Another gust struck Trixie, tugging at her mane and tail and covering her right side with snow. Behind her, the wagon creaked as the wind whistled past. Tilting her head away from the wind, Trixie plodded one, one hoof in front of the other.
"N-not much further now," she told herself through clenched teeth. From previous experience, she knew that just ahead lay a way station. They existed along all major roads in Equestria, providing a ready place for travelers to spend the night. Its thick walls would provide shelter from the storm, and more importantly, its fire pit warm her through the night.
She had been a fool to travel in this weather. The captain of the weather team in the last town had tried to warn her, but had she listened to him? Oh no. She was the Great and Powerful Trixie, and no little storm would stop her. Not she who was the most magical unicorn in Equestria, who had single-hoofedly defeated an Ursa Major, who had performed for royalty. Okay, so the bear had just been a black bear who had slowly ambled away while she had yelled and waved a broomstick at it. She had driven it away though, and if she took a bit of artistic license, well, she was a performer. And, yes, the royalty had been a minor member of a family living in exile, having been deposed almost a century ago, but the title was real. That meant it counted. She gave a satisfied nod, the sudden movement causing a layer of snow to slide off her mane.
Besides, who would have expected a storm of this magnitude this late in the season? Tomorrow was the first day of spring, after all. Across Equestria, ponies would soon be engaged in wrapping up winter. Nopony would waste the effort of making a blizzard just before that. And besides, she wanted to reach the towns surrounding Canterlot early this year. After a boring winter, the inhabitants would be eager for a dose of entertainment.
So, no, she had not been a fool. She had made the right decision. It was not her fault that the weather here was wild, not yet domesticated It did what it wanted, when it wanted to, without rhyme, reason, or regard for the coming season. This blizzard could as easily have happened next week or not at all. Everypony knew wild weather was completely unpredictable.
Straining against the halter, she continued to haul her wagon forward. Ahead, she could see a glow coming from the way station's windows. Somepony else was in the station, and they already had a fire started. She could hardly wait to warm her hooves by the fire.
She increased her pace, closing the distance, and pulled her wagon beside the building. With a burst of magic, the straps of her harness fell away and she was free. A second use of magic floated the wheel chocks into place. With a couple of kicks from her aching feet, she made sure there was no play in them, no room for her wagon to rock back and forth. Satisfied with her work, she faced the wind and said, "Ha! Trixie is victorious, storm, as always!" The storm answered with a howl, the wind picking up and whipping her mane and tail about.
"Is that all you got, storm?" Trixie said with a smug smile, taking a step forward. A sound from above made her look up though, just in time to take a faceful of snow that slid down the roof of the station. Spitting out the snow, Trixie muttered, "Well played, storm. Well played."
Rounding the side, she stood before the door. Before opening it, she shook herself, sending snow flying off. Then, she cast a quick grooming spell. It would not do for the great and powerful Trixie to make a pathetic entrance after all. Satisfied, she shoved open the door and stepped inside with a dramatic flourish. She paused just the right length of time, then stepped forward and shut the door behind her.
"Greetings, fellow traveller! The Great and Powerful Trixie is honored to make your acquaintance."
Silence greeted her from the room's other occupant, an old bearded stallion lying near the fire. He looked at Trixie as if she were a common traveler, then calmly poured himself a glass of some clear liquid from the bottle beside him. He took a moment to examine the liquid in the glass, sloshing it around carefully, before taking a sip.
Trixie tried again to start a conversation. "One big storm out there, huh?"
The old stallion looked at her and laughed. "Hah!", he said. "Where I come from, this is minor storm. It is good weather for children to go play outside."
"Then why aren't you out there now?" Trixie asked, perturbed at the stallion's lack of manners.
The old stallion shrugged. "When I was young, cold was much warmer. Now, I'm old, and I feel it in my bones. I prefer a good bottle by warmth of fire."
Trixie laughed.
"You want some?" the stallion asked.
Trixie nodded. "I've got nothing to offer in return."
"Tell you what... you provide story, and I provide drink. Is good deal, yes?"
"Trixie supposes she could tell you about how she saved the town of Hoofington," Trixie said.
"Actually, was hoping you might tell Ol' Pravda what led to life of travel." The old stallion pulled out a notebook and paper. "For book I write."
Trixie thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "It would be the least Trixie could do, for no book such as yours would be complete without including the tale of Trixie, the most renowned wanderer of all Equestria."
The stallion smiled as he slid a glass over to her, and, once she picked it up, held up his own and offered a toast. "Za druzhbu myezhdu narodami!"
"To that!" Trixie replied, emptied her glass, and slammed it down.
"Trixie will begin at the beginning," Trixie began. "Prepare to be amazed, for Trixie's tale has it all: love, deceit, loss, betrayal, villains, and most importantly of all, Trixie!" She raised her forelegs into the air, and the fire matched her gesture, erupting upwards with a woosh.
"Trixie's tale begins in Canterlot. Yes, in West Canterlot, born and raised. In a playground is where Trixie spent most of her days. But while other foals spent their time chasing balls or riding the merry-go-round, or worse still, picking on ponies like Trixie, Trixie would spend her time doing magic tricks and telling stories to the other foals. Yes, even at that young age, Trixie was an entertainer, bringing laughter and joy to the other ponies at the orphanage in which she lived.
"That's right, Trixie never knew her parents. No hoof up for Trixie. Everything Trixie had she acquired on her own. It was not an easy life. The other foals, those with parents, would make fun of Trixie, of the second hoof items Trixie used. Trixie did her best to ignore them, hoping they would go away, but they did not.
"That lasted until an old performer saw such events happen, and he gave Trixie some advice. 'Hecklers will not stop,' he had told Trixie, 'unless you put them in their place.' And the very next time, that is what Trixie did. When the neighsayer spoke up, Trixie challenged him, then quite handily humiliated him, much to the audience's delight. And better yet, Trixie got her cutie mark, a cutie mark in magic. And you know what that means, right?"
The stallion looked at her blankly, then shook his head.
"Oh, right. Trixie forgot you're from the other side of the ocean, so she will explain. See, any unicorn with exceptional potential for magic can apply to go to School for Gifted Unicorns. Poor, rich, it matters not, for the school is sponsored by none other than Celestia. And so an orphan filly got to go to the best school in all of Equestria.
"Trixie learned much, but it was not easy. At first, the other students thought they were better than Trixie. Hah! Silly foals. Trixie easily proved them wrong. Soon, she was number one in her class. But her classmates resented her for her natural talent and ability, and so Trixie had no friends. That was fine with her though, for it left her more time to practice her craft at a nearby park. Who needs friends when one has adoring fans, right?
"Well, I've always found that—" the stallion started, but Trixie did not let him finish.
"Yes, that's exactly right. Friends will only betray you in the end. Trixie knows this from experience. But more on that later in the story. Right now, Trixie is in school. It was the final year, and she worked hard on her final paper: 'On the Potential of Magic to Juggle Animals'. So impressed was her teacher that he said it should be shown to future students as an example."
Trixie left off that he had wanted to use it as an example of what not to do, calling the idea preposterous and doomed to failure. He had given her a mediocre grade, dropping her a rank in the class. That had been unacceptable, and Trixie had taken it upon herself to prove her theory. A magical explosion, a hedgehog stampede, and a teacher covered in quills later, Trixie had been expelled. Still, she was convinced her theory was sound. Animals could be juggled by magic, and someday, somepony would read her paper and prove it to the world.
She shook her head to clear away the memories and continued. "Anyway, Trixie decided that the school had nothing more to offer her and decided to make her own way in the world. She honed her craft on the street corners of Canterlot. It was on one such corner that she met Flash Style.
"Flash Style was not but a street kid when she had the good fortune to try to rob Trixie. Trixie caught her, of course, but rather than turn her over to the authorities or thrash her like she rightly deserved, Trixie took pity upon the mare, for such is the type of mare Trixie is.
"Trixie's keen eye saw a natural beauty in the teenage filly, and she took it upon herself to train the filly as her assistant. She generously allowed the teenager to live with her, and the two became friends of sorts. Hours Trixie spent on teaching her to be graceful, how to draw the audience's attention at just the right moment, and it all paid off. Soon, they were getting booked in small theaters. They were even able to get a better apartment. It was not exactly nice, but it beat what they had before.
"So, yes, life was good. And Trixie knew how it could get even better. They could take out a loan and buy a performing wagon, one of those that could fold out into a stage. Then they could take the show on the road, to towns that were desperate for entertainment. Flash Style argued against this, saying that they should stay in the city. Their star could rise here, and soon enough they would be playing the bigger venues here, meeting important ponies. It would not be long before they were living in luxury, sponsored by some wealthy benefactor.
"Trixie did not want this though. She was her own mare and did not want to be beholden to another. Long and many were their arguments about this, until finally Trixie put her hoof down. She would borrow the money, buy a trailer, and they would go on the road. Flash Style was not happy, but with Trixie's mind made up, did not argue anymore.
"But there was a problem. No bank wanted to loan Trixie the bits she needed. But the idea was sound, and she knew it, so she decided to try a less orthodox source of loans. Everypony in the neighborhood knew of Black Jack. Local criminal boss, the type who came from a long line of such types. Did all the usual things, including some loansharking. It was to him Trixie went for a loan, and she got it. And so she purchased her first stage.
"Now, there is one other thing Trixie should mention about this time. She had landed some steady gigs, including performing once a week at a pub near the Blueblood Boarding School. You know the type, uniforms, old money, superior attitudes. The type of school that taught the rich how to be the rich. It was there that Trixie saw him. A handsome earth pony stallion, a light brown coat, dark grey mane. He was not like the others. No looking down his nose at the common folks, but rather connected, down to earth. And so cute, with an easy laugh.
"And so that performance became the highlight of Trixie's week. She would go there, hoping he would show. Most weeks, he was there, drinking with his buddies, maybe playing some pool or darts. Trixie lacked the courage to talk to him though. Like a lovelorn filly, all she could bring herself to do was write poetry. She spent weeks working on a perfect poem to express her feelings, but when it was complete, she could not bring herself to give it to the object of her affection. Flash Style tried to convince Trixie to just go for it, but Trixie did not, for as long as she didn't, there was always the possibility, but as soon as she did, if he said no, it was over. Trixie did not even learn his name.
"Yes, Trixie can see you find this hard to believe. That a mare as confident and attractive as Trixie should be shy. But remember that Trixie was younger, still finding her place in the world. She was naught but a foolish and naive filly, especially when it came to romance. She should have talked to the stallion sooner, for if she had, it would have avoided what happened next.
"It had not been an easy time. Money was tight, what with every bit possible being saved so that Trixie could repay the loan. But Trixie saved, and she had but one final show to complete and she would have the bits to pay her debt. And as luck would have it, that final event was for the graduation of the Blueblood Boarding School. Before the night was over, Trixie would open her heart, be betrayed, and have to flee the city.
"It started well enough. Flash Style finally convinced Trixie to send him her poem. Nopony could say no to it, Flash Style had said. Besides, this was graduation. After this, odds are Trixie would not see him again. She was right, and Trixie knew it. It was now or never. But alas, Trixie lacked the courage to give the stallion the poem herself. Instead, Trixie asked her best friend to deliver it and tell him that Trixie wished to meet at the park that evening. It was a mistake, but how was Trixie to know?
"For hours, Trixie waited at that park. Whenever she did her the clop of hooves, her spirits rose, only to be dashed to the ground when the light of the park's lamps revealed that it was the object of her affection that made the sound. All night did Trixie stay there. In the morning, she was awoken by a guard, telling her to move along.
"With heavy heart did Trixie trod back to her home. But when she got there, worse yet awaited. For when she went to check her chest, so that she could pay off her creditor, she did find the bits gone. Worried that maybe somepony had broken in and stolen things, she went to check Flash Style's room. She burst into the room, nearly taking the door off its hinges, to see if Flash might know what had happened.
"That was when Trixie suffered the second shock of the day. Flash Style was gone. Not just her, but her favorite things, as well as her bags. It would not have taken a genius like Trixie to figure out what happened, but being one let her figure it out that much faster. Her 'friend' had betrayed her, stolen the money, and left her to face Black Jack and his thugs.
"Trixie is not afraid to admit that she did panic at that moment. Black Jack and his associates were not known to being forgiving. If one could not pay with bits, one would wind up paying in other ways. Since Trixie rather preferred her bones unbroken and her limbs attached, well, it was only natural that she did not take the news well.
"But then Trixie calmed down and did the only thing she could. She hitched up her trailer and hightailed it out of town, being careful to avoid areas where she knew Black Jack's thugs were known to operate. So she made it out the gate, and she did travel long into the night, taking back roads, to put as much distance between her and any would-be pursuers."
The old stallion looked up from his notepad. "And you've been traveling ever since?" he asked.
"Yes, Trixie has. But there is still more to this story, for two days later, when Trixie was at her lowest, she would meet a most extraordinary individual. Not like Trixie, but special in his own way."
"In those last two days, Trixie had barely slept, so she was tired. She was wet, for it had rained all morning. She was hungry, for she had eaten what little food she had taken the day before and did not want to risk stopping to buy some more, lest she leave a trail. She was on edge, for she had survived attacks by wild creatures. Suffice it to say Trixie was a wreck. And then her wagon got stuck.
"She pulled. She pushed. She even tried to lever it out. Nothing work. And then she sat and cried. Yes, the great and powerful Trixie did cry. She sat and contemplated dying, perhaps letting the next wild animal claim her as its dinner. She is not ashamed to admit it. Most ponies would have broken in half the time.
"It was at this time, when she was at her lowest, when Trixie was saved by, of all things, a donkey. He did help her free her wagon. He talked to her. He listened to the words she blubbered between sobs. And so he brought Trixie back from the brink. Together, they did travel on until they reached a way station, one much like this.
"It was there that Trixie heard his tale. Years ago, he had met the love of his life, only to lose her. He did not know where to find her, but that did not stop him from looking. Half of Equestria he had searched, and he swore that he would search the other half if that is what it would take.
"Listening to his tale filled Trixie with new determination. She swore that, like him, she would travel until she made enough bits to pay off what she owed to Black Jack. She would bring joy to audiences wherever she went, spreading the legend of Trixie the Great. She would ask any donkeys that showed up at her show if they were the one for which her new friend searched. And everywhere she went, she would look for her stallion."
"And did he ever find her?" the old stallion asked. "Or you your mystery stallion?"
"Trixie has not. And as for her friend, Trixie is sad to say he has not either. Trixie fears he has almost given up hope. Every time she meets her dear friend, he has been crankier and crankier. She does her best to give him hope, but..."
The old stallion nodded slowly. "It is sad that not every story does happy ending have, no?"
"Trixie's will. Oh, she might never meet her stallion, but Trixie does not need another to give value to her life. If it happens, so be it. If not, oh well. What matters is that the foals rush to greet Trixie when she enters a town, that the audience cheers, that the name of Trixie be known across Equestria.
"And that will happen, for Trixie is on her way up. At long last, she has paid off Black Jack, usurious interest rates and all, and so she is free to return to Canterlot. From there, her fame will spread. In anticipation of that, she has even bought this new wagon. It took all her bits, but it was worth it. She looks forward to trying it out on the town just ahead. And then, on to Canterlot, fame, and glory.
"Let her former classmates mock her then, when they see Trixie adored by all." She stifled a yawn. "It will be... glorious. And who knows... maybe that stallion still lives in Canterlot and has been pining for Trixie all this time." She smiled at the thought.
"And that was Trixie's story." She felt another yawn coming, and this time, she did not resist it. "Trixie thinks it is time for sleep. She has an early start to make tomorrow. Thank you for the drink." She curled up under a blanket and shut her eyes.
"And thank for sharing story," the old stallion replied, scribbling a final few notes before putting away his notebook. "Good night. And best of luck with show."
The only response was the gentle snoring of the already sleeping mare.
Author's Note
This has some tie-ins to another story of mine, "Somewhere", though only in terms of sharing some (non-canon) lore. Somewhere is a bit of random comedy silliness. And this, well, obviously isn't.
