Sometimes you meet an unexpected fan
“Now at last! Prepare yourselves of the grand finale, as the Great and Powerful Trixie dazzles you with her final trick!”
The small group of ponies milling about looked at the stage with a mixture of emotions. A couple of young fillies were enthralled by the spectacle, but the rest of the townsfolk stared with contempt. Three streaks of screaming smoke shot into the sky and exploded in a flurry of color. The burning remains of gunpowder fizzled out of existence, leaving a fine gray ash in the air. Trixie displayed a look of pride, but her mind felt otherwise. This was a tough crowd tonight, as the only ones who had cheered so far were the children. The rest of the crowd was clearly tense and not enjoying the show.
“That’s what set the park bench on fire!” a heckler yelled from the back of the audience. The audacity of him to bring up something that had occurred yesterday made Trixie want to gag. She had apologized for the blunder, and nobody was hurt, so there was no reason for him to rub salt on the wound. He was obviously too cowardly to show his face to the elegant mare herself, as was typical of those types of ponies.
Unfortunately for Trixie, the crowd was siding with the heckler. Various shouts and insults were hurled toward the mare as she prepared to clean up the stage that doubled as her mobile home.
“Nobody wants you here!”
Even the great Trixie was not immune to all manners of insult. Those words struck a chord within her. Trixie monotonously carried the props and pyrotechnics into the wagon, trying to drown out the jeers that invaded her mind. Luckily, the crowd seemed to have understood what was happening and had begun to disperse, gradually bringing the noise down.
Trixie let out a sigh. It had been another unsuccessful day. Most of whomever arrived had done so out of contempt. The rest were with their foals, the latter of whom were the only ones genuinely interested in her performance. Still, into it or not, they’d all paid their fees to witness Trixie’s magnificence. A grand total of 35 bits was rather paltry, but Trixie would take whatever she could get. It should be able to last her long enough to get somewhere else to put on a new show. She was done with this town, and so, apparently, was it with her.
Trixie hitched herself to the wagon and began making her way to the town limits. Perhaps she would grace a city with her presence in which word of her reputation had not yet reached. Along the way, a mare saw her passing and tried to sully her gorgeous mane by decorating it with the splatter of a ripe tomato. Fortunately for Trixie, the mare’s aim was off and the tomato skidded across the ground. Trixie didn’t even turn to look at her offender. Acknowledging her actions would only prove to the mare that she’d gotten under her skin.
So Trixie let it go.
“Thank you, thank you. Trixie loves each and every one of you. Thank you for attending the show, and be sure to come again tomorrow.”
The crowd of nearly a hundred ponies cheered. Unlike that last grungy town, Manehattan had an appreciation for talent such as Trixie’s. If things went well, she might be able to stay here for an extended period.
Taking a glorious bow, Trixie waltzed backstage to remove her costume and count her earnings for the day: 284 bits. This was a particularly good haul for her. In fact, it was her best in weeks. As such, Trixie was eager to treat herself, if only for one day. Once she had finished removing her outfit and the crowd had adequately dispersed, Trixie began taking a stroll around the city. She was unfamiliar with the hustle and bustle of the big city, but she didn’t entirely dislike it.
After exploring the city for the better part of an hour, Trixie came across a tiny cafe. “Cup ‘O Joe,” the sign read. It certainly wasn’t much, but the Great and Powerful Trixie had scarcely had a cookie in terms of delicacies in the past month. A sandwich with some bean juice and tiramisu was long overdue.
“Hey, aren’t you Trixie? Didn’t you just put on that show earlier?”
The sudden intrusion of her thoughts snapped Trixie’s attention to its source. Standing a few feet beside her was a griffon. Trixie stared at the unusual sight in fascination for a while before realizing that she'd just been asked a question.
“O-o-of course! How could one not know of the Great and Powerful Trixie?"
“I just didn’t expect to see you visiting at a cafe like everyone else," the griffon replied. "Hey, is it okay if we share a table?” Her eyes were glowing with admiration not unlike that of a filly seeing one of Trixie’s magic tricks for the first time.
Trixie rolled her eyes and sighed. “Oh, I suppose Trixie is willing to spend some time with a fan such a yourself.”
The griffon let out a little squeal. “Man, this is awesome! You’re so much cooler than the last mare I've dealt with.”
“Well, that’s only natural for Trixie to overshadow any other pony. Nopony can hope to match Trixie’s magnificence!”
The griffon chuckled as they entered the cafe. After being seated by an earth pony waitress at a white table with place mats and silverware already set out, they both ordered sandwiches and coffee. Trixie then asked for a slice of tiramisu as well. The waitress nodded and left with their orders. She was back in minutes with the food, and Trixie and her guest eagerly started to dig into their food.
“So are you a travelling performer?” the griffon asked. “I haven’t seen you around before.”
Trixie took a bite of her sandwich and nodded. “Trixie has been travelling all across Equestria, dazzling audiences of all ages with her spectacular performances. It's rather quite surprising that you haven’t heard of her.”
The griffon shrugged as she took a sip of her coffee. “Eh, I haven’t visited other cities in a while, and I don’t pay too much attention to pony celebrities, so I’m not too surprised. A shame, though. Wish I’d heard of you before.”
“Well, Trixie appreciates the kind words, miss…”
“Oh, didn’t I say? My bad. Name’s Gilda.”
“Gilda! Yes, it’s nice to hear such encouragement from a fan.” Trixie then lowered her voice to a mumble. “Nice to see I actually have one.”
“What?”
“N-nothing!” Trixie quickly replied, slightly flustered. After clearing her throat, Trixie’s voice returned to its usual regal tone. “If Trixie may be so bold as to ask, what did you enjoy so much about the show?”
Gilda glanced off to the side as she took a bite of her sandwich, lost in thought. She took a sip of her coffee as she contemplated her answer. “I think…” she said finally. “I think it’s because you’re doing something I’d like to do too.”
“You—you want to perform magic?” Trixie tried to mask her surprise.
“Not quite,” Gilda answered. “I want to perform. I want to show and impress people with my sweet flying skills. You know I went to flight school for three years? I’m an awesome athlete. I could fly around you twice in the blink of an eye.”
Trixie stared directly at Gilda with a newfound interest. “Is that a fact?”
Gilda grinned smugly in response. “Want me to prove it?”
“Perhaps once we’re outside,” Trixie replied with a wave of her hoof. “So why aren’t you?”
Gilda blinked. “What?”
“Why can’t you perform your stunts? If you are as skilled as you say, what’s keeping you from performing for others?”
Gilda’s grin dropped. A silence fell across the table, making Trixie uncomfortable. No, uncomfortable is spending the winter nights in her wagon without any heating. This feeling was just… uneasy.
“I…” Gilda placed the sandwich on the table and pushed it away. She didn’t even take a sip of the coffee. Letting out a sigh, Gilda finally said, “The Wonderbolts are only interested in pegasi. I know the Young Fliers’ Competition is technically open to all applicants who are qualified, but I’ve been there. I’ve seen the inner workings of the system, and I know griffons don’t have any chance of getting in. That’s pretty much the only option that exists for me, and I can’t even take advantage of it.”
Trixie was feeling much less peppy than before. The conversation had taken an unexpectedly somber turn. How was one supposed to respond to that?
“Besides,” Gilda continued. “I don’t think I could make myself compete anymore anyway. But I have a secure job here, so it doesn’t really matter. You know, there really aren’t many pegasi living in this city, so the weather team is always hiring. I was essentially assured a job the moment I moved here, and things are going good.”
A valiant effort indeed, but it would not be that easy to change the subject on Trixie.
“Why won’t you compete anymore?”
Gilda hung her head, finding something fascinating about the corner of the table.
Trixie blushed with embarrassment at her own rude behavior. “L-look,” she stuttered. “I’ve pushed you enough. You don’t have to tell me.”
Gilda looked up with surprise. After a moment, she took a deep breath. “I… had a bit of a falling out with a close friend.”
“That’s hard,” Trixie said softly.
Gilda nodded. “We were best friends in flight school. Then when I visited her after a couple years of no contact, she'd gone and found new friends and left me to rot. And her loser friends were really good at ticking me off." Gilda let out an aggravated sigh. "Cool or lame, it doesn’t matter anymore. She’s gone and I’m not getting her back.” The tears had started falling from Gilda’s eyes. She looked up directly at Trixie. “She’s pretty close with Spitfire, the Wonderbolts captain. It’s only a matter of time before she gets in. I don’t think I could face her is she does. Besides, part of the problem is what getting into the Wonderbolts requires. You need to compete with others. Normally, I’m all for that, but it's not like playing sports. This is different. It’s so hostile, and there’s absolutely no friendly competition. Everyone is in it for themselves. Old friends are new enemies. It's a cutthroat environment where everyone is trying to one-up everyone else. It just reminds me of how she so easily stabbed me in the back and got rid of me and moved on.
“So that’s basically it. I can’t really compete because I’m not wanted, and the joy of competition is gone anyway because of her. That’s why I really liked watching you. You’re just there to entertain the crowds. You’re not trying to outdo someone or live up to someone else. You can do whatever you want, and so long as the audience likes it, you’re good. That’s really cool.”
Trixie suddenly didn’t feel so hungry anymore. She’d abandoned the coffee some time ago, and now the remaining quarter of her sandwich didn’t seem so appetizing. She glanced at her tiramisu and was horrified to see that she hadn’t eaten a single bite as of yet.
Trixie avoided Gilda’s eyes as the uneasy silence fell across the table again. She cleared her throat. “I… have something to confess.”
Gilda’s eyes shot open. No words escaped her beak as she looked on with rapt attentiveness.
“My magic shows aren’t… entirely purehearted. I only perform because it’s all I’m good at.”
“W-what do you mean?”
Trixie sighed. “I mean I can’t do anything else. My spells are all flashy, but they have no substance. I’m not that strong, and I can’t fly. In short, I can’t contribute anything to society. All I can do is entertain ponies and hope there’s enough demand to earn a living. Yes, it’s fun, and yes, it’s what I’m good at, but it’s a job before it’s a hobby, and even then, I barely make enough to get by.”
“O-oh.” Gilda's face softened with sympathy.
“And one more thing,” Trixie added. “I do have it out for somepony. This one town that I was visiting, there was a unicorn. My reputation, everything I’d been building since I’d arrived, she tore it all down. She humiliated me in front of the entire town, and now I can’t show my face there anymore. Word hasn’t spread to this city yet, but some places have already heard of the Ursa incident, so now it's even harder for me to make ends meet.
“All I know how to do is perform magic. So that’s what I do. Maybe one day I can show my face there again, because though I hate to admit it, right now, her magic is stronger than mine.”
What followed was the most painfully awkward silence of the entire outing. She didn’t know what else to say, nor did Gilda seem to have any idea. Trixie levitated her fork with her magic and absentmindedly poked at her dessert. Maybe she shouldn’t have dropped that bombshell. If Gilda’s entire opinion of her hinged on a skewed perception, then by all rights, revealing herself in that way should change her opinion.
“Wow,” Gilda finally spoke. “That’s… that’s kind of amazing.”
Trixie tilted her head to the side, puzzled. “Amazing?”
“Even when you’re dealing with all of that, you still manage to get on stage and smile and put on a great show.” Gilda’s smile had returned. “You’re a great magician, Trixie. I think even if you didn’t have those circumstances, you should keep at it. You’ll be sticking around town for another week or so, right? I’ll be sure to see more of your shows.” Gilda smiled warmly and reached for her cup of coffee. She downed it in one gulp, and after leaving some bits on the table, made a move to get up from her seat.
“W-wait!” Trixie uttered. To her relief, Gilda stopped and remained seated. She turned to look at Trixie quizzically. “You know, next month, Cloudsdale is having its annual Skyathlon.” The tops of Gilda’s ears twitched, making Trixie giggle softly. “I know you can’t make a profession out of it, but I was thinking maybe you could... compete?"
Gilda looked to the side, seemingly in deep thought. Trixie still felt slightly guilty for pushing her earlier, but she decided to take the risk.
“Look, I know you're against competing because of your former friend, but I was thinking that the environment is totally different. As I'm sure you know, it's a charity event, so all of the competition there has got to be friendly. Plus, if you do, I promise I’ll be there to watch.”
Gilda’s eyes lit up upon hearing that. Without any warning, she reached over the table and pulled Trixie into a hug. Trixie let out a squeak at the sudden display. That girl was strong!
Gilda suddenly blushed and released her from her grip. “I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that without-”
Trixie held up her hoof and started to chuckle, which soon grew to outright laughter. “Fret not, dear Gilda. Trixie has decided to make an exception for you. However, there is one condition.”
“Oh?”
Trixie then took her fork and made a clean horizontal cut through the slice of tiramisu. She held the larger half in her magic and placed it on Gilda’s plate.
“As a token of friendship, Trixie would simply like to extend the courtesy by sharing her dessert with you. I would be honored if you accept.”
Gilda looked directly into Trixie’s eyes for a moment. There was something ever-so-slightly different about the look in Gilda’s eyes. Before, there had been admiration. Now, however, there was something more. Her eyes shone with genuine happiness.
“My pleasure,” Gilda replied, stabbing her own fork into the cake and taking a bite of the delicacy. A pink color rose in her cheeks, something which Trixie realized she too was doing.
The two continued to eat their halves of the cake in silence. No more words were needed. They could just relish in the glow of having met a new friend while their taste buds danced with joy. Finally, after Gilda finished her tiramisu, she stood up from the table.
“Okay, I gotta run. I have weather duty in half an hour. But Trixie?” Gilda paused while Trixie looked at her quizzically. Gilda gave a small nod. “Thanks for everything. It was really cool meeting you.” With that, Gilda started walking to the store exit. Glancing over her shoulder, Gilda called back, “I’ll see you at your show tomorrow.”
With a smile, Trixie called back, “Certainly. Trixie looks forward to your presence.”
With that, Gilda exited the store, leaving Trixie alone but satisfied in the cafe. Something quite extraordinary had occurred, and Trixie was going to use this time to relax and reflect on all that had happened. She now had one of those things that Twilight Sparkle had: A friend. It was a strange feeling, having a new friend, but it filled Trixie with a sense of giddiness, so she really couldn’t complain.
Things were starting to look up for her.