Trixie Luna Moon

by Lets Do This

The Road to Canterlot

It was cold in the forest. And dark, too -- probably well after midnight. On top of that, it was raining; a thin, trickling sort of drizzle, which didn't so much make you wet as remind you, drip by drip, just how much nicer it would be to be indoors and out of it.

If you can survive the first night without turning back, Trixie reminded herself, it's probably all downhill after that... probably... But if it kept on like this, Trixie wasn't sure she'd make it. Not that she could turn back, even if she wanted to. Trixie had no idea where she was any longer.

She huddled among the roots of a gnarled old oak, shivering. She'd managed to collect a pitiful pile of kindling and branches, but lacked even a simple pyromancy spell to spark them alight. She was tired from pushing through the brambles all day. And scratched, and scraped. And bug-bitten and itchy. And hungry. And cold and wet. And tired too... or did I already count that?

Her thoughts rambling unhappily round and round in this way, Trixie's eyes gradually slid closed.

"There you are, our student," snapped a cold, imperious voice from the darkness. "We had begun to wonder what had become of thee."

Trixie looked up, surprised. It was Nightmare Moon, a shadow among shadows in the gloom. Only the poisonous gleam of her eyes and the hot, infernal glow of her mouth lit the darkness.

Trixie knew she ought to have been scared by that, yet somehow she wasn't. She felt almost comforted by the leering, grinning shape, looming over her. After all, nothing else out here could be half so threatening, right?

"Trixie was headed for Canterlot," she said miserably, "but got lost."

"Canterlot?" The Nightmare raised an eyebrow in surprise. Then she nodded, smiling. "That is perfect. We had thought of sending thee there eventually, but this saves time. Capital initiative, young one! Continue."

"And, well... it got dark. Trixie tried to build a fire, but --"

"Oh, come now!" Nightmare Moon interrupted. "A flame spell should be short work for such a powerful sorceress."

"Of course it is! But... well, Trixie is not sure she is as skilled in it as she ought to be. Could you maybe... teach Trixie how?"

"Easily... and it shall make a fine first lesson for us."

The Nightmare explained it, curtly but thoroughly. And Trixie listened carefully. Then Trixie fired up her horn, thought through the words of the spell, and triggered it.

The kindling caught fire, damp as it was. The flames engulfed the branches, crackling merrily.

"Woo hoo hoo!" Trixie clapped her hooves. "Trixie has never done that before! Ahem... not nearly so well I mean!"

"Thou are a quick study," Nightmare Moon observed. "That is well, for there is much to be done. Thou will never make it to Canterlot at this rate, certainly not without shelter from the elements."

She glanced around, as if orienting herself... and then grinned evilly.

"And we know just where to begin. Now, when thou has warmed thyself, our attentive student, this is what we wish thee to do..."

------------------------------

The cave opening was huge, set in a massive cliff-face deep in the forest. Trixie felt particularly small and vulnerable as she tip-hoofed inside, her horn singing gently to provide a light.

After a couple turns the stone passage widened into a vast chamber. And Trixie came to a dead halt, holding her breath in fear, wishing that her horn made less noise.

Before her, like a small hillock made of blue, star-spangled mist, there was an enormous Ursa, wheezing gently in its slumbers. As she watched in terror, it sniffed, snuffed, and then opened one huge golden eye, staring at her.

And then shut it again, resettling its massive bulk comfortably.

The Ursa is our creature, the Nightmare had told her. It will recognize thee, as it does all those who serve us. And it will not harm thee -- so long as it is not unduly roused. Just tread softly near it, our student, and all shall be well.

Trixie trotted past the sleeping Ursa as quietly as she could. Then she looked back at it -- and grinned. Once again, she thought proudly, the Great and Powerful Trixie demonstrates her legendary skill, by vanquishing the dreaded Ursa Major!

The sleeping Ursa snorted in its slumbers, and Trixie froze, her eyes wide. Then, her teeth chattering, the Great and Powerful Trixie decided it would probably be wiser to press on. So many things to do, after all...

Farther on, the tunnel narrowed again, and to the right a short spur led off. Following this, Trixie came to an apparent dead end.

Use thy magic, and form our sign, the Nightmare had said. The Mark of our imprisonment: the Moon and Stars. The Mare had snickered nastily at that. It is regarded with superstition now, but was adopted by our followers, early on after the Banishment -- our faithful made it their own. Were it not for Celestia's interference it might be looked upon with devout reverence, even today...

Trixie's horn sang, using the particular variant of the luminance spell that Nightmare Moon had taught her. In the air before her, a crescent Moon and its attendant Shepherd Stars appeared, in glowing arcs of light.

The wall ahead became translucent, revealing a chamber beyond. Trixie quickly trotted ahead through the illusory wall, then released the spell, allowing the wall to resume its normal appearance. She found herself in what appeared to be a small arcane temple, with crumbling wooden chairs set around an inlaid magic circle, in the center of which was the Moon and Stars, worked in fine silver filigree.

Following the Nightmare's instructions, Trixie trotted past the circle, then left through a side opening into a smaller chamber. Here she found shelves of old books and scrolls, and racks hung with large, hooded robes and golden necklace-chains. Against the far wall was a small chest, with heavy hasps and an ancient magic padlock. Using the spell she'd been taught, Trixie unlocked the chest and then threw the lid open.

She gasped. It was full to the brim with bits. The shimmering of reflected gold highlights filled the small chamber as Trixie dug her forehooves into the pile, then let the coins trickle through her grasp.

One of the few caches, the Nightmare had told her, that has not yet been plundered by tomb-robbers and fortune-seekers. But it will be more than enough for our purposes. Spend it charily, Trixie. It must serve until thou are ready to stand on thy own.

"Okay," Trixie said to herself. "Step one, get rich. Easy enough, for such a Great and Powerful student of the Dark Mare. Now for step two..."

------------------------------

"Why, hello there, little lady!" The gangling, red-maned unicorn colt doffed his straw hat. "And what can we do for you this fine morning?"

"Trixie wants to buy that wagon, over there." She pointed across the open space in front of the barn. The place was a hodge-podge of half-disassembled carts, carriages, wheelbarrows, and other less-identifiable contraptions. The red-roofed wagon standing near the barn was very nearly the only road-worthy vehicle in sight.

The colt glanced briefly at his nearly-identical brother, grinning in amusement. "And what would you be using to pay for it, missy? Damp roses? Kitten whiskers?" He snorted. "Run along and play, there's a good girl. We've got a lot of hard inventing work ahead of us today!"

"Indeed we do, brother! The Bale-o-Matic 2000 isn't going to invent itself, you know!"

Trixie held up a bit-bag and jerked it. It clinked expensively. "Trixie has bits... unless that's not good enough for you?"

She instantly had their undivided attention.

"Well, then! Step right this way, young lady!" They accompanied her over to the wagon, winking to each other over her head, mistakenly thinking she didn't notice.

"Now this here's a gen-u-ine travelling the-a-ter carriage," the left-hand brother said.

"The front folds out, into a performance stage," the right-hand one added. "And there's plenty of room inside for props and the like!"

They went on, smoothly alternating back and forth, gesturing grandly with their forehooves: "It has a stove! ... A bunk-bed! ... Leaf-spring suspension to tame those bumpy back roads! ... Comfort padding on the quality leather traces! ... All-natural raw-wood finish! ... Very lightly used! ... In top condition!"

"You won't find better for miles, I'd wager," the right-hand colt concluded. "And all for the low-low-low price of..."

He named a figure. Which was already outrageously inflated.

"Plus, the storage-and-detailing fee," the other said. Which set them off again. "And transfer of title... And the local excise tax, of course... And the overhead-and-depreciation recovery charge... And pre-payment of the annual amusements-and-games license..."

"Sadly necessary," the right-hand brother concluded. "But all quite legal and above-board... and mandatory on all sales!" he added quickly. "We must keep on the up-and-up if we want our little workshop business to thrive, mustn't we, brother?"

"Indubitably, brother!" The other nodded.

They both smiled at Trixie.

Who smiled right back at them.

"I know where you got this wagon," she said flatly. "I know who you cheated to get it. How you left him by the side of the road, penniless and desperate. How he's never been heard from again... and you're hoping that it stays that way. Hoping no nosy busybodies from town come by asking questions about him."

They stared at her, frozen and wide-eyed.

She jingled the bit-bag again. "Trixie thinks this will cover her taking it off your hooves. Quietly."

The left-hand brother gulped nervously, and looked at his sibling.

"I think... we have a sale, eh, brother?"

"Oh! Without question, brother..."

------------------------------

The bespectacled mare behind the counter at the Grandmare's Attic antiques shop watched in some bemusement as, one by one, items were pushed up onto the countertop by a pair of blue forehooves.

"Well, I must say, deary," she said, as the filly finally clambered up onto a convenient keg, putting herself in view. "You've got the showfolk's eye. That's just about every piece of trick equipment I've got in the place. You planning on putting on a magic show or something?"

"Something like that," Trixie acknowledged. "So, how much?"

The mare reached for a top-hat, and began examining it. "This will take some time to appraise properly..."

"For all of it," Trixie said, curtly, hooves on her hips. "The lot. And no haggling. Bottom price."

The shopkeeper eyed Trixie over the rims of her spectacles. "Afraid that's not how it's done around here, young lady."

"Oh, Trixie thinks it is." Looking around, Trixie fixed her gaze on a large, expensive-looking vase nearby. Almost too fast to see, she snatched a buckeye from a bin on the counter and slung it at the vase. The vase shattered, in a cloud of dust and shards.

"Oh my word!" The keeper gasped. Then she glared at Trixie. "That's going to cost you, missy!"

"What are you so upset about?" Trixie grinned. "Trixie knew it was a fake!"

"What? Now just a minute! What do you mean --"

"Most of this stuff is fake," Trixie interrupted curtly, waving a hoof. "Plaster and paste, and cheap board, and local dyes and cloth. And marked up a lot... way too much. You've been getting away with it for years, preying on ponies passing through who don't know any better. Because nopony's ever said anything." She crossed her forehooves. "But Trixie knows better. And Trixie knows just who might like to see your little shop closed down... if Trixie doen't get a price she likes."

"I... see." The shopkeeper set down the top hat. She put her hooves on the counter edge. Fixed Trixie with a firm gaze.

"Would you be wantin' all this delivered somewhere?" she asked, meekly.

------------------------------

Trixie waved farewell to the delivery ponies, then trotted up the back stairs of the wagon and into her new home. Within, as promised, she found a small but snug bunk, a compact woodstove, a complicated-looking mechanism for folding out the side wall of the thing to form a temporary performance stage...

... and props. Magic props. The shelves were stocked with bins, containing magic wands, trick flowers, magic rings, strings of colored hoofkerchiefs, dozens of other items. And all of it hers... all of it Trixie's. It was like Hearth's Warming Eve come early! Trixie clapped her hooves and squealed with excitement.

And it was all so easy. With the Nightmare's guidance, with her ability to see into ponies' dreams, Trixie was privy to all their little secrets. She knew just where the levers were, and how hard to push them. Trixie held all the cards!

It was nice, she decided, being the Dark Mare's student!

Now, which trick shall the Great and Powerful Trixie start with? she thought. How shall she begin her rise to fame and fortune?

Her eye fell on a small prop-bucket they'd put up on a shelf, where she couldn't quite see into it. Reaching up and tilting it with a hoof, she saw it was piled full of small gray spheres.

One of which rolled off the pile and fell to the floorboards.

There was a loud explosion, and the wagon was suddenly filled with dense, choking, obscuring smoke.

Coughing, her eyes watering, Trixie floundered her way to the door, got it open, then waved her hooves to dispel the fading vapors.

Okay, she thought. It doesn't pay to rush things. We're going to have to take this a step at a time, learn every inch of this stuff -- properly!

After a quick check for any other unexpected booby-traps hidden amongst the props, she shut the door again. And then she paused to admire her reflection in the mirror on the inside.

Truly, I am Great and Powerful now! she thought.

Reaching up to a shelf nearby, she pulled down the top-hat and put it on, patting it proudly.

And then frowned, shaking her head. She looked like a ginger-beer advertisement. Cute Little Filly, Wearing Daddy's Hat. Nope, that wouldn't do. Not in the least. Not for the Great and Powerful Trixie!

I'm a powerful sorceress, she thought. I need to look the part.

Well, there was only one thing to do about that... so there was yet another shopping trip to make...

------------------------------

"You're sure I can't interest you in a nice frock, miss?" the seamstress pony looked wistful. "I could do you a nice little print dress. You'd be beating the colts off with a stick..."

"Trixie is quite happy with the wizard hat and cape, thank you." Trixie eyed herself critically in the cloudy, cracked mirror. "Could you vary the color of the stars a little? Just so they stand out a bit."

"Let me see what I have for fabric. Won't be a moment..." She trotted into the back room.

Behind Trixie, the shop-bell dinged. An important-looking, matronly mare entered, accompanied by a younger, anxious-looking pony who had the look of a secretary or lady's maid. "And I'm distraught!" the mare was saying. "Simply at my wit's end, Knotted Kerchief!"

"Yes, ma'am," the younger mare agreed quickly, bobbing.

"Family heirlooms, gone! Just like that!" She waved a hoof, shaking her head. "What is the world coming to! When we are not safe in our homes!"

"Yes, ma'am. It's a terrible loss."

"Absolutely irreplaceable! Dear, dear, dear. Oh! I do beg your pardon, young lady," she said to Trixie, who had just turned to look at her. "I'm sure I had a fitting scheduled for today, but I might be just a trifle early."

"It's all right," Trixie smiled, then fixed her with a wise look. "You would be... Gingham Quilt, the mayor's wife, correct?"

"Why yes! And who do I have the pleasure..."

"Behold! I am the Great and Powerful Trixie!" Trixie waved a hoof grandly, then pointed the hoof at her. "And let's see, now... you've just lost a gilt brooch, a set of ruby earrings, and a gem-encrusted hoof-bracelet, am I right?"

"Oh, my word!" Gingham Quilt put a hoof to her heart, astonished. "Exactly right! However did you guess, my dear!"

Trixie shook her head. "Oh, the Great Trixie never guesses -- she knows!" Trixie eyed the mare carefully. "And if you'll take Trixie's advice, Trixie suggests you check in the box your husband stores his official robe in. You might be in for a shock!"

"You're sure, my dear?"

"Absolutely!" Trixie replied, with utter confidence. Where he was keeping your precious family heirlooms until he could collect the insurance money, and then hock them to pay off a big gambling debt... but I'm too young to understand such things, aren't I?

"Well!" the mare said eagerly. "I shall go check directly! And thank you so much, my dear! Will you be around town later? I should want to thank you properly!"

"Oh, the Great Trixie is just passing through... but she may return later, with her travelling show!"

"I shall look forward to seeing it, my dear! Come, Kerchief!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Gingham Quilt bustled quickly out through the door, her assistant scurrying close behind her. And Trixie giggled merrily.

The seamstress came back into the room, toting a few rolls of fabric. She looked around in puzzlement. "Did somepony come in just now, miss?" she asked.

"No one of any consequence," Trixie said, calmly examining a hoof. "Not when the Grrreat and All-Knowing Trixie is here..."

------------------------------

That evening, Trixie treated herself to a filling meal at a local inn, then retired to her wagon.

Or at least, to where her wagon had been. There was an empty space under the trees where she'd parked it.

"No," she whispered. "No, no, no... they can't do this... not to Trixie!"

She hunted around in increasing desperation, but apart from the wheel-tracks leading out to the hard-packed road, there was no sign of where it had gone.

At a loss, she sat down under one of the trees, her head on her forehooves, her thoughts whirling frantically...

"Has thou lost something, our student?"

Looking up, she saw Nightmare Moon grinning at her, sarcastically, around the trunk of the tree.

"Trixie has been robbed! They took Trixie's wagon! Trixie's home, her props, everything!"

The Nightmare snorted. "It is to be expected," she scolded. "The way thou has been flashing thy money around. Let this be a lesson to thee, our student, in appropriate discretion. Remember to sell thy skill as a performer... not thy value as a target for thieves and pickpockets!"

Trixie nodded sadly.

"Trixie understands. But what is Trixie to do now?"

The Nightmare grinned nastily.

"Why, what else? Take it back, of course..."

------------------------------

"All right! All right! I'm up! Quit bangin' on my door, will ya!"

Green Bean angrily yanked open the door of her clapboard shack, and glared out into the dim, moonlit clearing.

There was no one there.

Then she looked down, and saw the small, bedraggled filly standing on her doorstep.

"Yeah?" Green Bean snarled, running a hoof through her bird's nest of a mane. "What the hay do you want, kid?"

Trixie stared up at her, right in the eyes. Her voice was soft, calm, and chilling.

"I want my wagon."

Green Bean smirked innocently. "What wagon?"

"It's cursed, you see," Trixie smoothly went on. "The wagon. Cursed by an ancient, restless spirit... which haunts and then possesses whoever owns it. A spirit who knows all... sees all..."

"But... that ain't possible." Green Bean shook her head. "There's no such thing as ghosts."

Trixie shook her head sadly, with just the right amount of slackness to suggest that something other than her was doing the shaking...

"And this poor, benighted stage magician, she might have actually escaped the curse, had you only taken the wagon just a few hours earlier. But now it is too late for her... and for you... unless... I get my wagon back."

"Go on! Get outta here," Green Bean waved a hoof, nervously. "Go peddle your ghost stories some place else --"

"I know what you did..." Trixie interrupted, in the same cold, relentless, ethereal monotone. "Last week... to that poor, lost thespian, who'd just lost everything to a couple of swindlers!"

Green Bean's eyes snapped wide.

"Don't know what you're talking about..."

"All that trouble..." Trixie looked mournfully sympathetic. "All that anguish... and fear... and regret. And all you got out of it was a measly hoof-full of bits. Hardly seems worth it all now, does it?"

"You got nothing' on me!" Green Been blustered. "Why, I oughta--"

"Where's your shovel?" Trixie snapped. "The one you don't feel like touching anymore? And you haven't been to town for a while. What if the local guards get the idea to come here and check up on you? What if they should happen to dig up that heap of fresh dirt, way out in the woods, behind your little hovel?"

Green Been cowered, her teeth chattering.

"There's... there's just no way! No way at all! No one can possibly know... no one must ever know..."

"I know!" Trixie insisted. "I know all... I see all. And now you will never be free of me -- never!" Her voice dropped to a soft, crafty tone. "Unless... I get my wagon back..."

"But..."

"I want my wagon!" Trixie thundered, her eyes glaring, horribly and dementedly.

Green Bean landed heavily on her rump, near-paralyzed with fear.

"Fine!" she shouted abruptly, waving her hooves. "Take it! Take it and go away! Just... go away! Leave me be!" She covered her face with her hooves, trembling and gasping in terror.

"Not a word, now..." Trixie warned her, triumphantly. "Or I might just have to... return..."

"I won't breathe a word!" Green Bean yelled. "Just... take it! And get out of here, you... you... whatever you are! You crazy evil possessed madmare!" Jumping up, she slammed the shack door. There was a rumbling, scraping sound from inside, as if a bed was being shoved up against it.

Trixie carefully withdrew from the shack, step by step, moving in reverse, her eyes never blinking, never leaving the door... until she was safely out of sight amongst the bushes.

Then she heaved a sigh of relief, and beamed with pride.

Now that, Trixie, she recalled her father saying once, that is why your daddy commands top billing, and only two shows a day!

She circled around the shack and through the bushes, coming at last to her wagon. She checked it over quickly, finding everything in place, then hooked herself in the traces and struggled to get the thing unstuck from the brambles it was parked in. Finally she pulled it loose, and hauled it along behind her as she trudged up the forest road.

It was probably best, she decided, to move on to the next town, put as much distance between herself and this one as possible. Even though it meant a long, weary slog through the night, tugging the heavy wagon.

She half-hoped that the Nightmare would appear to her again, maybe join her on the long trot along the road. Trixie wanted to tell the Mare all about her adventure...

... and also find out what the Mare might have planned for her next...

------------------------------

Several days later, Trixie peered out through the stage curtain, at the tiny hamlet of Haybale. And at her audience, steadily gathering in what passed for a village square here, little more than a postage-stamp of grass near the town's single crossroads.

The crowd was huge. She hadn't thought there were that many ponies in the entire village, let alone so many who'd choose to spend an hour or two at a travelling magic show. There were parents with fillies and colts, of course, but there were also more than a few older ponies, who looked like they'd stopped by for lack of anything better to do that day.

Trixie gritted her teeth nervously, edging back into the shadows.

Come on, Trixie! she scolded herself. This is it! Your first show! The Great and Powerful Trixie has a crowd to entertain! Let's get a hoof on, young lady! Time's a-wasting!

She shivered as she moved to put on the star-spangled wizard's hat and cloak. She felt certain the audience would laugh at her, think she was just some filly playing dress-up, not a gifted, world-class performer.

She checked over the props she'd assembled, in the wings behind the curtain. She went over the opening spiel in her mind, reviewed the pitifully few tricks she had ready to present.

And then she huddled inside the cloak, her teeth chattering -- unable to move, unable to breathe, almost. She couldn't go out there. She just couldn't. There was no way she was up to this!

Is this it? she wondered. Stage fright? Is this what it feels like? Trixie can't have stage fright! Trixie is Great! And Powerful! And... and...

... really, really scared right now...

She felt dazed, panicky. Her thoughts whirled, reason flying to pieces. Any second now, she'd run over and hide under the bunk. And that would be it, her first show a wash-out. She'd be a failure, right from the word go....

"Something troubling thee, our student?"

Startled, Trixie looked around. And she saw, seated next to her, the tall, night-blue form of Princess Luna.

The Princess smiled, nodding encouragingly. "Thou has been so busy lately, preparing for this performance, readying thyself. We have missed being able to talk. But we know what a dedicated student thou are."

"Sorry," Trixie whispered. "Trixie is just..."

"A little nervous?" Luna nodded. "That is to be expected. It shows how much this means to thee. Thou are so concerned about getting it right. Have confidence, Trixie!"

"It's not just that... there are so many ponies out there!" Trixie moaned. "I've never performed for so many in my life!"

"Ah." Luna looked mildly guilty. "That may be our doing, we apologize. We took the liberty while thou were hard at work of spreading the word, so to speak. Whispering in ponies ears, whenever they felt idle or despondent. Suggesting what they needed was an afternoon's entertainment. And that the next time a wandering show happened by, they might find pleasure and comfort in attending it... particularly if it was a traveling magic show..." She looked briefly uncertain. "We... may have overdone it just a bit..."

"More than a bit!" Trixie shivered again. "It looks like the entire town is out there!"

"A command performance, then." Luna looked archly proud. "We have always been good at them!"

"But Trixie isn't!" Trixie shook her head. "Trixie can't go out there! Trixie can't do her show. Trixie is a failure!"

Luna eyed her, levelly. Trixie half-expected the Princess to scold her, to berate Trixie for her cowardice and lack of dedication to her work. Just like her parents and the teachers at school always did...

But Luna just tilted her head, a hint of an amused smile on her face.

"He felt the same way, you know."

Despite her fear, Trixie looked up curiously. "Who?"

Luna put out a hoof. "Come with us, small one. We will show thee."

Trixie reached out a hoof, touched Luna's...

... and with a disorienting blurred feeling, the two of them were standing backstage at what looked like a large theater. There were performers scurrying about, and stage-hands calling to one other as they moved props and changed backdrops. And in the center of the stage, in the midst of all the disorder and chaos, there was...

... a ferocious, scowling manticore...

... a tall black box with a star on it...

... and a beige-flanked, curly-haired unicorn with a lock-and-key cutie mark. He was sitting facing the curtains, looking scared out of his wits.

"Wait..." Trixie breathed. "Is that...?"

"Hoofdini," Luna confirmed. "About to perform the greatest feat of his stage career, the trick that finally made his name a household word..."

"... the Moonshot Manticore Mouthdive!" Trixie whispered, breathlessly, stars in her eyes. "But... what's he nervous about? He always did it so easily, in the movies they made about him!"

"There is always a first time," Luna reminded her. "Yet it was more than that. He was a consummate performer, just as thou are. It mattered to him that he made the audience happy, took away their cares for an hour or two. Times were hard back then, and it gave him real pleasure to lighten ponies' lives. And real pain, as well, whenever he worried he might not up to it. But he always was, every performance. He always gave them the show of their lives."

Luna gazed down at Trixie.

"And he always felt afraid, right before every show. Every time. Certain that this time he would not be able to go through with it. And as soon as he stepped on the stage, as soon as he began performing, he forgot all about it. The show carried him, and he carried the show. He had only to begin, and once begun, he never looked back."

"Wow," Trixie breathed, staring at her hero.

Then she looked up at Luna. "How do you know all this?"

"We have been around," Luna replied dryly. "But this one was special to us." She gazed quietly at the famous magician. "He believed in us. He was one of the few ponies who truly did. If anyone had found out, he might have been arrested for heresy... or perhaps merely treason, if he happened to be in a more forward-thinking community. He even prayed to us, for a time, at night. And we wish we could have been there for him, when he had bad dreams -- about poor shows, lost audiences, empty houses. To comfort and reassure him that he had nothing to worry about, that he was every inch the performer he wanted to be."

Luna gazed down at Trixie again.

"Much as we comfort thee now, our diligent student. You remind us of him, very much so. And we are finally able to help, once again. For that, we are truly grateful."

The theater faded away around them, becoming the interior of Trixie's wagon again. And Luna nodded to Trixie.

"Only begin," she advised. "And let the show carry you along. You will do fine, our diligent student."

Trixie drew herself up, took a steadying breath.

"Of course I will!" she said proudly. "I am the Great and Powerful Trixie!" Then she smiled sheepishly. "And I have the greatest and most wonderful of teachers backing me up!"

Luna merely nodded, proudly.

Then Trixie turned, and marched forwards through the curtain.

And gave the performance of her life. And never once looked back.

Comments

[SuperSonicHeroes]

That was interesting, Luna helping Trixie on her way to Canterlot and she gets each of her signature items along the way. Was that the Flim Flam brothers she got her wagon from? If so then I gotta say I always love seeing those two get some karma.

[Comickook]

Excellent job on this further backstory chapter. The exchanges, characterizations, action and future chapter set-up are quite well done. Loved Trixie's meeting with Luna in the woods, Trixie's encounter with the Flim-Flam Brothers in buying her wagon (as well as Trixie showing she is NOT as gullible as most of the brothers' usual marks) as well as Trixie's very first show and that show of Hoofdini's most famous stunt.

And I'm on to the next chapter.

[djthomp]

I feel like this connection with Trixie might be the key to redeeming Luna from the Nightmare in the long run.

[redandready45]

Trixie is awesome.

[LucarioFan2066]

I don't get how "Luna" was able to "escape" early in any form, but...still enjoyable.
I'm guessing this apparent plothole gets explained later?

[Lets Do This]

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Have you read the previous story? The ending makes it clear.
(See The Pony Who Danced With The Moon)

[Baree]

So the previous owner of the wagon had it robbed by the Flim Flam brothers, only to be murdered by some mare afterwards? That's seriously dark, where did that come from? It's so out of tune with the tone of the story.

[Lets Do This]

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Well, this is Nightmare Moon... and she's not playing for peanuts...

[BlueMoonHarlot]

And it was all so easy . With the Nightmare's guidance, with her ability to see into ponies' dreams, Trixie was privy to all their little secrets. She knew just where the levers were, and how hard to push them. Trixie held all the cards!

Ah, Anon-a-Trix.

[DrCygnus]

"I know where you got this wagon," she said flatly. "I know who you cheated to get it. How you left him by the side of the road, penniless and desperate. How he's never been heard from again... and you're hoping that it stays that way. Hoping no nosy busybodies from town come by asking questions about him."

The Power of Knowledge