Lodestar

by BubuJones

Chapter 3: Lessons in Trust

Chapter 3:

Lessons in Trust

A loud rapping sounded at the front door. Trixie shifted about underneath her bed sheets, trying to ignore the persistent knocking. Her head rattled with every subsequent bang as they increased in both pace and resonance. Even the pillow pressed tightly against her ears was ineffective against the insufferable noise. Trixie grunted with disdain; levitating the sheets completely away from her body, she lay on her back and stared at the plain, flaking paint adorning the ceiling with weary eyes.

The pounding at the front door had ceased, granting her a moment of silence as she gathered her wits. She sat up, rubbing her eyes and letting out an unceremonious yawn. Trixie winced as the unforgiving morning rays came in through the window and hit her unsuspecting face. A quick flick of her magic shut the blinds, darkening the already insipid room.

She looked around her apartment with half-lidded, bloodshot eyes. The room was empty and bland; it had but a single window set into one of the nearly empty walls. The only other exception was the wrinkled and torn poster she had found in the city, now hung on the wall by her bed; the poster for the Lunar Tournament. It was simple and to the point: The Lunar Tournament: The Search for the Protégé of Princess Luna, it read. Register in Canterlot was added at the bottom, together with the set dates to sign up.

Trixie stared at the poster with intense focus, squinting her eyes to counter the usual morning blurriness. It was adorned with the Equestrian symbol of two alicorns circling the sun and moon - a royal symbol for all of Equestria. Snapping back to her senses when the banging on the door resumed, she furrowed her brow and scowled, stepping out of bed and stomping to the front door.

The door swung open. “What!?” she spat harshly. An old and gruff pony on the receiving end of her ire stood unwavering at this sudden outburst, watching her lazily. Trixie returned a spiteful glare.

“The rent is past due... again,” he said in a slow and gruff tone.

“Trixie knows that,” she lied, having completely forgotten the obligation. “You’ll get your bits... later.” She moved to close the door, only to be halted by the old pony’s raised hoof.

“No... pay before the end of the day or you’re gone by the morning.” Both ponies stood in silence, neither of them standing down. Trixie’s icy stare held firm as another glimmer of magic shut the door mercilessly.

As she turned from the door she sighed loudly, listlessly walking back to her room and slumping onto the bed. Her horn shimmered softly as she pulled the nightstand drawer open and lifted a simple coin purse out in front of her. With a little shake, the few bits inside clattered against each other; just enough to pay another two months’ rent or so.

She turned over onto her side, staring wide-eyed at the poster that advertised something too good to be true. A real opportunity for her to become great and powerful, an appellation she had always thought was only the one most befitting her. The protégé of Princess Luna, she repeated in her mind, pondering over the possibilities that would come together with such a rare and prestigious title. Fame, glory, power; everything she had always dreamed of, and all of it obtainable through the Princess. But nothing could ever be so simple, of course.

The only thing that stood in her way was the tournament. And that was putting it lightly. What little information she had found gave almost no indication as to what sort of ‘tournament’ this would even be, the flyer only having some fine print at the bottom stating: Further information shall be given upon registration. Poster redeemable for one railway ticket to Canterlot Station.

It could not be more vague, Trixie complained with a scoff, rolling onto her back. At least the ride’s free. The most magical ponies of all Equestria will most likely be there... maybe even... “Twilight Sparkle,” she said aloud the name of the pony that had already gotten the best of her twice before. Then... is it something worth risking? If I stay I at least have a roof over my head and a bed to sleep on. What am I going to do about expenses? How far can these bits possibly take me in Canterlot? And if I don’t win... I lose everything.

She frowned; there was no doubt that that incident in Ponyville had dented her once-overwhelmingly egotistic mindset and arrogant confidence. She no longer faced each and every one of her tasks with daring, fervor, and pride as she had before, instead finding that nagging doubt would more often than not guide her actions and thoughts. Still, her mind could never stray away from the desire for true greatness and power, of the kind she had always strived for, dreamed of and, most recently, felt upsettingly lacking in her life. Her expression was quickly replaced by one of grim determination, fiery boldness dancing in her eyes as she flashed an intrepid grin.

“No! The Great and Powerful Trixie will not give this up!” she declared out loud, rolling out of bed and landing on all four hooves enthusiastically. “Trixie will join this tournament! And. I. Will. Win!”

“Be quiet!” the same old voice from so many previous nights hollered from the room beneath hers. She glared at the floor, as if her exasperation had granted her the ability to see the one below as Trixie cursed her for the interruption. But after so many similar instances, she knew better than to fret over it.

“I will go!” she said with a hard stomp on the floor, a smirk on her face. She walked briskly towards the front door; as she moved, a saddlebag settled onto her back, which she quickly filled with a few items of importance; her remaining bits, a few scraps of food, the tournament poster, and her signature cape - which had been replace so many times she’d begun to lose track. And with that, she walked out of her apartment door for one last time.

~*~*~*~

“Thank you, Ma’am,” said the cheery station clerk behind the counter. “Here’s your ticket, and your train will be departing in fifteen minutes from Platform Two. Have a nice day!” Trixie accepted the ticket wordlessly, slipping it into one of her bag’s compartments and rejoining the bustling fray in Manehattan Central train station, pushing and shoving her way carelessly through the pastel-colored crowd. She couldn’t help but feel insignificantly small within the station. The multitude of ponies together with the towering architecture only exacerbated the feeling. She hated it - the feeling of being just another nopony with nothing distinguishing or special about her. It was once all-too-common for her to look down on these regular ponies, standing high above them on a stage where she was hailed, their attention meant for her and her alone. But now, she hardly remembered the last time she had set hoof on a proper stage.

Arriving at the platform came as a relief from the previous claustrophobic setting, but stepping into the train gave her little solace. Business ponies, tourists, and a crying foal - who was particularly grating to Trixie’s ears - found themselves on the train to Canterlot. Trixie grimaced as she took careful steps over bags of luggage that spilled out into the center aisle, hoping to locate a vacant bench.

To her delight, Trixie eventually spotted an empty pair of seats in the far corner of the car. Trotting over, she quickly settled down, placing her saddlebags on the spot next to her to claim as much solitude as possible. But, to her displeasure, there wasn’t much that could be done about the insufferable chatter that filled the car. She leaned her head onto the glass window; the cold, hard surface was refreshing in a way. Slowly, her eyes closed as the train began its slow departure from the station.

“Pardon me, pretty filly,” came a gentle yet robust voice. It held a hint of an Appaloosan accent, making Trixie’s ear twitch in interest, as well as annoyance. She didn’t bother to acknowledge the eccentric voice any further, holding her eyes shut and hoping for this other pony to take note of her uninterest.

“Ma’am,” he persisted, “would ya allow me the pleasure of takin’ a seat by yer side? Ya see, there ain’t very many vacancies here,” he said with a light-hearted chuckle.

Trixie sighed loudly enough to express her obvious contempt, using her magic to roughly tug her saddlebags over and place them in the open space beneath her seat. She didn’t bother to look over at her new companion in an attempt to keep herself as reclusive as possible.

“Thank ya kindly,” he said, settling himself atop the seat at her side. There was silence between the two ponies at first, to Trixie’s contentment. If she had to sit next to another pony, at the very least it could be somepony smart enough to note her disinterest in small talk.

“So, headed to the ol’ Canterlot city?” he began, forcing Trixie to grimace at herself for thinking too soon. She didn’t reply, hoping he’d take the hint to leave her alone.

“Why, ya wouldn’t happen to be headin’ to that Lunar Tournament, would ya?” he continued talking, to Trixie’s exasperation. “If so, Ah reckon we’re both goin’ to Canterlot fer the same reason.” At last he caught Trixie’s attention, causing her to look over with a raised brow, thereby getting a first look at her travelling companion.

He was a rather handsome colt, Trixie had to confess. Well built and tall, he was bigger than the average colt, but not obviously so. His light tan coat went unusually well with his purple mane, which cascaded around his horn and over his forehead in long, soft waves. His green, earnest eyes, together with lips just barely curved into a smile, gave him a humble look. On his flank was what seemed to be a pair of overlapping poker cards, the ace of spades and ace of hearts, with a curved purple sage flower at each of the card’s left and right sides. Topping off the look were a large cowpony hat atop his head and a rather heavy-looking leather saddlebag on his back, which only increased Trixie’s supposition that the newcomer was an Appaloosan or from some other southern part of Equestria.

“What makes you say that?” she said flatly, her disdainful eyes already displaying clear annoyance.

“One can assume such things around this time. And the fact that ya got yerself that rather intriguing cutie mark,” he said, eyes clearly focused on her flank. Trixie’s expression shifted towards anger, as she glared at him with her teeth slightly bared.

“Wait, Ah beg yer pardon, darlin’. Ah meant no disrespect, honest,” he said, shuffling ever so slightly on the seat, inching uncomfortably close to her side. “Let me start over. Mah name is Purple Sage. Some call me Sage, others call me Purple. Take yer pick.” Sage turned further towards Trixie and extended his right hoof in salutations; Trixie only looked over at him with another ambiguous expression, her anger cooling.

“I’m…” the Great and Powerful, she thought, finding difficulty in expressing her self-assumed title out loud. She wasn’t in the mood to boast, since it had lately been increasingly difficult to recognize her greatness due to her current situation. “Trixie... Lulamoon.” She hesitantly extended her own hoof in return, which he gave a short and gentle shake.

“Trixie, eh? That there’s a pretty name. Very fitting if you ask me,” he said, looking her over from top to bottom.

Trixie rolled her eyes, already way past her tolerance level regarding her new neighbor. “Do you try this on every mare you come across? This weak attempt to pick up some unsuspecting mare with your charm, and your looks, and your foalish accent. Your pathetic ploy may work with others, but it won’t work on Trixie,” she exclaimed with a furrowed brow.

“W-what? No, of course not,” the colt stammered beneath the angry mare’s spiteful gaze. “Only the pretty ones,” he said with a toothy grin and wink. Trixie scoffed, looking away with a quick flick of her mane. “Ah shucks, darlin’. Most fillies take that as a compliment.”

“I don’t… and call me that one more time, and I will throw you out this window,” she said icily, still not facing him.

“So these are the kinda fillies imma be seein’ at this tournament. Shame; Ah was really hoping fer some nicer attitudes,” Sage complained to nopony in particular.

Trixie’s interest was once again drawn at this mention of the tournament. Perhaps he could give me a bit more insight, the once-irritated mare pondered. “This tournament… what do you know about it?” she said, facing forward and avoiding any sort of eye contact.

“Well, well, look who’s come around.”

“Just answer the question,” she snapped.

“All right, all right, don’t go biting mah head off… to tell ya the truth, Ah don’t have much of any idea ‘bout the tournament,” he said, looking up in thought. “Everything Ah know Ah got from that piece ‘a paper. So… Ah reckon you and me are in the same boat, darlin’.”

Trixie gave him another quick glance, trying her hardest to ignore his use of the word ‘darling’ even after her threats. I guess everypony else is going in blind as well.

“Sure is mighty enticing,” Sage began anew, Trixie looking over to see him looking upward as if inspired by the ceiling. “Do ya know how big somethin’ like this is? A personal student of Princess Luna, a pony that has the power to raise the moon, with the wisdoms of thousands of years.” He spoke seriously, almost to himself, reassuring himself of the prize at the end of the line. “Ah know Ah’ll be tryin’ mah darn hardest... and so will everypony else.”

Trixie pondered over his words silently, a deeper realization of what she had suspected earlier becoming more apparent. This would more than likely be much more difficult than she had originally anticipated. The prize was simply too much for anypony with even a marginal sense of skill not to attempt to win.

Her face became somber as she looked down at the floor, the feeling of regret now beginning to creep up on her. How far can I possibly go? Even if I do try my hardest... that hasn’t exactly turned out very well for me.

“You all right there, darlin’?”

She didn’t reply, her facial expression unchanging and her silence hopefully giving enough of a hint for Sage to stop his pursuit. How can I possibly compete against the likes of ponies that seem to... try so much harder than me...? Wait, what am I thinking? I’m not bad at magic, far from it! Trixie straightened up in her seat, looking forward with a determined expression, the colt at her side carefully watching with a bemused demeanor. I’ll show these ponies. I’ll show them all my power! Because I am, “The Great and Powerful Trixie!” she proclaimed aloud with a raised hoof.

Sage had retracted slightly, leaning away from the mare that had uttered such a sudden outburst, provoking the whole train car to fall silent, even if it was only momentarily. Trixie held this position until she heard a snickering at her side, prompting her to sit normally and look over to her neighbor, who was now barely covering his laughter.

“Ah ain’t got a clue what that was ‘bout, but Ah gotta admit, yer pretty funny, y'know?” he said between stifled laughs that slowly began to subside. Trixie could only glare at him, indifferent towards her seemingly embarrassing act but never in the mood for ridicule.

“Shut up,” she spat, words filled with contempt.

“Oh, Ah’m just messin with ya’. It’s good to see other contestants with some spunk,” he said with a toothy smile, raising and lowering his brow in a flirtatious manner, enticing another audible scoff from Trixie. “Anyhow... any more like you and Ah can be lookin’ towards a fun time. And, afterwards, meetin’ up with that pretty princess.”

Way to ruin the mood. Trixie no longer felt like acknowledging this pony, her vexation growing with every slurred and boorish word. She let out a yawn, feeling tired of the mundane setting and already wanting the trip to be over.

“Tired, are ya?”

“Of you, yes.”

“Well, we’ve got a long way to go. A little sleep can’t do any harm. Why don’t ya just take a nap. I’ll stand guard,” he said with a playful smile. Trixie returned an indifferent expression, not answering directly but turning away and pressing her head against the cool glass window.

“Sweet dreams, darlin’,” Sage whispered. Trixie ignored the pet name, shutting her eyes and trying to wall away the noise.

~*~*~*~

Trixie’s eyes slowly fluttered open, only to be met by the piercing rays of the sunset through the window. She winced, shutting her eyes and quickly turning away. “Ugh... stupid sun...” she muttered, gently rubbing her sore, sleepy eyes with her hooves.

“Princess Celestia wouldn’t like to hear that,” said a voice at her side - a voice that Trixie couldn’t seem to forget. Trixie’s ears perked up as she looked over with wide eyes.

“Twilight Sparkle,” she mumbled underneath her breath at the sight of the lavender mare at her side. Twilight sat on her haunches, looking back with a tight-lipped smile. Trixie subconsciously leaned back, putting as much distance as possible between them, her focus never breaking away from the other unicorn.

“Hello, Trixie,” Twilight spoke in a nonchalant manner. “I hope you’re not heading to Ponyville on this train. You know that never goes well.”

“I-I’m not!” she protested, teeth bared and brow furrowed in consternation.

"Oh, good,” Twilight replied happily, “because the citizens of Ponyville would be absolutely devastated to know you were coming back,” she laughed with a wave of her hoof.

Trixie’s expression softened into one of bemusement. “B-but I apologized. And you let me go!”

“You apologized to me. And no, you ran away. Again. Did you even consider all the wrong you did to the rest of Ponyville, hmm? I doubt they were happy about you taking over and subjecting them to your whims.”

“I didn’t mean to... it was the amulet! You know that!” Trixie retorted.

“Was it?” Twilight said with a questioning expression, raising her brow and leaning in closer to Trixie. “I don’t know, but if you ask me... it’s time to show me your ticket.”

“But - wait... my... ticket?”

“Miss, could you show me your ticket, please?” Twilight repeated in an off-putting, more masculine, tone of voice.

“What?”

“Miss, wake up.”

~*~*~*~

“Huh, oh, uh, what?” Trixie startled herself awake, sitting up and looking about with half-lidded eyes. The conductor was standing before her, and Sage was still beside her, giggling with amusement. Looking around she found that the entire car was still full, the sun was nowhere near setting, and the noise was as loud as ever. How was I even able to fall asleep?

“Miss, I apologize for waking you, but could you show me your ticket, please?” he insisted.

“Oh... right.” Trixie’s horn shimmered as she lifted and opened her bag. She dug through the contents, meticulously checking each of the pockets. A few minutes had passed with no sign of the train ticket. The conductor was beginning to give her a suspicious look, raising an eyebrow and constantly checking his watch. “Heh... it’s in here somewhere!” she said, pulling out the few items she carried and turning the bag upside down to give it a few rough shakes. It never appeared and, at last, Trixie gave in, setting the bag down and slumping forward in defeat. “I... I guess I lost it.”

“I’m sorry, miss, but I’m afraid you’re going to have to step off the train when we arrive at the next station,” the conductor replied firmly, before turning to continue on his duty.

“No... wait!” Trixie cried, prompting him to turn and raise his brow. “I have to stay on this train!”

“With no proof of purchase there is simply no way to allow you to ride. Those are the rules, miss.” He turned around again to continuing his checks.

“Fine, I just won’t move!” Trixie continued to argue. The conductor let out an exasperated sigh as he turned around again.

“Miss, please, don’t make this whole situation more difficult than it has to be. Just... get off at the next stop or we’ll escort you off... your choice.” And with that he turned away, quickly checking through rows of ponies presenting their tickets.

“Wait!” Trixie called after him again. “You don’t ignore Trixie!” She stomped her hoof on the floor, huffing in anger. She looked to the ground in disgust at the thought of her misfortune.

“That there’s a darn shame...” Sage said with a soft tone of empathy. “Sorry ‘bout yer situation an’ all. Ah’m sure you’ll be able to get to Canterlot eventually.” He gave her a meager, yet supportive, smile.

Trixie wasn’t in the mood for his pity. She wasn’t in the mood for anything at the moment. Anger was the only feeling present in her mind, but there was nothing she could be angry at, which only worsened her displeasure. Who was she going to blame for losing her ticket? For not being more careful? For not saving enough bits to buy herself out of situations like this?

What am I going to do now? had at last popped into her mind. She didn’t have enough bits to buy another ticket to Canterlot. There was no backup plan; there usually wasn’t a plan for when things went awry for Trixie.

“How far are we from Canterlot?” she asked, snapping back to her senses.

“Well, we weren't on the road terribly long... Ah’d say we’re just about halfway there. That’s where the next stop’s gonna be, anyhow. Which is comin’ up pretty soon... where yer goin’ ta have ta get off-”

“I know that!” Trixie spat, cutting him off from pushing her buttons any further. “I’ve gotta figure this out...”

“Well, ya better hurry. The train’s slowin’ down.”

“Be quiet. You’re distracting me.”

“Not like you can do anythin’ ‘bout it now...”

“That’s only because you won't be quiet!”

“Now don’t go blaming me fer this!”

She paused for a moment, rubbing her chin with a hoof. “What if you stole it?!” Trixie accused, turning and leaning closer to him.

“What in tarnation!? So yer sayin’ Ah stole it?” he said, leaning in as well, their faces now mere inches apart, their horns even less so.

“Did you? Some no-good, two-timing thief I bet!”

“Ah beg yer pardon? What makes ya think ya can just throw around random accusations like that!?”

“Why!? Because I’m the Great-”

“Miss!” broke in the conductor, glaring at the two ponies who turned to face him with wide eyes. “The train has come to a halt. Now, I will ask you politely, will you please step off the train? There are only a few minutes before departure, and it will be terribly unfortunate to delay the ride for all the other passengers,” he demanded.

Trixie scowled and looked away. “Fine,” she said simply, making her way past the two ponies while levitating her saddlebag onto her back. She moved as fast as she could without making herself look hurried. Her gaze was focused on the ground, her listless expression unchanging.

Disembarking from the train, she could still hear the chatter from the train car behind her. The platform was very short, too short for a regular stop. She couldn’t even see a sign of station clerks or even a ticket booth. It seemed to be closer to a dumping or resupplying stop. A loud whistle sounded, and the rumble of the engine built up from the front of the train. Apparently it was only her they were waiting for. Slowly, the chugging engine began moving the train forward, wheels screeching against the tracks.

“Hey!” came a call from the moving train. Trixie turned to see Sage sticking his upper body out of a window and waving his right hoof, the other held tightly onto his hat. “Ah just wanna say thanks!” His voice began to trail off in the distance.

“For what?” Trixie called back.

“For being so easy, of course! Ah mean, the less competition the better, right? Ah know ya’d understand! Better hurry, though. Ya only gatta few days left...!” And with that, his voice could no longer be heard, his figure, still half-hanging out of the window, slowly becoming indistinct.

Trixie was taken aback, standing dumbfounded on the empty platform, her mind trying to make sense of what he had said. “That... no good thief! I knew it! How could you steal from the Great and Powerful Trixie?!” she yelled, shaking a hoof at the departed train. She gave a sigh, finally paying mind to where she had been unmercifully dropped off.

Prairies of green, lush grass stretched as far as the horizon, with a few gentle hills spread across the landscape. In the far distance, the shapes of mountains were indistinctly visible - a rather calming, picturesque view. Dirt trails could be spotted coursing the land, converging onto what seemed like a settlement not too far off. Trixie didn’t seem to have any other option, so she followed one of the trails into town against the backdrop of the setting sun, her hopes pinned on finding another way to reach Canterlot in time.

Comments

[Stoneificaunt]

FFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUU...

[shyguy7829]

Wow, what a jerk. Whatever happened to sportsmanship? Oh right, it never existed.

[mike50333]

Why that son of a... I'LL HAVE YOU EVICTED FROM THE APPLE FAMILY, YOU HEAR MW?!

[Frankie2]

Looks like Trixie was suckered again. Now chances of her making that tournament is slim and none. If by some miracle she does make it, what condition will she be in? That is not looking good. Not good at all.

[Dan50]

Poor Trixie

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Oh, i hope she gets there and all four of his legs are broken. I hope this is the bottom and Trixie begins working her way up.

[Nebula1701]

wow this is turning out to be a great story. :D

I hope Trixie and Twilight meet up and mend the fences more. :D

[SuperChaosKG]

2204225

Who said he was an Apple?

[Mooncalf]

Methinks there's a good reason he had to leave Appeloosa...

[TheGreatEater]

2204225
2596018

Eeyup Everypony knows the Sage's are mortal enemies with the Apples. That and Sage smells funny.

[Wellwater]

Only thing I don't get is why Trixie can't just, y'know, show up at the station and say "I'm heading in to the tournament" again and get another comped ticket....