The Great and Delicate Trixie

by DogSomeOre

Ch. 4 - A step back

After what seems like hours of walking you finally see it.

"Ah hah! There it is!" The unicorn shouts in excitement pointing with her hoof at what appears to be a wagon of some sort.

"C'mon hurry up Anon!"

Without another word the two of you walk quickly to the sturdy wood shaped wagon, hoping this'll be the end of your long journey for you both.

Moving closer you see a smashed window in your view.

"Trixie, what happened to your place? Did those animals cause this?"

"Not exactly, no. I.. I don't really want to talk about it."

"You know you don't have to be so secretive with me. I'm not going to judge you."

"No I know... I mean... yes I know you wouldn't judge me it's just that isn't very important and honestly you wouldn't care."

"Oh come on now.... Oh wait a minute I get what's going on!" You say confidently thinking that you actually know what happened.

"You do?" Trixie says confused

"Uh-huh, you probably accidentally jumped out the window didn't you?" You say with the masterclass of an amateur detective.

Trixie looks at you dumbfounded and annoyed with your explanation.

"Anon."

"Yeah?"

"Why would I jump through my own window." She says with not an ounce of worry or doubt in her voice. Maybe she didn't?

"Well, uh... ponies sleepwalk don't they? Maybe you uh.... sleepwalked through the window and are to embarrassed to admit it?" You say to her with yourself not even believing your own words now.

"Yes Anon you got me, I jumped through the window." She says still as deadpan and annoyed as before

Success!

"Ah-hah! I knew it! See? Don't you feel better now that you let the truth come out?"

Trixie doesn't say a word and rolls her eyes with a small giggle escaping her mouth.

"Come on Anon, lets just go inside." She tells you as the two of you walk right up to the door. She tries to open it with her hooves but is still too weak from her injuries.

"Here let me."

She looks at you with content as you reach your hand down on her hoof to move it away before opening it yourself. She doesn't seem to mind your gesture however and doesn't say a word.

Opening the door, you're greeted to the sight of a small but cozy home. Glass pieces reign on the floor as you both watch your step and motion towards her bed where she eagerly lays down at.

"Ahhh finally." Looking relaxed Trixie smiles to herself whilst trying to get comfy on her small fluffy square bed and notices you staring.

"You know, I don't usually let just anyone in my home but exceptions are exceptions and since you've shown your generosity to Trixie it's only fair she returns the favor."

"Gee thanks your highness." You mutter under your breath.

"Come again Anon?" She says blinking rapidly at you.

"Nothing oh so gracious one."

"That's more like it." She says playfully in response.

"So on to a different subject." You say to her as her ears perk up to hear what you have to say.

"How are your hooves, back, and stomach feeling? I don't want to go if you aren't able to take care of yourself properly and to leave you here in such a state probably wouldn't be a good idea."

"I appreciate you worrying for me Anon but really I think I should be fine. If anything I'd most likely be worse off if you didn't bandage my wounds."

"Well that's good. Before I leave though we really need to do something about that window, it isn't good to leave it open like that."

"No Anon it's ok really I-"

"I insist. Don't worry, I'll have that thing patched up in no time!" You say to her with a smile, she returns one back to you and looks a bit to the side, her eyes still gauged on you.

"Besides, we can't have you jumping through broken windows now can we?"

Trixie sighs and shakes her head slowly at your comment.

"Phew, well it ain't pretty but it'll do." You say at your finished work. The windows are boarded up with planks of wood nailed tightly to it. You also made sure to clean up the glass around the area so Trixie doesn't end up hurting herself.

"Well uh... it's certainly something." Trixie says behind you still laying in bed.

"Anyhow I should be heading back home right about now, I have work tomorrow and I can't really afford to be late."

"Yeah... Yeah I guess you should." Shuffling a hoof across her bed she looks disappointed as she says that.

"Trixie? You ok?" Worriedly you ask to make sure she's fine as the sudden change of mood is a little off putting to you.

Ignoring you, Trixie asks her own question. "Anon can I ask you a question? Like a serious question?"

"I mean yah sure."

"Why do all this?"

"Come again?" You ask not getting her meaning.

"Ugh you're dense. Never mind just forget I said anything, really."

"Trixie I don't-"

"I said it doesn't matter. You need to get back home right? It's getting dark out so you better hurry before it's too late. I know first hoof how important being on time can be."

She's right, as if just being oblivious or the fact not registering in your mind, it's sunset out which means there isn't a lot of time to get home.

"Well I'm glad you're home safe that's all that matters. In any case I should still have a bit more time before it gets too dark out but you're right, I really should go. For what it's worth though Trixie I'm glad I was able to meet somepony new, even if it was through unfortunate circumstances."

She doesn't say a word to you after this, only looking down at her bed as you pass her to head for the door.
"Goodbye Trixie."

You say to her as you close the door behind you. It could be your imagination but you're sworn you could've heard somebody faintly call your name as you close the door to leave.

-------*-------
Trixie lays alone watching the only creature she could ever imagine being a friend to her leave just like that. The closing of the door brought the loneliness back into her heart as if someone special to her disappeared from existence.

The only sounds she's accompanied to now is of the wind blowing through the cracks of the now boarded up window that was broken by a mob of angry townsfolk who wanted her gone. All she's ever tried to do in her life was have people respect her, love the sight of her, be the one that could lift your spirits up when you were down. But this is what reality is. A cold dose of it. Nothing in her mind could ever replace the pain, embarrassment, and pure misery that found her anywhere that she'd go. Cold, deathly silence fills the air as the only thing that seemingly ever cared about her, walked out of sight.

It's not that she didn't want to tell Anon the truth, in fact she did, but the embarrassment and disappointment heavy on her mind just couldn't let the truth break. He found out the hard way as to why she was so scared up in that tree and she honestly never wanted him to know that. To her it's better to just keep to yourself then to let your emotions slip and she is good at hiding that.

She'd never say it out loud, be it her pride, arrogance, or cockiness but she knows what Anon did for her and in her mind is very grateful for it. She knows the amount he went out of his way for just to see it that she'd be safe and she feels terrible for it. A big part of her wanted for him to stay, like her heart was gravitated to this strange entity that fate brought into her life, if only she had the courage to ask him to come back and stay with her for just a minute longer. This creature she had met just a short while ago is the only thing to have brung her isolated heart happiness in such a long time.

She looks to the desk where all her gear for and from future and past performances lie, reminiscing of how her life before being a magician was nothing more then working like a race horse in her room in solitude day and night just so her mom and dad would finally respect her. Her hat and coat sit afar from her on the side of her wall, with dirt and holes littered in the fabric from the angry towns' ponies. It sits there like a stain of her past failures, never recognized and now as dirty and broken as she is.

Trixie looks down at her wrapped up hooves seeing the dirt, filth, and bloodstains that cover them, she still hasn't a clue as to why out of every pony in Equestria he would tend to her injuries but it doesn't matter as to why because in her mind she wouldn't ever be able to ask those questions now. He's gone after all, her only friend she's ever had is gone.

-------*-------
"Come one, come all, to see the great and generous Trixie perform not one, not two, no not even three, but four of the most wonderful magic tricks Equestria has ever seen! Come see me, Trixie!"

Trixie flamboyantly and excitedly chants on stage as a crowd of dragons gather around waiting for this wild and brave pony to begin her show. Cheering breaks out amongst the lot who eagerly await the performance.

"Well I see I've garnered quite a people, very well, witness my power and be in awe at the amazing magic you may only see once in a lifetime!"

She gives it her all like she always does. Tying rope into different shapes, throwing things with her levitation into a blaze of magic fireworks, she really does love what she does even if not all are impressed of her tricks, she knows at the very least that the few in the world embrace her performance with open arms but unfortunately, not the majority. Though her performance's can "wow" some it doesn't always mean they like her, in fact mostly everypony in Equestria thinks that she's just no good, be it a perceived first impression from word of mouth or her attitude she gives off.

But she isn't bad, no of course not, she's only built up a wall towards people as to not get hurt. What good does opening up to people do if they all just stab you in the flank in the end? Well nothing that's what. It's good to be alone. It's good to not have any friends. It's good to not be hurt.

"Woo yah woo hoo!" The dragons ring out at the end of her last trick. She looks off smug and smiling at them as she bows her head down to the floor and closes the curtains. The perceived confidence in her voice and on her face has yet again acted in her favor. Nothing but a dim light fills the stage from the closed curtains as her face changes to one of exhaustion and doubt. She can mask her emotions on stage sure, but she can't fool herself. Deep down she knows who she is, what she is. Just a lonely pony with no friends or family to show for her work. A circus clown to most and a fraud to others.

Trixie sets up for the night back at her wagon. A tow connects her home to the portable stage that follows it. Back in a desserted area and by herself, she moves aside her performance tools and empties her pouch on to her desk to check all that she's earned for the day. Gold coins rain out one by one and the cold air breathes in from the now boarded up window. It's all that she's used to by this point, nothing to bother her and no one wanting to. She finds herself alone once again, staring blankly in to the dark night that waits for her to sleep. She climbs into her soft bed with hooves neatly tucked under the covers and hopes that the next day will bring her more happiness then the last.