Trixie suffers of nightmares since she wore the Alicorn Amulet and returns to Ponyville to ask Twilight for help.
Since the Alicorn Amulet incident, Trixie suffers of nightmares. After some time she finally yielded and decided to get to the one pony who can help her. And so she returns to Ponyville, the place her nightmares began, not knowing that she has bigger problems than simple nightmares.
The dark tag is for two or three chapters that handle nightmares or past events with mentions of death. Those chapters will be marked with [D]
Trixie tried to be as unobtrusive as possible in the middle of the crowd. The last thing she needed was to cause unwanted attention.
It was incredible how fast the town had recovered. There were celebrating ponies everywhere, watching the show that Twilight Sparkle had organized for Princess Celestia and her subjects. It was hard to believe that only a few hours before, the town was cowering in fear before Trixie, who had even banished Twilight from Ponyville. But even with the power of the Alicorn Amulet, Trixie was outwitted and defeated once again by Celestia's star pupil.
How could I do something like this, Trixie thought. Everything was so clear with the Amulet gone. I only wanted to prove that I'm more powerful than Twilight, and to do it I enslaved this town and kicked her out? What was I thinking? And what will I do now? If my reputation wasn't destroyed by the Ursa Minor incident, it definitely is now.
She started to retreat from the crowd. How can anypony trust me after this?
She turned around to flee once more, but paused, looking back at the stage where Twilight was performing.
One last thing, she thought.
~*~
Twilight was concentrating on the spell she had practiced that morning. Safe in her magic, Fluttershy's animal friends were flying around in a studied choreography. From their box seats, Princess Celestia and her guests from Saddle Arabia enjoyed the performance.
The performance coming to an end, Twilight was about to put the animals back on the ground when a volley of fireworks ignited behind her. Twilight turned around to look for the source and found Trixie, wearing her trademark star-spangled purple cape and wizard hat.
Twilight was confused. “Trixie?”
“It's the least I could do,” Trixie answered with a sad smile. “I treated you and your friends so horribly while I was wearing that Alicorn Amulet. I just couldn't control myself.” She looked down at her hooves, ashamed, before looking back up at Twilight. There was genuine remorse in her eyes. “You can forgive me, can't you?”
Twilight had to think twice about her answer. Trixie had always been unpleasant, but she did sound sorry... not to mention the Amulet was the cause of half their troubles.
Twilight hummed thoughtfully. "Sure," she said with a smile.
“Oh, good.” Trixie breathed a sigh of relief before returning to her usual self. "Don't you think the Great and Apologetic Trixie is the most magnificent humblepony you've ever seen?”
Some things never change, thought Twilight, rolling her eyes.
Trixie didn't notice, and created a dense smoke screen. When the smoke cleared, she was clearly running away, but she heard a shout from behind her.
“Trixie, wait up!”
Distracted, Trixie tripped on a small stone in the street and fell flat on her face. When she finally recovered and looked up, she saw Twilight standing over her, reaching out with a hoof.
“Are you okay?”
Trixie couldn't help blushing in embarrassment. “Yeah, Trixie is okay...” She stood up on her own and grumbled, “but that would not have happened if you hadn't shouted during The Great and Powerful Trixie's exit!”
“Sorry, Trixie. I just wanted to ask you something.”
“Fine,” Trixie snarled. “But make it quick. Trixie would prefer to leave this town before anypony else notices that Trixie is still here.”
“I wanted to ask what you're going to do now." Twilight seemed concerned. "At our first duel, you told us how hard things got for you after the Ursa incident.”
Trixie wasn't used to Twilight being pleasant, either. “...To be honest," she admitted, "Trixie doesn't really know. Trixie... never thought that she would lose to you in the first place.”
Twilight smirked. “I thought so... But you don't have to go. You could stay here in Ponyville until you figure out what to do.”
Trixie just stood there for a moment, eyes wide with shock.
“ARE YOU CRAZY?" she said at last, "How could Trixie stay here after all that's happened? First the Ursa and now the Amulet... How could she stay here when its only a matter of time before somepony seeks revenge on The Great and Powerful Trixie for all she's done? If Trixie is lucky, she'll merely be chased out of town before morning!”
“Maybe in any other town,” Twilight replied with a confident smile, “but this is Ponyville: possibly the nicest and friendliest town in Equestria. We've also seen Nightmare Moon, Discord, bunny stampedes, the Crusaders and a lot more. I've even caused my fair share of the chaos in this town and nopony has held it against me." She took a step closer and laid a hoof on Trixie's shoulder. "Whatever you think you did wrong while you were wearing that Amulet, the ponies here will have forgotten all about it in a few days.
“And as for the Ursa Minor, nopony ever blamed you for that at all! It wasn't you that brought it to town, and you even tried to fight it off! It was never my intention to embarrass you; I just did what I had to do to save my friends." Twilight bowed her head in regret. "If I'd known you'd be back for revenge, I would have told you all of this back then.”
It all made Trixie pause, but she shook her head. “But this time, with the Amulet...! Trixie really did come here to make you suffer for what you did to her!" She pushed Twilight's hoof away, looking down. "That's so much more serious than anything before.”
Twilight placed her hoof back on the ground. “That might be true, but everypony knows how the Amulet corrupted you now. I can't speak for all of them, but I'm sure that most of them would forgive you. Maybe some will still hold a grudge, but if you let me, I'll stand by your side if they come knocking—and I'm sure my friends will, too. Everypony deserves a second chance, and with friends by your side you can accomplish anything!”
Twilight stood in front of Trixie with a hopeful grin on her face. "What do you say?"
Trixie just sat and looked at the ground for a few moments. She eventually got on her hooves again and turned her back to Twilight.
“Trixie appreciates... I appreciate your offer, Twilight... but the road is my home, and it calls to me." She took a breath and stood up straight. "No matter what, the show must go on! I did it once and I can do it again... myself. I didn't need friends before and I still don't."
Twilight tried to speak, but Trixie wasn't done.
"And you can't honestly expect me to believe I'd be welcome here after all that's happened." She turned back to Twilight, but her face was calm. "So my answer is no. Trixie will find her own way back to the top, and in no time at all, Equestria will once again bask in the brilliance of The Great and Powerful Trixie!”
With those words, Trixie reared up, waving her forelegs in the air. She produced one last smoke screen and made her exit once more.
Twilight just stood there for a moment, but gave one last shout after her: “Trixie! If you ever need help—if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me!”
“Beware of the incredible magical arts of the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Trixie shouted out to the crowd in front of her. She stood on her hind legs on a small stage and just started with her performance. Her trademark fireworks ignited behind the stage in the air to lure more ponies to her show.
The crowd before the stage grew with every moment to an incredible amount of ponies. That alone would be strange, since there are way to many ponies already to fit in this small town, but there was something else that was even stranger.
It was deadly silence all around. There was not a single sound to hear anywhere. None of the ponies that arrived at the stage moved a muscle or said anything. The only sound came from Trixie and her fireworks, but the latter slowly vanished with the end of their lifespan.
“Well then. “ Trixie announced after coming down on her front legs, “ For the first incredible magic trick Trixie will -.”
“Just shut up and show us how pathetic your magic is, so everybody can laugh at you!” A random voice called out from the crowd, before Trixie was able to finish her sentence. Without a warning their started a massive laughter from the crowd and grew louder with every second.
“Who dares to insult the Great and Powerful Trixie? Show your face so that I can prove to you how magnificent Trixie’s magic is!” Trixie demanded to the crowd with an angry glare. But soon her glare turned into a frightened frown after looking more closely at the ponies. She thought before that their was something strange with these ponies and only now she noticed what it was.
Every single pony looked exactly similar. Their bodies,coat colors and the manes and tails where all the same and there was no way to tell if any of these ponies are mares or stallions. But the most disturbing fact where their faces.
Or to be precisely: The total absence of these.
Not a single pony in the whole crowd had a face, they where all just dark shadows without eyes or a mouth. But even without mouths, Trixie could still hear their laughter.
“Wha-, what's going on here?” Trixie muttered to herself, while taking back a few steps to the end of the stage. Suddenly the stage disappeared under her hooves and she fell to the ground. After coming back to her hooves she noticed that the black shadows were coming closer to her and began to surround her. She tried to turn around and run away, but after a few steps even more shadows appeared out of nowhere in front of her.
Looking around Trixie noticed that she shadows had closed the circle around her with even more of them joining. Every second they got closer to Trixie, still laughing.
“Go away!” Trixie shouted at them. “Don't force Trixie to use her magic against you!”
“Ooh, now we are so scared.” Trixie heard the same mocking voice as before from all around her over the laughter of the shadows. “Just show us already how weak and pathetic you are! Maybe we won't laugh to much at you at all, but only maybe!”
“Ok, you have not wanted it differently.” Trixie shouted at the still growing mass of shadows around her. “Be prepared for Trixies incredible magic!”
Trixie casted one of her spells, but nothing happened. No magic aura appeared around her horn and there was no sign of any magic. She was not even able to feel the magical flow inside of her anymore.
“What's happening?” Trixie was shocked after realizing what was going on and started to cower in fear in the middle of the circle the shadows formed around her. “Why can't I use my magic?”
The shadows stopped laughing at that moment and for a few moments there was nothing than silent. But then the voice resounds again from everywhere at once.
“Now we see the weak and pathetic Trixie in all her glory. That is all you ever was and will ever be. WEAK AND PATHETIC!”
“Weak and pathetic.” The shadows started to chorus all around her again. “Weak and pathetic. Weak and pathetic. Weak and pathetic. Weak and pathetic.”
“NO, STOP IT!” Trixie screamed while pressing her hooves on hear ears. “PLEASE STOP! I don't want to hear any of this any more!”
“Weak and pathetic. Weak and pathetic. Weak and pathetic.”
“No, no. NOOOOOOOOOO!”
~*~
“NOOOOOOOOOO.”
Trixe awoke from her nightmare with a loud scream, covered in sweat. Trembling in fear she looked around, only to notice that she is still in the middle of the clearing she reached earlier for the night. Firs,t she only saw her magican hat and cape lying in the grass beside her. After she was sure to be alone, she let out a relieved sigh and fell on her back again, staring at the night sky.
'Just a dream...' Trixie thought. 'Just a stupid nightmare like the last few dozen before.'
Trixie sighed again. Since the Alicorn Amulet incident in Ponyville three months ago she got nightmares every time she closes her eyes and tried to sleep. She tried different ways she heard of and visited a few doctors, hoping something or someone could help to get rid of the nightmares. Sadly, nothing works and the nightmares keep coming every night and day.
It was not such a big problem in the beginning, but the constant lack of sleep took everything out of her after a few days, and the following weeks were not better.
It interfered with her performances in some towns, at least the few where she still was able to perform without being asked and judged by the Ursa or the Alicorn Amulet incidents. In these cases she was either ignored, humiliated or hunted out of town from the ponies around.
To make it short, she suffers from terrible nightmares, had no place to live and no money. Her life was a disaster.
“Just what happened with my life?” Trixie whispered to herself while looking at the night sky. “Where did I go wrong? Everything was fine not long ago. I performed in many different towns, was well known around Equestria and had my freedom to travel wherever I wanted without any problems.”
Trixie frowned and there was anger in her voice now. “But it all ended that fateful day I arrived at Ponyville and the Ursa reached the town. My caravan got destroyed and my career was ruined. And all of this thanks to Twilight Sparkle. She humiliated me in front of the whole town. The story traveled somehow to other towns and everything was over.
“All thanks to Twilight!” Trixie shouted in the night.
Trixie laid there in total silent for some minutes while calming down.
“Who am I kidding.” She muttered to herself with a sigh. “I ruined everything on my own. If I had not gone to far with my boasting these two colts would never had brought the Ursa to town and everything would be like it used to be. It was all my fault and my alone.
“What should I do? I tried to fix it myself and it didn't help at all. And the nightmares won't stop either. I don't think I can solve anything of this mess myself.”
'Trixie, if you ever need help or if you change your mind, you know where you can find me!'
“Well.” Trixie sighed again. “Never thought that this day would come, but I have to admit, I need help. And there is probably only one pony in this world right now that would help me.”
It was a quiet day in Ponyville. The sun was shining, there was not a single cloud in the sky and, to the surprise of some of the townspeople, nothing terrible or extraordinary has happened lately.
Twilight wandered through the streets of Ponyville on her way to the library. She just came back from the Everfree Forest from a visit to Zecora’s for a cup of tea and bought a few new quills on her way back. She just could not understand what happened with all the quills she bought last week, but that’s a mystery for another day.
While walking Twilight noticed Pinkie Pie running fast in her direction and stopped to greet her friend.
“Hi, Pinkie. What are you -,” she started, but before she could finish her sentence Pinkie ran past her to the other side of the town without saying anything. Twilight looked confused after her friend for a few moments just like a few other ponys that noticed the pink whirlwind, but soon she just shrugged and turned around to finish her way home. But the moment she turned and started walking again she collided with a pink wall in front of her.
“Hey, Twilight, what are you looking for?” Pinkie Pie asked while looking past her.
Twilight looked over her shoulder for a second and then turned her head in front of her at her friend. She wanted to say something, before she remembered who she is talking to. She let out a small sign while shaking her head.
“Nothing important, Pinkie,” she answered before smiling. “So, you seems to be in a hurry, what happened today?”
“Well, I need to restock my party equipment, I will need it soon. I’m so excited right now,” Pinkie said with a big smile on her face while bouncing around.
“Oh, another party? What is the occasion this time?”
“My Pinkie Sense told me that there will be a new pony in town soon, so I need to prepare a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party. I can’t wait to meet a new friend, that will be so much fun.”
“I’m always happy to make new friends, too. So I will stop distracting you from your preparations. Just remember to inform me early when the party will be, so that I can make room in my schedule.”
“I surely will, would be a shame if one of my best friends would be amiss. Bye, Twilight.” With this both ponys parted and went their own ways.
‘A new pony will come to town, huh?’ Twilight thought. ‘I wonder who it will be; maybe it will be someone with an interest in books. I really love the ponys around, but there are not that many that enjoy a good lecture. Well, I will see in time.’
Twilight was now near her library and noticed that something was wrong. Spike sat at the front door grumbling to himself with his arms crossed.
“Spike, what’s wrong?” Twilight asked him. “Why are you waiting outside?
“You got a guest, Twilight,” Spike said with a snarl. “She is waiting insides and I couldn’t stand to be in the same room as her too long.”
“Who are you talking about?” Twilight asked confused. “Who is this guest? Someone I know?”
“You’ll see. And yes, you know her. The whole town knows her.” After this Spike got to his feet and started walking away. “Since you are here now, I’ll go to Rarity in the meanwhile.”
Twilight stood there and watched Spike walk away, now extremely confused. ‘What just happened?’ she thought. ‘I don’t now when was the last time I saw him this angry.’ She turned to the front door of the library. ‘Who could be this guest?’ Twilight went to the door, and with a last breath to prepare herself for the unknown she opened the door with her magic. When she walked inside, she noticed a blue mare sitting at the table with a book in front of her..
When the mare heard the opening of the door, she turned her head to look at Twilight.
“Hello, Twilight.”
“Trixie?” Twilight gasped. “Is that really you? You look horrible.”
Trixie looked different from the last time Twilight saw her. Her coat was covered in dust and mud and several bruises could be seen all over her body. Her mane was a total mess and it was clearly visible that it has been some time since the last time it was washed. Her voice was hoarse and she has large bags under her eyes. It was also visible in her eyes that she was completely exhausted.
“Wow, really? Trixie didn’t notice before,” Trixie snarled. “Trixie wants to see how you will look like after living on the streets for more than three months.”
“Wait a second, you mean you were homeless all this time?” Twilight couldn’t believe what she heard. “Why didn’t you say anything back then that you have no place to live?”
“That’s none of your business. This is something Trixie can handle herself later. It is not important right now and not the reason why Trixie came back.”
“Ok, I still think this is something we need to discuss,” Twilight said with a sigh, “but I think we need to calm down first. How about I make some tea for us and then you can tell me why you came to see me? Does this sound fine to you?”
Trixie thought for a moment, before slowly nodding. “Fine.”
Twilight used her magic to raise her saddlebags from her back on the floor near the front door and trotted over to her kitchen to prepare the tea. After a few minutes she came back with a tray floating in the air with two cups on it and set it on the table.
“Here is your tea, Trixie.” Twilight said while she levitated one of the cups to Trixie. “So, why did you come back to Ponyville to see me? From what you said earlier I presume it has nothing to do with your appearance.”
“Well, Trixie has to admit, that her problem is partly the reason for her appearance,” Trixie began to say. She took a sip from her tea. “Since the day you and your friends freed Trixie of the Alicorn Amulet she is haunted by nightmares. At first she thought nothing about it, but they didn’t stop, so Trixie visited several doctors, but none were able to help her.” “That sounds awful, but why didn’t you come sooner?”
“As if the Great and Powerful Trixie would be afraid of some stupid nightmares. She is more than able enough to go on and ignore them. They are not even as bad as it sounded and Trixie is much too powerful to be affected by them.”
Trixie used her magic to take another sip of her tea. Twilight noticed a small flicker in Trixie|s magic aura and thought for a moment that she would drop her cup, but Trixie got hold of it and set it back on the table. ‘She is way more affected by these nightmares than she want to admit,’ Twilight thought. ‘Trixie, you are truly not really good at hiding something like this from others. “So, if these nightmares are so easy to handle, why are you here then?”
“They might not be a bother to Trixie, but they got a little bit annoying over time, that is why Trixie decided to visit you. You are the only pony she could think of who might be able to help her get rid of them.”
“Ok, now I understand your situation.” ‘At least the part you want to admit.’ I feel honored that you think so highly about me, but I don’t know that much about dreams or nightmares. It is still possible that I can find something in my library.” Twilight stood up from her place and walked over to one of her bookshelves. “Since it might take some time to go through the books, I would suggest you stay at the library over night. After all, you mentioned that you got no place to stay right now, and that way I will be able to help you the moment I find a solution.”
Trixie just sat at the table, her mouth slightly opened. After a few moment she caught herself again. “Trixie admits that you got a point there, but Trixie wants to make clear, that she only stays to get rid of this annoying problem as fast as possible.”
‘At least I got her out of the cold night for now,’ Twilight thought. “By the way, Trixie, I noticed that you are without your hat and cape. What happened to them?”
“Trixie had a little encounter with a Timberwolf on her way to Ponyville and used them to distract it. But they are replaceable. Trixie used to have more than one set in the past.”
“A Timberwolf?” Twilight turned around to face Trixie. “Are you hurt somehow?”
“As if a Timberwolf would be able to hurt the Great and Powerful Trixie. And if she would be severely hurt, you would have noticed it till now.”
“That’s a relief, you worried me there for a moment. Timberwolfs can be really tough.”
After this conversation Trixie and Twilight stayed mostly quiet for some time. A few hours later, when the sun started to go down, the front door to the library opened.
“Hey, Twilight. I’m back,” Spike said with a smile, but the moment he saw Trixie at the table, his smile turned into a frown. “What is she still doing here?” The tone in his voice made it more than clear that he was not happy about Trixies presence, but Twilight didn’t seem to notice. She didn’t even looked at him while he was glaring at Trixie, who just looked at the table in front of her.
“She asked for help with a problem she got, and since it takes some time to look through the books she will stay here overnight.”
“Are you kidding me? How can you help her after all she did? She banished you from the town the last time, who knows what she is going to do this time!”
Twilight turned around after hearing that and walked over to Spike. “Spike, watch your mouth! You know that it wasn’t her fault the last time she visited! It was the Amulet that was responsible for her actions! And she came in peace this time without making any problems, so please don’t be the one to start one now!”
“As long as she doesn’t do anything I won’t say anything more, but I don’t think that this will last long!” With this Spike went to the stairs and made his way up to the bedroom.
“Haaach, I’m sorry that you had to listen to this, Trixie,” Twilight sighed after Spike was gone. “You must know, he is really sensitive about me, since I’m the one who raised him, and he was never able to forgive you for banishing me from Ponyville. But I’m sure that he will overcome it one day.”
“It’s okay, Twilight. Trixie thinks she can understand him after everything she did and she got used to hear things like this over the past few months.” Trixie said, but Twilight could see that his comments still hurt her. Twilight decided to change the subject to distract her thoughts from Spike.
“So, I think I found enough books for now about dreams and nightmares. Would you like to help looking through them? This way we can find a solution quicker.” Twilight used one of her biggest smiles on Trixie, while she floated a big stack of books to the table.
Trixie thought for a second, before her frown turned to a small smile. “Trixie would like that. It has been a while since she has company while reading.” Twilight sat down on the opposite site of the table across from Trixie and levitated a book to both of them and they started reading. After a few minutes, Trixie coughed slightly to get Twilights attention. “And, Twilight.” Twilight looked up in Trixie’s face. “Thank you for defending Trixie. She really appreciates it.”
Twilight once again smiled at the mare in front of her. “No problem, Trixie.”
~*~
A few more hours passed since the two mares started looking through the books without finding anything. Twilight started to get frustrated, she could not believe that she couldn’t find anything that sounded like Trixies problem. She just grabbed the next book with her magic, when she heared a slight whimper and groaning in front of her. As she looked up at Trixe she saw her with her head lying on the book in front of her. She had fallen asleep without Twilight noticing. And from her twitching and the noises she made she had another nightmare.
“Trixie!” Twilight quickly rushed around the table to the blue mare to wake her up. She started to shake her shoulders, but Trixie didn’t responded. “Come on, Trixie, please wake up!” Without a warning Trixie suddenly arised with a scream and her eyes wide opened in pure fear. She looked frightened around the room, before her eyes fell on Twilight.
“Trixie, are you-,” Twilight started in her calmest voice, but was interrupted as Trixie swung her hoofs around her neck and layed her head on her shoulder, quietly sobbing and crying.
“Tw-Twilight, please help me. I can not bear this any longer, I will go down if it doesn’t stop. You need to help me, please!”
Twilight was shocked to see Trixie like this, but soon she started patting her back. “It’s ok, Trixie. I will do whatever I can do to help you. I have to admit I underestimated this. I don’t think I will find a solution in my books, so will go to the only two beings who might be able to help you.” Trixie unclasped Twilight and pulled herself back to look into her face, still sobbing with tears going down her face. “We will go to Canterlot and meet the princesses.
Twilight stayed awake the rest of the night to help Trixie stay awake, preventing her from having more nightmares.
Trixie opened up to Twilight after her emotional breakdown and told her about what she’d endured since the start of the nightmares over three months ago, from her terrible performances, to her failed jobs to earn a few bits and her travels from town to town.
This included her travels to Ponyville and her encounter with the Timberwolf, which was way more serious than she let on.
Trixie had been unable to use magic in her weakened state and resorted to using her hat and cape as a distraction. That was probably the only reason she was still alive.
Twilight felt pity for the poor mare. If she had heard anything about what had happened to Trixie before, she would have gone to find and help her earlier. But, she felt that she could at least help her now, as far as getting rid of the nightmares, and maybe even a tad more.
Sometime during the night, Twilight went to her kitchen and made sandwiches for the both of them, of which Trixie devoured hungrily. It seemed as though it had been some time since her last decent meal.
While Trixie ate her sandwiches, Twilight got some paper and a quill and wrote a letter to the princesses to inform them of the situation, and ask whether or not they could come to Canterlot to see them. The finished letter lied on the table, waiting to be sent by Spike in the morning.
The rest of the night went on without any incidents, other than one time Trixie had drifted off to sleep. Twilight stood up from her resting place at the table and stretched her limbs. She looked over at Trixie, who was, thankfully, still awake.
“Good morning, Trixie. Are you hungry? How does pancakes sound? I'm not as good as a cook as Spike, but it's still better than nothing.”
Before could respond her, stomach grumbled. “Trixie thinks that might be a great idea,” she answered with a snicker.
“Great.” Twilight walked in the direction of the kitchen, but turned around after some steps. “Would you like to take a bath while I make breakfast? No offense, but you could really use one.”
Trixie took one sniff of her armpit and gagged. “Trixie sees your point and gladly accepts your offer. A life on the streets isn't exactly helpful with personal hygiene. However, Trixie thinks a shower might be a better idea, she doesn't thinks she can stay awake through a bath.”
“Good point, I hadn't thought of that. The bathroom is over there,” she said, pointing to a room upstairs. “Please, help yourself,” said Twilight with a smile.
After Trixie disappeared inside of the bathroom, Twilight went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast, but was interrupted by a knock coming from the front door.
'Who could that be at this hour?' Twilight thought while making her way to the door. When she opened the door, she was greeted by Rarity.
“Good morning, darling. I hope I'm not bothering you by coming this early.”
“Hello, Rarity,” Twilight said. “Don't worry, I'm just making breakfast. What brings you here this early in the morning?”
Rarity trotted inside of the main room of the library. “Well, I wanted to check if everything went alright with Trixie yesterday.”
“Oh, it's...,” Twilight started to answer before she realized what Rarity had said. “Wait, how do you know about Trixie?”
“Oh please, darling,” Rarity said with a roll of her eyes. “Do you really think I wouldn't notice Spikes grumpy attitude when he came to the boutique yesterday?”
“Oh, right. I forgot that he went to your house after I'd gotten back.”
“I was kinda worried when he mentioned that Trixie was back, so I gave Spike something to do and said that I needed to run an important errand. Then, I came here to see if she would try anything again.”
Rarity's smile quickly faded Her eyes shifted to the ground. “I looked through one of the windows to see what was going. When I saw the state Trixie was in and how well you two seem to get along, I knew that everything was right and that she hadn't come to do us any harm this time. But, I feel terrible now. I invaded your privacy.”
“Don't worry, Rarity,” Twilight assured her with a smile. “I'm not angry, I know that you only did it for me. And I can assure you that Trixie means no harm this time, she only needs help with a problem.”
“May I ask what it is she needs your help with? Maybe I can help somehow, too?” Rarity asked with confidence.
“I don't think that Trixie would appreciate it if I told anypony about her situation without her consent. She trusts me and I don't want to lose that. As it is, it took her three months before she accepted that she needed help from me. Besides, I don't think that there is a way you could help, Rarity. I wasn't able to find any clue how to help her, and I underestimated how serious this was. That’s why we're going to Canterlot to see the princesses. They are the only ones I can think of who might be able to help her.”
“Oh, dear, that must be a really big problem if you can’t find anything here to help her. But, I'm sure the princesses can find a way to help her. And I understand that you don't want to lose her trust, after everything that’s happened with her, that might be her first step in the right way.”
“I really hope so.”
“Don't worry, darling. If there is somepony who could get through to her, it's you. By the way, where Trixie is, I didn't see her trailer while walking through town.”
“She’s still here. She stayed overnight so that we could go to Canterlot the moment we get an answer from the princess. She's taking a shower at the moment.”
“Oh, then I think it might be the best if I go my way. I can imagine that she wouldn't feel comfortable around someone else for the time being.” Rarity turned around and started her way to the door. “I hope that everything turns out right.”
“I hope so as well. I’ll see you later. Oh, and Rarity. Please don't mention to anypony that Trixie’s here. I don't want anypony to think that she’s doing anything strange again”
“Of course, darling. My lips are sealed. I’ll be on my way now, don't want to be a bother for you any longer. Ta-ta.” Rarity exited out of the front door and closed it behind her with her magic.
“I must be really lucky to have such good and understanding friends,” Twilight thought before trotting back into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
~*~
Outside of the library Rarity began her way back to the boutique. 'I really hope everything works out with Trixie,'Rarity thought. 'Whatever is going on with her, it must be truly terrible if her look from yesterday is any indication.'
“Psst, Rarity.”
“Hmm?” Rarity turned around, looking for the source of the voice. After a moment of looking, she found Spike on the balcony of the library, gesturing for her to come closer. “Spike, what are you doing on the balcony?”
“I want to talk to you, but I don’t want Twilight to hear. Could you give me a lift to the ground?”
Rarity used her magic to levitate the small dragon to the ground in front of her. “Ok, Spike. What's going on? It's not usual for you to keep a secret from Twilight.”
“It's about Trixie,” Spike said with concern in his voice. “I don't know what she’s doing, but she did something to Twilight.”
Rarity was taken back by. “What does he mean by that? “Spike, that is a serious accusation that you’re implying. How do you know if Trixie did something to Twilight?”
“Yesterday evening, I went to sleep after I got back from helping you, but in the middle of the night, I awoke to a bloodcurtling scream. I'm sure that it was Twilight who was screaming, however, when I came to the main room of the library, I saw both of them hugging each other at the table, as if they are the closest friends. She probably used some kind of spell on her, and I'm not sure if I can talk with her about it. You need to help me, Rarity, I don't know what I should do.”
Rarity thought about the situation for a moment before answering. “Hmm. Spike, I know you don't like Trixie, and I doubt you would lie about something serious like this. Plus, what you told me does sound suspicious, but, are you absolutely sure that it was Twilight screaming last night?”
“Well...no, but who else could it have been?”
“There are several possibilities. It’s possible that the scream came from somepony outside and you thought it came from inside the library. Or it could have been Trixie herself. We don't know what happened while you were asleep, so even the hugging could be something different than you think.”
“But-” Spike started, but was interrupted by a good from Rarity.
“Spike, you can’t just walk around throwing accusations around without any solid evidence. Remember Cadence and Shining Armor’s wedding. Twilight accused Cadence of being evil. She was right in the end, but, at that moment, had no proof and we all abandoned her, even the princess.” Rarity didn't like to think about how all of them treated Twilight, but that was in the past.
“So if you now start the same thing like Twilight did back then, nopony will believe you. Or, what could be worse, they’ll believe you and go against Trixie. And what if later, we learn that she hadn't done anything? That might ruin her reputation. Would you really ruin somepony’s life without knowing if your accusations are true?”
“When you put it that way...”, Spike mumbled. “But, then what should I do now?”
“Keep your eyes open, Spike. Look out for anything suspicious that might prove Trixie is up to something. And if you’re really sure that she is, than you can come to one of us or even the princesses for help. I’ll keep my eyes and ears open as well, just in case I notice anything strange. But for now, I think you should go back inside, before Twilight notices you’re gone.”
“Ok, I can do that,” Spike said with confidence. He looked to the balcony and then back to Rarity. “Ehm, could you give me a lift back on to the balcony? It would be strange if I walk through the front door without having left in the first place, if you know what I mean.”
“Of course, Spike,” Rarity said with a chuckle before lifting him up back on the balcony with her magic. “See you later.”
“Bye, Rarity,” Spike said as he walked back into the library.
'I sure hope that you’re wrong, Spike,' Rarity thought to herself while walking back home. 'But it's always better to be over prepared for nothing than under prepared for an emergency.'
~*~
Twilight was still in the kitchen preparing breakfast, when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw Spike entering the kitchen with a frown on his face. She sighed. “Spike, could I talk with you for a moment?”
“Sure, if we have to,” he huffed before taking his seat at the table.
“Yes,we do,” Twilight said annoyed. She put aside the pan from the stove and turned around to face Spike. She used her magic to levitate the letter for the princess on the table in front of Spike. “But before I start, would you send this letter to the princess?”
Without saying anything Spike took the letter in his claw and with a quick breath of his fire it was gone.
“Ok, Spike, I don't think I need to mention what we’re going to to talk about. It’s blatantly obvious after how you acted yesterday that you still have a problem with Trixie.”
“What did you expect, that I’d just forgive her for everything she did to you and the rest of the town?” Spike said. “Nope, not now, and not anytime soon.”
Twilight was appalled.“That’s not what I’d expect from you. I can’t force you to forgive her and I understand your frustration, but if nopony takes the first step and gives her a second chance, she might be stuck with all her problems, without anypony to turn to for help. I would like to be that somepony, and after she came to me of all ponies to help her, and I will try my best to do that.”
Twilight took a deep breath, before she continued. “As I said, I won’t force you to be her friend, or even to like her. The only thing I will ask you is not to be so aggressive to her. She made mistakes in the past, but we all have, plus, she’s done nothing since she’s come back to Ponyville, besides asking for help, of course.
“That’s all I ask from you, try to be less aggressive to her. Could you do that for me, please?”
Spike thought for a few moments about this. If he refuse, he would not be able to keep an eye out on Trixie. After all, why should he keep being near Trixie if he hates her so much. But, if he played along, he could stay closer and observe her without raising any suspicion.
“Ok, Twilight,” Spike said with a defeated sigh, “I won't promise anything, but I will try my best to be a little friendlier to Trixie, as long as she doesn't try anything fishy. But, let me make this clear, I’m doing this only for you, not for her.”
“Thank you, Spike,” she said as she hugged him, “that’s all I ask of you.” After a moment she withdrew from the hug. Then, she walked back to the stove and continued making pancakes while Spike took his seat at the table.
A few minutes later, Trixie walked into the kitchen with a slightly wet mane and tail. “Wow, you have no idea how wonderful a hot shower can be, Twilight,” Trixie said. “Trixie feels like a new ma-.”She stopped suddenly mid-sentence when she noticed Spike at the table. She retreated back to the main room of the library and glanced around the corner in the kitchen without saying anything.
“What’s seems to be the problem?” Spike asked with a hint of false confusion.
“Nothing,” Trixie answered quietly, shaking her head.
Twilight finished the pancakes, and looked at Trixie with a worried look. “Trixie, is something the matter?”
“No, no, everything’s good.”
“Well, this is awkward,” Spike said before jumping up from his chair. “If you don't mind, Twilight, I’d like to take my pancakes and eat in the main room.I have a bowl of emeralds that would go perfect with these pancakes.”
Spike took a dish and filled it with some pancakes, then walked to the main room. As he passed Trixie, she withdrew from the door and quickly rushed inside the kitchen. She walked over to the table and sat down.
Twilight stared at her for a moment before she addressing the elephant in the room. “Trixie, what was all that about? You didn't reacted like that to Spike yesterday when he came back.”
“Trixie would prefer not to talk about it right now, if you don't mind,” she said, looking down at the table.
Twilight considered to press some more about the situation, but ultimately decided against it. If Trixie felt uncomfortable talking about it now than she was not going to force her to do so. “Ok, Trixie, I won't say that I'm not curious, but we’ll talk about it later.”
“Thank you, Twilight,” Trixie said with a smile on her face. “Trixie appreciates that.” Trixie’s stomach grumbled hungrily after getting a whiff of the pancakes. “Is Trixie wrong or is breakfast ready?” Trixie asked, with a blush on her cheeks.
Twilight couldn't help but giggle while she levitated the dishes with the pancakes to the table. “Yes, it is. And we needn't hurry. Spike already send the letter to the princesses and now we have only to wait for their response.”
“That's something Trixie was wondering about. Why did you wait for Spike to wake up to send the letter? Wouldn't it have been easier to get the letter to the post office by yourself?”
“Right, you don't know about that,” Twilight said. “The princess enchanted Spike’s dragon flame. Every time he burns a letter it will disappear and go directly to the princesses. They can also send letters directly to me through him.”
Trixie sat with her jaw open, then, she responded. “Wow, that’s impressive. Trixie didn't even know that kind of magic existed. But, how does he receive the letters?”
Before Twilight could answer that question, they both heard Spike from the main room. “Bluargh! Twilight, you got a letter from the princess.”
“Eww,” Trixie remarked.
“Yeah, it took some time getting used to,” Twilight said with a chuckle. She used her magic to levitate the letter from the other room to the kitchen. While she read the letter, her expression turned into one of confusion.
“Well, I guess we will need to with hurry our breakfast. A chariot is already on it's way to pick us up. the princesses apparently want to see us as soon as possible.” Twilight paused for a moment, before she looked at Trixie .
“Trixie, stop hesitating and get into the chariot,” Twilight groaned. She sat in the chariot that arrived a few minutes ago and was getting annoyed about Trixie behavior. “I told you already, nopony is going to arrest you.”
Trixie stood outside of the library near the front door, not moving an inch toward the chariot. “Are you really sure about that after anything that's happened? Why else would the princesses have been searching for Trixie all over Equestria for weeks?”
Twilight was surprised as well about that part of the letter, but not as concerned as Trixie was. “Yes, I'm sure. Trixie, Princess Celestia told me after the incident with the amulet that there would be no consequences for you. She knows that it was the influence of the amulet that made you enslave Ponyville. And besides, do you really think that Princess Celestia would send a chariot with two guards pulling it, that are now patiently waiting for you instead of arresting you on the spot by force?”
Trixie hesitated a few moments more before she trotted over to join Twilight in the chariot. “Thank you,” Twilight huffed with relief. She turned her attention to the two guards at the front of the chariot. “We are now ready for our departure, sirs.”
The guards nodded and after a short run, got airborne and started their flight to Canterlot.
During the flight Twilight kept staring at Trixie, who was watching the passing scenery. ‘Not much longer and we'll meet with the princesses, then Trixie will finally be able to sleep in peace again.’ “You’ll see Trixie, everything will be fine by the end of today.”
“Trixie hopes you’re right, Twilight,” Trixie said before she turned around to face her. “How long till we arrive at the castle?”
“Not long, maybe a hour or so. The princess sent the fastest guards to get us. Just look ahead. With every moment Canterlot is getting bigger in the distant.” Trixie moved her eyes to the front of the chariot. There in the distant she could make out the approaching capital of Equestria in the distant. “It's an amazing sight to behold, don't you think?”
Trixie just readjusted her eyes to the opposite direction with a frown. “Trixie would prefer not to see or even visit that place as long as possible. If this were not the only place to find a solution to the nightmares, she would never return.”
Twilight was taken aback by that comment. ‘Return? Did she used to live in Canterlot? What happened? Why does she hate Canterlot?’ From the way Trixie said that, she could conclude that this was something she’d rather not talk about talk about, but Twilight's curiosity got the best if her.“Wait, you’ve been to Canterlot before?”
Trixie stayed quiet for a moment as she stared at Canterlot before she answered, with a tear running down her cheek.
“Memories...Bad memories...”
~*~
Trixie remained silent for for the rest of the trip. ‘I’m really curious about Trixie's past in Canterlot, but if she doesn't feel comfortable sharing, than I will respect her wishes.’ So Twilight refrained from asking Trixie anymore questions.
An hour later, they arrived at the front gates of the castle and exited the chariot after it had descended to the ground. While Twilight thanked the guards for the flight, Trixie stared in awe at the big front gate of the castle.
She'd never seen the castle up this close before. From afar it already looked amazing, but now seeing it right in front of her was beyond everything she ever dreamed of. And this was just the front gate. She couldn't wait to see the interior behind these doors.
Trixie's thought were interrupted by a purple hoof that bumped her on the shoulder. She turned her head around to look at Twilight. “Ready to go inside or would you like to look at the gate a bit longer?” Twilight asked with a chuckle before she walked towards the huge door, which were opened by the two guards guarding the entrance. With a slight blush on her cheeks Trixie followed Twilight inside.
On the other side of the gate they both were welcomed by a cream colored, gray-haired unicorn with a mustache. He wore a dark red coat with a gray cravat and a small pair of glasses on his muzzle.
“Welcome, Miss Sparkle, Miss Lulamoon,” he greeted with a small bow of his head. “I hope you had a good flight from Ponyville.”
“Hello, Kibitz. It's good to see you again. The flight was... quiet and interesting,” Twilight answered. ‘In regards of Trixie's comments about her past at least.’
The stallion nodded and turned to the side. “The princesses are waiting for you in the West Wing conference room. If you could just follow me...”
Kibitz began to lead them to their destination. While Twilight talked with Kibitz during the walk, Trixie looked around in awe. She'd visited a lot of places during her travels across Equestria, but none came even close to the breathtaking castle of the rulers of Equestria.
There were beautiful carpets on the floor, such hoof-made masterpieces, that it made Trixie feel guilty walking upon. Amazing tapestries hung on the walls with the emblems of the sun and moon as well as embroidered pictures of the royal sisters. Trixie felt a little uneasy seeing how many guards were patrolling the castle.
Trixie was so lost in thought that she didn't notice that Twilight and Kibitz had stopped in front of a door until she bumped into Twilight. She mumbled a small apology before they both turned to the door.
Kibitz used his magic to open the door and walked inside with both mares behind him. “Your Majesties, Miss Sparkle and Miss Lulamoon have arrived.”
“Thank you, Kibitz. That will be all for now,” Trixie heard a calming voice say. Kibitz bowed his head and left the room. Now Trixie was able to take a look inside the conference room.
There were tapestries with the emblem of Equestria on the walls on the left and right and a huge window with a balcony on the opposite site of the room. Outside of the window, was one of the most stunning sights of Canterlot Trixie had ever seen.
In the middle of the room was a big round table that could easily sit at least ten ponies. At the moment, however, it was vacant save the two princesses.
Trixie didn't know how to feel. On one hand, she always dreamed of meeting one of the princesses, and now she was about to meet both of them at the same time. Under normal circumstances, she would be thrilled.
However, due to her past, she was afraid as to what might happen. While Twilight was more than confident that they would not do anything, something inside of Trixie’s mind still begged to differ. Plus, it didn’t help that both of the princesses had indistinguishable looks on their faces.
Trixie’s first thought was to turn and run away, but there was no way that she could escape the princesses inside of their own castle. Seeing her uneasiness, Twilight laid one hoof on her shoulder and whispered,“Trixie, everything will be fine. Trust me.”
Twilight’s voice managed to reassure Trixie. She composed herself and took a deep breath. With a nod, she signaled Twilight that she was ready and both mares walked forward to meet the princesses. They bowed and both spoke in unison. “Your majesties.”
“Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student, it is good to see you again,” the solar princess addressed Twilight before she turned to Trixie. “And I'm delighted that you are here as well, Miss Lulamoon. Before we start there is one thing I would like to do.”
Celestia started to walk closer to Trixie who stepped back, hanging her ears. ‘That's it,’ Trixie thought. ‘She is going to punish me. She’ll arrest me, banish me or worse, she’ll-’
“I want to apologize to you.”
‘Wait, what?’ Trixie thought in confusion. ‘Why is the mighty ruler of Equestria apologizing to me? Did I miss something?’ “Y- your highness, why are you apologizing to Trixie? She doesn't understand.”
If the princesses were confused about Trixie’s third-person speaking they didn’t show it. “It is our task as Equestria’s rulers to keep our little ponies out of harm's way. However, we were not able to keep the Alicorn Amulet from the public. Because of that, you were able to get it in your possession and for that I want to apologize to you for everything you had to endure since you used the Amulet.”
Trixie was confused,she had no idea how to respond to that.
“So you are not going to arrest Trixie? O-or punish her?” she finally managed to ask.
“What could make you think we would arrest you?” Celestia asked, wondering how she could think that they would do such a thing.
Before Trixie could say anything, Twilight joined their conversation. “Your Highness, when we got your letter this morning, she heard you were looking for her for some time and she believed that you would arrest her for everything she did under the influence of the Amulet. I tried to tell her that you would not do anything, but she still wasn’t convinced.”
“So that's why.” Celestia turned her attention back to Trixie. “Be assured, Miss Lulamoon, we would never arrest somepony for our mistakes. You needn’t be afraid of us, we only want to help you with the after effects of the Amulet.”
“So these nightmares, are they really from the Amulet?” Trixie asked.
“Yes, but let us explain. But first, we should get comfortable. This could take a while and the tea is getting cold,” Celestia said with a smirk.
Trixie was relieved that she now knew for sure that she didn't need to be afraid of the princesses. After they all got comfortable in their seats at the table, Trixie picked up the cup of tea in front of her and took a small sip of it. 'Chamomile, not my favorite, but still pretty good.'
“Very well,” Celestia said, getting the attention of the mares in the room, “I believe you both have some questions about the condition Miss Lulamoon is in. My sister and I will try to answer them to the best of our abilities, however, I cannot promise an answer to every question you might have. The Alicorn Amulet is a powerful artifact that still holds mysteries that even we have yet to solve.”
“What kind of mysteries are there that even you don't know about, princess?” Twilight asked with concern. It was hard to believe that her wise and immortal teacher with knowledge of countless centuries, if not millennia, did not know something about a magical artifact like the Alicorn Amulet.
“The most troubling of these mysteries,” Celestia said looking down at the table. “We don't know who created the amulet in the first place, nor how they did it. The first time my sister and I encountered the amulet, we learned from it’s wearer that he found it in a mountain cave, so it's origins are unknown to ponykind. To think that somepony was able to create an artifact with such powers worries us even now.”
“Most of the other mysteries about the amulet are about it's capabilities,” Luna took up the explanation from her sister. “One of the only known ability of the amulet is it’s increasing potential of the magic of it's user and the corrupting side effects it has on the the mind, however these are not the only ones. Thy condition, Miss Lulamoon, is one of those mostly unknown ones.”
“But what exactly is happening to me?” Trixie asked. “Will there be more terrible things that happen to me than the nightmares?”
“We can assure you, the nightmares are the only thing you have to worry about, but you should not takes them lightly.”
“Princess, I think it would be the best to explain what’s going on with Trixie,” Twilight said. “It would be easier to understand if we knew about the source of the nightmares.”
Celestia nodded in agreement. “You are right, Twilight. As you both know, the amulet increases the magical capabilities of the pony that wears it, but at the same time, it corrupts the soul and mind through the amulets own magic. When the amulet is removed from the wearer, the magic retreated inside of the amulet, but a very small part remains. This part is so small, that it is nearly impossible to be noticed, but it cannot affect the mind and soul like the amulet did before.”
“However, this small part of the amulet’s magic is the source of thy nightmares. Miss Lulamoon,” Luna began. “It affects the subconscious of thee. Thou will not notice anything if thou are awake, but in the night, when the body and the mind are resting, it can affect thou through dreams.”
“There is something I don't understand, Princess Luna,” Twilight said. “You are the Princess of the Night, you protect the ponies from their nightmares by entering their dreams. Why can’t you just help Trixie the same way? Why did you need to find her personally?”
“The amulet magic inside of Miss Lulamoon may not be strong enough to affect her stronger personally, it is still able to protect itself. It is even capable of blocking our entrance in Miss Lulamoon’s dream. That is the reason why we can not help her this way.”
“Y-you mean, even you can’t help Trixie with your strong magic? Neither of you?” Trixie asked worried while she looked at both princesses. Even Twilight was shocked to hear that the princesses were helpless.
“Please, don't misunderstand us,” Celestia began to explain, “we could rip this dark magic from you at any time with our magic, but we won't do that.”
Trixie stared in disbelief at the two princesses in front of her. She couldn’t understand why the princesses would do something like this to her. Was it still some kind of punishment for what she did?
She was so lost in thought that she didn't even noticed an angry Twilight standing up and staring at her mentor in fury. “Princess, how can you say something like this! She made mistakes, but she had suffered enough for these. Why won't you help her?”
“Because if we do this, it might cost her her life,” Celestia said calmly to her student.
“WHAT!” both of the mares shouted as one.
“As we mentioned, the magic affects thy subconscious, Miss Lulamoon,” Luna said. “If we were to rip the magic from thee forcefully, it might do irreparable damage to thy mind, from light memory damage to complete destruction of thy mind. That is the same reason why I can not enter your dreams by force. It would be easy for us, but more than dangerous for thee.”
“S-so there is n-nothing you can do?” Trixie asked, starting to sob, her eyes facing the table. “T-trixie has to live with this for the rest of her live or take the risk and maybe lose her mind?”
“No, there is a way for you to release yourself from this curse,” Celestia said. Trixie raised her head at these words, a new spark of hope igniting inside of her, “but this is something only you can manage, Miss Lulamoon. We can not help you with this part, we can not even say what you need to do.”
“What do you mean, your highness? Trixie is confused.”
“A few hundred years ago, a unicorn from a distant town fell for the power of the amulet, and he went against his own hometown. He brought a great deal of destruction, before I arrived and managed to get him to took of the amulet, similar like Twilight did with you. After the removal of the amulet he started to get nightmares as well, and he lived with it for some time.”
“One day I got a letter from him. The nightmares had stopped, but he was not able to tell me what he did to manage that. We were never able to figure that out, and without Luna's ability to dream walk to do more research in the dream realm, there was no way for me figure it out.”
Luna looked Trixie in the eyes. “We believe that this is your only chance to defeat the curse, Miss Lulamoon. Thou must figure out how to free thyself. And thou must do it post haste.”
“Why? Is there more about this curse I need to know?”
“It seems that this curse goes through 3 different phases,” Celestia started. “In the first one, the nightmare will not be that much different from the usual ones you experience from time to time. In the second one, however, everything changes. You will see events from your daily life, but transformed into terrifying nightmares, no matter if your day was the best of your life, in your dreams it will be the worst.”
“That's... horrible,” Twilight said with shock on her face. A moment later she realized something and turned her head to face Trixie. “Trixie, what did you dream of last night in the library?”
Trixie was taken aback by Twilight's questioned. “W-why is that important now? Trixie don't think that this is impor-”
“You dreamt of Spike, am I right?” Trixie stared at Twilight with her mouth wide open. “That would explain your reaction when you saw him in the kitchen. You were not just afraid of him, you were terrified.”
Trixie lowered her head and dropped her ears. “Yes, it was Spike, and it was horrible. Trixie couldn't help herself this morning when she saw him.”
“Then you’ve already reached the second phase of the curse,” Celestia mumbled, “this is not good.”
“What do you mean, princess?” Twilight asked while comforting Trixie.
“The time between the different phases of the curse seems to depend on the pony and how long it wore the Alicorn Amulet. Since Trixie only wore it for a few days we hoped that she got more time, but we were wrong. And, we can not predict how long it will be before she reaches the third phase, which will be the hardest.”
“What could happen that is worse than the dreams Trixie already has?” Trixie asked with worry.
“After some time the magic will get access to your memories. When this happens, your dreams will change once again and you will re-experience your worst memories, but even worse than they originally were.”
Trixie's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. “N-no, oh please, no. T-there is no way that Trixie could stand that.” After a few moments of mumbling to herself, Trixie looked back to Celestia. “Is there nothing you can do to help Trixie?”
“As I said, there is nothing we can do to lift the curse without risking your life,” Celestia said sadly. Trixie lowered her head again and was at the edge of tears. “But, there is one thing we can do to help you to bear this burden.”
“There is?!” both Twilight and Trixie exclaimed, the latter with new hope in her eyes.
“Yes, there is.” Celestia used her magic to levitate a small chest from behind her on the table. “As you can imagine we’ve had several encounters with the Alicorn Amulet over time and some cases of the curse after these encounters. So we learned every time something new about how the amulet works and were able to create this.”
The chest opened and inside was a golden amulet with two gems as the centerpieces, a ruby in the shape of the sun and a sapphire in the shape of a crescent moon. Celestia levitated it from the box in front of Trixie who only stared at the piece of jewelry.
“We both created this amulet to counter the magic of the curse,” Luna said. “If thou wear it, it will create a shield in thy subconscious to protect thee from the nightmares. Sadly, it can not give thou other dreams, so thou will be dreamless as long as you wear the amulet.”
Trixie used her magic to attach the amulet around her neck. She really didn’t like the feeling of it since it reminded her of the Alicorn Amulet, but this was her only chance to live a normal life again. “That is way more than Trixie could hope for, princess. Trixie don't know how to thank you,” she said, looking up at the princesses.
“Don't thank us yet, Miss Lulamoon,” Celestia said with concern, “there are a few things you need to know about the amulet. First, it will not work immediately after you put it on. It needs a few hours to adjust to your own magic and the curse magic. But, it should be ready by this evening.”
Celestia took a deep breath. From what she knew about the mare in front of her, this could be the hardest part. “Second, the amulet can not function on it's own all the time. It uses the magic stored inside of it to protect you, but this magic must be restored after some time. How long it takes before it needed to recharge depends on the strength of the curse, but we think the magic should hold at least a week now.”
“Trixie don't thinks that that should be a problem, she can recharge it during her travels and –.”
“We are afraid that the magic necessary must be very powerful, Miss Lulamoon.” Luna said. “And even if thou would possess this powerful magic it would not be possible. The magic of the curse inside of thy is too close to your own magic. It would be able to counter it, rendering it useless.”
“At this moment we only know about 4 beings in Equestria who are able to recharge the amulet. Three of these beings are us Alicorns. So our first suggestion for you, Miss Lulamoon, is either to move to the Crystal Empire or to stay in Canterlot so that one of us princesses can recharge the amulet. However, since Princess Cadence does not have any experience with the curse, we believe it would be the best to stay in Canterlot, or at least close enough that in case anything unexpected were to happen, we could help.”
“But, what about Trixies' career? She's a traveling show mare, she just cannot stop traveling and abandon everything in her life. And she don't want to be in Canterlot any longer than necessary.”
“We can't and won't force you to do anything, Miss Lulamoon,” Luna said in a calm voice, “but it is either abandon your life on the road and live a mostly normal life till we can break the curse or suffer from the nightmares every day. It is your choice.”
“Trixie, calm down,” Twilight said with concern in her voice. “Your career is not running away from you. Since winter is coming soon, you could see it as a small break to prepare your shows and let the ponies forget about the incident with the Alicorn Amulet for some time. And, hey, as soon as we break the curse, you can go back on the street with the best performance Equestria has ever seen.”
Trixie had to admit, Twilight's suggestion was pretty good. The winter season was always the hardest for her. No matter how good her caravan was, it was always cold, and most ponies were not eager to go on the cold streets to watch a magic show, no matter how great and amazing it might be. “That doesn’t sound too bad, but Trixie still doesn't like the idea of being back in Canterlot for that long.”
Twilight didn't know what she should say. Just what happened in her past that Trixie doesn't want to be in Canterlot no matter the reason? Simply asking her about it don't seems to be a good idea, it is clear that it is a delicate issue for Trixie.
“With your concerns about living in Canterlot, there might be another solution for you,” Celestia said before she continued with a smile. “As I mentioned, there is another pony that can charge the amulet, and I'm pretty sure that she could help you immediately.”
Trixie looked over to the princess in confusion. She could not think of anypony who would just help her without any reason. “Really? Who would that be? Who would be willing to help Trixie?”
“The mare I'm speaking of is right beside you,” Celestia said, still smiling.
It took both mares a few seconds to process the words before they looked at each other, their jaws wide open. After a few moments Twilight turned her head to look at the princess. “You mean me?”
“Of course, Twilight. Who else would I think of with a task like this? You are not only my most faithful student, you are also probably the most powerful unicorn in Equestria and not to forget, magic is even your element.”
Twilight blushed slightly at the comment. “I-I don't think that I'm that special...”
“Wait, what do you mean magic is her element?” Trixie asked confused. “Trixie admits that Twilight is really powerful and that she is your student, but why would you say that magic is her element? That seems a bit much to me.”
It was silent in the room, none knew what to say. Lastly, Twilight coughed slightly. “Trixie, do you know about the incidents with Nightmare Moon and Discord in Ponyville with the Elements of Harmony?”
“Of course she does, that was the reason why Trixie went to Ponyville the first time. Trixie wanted to hear the story from some of the townsponies to be sure the newspapers didn't write any of the story wrong. But, what does that have to do with anything right now?”
“Trixie, the ones who defeated Nightmare Moon and Discord with the Elements were my friends and me.”
After a few seconds Trixie realized what Twilight had said and her eyes turned small like pinheads in shock. “Y-you mean... You and your friends are... And you... the Element of Magic?!”
“Well, I'm not the Element of Magic directly, I'm only its bearer, but yes, you could say that.” It took a few moments for Twilight to realize that Trixie seemed to be frozen. “Trixie, are you OK?” She asked while she waved a hoof in front of Trixie's eyes.
“T-trixie enslaved the bearers of the elements and even banished one of Equestria's heroes from her town,” Trixie muttered to herself with a twitching eye. She couldn't believe what she just heard.
It took Twilight a few minutes, but she finally managed to calm Trixie down again. “Trixie's sorry for her behavior,” Trixie said. “This was a big surprise and much to take in. Trixie knew that Twilight was your student, your highness, but she didn't know that she was one of the element bearers.”
“No need to apologize, Miss Lulamoon,” Celestia said with a smile. “We did our best to make sure that Twilight and her friends could keep their privacy. But now let's go back to the matter at hoof.”
“As I said, Twilight is the other pony who should be able to charge the amulet. So, the other option for you besides living in Canterlot would be to live in Ponyville so that she can help you.”
Trixie thought about that for a few moments as well. She didn't like the thought to live in the town she enslaved, but at least she would not be forced to stay in Canterlot. “That sounds much better, your Highness.”
“And I will do anything I can to help you, Trixie,” Twilight said. “You can live with me in the library, I got a spare bed and...
“No.”
“Huh? What do you mean, Trixie?”
“Trixie will not live in the library with you.”
Twilight was taken aback. “Why not, Trixie? You haven’t a home and I want to help you.”
“You already helped Trixie so much, Twilight, and she's grateful for your help. But, Trixie don't need your pity, she can and will live on her own. Trixie also doubts that Spike would appreciate it if she started to live under the same roof as him.”
“Trixie doesn't know where she will live yet, but she will find something. After all, how shameful would it be for the Great and Powerful Trixie to not find a place to sleep.”
Twilight thought about that for a moment and realized that she had a good point with Spike. He’s already angry about Trixie being at the house in the first place, he would never forgive her if Trixie started living with them after she assured him that it is only temporary. “I think I understand you, Trixie,” Twilight sighed, “but at least stay for a few days, so that we can find a place for you to stay, OK? I won't let you sleep on the streets.”
“Trixie guesses a day or two won't do any harm,” Trixie said. She would also like to have a proper bed for once after her time on the streets. “If Spike is OK with a few more days, than Trixie will accept your offer.”
“I'm glad that we could find a solution, but there is one more thing I must bring up to you,” Celestia said. “The amulet might protect you for now, but I'm afraid that it can not protect you forever. You will notice that the time between the charges of the amulet will decrease. The magic of the curse increases over time and more magic is necessary to hold the barrier. You might experience some nightmares when the amulet run out of magic without you noticing it, but one day it will become strong enough to break through the protection. From this day on, the amulet will be worthless for you.”
“Trixie understands, your Highness,” Trixie said with a gulp.
“Princess, may I ask a question?” Twilight asked. After a nod from Celestia she continued. “Do you know why this curse exists at all? Is it only to punish the former bearer of the Alicorn Amulet, or is there a purpose behind it?”
“I'm afraid that we don't know for sure, we can only guess from our experiences of the past.”
“We believe that the purpose behind the curse is to drive the cursed one to seek the Alicorn Amulet again,” Luna said. “To look once again for its power and to wear it again, so that the amulet can once again take control.”
“Did this happen before?”
“Sadly, yes,” Celestia said sadly. “It happened once to a former student of mine. We both managed to free her from the amulet and the nightmares started. After some time she became so desperate that she tried to break into the chamber in which the amulet was stored to get it back. She was so desperate that she even attacked us. She somehow managed to distract us and got her hooves on the amulet again, and we had to fight her in the end. And that time, we were not able to help her...”
“We expect to get a letter whenever thou notice that thy curse is growing stronger, to prevent thee from this fate,” Luna said. “If thou ever reach this phase, Miss Lulamoon, we still can try to rip thou of the curse with force, if you wish so, but we won't let you get your hooves on the amulet again.”
“T-trixie understands, your Highness.”
“I think that was everything you need to know about the amulet and the curse. Do you have any more questions?” Celestia asked.
“I've got one more, Princess,” Twilight said. “There is one thing I don't understand about the Alicorn Amulet. You said that you had to fight against it multiple times over the centuries. How could it get away from you if you got your hooves on it so often? I would imagine that you would’ve lock it away.”
“We did lock it away every single time, Twilight. That’s another mystery we can not explain yet. Somehow, the amulet seems to disappear after some time without any trace. We don't know how that is possible, we had enough protection spells around it that not even one of us would be able to dissolve the spells without the other to notice. It might be possible that there is some kind of teleportation spell on the amulet, that teleports it away if there is no bearer for some time.”
“That is hard to believe, but the only explanation we have,” Luna said, “besides the possibility that there is someone out there that can break through our protection spells.
“We do anything possible to find the amulet every time it disappears, but that is not always possible, as thou can see. We can’t track it down through the magic inside, so we mostly rely on luck that it appears somewhere and gets reported.”
“On this matter, Miss Lulamoon,” Celestia said, “where and how did you find the amulet?”
Trixie thought for a moment before answering. “Trixie found a book lying around in the streets, with a bookmark at the side of the amulet and a note where to find it, but nothing about the corrupting ability. It was in a curio-shop in Manehattan where Trixie bought it for a large amount of bits from the shop-keeper.”
Both princesses looked at each other in concern before they turned back to Trixie. “Could you tell us where to find the shop, so that we can investigate further?” Celestia said. “We would also like to see the book you found.”
Trixie nodded. “The location should not be a problem, but Trixie has no idea what happened with the book. One day it was simply gone without a trace.”
“That does not sound good,” Luna spoke. “It might be possible that somepony arranged everything so that thou would find the amulet.”
Trixie looked at the princess with fear in her eyes. “That’s terrible, who would do something like this?”
“There is no way for us to say at this moment, but we will investigate this and find the one behind it.”
The tension in the room was immense, just thinking about the possibility that the whole incident was planned caused shivers running down Twilight’s back. There were a few long moments with silence, before Celestia spoke again. “Now, you’re sure you do not have any more question that you’d like us to answer?”
“One more question, princess,” Twilight said. “If the amulet is that dangerous, wouldn’t it be the best solution to destroy it once and for all?”
“Usually this would be the best solution, but we are afraid what might happen if we try to destroy it. Inside of the amulet is a huge amount of dark magic stored. If we destroy the amulet, the magic might do much more harm than it could do inside of the amulet. Was that all the questions you had?”
She received a few nods and went on. “Very well, Miss Lulamoon, I'm glad that we were at least able to help in some ways. Now it is up to you to find out how to cure yourself. But, if you ever have any questions, feel free to write to one of us and we will try to answer you.”
“Thank you, your Highnesses.”
“Twilight, if you would come with me, then I will teach you the spell to recharge the amulet.” Twilight and Celestia walked over to the window to discuss the spell and Trixie stayed at the table with Luna.
“Miss Lulamoon?” Trixie looked at the princess of the night. “There is something we want to ask thee.”
Trixie didn't know what Princess Luna might want from her, but why should she question the princess. “If Trixie can, she will answer your question, your Highness.”
“Thou must know, the Lulamoons are an old family, and they used to be some of our most loyal subjects before Nightmare Moon and our banishment.”
“After our return some of the old family relatives approached us and we were delighted to find so many of our loyal subject after such a long time. But, we never heard anything of the Lulamoons. We expected the worst, until we learned of thee. So, we would like to know how your family is doing.”
Trixie was silent for some time, staring at the table without any motion. “Trixie's sorry, your highness. But this is something Trixie would like not to talk about, if you don't mind. It's too painful.”
Lunas' eyes grew when she heard that. “Thou has our deepest apologies, Miss Lulamoon, we are sorry that we mentioned it. We can see that this is hard for thou to talk about.”
“Thank you, your Highness...”
~*~
Twilight didn't need long to learn the spell from Princess Celestia. Celestia also explained that her and Trixie both had to look out for the glowing of the gems to know when the amulet needed to be recharged.
After they departed from the princesses, Twilight and Trixie were brought back to Ponyville by chariot, but Twilight noticed during the ride that Trixie was sad again. She didn't know why, but she concluded that it was because of everything she’d heard about her condition.
Twilight discussed with Trixie that they would tell Twilight's friends about what was going on with her, so that they can help both of them and, so that Twilight doesn't need to hide something important like this from them. Trixie was OK with it, as long as it would only be her friends and nopony else. Both mares arrived in Ponyville in the late afternoon and walked over to the library.
“Don't worry, Trixie. Everything’ll be fine, you’ll see. We will find a way to break this curse and then, you can go back to your career.”
“Trixie really hopes so,” Trixie said solemnly.
“For now, get some sleep. You really need it after more than 3 months of nightmares. Tomorrow we will go to explain everything to my friends about the situation. I'm sure they’ll help you as well.”
There was a moment of silence before Trixie spoke again. “Twilight, why are you helping me?”
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.
“After everything I did to you and this town, why are you helping me?”
Twilight didn't know how to answer at first, but finally found the right words. “Trixie, whatever happened before, nopony deserves what is happening to you now. And I believe that you will try to be a better pony. Everypony makes mistakes and everypony deserves forgiveness and a second chance.” Trixie's frown turned into a small smile. “And you know, that's what friends are for.”
Trixie stopped walking after she heard that. “F-friends? You see Trixie as a friend?” Trixie seemed to be lost in thoughts for a moment with a small smile on her face. But, that smile turned into a frown. Trixie turned her head away, and for a moment Twilight thought she saw a tear in her eye. “Trixie doesn't need any friends, she has herself and that’s enough.”
Twilight was taken aback, not knowing how to response. She could hear sadness and grief in Trixie’s voice, as well as a hint of anger. Whatever might have happened, Trixie seems to be hurt deep, so Twilight decided to not go deeper into this subject.
“I'm sorry, Trixie. If you don't want to be friends, that’s OK. Now come on, tomorrow will be a long day and we both need some sleep.” Sleep, however, was not the only thing Twilight was thinking about. She still had to talk to Spike about Trixie and how she is going to explain everything to her friends tomorrow, but there was still some time.
Both mares walked to the front door of the library again. Tomorrow will be a really long day, but she was sure that with a good plan everything would be fine. What could possibly go wrong?
Twilight opened the door with her magic and they both got a load of confetti and streamers in their faces.
Twilight had anything planned out for the next day. She wanted to think about how to explain to her friends that Trixie would be staying in Ponyville for some time and that she needs her help, and with that that Twilight would need their help.
But everything went down in no time after Twilight and Trixie entered the library. Not only were they attacked by flying streamers and confetti, but now there was an angry pegasus in the middle of the room who was not happy to see the show mare at all. " Whoa whoa whoa, wait a minute. What is the loudmouth doing here?"
“Silly Dashie, why should she not be here?” Pinkie said after she appeared besides Trixie. “It is her party after all, so it would be strange if she is not here right now.” Pinkie laid her arm around Trixie's neck and pulled her inside the library with Twilight walking behind them, still thinking about how to react to the new and unsuspected situation. “Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie, but you probably know that from your lasts visits and I'm happy to officially welcome you to Ponyville now with your own Pinkie Pie party.”
Trixie didn't even seem to notice her, she was too busy trying to understand what was going on. Her mouth was agape and her eyes wandered around the library. There were all of Twilight's friends, 3 of these she humiliated the first time she visited Ponyville, not speaking about what she did during her second visit.
Rarity walked up to Twilight, her ears lowered and with worry on her face. “I'm so sorry, darling. I tried to convince Pinkie to wait with the party, but you know how she can get if she is excited and in party mode.”
“You mean you knew that the loudmouth is back again and didn't say anything to one of us?!” Rainbow yelled across the room, much to the discontent of the fashionista.
“First, please stop yelling at me, Rainbow Dash. That is not a proper way to talk to someone, especially not a friend who did nothing to you,” Rarity said with a harsh tone in her voice. Rainbow slightly flinched, but was still glaring at her friend.
“And second, yes, I knew that Trixie was in town. I had a little talk with Twilight this morning after I learned of Trixies visit from Spike. She asked me to keep it a secret, after all, she only came to ask Twilight for help with something. But when Pinkie appeared at my door with an invitation to a welcome party in the library, I knew that it was all about Trixie.”
“Thank you for trying, Rarity,” Twilight said, “I appreciate it. And now I would like to explain what is going on.”
“Ah would like that as well, sugar cube,” Applejack said. “Ah'm slightly confused and Ah would lie if Ah say Ah'm not upset about Trixie after what happened, but before Ah make my own opinion Ah want to hear what's goin' on.”
“I don't care what's going on!” Rainbow yelled again and started approaching Trixie with a glare, who slowly stepped back from her. “It is Trixie we are talking about, so it cannot be something good. She is only good for trouble, and not the good kind.”
“Now calm down, Dash,” Applejack said, “Ah agree with ya that she caused some big trouble, but let's not conclude about her attentions without knowin' what's goin' on.”
Rainbow stood in front of Trixie, still glaring at the mare who was slowly moving backwards to get out of reach of the angry pegasus. “Fine,” Rainbow said finally and stepped back to stand near Fluttershy, who was hiding behind the table since the moment she saw Trixie. “But I hope it is a good reason that she is here.”
Twilight was glad that Rainbow stopped. For a moment she thought she would do something she might regret later. Now that her friends were listening, Twilight could finally explain what was going on.
~*~
It took Twilight some time to explain everything that happened to Trixie to her friends, beginning from Trixie's failed attempts to get her show running again, being homeless, starving most of the time without any food, the nightmares, her near-dead experience with the timberwolf a few days ago and finally the meeting with the princesses this afternoon.
After Twilight finished it was quiet for some time. Every pony in the library tried their best to sort through everything they just heard. Even Rainbow Dash seems to be shocked, but didn't move or even looked at Trixie. The quiet was broken by the canary-yellow mare that walked over to Trixie and embraced her in a hug. “I'm so sorry...”
Trixie didn't understand what was going on. Why was she hugging her? Her first reflex was to push her away, but somehow she couldn't. “Ahm, thank you? But why are you apologizing to Trixie?” Trixie pulled herself finally away from the pegasus. “Trixie should be the one apologizing for everything she did, which she truly regrets.”
“That might be true,” Fluttershy said and took a few steps back, “but if we had been more alert back after the ursa we would have noticed how much you were hurt and that you lost your home. And for this I apologize.”
Trixie was speechless, she didn't understand what was going on, but before she could think of something, Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie approached her.
“She has a very good point, darling,” Rarity said. “It was us who questioned and challenged you in the first place. This led to you telling about the ursa and one thing led to the next.”
“And thanks to all of this ya went and searched for this Celestia-damned amulet to prove that ya're strong,” Applejack noted.
“I never looked at it this way, but we were really big meany pants. I need to make up for all your frowny faces I caused,” Pinkie said with a slightly deflated mane.
Trixie was at a loss of words. She could not understand what was going on. To her, everything makes no sense. It was her after all that did all the terrible things, no matter what happened before.
Trixie just wanted to say something, when she noticed a movement from her side. As she turned around, she recoiled slightly when she saw who was standing in front of her.
Rainbow Dash looked her in her eyes, a frightening glare on her face. “I don't like you,” she simply stated. Trixie gulped and took a few steps back from the pegasus, expecting her to do something to her.
“Rainbow...,” Twilight said slowly, but she didn't seem to hear her.
“I don't like you,” Rainbow said again, “and I even less trust you after everything that happened.” She stopped and looked over to Twilight. “But I trust Twilight and if she says she trusts you, then I will give you a chance to earn my trust as well.” Rainbow refocused her gaze on Trixie again, this time with a small smirk. “Don't try anything funny, I will be watching you.”
Trixie watched in bewilderment at the mare in front of her while she walked back to the table and grabbed a mug of cider that Pinkie has set up for the party. She looked around at all the ponies in the room, every single one with a smile on their faces. She still didn't understand why they would help her, but their was a strange feeling inside of her that told her to trust them. “Thank you,” she said with a small tear in her eyes. “Thank you all.”
“You see, Trixie,” Twilight said with proud in her voice about her great friends, “I told you that they would help you as well. But now enough with all the sadness.” She turned around to face the party animal of her friends. “Hey Pinkie, how about we finally start your party?”
“You don't need to tell me twice,” Pinkie said and pulled her party cannon out of Twilight's chimney and blasted another round of confetti and streamers in the room.
“How did she...,” Trixie started, but she was interrupted by Twilight.
“Don't try to understand her, I did that once and I still regret it. I will explain the details about Pinkie later.”
Trixie was curious what she was talking about, but she simply nodded and they both walked over to Twilights friends when Pinkie started the music. At first Trixie was a bit reserved around them, but after some time and a prep talk from Pinkie Pie, she enjoyed the company.
A few hours after the party started, Twilight sat at the table together with Applejack, while Pinkie tried to persuade Trixie to dance.
“So sugar cube, what are yer plans for now regardin' Trixie?”
“Well, at first we need to find a place for Trixie to live. She refuses to stay in the library with me and Spike.” Twilight was quiet for a few seconds before her eyes grew wide. “Oh my god, Spike. I totally forgot about him. Do you know where he his, Applejack?”
“No reason to worry, Twi. He's together with the crusaders at Sweet Apple Acres for a sleepover.” She continued after she received a raised eyebrow from Twilight. “Was Rarity's idea. Didn't understand why, but now Ah guess it has somethin' to do with Trixie, am Ah right?”
Twilight relaxed after hearing that Rarity thought about how Spike would take it if she appears with Trixie again and that she would stay longer than expected. “I really need to thank her for that. Spike is not really fond of the idea of Trixie staying. I don't know how he will react if he hears that she will be in Ponyville longer than expected.”
“Well, Ah hope the little fella won't make such a big fuss about it, Trixie had enough troubles from what ya told us. But goin' back to before, what do ya mean you need a place for her? Can't she stay in the library with ya?”
Twilight shook her head. “I offered that as well, but she declined it immediately. She doesn't want to intrude more than she is already doing with Spike and she wants to stay independent, like she always did. And I guess she doesn't want to live under the same roof as I after everything, it took her long enough to come for help. She is blaming herself alone for everything that happened.”
Twilight looked down to the floor with a frown and her ears drooped. “So we need to find a place for her, but the problem is that she cannot afford anything. She doesn't own a single Bit at the moment and I can't pay for her, not that she would allow it, probably. I got no idea what to do, to be honest.”
“Ya're right, that's a big problem,” Applejack nodded in agreement. Both mares fell silent for some time, watching her friends enjoying the party Pinkie organized. After a few minutes, Applejack started smiling. “Ya know what, Twilight? Ah might have an idea how to solve your problem.”
Surprised Twilight turned to face her friend. “Really? But how?”
“Ya see, there is-,” Applejack started, but she was interrupted by a strong flash of light that filled the library and surprised anypony inside. After the first moments of blindness faded away, everypony looked at the source of the light: Trixie. Or to be precisely, the amulet around her neck.
“What in tarnation was that?”
“That was the sign that the amulet adjusted itself to Trixie,” Twilight said so that everypony could hear it.
“Does that mean that Trixie can finally sleep in peace again?” Trixie asked hopefully with big eyes. The only response she got was a smile and nod from Twilight. “Oh, thank Celestia. Trixie can't wait to get some sleep.”
“So I guess this would be a good moment to end this party for this evening,” Twilight said while she got of her seat. “It was a long day and I can only imagine how much you want to sleep now.”
All of her friends agreed and started to leave the library.
“Well sugar cube, how about ya visit me tomorrow at the farm, then Ah can tell ya about my idea.”
“We will be there, Applejack,” Twilight said with a smile when Applejack left through the door. Soon the only guest left was Rarity who started her way out of the library, but was stopped by Twilight. “Rarity?” Rarity turned around. “Thank you for taking care of Spike. I don't know how he would have reacted to the news of Trixie staying without a chance of talking to him in quiet.”
“Oh, don't think about it, darling. That's what friends are for.” Rarity made an attempt to leave, but stopped once more. “Oh, Trixie. May you have a moment?”
Twilight was confused about what Rarity might want from Trixie, but she made room for the mare as she stepped up to the door. “Of course Trixie has time to talk to you, Rarity. How can she help you?”
“Well, you mentioned that you would like to show everybody that you changed and that you are not the same mare as before.” After she received a small nod from Trixie she continued. “It is just a suggestion, but it might help if you change your speaking habit as well. If you keep talking about yourself in third person, it creates the impression that you are looking down on everybody else, that you think you are so much better than them. This might make it harder to be accepted from others.”
Trixie was quiet for a few moments, thinking about what Rarity just said. “Trixie never thought about it this way, but she doesn't know if she could change.”
“I'm sure that you could do it if you want, Trixie,” Twilight said from behind Trixie. “I don't think you noticed, but you already did yesterday when we were alone.” Trixie turned around in surprise. “Really? Trixie didn't notice. When did that happen?”
“After you awoke in the night from the nightmare.” Twilight decided not to say more about Trixie's breakdown, like she did in her summary she gave her friends earlier, so that she won't embarrass her in front of one of her friends.
“Oh, really,” Trixie said with a small blush when she remembered what happened. Luckily Rarity didn't seem to notice anything. “Trixie never noticed. But she is still not sure if she could manage to change it intentionally.”
“Maybe we all could help with that if you want, but I think we should call it a day for now. There is a bed waiting for you,” Rarity said with a chuckle.
Trixie smiled at the thought of a peaceful night without nightmares. “Trixie will think about it, thank you.”
Rarity turned around and left the library, letting Twilight and Trixie alone. Some time later both mares lay in their beds after Twilight got her spare bed out and Trixie couldn't wait to fall asleep. She really hoped that the amulet would work. “Well then, I wish you a good night, Trixie,” Twilight said from her side of the room.
“Thank you,” Trixie mumbled. “Trixie hopes so as well...”
~*~
Trixie awoke the next day to the light shining on her face from the window. She sat up and stretched her limbs. It was refreshing to finally sleep again without any disturbance from nightmares. She looked down on her neck, and wondered for a moment how she could sleep so comfortable with the amulet around her neck, but it was probably thanks to one of the enchantments on the jewelry. She didn't notice the day before, but she couldn't really feel much from the amulet. She could feel that it was there, but than again it felt as if she only where a piece of cloth or something similar.
After a few more minutes of pondering if she should try to go back to sleep or to stand up, her growling stomach made the decision for her. She got out of the bed and left the bedroom. When she walked down the stairs she noticed the deep silence of the library and found no trace of Twilight.
When Trixie stepped into the kitchen, she found a note for her on the table right besides a plate with a few sandwiches. She grabbed the note in her magic and read the message.
Good morning, Trixie. I'm out right now to get Spike from Sweet Apple Acres and to meet Applejack to discuss something. I first wanted to wake you up so that we could go together, but I thought that you need the sleep. I left you some sandwiches for breakfast on the table and will be back later this afternoon. Twilight
Trixie laid down the letter and walked over to the window to look outside. When she saw the stand of the sun in the sky, she noticed that it already must be in the early afternoon. She slept through the biggest part of the day, which is not that surprising regarding the little amount of sleep she got over the past weeks.
Trixie trotted back to the table and the waiting sandwiches. While she ate her breakfast/lunch, she thought about what she could do till Twilight returns. She could simply stay in the library and read a book, waiting for Twilight. Or she could go outside for a small walk, but this could cause some problems.
The rest of the town is not aware of the fact that Trixie will be living among them. And most if not all of these ponies are still angry at Trixie after everything that happened. Twilight said that the rest of the town knows about the corrupting power of the amulet, but Trixie noticed some of the glances she got while she walked through the town to the library two days ago, and these were not happy ones.
After her lunch, Trixie stood up and walked into the main room straight to the front door of the library. She was the Great and Powerful Trixie, she would not let some ponies who hold a grudge against her dictate what she should do and what not. She was prepared to get more angry glares, and maybe even some insults, but she really doubts that anypony would lay a hoof on her.
With her self-confidence on a new high, Trixie opened the door of the library and walked outside into the lively streets of her new temporary home.
~*~
'This was a bad idea...,' Trixie thought while she trotted slowly through the park, her head hanging low. 'Why did I think that this was a good idea?' Trixie looked up slightly to see a bench on the side of the path and walked over to close her eyes and rest on it for a few minutes after her terrible stroll through the town.
In the beginning everything was good, Trixie walked confident through town-square, ignoring the few ponies out there glaring at her. She even ignored the very few insults she heard directed at her. That was nothing she hasn't already encountered before in other towns over the past months.
All of this changed the moment she accidentally walked in the market place, which was filled with way too many ponies for her to feel comfortable. Whenever she tried to turn around to get away from some of them, there were others looking at her angrily. It didn't take long till she was surrounded by some of the ponies. She tried to talk to them, to explain why she was here and she tried to apologize, but nopony was listening.
She was right with one part she thought of before, none of the ponies laid a hoof on her or hurt her physically, but the looks and the insults she heard were too much for her. She even got hit by some tomatoes someone threw at her. After the second tomato hit her, Trixie managed to use her still exhausted magic to create a smoke screen, which was enough to distract the ponies long enough for Trixie to escape.
She managed to reach the park on her escape and was able to wash herself in the small lake before she reached the bench she was now resting on.
'This was really a stupid idea, Trixie. How could you think you could go out, in a town you enslaved a few months ago, without any kind of trouble.'
Trixie let out a long sigh. 'Not that I could blame them, they got every right to be angry with me. I was a monster.'
“Hi there. Is this seat taken?”
'And what I got from them was not even enough for everything I did. I deserve much more.'
“Hello? Are you OK?”
'I should just go away and never return. That would be the best, even if I have to endure the nightmares for the rest of my life. I'm sure I can handle it, I'm used to the pain already. It's always there, just like right now.'
It took a moment before Trixie realized that the pain she noticed did not come from the inside, but more from her shoulder. She opened her eyes and turned her head to her side, so that she could see what was causing this pain. She came face to face with a pair of huge, golden eyes that were staring at her.
“Hi.” Trixie recoiled with a small squeak and fell from the bench. “Ow, that hurts.”
“Oh god, you OK? I didn't mean to scare you.”
“Trixie's good,” Trixie said while she slowly stood up. “And you didn't scare Trixie, you just surprised her.” Trixie's eyes widened when she remembered that she was still in the town with many ponies that are hostile around her. She looked around for possible threats, but there was no other pony in reach besides the mare in front of the bench.
She was a unicorn mare with a mint green coat and a light cyan mane with white highlights. Trixie was not able to see a Cutie Mark at the moment, but she noticed the big grin on the mare's face, and these golden eyes she saw before without any hint of hate in them. That made her feel more comfortable and she climbed back onto the bench.
“That's a relief. I only wanted to see if you are OK, since you didn't respond to me earlier and you were crying, so I started poking you. I just wanted to go get some help for you.”
Trixie reached with one of her hooves to her eyes and noticed tear streams running down her cheeks, which she quickly wiped away. “Trixie was not crying, she just got something in her eye!” Trixie shouted. A moment later she realized what she just heard and blinked. “Wait, you were worried about Trixie?” The mare responded with a nod of her head, still with the grin on her face. “Why?”
The mare tilted her head to the side in confusion. “Why should I not? It seemed like you had a problem, so I wanted to help.” The mare climbed on the other side of the bench beside Trixie. “I don't see any reason why I shouldn't help you.”
Trixie hesitated for a moment, not sure how to respond. This was the first pony besides Twilight's friends who acted nice around her, she didn't want to ruin that. But the more she thought about it she realized that it would not help her if she started lying. She let out a small sigh before speaking again. “You don't even know who Trixie is, or what she did in the past.”
“Well, that's not quite true. When I first saw you I thought that you look familiar, and after you started calling yourself Trixie, I knew who you are.”
Trixie was stunned. “You know who Trixie is and you are still here talking to her so friendly?”
The mare just shrugged. “Why shouldn't I? Sure, you did some bad things before, but from what Twilight said it's not your fault. Everypony makes mistakes, that's what helps us learn and grow. Or would you go out and do the same things again?”
“Never!” Trixie yelled. “Trixie is already suffering from her actions, she doesn't need to repeat them. She is furthermore feeling awful for what she did.”
“See, you learned from your mistakes and won't repeat them, that's good enough for me not to judge you,” the mare said, still with a big smile on her face. Trixie was puzzled for a moment, but seeing this big grin from this friendly mare made her feel much better. Her frown turned into a small smile and another small tear appeared in her eye. “Thank you...“
“Oh I guess I never introduced myself. I'm Lyra, Lyra Heartstrings.” She pointed at Trixie's face with her hoof. “I think you got something else in your eye,” she said with a giggle.
Trixie wiped the tear with one of her hooves away. “It seems so, this dust is everywhere.”
“True, but Trixie? Why were you so upset and lost in thought before? Did something happen?”
Trixie lowered her head and stared at the floor, another frown on her face and her ears drooped. “You could say so....”
Trixie could not describe why she felt so much better while talking to Lyra, but there was something about her that just made her feel comfortable. Maybe it was her kind and funny attitude or her reassuring smile, but whatever it was she felt that she could trust Lyra. So Trixie told her what happened before they met, but not about the curse. She might feel comfortable around her, but not that comfortable. At least not yet.
When Trixie finished her story she felt an arm around her shoulder, pulling her to the side. “Hey, don't take this to heart so much. There will always be ponies like this. And I think you managed it the best way possible.”
Trixie looked at Lyra in disbelief. “By running away?”
“Yes. You could have tried to attack them in defense or rage. I guess that's what they expected from you. But by running away you showed them and all the others around that you are hurt by what they said and that you regret what you did.”
Trixie thought about what Lyra said for a few moments. “Maybe you are right, but Trixie still feels ashamed that she ran away like a filly.” At this moment a few ponies in guard armor ran past them, clearly in a hurry. “What's going on?”
“I guess it's another monster at the entrance to the Everfree Forest. Over the past two weeks the monsters are coming into town for some unknown reason. Twilight asked the princess for help after she and her friends encountered a giant timberwolf a few days ago, and for now she deployed more guards to defend the town.”
“That's strange, why would the monsters come into town?” Trixie thought back to her encounter with the timberwolf 2 days ago. She thought that it was strange that she met a timberwolf at the outskirts of the forest. Usually they stay deeper inside with their packs.
“Who knows? For now, we have to deal with them.”
“That's true,” Trixie said. She looked up at the sun and stood up from the bench. “It's getting late, Trixie thinks it will be the best to get back to the library.”
“Are you OK on your own or should I keep you company?”
“Trixie thinks she will be good on her own.” Trixie took a few steps, before she turned her head around and faced Lyra again. “Thank you, Lyra, for your kind words.”
Lyra got her big grin once again on her face before answering. “No problem, I'm happy if I can help. Hey, would you like to hang out sometimes? I always like to have new friends around.”
Trixie looked away from Lyra again. 'What is it with these ponies and becoming friends all the time?'
“Trixie would like to talk to you again, but she doesn't need any friends, she is good on her own.”
Lyra looked at Trixie for a moment, her head tilted to the side, before once again her grin appeared. “Well, if you don't wanna call me a friend that's okay, but I will still call you friend. And there is nothing you can do against it.”
Trixie stood still. “...has anypony told you before that you are weird?”
“Aaaall the time,” Lyra answered with a giggle.
“Whatever,” Trixie said gruff. “But Trixie repeats herself, she doesn't need friends.”
Trixie was nearly out of earshot, when she heard Lyra calling again. “That might be, but are you sure you don't want friends?” Trixie stopped for a second, before she continued on her way, not looking back.
~*~
When Trixie returned to the library, Twilight was still not back again, so Trixie decided to read a book and wait. It didn't take long before the door opened and Twilight walked in with Spike behind her. The former was smiling in Trixie's direction, the latter frowning.
“Good afternoon, Trixie,” Twilight asked. “I guess you slept well?”
“Better than ever,” Trixie answered with a small smile. “It's so good to be able to sleep again.”
“I can only imagine what it's like,” Twilight said with a giggle and turned to look at Spike. “Would you start preparing everything for dinner? I will join to help you soon.”
Without saying a word, Spike moved through the room in the direction of the kitchen. Trixie stared at him for a moment, before she spoke up. “Spike?” The dragon stopped in his tracks, but didn't turn around. “Trixie wants to apologize to you.” After hearing that, Spike finally turned to face Trixie with an unreadable expression on his face.
“Trixie wants to apologize for her behavior yesterday morning and for what she did at her last visit. Trixie never meant any of this to happen, and she feels terrible about it. You probably won't believe her, but Trixie really is sorry for everything.”
The whole library was utterly silent for a minute after Trixie finished.
“Whatever,” Spike simply said before he disappeared in the kitchen.
Twilight, who silently watched the scene walked over to Trixie at the table. “Don't worry Trixie,” she said with a reassuring smile. “I'm sure that he will come around later. He wasn't really excited when I explained everything to him and that you would stay a few days longer than expected, but I think you gave him something to think about.”
Twilight took a seat besides Trixie. “So, how was your day?”
“Could have been better,” Trixie said. She didn't want to tell Twilight about her walk through the town, at least not yet. This was something she has to bear for her actions on her own.
“Maybe I can help with that,” Twilight said with a smirk. “It took me and Applejack a bit of time and effort, but we managed it.”
The next day Trixie was walking besides Twilight through Ponyville to the location of her new home that Twilight found with Applejack's help. She didn't know anything about the place, since Twilight wanted it to be a surprise, no matter how much she tried to get any information out of her.
But in the end she accepted that her attempts were fruitless and so she has to wait until they arrived at their destination. She was, after all, curious what this place would be that Twilight and Applejack found for her to stay, and that fast, too.
“Will it be much longer before Trixie can see the place or will she die out of curiosity before?”
“I hope not,” Twilight giggled. “We are almost there. Applejack should be somewhere around here, she wanted to meet us before.” Twilight looked around, before she noticed Applejack trotting towards them from the outskirts. “There she is.”
“Howdy you two,” Applejack said when she reached the two mares. “How are ya doin' today?”
“Quite good, Trixie hasn't slept so well in ages as in the last two days.”
“I can confirm that, we could hear her snoring in the whole library,” Twilight said laughing, which Applejack joined into.
“The Great and Powerful Trixie does not snore,” Trixie said with a growl. “But now Trixie finally wants to see this place you two found for her.”
Applejack grinned. “Well, then let's go. It's a little bit outside of town, near the Whitetail Woods.”
'Finally a piece of information,' Trixie thought. 'Outside of town means I won't get too much attention from the rest of the town in the beginning. That does sound really good.'
The three mares walked for a few more minutes through town. There were not many ponies around, but they received a few glances, mostly Trixie, which she simply ignored. Twilight noticed these glances as well, but hoped that the other ponies won't harass Trixie too much after she learned about what happened the day before from Trixie.
The trio left the last houses behind them and walked along a small path, until a small cottage came into view. But what Trixie could see was not really encouraging. It was a nice, little cottage with a single floor, but there was a lot of trash lying around. Some of the shutters of the windows were hanging from their hinges, and Trixie could see a few holes in the roof.
“Well, Trixie, what do you say?” Twilight asked when they reached the front of the cottage.
Trixie didn't know how to respond at first. “It... looks a bit rundown. And dirty.”
“Yes, we know,” Applejack said. “That's part of why we were able to get it for ya. Only if ya want it of course.”
Trixie looked at Applejack with a raised eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“You see Trixie,” Twilight said, “this place belongs to a business partner and friend of Applejack and her family, Filthy Rich. He wanted to take down the place after the last tenants left the place overnight like this without coming back. But we talked with him yesterday about this and we made a deal.”
Twilight walked closer to the building in question. “If we manage to clean up and repair the place for him, he will let you live here without paying rent for the winter as payment. It is only a temporary solution, but it should be enough for now, and you don't need to worry during the winter months.”
Trixie was dumbstruck while she walked past Twilight to one of the windows of the cottage without shutters and tried to peek inside, but the glass was too dirty and the room inside too dark to see much. She turned around again to face Twilight and Applejack who waited for her to say something.
“Trixie doesn't know what to say,” she said. “She expected a small place in a multi-family house or a hotel room, but not a whole cottage for herself.”
“Ya were really lucky here, sugar cube,” Applejack said. “A week or so later and there would be nothin' here to live in. And Ah can't think of another place right now where ya could live without any bits.”
“At least something good happens to Trixie once in a while,” Trixie said with a frown, “but she still appreciates your help to find this place, Applejack. This is more than she deserves.” Trixie turned around to look at the cottage again. “But Trixie has no idea how she is supposed to clean and repair the place all by her-”
Trixie never managed to finish her sentence before she was tackled by a pink blur, sending her into the grass as she rolled head over hooves, ending up on her back with a pink mare above her.
“Heya, Trix,” Pinkie Pie said with a big grin on her face. “Are you excited? Do you like your new place? I can't wait to throw you a housewarming party.”
“Did somepony got this chariot?” Trixie mumbled while she tried to stop the world from spinning.
“Pinkie Pie! I told you tackling other ponies is not a proper way to greet them, especially not if they are not familiar with you.”
Trixie looked over to the side where the voice came from, her vision still slightly blurred from the impact. She managed to see Rarity walking up to her side with a frown directed to Pinkie on her face. Behind her Trixie could see Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash standing besides Twilight and Applejack, the latter trying to suppress a giggle.
“Awww, but it's so much more fun.”
“Maybe for you, but not for everypony.” Rarity turned her gaze to Trixie and reached out one of her hooves to help her get up. When Trixie stood again, Rarity slightly frowned when she saw that Trixie's mane was a mess. “Let me help you with your coiffure, darling.” A few moments and a bit of magic later Trixie's mane was back to its usual self. “There, that's much better.”
Trixie shook her head to free herself from the dizziness of the pink assault. “Thank you, but what are you all doing here?”
“Well, we are here to help with your new home,” Rarity said before she turned around to look at the cottage for the first time, her eyes growing when she saw the state of it. “Sweet Celestia, it's even worse than I thought. That might take some time.”
'Why are they all gonna help me?' Trixie thought confused. She just couldn't understand these ponies. They have any reason to hate her, but they gave her another chance and now they even want to help her with her new home. “Why are you helping Trixie? She doesn't understand.”
“What is there not to understand, silly filly?” Pinkie said. “We are simply going to help a fr-”.
Before Pinkie could finish her mouth was shut down by Twilight with her magic, but she was too late. Trixie was not dumb, and so she was able to conclude what Pinkie was about to say. She narrowed her eyes and turned her head to the side.
“What is it with the ponies in this town and their desires of being friends? Trixie is good on her own, she doesn't need friends.” For a brief moment Trixie thought back to her encounter with Lyra the day before and what she said at the end, but she dismissed it quickly.
The group of ponies was taken aback by her outburst, and Rainbow Dash was about to say something in remark. But before she could give Trixie a piece of her mind, she was stopped by Twilight's hoof on her shoulder.
“Trixie, would you give us a moment?” Twilight said before she led her friends away from the show mare before she addressed them. “Look, girls. As you noticed, Trixie seems to have a problem with others calling her a friend or themselves her friends.” She looked over to the mare in question, who was looking at the cottage. “I don't know why she reacts this way, but I guess something happened in her past to feel this way.”
“Oh my,” Fluttershy gasped. “What could have happened to her to have this opinion? I hope it was nothing to terrible.”
Twilight shook her head. “There is no way for us to know until Trixie is willing to speak about it. But the first time I called her a friend she was smiling for a moment, so I think she might come around after some time. Till then, I guess it's the best not to call Trixie a friend for now, do you agree?” The group nodded in agreement and walked back to Trixie, who was still frowning. “Sorry for that, Trixie,” Twilight said. “What Pinkie meant was that they want to help you as a compensation for how they treated you back the first time you came to Ponyville. Am I right, girls?”
A collective nod and mumbles of agreement came from the group. Trixie stood still, her head slightly tilted and her eyes narrowed. Finally, her frown turned into a small smile. “Trixie thinks that's acceptable.”
Twilight relaxed with a sigh. For a moment she thought Trixie would decline their offer of help.
“Well then, how about we go and look what the inside is like?” Applejack said. “Mr. Rich wanted to be here, but he had an appointment he couldn't postpone, so he gave me the keys. He will come over later.”
The group made their way over to the front door of the cottage and Applejack opened it. She moved to the side and motioned to Trixie to go first. After all, it is Trixie's new home, so it should be her who walks inside first. Trixie took a deep breath and walked inside, her horn ignited so that she could see something.
Trixie was surprised, the inside of the cottage looked much better than she expected. From the inside the place was mostly intact. Trixie could see a few broken floorboards and a broken door deeper inside, and there were the holes in the roof and the damaged shutters, but besides these it was mostly dirt lying around.
The cottage itself consists of a big living room, in which Trixie was standing right now, a small kitchen side, a small bathroom and a second room in the back of the place as a bedroom. But what Trixie surprised the most was the fact that there are still a lot pieces of furniture all over the place, left behind by the former tenants. Most of these were either broken or in a bad shape, but some of them were still usable.
The room was suddenly flooded with light. Trixie looked behind her to see Applejack who had opened the first of the shutters from the windows.
“So, what do ya say? It's a bit small, and it needs a bit of work, but Ah think it would be perfect for ya.”
“Yes, there is no way that Trixie could say it otherwise,” Trixie said. “She would be more than happy and grateful with any other place, but she gets this one to herself, so yes, it's perfect.” Trixie turned to face Applejack. “Trixie dosn't know how to thank you, Applejack.”
Applejack waved her hoof. “Ah shucks, sugar cube, that was nothin'.” She was silent for a moment, before she received a small nudge from Twilight. She looked at her friend in confusion for a moment, before she realized what Twilight wanted to say with it. “Ya can see it as another repayment for how Ah treated ya back then, besides the help with cleaning up everythin.”
“So, how about we get started with the cleaning?” Rarity said, a slight grimace on her face. “The sooner we start, the sooner all the dirt will be gone. Oh, and of course that the place will be ready to live in again.”
All of them agreed and began cleaning up Trixie's new place, starting with all of the trash lying around, much to Rarity's joy. Most of the stuff lying around consisted of old clothes, furniture that was simply thrown out of the windows, or old food, which even helped to fertilize the garden outside. The group finished outside pretty fast, so they moved to the inside, which took way more time.
During the day the group made greatly progress, even after Applejack and Rarity had to leave for work and Rainbow to do something important, which probably meant taking a nap somewhere. In the early afternoon, the rest of the group decided to take a lunch break. Since Fluttershy and Pinkie had both small appointments on their own, Twilight decided to show Trixie around the town on their way to the library. She thought that would be the best way to avoid more complications with the towns ponies. She wanted to explain the situation to them together with Trixie at least to some degree.
After they departed from the rest of the group both mares walked back into town. On their way to the restaurant they explained Trixie's situation to many ponies they met and Trixie apologized many times for what she did. Most of the ponies forgave her or gave her the benefit of the doubt, not truly believing the story about the corrupting amulet. Some others weren't so kind and made sure Trixie knows what they think about her, much to Twilight's disapprove.
After their small lunch Twilight showed Trixie the most important places in town for now, trying not to overwhelm her with everything at once. The trip was not long and both mares started their trot back to Trixie's new home.
"So Trixie," Twilight started to say," what do you think about Ponyville?"
Trixie thought for a moment before she answered. "Trixie has to admit that it is a very interesting place with some unique locations, like this pastry shop that looks like a gingerbread house."
"Yeah, Sugar Cube Corner got more than one curious look over time," Twilight said with a chuckle, before she noticed that Trixie wasn't at her side any longer. "Trixie?" Twilight turned around and saw Trixie standing in front of another building, looking up at the name of the shop.
"Bon Bons Sweets?" Trixie turned her head in Twilight's direction. "Trixie thought that Sugar Cube Corner is the only sweets shop in town?"
Twilight walked up to Trixie and the shop in question. "No, Bon Bon got her own candy store, while the cakes mostly sell pastries." Twilight noticed how Trixie was staring at some of the candies in the window and grinned.
“What do you think, should we go inside and get something for us and the girls later? I could introduce you to Bon Bon as well."
Trixie blushed slightly when she realized that Twilight got her and nodded. They entered the shop and Trixie looked around in awe. It has been years since the last time she entered a sweet shop or something similar, and she was enthralled with all the sweet, delicious treasures surrounding her.
"Well well well, look who couldn't get enough of good old me." Trixie stopped in her daze when she heard that familiar voice. She turned to the counter of the shop and there stood Lyra, a big grin on her face.
"Lyra? What are you doing here?" Trixie asked.
"I'm trying to steal something from the register," Lyra said facetiously with a roll of her eyes. "What do you think I'm doing, I'm working here. Or better, I'm helping out."
Twilight looked from one mare to the other and back. "You know each other?"
"Kind of," Trixie said. "Trixie met her yesterday when she was out and we had a little talk."
"Yup," Lyra said while she walked around the counter and took Trixie in a side way hug. "We talked a bit, became friends, you know the drill, Twilight.”
Twilight was surprised when Lyra mentioned that they became friends, but her hopes were crushed a moment later when Trixie shoved Lyra away.
"We are NOT friends. We only met once and talked a bit, nothing more."
Lyra didn't seem to be offended by Trixie's behavior and simply shrugged. "Whatever you say, Trixie. I surely know that I enjoyed our talk, and I'm pretty sure you did as well."
Before Trixie got a chance to respond to Lyra's statement they were interrupted by a new voice.
"Lyra? Is everything alright here?"
Trixie looked past Lyra, who turned around after hearing the new voice, and saw another mare emerging from a door behind the counter. The mare had a tan coat color and a blue and pink curled mane, and her cutie mark were three wrapped candies.
"Everything is alright, Bonnie," Lyra said. "Just got some friends visiting."
The mare, Trixie presumed it was Bon Bon, the owner of the shop that Twilight mentioned before, walked closer to Lyra and Trixie prepared herself to meet another pony she needs to apologize to.
The moment Bon Bon noticed Trixie she stopped in her ways, her eyes wide open in recognition. This state didn't last long before it turned into a glare.
"What is that monster doing here after everything she did?!" Bon Bon growled.
Trixie's heart fell after that acclamation and she recoiled back slightly. It wasn't the first time that somepony said something like this before, but that doesn't mean that it won't hurt. And again it was one thing to hear somepony whisper things about her to somepony else, and get it shouted right in her face.
Trixie was not the only one truly surprised to hear what Bon Bon said. Neither Twilight nor Lyra were prepared for it and stood still, their mouths wide open.
'Stay calm, Trixie,' she thought. 'You knew that there would be somepony who hates you that you need to face. Be confident and apologize.' Trixie took a deep breath to calm her nerves.
"Trixie wanted to-"
"Save your breath for someone who cares for whatever you want!" Bon Bon interrupted her. "You are not welcome here, so get out of my shop or you will learn what it feels like to get bucked in the face by an earth pony!"
"Bon Bon, stop it!" Twilight yelled. She couldn't believe her ears about what she just heard from the mare. She could understand that she was mad because of the things Trixie did just like the others they met before, but threatening her with violence is something else.
"Yeah, Bonnie," Lyra said. "What's wrong with you?"
Bon Bon had no a chance to respond to them before they heard a voice from the entrance of the shop.
"No, i-it's okay, she is right." Twilight and Lyra turned around to see Trixie walking towards the door, her head hanging low and her ears drooped. "Trixie will just go."
She used her magic to open the door, but before she went through she turned her head and looked at Bon Bon. "Trixie wanted to say sorry for everything she did." After her apology she walked out of the shop.
"Trixie, wait!" Twilight shouted after the mare. She glared one more time at Bon Bon before she ran after Trixie.
Outside of the shop Twilight saw Trixie slowly walking in the direction of her future cottage, her head still hanging low. She quickly catches up to the mare and walked beside her.
"Trixie, I'm sorry. If I had known that Bon Bon would react like this... "
“It's not your fault, Twilight, it's mine and mine alone. I'm already used to it."
"Trixie, that's...," Twilight began but was interrupted by a shout from behind.
"Trixie, wait!"
Twilight and Trixie turned to the source of the voice and saw Lyra running up to them. Trixie was surprised when Lyra not just stopped in front of them but instead threw her arms around Trixie's neck, pulling her in an embrace.
"I'm sooo sorry for what happened with Bonnie."
Trixie tried to free herself of Lyra's grip around her neck after the initial shock of somepony hugging her out of nowhere, but she noticed soon that her attempt was futile. "It's okay, Lyra..."
"No, it's not!" Lyra snapped while she finally released Trixie and took a few steps back. "Bonnie is the most important thing in my live and I truly love her, but I won't let her talk like this to a friend of mine."
Trixie listened up after that statement. "You two are a couple?" Lyra simply answered with a nod and a grin. Trixie lowered her gaze to the ground again. "You should go back to her. Trixie don't want to be the cause of even more problems."
Lyra seemed to think about that for a moment before she shook her head. "Nope, won't do. Bonnie should not think that she can mess up and get away with it." She started grinning again. "That's my job after all."
Lyra raised one of her hooves and pointed at Trixie. "You did nothing wrong. You came to apologize for your mistakes, nothing more. Bonnie was the one who overreacted and threw a tantrum. Right now I won't go back to her, but later we will talk about how she messed up."
She stood there for a few moments dead serious, but before long she started to giggle. "Oh, that will be so much fun! Usually it's me who messes up and gets a scolding from Bonnie. This time I will be the one scolding her."
Trixie couldn't resist chuckling at the mares attics. "Thank you, Lyra. Trixie appreciates your kind words."
"You're welcome," Lyra said.
During the whole conversation Twilight sat on the side watching the two mares, a smile on her face. She was glad that Trixie found somepony who wants to help her. Then again she wondered how Trixie did not realize that she has made a friend without wanting or even realizing it, even if said friend more than once said that they are friends. Of course, she would not go and ask Trixie about it, regarding how she reacted to Twilight’s attempts days ago.
After she watched the two talk for a few more minutes she stood up and cleared her throat to get their attention.
"Sorry for interrupting you two, but it's time to go back, Trixie. The others are probably wondering where we are."
"Oh, right,"Trixie said. She had totally forgotten that they are supposed to repair the cottage.
"The others?" Lyra asked, her head tilted to the side.
"My friends," Twilight said. "You see, Trixie will be staying in Ponyville for some time and we are helping her renovate an old cottage on the outskirts."
Lyra's eyes grew in size. "Why didn't you say something sooner? I wanna help as well."
"Why would you want to help?" Trixie asked in surprise. She looked over to Twilight for an answer, but the mare simply shrugged.
"Well, duh. Why should I not wanna help a friend in need? So come on, let's go!"
Lyra turned around and ran away. Twilight quickly followed her, calling out that she should wait and that she dosn't even know the way.
Trixie stood in the middle of the street a moment longer, before she trotted after them.
"We are not friends..." she quietly mumbled to herself.
The appearance of Lyra at the cottage to help her 'friend' Trixie was a surprise for the rest of Twilight's friends, one none of them expected. Of course, they were glad that there was a pony in town besides themselves that wanted to be friends with Trixie, but remembering what Twilight said earlier about Trixie and friends they silently decided not to call that fact out to the show mare.
The group worked for a few more hours until the sun started setting and they decided to call it a day. They all said their good byes and retreated to their homes.
The next day Twilight and Trixie made their trip to the cottage after breakfast, depending to start early their task, much to Spike's delight, who couldn't wait till the cottage was ready and Trixie could finally move out.
As the two mares came in sight of the cottage they were surprised to see that Lyra was already waiting for them. But what truly surprised them was that she was not alone. Trixie stopped and froze on her way, her eyes growing wide when she saw Bon Bon standing besides Lyra.
“I can't believe that she dares to come here after what she said yesterday,” Twilight grumbled besides her. Lyra had noticed the two and walked over to them after she said something to Bon Bon who stayed behind.
“Hey girls,” Lyra said as she reached them. “I know what you are thinking, but I can assure you that she did not come to cause trouble. She wants to talk with you, Trixie.”
“Seriously?” Twilight asked in disbelief. “After she treated her yesterday with violence she wants to talk now?” Lyra nodded. “What do you say, Trixie?” Twilight asked. She did not like this, but it was not her decision to make. If Trixie wants to talk with Bon Bon, there is not much she can do.
Trixie was silent for a minute while she thought about what to do. She finally took a deep breath.
“Trixie will talk with her. She can not avoid her forever, so it would be the best to talk it out.”
“You are right,” Twilight admitted. “We will give you two some privacy, but if she does or says anything wrong, call us.”
Trixie nodded in agreement and Twilight and Lyra walked off, the latter nodding to Bon Bon who walked over to Trixie.
“Hi, Trixie.”
“Hello, Bon Bon.”
They both sat in front of each other, none of them looking the other in the eyes, not saying a single word. A few moments of silence passed before Bon Bon sighed and spoke again.
“Trixie, I'm sorry for what I said yesterday. When I saw you I thought you would try to do something bad again, and I was afraid. After what happened the last time, I wanted to make sure you know that I won't stand by this time and do nothing, so I tried to be intimidating. But when you just turned and left, and even apologized with so much sadness in your voice, I knew that I messed up big time and felt really bad. And then Lyra came back in the evening and talked with me about it.”
Bon Bon finally looked up into Trixie's eyes. “I still don't trust you, Trixie, and I don't think that will change very soon. But Lyra accepts you and I trust her. So as long as you don't mess up, I will accept you as well.” She moved her gaze to her hooves. “I hope that you can forgive me for my nasty words yesterday.”
She looked up when she noticed a blue hoof enter her vision and saw Trixie, her hoof outstretched and a small smile on her face. “Trixie will accept your apology.”
Bon Bon was surprised. Of course, she has hoped that Trixie would forgive her, but not that it would be so simple without any comment from the show mare. Without waiting, she shook Trixie's hoof. “Just like this?” she asked in disbelief.
“Yes, just like this,” Trixie said after setting her hoof back on the ground. She looked over to the cottage were Lyra and Twilight were waiting. “A few months ago, Trixie would have acted different, much more aggressive probably. But after every single thing she did, she was forgiven by the ponies who suffered the most just like this. So Trixie thought she could try that as well and see for herself what it feels like.”
Trixie was not able to say anything more before she was pulled into a hug by Bon Bon. “Maybe you have changed, Trixie. And you can come to my shop again, as long as you behave.”
“Thank you.” Trixie tried to pull away from the embrace, but was hold in place by the candy maker. “Bon Bon?”
“Only one last thing I want to make sure you know,” Bon Bon whispered. “I accept you here and hope that you will be happy, but if you dare to hurt my Lyra in any way possible, no matter if physical or mentally, I will make you feel my wrath, and not even Celestia will be able to stop me. Do you understand?”
Trixies eyes grew in side while hearing that. She didn't dare to say something, so she simply nodded. “Good,” Bon Bon said before she released Trixie from the hug. “Now I need to go, my shop won't open itself. Bye, Trixie.”
Bon Bon walked away from the cottage, waving to Twilight and Lyra on her way. Trixie stood there a moment longer, processing everything that had just happened before she walked back to Twilight and Lyra.
“Hey, Trixie, is everything okay?” Twilight asked.
“Sure, everything is good. Bon Bon apologized and we are good now,” Trixie said. She had decided not to mention what Bon Bon said. She already was the cause of enough trouble, she didn't want to make it even harder on Twilight.
Twilight knew that Trixie was hiding something, she could see it in her eyes. But Trixie was her own mare and could make her own decisions, so if there was something she doesn't want to tell Twilight there was nothing she could do.
“Okay, so I guess we should start working. The others should be here soon as well.”
Trixie and Lyra nodded in agreement and together they made the rest of the way to the cottage, Twilight walking ahead of the other two mares.
Lyra leaned her head slightly in Trixies direction. “Don't take Bonnie's threats serious, Trixie,” she whispered.
Trixies eyes grew in surprise. “How did you know?”
“You are not the first one she has threatened. She can be a little overprotective if she thinks someone might hurt me, but she never did anything to anypony before. She could never truly hurt anypony, she is a big softie at heart, no matter how tough she might act.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yes, I am. And I will talk with her about it, again.” Lyra started to blush. “Even if it is kind of cute of her that she has threatened half the town to protect me. But whatever, let's get your home fixed.”
Trixie looked after Lyra when she ran towards the cottage. 'This town is really strange.'
~*~
The restoration of the cottage resumed without bigger distractions. The only disturbance occurred near the end of the third day, when Filthy Rich finally made his appearance to check on the promised reparations and to meet the mare who would live in his house.
Of course, like the rest of the town he knew about what Trixie did in the past, but he has not been in town during her short reign in Ponyville and didn't meet her before in person.
He was very impressed how much the group managed to do in these few short days and confirmed the deal he made with Applejack and Twilight that when they finish the renovations Trixie could live for free in the cottage till the end of the month after the next Winter Wrap Up. If she still wants to stay after this time period, she would need to pay rent.
He also made it clear that this is not an act of pity or sympathy from his side, but simply business for him. He did not mention that he thought about denying the deal at first, but if the granddaughter of his oldest and best business partner as well as the element bearers are vouching for Trixie, how could he say no?
~*~
At the end of the fourth day the group sat together in the main room of Trixies cottage. There was still a lot to do on the inside and the outside, but the holes in the roof and the window shutters are repaired and the cold autumn wind of the night could not blow through the cottage any more like before.
With this taken care of Trixie decided it was time to leave the library. In her opinion she had been a burden to Twilight long enough and it was time to get on her own hoofs again.
Now they all sat around the table, celebrating Trixie's moving in. It was not easy, but they managed to convince Pinkie not to make such a big deal out of it. Lyra had brought some sweets from Bon Bon as the candy makers peace offer, and Applejack organized a small barrel of cider, much to Rainbow Dash's joy.
“Well, Trixie, how do you feel now that you got your own place of living?” Twilight asked.
Trixie looked around the room. It was a huge change from the previous state, even if it could still use a bit of paint on the walls and more pieces of furniture to make it look more lively.
“Trixie's not sure how to feel,” she said. “It's been so long since Trixie had a real place to live besides her old trailer and--- OW!”
Trixie raised one of her hoofs to hold the side of her head and shot a glare at the mare on her left. “Lyra, would you please stop that? It hurts!”
Lyra shrugged in response. “Sorry, Trixie, but you know the drill.”
Of course Trixie knew, but that didn't mean that she likes it. Soon after Lyra started helping she learned that Trixie thought about getting rid of her habit of talking in third person and she came up with something her dad did when she was a filly to help with her candy addiction back then. It helped at least for quite some time, until Lyra found her biggest piece of candy which she is dating now.
Now every time Trixie starts talking in third person Lyra would give her a light bump with her hoof against the side of Trixies head. At first, it was just annoying, but after a few days of constant bumping Trixie was glad that she got blue fur, otherwise the small bruises would clearly be visible by now.
But Lyra's plan worked, and after some time Trixie started talking normal, or at least she tried most of the time. But still, it doesn't mean that she likes it.
“One day Tr- I will repay you for your 'help',” Trixie glowered.
“Can't wait for it,” Lyra said with her typical grin on her face.
“Whatever,” Trixie rolled her eyes. She turned her gaze around the room, until her eyes met with a box that lay behind Rarity. The unicorn had brought it with her earlier, and when asked about it only said it's a surprise for later.
“So, Rarity?” The mare turned her head when Trixie addressed her. “What is it now with your surprise? Trix- I cannot deny that I'm quite curious about it.”
“Oh, of course, darling. I think I let you wait long enough for it.” She lifted the box with her magic up, but instead of putting it on the table and opening it, she walked around the table until she stood besides Trixie and placed it in front of her. “After all, it is a little present for you.”
Trixie looked at Rarity in surprise, her eyes wide open. “A present? For me?”
“Of course. See it as my way of welcoming you. I'm sure you will like it.”
“But...”
“Ah ah ah, darling. I won't accept a no, I insist.”
At first Trixie wanted to argue, but then she thought back to a talk with Twilight a few days ago. She told her a few things about her friends and their specific elements. She mentioned that sooner or later Rarity would probably come along with a dress or something similar and, as the bearer of generosity, she would not accept a no as an answer.
Trixie decided to follow Twilight's advice on this one. “Thank you,” she said with a small smile. “It... it's been a long time since Tr... I got a present.”
Trixie took her time observing the box in front of her. It was a simple white box with no way to guess what might be inside of it.
Not being able to hold her curiosity any longer Trixie used her magic to lift the lid in the air. The moment she was able to look inside the box Trixie froze in place, her eyes growing wide and her jaw open. The lid of the box fell to the floor as Trixie's magic dissipated.
Inside of the box was a very familiar looking purple hat with star pattern and a matching cape.
“Well, what do you think?” Rarity asked. Her mouth still open, Trixie levitated both pieces out of the box and hold them in her magic in front of her, still not saying anything.
“Trixie?” Twilight asked after she noticed that Trixie was frozen. All around the room the talk subsided as everypony noticed Trixie's state. Twilight put a hoof on Trixie's shoulder. “Are you okay?”
Trixie ignored Twilight and wrapped her hooves around the hat and cape and pulled them to her chest, a single tear running down her cheek.
“Oh my, did I do something wrong?” Rarity asked in concern. “I only had my memory to relay on as a reference.”
“Thank you...,” Trixie whispered. “Thank you so much. This means so much to Trixie. It's perfect.”
Lyra raised her hoof to bump Trixie's head again but was stopped by Twilight who shook her head. She could see that it was something very emotional for Trixie, Lyra's attempt of helping her was nothing she needed right now. She looked back at Trixie again who was still holding the garment close.
“Trixie, are you sure you're alright? You mentioned before that your hat and cape are replaceable and it sounded as if they are not important.”
Trixie relaxed visibly but still hold on her new garment. “That's only partly true,” she slowly said. “It's true that they are replaceable, Trixie lost the original ones a long time ago.” Trixie stopped for a moment, pain and sadness visible on her face. “But Trixie holds every single one close. They are like a memento, and it pained Trixie that she had to sacrifice the last ones.”
“Well, I'm glad that you like them, darling,” Rarity said with a smile. “How about you put them on? I could only rely on my trained eyes for the size, but it might be that I need to adjust them to you.”
Trixie nodded in agreement. It's only been just over a week since she has lost the last set, but it felt like an eternity to her. She couldn't wait any longer. She used her magic to put the cape around her neck and the hat on her head. They fitted perfectly, and Trixie was happy to feel the familiar weight on her body once again.
She stood up on her hind legs and with her arms raised to the ceiling she shouted. “Be prepared, everypony! The Great and Powerful Trixie, the most talented unicorn that ever lived, has returned!”
The cottage fell into silence after Trixie's short speech, before Lyra turned her attention to Twilight beside her.
“Now?”
“Yes,” Twilight said with a nod.
Lyra did not wait any longer and bumped her hoof against Trixie's head.
“Ow, that hurts!” Lyra bumped her head again.
“No, bad Trixie. No boasting and third person.”
The rest of the group couldn't resist and erupted in laughter, with a grumbling Trixie in the middle. But it didn't take long before she couldn't resist any longer and was laughing as well.
~*~
Later that evening Trixie lay in her bed, which was in fact the spare bed from the library Twilight has borrowed her for the time being after they had to throw out the old one.
Even after she got used to the feeling of a real bed again after long weeks of being homeless, the first night in a new and unknown location is always strange. Because of this she lay awake, turning from one side to the other in her task of finding sleep.
Slowly she got used to the sounds of her new home. The creaking shutters of the windows moving in the wind, said wind howling around the cottage and through small holes in the walls she still needs to find and fix and the dripping faucet from the kitchen.
Slowly Trixie drifted off into sleep.
Creeeeeaak
Only to be awake a few moments later. She sat up in her bed, ears on attention. 'That was definitely not one of the shutters,' she thought to herself. 'Sounded more like one of the creaking floorboards in the living room.'
Trixie stood up from her bed and walked slowly and quietly to the door of her bedroom that leads to the living room. She put one ear on the door and listened for any sounds from the other side. She could hear somepony walking around and thought that she even heard somepony talking. 'Of course, the first night alone here and I got some burglars,' Trixie thought. 'But not for long.'
~*~
In the darkness of the living room everything was silent, but suddenly one of the wooden boards from the wall in a corner began moving and a head appeared from a hole behind it. It looked around the dark room before it entered fully. The filly held the board to the side and made the hole wider.
“Okay, girls, everything is fine. Come on in.”
Two more fillies appeared from the hole and crawled inside the room, looking around the dark place.
“Are you sure this is a good idea, Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle asked. “This place is creepy.”
“Of course it's a good idea,” Scootaloo said. “This time we will get our Cutie Marks for sure.”
“Ah'm not so sure Ah want a Ghost Hunter Cutie Mark, Scoots,” Apple Bloom remarked. “Crawlin' around creepy places and lookin' for things Ah can't even see most of the time does not sound that good ta me.”
Scootaloo stopped her stroll around the dark room and put her hoof to her muzzle. “Hmm, if you say it like that it does not sound so cool anymore.”
Apple Bloom walked up to Scootaloo. “Glad that ya see it the same way. Now let's get out of here. If Applejack finds out that Ah'm not in bed she will ground me for who knows how long.”
Creeeeeaak
Both fillies jumped in the air out of shock. They slowly turned around and looked at Sweetie Belle who was standing near the table with a sheepish smile on her face. “Sorry, the floorboard is creaky.” Both fillies relaxed, before Sweetie called out to them. “Hey, Scootaloo, didn't you say there was nopony living here?”
“Well, yeah. This place is abandoned after all. Rumble said something about a witch that lives here, but I don't believe him. Why do you ask?”
“There is food on the table.”
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom looked at each other before they walked over to look at the table. True to Sweetie's words, there were fresh leftovers all over the table.
“Scoots?”
“Yes, Bloom?”
“Can we go now?”
Before Scootaloo could say anything else, there was another creaking sound from behind them and the three fillies froze on the spot.
“Sweetie Belle, please tell me that was you again,” Scootaloo said with a trembling voice.
“T-that wasn't me.”
For a few moments there was silence in the cottage, before the sound of approaching hoof steps came from behind the trio.
“Apple Bloom, tell me you are walking around behind us.”
“Ah'm standin' besides you, Scoots.”
“I was afraid that you would say that.”
The steps came to an end behind them. The three fillies hesitantly turned around slowly and looked up at the mare standing in the darkness of the room. The mare used that moment to illuminate the room with her magic in a dim light.
“Would you care to explain what you are doing in Trixie's home?”
“Aaaaaaahhh, it's the witch!”
~*~
“We are sorry,” the crusaders said together, their heads lowered in shame. After they screamed and started running around the room in panic, it has Trixie only taken a few moments to catch them in her levitation and to calm them down. Now they stood in front of her apologizing.
“It's okay, girls. This is Trixie's first night in her cottage after all and nothing happened. But still, you shouldn't go into someponys houses, even if you think they are empty. It could be dangerous.” Trixie looked over the fillies in front of her, and her gaze lingers for a moment on Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. “You two look familiar. Are you related to Applejack and Rarity?”
The fillies in question looked at each other. “Yeah, they are our sisters,” Sweetie Belle said. “How do you know them?”
“Wait, aren't ya that magician that took over the town some time ago? What are ya doin' back here again?”
Trixie looked away in shame, her eyes closed. “Yes, that was Trixie and she is sorry for everything. She came back for some help from Twilight and now has to stay in town for some time. She and her friends helped Trixie to get this cottage and repair it over the last few days.”
“Huh, Applejack never said anythin' about that. Sweetie, did Rarity say anythin'?”
“I never saw her over the past week, I have been with my parents lately.”
“Well, at least nothing happened neither to you nor Trixie's home, so we are all fine,” Trixie said with a smile. It seemed that these fillies got no problem with her being in town and that made her feel better.
“Still,” Sweetie Belle said and made a few steps forward, “I think we need to make it up to you somehow for intruding.” Sweetie Bell thought for a few moments before she got an idea. “I know, I will make you breakfast later, does that sound good?”
Trixie couldn't resist but smile at the filly. “That sounds...,” Trixie stopped when she noticed the other two fillies behind Sweetie Belle. Apple Bloom made gagging motions and Scootaloo lay on her back, her tongue rolling out of her mouth. Trixie gulped. “... Lovely?” Sweetie Belle beamed at Trixie, probably already thinking about what to make for her.
“Now, Trixie thinks it's time for you to get home before your families notice you are gone. Don't worry, Trixie won't say anything,” Trixie said with a smirk.
“Thank you, Trixie,” the trio said with smiles.
Trixie opened the front door to let them out and the crusaders said their goodbyes. While they walked away, Trixie watched them for some time. Sweetie Belle turned around one more time and waved, which Trixie replied.
'Maybe staying here won't be as bad as I thought,' Trixie thought to herself with a smile, before she walked back inside and closed the door.
Four weeks had passed since Trixie's arrival in Ponyville and, to her own surprise, she slowly began to like it. It seems that most of the citizens decided to simply ignore her presence most of the time. Sure, sometimes she still heard them talk about her behind her back, but she was already used to worse, so she did the same as the rest of town with her and ignored it.
Another problem Trixie had to face was earning a few bits for food and other things. Applejack had provided a bunch of slightly bruised apples she could not sell, but Trixie could not live on like this forever.
That proved to be a bit of a challenge for the show mare with most of the town either ignoring or hating her. Applejack and Rarity helped her, but neither of them were able to provide a permanent job at the moment. Applebuck season ended some time ago, and besides minor chores there was not much to do at Sweet Apple Acres, and Rarity only got very few dress assignments at the moment. Lyra offered to talk with Bon Bon about a job at her shop, but Trixie declined that. Remembering what happened before Trixie was sure it would be a bad idea to be too long in the same room with the candy maker.
Now Trixie was sitting outside of the barn at Sweet Apple Acres after work with Applejack and waited for the farmer while she thought about how she could earn more bits regularly.
"Are ya ready to go, Trixie?" Applejack asked from behind her. Trixie turned to see Applejack leaving the barn, pulling her cart full with apples.
"Of course, I'm just waiting for you."
Applejack grinned and both mares walked along the path into town. Out of the corner of her eye Trixie saw Big Macintosh who watched them both. She hesitantly raised her hoof and waved goodbye. Without any reply he turned and walked away. Trixie lowered her head and ears and sighed.
"Hey, what's wrong, Trixie? Come on, ya can talk with me."
"Your brother, he still hates me," Trixie said, still looking down. She heard the mare beside her chuckle and raised her head to look at the farmer.
"Mac, hatin' ya? Na, believe me, ya would now if he hates ya. Ah think he is just still concerned. He believes me and knows that ya are not the same mare who enslaved the town, but he is still mah big brother lookin' out for me." Applejack raised her head and looked into Trixie's eyes. "Just give him time and he will come around."
Trixie allowed herself a little smile. "Thanks, Applejack. I hope you are right."
Both mares continued their trip into town before they reached a crossroad. "So, sugar cube, what are ya doin' with the rest of your day? Goin' to the twins again?"
To many ponies surprise Trixie became a babysitter for the Cake twins if Pinkie Pie was otherwise occupied. She was surprisingly spending time with Pinkie while she was watching the babies, but the baker had to leave for a short time and asked Trixie to watch over them.
On her way back Pinkie ran into Mr. and Mrs. Cake, who became terrified when they heard that Trixie was alone with their babies. To their surprise they found the three of them in the nursery, the babies unharmed. Trixie was playing with Pound Cake who tried to catch an illusion of a butterfly, while Pumpkin Cake was nestled against Trixies side, sleeping quietly.
After that cute display they talked with each other and, after Pinkie assured them that Trixie truly means no harm, they decided to give her a chance as a babysitter whenever was Pinkie not able to do so. Seeing the twins clinging to Trixie the whole time during the talk helped in that regard.
"No, not today. I will just go home and rest for now," Trixie said. " As much as I like these two, they can be quite a hoofful sometimes."
Applejack chuckled. "Ah know what ya mean. Well, Ah will be on mah way, these apples won't sell themselves. See ya later, Trixie."
Applejack walked down her path to the market place and left Trixie on her own. She watched the farmer go before she went her own way.
During her walk Trixie thought back about everything that changed over these past weeks. She had found a place to stay, small part-time jobs for a few bits and she felt pretty good hanging around with Lyra, Twilight and the others. Of course, that last part she would never admit openly in front of these ponies. At least not yet.
Trixies thoughts turned to the amulet around her neck, the one she got from the princesses and what it means to her. Sometimes she thought about where she would be right now if she has not been cursed by the Alicorn Amulet. Would she still be homeless? Would she have managed to restart her career? Nopony knows, and nopony knows how her future might be.
Sadly they had found no clue how to break the curse till now. The princesses had sent reports to Twilight about every encounter they had with the amulet, including everything that happened and what they learned over time to help with finding a solution. After reading these reports Twilight refused to let Trixie read them, for her own good. She mentioned she would have nightmares for some time as well just from the reports.
To make it worse they got two messages from the princesses. The first was about the place Trixie said she bought the amulet from in the first place. They were not able to find any clue, not even the shop. The building that was supposed to hold the shop has been abandoned, and from the claims of the surrounding neighbors it's been like this for more than a decade. This reinforced the suspicion that Trixie did not just found it by accident but was instead used by somepony for unknown reasons.
The second message they got was even worse. Even protected by the most powerful magic both princesses could afford, the Alicorn Amulet has once again vanished without any trace from the castle grounds.
'For once,' Trixie thought, 'I could really need some good news.'
Trixie stopped in her tracks and looked around. She was just on the outskirts of Ponyville, but she didn't recognize her surroundings. It seems that while she was lost in thought she had taken a wrong turn somewhere, so she turned around and walked back before she stopped again and listened. Somepony was crying, and she could hear other voices as well.
Trixie located the voices and slowly stepped closer, hiding behind some bushes just in case.
"...so useless, but what do you expect from a stupid blank flank."
Not liking what she just heard Trixie peeked through the branches. On the other side she could see two fillies, one of a light pink coat color and the other one grey, with their backs to her. Behind these two she could see the crusaders. Apple Bloom was holding Sweetie Belle who was crying and Scootaloo stood between her friends and the other fillies, her tiny wings flared and an angry scowl on her face.
"What's your problem, Diamond Tiara? Just leave us alone!" Scootaloo yelled.
Trixie frowned. 'So that's Diamond Tiara, that means the grey filly must be Silver Spoon.'
After their little break-in some weeks ago Trixie had met the crusaders again, the first time for Sweetie's "breakfast" promise. Luckily she was wearing her hat at the time and was able to use an illusion to make it look like she ate whatever Sweetie created. She still didn't figure out how it was possible to liquefy a haysandwich and turn milk into something resembling a stone.
At this and other meetings the crusaders did tell her more about themselves, and they mentioned the two fillies who bully them all the time.
Trixie smirked. Maybe it's time to teach them a little lesson, but she needs to be careful regarding the fact that the pink one is the daughter of her landlord.
Slowly Trixie emerged from the bushes and was spotted instantly by the crusaders. She motioned them to keep quiet and made her way to the bullies. Her horn started glowing and she cast an illusion over herself.
The crusaders watched in awe at what Trixie was doing.
Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara looked at the crusaders in confusion. "What is wrong with them?" Silver Spoon asked. Before Diamond was able to say anything she felt a tap on her back and turned around, Silver Spoon following her friends motion. They both froze on the spot in fear when they came face to face with a manticore.
None of the five fillies made any sound while the manticore lowered his head and sniffed, first on Silver Spoon than on Diamond Tiara, before it roared in the face of the two fillies. This finally broke them free of their shock and they ran away while screaming.
Looking after the two fillies running away the manticore disappeared and Trixie stood again in its place, a smile on her face.
"Well, I guess they won't stop running very soon." She turned to the crusaders, and her smile disappeared. The crusaders where staring at her, eyes and jaws wide open. Her good mood vanished. She only wanted to help, but it seemed she overdid it once again. She lowered her head and prepared herself to walk away in shame.
"That. Was. Awesome!" Scootaloo yelled suddenly.
Trixie looked up again to see the crusaders running up to her.
"How did you do that? That was amazing!"
"Never seen anythin' like it."
"Thanks for helping us."
Trixie smiled again, glad that she did not scare them away as well. "You're welcome. These two deserved a lesson. And it was nothing, illusions are my special talent after all." Trixie sat down on her haunches. "But tell me, did these two hurt you?"
"No, they did not," Scootaloo said with a frown, "but they made fun of Sweetie Belle till she started crying."
"What did they say?"
Sweetie Belle looked at the ground. "They called me a bad excuse of an unicorn and other mean things for not being able to use magic." She looked up at Trixie, tears in her eyes. "Why can't I do anything? All I can manage to do are some sparks, and even that only by accident."
Trixie moved closer to the filly and pulled her in an embrace. "Don't worry, Sweetie, I'm sure it won't be long before you can use magic without problems." She ended the hug and pulled away. "And I might not be a doctor, but as far as I can tell there is nothing wrong with you. You just need to keep practice."
"But I don't even know what I'm supposed to do, and practicing on my own is boring."
Trixie furrowed her brow. "What do you mean with 'on your own'? What about your parents and Rarity?"
"My parents are always away, leaving me with Rarity behind, and Rarity has to work most of the time and if not she is with her friends. It's become better since the Sister Hooves Social, but every time I ask her she tells me we would practice later. I once even asked Twilight, but she is busy with her own studies."
Trixie couldn't believe what she just heard. This little filly got a family who would not even help her with something essential like teaching magic. She will definitely have a stern talk with Rarity about this later.
"Don't worry, Sweetie. I'm sure you will cast spells very soon. Would you believe that I was a late bloomer regarding magic? I learned the basics by myself and it took much time, but look where I'm now."
"Really? You are so good with it," Sweetie Belle said. Suddenly her entire mood brightened and she wore a big grin on her face. "Couldn't you teach me magic?"
The silence that followed would have made Pinkie immediately plan an emergency party just to fight it, if it had not been broken after a minute by Trixie.
"What?" Trixie took a step back, her eyes wide. “Y-you want me... to teach you magic?” Sweetie Belle nodded. “But... why me? I'm not a teacher, I don't think I could teach anything to anypony!”
“Rarity isn't either, but she never got time and Twilight is the same. Please, Trixie, you are the only other pony I could think of.” Sweetie Belle started pouting, her eyes growing bigger while she looked into Trixie's eyes.
'Oh, please not the puppy eyes,' Trixie thought and tried to look away. 'I won't let that work on me.'
“Ah think that's a great idea.”
“Yeah, please, Trixie, this means so much to Sweetie.”
Trixie jumped a bit while the other two crusaders walked over to stand on either side of Trixie. She had forgotten that they are even there. Now they joined forces with Sweetie and Trixie had to endure the combined power of three puppy eye fillies. Needless to say that even someone as great and powerful as Trixie was not able to endure that. It took them only a few moments before Trixie surrendered.
“Alright, alright,” she sighed. “You win. I will give it a try, but I won't promise any results. And I will only do it if Rarity is okay with it.”
“YAY.”
Trixie looked around to see the crusaders jumping in a circle all around her, cheering without any care.
'What have I gotten myself into,' Trixie thought. 'And only because I took a wrong turn.'
~*~
The crusaders had dragged Trixie to the boutique to ask Rarity for her permission. It did not take long to convince her. (Sweetie's puppy eyes were more than enough. Amateur.)
After the crusaders left Trixie had a stern talk with the fashionista regarding her neglect of Sweetie's magic training. She made a note to have the same talk with their parents the next time she meets them.
Trixie left the boutique in a slightly better mood. Now she needs to prepare herself for the upcoming lesson she has promised the filly. The only problem was that she knew nothing about teaching in the first place.
Usually the most logical solution would be to ask Cheerilee for some advice, but she was out-of-town today. That left Trixie with her second choice to gather information.
Trixie arrived at her destination and knocked at the door which opened after a few moments to reveal a certain young dragon who was not happy to see her.
"Hi, Spike, could you...," Trixie began but before she could finish Spike turned around and walked up the stairs after calling for Twilight.
Trixie sighed and walked inside the library.
"Still no luck with him?" Trixie watched as Twilight enters the main room from the basement.
"No, no matter what I try it won't change anything."
Twilight sighed as well and looked at the stairway where Spike has vanished. She was sure she saw something purple for a moment. "I truly hope that he will come around. I can't remember that he held a grudge as long as this before." Twilight turned her head again to look at Trixie. "So, how can I help you? Or did you come around for a visit?"
"Actually, no. Do you have any books on teaching methods?"
"I think so," Twilight said, one eyebrow raised in confusion. "What do you need it for, if I may ask?"
"I ran into the crusaders earlier and had a little talk with Sweetie Belle about magic. One thing led to the other and she, along with her friends, convinced me to give her magic lessons."
Twilight beamed at the show mare. "That's fantastic news. She asked me before as well, but I don't have enough time besides my own studies, the library and my friends."
"Yeah, she told me as much."
Twilight blinked. "You don't sound so happy. Is something wrong?"
"I'm not a teacher, Twilight," Trixie said with a sigh. "I don't know anything about teaching in the first place. This will be a disaster."
Trixie lowered her head, but raised it again after she felt a hoof on her shoulder a few moments later.
"But you are willing to try, and you even came to learn about teaching to do the best you can do." Twilight smiled. "I'm sure everything will be good."
"Maybe you are right," Trixie said while she started smiling as well. "Thank you, Twilight."
After their little chat Twilight walked away to get the books for Trixie and returned shortly after, three books flying beside her. She put them inside of one of her saddlebags and levitated them over Trixie's back.
"I got two books about teaching, and I added another one with the magical basics as well. I thought it might be good to refresh your memory if you want to teach it. You can return the bags later."
Trixie nodded. "Thank you, I will return them as soon as possible." Before Trixie could turn around and leave she heard Twilight speak again.
"I wondered, Trixie. Had you started practicing again for your performances in the future yet?"
Trixie shook her head. "No, not yet. I wanted to get along better with everything going on, but maybe it's about time I think of something."
"Well, if you ever need help with some spells, I would like to help you."
Trixie was silent for a moment before she started laughing. "Accepting help from you? Ha!" Trixie stopped laughing and raised her head, reminding Twilight much of the first time she came into town. "No offense, Twilight, we really get along, but the Great and Powerful Trixie still sees you as her greatest rival, one she intends to better one day in a fair magical competition. And who would she be if she trains with her own rival? No, the Great and Powerful Trixie will best you on her own accord. Before she accepts your help, Tartarus will freeze over."
Twilight looked at Trixie for some time, not sure how to respond to that declaration before she started smirking. "Okay, oh Great and Powerful Trixie, I will look forward to this day, but my offer still stands. And I see you are back to your old speaking habits. What would Lyra say if she knows about it?"
"Oh, please, as if the Great and Powerful Trixie is afraid of that maniac."
"Oh, Trixiiieee."
Trixie froze in place, a shiver running down her spine and eyes growing wide after she heard that new, way too familiar voice. She slowly turned her head to the open window on her right side to see Lyra looking through it, grinning from ear to ear.
"Oh, ponyfeathers..."
~*~
The very next day was the day of Sweetie's first magic lesson with Trixie. To say the filly was excited was like saying Pinkie Pie likes parties. Sweetie Belle wasn't walking alongside Trixie, she was jumping around, running ahead and back again, trying to urge Trixie to go faster. It was kind of annoying, but Trixie could understand her.
That did not mean that she liked it.
"Sweetie, would you please calm down? I know that you can't wait, but you are not helping yourself by tiring yourself out."
The filly stopped in her tracks and fell back to walk besides the show mare. "I'm sorry, I'm just..."
Sweetie was stopped by a hoof on her back. "No need to tell me. I can see clearly how excited you are, and I felt the same back when I started learning." Trixie withdrew her hoof and walked again. "Now come on, it's not that far anymore."
Sweetie Belle looked around. They were walking to the outskirts of town near the White Tail Woods, not that far away from Trixie's cottage. "Where are we going?"
"I asked Twilight where we could go for our lessons which meets my requirements, and she told me about a place just outside of town."
"What are these requirements?"
"Enough space to not disturb other ponies and water nearby." Noticing the puzzled look on Sweetie's face at this last part Trixie continued. "Trust me, I know what I do."
A few minutes later both ponied reached their destination. It was a little meadow between the last buildings a small distance behind them and the border of the White Tail Woods in front of them. A few trees grew in some places and a small pond was nearby.
"Yes, this place will do good," Trixie said after she looked around and took everything in. She turned around and sat back on her haunches, Sweetie doing the same in front of her.
"Now, Sweetie, today we won't do that much. I need to know how much you already know about magic before we can really start anything."
Sweetie Belle began reciting everything she learned about magic, may it be from the very few things Cheerilee knows, what she learned from her sister and other unicorns talking or from her own attempts of studying. Sadly it was not much besides the basic knowledge that each tribe got their own unique types of magic or things way to complicated for her to really understand or use at this moment or even at all.
Trixie made her note in her mind to have another conversation with Rarity and their parents regarding Sweeties state of knowledge about magic.
“Good, Sweetie, that helps me a lot for now,” Trixie said. “Yesterday you mentioned that you tried to use magic on your own, and sometimes produced sparks doing so. Would you show me how you did it?”
Sweetie frowned and bit her lower lip. “Well, I could, but what use would there be? I can't do anything.”
Trixie put her hoof under Sweetie's chin and lifted her head up. “Don't be so down, we are her to work on it. And to answer your question, it might help me see how you attempt to use magic and what you might do wrong while doing so.”
Sweetie nodded with a smile. “Okay, but what should I try to do?”
Trixie opened her saddlebag and a tennis ball came floating out of it, coming to a stop on the ground in front of Sweetie Belle. "How about the most classic spell every unicorn can learn: Levitation. Try to let the ball hover in front of you."
Sweetie nodded her head before she started glaring at the ball. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Trixie watched closely as the filly started to puff out her cheeks, her eyes narrowed and fixated on the ball as she tried to use her magic on it.
Trixie watched the spectacle for a minute before she put a hoof on Sweetie's shoulder. "That's enough, Sweetie."
Sweetie stopped and lowered her head. "See, I told you it's useless."
"That's not what I would call it. I think I got a good idea what you are doing wrong."
Sweetie looked up after hearing that, her eyes growing wide. "Really?"
Trixie nodded. "You see, you try to force your magic out, but you need to control it. Sooner or later you might succeed with your attempts, but if that happens you won't be able to control it and might hurt somepony."
"I always thought that was the way to do it," Sweetie said, her eyes big in shock. "I don't want to use my magic if I might hurt my friends."
"Don't worry, I will help you learning to control your magic without hurting anypony by accident," Trixie said with a smile.
Sweetie nodded confident. "Alright, what do I need to do?"
"The key to controlling your magic is concentration. If you stay calm and concentrate you will find the magic in you." Trixie averted her gaze with a grimace. "Regarding your level of energy and liveliness it might take some time."
"I will do my best!"
"I don't doubt that," Trixie said with a chuckle before she settled down on the grass with Sweetie and began explaining what to do.
Twilight trotted through town towards Trixie's cottage. It's been several days since Trixie started teaching Sweetie Belle and she was curious how her first days as a magic teacher went, so she decided to face the cold wind that was the first sign for the scheduled first snow of the year that was supposed to fall this night.
When Twilight came within sight of the cottage she was just able to see Trixie walking outside and closing the door before she turned in the direction of the edge of the white tail wood.
"Trixie!" Twilight called out, but the magician didn't hear her shouting over the distance and the wind and entered the forest.
'I wonder where she is going at this hour', Twilight thought. It was getting darker with every passing minute and it won't be long until the moon would be visible. At first Twilight thought about leaving, but her curiosity was stronger, so she followed Trixie inside the woods.
Keeping track of Trixie was not easy, even if she sticks out between the trees and bushes thanks to her bright coloration, but after just a few minutes Twilight lost her in the woods. She wandered around a bit longer, hoping to find Trixie by sheer luck, and just as she was about to admit defeat, she came along a clearing in the trees.
The clearing was not very big, but it contained a small lake in the middle. Around the lake stood two small trees, and between the trees was a big rock at the shore of the lake. And on top of that rock sat Trixie, staring up at the beginning night sky.
Twilight walked towards the rock, and as soon as she was sure Trixie could hear her she called out.
"Trixie?"
The magician turned her head around in surprise. When she recognized the other pony, she relaxed visibly, but kept a surprised look on her face.
"Twilight? What are you doing here? How did you find this place?"
Twilight walked the rest of the distance until she stood at the base of the rock, looking up towards Trixie. "I'm sorry if I intrude, I came to visit you just as you left your cottage. I called out to you, but you didn't hear me, so I followed you inside the forest." Twilight turned her head to look around the clearing. "This place is beautiful."
Trixie grinned. "I know. I found it on my first trip to Ponyville before the ursa and soon after I moved in the cottage I recognized the surroundings and found it again. Now sometimes I come here when I want to think or enjoy the scenery of the night sky."
"I know what you mean, I love to stargaze as well, but i mostly stay on my balcony to do so."
Trixie stared at Twilight for a few moments, before she started grinning. "Would you like to join me? I think stargazing is more fun with company, and it's been a long time since I had company."
"I would love to," Twilight said before she used some smaller rocks on the side to climb up on the biggest one and sat down besides Trixie, both mares staring up into the night sky.
“I was always more fond of the night than the day,” Trixie said. “I think the stars and the moon are much lovelier than the sun.”
Twilight chuckled. “Don't tell Princess Celestia, but I agree with you. You should mention that to Princess Luna one day, she always appreciates it if somepony praises her night.”
“I will try to remember the next time I meet her. But really, the sky here in Ponyville is really amazing, one of the best I ever saw, and I have been all around Equestria.”
“Impressive,” Twilight said. “Have you been everywhere in Equestria? Or is there a place you have not visited yet?”
“There is one place, one that has not been around until recently, the Crystal Empire. I heard that it's truly a magnificent place. I read some tales about it in books when I was younger, and it fascinated me, but I never thought it was real. I always dreamed about visiting that magical place. When I learned that it is real I was overwhelmed with joy, and I hope that I can visit it one day. It would be a dream coming true."
Twilight nodded. “I can confirm what you heard, it is really beautiful in the empire.”
“Why am I not surprised that you have been there already?” Trixie asked with a roll of her eyes, which Twilight answered with a smile.
A few minutes of silence passed before Twilight spoke up again. "So, how did your first lessons with Sweetie Belle go the past few days?"
"Pretty well, she is a fast learner, I don't think it will be long before she figures out how to do it. She is a smart little filly.”
"That's true, even if she doesn't show it very often," Twilight said with a chuckle. Both mares returned to watching the stars and the moon again in silence before Twilight took the word again. “Trixie, may I ask you a question?”
“Well, you already did, but I feel generous today, so I allow you another one,” Trixie answered with a smirk.
“Why do you hate being friends with anypony? I wondered about that since our return from Canterlot.” Receiving no answer from the mare Twilight quickly continued. "I know that it might be too much to ask and I understand if you don't want to answer."
Trixie was silent for a few minutes and Twilight was sure that she would not receive an answer. Just as she wanted to stand up to walk back to town and leave Trixie alone she answered.
"I don't hate it."
Twilight tilted her head to the side in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"I don't hate being friends with anypony." Trixie was quiet for a moment with her eyes closed before she talked again. "I'm afraid."
"You are afraid of making friends?"
"It's not the 'making friends' part I'm afraid of. It's about being left behind in the end."
"But why do you think you will be left behind?" Twilight asked, still trying to understand the mare.
Trixie suddenly turned to look at Twilight, tears streaking down her cheeks. "Because it happened every single time in my life! Every time I made friends they abandoned me, and it hurts so much! After I lost everything else, my friends were the last thing I could hold on, and they shove me aside! And even after they left me, every time I made new friends the same happened sooner or later! I have been alone all this time, for the past twelve years!"
Twilight stared at the sobbing mare in disbelieve. Just to think about that she has been on her own for more than half her life made Twilight sick. Even she, as a former reclusive before she came to Ponyville, has not been all alone. At least it explains her attitude. She drove anypony who might become her friend away out of fear that she will be once again be abandoned, that her feelings once again will be hurt.
She could not imagine how that might have been for Trixie, nor could she think of anything to say to help her. In the end she decided on the only thing she could think of that might help Trixie right now.
Twilight moved closer to Trixie and pulled her into a hug. She held the sobbing mare close and used her hoof to stroke over her back to calm her down. After a few minutes Trixie's sobs slowly came to a stop.
"Feeling better?" Twilight asked while she still hugged Trixie who nodded.
"You know," Twilight began, "not long ago I thought I lost my friends, that they abandoned me during the wedding of my brother." Trixie perked up when she heard that, but stayed in her place. "In the end everything got settled and they apologized, but it hurt so much. I may not know the pain of so many times like you do, but I can sympathize with you to some degree."
Twilight pulled herself free of the embrace and looked into Trixie's tear filled eyes. "I cannot talk for Lyra or Rainbow or any of the others, but I promise you to stay by your side as your friend, if you want me to."
Trixie stared at Twilight, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. So many things swirled around in her head that she could not decide on what to say.
Twilight smiled. "Take your time and think about it, I won't go back on my word." Trixie finally closed her mouth and with a hesitant smile she nodded.
Twilight's smile fell a moment later. "Trixie, there is something else you mentioned earlier that won't leave my mind, but I'm afraid of how you might react."
"I think I know what you mean," Trixie said while she wiped the last tears from her eyes with her hoof. "It's about the 'I lost everything twelve years ago', am I right?" Twilight nodded hesitantly. "The moment it slipped me I knew you would not forget about it." Trixie was silent for a minute. "Twilight, you did a lot for me so I will tell you, but you need to promise me that you will never talk about it with anypony without my knowledge."
"I would never betray your trust, Trixie, I promise. But are you sure about this? I don't want to open some old wounds."
Trixie shook her head. "Some of these wounds never healed, they are still painful. And I doubt that they will ever heal at all."
Trixie took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I'm an orphan, Twilight. I never met my father. He died even before I was born, and I lost my mother twelve years ago soon after I got my cutie mark."
"Oh, Trixie...," Twilight gasped in shock. She has presumed that Trixie has lost her family after she said that she has been alone on the street, but she never thought that Trixie lost them this early in her life. "I don't know what to say..."
"It's okay, its been a long time since my mom died."
"Would you like to tell me about them?"
"As I said I never met my dad, he died in an accident while my mom was pregnant. Everything I know about him is was she told me.
"His name was Daren Lulamoon, I think you can guess where my not usual name comes from," Trixie said with a chuckle.
Twilight has a small smile on her lips as well, but she was still concerned about Trixie. "True, I wondered about that but i never dared to ask you about it."
"Mom told me it was kind of family tradition of my dads family. I like my name, it makes me kind of special.
"Back to my dad, my mom told me he was an actor. He was an amazing specialist in illusion magic and could disguise himself as nearly any other pony, and he helped with special effects on stage if needed."
"That's pretty impressive," Twilight said in awe. "Illusion magic is one of the hardest kinds of magic to learn. And since you are an illusionist as well I guess you inherited his talent."
Trixie nodded in agreement. "It wasn't easy to learn this kind of magic on my own without any help, but I did it and got my cutie mark for it."
"Why did you need to learn it alone? Couldn't your mother help you?"
"No, she couldn't. She was unable to help me with anything magic related. She wasn't a unicorn."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I simply assumed that both your parents where unicorns."
"No need to apologize. They lived in Canterlot after all, there are mostly unicorn couples around after all. No, my mum was a pegasus. And not any pegasus, she was the most beautiful mare I ever saw."
Trixie closed her eyes again and started smiling. "She was beautiful, kind, and understanding. She did everything she could to raise me, and I never saw her not smiling. But the most special part about her, her special talent, was her singing voice. If I would be asked to describe her singing, I don't know if I truly could. She always dreamed of becoming a popular singer, but she never reached her goal."
"Why not?" Twilight asked before thinking. It was obvious that Trixie's mother never became popular when she died. "I'm sorry, Trixie. I didn't think ahead."
Trixie simply shook her head. "It's fine, your question wasn't so bad after all. She personally stopped her dream for something else."
"And what was that?"
"Me. Or better, to become a wife and mother. She met my dad and they both fell for each other immediately. It was love on first sight, and it didn't take long before they married. After a while my mom got pregnant, and soon after that, my dad died.
"This truly broke my mom, but she kept going on. And when I was born, she knew that she needed to be strong for me as well.
"After this everything went by without trouble. I grew up, went to school. I never truly made friends during that time. I met some fillies and colts, and we worked together for school sometimes, but besides that I was mostly on my own.
"Besides the fact that my mum was a pegasus, she early noticed my talent in magic, and started preparing everything she could to make sure I would receive a proper education.
"She had to work a lot, but she made enough money that she could get an application for me for Celestia's School for gifted Unicorns. I passed the entrance test, and I didn't even had my cutie mark at that time"
"Wait a moment, you were a student at Celestia's school?" Twilight asked, her eyes wide open in surprise. "Why did I never met you?"
Trixie shrugged. "Probably just different classes. But I knew who you were, every student did and I saw you once from afar. You were the inspiration of many students at that time, and probably still now.
"When I first came to Ponyville I recognized you when I saw you in the crowd. I wanted to see where I stood in comparison to the student of the princess. We both know how that ended."
"Yes," Twilight said, her head hanging low, "with you running away without a home."
"True," Trixie sighed. "But what happened, happened. You didn't know any better back then, and I don't blame you any longer for it.
“But we are getting off track. During my time at school I made my first real friends, or so I thought. Everything was god and I was happy. It was not the best live you could imagine, but it was enough for me.
At the start of my second year there was a talent show. I competed and tried for the first time some illusions I learned in private.” Trixie got a smile and a distant look on her face while she looked into the night sky. “My performance was a huge success. The crowd cheered for me, and at that moment I just knew that this was something I would want to do later in my live. While I enjoyed the cheering crowd I didn't even realized at first that I got my cutie mark.
“In the end I won first place and my mother celebrated with me for both, getting my cutie mark and winning. I enjoyed every moment of that evening, it was the best day of my life.”
Trixie's expression made a sudden turn, her smile turning into a frown and pain visible in her eyes. “Sadly just a few days later happened the worst day of my life as well.
“Four days later I was home alone for some time. It was not the first time my mother had to leave me alone, so I didn't think too much about it. She told me she would be back soon, and that I should wait with my homework for that day so that she could help me. In the end, I started without her to fight the boredom.”
Trixie stopped for a moment and went silent, and just as Twilight wanted to ask what is wrong she spoke again.
“I exhausted myself while practicing my magic and fainted. I don't know how long I was unconscious, but when I woke up, the whole house was ablaze and I was trapped inside.”
Trixie could hear Twilight gasp besides her, but she ignored her and continued. “I was confused and terrified. I didn't know what was going on, and I was too afraid to move.
Twelve years ago
To say it was hot would be the understatement of the year. Trixie felt like she was being cooked alive, wherever she looked she could see flames all around her. She has tried to move to the door to escape, but the heat was too intense and the flames grew bigger with every moment. She tried to cry out for help, hoping that anypony would hear her, but the smoke was making it hard to breath.
Without knowing what else she could do Trixie curled herself into a small ball and did her best to keep away from the flames. She lay there for some time, silently crying to herself, until she heard a commotion from the front door. Suddenly the door flew open and something came flying through the door and the flames.
“Trixie!” Harmony Sky yelled. “Trixie, where are you?”
“Mommy!”
Harmony turned to her daughter and pulled her into a hug. “Trixie! Thank Celestia, you are safe. Are you hurt?”
Trixie shook her head after a small cough. “No, but I'm scared.”
“Don't worry, sweetie, everything will be fine.” She released Trixie from her embrace and lowered her wing and back. “Climb on my back, we need to get out of here.”
Trixie nodded and climbed on her mother's back. Harmony turned around and started trotting, but before she could reach the front door a part of the ceiling came crushing down. Harmony jumped backwards in time to avoid the debris.
“That was close,” Harmony said. “Are you okay, Trixie?”
“Mhm. What are we doing now?”
Harmony looked around the room. The flames had engulfed most of the room, including the windows, and the door was blocked by the fallen debris. That only leaves one way out.
“Hold on, Trixie, and don't let go. We need to go upstairs and escape through the windows there.”
Trixie answered by wrapping her tiny hooves around her mother's neck. Harmony turned around and ran up the stair, avoiding flames and fallen debris as good as possible. Upon reaching the first floor she saw much to her chagrin that the second floor looked even worse than the first. She thought about going back to try one of the ground windows again, but a rumbling from behind her and a look over her shoulder showed that the stairs were blocked now by falling debris as well.
She looked around and pondered about her options. Going back down was out of the question, and trying to break through the flames and debris through one of the windows might get both of them outside, but not without immense injury to Trixie.
All of a sudden she got an idea that might work. She sprinted along the small hallway to the stairs leading up to the attic and climbed up. The attic looked not much better than the rest of the house, but the one single window was still free of any obstacles. Harmony rushed over and looked out of the window which was way to small for her to pass through but not for her daughter.
Outsides of the house a big crowd had gathered to watch while the firefighters did their best to extinguish the flames. She opened the shutters and screamed.
“Help! Over here!”
Harmony could see that one of the firefighters heard her and said something to a pegasus beside him, motioning up to her. The pegasus took flight and came rushing over to her.
“Are you hurt?” he yelled when he was close by. “Don't worry, we will get you out there.”
“No time!” Harmony pulled Trixie from her back and held her close to her chest. “Please take my daughter to safety.”
Trixie's eyes grew and she tightened her grip on her mother. “No! I will not leave you!”
“Sweetie, I will be with you again soon. I will take another way out which will be too dangerous for you.”
Trixie shook her head vigorously. “If it's too dangerous for me, then it's too dangerous for you, too.”
Harmony sighed and pulled her daughter away with force. She held her out of the small window to the pegasus. “Please, take her away, I will follow through one of the bigger windows downstairs.”
The pegasus nodded and took Trixie who fidgeted around in the grasp, trying to get back to her mother.
“Don't worry, Trixie,” Harmony said. I promise that I will be back soon.”
The pegasus flapped his wings and flew away, the little shouting filly in his grasps. Harmony watched them for a moment, before she turned around and made her way back downstairs. Upon reaching the second floor she ran straight to the nearest window, but before she reached it she was hit by more falling debris from the ceiling.
After the dust has settled Harmony was buried. Coughing and groaning in pain she tried to free herself without success. Breathing harder with any moment that passed, Harmony started crying while the surrounding flames drew closer.
'Trixie, I'm sorry,' she thought. 'I'm afraid I can't keep my promise...'
~*~
“Let me go! I want to go back to my mommy!”
"Please calm down,” the pegasus said while he did his best to hold the flailing filly. “We will do everything we can to safe your mother, but if you go back you will make it harder for us and endanger yourself and your mother.”
But Trixie didn't listen to him. She kept flailing around and even punched him in the face while doing so, forcing him to descend to avoid crashing down. The moment he landed Trixie managed to break free from his grasp. She turned and ran back to the burning building, still crying for her mother, but before she got too close to the flames she was encased in a magic field and flew a few inches above the ground.
“That was a close one, little filly,” she heard a voice from behind. She turned to see a unicorn guard approaching, his horn ablaze with the same magic as the field around her.
“Let me go let me go let me go!” Trixie screamed, tears running down her cheeks.
“I told you to calm down,” the pegasus from before told her as he approached. “We cannot help your mother if we have to look after you all the time.” He sighed before he turned his attention to the guard who held Trixie. “Can you keep an eye on her? We need to focus on the windows on the first floor to help her mother.”
The guard nodded and watched as the pegasus flew away. Trixie had stopped fighting and watched as her home burnt down, her mother still trapped inside.
“Don't worry, little one,” he said, “I'm sure your mother will be fine.”
Before Trixie could say anything she pricked up her ears. There was something she could her over the shouting ponies and the flames, something familiar.
“What is that?” the unicorn said after he noticed the same sound Trixie heard. “Is that... singing?”
Trixie listened a moment longer. He was right, somepony was singing, and Trixie knew who it was. “Mommy...” She was sure, that was her mother. She was singing one of her own songs she had always sung to Trixie.
“That's your mother? But... why is she singing in the middle of a burning house?”
Trixie didn't say anything, she just kept listening to her mother. She also noticed several other ponies nearby coming to help who heard the song.
While she listened she became calmer, being sure her mother would come out every moment back to her, but with every moment the flames grew bigger and her mothers voice slowly faded away, until it grew entirely silent.
Trixie was silent and waited for her mother to emerge out of the building, but with every second the fear grew stronger.
“M-mommy?” No answer. The tears started again rolling down Trixie's cheeks. “P-please, come out. Y-you promised.”
Silence.
Trixie broke down, her little legs not able to hold her any longer. “M-mommy.” Trixie raised her head once again.
“MOMMY!”
Present Day
Trixie paused in her story when Twilight moved over and hugged her, tears streaking down her cheeks.
“Trixie, I'm so sorry. If I had only anticipated what happened I would have never asked you about it.”
Trixie returned the hug. “It's okay, you couldn't know.” Both mares sat there on the rock for a few minutes, before Trixie released the hug. “It's not the end of my story yet.”
“There's even more?” Twilight gasped. It was hard for her to believe what Trixie had to endure in her foalhood.
Trixie nodded. “The next day it was confirmed that my mother has died after being trapped inside our house. Soon after I was brought to the orphanage in Canterlot, since I had no other living relatives or somepony to take me in.
“The first few weeks I stayed in my room, curled up on my bed. I didn't want to believe that my mom was gone and that I was all alone. I waited every day that she would stride in the room and take me back home, as if it was a nightmare, but she never came. Even the caretaker of the orphanage left me on my own.
“After some time I returned to school. They had decided to allow me to visit the school after everything that happened and because of the fact that I was a very good student. But thanks to my long absence and my unwillingness my grades fell.
“All this time after the fire none of my friends came to visit me, and they didn't talk to me on the first day I came back. Back then I didn't think too much about it, I just wanted to be alone a bit longer. But when I finally approached them, they turned on me. They acted as if we have never been friends and even said some very hurtful things. I was shocked and couldn't understand what was happening to me. First I lost my mother, my home, and everything I ever owned, and then even my friends left me. Later I learned that they only pretended to be my friends to improve their own grades with my help. With my long absence and my falling grades they decided I wasn't worth their time any longer.”
Trixie looked at Twilight, expecting her to say something. But the mare beside her didn't say anything besides biting her lower lip, waiting for Trixie to continue.
“The same evening, while I was lying on my bed in the orphanage, I realized that I couldn't stay in Canterlot. There was too much pain wherever I went. Just being in the orphanage or seeing the caretaker hurt too much, and they didn't even really cared about me. So I ran away in the middle of the night, without anything on me, and left Canterlot behind me.”
“So that's why you didn't want to go to Canterlot, now it makes sense,” Twilight said. “But how did you manage to survive all on your own? I mean, you were just a little filly.”
“It wasn't easy, but I managed. I did small shows on the streets for a few bits or took little jobs, like running errands or delivering newspapers. When I had no bits I ate plain grass or whatever I could find.” Trixie bit her lip and avoided Twilight's gaze. “During one winter I was broke again and could not find anything to eat. I was so desperate that I stole something from a vendor at a market in Baltimore. I felt terrible afterwards, but it was either that or dying out of starvation.”
Trixie looked back into Twilight's eyes who seems to be waiting for something. “And yes, I payed him back later in spring when I got some spare bits with a letter of explanation for it.” Twilight smiled in satisfaction.
Trixie smiled back for a moment before she frowned again. “So, that's my story so far. I managed to survive all this time, saved my bits slowly over the years before I was able to buy my caravan. And as I mentioned, I met some ponies over these years that I thought were my friends, but whenever I wasn't of use for them any longer they left me.”
Trixie looked back up to the stars and the moon above her. “Well, that's it, that's my story of my past.”
Twilight was silent for some time, but at last Trixie could hear her move slightly before she felt a hoof on her shoulder. “Trixie, there is nothing I could say to express how I feel about what you have experienced. But these ponies you met, they only took advantage of you. A true friend would never abandon you in your time of need. A true friend would help you no matter what.”
Trixie simply scoffed. “And how am I supposed to know if the one in front of me is a true friend? I thought that I found them all this time before.”
“I'm afraid there is no way to know that in advance. Only time can answer you that question, sometimes more or less. And sometimes we don't even realize it without the help of someone else.”
Trixie turned her head to look at Twilight, her head tilted to the side in confusion. “What do you mean?”
Twilight grinned. “What do you think about Lyra?”
“What does she have to do with it?” Trixie asked, one eyebrow raised. When she didn't receive an answer beside a grin she thought for a moment. “Well, she can be quite annoying from time to time, and sometimes I think she is somehow related to Pinkie Pie with her over-excitement and energy. But she was the only one who talked to me and gave me a chance. She even stood up to her marefriend for me. And I kind of like it to have her around.”
“She really cares about you, you know?” Seeing that she got her attention Twilight continued. “She realized early that something is wrong with you, and that has something to do with the amulet around your neck. She asked the rest of us about it since she thought you would not talk about it. Of course, we didn't tell her anything, but she won't give up. She even borrowed some books from the library in hope to find the amulet somewhere. She want's to help you, no matter what it takes.
“What I want to say is that you are afraid of making friends, but you already made friends. I see myself as your friend like I said before, and I can say the same for Lyra and some of the others. I'm not so sure about Rainbow, but I think you are on a good way to be on her good site.
“So, as far as I can say the only thing preventing you from having real friends is yourself. You need to find it in you to trust again. After everything that happened to you I can understand that it's not easy for you, but I will wait till you are ready.” Twilight ended with a smile to Trixie who was staring at Twilight, her mouth agape. She turned her heard to stare at the ground in front of her, her eyes moving from side to side.
Twilight had started watching the sky again which was clouded now, a few pegasi moving around pushing the clouds in place for the planned snowfall this night. Just as the first snowflakes started falling around Twilight and Trixie, the magician spoke again.
“Twilight?”
Twilight looked over to see Trixie staring at her. “Yes, Trixie?”
Trixie took a deep breath. “Would you... be my friend?”
Twilight smiled again and reached over to pull Trixie into a sideway hug. “It would be an honor.”
“Thank you,” Trixie said. “For everything.”
Twilight smiled at Trixie, and they both sat a while longer on the rock, watching the snow fall.
Sweetie Belle waited anxiously outside of Carousel Boutique in the snow. She knew that she should stay calm, but she couldn't help it. It's been two weeks since Trixie has begun teaching her magic and she was eagerly awaiting the magician to pick her up for another lesson this morning.
Till now there has not been much progress as far as she could tell, but Sweetie believed in Trixie and her teaching.
"Hey, Sweetie Belle!"
Sweetie looked besides her and saw Scootaloo running along the street in Sweetie's direction. She slowed down upon getting closer and came to a stop in front of her friend.
"What are you doing, sitting around on the street?"
Sweetie grinned. "I'm waiting for Trixie to pick me up for another magic lesson."
Scootaloo frowned upon hearing that. "Aw, shoot. I wanted to ask if you are free to do something. I'm bored and Applebloom is busy with her chores on the farm."
"Sorry, but I don't want to miss this, now that I found somepony who is willing to teach me."
"Yeah, I understand," Scootaloo said with a sigh. "To bad that Rainbow Dash still needs to work."
Sweetie frowned, but suddenly she got an idea and she began grinning again. "Hey, maybe you can accompany us. That way you won't be alone and we can do something when we are done.”
Scootaloo thought for a moment before she shrugged. “Not so sure about it, but better than being alone all day. But do you think Trixie will be okay with it?”
“Okay with what?”
Scootaloo and Sweetie jumped upon hearing the voice. They turned their heads to see Trixie walking up to them. “Oh, good morning, Trixie,” Sweetie said.
“Good morning to both of you.” Trixie said. “What are you talking about?”
“Would it be okay if Scootaloo would come with us? She has nothing to do today.”
Trixie looked at Scootaloo. “I don't know, she might be too much of a distraction to you, and for her it will be pretty boring.”
“I will mostly wait till you are both done probably,” Scootaloo said with a shrug. “I think I will practice my scooting a bit if it gets too boring.”
Trixie was quiet for a moment before she sighed. “As long as you won't distract Sweetie too much I'm fine with it. But if I tell you to leave, you will do so. Deal?”
“Deal,” Scootaloo said with a grin while Sweetie jumped around cheering.
'I truly hope I won't regret that decision,'
Trixie thought.
~*~
As predicted it didn't take long before Scootaloo got bored. At first, it was interesting listening to the two unicorns talking about magic, but not long ago it became too much for her. She was laying on her belly on the enchanted blanket that Trixie got from Twilight to block out the cold of the snow beneath them, staring into nothing while Trixie and Sweetie were sitting beside her, the former watching while the latter had her eyes closed, a tennis ball in front of her.
“Stay calm and keep your focus,” Trixie said in a quiet voice to not distract Sweetie Belle. “Concentrate and imagine that the ball is floating.”
“I think I can feel something...,” Sweetie mumbled.
“That's good, try to keep this feeling,” Trixie whispered.
Scootaloo couldn't resist groaning quietly. It was just too boring sitting around doing nothing. Just as she was about to stand up and do some tricks on her scooter she felt a nudge from her side. She looked over and saw Trixie looking at her, a small smile on her face. She moved her hoof to her mouth, motioning Scootaloo to keep quiet, before she moved it to her horn and then to Sweetie Belle.
Scootaloo looked at her friend, not seeing anything special. But after a moment she noticed a light, flickering green shimmer around Sweetie's horn. It took her a second to realize what it was, but after she did she stared at her friend, her mouth agape and eyes wide. She looked down at the ground in front of Sweetie and saw the ball floating in the air. It was not even an inch above the ground, but it was floating nonetheless. Sweetie did it, she was using her magic.
“Wow...,” Scootaloo exclaimed, not able to keep quiet.
The moment she said it Sweetie opened her eyes, the magic around her horn fading. “Huh, what's...”
Before she could finish her sentence she noticed a motion on the floor from the corner of her eye and looked down. The ball, that had fallen down when the magic had faded away, was barely moving before it came to a rest. Sweetie kept staring at it for a moment, trying to understand what just happened.
“Did... did the ball just move?”
“Yes, Sweetie, it did,” Trixie said calmly.
Sweetie Belle poked the ball with her hoof. “Did you or Scoots move it?”
Trixie shook her head. “No Sweetie, neither Scootaloo nor I moved it in any way.”
Sweetie finally looked into Trixie's face. “Does this mean...?”
Trixie nodded again. “Yes, it does. You did it Sweetie Belle, you used ma...”
She was interrupted by a white filly that tackled her to the ground and buried her face in her chest.
“I did it, I really did it! Thank you, Trixie, thank you so much!”
“You are welcome,” Trixie giggled as Scootaloo joined her friend in celebrating.
~*~
After a few minutes of celebrating Trixie managed to calm down the two fillies as good as possible, which means that Sweetie Belle would not stop grinning like Pinkie Pie on a sugar rush.
“Now, Sweetie, I understand that you are more than excited that you finally did it, but don't forget that it is just the beginning. Now that you managed to use a spell with a bit of control it will be easier since you know the feeling, but it still means you need to practice getting better.”
Sweetie nodded, the grin not leaving her face. “Understood. Can I try it again?”
Trixie shook he head. “Not to discourage you, but I don't think right now would be a good idea. You are much to excited to find a calm thought, which makes it pretty hard to practice.” Upon seeing the disappointed face from the filly Trixie thought for a moment. “How about this. We take a small break for now, and later, when you calmed down enough, we will try once more for today.”
Sweetie Belle perked up after hearing that, taking a break would mean that they would sit down and Trixie would answer some questions Sweetie got or tell her more about magical theory before they continued the practical lessons. “That sounds good.”
“Very well,” Trixie said as she settled down on the blanket and Sweetie sat down besides her. As Trixie looked at Scootaloo's slightly bored expression she got another idea. “Hey, Scootaloo, since this will be pretty boring for you, would you like to go to Sugar Cube Corner and get us some cupcakes to celebrate? It's my treat.”
“Sure, I can do that,” Scootaloo said with a shrug. Everything was better than sit down and get bored again.
“Good,” Trixie said while she got a few Bits out of her saddlebag and handed them over to Scootaloo. “But don't tell anypony yet that Sweetie used magic. I guess she would like to tell her sister personally and not through gossip.” Sweetie nodded in agreement with a smile.
“Got it,” Scootaloo said before she ran towards the town again, her mane ruffled by a breeze that came from the direction of the town.
Trixie looked for a moment after the orange filly before she turned her head to Sweetie Belle. “Now, Sweetie, is there something you would like to ask or should I explain something?”
Sweetie pondered a minute about a question she could ask as her gaze wandered around before it came to a stop upon Trixie's Cutie Mark. “There is something I wondered about for some time. When the others and I asked you about your Cutie Mark you said it's for your talent with magic, but Twilight also got a Cutie Mark in magic and hers is so much different from yours. Is there a reason for that?”
“That's a good question, and there is a good reason for it. You see, a talent in magic is not necessary like another talent in magic since there are many different kinds of magic.
“Magic is divided in different magic schools like fire or water magic. And many ponies with a talent in magic concentrate on one or two schools, that depends on the pony and the element they are good with. For example, a unicorn with a talent in fire magic might be able to use ice magic as well. If you take away the heat with magic, there will be ice, and if you take away the cold there will be heat. Of course, it's more complicated than this, but as long as your talent is not magic related you won't use much of this.
“My special talent is in illusion magic, and I'm proud to say that it's one of the hardest magic schools to learn and perform. To explain it as easy as possible I manipulate your senses to belief in things that are not here, like I created the manticore weeks ago to chase away Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. At that time I tricked their vision and their hearing, that's as much as I'm capable of, but if I was stronger I would be able to manipulate other senses as well, like feeling and smelling.
“Twilight on the other hoof is some kind of special case. I asked her myself soon after I moved here and she told me the best way to describe her cutie mark is an allround talent in magic itself. She is capable of performing spells of all the schools to some degree, some still easier than others, but with some learning and trying she might be able to perform such a big range of spells Equestria has not seen in a long time.”
Trixie looked down at Sweetie besides her with a smile. “And that's roughly the difference between Twilight's and my magic talent. I could go into more details, but I don't think that's necessary right now.”
“I think I got it,” Sweetie said. “Did you ever meet somepony else with a Cutie Mark in magic?”
“There was a professor at Celestias school I remember, and I heard some stories about a former student of the princess with an amazing talent in fire magic. But besides these two I can't recall anypony right now.”
“Are these magic cutie mark that rare?”
Trixie shook her head. “Not necessary. Some just don't like the attention and prefer to be left alone, or others just don't realize their true talent at all.”
Sweetie opened her mouth to ask another question, but before she could she was interrupted by somepony calling out. They both turned into the direction of Ponyville and saw Scootaloo ran up to them, a paper bag juggling on her back.
Trixie smirked. “It seems it's time for our little celebration. Didn't expect her that soon, she is one fix filly.”
“If it's about something to eat she might be faster than Rainbow Dash,” Sweetie giggled and Trixie joined.
The wind shifted directions and brought something from the woods.
“Eww, what is that smell?” Sweetie asked, her face scrunched up in disgust. “It's worse like the time Scootaloo tumbled into a skunk.”
Trixie's eyes grew and a shiver ran down her spine. She knew that smell. She had more experience than she liked to have with it and knew what it means after years of traveling.
“Sweetie, we need to run! Scootaloo, stay away!” Trixie yelled as she stood up. But before she was able to do another step three timberwolves stormed out of the woods and surrounded both unicorns. Sweetie Belle screamed in fear and scrambled closer to Trixie who did her best to shield the filly.
Trixie watched the timberwolves circling her and Sweetie, doing her best to keep an eye on all of them. Out of the corner of her eye she could she Scootaloo frozen in place. Til now she has been ignored by the timberwolves, but it won't be long before they notice her.
“Scootaloo!” Trixie yelled. This seemed to pull the filly out of her frozen state. “Run! You need to find help!”
“B-but...”
“No but! I can distract them for a short time, but not for long! Get the guards, quick!”
Scootaloo hesitated for a moment, but turned around and ran away. The Timberwolf closest to her noticed the movement and took a step in her direction only to receive a stone Trixie threw with magic against it head. It turned again and snarled at Trixie.
“Well, I got its attention...”
“Trixie, w-what should we do?” Sweetie Belle squeaked from behind her legs.
“Don't worry, Sweetie. Scootaloo will be back with help in no time, we only need to distract them for some time. Now climb on my back and hold on as strong as you can,” Trixie said while she lowered her back to Sweetie to climb on. The filly did as told and grabbed Trixie's neck as good as she could.
Trixie meanwhile kept her eyes on the Timberwolfs around her and pondered about her possibilities. She was not a fighter, she didn't even know any attack or defense spells. In the past her tactic for dealing with this kind of situation was distraction with illusions and running away as fast as possible. But if she tries to run away now she would lead them into town with most of the guards on the other side of town guarding the border of the Everfree. Who knows what they would do in the middle of Ponyville? And Trixie was not even sure if she could run fast enough with Sweetie Belle on her back in the first place. So her only real option was to stall them long enough for help to arrive. Another idea occurred to her and she shot one of her magical fireworks up in the air. 'I hope somepony saw that and comes looking, just in case...'
Slowly the Timberwolfs closed the circle around both of them, and while observing the Wolfs for any kind of weakness like cracked branches or something similar, Trixie noticed something purple stuck between some branches of one of the wolfs, something that looked like a piece of fabric.
Trixie's eye grew in recognition. She knows what it is, but she can't believe it.
The timberwolf behind Trixie noticed her distraction and made its move. It run closer from behind and jumped at Trixie, but she has heard the crunching of the snow and saw it at the last moment. She used her magic to throw up the blanket they had sat on in the path of the wolf and jumped to the side. The wolf got tangled up in the blanket and fell to the floor. Trixie used this opportunity to buck the wolf with both hind legs as strong as possible and Trixie watched as it broke apart into many branches and leafs.
“Hah, that's the disadvantage of being made out of pieces of wood!” Just after saying that she saw the first pieces slowly reassemble themselves. Trixie gulped. “And that's the advantage of it.”
A growl from behind her made Trixie turn her attention to the other two Timberwolfs who closed the distance between them. Trixie doubted the trick would work a second time, but nonetheless she brought the blanket between herself and the closes wolf which ripped it apart with its claws.
'Well, I guess I own Twilight a new blanket,' Trixie thought before she turned and ran to get some more distance between herself and the approaching wolves. She tried to create a fire wall illusion between herself and the monsters, but besides making them hesitate for a second before they rushed through it didn't help her much.
'That's what I thought,' Trixie thought to herself. 'Since they are magical beings they can see through my illusions quickly.'
With her illusions mostly out of question, she instead threw anything she came along into the path of the timberwolves, even the snow to block their line of sight. When she did so she changed directions and dealt some kicks against their legs and bodies to buy precious seconds whenever she had the chance.
At first Trixie managed to keep herself out of range of the two timberwolves, but as soon as the third one reassembled itself and started chasing her as well, things got much tougher. She did everything she could to stay ahead of them, but with only one of her and three of them there was no way for her to win. That Sweetie Belle on her back was slowing her down as well did not help, and with every passing moment she grew more and more tired.
She had just managed to make two of the timberwolves collide with each other when they tried to cut off her way and she jumped to the side at the last moment. But she had no time to catch her breath when the third one drew closer and pounced on her. Trixie tried to change directions again, but to her horror she slipped on the frozen pond that was hidden beneath the snow and fell to the floor. Luckily the timberwolf had too much momentum and flew right over the fallen pony, but Sweetie Belle was not able to hold on any longer and fell from her back, rolling through the snow with a scream.
To her horror Trixie saw that the timberwolf had noticed Sweetie falling from her back and raced up to her to catch the easy prey. She came back to her hooves as quickly as possible and ran up to the filly.
“Sweetie Belle!”
Sweetie Belle looked up and saw the timberwolf running up to her and screamed, trying to crawl away.
Just as the timberwolf pounced at her, Trixie jumped as well without thinking and grabbed Sweetie Belle. She managed to shove her out of the well but got hit by the claws of the timberwolf. She screamed in pain while she hit the ground, still holding Sweetie in her forehooves. She groaned as she released the filly from her grasp.
“Sweetie, are you okay?”
The filly was holding on to Sweetie, crying into her breast. “Y-yes, but what about you? You're hurt!”
Trixie looked down at her flank. Just beneath her cutie mark were three long slashes with blood tickling out and dying her coat red. She put on a smile. “Don't worry, it's not as bad as it looks like.” She tried to stand up again, but the pain was too much as she clenched her teeth and fell back to the floor. “Okay, maybe it is worse than I thought.”
Another now all to familiar growl made her look up and she saw that the timberwolves had surrounded them once again. But this time Trixie had no way to escape, neither had Sweetie on her own. As the wolf in front of her crouched down to pounce at them Trixie pulled even closer and closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable and the pain.
It never came. Instead, Trixie heard a loud crash and was hit by several small objects. She opened her eyes slowly to look at what happened.
The first thing she saw were several small branches, sticks and leaves around her on the floor. She looked up to the place the timberwolf occupied moments before and saw a huge red shape standing in front of her.
“Eeenope!”
“B-Big Macintosh!” Trixie breathed out in relieve. Sweetie gasped upon hearing that and looked up at the stallion, tears in her eyes.
Big Mac turned his head slightly in their direction without leaving the remaining timberwolves out of his sight. “Are ya alright?”
Trixie nodded. “Mostly. I got hit, but Sweetie is alright.”
“Glad to hear so.” He turned his glaze fully on the timberwolfves. “Now, if ya wanna brawl, bring it on!”
The timberwolves took a few steps back, not sure what to do while the third one reassembled itself. The blue one with the kid has already been way more trouble than they expected, and now there was this big one protecting the other two.
Before they could make a decision there were new sounds coming from the direction of the town. Trixie looked around and saw a group of guards rushing to them, Scootaloo sitting on the back of the captain at the top.
Realizing that there was no prey for them to make the timberwolves ran back into the woods as fast as possible, followed by some of the guards to make sure that they won't return. The captain together with three other guards stopped in front of Trixie and Sweetie Belle.
“We came as fast as we could when the little filly told us. Are you alright?”
Trixie nodded. “We are, but without Big Macintosh we would not talk to each other. He came at the right time to safe us.”
The stallion blushed slightly at the praise. “It was just luck. Ah saw the fireworks earlier and was curious what was going on.”
Sweetie Belle wiggled herself free out of Trixie's embrace and ran up to Big Mac, throwing herself around his neck. “Thank you, thank you so much for saving us.” Big Mac smiled as he put a hoof around Sweetie.
Trixie relaxed and allowed herself a smile. She tried to get on her hoof only to fall back to the floor with a grunt when the pain from the mark on her flank made itself known. Upon seeing her fall the guard captain rushed to her side.
“You are injured, please lay down.” He turned to his subordinates. “You two, transport her to the hospital, and you run ahead and inform the nurses that we got an injured mare coming soon.” The guards saluted and began their tasks.
Trixie relaxed on the cold floor with her eyes closed while the two guards packed out a stretcher for her transport. It was over, she had protected Sweetie from harm and only with a small injury on her own part. She shuddered when she thought about what might have been without Big Macintosh though.
The guards hat put her on the stretcher in the meantime and were just about to start their track to the hospital when Trixie remembered something. She sat up as good as she could and looked around the meadow.
“Is something wrong, miss?” one of the guards asked, but Trixie didn't listen. She knew that each timberwolf had broken apart at least once, so with a bit of luck it should be around somewhere. Finally, Trixie found what she was looking for. She used her magic to levitate it over to her and looked at the small piece of fabric in her hoof.
'I knew it...', she thought.
~*~
Not long after Trixie found herself in a hospital bed. Her wounds has already been patched up and she was waiting for the doctor for his final diagnosis. Sweetie Belle was by her side, covered in small plasters for her bruises. The filly had refused to leave her side even for a moment, and none of the nurses saw a reason to separate them.
“So, what do you think how long it will be until your sister will arrive?” Trixie asked the filly.
Sweetie Belle put a hoof on her chin in thought. “Well, it's been about 15 minutes since Scoots went to get her, so I think she should be here...”
As if on cue there came a cry from outside their room. “Where is she?! Where is my sister?!”
“...any second,” Sweetie chuckled.
The door flew open and there was Rarity standing in the frame, frantically looking around with her eyes wide open before they fell on her sister. “Sweetie Belle!” Faster than Trixie could follow her she has traveled to the side of the bed and wrapped Sweetie Belle in her embrace. “Are you alright? Are you hurt? What happened to you?”
“Rarityyy. I'm alright, please let me breath,” the filly whined while Trixie couldn't suppress a giggle.
“I'm really glad to see that you are both alright,” a new voice said from the door and Trixie saw Twilight walking up to the bedside. “When Scootaloo came running into the boutique shouting about both of you being attacked I assumed the worst.”
“Luckily nothing serious, only some bruises for Sweetie and a small injury for me,” Trixie said while she motioned to her flank and the filly who was still struggling to free herself from her sister.
Said filly finally broke free and after some quick breaths she motioned to Trixie. “But only because of Trixie. She shoved me out of the way and got hit instead. She saved my life!”
Rarity regarded Trixie with eyes wide in awe. “Y-you threw yourself in harms way to safe Sweetie?” After a short hesitant nod from the blue mare Rarity drew closer and pulled her in an embrace. “Trixie, I can't say how grateful I'm for what you did. You saved my sister, the most precious little being in my life. Whenever you need help, feel free to come to me. I will do whatever I can do to help you.”
“Please, stop it,” Trixie mumbled while she pushed Rarity away.
Rarity blinked. “Trixie? Is something wrong, darling?”
Trixie looked down with a frown on her face. “I don't deserve any praise for what happened.”
Rarity was surprised and looked at Twilight and Sweetie Belle, hoping that they would know what Trixie was talking about. But judging by their faces they were as clueless as she was. “What do you mean, Trixie? You saved my sister. Clearly you deserve some...”
“It was my fault that we were attacked in the first place.”
Rarity took a step back, shock on her face. “W-what?”
Trixie felt a hoof on her shoulder and looked up slightly to see Twilight besides her, concern written on her face. “Trixie, what makes you think so?”
Trixie said nothing at first. Instead, she used her magic to levitate the purple piece of fabric she brought with her over to the bed from the bedside table. “This was stuck in the branches of one of the timberwolves that attacked us.”
The other ponies looked at the small piece. “I don't get it,” Sweetie Belle said.
“It looks familiar, and is that yellow part the rest of a star?” Twilight asked before her eyes widened. “Oh, Trixie.”
“What is it, Twilight?” Rarity asked. “Do you know what it is?”
Before Twilight could say anything else Trixie spoke up. “It's a piece of my old cape I lost weeks ago while running from a timberwolf. It followed my scent and found me.”
The room was silent for a few minutes while Trixie continued looking down, afraid to meet the eyes of her friends. She was sure that it would be like all the times before, and that she would be alone again.
To her surprise she found herself in a group hug, started by the little filly she has saved earlier. Trixie couldn't help herself and she started crying quietly.
“Trixie, it's not your fault,” Twilight whispered. “It wasn't your intention to bring them here, and you did everything you could to defend yourself and Sweetie Belle, even going so far to throw yourself in danger to save her.” The group released Trixie of the hug. “And besides, I doubt that the timberwolves were able to follow the scent from the cape all the way from the Everfree Forest around Ponyville into the Whitetail Woods. They must have been already inside the woods to find you. They could have attacked anypony else, someone who could not defend him- or herself.”
Trixie rubbed her eyes with her leg and smiled. “M-maybe you are right, thank you.”
“And no matter why it happened in the first place, darling, you risked your own life to save Sweetie Belle, and I will never forget this,” Rarity said with a smile.
Trixie bit her lip and nodded. She felt something warm inside her she never felt before. These are her friends, or at least some of them, who truly loves her for who she is and she has not felt that way since her mother died.
“No matter why they came in the first place, knowing that the timberwolfves and who knows what else has left the Everfree is terrible,” Twilight said with a frown. “I will inform Princess Celestia later and ask her for more help, the current amount of guards in Ponyville can't keep watch over the Everfree Forest and the Whitetail Woods at the same time.”
There was a knock on the door which opened soon after and a brown maned stallion clad in a doctor's coat walked in. “Oh, I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?”
Trixie shook her head while rubbing away the last tears. “No, it's alright, doctor.”
“Good. So, miss Lulamoon, it seems everything is fine as far as we can tell. Your injury is only minor, and it should not even leave a scar, and if it does it should be hidden by your fur when it grows back. So you are free to go home, but since the injury was inflicted by a magical creature we would like to keep you here in the hospital overnight, just to be sure that there are no complications. It's your decision if you want to stay or not.”
Trixie thought about it for a moment. “Well, I think I will stay. Better safe than sorry if something comes up.”
“If that's the case I will make sure that you get anything you need for today, darling, and I will pay for all the expenses that might occur. That's the least I can do for you,” Rarity said. Trixie opened her mouth to say something but Rarity beat her to it. “And I will not accept a 'no' from you. I insist.”
Trixie has learned early that there was no way to win against Rarity when she offers something with this tone of voice, so she simply nodded. “Thank you.”
“Alright, I will make sure that the nurses are informed that you will stay the night,” the doctor said. “I wish you a good evening and night, and I will see you tomorrow, miss Lulamoon.
As soon as the door was closed Trixie turned her attention to the filly by her side with a smirk and a wink of her eye. “Well, I guess you need to wait a bit longer for your celebration cupcake I promised you, Sweetie Belle.”
The filly gasped, she had totally forgotten that she has succeeded in using magic before the timberwolves came along.
“Celebration cupcake?” Rarity asked. “Did I miss something, Sweetie?”
The next minutes were filled with an overexcited filly telling her sister and Twilight about her accomplishment.
~*~
Trixie was happy, probably the most happy in a very long time. Of course, she was in the hospital after the timberwolf attack, but that could not cloud her happiness. After Twilight and Rarity had left with Sweetie Belle she has been visited by all of her friends over the day, and for the first time since her fillyhood she really felt like she found true happiness.
She looked around her room and snickered. It was filled with different small presents from each of them, even if she would only stay for one night. Rainbow Dash came with Scootaloo and has borrowed her one of her Daring Do books to fight the boredom. Fluttershy has left a small plush bunny on her bedside table, which creeps Trixie out since it looks exactly like Angel Bunny. Applejack came along with Big Macintosh and Applebloom, and Trixie used the opportunity to thank the stallion properly. They had left her a small basket with apples, to counter the bad hospital food. Pinkie Pie has left several trays of cupcakes and muffins on every surface that could hold one, and Trixie never saw her placing one, they just appeared every time when she turned around while the pink mare was in the room. The biggest surprise was to see Lyra entering her room along with Bon Bon, who seemed to be truly concerned for her. They even brought by a box full of Trixie's favorite candy.
Trixie relaxed and snuggled deeper into her blanket. Visiting hours are nearly over, and all of her friends had visited her already, so she prepared herself for some well-earned sleep after the hardships of the day. Just as she was about to fall asleep she heard a barely audible knock on the door.
She sat up again and yawned. “Yes?” The door opened slowly and the last one Trixie ever expected looked inside. “Spike?”
“Uhm, Trixie? May I come in?”
“Of course. Please, come in.”
Spike stepped inside and closed the door behind himself. Slowly he walked up to Trixie in her bed, fidgeting with his claws and head slightly lowered. When he reached the bed he simply stood there, looking at the floor. After several moments of awkward silent Trixie levitated a chair besides Spike without saying anything, but Spike seemed to understand and took a seat. The room was silent for several minutes while Trixie waited for Spike to say something before she decided to start the conversation herself.
“I must admit, I didn't expect you to come by,” Trixie said slowly
“No wonder, after how I treated you...” He finally looked up into Trixie's eyes. “Trixie... I...” He kept hesitating until Trixie spoke up.
“Spike, feel free to say whatever you want to say. I won't bite, and I won't be angry at you, no matter what you say.”
He kept staring at her. “Why? After everything I said and did...”
Trixie chuckled. “Spike, think about everything I did and how I was forgiven. I should be the last pony to hold a grudge.”
Spike took a deep breath. “Trixie, I'm sorry for how I treated you these past weeks. I thought you were just waiting for the time to strike with whatever your plan was, but after I heard what happened...” He shook his head. “I don't think so any longer. You had no reason to risk your own live to save Sweetie Belle. If you had any kind of plan you could have just left her and think of a lie to tell, but you didn't. You stayed by her side and saved her.”
He hesitated for another moment. “Do you think that you can forgive me and start anew?”
Trixie closed her eyes and after a moment in which she seemed to think about it she replied. “That depends...”
“On what?”
Trixie opened her eyes. “Do you forgive me for everything I did in the past?”
Spike did not hesitate this time. “Yes, I do. I did ignore everything when Twilight tried to reason with me before, but I should have listened. But now I'm willing to forgive you.”
Trixie smiled. “Than I'm willing to do the same.” She stretched out her hoof to Spike. “What do you say? Friends?”
Spike smiled as well and shook her hoof with his claw. “Friends.”
The two of them chatted for a while longer while Trixie was thinking. 'I can't believe how lucky I'm to be forgiven and find such friends. Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Lyra, maybe even Bon Bon and now Spike as well. I don't know what I would do if I lose them.'
She frowned slightly which went unnoticed by Spike. Today has been way too close for her liking. She and Sweetie Belle only survived thanks to Big Macintosh. It was luck, nothing more. On her own she was nearly helpless against the timberwolves. That would not do in the future, she wants to protect her new friends as good as possible. But she was never good with any kind of magic that could truly help in a fight, and she doubted that she could figure everything out on her own. She needed help.
Trixie blinked when she realized what that meant. With a groan she fell back with her head on her pillow.
“Trixie, are you alright?” Spike asked in concern.
“Yes, Spike everything is good. I just realized that it got very cold in Tartarus...”
The next day Trixie was feeling pretty good. Not only has there been no problems during her night at the hospital, but she has also made up with Spike, something she has hoped for a long time.
Walking turned out to be a bit of a struggle at first with her bandaged injury, but it didn't take her long to get used to the feeling and she was able to walk without trouble besides a small limp.
Luckily she had help in the form of Lyra who came along earlier that morning. She had already taken most of Trixie's belongings from her hospital room to her cottage and was now walking alongside Trixie on her way home.
The two of them were chatting during there walk through town, but it didn't take Trixie long to notice something strange.
The other ponies in the streets were smiling at her.
Usually that would be nothing strange to every other pony, but till now most of the town inhabitants had been cold in her presence, if not even hostile in some few cases. Of course, there were still some faces she could see who are not happy to see her, but the smiling ones outnumbered them by far.
Some were even waving when she and Lyra walked by which Trixie replied hesitantly. There was even one mare who came up to her and asked about her well-being.
Trixie turned to face Lyra as soon as the mare has left them. "Okay, what in the name of Celestia is going on here?"
"Well, word has gotten around town yesterday about what had happened to you and Sweetie Belle. At first most ponies didn't believe anything, but a certain little filly along with her friends confirmed it. Even Bonnie helped by talking about it with her customers. I guess you earned a lot of points of goodwill in Ponyville."
"You mean... they have forgiven me?" Trixie uttered in disbelieve. Just two days ago she was probably the most hated mare in town, but now...
"Maybe not totally and not all of them, but the majority accepted you," Lyra said with a smile before she put her foreleg around Trixie's shoulder. "Welcome to Ponyville!"
Trixie could do nothing else than smile with moist eyes, thinking about how much that means to her. Maybe she finally found a place she can call home.
~*~
Trixie arrived at her cottage along with Lyra, and both of them chatted for some time with Lyra helping her friend out around the house. She left when Trixie announced that she would like to rest and take a small nap.
Trixie made herself comfortable on her couch, but no matter how much she tried she couldn't find peace. There was something keeping her awake, a small lingering feeling of doubt.
Maybe the other ponies earlier weren't smiling at her, but at Lyra. Maybe they were just pretending to be nice while Lyra was around with Trixie. Maybe they were just waiting for her to be alone to strike.
With all these thoughts flying around in her mind Trixie could not truly rest. She had to know, and she could only think of one thing to do.
Standing up from her couch again Trixie slowly limped to her front door and opened it to walk outside, back into town.
One hour later after walking around town Trixie came to the conclusion that the other ponies really were friendlier to her and not just because of Lyra's presence. She had a nice chat with Berry Punch and Cheerilee, and that one time she tripped and fell a stallion which name she couldn't recall, if she even knows it at all, helped her up.
But the one thing that brought her the most joy was when Snips and Snails came up to her. Every time before the two colts always ran away in terror whenever Trixie tried to approach them to apologize for her behavior when she was wearing the alicorn amulet. But now they came up to her to apologize as well for their behavior.
Back on her way to her cottage Trixie was in a much better mood than before, a big smile on her face which would make Pinkie Pie proud.
During her little tour Trixie even reached a part of Ponyville she has never explored before, but she was sure that she would find the way to her home soon. While walking past a hedge Trixie heard a strange noise she couldn't place, like a loud whistling. Shortly after she heard two voices growing louder, and slowly she could understand what they were saying.
"...not look good, what should we do?"
"For starters we could TAKE COVER!"
Not knowing what was happening on the other side of the hedge and without thinking Trixie let herself fall to the ground with a hiss of pain from her flank, and not a second to soon as something flew straight over her head. A few moments later that something exploded behind her. Trixie turned her head around to she could see an explosion of different colors just high enough to not damage something.
'Fireworks?' Trixie thought.
"Well, that did not go as planned. Let's hope that we did not hit something," Trixie heard one of the voices say. There was the rustling of leafs followed by a gasp and hoof steps. Turning her head again she saw somepony standing besides her.
"Oh no, are you okay? Did we hit you?" The mare offered her hoof to help Trixie up just when another mare came bursting through the hedge, alarmed by her friends call.
Trixie gladly took the offered hoof and came back to her legs. "I'm fine, don't worry. I heard your call for cover just in time to avoid being hit."
Trixie looked over the two mares in front of her. She didn't remember seeing them around town, but that might be because of her avoiding the other town inhabitants before.
The first one who helped Trixie up was a unicorn with a pale mulberry colored coat and fuchsia colored mane and tale, which reminded her a bit of Cheerilee. The other was a pegasus with a grayish blue and violet coat and blonde mane and tale.
"Glad to hear that nothing happened," the pegasus said in relief. "We did not expect for the rocket to get out of control like this."
“I'm glad as well. I was just released from the hospital, I don't want to go back.” Upon noticing their concerned looks Trixie continued. “Don't worry, it's nothing serious, just a precaution. By the way, my name is Trixie.”
“I'm Fuchsia Blush,” the unicorn said with a smile.
“And I'm Lavender Lace.”
"Nice to meet you, even if the circumstances could have been better. What were you even trying to do?" Trixie asked. "I doubt that it was for a birthday party or any other kind of celebration, otherwise Pinkie Pie would be involved."
"Well, it's a little dream of both of us that we are aiming for, but we have a lot to learn before we can even think of going for it," Fuchsia said sheepishly, rubbing a hoof behind her head.
"It's always important to follow your dreams. May I ask what this dream is?"
"Being performers!" both mares replied together with some of the biggest smiles Trixie had ever seen.
"Really?" Trixie said with a smile. "I'm impressed. There are not many non-unicorn performers outside the professionals like the Wonderbolts," she said while looking at Lavender.
"Yeah, but we will make it work," Lavender said. "It's our dream since that one time we were on stage during a talent show. This feeling up there was simply... incredible."
Trixie did understand what she was talking about. After all, she has been there as well long ago.
Lavender sighed. "But we have so much to learn. You saw what happened earlier when we tried to practice."
Trixie put a hoof on her chin. "Well, it should be easier if you use magic to create fake-fireworks. The real ones are way to unpredictable and dangerous. You could easily hurt yourself or your audience each time you try to use these. It's a pretty easy spell to learn and usually one of the main tricks unicorn performers learn to use."
Both mares looked at each other in surprise before they looked back at Trixie. "That sounds like you got experience as a performer."
"I hope so, I have been performing for years after all," Trixie said with pride after closing her eyes, a hoof on her puffed out chest. When she opened her eyes again she saw both mares right in front of her, their eyes wide open. Trixie yelped in surprise and took a step back.
“Do you think you could give us some advice or show us some tricks?” Fuchsia asked while Lavender nodded feverishly.
Trixie blinked and thought about it for a moment. She was not a teacher, she said the same before to Sweetie and Twilight, but it had worked pretty well will Sweetie's magic lessons, so maybe she wasn't as bad as she thought. And as much as it hurt to think about it, there was the possibility that they won't find a way to lift the curse of the amulet, so keeping all her experience she collected over her years on the street would be a waste.
Smiling Trixie raised her head. “Well, I guess the Great and Powerful Trixie could share some of her experience with you to prepare the next generation of performers.”
Both mares gasped. “Y-you are the Great and Powerful Trixie!? I thought you look familiar,” Lavender said in shock.
Trixie gulped. 'Oh no, they heard about what I did. I knew it was a mistake.' But before Trixie could react in any way they both let out a joyful squee and hugged each other while jumping around.
“I can't believe it! The Great and Powerful Trixie herself is gonna teach us!”
“I know, it's incredible!”
Trixie raised an eyebrow. “Are you two alright?”
This shook the two mares out of their little celebration and they realized what they are doing in front of somepony else. They released each other and stood awkwardly besides each other, blushing in embarrassment.
“Um, sorry about that,” Fuchsia said. “It's just that you are one of our biggest idols. We saw one of your shows two years ago in Baltimare and were fascinated by your performance. And now finding you in front of us, agreeing to teach us was a bit too much.”
Trixie blinked. “You two... are fans of me?” Trixie couldn't believe what she was hearing. She has been performing for years, in front of countless ponies, but she could not remember anypony besides colts or fillies that were truly fans of her.
“Of course we are!” Lavender nearly screamed in excitement. “Your show was amazing back then, it encouraged us to try performing in front of our friends and family. It was nothing special, but it was special to both of us, so after that we wanted to perform later on as well. And now meeting you, I can't believe it! Even with all these rumors that appeared about you we never stopped being your fans.”
Trixie's ears flopped back against her head and she lowered her gaze to the floor. “I can assure you, these rumors are true. The incident with the ursa and the enslaving of Ponyville, both things did happen, and they are both my fault.”
Both mares gasped. “They are true?” Lavender asked which Trixie replied with a small nod. “But you are living here in Ponyville. If everything did happen, why would you live here?”
“At first it was because of... private reasons. But after the last few weeks the town grew upon me. I found friends, even after everything I did. I don't want to lose what I found after so much time. I made huge mistakes, but I can't make them undone, so I live with the knowledge of what I did.”
“Do you regret what you did?”
Trixie nodded, her gaze still on the floor. “Yes, with all of my heart. I never intended for any of this to happen, but it did.”
There was no other response for minute, and Trixie was sure that they both would leave. So it came as a big surprise when she felt a hoof on each of her shoulders. She looked up into the eyes of Fuchsia and Lavender, both smiling at her.
“That's good enough for us,” Fuchsia said. “Anypony who talks to you a bit can see that you truly regret anything that happened. You made a mistake, and you paid for it. We both see no reason to avoid you or anything else, so we are good.” Lavender nodded in agreement with her friend.
Trixie couldn't believe her ears. Even after she confirmed that everything really happened they both still want to be around her. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “You can't believe how much that means to me.”
“You're welcome,” Lavender said.
“So, would you like to come with me to my place for some tea? We could talk about some tricks for performers,” Trixie asked.
Both mares grinned and nodded in response before they followed Trixie, talking with each other on their way.
~*~
Trixie left the hospital with a spring in her step. Two weeks has passed since the timberwolf attack and the doctor has finally declared her leg fully healed. The marks from the claws were still visible, but her fur was slowly growing back, covering it up completely.
On her way back to her cottage she enjoyed the mild winter day, smiling at several colts and fillies she saw playing in the snow. She even had small conversations with several ponies on her way. Since the attack she was met with so much acceptance from Ponyville she still couldn't really believe it.
While thinking about how friendly all of Ponyville became these past weeks she thought about her new friends Fuchsia and Lavender. At first, she may have only been like a tutor for the two mares, but it didn't take long before she spends more and more time with them besides their little practice sessions and they became friends.
It was late afternoon when Trixie came closer to her cottage and noticed a patrol of Royal Guards trotting along the border of the woods. Just like Twilight has promised she has informed the princesses about the new danger around Ponyville. The princesses didn't hesitate and nearly doubled the number of guards in Ponyville to make sure the town is protected against the monsters. She even ordered a search through the Everfree Forest and the Whitetail Woods to find the reason for the monsters behavior and how many of them are in the Whitetail, but besides confirming that several packs of timberwolves and even a manticore has left the Everfree they couldn't find anything.
Thanks to this development Trixie could not go with Sweetie Belle to their usual spot for their magic training. Besides the danger that the timberwolves might return the guard had sat up some rules regarding the stay near the woods. Without some guards to watch over you at all times it was forbidden to stay near the woods borders to minimize casualties. It was possible to request a corps of some guards to keep watch, but it was not easy to get these for private reasons.
So Trixie had to stay inside of Ponyville with Sweetie Belle. Sometimes they stayed at the library to learn mostly for the theory, other times they met at Trixie's cottage or even Rarity's boutique. Sweetie had made huge progress since her first levitation. She was now able to use her magic without so much concentration as before and could control levitating small objects around. She was always eager to help Rarity with getting small things like her pin cushion or her scissors, of course only with Rarity supervising her.
On one of their first sessions in the library Trixie had used the opportunity and asked Twilight for help with teaching magic, or at least giving her advice from time to time. Twilight was overjoyed to help Trixie, and even more when Trixie told her why she wanted to learn from her. Sweetie Belle was of course sad that Twilight agreed on teaching Trixie and not her before, but after their explanation that a grown unicorn with experience like Trixie won't need nearly as much attention and more little pieces of advice to understand the spells than a filly who learned from the beginning she understood.
All of this didn't matter to Trixie at this moment. She has finally arrived at her home and had no other obligations for this day at all, she could do whatever she wanted. She just wasn't sure what to do at all. In the end she decided to stay home the rest of the day for a lazy evening in front of the fireplace with a good book.
She had just started a small fire in her chimney and was on her way to her kitchen to brew some tea when there was a knock on the front door. 'Of course, the one day I don't want to do anything someone comes around for a visit,' she thought to herself. She turned and walked to the door and opened it. On the other side stood Twilight and, to Trixie's surprise, Cheerilee.
“Hey, Trixie,” Twilight said. “Do you have a bit of time for us?”
“Sure, please come in,” Trixie replied as she stepped aside and welcomed them in. They walked inside and Trixie closed the door. “I was just about to brew some tea, would you like some?”
“That sounds lovely, thank you,” Cheerilee said with a smile.
Trixie left for the kitchen to make the tea. When she returned several minutes later with a tray containing the tea and cups she saw them already sitting at her table. She joined them and set a teacup in front of everypony, filling them with tea. They all took a few sips before Trixie spoke up.
“So, how can I help you? To be honest, it was a surprise seeing you here, Cheerilee. Not that you are not welcome, but I did not expect you to come for a visit out of nowhere.”
“I know, and I'm not really here for a visit between friends,” Cheerilee admitted sheepishly. “I didn't even know where you lived, that's why I asked Twilight for help.”
“Really? And why were you looking for me?”
“I hoped you might be willing to help me with a little problem.” Cheerilee took a deep breath. “You see, as a teacher it is my duty to make sure that the children of Ponyville learn as much as they can during their time in school. But sadly there are things I'm unable to teach them besides dry theory, namely flying for pegasus and magic for unicorns. Usually these would be the responsibility of the parents of said children, but in some cases they can't teach them either. So I have been talking to Mayor Mare about a solution I came up with. She agreed to facilitate with getting ponies of the other tribes to teach the kids. Finding a pegasus willing to help me was not that hard, but finding a fitting unicorn is another story.”
“I see,” Trixie said before she took a deeper sip from her tea.
“So I wanted to ask if you might be willing to help teach the young unicorns of Ponyville in magic.”
And there goes her tea again. Trixie was able to turn her head in time to not spit it at Cheerilee. Twilight was not so lucky.
“Sorry, Twilight,” Trixie said while she levitated a towel from the kitchen for her friend.
“It's okay, but next time try the other side, please.”
Trixie didn't answer and instead turned her attention back to Cheerilee. “You are not serious, right? Because if you are I'm telling you the same thing I did before. I'm NOT a teacher.”
“I beg to differ, Trixie,” Twilight said while wiping off her face. “You have been teaching Lavender and Fuchsia how to perform these past weeks. You have been teaching Sweetie Belle magic even longer, and both of these with success as far as I can tell.”
“That's different!”
“Not by much,” Cheerilee said. “Till now you only had two ponies to teach at a time, now it would maybe be five or six, ten at the most. And before you say anything, I would not leave you alone. I might not be able to teach magic, but I can follow your instructions and help keeping the kids under control.”
“And I might be able to help out sometimes as well if you want,” Twilight said.
Trixie looked from one mare to the other several times, trying to process everything. “I-I'm not sure. That is quite a responsibility you want me to take. I don't think I'm the right pony to watch over kids.”
“Trixie, you know how to teach somepony else magic, you proved that with Sweetie Belle,” Cheerilee said. “These past few days she showed what she has learned at school.” Trixie opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by Cheerilee. “Only with permission and me watching over while she did so.” Trixie closed her mouth again.
“And you showed that you would do anything to ensure their safety by throwing yourself in harms way to safe Sweetie Belle. In my opinion you got everything a good teacher needs besides experience, and you get this only with practice.”
“There is still the problem I mentioned before. You want me to teach a class, but I'm not a teacher.”
Cheerilee grinned. She was on the right path, Trixie was already reaching for straws as excuses to be unable for the task. “Well, you would of course not be a real teacher like me, but the pegasi who offered their help aren't either. It's more like being a private tutor for a group. Since Mayor Mare agreed to support us you can even use the school during the afternoon hours and the weekends, and you would even get paid for the time you help out.”
“So, what do you think, Trixie?"
Trixie bit her lip while she thought about everything. She has to admit that it sounds promising, she could use these bits. She would finally have a permanent income and could buy a few things for herself besides food and other necessities. She would only need to teach some kids a few things about magic, and she loves kids, even if she doesn't show it very much. It comes with being a performer and kids being the main audience to please. Can this be so hard?
Trixie sighed. “Alright, I guess I could give it a try, as long as you help me out as well, Cheerilee. But I won't hear any complains if I quit later again if it won't work out!”
“Thank you so much, Trixie,” Cheerilee exclaimed in joy before she stood up and walked up to Trixie to hug her. “I'm really thankful for your help.” She released her and slowly made her way to the door, Twilight and Trixie following her. “I think it's time for us to go. Would you come over to the school over the next days so that we can discuss everything further?”
“Sure, I guess.”
Cheerilee nodded and left the cottage, Trixie following her with her eyes.
“I hope I didn't make a mistake...” Trixie mumbled.
She felt a hoof on her shoulder and looked to her side at Twilight. “I'm sure you will do a good work, Trixie. I know you can do it.”
“I hope you are right, Twilight,” Trixie said as she looked again after Cheerilee. “I really hope so...”
Hearth's Warming Eve. The time of the year to celebrate the foundation of Equestria. A time to spend with family and friends. A time of peace and quiet.
"You can say whatever you want, Twilight Sparkle, but I will not open this door!"
At least most of the time.
"Would you at least think about it, Trixie," an annoyed Twilight asked from the cold outside of Trixie's cottage.
"There is nothing to think about in the first place! I will not go to Canterlot with you, and you very well know why!"
"Yes, I know. But you can not run away from your past forever. Please, Trixie, it's just for one night for the Hearth's Warming pageant this evening."
"Yes, the one you and the others will be performing in, so why should I go with you?"
"To not be alone on Hearth's Warming Eve? Lyra is visiting family with Bon Bon and Fuchsia and Lavender are doing the same. Do you really wanna be alone?"
"I have been alone the past twelve years, why should this year be different?"
"Because you got real friends this time that are worried about you."
Trixie didn't say anything in return, and after a few minutes of silence and staring at the closed door in front of her Twilight sighed.
"Very well, Trixie. I won't bother you any longer." Twilight opened her saddlebag and took out an envelope which she placed in Trixie's mailbox. "Please think about it, and if you change your mind, this is your two-way train ticket to Canterlot. You could return home any time you feel like it. The train is leaving in two hours."
Twilight turned around and began walking away, but after a few steps she stopped again.
"Happy Hearth's Warming, Trixie," Twilight said before she resumed her walk.
~*~
The train stood already at the station when Twilight arrived. She looked around the station while she approached her waiting friends and her ears drooped.
"She didn't come?"
"I'm afraid not, darling," Rarity said.
"Yeah, I was the first here and didn't see her," Rainbow remarked. "I flew around the station but couldn't see her anywhere."
"There is still some time left, she could still make it in time," Fluttershy said from behind Rarity.
Twilight looked into town in the direction of Trixie's cottage, hoping that every moment her friend would arrive. "I hope so."
The group waited for several minutes more until the conductor made his last call.
"Well, Ah guess she made her choice," Applejack said. "It's time to get on the train ya'll."
Twilight looked for a last time around before she nodded. The group entered the train just before the doors closed and made their way to the compartment the princesses had reserved for them while the train started its journey. Upon entering, they noticed that there was already somepony inside.
Trixie sat on a bench, clad in her pink scarf and bob cap. Her head was resting on one of her hooves and she was staring out of the window.
"Took you long enough to get inside, I thought I would be alone in Canterlot," she said without looking at her friends.
"Trixie!" Twilight exclaimed in delight as she rushed forward and hugged the mare. "We were waiting for you. I thought you would stay behind."
"I thought the same before you came along this morning," Trixie said while she pushed herself free. "Are you sure that your talent is magic and not 'convincing others to do things they don't want to do'?"
Twilight grinned sheepishly, one hoof on the back of her head. Trixie sighed.
"Doesn't matter, I guess." Trixie narrowed her eyes and frowned. "But to make it clear, the moment I'm not comfortable I will go back to Ponyville. Understood?"
Twilight nodded and took the seat besides Trixie, her friends getting comfortable themselves.
Trixie moved closer to Twilight and whispered. "You didn't tell them about Canterlot, right?"
Knowing what Trixie was talking about Twilight whispered back. "Of course not. I only told them that you had some problems in Canterlot in the past and that I'm not allowed to tell them."
Trixie sighed in relief. "Thank you."
The rest of the ride was uneventful with the group talking about different things until Rarity spoke up.
"I can't wait to go through the boutiques in Canterlot before the pageant starts. New inspiration is sometimes hard to find. What are you all going to do till the evening?"
"Oh, I would like to keep you company, if you don't mind," Fluttershy said.
"Of course not, darling."
"I will go to the stadium, I heard the Wonderbolts are doing a training session," Rainbow Dash threw in from behind Fluttershy.
Applejack rubbed her chin for a moment before she shrugged. "Ah don't know. Ah will probably just walk around a bit, maybe Ah can find somethin' for Applebloom as a present."
"Hey, maybe I can find something for the Cakes as well. I will go with you, Jackie."
Trixie bit down on her bottom lip and grew more nervous with every second, her eyes growing smaller. Was she supposed to walk around the city? Visiting the castle and the theater for the pageant and the night was one thing, but she didn't think about walking around so much. There are way to many places she knows which will remind her of the past, she wasn't sure if she could stand it.
Twilight noticed the uneasiness of her friend soon. It wasn't hard to figure out what the problem was, with her other friends chat topic. She knew what she could do and put on a smile.
"Well, I have been around Canterlot enough before, so I will go visit my parents. What about you, Trixie? From what you told me it's the same for you, so would you like to accompany me?"
Sure, it wasn't the best plan and Trixie would still have to walk through the city for some time, but it was better than walking around for hours. While alone she could talk with Trixie about it and help her if necessary.
According to Trixie's smile she understood what Twilight was doing.
"Sounds good to me, I would like to go with you if I'm not intruding," Trixie said and mouthed a silent 'thanks' to Twilight when the others were not looking.
Not much time later the train pulled into Canterlot and the group split up to meet at the theater for the pageant later.
“So, how has your new job been, Trixie? Are the kids giving you a hard time?”
Trixie laughed. “Surprisingly not much. The first day was the worst, but with Cheerilee's help it went well. After that it was a lot easier than I expected and even really fun.”
Twilight poked her friend in the side. “See, I told you that you could do it.”
“Yeah, yeah, Twilight Sparkle once again knew everything better,” Trixie said with a smile and a roll of her eyes.
After a short walk Twilight and Trixie arrived at a house near the center of Canterlot. Twilight walked right up to the front door while Trixie fidgeted behind her.
"Are you sure it's really okay for me to be here?" Trixie asked worried. "It's your family after all."
"Don't worry, Trixie. You are my friend," Twilight said with a smile while she winked Trixie closer. "My parents would never send any pony away that comes for a friendly visit with me."
That reassured Trixie again while Twilight knocked on the door and waited. But the pony who opened the door was someone Twilight did not expect.
"Twily!"
"Shining Armor!" Twilight's surprise was quickly replaced by joy when she hugged the white stallion which Trixie realized must be her brother she has told her about. Trixie couldn't shake of the feeling that she has seen him before. "I didn't know you would be here for the holiday. Is Cadence with you?"
"Did you really just ask me if I left my wife behind? Of course, she is here. Well, not right now, she is out with mom and dad, but you know what I mean."
Trixie watched the two talking for a minute or two before she coughed to get their attention. Twilight looked over in embarrassment. "Oh, I'm sorry, Trixie, I forgot you for a moment."
She turned again to look at her brother who was looking at Trixie with his eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed.
'It seems I'm not the only one who has this feeling of familiarity,' Trixie thought.
"Shining Armor, this is a new friend of mine, Trixie Lulamoon. Trixie, this is my brother, Shining Armor."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Trixie said with her best smile.
Shining on the other hand simply stared at her at first, his eyes wide open and mouth agape.
"Shining? Is everything okay?" Twilight asked in worry.
Shining Armor shook his head. "Yes, of course. You just took me by surprise. Please, come in." He stepped aside for the two mares to walk in and closed the door.
While they walked inside Twilight moved closer to Trixie. "Have you met my brother before?" she whispered.
"I'm not sure. I got this feeling that I have seen him somewhere before, but I can't say where or when," Trixie replied.
The group entered a big living room with a small table in the middle, two couches surrounding it. The walls were decorated with several family pictures and Trixie saw several bookshelves around the room.
They all took places on the couches, Twilight and Trixie together on one, Shining Armor on the other, and for a few minutes no one said anything.
"So, Trixie, how have you been all that time?" Shining Armor finally asked.
Trixie looked at him, her brow furrowed and her head tilted to the side in confusion. "Um, fine, I think?"
"Shining, what are you talking about?" Twilight asked. "How do you know Trixie?"
Shining Armor moved his gaze to the floor with a sigh. "I'm sorry for confusing both of you, I just never really expected to see Trixie again."
He looked up into Trixie's eyes. "Yes, I met Trixie long ago, but I should have known that she would not remember me. It's been over ten years, and she was just a filly. I on the other hoof was a young guard on his first real mission who held her back against her will to keep her from harm."
Trixie's eyes grew when she realized what Twilight's brother was talking about. "Y-you were that unicorn that..."
He nodded. "Yes, I was the one who was with you when your mother died."
No one said anything after that declaration. Shining Armor continued staring at Trixie who was looking at the floor, eyes moving from side to side. Twilight had covered her mouth with one hoof and looked from her brother to Trixie and back again repeatedly.
Finally she looked at her brother. "You told me your first mission went well back then. Why did you lie?"
"I joined the guard to protect other ponies, and on my first mission a filly lost her mother," he said with a sigh. "How could I tell my baby sister that I failed?"
Shining stood up, walked to the window and looked outside. "That evening... it broke me. I couldn't get over the fact that I could do nothing. My instructor in the guard knew what was going on and gave me time off from duty to progress it."
"That's the first time I hear anything about you being broken," Twilight mumbled.
"No wonder, no pony besides Cadence knew about it, not even mum and dad."
He looked away from the window and at Trixie. "I wanted to check on you back then, how you were doing after everything, but I was a coward. I was afraid to face the desperate filly I held back to reach her mother. I thought you would blame me for being alone. It took Cadence weeks to talk enough courage into me to finally look for you, but at that time you had already disappeared from the orphanage."
The room fell silent for several minutes before the quiet was broken.
"You were right," Trixie said without looking up. "I probably would have blamed you for saving me but not my mother..."
Shining Armor looked away in shame. "Trixie, I..."
"But not any longer," she said when she finally looked up. "Thanks to you I'm alive. It's true that these past twelve years have not been easy," -she looked at Twilight with a smile-, "but thanks to Twilight who helped me I found friends, and even a place I can call home."
She looked back at Shining. "So no, I don't blame you for anything. You did everything right at that night."
Shining Armor looked at Trixie in relieve, his eyes glittering with unshed liquid pride. "Thank you, Trixie. That means a lot to me. But I still feel bad for not coming for you sooner. Everything might have turned a different way if I haven't been such a coward."
He leaned down in a small bow before Trixie. "So please, on my honor as a royal guard, whenever you need help, feel free to come to me and ask."
Trixie was taken aback by his offer, but took hold of herself quickly and put a smile on her face. "I don't think that will be necessary, but I will keep it in mind."
"I'm glad that everything is good between you two," Twilight said. "I might have an idea how to start, BBBFF. Trixie really wants to visit the Crystal Empire one day."
"Is that so? Well, I will make sure to invite you all. And I will provide you with one of the best rooms the castle has to offer."
"Oh, that would be..." Trixie stopped in mid sentence and blinked. "Wait, t-the castle?"
Before anypony else could say anything they heard the front door open. "Shining, we are back." Not soon after walked a pair of unicorns in the living room. "Twilight! Oh, it's good to see my little baby," the mare which looked like an older Twilight with different colors said.
Twilight stood up and embraced both unicorns. "Mum, dad. It's been too long."
"Do I hear my favorite sister-in-law over there?"
"Cadence!" Twilight exclaimed when a candy colored alicorn with a three toned mane walked inside the room. She rushed up to her and hugged her. "It's good to see you, too."
Twilight released the alicorn. "I got a new friend I would like to introduce to all of you." She turned around to point at Trixie. "This is... Trixie? Are you alright?"
Twilight looked at her friend in concern who was still sitting on the couch, her mouth agape and eyes wide open, staring at the alicorn in the room.
~*~
"I still can't believe that you never told me that your sister-in-law is a princess and the ruler of the Crystal Empire."
"Trixie, I already told you that it never really came up and I didn't think much about it," Twilight groaned.
It had taken Twilight some time to reconnect Trixie with reality after she met Cadence before she was able to properly introduce her to the rest of her family. At first Trixie was tense around Cadence, but over time she came out of her shell and chatted animated with the princess. But as soon as both mares left the Sparkle household for the theater Trixie made it clear that she was slightly peeved.
"That might be, but still," Trixie said. "First the thing with you being a national hero and now that you are kind of related to royalty. Anything else I should be aware of? You are not an alicorn in disguise, right?"
Twilight couldn't resist laughing at that statement. "Me, an alicorn? Now that would be ridicules."
"True," Trixie chuckled. "Hail the mighty Princess of Books!" Both mares erupted in laughter, but it didn't take them long to calm down again. "But seriously, Princess Cadence is a really nice pony, but a bit creepy."
"Creepy? Why?"
"Well, I saw her sometimes staring at me with a creepy smile on her face. What is up with that?"
Twilight thought for a moment. "Never noticed anything like you described, sorry."
"Hm, maybe it was just my imagination or she was just lost in thought."
"Maybe."
The two mares walked along the streets in silence for some time, until they walked around the theater for the backstage entrance. "So, did you think about helping during the pageant?" Twilight asked. "You could be among the other unicorns in the background."
"I think I will stay backstage. My past has not been forgotten yet, I don't want to draw attention before everything has settled down a bit more."
Before Twilight was able to say anything else the door they were walking up to flew open and Rainbow Dash ran outside. Upon seeing her friends she quickly zipped over. "Twilight, come quick! We got a problem!"
The two mares looked at each other for a second before they followed Rainbow inside. It didn't take them long to reach the backstage area behind the stage, but Twilight and Trixie couldn't believe their eyes.
The area was a mess. All the backdrops visibly were lying around and broken down. The drops hanging from the ceiling had fallen and broken as well, and many surfaces were covered in paint. Ponies were walking around and surveying the damage.
"What happened here?" Twilight stammered in shock.
"I'm sorry!"
Twilight looked over to the source of the voice and saw a certain wall-eyed gray pegasus crying in the corner, Fluttershy standing at her side comforting her.
"Ditzy happened," Rainbow said. "And it happened so fast! She came in, tripped over one of the chairs and tumbled against that backdrop over there which collided with the one besides it. That one hit the sun hanging from the ceiling which flew around and suddenly everything was destroyed!"
"I just don't know what went wrong!"
"Shh, it's okay, Ditzy. It was an accident," Fluttershy said while running a hoof around Ditzy's back.
"What are we gonna do, Twilight?" Spike asked as he came forward from the mass of helpers and actors coming together. "The only back drops that are in one piece are the ones on stage for the first act, and the pageant is supposed to start in one hour."
"That is at least something to work with," Twilight said while she thought for possibilities to safe the pageant. "Any ideas or suggestions? Feel free to say anything that comes to mind, no matter how strange it sounds. It might help to come up with a solution."
After a minute of silence an earth pony stallion spoke up. "Building new props?"
"Not enough time and no tools, the same goes for repairing the broken ones."
"Baking new ones!"
Silence ruled the room while many of the actors stared at Pinkie Pie in disbelief.
"Pinkie, I don't doubt that you could bake us a full set of props, but we got neither the time nor the ingredients to do so," Twilight said calmly.
Pinkie responded by pulling a bag of flour and a full tray of eggs out of her mane and tail with a smug grin, much to the surprise of the surrounding ponies.
"...okay, you got the ingredients, but we still have no time." Pinkie shrugged and put the bag and the tray back where they came from.
Twilight listened to some more ideas from the group before she sighed. "This is not helping. There must be a way to fix everything."
She looked around the destroyed props scattering the floor and walls before her eyes fell on Trixie who had wandered of not long ago and was examining the damage.
"Or maybe we don't really have to fix anything," she said quietly. "I think I got an idea that might work, but it depends fully on Trixie. I need to talk to her."
Twilight wandered of to Trixie while the rest of her friends gathered where they were standing, watching her approach and talk to the mare.
"What do ya think they are talkin' about?" Applejack asked the group.
"I don't know, darling. I wonder what her plan is and why Trixie is the one necessary to realize it."
"Maybe Twilight needs some advice from her experience as a show mare?" Fluttershy said.
"Whatever it is, I'm sure Twilight's plan will work. "Her plans always work," Rainbow said but after a second she added: "Well, most of the time."
"You want me to do what?!"
The groups eyes met after Trixie's outburst and they all walked over to join their friends. They found Trixie who was yelling at Twilight with big eyes and disbelieve on her face.
"Are you insane? Do you have the slightest idea what you are asking me to do? There will be at least two hundred ponies in the audience, not counting the nobles and the princesses!"
"I would do it myself if I could, but I can't, and not because I will be on stage. You are the only one capable to do so right now, and I'm sure everypony available will help you if it safes the pageant. So, do you think you can do it, with help?"
The rest of their friends were surprised. They didn't know what Twilight's plan was, but if Twilight was unable to do so, how could Trixie succeed?
Trixie bit her bottom lip with her eyes wandering around, going through the information she has available. "I don't know. With help, maybe? But I'm not sure. What if I fail? My reputation is already very low."
"So this is a way for you to show everypony what you can do," Twilight said with her hoof on Trixie's shoulder. "And they don't need to know about you if you don't want to. You can do your magic hidden from view and decide in the end if you want to show yourself or not."
Trixie wasn't sure about what to do. On the one side it could be the biggest success in her life if it works out. But on the other side it could be the worst one. Sure, like Twilight said she didn't need to show herself if she fails, but she and her friends would know it.
"Alright, I got no idea what Twilight's plan is, but if she thinks you can do it I think so, too," Rainbow Dash said.
"Yes, darling, Rainbow is right. And whatever happens, we would never judge you," Rarity added.
"I believe in you, too," Fluttershy said quietly.
"An' as long as ya do ya best there's no need to be ashamed of yourself.
"No matter the outcome, I will throw you a party. Either to comfort you or to celebrate."
Trixie did her best to hold back her tears. With such friends by her side, how could she refuse? They all believe in her, and she will show them that she can do it.
"Alright, I will try it. It won't be easy and I need every help available, but I will do my best!"
There was a big applause in the whole room, and as Trixie looked around she noticed every single helper and actor watching and listening to the group. They don't know what is going to happen, but just the knowledge that there was a plan to safe the pageant was enough for them.
"Alright, everypony," Twilight shouted. "Let's get come together, there is not much time left. Here is what we are going to do..."
~*~
The first ponies started to fill out the auditorium of the theater not long after they began their preparations in the back, and they barely finished before the planned start of the pageant. Trixie stood on a quickly build platform behind the wall of the stage, a peephole in front of her through which she can keep an eye on the audience as long as the curtain is open without being seen.
She was breathing slowly to calm her nerves. 'Keep calm, Trixie, you can do it. They are all counting on you,' she thought to herself.
“Are you ready, Trixie?” Twilight said from the side. She was already wearing her costume for the pageant just like the others she could see on stage through the peephole. She simply nodded in reply which Twilight answered with a smile. “Good, then I will go and inform the audience. You will see, everything will be fine.”
Trixie watched her walk away before she turned back to the hole.
“I sure hope so...” she whispered to herself.
~*~
The auditorium was filled to the brim with ponies. Not a single place was vacant and all of them were waiting for the beginning, chatting with each other to pass the time. Celestia and Luna were among the first to take their seats in their private balcony along with Cadence, Shining Armor, Night Light and Twilight Velvet.
The whole room went quiet when the light diminished slowly and Twilight Sparkle walked out from behind the curtain. She stopped in the middle of the stage and looked around.
“Good evening, mares and stallions, and welcome to the yearly Hearth's Warming Eve pageant. My name is Twilight Sparkle and I will play the part of Clover the Clever. But before we start I need to inform you of a few things.”
The audience started whispering to each other about Twilight's speech, and even Luna leaned over to Celestia. “Doth thou know about this, sister?”
“I'm afraid not, Luna, but as long as Twilight has everything under control there is no need to worry.”
Twilight coughed lightly to regain the attention of the audience. “Not long ago there has been a small accident backstage. Luckily nopony got hurt in any way, but some of our equipment has been ruined. We had to came up with a short-time solution to not cancel the play, and thanks to this there need to be a small change. Instead of one larger break after the first half of the play we need to take a small break after each act. Kindly excuse any inconvenience that comes out of this change, and we hope that you will still enjoy the pageant. Oh, and one last thing I would like to add. Please stay calm during the play. Whatever happens, there is no need to worry as long as we actors stay in our roles. Thank you for your understanding.”
Twilight bowed down before she got up again and walked back behind the curtain. As soon has she was gone the audience started whispering to each other again, but only for a few minutes until the curtains opened and Spike walked out, clad in his narrator costume from the last year.
“Once upon a time, long before the peaceful rule of Celestia and Luna, and before ponies discovered our beautiful land of Equestria, ponies did not know harmony. It was a strange and dark time. A time when ponies were torn apart... by hatred!”
“During this frightful age, each of the three tribes – the pegasi, the unicorns, and the Earth ponies – cared not for what befell the other tribes, but only for their own welfare.” He motioned to different parts of the stage were actors of each tribe appeared in a cone of light.
“In those troubled times, as now, the pegasi were the stewards of the weather. But they demanded something in return. Food that could only be grown by the Earth ponies. The unicorns demanded the same, in return for magically bringing forth day and night.” On stage the earth ponies offered the food to the pegasi and the unicorns for the weather and the circle of the day and night.
“And so, mistrust between the tribes festered, until one fateful day, it came to a boil. And what prompted the ponies to clash? 'Twas a mysterious blizzard that overtook the land, and toppled the tribes' precarious peace.” At that moment a dark cloud appeared and covered the top of the stage and the first few rows of seats of the audience before snow began falling from the cloud, covering the ground around the stage. The audience gasped in surprise. Some near the stage even tried to touch the translucent snow, only for their hoofs to go right through it. Just on the edges of the cloud there was something moving along with the storm.
“Sister, is that what We think it is?” Luna whispered.
“Yes, Luna, it is,” Celestia whispered back. “Twilight surprises me time and time again. Using illusions to replace broken props. I wonder how she managed that, illusion magic was never her strong side. But let's think about that mystery later and enjoy the play.” Luna nodded in agreement and they both turned their attention back to the performance.
The play continued to the amazement of the audience. Over time the snow grew more and more with the rising hatred between the tribes without obscuring the sight to the stage and the windigoes over their heads grew as well without really showing themselves. Additional to the snow most of the props had been replaced with illusions as well, creating an astonishing recall of the foundation tale.
The highlight was of course the moment when the leaders of the tribes looked like they were truly engulfed in ice and the windigoes truly showed themselves, flying around the stage in their full glory, only to be topped by the big heart of fire created by friendship that drove away the windigoes.
“The three leaders agreed to share the beautiful land,” Spike continued, “and live in harmony ever afterwards. And together, they named their new land...”
“Equestria!” Twilight and her friends on stage yelled.
The audience erupted in cheers, and Twilight smiled. 'I'm glad that everything worked out, Trixie really outdid herself,' she thought.
She turned her head to Applejack. “Would you check on Trixie while I talk to the audience?” she whispered.
“No problem, sugar cube. Ah will be back soon,” she said before she walked back behind the stage to look for the magician who saved the pageant.
Twilight took a breath and walked forward. “Thank you everypony for your applause. We are all glad that you enjoyed our play, even with the unexpected improvisation, and I'm happy that everything worked as we hoped.” She waited a moment for the applause to subside before she talked again. “I would like to thank everypony who worked hard to make this possible.”
Twilight called out the other ponies, no matter how small their part was in the progress. Applejack came back shortly after and approached Twilight. “Trixie is okay, just exhausted,” she whispered. “And she wants to come out on stage as well.”
“Really?” Twilight said a bit to loud before she whispered again. “I truly thought she wouldn't come out, but I'm glad she wants to.”
“Me too. She is waitin' behind the curtain. Ditzy will help her out to make up for everything.”
Twilight nodded and continued calling out the other ponies to come on stage. When the last one stepped away she cleared her throat.
“And now I would like to announce the pony who saved this pageant. Without her help we would have needed to cancel everything, and she outdid herself in my opinion. A big applause for Trixie Lulamoon!”
The curtain opened slightly to make room for Trixie and Ditzy, the former leaning against the pegasus for support. She was out of breath and her head was hanging low with her eyes half closed. She looked like she would fall asleep any second. Twilight would have walked over in concern for her friend was in not for the small smile on Trixie's face.
Twilight watched as the two mares reached the middle of the stage, looking over the whole room. At that moment Twilight realized that something was amiss.
It was utterly quiet.
Twilight looked back at the audience to see them either staring at Trixie or whispering to each other. With her attention focused on them she could make out what some of the ponies in the first rows were whispering to each other.
“Isn't that this loudmouth who claimed to slay an Ursa Major?”
“Did you hear what she did in Ponyville?”
“What is shedoing here?”
With every word Twilight heard her heart fell. She looked back to Trixie, knowing that if she could hear them that Trixie could as well, and just as expected that was the case.
Slowly Trixie's smile faded away and her head sank down, a tear streaking down her cheek. She whispered something to Ditzy who nodded. They both attempted to turn around when there was the sound of clapping from the audience.
The clapping came from two nobles from one of the side booths. “Marvelous performance, I have never seen anything like it. Do you agree, my dear?” Fancy Pants said loud enough for the whole hall to hear.
“Indeed. It's been a refreshing change from the usual plays from the past years,” Fleur De Lis said just as loud as Fancy Pants.
Slowly more clapping grew from the audience and even some cheers. Trixie took it all in. This was what she has hoped for when she stepped out from the curtain. It's been so long since she had heard a crowd applauding and cheering for her that she has forgotten what it felt like.
Oh, how she has missed it all this time.
“You have earned it, Trixie,” Twilight said after walking to Trixie's side, Ditzy slowly backing away when Twilight took her place on supporting Trixie. “That was truly impressive.”
“Indeed it was.”
Trixie looked on in awe as both princesses landed besides her and Twilight on stage. All the other actors and team members on stage bowed down, but before Twilight and Trixie could even try Luna spoke up.
“Please, 'tis not necessary. We can see that thou can barely stand and We don't want any harm come to thou, Miss Lulamoon.”
“We want to congratulate on your formidable performance,” Celestia said. “It's been a long time since I had seen such a talent for illusion magic. Is it right to assume that all of what we saw this evening was of your own doing?”
The crowd was muttering behind the princess. If the princesses themselves were impressed, maybe there was more about this mare than they thought.
“No, that's not right, your Highness,” Trixie answered. Twilight looked at her in confusion. “It's true that I created the illusions, but I wouldn't have been able to do even half of it without the other unicorns. They shared their magic with me during the breaks so that I could go on. Without them I wouldn't have lasted after the second act.”
Celestia looked over the other unicorns members and realized for the first time how exhausted some of them looked. “I see. Still, it's an impressing display of talent, even with help from others. Please, allow me to help out as well.” Celestia enlightened her horn and a soft glow shone down on Trixie. It took a second before Trixie felt all of her exhaustion leave her body and she felt refreshed. “We don't want you to fall asleep during the celebrations later just because you exhausted yourself. And of course, my sister and I are willing to help the others as well, if you wish.”
“Thank you, your Highnesses,” Trixie said while she looked around to the other ponies who stepped forward to the princesses. After a few minutes the princesses finished helping and Twilight and Trixie approached them again.
“Now, I think there is one thing we are still missing from the pageant which I believe some of you are waiting for, so my sister and I will retreat back to our seats.”
Before they could take to the sky Trixie called out. “Your Highness, would you and your sister like to join us on stage?”
There was a hush whisper in the audience and on stage behind Trixie, and even Twilight looked at her in shock for a moment, before she smiled and looked back at the princess who was as much surprised as she was. After she regained her composure she looked at Luna. “What do you think, sister?”
“We see no reason to decline such an invitation.”
“Very well, we will stay.” Celestia and Luna both walked to the back of the crowd on stage to not block the sight on anypony.
“Thank you all for your patience, and we all wish you a Happy Hearth's Warming Eve,” Twilight said to the audience who erupted in applause before the music started playing.
“The fire of friendship lives in our hearts. As long as it burns, we cannot drift apart. Though quarrels arise, their numbers are few. Laughter and singing will see us through (will see us through). We are a circle of pony friends. A circle of friends we'll be to the very end.”
The crowed cheered again with Trixie looking over them, glad that Twilight managed to convince her to help. At that moment the lavender unicorn beside her pulled her in a sideway hug.
"That was awesome! I didn't know you could do something like that. You made the pageant much cooler."
Trixie chuckled as she walked along with her friends through the castle. "Glad to hear that I was able to impress THE Rainbow Dash."
The group was on their way to the rooms Princess Celestia had offered to them along with one of the smaller ball rooms to celebrate Hearth's Warming Eve. Since they had left the theater after the end of the pageant her friends had congratulated Trixie on her performance, making the unicorn blush from their praises.
"And to be honest, I didn't know it would work either. I never tried to use my illusions on such a big crowd."
"That might be, darling, but you truly out shined yourself, you even impressed the princesses. That is something not many ponies can claim to archive."
Twilight put a hoof on Trixie's shoulder. "I knew you could do it. I saw what you are capable of during our magic sessions."
"Thanks, Twilight. That means a lot coming from you."
The group proceeded in their walk until they reached their rooms with the ball room further down the corridor. They agreed upon meeting thereafter refreshing themselves in their rooms half an hour later and entered their separate rooms.
When Trixie entered the ball room later she realized that she was the last one to enter and looked around in awe.
Pinkie Pie has created a beautiful scenery inside, even if nopony ever saw her missing for more than this last half hour which wasn't nearly enough time for everything Trixie saw in front of her.
The floor looked like it was made of pure ice without being slippery. There were lights all around the walls in every color of the rainbow, huge candy cones in different places along the walls and Trixie saw several snow ponies on the other side of the room. There was a table with many different treats, from cookies to cakes and cider, and on a smaller one to the side was a gramophone for music. But the biggest eye catcher in the whole room was the pine tree in the corner across the room. It was decorated with lights in all the colors of the rainbow, snow on its branches and a huge golden star on top.
"There you are, Trixie," Twilight greeted her while closing the distance between them. "I was just about to look what is taking you so long."
"Sorry, I kinda forgot the time," Trixie admitted sheepishly while rubbing the back of her head with her hoof.
"No wonder after everything that happened. So, what do you say? Pinkie outdid herself once again, don't you think?"
Trixie looked again around the room. "It's amazing."
Twilight nodded in agreement before she started walking with Trixie to the rest of the group. "Let's go. Pinkie really wants to start, she can't wait to open her presents later."
Trixie nodded, but just as they reached the others something Twilight said clicked in her mind. She looked over to the tree and noticed many colorful presents beneath it she hasn't noticed earlier. She kept staring sadly at the presents as she sat down on her haunches, her ears flopping down in shame.
"Trixie? Is something wrong?" Twilight asked worried.
"I got nothing for you, all of you," Trixie answered, her gaze still locked on the presents. "I didn't even think about getting something, anything, as a present for Hearth's Warming." She stood up and walked over to the presents. After searching for a moment she found several boxes with her name on them. "You got something for me, but I got nothing. I'm a terrible friend."
Trixie flinched slightly as a yellow wing was draped over her back from her right. "Please, don't call yourself something like that, you are not a terrible friend."
"Fluttershy is right, darling," Rarity added. "You did everything you could just today to help all of us, even while being afraid to be judged by others. And besides, presents are not the most important thing at Hearth's Warming."
"Yeah, it's to be with your friends," Pinkie said.
"And if you really want, you can still get something later," Twilight said from her other side as Fluttershy who had withdrawn her wing after her talk.
Trixie smiled. "You are right, thank you all. And I will find something for all of you later."
At this point Pinkie threw up one of her hoofs and waved it around, like a school filly trying to get the teachers' attention. "Pick me, pick me! I got an amazing idea!"
Trixie couldn't resist and started laughing. "Alright, Pinkie. What is your idea?"
"Put on a show for us!"
The room fell silent for a moment while the occupants contemplated the idea of their pink friend. Trixie didn't know what to say at first, before she decided on something simple.
"What?"
Pinkie looked excited, bouncing up and down on her tail. "We could see parts of your show earlier, but only from the stage. I want to see all of it like the audience did. So I thought you could put on a show for all of us as a present and show us what you can do."
"You mean right now?" Trixie asked. After the amount of magic she used earlier she wasn't sure she could do much, even after the princess refreshed her magic.
"Nonononono, not yet," Pinkie said while she shook her head. "When we are back in Ponyville, after some time to prepare. I wanna to see the best show you can do!"
"You know, that's a marvelous idea, Pinkie," Rarity said.
"Ah agree. Ah would like ta see that as well, as long as ya promise not to hogtie me again," Applejack added with a smirk.
"Oh, yeah! Sounds great," Rainbow exclaimed while Fluttershy nodded with a smile.
"We could even include Lyra and the others as well, like one big present for all of us. And I know two certain mares who would do anything if you let them help you during the show. So, what do you say? Would you put on a show, or is the Great and Powerful Trixie not up to the task?" Twilight asked with a smirk while Spike nodded in agreement.
Trixie looked around her group of friends, the same ones she showed off the last time they saw her show, now asking her for another one. She smiled and tossed her mane with her hoof.
"Well, if her lovely audience want to see the best show ever made, who is the Great and Powerful Trixie to decline?" She stood up on her hind legs, throwing her forelegs in the air. "I will put on a show that will leave all of you speechless!"
Her declaration was answered with stomps and cheers of approval. Trixie fell back on all four hooves. "But for this evening I will leave the stage for somepony else to do what she loves to do. Am I right, Pinkie Pie?"
Pinkie gasped and ran over to the gramophone to start the music. "Let's get this party started!"
The group cheered and started dancing to the music.
~*~
They proceeded with their celebration for some time before Pinkie couldn't resist much longer and dove into the pile of presents with a cheer, much to the amusement of the rest. They stopped the music for the time being and joined their pink friend.
Trixie was overwhelmed. It's been many years since she truly celebrated Hearth's Warming Eve, and even then there were never as many presents as she received that evening. Each of her friends got something for her, some of them even more than one or two. Among other things she received a magic book about advanced illusions from Twilight, a hoof made coupon for a breakfast from Sweetie Belle (which she was afraid to use for obvious reasons) and a few board games from Pinkie. But the most expensive things did she receive from Rarity. The fashionista has taken the opportunity to show once again how grateful she was for Trixie saving Sweetie Belle. Trixie received one of the most beautiful dresses she has ever seen, another new stage assemble based on her trademark hat and cape and a coupon for a luxury treatment at the Ponyville Spa.
Trixie was just about to open the last present for her that all of them had insisted to be opened last when there was a knock at the door.
Twilight looked at the door in confusion. "Who could that be?" She walked to the door and opened it to see one of the unicorn guards standing on the other side, a wooden chest by his side.
"Good evening, miss Sparkle. Princess Celestia asked me to deliver this chest to miss Lulamoon, along with two letters, one for you and the other for miss Lulamoon." He levitated both letters out of his bags and offered them to Twilight who took them in her own magic.
"Huh, I wonder what this is about. Thank you very much, dear sir, and I wish you a happy Hearth's Warming."
"The same goes to you, miss Sparkle," he answered with a smile before he turned around and walked away.
Twilight took the chest in her magic and brought it inside the room to her waiting friends. "It seems this chest is for you, Trixie."
Trixie blinked. "For me? But from whom is it?"
"I don't know. The princess did send it to us, but I doubt it's from her. There are two letters with it, one for each of us." Twilight levitated the letter with Trixie's name on it to the mare before she opened her own letter.
'Dear Twilight
I hope that you and your friends have a wonderful Hearth's Warming Eve, and I hope that this delivery does not interrupt your festivities.
Earlier this evening, after your departure from the theater, a mare asked for an audience with me regarding Trixie. She told me about her past with her, which I won't go into detail here, not knowing what Trixie might have told you before of her past.
The mare in question told me that she has been looking for Trixie these past twelve years to apologize for what she called 'the biggest mistake of her life'. Thanks to Trixie's traveling she has never been able to locate her long enough for a letter to arrive in time.
She heard of Trixie's performance from a friend this evening and thought that I might be able to help her. Not knowing if Trixie would like to see her I said I would not reveal her place of living without her approval, but that I could send a message to her instead. She was overjoyed and asked for a bit of time to write a letter and prepare the chest that came with this letter which she said contains belongings of Trixie.
Just in case I personally checked the chest for any kind of magic trap, but after finding no traces of magic around the chest or the letter I send them your way.
I do hope that whatever the chest contains will be to Trixie's delight and that you and all your friends have a happy Hearth's Warming Eve.
Princess Celestia'
"It seems somepony who knows you approached the princess to send this chest to you along with the letter, Trixie, and she has been looking for you for years," Twilight said after reading the letter. "The princess also mentioned that she made sure there was no kind of magical surprise hidden in the chest, so it should be safe to open it."
Trixie nodded in response while looking at the chest. "I wonder who it was that send it to me. I have never seen this chest before."
"Ah guess ya will find the answer in that letter of yours," Applejack said while she pointed at the floating letter besides Trixie.
The letter flew in front of Trixie and she opened it. I guess you are right. Let's see..."
'Dear Trixie, I hope this letter arrives you soon along with the chest I send. I have been trying to find you these past twelve years, and I had given up to ever find you. But than a friend of mine came along and said he saw you right here in Canterlot, and in the presence of the princesses no less. I finally had a lead to find you, and I approached the princess. She confirmed that she knew were you are currently living, but denied telling me without your consent. After I told her why I was looking for you she agreed to send a letter and the chest to you.
Inside of the chest you will find everything that has been found in the remains of your old home after the fire. Most things has been found inside of a magical preserved save in the basement, unscathed from the fire. I received everything inside this chest after your disappearance from the orphanage, along with the chest itself.
Trixie, I also want to say how sorry I'm for how I treated you back then. I had taken over the orphanage just a few weeks before you came along, and I was inexperienced. I thought that after everything that happened you wanted some time to yourself, so I left you alone. I should have been there for you instead, and for this I'm truly sorry.
It was one of the biggest mistakes of my live, and I understand if you can't forgive me for it. But if you ever find it in your heart to forgive a stupid mare, I would love to see you again. The doors of the orphanage will always be open for you, no matter what happens.
Spring Song Caretaker of the Sunny Skies Orphanage.'
Trixie stared at the letter in front of her, her mouth slightly open and eyes big with irises like pinpricks. Her magic winked out and the letter fell to the ground, but before it touched the floor it was captured by Twilight's magic.
"T-these are things from my mom they found in our house...," Trixie stammered in shock. "I thought everything has been d-destroyed."
"Destroyed? Darling, what are you talking about? Did something happen?" Rarity asked concerned, but she was ignored by Trixie who approached the chest.
"Trixie... Are you sure you want to open it now?" Twilight asked after she has read the letter. She knew that she should have asked for permission first but Trixie was ignoring most of the things they said and since she was the only one who knew what was going on she thought it was for the best to know what's wrong. "Should we leave you alone for a moment?"
That got a reaction out of the mare as she shook her head without saying anything while she tried to open the lock of the chest.
Twilight looked at Trixie, her brow furrowed in concern. Who knew what was in the chest and how Trixie would react to it? Twilight looked at her friends. She could see that they were as concerned as she was, even if they didn't know what was going on. She motioned for them to get closer. Trixie had made it clear that she doesn't want to be alone, so they should be close by for her, just in case. Just as they arrived by Trixie's side did she finally open the chest.
The first thing they saw was a huge amount of white silk, slightly dusky and grayed out from its time in the chest and time. Without saying anything Trixie levitated it out of the chest, but the moment it was fully in the air and she could see what it was she gasped, along with Rarity from behind her.
“Darling, that's a beautiful wedding dress. Is it from your mother?”
Trixie nodded, her eyes moist with tears. Her mom has shown it to her only once, but she would recognize it forever. It was a fairly simple dress made out of silk with golden embroidery along the hem. Some may call it out of fashion, even for the time it was made, but Trixie saw once a picture of her mom from her wedding and it was perfect for her.
“May I take a look at it?” Rarity asked from behind. Trixie nodded again before she carefully levitated it on a nearby table, Rarity already on her way.
Trixie meanwhile focused again on the chest. The dress had taken up a big part of the content of the chest, so it was already more than half empty. As far as she could see it was mostly books and small folders left. She levitated them outside and looked through the titles. She found books about showmanship, special effects and illusions, which probably belonged to her dad. She also found a scrapbook with newspaper article focusing on her dad as well, some of these even with pictures showing him on stage.
The folders contained many different things, but mostly different kinds of documents from medical reports to school reports. In one of these she even found her own original birth certificate.
“Sky Harmony is your mother?” Rainbow Dash said from behind Trixie who nodded. “I'm not sure, but that name sounds familiar. It's a pegasus name, so maybe one of my parents knew her and mentioned her once or something. I could ask them later, that would be awesome if they know her.” Rainbow didn't notice Twilight waving her hoof and shaking her head beside her, hoping that her pegasus friend would stop talking about Trixie's mother before she makes everything worse.
“Maybe, I don't know,” Trixie said without emotion, not even turning around.
She was already levitating several pieces of paper out of the chest. She briefly looked at them before she set them aside. Twilight took them and looked what was written on them. There were several kinds of doodles all over several pages, but it was not hard to realize what Twilight was looking at.
“Are these her blueprints for your hat and cape? You told me that you got them from her, but you didn't mention that she designed them herself.” Twilight waited a moment for an answer, but when she received none she turned to look at her friend. Trixie had sat down on her haunches, her head hanging down. She was holding something in her hoofs in front of her, and Twilight thought she heard her sniffling. “Trixie? Is something wrong?”
The rest of their friends who had been looking through the newspaper articles heard Twilight's question and made their way over to both of them in concern. Trixie was staring at a picture frame she held between her hooves, tears falling freely from her cheeks. The picture was of a filly Trixie with her trademark hat on her head, even if it was a bit to big for her at that time. She was wearing one of the biggest grins on her face Twilight has ever seen and had her little arms thrown around a white coated pegasus mare with a pale blue and yellow mane and tail who was also holding the filly in her arms with a laugh.
“That's a wonderful picture Trixie,” Fluttershy said.
Trixie nodded. “That was the day I got my cutie mark...”
'Oh no,' Twilight thought. The others didn't know, but that means this picture was probably the last one ever taken of them.
“Is that your mother? She is beautiful,” Rarity said.
“Yes,” Trixie replied through sniffles. “Yes, she truly was...”
Rarity gasped with a hoof on her mouth while the others besides Twilight shared shocked looks. “Trixie, I-I'm sorry, I didn't know...”
“W-why? Why had she to die? It should have been me who died!”
Another gasp ran through the room. “Trixie, you should not say something like this!” Twilight replied.
“Why not?!” Trixie yelled, now fully crying. “I'm the reason she died in the first place! Without me she would still be alive!” Trixie fell to the floor crying and curled up to a ball. “It's my fault she is dead.”
No one knew what to do or say. None of them had ever been in a situation like that before. After a minute of silence besides Trixie's crying Twilight stepped forward. She lay down on Trixie's side and put a leg over her.
“Trixie, it's not your fault. It was not your intention to hurt anypony, so no one blames you for what happened. And I'm sure your mother would not either.” Trixie's sobbing grew quiet. “It was your mother's own decision to safe your life while risking her own at the same time. She could have left you behind, saving her own life doing so, but she didn't because she loved you. She sacrificed everything to make sure that you can live your life.”
Trixie peeked through her hoofs at Twilight before she pulled her into a hug and cried into her shoulder. The others stepped closer and joined the hug to comfort their friend. They stayed that way for several minutes until Trixie's sobs ebbed up.
“Trixie, should I bring you to your room?” Twilight asked after she has calmed down more. Trixie didn't answer beside a small nod.
The group released them from the group hug and they both walked out of the room, Trixie's head still hanging down. On their way to Trixie's room Twilight heard her mumble something. “What was that, Trixie?”
“You can tell them everything.”
“Are you sure?” Twilight asked surprised.
Trixie nodded. “They already heard more than enough, there is no reason to keep it in any longer.”
Twilight regarded the mare for a moment. “Alright, if that is what you want I will tell them.”
Soon after they arrived at Trixie's room. Twilight made sure that Trixie got to her bed and wished her a good night before she walked back to tell their friends about Trixie's past. They were shocked upon hearing what the poor mare has gone through all these years. After Twilight finished they decided to call it a day and go to bed. There was no reason to stay up after everything that happened.
~*~
The next morning Twilight awoke to a flustered pegasus in her room.
“Twilight, wake up!” Rainbow yelled “It's an emergency!”
Groggily Twilight awoke, rubbing her eyes with her hoof. “I hope it's important, Rainbow.”
“Trixie is gone!”
Twilight was awake in seconds and scrambled out of her bed. “What!? What do you mean she is gone?”
“It's true, sugar cube,” Applejack said when she walked in the room. “We wanted to check on her after we woke up and her room was empty. We first though she might be in the bathroom or already at breakfast, but we can't find her anywhere.”
“And no one has seen her?” Twilight asked as they left the room.
“Only one of the maids, about two hours ago. She said she was headin' in the direction of the gates to the city, but the guards there did not see her.”
They entered Trixie's room, the rest of their friends already inside and waiting for them. “That does not mean that she didn't find a way out.”
“But how did she get past these guards? I mean she can't fly after all to leave through a balcony or window or anything,” Spike said.
“Well, she can't fly, but she... can teleport,” Twilight admitted. The rest of their friends looked at her in disbelief. “It came up on one of our training sessions and I thought it would be a good idea for her to learn it with her talent and it usefulness in shows. She is still practicing, but she can manage a few feet at a time if she wants.”
“Alright, so she could be still inside the castle or in town,” Rainbow counted off on her hoof. “What is if she has left Canterlot? Maybe she has returned to Ponyville after last evening.”
“Only if she has decided to go by hoof.” Twilight pointed at the nightstand where a small piece of paper was lying. “She has left her train ticket behind. I doubt that she has left Canterlot yet.”
“Um, maybe we should inform the princesses?” Fluttershy asked from behind Pinkie.
Twilight shook her head. “We don't know if she is really missing. Maybe she is still somewhere in the castle. I don't want to bother the princesses if it is not necessary.” She looked at the clock standing near the door which showed it was nearly nine in the morning. “Let's spread out and look for her in the castle and the city. If we can't find her till noon we will ask the princesses for help.”
They all nodded in agreement. “Alright, I will go out into the city, along with Rainbow who can look from the air and Pinkie. Spike, you will search through the castle with Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy. We will meet at noon in the entrance hall. Let's go!”
They all left the room to go on the search for their friend, Rainbow even decided to leave through the window. Twilight sighed. She was about to leave the room when her gaze fell on the counter besides the door. There was Trixie's last present from last evening that she could not open thanks to the delivery of the chest. Twilight decided to get her saddlebags and take it with her.
~*~
Twilight has been running through Canterlot for more than one hour already and has found no clue about Trixie's whereabouts. No one has seen her till now, and neither has Rainbow nor Pinkie who Twilight met a few times while she was looking. With each passing minute she grew more concerned for Trixie. After the last evening who knows what is going on inside her?
When Twilight came around the next corner she realized that she has reached the donut shop of Pony Joe. Her stomach used that opportunity to remind her that she has not eaten anything till now and so she decided to get something for her and the others.
The bell from the door announced her entrance when she opened it. The shop was mostly empty. There was only one mare sitting at a table eating a donut and Pony Joe himself who recognized her immediately.
“Now that is a big surprise on this wonderful morning. Did not expect to see one of my most famous customers today of all days.”
Twilight smiled while she approached the stallion. “It's good to see you too, Joe. Sadly I'm a bit of a hurry, I'm looking for a lost friend of mine. Could you get me one of your donut mix packages for the way?”
“Of course, I won't take long.” Joe disappeared into the back of his shop and came back a few short minutes later with a box on his head. “There we go. That will be ten bits.” Twilight gave him his bits with her magic and put the box into her saddlebag. “Thank you. Say, who are you looking for? Maybe I can help.”
“Her name is Trixie Lulamoon, and she disappeared this morning from the castle.”
They both heard suddenly some choking noises and turned to the other mare in the room who was coughing. She regained her composure fast and came over to Twilight. “Sorry about that, but did you say you are looking for Trixie?”
Twilight looked over the mare in front of her. She was an orange coated earth pony mare with a fuchsia colored mane with pink highlights and a singing sunflower as a cutie mark.
“Yes, I did. I'm Twilight Sparkle. Do you know her?”
“Yes, I do. And guessing from the timing I think it might be my fault she has gone missing. My name is Spring Song. I'm the caretaker of the Sunny Skies Orphanage here in Canterlot.”
Twilight stared at the mare in front of her with wide eyes. “You are the one who send the chest last evening...”
“Yes, that was me. As I wrote in the letter I tried to find her for twelve years and finally I did.” She lowered her head along with her ears. “But I guess there was something inside that made her run away. Am I right?”
“You are right,” Twilight admitted. “She found a picture of her and her mother from just days before the fire. She blames herself for her dead and I'm afraid of what she might do.”
“Oh no, the poor dear. It was never my intention to do her harm or wake up old memories.”
“I believe you,” Twilight said after she put a hoof on Spring's shoulder. “Do you by any chance have an idea where she might be? She has been avoiding the city for twelve years, and she never said much from her youth. Anything might be helpful. Maybe the location of where her house stood?”
Spring closed her eyes a moment in thought before she shook her head. “I doubt she would go back to the place her mother died. And there has been build a restaurant years ago.” She kept silent for a few minutes while she thought before her ears stood on attention. “You mentioned this has been the first time since the day she ran away that she has been in Canterlot?”
Twilight nodded. “That was what she has told me.”
“I'm not sure, but I think I know where she might be. Usually I would go with you, but I doubt she would like to see me if she is there, so I will write down where you need to go if Joe could provide a pen and a piece of paper.”
“Of course, I will be right back,” Joe said and disappeared into the back room.
“Thank you very much, Spring Song. I hope that I will find her,” Twilight said just before Joe came back with pen and paper.
“I hope so as well. Please inform me if you find her, will you?” Spring Song said before she took the pen in her mouth and started writing.
“Of course I will. It's the least I can do for your help.” Twilight took the paper in her magic when Spring Song finished writing and read what she wrote down. “I know that address. That's were the... oh no...” She looked at Spring Song for confirmation and received a sad nod.
~*~
The Canterlot Cemetery has not changed much since the last time Twilight has visited. She has been here a few times since her grandmother has died when she was a filly. Usually she would go visit her as well while being around, but she decided to make that up another time and focus on the matter at hoof.
It makes sense that Trixie might be here, being her first time in town since her mother's death. Twilight would probably have done the same in Trixie's place.
Twilight walked along row upon row of gravestones, searching for the one she was looking for. Spring Song has written down some directions, but she still had to search. After a short search Twilight entered a new path and stopped.
There she was, just at the end of the path sitting in front of two graves, head hanging low. Twilight slowly approached and used her magic to lift a blanket she bought on her way out of her saddlebags. She slowly lifted the cover over Trixie and wrapped it around her before she sat down besides Trixie who hasn't even flinched yet. She decided not to say something for the moment and regarded the headstones in front of her.
Daren Lulamoon 1345-1368 AD Dear Husband and Father Your love will light my way.
Sky Harmony 1346-1378 AD Beloved Wife and Mother Life is not forever. Love is.
'They were way too young to leave...' Twilight thought with sadness.
“How did you find me?”
Twilight did her best to hide her surprise upon hearing Trixie. Her voice was free of emotions, but Twilight could see thanks to the tear stains on her cheeks and her red eyes that she has been crying for a long time.
“We have been worried sick when we realized you were gone, Trixie. We have been looking for you all over the city and the castle. During my search I stumbled upon Spring Song.” Trixie stiffened upon hearing that name but did not react otherwise. “When she heard you had disappeared she blamed herself for sending you the chest. She came up with the idea that you might be here, that's why I came looking.”
“She cared enough to help you, but not to come herself.”
“No, Trixie. She really wanted to come, but she thought you would not like to see her, and I agreed. I can tell you tho, she was truly concerned about your well-being.”
Trixie's face softened. “Maybe you are right. She has already written an apology in her letter.”
Trixie fell silent again for a minute. “I'm sorry for running away. I couldn't sleep last night and kept thinking about everything you said. Earlier this morning I knew I had to come here, just to find peace, and to finally visit them. I was just so afraid that it was all my fault that I couldn't stay.” She shook her head. “ And the only thing it brought me was loneliness...”
Twilight put her leg around her shoulders. “That might be true, but you got through it and it made you who you are today. You are a mare with an amazing talent for illusions and friends who will be by your side.” Twilight remembered something at that moment. She pulled her leg back from around Trixie's shoulders and levitated the present out of her bag. “And to make sure you won't forget that we got you this.”
Trixie looked at the present for a moment before she recognized it and took it in her own magic. “Shouldn't I wait for the others before I open it?”
“I'm sure that they will understand.”
Trixie looked into Twilight's violet eyes before she smiled and nodded. With the help of her magic she pulled the wrapping paper away and revealed a picture frame. The picture inside contained all of her friends, including the crusaders, Lavender, Fuchsia and even Bon Bon. On the top was Pinkie Pie holding up a big banner along with Rainbow Dash which said 'Friends Forever'. Once again Trixie's eyes started to moist, but this time out of happiness.
“We thought that would be the best way to always remind you that we will always be there for you. Turn it around.”
Trixie did as told. On the backside all of her friends had written something small for her. She saw a 'You're awesome!' from Rainbow, 'For the best tutor and friend a pony could ask for' from Fuchsia and Lavender and 'No matter what you try, you will never get rid of me' from Lyra, along with a small doodle of Lyra's head blowing a raspberry. Trixie couldn't resist a laugh at reading that.
“Thank you so much for that, Twilight. It really means a lot to me.”
“It was a pleasure. So, What do you say, should we go? The others are still looking for you after all.”
Trixie nodded and they both stood up, putting the blanket around Trixie back in Twilight's saddlebag. While she was putting the blanket away Twilight also pulled a bouquet of flowers out and put them on the graves.
“It's the least to pay respect,“ she said with a small to Trixie who smiled in response.
“Mum, Dad, I promise you that I will come for a visit more often now.”
“And I promise to try and keep her out of trouble for once, even if this is nearly impossible.”
“Twilight!” Trixie yelled as she nudged Twilight in the side. Both mares started laughing before they made their way out of the cemetery.
“So, let's go back to the castle.”
“Hm, no,” Trixie said. “There is still one thing I would like to do.”
Twilight looked at Trixie in confusion before she followed her friend into the streets of Canterlot. During their tour they met Rainbow Dash who was glad to see Trixie well. They agreed on that Twilight would stay with Trixie and that Rainbow would go back to the castle to inform their friends that she was okay.
Not long after their meeting with Rainbow both mares arrived at a huge building. Upon seeing the sign above the entrance Twilight finally realized what Trixie wanted to do.
“Trixie, are you sure?”
“Yes, I am. It's been way to long for me to come back, I need to do this.”
Trixie approached the door and knocked. They waited for a minute before the door opened to reveal an earth pony mare.
“Welcome to the Sunny Skies Orphanage. How can...” Spring Song stared at Trixie, her mouth wide open and her eyes slowly becoming moist. “T-trixie? Is that really you?”
“Hello, Miss Song,” Trixie replied, her own eyes once again moist. “I'm back.”
Trixie's life has made a huge turn since her return to Ponyville. She has her own home, a regular income from her teaching job and many friends. Life was perfect.
Well, it would be perfect if there wasn't still be the little fact that she was still cursed with nightmares. In these six month since she approached Twilight they had found not a single clue about how to lift that curse, and one day they would run out of time. The time between the recharges for the protection amulet she received from the princesses has already decreased immense to nearly half the time from the beginning even if Twilight was sure that after Heartswarming Eve the amulet lasted longer for some time. Another six month, or maybe even less, and the amulet will be useless.
But Trixie wasn't thinking about the inevitable. If they can't find a solution in time there is nothing she can do, so she enjoys every single moment as good as she can as long as they last.
And slowly life was returning to normalcy in Ponyville as well. After months of monster attacks from the Everfree Forest it seems that whatever agitated the monsters to leave the forest has slowed down. It's been nearly a month since the last sighting of a monster outside of the forest. The guards were still at full force in Ponyville at the moment to ensure that it will stay that way, but it seems it won't be long until most of them can return to their usual posts in Canterlot.
Trixie was thinking about everything that happened while she was looking out of the window of the school building. Cheerilee has fallen sick recently and she has been asked if she could help out as a substitute teacher for a few days, watching over the school kids while they worked on some tasks Cheerilee has left behind. It wasn't something challenging, mostly boring like school tends to get if you got nothing to do, even as teacher. She has won over most of the fillies and colts with her teaching them and her performance after Hearth's Warming Eve, so they respect her now and won't cause trouble.
That performance has only been planned as a gift for her friends for Hearth's Warming Eve, but word got around and slowly more ponies came and asked if they could watch as well. It didn't take long until Trixie has decided to make it a public event. Lavender and Fuchsia who joined Trixie on stage as her assistants were not so thrilled at first to be on stage with so many ponies, but they came around and the performance has been a huge success.
Trixie looked at the clock on the wall of the classroom and stood up. “Alright, everypony. School is over for today. Please leave your sheets at the desk in the front before you leave.” Not much later Trixie had gathered all the sheets in her saddlebags to deliver them to Cheerilee later and walked out of the school building. She locked the door behind her and turned around to walk into town when she noticed that many of the kids had stayed behind, obviously waiting for her.
“Hey, how can I help you?”
The kids shuffled around a bit before Dinky Doo was shoved to the front. “Miss Trixie, we wanted to ask you something.”
“Sure, go on, Dinky, I got a few minutes of free time,” Trixie replied with a smile.
“Well, there is this talent show in two weeks, and many of us wanted to be a part of it. Miss Cheerilee promised to help us, and she even got permission from the guards to go to the outskirts to practice with some guards watching over us for the next week. But now with Miss Cheerilee being sick we can't go there. Would you go with us and help us prepare for the show?”
Trixie thought for a moment. “Hm, I got not many plans for the next week yet besides that one day of magic lesson, and I think we could combine these two or maybe cancel it for once.”
Dinky and the others perked up upon hearing that. “Does that mean 'yes'?”
“Yes, it does,” she answered with a smile. “I will go to the guard captain later and discuss everything with him to be Cheerilee's replacement for the next week. You can go on and tell your friends, I will tell the class tomorrow as well.”
Dinky moved forward and hugged Trixie's leg. “Thank you, miss Trixie.”
“No problem. Now go on, I'm sure your mom is already waiting for you at home.”
Dinky nodded and ran away with the other kids in excitement. Trixie watched them leave with a smile on her face.
'Enough dreaming, I need to go. Mr. Rich is waiting for the rent,' she thought. 'After that I need to go to Cheerilee and visit the captain.'
An hour later Trixie was on her way to Cheerilee's house when she heard someone call out her name.
“Trixie, there you are.”
She turned around and saw Twilight running in her direction before she stopped in front of Trixie.
“Hey, Twilight. Is something wrong? You seem excited.”
Twilight was silent for a moment while she regained her breath before she smiled up at Trixie. “I received a letter from Cadence and Shining Armor. They ask all of us for help to welcome the inspector for the Equestria Games in the Crystal Empire.”
Trixie's eyes grew with every word Twilight said. “You mean...”
Twilight nodded. “We are going to the Crystal Empire!”
Trixie squeaked in excitement and danced in place. “I can't believe it! I will finally see the Crystal Empire! When will we go?”
“Next Week!”
Trixie stopped in place, her excitement slowly melting away. “Please tell me you are kidding...”
~*~
Sunday Afternoon, Ponyville Train Station
“Are you really sure, Trixie?”
Trixie rolled her eyes. “Yes Twilight, I am sure. I promised the kids that I would watch over them this week and I'm not going back on that promise, even if it means not going to the Crystal Empire this time.”
“I'm sure they appreciate what you are doing for them, darling,” Rarity said.
“Yeah. They are all good kids, and I don't want to disappoint them.”
“Don't worry, Trixie. I will stay as well and help you during this week,” Spike proclaimed proudly.
“I sure hope so, I already payed you several gems after all for the cake you wanted to bake.”
Spike grinned sheepishly and the group laughed.
“Well, it's better than his first idea to get gems,” Twilight said. “I mean really, trying to watch over all of our pets all on your own, Spike? That screams chaos for Ponyville.”
“Especially with Angel,” Rainbow whispered into Trixie's ear who giggled.
“True,” Trixie agreed. “And we don't need more chaos after you released that fiend Discord. I still can't believe that the princess thought it would be a good idea to reform him. I expect every day that I wake up and my cottage is floating above the badlands.”
“Discord won't do something like this anymore,” Fluttershy said. “He has changed.”
“No offense, Fluttershy, but it's not easy to believe that that ruffian changed from one moment to another,” Rarity said. “But I must admit it's not impossible either. I think we should trust Princess Celestia's judgment upon this matter.”
At that moment they all heard the conductor call out. “All aboard! Last call for the Crystal Empire!”
“Well, I guess it's time for us.” Twilight said. Her friends nodded and they boarded the train. A moment later Twilight opened a window. “We have gone through everything, right Trixie?”
Trixie rolled her eyes. “Yes, Twilight, you told me several times. Spikes stays with me so that he won't be lonely in the library and so that he won't loot your gem storage in the basement.” Spike besides her puffed out his cheeks and crossed his arms in front of his body. “You left the balcony door open so that Owlowiscious can fly out at night, I only need to close it on Tuesday when it's scheduled to rain in the afternoon. There is a sign outside of the library explaining why it's closed for this week, along with a box for returning books. We will take the books out of it every morning, put them back in their places in the library and dust the shelves so it won't be a mess when you come back on Friday. Princess Luna agreed to come around when my amulet needs to be recharged, we only need to send a letter to her when it's time.”
Twilight nodded after she was sure that everything on her mental checklist has been checked off. “Good, that should be everything.” The doors closed and the train slowly started moving out of the station. “We will be back soon, Spike, you will listen to what Trixie tells you.”
“Will do Twilight. Bye!” He winked along with Trixie as the train gained speed and slowly disappeared. When it was finally gone Trixie sighed and let her head sink down. Spike looked at Trixie and patted her on the shoulder. “You really wanted to go with them, huh?”
Trixie nodded. “Yes. I read so many stories about the empire that I always wanted to see it. When I heard that it truly exist and has returned it was like a dream coming true. I guess I have to wait a bit longer. I made a promise and I won't disappoint the kids.”
She looked at the dragon besides her. “Now come on, Spike. We have a lot to prepare for tomorrow afternoon.” Spike nodded in agreement and climbed on Trixie's back after the mare bent down for him.
Trixie turned and walked down the road. “Are you really going to dust the library every day?” Spike asked curious from her back.
Trixie laughed. “Do I look like Twilight? I think it will be enough if we clean up on Thursday, Twilight don't need to know. Right?”
They both laughed at that and walked into town.
~*~
It was Wednesday afternoon and Trixie was on the outskirts of Ponyville near the Whitetail Woods once again with Spike, nearly twenty kids and a group of five guards keeping watch over them. Their little practice sessions were a huge success in Trixie's eyes. The kids all behaved while they practiced their chosen acts for the talent show in groups and Trixie made sure, along with Spike, to treat every group equal with advises and support to not raise the claim of helping only one group.
Of course, that still means she has her personal favorites. Among these were Toola Roola and Coconut Cream, two fillies and best friends who were practicing for an athletics performance. In Trixie's opinion they were pretty good and stood good chances to win.
Not much of a big surprise was the act of the crusaders who were practicing a musical number. Spike had told her about their last try with a musical number and how they somehow messed everything up and still won a prize in the end. But it seems that this time they were on a good path to make it better.
Trixie smiled when she saw that once again the guards acted as a point as advise as well while doing their duty. When they all started their practice on Monday afternoon the guards did not much besides standing on the sidelines and watched out for problems. That changed after some of the fillies of one group approached two of the guards and asked them for help with something while Trixie and Spike were busy with another group at that time.
At first the guards were unsure if they were allowed to drift from their appointment by helping them, but with the help of the puppy dog eyes the fillies convinced them. After that the guards agreed that it would not harm to interact with the fillies and colts as long as they keep their eyes open for danger.
Thanks to this development Trixie now had six helpers by her side, which she was truly glad about. Watching over so many kids was more stressful than she thought. Sure, she watched over more during school-time, but then they were mostly quietly sitting at their seats and not running around. Only now did she truly learn to appreciate that.
As she looked around trying to decide to which group she should go now she couldn't resist thinking about Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon who luckily decided not to participate in the talent show and thus in their practice sessions. She was pretty sure that these two would not try to cause trouble while the guards are around and watching, but just their presence might have been enough to make the others feel unease and distract from their own performances.
Trixie looked at the position of the sun and was surprised to see that it already was much later than she expected. In fact, it was already time to finish for the day. It would be maybe one hour until the sun starts to set and the moon to rise, and she has to make sure that all the kids got back home by that time.
Trixie lighted her horn and shot one of her firework spells in the sky to get the attention of the colts and fillies. “Alright everypony, as much fun as it has been it's time to clean up for today! I can already see some of your parents on their way picking you up!”
True to her words several ponies where walking up the meadow to them. They had agreed upon that most parents would pick up their children themselves to make it easier on Trixie. She could think of funnier thinks than navigating through town with twenty fillies and colts by her side. Soon everywhere she looked the kids were cleaning up and collecting there things for the evening. Not long after that most children have been picked up by their parents or family members, leaving Trixie behind only with Sweetie Belle who she would bring home herself.
“Another successful day without any problems, hmm?”
Trixie turned to see the lieutenant of the guards, a gray coated unicorn with a brown mane named Shield Break, walk up to her and she smiled at him. “It seems so, lieutenant. But with your kind of work, boredom is good after all, right?”
He laughed. “True, even if I like some excitement from time to time. Otherwise, we guards grow weak.”
“Also true.”
At that moment a loud howl penetrated the air from the direction of the part of the woods closest to the Everfree Forest.
“It seems you will get your excitement today after all,” Trixie said with uneasiness in her voice and a concerned frown on her face. “That are timberwolves.”
Trixie did not receive an answer as Shield Break was already on his way and balked orders to his guards. Trixie quickly ran to Spike and Sweetie Belle who was hunched up to the ground, shaking in fear. It seems their encounter months ago has left invisible scars on the little filly.
“Sweetie, are you alright?” Upon not receiving an answer of the heavily breathing filly besides a frightened stare she moved closer to her and lowered her back. “Come on, Sweetie, I will carry you.” Sweetie finally nodded and climbed on the offered back.
Just as they started walking again they heard another howl from behind them, along with the sound of breaking and rustling branches. Trixie turned and prepared herself in case that even with the guard she would need to react. The guards were already aligned and prepared as well to fight against anything that could come out of the forest to make sure nopony would get hurt.
Suddenly a small pack of four timberwolves emerged from the forest in full run. The guards stood their ground, prepared to fight for their charges safety, but to their surprise the timberwolves did not care about them. They did see the ponies, but changed directions immediately without stopping and disappeared into the Whitetail Woods.
Trixie relaxed and watched as the guards did so as well and slowly retreated back to them, their eyes all the time at the forest in case of an ambush. Even Sweetie Belle calmed down enough after seeing the timberwolves run away to jump down from Trixie's back.
“That was strange,” Shield Break said as he reached and addressed Trixie. “I have never seen a timberwolf running away like that. It looked like they were terrified of something.”
“But... what in the name of Celestia could scare several timberwolves enough to run with their tails between their legs?” one of the other guards asked.
Just as Shield wanted to say something there was another noise from the Everfree and as the group looked over they saw several huge trees falling in the distance, followed by a horrible roar.
“What was THAT?” one guard exclaimed after a moment of silence.
“No... please, no...”
Every eye fell on Trixie after she spoke. Her eyes were wide open and her irises as small as pinpricks. This time it was her with a horrified look on her face.
“What do you mean, miss Trixie? Do you know what that was?” Shield Break asked in concern.
“We need to run! We must warn the town!”
Spike stepped up and held her face in his claws. “Trixie, calm down! You don't need to panic!”
After Spike snapped her out of her panic she calmed down slightly, but was still breathing hard much like Sweetie Belle did minutes before.
“Please, miss Trixie. If you know what that was, tell us,” Shield said.
She looked at him in fright. “It's the Ursa Minor.”
Another roar echoed through the air, much louder than before.
“And it's getting closer. It's coming to Ponyville...”
Every eye was on Trixie, staring at her in disbelieve. Spike and the guards were dumbfounded upon her declaration what the source of the noise was, while Sweetie Belle behind Trixie was shaking in fear.
The first one who got out of his shock was Shield Break who immediately barked out instructions.
“No time for panic, we need to stay calm! You two” – he pointed at the two pegasi of his group – “will go ahead into town! One of you goes immediately to the mayor, the other to the captain. Tell them that an ursa is nearby, and that there is a big possibility that it will come into town soon. We need to mobilize the rest of the guard and to evacuate the civilians if necessary!” The pegasi saluted and ascended into the air, disappearing in the direction of the town. “The rest of us will now focus on getting those three to safety.”
They all nodded and Trixie turned to Sweetie. “Come on now, no need to be afraid. We will bring you back to your family in no time. I won't let anything harm a hair on your coat.” Sweetie nodded carefully. She knew Trixie means what she said, she had proven so before after all.
They all started their track back into town, and Trixie could already see several ponies in the distance between the buildings running around in confusion who heard the roar, trying to figure out what was going on.
Before they even reached the first buildings they heard another roar along with more breaking trees. Trixie looked behind her and gasped. The ursa has already broken through the border of the forest and was on its way into town maybe half a mile behind and to the side of them. It would only take it a few moments to reach the first buildings.
“Sweet Celestia...,” one of the remaining guards mumbled with wide eyes. “How can be something that huge?”
“And that is just the minor, a baby,” Trixie said. “I have never seen the mother in 'person', but Twilight gave me some indications and showed me a picture. Believe me, you don't want to know...”
Now that the ursa was in the open and on its way into town many more ponies noticed it. Trixie could hear many screams coming from the part of the town closest to it and saw several fleeing ponies as well. Outrunning an ursa might not be impossible if you know what you are doing, but that could not be said about the panic induced individuals right now. Trixie knew that, without help, they won't get far before the ursa was at them, and she could not see much of the guard yet.
“Lieutenant, you need to help them!” she said. “Without help they are doomed. We three are good on our own, we will get into safety ourselves.”
Shield Break looked a few times between Trixie and the ursa. “Are you sure?” Trixie nodded. “Alright, miss Trixie. Guards! Let's go, these ponies need us!” The remaining guards saluted and ran of with Shield Break at the lead.
Trixie watched them for a second. She wanted to help defend this town that had accepted her so much, but she must get Sweetie to safety first. She turned back to her two companions. “Let's go. You two get on my back, this way we are faster.” They both nodded and climbed on Trixie's back. “We need to get a letter to the princesses. Without Twilight, they are the only ones who can take care of the ursa.” They ran into town just as another roar pierced the air behind them along with something breaking that was definitely not a tree this time.
Along their way they warned every pony they came along about the danger and told them to get away. It saddened Trixie that she heard some ponies saying that it was her fault once again for the ursa being in town, but she ignored them and kept running. She also noticed many guards appearing and helping evacuate the civilians or going in the direction of the rampaging ursa to help fighting it of.
“There she is, Fuchsia! Trixie, up here!” Trixie stopped in her tracks and looked up to see Lavender Lace flying above her, slowly descending while Fuchsia Blush came running around the corner. “Glad to see that you are all alright. We were worried when we heard about the ursa from some guards,” Lavender said after she dropped to the ground.
“Yeah, we wanted to go check on you, since your practice session was near the point the ursa appeared,” Fuchsia said.
It touched Trixie that her friends were so worried about her that they came looking for her. “We are fine. We were closer than most others, but still far enough away. We had just wrapped everything up, and besides Sweetie Belle and Spike there were no other kids around.”
“Good to hear that nopony got hurt,” Lavender said, sighing in relief. “Now let's get ourselves to safety.”
Trixie was quiet for a moment before she levitated both Sweetie Belle and Spike from her back. “Take these two to safety, and get something for Spike to write a letter to the princesses. I got something else to do.”
They all stared at Trixie as she turned to the direction in which they could see the ursa in the distance. “You can't be serious?” Fuchsia asked worried. “Please tell me you are not going to that monster.”
Trixie nodded. “I am. I wanna help defend my home, no matter what. That's what my training with Twilight has been for. To protect my friends.” With these words Trixie ran away, leaving her friends behind.
“Trixie, wait!” she heard Sweetie Belle crying out, but she ignored her.
They all watched their friend run away before Fuchsia spoke up. “Come on, we must go. There is nothing we can do to convince that stubborn mare to come with us. Let's hope she won't try something stupid.” Spike and Lavender nodded while Fuchsia picked up Sweetie Belle with her magic and placed her on her back before they all made their way to town hall.
~*~
The small group arrived at town hall a few minutes later to find it crowded with ponies. They made their way through the crowd up to Mayor Mare who was talking with one of the pegasus guards Shield Break had sent away earlier to warn her. They approached her and added everything they know about the situation as well. After that they walked through the crowd, looking for Sweetie Belle's parents.
“I knew it was just a matter of time until that stupid magician would destroy everything.”
They all stopped immediately in their tracks and turned to the direction of the voice. There stood a green coated stallion with a yellow mane they recognized as one of these that always talked bad about Trixie. Fuchsia snorted in anger and took the first step to talk back to him, but before she was able to do so she was beaten by somepony else.
“Hey! Don't talk like that about Trixie, she has done nothing wrong!” Sweetie Belle yelled at the stallion from besides Spike who was glaring at him as well, drawing the attention of the surrounding ponies.
The stallion glared at the filly in front of him. “Why not? Do you truly think it's a coincident that an ursa is attacking, the same beast she brought to town before might I add, after miss Sparkle and the other bearers left her alone without nopony watching over her? I say she has planned all of this from the first day.”
“Alright first of all, Twilight and the others are not her wardens, they are her friends,” Spike began. “Second Trixie would never do that. She regrets everything that happened before, and she has done nothing since she moved to Ponyville that looks like she planned anything. I thought so at first as well, but after she saved Sweetie Belle from the timberwolves month's ago I realized I was wrong.”
“That proves nothing,” the stallion sneered. “It was just a big plan to make sure we all think ourselves safe until she finished her plan.”
“Then ask Shield Break, his unit and around twenty fillies and colts about where Trixie's been this afternoon. She has been with us the whole day, never even been near the Everfree to get the ursa.”
“And where is she now if she has been with you all this time?”
“She is out there, fighting for our safety and that of the town!” Spike yelled back.
The stallion turned his head away, but before he could say anything else a new voice spoke up. “I can vouch for her as well.” They all turned to see Cloud Chaser walking up to them. “I was flying around when I heard the first roar and I flew higher up to see what was going on. That's when I saw the ursa in the distance, but it wasn't alone. I was too far away to see exactly what was going on, but there were several shapes flying around the ursa, attacking it several times while slowly moving closer to town.” Cloud Chaser leveled her stare at the stallion. “Somepony lured the ursa into town, that is true, but as long as Trixie did not suddenly sprout wings and created copies of herself she could not have done it.”
The stallion glared at the surrounding mares before he walked away. “Whatever, I will stay with my opinion. You can believe whatever you want.” Many ponies watched him go, whispering to each other about the discussion they just witnessed.
Fuchsia turned to face Cloud Chaser. “Thank you for standing up for Trixie, but is that true? Somepony brought the ursa to town on purpose?”
Cloud Chaser nodded. “It seems so, that's at least what I saw, and it didn't look like those I saw were trying to chase it away. I already informed the mayor and the captain, but at the moment there is nothing they can do. We must deal with the ursa first.”
Sweetie Belle listened in fright to the grown-ups talking, but her thoughts were focused on something else, or better on somepony else. 'Please, Trixie, be careful.'
~*~
Trixie in the meanwhile had arrived at the point of the crisis. She knew that it would be foolish to fight the ursa, and maybe hinder the guards if she jumps into a fight on her own, so she decided instead to help find the remaining civilians and bring them to safety. Here and there she also helped some of the guards by casting a small shield around them to prevent harm from buildings damaged by the furious ursa or blasted falling debris with a spell. As far as she could tell there has been no serious casualties so far, but the ursa was still inside of town, making it's way farther in.
Trixie was just about to move on down the road looking for ponies to help when she heard a scream coming from the direction she feared the most. After turning around she could see the ursa tower over the buildings, trying to batter away the pegasus guards with one of its paws while the other was resting on the roof of a small house. Said roof was slowly giving away to the weight of the ursa.
A part of Trixie urged her to turn around again and run away from the beast of her nightmares, but she knew there was somepony in need of help, and the guards were too busy with the ursa. Swallowing Trixie steeled her nerves and ran in the direction of the beast.
The closer she got to the building the ursa was resting its paw on she moved more careful to not draw its attention. She pricked up her ears to listen for any sign of the source of the scream she heard earlier, which wasn't an easy task with the ursa being so close. Finally she heard somepony cry from the very building that was about to be crashed by the beast.
Knowing that the building won't withstand much more she quickly moved to the front door and tried to open it without success. She turned around and with a strong buck of her legs she forced the door open. She heard a gasp from inside and rushed in to see the last pony she ever expected to see.
“Diamond Tiara? What are you doing here?”
The little filly was curled up under a table on the other side of the room, but upon seeing Trixie she stood up and rushed to her, wrapping her little legs around Trixie's. “I-I got separated from Silver Spoon a-and tried to hide, but then I couldn't open the door again,” she cried.
“Shh, it's okay. I will get you out of here.” At that moment Trixie heard the roof over them groan and knew there was not much more time. “Quick, get on my back!”
Diamond Tiara nodded and climbed on Trixie's back. As soon as she was safe and secure Trixie turned and ran out of the building. They crossed the street and soon after they heard the crashing of the collapsing building, accompanied with an angry roar of the ursa. She didn't stop until she was several streets away. She leaned against the wall, catching her breath.
“Miss Trixie!” Trixie turned her head and saw Shield Break running up to them. “Are you two alright? I saw you running from the building earlier.”
“It's good to see you, lieutenant,” Trixie replied. “We are both fine.”
Shield Break relaxed visibly. “That's good to hear, but what are you doing here at all?”
“I wanted to help, so I came back after I brought Sweetie Belle and Spike to safety.” Trixie nodded to Diamond Tiara on her back. “The filly was trapped in the building, so I rushed inside to get her out.”
Shield sighed. “I somehow knew you would not stay in safety, but-”
Before he could continue Diamond Tiara spoke up. “Have you seen my friend Silver Spoon? I got separated from her earlier.”
“Don't worry, little one,” Shield said with a smile. “We found her and brought her to safety. She didn't want to leave without you at first, but after I promised her we would do everything to find you she agreed. She should be at town hall with most of the citizens. One of our guards will escort you there to make sure you are safe.”
Just a few minutes later both Trixie and Shield Break were looking after an earth pony guard walking away in the direction of the town hall, Diamond Tiara on his back. The filly turned her head to look back at Trixie and waved her little hoof which Trixie replied. After they disappeared around a corner Trixie turned to the lieutenant.
“Is it really a good idea to spare one of your guards? I could have brought her back instead.”
“To be honest, this is the best our earth pony guards can do right now.” Upon seeing Trixie's questioning face he continued. “As you know the biggest advantage earth ponies got is there strength. But against an opponent like this they can't compete, the beast is just much stronger. They would just put themselves in danger. That's why the earth pony guards are searching for trapped civilians and escort them back to safety.”
“That makes sense,” Trixie replied.
“Yeah, but it's still not looking good.” He moved his hoof to point at the ursa a few streets down and the pegasus guards flying around it. “Our unicorns are not doing much better. Their spells either doesn't bother the ursa the slightest or they make it even more angry than it already is, which endangers the pegasi. They get most of its attention and with it most of its attacks. We are already down to one third of our pegasi, the rest got hit and are unable to fight.”
Trixie frowned. “That does truly not sound good. By now Spike should have sent a letter to the princess, but we don't know how long it will take for them to come to help. We need to stop the ursa from getting further into town.”
Shield Break nodded in agreement. “Do you think you can do anything against it? You are probably the strongest in town regarding magic at the moment and we need any help we can get.”
Trixie thought about that for a moment. It was true that she was one of the strongest after Twilight, but there was no way that she could truly vanquish an ursa, even if it is only a minor. But she only needs to buy some time until the princess arrives. “I could try to distract it with my illusions or even lure it away from town with them, but I don't know if they have any effect on the beast at all. That's always a problem with magical beings. The timberwolves were only confused for a few moments by illusions until they realized what was going on and ignored them, and an Ursa Minor is much stronger.”
Trixie looked deep into Shield Break' eyes. “But there is no reason not to try it. I will do anything to safe my home.”
He returned her gaze and smiled. 'Hard to believe that that is the same mare I heard so many negative stories and rumors about. They are either wrong or she truly has changed.'
“Very well, miss Trixie. Should we do anything as preparation for you?”
Trixie bit her lip. “I'm afraid it's necessary to call back the guards fighting right now, at least to some degree. If they attack the ursa while I try to get its attention it will probably focus on them instead and ignore everything else.”
Shield Break narrowed his eyes. "That will give the beast an opportunity to get even further into town."
"I know, but it will do so any way not much later," Trixie replied. "They don't need to retreat too far, only to get out of sight of the ursa so it's attention will be on my illusions. If it's not working they can go back into action as soon as possible."
Shield Break thought about Trixie's plan for a moment. She had a point. It won't be much longer until the ursa might hit their remaining pegasi, and the unicorns and earth ponies won't be able to hold out long on their own.
"Very well, I will inform the captain of the plan and inform the guards to retreat. If the captain does not agree, you will retreat yourself if the guards do not react."
Trixie nodded. "I need a few moments to find a good position. I will fire one of my fireworks if I'm ready."
Shield Break nodded and turned to inform his captain. After a few steps he stopped and looked over his shoulder.
"Miss Trixie?" Trixie, who had turned into another direction stopped in her tracks and looked back. "Be careful."
Trixie smirked. "I do my best." With this she continued on her way.
~*~
Minutes later Trixie stood on the roof of a building behind the ursa, overlooking the destruction the beast conjured. It was worse than it looked from below, but not as bad as she thought it would be.
She took a deep breath and braced herself for the task ahead of her. 'Come on, Trixie, you can do it!' After she calmed her nerves she fired her firework spell in the air and waited. At first the guards did not react and she thought that the captain did not give his approval, but just as she was about to get down to earth the pegasi left the ursa and flew away.
Trixie waited till the guards had left before she made her move against the beast which followed some of the retreating guards further into town.
At first, she conjured an illusion of a manticore like she did with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon months ago to grab the ursas attention, but only then did she truly realize the size difference of these two predators. The ursa only glanced at the manticore briefly before it stepped past it.
Her next attempt was creating an image of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna with the same size as the beast. This time the ursa stopped and roared at the alicorns. But when its swipe with its paw went right through them it ignored them like the manticore before.
"Come on, something has to work," Trixie muttered to herself before she created the biggest illusion she could think of.
The time she had asked Twilight about what an Ursa Mayor truly looked like and got an illustration from her friend was the day she truly felt fear, but now she could use that knowledge to her advantage. She knew that she would scare many of those who see it, but it was the only thing she could think of.
Sweat ran down her face as she created the image of the one beast she feared above all which appeared with an ear shattering roar in front of the minor. She had to make a sacrifice in its visible form to create the roar, but she was sure it was necessary to get the minor to acknowledge it.
Sure enough, the Ursa Minor cowered on the ground with wide eyes in front of its angered mother. Trixie was sure she finally had it. She moved the illusion past the minor into the direction of the forest, hoping that the baby would follow its mother.
Sadly Trixie made the mistake of moving the illusion too close past the minor who tried to touch its mothers leg only for it to went right through. Confused the minor followed quickly and tried again for the same result. It sniffed at the leg only to realize that its "mother" has no scent.
Confusion turned into anger. With another roar it turned back to town.
"No! Nononono, please. I was so close," Trixie whined. Since it has lost its purpose she released the mother illusion and tried several other in her panic which where all ignored by the ursa. Slowly her panic turned into anger as well.
"Come on, you stupid excuse of a teddy bear! There must be something to get your attention!" she yelled at the top of her lungs with a stomp of her hoof.
In her anger Trixie unintentially released another spell, one that was not an illusion. She watched as a storm cloud formed above the ursa and grew darker until it released a lightning bolt, just like she did the last time on purpose to "vanquish" it. The ursa yelped in surprise and pain as the bolt hit its behind before it turned around to look for the one responsible.
It didn't take the beast long to spot Trixie at the top of the building now that there are no illusions around. It stared at Trixie for a minute while Trixie stared back.
Trixie gulped. "I guess that is a way to get your attention." The ursa glared at Trixie and roared before it approached the show mare. "Aaaand I think you recognized me from our last meeting which I take as my cue for my departure."
In a flash of light Trixie teleported from the roof down on the street and turned to run away as fast as she could, the ursa chasing her immediately.
'Well, at least now I can steer it away from town,' Trixie thought. 'Sadly the only way I can turn to is the Everfree Forest. Staying in the open makes me an easy target, and the trees will slow it down.'
With a plan in mind Trixie made her way into the forest, the ursa still on her tail. The trees were not much of a hindrance to the ursa, but as hoped they slowed the raging beast down slightly, buying Trixie precious moments.
But no matter how fast Trixie ran the ursa caught up to her several times, forcing Trixie to teleport some distance away. At that moment she was truly glad for Twilight's lessons. Without them she would already be done.
Another roar from behind her reminded Trixie that she still was in mortal danger. She was quickly running out of energy to teleport, and her legs were screaming at her in exhaustion while the sweat was running down her body, but she kept running.
Trixie looked over her shoulder to saw a swiping paw getting closer. She teleported out of reach at the last second only to stumble slightly when she reappeared.
Her vision was starting to get blurry as her exhaustion started to catch up with her. She shook her head, but she only made it worse.
Another roar from behind her drew Trixie's attention. When she looked back again she saw the next swipe coming. She tried to teleport again, but her magic fizzled out without doing anything. Trixie got hit by the ursas paw swipe and was hurled through the air with a scream.
With an amazing amount of luck Trixie did not hit any trees, but upon landing her momentum carried her further away as she rolled down a small slope. Pain flooded her body when she finally came to a stop. She did her best to stay still to catch her breath.
She could hear the ursa stomping closer so she finally tried to get to her hooves again only to fall down with a yelp again as she felt pain in her leg. She looked down to see her leg bend like no leg should be able to.
Trixie could not walk any longer as the ursa drew closer with every second. She also felt her exhaustion slowly won over her body as her vision blurred even more.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw a big bush not far away. Gathering her last strength Trixie crawled slowly forward and hid herself in the bush before her eyes slowly closed and she was consumed by darkness.
Darkness was all around her, no matter in which direction Trixie looked. Not that she had much time to look around, there were much different things on her mind. Like running for her life.
She was not able to see the creature, but she could hear the roar of the ursa minor from behind her. Sometimes it sounded as if she managed to increase the distance between her and the monster, only to hear the roar even closer than before. It felt as if she has been running for hours without end, maybe even days, not knowing if she would escape the beast or find somepony who might be able to help her in her misery. But she wasn't so sure if she truly wanted to find somepony else. Sure, it would mean that she had help, but it would also mean that somepony else was in danger with her.
Just when Trixie was about to fall to the ground out of exhaustion, she noticed a small shape appearing in front of her.
As she drew closer, her hearth jumped out of joy when she finally recognized the shape. It was Twilight, just sitting in this darkness with her back facing Trixie.
Trixie summoned her last strength and galloped in Twilight's direction. When she was close enough she called out to her.
"Twilight!"
Trixie could see her friend turn around, looking for the one who called her, but when she recognized Trixie, she glared at her. Trixie didn't notice that, though. She was too much fixated on reaching her friend.
When she finally arrived in front of Twilight, she collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.
"It's you," Twilight said in a neutral tone.
"Yes, its me," Trixie said, breathing hard after running for so long. "Listen, I need your help. We must get out of here, there is an ursa minor running around somewhere in this darkness."
Twilight rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Sure, just come to me to help you once again with your problems instead of solving them yourself. I thought you would learn one day to do something on your own, but you are still just a weak and pathetic moron."
Trixie was taken aback when she heard those words, she couldn't believe that Twilight would say something like this into her face.
"No! T-that's not true!"
"Is it not?" Twilight answered with a sneer before she started walking around Trixie in circles like a predator with its prey. "Oh no, I got nightmares, let's go to Twilight Sparkle for help. Somepony needs to recharge the amulet, but I'm too scared to stay in Canterlot, so I will stay near Twilight. My mommy died because of me, Twilight will comfort me while I cry like a baby! Pathetic!"
Trixie did her best to keep the tears from leaking. "W-why do you say something like this? I thought we are friends?"
"Oh, please. Who would want to be friends with somepony like you? You are useless. I thought I could impress Princess Celestia by reforming a villain. You are not more than a study project for me, but since the princess decided to free Discord and let Fluttershy of all ponies reform him, you are of no use for me any longer. It doesn't matter any longer if I reform you, in comparison to Discord you are a joke. There was only one time I thought you might be worth my time, and that was when you wore the alicorn amulet. You possessed so much power, you could have done everything. But without it, you are nothing."
Twilight stopped her pacing around Trixie in front of her. "Get lost! You will always be the Weak and Pathetic Trixie," she yelled in Trixie's face before she turned her back on her. "Now, if you will excuse me, there is an ursa I need to vanquish. Something YOU can only dream of ever doing."
Twilight flicked her tail against Trixie's nose, but she barely noticed. She sat on the floor, head downcast and tears streaking down her face after she lost the fight against it during Twilight's speech.
Once again she has lost everything and has been abandoned by her 'friend' who simply used her. She thought that she finally had a new home and friends who understood and support her, but it was not to be. A part of her always knew it was too good to be true, but she didn't listen. Everything was just a joke.
“Well, if you don't wanna call me a friend that's okay, but I will still call you friend. And there is nothing you can do against it.”
Trixie perked up when she heard that quiet whisper. She looked around for the source, but besides Twilight who was still walking away she could see nothing. 'Wasn't that... Lyra?' she thought.
"Well, duh. Why should I not wanna help a friend in need?"
'There it is again! And I remember that, it was from after I met Bon Bon and Lyra came to help me afterwards!'
"...I promise you to stay by your side as your friend, if you want me to."
Trixie blinked. 'That... was Twilight, the night I told her about my parents, but...,' she looked at the retreating form of Twilight, who seemed to be at the same place as the last time she looked. '...that came not from her...'
“I did it, I really did it! Thank you, Trixie, thank you so much!”
Trixie looked down at her hoofs, lost in thought. 'Sweetie Belle... Those are my memories...'
"I did ignore everything when Twilight tried to reason with me before, but I should have listened. But now I'm willing to forgive you.”
“Anypony who talks to you a bit can see that you truly regret anything that happened. You made a mistake, and you paid for it. We both see no reason to avoid you or anything else, so we are good.”
'...on my honor as a royal guard, whenever you need help, feel free to come to me and ask."
“We thought that would be the best way to always remind you that we will always be there for you.” That last memory came with an image of the picture she got from her friends for Hearths Warming that Trixie saw in front of her eyes.
"You are right..." Trixie whispered just loud enough for Twilight to hear and stop. She turned around and looked at Trixie who slowly got to her hooves.
"What is it now again," Twilight groaned. "You got something else to say, oh Weak and Pathetic Trixie?"
"You are right," Trixie repeated. "I'm not as strong as I always claimed to be in the past. But I don't need to be that like I thought all these years." Trixie glared at Twilight. "I got my friends with me, and they help me with whatever I can not do myself. Alone, I'm weak, but with my friends by my side I can accomplish everything."
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Did you not listen to me before? You have no friends! You are nothing but a study project to me! At the end of the day, you are the Weak and Pathetic Trixie, while I'm Twilight Sparkle, prized student of Princess Celestia and probably the most powerful unicorn since Starswirl the Bearded!"
Trixie stood her ground against the verbal assault of the mare in front of her with a smirk. "You are good, I nearly believed you, but you made a few mistakes."
"What are you talking about?"
"First," Trixie continued without acknowledging the question, "you are only talking about yourself. Not even once did you mention the others. Even if you are telling the truth and only used me, I know at least three mares that I doubt are a part of your 'project', namely Lyra, Fuchsia and Lavender. Maybe the crusaders as well. So I have friends, no matter what you say."
"So what?" Twilight asked with a frown. "I forgot a few morons, big deal."
"Second. Twilight does nearly anything the princess would ask of her, but she would never use another sapient lifeform for a project that would do any harm, physically or mentally."
"You are pulling at straws here, you know? You don't know anything about me."
"I know more than enough, which leads to my third point. Twilight Sparkle is the most kind and modest pony I ever met. She doesn't think she is something special, and she would never proclaim herself to be the mightiest unicorn, even if it is true."
Trixie narrowed her eyes and glared at the unicorn in front of her. She could feel a warmth growing in her, pressing her to go on. And it felt so good. "I don't know who or even what you are, but I don't believe you any longer that you are Twilight Sparkle!"
Neither of the two mares said anything for what felt like minutes, they only looked at each other. One of them with a glare, ready to attack if necessary, the other looked unimpressed and bored.
"So, you don't think that I'm Twilight Sparkle, and that you are strong enough with the help of the ones you call friends?" Twilight finally said before she smirked. "Well, I guess that means I'm not needed any longer, so you can have some fun on your own..."
There was a loud 'thump' behind Trixie as if something big hit the ground. Trixie's eyes widened in fear.
"...because I think your little friend finally found you."
Trixie slowly turned around and saw the Ursa Minor emerging from the darkness not far away from her position. It growled and narrowed its eyes before it slowly approached. Trixie herself took several steps back from the beast.
"What's the matter, oh Great and Powerful Trixie? Not so courageous anymore?"
"Would you just shut-" Trixie stopped in her remark when she looked over her shoulder only to notice that the Twilight imposter has vanished. Instead, she saw Ponyville behind her, with all her friends minus Twilight standing between her and the town, each of them either frowning or glaring at her. "What is going on?"
"What have you done?!" Rainbow Dash yelled. "You brought it back into town again?!"
"I knew it was just a farce. Nopony like you can change," Rarity said.
"Told ya!" Spike yelled"
"We should have run away the moment we learned who she is. Am I right, Lavender?" Fuchsia Blush asked her friend who simply nodded in agreement with tears in her eyes.
"Can you forgive me for not believing you, Bonnie?"
"Of course, Lyra. She fooled all of us."
This verbal assault continued with each of Trixie's friends, and every statement hurt more than the last one. In the end Trixie was staring at the ground, tears running down her cheeks. She didn't know what she was more afraid of any longer: The approaching beast behind her or the words of her friends in front of her.
'No, these are not my friends! They are just like that Twilight imposter before. I should just run away and look for my real friends.'
'But what if these truly are my friends? I can't simply abandon them and leave them to their fate.'
'Even if these are my friends they clearly don't want to see me any longer. I just want to go home.'
'But... this is my home...'
Trixie wiped the tears from her face with her leg and turned around to face the Ursa again.
"What are you doing now, loud mouth?" she heard Rainbow Dash calling from behind her.
Trixie was silent for a moment while she simply stared at the beast. "I don't believe that you are my friends. You are just imposters trying to break me. But a part of me still insists that you are the real ones. And maybe you are. It doesn't matter, because I won't let the Ursa lay a paw on even one of you.
"I have been running away from my problems and my past the biggest part of my life, claiming to be the most powerful unicorn in existence just to feel better. I made many mistakes I deeply regret and would do anything to repay the ones I hurt in my path." There was something behind the ursa, but Trixie couldn't identify what it was. It looked like a small ball of light that slowly grew in size. "My friends are the reason for my change. They showed me that there is so much to live for. Without them I would still be the same self-absorbed pony I used to be."
The Ursa continued its approach. Maybe it was Trixie's imagination but it seemed farther away then it was moments before. Or maybe it was smaller? The ball of light has grown, but it still seemed to be far away.
"As if someone like you could do anything against that monster. It will kill you!" Rainbow yelled from behind.
Trixie was silent for a moment while the ball continued growing. "Maybe you are right and I won't survive. But I can buy some time for help to arrive. If that means sacrificing everything so that the most important ponies in my life and my home are safe, I'm willing to pay that prize." Trixie saw her mother in her mind smiling at her. "Just like someone else did for me long ago..."
Trixie regarded the ursa in front of her again. It really was smaller than Trixie remembered, but she dismissed that thought quickly. She dug her hoofs in the ground and prepared herself.
"You won't harm my friends!" she yelled before she charged forward.
'Forgive me, mother, for ever blaming myself for your fate. Now I understand why you did it.'
The ball of light in the distance grew in size at an alarming rate and engulfed everything in its light.
~*~
Trixie was not able to open her eyes. After she has spent what felt like days in that darkness her eyes needed some time to adjust to the light surrounding her. That did not mean that she left her guard down. After all, the last thing she remembered before the light was herself running towards an Ursa Minor.
She stayed silent, fully relying on her ears which flicked around to capture any sound of a potential enemy while she waited for her sight to return.
After what felt like eternity Trixie was able to open her eyes, but it did not help very much. It was just like before when she has been surrounded by darkness, but instead of an eternal blackness she saw nothing but white light.
"What happened? Where am I?" she asked herself, her voice echoing in the void. After not receiving an answer or seeing anything dangerous Trixie decided to lay down and rest while she thought about everything that occurred earlier.
Barely a minute after she flopped down to the space she was standing on she heard a new sound. Trixie looked around and tried to locate the source of that strange sound. It did not take long until she found the direction and saw something getting closer.
It was a small black object, similar to the white ball of light she saw earlier, but different. It was not flying directly in her direction but wobbled in the air, reminding her a bit of a firefly.
Trixie got back to her hooves and prepared herself to fight in case it was an enemy. The ball finally arrived and hovered a small distance away from Trixie who realized that the ball was in fact not black but a dark blue.
"Fear not, daughter of Lulamoon, you are safe. I mean no harm."
Trixie blinked in surprise and relaxed. She knew that voice, but there was a distortion which made it hard to place it.
She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything the small ball extended and grew in size until it was bigger than Trixie. She was not a magic protege like Twilight, but Trixie recognized a portal if it opens in front of her. Out of the portal stepped one of the last ponies Trixie expected to see.
"Princess Luna!"
The princess of the night smiled down at Trixie from her position while the portal she used disappeared behind her. "Indeed, it is I. And I'm glad to see you as well, Miss Lulamoon."
Trixie stared at the alicorn in front of her before she narrowed her eyes. "Are you the real one or a fake?"
Luna blinked in surprise. "What makes you think I'm a fake, little one?"
"Just a run in with some beings that claimed to be my friends." Trixie lowered her gaze to the ground. "At least I hope they only claimed to be them..."
Luna smiled again. "Well, I can't prove anything to you in this realm, but I can assure you that everything besides me you saw here was not real."
Trixie breathed out in relieve. "That at least fills me with more hope. But what is with you speaking... normal?"
"Ah, I see. I understand that this might be suspicious, but I learned the modern tongue long ago. I just keep the old speech around the nobles to make them think I'm still adjusting, and so they underestimate me, and around my sister because it annoys her." Luna said with a wink of her eye.
Trixie kept staring at Luna for some time before she relaxed again. "Alright, I believe you, your highness. All of these imposters I met earlier tried to discourage me with their appearances and voices, but you did nothing like that. But what happened? And where are we?"
"This is the dream realm, and you are asleep. Everything you saw earlier was just a dream, nothing that happened was real."
"It was all a dream? So there was no ursa attacking Ponyville?" Trixie asked.
Luna's smile turned into a frown. "I'm afraid that this did happen. The beast came into town and destroyed a small part of it and several of Ponyville's guards got injured while trying to defend their home."
"Right, I remember. I tried to help as much as I could."
"And you succeeded. You lured the ursa away and avoided much greater damage and casualties in the process while putting yourself in danger."
Trixie couldn't resist a small snort. "That wasn't really what I had in mind, but I guess I did. And since I'm dreaming I assume the ursa didn't catch me." Trixie looked around the void in astonishment before she realized something about that statement.
"Wait a second..." She looked up at Luna again who was once again smiling as if she has been waiting for something that was finally coming. "I'm dreaming, and you are here, visiting me in my dream. But you told me all these months ago that you can't enter my dreams because of the curse without causing damage to me."
"All of this is true," Luna replied.
"That means I'm either beyond saving so that it doesn't matter any longer-" Luna shook her head -or... it's over..." Trixie looked longingly at Luna for confirmation and received it with a nod.
"Yes, indeed. There are still small pockets of the amulets magic left, but I can take care of those without causing any harm to your mind." Before Luna had any chance to react she had a pair of blue hooves around her neck squeezing as hard as they could.
"Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you!"
"Um, you're welcome?" Luna replied, unsure about what to say to that unexpected development. Realizing what she was doing Trixie quickly released her grip on the royal neck.
"I'm sorry for that, your highness," Trixie said with red tinted cheeks.
Luna quickly regained her posture. "There is no need to apologize. Your reaction is more than understandable."
"But how? What did I do to lift the curse?"
"I'm not sure about that, but after reading over both, Twilight Sparkle's reports about her observations and the ones from old cases of the curse, I have an idea, or a theory. But please, tell me first what exactly happened in your dream before you arrived in this place."
Trixie frowned. "Is that really necessary? I would like to forget about what happened."
"I'm afraid it might be necessary to understand the curse and help future victims of the amulet, but I won't force you if you don't want to tell me."
Trixie thought about that. She truly would like to forget about the nightmare, but could she live with the knowledge that others might suffer through the same ordeal as she did because she was selfish? What was one last reminder before she can forget it for good?
With this thought in mind Trixie told Luna what happened in her dream before she arrived, including every said word and thought she could remember. After she finished her tale she waited for the princess to say something who was looking down with her eyes closed.
"I see... Thank you for telling me your experiences. I think that my theory might be correct regarding the curse."
"Would you tell me your theory, your highness?"
"Of course. You have every right to know about it," Luna replied. "I think that the magic the amulet left behind is feeding on emotions and feelings, growing stronger over time. For what purpose is still a mystery, tho."
"It's feeding on emotions?"
Luna nodded. "Indeed. As you know, our emotions can have an influence on our magic, making it stronger under certain circumstances. I believe the curse uses the same way to strengthen itself, probably more the negative emotions regarding the dark nature of the curse.
"Wrath, anger, jealousy, guilt, just to name a few. The stronger the emotions, the faster it can grow in strength."
"And I had more than enough of these..." Trixie mumbled, her ears hanging low.
"Indeed," Luna said. "But over these last few months you overcame those feelings with the help of your friends. Earlier this morning I was able to feel your presence in the dream realm strengthen and came to your aide. I was still unable to enter your dream, but I did my best to help from the outside until you manage to break free."
"So that was this warm feeling I suddenly had," Trixie mumbled. "But what now?"
"Now, daughter of Lulamoon, it's time for you to rest, you have earned it. In the meantime I will take care of the remaining magic. During this time your sleep will be protected. I will do my best so that you can wake up soon, your friends are waiting for you."
Trixie nodded. "Thank you, your highness. For everything."
Luna graced Trixie with one last smile before she left, leaving Trixie alone in her dream which slowly formed around her. She would never again take any nice dream for granted for the rest of her life.
Trixie slowly woke up, but she did her best to not open her eyes or make any movement yet. Princess Luna had told her she was safe, but she wanted at least to know what was going on around her.
"Beeep. Beeep. Beeep."
She already noticed something the princess has forgotten to mention and that was that she seems to be injured if the pain she was feeling was any indication. She quickly remembered her fall down the slope and her broken hind leg, which she could feel was in a cast. There was also other sources of pain all over her body, but those were more like pinpricks compared to her leg.
"Beeep. Beeep. Beeep."
Combine that with the strong smell of antiseptics and that annoying sound she kept hearing that can only be one of those heart monitors she heard about lead to the conclusion that she was in a hospital, which of course made sense. There was another question on her mind she really would like to find an answer for.
"Beeep. Beeep. Beeep."
Do heart monitors always sound that squeaky?
"Beeep. Beeep. Beeep."
"Oh for the love of Celestia! Pinkie Pie, please stop making that annoying sound!"
"But I'm bored."
"Believe me, darling, WE KNOW! But you are supposed to be quiet in a hospital."
"Aww..."
Trixie couldn't resist a small grunt and opened her eyes. She closed them quickly at first once her eyes got attacked by the bright light. "Never thought I would say that, but I'm really glad to hear your voice, Pinkie," she croaked out as she slowly tried again to open her eyes.
"Trixie!"
Living in the same town as Pinkie Pie has taught Trixie when to expect a hug from the party pony, and so she prepared herself as good as possible in her current state for the unavoidable. Sadly she was not prepared for the pain that went through her body, so she yelped in pain upon impact. Only when the hugger retreated did Trixie notice that the one who hugged her was not pink.
"I'm sorry, are you alright?" Twilight asked in a panic.
Trixie tried to move but hissed in pain. "It could be better, but I will live." A glass of water with a straw came floating towards her in Twilight's magic and she drank it greedily. "Thanks. But what happened? The last thing I remember was me hiding in a bush in the forest."
"We can only tell you what we heard about everything that happened," Twilight replied as she sat the glass down on the table beside the bed. "Apparently not long after you lured that Ursa in the forest the princesses arrived in Ponyville, and after they learned of what happened they followed you. They found the Ursa and together they calmed it down and put it to sleep. Princess Luna took the Ursa back to its cave and tried to figure out what happened while Princess Celestia went looking for you."
Trixie closed her eyes and sighed, a smile on her face. "So they arrived in town before something worse could happen." She reopened her eyes. "But how did the princess find me? I crawled into a bush in the middle of the forest when I couldn't run anymore."
"It seems they didn't tell Twilight and you everything about that amulet they gave you, darling," Rarity replied. Upon not receiving any comment she continued. "There was a tracking spell on it to locate it where ever it is. Thanks to this Princess Celestia was able to find you in a matter of minutes."
"A tracking spell? Why would they cast one on the amulet in the first place?"
"As a precaution," Twilight answered. "The princess told me that there was a former victim of the curse who went mad, ran away and took the amulet with him. She was never able to locate him, and without Princess Luna, she was unable to create a second one. Over a century later an archaeologist found the amulet in a cave, together with the remains of its bearer, and brought it to the princess. After that, she cast the tracking spell on the amulet so that something like this can never happen again."
"I see," Trixie mumbled. "So it was a precaution. But why didn't she tell you about it, Twilight?"
"She hoped that over time we would work out our differences and become friends, but didn't want to build it up on me keeping such a secret from you," Twilight said. "That's why she didn't tell me as well."
Trixie grinned. "I guess she was right in the end. But why are you all here? Shouldn't you be in the Crystal Empire?" Trixie blinked. "How long have I been asleep?"
"Nearly two days," Applejack answered. "It's Friday afternoon, and why shouldn't we be here? Ya are our friend and Ponyville is our home. The moment we got the letter from Princess Celestia yesterday morning we departed immediately. Princess Cadence even organized a non-stop train to Ponyville for us."
It warmed Trixie's hard that she had found friends who would leave everything behind to come to her after hearing about what happened. "Thank you all for coming, it means a lot to me. And sorry for worrying you."
"We are just glad that you are alright," Fluttershy said quietly before she turned towards the door of the room. "I'm going to inform the doctor that you woke up."
Trixie followed the pegasus with her eyes until the door closed behind her. While she was at it she took in the rest of the room. "Wow, it seems you had a field day decorating this room, Pinkie."
That was an understatement. The entire room was filled with various flowers, plushies and 'Get-Well' cards. Besides the chairs her friends had occupied there was barely any free room left, even the floor was in part covered in flower pots.
Pinkie started grinning and clopping her hooves together in excitement. "Can I tell her? Can I can I?"
Twilight giggled. "Sure, go ahead."
Trixie looked from one mare to the other, wondering what was going on. Pinkie took a deep breath.
"I did nothing!"
"...huh?"
"I did nothing to this room," Pinkie said again. "Everything is just like we found it once we arrived yesterday."
"But... who..." Trixie stammered. She tried to levitate one of the cards towards her, but all she got was a splitting pain in her head.
"Don't try to use your magic, Trixie," Twilight said before she used her own magic to bring some of the cards over into Trixie's hooves. "You used up your reserves and burned out. The doctor said it would at least take a week of rest before you should try using your magic again."
Rubbing her head with a hoof Trixie nodded before she shifted the attention on the cards. Some of them looked like your usual get well cards you can buy in stores, but others were self-made with drawings made by children. Looking over the signatures she realized that they all came from citizens of Ponyville.
"They're all worried about ya, Trixie. Each time one of us went outside we got asked if you're alright," Applejack said with a smile. "They want to thank ya for savin' them."
"It... it was the least I could do... for accepting me," Trixie said with a smile, her eyes growing moist as she looked around the room at all the gifts she received
"Well, you earned it!" Rainbow said. "Not everypony would dare to face something they know they can't beat."
"Thanks," she said. "It wasn't the way I planned, but it worked and I'm mostly fine."
Trixie felt a hoof on her own and looked to the side at Twilight who looked at her in worry. "Trixie, are you sure you are alright?"
"As far as I can tell yes, besides the obvious of course. Why do you ask?"
"They had to take off your amulet to help you. They were afraid that either the magic of the amulet would interfere with their healing spells or vise versa. Princess Luna agreed, but once they were done you were already trapped in a nightmare. The princess told them it would be too dangerous to put it back on while you were already trapped."
Trixie blinked and for the first time since waking up, she realized that the familiar weight around her neck was missing. Looking down confirmed that the amulet was not at its place.
"...what happened?" Trixie asked hesitantly. She could see how Twilight was shifting around and that her eyes started growing moist.
"You were mumbling and thrashing around in your sleep, sometimes so much that we had to hold you down to prevent you from falling out of your bed. We tried waking you up but nothing worked. And then... you suddenly stopped, without any warning you just stopped. You lay there in bed without moving, and for a moment I thought..." Twilight trailed off, a tear running down her cheek.
Applejack put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Twi was not the only one scared, even if only for a few moments until we realized you were still breathing."
A shudder ran down Trixie's spine upon hearing this and seeing the expressions on everybody's faces, especially Twilights'. "I'm so sorry. I never meant to scare you like this."
"It's not your fault, darling," Rarity said with a smile. "As long as you are alright everything is good."
Trixie smiled. "You have no idea how alright I am yet. You see, Princess Luna visited me in my dream and..."
"She did?" Twilight interrupted. "So that's why she left earlier."
Trixie blinked. "She was here?"
"Yepperoni!" Pinkie said from her place on the end of Trixies' bed. "She was waiting with us for you to wake up, but suddenly she stood up, said she has to go and disappeared."
Twilight rolled her eyes. "She teleported away, but otherwise that's what happened. I wondered what was going on at the time and-" Twilight stopped in midsentence and her eyes grew wide. She slowly turned to look at Trixie who was smiling.
Applejack looked from one to the other, confusion written on her face. "Twi? Did Ah miss something?"
Twilight kept staring at Trixie as she answered. "Princess Luna couldn't visit Trixie in her dream before, the curse was preventing her from doing so without endangering her mind. So either she did it either way or..."
It took the others a second to come to the same conclusion as Twilight did. They all looked at Trixie, waiting for her to confirm it.
Trixie slowly rested her head back on her pillow, her smile still on her face as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I'm free... It's finally over." The others cheered in joy for their friend and stepped closer to hug her as good as her condition allowed, and Trixie enjoyed every single moment of it.
~*~
Two weeks later Trixie was allowed to leave the hospital. Her left hind leg was still in a cast and made it hard to walk, but as long as she would be careful and not put to much pressure on it her doctor said she was free to go. Her magic has recovered quite well even if the doctor said to not overuse it for some more time to make sure her reserves could recover enough.
Her body was covered in smaller patches of shorter fur where the hospital had to shave to treat all the small injuries left from her roll down the slope after the Ursa got to her, but with enough time they all would grow back again.
Princess Luna has also been able to find out a few things about the attack. Apparently, when she brought the Ursa back to its cave she found a very angry mother, but once reunited with its kid it calmed down. Luna also found signs of heavy fighting around the cave. From this information and Cloud Chasers' statement of what she saw it's clear that someone distracted the mother while the baby got lured into town. Sadly there was no clue on the culprits, and it was unlikely that this mystery could be solved, much to Trixie's' chagrin.
Once out of the hospital Trixie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. As much as she enjoyed the quiet of her room, besides the times Pinkie came for a visit, it felt good to be out in the fresh air again.
She felt someone carefully bump against her flank and looked to her companion. "Come on, slowpoke. You had enough time to be lazy, now you need to move again," Lyra said with her usual grin on her face.
Trixie nodded and followed her friend down the road. On her way, she looked around her hometown. In some places, she could make out some of the damage done by the Ursa, but most of that has either been already repaired or was worked on. 'Good to see that everything is gonna be as it was soon,' she thought.
The two mares continued on their way slowly for Trixies' sake. The longer they walked the more Trixie noticed that something was missing, something crucial to every town and city.
"Lyra, where is everypony?" she finally asked as they got closer to towns square. "I have not seen a single pony since we left the hospital."
Lyra kept walking without turning to Trixie. "Maybe they heard about you getting out and ran away?"
"Ha ha ha, very funny," Trixie replied. She studied her friend closer and saw her smile, but it was slightly different from her usual smile. "You got that 'I know something you don't know' smile on your face... what are you hiding?"
"I don't know what you are talking about," Lyra said quickly before she increased her tempo slightly until she reached the next corner that leads to towns square and waited. "Now come on, I'm sure we are gonna find somepony around here. I think I can even see somepony."
Trixie sighed. She knew that Lyra was hiding something, but she was not in the mood to argue with her until she finally spilled the beans.
Slowly Trixie walked up to the other unicorn and turned the corner. "Fine, keep your little secret for now, but sooner or later-"
"SURPRISE!"
Trixie came to a quick stop. Her mouth fell open as she stared in shock at the sight before her. The town square was practically flooded with ponies, many of which Trixie recognized from around town, with Twilight and their friends at the front. She wasn't even sure if she has ever seen so many ponies in one place since moving to town so many months ago. All of them were smiling or cheering for her, and looking up Trixie saw a big banner hanging above the mass with 'Thank you for saving Ponyville!' written on it in big letters.
"Told ya I can see somepony here," Lyra said from beside Trixie. "Hope you like the surprise."
Trixie was at a loss of words. "I... what is going on?" she finally muttered.
Pinkie popped up right behind her and threw her legs in the air. "What do you think it is, silly dilly. It's your party of course!"
"Pinkie is right, Ms. Trixie." The voice pulled Trixie out of her surprise and looking in the direction it came from she saw her friends stepping closer from the mass, with Mayor Mare at the front. "We all want to thank you for what you did. Without your help, it is possible that not everypony would be here today."
Trixie blinked. "You don't need to thank me. It was the least I could do after everything I did."
"Trixie," Twilight said as she stepped forward to stand beside the mayor. "You risked your own life to prevent the Ursa from doing more damage. No one should ever feel that something like this is necessary to ask for forgiveness."
"Twilight is right," Mayor Mare continued. "You could have stayed back like most of us did, and no one would have thought any bad about you. And on the other side, our behavior towards you has not been any better too.
"So it's not only a 'thank you' from us, but also an apology." The mayor moved to the side and pointed with her hoof at the gathered ponies. "We also got a present for you to show our gratitude, and we hope that you accept it." The crowd parted and revealed something hidden behind a cloak held by the hovering forms of Rainbow Dash and Lavender Lace.
Trixie kept standing in place until she received a light bump from Lyra behind her and slowly trudged forward. She walked past the gathered ponies until she stopped just a few meters away from the cloak the two pegasi held. Once she stood still the two pegasi looked at each other, nodded and let the cloak fall down. Trixie's breath caught in her throat and a shiver ran down her spine once she saw the present.
Standing before her was a stage, but it wasn't just a normal stage as her experienced eye quickly noticed. It was a mobile stage that can be transformed into a wagon like the one she used to own before her first incident with the Ursa so long ago, but slightly bigger than her old one. From her position, Trixie could see her cutie mark engraved all around the wooden stage, but otherwise, it was pretty dull.
"It may not seem like much yet," Rarity said as if she knew what was going through Trixies' mind, "but I already thought about a few improvements. Like some fabulous curtains or a different painting, but that is your decision, darling."
Trixie slowly walked up to the stage and ran a hoof over the wood. "It's... wonderful...," she mumbled just barely audible.
"You wanna know the best part?" Rainbow said as she landed beside Trixie. "That's only half of your present."
"What!?" Trixie yelled as she turned in shock to face Rainbow. "H-how can there be more? This is already more than I can accept!"
"She is right," Twilight said from behind, causing Trixie to face her friend. "We couldn't manage to get the second part done in time, or even to start it. Don't you notice that something is missing?"
Trixie moved her gaze back to the wagon. She didn't know what Twilight meant yet, so she took a closer look at it. She walked around the stage wagon and inspected it from all sides before she took use of some stairs on the side to climb up on the stage itself. She saw the gaps in the wooden planks that indicated where the stage would move itself to turn into a wagon again. Looking at the space which would be hidden from view once some curtains could be attached Trixie noticed what was missing.
"There's not enough living space... not enough room for a bed, or a cupboard to store food or anything... at least if I don't take any preps for a show with me."
Twilight nodded. "You are right, and that's why a second wagon will be built, only for living arrangements. We already started planning, but since there was no way to build it until you got released we thought it would be best to wait for your approval." Trixie just stood on stage, staring slack-jawed at Twilight who continued. "And if you are thinking about that two wagons will be too heavy to pull, that's also taken into account. Princess Celestia offered to cast a featherweight spell on the two wagons once they are finished to make them easy to pull once somepony is attached to the harness, and she suggested a spell that let you only grant certain ponies permission for the spell to work to avoid somepony running off with it."
Trixie continued staring for a minute until she got off the stage, walked up to Twilight and pulled her into a hug, tears streaming down her face.
"Thank you," she said quietly before she released Twilight and looked at the crowd. "Thank you all so much! I... I don't know what to say..."
"Seein' your happy face is all we need, sugarcube," Applejack said. "But if ya really want to thank somepony there are three that deserve it the most."
"Applejack is right. Come on you two!" Twilight called out until two familiar ponies stepped forward. "Fuchsia and Lavender are the ones to came up with the idea, and offered the knowledge on what would be necessary."
Trixie stepped up to the two mares and pulled them into another hug. "Should have known this was your idea. Thank you so much."
"Hey, with how you spoke about buying a new wagon one day there was no way we wouldn't at least mention it," Fuchsia said.
Lavender nodded in agreement. "It was the first on our mind. And after everything you did for us, it was the least we could do."
"But," Twilight said from the side, causing the three to release each other, "even after finding the perfect present it nearly didn't happen, the cost for both wagons was just too high. That's when somepony else stepped in." She pointed at the crowd that made room for a stallion with a filly by his side.
"Mr. Rich..."
Filthy Rich stopped short before Trixie. "Indeed. Ms. Trixie, I can't thank you enough." He pulled his daughter closer to his side. "Not only did you protect us all, but you even saved the life of my little Diamond. So when I heard that the one thing standing in the way of your reward, I had to step in and help. No matter the cost, nothing is more important to me than my daughter."
He raised his hoof to pull out an envelope of his pocket and offered it to Trixie. "This is another present for you from me. I still believe it is by far not enough to thank you, but it is a start."
Trixie took the envelope in her magic and looked it over. There was nothing to indicate what might be inside, it was a plain and simple envelope you can buy at every mail station. Without waiting any longer Trixie opened it and looked over the content. Within seconds her jaw fell down and she sat down on her haunches.
"Y-you can't be serious! There is no way that I can accept this!"
Stepping closer, curiosity written on her face, Twilight reached her friend. "What is it?"
"It's the owning certificate for my cottage," Trixie said. "He gifts me an entire house!" A murmur went through the crowd upon hearing that. Filthy Rich may be known to be a pleasant kind of rich pony, but also for being one that does not just give something away.
"And the ground it stands on," Filthy Rich added, causing another surprised murmur to rose from the gathered ponies. "This is only a copy of the original document that I keep at home, but the original will be delivered soon to you."
As the last words left his mouth Trixie was there, throwing her legs over his shoulder with another stream of tears running down her cheeks. "Thank you," was all she said.
Filthy Rich was surprised by the sudden hug he received from Trixie, but soon enough he gave in. "It's a pleasure. And if you ever need help, my door will always be open."
Trixie nodded, but before she could say anything else she felt someone else poking her leg. Letting go of Filthy Rich she looked down and saw Diamond Tiara looking at her.
"I want to thank you as well, but I don't know how besides a simple 'thank you'," she said, looking down at her hoofs.
Trixie smiled at the filly and pulled her into another hug which she replied. "You don't need to thank me," she said as an idea hit her and she whispered the rest into the fillies ear, "but if you really want to I know something. Try to be nicer to the crusaders and the other kids, they are good fillies and colts and don't deserve what you are doing."
Diamond Tiara looked to the side where the crusaders and some of the other kids were watching. She was silent for a few minutes before she replied. "I... I will try."
"That's all I ask for."
Trixie let go of the filly and looked over the crowd. "Thank you all so much for this, I really appreciate it. Once I'm fully recovered I would like to do a show here in town square to show you how much I appreciate it, and it's gonna be the best show I have ever done!"
The crowd cheered, and many came forward to thank her in person.
While she was enjoying the attention of the crowd Trixie thought back over the last year. How she has fallen after the incident with the alicorn amulet and how her entire life changed after she swallowed her pride and returned to ask for help. She has worked hard and has been forgiven. She has found friends, true friends who would not leave her behind, a place to call home and has even reconciled with her past.
And she would do everything in her power to enjoy this new life.
Several weeks passed in which Trixie fully healed from her injuries. She has not been idle through that entire time, planning out new acts for her shows and planning out her first tour since she came to Ponyville last year.
Her promised performance for the town has been a huge success. For hours she entertained the gathered ponies of her home with her stories and her tricks, and at the end, she received a mass of applause and cheer.
That has been several days ago. Now Trixie stood with her friends at the edge of town, admiring once again the two finished wagons before her. The mobile stage has received a night-style painting in different shades of blue and decorated with moons and stars to fit her last name. Rarity has also provided a set of purple curtains for the stage, also decorated with the same stars and moons.
The second and main wagon was slightly bigger than the stage wagon and painted and decorated the same. It also had a small second floor containing the sleeping area while the first floor mostly was for storage and a small cooking place. Trixie had made sure that there was room enough for Lavender and Fuchsia as well, even if it meant sacrificing room. After all, what would she do on tour without her friends and assistants? It might be cramped, but the company would be worth it.
Fuchsia emerged from the inside of the main wagon and approached Trixie while Lavender was checking the connection of the two wagons. "Everything is in place and secured. We are ready to go."
Trixie nodded and turned to face her other friends. "I guess it's time." She stepped forward and pulled Twilight into a hug. "I'm going to miss all of you."
"And we will miss you," Twilight said as she returned the hug before letting go. "But it's not forever. What did you say where you are going?"
Trixie looked at the mountain in the distance, or better at the city located on its side. "Canterlot is the main goal for now, maybe with a few small villages on the way. I neglected it for too long, and I promised Ms. Song to come to visit and perform for the kids once I'm traveling again." She was quiet for a moment while she thought. "I think we will be gone for a month at most."
"Make sure to show them what you are made of!" Rainbow called from the back.
Trixie saluted. "Will do!" She turned and stepped into the wagon. Lavender was already waiting inside while Fuchsia was at the front attached to the harness to take the first shift of pulling. Trixie was really glad for the featherweight spell the princess cast on the two wagons, otherwise, it would be near impossible for the three of them to move them.
Trixie opened one of the windows on the side to lean out, Lavender doing the same on the other side. "Alright Fuchsia, whenever you are ready!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Fuchsia called back. She began pulling and without any effort, the wagons started moving.
Trixie and Lavender both waved out from their windows. "Goodbye!" they both called to their friends.
"See ya soon, partners!"
"Goodbye!"
"Au revoir, darlings!"
"Once you are back I will throw you a party!"
"Try to be as awesome as me!"
"I will miss having you around! Come back soon!" Twilight called out last.
Trixie kept waving. 'This was the moment I have been waiting for all this time, to get back on the roads and do what I love. I missed it dearly all these months, but now the Great and Powerful Trixie was finally back.' Her excited smile on her face fell as it became harder to see her friends in the distance, or more precisely the lavender colored mare she came to call her best friend until she was looking sadly back where she saw them last, feeling like something important was missing.
A lone dark creature made its way through the thick cacophony of the forest, it's eyes darting back and forth looking for possible dangers. It was not afraid of the many predators of the forest, but every interruption costs time, which it was already short on.
It finally reached its destination, a small cave hidden behind the vegetation. The creature waited a few moments to regain its breath before entering. For the first meters there seemed to be nothing of importance in this cave, only darkness, but soon enough the flickering lights of torches could be seen.
Turning the last corner the creature entered a big cave, barely illuminated by a few torches along the walls. Near the back of the cave, hidden in near darkness, stood a simple throne made out of stone with another entrance hidden behind it. Another dark creature, much bigger than the other one, sat nearly invisible in the darkness on the throne.
"You are late..." it said in a feminine voice, her slitted green eyes narrowing.
The smaller creature flinched and cowered down. "I-I apologize, your majesty, I-"
"It doesn't matter. Report!"
Shaking slightly the smaller took a deep breath and gathered its courage. "The Ursa caused huge structural damage to several buildings, and it will take months to repair everything. The civilians managed to evacuate much faster than expected, with mostly only minor injuries caused to themselves in their panic to flee. The guard took the most damage, with many of them injured severely enough to be out for weeks, in a few cases months. No fatalities, not even that blue unicorn that lured the Ursa away from town."
"So another failure... It appears I once again underestimated these ponies. I was sure that the monsters of the Everfree could destroy that town. And that my former pawn was the one to ruin this plan is another strike against me." She rose to her hoofs and trotted up and down in front of her throne, lost in thought.
The small scout sat still and waited, but after several minutes of silence, he dared to speak up. "What are your orders, my queen?"
The queen stopped in front of her throne. She turned towards him and stepped forward into the light, showing her black body, her gossamer wings, and her dark cerulean mane. "You will go back to Ponyville, keep an eye on everything that happens and report back to me immediately once something happens you consider as useful," Queen Chrysalis said.
"Yes, my queen!" The small changeling said as he bowed down before he turned and ran out of the cave.
Chrysalis followed him leaving with her eyes before she turned around and sat back down on her throne.
"It seems just guiding some pawns or monster indirectly to do the dirty work is not enough..." she whispered to herself. "A more direct approach might be necessary for my revenge. But for now, I will wait until an opportunity shows itself."
She grinned a fang-filled smile. "I just need to wait..."
