it was the calendar I’d appeared in. “Would you sign mine?”
How could I be mad when I’d just told her I wasn’t really? A pen flew over and poked at my nose.
“Sign it,” she whispered.
I snatched the pen, flipped to Thunder Moon, and started to sign right on my rump. “Where did you even get this?”
With an evil little giggle, she replied, “Orchid.”
“I’m going to make her life miserable,” I muttered before offering the calendar back. “Why did you keep it?”
The princess idly flipped through it. “I keep all of the publications that feature my students. Granted, this is the first time I’ve ever had something like this from one. Was this peer reviewed?”
I huffed and stood up. “Yes, yes it was! In fact, I suspect it has been reviewed quite a lot.”
Princess Celestia started laughing at that. She kept her hoof in front of her lips, though, to keep it reined in.
“Well then, I’m glad I could amuse you,” I huffed again. “I actually do need to head out, though. A friend of mine is performing at the Mare Contraire. I’d invite you, but that would be a fiasco right now. Unless you have some way to sneak in?”
Her brow arched. “What if I did? Are you just trying to trick me into coming to a mare bar?”
I shook my head. “No, in this one case, I’m legitimately not. My friend Trixie is doing her first prime time performance and… well… I’m proud of her.”
“That is so sweet of you Sunny. As much as I would love to attend, I’m afraid tonight would not be possible. Give her my best.”
“Will do! And Princess, I don’t think it is silly you bathe in waterfalls. In fact, that was one of the most wonderful things I’ve ever learned from you. Keep trying to be a pony, that is my favorite thing about you,” I said as I gathered up my things and put my helmet on.
Princess Celestia’s cheeks flushed slightly. “Thank you. That is probably the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
I shrugged. “It happens occasionally. Thank you for tea and our time together. See you soon.”
“Until next time, Sunny,” she called after me as I stepped out into the hall and exchanged glances with Storm Rider.
“You’ll never know if I did it or not,” I whispered before trotting off.
The palace was still busy and I did my best to avoid every tour, pony, and unwanted attention I could. With all of the happenings, it was perfectly believable that some senior officer would snatch me up and put me to work. I didn’t want that tonight. Trixie may have said she didn’t want me there but deep down, I knew she did.
When I reached the gate it was pure chaos. I took my helmet off and stuffed it haphazardly into my saddle bag. It barely fit and the crest was poking out from under the flap. It was enough of a disguise to get me past the sentries and all of the crazy ponies trying to get in.
Once I was further away from the palace, the city mostly went back to normal. At least until I got to the neighborhood that was home to the Mare and several other night life establishments.
The bar was already busy when I approached the main door. There was a chalkboard outside with a crude drawing of Trixie on it. ‘Tonight, be amazed by the master illusionist Trixie the Magnificent.’ Subtle. She wasn’t an artist, but maybe she didn’t need to be.
Trixie’s advertisement seemed to be grabbing the attention of ponies that were walking by. Perhaps she knew what she was doing. I crept through the crowd and around behind the bar where Dolly and Emerald were already hard at work.
“It’s like the weekend in here,” I said.
Dolly beamed. “Yes, evidently ponies like illusionists! If you don’t mind, can you put your shirt on and cover until Mango shows up?”
Yes, that was exactly what I wanted to do after my day: work a second job. I wasn’t going to say no to Dolly, though, so I awkwardly removed my armor behind the bar. That yielded a few whistles and cat calls. The place was just too busy to know where they’d come from, otherwise I may have had myself a date to Trixie’s show.
I stowed my armor, pulled on my shirt, and went to work. “Is Trixie at least here yet?”
Emerald snorted. “She’s been here for hours pacing back in forth in her ’dressing room,’” she said while making air quotes with her forehooves.
“Is she nervous?”
Dolly nodded. “Excruciatingly. She was washing glasses but she kept dropping them. Once she’d broken the sixth one, I sent her back there again. I’ve honestly never seen her like this. It almost makes her seem...”
“Normal? Like a regular pony? Not entitled?” I poured two ciders for a pair of stallions sitting at the end of the bar.
“Yes, but said in a politer way,” Dolly replied before picking up a shaker and mixing a cocktail.
“Here you go, fellas,” I said in passing as I levitated the ciders down, then looked back to Dolly. “Should I go talk to her?”
Dolly shrugged. “Maybe? Maybe not. She’s an odd one. Right now, I need you to mix four cherry fizzy drinks.”
Cherry fizzy drinks. I could do that. It would be easier than giving a pep talk to Trixie, so that was the task I set myself to. Not that I was afraid. I was just nervous. After all, Trixie might fail and then what? She’d been so sad before.
For the time being, I focused on the fizzy drinks. That was something I was very good at, so I made them and kept at it while orders came in.
After about an hour, Mango trotted through the crowd and around the bar. She pulled her t-shirt on and looked at me. “Hi.”
“Hi,” I replied before starting a vanilla-and-orange fizzy.
Emerald came our way. “You’re late! What is your excuse?”
Mango’s head tilted. “Coffee.”
“Not enough or too much?” Emerald asked, pushing the green mare towards a group of thirsty ponies.
“Coffee, coffee, coffeeeeee!” was all I heard Mango say.
Dolly waved a hoof at me. “Better go check on your girl. She goes on in an hour.”
“Right!” I finished the last drink I was making, then started towards the back room.
Getting there, however, was not easy with how packed the place was. This was a weekend crowd and then some. Perhaps Dolly should investigate more live entertainment.
I went through the ‘Employees Only’ door and quickly closed it behind me. The lounge was empty, but I could see light under the bottom of the bathroom door, so I knocked. “Trixie, it’s me.”
“Please go away. Trixie does not need you.” Her voice was not convincing at all as it wavered more than once.
“You know, I don’t think I’m going to go. I think Trixie does need me and is just too stubborn to ask,” I said against the wood.
“Trixie is not stubborn!” the mare called back. “Sunny Day is stubborn with her chore board and rules and keeping the show like it is.”
“Open the door, Trixie.”
“Never!”
At that point, I just turned the handle and it opened. As I pushed it, I said, “In the future, you should lock the door. Now—oh, my…” I trailed.
Trixie was sprawled on the floor. Her mane was a mess and there were lines down her cheeks where her mascara had run. She threw her forehooves over her face. “Don’t look!”
What I was seeing is what the Contemporary Equestrian Common Dictionary defined as a hot mess. I trotted over and sat down next to her. “Hey now, I’m here to help you out. Now, tell me what this is all about?”
“Trixie has a real second chance! Trixie has never had a second chance. If Trixie blows this, then it means she isn’t that magnificent,” she muttered as she moved her head to rest against my leg.
“Yet,” I said while I started to brush a knot out of her mane.
“Yet what?”
“It means Trixie isn’t that magnificent, yet,” I said as I did my best to put her usual style together. “You’re so extreme. Being famous and magnificent takes time. You know this routine. The show will be great and even if it isn’t, you’ll get another chance. Very few ponies get things right the first or even the second time.”
“How does Sunny Day know that?”
“Sunny Day’s first command was horrible, but I wasn’t ready for the one I have now. In fact, I got exactly what I was ready for. I hadn’t taken my training that seriously, and I ignored a friend that tried to help me. So when everypony else got a good assignment, I didn’t. The amount of effort I put in resulted in exactly what I got out.”
Trixie pushed herself up to sit in front of me while I continued to work on her mane. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hoof. “What did you do to get where you are?”
“I endured for as long as I could. Then I got angry. I started watching ponies that were better at my job than me. I learned from them and emulated their behavior. Eventually, I got my shot.
“Now, let’s get you cleaned up and ready. This is your first prime-time performance of many. The truth is, Trixie, the house may be packed, but one good show isn’t going to make you magnificent. You only get to be magnificent if you continuously delight.” I winked. “Kind of like me in bed.”
Trixie set her hoof on my chest. “Sunny Day is magnificent in bed.” She then leaned in close and kissed me.
It was a warm, passionate, and very real kiss. I melted in a second before begrudgingly setting a hoof on her shoulder and pushing her back. “Wait, wait, wait! We talked about this. I can’t be your mentor and lover.”
She set her lips into a prefect pout. “Trixie is full of nervous energy and feeling genuinely grateful. Make an exception? Please?”
Dolly would not approve… But forget Dolly, she was out front with a ton of ponies! She wouldn’t even know.
I grabbed Trixie and pulled her up off the bathroom floor. “Yes, but not in here. Come on, let’s go up to Dolly’s room!”
Breaking this rule would be later Sunny’s problem. Let her deal with it!
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Hey Chrysi, hope you manage to have some fun before you get evicted off the mountain. At high speed. By a shield to the face!
But that's future Chrysi's problem. And I'm just hopeful that present Trixie's show goes well. That mare deserves a break.
Sunny, you are such a sweet mare you know that?
Also love your version of Trixie.
Celestia liking to bathe in waterfalls was kinda neat. Dunno why, but it's just interesting. Also wow, those poor palace guards.
Lol! Beware, Storm Rider. Sunny the nose booping menace will inevitably strike again!
....I just thought of something. So the Changelings have already infiltrated, Cadance's wedding is about four months away, and still no Luna? That's a tight timeline.
Ah pre-show jitters suck so hard.
Uh oh, looks like Bridezilla had taken the reins.
Fantastic.
I hope that Celestia really does attend incognito.
Trixie, normal? Lol
Pretty good advice.
9476019
What do you mean "no Luna"? Did you read the same story as me?