Unthinkable

by DarkInnocence

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, Dark, Alternate Universe, Sad
Length: 117437

The life story of a Trixie who is bitter instead of arrogant, taking place from pre-S1 to post-S3.

The life story of a Trixie Lulamoon who is bitter instead of being arrogant, taking place before, during, and after "Boast Busters" and "Magic Duel".

(Special thanks to Lucefudu for providing the artwork and his support, and to Fallen Prime for his support.)

*ON HIATUS UNTIL SEASON 4 IS OVER*

Regarding tags;

Gore = Semi-regularly occurring bloody violence.

Sex = rare scenes with sexual themes; no actual sex depicted.

Dedicated to my dear friend Lucefudu, who I miss greatly. May he come to know true peace for all of his days.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-12-19 23:14:45 UTC

2. Sisterhood

"Did you do it?"

Myrtle's glare burned into Trixie.

The doctors told them that their father, Heavy-Heart, had merely died of natural causes, but Myrtle wasn't buying it. She felt disgusted that she ever once almost felt sorry for her younger sister, her being the abomination that she was.

Trixie slowly shook her head, shaking with nervousness. "... N-no..."

The earth pony sat back on her haunches, her face a dirty scowl. "Oh, yeah? Then what's that?" she snapped, an accusatory foreleg pointing at Trixie's newfound cutie mark. She recognized it from their mother's story book; it was sickening to see it on her sibling's flank.

Trixie cringed, her eyes veering away uncomfortably. "Nothing..."

Myrtle scoffed bitterly. "Hmph. If I didn't know any better, I'd be inclined to agree with you. It'd make sense, because you are nothing, you've always been nothing, and you'll always be nothing," she hissed, her voice dripping with venom.

"But unfortunately, I doubt that's what that is. I think I know what it really means. You always pretend to be some saint, hiding behind obedience and conformity to earn everypony's trust, waiting for the chance to take advantage of everything they have. They give an inch, and you take a mile. They don't know you like I do. That you're the sort of monster who'd kill her own parents when all they did was care for you, and you never even deserved it to begin with. Your special talent, your cutie mark, is taking good things, and twisting them, corrupting them, into something hideous and horrible, like some, some... Some kind of changeling. Wearing the mask of an angel, when all you really are is a devil."

Trixie hung her head at her words, filled with a deep shame.

Fear filled her heart once more as Myrtle started to slowly back her into a corner, never letting her leave her hateful sight.

"You did it, didn't you? You killed my Dad, too, just like you killed my Mom?"

The younger filly's legs trembled, feeling a cold sweat starting to overwhelm her. She opened her mouth to speak, and nothing would come out.

"Did you?!? DID YOU?!?"

Trixie burst into tears, burying her face in her hooves as she fell to the floor.

Myrtle slowly shook her head, her disapproving gaze fixed on her sister as she grimaced out of animosity. "I thought so," she sneered, walking away and slamming the door behind her.

The next few days were full of torment.

Trixie fearfully clung to Myrtle's every instruction. Except for direct commands relating to their daily routine of maintaining the house and working at Euthalia's, she never spoke a word to her. The filly had no idea what her older sister had in store for her, just that she was as angry and loathing as she'd ever been. For all Trixie knew, Myrtle could kick her out of the house, or convince the authorities she somehow killed Heavy-Heart against his will, maybe even get her exiled from Jennet somehow.

The suspense of waiting for her unknown fate had only compounded her constant state of nervousness and apprehension. The damning and terrifying uncertainty made Trixie almost wish Myrtle would immediately punish her, however terribly, rather than keep her guessing for another moment.

One horrible thought after another raced through her mind as she idly sat in her dark room after a particularly laborious day. Her aching muscles begged for her to go to rest, but she dare not risk retiring for the night without awaiting Myrtle's permission first. Her indecisive turmoil was interrupted as the pony she thought of threw her door open, casting the light from the hallway inside. Trixie slowly and nervously looked behind her.

Before she could say anything first, Myrtle began; "I've finally figured out what to do with you. Here's what's going to happen." She slowly walked to her younger sibling, who fully turned to face her, cowering before her authority.

"The only reason I'm going to let you keep living here is because it's what my father would want. He thought you were something more than you really are, but I know that you're not. You're going to keep working with me at Euthalia's, for some years if need be, until you earn enough bits from your labor to move out into a house of your own, preferably out of town. Once you reach that amount, your time here is through. Is that understood?"

Trixie quickly nodded, remaining completely silent.

"Good." Myrtle started to walk back to the hall, but stopped just before she passed the doorway. "There's one more thing..." she added, looking back. "As long as you live here, you're not allowed to do anything that makes you happy. You made me suffer by putting up with you all this time, so it's only fair that you endure the same. You should be thankful I'm so merciful to even let you stay here in the first place. If I catch you even trying, I promise I'll punish you for it. Don't test my patience, Beatrix, because if this becomes too much of a problem, I will kick you out of here without a second's hesitation."

With that, she left.

That night was almost a year ago.

The only reason Myrtle hadn't destroyed or disposed of Trixie's sentimental possessions were because she had hidden them away in her room, never taking them out for any reason. She had never worn her hat and cape since, or reread "The Very Special Pony". She hadn't even played with her doll, Special, who she once cared for night and day like a child; she shuddered at the realization that if Special really were a child, she would have long ago died of starvation. The unpleasant thought was entirely unwelcome, causing her to keep it out of her mind whenever possible.

Ever eager to be good, Trixie obeyed Myrtle's every word. She knew her sister would always hate her, and never forgive her for her apparent crimes, but the very least she could do was avoid even more suffering at her hooves.

It was evening once more, with Luna's beautiful moon and stars the only illumination in the dark sky above. Trixie had just finished her last errand for the day, and was starting to head back home, hoping that Myrtle would allow her to go to bed soon without much fuss. The lonely filly sighed to herself, depressed over how her life had changed since her father died.

She never dared to delay any of her tasks entirely of her own volition, unless she knew there was something else her sister would have wanted her to do that she hadn't known about before, or was for someone else's benefit entirely. As such, she let nothing distract her from returning to her house... Until she heard an unhappy meow.

Trixie stopped in her tracks, looking above her to the source of the sound. "Oh... Hello, Remiel."

The blue cat had gotten himself stuck in a tree, and continued meowing profusely. Trixie paused for a moment to concentrate, and then calmly levitated Remiel in a slow descent safely to the ground. He gratefully purred and started cuddling against Trixie's forelegs, his soft green eyes gazing up at her, as if empathizing with her sorrow.

"Come on, let's get you home," she cooed as she levitated him onto her back, walking back over to where he belonged, which fortunately wasn't terribly far away.

The filly's hoof lightly knocked on the door, which soon opened to reveal the same earth pony mare who was a judge at the talent show last year -- and would be one again this year.

"Oh, my goodness. Was the poor boy stuck in a tree again?"

"I'm afraid so, Miss Eileen," Trixie answered her. "Here you go," she added as she levitated Remiel into the mare's loving embrace.

Eileen smiled gratefully, taking a few moments to welcome her cat home with petting and cuddling, before he set him aside, allowing him to walk further into the house. She returned her attention to Trixie, chuckling as she slowly shook her head.

"I still remember how amazing it was when you conjured him out of my memory a year ago. You really have wonderful talents."

"They're not good enough to make it in," Trixie noted somberly.

Eileen frowned. "Why, it wasn't that, my dear... We were just worried you would get hurt..." she trailed off. After a moment's hesitation, she unsurely added "You should try out again! I'm sure that you've had enough practice to make it in without a problem!"

Trixie shook her head, reluctantly disappointing her. "I'm never going to try out again, Miss. I just can't," she insisted, neglecting to mention the specific reasons why.

The mare was heartbroken, thinking the filly was merely too discouraged by her last failure to bother trying again. "I'll respect your decision, but..." she laid a comforting hoof upon Trixie's shoulder to reassure her. "Just know that your talents -- and your kindness -- are indeed appreciated, young filly..."

Trixie nodded. "Thank you, Miss Eileen."

As she went to bed that night, Trixie thought back on the judge's encouragements. After so many months of living in complete servitude to Myrtle, she had completely forgotten about there being a talent show every year... And about Gilda eventually coming back.

The friendly griffon was never far from her thoughts, but the overwhelming despair that clouded every single day for the longest time had blotted out her promise to return to Jennet. Now that Trixie had finally rediscovered it, she wasn't sure if she wanted Gilda to come back or not.

Of course, she wanted to see her again -- undoubtedly. But whether or not she did, Trixie was sure it could only turn out for the worst. If Gilda came back, she'd have to explain to her that Myrtle's rule would keep them from ever talking or interacting -- if she would even get the chance to explain it in the first place. If Gilda never showed up, she'd obviously miss her, but at least she wouldn't have to endure the pain of probably being forced to erase their friendship.

She suppressed a frustrated groan at her life's situation, far too tired of her only choices always being between which was a less painful way to lose. Too restless from this reopened inner turmoil to sleep, Trixie quietly got up, looking at the moon and stars outside her window, the only lights in a worldwide blanket of darkness.

Ever since her father's death, she had entertained a thought she'd never had in her life; what if Luna wasn't as good as she thought she was?

Her followers were made into social pariahs if they were exposed or identified, and constantly toiled through hardships with a meager quality of life. Every plea and request sent to her, however desperate, were seemingly ignored. The dusk gave rise to nocturnal predators that made the dark hours unsafe.

With all these reasons and more, Trixie couldn't help but wonder; should she forsake Luna, the way she had apparently forsaken her?

She seriously considered it... And decided against it.

Faults and all, Luna was still a worthy deity to look up to. After all, even through the face of constant sorrow in the daylight hours due to Myrtle's demands, the night princess still graced Trixie with pleasant dreams, her only remaining comfort and solace. Rest was once either a nuisance, an obstacle in the way of waking activities, or a welcome retreat from discomfort, physical or emotional; now, it was all she ever looked forward to.

After all, wasn't Luna's only crime wanting to be recognized for her efforts, the same as Trixie? Wasn't she, like Trixie, largely misunderstood and mistreated by most who knew of her?

The filly closed her eyes in acceptance of this moment's peace, realizing that Luna truly was there for her after all, the way that Trixie herself had always meant to lend support to the night goddess. If she truly didn't care, would she have given her sweet dreams every night without fail?

With that, the unicorn returned to her bed. Her worried thoughts drifted back to what would become of Gilda, whether or not they ever met again. She frantically tried to push them out of focus, only for them to become more resilient, so instead she merely tried to relax, and once more succumb to the sweet embrace of sleep, and the lovely dreams that came with it.

It was the middle of the day, and Trixie was on her way to shop for groceries.

Just before she could enter the marketplace, a familiar silhouette on the ground nearby caught her eye. Trixie looked to the source, and smiled, with bittersweet, mixed emotions gripping her heart.

There, off in the distance, was Gilda le Grand, eagerly flying towards her with an expression of bliss so radiant that one would think she'd just seen the beauty of the stars for the first time.

The griffon just barely came to a gradual stop, struggling to contain her excitement; she didn't want to tackle Trixie in a hug with all those saddlebags the unicorn wore. Instead, she waited until landing in front of her, seizing her in an adoring embrace.

"Trixie! Oh my gosh, I've missed you so much! I can't believe that it's been a year!" she gently pulled away, spreading her wings once more. "I can fly much better now! Rainbow Dash helped me out, and now I've got it down to a science! It totally rocks!"

Trixie chuckled, pleased by her excitement. "I noticed."

"How about you? How has your magic improved since you've been practicing? We've got to get you into the talent show again, you could totally nail it this time!"

Trixie frowned, having long ago dreaded the possibility of this moment. "Actually, Gilda... I... I'm not going to do it again..."

Gilda recoiled out of bewildered sadness. "What? Why not?"

"So, that's why," Trixie concluded.

She had just finished explaining everything that had happened with Heavy-Heart and Myrtle since she had met the griffon. The only detail she left out was that she was attempting suicide the night Gilda found her in the field; she thought it would somehow disturb her or hurt her feelings.

The griffon graciously received all this information with complete attentiveness and sympathy, feeling just as shocked as she was disheartened. "I can't believe it..." she muttered sadly.

Trixie's eyes veered away as her ears lowered, her expression shameful. "It's not that I don't want to, but... The only reason I can talk to you right now is because Myrtle thinks I'm grocery shopping. I can only lie to her so much without her getting suspicious. But, I did talk to you because I wanted to -- I had to -- it wouldn't have been right not to greet you again..." She squinted her eyes shut in frustration, sighing. "I want to keep being friends with you, Gilda, but Myrtle would probably forbid that because it makes me happy..."

Gilda looked away, hurt by their circumstances. "What about being friends with me to make me happy? She's okay with that, right? You doing what makes other people happy?"

"But that would make both of us happy, so she probably wouldn't be okay with it," Trixie explained.

Gilda groaned in frustration, desperately searching to think of a solution to their lamentable misfortune. "... Do you remember how you read my mind last year?"

"Yes?"

"Can't you... Can't you make it so that we can 'talk' to each other like that? Like, you can send me messages with your magic, and I'd answer them with my thoughts?"

Trixie beamed at this idea, feeling surprised and stupid that she hadn't come up with it on her own much earlier. "I... Guess I could..."

"That way, we could have secret conversations, and we could keep spending time together without Myrtle finding out," Gilda explained. "That would work, wouldn't it?"

Trixie hesitated, reluctant to risk earning more of Myrtle's wrath, but she decided her friendship with Gilda was worth it. She was touched that she wanted to be with her even after giving her so much and receiving so little in return -- even though she wanted to anyways, she felt she owed it to her to give her what she wanted, and if that meant being friends, then all the better. So, she nodded.

"I'm not completely sure how this will work, because I've never done it before, but... I'm pretty certain that it won't work right unless we're not far away from each other. Like, both of us in plain view of the other, or within a certain distance."

"That makes sense," Gilda agreed. "I've gotten really good at staying hidden at Junior Speedster's Flight Camp, so I could keep out of Myrtle's sight if she happens to be around."

"Or if she does see us both, we could just pretend we don't know each other," Trixie added. "Either way, we'll need to practice."

Myrtle was agitated with Trixie, but was trying not to make too much of a fuss about it. She knew from experience that grocery shopping sometimes yielded long lines. There actually hadn't been one today, but Trixie managed to convince her otherwise; a penchant for the truth made the occasional white lie much easier to slip in.

A lot of that time had actually been spent between Trixie and Gilda perfecting their mental communication -- or, at least, honing it to the point that they could have coherent conversations with relative ease. The griffon never got a chance to meet Trixie's relatives before, and regretted that she would never get to speak with Heavy-Heart, for he sounded like a very nice stallion to her. Myrtle was an entirely different story.

The Lulamoon sisters had just finished dinner that evening. If there was any mercy from the older sibling to the younger one, it's that she at least divided chores evenly between both of them, claiming Trixie needed to at least reserve her strength for the next day's tasks. Trixie would have mistaken this for the slightest hint of kindness if it weren't for Myrtle's constantly sour mood towards her.

Tonight, it was Myrtle's turn to do the dishes. As Trixie expectantly waited for Myrtle to possibly give her more chores for this evening, she suddenly sensed Gilda's presence nearby. Immediately, she tapped into the mental connection that they established.

'Surprised to see me?' Gilda chimed.

'I would be, except I can't see you,' Trixie joked. 'But, yes, I wasn't expecting you tonight. Still, you're not unwelcome.'

Gilda barely peered through a nearby window to take a gander at Myrtle. The clash of her dark green coat and brown mane and tail didn't seem to sit well with the griffon's eyes.

'So, that's Myrtle, huh?'

'Yeah.'

Gilda scoffed. 'She looks like something that crawled out from under a rock. Acts like one, too.'

Trixie cracked a smile, but managed to suppress a snicker.

'I can see why she's so mean,' Gilda continued, 'I'd probably be a jerk too if I looked like someone tried to mow their lawn and messed it up.'

Trixie lowered her head and squinted her eyes shut, quietly chuckling.

Gilda smiled, glad to see Trixie amused. She turned her attention to Myrtle's cutie mark, a rose.

'How much do you want to bet that if she ever slept outside, she'd never know a moment's peace because whoever walked by would try to pick off or eat her cutie mark?'

Trixie broke down into a fit of soft giggling.

Irritated, Myrtle turned her attention to her. "What is so funny?"

Thinking quickly, Trixie looked away as she pointed a hoof out past the open door to the backyard. Myrtle's eyes followed it, only to see some bees pollinating flowers.

She looked back to Trixie, unimpressed. "Very mature, Beatrix," she chided. The earth pony shook her head as she returned her focus to the dishes. "I swear, you read way too many of Mom's books way too early..." she mumbled under her breath.

Trixie looked to Gilda out the window.

'If you keep making me laugh at her, she's going to figure out that something's up!'

'Okay, okay, sorry, sorry...'

Myrtle soon finished the dishes, and Trixie quickly looked back at her, hoping that she wouldn't notice the window.

Myrtle seemed suspicious of her. "Why're you just sitting there gawking at me, anyhow?"

Trixie nervously shrugged. "I-I was just waiting to see if you had anything else for me to do before I go to bed..."

Her elder sibling surveyed the kitchen for ideas. "You can take out the garbage," she concluded.

The unicorn nodded, immediately obeying her. She levitated the filled trash bag towards herself, going to the backyard to put it in the can before she brought it out to the front of their house for garbage day tomorrow. Gilda silently followed her from above in flight.

'Take out the trash, and her with it?'

Trixie snickered.

As Trixie laid in her bed, Gilda rested her head on the opposite side of the wall of her room from outside. Their closeness separated by a single wall helped strengthen the connection of their secret conversation.

'I think we should try to get you in the talent show again,' Gilda began.

Trixie paused, rife with uncertain sorrow regarding it. She couldn't see herself trying again, for many reasons, but she didn't want to disappoint Gilda, either. 'I'm afraid my heart's just not in it any more...'

Gilda sighed. 'Can't you at least try?...'

Trixie squeezed her eyes shut, tired of being torn between the choices. 'I'll try out with you, since that's what we did last time.'

'We should do this just for you,' Gilda reaffirmed. 'I won't enter, I'll just help you with it... They wouldn't have an outdoor act like flying in an indoor talent show, any ways... Besides, I know I fly just well enough after returning to Junior Speedsters. I don't need to prove anything to anyone.'

Once again, Trixie stopped, this time unsure about going if Gilda wasn't going to.

Alarmed by her silence, Gilda added 'I-I'm not saying you need to prove anything to anyone, I know that you're good at magic, just... You've been spending all this time cooped up working or in your house, enslaved into depression by your sister... No one's supposed to live like that, that's just crazy... Don't you want to feel happy?'

'Of course I do,' Trixie answered.

'Then why not try out again?'

Again, silence fell upon them.

Again, Gilda was the one to break it. 'Listen... You can tell yourself whatever you want, but, I know how much that show meant to you. You were really excited for it, and worked so hard for it, and you were completely crushed when you didn't make it in. Ever since, it's been one bad thing after another. Wouldn't you like something to make all those troubles worth it? To finally feel good about something for once, after all that badness?'

'... Yes...'

'Then we'll get you into that show, and you'll completely own it,' Gilda concluded.

'... But... What about you? What are you going to get out of it?'

'I'm going to get to see my friend do what makes her happy, and that makes me happy.'

Trixie closed her eyes. Not only had Myrtle forbidden her from seeking happiness, but she felt as if she didn't deserve to, either. And yet, her one and only friend, Gilda, believed the opposite. Whatever choice she made, she would be potentially disappointing and hurting someone. What could she do?

Finally, a decision came to her. She still felt completely positive that she would fail the try outs once more, but the very least she could do was do it anyways, just to satisfy Gilda. The time they'd spend together training and practicing would allow them to enjoy their friendship until Gilda had to leave again, and as long as they were careful enough, they could hide the whole thing from Myrtle.

'... Okay. I'll try out again.'

The next morning, Myrtle had Trixie go out to get breakfast. The unicorn knew about it the night before in advance, so she informed her griffon ally of the situation, telling her where and when they would be able to meet, however briefly. They converged halfway from Trixie's house to the bakery, conversing as they walked.

"I feel bad for making fun of Myrtle."

"What? Why?"

"Well... She's only acting that way because she's hurt..."

"That's no excuse to take it out on you, especially when those things aren't your fault," Gilda replied.

"But, you can see how she'd blame me, can't you? It's not like all of her accusations are unfounded..."

"Still, that's ridiculous! You had good reasons for doing everything that you did, not like her! Even if you didn't, she's been treating you so bad for so long compared to anything you could have possibly done to her. You shouldn't feel bad one bit for cracking jokes at that mean dweeb. One day, she's going to have all that and more happen to her for a change. Karma's going to make sure."

Trixie looked at Gilda with a puzzled expression. "Karma?"

Gilda thought she simply misheard her, then realized she didn't understand. "You know how sometimes, it seems like people don't get what they deserve? They can do something really horrible, and get away with it scot free, for a long time? That's because karma hasn't kicked in yet. Karma is this... Thing... It's like a force of nature, like the sea, or the wind, that works to bring bad luck to those who would hurt others. Sometimes I have trouble believing in karma, or at least I get impatient with it, but trust me, it always comes around tenfold."

Trixie frowned, having difficulty accepting this. "I'd sure like to think so..."

Gilda noticed her reaction. "You know... Karma works both ways, Trixie... You've gotten an awful lot of bad luck all your life for being someone so nice, but I promise, some day, you're going to get all the good things that you have coming to you. Just... Don't give up, and you'll find them sooner or later."

"If you say so," Trixie sighed as they came to a stop. "Well, this is it. I'll be just a minute, Gilda." With that, she entered the bakery to pick up breakfast for her and Myrtle.

Just as Trixie was exiting mere minutes later, saddlebags full of food in tow, she tripped over something, falling flat on her face and spilling the goods into the dirt, some smushed beneath her.

"What the hell was that for?!?" Gilda exclaimed furiously, stomping up to the filly who tripped her friend.

Sable giggled mischievously. "Don't blame me, it was all her fault! She was so busy gawking at you that she didn't watch where she was going!"

Gilda clenched her talon into a fist, raising it threateningly. Sable immediately ran off, but not before pushing Trixie's face into the dirt with her hoof, just narrowly dodging a swift punch from the griffon.

"Damn it!" Gilda cursed.

Trixie groaned, groggily getting back on her feet. "Don't worry about it, I'm used to it," she explained. "There's nothing these bullies do that Myrtle doesn't already do to me."

Gilda huffed in anger. "I swear, it's just not right!"

Trixie's ears perked. She'd gotten an idea.

'I really don't like this,' Gilda mentally told Trixie.

'I know you don't. I don't like it either, but this is our best chance at getting the most time to practice.'

It was much later in the day; Trixie was following Myrtle home after they had just finished closing Euthalia's. She felt Gilda's presence grow closer; the griffon was hiding while the sisters caught up to her.

'Get ready. We're almost there.'

Moments later, Gilda saw Myrtle pass her. Immediately, she stuck a hind leg out in front of the gap between her and Trixie, tripping the unicorn and causing her to fall.

"Watch where you're going, dweeb!" Gilda snarled in mock annoyance.

Myrtle turned around, bewildered at first, then freezing when she saw the griffon had tripped her sister. She snickered, smirking in approval. "Nice one."

Gilda approached her, rolling her eyes. "What a lame brain, am I right? I swear, some people these days just have no common sense. Never paying attention to anything, let alone their surroundings."

Myrtle looked at Trixie, then shook her head in disgust. "I can't believe that she's my sister... I'm so sorry she inconvenienced you. I'll see to it that she makes up for this clumsiness back home."

Gilda grimaced. "Really? Well, that's no fun. I'd rather see her do that right now." With that, she walked over to Trixie, who was just now starting to stand back up. Before she could get away, Gilda grabbed her by the coat on her back with both talons and threw her towards a rather large puddle of mud nearby. The unicorn splashed into it, a dark mess splattered over her blue form.

Myrtle and Gilda laughed in unison. As soon as she was done, the earth pony wiped a tear from her eye, trying to regain her breath from laughing so hard. She smiled at the griffon. "You're pretty cool. Do you think you'd like to hang out sometime?"

"I'd be down for that."

They raised a hoof and talon, and high fived.

'I don't like bullying you.'

'I told you, it's fine. I'm used to it. Besides, you're not even really bullying me, just pretending to, because we're actually friends.'

'But that's not what friends do to each other.'

'I know, and I don't like it either, but the only way we can keep being friends is if you pretend to be Myrtle's friend. Not only will she like you, but she'll think you hate me, too. It's the perfect way for us to keep practicing and spending time together.'

As much as Gilda didn't want to believe it, Trixie was right. Where once they treaded carefully to avoid Myrtle seeing them together, they could now freely act as long as they maintained the charade of victim and tormentor. They had won a great deal of private time from the earth pony under the excuse of getting her permission to force Trixie into doing Gilda's chores for her on a regular basis. This led to the two retreating to a field later that night, the very same place Trixie first showed Gilda her magic a year ago.

The sky was slowly stretching into the sunset, taking it's time to shift from daylight to dusk, leaving the clouds with a majestic lavender color alongside the scarlet orange atmosphere beyond them. It was just bright enough for the two to see well enough for attempting their goals. Trixie lamented that they wouldn't have enough time as she would like tonight, but she remained patient, understanding that their practice would be a slow, gradual process.

"Do you think you're ready?" Gilda asked, her voice absent of both doubt and conviction.

Trixie slowly nodded. "I'm ready to try."

The griffon hesitated as she winced. Even though all of this was her idea in the first place, she was wary of Trixie hurting herself if she pushed too hard. Her talons gently laid down the three items she was going to practice on; a peanut butter cracker, a pine cone, and a spare wheel meant for carriages.

The unicorn closed her eyes, releasing a deep sigh. The goal was to transform them into a cloth, a cage, and a live rabbit, respectively, with which she would perform yet another trick with. "Well... Here goes nothing..." she murmured nervously. With that, she started.

A light pink aura stretched out from her horn, eventually resting onto the peanut butter cracker. Trixie squinted and furrowed her eyebrows as she attempted to concentrate.

Gilda clenched her talons into fists, apprehensive of the results. "Come on, Trix... You can do it..."

Already, the unicorn grunted uncomfortably at the strain present in her magic. While it was bad enough that magic was never that easy for her, going so long without doing anything except the most basic spells had made her skills very stale. She shut her eyes as she tried to force more raw power into it, overwhelming her.

"Take it easy! Take your time! You can do this if you just be patient with yourself! You'll get better at it the more you do it! I know you can make this happen right now if you just calm down!"

Gilda's cautionary encouragements soothed her friend's mind, causing her to heed her advice. Trixie didn't stop the effort behind her spell completely, but significantly toned it down, watching the tiny snack as she waited for a result. A long, quiet moment passed, and surely enough, she succeeded into transforming it into a violet cloth, about half the length and width of a bathing towel.

Gilda smiled, relieved and proud. "Great! Now, try again with the next one! And remember to take your time!"

Delighted, Trixie obeyed, taking only a brief moment to rest before casting a new spell on the pine cone between the cloth and wheel. She felt her magical aura surging in a steady, even flow from her horn, gradually shaping and changing it until it eventually formed into a square shaped cage. The unicorn smiled.

Gilda laughed happily and clapped. "Awesome! Now there's just one more! You can do it, I know it!"

Seized with jubilation, Trixie immediately pointed her horn towards the wheel, excitably firing a new beam of magical energy onto it. It glowed and hummed with tension, only to rapidly quiver, suddenly shooting off into the air.

The girls gasped in shock as it ricocheted off of the trees nearby, rocketing in every direction at a blindingly fast pace. After hitting them at least a dozen times, it changed it's course, heading straight for Gilda's face, who was frozen in fear. Trixie leapt in her way, and unintentionally generated a shield of magic for just a moment, stopping the wheel in place and letting it harmlessly drop to the ground, no longer enchanted, but destroyed from being overcharged.

Both girls sighed in relief, lowering their guard. Gilda stared at the demolished wheel in amazement, while Trixie looked away out of embarrassment and shame.

After an awkward silence, Gilda turned to her. "So, what did this teach us?"

Trixie smiled sheepishly. "Err, not to trust wheels?"

The griffon laughed heartedly, then shook her head, smiling. "No. It taught us not to get too excited. If you get in over your head and push too hard, you'll mess things up. It's exactly the same with flying. One careless move, and things could go from bad to worse right away."

The unicorn nodded, frowning. "Right, right..."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up over it. Everyone makes mistakes, no matter what they do." Gilda brought a talon to her beak, pausing in thought. "You know who'd probably be able to help with that? My cousin Gustave. He's the best chef I know of, but he only got that way because he got so good at something that's all about patience and self-control. Maybe you should spend time with him whenever I'm alone with Myrtle."

Fettuccine Alfredo with mushrooms.

It smelled so good.

The aroma wafting it's way into Trixie's nostrils was rich, exquisite... And strangely nostalgic. How could something that felt so new feel so familiar? It wasn't until then that she realized she smelled this at least once before in her life, and even had the pleasure of dining on the actual meal itself, which was only even more enjoyable. It had been so long since she ate it, and so infrequently, that she almost entirely forgot what it was like. All it took was one whiff to rekindle that dim, dying memory into a burning desire.

Gustave smiled at her satisfaction, pleased to see that the unicorn enjoyed herself. He was no stranger to how miserable she felt, hearing a great deal about it from Gilda, and believed she deserved to feel better.

"You know, she always thought about you while she was away. She'd always talk about you. How you were one of the only ponies she ever met who accepted her right away, even though she's a griffon. My father likes to take us here because the Lunar Loyalists can sympathize with their kind being judged unfairly, but sadly, it seems even among them there's those who would reject us. You were one of the pleasant few exceptions."

Trixie blushed, lowering her ears. "She... Really talked about me all the time?"

Gustave laughed and nodded. "Oh, indeed. It used to drive me crazy because I got sick of hearing it every day. But, I got used to it, and came to appreciate it. You were a memory that got her through many hard times, and for that, I'm glad."

'... That's what she is, for me, too...'

"Anyhow, she tells me you needed my help," Gustave continued. "Something about improving your patience and self-control?"

Trixie nodded eagerly. "Oh, yes," she chimed, "That'd really help us a lot!" She surveyed the wonderful dish before her, eager to eat it for the first time in a year. "Also, thanks again for having me over for dinner! I really love your cooking, and I missed it a lot -- there's just nothing like it!"

The griffon chuckled. "Thank you. I'm glad you think so, because I'm going to teach you how to make it."

Jennet Orchids.

They smelled so good.

Gilda finally understood why they were Trixie's favorite flowers. After Myrtle showed her around Euthalia's and let her sample all the scents, there were no others that could compare. The Lulamoons' late mother had perfected her craft, and her daughters had preserved it nicely.

As nice as this was, she tried not to get too relaxed, even though that was the appearance she intended to have. It made her consciously uncomfortable to casually rub elbows with the constant tormentor of her best friend, as if she were her best friend, when in actuality there was never anyone she wanted to deck in the face more than her. Gilda didn't need to see Myrtle in action; Trixie's sincere testimonies were enough to convince her.

As if the world could hear her thoughts, another opportunity to impress Myrtle arose. She noticed another filly their age walking by, looking rather meek and miserable. Something about her gave off the impression that she was one of the less popular girls in Jennet, and by association a likely target for Myrtle's bullying ways. As if on cue, Gilda stuck her talon out in front of her forelegs as she walked by, tripping her.

The pony crashed to the ground and exclaimed, groaning groggily as she tried to regain her bearings. Gilda pointed and laughed. "How lame! Another dweeb who isn't minding her surroundings! What a loser, right, Myrtle?"

She turned to see her, expecting approval, and instead seeing malice.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!?" Myrtle scolded her.

Gilda recoiled in bewilderment. "But... I thought you'd think it was funny... Because, she --"

"Just because my sister is a worthless loser who needs to be put in her place doesn't mean anypony else is, too!" She scowled, disappointed in the griffon, before she turned her attention to her hapless victim, helping her to her feet. "Get up, Leila! I'm so sorry about this. I promise it won't happen again."

The filly composed herself, nodding. "Thank you, Myrtle," she murmured before she left.

Gilda raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Bully your sister, but not others? What's up with that?"

"It's different. Trust me," Myrtle snapped defensively. "And if you really think bullying just anypony is so cool, then maybe we shouldn't be friends," she growled.

The griffon frowned. "I'm sorry. You're right."

The two continued on their way, sharing a long, awkward silence.

Finally, Myrtle said, "So, how come I can't come to your house, any how? Your uncle will let Trixie over, but not me?"

Gilda grimaced, quickly inventing a lie to cover for her. "My uncle and cousin are racist against ponies. They treat Trixie just as bad as I do, and I knew you'd like that part of it. The only reason they come here every now and again is they have nowhere else to go when they need to save money for a while. It's cheap, easy living."

Myrtle nodded, but was still confused. "Then why are they apparently so cool with us spending time together?"

"It's different. Trust me."

First, there was cooking. Then, there was meditating.

Gustave waited until after their dinner was over to show her this, and Trixie was grateful for it. Having her stomach full of a nice, hot meal was exactly what she needed to get relaxed enough to try this. That, and her memory of that sweet, sweet aroma she'd forgotten for so long and discovered again. Just that very slight olfactory sensation set off some chain of events helping her achieve a complete peace of mind in just this very moment. She couldn't understand what it was, or how to describe it.

"Now... Through your nose, breathe in, slowly..."

Trixie obeyed Gustave, who was following along.

"... And then, through your mouth, breathe out, slowly..."

Again, she followed suit.

"Now repeat it, as many times as need be, until you reach complete peace, and just, hold it there..."

Gradually, Trixie felt all unpleasant sensations fade away. There were no aches from working so hard for Myrtle, or worry for what she frequently put her through. There was only here and now. The only other time she felt this serene was when she was asleep, dreaming.

Myrtle was morose. "Come on. There's one last place we have to go."

Gilda surveyed the carriage full of flowers in confusion. Throughout the day, she was helping with small errands here and there in order to get to know her better and put her at ease. Together, they pushed the carriage all the way to it's destination, leading them to a small house isolated from most of the rest of it's neighborhood.

"What's all this for?" asked Gilda.

"This family lost their youngest son when he was trying to put out a fire he was called to extinguish a month ago. He was supposed to get married this weekend. Instead, they're having his funeral."

Myrtle knocked on the door. Moments later, a somber, teary-eyed mare answered, looking slightly relieved to see the filly and all the flowers she brought with her.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Phoebe. Red Siren was a brave hero, and a kind stallion. He will be deeply missed." Myrtle extended her hoof, giving a bouquet of the flowers she brought to her.

The mare sniffled, accepting them, and then pulled Myrtle into a hug. "Luna bless you, child. We'd never be able to afford his funeral if you didn't help us."

"It was nothing, really. Don't worry about it."

Minutes later, Gilda helped Myrtle give the rest of the flowers in the carriage to Phoebe and her family. The griffon was thoroughly puzzled; normally, she'd expect someone like Myrtle to only do all of this to get attention and approval, but she seemed legitimately sincere.

Seeing that they were leaving with nothing but an empty carriage, the griffon turned her attention back to the filly. "Did they already buy those flowers we brought?"

Myrtle closed her eyes. "No. I gave those to them for free."

"You were right -- she does treat everyone nice except for you... I just don't understand it."

Trixie frowned. "That's because she has every reason to hate me..."

"Don't say that!" Gilda exclaimed, distraught. "That's not true... She's just... Misdirecting her anger... She shouldn't be mad at you, she should be mad at... Just... What happened... Like you are."

"I'm not angry about it. Just really sad."

Gilda paused, trying to find some way to lighten the mood. "Well... How about you and Gustave? How's that going for you?"

Trixie beamed. "Oh, it's been really nice! It's helping me a lot. It's... It's actually not so hard or so painful to do certain spells, now..."

"That's great!"

The unicorn nodded in agreement. She looked off in the distance, noticing how late it was, and sighed. "Well, I should probably go home now."

"Yeah, I guess I should, too." Gilda started to stretch her wings. "Well, you know what our schedules are going to be like for a while... If we didn't have to get up so early tomorrow, we could have tried again tonight... How about, three days from now, back at the field again?"

"Sure, that sounds good."

One more day.

One more day, and Trixie would get to start practicing with Gilda again.

She wanted to be calm. She wanted to be patient. She wanted to wait.

But she couldn't wait.

Even as she lay in bed trying to sleep, Trixie was wide awake, buzzing with excitement. For the first time in her life, her magic was only getting better and better, and she could tell; it wasn't a slow, gradual progress spanning over years of painstaking torment and trial and error. It was improving every single day. It would have been scary if it didn't make her so happy.

Finally, she conceded to her impulses, throwing the covers off of herself and placing her hooves on the floor. It almost hurt her face that she was smiling so hard, and yet she wasn't forcing it at all. Barely able to contain her bliss, Trixie forced all that joyous energy to remain locked inside, just long enough for her to do what she needed to. For the first time in a year, she sneaked out of her room to find her mother's spell book, and returned there with it.

The unicorn slowly and quietly opened the book on the floor, the only illumination in the room being a dim light from her horn, taking every precaution not to wake Myrtle up or alert her to what was happening. There were spells she remembered seeing in here that she always wanted to try, but never felt she would be good enough to accomplish. Her conviction renewed by Gilda's support and encouragements, she felt she was finally prepared. There was just one thing she needed to do first.

Catch, and keep, that emotional serenity. That peaceful calm that stopped the world and erased all the pain, even if only for a few minutes. Her time with Gustave spent indulging in the aroma and flavor of delightful meals, and learning how to achieve complete momentary contentment, had inspired her, giving her a wonderful idea. She knew it would work. It had to.

Closing her eyes, she focused, slowly casting a delicate spell from her horn. Sure enough, within moments, a bouquet of Jennet Orchids appeared right before her, for the first time in a year. Delighted, she held them close, breathing in their wonderful scent. Immediately, the warm memories came flooding back to her, of a simpler, happier time, when not everything was painful and sad, and she had better ways to deal with those moments.

'Father...

I remember my father.

How he'd always help me and care about me, no matter what happened, or what I did.

He was everything to me. For so long, he was the only thing I had.

I thought that I lost him... But, I never did. He was just waiting for me to find him again.

Thank you again for everything you've done for me, Dad. I love you so much.'

She continued to savor the wonderful emotions she regained from the Jennet Orchids, helping her find a pure, wholesome peace of mind. Once she was ready, she allowed them to disappear, looking back at the open spell book.

The spells were easy.

Trixie was still smiling when she woke up the next morning.

Not only did she learn so many new spells with great success, but she also still got a good night's sleep, with some very nice dreams.

She turned over to the other side of the bed, yawning and stretching, feeling refreshed. She rubbed the sleep away from her eyes with her forehooves, and blinked a few times. As her vision turned from blurry to clear, she suddenly got the feeling that something was not quite right. She noticed that the book was gone, then remembered that she had carefully put it back in the basement just before she went to bed.

But what about her hat and cape?

Trixie started to worry, but tried not to panic. She quickly started searching all around the room, checking every place that she would have hidden it or possibly misplaced it. The more she looked, the more she started to believe that her memories of last night might have been unclear. Could she have accidentally dropped them somewhere, or set them aside in another room? Did she even wear them last night at all?

Concerned, she quickly left her room after double checking everywhere, deducing that it couldn't possibly be there. She frantically looked around as she trotted down the halls, hoping that she could find them before Myrtle did. Finally, she glimpsed them out of the corner of her eye; they were laying on the floor in the middle of the living room.

She released a sigh of relief, then was immediately confused and worried again. She never went there last night. Why would they just be sitting there? She couldn't fathom what reason there would be for it.

Then, Trixie noticed something. She walked closer to them, and figured out why.

Red paint was scrawled onto both of them, forming a crude image of a horrible memory. It was a picture of her father, Heavy-Heart, getting hit by the cart at the mines, after he jumped in the way of Trixie's unconscious body.

Tears started to well in her eyelids, and she knelt before her precious belongings.

"Did you really think I wouldn't find out you were doing something?"

Trixie shut her eyes, hanging her head.

"Don't ignore me. I know you can hear me. Look at me."

The unicorn started to quietly sob, breaking down.

"Beatrix! Listen to me!"

With that, she turned to face her sister.

"I told you what would happen if I found out you were trying to make yourself happy. You brought this on yourself. Do it again, and I'll burn that stupid outfit. Now, go clean your ugly face and get us some breakfast."

Gilda patiently waited outside the bakery. She knew Trixie would come here to get breakfast again, since she told her the day before. When her friend finally arrived, the griffon was distraught to see her in tears.

"What's wrong?!?"

Trixie hung her head. "We can't practice tonight..."

Gilda shook her head, confused. "Why not?"

The unicorn sniffled, and then opened one of the compartments on her saddlebag. Morosely, she slowly pulled out her hat and cape, unfolding them and showing Gilda what happened to them.

Gilda brought a talon to her beak. "Oh, my goodness... That's so horrible... I'm so sorry, Trixie..." she pulled her friend into a close, soft hug, allowing her to cry on her. She waited until she was done, gently patting her on the back and giving her silent acceptance, empathizing with her plight.

"It's okay, Trixie... We can wash this away... It's okay..."

And so, Gilda took Trixie back to Arluin's house. In the backyard, the cleaned it, along with the rest of the le Grand family's laundry. Before they knew it, Gilda pinned the hat and cape on the clothesline to dry, purely solid purple once more.

She patted Trixie's back once more. "See? There you go. It's good as new. We just have to let it dry, now."

Trixie seized the griffon into a hug. "Thank you..."

Gilda smiled, hugging her back. "Don't worry about it. That's what friends do."

They didn't know that Myrtle was watching.

The two hurried back to the Lulamoon residence, wanting to maintain their cover story. As soon as they got close enough for them to be seen from the house's windows, Gilda pretended to drag Trixie by the scruff of her neck in her talon.

Gilda casually opened the door, walking Trixie inside, going to the living room, where Myrtle waited. The older filly's expression was wrought with disgust and animosity.

"Sorry your breakfast is late, Myrtle," Gilda sighed as she placed the baked goods on the kitchen counter. "My uncle tried to make me do these chores at a minute's notice, so I forced Trixie to do them instea --"

"Cut the crap, I know it's an act," Myrtle growled.

The two others dropped their charade, startled.

She clenched her teeth, slowly standing up from the couch and approaching them. Her eyes met Trixie's. "Will you never let me rest? Do you live just to torment me? You've taken so many things from me all my life, everything that I deserved when you never did, and now you've taken my best friend, too? Is nothing sacred to you?"

Trixie looked away, feeling ashamed, tears forming in her eyes.

At first indecisive, Gilda started to get angry, too. She was always sick of how she'd pretend to torment her best friend and befriend her worst tormentor, and she wasn't going to put up with it any longer.

"I hate to break it to you, Myrtle, but the more time I've been spending with both of you, the more it becomes apparent that you have it totally backwards. Trixie's never harmed a fly. She just had the bad luck of being stuck in a lot of situations where she was surrounded by pain. Sure, you probably would be a pretty cool pony, if you didn't victimize her on a regular basis, for no reason, to boot."

Flabbergasted, Myrtle shook her head, unable to believe what she was hearing. She shakily pointed an accusatory hoof at Trixie. "This is exactly what I'm talking about!!! She's turned you against me!!! This -- manipulative little witch has deceived you with the illusion that she's innocent and kind and moral, when she's exactly the opposite of all those things!!! I can't be the only one who knows it! You have to see through her lies!"

"And, you just proved exactly what I just said," Gilda growled. "Quit being so dishonest, Myrtle. The only manipulative little witch around here is you."

Hurt, Myrtle looked at Gilda, tears forming in her eyes. Speechless, she sighed curtly, then started to laugh bitterly. "So, you're fine with bullying me, but not me bullying her? Look who's the pot calling the kettle black!"

Gilda grimaced, her face twisted in rage, storming up to the filly and catching her off guard. Even Trixie was afraid -- she'd never seen her this angry before. She poked a talon against Myrtle's chest, her face inches away from hers.

"This isn't bullying! This is me calling you out on your crap! You only do good things to get everyone's attention and make them like you! You don't know how to make friends, and you couldn't keep one even if they fell in your lap! You're terrified of talking to colts! You have all this anger and insecurity, with no one but yourself to blame, so instead you blame it all on Trixie and take it out on her when she's never done anything to you! I've never met a lamer pony in my life. If I could only be friends with either you or Trix, I'd pick her, ten times out of ten."

The room fell completely silent. Everyone held still. Trixie looked at them in awe, her mouth agape. No one had ever talked to Myrtle that way.

The earth pony just glared at the griffon at first. Embittered tears of betrayal slowly made their way down her face, and she released a shaky sigh of defeat. Finally, she nodded.

"... Fine. Fine. You want to go ahead and be that -- that worthless filth's friend, not mine? Fine. Go ahead, I don't even care." She looked at Trixie once again. "Take it all, Beatrix. Take everything you want from me. It doesn't matter how much you steal, or what you do to me, because there's one thing you'll never be able to change." Myrtle's frown turned into a sadistic smirk. "I'm not the one who killed my parents. I've always been, and always will be, their true and only daughter." She lifted her head and closed her eyes, smiling as she started to proudly walk down the hall towards her room.

Trixie faced the floor, starting to cry.

Seconds later, Myrtle felt a talon tap on her shoulder.

"Myrtle?"

She turned around, and Gilda's talon clenched into a fist crashed across her face, hitting her right in the muzzle. She fell to the ground, blood pouring out of her nose. As she writhed on the floor, groaning in pain, Gilda wiped her talons and walked back to Trixie. She gently wiped her tears away, and leaned in close to whisper in her ear.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist. She was just pissing me off too bad. You can come to my house if you want; either way, I'll see you again tonight". With that, she left.

Moments later, Myrtle made her way back to her hooves, stumbling towards Trixie as she pressed a hoof against her bloody nose. "If that... Smug jerk... Ever comes here again, you're going to regret it. I promise."

Trixie lay awake in her bed, late at night. All was quiet, and Myrtle had called it an evening over an hour ago. No matter what she did, or what she thought of, Trixie just couldn't close her eyes. Her worst fear was coming true. She always worried that somehow, Myrtle would make her friendship with Gilda impossible. Now, it was actually happening.

Suddenly, she felt Gilda's presence rapidly close in. Like she had done so many nights ago, the griffon gently laid her head on the opposite side of the wall as Trixie's, strengthening their mental connection through a closer distance.

'I'm sorry. I probably ruined everything between you and your sister.'

'It's okay. Besides, you're my real sister.'

Gilda blushed. '... You really mean it?...'

Trixie paused. 'Yes, I do. After my Dad died, I... I realized just how much you, Gustave, and Arluin meant to me, even though I only got to see you for a little while. All my life, it felt like there were missing pieces of my family. Like, some of it was there, the way it was supposed to be, and others weren't. There was my Mom, who I lost before I ever got the chance to meet her, and then I was trapped with a sister who might as well be possessed by a windigo. You, your cousin, and your uncle have made up for the things I've lost and missed out on.'

The griffon closed her eyes, smiling. 'It's so cool that you feel that way... You've always meant a lot to us, too...'

Acceptance and approval lifted Trixie's spirits. 'That's something I was never able to understand before... How someone so nice like you could ever like someone like me... I always thought you might forget all about me, and just keep spending time with Rainbow Dash, or something...'

'What? No! I could never do that! I'd never forget you!' Gilda professed. 'You were the first pony I met aside from Rainbow Dash who completely accepted me right away. It didn't matter that you were a pony and I was a griffon, or that you followed Luna and I didn't. You just... Gave me a chance, and got to know me better, unlike most I've met. Even if you ended up not liking me or we weren't friends, I'd still be glad that you didn't just reject me right away.'

Trixie closed her eyes. 'You know, I'd always dream about you. You'd be with me, helping everyone be happy and make their wishes come true with the Wand Of Peace. We'd turn this whole place into a paradise where everything was perfect. We'd live in this big traveling wagon together, and wherever we went, everything was made and done just for us. Thinking about that all the time helped me get through the day when I was without you. I could never forget how good of a friend you were. I always thought about how, even if we never saw each other again, even if you hated me for some reason, even if you forgot all about me, I'd still only ever be able to have fond memories of you.'

'... Yambf.'

'Yambf?'

'It means "you are my best friend",' Gilda explained.

'But... But what about Rainbow Dash?'

Gilda paused. 'Rainbow Dash will always be a dear, close friend to me, but... I've never... Meant this much to anyone who wasn't part of my family before... It makes me feel... I don't know how to explain it...'

Trixie smiled warmly. 'I'm so touched you feel that way... You're my best friend, too... You always have been...'

'... If you didn't have to worry about Myrtle, would you try out for the talent show?...'

'... Yes.'

'Then, we should do it.'

The next night that Trixie and Gilda were able to sneak out to practice, the unicorn was having a difficult time. She couldn't bring herself to even begin casting spells.

"This is pointless," she groaned somberly. "The more we try all this, the higher risk we run of Myrtle finding out, and she'd only make everything even worse for us." She shook her head, sitting down in defeat as she looked to the ground. "I couldn't make it past the try outs in the first place..."

Gilda frowned. "Come on, Trixie..." She picked the pinecone off the ground in her talon. "If I can make items levitate, surely you can, too..." Suddenly she released it, causing it to hang in midair.

Trixie's eyes widened. "H-how did you do that?!?"

Gilda caused the pinecone to float around her for a few more moments, and then took it back in her talon. She retrieved something that she brought in her own saddlebags, in addition to the items they already used for practice; it was some wax, and a bundle of string that was so thin, it seemed completely invisible when a single strand was unfurled. The griffon explained to Trixie how the illusion worked, simply taping one end of the string behind a feather on her head and attaching the pinecone to the other end with the wax, manipulating the string in her talon to make it "float."

Then, she showed Trixie a bunch of other items she'd gotten of a similar nature, intending to help her feign illusions when her magic was suffering difficulties.

All the while, the unicorn stared in awe, her mouth agape, in disbelief that her friend was doing this.

Gilda noticed, worrying that she misunderstood her intentions. "I-it's not the same as cheating, it's more like, training wheels on a bicycle... When I used to have trouble flying, Rainbow Dash would carry me when I flew, so, I thought I could help you the same way..."

Trixie was deeply touched. She smiled, tears of joy glistening in her eyes. Her horn glowed with a magenta aura, and she immediately lifted the peanut butter cracker, pine cone and wheel with effortless ease.

Gilda blushed, embarrassed. "Well... I guess that means you won't need these any more..."

"Yes, I do," Trixie affirmed. "They'll remind me how much you care."

It was Trixie's turn to try out.

Eileen, the earth pony mare who encouraged her to try out again, was delighted to see her give the show another chance.

The unicorn mare and pegasus stallion from before were the judges once again, as well. They recognized Trixie, and looked uneasy and nervous from recalling what happened during her last attempt, but were ready to give her another chance.

The filly turned her attention first to the unicorn mare, just like last time. This time, Trixie smiled with renewed confidence. Before she did anything else, she conjured a bouquet of Jennet Orchids, taking a brief moment to indulge in their sweet, nostalgic scent, empowering her with the encouragements of her late father. With that, she got started.

Her horn glowed with yet another spell, and moments later, a maple donut appeared before the judge.

She was stunned. "Th-this is exactly what I had for breakfast this morning! Amazing!"

Next, Trixie switched to focusing on the pegasus stallion. The magic was flowing so much more freely and easily this time; it had never been this functional before in her life. With just as much mastery and grace as the last, she cast yet another conjuration spell. Alas, a violet bowling ball appeared before the judge.

His eyes widened. "I was just thinking of this a few minutes ago! I'm going bowling this weekend! How did you know?"

Finally, the filly rested her eyes on Eileen. They exchanged a warm smile of exuberance, and the unicorn worked her magic once more.  Soon enough, Remiel, the blue cat, appeared before her eyes again. Eileen immediately started clapping, impressed.

Trixie smiled. Remiel meowed happily, purring as he nuzzled against the young unicorn. She giggled, then resumed focusing as her horn continued to glow, this time conjuring a toy with catnip. The feline eagerly chased it as she levitated it all around her, briefly conjuring hoops and other obstacles for him to leap and navigate through, which disappeared almost as quickly as they appeared with how fast he was moving. This culminated in her using a spell to create a cat tree, which Remiel climbed in pursuit of the toy, only to follow it down a spontaneously materializing staircase.

With that, Trixie finally allowed him to catch it, and caused all of the other obstacles to disappear. She reached down and gently pet him with a forehoof, to which he arced into her touch, cuddling and purring. After a few more moments, the young unicorn ceased all of her illusions, allowing the cat to slowly disappear. She then looked back to the three judges, smiling vibrantly, just as pleasantly surprised as they were to find that this time, she didn't suffer any difficulties regarding using her magic.

The judges merely stared at her in awe for a few moments, before they briefly exchanged looks, speechlessly coming to a quick decision as they clapped their hooves on the table before them in approval.

Trixie was deeply touched, choosing to take a bow as her forehoof removed her hat for the brief duration.

"That was excellent work, Trixie!" Eileen praised her mirthfully. The other two nodded in agreement. "We really wanted to have you in last year, but like we said, we had plausible concern about your health regarding magic at the time... However, it looks like you've been practicing and finally have it under control! It's with great pleasure that we're letting you participate in the talent show this year."

Suddenly, the filly froze.

'I actually made it in?

What if Myrtle finds out?

Oh, no

No, no, no, no

This can't be happening please I don't want to do this --'

"Aww, look at her! She's so happy she can't even speak!"

Eileen noticed Trixie's apparent discomfort, and became concerned. "Are you all right, Trixie?"

She swallowed a knot of nervousness trapped in her throat. "Yes, ma'am -- thank you so much --" with that, she galloped out of the door at full speed.

Gilda embraced Trixie in a hug, overjoyed. "You did it!!! I told you that you could make it in!!!"

"... Yeah..." The filly murmured, still paralyzed by the realization that they possibly got one step closer to Myrtle finding out what they were doing.

The griffon laughed, patting her on the back, until she could see Trixie's apprehensive concern. "What's wrong?"

"Now it's even more likely that Myrtle's going to find out," she bemoaned. "How are we going to get around this?"

To her surprise, Gilda merely smiled, shaking her head slowly. "Don't even worry about that. I told my Uncle Arluin about everything that's been going on, and he's going to make sure that his friends here in Jennet keep Myrtle busy as, um... 'Customers' at Euthalia's until this whole thing is over."

The unicorn started to process this information, and then released a deep breath, feeling incredibly relieved. She then pondered the idea of actually getting to perform in the talent show, using the magic she so passionately studied and enjoyed practicing with to help ease the burden of daily life for all of Jennet. She slowly smiled, looking at Gilda with renewed confidence.

"So, this is really it, then... We're really going to do this..."

The griffon nodded. "Everything's going to be fine. I promise."

It was finally Trixie's turn at the talent show.

Her heart was pounding with anticipation. She heard the audience clapping from the last performance before hers, and felt the pressure of putting on a good enough show to impress them after they've already seen so many amazing things.

After she engaged in her new pre-performance ritual of smelling the Jennet Orchids she could conjure to give her emotional strength, she let them vanish and walked on stage. She briefly glossed over all the faces watching her, surprised at how many of them she recognized from her many walks across the town, even though most of them were otherwise complete strangers. Her lips weakly cracked a small smile as she stared out to no one in particular, feeling her nerves frozen and her legs quiver with stage fright; she never planned out how she would cope with the "being the center of attention" phase of these exploits.

Nonetheless, she forced herself to calm down by focusing on positive, encouraging thoughts, momentarily closing her eyes and using the breathing techniques that Gustave taught her while they meditated. Soon, she felt relaxed, releasing a sigh of relief, feeling only slightly awkward that her first few moments on the stage were merely her trying to get ready. Trixie then quietly cleared her throat, levitating three items from backstage; a peanut butter cracker, a pine cone, and a spare wagon wheel. Her eyes rested on them all as she continued to take deep, slow, quiet breaths.

'You and Gilda have practiced this a dozen times now. You've done it before, more than once, you can do it again. You can do it right here, right now, in front of all these ponies, if you just... Relax... And focus...'

She concentrated on the peanut butter cracker, steadily testing the limits of her horn as she projected the image of a cloth in her mind. Slowly, but surely, the snack bent to her whim, her spell obliging her efforts as it transformed into the exact same fabric she was imagining. Trixie allowed herself a small smile at this initial success.

'Okay... Going good so far. Just... Keep it cool. Keep it together.'

The unicorn took a brief moment for another deep breath, and then shifted her vision to honing in on the pine cone between the two other items. She felt a little bit of pressure in her temples from how nervous she was, causing her eye to twitch, but she remained calm and collected enough to persevere.

'And, now, a cage... Here... We... Go...'

Once again, she was seized by tension as she pushed her magic into working, taking her time with each step of her trick, knowing that doing so and having it pay off would be much better than failing and embarrassing herself in front of all these ponies. Trixie felt further reassured when the pine cone successfully changed into a cage, just as she desired.

'Yes!... That's it... Just a few more steps and we're home free...'

Her nerves continued to rest easy enough considering all the pressure she was under, until she laid eyes on the wagon wheel. She swallowed a knot of nervousness trapped in her throat, starting to tremble as she recalled what happened the first time she tried to enchant it.

'Easy does it...'

She closed her eyes, trying to force all of her efforts into this spell while utilizing as much self-control as possible. Her mind turned away all thoughts of the spell backfiring somehow, or of an otherwise undesirable reaction from the judges and the audience. Trixie opened her eyes upon hearing a faint, soft cooing, realizing she successfully turned the wheel into a rabbit, which was eyeing her curiously. She smiled.

'All right... The rest is going to be a piece of cake.'

The unicorn took another deep breath, beginning to manipulate the three transformed items with her levitation, simultaneously lifting them together in the air. She opened the cage, putting the rabbit inside, closing it afterwards, and draping the cloth over the cage, causing it to be completely concealed. Her forehooves then held the cage on the top and bottom sides, and quickly pressed together, flattening a cage with a nice, clean snap. The audience gasped in shock, but then Trixie levitated her hat off of her and turned the opening towards the audience, revealing that she had safely teleported the rabbit inside there.

Astonished, they immediately started clapping. This escalated into a thunderous roar of applause, full of cheering and whistling and yelling praise.

Trixie sharply sighed in disbelief. Her mouth was agape.

'... All of them... Cheering... For me?'

Everywhere she looked, there were ear-to-ear smiles on their faces, and a glint of wonder in their eyes. Everyone, young and old, pegasus, unicorn and earth pony, were out of their seats applauding her.

'... I did this?...'

As the realization sank in, tears of joy brimmed on Trixie's eyelids. She had never felt so approved of, so appreciated, so accepted; not by so many people before. Most of her life, she spent her days feeling invisible, unwanted, despised, thinking she was a pony that everyone else wanted to avoid. Now, it seemed as if the case were entirely reversed.

The filly smiled as widely as her spectators, tipping her hat as she took a bow.

She couldn't believe it.

The medal for the "Best Magic Act" was in her hooves.

Even many days after the talent show was already over, Trixie felt as if it only happened. She had never gotten anything like this to remind her of any personal achievements ever since she got her cutie mark.

Gilda patted her back reassuringly. "I told you you could do it."

Trixie smiled at her. "I couldn't have done it without you."

Gilda shook her head. "No, no, no. All I did was show you the way. You were the one who made the journey."

The unicorn blushed. They continued sitting together in the field where they would go to practice, sighing happily as they enjoyed some of Gustave's chocolate eclairs and two hay smoothies. Even with as little time as they had and how hard they had to work to avoid Myrtle, spending every minute they could together was entirely worth it.

However, this was a bittersweet evening, as soon, Gilda would be gone again. Both friends lamented it just as much as the other, but they knew there was nothing they could do about Arluin's travel plans. They would have hated him for it if he wasn't so nice.

The girls merely enjoyed their company together in silence, watching the sunset and leaning against one another, reminiscing over all the fun times that they shared in their entire friendship. The longer time passed, the more saddened they became, not wanting to depart again and have to wait for yet another year to see each other again. They embraced closely in a tearful hug.

"I don't want you to leave again," Trixie murmured dejectedly.

Gilda caressed her mane with her talons. "I know, I know... I don't want to go, either... But, I'm going to come back again, just like I did the first time. I'll write you whenever I can, and we'll see each other every year... Someday, we won't have to wait that long anymore..."

The unicorn squeezed her tighter. "Okay..."

"Don't forget, Trixie... Karma has more good things in store for you. Just wait and see..."

"All right..."

"Yambf," they said in unison. They finally pulled away from one another, getting up and walking away towards their houses. They sadly looked back, waving and smiling, already feeling the inevitable heartache of missing their best friend for yet another year.

A week after Gilda left, Myrtle went home from Euthalia's early to cook dinner, leaving Trixie behind there to close up the shop.

The unicorn returned home, tired and hungry. She was looking forward to a nice, warm meal after a hard day's work. While she deeply missed Gilda, Trixie was glad that they had gotten to spend time together, and put their efforts towards winning the talent show. Furthermore, Myrtle had no idea that they had gone through with it, after all.

As she stepped through the door, making her way to the kitchen, she spotted Myrtle waiting, looking very angry.

"So, you didn't go to that talent show, right?"

Trixie felt her heart skip a beat.

"Yes," she lied, barely keeping her cool.

"Do you want to explain this, then?" Myrtle retrieved the medal that her sister had won. She hid it in her room, but the older filly was able to find it any ways, snooping everywhere she could think of when she became suspicious.

Trixie froze, speechless. She felt cold, afraid.

Myrtle dropped the medal on the floor, and stamped on it with her hoof once, shattering it to pieces. She started to corner Trixie.

"You've disobeyed me more than you ever have. Even after I warned you, more than once, you still kept trying to seek happiness anyways, when you weren't allowed to. How can you be so selfish? How can you be so blind to reject the punishment you so clearly deserve? You've done all these horrible things, and you still won't even admit that you killed my Dad!"

"He was suffering!" Trixie blurted out.

A tense silence hung in the air.

"... What did you say?..." Myrtle growled.

Trixie recoiled in fear at first, but then became sure of herself. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Myrtle! You saw it, too! Dad was miserable for years, toiling away at the mine until his body withered, mourning ou -- your Mom! He wasn't going to take it much longer either way! He begged me to kill him so that he wouldn't suffer any more, so I did!"

That was enough. Myrtle's quietly seething fury boiled over into a hateful rage, causing her slowly building snarl to turn into an ear-piercing scream. Suddenly, she grabbed a shovel, stormed over to Trixie, and used it to smack her across the face. Blood poured out of the unicorn's mouth as she fell to the floor on her side.

Myrtle raised the shovel overhead, crashing the shovel down onto Trixie's ribs in three powerful, raging strikes. She maneuvered it so that the edge was pointed towards Trixie's neck, and thrust it straight down, hoping to pierce her throat or decapitate her. Just before it could connect, The unicorn's involuntary magic stopped it in place.

Myrtle raised the shovel back and forced it down two more times, pushing with all her might on the last try, but to no avail; it wouldn't so much as touch a strand of her fur.

"Oh, forget it!" Myrtle cried, exasperated. She tossed the shovel aside in defeat, sobbing as she shook her head, wiping her tears away. The earth pony slowly turned around, giving up on killing Trixie as she started to walk towards her bedroom.

"Hit me again..."

Myrtle froze in place. She was bewildered. She looked back at her sister.

The unicorn slowly struggled to get back onto her hooves, looking at Myrtle, crying as well. "Hit me again," she pleaded weakly. "Hit me as hard as you can, as many times as you can. It won't kill me no matter what you do, so instead, you can hurt me as much as you want. As much as I deserve to be hurt."

Myrtle's jaw dropped.

"You're right," Trixie sniffled. "I'm bad, I've always been bad, and I'm always going to be bad... I deserve to suffer as much as I can..." She squinted her eyes shut as she ached, using her levitation magic to weakly drag the shovel along the ground until it was back at Myrtle's forehooves. She continued to struggle walking until she knelt down before her sister, openly anticipating the next blow. "Please keep hitting me..."

Myrtle brought a hoof to her mouth. She remained speechless, tears spilling over her eyelids, until she started to audibly cry. She didn't expect this sincere apology and admission of guilt from Trixie. Not like this. It finally opened her eyes to the reality of the situation, and brought back that sorrow and empathy she felt for her so long ago, on the last night that both of them saw their father. So, instead of grabbing the shovel, she pulled Trixie into a tight, sisterly hug.

"I'm so sorry," Myrtle bawled. "Please don't believe any of that... I was so wrong... I just..." she became unintelligible, continuing to cry. "I was so wrong to treat you the way that I did... I'm going to fix this, Beatrix, I promise... I'm not going to hurt you any more..."

Trixie returned her embrace. From that day on, for the first time in their lives, they truly became sisters.

That was eight years ago.

Things had become so much better between them since then. Instead of what she used to do, Myrtle openly supported Trixie's pursuit of happiness, and treated her like the sister she truly was.

Tonight, they were camping. Their father had taken them on several camping trips years ago, but they were never able to properly enjoy it at the time, marred by the misdirected animosity that Myrtle had due to their mother's death. The sisters couldn't help but note the tragic irony that they could only now savor the intended experience after their beloved father had gone, as well.

"It would have been nice to be here with Dad..."

"Yeah... If only things were different... If they were better..." Myrtle squinted her eyes shut, then forced herself to look at Trixie. "It's all my fault... I'm so sorry I blamed you for those things all those times..."

"It's okay, Myrtle..."

The earth pony looked away again, still unable to forgive herself. How could she, after what she did?

"I need to ask you something..." She rested a forehoof onto Trixie's. "All those years, all that time, that I did those horrible things to you... You could have cast some spell on me to kill me, or make me stop, whenever you wanted, if you really wanted to... Why didn't you?"

Trixie paused. She was surprised by this question. "Because... Because I knew you were only doing everything you did because you were hurting."

Myrtle sighed sadly. "That still doesn't make what I did right..."

Her sister frowned, unable to respond. She closed her eyes, letting them bask in the silence interrupted only by the crackling of their campfire.

Trixie was glad she could at least be close to her sister. Aside from seldom moments like these where Myrtle's remorse tinged the atmosphere with gloom, the only other time she felt so sorrowful was remembering Gilda. The griffon had done nothing to hurt her or earn her ire, but she hadn't seen her or ever even heard from her ever since they worked together for her to win the talent show years ago.  The unicorn could only hope that she would be all right, and that they'd see each other again someday; like she said, she was only ever able to have fond thoughts of her.

The Lulamoon sisters were moving to Canterlot.

It was their last night in Jennet, packing away the final remaining items they had yet to put in boxes and bags. Myrtle insisted that she wanted to share a fresh start, a new life, with Trixie, to put their horrible history before they got along behind them. So, the two had spent years saving their bits, culminating in Myrtle selling their house and Euthalia's to a married couple that recently moved to Jennet. She had already arranged for them to live in a new house in Canterlot, opening up a second Euthalia's over there, as well.

The only flower that they would leave behind were the Jennet Orchids. Myrtle insisted that a part of their parents belonged back there in their old home, and so they agreed to let them remain exclusive to Jennet.

Trixie was nearly finished. The last item she found was something she was strangely unfamiliar with; having spent all her life in this house, she thought that it hid no secrets from her, but she had never seen this item before. It was apparently an ivory carving of a crescent moon. The unicorn wasn't sure why, but something she couldn't explain had drawn her to find it. She didn't know what it's purpose was, but somehow determined that it had been there for a long time, possibly before she was born.

She inspected it in every manner she could, deducing that it was simply a work of art. It was beautiful, however, and thus Trixie decided it would make for a nice decoration in her new room in Canterlot, so she packed it with her other things.

Her tasks complete, she walked through the house, calling her sister's name, puzzled when she didn't hear an answer. There was no indication that she wasn't home; Myrtle would always let Trixie know when she was going somewhere. Finally, she found her older sibling, who was staring intently at a nightstand. No, it wasn't just that -- something on there had caught her attention.

"... What's that?..." Trixie asked.

"... It's our father's diary..." Myrtle murmured in reply, seemingly hypnotized.

Trixie started to feel uneasy. "... Did you read it?..."

Then, the earth pony broke out of her trance. "... No. We should read it together. When the time is right." With that, she packed it away. She turned to her younger sibling. "Well, it's time for us to go."

Months after their move into Canterlot, Myrtle had Trixie close Euthalia's while she left early yet again. The unicorn was puzzled as to why; she didn't know of any certain obligations Myrtle would have to leave for before they could close together. It made her a little bit nervous, but she felt sure that nothing would be wrong. She and her sister had got along so well for years; surely there wasn't anything that would undo that so suddenly, without warning.

When she returned, she found Myrtle waiting, smiling.

"Thanks so much for closing the store, Beatrix," she praised her warmly as she greeted her with a hug. "I'm sorry I left so soon, but... I was wanting to make sure that some other things were in order... I... I have a surprise for you."

Trixie perked, caught off guard. "... What is it?..."

Myrtle closed her eyes, hanging her head. "I know that you already forgave me for all those things I did to you for so many years, but... It doesn't change what I did, or give you that time back... I know I can never change that or make up for it, but, well, I thought I should at least do something, so I can show you how sorry I am, instead of just saying it, and..." She looked at Trixie again, smiling brightly. "... I used these bits I saved to enroll you into Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns. They're the best, Beatrix. They'll be able to help you with your magic problems."

Trixie gasped, stunned. She'd never received such a kind, sincere gesture from her sister before. "Oh, thank you so much!!!" She dove at her, tackling her into a hug. "I can't tell you how much this means to me! This is so nice of you! I love you, Myrtle!"

She chuckled. "I love you too, sister."

Months after she started attending the school, Trixie started to feel depressed. Things had been going so well for her ever since she moved to Canterlot, but the more time went on, the more things started to seem not quite right.

Being enrolled into Celestia's school had given Trixie access to a rather extensive library. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she started doing some research after discreetly having some medical records from Jennet sent to her. The unicorn discovered that while Euthalia was pregnant with her, her health was fine; in fact, the doctors were more worried about her safety than her mother's, thinking that she might turn out to be a miscarriage.

The only conclusion that she could come to from this was that there was a specific reason her mother died giving birth to her. It must have been her survival instinct magic keeping her from being miscarried, accidentally killing Euthalia in the process.

How was she going to break this news to Myrtle?

Part of her thought it wouldn't change their relationship. The earth pony had come to terms with the unfortunate fates of their parents, and that if Trixie didn't have anything to do with it involuntarily, she was acting out of good intentions, for good reasons. But, still, another part worried that it would bring up old emotions, and cause her to reject and torment her once more. It would be easy to simply not tell her... But she couldn't keep this from her after finding out... Could she?

That wasn't even the only thing bothering her. As nice as Canterlot was, with a much better quality of life and range of things to do and places to go compared to Jennet, she felt so alone. She did notice that Myrtle started to become slightly distant, strangely moreso after time, and that she couldn't bring herself to make any friends here. Being the capital of Equestria, and the residence of Princess Celestia herself, the nationalism and religious faithfulness towards the sun goddess couldn't be greater than within the majority of it's residents.

And with that loyalty came an equally scathing hatred and disapproval of Luna, the one who Trixie had been so fond of all her life. It made her feel scared of expressing herself and ashamed of who she was aligned with. She didn't have anything against Princess Celestia; it was just that so many ponies here slandered Luna and those who followed her. She'd overhear drunk or judgmental mares and stallions in every corner of town grumbling about "those dirty Luna lovers".

It wasn't fair; Trixie didn't use her loyalty to Luna as an excuse to hurt anyone or do anything bad, or try to force anyone to share that loyalty, or judge them if they didn't. She didn't even care who anyone else was aligned with, as long as they wouldn't do those things as well. Why did everyone in Canterlot have to treat Lunar loyalty like it was such a horrible thing?

It was so painful, so humiliating, to be forced into hiding such a fundamental part of herself she held all her life. There were times where she almost considered turning away from Luna again, only because it would make it easier, safer, and more comfortable to blend in with everyone else around her. How could she ever befriend anyone in Canterlot when she could never truly be herself around them?

There was only one other pony she ever saw who she almost considered befriending. Almost.

She was this young unicorn mare, somewhere around her own age, who had a lavender coat, a violet rose mane and tail, and a six-pointed magenta star cutie mark. Something about her facial expressions, her body language, conveyed the same sense of constant sadness and loneliness that Trixie seemed to feel, to an uncanny degree of similarity. It was almost as if someone had taken her shadow, or her reflection, and personified it into another pony, coming out as this purple mare. Could they possibly share other things in common? Did her cutie mark hint at her being a Lunar loyalist, as well?

It was so tempting to take a chance to go over and talk to her. Maybe, just maybe, there could be a potential friendship waiting for her. Whenever Trixie saw her, noticing the same patterns, the same feelings, over and over again, her desire and curiosity grew stronger.

But, she never worked up the courage to approach her.

It became too much. She needed to talk to someone. But it couldn't be Myrtle. It couldn't even be that other mare who she thought she resembled so much. It had to be a stranger, someone who didn't know her, and yet someone she knew somehow she could trust.

In spite of all of Trixie's turmoil surrounding so many ponies' loyalty to her, the only one she thought she could bring her troubles to was Princess Celestia. She was wary of the idea at first, but after spending so much time in Canterlot, and then in her school, she found that thankfully, the sun goddess did not share the qualities of those who worshiped her with excessive fervor.

So, the unicorn arranged for the first meeting she could get in with the busy princess. Given the nature and extent of her responsibilities, they wouldn't be able to have proper face to face time for an in-depth conversation for two weeks, but Trixie figured it would be worth it if there was even a chance that this could alleviate her worries.

It was finally time for her to go to her appointment. Trixie meekly went into Celestia's office upon her request, finding it to be completely empty of ponies except for the two of them.

"Ah, Trixie! Please, take a seat."

The unicorn obeyed, still somewhat apprehensive of her predicament.

"Now, what is it you wanted to talk about?"

Trixie hesitated for some time, and then took a deep breath, slowly exhaling. She twiddled her forehooves nervously, her eyes darting around at all sorts of different things in the office. "Well... I'm..." she sighed. "Something's really bothering me, and I don't know how to explain it, I just..."

"It's okay. Take your time," Celestia encouraged her, giving her a warm smile.

The young mare felt reassured by the princess's patience. "You see, the thing is... I'm just... Uncomfortable, here... I keep wanting to attend the school, and working and living in Canterlot, but... There's this... Part of me, that everyone else here seems not to like... They don't know I have it, because I've gotten so good at hiding it... I'd say what it is, but I'm worried of what you'll think, but I promise it doesn't make me do anything bad, or hurt anyone..."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, Trixie, but I promise you, I won't judge you for whatever it is. I know I can trust you."

Trixie looked at her, puzzled. "How can you be so sure?"

"I'm the ruler of Equestria. It's my job to be sure."

The unicorn nodded. "Right, right..." mustering the courage, she cleared her throat. "All right, well... I... Really like Luna, and... I understand that everyone else here doesn't... And, I'm having trouble with my sister, I think... She used to... Hate me, for something that wasn't my fault, but, she blamed me for it anyways... To be fair, I could see why... Things got better between us a long time ago, but now it seems like they're falling apart again, and I don't know why... You don't think Lunar loyalists are bad, do you?..."

Celestia slowly shook her head. "Of course not," she answered. "I knew Princess Luna, before she was sent to the moon... Unlike what many of my subjects say and believe, she was honorable, compassionate and dedicated. I would try to convince them of this, but unfortunately, mortal mares and stallions don't perceive things the way us alicorns do. A year for them is like a century for us. I wasn't the first alicorn princess to rule Equestria, and I won't be the last.

"You don't see very much of it anymore these days, but believe it or not, ponies used to see me the way that they're looking at Luna now. With our mortality rates spanning absurd amounts of generation gaps in comparison, the citizens of Equestria millennia ago were quick to revile me upon replacing my predecessors, as there were elderly ponies who came to know their rule as benevolent. They branded me as a sadistic tyrant simply because I was new and different. One brief mistake or unpleasant episode, real or imagined, in an alicorn's life will hang over other ponies' entire lifetimes. And so, they'll tell their children, who will go on to tell their children, who will go on to tell their children..."

The princess sighed. "Over time, it just gets convoluted and misconstrued, because the ponies who believe that certain things happened centuries ago weren't even alive yet to see it. This is... What happened with me early in my rule, and, unfortunately, what happened to Luna recently in hers... They act as if a single slip up erases the millennia she spent ruling as purely just, when they have no idea how much that one mistake doesn't even matter in comparison to that... It's as if it would take some kind of divine intervention outside of even my hooves in order to convince them otherwise.

"None of them understand that the relationship between a deity and the world they rule over is very much like that between a parent and a child. The parent can nurture the child and help them grow, and influence them here and there, but the child will ultimately one day be completely independent, and entirely out of the parent's control. And among deities, as the job of ruler of Equestria changes hooves every several millennia, we find we're often accused of things we either had nothing to do with or very little influence over, simply because of how long this machine has been running without us. Our subjects love to view us as perfect, flawless, and incapable of making mistakes, and thus we're all the more despised whenever we do make one, when the truth is we share a lot of their same faults, we just have a few major differences that don't pertain to those.

"It's especially frustrating when we're automatically perceived as the paragon of all goodness in our power and leadership... As nice it would be to genuinely be that wonderful, it's just impossible. And so, others will often claim they're doing something in my name, because they believe it to be good and equate me with goodness, when I might happen to find whatever it is they're trying to justify for my sake is actually abhorrent..."

The princess paused, noticing that the subject of Luna had caused her to trail off in trying to explain it to the filly. "I'm sorry, where are my manners? I didn't mean to go on a tangent like that... We were here to discuss your sisterhood, and how you've felt being a Lunar loyalist..."

"It was no problem, your highness," the young mare admitted. "Your thoughts on the matter are very insightful..."

The sun goddess chuckled. "I'm happy you think so. I wouldn't have wanted to bore you, or, even worse, appear to ignore the subject of your visit," she explained. "So, anyhow... There's nothing wrong with being a Lunar loyalist, and I respect you for being one. Luna would be proud of you. If I could find a way to ethically and soundly convince my mortal subjects to regard them the same way, I would do it."

She stopped again, focusing on the unicorn. "Do you want to tell me what's wrong between you and your sister?"

Trixie looked down, sighing. "Well... Specifically... There was this thing that happened when we were a lot younger, where our mother died giving birth to me... She blamed me for it for most of my life, and went out of her way to make sure I was miserable almost every day..."

"That's so horrible," the princess bemoaned. "I'm so sorry that happened to you."

"Thank you... Yeah, it was awful," the unicorn nodded. "But, things started to get better, about eight or nine years ago, when she realized there was absolutely nothing I could have done about our mother's fate... She tried to atone for how she treated me until then by moving us here to Canterlot, so we could start our lives over as sisters together... She even saved and spent the bits that got me enrolled in this school..."

"That's very generous of her," Celestia noted. "I'm glad she came to her senses and tried to redeem her actions."

"So am I... But, lately, she seems to be distant, and, I'm just not sure what the reason is... I think, somehow, those old wounds have been reopened, and she's starting to feel the way she felt before... She won't even talk to me about it, so I think it's the only reason that makes any sense..."

The alicorn nodded, taking all of this in with a neutral expression on her face as she paused for a moment in thought.

"So, you just recently moved to Canterlot... Almost a year ago? How do you like it here, compared to where you lived before?"

Trixie was puzzled by the sudden change of topic, but felt compelled to oblige the princess anyhow. "Well, I can't lie, it is very nice here... I mean... I spent my whole life where I used to live, so, yeah, I miss it sometimes and have good memories and things, but we were so very poor, and getting by was so very difficult... We were all Lunar loyalists, banding together to take refuge from all the oppression we'd face anywhere else... Here, I'm not so poor and it's not so difficult, and there's a lot of nice things to do, and most of the ponies here are nice, I guess... It's... Very comfortable..."

Celestia smiled. "Good to hear that you like it here."

She paused again, and the unicorn felt even further bewildered.

Then suddenly, the alicorn said "I'd like to show you something, for just a moment..." her concentration briefly focused on a drawer in her desk. She used her levitation magic to open it and retrieve a framed picture, placing it in front of Trixie. It was a beautiful painting of a relaxed, smiling Princess Luna.

The young mare felt her heart skip a beat, gasping out of surprise. "... Wow... That's so pretty..."

"Indeed," the princess happily noted in agreement. "But, as nice as it may be, it's nothing in comparison to actually seeing the real Princess Luna, in the flesh. This is merely more like a small model of a wagon, rather than the actual wagon. Do you know why I wanted to show this to you?"

Trixie, still perplexed, slowly shook her head.

"Given everything I've had to go off of as far as what I know about you, I can tell that you've felt very unhappy for a very long time. When you only have an image, or an example, of what something is, you have just enough information to 'know' it, but not enough to understand it. You have at least a painting of happiness in your mind, so you have some idea of what it's supposed to be like, but you have yet to actually experience it for yourself. Your body has made the journey to a new place full of new opportunities and possibilities to reach happiness, but you left your soul back where you lived before. The part of you that would make you believe this."

The unicorn looked at the painting of Princess Luna, then back to Celestia.

The sun goddess offered a warm, sympathetic smile. "I know that for a long time, you've probably always found the idea of attaining happiness for yourself to be unthinkable, but I promise you... It is possible."

Trixie frowned unsurely. "How do you know?"

"Because Luna is going to come back."

The young mare beamed in shock, her ears perking up as her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "... Really?..."

"Indeed," Celestia insisted. "She will return soon, within some years, while you are still quite young. And when she does, I will finally have what I need to validate her virtuous qualities before all of my subjects. She will be welcomed back onto her throne with respect, honor, and dignity, and her followers will be persecuted no more, but instead be lauded, and treated as equals throughout Equestria. You will be able to meet her, and to get to live out the rest of your life with your Lunar struggles finally abolished. I know that she would appreciate all that you've felt, all that you've done in her name. It's going to be all right."

The unicorn sharply exhaled, speechless. Her eyes veered along Celestia's desk and the ground, her forehooves resting on her temples, shocked and overwhelmed by this news. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she imagined getting to finally meet Luna, and lavish her with all the praise she had so long been denied, to thank her for everything she's done for her all her life.

'... And... All I have to do is... Wait a few years?... I can't believe this! This is... This is great! This is greater than great!!! Words can't express how wonderful this is!!!'

She slowly started to smile as her gaze met Princess Celestia's again, tears of joy streaming down her face. "This is the best news I've ever heard in my life... Thank you... Thank you so much for this..."

"I'm more than happy to help," Celestia doted. "I can see that you're starting to feel a lot better already. Maybe enough to naturally bypass the link between your magic and your emotional state. Perhaps you'd like to try that out here tomorrow? But, first, I'm sure you'd like to share this news about Luna with your sister. Surely, any disconnection you two might be facing could possibly be smoothed over with that."

Trixie grinned from ear to ear, nodding eagerly. "Oh, yes! That's a great idea! I'll go tell her right away, and everything will be perfect! We'll be the best sisters to each other that we've ever been from now on, and we'll see Luna together as soon as she returns!"

The young mare immediately took to her hooves, galloping to the door. "I have to hurry home and let her know right this instant!"

The princess smiled. "Goodbye, Trixie! It was a pleasure to speak with you!"

"You too, your highness!"

Celestia chuckled. There was something so moving about seeing a pony who was so depressed suddenly become exhilarated with bliss. She suddenly remembered what she was busy with before the student came in, and promptly started writing a log on a new scroll.

It has come to my attention that Twilight Sparkle's progress, while promising, has some areas of particularly important concern.

She and her dragon assistant, Spike, have come far in an impressively short amount of time under my study.

The unicorn has shown an unprecedented increase not just in her sheer magical ability and her range of spells, but in her general intellect and knowledge, as well. My school hasn't seen such a young student with so much potential in several centuries; we may very well be dealing with a prodigy not unlike Star-Swirl The Bearded himself. With how capable she is now, I'm almost frightened to imagine what her limits will be once her destiny is fully realized.

It's for these reasons that I sought out Twilight to be my personal student quite early in her tenure here in Canterlot's educational system. While her results have been astonishing, I'm deeply troubled by how her stagnant social life and lack of contact with other ponies have left her isolated all the while.

There is no doubt that Twilight is a good mare with a firm moral foundation, but I worry that if she continues to remain emotionally malnourished, she may not only be unprepared to take on the task of wielding the Elements Of Harmony, but her mental health will deteriorate over time, which could possibly make her a danger to herself and everyone else as her intellectual and magical abilities increase.

She appears to prefer her excessively introverted and studious lifestyle, finding some comforting level of contentment, predictability, and routine. This is fine in moderation, but prolonged exposure to this extent could prove unhealthy in the long run. Twilight is not without a support system, finding a healthy kinship with Spike, her family, Cadence and myself, but I've been able to see that even this is not enough to quell the hidden pain that torments her soul.

It's for these reasons that I've reluctantly considered a contingency plan in the event that Twilight does not come to know the magic of friendship in time for my sister's inevitable return. I do not wish to do this to her, as I know she enjoys her life here in Canterlot, but I fear if she does not make room for these specific and necessary studies within the next five years, I'll have no choice but to send her to the town of Ponyville.

My sources have informed me that this small, humble place possesses a very positive community spirit full of friendly souls who would no doubt welcome Twilight and treat her like one of their own. There's even a place that they've singled out which would function well as both a library and a home for her to dwell in should this come to pass. Again, this is solely being considered as a last resort.

However, I fortunately now have reason to believe that this may no longer be necessary. The very possibility of this other consideration lifts a dreaded burden from my spirits, as I feel quite sure that Twilight would much rather prefer this additional alternative.

I have good reason to believe that I've found a friend for her in one of my newest students, Beatrix Lulamoon. She has only been attending since a few months ago and has a lot of issues with her magic, but I can't help but notice how much she and Twilight have in common; truly, they are kindred spirits. I believe both of them possess pieces that the other lack, and could prove to be quite a beneficial team, both in their educational endeavors and in discovering the magic of friendship.

After carefully observing them both, I feel confident that they possess the combined traits required to wield the Elements Of Harmony against all forces that would wish to do harm to Equestria. Twilight's knowledge and experience with magic would be helpful in improving Beatrix's abilities, while Beatrix's kind, generous nature would show Twilight there can be warmth and trust found in those outside of her extremely exclusive and personal social circle.

Furthermore, they would be the best ponies to help pacify my sister once she returns to Equestria during the millennial anniversary of the Summer Sun Celebration. Twilight's expertise in Equestria's ancient history would cause her to be familiar to the time period Luna is used to, while Beatrix's sincere lifelong love and devotion to her would help ease her mind and heal her heart, showing her that she is indeed appreciated, contrary to what she would believe.

In the short time that I've known them both, these unicorn mares have become near and dear to my heart. I've watched Twilight grow ever since she was a filly, and I'm fortunate enough to have earned the extremely honorable luxury of becoming one of her closest friends. I've only just recently spoken to Beatrix for the first time, but she's given me something that I haven't felt in so long... Hope.

Hope that things can be the way they once were once my sister returns. I've done her a terrible wrong that I've still been unable to forgive myself for... And yet, even with everything that her sister has done to her, Beatrix has found it in her heart to forgive her own older sibling. They've even cast aside the most bitter, longest-running feud between the two of them to truly become sisters... Surely, if this can happen, then I can restore the joyous, loving sisterhood I've once experienced with Luna, and have longed to one day feel again.

I vow that I will do everything in my power to make sure that my sister never feels neglected and unappreciated again upon her return, and I will do so with the help of these two mares. That is why tomorrow, I'm going to have Beatrix speak with me again, so that I can arrange for her and Twilight Sparkle to meet.

Starting here, I'm finally going to make everything right. All the pain will stop... And the healing will begin.

Trixie felt so much better.

Things had improved a lot since she was much younger in Jennet, and surely they were going to stay that way. She'd only hit a little bump in the road along the way -- that was all. Everything was going to be fine.

She would go home, see Myrtle, and enjoy their time together, just like they had for years and years now. She had nothing to worry about.

As soon as she opened the door, Myrtle was right there waiting.

"You're fired. Pack your things and get out of here."

Trixie was shocked. "What?!? What do you mea--"

"I'm going to go for a walk, and if you're not gone by the time I come back, I'm going to call the Canterlot guards on you for trespassing."

Myrtle immediately stepped out of the doorway, roughly shoving Trixie aside and out of her way, quickly walking towards the Canterlot marketplace.

The unicorn was stunned. She wanted to call out to her sister, but couldn't speak when she opened her mouth. She was devastated, heartbroken, and bewildered. Trixie slowly walked inside the house, trying to make sense of everything that had just happened. She was about to ascend upstairs to her room to start packing, and then spotted something out the corner of her eye in the kitchen. Curiously, she approached it, only to feel her blood turn to ice at what she found.

It was her father's diary, with bookmarks in it. Myrtle had secretly been reading it without telling her. Shakily, she opened it with her hoof, turning to the first bookmarked entry.

It's finally decided.

Myrtle's gone on for way too long without any friends. She looks so unhappy all the time, and we can only be there for her so much. She already has enough reasons to be so sad, what with our living situation; she shouldn't have to feel so alone on top of it all.

We've always tried to encourage her to meet other fillies her age, but every time she was too shy or nervous. I know that it's not her fault. She's just been unlucky enough for so many potential friends to treat her badly instead. Naturally, she's apprehensive about each new encounter.

So, I finally got Euthalia to agree with me on a solution. We've tried everything else we could think of, and nothing else worked. If this doesn't, I don't know what can.

We're going to have another child.

A child who won't treat her the way those fillies have. A child who will always be there for her when we can't be. A sibling who we will raise to be her best friend. The only one she'll ever need.

I know the wait is going to be hard for our dear Myrtle. But we'll do everything we can to make sure it's worth it. To put an end to all this heartache. I can't bear to go on any longer seeing her frown so much every day.

This is going to be for the better. She'll see that someday. All of us will.

It finally happened.

Myrtle got her cutie mark.

She was so happy when the doctors told us that she's going to have a sister. Somehow, I think she prefers it that way rather than having a brother. But ever since the news came, everything started to improve already. The despair my little filly used to always carry has turned into optimism and anticipation. And that optimism is making it's way into everything she does.

In the past, she was so impatient and disappointed with trying gardening with her mother. She would complain about how long it was taking for the plants the grow. The poor filly has been too used to her efforts never paying off anywhere except for home; I can understand why she'd feel this way.

But, lately, she became more patient with them, and with her cutie mark. I think waiting for her sister has made her more willing to wait for other good things. She keeps talking about how she wants to help take care of her when she arrives, and how she'll always spend time with her and keep her from being treated the way her own bullies have treated her. Euthalia and I are so much happier to see how much better she's feeling, and how excited she is to meet her sister... Her best friend.

Today, she finally got to see the fruits of her labor... The pay off to all that time she spent waiting, patiently tending to the plants just as her mother instructed. We got the most beautiful Jennet Orchids in the yard than we've ever had before. The look on Myrtle's face... Her smile, the sparkle in her eyes when she saw them... It made me want to cry. She was so proud when she realized she did that.

It was as if this accomplishment erased all of the doubt and the sorrow she used to feel... And with that, a gorgeous rose appeared on her flank. That only made her even happier.

I'm so proud of her. I know that everything is only going to get better when her sister is finally born.

I didn't expect this to happen.

Myrtle used to be so anxious for her sister to arrive. But, ever since she realized that she's going to be a unicorn like Euthalia, unlike her... Over time, something sank in. Like... Like she's worried she's not going to be good enough. She won't admit it to me, but I can see it in the way she behaves. I'm afraid to even talk about Beatrix around her any more, because I just don't want her to feel any worse. I can only hope that all of this will be resolved when she's here, and then Myrtle can see that we love them both equally.

Nothing we do seems to work. Euthalia's been putting in even more effort than before to reassure her that just because she's not a unicorn doesn't mean she doesn't love her as much, or that she sees her as inferior in any way... Even so, she's not convinced.

How could this have gone so wrong? Are we failing her somehow? What do we need to do better?

I'm not sure what's going to unfold at this point. I'm just keeping my hooves crossed that I can get through to Myrtle soon, before this inferiority complex tears her apart and ruins her chances to experience joy.

Euthalia's starting to think this might not have been a good idea.

The mines have always done a number on my back, but it's finally starting to take it's toll. It hurts a little more every day. How much do I have left out of this? How many years? Enough to see to it that my family remains taken care of?

She's not feeling too great, either. We can't figure out what it is, but I've encouraged her to take it easy. She can afford to... I can't. One of us needs to keep going. One of us needs to remain active. Myrtle, bless her heart, has been so helpful in keeping things up with the store, especially when her mother feels sick...

Even still... None of us are getting any younger. Or any richer. We've never been able to afford anything but middle class wages at best, but this... This is too much. We're hardly hanging on. I'm pinching bits at every opportunity.

My wife has noticed... All of this being why she decided to talk to me about whether or not we can afford to support a family of four.

Neither of us want to, but, we both considered that perhaps we should abort Beatrix... If anything, she said, at least Myrtle would put less pressure on herself for not being a unicorn child.

Still... I'm determined to hang on. I'll do whatever it takes to keep this family safe, even if it kills me. I don't want to give up on this... On Myrtle, or on Beatrix. They need each other... Myrtle's gone so long without a friend, and we've anticipated Beatrix ever since the idea entered our heads...

It took hours, but, I managed to convince Euthalia to wait a little longer. To opt out of considering abortion. Her mind is made up... For now, I'm sure.

I only fear that Myrtle might have overheard us and understood what was happening... I didn't notice her peeking through the doorway until the very end of our conversation. She wouldn't tell me how long she was standing there. She also wouldn't tell me what she asked the mare next door about the next day when I saw her there, off in the distance.

I'll fight with everything I have to go through with this. Beatrix is going to be a good thing for our family. I know it.

I have a new daughter and my wife is dead.

How in this crazy world, in this crazy life, did I gain someone I loved so much, just to lose another at the same time?

How can a life be created, and destroy a world?

I don't know how I feel. I don't know what to feel.

I should be grieving my wife. I should be celebrating my new daughter.

I'm doing neither. I'm doing both. All of it just... Fades in and out. I'm shocked. I'm torn apart.

Myrtle hates her.

She's screamed and cried for hours, and scared Beatrix. She even scared me by making me think that she'd try to kill her.

She blames her for all of this. I don't.

I'm just stuck fallen to my forelegs wondering how one more unlucky break could have gone so, so wrong.

I can't bear to hide this any longer. I need to confess. I need to get this out.

For years and years, I've kept a terrible secret. A horrible, unforgivable secret.

I've tried to ignore it, to push it into the back of my mind until it whittles away into nonexistence. But no matter what I do, or where I go, it's always there. The smallest, faintest whisper of doubt, slowly and agonizingly festering into an awful thought.

A thought no parent should ever have about their child.

But, alas, I can't bring myself to lie any longer.

Oh, I'd love so much to be a better stallion. I'd magnify all of my other faults countless times over if I could merely just snuff this single flaw out. To smother it into complete silence until it can haunt me no longer.

But I can't. Nothing can.

And so, years overdue, I'm writing now to confess my most personally hated imperfection.

I regret not aborting Beatrix.

I don't blame her for what happened. I never have. I love her, no matter what. I always have, and I always will.

But I can't help but feel like everything would somehow be better if she had never been born. Not just for our family... But for her.

Maybe, Euthalia would still be alive. Maybe Myrtle finally would have made friends, whether on her own or with our encouragement. Maybe we would have been a happy, healthy family after all. But most of all... Maybe Beatrix would never have had to suffer all of the things that she has.

The poor filly has never deserved any of this. I do everything I can for her, and yet I stand idly by whenever Myrtle lashes out at her, intervening only to keep her from doing serious notable harm. I've let my grief for my wife keep me from doing the things I should be doing.

Still, even with everything that's happened... She's wonderful. She truly is Euthalia's last gift to me. She's such a kind, modest pony, always eager to help, so considerate and friendly and affectionate... She reminds me of how Myrtle was before... Before all of this.

Maybe things would have been better if we didn't have her. But, she's here, and none of us can go back and change that. And even with things as bad as they have been ever since... I'm glad she's here.

I love her so much, and I'm so proud of her. I'm going to savor all the time that we have together, and I can't wait to see the mare she grows up to become.

Trixie was thoroughly disheartened by her discoveries. Immediately, she packed her things and moved into a small studio apartment in the middle of Canterlot. The next day, she donated the rest of the bits she saved for her classes to Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns, right after she dropped out.

3. Dare To Dream

Children depressed Trixie.

She was working at her new job. Two weeks ago, she was hired as a cashier at Party Pony. Fillies and colts would frequently rush to the store after they got out of school, getting all kinds of toys for pranks and parties.

She was so disappointed with herself. Children easily irritated, annoyed, and frustrated her, with their immaturity, mischievousness and uncontained energy, making all kinds of loud noises, whether they'd laugh or scream or cry. But she knew that they were just growing up, and didn't know any better. They were acting as they naturally would, and couldn't help it. Trixie pitied them for being so oblivious to their eventual futures; the hardships that adulthood would bring, crushing fantastical optimism and naivety, tearing all their impossible dreams asunder.

On top of an occupation that necessitated constant exposure to ones who made her so gloomy, another somber realization had recently crept into the unicorn's life. She had bloomed late in terms of puberty, long ago knowing about it from Myrtle explaining it, but found that there was something missing from what her sister described. She'd heard so much about some kind of attraction forming, whether it be towards mares or stallions or possibly even non-ponies, but Trixie felt... Nothing. There was no such force or group that compelled any form of desire from her, not even anything her imagination could conceive, whether they were real or not.

She could not want the company of a partner. She could not fall in love.

In spite of how much they tormented her, these new aspects of her life had given her one bittersweet gift in return; a small consolation, a defense against at least one form of eventually feeling further pain through disappointment.

It was in Trixie promising to herself that she would never become a mother.

This was easy enough, since she couldn't ever see herself being impregnated, but she was very sure she wouldn't adopt, either. Knowing how she couldn't stand to be around children for too long, and how she couldn't bring herself to find a partner to help raise them, helped her know for sure that she would stay away from maternal endeavors. Trixie did not want to be responsible for destroying a child's dreams by building them up, only for reality and the world to tear them down, or for her to snap at them not by their fault, but her own insecurities, where she would instead supposed to be giving them unconditional love and acceptance.

In the midst of all her depression, the unicorn slowly discovered that she had formed a habit to distract herself from her pain and sorrow, and to pass the time when she was bored. She had formed it unconsciously at first, but as she became aware of it, she was disturbed by it, and yet chose not to stop it. She would read the thoughts of random strangers and passerby, whether they were customers at her workplace, or those she saw as she walked through Canterlot. It got to the point where any small detail she noticed could trigger her curiosity and warrant "a quick peek" at their current thoughts.

Trixie knew it was bad. She swore to herself that she would quit, or that she would at least try to cut down on it significantly. And yet, she never did. It had become an addiction. It was the only thing that would constantly allow her to forget how much she hated herself and how miserable she felt, and so she depended on it like water.

Alas, like everything else in her life so far, this would not last. The unicorn hoped that she would put a stop to it from realizing just how wrong it was, or that it wouldn't change her problems. But this was not so. It was because she discovered that it only brought her back to the very thing she was trying to escape in the first place. Almost every pony whose mind she read was miserable, just like her.

Others would have scoffed at this. They would have considered these ponies to be so selfish, when they had all the food, water, shelter, and necessities they could possibly ever hope to have, living in nigh complete physical comfort and practically guaranteed safety day in and day out, worrying about trivial matters instead of serious, life or death situations.

But not Trixie.

The more she reflected on it all, the more she realized something. If most of the ponies in presumably the greatest city in the greatest country on the planet were so miserable, maybe it's not that they had things too good and complained for nothing. Maybe it was that misery was simply everywhere, regardless of how "good" anyone had it.

And that brought her back to a thought that infuriated her. The very idea of it made her blood boil. Something that she remembered from years and years ago in Jennet; a very small, innocent mention of trivia that held little significance to her at the time, and now haunted her every day.

Depression was once considered a sin.

Trixie wondered how this could possibly be. Why would it be sinful to react naturally to pain and unhappiness? How could one be thrust into such unfair, unforgiving circumstances, and automatically be expected to simply accept and live with them without any complaining? In this light, it seemed like no wonder to her that so many lives were so full of misery on a constant basis. Living by those standards was insane, unbearable, and unacceptable. Truly, there had to be something more than this, or so she felt.

The constant downward spiral of her worrying thoughts gradually drove the young mare deeper into a pit of despair with each new sunrise and sunset. After she arrived home from work, taking an hour to unwind from her daily stressors and let some fraction of calm contentment seep in, she stared at herself in the mirror, deep in thought.

Her job seemed almost masochistic, selling materials intended to bring joy while she constantly felt the exact opposite. Yet, she was surrounded by them from day to day, as if they were tormenting her, mocking her, posing the question as to why she herself couldn't be so easily cheered up as her customers seemingly were.

This was the most recent addition to a lifelong collection of disappointing discoveries about herself stacked into a mental pile. First, she killed her mother unintentionally, then she was a "dirty Luna lover", then she couldn't get her magic right, then she killed her father, then she discovered she was asexual, and now she spent most of her days working at a job she had no business doing.

Sadly looking at herself, Trixie felt like an anthropomorphic gift box, metaphorically tearing herself open to find the presents inside. Beneath all the styrofoam packing peanuts and tissue paper were one tasteless gag gift after another, and every day was April Foal's Day.

She couldn't continue on like this. Something had to break the stream of endless misery. Something, anything, that allowed her to refresh herself from this constant sorrow, however temporary or ineffective that relief might be. Something at all was better than nothing.

So, on her next weekend off, Trixie went camping.

She hoped to recapture that wonderful feeling she had doing this with her father in her fillyhood, or her sister several months ago, thinking it would be better on her own with no minds around tempting her to read them. Peace and quiet, all to herself. Only, that's not how it turned out at all. It felt worse than ever. Even the s'mores completely lacked flavor to her. She was truly and completely morose.

The young mare went on a walk within the forest, hoping that the beautiful sights of nature would help her finally find the serenity she sought, but again, it only worsened. Just as she was ready to head back, she was startled and frozen by a hideous sight. Faster than she could react, two creatures darted out from behind nearby foliage; an exhausted, terrified rabbit, and a snarling, starving fox. Before they could leave her eyesight, the fox finally pinned it's prey down, immediately tearing into it as it shrieked with it's last remaining breaths.

It was so horrible. Trixie wanted to look away, but somehow, she couldn't. Watching the famished fox gorge on the poor creature whose corpse was frozen in it's fearful last expression painted a lasting image in her mind. It stayed with her as she returned to her tent, as if desperately pleading with her thoughts to pay it her mind. Finally, it culminated in the form of a question.

Just what exactly was Trixie?

Did she exist merely to suffer for the benefit of others, like the rabbit?

Or was she only able to live off the suffering of others, like the fox?

The question haunted her. No matter how much she thought of it, she was unable to come up with an answer.

'I know that no one likes me. No one wants me to be here. But it wasn't up to me, and there's nothing I can do about it. Still, since I am here, can't I at least enjoy my life? Will I ever find even the slightest hint of peace?'

It was time to return home.

Trixie finished packing away all of her things, and started to walk back to Canterlot.

In mere minutes, she would finally be completely out of the forest. As her weary hooves continued to tread, the unicorn started to feel a strange, familiar sensation. She couldn't quite recognize it at first, feeling it only very faintly. Whatever it was, it was something she hadn't experienced for years. As the sensation grew stronger, closer, she voluntarily blinked a few times, making sure she wasn't just having some extremely lucid dream.

Finally, she heard something that confirmed her suspicions.

"Trixie! I can't believe it!"

Immediately, a surge of nostalgia hit her like an adrenaline shot. She recognized that voice. It was Gilda's voice.

She turned around, and sure enough, there was her best, oldest friend, running towards her for a hug. Trixie smiled from ear to ear, rearing up on her hind legs and extending her forehooves to embrace her. Even though she anticipated it, she was still staggered by the impact, the wind knocked out of her as Gilda laughed joyously, both of them squeezing each other tight.

"Oh my goodness, I missed you so much, Trixie..."

Trixie nuzzled her face against Gilda's "Me too, Gilda..."

Both of them had tears in their eyes as they slowly pulled away.

Gilda wiped hers away with a talon. "Gosh, it's... How long has it been?... Eight years, now?... Damn it, Trixie, it's been so long... I'm so sorry that I couldn't get in touch with you sooner..."

"It's okay, Gilda... I'm just glad I got to see you again at all..."

The griffon suddenly looked distraught, falling to her knees before Trixie, clutching one of her forehooves with both talons. "You have to understand -- it's not like I didn't want to see you, there was just this --" she sighed, closing her eyes, trying to figure out how to explain her situation.

"... Gustave and I went to Prance with Arluin and everything, just like I told you, but... You see... I was still in my father's custody, and when he heard that I was making friends with you and Rainbow Dash, he got really mad and didn't let me see any of you any more, not even my cousin and uncle... I tried to write to you, but he'd never let me send any letters... He kept me until I was legally allowed to leave on my own, which was only just recently... Oh, Trixie, I just hope you can forgive me..."

"Of course I do... I completely understand... That's the sort of thing I had to put up with because of Myrtle for years..."

"Oh, you have no idea how good it feels to hear you say that," Gilda sighed happily. "I was so worried you'd be mad, or upset, or... Or think I didn't care about you, or something... It was never anything bad about you..."

"I was pretty worried, too," said the unicorn. "I didn't know if maybe something bad happened to you... It has, with your father, but... I'm just glad to see you safe. To see you here."

Gilda stood back up on all four of her legs. She gently stroked Trixie's mane with her talon, still reeling from the pleasant surprise of finally seeing her dearest friend once again. "What brings you out here to the forest near Canterlot, anyhow?"

"Oh, I live in Canterlot now... I moved here about a year ago... I had the weekend off, so I wanted to go camping, and, um, I was just about to go back home, actually..."

"That's extremely cool!" Gilda exclaimed. "Gustave and I thought this was a good camping place, too... It's a shame we didn't run into you sooner. We could have had s'mores together! Still... I'm very glad we met again. We're staying in Canterlot, too, because Gustave got a job as a chef at one of the hotels in town. You should come see us! Let's find out where both of us are staying so we can start hanging out again!"

The young mare nodded happily. "I would really like that..."

"That's the spirit!" the griffon chimed, patting her on the back. "... How have these years been treating you, anyhow, old friend?..."

Trixie bit her lip. She knew it would be a long story.

"I can't believe it," Gilda murmured after Trixie finished explaining herself. She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Freaking Myrtle... Once a jerk, always a jerk. I bet she's still uptight with stallions, too. I swear, her gravestone is going to read 'returned unopened'."

Trixie snickered.

Gilda frowned. "Still, that's, horrible... She had no right to do that to you. Why don't you let Gustave and I help you? That way, you can get a real job -- something you really enjoy -- and can get back on track instead of being forced into this... Junk..."

Trixie lowered her ears, looking away as she stirred a forehoof in the dirt. "Oh, I couldn't do that... You've already done a lot and given so much for me, when I've given you nothing in return..."

"Please, I insist," Gilda affirmed. "At the very least, you can move in with me and Gustave. That way, you won't have to worry about paying bills for a while."

The unicorn hesitated, then shrugged. "... All right. Sure."

"So, Gustave and I talked about it, and, if you want, you don't even have to work while you're living with us. You can quit that job that's bothering you so much."

The young mare tilted her head to the side in curiosity. "What makes you say that?"

Gilda shrugged. "Well, like I said before, I'd rather see you working a job you really love doing. Aside from that just being something nice, you're feeling totally miserable, and you deserve so much better than most of what life's given to you. I know I said karma would take care of you, but... Well, I'll admit, it's being really slow. Maybe it's why we crossed paths again. Maybe this could be your chance at all of that turmoil finally paying off."

Trixie pondered this. "Well, what do you think I should be?"

Her friend laughed. "This isn't about me, Trix. It's about you. But, since you asked, I'll give you a suggestion that I think would happen to line up with what you like, at least, I'm sure it would if I know you as well as I think I do. You should be an entertainer for a living. Putting on shows for money. You're really good at it, and you really like it, so, why not? It could be the perfect job for you!"

The unicorn sighed unsurely. "I don't know... I'll... I'll think about it, I guess..."

Gilda nodded. "Take your time. We're always going to be here for you." She looked around at Trixie's newly unpacked belongings, and a particular item caught her eye. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to it with a talon.

Trixie's eyes followed it, seeing she referred to the ivory crescent moon carving. "Oh, that? It's... I don't know, really. Just some old thing I found in my old house in Jennet before I lived here. I think it belonged to my Mom."

Gilda put a talon to her beak, thinking. "Do you mind if I borrow that, Trixie?"

"Sure. Go ahead."

Trixie was making her way back to Gilda's after yet another shift from Party Pony. It was tempting to take her up on her additional offer of quitting her job in order to find a better one -- she hated working there, after all. But, somehow, she couldn't bring herself to. She worried she would be burdensome and taking advantage of Gilda's hospitality if she did. Wasn't it enough that she was already letting her live with her and Gustave rent free? The unicorn didn't want to be completely unproductive, and give no contributions at all.

Her train of thought was broken by the sound of a commotion coming from a nearby alleyway. It piqued her curiosity, and she decided to investigate, on the off chance that somepony might be in trouble so she could alert the Canterlot guards to help them. Thankfully, no one seemed to be in any kind of danger, but the sight was unpleasant nonetheless. A bunch of greedy stallions were all huddled in a circle, gambling their savings away. She shook her head in pity; it was beneath her to take such needless risks.

Trixie was about to continue on to Gilda's house, but something else about the situation in the alley caught her attention. She narrowed her eyes, trying to pick up on particular details to clarify she was seeing what she thought she saw. Most of the stallions were losing an awful lot of bits... But they seemed rather happy in spite of doing so.

Something wasn't right.

Suspicious, the young mare slowly and quietly closed in, careful to remain hidden. She spotted the two winning stallions who were apparently simultaneously charming and outwitting their competitors; an identical pair of unicorn twin brothers, dressed in small hats, striped shirts and bowties. They could only be told apart by one sporting a mustache and a different hair and mane style, along with their cutie marks. Puzzled, she started to read their minds, and was immediately repulsed by what she found. Scowling in anger and disgust, she hid away in the shade, waiting until the game was over and the stallions left.

Just as the two thought they were in the clear, going on their merry way with bags of bits in tow, the young mare started to follow them. As one was preoccupied with lugging the winnings into the traveling carriage and tying them up, Trixie startled the other one, pulling him aside.

She poked an accusatory forehoof into his chest. "You probably think you're really clever, don't you? Fooling those other ponies with loaded dice, while you used a spell to make them ignore it and like you? All you did was cast it in a small enough radius to encompass everyone playing, for just long enough until it was all over, until they were already home and they realized far too late what happened. Did you really think that nopony would catch you doing it?"

The stallion chuckled darkly, unimpressed. "My, my, a moral mare, are you? Sure, you caught me, but it was their own fault for falling for it. A sucker's born every minute, and there's no law against taking advantage of that." He gasped and raised a forehoof to his mouth, feigning mock surprise. "But, you couldn't have been able to tell that I did that unless you had some form of magical guile of your own, could you? Perhaps, mind reading?"

Trixie paused. She opened her mouth to reply, and then sighed in defeat; she couldn't bring herself to lie to him, but it had nothing to do with magic. No one had ever caught her in the middle of her misdeeds or called her out on them before.

"So, you're really not that righteous yourself, are you?" the smug stallion continued. "Well, that's quite a predicament if I do say so myself. Let us go and we can forget all this, or turn us in to prison and come with us? I'm afraid there's just nothing you can do that will completely satisfy that poor little conscience of yours, is there?"

The young mare hesitated for a few moments, and then walked away, growling out of frustration. Just before she left the alley, she turned back to him. "I'm still right."

"Sure, keep telling yourself that, darling! Whatever helps you sleep at night!" the swindling stallion gloated before he laughed pompously. With that, he left with his brother, getting away with his misdeeds without a scratch.

Trixie had never felt so angry.

'He's so arrogant... So self-righteous... I hate him! He reminds me of Myrtle... I could never live with myself if I ever became so egotistical, so manipulative, so selfish. I promise I'll never become like that.'

The unicorn sighed despondently as she started to unlock the door. She stepped into Gilda and Gustave's home, weakly forcing a half-hearted smile as she saw her best friend in the living room. She was glad to see her, but the usual woes of her work and her recent encounter in Canterlot's alleyways drained all of the joy out of her for now.

As much as the young mare tried to hide it, Gilda was able to tell. She somberly smiled back, sympathetic to her plight. "Hard day, huh?"

Trixie sighed as she lowered her head, freeing her honest emotions by frowning. "As always, lately."

The griffon got up from her seat on the couch, approaching her friend to gently pat her back with a talon. "You're going to be okay. Just take it easy. Gustave's just out getting some last minute things for dinner, and we've already taken care of everything else for the day. We're having your favorite -- Fettuccine Alfredo."

The pony was able to sincerely have a small smile again, looking forward to this minor comfort. "That'll be nice."

"That's the spirit," Gilda chimed encouragingly. "So just kick back and take a load off. For the rest of today, you're not a wage slave anymore. You're at home, where you can relax and do whatever you want."

Trixie hugged her, closing her eyes. "I'll never be able to thank you enough for all of this, Gilda."

"You won't have to," her best friend replied. She suddenly perked, and slowly pulled away. "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you; I had that crescent moon thing of yours checked out... I knew there was something special about it, because I saw something like it at an enchanted goods store before. Apparently, it's something that unicorns and magic users are able to communicate to each other with, like, recording a message through a secret language that can only be interpreted through magic..."

The unicorn's eyes beamed, surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah. It's pretty cool, isn't it? Very interesting stuff," Gilda added. She looked back down from Trixie to the object. "This one is very personalized... Not just in its appearance, but its function, as well. Those who can use advanced magic in its field are able to lock the messages they leave on it so that only certain people can hear them... That way, like, someone could send a confidential message to a princess or a guard or something. The unicorn I took it to said that the message on here is meant for one pony only. If this thing belonged to your mom, well..." her eyes returned to the pony. "Maybe it's meant for you, Trixie."

Her heart skipped a beat.

'My mother, leaving behind something on this for me?... I... I... What could she want to say? I-I've only ever read the books she wrote, or heard stories about her from Dad and Myrtle...'

"Whoa... Whoa," she answered in response to the idea, overwhelmed. "That... That -- that's crazy... I mean... She..."

The griffon's sweet, sympathetic smile increased. "Trixie... Listen... If you want to check this out, alone... I can go somewhere for a little bit. It's totally okay."

The young mare felt herself start to shake with emotion, tears spilling over her eyelids. "I-... I think I might need that... I'm sorry..."

"You don't need to apologize," Gilda reassured her. "I'd want the same thing if I was in your hooves."

"Thank you for understanding," Trixie sighed with relief.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Yes... I promise..."

Gilda nodded, slowly heading for the door. "I'll see you in a little while."

Trixie's forehooves continually trembled as they gently set the crescent moon down onto her pillow. Her heartbeats felt like thunderbolts. Using some basic spells, she was able to decipher that the carving was indeed enchanted, with a message from her mother meant exclusively for her. She gasped in disbelief, starting to hyperventilate as she backed away, taking a few moments to recover from this startling discovery. All at once, the thoughts racing through her mind were wrought with equal portions of eagerness and apprehension, unsure of what could possibly be waiting for her within the item.

Whenever she started to use her horn to decipher the message, she immediately frightened herself into stopping. Each attempt was further apart in time from the last, to the point that somewhere in the back of her mind she was sure it had been at least several minutes since she tried at all. As much as Trixie wanted to finally hear her mother's voice, she didn't think she could take it if she ended up disapproving of her at all. The young mare had already suffered too many heartaches regarding her family, and didn't care to add any more onto them.

She sighed in defeat, turning away, only to pause. Even as she was trying to leave, she couldn't bring herself to abandon the object. Looking back at it again, she tried to tell herself that she would just wait to hear the message on it when she was feeling emotionally stable enough to handle whatever her mother could have to say. However, even then, her hooves would not budge any further. Her curiosity was too strong, her longing too desperate, to let her walk away without at least trying to hear what was in store for her.

After another long moment of hesitation, Trixie slowly took several deep breaths, gradually calming down, or at least enough to address this pressing matter. Tears were already forming in her eyelids again as she trembled, slowly walking closer to the moon on her pillow, staring at it intently. On far too many nights throughout her life, she lay awake wondering what it would have been like if her mother was alive. The young mare had hoped that her every effort to be a kind, decent pony would have made her proud. She clenched her teeth and squinted her eyes shut, pushing the required spell out of her horn to face her fears and oblige the enchanted trinket.

Within seconds, the crescent moon came to life, glowing and humming with a palpable aura enveloping Trixie's room in a comforting warmth. She blinked, her mouth agape in astonishment, feeling goose bumps prickle beneath her coat upon the realization that this somehow truly evoked the soul of Euthalia Lulamoon.

Then, a soothing, maternal voice spoke from the trinket.

"Hello, Beatrix... This is your mother, Euthalia... If you're listening to this, then I... I haven't made it, and you have. I just wanted to apologize for being unable to be there for you, and for leaving you alone here in this world... You probably won't even find this until you're at least close to being a mare. I love your father and your sister, and I know that they would have cared for us, but, I wasn't sure how they would react to what happened, so I placed a second enchantment on this to divert their attention from it.

"Hopefully, I'm sure, they won't blame you for our fate, and they'll treat you like what you are; a part of our family. You'll need all the support you can get, what with where we come from, and how the rest of Equestria sees our people. The point is... I wanted to leave this behind for you so that you could know that I care for you. As long as anyone knows you are a Lunar loyalist from Jennet, you'll have a very difficult time in this life. Even if they don't, you'll find that the very suggestion of anyone being like that is often met with hostility.

"They just cannot see that we are all the same. It doesn't matter where we come from, or who we align ourselves with. And it is ridiculous to judge and forsake someone just because of their heritage, or for things that are out of their control... I don't want you to feel like you have to justify your existence, Beatrix. You don't need to earn the right to breathe, or even to simply find peace of mind in this life. Those are things that all of us inherently deserve, not privileges that must be won as rewards.

"Even though all of this is very painful... I want you to understand that it doesn't mean you can't find a life that you'd like to have. Even amongst our own, you'll probably be told that no one who has ever come from Jennet has ever amounted to anything, condemned to an existence full of poverty and suffering. Don't listen to them. You could be the first one to prove them wrong.

"If you can do just one thing for me, Beatrix, please... Promise me that you will love yourself. Even if no one else does -- especially if no one else does. Because I swear, sweetheart, if I could be there with you, I would give you the love you need every day to my last breath. So, even if you find that you don't like yourself that much, try to do it any ways, so you can help me give you the love that I always meant to show you... Please...

"I know that you can do great things, Beatrix. I've begged Luna on countless nights to give me some kind of sign so that I could know for sure that you would be safe. She's given me dreams showing me parts of your future... And I'm so proud of you. I love you so much, and the honorable, humble, moral mare you will or have become. I hope that you will always remember that, and pursue whatever it is you find that brings you joy in life. No matter what that entails, I know that it's something I would approve of. May Luna watch over you as I've always longed to for all of your days."

With that, the crescent moon became quiet, it's permeating glow dying down until it turned back to a seemingly ordinary object again.

Trixie buried her face in her hooves, sobbing quietly. Her fears were alleviated, previously worrying that her mother might have condemned her as her sister had, or regretted her existence like her father. A satisfying wave of acceptance and inspiration washed over her in the form of an epiphany.

She knew now what she had to do.

"Are you sure she's all right?" Gustave asked out of concern, stirring the ingredients of their soon-to-be dinner.

"Yeah. I just knocked on her door and asked if she was okay, and she said she was fine and just needed to be alone a little longer... That was, like, an hour ago."

The two griffon cousins were startled into jumping as Trixie's door flung open just as Gilda finished speaking.

They assumed she was upset, only to be further bewildered upon seeing a big smile on the unicorn's face.

"I'm ready."

The griffons blinked, frozen in place.

"Ready for what?" Gilda replied, laughing out of surprise.

"I'm ready to take you up on your offer. I'm ready to become an entertainer for a living."

Gilda immediately shared Trixie's smile. "Yes!" She leapt out of her seat, almost tackling the unicorn to the ground as she embraced her in a hug. "This is going to be so awesome! I promise you won't regret it, Trix! We'll get started right away!"

Gustave cleared his throat, smiling sheepishly.

Gilda blinked at him. "... Oh. First we'll eat dinner, then we'll get started right away!"

He rolled his eyes.

His cousin winced. "... Maybe we'll get started tomorrow."

"So, how do you want to do this?" Gilda asked.

Trixie stared intently at the trinket that once belonged to her mother. "I want to make sure that I'll be prepared when I go on stage. We can practice like we did before... But I want there to be more to it. To be really, really sure. Of course, there's my magic, but I want to be able to account for when something unexpected comes along, and it doesn't work the way I'd like it to. To be better at more than just magic."

Gilda inquisitively put a talon to her beak. "... Like... What?..."

The unicorn closed her eyes. "Something... Like..."

Minutes into their sparring session, Trixie was already tired. She tripped, falling onto her back, and Gilda quickly helped her back up. The unicorn coughed a few times, panting heavily. "Is this really necessary? I don't exactly see myself fighting anyone in my shows, or at least I'd like not to..."

Gilda chuckled. "Believe it or not, Trix, there's more to martial arts than kicking butt. It'll help you with all sorts of stuff. Just wait and see. Now, come on. Try again."

Trixie hesitated, and then quickly stood on just her hind legs once more, using her forelegs to throw a few more punches in Gilda's direction. She dodged them all, returning with a few blows of her own, which her friend narrowly avoided in kind.

Gilda laughed. "There you go, now you're getting it! Keep going!"

The young mare obeyed, pressing on her attack, waiting until the griffon tried to retaliate. She dodged and blocked until she found an opening, catching Gilda off guard and managing to trip her. Trixie caught her in her forearms before she could hit the ground, not wanting her to get hurt. After safely placing Gilda back on her own feet, she stretched, groaning.

"I need to take a break... All this is making me sore..."

"Go ahead, then. You earned it, because that was some good work."

Trixie sat down, levitating a bottle of water to her and starting to drink from it as Gilda sat behind her.

"You said Rainbow Dash taught you this, didn't you?"

"Yeah, she did!"

Trixie's ears perked in curiosity. She had a vague memory of Rainbow Dash, but never actually met her in person; all she knew was what Gilda told her about her. It had been so long since she heard anything about the pegasus.

"What's she like, again?"

"Well... She's really awesome. She doesn't care what anyone thinks of her, and isn't afraid of anything. She acts like she owns the world, and like there's nothing she can't do... Because, in a way, she's right."

"Just three more drops."

"Thank you, Gustave."

Trixie carefully levitated the vial in her focus, painstakingly adding the specified amount of ingredients within to the concoction she was working on. The brew shifted colors, twisting from a lush green to a bright, sunny yellow.

The unicorn marveled at all of the other potions in the room, astonished that she was able to create them all with the griffon's help. She expected alchemy to be much more difficult for her than it turned out to be; perhaps she was subconsciously recalling traces of different class subjects from her attendance at Celestia's school.

The potential mixtures they discovered together, as well as what purposes they could potentially serve in a performance, astounded her with their seemingly nonexistent limits. There were elixirs that could turn the consumer invisible, increase sensory perception, even one that could temporarily change a pony into a pegasus, unicorn, or earth pony. Trixie entertained the thought of using some of them to serve as substitutes for spells that she wasn't as adept at just yet.

After Trixie's newest potion was stirred and allowed to sit for a few minutes, Gustave picked it up, closely inspecting it. He then took a small wooden block in his other talon and poured some of the liquid on one side. Within seconds, the newly coated part of the block changed from a brown wood into solid gold.

The griffon smiled in approval. "Very good, Trixie. A fine Midas potion."

She smiled. "Thank you."

She could feel the blood rushing to her head.

The young mare was suspended upside down, bound in a straitjacket wrapped in chains. Gilda clicked on the stopwatch, and her friend got to work. She was unable to use her magic in this scenario thanks to an enchanted nullifier she wore on her horn. Trixie struggled at first, taking her sweet time, but eventually undid her constraints, slipping free and gracefully landing back on the ground.

Gilda smiled, and clapped.

Gustave looked from the blackboard to the unicorn, teaching her lessons about psychology. "What does this entail, again?"

Trixie cleared her throat. "People tend to mistake one sensation for another if they have similar symptoms and experience these sensations simultaneously. This is why romantic couples tend to love going to see horror shows, because fear and arousal become one. Both cause shallow breathing, a rapid heartbeat, and lightheadedness."

Gustave smiled. "Very good! Now, what is bicycle leadership?"

"That's where one bends under those perceived as stronger than them, and steps on those perceived as weaker than them. It can go from a boss to a worker, a worker to their spouse, a spouse to their child, and a child to their pet."

Trixie looked down from the diving board next to the tightrope, her legs quivering.

"Are you really sure this is such a good idea?" she yelled, her shaky voice echoing through the abandoned circus tent.

"You're going to be fine! You know I'll catch you if you fall!" Gilda shouted back up to her from the ground. "Just do it like we practiced! Everything's going to be okay!"

The unicorn sighed, shaking her head in disbelief. "I can't believe I'm doing this..." she murmured under her breath. As far as she knew, her unconscious magic link could save her from anything lethal, but that didn't make the prospect of falling from so high any less frightening. She sucked in a deep breath, resting her forehooves on the trapeze bar right in front of her.

'One... Two... Three...'

Her hind legs pushed her into the air, starting to swing towards the second trapeze in the middle of the room.

"Whoa... Whoa!!!"

She felt her mane and tail whip backwards as she sailed through the air, the trapeze rope carrying her to the next. As she got closer and felt the rope coming to a stop, threatening to swing backwards, she grunted as she hoisted her hind legs up, hooking them around the second bar. With that, she released the first, swinging forward once more, on to the third at the other end of the tent.

Trixie smiled, starting to feel exhilarated by the thrilling rush. "Woo!" she yelled, starting to laugh. Gilda smiled, clapping her talons in approval.

The unicorn wrapped her forelegs around the third and final trapeze bar, setting her hind legs free. She panted breathlessly, struggling to get onto the platform, only to find that she was too late, stuck hanging in place. She frowned, and Gilda started to wonder if she needed help, until Trixie started shifting her weight back and forth, creating a momentum to swing through the air. Her hind legs briefly rested on the support beam beneath the platform, using it to spring off towards the second trapeze in the middle of the tent once more.

Gilda, deeply impressed, whistled loudly in praise. Trixie smiled at her, only to look back and see she was just about to reach the next bar. She tried to grab onto it, but instead, she slipped.

Her eyes widened. "Oh, no!!!"

She lost her grip on the bar and fell, screaming as she rapidly plummeted towards the ground.

The griffon exclaimed in alarm, immediately taking to her wings and rocketing through the air. She flapped them as quickly as possible, her sharp eagle eyes honing in on her dearest friend with perfect precision. Her talons reached out to grab her, and the two girls collided into each other.

"Oof!" They exclaimed in unison, recoiling from the impact. They started to fall, causing both of them to scream, but Gilda started to flap her wings again while Trixie used her levitation to help push them further up into the air at the same time. The griffon adjusted to a steady flying pace, merely keeping them hovering in the air. They sighed in relief, and smiled at each other.

"Told you I would catch you," Gilda remarked.

Trixie hugged her with her forehooves. "I knew you would."

After a moment, Gilda said "Ready to go back up there and try again?"

The unicorn scoffed, gently pushing her with a forehoof. "Gee, give me a second to get ready!"

Gilda winced. "I was just kidding," she explained.

Trixie snickered. "So was I."

They laughed together, and Gilda flew her back up to the platform for another attempt.

The unicorn struck a triumphant pose.

"And now, feast your eyes on the radiant abilities of Trixie as she takes you on a journey directly into your wildest dreams!"

Her voice never felt so different, so foreign. It was so full of certainty, and commanded the attention of all who would hear it. It might have been just an act, but it felt very real.

Gustave clapped, smiling in approval. "Excellent! Very good!"

Trixie returned to her normal standing posture, blushing modestly as she allowed the facade to fade away. She was sure that channeling what little she knew of Rainbow Dash in her role would pay off, and it had, as Gustave's reaction just proved. It was also important to the unicorn to remain distant from the fantasy, not wanting to get a big ego because of it, which is why she referred to herself in the third person.

The griffon nodded. "And that brings me to my final lesson about acting... They key ingredient to a perfect performance is to go out and live life. Keep going through trials and tribulations, the good times and the bad. Reach for the stars, express your most innermost feelings, try every opportunity that comes your way, get your heart broken... The more you become a mare of the world, the more you'll be able to bring to the stage; walking all corners of life, able to become every character you can conceive... The emotional authenticity will carry out throughout your performance."

Trixie listened intently, taking Gustave's advice to heart. She never realized it before, but all those years she spent in Jennet trapped in misery now had a productive output; to empathize with the misery her spectators would see her to escape, allowing her to become a guide into an imaginary land of liberation from pain and sorrow. The unicorn would savor this gift, and treasure it deeply within her heart. Finally, her cutie mark, The Wand Of Peace, made all the sense in the world.

Gilda crossed items off a checklist, reading them aloud. "Martial arts, alchemy, escape artistry, psychology, acrobatics, and acting... All that, and magic, too," she added, deeply impressed with Trixie's progress. She grinned, pulling the unicorn into a hug and playfully tousling her mane. "I can already tell everyone's just going to love getting to see Trixie The Magician!"

The young mare blushed. "I told you, I'd rather be called Trixie The Illusionist. It's modest and honest, just like what my father liked about me."

"Oh, come on! Illusions aren't the only magical skills you have! In fact, magic isn't the only skill you have! The past few weeks have proved that more than anything!"

Trixie smiled sheepishly. "If you say so..."

Gilda beamed, suddenly remembering something. "Speaking of which... Close your eyes. I have a surprise for you."

She obeyed her, caught off guard, wondering what could possibly be in store. A few moments later, she heard something heavy placed directly in front of her. When she looked to see what it was, Trixie gasped. On a stand directly in front of her was a solid purple hat and cape, befitting a magician. It looked exactly like the one she had when she was a filly, except this one was accustomed to fit her now that she was a mare.

"If you're going to be Trixie The Magician, you might as well look the part!"

Tears welled up in Trixie's eyelids, deeply touched. "... Where did you get this?..."

Gilda shrugged. "I sent Rainbow Dash some reference pictures of your old outfit, and a decent amount of bits. She used them to commission a seamstress she knows in Ponyville to make it, and had her send it back here in Canterlot to me."

The unicorn immediately grabbed the clothes, hugging them close to her. "Thank you so much for this... It means so much to me..." She then embraced Gilda. "All my life, you've been such a good friend to me... I promise I'll make it up to you, one day..."

The griffon smiled, patting her best friend on the back. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again; your friendship is enough of a reward for me."

It was finally going to happen. Trixie was going to make her debut performance as a paid entertainer.

The event was small enough, but she was still beyond nervous. It had been so many years since she ever did anything like this -- since she'd ever dream of doing anything like this. Gilda and Gustave had so generously shoed her in to open for a play at the hotel they worked for. It was a dinner and a show act, and she was replacing a comedienne who got sick at the last moment and had to cancel her appearance, giving her fifteen minutes on stage before the other show started.

Trixie didn't know why she was so worried; the actual event wasn't for a few days, but with how nervous she felt, it might as well start in five minutes. Once again, she lost herself in her thoughts as she stared into a mirror, this time donning the brand new hat and cape Gilda had given her, evoking nostalgic memories of her fillyhood.

The unicorn knew she needed something to calm her down. Something to reassure her that this would all be fine. She was so used to always having her goals torn away from her that it was scary to think that something this good could happen, because it could very well be another disappointment, a failure, a lost cause.

One of the things she felt like the needed to keep in mind this would work as desired was to remain humble. She was sure she wasn't actually as great as her stage presence would make her out to be. She was merely playing a role, like Gustave taught her to. The act, the disguise, the mask, was an exaggeration of her ideal version of herself. A role like the pony she always saw herself as in her dreams...

That gave her an idea.

Blinking, she started to concentrate on the mirror. A spell started to emerge from her horn, slowly making it's way in front of her. Within moments, Trixie's reflection took on a life of it's own, wearing a warm, inviting smile as opposed to the uncertain disposition her real counterpart was fraught with. The actual unicorn recoiled in surprise, only half-expecting the spell to actually work. She reached a forehoof out onto the mirror, and the one on the other side used her other foreleg as opposed to the same one, as if to subconsciously confirm to her that the spell succeeded.

"... Hello..." She whispered, still astonished and in disbelief.

The reflection chuckled. "Hello to you, too, Trixie."

She blinked, shaking her head a few times. "... All my life, you were exactly what I wanted to be... Now, I really need to be... Well, just like you... Or, at least, I need to seem like it..." she sighed. "I just don't know what to do... I feel so scared... I... I'm thinking about just calling all this off, and giving up on the show..."

"How would you feel if you went on stage?"

"... Well... I'd enjoy it... It's what I'd love to do more than anything... To do what I enjoy, what makes me happy, as well as try to make others feel happy, too... But, if I messed up, and did badly, I'd be embarrassed, and I'd regret doing it..."

"How would you feel if you wouldn't go on stage?"

"I'd definitely stop worrying... It'd take a lot of pressure off of me, and I'd feel a lot more relaxed... But... I'd probably feel sad that I missed out on the chance to do it... I think... I think I'd really regret not doing it..."

The reflection raised her eyebrows. "Well, then, one choice seems to have more benefits than the other, doesn't it? Surely, it would be better than to try and fail, rather than not try at all." She leaned in closer. "Your father always loved how you would try your best, and mean well. So, do what you do best, and try."

Trixie smiled, feeling encouraged. She sighed. "... I just wish I could be as good as you..."

Her counterpart shook her head. "The only reason I'm as good as I am is because I come from you." Then, she reached out onto the other side of the mirror, and embraced her real self in a hug. With that, she disappeared back onto her own side, and the spell wore off.

Trixie felt ready.

The night had arrived.

She could hear the hotel guests conversing from behind the other side of the curtain. Over there, it was so big; from her side, it seemed so small. Just her shrouded in the shadow of a curtain, on a dark stage, waiting to appear. Her heart pounded in her chest. Her mouth was dry. Her legs quivered.

'Just remember, fifteen minutes. It's only fifteen minutes. You'll do fine. Just... Relax.'

With that, Trixie closed her eyes. She focused, conjuring a bouquet of Jennet Orchids, smelling them for the emotional empowerment they always gave her.

'The difference between fiction and reality... Is that fiction makes sense.

I've never heard of stories where sadness perpetually surrounds the world.

Or where good ponies who worked so hard and sacrificed so much all their lives weren't repaid for it.

I can't be the only one who's sick of the way things are.

I'm not the first who dreamed of going somewhere better than all of this.

So, I'll go there, and take all of them with me.

I'll make their dreams come true.'

That was enough. The unicorn finally mustered the conviction to go through with her debut appearance. She was already here on time; now, she just needed to follow through with her promise. She felt and saw the spotlight on the middle of the curtain.

Then, she heard a drum roll, and the announcer's voice. "Ladies and gentlecolts, please give a warm welcome to... Trixie The Magician!"

Clapping filled the room, and the curtains pulled apart, bathing Trixie in the spotlight.

"Good evening, one and all! Trixie is very pleased with being here tonight for her very first show, and is grateful to you all for being her first au --" she coughed. She blinked.

"... Her first audi--" another cough.

She rolled her eyes. "Her first audien--" a coughing fit.

Now, Trixie was irritated. "One moment, please..." she cleared her throat, and started to walk to one end of the stage, the spotlight following her. Once there, she stood on her hind legs with one crossed over the other, a foreleg leaning against the wall. Her other foreleg reached towards her face. The young mare tilted her head back, opened her mouth up wide, and stuck her hoof inside. A moment later, she slowly pulled out a flaming sword, producing a collective "whoa!" from the audience.

Once it was all the way out, Trixie held the sword in front of her. She simply blew on it once, entirely extinguishing the flame, revealing the blade to be completely bloodless. The unicorn raised an eyebrow, bewildered. "Trixie doesn't recall having this for dinner."

The audience laughed.

Trixie belched, releasing a gust of flame which disappeared a moment later. "Please, excuse Trixie!"

They laughed harder, and clapped.

After the sword vanished, the performer began to stretch, cracking her joints, releasing a relieved sigh. "That feels so much better! Trixie thinks that blasted sword is what was giving her so many aches and pains all day long!" Rubbing her neck with a forehoof, she surveyed the audience, and then pointed directly at a middle-aged stallion in the center of one of the front rows.

"You there! You're having back problems as well, aren't you?"

The stallion was bewildered as to how she could know this. "Yeah!"

"Would you like Trixie to help you with them?"

He nodded quickly. "That'd really be nice!"

With that, she teleported him onto the stage. "Trixie would opt to give you a full body massage, but she's afraid she's too short on time for that, so, instead, she'll just have to improvise!" She promptly casted another spell onto him, turning him into a balloon. Immediately, she picked it up, exhaling into it enough for it to start to inflate. She then used her hooves in quick, deft movements, forming him into a balloon replica of a pony. After that, Trixie cast a spell on the balloon, completely turning him back into his normal self.

"Trixie must ask, how do you feel?"

The stallion seemed dazed, but incredibly soothed. "Wonderful! I feel as loose as a wet noodle!"

The unicorn smiled radiantly. "Trixie is glad to hear it!" She promptly teleported him back into his seat.

After looking throughout the audience, she added, "It seems the fillies and colts were particularly interested in that last display! Why, Trixie feels she must give them souvenirs to remember her by!"

She started casting a multitude of spells. Quickly, one by one, each child in the audience received a balloon, each one being their respective favorite color and favorite animal, animated into acting like the creature in question with a "come to life" spell. The young mare noted their excitement and appreciation of these surprise gifts, causing her to share their joy.

Moving on to her next trick, Trixie respectfully bowed to the audience. "In all seriousness, Trixie sincerely appreciates your attendance, and granting her the honor of performing her first show for you all. Thank you for spending the time and money to come see her tonight."

She conjured a small pot of soil and a watering can, and started to use the latter to water the former. "She's aware that bits don't grow on trees..." Moments later, to her apparent surprise, a small tree quickly sprang out of the soil, with golden coins dangling on it's branches. "... Or, perhaps they do after all!" Delighted, she quickly plucked one from a branch with her levitation, excitedly bringing it to her mouth and biting down on the flat end. She recoiled in apparent pain, spitting the bit out and pouting grumpily. "Curses. It's fool's gold!"

More laughter was gained from the audience.

The tree and watering can disappeared. "Although she now has a toothache, and apparently had a sword for dinner, Trixie is still hungry. She apologizes for doing so in the middle of a show, but she must nourish herself!"

Then, Trixie conjured three apples, starting to juggle them in mid-air with her forehooves. Every few moments, she would take a bite of one, gradually eating further and further away at them. Once she was about halfway done with each apple, the unicorn conjured a fourth. She accidentally threw it far too high, causing it to splat onto the ceiling.

Trixie winced. "Oops!" Her spectators chuckled.

The unicorn looked between the apples she juggled, deciding her next course of action. "It would be rather simple for Trixie to merely levitate the apple back down from the ceiling, but she mustn't be lazy! She can't pack on too many pounds, after all!" With that, she used her levitation to keep the other three apples suspended in mid-air. Then, she used a spell to transform her cape into a purple pair of wings, drawing sounds of amazement from the audience. Trixie used them to fly up to the ceiling and physically scrape the apple off in her hoof.

Using her magic to make the apple whole again, she used her newfound wings to gently land back on the stage, turning them back into her cape and juggling the apples once more. Soon, she conjured two more apples, successfully managing to juggle them all and eat them until they were apple cores. Once she was finished with them, Trixie grimaced, trying to figure out a good way to be rid of them.

"It seems there's not a garbage can anywhere in sight... However will Trixie properly dispose of these?"

With a momentary hesitation, she beamed. Soon, one by one, she turned each apple core into a rubber ball, bouncing them on the ground in addition to juggling. Once all six were changed, she individually cast every ball onto the ground in front of her, causing them to bounce across the stage towards the other side. Once all were in mid-air, they exploded into fireworks from left to right, spelling out "TRIXIE". Deeply impressed, the spectators applauded.

Smiling, the performer bowed respectfully before them. "Trixie thanks you again for all of your support! It has taken her a long time to master the skills required to reach a sufficient caliber to entertain fine ponies such as yourselves! Her journey has been lonely... But she was never alone!"

The unicorn then cast a spell on her own shadow, causing it to come to life, peeling itself off of the ground and separating from Trixie, standing right next to her in plain sight. She shook hooves with her own shadow while they both waved to the audience as they clapped.

"And whenever we got extremely bored, we would call in our other counterpart!" She conjured a mirror nearby, and cast a spell on it, animating her reflection once more and causing it to step out of the mirror.

Suddenly, the shadow swiped Trixie's hat off of her head and ran off with it. Trixie feigned irritation. "Hey! Give that back!" She chased after the silhouette, only for it to toss the hat to the reflection on the other side of the stage. They would continue passing it to each other whenever she got close to one of them.

"Trixie is serious! She demands that you return her hat at once!"

The two counterparts shrugged. The reflection seemingly started to cast a spell all on her own, levitating their three hats into the air, and then lifting Trixie's cape off of her and stuffing it inside one of them. The hats quickly descended onto the stage, hiding the cape under one, rapidly sweeping around the floor in various circles around one another to confuse the showmare as she attempted to find it.

The audience was in hysterics.

Trixie's first show was days ago. Ever since then, she couldn't stop smiling.

Before it ever happened, the unicorn would have guessed pursuing her passion was a pipe dream. Finding out that it was not only possible, but easier than she could ever have expected, was almost scary in how surprisingly good it felt to realize.

All day long, she practically skipped as she walked and hummed melodies to herself, practically carefree as she went about comparably mundane errands in spite of her cheery demeanor.

Once she returned home, she quickly scanned her surroundings, confused to see her best friend gone; usually, the griffon was very adamant about letting her know in advance if she would be occupied with something.

The young mare looked to Gustave. "Where's Gilda?"

He beamed in surprise. "Oh, she must have forgotten to tell you," he chimed. "She went out to rent some storage downtown. She actually has a surprise waiting for you there."

Following Gustave's directions had sent Trixie on a half hour walk. She wasn't familiar with this part of Canterlot, and after getting lost a few times and asking passerby for additional guidance, she finally found where he was referring to.

The pony's curiosity was piqued as soon as she noticed that Gilda rented what seemed to be a small warehouse. Whatever it was intended for was apparently too large or numerous to fit in a regular storage garage, but not enough for common warehouses or other larger structures. Just what did she have in there?

Trixie grimaced, unsure how she felt about this particular surprise. She rapped on the door with her hoof. "Gilda?"

"Oh, damn! Trixie! I wasn't expecting you so soon! Hang on just a minute..."

The griffon's voice seemed distant, as if she were at the other end of the room inside. The unicorn slowly reached to open the door, only to be startled as her friend rushed to do so first. She barely jumped backwards in time to keep from getting hit by it swinging towards her.

Gilda noticed, causing her to laugh awkwardly. "Sorry about that!"

"What's going on in there?"

The griffon grinned. "Well, since we're finally getting the ball rolling on spreading your name across Equestria like the star you are, I thought we might go ahead and, well... Keep moving forward!"

She moved out of the doorway, allowing Trixie room to step inside. The unicorn was further surprised to find that the inside was almost completely empty except for a moderately sized wooden assembly in the middle of the room. She took a moment to examine its structure, raising her eyebrows at the first conclusion she reached.

"Is that...?"

"Our traveling caravan, a work in progress!" Gilda exclaimed. "I even found a way for it to double as a stage, so we won't have to pay extra when we rent venues... It'll be kind of a pain in the flank to build it that way, though. Still, we can just keep working here in Canterlot and the closest cities nearby until this is done."

Trixie smiled, then laughed. She looked to her closest friend, shaking her head. "You're not going to just up and give me a present whenever I make any accomplishments, are you?"

"As long as you keep being awesome, I will!"

"Just try not to overdo it, please. I don't want a medal for the next time I manage to throw stuff into the trash can from across the room."

Gilda chuckled, then shrugged. "If you're really that worried, then maybe we can help each other build it together? It'd save us the cost of hiring labor, it'll give us a regular workout, some nice one-on-one bonding time..."

The unicorn hesitated, unsure of how well she would be able to manage this, then decided it couldn't be too bad compared to her experiences in Jennet's mines. "Sure. Why not? I bet it'll be fun."

"If we're going to keep doing this, we need to find something to make you stand out as an entertainer," Gustave explained. "You're good, but, quite frankly, there's a lot of illusionists and magicians out there. You'll need something very special to set you apart from them. Something aside from all the other skills you've gathered."

Trixie tapped her muzzle with her hoof a few times, mulling over the griffon's suggestion. "You mean, like, a staple? A signature? Something that could become our show's trademark?"

"That's exactly what I mean," he concurred. "But, you needn't be in any hurry to find one. It's just something to think about for the long term. In the meantime, we can still carry on very well like this for quite a while."

The unicorn nodded. "Yes, I see... I appreciate the advice. I'll get around to it when I can."

Gilda playfully grabbed her in a harmless headlock, tousling her mane in a gentle noogie. "Don't worry about it too much, Trixie. It's all going to be smooth sailing from here."

Even though her griffon companions were always reassuring her, the showmare was still concerned about how to find her act's niche. She merely sat on a bench in Canterlot's marketplace district, pondering this dilemma. Things had been going good for her, but she wanted to ensure the future of her career; after all, she did have an unfortunate knack for letting things go wrong throughout her life, or so she believed. The unicorn was even a little concerned about how soon Gilda decided to work on their caravan, wondering how she could be so sure they would make it far enough to need one. For all she knew, they might be stuck working in Canterlot and the surrounding area, or have their show career eventually dry up.

Although it was something Trixie had been ashamed of for quite some time, repeatedly vowing to herself she would stop only to turn back on it every time, she once again scanned the minds of random passerby. She tried to coax her uneasy conscience by reminding herself that this was out of noble intentions; her only motive here was to use the advantage to help determine what would be a welcome exclusive feature in her shows.

'After all,' she thought, 'Gilda once told me mind reading was okay for this sort of thing... Isn't it?...'

However, like before, she was put off by how surprisingly depressed and miserable so many other ponies were. Trixie never failed to be astounded by the similarity in nature or depth of the emotions of complete strangers with her own, feeling sorrowful that so many of them experienced familiar things she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy. For so long in her life, there were times where she was so sure she was the only one who experienced the degree of self-doubt and insecurity that she did, believing them to be totally justified and accurate, only for her to find that many others held those same convictions about themselves. They would fairly and objectively keep everyone else's circumstances in mind when making judgment calls about them, only to be completely merciless and biased against themselves.

It almost brought tears to her eyes, to realize how severely they underestimated their own positive qualities, talents and potential.

'... It's how I've always felt, before I got a chance to find out for sure... Maybe if they all got a chance to be in a talent show, like I did...'

Suddenly, she had an epiphany.

Gilda and Gustave jumped as Trixie burst through the front door.

"I found it," she proclaimed loudly, panting breathlessly from galloping so fast.

"... Found what?" Gustave murmured, still startled by her sudden appearance.

"The distinguishing element of our show," the unicorn sighed, exasperated. She paused for a moment to catch her breath, then headed to the kitchen sink, getting herself a glass of water.

Gilda beamed in interest, eager to hear the news. "What is it?"

Trixie finished drinking down a few gulps, then wiped her muzzle with her forehoof. "I was sitting in the Canterlot marketplace, just watching everyone walk past me and paying attention to them... I realized how sad so many of them looked, like they felt so insignificant, so unwanted... There's so much more to them than they realize..."

Gustave was perplexed. "How does this relate to your idea?"

The unicorn smiled, feeling refreshed after swallowing more water. "That's how I felt about myself for so long, before both of you helped me see that I'm fortunately good at something I enjoy doing," she elaborated. "Before Gilda encouraged me to try out for the talent show in Jennet, and then later to perform at that hotel... I was thinking, maybe we could help others do the same, in our own way..."

The griffons perked in interest.

"What I think I'll do, is... I'll use my magic to scan the audience for those who carry insecurities and self-doubt, the same way that I always have. Then, I'll identify their most passionate talent, and invite them up on stage as a volunteer. After that, I'd conjure whatever is necessary for them to demonstrate said talent, while adding a little magical flair to make it even more exciting. That way, they can discover how wonderful they truly are, and show it to the rest of the audience as well."

Gilda's mouth was agape in awe, astonished by this idea. "... Wow, Trix, that's... That's really cool... How in the world did you come up with this?..."

"... By... By realizing that magic is in everyone, everywhere. All you have to do is look hard enough for it. You taught me that."

Her friend blushed at the compliment, while Gustave nodded.

"This is wonderful, Trixie. But, we shouldn't be eager to push this out there. Let's build up some more rapport between your audiences and supporters before we try it. The latter might be hesitant to back a newer performer who wants to do something this radically unique. They'll want an established history first. A consistency in quality. It'd be better to wait because you could net in more tickets and seats that way anyhow."

She silently concurred. All of this started to soothe the showmare's nerves, whittling down her anxieties surrounding her future. For the time being, it seemed to her like she had everything important under control and in order.

The weeks started to blur together. Where her days were once wrought with constant woe, they were now full of an optimistic bliss she had never previously known. For the first time in her entire life, using her magic started to feel completely effortless.

Trixie spent at least one day every week performing another show. The days in between were usually spent practicing and preparing, until she impressed her hosts so much that they allowed her more days to perform each week, and she gradually included new additions into her shows.

All the while, Trixie and Gilda regularly revisited the storage room where they built their traveling caravan. The unicorn swore to herself that this time alone with Gilda was just as good as, if not better than, entertaining entire audiences. Spending hours with no one but her best friend without a care in the world, laughing and talking as they persevered to create the instrument to furthering their career. She felt just as accomplished as she was saddened when they finally finished it, since it was over.

The two fatigued best friends stepped back, marveling at the fruits of their labor. Before them stood a moderately sized wagon painted with bright, vibrant colors of red and yellow, with a brass pole jutting out on the front end of the roof, hanging a purple sign with Trixie's cutie mark painted onto it.

"Amazing," Gilda sighed, satisfied with the end result.

"Yeah... It looks great..." Trixie added, astonished that she could ever help make something like this.

The griffon's smile grew wider out of excitement. She gently nudged Trixie with an elbow. "So, you want to try it out?"

The showmare chuckled. "As long as you're sure it's not going to fall apart..."

"Trust me, it'll be fine. Come on, do it -- it'll be cool."

Trixie shrugged, feeling slightly nervous, yet she ultimately obliged her friend regardless. She briefly took a deep breath, and then cast a spell on the caravan, causing the walls to unfold apart until the entire vehicle transformed into a stage. A purple curtain shielded the majority of space reserved for personal belongings, effectively serving as a backstage area, while the rest of the foreground consisted of trumpets along with additional decorations, including another purple sign directly above the curtain with Trixie's cutie mark on it.

Gilda laughed and clapped happily, shaking her head in disbelief. "This is too awesome!"

The showmare blushed. "It's only so awesome because you did all the best parts," she murmured.

The griffon pulled her close in a hug. "Don't sell yourself short, Trix! Both of us made this." She smiled at their collaborative accomplishment once more, nostalgic tears forming in her eyelids. "... All those years ago, in Jennet, when you told me how you always had dreams about me, where we'd travel Equestria together spreading joy... I started having those dreams, too. This is what I saw ourselves traveling in... It's a representation of our friendship, and how it will never go away, no matter how far apart we are."

Trixie shared her smile, finding the personal significance in their work she proclaimed to be heartwarming.

Gilda released Trixie. "Now that we've seen it go through the transitions correctly, there's just one other thing we've got to try..."

The unicorn perked. "Oh, right! I almost forgot!" She quickly focused, casting yet another spell on the caravan, this time causing it to fold back from a stage into a wagon again. The two friends promptly approached it, getting inside. They walked to the door near the caravan's front end, with an open window for both of them to see out of. Trixie chuckled as she noticed that the rest of what she could see before her almost looked like an oversized sled. She then remembered just what it was she was about to do, causing her to bite her lip and lower her ears nervously.

Gilda tried to put on a reassuring smile, but she shared the young mare's apprehension. Both of them knew she still could use a little extra practice with wheels. "You can do this," she murmured.

"I can?"

"You can?"

They both looked at each other in confusion, and then shared a small chuckle. They focused back on the path before them, and Trixie's horn started to glow.

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes for just a moment, letting the spell pass from her horn. The wheels on the caravan slowly came to life, starting to roll forward.

Gilda sighed in relief. "Great going, Trixie!" She then looked forward, perking in alarm when she realized their exit out of the storage room was still closed. "T-Trixie!!! Open the door!!!"

The unicorn gasped, trying to stop the wheels first, only to make them go faster. Both of the girls shrieked, and in her fit of panic, the showmare forced them to a sudden stop, abruptly throwing both of them against the vehicle's door and knocking the wind out of them. She hissed as a nosebleed made itself apparent from her magical strain.

Both of them fell backwards onto the floor, panting breathlessly.

"... Hng... Take... Two..." Gilda deadpanned.

Trixie snickered, coughing.

They helped each other back onto their feet, then faced the path before them once more, brushing themselves off from falling down.

"Okay... Here we go..." Trixie mumbled, laughing nervously.

This time, she made sure to open the way out first. Next, she was just about to cast a spell on the wheels again, only to freeze when she noticed Gilda tense up. Both of them looked at each other, then took a deep breath.

'One... Two... Three.'

The spell left her horn, and the wheels slowly and gently rolled forward. Both girls released a huge sigh of relief. Trixie managed to close the storage door behind them once they were in the clear, managing to turn the caravan onto the roads of Canterlot, making their way back to Gilda's house.

The two friends looked at each other again, and started laughing, finding the humor in their previous predicament. They calmed down as Trixie continued to drive, becoming reinvigorated by the sense of wonder in finally riding the vehicle they worked together for so long to create.

"I can't believe this is finally done... It's... It's so nice..." Trixie said.

Gilda nodded in agreement. "Oh! Speaking of which... I was talking to Gustave earlier today, and he said that he thinks the time has come for you to try your idea."

The unicorn was full of bliss upon hearing this news. She tried not to think about it too much before, not wanting to become too eager or impatient, but this had rekindled the anticipation she felt towards trying an act full of volunteer tricks, being just as much a magic show as it was a talent show.

Her caravan was ready. Her act was ready. She was ready.

Things had been going greater than they ever had in Trixie's life before, and they could only get better.

The place was the same, but tonight was going to be different.

Her face hurt from smiling so hard. Trixie lie in wait behind the curtain, eager to greet her audience in Canterlot as she had on so many previous occasions, but this time she had so many wonderful surprises waiting. Finally, she could let them realize their full potential instead of only watching her. Finally, she could help others the way that she always wanted to.

Once again, she felt the bright warmth of the spotlight from behind the curtain. Her ears perked as she quietly gasped, preparing to finally unveil what she waited so long to introduce. Quickly, the showmare conjured a bouquet of Jennet Orchids, savoring their scent just long enough before the curtains started to move, immediately letting them disappear.

She froze in place as the curtains continued to expose her, staring out into a sea of ponies who were waiting for her to appear.

Her expression slowly shifted into a more mysterious, almost mischievous smile, as if she knew a secret that her spectators didn't.

"Ladies and gentlecolts... Thank you for coming to see Trixie The Magician tonight. She appreciates your patronage, and seeks to respond in kind. She knows that you all have come in pursuit of something... In pursuit of escape... Or in pursuit of attainment."

Suddenly, she cast a spell, producing a beam of light that shot upwards and formed a large circle at the end of it. The circle then started to rapidly produce many other beams, one at a time, each of them pointing to the heart of each audience member and following them wherever they went. They gasped out of surprise.

"What is it you could want to escape?..." Trixie mused.

The circle on stage, and all the beams protruding from it, turned green. Within the circle, eerie, ghostly sounds could be heard, projecting the image of phantoms, spiders, snakes, and bats.

"Is it fear you're fleeing from? A fear of what? A fear of failure? A fear of disappointment? There are many things in this life and this world that strike fear into our hearts... But surprisingly, many of them don't actually threaten our lives at all, at least in a physical sense. No, we have tormentors of the soul; broken dreams, shattered relationships, endless struggles... All of which we constantly try to avoid, lest we give in to their horrors."

The lights then turned red. The images within the circle shifted to the shadows of angry, confrontational ponies, wielding swords and bows and arrows, with flames and angered screams and growls accompanying them.

"Is it anger that's poisoning you? A raging beast within yourselves you seek to quell? We spend our days stewing in impotence over so many perpetual blights that mar our quality of life with injustice and unfairness. We desire to see that wrongs are punished, that everyone is treated with respect, that they only get whatever they deserve... But, all too often, nothing ever turns out the way that it should, and we're left caged and deprived, unable to satiate the craving to set things right."

Then, the illumination became tinged with blue. The visions were full of silhouettes looking down sorrowfully, accompanied by the sounds of crying, morosely looking over depressing imagery such as tombstones and unfinished works of art.

"Is it sadness that weighs your heart down? Do you find it difficult to make it through the day, every day? Do you see despair everywhere that you go, unable to enjoy anything you do or anything that happens to you, feeling that life is never going to be good enough? Have you slowly been losing every last bit of your hope with each teardrop? Too often, we hide our sorrows, trapped alone with them, allowing them to bury us in their burdens."

The beams and circle turned back to a neutral, empty, silent white, as the showmare paused and scanned them all.

"... But... What is it you could seek to attain here?..."

Then, the lights became a magnificent gold. The circle was filled with the sights and sounds of friends and families laughing, children playing, and many different images of success. They evoked warm, nostalgic feelings for all who witnessed them, as if coaxing them into a soft, reassuring lull.

"Why, happiness, of course... Happiness is what makes life worth living, isn't it? Peace, joy, contentment, satisfaction, harmony... Those ever so elusive things that we always seek, always managing to catch them in temporary bits and pieces, but never actually getting the whole thing, leaving us always wanting more... Leaving it all forever imperfect. Forever incomplete. How painful, to never truly capture it all..."

She allowed the illusions to slowly disappear.

"Well... Trixie promises you all... The only thing you're going to find here tonight is harmony. Leave your burdens at the door, because from here on out... Trixie will take you on an unforgettable journey into your own dreams."

"It's a wonderful idea! A genius idea!" Gustave continued to ramble to seemingly no end, showering every compliment on the topic he could fathom. Even he was surprised by how effective Trixie's new routine was. Her first attempt at enacting her volunteer talent show idea on stage was a very sweet and complete success.

"I never realized it before, but now that I think of it, that hat of yours is brilliant. It's so thick that it normally hides the light of your magical aura. As long as you keep it on, no one would be able to tell whether you were casting spells or relying on non-magical skills."

Trixie perked, surprised she hadn't thought of that for her hat before. She made a mental note to keep that in the back of her mind for when she rehearsed. "I have to be honest, Gustave, I never imagined I'd ever have so many bits... When I lived in Jennet, the idea of earning that much sounded like a pipe dream."

Gustave chuckled. He briefly went to check on how much they earned, and then recoiled, completely blown away. "You might want to get used to it, Trixie. The tickets for your show next week are already sold out."

Her eyes widened. "Really?!?"

"I'm not kidding. Come see for yourself."

Trixie's next show was in Baltimare, and she was welcoming her first volunteer on stage.

"Trixie has received a vision indicating that you're an archer... Would she be correct?"

The stallion froze in shock. "Why, I am... How did you know that?"

The unicorn shook her head softly. "Never mind that... Would you be willing to demonstrate your favorite talent for us all?" she smiled warmly, promptly conjuring a bow along with a quiver full of arrows.

"Um... Sure..." he said, bewildered at first, but pleasantly surprised as he put the quiver on his back and held the bow in his forehooves. "But... What am I supposed to hit?"

The showmare giggled. "Why, Trixie wouldn't ask you to perform such a feat without providing targets, of course!"

Next, she cast a spell that caused a circular target to appear on the opposite side of the stage as them. It was big enough for the audience to see, and safely out of their way, but small enough to pose a moderate challenge to the volunteering stallion, given the distance that they had from it.

"You may begin whenever you feel ready," the young mare said.

The archer nodded with a smile, taking a brief moment to inspect the target, shortly before taking an arrow out of the quiver with one forehoof while the other held the bow outstretched. He pulled back, drawing the bow, waiting just another instant to make sure his aim was true, and then released, letting the arrow fly. It sailed through the air at a hurtling speed, hitting the target with such force that the arrowhead impaled it, jutting out of the opposite side.

Trixie perked, deeply impressed as she levitated the target towards them, turning it to face the audience so they could see that the archer had indeed hit the bullseye directly in the middle.

They released a collective exclamation of astonished surprise, and unanimously applauded.

The stallion smiled, taking a bow, before he paused, confused again, looking back at Trixie. "Didn't you say you would conjure targets? As in plural?"

"Indeed, Trixie did... And so, she shall!"

With another burst of magic from her horn, Trixie created several other smaller targets. This time, they were moving throughout the air thanks to the showmare utilizing her levitation magic; once again, she made sure none of the targets occupied an area that would endanger the spectators.

The archer was briefly frozen in surprise, but he quickly took to action, drawing one arrow at a time from the quiver he was provided with, shooting down each of the targets one by one with incredible speed.

Once he finished shooting them all, Trixie herself briefly clapped.

"That was very impressive! You shot them all in under twenty seconds!" she then levitated each of the targets in the air and turned them towards the audience. "And you hit the bullseye on each one!" she was correct, causing the audience's reaction to increase in volume compared to their previous expression upon noticing this.

The bow, arrows, quiver and targets disappeared, and Trixie took one of the stallion's forehooves in her own, raising his foreleg victoriously.

"Please, give a round of applause to our very talented Mister Sharp Sights!"

The spectators stomped their hooves so hard that their collective efforts almost seemingly threatened to shake the theater to it's very foundations.

Sharp Sights smiled, bowing, feeling so much better about himself now that the audience validated the impressive nature of his skills. He always wished his favorite hobby would pay off someday, not realizing that it was going to happen right then.

Trixie waved to Gilda and Gustave. "I'll see you back at the caravan in time for dinner!"

"Okay!" Gilda said.

"Don't make us wait!" Gustave joked.

The unicorn chuckled, starting to walk down the street. She made her way down a few alleys and shortcuts, trying to find a bakery in Baltimare that she heard was very good. She simply minded her own business, humming happily to herself, her mind still a daze over how much ridiculously better her life had gotten.

Just as she finally saw the bakery in question, one of Baltimare's citizens on the road adjacent to it recognized her. "Oh, my goodness! It's Trixie The Magician!"

Immediately, several other passerby noticed, producing a collective gasp as they marveled at the celebrity in their presence.

They hurriedly galloped in a stampede towards her, clamoring out of excitement to the point that their speech was unintelligible due to all of them trying to talk at once.

Trixie was scared at first, thinking of trying to run away, but started to relax when she noticed they were gradually slowing down to come to a stop in front of her. While being the center of attention ironically always made her nervous, she was slowly getting more and more used to it with each performance, even if she was more bashful than she cared to admit.

She softly laughed to herself at the irony. 'If I were standing somewhere years ago in Jennet, a lot of ponies wouldn't even give me the time of the day. Now, it seems like anyone and everyone wants to get to know me... It all feels so insane.'

Many of the ecstatic fans were toting notebooks or other significant belongings with pens, wanting Trixie to give them her autograph. She started to feel pressured and nervous, tapping her chin with a forehoof as she tried to decide what to sign first, then she got an idea. Her hoof shot straight into the air, and all of the fans immediately went silent, anticipating what she was about to say or do.

"Would you all like to see a magic trick?"

"YES!" they cried in unison.

She looked to one of the closest fans in the crowd, seeing a teenage mare about her age, possibly even older. "You there," she said, pointing her hoof to her, "could you please be Trixie's volunteer?"

The mare squealed with exuberance. "Oh, yes!!!"

Trixie smiled as she approached her. "Now, please let Trixie see that pen and paper you've got there..."

She all too readily handed it over, and Trixie paused for a moment, clearing her throat as she prepared her horn. She used her levitation to autograph it with "Trixie The Magician"...

... Right as she did that, every other item the crowd had that they wanted to have signed were all autographed simultaneously, thanks to Trixie's spell. They released a collective "whoa!" in astonishment, and stomped their hooves in applause.

Trixie bowed. "Thank you all very much, but now Trixie has to be on her way!" she waved to them, and they did the same to her as she started to depart. She smiled as she overheard them even off in the distance, ranting and raving about her impressive display of magic just then, and the shows that they saw her in.

'Years ago, in Jennet, it would have been impossible for me to perform spells like that... Now, it's easy. It gets easier every day, even. I wonder how far this is going to go?'

Trixie was cooperating with her second volunteer during a show in Fillydelphia.

The swordsmare was using a wooden sword, while four other wooden ones were being wielded by pony-shaped mannequins being controlled by Trixie's levitation, previously conjured by one of her spells.

Even though they were all attacking her simultaneously, the volunteering mare was more than a match for them, eventually striking them with such force that the plastic limbs and heads started falling off of them. She dodged, blocked and countered every single swing and strike, remaining completely untouched as she gradually subdued them all.

Trixie smiled, levitating one of the wooden swords to herself and wielding it in her forehooves. "Are you ready for Trixie?" she asked with a tone of playful mock competitiveness.

The swordsmare smirked, motioning her to "come hither" with her empty forehoof. "Bring it."

The unicorn chuckled to herself; even when she was just letting the volunteers have the spotlight, she was having so much fun, and it felt so good to help them feel better about themselves by quite literally putting their worth on display. Even so, she wasn't going to go too easy on this particular volunteer; sword fighting was included in her martial arts lessons with Gilda, after all.

The galloped to the middle of the stage, swords in tow, simultaneously swinging and causing their weapons to collide. The audience cheered, quickly finding that Trixie's skills with blades were rather impressive as well. She took her time to draw out the performance, weaving together an impressive, graceful and intricate choreography, looking so natural and evenly balanced that one would almost think she conspired with her volunteer for it to be this way.

Alas, just as Trixie was about to give up for her sake, the swordsmare caught her off guard, disarming her in a rather impressive manner and feigning holding the blade against her throat; what would be a killing blow, if the sword were real, and Trixie was an ordinary unicorn. Even Trixie was surprised, but she raised her forelegs in surrender as she was already going to, feigning a humorous, nervous smile.

The spectators laughed. The swordsmare smiled, and let the wooden sword fall and disappear. She insistently took Trixie's forehoof in her own and shook it respectfully, finding her to be an impressive and honorable sparring partner. The unicorn returned her smile, and then lifted their joined forehooves.

"Please, give a round of applause to Silver Song!"

The ponies cheered and stomped their hooves.

"So, you're the sensation sweeping the nation, and you've only started doing your shows -- officially, professionally -- about half a year ago, now?"

"Yes, that's correct," Trixie told the journalist stallion interviewing her.

He raised his eyebrows and nodded, impressed.

Trixie blinked, suddenly realizing how strange that sounded. How, indeed, did she get so successful so quickly? It seemed as if lately, things were going ridiculously well for her -- maybe a little too well. Was this finally her getting some form of good luck, or karma delivering what she apparently deserved, like Gilda told her long ago? Either way, she pushed it in the back of her mind for now.

The journalist tilted his head upon noticing she seemed somewhat youthful. "And, uh, how old are you?"

"Well, I... I'm sixteen," she said with an awkward smile, feeling self-conscious for reasons she was unsure of. There was also something compelling her to try to be her true self instead of her stage role during the interview, but the cause for that was unclear as well.

"Very interesting," said the stallion. "I'm telling you, this is quite the success story... I can't even leave my house anymore without running into someone who at least mentions your show in passing. You've got a really good thing going with it, with that whole part where you bring up lots of volunteers and have them put on a sort of... Magically enhanced talent show," he elaborated. "I can see why it sells so well. Makes the audience feel really good about themselves, and it's a lot of fun to watch, because it's so unpredictable."

"That's the whole point," Trixie chimed. "... Well, the improving others' confidence part, I mean. That's what it's about."

"How sweet," the interviewer commented. "So, everyone's wanting to know more about Trixie The Magician... What can you tell us? Is there something you like to do in your free time? Do you have a special somepony?"

She blushed, feeling more awkward than before. She shifted around in her seat uncomfortably, never recalling another time where there was so much pressure around finding a romantic partner, when she long ago discovered she couldn't harbor any such attractions.

"No, I don't have a special somepony," she explained. "I don't really feel the need for one, honestly," she added, feeling a little brave, before she quickly threw in a hasty "right now," not wanting to seem too strange, especially because of her rising fame. "But, I'm just a normal pony, just like everyone else... I don't do anything too crazy when I'm not working. The closest thing I can think of is just practicing between shows, and that's it. On any given day I just like to do things like go for walks, spend time with my friends, go somewhere to get a hay smoothie..."

"A hay smoothie?"

"Yeah. With extra hay," she added, not sure why the particular beverage caught the stallion's attention in such a manner.

He laughed. "Well, how specific!" The stallion looked to his coworkers. "There you have it, ladies and gentlecolts! If Trixie ever shows up in your town and orders a hay smoothie, make sure it's with extra hay!"

She blushed, laughing along with them.

Yet another audience in Canterlot finished applauding for the moment as Trixie's second volunteer returned to his seat.

Trixie nodded, taking a moment to recover from using so much magic as she regained her bearings. "Trixie would like to allow some time for a short intermission, so that she and her volunteers may relax and refresh... But first..." Her forehoof pointed to a stallion in the audience, a secondary spotlight suddenly resting on him.

"You there... You have a red handkerchief in the left pocket of your saddlebags, do you not?"

The stallion shook his head, surprised that she was wrong during a feat in her shows for once. "It's blue," he corrected her.

"Would you please be willing to humor Trixie and check anyhow?"

He shrugged, seeing no harm in it, and obliged her, only to be surprised when his teeth withdrew a red handkerchief from the pocket.

"This isn't mine!" he exclaimed, startled.

Trixie smiled. "Would you care to please return it to the nice lady in the fourth row?" she said, a third spotlight turning on and focusing on the mare in question. She held up the stallion's blue handkerchief, equally surprised.

The audience, wowed, applauded again. The two ponies whom Trixie directed attention to approached each other, exchanging the handkerchiefs to return them to their respective owners as they blushed. They would have been strangers, had they not met on one other encounter where they shared a spark of mutual attraction and wanted to pursue it, but one of them realized they were late for work and fled before they had the chance. Both had lamented that they probably blew their only chance with the other...

... Until now, when Trixie "randomly" reunited them.

They turned their attention back to the showmare on stage, who gave them a knowing wink.

They chuckled, realizing she was playing matchmaker, and waved to her out of gratitude.

"I'm telling you, we could sell hundreds and hundreds of these!"

Trixie recoiled in bewilderment. Gustave had let her know that a stallion who owned a toy company came by to make a deal with her, wanting the celebrity showmare to be the newest addition in his stuffed pony doll line, "Care Mares". He'd even gone as far as to have his employees make a prototype of a "Trixie The Magician" doll, bringing it with him to demonstrate for her.

She mostly found it strange and offputting because, for some reason, seeing a doll of herself of all ponies oddly reminded her of her fillyhood doll, Special. She twitched and cringed upon recalling how, if Special was a real filly like she'd pretend, she would have starved to death during the year that Myrtle forbade her from happiness. Trixie's mixed emotions were also influenced by how children depressed her, her promise to never be a mother, and how she missed out on so many things she should have had in her fillyhood, but never got the chance to experience.

The stallion was practically begging her to sell them her likeness for the doll. "If you said yes now, we could get a whole line of them out in time for Hearth's Warming Eve! Think of how many fillies and colts would never stop bugging their parents until they got their hooves on one of these! It'd be the holiday gift of the year, and would go on for so much longer!"

Trixie sighed, deciding to concede. After all, Gustave told her that it was a good idea for her to get sponsored as long as there weren't too many restrictions, and he encouraged her to accept this particular business proposition, saying it was lenient and lucrative. She nodded, and used her levitation magic to sign his contract in pen.

He released a high, shrill shout of joy, starting to happily jump in circles.

The young mare tried to imagine how having a doll in her likeness could bring a soothing calm to children everywhere. She smiled, deciding that perhaps it was a good idea after all.

During one of many returns to Baltimare, Trixie had her fourth volunteer on stage, a musclebound stallion.

He was a professional bodybuilder, and as such the showmare sought to help him display his weightlifting talents before the audience. He grunted as he strained, using his tail to lift a bar normally meant for benchpressing exercises while his forelegs curled two dumbbells. Every few reps, Trixie would gradually add more pounds onto the weights, causing the audience to release exclaims of awe as she would constantly remind them how much he was lifting at the moment.

Eventually, Trixie allowed the bar on his tail to disappear, and transformed the dumbbells into a single bar much like the one his tail previously occupied. She then conjured a bench behind him and levitated the bar out of his reach, allowing him to sit back on it, effectively acting as his spotter as she levitated the bar back into his hooves as soon as he was ready. The audience's cheers increased in volume and fervor as they continued, all the way up to when they were done, with the stallion doing twenty benchpressing reps with three hundred pounds on the bar.

As the weights and bar disappeared, the showmare conjured a bottle of fresh water and a towel, mercifully levitating them towards her volunteer to help him cool off from the workout.

"Everyone, please give a wonderful round of applause to Mountain Strong!"

"Trixie, have you seen this?"

"Hmm?"

The unicorn looked up from her nearly-finished meal to Gustave. His face was glowing with astonished disbelief, staring at a very formal, decorative-looking parchment clutched between his talons.

"What's that?"

"It's an invitation," Gustave explained. "Fancy Pants saw one of your latest shows in Canterlot, and he was so impressed with you that he wants to personally hire you to provide the entertainment at one of his dinner parties."

Trixie's ear twitched, and she looked confused. "Who's... Fancy Pants, again?"

"One of Canterlot's richest and most respected socialites... He's the one that everyone there tries to impress. It's considered a huge honor for him to take any form of positive interest in you... The fact that he'd like for you to provide your show at a private event of his speaks volumes. We've come so far, and to think we once started from the humblest of places..."

She raised an eyebrow. "I take it this means you'd like me to go there?"

Gustave's eyes veered away as he blushed, but he quickly smiled and nodded, finding the prospect of getting to serve food at such an event to be irresistible.

The unicorn sighed, uncomfortable with the potential stress the environment could put on her. Aside from the theaters she had become accustomed to, she never quite felt at home in an extremely uptight place, at least, not if she was going to try to perform there.

"If you really want to go that badly, I guess we can... I just think I should get to meet Mister... Pants, first," she decided.

Gilda snickered. "Mister Pants... It sounds funny when you say it like that..."

Trixie chuckled, smiling at her. "Yeah... Yeah, I guess it does..."

Trixie was having yet another show in Fillydelphia, and her fourth volunteer was on stage.

"So, how exactly is this going to work?" the participating mare asked, feeling uncertain.

"Very simply, exactly," the showmare reassured her. She used spells from her horn to conjure a canvas before the mare, complete with a paint brush and a palette with paint on it. "What Trixie would like for you to do is to think of an image you'd like to paint on that canvas. But, first..." she conjured a piece of paper, and then multiplied it numerous times, using transportation to distribute each individual piece to each audience member. "... A souvenir for the audience once you're finished."

The painter complied, closing her eyes and focusing for a few moments, projecting a painting inside of her mind to try to recreate on the canvas provided by the showmare.

"I have one," she announced.

"Very good!" Trixie praised her. She promptly levitated the paint brush and palette to the volunteer.

The painter grabbed them in her forehooves, but then looked at the paint on the palette in confusion. "There's only one paint color available here."

"Indeed. But fear not, for Trixie has enchanted the paint to change colors to what you require as you imagine it."

Instinctively thinking of other hues, the artist flinched in surprise when the paint immediately morphed into whatever color she pictured. "Th-that's amazing!"

"But that's not all there is. You'll not only be able to paint your imagined picture on the canvas for the audience, but completely finish it in one minute as soon as you start. You may begin whenever you're ready."

The artist was hesitant, still somewhat skeptical, but nevertheless compelled to indulge in Trixie's claims. She dipped her brush into the paint and lightly pressed it to the canvas, stroking in graceful shapes. To her surprise, the rest of the picture began to gradually fill in as she intended it, accompanying her progress. It was Trixie magically assisting her, both speeding up her efforts and completing the parts she wouldn't be able to do in time. The audience gasped in awe, not only at their cooperation, but at the papers in front of them filling up with the same image all on their own.

Once the minute was up, the painting was finished. It was a gorgeous sunset at the beach, the clouds in the sky brightened with pink, the ocean a dreamy purplish blue, the sand a low, dimmed tan, with rich, green and brown trees off in the distance.

Trixie smiled warmly at the volunteer. "Is this not exactly what you imagined in your mind before painting it?"

The painter's mouth was agape in shock. "W-why... I-it is!"

The spectators went wild with applause.

The showmare nodded happily. "Give it up for Soul Portrait!"

"I'm Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts," The pegasus introduced herself.

Trixie's eyes widened. "O-oh, I'm so sorry! I can't believe I didn't recognize you sooner! I-I just --"

"Didn't recognize me without the uniform on?" Spitfire laughed. "It's fine, the same thing happens to everyone. Those Wonderbolt outfits cover most of our bodies, so of course that's the case."

Trixie breathed a sigh of relief, lowering her ears. "So... What brings you to see... Me?..."

The pegasus smirked. "Well, Soarin and I saw a couple of your shows a few times during our off time... I've gotta say, you really have what it takes to put on quite a show. Those crowds you're starting to draw are almost as impressive as the ones we get at our flying demonstrations. Anyhow, word got out among your promoters that you'd been looking to do a charity show, so we thought we'd offer you a shot at working with us, since we'd like the same thing. There's a benefit for fillies and colts with terminal illnesses that could have your name all over it," she said, extending her foreleg for a hoofshake.

The unicorn was taken aback. 'The Wonderbolts want to do a show with me? This is insanity!'

She hesitated, worried about not being up to scale compared to the flying team, or being unable to live up to their expectations, and then shook Spitfire's hoof.

The pegasus was delighted. "You're not going to regret this, Trixie. We're going to make a hell of a team."

It was Trixie's first show in Las Pegasus, and her biggest, most successful one yet. The audience had never been larger.

She took a bow, preparing to wrap up the show.

"Trixie thanks you all for spending your evening coming here to see her... She is aware that many of you are coming to celebrate personal special occasions, and she is honored to provide entertainment for them. Alas, she cannot bear to part ways with you without first granting you parting gifts... And so, here comes the grand finale!"

With that, the young showmare suddenly wrapped her forehooves around the corners of her cape, pulling them inward towards herself, until the whole front of her body except for her head were covered from the audience. She closed her eyes, casting a spell, and moments later stood up on her hind legs and allowed the cape to fall back down her sides. To their surprise, the spectators noticed that a decorated gift box was now apparently wedged bloodlessly inside of Trixie's chest, her skin and coat perfectly forming an outline of the very top, which jutted out.

The unicorn grinned, removing the top of the gift box, revealing an empty, black abyss, as if her body housed an entire dark room that was bigger on the inside than it seemed from outside.

"To Honey Sprinkles and Cobalt Charmer, congratulations on getting married!"

Suddenly, she levitated a brand new, packaged coffee maker to the newlyweds in the audience, causing them to gasp out of surprise. They graciously accepted the gift, smiling at Trixie and clapping for her.

"To Thunder Chaser, congratulations for graduating from college!"

The young stallion in the audience happily received a skateboard from Trixie.

"To Brave Boulder, congratulations on your retirement!"

The elderly stallion was overjoyed to be given a guitar.

"To Sunny Chaser, happy birthday!"

The young mare was enthralled by Trixie granting her the newest Daring Do book.

The unicorn continued to give out gifts to several audience members, all while thanking them for coming to see her on whichever occasion they were celebrating by seeing her. Although she could only give out so many presents to so many ponies, especially with how large her crowd was and with how much little time she had left, even the ones who didn't get one from her found this new trick to be very entertaining. The ones she did manage to grant gifts to were surprised and thankful that she somehow knew what they would have liked to get.

Once she was finished, Trixie took a bow.

"With that, Trixie must bid you goodnight... But as you leave, she has a favor to ask of you. If you ever feel as if you doubt yourself, just always remember; magic is in everyone, everywhere... You just have to look hard enough."

Las Pegasus was luxurious.

Instead of opting to stay in the carriage, which the trio were perfectly content with doing on a regular basis, Trixie, Gilda and Gustave took advantage of the opportunity to spend a night in one of the city's finest hotels.

Each of them had booked their own rooms, not far from one another. They were still exhausted from their latest and most successful performance yet, although the wonderful reception the audience gave helped refresh their spirits quicker.

Yet, in spite of this, the showmare felt strangely saddened. A part of her was deeply enjoying all of the rapidly climbing successes she earned, while another was gradually weighed down by lament over a long period of time. It didn't even make sense until she finally realized why she felt that way on that evening.

The longer she spent with Gilda and Gustave, traveling and performing, the longer Gilda seemed to disappear at random for no apparent reason on a regular basis, the frequency and duration of her absences increasing every time. Trixie couldn't help but liken it to how Myrtle behaved when she read their father's journal without telling her. Did she somehow upset her oldest friend in a way that was causing them to slowly drift apart as well?

Her mind desperately searched for what she could have done to make this happen. Gilda had given her so much when she gave so little in return for as long as she knew her. They were constantly working together to ensure Trixie's dreams and happiness, while Gilda completely ignored her own. She wasn't even sure what it was the griffon wanted out of life, except for their friendship, apparently. The unicorn recalled asking her about these things whenever she noticed each disappearance, only for Gilda to give some mundane excuse as to where she was and deny that anything was wrong. She never seemed to harbor any hard feelings towards Trixie, both in her behavior and in what her friend could pick up off of her stray thoughts in their mental connection.

But somehow, it never bothered the showmare as badly as it was now. If everything was going so well for all of them, then why was Gilda leaving all the time for some reason, now more than ever? Surely, they would have to talk about it sometime soon.

Alas, she tired of worrying about it for the time being, especially when she'd rather spend her time enjoying the wonderful room she got to stay in for the night. So, she pushed the thoughts out of her mind for the moment, succeeding in continuing to distract herself by taking a long, hot shower, soothing her nerves. Feeling thoroughly refreshed and revitalized when she was finally done, she decided to find further aversion by reading the day's newspaper, only to be put off by something she found within.

It was an article about the two unscrupulous stallions she encountered so long ago in Canterlot, the Flim Flam Brothers. The twins had a traveling business just like her, and just so happened to be in Las Pegasus recently as well. Only, they'd somehow gotten in a bad wagon accident, destroying their merchandise and injuring them both. Their horns were included, exactly half of each horn's length broken off, just short of reaching the point where their magic would be permanently nullified. Their magic would eventually work again once their horns fully healed and grew back, but until then they were, magically speaking, useless.

The news itself wasn't what bothered Trixie, but rather her own reaction to it. She laughed when she first read it.

Not out of surprise. Not out of amusement at the irony of their fate given their previous behavior. She was glad that they got hurt, as she felt they deserved to.

This disturbed her. One part of her was sickened by her reaction, finding the accident to be horrible no matter who it happened to, the other part feeling completely justified in sadistically enjoying the stallions' suffering.

The young mare tried to decipher whether there were any other thoughts that provoked this paradox within her. Almost immediately, she thought of her sister. While in some ways she always pitied Myrtle's obvious unhappiness, she also resented her for all the years she spent tormenting her for things that weren't her fault at all, and for destroying their sisterhood after they finally repaired it for once.

The unicorn was unable to help but smirk and chuckle at the thought of Myrtle still being as miserable as she always was -- more so by her discovery in Heavy-Heart's journal and her lifelong loneliness. After all, would she not deserve it after what she did to Trixie for all of her life?

Once again, the showmare was shaken, split between sadistic justification and shameful sympathy. She froze, frowning, deeply disturbed by this newfound dichotomy.

'... I'd never really want anyone to get hurt... Would I?...'

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her door.

"It's Gilda," a familiar voice spoke from the other side.

Trixie sighed in relief. She smiled, quickly approaching the door and opening it to see her oldest friend, only to frown when she noticed that the griffon looked distraught.

"What's wrong?" said the pony.

"Nothing, it's just... Can I come in for a minute? I need to talk to you about something. It's nothing bad, I promise."

"Of course." Trixie opened the door and stepped out of the way, letting her in and closing it behind her.

The griffon sat down on the edge of Trixie's bed, her talons restlessly twiddling together. She looked away remorsefully. "Look... I just want you to understand, what I'm about to say, and what I'm going to do, isn't anything mean-spirited, or because of you. It's just... Gustave and I have been talking, and we've decided that we're ready to go back to Prance so that he can keep working on his dream of opening a restaurant, and I can help him do that," she explained. "We wouldn't even be thinking about this unless we were sure that you'd do okay on your own... Not just with your shows, but, you know..."

Her eyes rested on the young mare. "You can understand that, right? I mean... It's not like you were holding us back, or that we don't enjoy all of this... It's just that this is very important to Gustave, the same way that your shows are important to all of us, and, well, he wants to start putting time towards that. We... He wants to leave in two months, and I convinced him that now would be a good time to tell you about it, so that you would be ready and know what to expect..."

Gilda sighed, her talons reaching out to gently grasp Trixie's forehooves, as if trying to reassure both of them. "Oh, Trix, you're not upset about this, are you? We can stay longer if you need us to... We just don't want you to feel hurt or abandoned or betrayed..."

The unicorn's ears lowered, her eyes veering away momentarily before returning to meet Gilda's. "I can't lie, I'm a little sad, but... I completely get it. It's fine. You've done more for me than I can even begin to express -- more than I could ever ask for, or hope to repay -- and it wouldn't be fair of me to forbid you from this. You two deserve to get to do the things you want to, whether or not I'm involved."

The griffon, relieved, started to relax, sympathetic to Trixie's plight. "Thank you so much for being so understanding... I'll do whatever I can to make this up to you while we're still with you. We can just take it easy until it's time for us to go, and have as much fun as we can... We might as well stay in Las Pegasus for a while, or, at least, until we can't be here anymore if that's the case."

Trixie chuckled. "That could be a good idea."

Gilda smiled widely, patting Trixie on the back before embracing her in a hug. "Look at how far we've made it... Karma's finally started to smile on you, Trix, and it's only going to get better from here on out. There's no one else who deserves this as much as you do... And no one else I'd rather have these adventures with."

The showmare was filled with warmth, holding her friend tightly. "I'm glad it was you that I went on them with, too."

They slowly pulled away from one another. "Goodnight, Gilda."

"Goodnight, Trixie."

"Yambf," they both said in unison. The girls chuckled at their synchronization, waving goodbye to one another as the griffon walked away, until she was out of sight, and the unicorn closed her door.

Trixie walked to her bed, her smile slowly disappearing, sadness tinging her emotional state into a bittersweet mood.

'So, that's why Gilda's always been gone and feeding me all these excuses... She must have been trying to help Gustave get ready for this while waiting for the right time to break the news to me... I'm going to miss them so much... But, at least they'll get to pursue their dreams without me weighing them down. And I'm not doing too badly myself... It's... It's going to be okay.'

'Gilda and Gustave left for Prance two months ago.

Of course, I miss them. We made the most of the rest of our time together, at least. As much as I enjoyed that, I couldn't help but be painfully reminded of the last time I saw Gilda before we met again in Canterlot, so many years ago back in Jennet. Is this what our lives are always going to be like? Disappearing and reappearing over and over again? Hopefully someday this will not be the case. I'd see them every day if I could help it.

Still, at least there is no love lost between us. Our friendship is stronger than ever. No matter how far apart we are physically, we're always close to one another in spirit. I told Gilda I'd only ever be able to have fond thoughts of her. That still rings true.

At first, when they left, I was so nervous. So scared. I wasn't sure how I was going to carry on without them. Gilda told me they could have stayed longer if I wanted them to, but I didn't dare to ask, refusing to hold them back from their own dreams any longer. I don't know if I'll ever be able to help them as much as they've helped me, but... I'm sure as hell going to try.

But, I just pressed on, as Gilda always encouraged me to. And... Everything's been going just fine. It's all been so much easier than I feared it would be. I've just had to do a little extra here and there to take on the tasks they used to help me with, and my show is still exactly how it needs to be. Before I know it, I'm going to go all over Equestria with my act, the same way I did when they were with me.

It feels so good to know that I can do this on my own. I thought their departure might cripple me and take all the power from my shows, but it's actually one of the best things that ever happened to me. I've proved to myself that I'm as capable as I've always wanted to be by being given a chance to shine all on my own, without any help.

And this has made me realize that, in time, I'll at least have a decent gift of thanks to give to them. The bits and the fame keep coming for me, but I won't allow myself to be tarnished by them, nor will I keep them all to myself. One day, I'll be so well off that I can literally repay them by giving them enough bits for Gustave to open his own restaurant franchise, and I'll have the means necessary to help Gilda fulfill whatever dreams she has, whenever I can discover them.

Would it make up for what they've done for me? No. But, it would be enough to show them how much I appreciate their help, and how much I love them.

Knowing that helps me rest easy. Gilda was right. Karma is finally rewarding all of my efforts and intentions. I can't help but think about how proud my parents would be if they could see me now. I look forward to seeing what Luna thinks of such a faithful follower of hers once she finally returns to Equestria however many years from now. Sometime soon, for sure; Celestia told me it would happen while I'm still quite young. I eagerly await that day, whenever it comes.

But the biggest relief that's so mercifully graced my life has been an epiphany. Something I always knew, but never truly understood until now.

I never asked to be born.

It happened without me ever getting a chance to choose whether or not I wanted it to happen, let alone have any control over it. If I did, and knew that my birth would mean the death of my mother, I would never have gone through with it. Knowing that, I no longer blame myself for all the things that weren't my fault. It's given me the sweet freedom and peace I used to only be able to dream about having.

To top it all off, I've finally fallen in love with someone.

Myself.

The pain, the shame, the guilt, the heartbreak, the failures, the sorrow... They're all gone. All my life, I've lived shrouded in a lie, seeing myself as some unforgivable beast who was worth nothing and deserved nothing, who would never make anything out of herself. Only now do I see how wrong I was. Only now do I see that karma was correct to reward me after everything I've always struggled to do. And yet, in spite of all this, I'm still modest and humble, just as my parents always wanted me to be.

Before all of this happened, I used to require casting a spell to see the pony I've always dreamed of becoming, the pony who I wanted to be more than anything. Now, all I have to do is look in the mirror.

I'm Trixie The Magician. I'm strong, brave, and worthy. I've earned all of this happiness, and I deserve to keep it. And nothing, not even Princess Celestia, can ever take that away from me.'

5. The Phoenix Dream

Trixie couldn't sleep.

She was going to go back to Jennet for the first time in months.

As much as she wished it was, that wasn't the reason she stayed awake. She was terrified. The last time she went there was also the last time she ever heard from Gilda.

This wasn't like her, to go all quiet on Trixie all of a sudden. The griffon always wrote her at least once a month, as long as she knew where her best friend was, who always told her about her traveling schedules, revealing where she stayed and when. There may have been that period in their youth where they didn't meet again for years, but Gilda wasn't being controlled by her father anymore.

Something had to be wrong.

As much as she missed Hope and didn't want to disappoint her by missing out on a visit that was, yet again, already late in the first place, each passing day she didn't hear from Gilda filled Trixie with a panic-ridden desire to look for her lost fillyhood friend. What could have happened? Did she hate her for some reason? Did some awful fate befall her? She could only imagine what the possible reason for her uncharacteristic constant silence could be, and none of them put her at ease.

She almost wanted to ask Celestia for her help in finding Gilda, but a part of her thought the sun princess might be angry with her for dropping out of her school all those years ago, and refuse to help her for it, or worse.

Trixie hated feeling so helpless. She was used to it in other periods of her life, but now it was especially unbearable. It wasn't just her own happiness at stake. Her friend could be hurting, or dying, for all she knew.

Alas, there seemed to be nothing she could do except for simply move on to Jennet and hope that she would get back into contact with Gilda as soon as possible. So, the day before she was going to travel back there, she went to a Canterlot cafe for breakfast, ordering a hay smoothie and sipping it slowly, her somber mood preventing her from savoring it's flavor.

Suddenly, the front door of the cafe burst open, and a loud thud hit the floor. Trixie immediately looked to the source of the noise, and saw Gilda prone on the ground; malnourished, starved, tired. Alarmed, she promptly bolted over and helped her friend to her feet. "Someone get her some water, please!"

Gilda set the glass down on the table, releasing a refreshed sigh. "That feels  so much better..."

"What happened to you, Gilda? You look so horrible..."

The griffon frowned. "I came here to find your help, Trixie. If you refuse, I'll understand, but, you're the only one I know who can give us everything we need. I'm sorry I haven't talked to you in so long, but you have to understand, it's not that I didn't want to, it's just... Something happened. Something really, really bad happened, and I just couldn't..."

"What?"

Gilda shuddered. "Gustave and I were on our way to move in to another town where he got hired as a chef, and... We got caught in the middle of a dragon raid... They just, attacked the town for no reason, burning and smashing and tearing and eating anything that they could... They destroyed houses, murdered entire families... We barely made it out alive... We found our way to this survivor camp of these other griffons who were attacked by dragons... They're having a really hard time, and barely making it by... Most of them are sick, or starving... I was the only one feeling well enough to go off and fly for help, so, I tried to find you..."

Gilda and Trixie were riding in the showmare's traveling show carriage. Normally, it would be pulled by magic, but this time Trixie hired stallions to do it. She spent almost every last bit she had hiring stallions and carriages, buying food and medical supplies, enough to help everyone at the survivor camp that Gilda told her about. Even with her amassed, saved wealth, Trixie lamented that there probably wouldn't be enough for everyone. She could only afford for the stallions to take a two way trip; they would empty the supplies from the other carriages, load up the most seriously ill and wounded, and take them off to hospitals and hotels, and that would be the end of it.

Meanwhile, Trixie was going to keep her carriage there, having packed all of her personal belongings in it as usual, and provide free charity entertainment to the other remaining survivors for the duration of her stay. At the same time, she would help out with providing the food and supplies necessary to keep them going, as well as build new carriages and materials to help them eventually flee to the safety of society, where they could begin anew in much better conditions.

Gilda also warned Trixie about the gang of teenage dragons who would plague the camp; once a week, they would visit to extort favors and supplies from the griffons in exchange for leaving them alone and not harming anyone. In spite of this, the dragons would always cause some other form of trouble before they left, always tormenting them for their sadistic amusement.

Gilda looked morose, feeling guilty. "There's... One other thing I haven't told you about, Trixie..."

"What's that?"

"I'm so sorry, but... I only waited until now to tell you because... Because I thought you might not help if you knew right away..." She looked right in her best friend's eyes. "... They've destroyed Jennet, Trixie."

She gasped. The young mare felt her blood turn to ice, feeling lightheaded.

Gilda shook her head, tears flowing from her eyelids. "It's all gone... They burned everything, killed almost everyone..."

Trixie struggled to speak, still overwhelmed by all this. "... Did... Did anyone survive?... Did anyone escape?..."

"... Well, yes, actually..."

"Trixie!!!" Hope exclaimed, relieved to see her hero. She immediately ran over and hugged her, just as tightly as she did the first time they met. "I'm so glad you're here!!! I've missed you so much!"

Trixie comfortingly hugged her best fan in return, reassuringly caressing her mane. "It's okay... I'm here now... I've missed you, too..."

Just as Trixie expected, there wasn't enough for all of the griffons to go, but fortunately the ones left behind were very few. Between everyone, there would be only ten of them staying there in total.

As much as she wanted to keep spending time with her, she knew she'd have to send Hope away.

"No, please, don't!" The filly begged her. "I don't want to be without you!"

It broke the unicorn's heart to see the filly so distraught. It must have been so painful for her; first, to lose her parents and everything she knew, now to see to her hero again for only a glimpse before she disappeared.

She hated the idea, but Trixie knew that Hope would be safe this way. She couldn't conceivably stay here, not with the dragons coming to terrorize her and everyone else there every week. It wasn't up to her -- she was morally obligated to send the filly somewhere safer.

She hated how all of this could have been avoided if she simply stayed in Jennet, like Hope asked her to. If she couldn't save the whole village or keep them from dying... At least she would get to be with them, and there would be a chance that she could protect Hope and her parents.

And yet...

The look on Hope's face was too familiar to ignore. Trixie herself had worn it so many times, during the countless hours throughout her life that she remained stuck in such deep despair.

She couldn't just send Hope away. Not when Trixie was all she had left of Jennet -- and Hope was all that she had left of Jennet, too.

So, the showmare decided her fan could stay. She pulled her into a tight hug.

"I won't leave you alone again."

Trixie finished unpacking her things in her new hut. It was rather large, or at least large enough to house her, Gilda, Gustave, and Hope. They even had their own rooms built into it with curtains separating them, however small; Gilda had built Trixie's into it when she got the idea of bringing her here. Now that she was settled in, her griffon friend showed her around the rest of the camp, introducing her to the other survivors that would be staying behind with them.

"That's Renard," Gilda said, pointing to a middle-aged griffon almost entirely swathed in bandages. "He's a doctor who got burnt pretty bad in one of the dragon attacks. It's sort of impaired his ability to take care of the rest of us -- not that he doesn't try his best -- and he keeps beating himself up about it. Pretty quiet, too. I don't know why, but whenever he has to change his bandages, he won't let anyone help him with certain body parts. Said it's too disgusting or infected or something like that. He has a wife and kid that he sent off somewhere safe just before the dragons got his town, and he just wants to find them again. That, and make up for lost time, since their relationship wasn't... Perfect, before..."

She then turned Trixie's attention to a young griffon in his early twenties, who was entirely bald, completely free of feathers and fur, clad in striped, black and white clothes. "That's Tristan. He's missing his fur and feathers because some bullies back at his home waxed them all off before the dragons attacked... Talk about crappy luck, right? Anyways, he seems nice enough, but he's really nervous a lot, and I mean all the time, even on the rare occasion that there's some peace and quiet... Not too sure why."

Gilda pointed out an exceptionally thin female griffon around Tristan's age who was talking to him. "That's Perla. She's a comedienne, and, um, a clown, I guess... Aren't they the same thing? I guess not, but, whatever. The point is... She's pretty talented. This chick does all kinds of things -- fire eating, sword swallowing, contortion, it's just insane. She's been pretty interested in talking to Tristan quite a lot lately... I think she suspects he used to want to be a mime or something like that, which explains his getup. Maybe she wants them to work together if -- I-I mean, when they get out of here."

Soon, Hope approached Trixie once more, this time with a young female griffon around her own age. "Hi, Trixie," she said, "this is Fiona. She's a friend I made after I started staying here. She lost her parents in the dragon attacks, too."

Trixie frowned. "I'm so sorry that happened, Fiona."

The young griffon scowled. "You shouldn't be. I'm glad they're dead."

The showmare was taken aback, not expecting that reaction.

Off in the distance, a male elderly griffon missing his wings appeared to be struggling with carrying some firewood. He groaned in strain, finally giving up. "Girls, would you please come over here and help me with something real quick?"

"Yes, sir, Roul!" Hope and Fiona answered in unison, quickly running to him.

"That's Roul -- well, obviously," Gilda explained. "He's this guitarist and actor who was one of the best impersonators of Cyrano, someone who did the same things and was pretty damn famous for it. Of course, Cyrano was, like, twenty years older than him, and he's dead now, but he still does things like that, or, did, before all of this happened. He's been pretty down over losing his wings, and he's tried to make up for it by helping out as much as he can and improving the rest of his body to compensate. I'll admit, he's in pretty damn good shape for his age, but Renard keeps warning him not to push himself too hard... Old age, heart problems, stuff like that."

Trixie felt chills. "How did he lose his wings?"

Gilda sighed. "Before Jennet got destroyed, well... We were all here, and the dragons thought it would be funny to try to pick on Fiona one week. Roul stood up to them... And the leader held him down so he could eat his wings, down to the bone. He would've died of blood loss if Renard hadn't burned the wounds shut right after it happened. He still gets phantom sensations sometimes, like his wings are still there, when they're not and will never come back... It's... Pretty sad..."

Suddenly, Gustave called Gilda back into the hut to help him prepare a meal. Soon, Hope returned to Trixie by herself.

"I meant to tell you more about Fiona earlier, but I forgot," Hope explained. "I'm sorry..."

"It's okay, Hope..."

Hope grimaced. "Everyone here has been really unhappy... I don't blame them, but... I just haven't been around anyone who's really been able to help me feel... I don't know... Just, to forget everything that's going on... Gilda and Gustave have been really nice to me, but, I missed being around someone I knew a lot better... Like you, or my parents..."

"... Well, what about Lucy?..."

"Oh, her? I still have her here, but, I haven't played with her any more or drawn any pictures of her or anything... I just didn't feel like it, I guess... Not since her last adventure..."

"... What happened in there?..."

"... Well... Lucy and her friends found out about this mirror that would lead them into another world... It was actually older than their own world -- the first world ever, really... And, the people who lived there saw all these bad things going on that made everyone unhappy, and they wanted to stop it... So, they made this thing where they could put all the bad things in so that they'd be gone, and then they got to live well and be happy all the time... But, they didn't know that when they put all the bad things away, they got sucked into another world... Lucy's world, by accident," Hope explained.

"Lucy got really upset when she found out, because she was tired of having to stop all these bad things from happening without ever getting to rest, and she thought that it was just the way her world was, but it wasn't supposed to be that way. She and her friends found out that they were actually supposed to be born in the better world, but they got sent to the one they were in by mistake, just like all the bad things. So, they tried to figure out where they could find the mirror, and how they could use it to get back to the other world. The right world. But, they had a lot of trouble doing it, even when they tried really hard and spent a long time on it," Hope continued.

"So, they all got ready to go on this really long journey to try to do that, but then Lucy got really sick, from being tired of stopping bad things all the time. So sick that she couldn't really go anywhere, and had to rest all the time. So while they tried to keep figuring out how to get to the other world, they stayed by her and waited for her, because she fell asleep for a really, really long time. And they used this magic to make presents for her every year, presents made out of wishes for things they thought they could do when they made it over to the other world and grew up, that they'd leave inside of her for her to find when she woke up. Things like wanting to have your own house, or get married and have kids, or work at a job you really liked, or do whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted, because everyone else could do the same, and were always nice to each other...

"... Only, after so many years, they got tired of waiting for Lucy because it was making them so sad. They finally found their way to the other side of the mirror, and thought she might not ever wake up, so they decided to go without her. All those years she was asleep, Lucy dreamed of being there in the other world with them, having the perfect, happy life. Then, she finally woke up a long time after they were all already gone, but she felt all the presents representing wishes inside her, so she opened herself up and started to go through them. Only, they made her really sad, because she realized that not only would she never be able to get any of these things she wanted, but they were never even worth having in the first place. So, she went back to sleep, because dreaming about the other world was easier and more comfortable than actually trying to go there, and she never woke up again..."

Trixie was heartbroken. She recognized this as the filly's way of coming to terms with accepting this horrible quality of life she'd come to know and endure in the survivor camp. The showmare wished she would have arrived so much sooner, to comfort her fan before she succumbed to such sorrowful pessimism. What could she do to help alleviate this?

Just when it seemed like there was nothing she'd be able to do, the unicorn got an idea. She quickly rummaged through her belongings nearby, and found what she was looking for. The doll she had from her fillyhood.

"This is Special," Trixie said, introducing her to Hope. "I've had her ever since before I was your age, Hope. She's been one of my closest friends for a very long time, and I've told her all about you, and how happy you make me feel. She's been really excited to meet you, and wants to be friends with you and Lucy, the way you've always been my friend. I've tried so hard to take good care of her for all these years... Now, I'd like you to take care of her." She gave the doll to her.

Hope held Special close to her, touched that her hero would entrust her with something so nostalgic and dear to her. "Thank you, Trixie..."

Next, Trixie met Adia, the founder and leader of the survivor camp. She was the griffon responsible for rescuing survivors from other dragon attacks and organizing food rations and tasks divided amongst the survivors. Adia looked to be in her early thirties, and notably sported tribal garb. Now that she had met everyone else staying there, Trixie was asked to help Adia find some healing herbs in the forest to help Renard.

"For some reason, they're the only things that'll help with some of his injuries," Adia explained. "Even the medical supplies you brought with you to help us didn't have this specific remedy."

Trixie felt disappointed. "I'm sorry..."

"There's no need to apologize," Adia answered. "You couldn't have known. Everything else that you brought with you will be fantastic help. Renard's really grateful."

"I'm glad to hear it..." Trixie murmured. After pondering it for a moment, she commented, "It's really admirable, how you've held up so strongly after everything that's happened. I mean, the dragons killed your entire family... Your entire tribe... I'd hope that the survivors appreciate everything you do for them. Fortunately, they seem to."

"I've lost much, yes. But, I pity the others back at the camp. My life was actually pretty good before the dragons took it from me. With those other griffons, it seems like they've traded one hell for another."

The unicorn nodded somberly. "... Didn't you say you were the sin-eater of your tribe?"

"Yes, I was."

"I remember hearing so many years ago that they used to consider depression a sin, but now they don't anymore... I'm just curious, why is that?"

"Well, many centuries ago, sorrow was looked upon as allowing in demonic spirits to soil one's viewpoint of the world they lived in. Later on, our tribes eventually realized that it's an inherent part of living that cannot be helped, so they repealed it as a sin. Life is suffering. To exist is to hurt."

While it was painful to hear, Trixie couldn't argue with it. It was something she suspected for many years, but never really put into those specific terms before.

"Oh, before I forget," Adia added, stopping to turn to Trixie. "I want to apologize in advance if I'm... Rude. While, like Gilda, I've mostly had bad experiences around ponies due to their biases, we're not bigots. It's simply that, ever since I've started this whole thing, I've come to learn to be suspicious of everyone until I know for sure I can trust them. So, please don't take it personally if I'm... Curt, at times. It's nothing against you, it's just me trying to look out for my camp's best interests."

"I can understand that, and I respect that."

After they had dinner that night, Trixie, Hope, Gilda and Gustave were getting ready to go to bed in their respective rooms in their hut.

Hope hugged Trixie again. "I know I said it before, but... It means a lot to me that you're here... I just wish things were still the way they were before."

Trixie frowned, comfortingly holding her in return. "I know... Me too..."

Hope pulled away, sniffling, and Trixie wiped a tear from her eye. She tried to think of a way to brighten the filly's mood, and suddenly got an idea. Within moments, she conjured a bouquet of Jennet Orchids, giving them to Hope.

The filly gasped, smiling in delight upon seeing the flowers for the first time in months. She hugged them close to her, breathing in their refreshing scent. "I thought I'd never see these again... I thought they were gone forever..."

Trixie felt a pang in her heart, realizing they actually were gone forever. They never grew anywhere else except for in Jennet. All that would ever remain of them now was the memory that Trixie could only temporarily create.

"I can only make them last for a little while at a time... But, at least they'll stay fresh, and won't die..."

With that, Hope lowered the flowers, unintentionally reminded of her parents.

Trixie realized her mistake, lowering her ears. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to --"

"It's okay... I know..." Hope murmured sadly. "I'm just... Going to go to bed... I need to be alone..." With that, she retreated to her room.

Trixie wanted to reach out to her, to try to fix it, but she knew that the filly needed her solitude for now. The showmare went to her own bed, unable to sleep, kept awake all night by the haunting ache that she had accidentally hurt Hope's feelings.

The next morning, the sun was slow to rise. It was there just enough to illuminate the world around the survivor camp, but the sky was still dark. Trixie remained awake, surprised to find that she didn't feel tired or fatigued at all, yet was starting to slightly experience some of the nausea Gilda told her the others were suffering for some time. Remembering that Adia had asked her to go scavenge for fruits in the forest, she decided to do just that, asking Hope to go with her, who accepted.

At first, there was an awkward silence between the two as they walked through the forest.

"I know I said it before, but... I'm still sorry about what happened last night."

"It's okay..."

Trixie looked to her fan out of concern. "Are you... Starting to feel better?..."

The filly nodded. "A little... Yeah..."

As they continued, with the unicorn levitating fruits off of the trees and into her saddlebags, the silence pervaded.

Finally, Hope looked at Trixie. "Do you think you could --?" before she could finish her sentence, she stopped herself, looking away. "Never mind..."

"What?"

"Don't worry about it... It's stupid..."

The showmare suddenly realized what she meant. She didn't need to read Hope's mind. A moment later, she gently levitated Hope into the air, and put her on her back, letting her ride there the way her parents had let her to do them.

Hope hugged Trixie's neck gently. "Thank you..."

The unicorn felt a slight sense of relief at the filly's comfort, continuing about her business, careful not to let any of the fruit bump into Hope as she filled the pockets of her saddlebags.

After another uncomfortable silence, Trixie tried to probe further. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"About what?"

"About what happened."

Again, Hope was quiet. Trixie frowned, lowering her ears. She worried that every time she tried to help, she simply made things worse.

"You don't have to if you don't want to. Just... Sometimes, it helps you deal with bad things if you talk about them."

Hope took a deep breath, then released a shaky sigh, already feeling tears coming back at the memories. "I... I guess I could try..."

Trixie stopped, waiting patiently.

Already, Hope was starting to sniffle. "... The night that the dragons attacked Jennet... My parents and I had just finished eating dinner... We... We were talking about you, and how excited we were about the next time you were going to come... Then, we saw fires out the window, and heard screaming outside... The shadows of these giant dragons were all over the ground, flying above us... We all got really scared...

"So, then, my Mom took me to the basement, and put me inside... She told me not to come out until she and my Dad came to get me, or until everything went completely quiet for a long time... I begged her not to leave me alone, but she wanted to try to go help, and wanted me to be safe... She gave me Lucy, but... I really wanted to be with her and Dad... I tried to get out, but my Mom's magic locked every exit there was, so I'd stay safe in there... It didn't go away until... Until everything was quiet for what felt like forever...

"When I finally could get out, I saw... Most of the house was destroyed... I got out of the wreckage, and there were bloody dead bodies everywhere, burnt and sliced open and eaten... All the houses and all the buildings were destroyed, burnt down or crushed to pieces. Everything was gone... I tried looking to see if anypony else was alive, but there was nopony... I saw all my neighbors, all my teachers, even all my bullies were dead... I saw the bodies of all my friends in the Wishmaker Club, and even my cat, Remiel... And then... And then..."

Hope squinted her eyes shut, starting to break down crying. "I-I-I saw my parents... M-my Dad -- was holding m-my Mom -- trying to keep her safe, so her magic would keep the basement locked... I-I could see they dragged trails of blood behind them, and the reflection of our house in their eyes... They were trying to crawl home so they could make sure I was okay and be with me before they died, but they never made it... I-I was so alone... I just laid down and cried forever..."

The filly sniffled, shaking her head. "I was just going to stay there and wait for me to go with all of them... B-but then, Adia found me... Gilda and Gustave were with her... They took me back here, and... I've been here ever since..." She hugged Trixie harder, bawling into her mane, dampening it with her tears.

Trixie tried her best not to cry as hard. She gently levitated Hope off of her back and hugged her, allowing her to continue crying against her. When Hope was finished, she sniffled, wiping her eyes, and Trixie put Hope back onto her back.

"Thank you..."

"It's okay..." Trixie murmured. "... I lost my parents, too... The wrong way, like yours..."

Hope blinked out the remaining tears blurring her vision, then perked in surprise. "... You did?"

The showmare nodded. "Yes..." She took a deep breath, preparing herself to share more with Hope, the way she had just done for her. "... My Mom died when I was born... There was something wrong with what happened when she was giving birth to me, and, it killed her... My Dad was working at a silver mine the whole time he raised me, and because he was so old, and working so hard, his body wasn't holding up very well... And his heart... Was hurting a lot from missing my Mom... He did his best to raise my sister and I well... He didn't want us to end up like him... He gave everything to make sure that wouldn't happen..."

She sighed. "There was this one time where... I was trying to help him at his job, trying to break down rocks with a sledgehammer, like he did... I was too young to be strong enough to do it with my hooves, so, instead, I tried to do it with my magic... I got overwhelmed, and passed out, and this cart was going to hit me... My Dad jumped in the way, and got hurt really bad by it... The doctors said that his heart was getting worse, and his whole body wasn't going to be holding up that great, even if he could work again...

"It got so bad that he was hurting all the time, every day... It only got worse the longer it went on... A-and, finally, he couldn't take it any more... He was hurting too much, and he knew he wasn't going to last very much longer either way... So... He wanted me to use this spell to kill him, so that he wouldn't be hurting any more... I begged him not to leave me alone, and he told me he didn't want to, but he just couldn't stay... So... I did it..."

Hope hugged Trixie again, empathizing with her. "I'm sorry..."

Trixie resumed walking, and moments later, the two ponies were startled by a beautiful sight. Phoenixes were finally awakening, starting to soar through the air, lighting up the dark sky with their marvelous fiery radiance. The two stopped and stared in awe.

"... They're so beautiful..." Hope murmured, taken aback. "... What are they?..."

"They're phoenixes," Trixie answered. "They're naturally on fire, all the time, and it doesn't hurt them... They always come back to life after they die, but only if they've hatched, first... Leaving behind everything before, and starting anew again..."

Once again, Hope was reminded of what happened with Jennet. She looked away sadly.

Trixie perked in alarm. "... I know things are bad right now, Hope, but... I promise, I'm going to make things right with you... Remember how you were sad about not having your cutie mark, and you thought you might not ever get it, but then you did?... There was a time after my parents died, after I started performing, even, where I was disappointed with my shows, and thought I'd never really do any good for anyone with them... But, you proved me wrong... Now, both of us are in a situation where it looks like things will never get better, but, we have to keep looking for that chance... When I was ready to give up, you were my phoenix... Maybe I can be yours, too..."

Hope started to feel reassured. After pondering for a moment, she asked, "Have you ever been to the carnival in Hoofington?"

"No, I haven't. I've done a show in Hoofington before, though, and I saw it off in the distance... It looked very nice..." Trixie answered. "Why?"

"That's where my parents met," Hope explained. "They told me all about it... How they first saw each other as teenagers there... They spent the whole day there together, playing all the fun games and winning these cool prizes, eating these awesome sweets like cotton candy and pink popcorn... Riding all these cool things like roller coasters and the ferris wheel and the tilt-a-whirl... And... Sitting there watching fireworks..." She sighed, feeling nostalgic. "They told me they'd take me there for my birthday one year, when they could afford enough for all of us to go, but... We never got the chance... It's too bad, because it sounded so nice, and I always wanted to go..."

Trixie stopped. She slowly and gently levitated Hope in front of her again, then hugged her, stroking her mane. "I promise you, when all of this is over, I'll take you to the carnival in Hoofington. Both of us can go there for the first time, together. After that, we'll continue my traveling show and work together on it."

Hope beamed, smiling. "You're still okay with all that?"

"Of course! You're still my number one assistant, remember?" She held Hope's forehooves in hers, gazing into her eyes. "We'll help all of Equestria get good at what they love to do, and make their dreams come true. Just the two of us; Trixie and Hope, now and forever."

6. Daughters Of Jennet

For the first time since Trixie moved into the survivor camp, the dragons returned.

No one was prepared.

They arrived earlier than usual, intentionally catching their victims off guard. Adia wasn't the only one who always wanted to try to strike back, since the adults among the camp outnumbered them by eight to four, but most of them were in too weak a condition to fight, and too afraid in the first place, but with good reason.

Hope was simply minding her own business, playing her violin, when they arrived; she stopped as soon as she saw them, frozen in fear.

Their leader, sporting red and yellow scales, noticed her. "Oh, my! Look at this poor filly, weighed down by these heavy objects! Why, I don't think she can get anywhere, lugging these around! And the Noble Dragon Code says we're obligated to relieve her of her burdens, aren't we, boys?" With that, Garble snapped his claws.

Pain, a slender purple dragon, ripped Hope's violin from her hooves.

"Hey! Give that back!" She protested.

Pain broke it in half over his knee, and then breathed fire over both parts, smoldering them into ash.

While she watched that in horror, Hope's lachrylus was yanked off of her by Smokey, a slim dark grey dragon, who promptly swallowed it.

The filly immediately started bawling.

Trixie snarled, pointing her horn at the dragons as she tried to prepare a spell.

"You'd better point that thing somewhere else, before I break it off and use it as a toothpick," Garble threatened.

Trixie tried to cast a spell, but found she was too upset to use her magic properly in the moment.

Garble then perked, realizing something. "Hang on a second... There's another soft hide here! A celebrity, even! Trixie The So-Called Magician!"

He and his dragon cronies laughed.

"And she's a unicorn! You know what that means, boys? She can help us find more gems to eat!"

"What makes you think that I'm going to help you?" Trixie growled.

Garble scowled. "Uh, because I'll hurt everyone here if you don't? Is your namby pamby brain as soft as the rest of you, pony?"

The dragons laughed again.

Trixie frowned. 'Damn it...'

"... Fine," she sighed in defeat. "But, only if you leave them alone. And give me a few minutes to be ready."

Garble put a claw to his mouth in hesitation, then shrugged. "What's fair is fair. That's not a lot to ask, boys." He smirked at the griffons, who either glared angrily back at him or cowered in fear. "See, guys? I can be nice sometimes." He returned his attention to Trixie. "Five minutes, and we're off. You get us gems, you come back here, everything'll be fine."

Trixie grimaced. The situation was far from desirable, but she didn't argue any further out of fear of making it worse for Hope, herself, or the other survivors. As the dragons waited, laughing and sharing sadistic jokes among themselves, the unicorn briskly retreated to her hut with her three beloved roommates.

She hugged the sobbing Hope, who clung to her tightly. "That one dragon ate my lachrylus, Trixie... That was my last present from my Mom..."

Trixie gently patted her, nodding in sympathy. "I know... I know..."

"And, they destroyed my violin... The one that you signed..."

Trixie tried to think of something to help Hope feel better, then got an idea. She returned to her belongings, rummaging through her things, and found something else to give her. It was the hat and cape she wore when she was a filly; she'd long ago grown out of them, necessitating the mare-sized replica Gilda commissioned, but she always held on to the original outfit out of nostalgia.

"Here, Hope," she said, levitating them to her. "This is the hat and cape that I wore when I was your age... Before that, even... It looks like it would fit you perfectly..."

Hope gasped in excitement, touched that Trixie offered yet another personal belonging of such significance to her. She quickly tried it on, looking into the first mirror she could find. "I love it!" she exclaimed, overjoyed. "Thank you so much, Trixie!"

The showmare smiled, relieved to see her put at ease for the moment. "Your welcome, Hope... Now, you'll look the part of my assistant even further..." she gave the filly a last parting hug for the time being. "I'm sorry, but I have to go find gems for these dragons now, so they'll leave us alone... I'll be back, though... Just stay here and wait for me, okay?"

Her fan hugged her back tightly. "I'll miss you... Be safe..."

Her hooves stumbled as Garble pushed her forward.

"Hurry up, Soft Hide, we don't have all day!"

The unicorn glared back at him, but she quickly resumed focusing on her task, not wanting to further earn his ire. She and the four dragons were walking through a part of the canyon at least a mile away from Adia's survivor camp, scarce of any flora or wildlife. She slightly shook her head, resenting that she was basically catering to their every whim in order to keep Hope and the griffons safe.

They stopped as soon as they arrived at the entrance of a large, dark cave. "Check in there," Garble demanded, pointing into it with a claw.

Trixie sighed under her breath as she obeyed, feeling slightly relieved that the dragons were too lazy to follow her in and try to navigate through the darkness. As soon as she could sense them, she struggled to use her magic to locate and unearth the gems within, placing them into the saddlebags adorning her sides. The further she trekked in, the more she was struck with bittersweet nostalgia, finding the experience ironically similar to how she used to help her father in Jennet.

"Very good, Beatrix," Heavy-Heart praised her, finding that her horn was producing a significantly helpful amount of light. He and the other miners were previously unable to go this far in without torches, and even then they weren't able to see as well.

Beatrix smiled at the compliment, simply happy to be such a great help to her kind, loving father.

She continued to light the way, her control and comfort regarding her magic much more stable than usual with Heavy-Heart's constant verbal approval.

The stallion beamed in delight when he found another large silver vein with the filly's help.

"Look at all of that silver... It's so beautiful... Just like your mane and tail," he mused.

His daughter smiled at the comparison.

"Maybe someday, if we look hard enough, we can find you a genie, like Special did," said Heavy-Heart.

Beatrix giggled. The very idea filled her with glee.

She wiped the tears from her eyelids with her forehoof, grateful that once again, the sweet memories of her father allowed her magic to persevere at a crucial time. Having spent the last several minutes spacing out as she merely went about her task, she only just then noticed that both of her saddlebags were almost completely full of gems. Trixie felt even more relieved now that this arduous task was almost over, for the time being. Her hooves made their way back to the entrance of the cave, only for her to trip and fall, landing face first into the dirt and spilling gems out of the saddlebags.

The dragons laughed in unison as Smokey withdrew his tail from the unicorn's path. They took turns exchanging high fives while Blaze crudely pried the saddlebags off of the pony.

Garble kicked Trixie in the ribs. "Pick the others up," he spat disdainfully.

The unicorn winced, glaring at him as she slowly got back onto her hooves. She would have levitated the spilled gems off of the ground, but her sudden change of mood rendered her horn useless for the moment. Instead, she picked them up one by one with her teeth, placing them in the saddlebags which were set aside and leaning against a pile of rocks.

Garble glanced back at Trixie, only to scowl back at her. "Don't you look at me like that!" he raised a clenched fist, causing her to flinch, and she frowned as she looked away. "That's more like it," he added as the three other dragons nodded.

Their leader shook his head and scoffed as he returned his attention to them. "I'm telling you... Ponies these days, they have no respect," he claimed. "You'd think it'd at least be a sign of intelligence for them to show manners to something that could easily kill them... But, no. They're complete hypocrites, a weak blight wasting this world's resources. Here they are, claiming to be so peaceful and compassionate, only for even the 'kindest' among them to hate us dragons because we're 'fierce' and 'scary'!

"So, what do they do? They hide behind all these cannons and catapults and bombs like complete cowards, killing our kind in drones and destroying our homes merely because they're scared of us! Because we did nothing but happen to live nearby them! But when our fully grown, adult dragons retaliate in nothing but their own scales, we're not fighting back or defending ourselves, we're 'terrorists' and 'mass murderers'! I mean, talk about the pot calling the kettle black!"

"Yeah!" The other three agreed in unison.

Trixie rolled her eyes and shook her head as she continued putting the rest of the gems away.

"I mean, they should be thanking us! We're doing them favors, after all! Like those older dragons who've been destroying all those icky slums full of those Luna lovers they hate so much! You're welcome, Equestria!"

Pain started to laugh. "Yeah! Didn't we even get one of those sometime back? That stupid little place... What was it called again?"

"Tarpan?" Smokey chimed.

"Right!" Blaze confirmed. "That was awesome..."

"Yeah," Smokey agreed. "Especially what Garble did."

Pain snickered. "You mean when he boiled all those foals alive and forced their foster parents to eat them? That was the best! Those pathetic ponies wouldn't stop crying and vomiting!"

Garble chuckled. "Guilty as charged," he confirmed.

Trixie started to grind her teeth, seething in fury. It was bad enough that Lunar loyalists like herself had long been persecuted and mistreated by fellow ponies, but being tormented by dragons in such a manner was awful in a way she didn't know how to describe.

The dragons looked back at the saddlebags, noticing that they were finally full.

"Nice," Garble commented. "We'll bring these bags back next time we need you. Now, run on back to your namby pamby griffon scout camp," he sneered condescendingly.

Trixie refused to look at him; she couldn't stand to. She was more than willing to return back to the more desirable elements of her predicament, and immediately started doing so.

"Aww, don't run off all mad, Soft Hide! Don't you know that going through hardships make you a better person?" Garble mockingly called after her.

Trixie and Gilda went off to talk in private.

"What is it you wanted to talk about?" Trixie asked.

Gilda sighed, clearly looking embarrassed. "Well... It's going to sound really stupid, but... I was feeling bad about something, and I thought I should tell you about it," she explained. "You see, I've been feeling bad because... Well, I've been feeling jealous of you... As in, how close you and Hope are... I know she's your best fan and you've spent a lot of time together for the last few years, and you're closer than ever because you both lost your home town, but, some irrational part of me got paranoid that you would let her replace our friendship, or something like that... I know it's ridiculous, I just, feel that way for some reason..."

Trixie scoffed, shaking her head. "Gilda, I'd never replace you..."

"I know, I know..."

"Look... I guess I can see where you're coming from, but... That would be like me being jealous of you for being friends with Rainbow Dash," Trixie said. "... Actually, to be honest with you, I've sort of always been jealous of you, too, I just never really said or did anything about it. It used to bug me to see you and Gustave get to be so close, because I wish I could have had that with Myrtle. I thought I did, for a little bit, but it was all just fake, and disappeared."

Gilda chuckled, amused by the irony. "It's funny you say that, because things haven't exactly been that great between us, either," she explained. "Sure, it never got so bad that one of us ever tried to kill the other with a shovel, but, well... I don't know how close it ever got to that point... You see, the thing is..." she paused, struggling to find a way to express herself. "Speaking of Rainbow Dash... I know I told you you're my best friend -- which is still true and everything -- but, I haven't seen her in a really, really long time, and I was wanting to see her again..." she sighed, frowning, starting to reminisce more about her drifting away from Gustave.

"A little while after we went our separate ways, before... All of this, I started getting a little sick of how Gustave was constantly focused on what he wanted to do, and never really cutting me a break even though I helped him more than anyone else ever did. I tried to ask him to cut me some slack, to let me try to live my own life here and there, and he said he would as soon as I finished helping him with the next big thing. Only, this continued on in an endless cycle, he'd keep throwing out 'the next big thing' every time I was ready to do something, and it went on for just, way too damn long... I couldn't take it any more, I thought I was going to go crazy," she laughed bitterly.

"Even when I told him about how important it was to me that I finally get to see Rainbow Dash again... I always wanted to help her with what she really wanted to do, to repay her for being so nice to me, just like I tried to do with you and your shows... I thought it would be cool to do something that would allow me to fly real fast just like I enjoy, and also earn respect for griffons from ponies, so, I convinced Dash to let me try out to be a Wonderbolt with her... That's the most screwed up part about all this, Trixie, it was never even just me trying to help my friends -- you and Dash -- it was for me, too," she sighed.

"I just got so sick of most of the ponies I met always calling me a filthy sharpclaw, no matter what I was doing... I didn't want to be better than any of them or anything like that, I just wanted them to treat me as an equal... So, I thought they might do that if some really cool pony like you or Dash really liked me, and if I could do the kinds of things that they could do... I just wanted them to respect me, like I respect them, you know? I got tired of them hating me all the time when I never even did anything to them... And, all of this lead me to do something I really probably shouldn't have done, but I just couldn't help it, because I was so sick of it all," Gilda continued, shaking her head.

"Gustave was ready to get on to some really awesome cooking competition, I can't even remember what it was called... Anyways, he insisted that he couldn't do it without my help, and practically begged me to be there... He counted on it, since I put up with his crap every other time... But, I decided that enough was enough, and that I should give him a taste of his own medicine. He knew I'd been wanting to see Rainbow Dash for a long time, and kept guilt tripping me into putting it off for even longer whenever I was finally ready to go, so I bailed out right before his competition to do that. He didn't even enter because he was so sure he wasn't going to win without me, and it really pissed him off," the griffon lamented.

"At the time, I didn't regret doing it to him, and thought it was completely worth it... At the very least, Dash and I got to share some good times after so long... But, when I inevitably had to go back, I saw how torn up Gustave was about the whole thing... It was exactly how bad I felt when he denied letting me see my friends all those times... I thought seeing that happen to him for a change would make me feel better about it, like I could get those times back somehow, but, it only made it worse... I was letting it get to me so bad that I went out of my way to really hurt someone I really cared about, and completely meant it..." she shook her head, ashamed.

"Ever since then, we've slowly patched things up, and started to be a lot more lenient towards each other... I gave a little more to help him out with his chef stuff, and he finally gave me a break on a regular basis and things... But, even now, I think both of us are still not completely over it. There's this quiet tension sometimes, like he's thinking about it and doesn't want to say it, and I just ask if he's okay, but I don't pry any farther than that... I guess, no matter what we do, it still doesn't change that it still happened, you know?..."

Trixie sympathized with her. She gently rubbed Gilda's back with her hoof. "... You've never really tried to figure out what you want to do, have you? I mean, as in... All on your own, for you, without your friends or anything..."

The griffon paused, seemingly experiencing an epiphany. She blinked, all at once surprised and saddened. "... Gee, Trix, I guess not. I was always too angry with everyone who'd judge and mistreat me for being a griffon, I just never took the time to think about it... That's part of why I think we always got along so well, because we could understand each other. You had to put up with the same kind of things I did just for being a Lunar loyalist. I just can't believe I'd spend all this time being so upset about what others would say or do to me that I couldn't enjoy my life, or find out what I really want to do with it..." she sighed. "I'll find something out, eventually... Until then, we just have to deal with... All this..." she looked at Trixie. "Wasn't there something else you wanted to say?"

Trixie tensed up, then took a deep breath and slowly released it, trying to prepare herself. "Well... I'm kind of worried you might think what I have to say is stupid, too, but... I've been thinking about it, and I'm not sure I'm doing the right thing with Hope..."

Gilda frowned, tilting her head to the side as she blinked, bewildered. "Why not?"

"I was so ready to send her away with those other survivors when the carriages I hired left," admitted the unicorn. "I just knew it would be unsafe here..." She bit her lip and lowered her ears, forcing herself to raise her eyes and gaze into those of her best friend. "Do you... Do you think I made the right decision? Keeping her here?"

"Of course you did," Gilda insisted. "Just look at her. She's alone. She's hurting. She's depressed, she's mourning. She needs you here with her right now. Someone she knows. Someone she trusts."

"I just... I don't know," The showmare sighed, starting to pace around her friend. "I can't help but feel like I could have done something better, something different... I could have asked Princess Celestia for help, but I didn't because I thought she'd still be mad that I dropped out of her school..."

The griffon winced, then shrugged. "Well, I could have gone straight to Princess Celestia instead of going to you, but I didn't. We both had knee-jerk reactions. We're suckers together in the same boat on that one."

Trixie shook her head, rubbing her forehead with her hoof. "I just hope I haven't made some horrible mistake..."

Gilda frowned. She approached her best friend and patted her on the back. "Everything's going to be fine. Trust me," she said. "We're all going to make it out of this completely okay. You'll see."

Trixie wiped the sweat from her brow, panting breathlessly. For hours, she and the others had started building the caravans that would eventually liberate them from this canyon, and they collectively decided it was time to take a break.

The children and most grievously injured were understandably allowed to refrain from helping, even though Hope would frequently attempt to offer her assistance, only to be politely declined. The ones most worn out were Roul and Tristan, who tried to continue longer than everyone else until they were persuaded to stop by Adia, who reminded them they needed to save their energy in case of emergencies.

Having formed the survivor camp in the first place, and running it for such a long time, she thought out many important details far in advance. This was demonstrated by her choosing to have her group work on this project away from their camp, so that the dragons who regularly tormented them and other potential predators could not steal or destroy them; thanks to Adia's cunning and familiarity with the canyon, they were able to hide them inside a cave in the forest, covering the entrance with foliage surrounded by various trees whenever they were absent. It's also where Trixie's traveling show caravan was going to wait until they would eventually be ready to leave the huts for good.

Trixie and Gilda walked past each other as they looked for spots in the cave to rest.

"Just like old times, huh?" the griffon joked, referring to when they created the show wagon together.

The unicorn laughed in agreement.

She sat down next to Hope, who had been waiting for her to finish the chore for the time being.

The perceptive filly frowned, her eyes indicative of some kind of epiphany. "You know, I never really thought about it before, but... Things in Jennet, as bad as they were, were quite okay compared to here... Back there, I just worried about bullies and getting my cutie mark, and being poor and stuff... But, over here, it's so much worse... Everyone's... Fighting for their lives... I never realized how unimportant my problems used to be until now..."

The showmare looked at her in concern. "When you lived in Jennet... Did some of the ponies there try to make you feel like your problems weren't important?"

"Well, no... Um... I mean... Maybe, I guess... Yeah..."

"If something bothers you, that means it's important," Trixie declared. "... I know that not everyone might look at it that way, but... I just want you to never forget that whatever it is that bothers you, I'm always going to care about it."

Hope smiled sadly. "You don't have to worry about every little thing with me, Trixie..."

"But, that's the thing," Trixie continued. "I've traveled to so many places, all of them different and unique... But one of the parts that seems to stay the same, no matter where I go, is that nobody wants to confront what's bothering them, especially if anyone else thinks that it's unimportant. Before I started doing shows, when I was training with Gustave for them, he taught me about psychology... One of the things I've learned there is that if you weigh a thousand little problems against just a few big problems, the smaller ones all put together take a bigger toll on you.

"I thought it was a sort of silly idea at first, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense... There were times in my life where others would think I had everything pretty good, but they didn't know how I was hurting inside from the little bad things that continued to happen every day... It ended up making me just as miserable, if not more, than I was when things were 'worse' for me. Especially if others would try to convince me that I had no reason to be upset about those things... It was like they were trying to make me lie to myself. To ignore wounds, and let them fester."

The filly nodded, starting to comprehend the unicorn's explanation. "I think I see what you mean..."

"Very good," the showmare answered with a smile. "So, you'd see why I always care, no matter what it is you're worried about... Nothing's more important to me than making sure you're okay. I'm going to be looking after you as much as I can."

The earth pony returned her joyous expression, scooting closer to her idol so that they could cuddle. She soon noticed Fiona, who was watching them from afar, sad and alone. The young griffon frowned as she turned away, hoping that the ponies wouldn't have noticed.

Trixie nearly shuddered as she recalled what she learned about her upon first moving into the camp.

'I know all too well how painful it is to live out a difficult youth... No one should ever have to go through that.'

"I wish I knew how to help her," she suddenly thought aloud.

Hope perked, immediately realizing they were thinking of the same person. "Yeah... Me too... She seems like she could be nice, but, she's... Well, hurt really bad... Inside... In her soul..."

The showmare nodded somberly.

"... I know this one time she was really interested in Adia's flute," the filly recalled. "I think she mentioned once or twice that she used to play one, but I haven't heard her bring it up in a really long time..."

Trixie suddenly got an idea. "Excuse me for just a minute, Hope..." She promptly got up from her seat, looking around amongst the griffons until she found Adia.

The leader noticed her. "Is something the matter, Trixie?"

"Not exactly... I just wanted to ask you a favor," she replied.

"And what would that be?" said Adia.

The unicorn looked back to the lonely young griffon sitting by herself. "Hope said she heard something about Fiona being interested in your flute... Do you mind if we borrow it for a few minutes?"

The older griffon blinked at first, not expecting this request, but nonetheless, she shrugged. "I don't see the harm in doing that. Go ahead," she answered, quickly retrieving it as she spoke and surprising herself when she found that she even brought it with her at all.

"Thank you," Trixie said sincerely. She returned her attention to Fiona, slowly walking towards her, all while starting to cast a spell with her horn. The young mare focused on maintaining a calm and content mindset, managing to go into Fiona's thoughts and find the song she loved to play the most with the flute. Then, she cast an illusion making it so that only the young griffon suddenly heard this song again, within her own mind.

Fiona perked, taken aback, freezing in nostalgic wonder. She soon looked to the showmare and realized what happened, unable to help but crack a small smile upon noticing that she brought Adia's flute with her.

The unicorn greeted her with a warm smile. "I noticed you looked like you were feeling a little down... So, I thought I might bring you this to cheer you up," she explained.

The young griffon nodded in silent thanks, gratefully accepting the instrument. She looked over it again, slowly charmed by her pleasant memories playing the flute to start again, having missed the chance for a very long time. Her talons slowly rested on the right places as she brought one end of the flute to her beak.

As soon as she started playing, it captured the attention of everyone there. Their weary bodies and souls were gradually coaxed by the serene melody Fiona created, sharing the momentary appeasement of her soul with them all. One by one, they started to smile, allowing the song to help them relax.

"Well, look at that," Roul murmured under his breath, feeling proud and surprised. "I think that's the first time I've ever seen her smile the whole time she's been here."

They mostly remained silent and motionless, perfectly content to merely watch and enjoy as the youth continued. Trixie was particularly impressed, finding that Fiona exhibited the same potential and aptitude with the flute that Hope had with the violin; she felt so relieved that she made the choice to help her rediscover this, noticing how much better she seemed to feel.

Once she was done, all of the listeners applauded, causing Fiona to smile widely.

"That was very good, Fiona!" Hope sincerely complimented her.

"Indeed, it was," Adia agreed, thinking that her flute was put to really good use. "Perhaps you can borrow it from me again whenever the mood strikes you... Such as when Trixie could use you as a volunteer during her shows," she speculated.

The young griffon beamed at the suggestion, and the two ponies nodded in agreement.

"... I'd really like that," Fiona answered, her voice softer and calmer instead of bitter and hard. "Thank you... Thank all of you, so much..." she released a huge sigh of relief, feeling a damning burden being lifted off of her. For the first time since she could remember, she felt at peace.

Once again, Trixie and Hope were walking in the forest, scavenging for fruits. Trixie tried to start some conversation, but could tell that the filly wasn't in any mood for talking, so the last several minutes were spent walking in silence while she rode on her back. She frowned, trying to determine which among their various unpleasant circumstances were specifically vexing Hope at this particular moment.

Finally, she couldn't stand it any longer. Seeing the sweet, innocent filly so heartbroken was an excruciating, unbearable sight. And so, Trixie's hooves came to an abrupt stop as she gingerly levitated Hope off of her back and onto the ground in front of her, much to her surprise.

"You miss playing your violin, don't you?"

Hope's ears lowered, looking as if she was ashamed of having something for Trixie to be concerned about. Still, she couldn't bring herself to lie to her hero.

"Yes..."

The showmare shared her frown. "... Would you feel better if you got to play it again?..."

The filly slowly nodded.

She sadly looked down at her forehooves, aware only of the silence surrounding them, oblivious to the unicorn's efforts. After several more moments of quiet struggling, Trixie's horn sparked as she managed to cast a conjuration spell. With a brief, bright flash, Hope's jaw dropped in astonishment as the very same violin she once had suddenly reappeared right before her. She looked at her idol in disbelief.

"It'll last just a little while... Just long enough for you to play one song."

She initially frowned again, but Hope soon smiled, grateful to have this desired method of catharsis, even if it was only for the time being. The filly grabbed her violin and bow out of the grasp of Trixie's levitation, closing her eyes as she prepared to play.

Trixie immediately felt relieved, noticing the peace that began to return to the filly. The bow rested on the strings, and Hope frowned, lowering her ears once more, her head turning aside. She winced, her pursed lip and squinted eyelids displaying the pain she was trying to set free as she drew out the first note, a single low hum breaking the silence pervading the atmosphere.

More notes followed, one after the other expressing the earth pony's deep sadness regarding how horribly wrong her life went in the recent past. The sounds were just as sweet and beautiful as they were morose, as if crying out for something lost, mourning sentimental pieces of her soul that had forever been destroyed or stolen away. A dirge for Jennet, and the life she once knew.

Trixie struggled, holding still and maintaining the conjuration of the violin even though the emotional song was increasing the difficulty of using her magic. She didn't care how badly she hurt, keeping the instrument in existence; Hope's heartfelt emancipation was far too important to deny.

The minutes passed, blending together in a seamless stream of musical expression, the melancholy echoing throughout the woods. The more she played, the more Hope's expression softened, her pain and sorrow melting away into relief and a peaceful calm, wordlessly completing her farewell to her family, her friends and her home. The song started to draw to a close, the final notes gradually fading away with the promise of a soothing resolution, like a mother's kiss goodnight.

Once the violin sang no more, Hope's bow rested motionless on the strings as she held still. The filly took a deep breath, and then exhaled, her ears slowly rising as she opened her eyes. A few cathartic tears streamed down her face, and she watched as her instrument slowly faded away from her forehooves.

Her attention turned to Trixie, who cringed as she finally ceased using her magic for the time being, recovering from the toll it took on her. She grunted under her breath as she struggled to keep her balance, only for the filly to notice and swiftly leap forth, helping to prop the unicorn back up before she could fall down. They then looked at each other, and embraced in a hug.

"Thank you..." the filly whispered.

"Just let me know whenever you want to play a song, and I'll make it again for you, okay? Whenever you want..."

"Okay..."

Trixie tried her best to tuck Hope into what passed as a crude attempt to build a bed. They didn't have very much to work with, but they did the best with what they had. The showmare frowned unsurely, looking between the resting area and the filly within it.

"Are you sure you're comfortable in there?"

Hope nodded, smiling awkwardly. "Thank you for putting me to bed, Trixie..."

The young mare gave a warm smile in return, starting to finish pulling Hope's blanket over her. "Sure thing, Hope. Have a good night."

"Okay. You too."

The unicorn nodded promptly, starting to slowly turn and walkaway. Hope frowned, realizing that she forgot to ask Trixie if she could hear a story before she went to sleep. While she hadn't had any for the last few years, missing her parents and enduring these traumatic times made her long to start that tradition once again.

She was about to open her mouth to ask, but before she could, Trixie stopped in place just before leaving, almost as if coming to the exact same realization.

The showmare slowly looked behind her, back at the filly. "Hope... Would you mind if I... Practiced an illusion spell with you really quick?..."

She was puzzled, not expecting this, but she nodded nonetheless.

Trixie gave her a reassuring smile, slowly approaching her bed once more. She sat beside her, her expression tinged by a bittersweet sense of nostalgia.

"... You're so very brave, Hope... I remember how tough everything in my life felt after I lost my father... How much of a challenge it was just to keep everything together... I think you're holding up a lot better than I did," she complimented her, gently patting her mane with a forehoof.

"... Still, I know it's never been easy... Especially the first few months, the first few years... I missed him so much... I didn't want to believe he was gone... I'd go to his room, or other parts of the house he'd often be in, expecting him to be there, only to find out I forgot he wouldn't be... I couldn't bring myself to do anything that reminded me of him, because it just didn't feel the same... To have a whole part of you just... Go..." she sighed.

"For most of my life, he was the only one who was there for me when I needed help... After he was gone, I felt so alone... I was alone... He used to be there whenever I was going through hard times, and then I had to face them all by myself for a long time..." she frowned, shaking her head. "And as much as I wanted to go back in time to when things were better, or just lose myself in some imaginary world in my mind without any problems... I just couldn't."

The unicorn's eyes met Hope's as she started to softly smooth a forehoof over her mane. "I could try to pretend I wasn't being bullied or dealing with troubles all I wanted, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't keep my ears from hearing them, or my eyes from seeing them, or my body from feeling them... No matter how much I wanted to shut it all off. It was like... Like I could only ever get to imagine anything good in my life, but never actually have them or feel them, and the only real things were all the ones giving me so much heartache. I wished with all my heart that it could be the reverse... To see, hear and feel only good things, and only imagine bad things. For a while, like recently, here with these dragons... It seemed like it would never be that way, and... It just hurt so bad that it couldn't be like that."

Hope nodded sadly in agreement.

"Still... As unlucky as I was for a long time... I set my mind on trying to change that as much as I could... And for the first time, I had something no one else had. Something I pitied others for being unable to experience. I just kept practicing with illusion spells as much as I could, to change my sights, sounds, and feelings, to make fantasy seem real and reality seem fake, until it all turned inside out for me... So that, as long as I was alone, I could completely escape to that place wherever I wanted... Where things were peaceful... The way they used to be. I... I got to feel like I lived the sort of things I'd only ever dream about before... And even... See my father again... My memories of him, in my heart," she explained.

Tears brimmed in the unicorn's eyelids as she continued to coax Hope by stroking her mane. "Looking at you now, I can see... You're just like I was... Missing your family... Missing the better times... Before all of this..." She quietly took a deep breath. "So, that's why... If you're okay with it... I want to try to let you go where I did. To see what I saw, to hear what I heard, to feel what I felt, except... From within your heart, instead of mine... Do you want to try that?"

The filly nodded eagerly in acceptance.

Trixie smiled. "Okay. Just relax... Close your eyes..." Once again, she quietly took a deep breath. The young mare slowly wrapped her forelegs around Hope in a soft embrace, gently pulling her close and resting her head against hers, almost chuckling as she was reminded of when she and Gilda first started their mental connection.

After a long moment, the darkness Hope saw with her eyes closed started to illuminate, colors and shapes making their way in as if her eyes were open, gradually forming to recreate a vivid memory of Jennet long before the dragons attacked, during the years where Trixie would regularly revisit her.

The filly's smile widened as she started to relive fond memories, nostalgic bliss overwhelming her. One by one, warm, comforting thoughts long forgotten finally returned. There were dear experiences of playing with her kindly doting parents earlier in her youth, of helping her father create and devour delicious meals and assisting her mother with beautiful flowers. There were her first times hearing about Trixie, inspiring her to aim for greatness, to befriend others and help them master their most desired talents.

Next were the times that Trixie shared with her family, from first meeting her on a Nightmare Night years ago to the last time she was ever in Jennet. Every meal they shared together, every time they trained for the stage, every laugh and smile and heartwarming moment they experienced in unison.

While the showmare had recovered these memories back into Hope's full awareness for a mere few minutes, it felt like they had spent much longer reliving these treasured experiences.

Tears of joy leaked down the filly's face as she opened her eyes to look at Trixie again. "Thank you for that..."

Trixie smiled warmly. "Even though we're going to be here for some time... I promise, at the end of the day, you and I can always go wherever you wish to go." The showmare briefly hugged her one last time. "Goodnight, Hope."

She started to pull away, but Hope surprised her by seizing her in another hug, squeezing her tightly.

"I'm so glad you're here..."

"... Me too, Hope." She gently patted the filly's back. "Me too..."

7. I'm Always With You

"Is it okay if I talk to you about something in private?"

"Sure, Gilda."

Trixie followed her friend away from all the huts, out of earshot, waiting until they knew they were completely alone together to stop. The unicorn started to worry when she noticed that the further away they went from the camp, the more somber Gilda seemed. The griffon looked depressed when they finally stopped.

Trixie winced unsurely. "... What is it?..."

Gilda started pacing back and forth, holding her face in her talons, clearly fraught with some form of distress that had been constantly haunting her; she never let it show until now.

"This is all my fault, Trixie. Everything, all of it. The dragons, the settlement, the whole situation we're in. I messed up, really, really bad, and now karma's come back to repay me for it."

The unicorn was baffled. "What're you talking about? There's no way you could've been responsible for all of this! You didn't make those dragons attack those cities! We just happened to have really bad luck!"

Gilda sighed, squinting her eyes closed, rubbing her forehead as she tried to think of how to explain herself. "... Do you remember when we started doing shows together?"

"Of course..."

"... Well... Did it ever occur to you that maybe things at that time had seemed a little too easy? That you were getting famous very fast, without many problems?..."

The showmare blinked, taken aback. "... Well, a few times, actually... But I never really thought anything of it..."

The griffon looked away out of shame. "That's because I was... Doing some really bad things, trying to make something really good happen..." She rapidly shook her head, her voice staring to quiver as tears filled her eyelids. "You were so unhappy for such a long time, Trixie, and everything that happened to you before then was so unfair... I figured if anyone deserved to have their dreams come true no matter what the cost, it was you..." Gilda paused. "So, I cut a deal with this gang -- as in, like a criminal gang... I... Did some things for them, in exchange for helping you out, discreetly..."

Trixie's eyes widened as she felt herself turn pale. She was shocked into speechlessness.

"I never killed anyone, or ruined anyone's lives beyond repair, or anything like that... In fact, at first, I tried to refuse doing anything to anyone who didn't deserve it somehow, but the longer it went on, the further they forced me to blur the lines... I'd do some racketeering thing, just like these dragons tormenting us do, or commit burglaries or assaults, and in return, they'd bribe the right person to get you into some good deal for a show, or sabotage your competition so you could take their place... That's why I was always gone so long at such strange times, and I kept feeding you all those lame, pathetic excuses," Gilda explained.

"That 'accident' with the Flim Flam Brothers, where their horns were broken off at the halfway point?... I did that. In fact, they never even crashed at all. Some crooks and I beat the crap out of them and broke a ton of their stuff and simply made it look like they crashed, and we intimidated them into running with our story... I felt horrible for it... In doing all this, I only proved everyone who hates me right... I really am just a dirty sharpclaw..."

"Don't say that!" Trixie exclaimed, immediately hugging her friend, driven to tears herself. "You... You were trying to do something good, and you wanted to so bad that it led you to do something you didn't want to, didn't mean to... I can understand..."

"It's not right, Trixie," Gilda lamented. "I don't know how you can stand to look at me... In trying to help you, I've only soiled the meaning of your career with these dark secrets... I already hid Jennet's destruction from you way longer than I should have... I just keep hurting you..."

"I've made mistakes, too, Gilda! But you've still accepted me and cared about me in spite of them! You're still my oldest friend, and it's going to stay that way!"

Gilda sniffled. "... I'm so amazed you still think so highly of me, after all I've done to hurt you..."

"It's like I said before, Gilda... There's nothing you could say or do that would ever change that I'd only have fond thoughts of you..."

Gilda hugged Trixie back.

"Oh, Soft Hide! It's time for you to get us some gems again!" Garble laughed.

Trixie scowled. "Just leave everyone else alone, and I will," she insisted.

The dragon frowned, clearly irritated. "Sure we will, as long as none of them need our help," he said slowly. His eyes then fell upon Hope, seeing her new hat and cape, and he gasped. "Why, look at this poor filly here! She's trapped in some awful outfit! The brim of that hat is so wide she probably can't see where she's going at all, and she could trip and fall on that cape! And the Noble Dragon Code obligates us to make sure that doesn't happen, doesn't it?"

Before he even started talking, Hope was incredibly nervous. The more he spoke, the more scared she became, until she finally cried out "No!" and tried to run off. Before she could, however, Pain and Smokey once again intercepted her. This time, Smokey promptly pulled off her hat and cape, stuffing the cape inside the hat and tossing it to Pain.

"Give that back!" Hope complained, trying to reach it, but the two dragons threw it back and forth between one another.

Trixie was about to levitate them back into Hope's grasp, but before she could, Smokey burnt them to smithereens with his flaming breath.

Hope fell to her forelegs, crying.

"Okay, that's enough!" Gilda shouted, pushing her way through the scared griffons amongst them and pointing an accusatory talon at Garble. "You've had your fun, you've tormented this innocent filly long enough! You even did it when that's exactly what you promised Trixie you wouldn't do in order for you to help you! If you say you're going to do what's fair, actually be fair, damn it!"

Garble laughed, tossing his head back, wiping a tear from his eyelid from laughing so hard. "Wow, boys, look at this! Bird brain's getting all fired up over what we've been doing to Soft Hide Junior!" His amusement quickly turned into a scary, seething anger. "We can't have her be unappreciative of us following the Noble Dragon Code, can we?" He snapped his claws again.

Following his cue, Smokey picked up Hope and held her in his claws, managing to keep her from breaking free as she squirmed, struggled and protested.

Trixie gasped. "Please, stop!"

Pain and Blaze grabbed Gilda together, requiring effort from more than one dragon to keep her held down.

Garble leered at Trixie. "Now, Soft Hide, your two namby pamby friends have been very bad and hurt the feelings of the boys and I. And to show us they're sorry, one of them is going to have to pay for it. You'd better thank me for being so merciful, because I'm going to let you pick which one it is."

The showmare's jaw dropped. She looked between Gilda and Hope, unable to fathom hurting either of them; while she tried to figure out how she could possibly get them out of this situation, her mind raced, worried that her indecision, or even decision, would make either of them think she didn't care about them as much as she really did.

Finally, she got an idea. "Why not hurt me, Garble? Let me take their place." It was almost hard to hide a smirk; with the magic defenses subconsciously conjured by her survival instinct, it could repel their attacks, maybe even fend them off enough by itself to make the dragons start to leave them alone.

Garble paused for a moment, seeming to sincerely consider the idea, but he relented. "That's very noble of you, Soft Hide, but I'm afraid you weren't the offending party, so you get to sit this one out. Besides, how else would we get gems so easily without you? There's no other unicorns in this loser camp. We need you good and healthy to help us," he explained.

His fellow dragons grunted in agreement.

Trixie lowered her ears, feeling defeated. 'Damn... It was worth a try...'

Gilda gave up struggling, and frowned. She took a deep breath, and then shouted, "Pick me, Trixie!"

The showmare looked to her, her heart sinking at the idea of letting her oldest friend get hurt.

"You know what I've done to you! You know what needs to happen! Let it be me!"

The unicorn squinted her eyes shut, tears squeezing out her eyelids. She released a shaking sigh, and then pointed her hoof at Gilda reluctantly.

Garble flashed a toothy, fanged grin that stretched across his face. "There we go! Looks like we have a volunteer!" He laughed, clapping as he started to approach Blaze and Pain. "I think we should give her just a little sample of what good ol' Roul went through... Again, just a bit, because I'm in a merciful mood today..."

Trixie felt horrified. "Please, no! Please don't take her wings!"

The dragon stopped, suddenly getting an idea. "... You know what? All right. We won't break her wings. You're going to."

Blaze and Pain promptly dragged Gilda over to Trixie, holding the griffon with her back turned to the unicorn, giving her clear access to her wings.

The showmare looked at Garble again. "Please don't make me do this..."

"You've got no choice, Soft Hide! You're obligated to help us fulfill our Code! And don't try any of that illusion crap, either! If we come back here next week, and her wings aren't broken, it's going to get worse!"

Trixie squinted her eyes shut.

"And Soft Hide?"

She looked at him again.

"Make it slow," Garble demanded, smiling sadistically.

Trixie returned her attention to Gilda, who looked back at her. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"Just do it," Gilda insisted. She spread her wings out so that Trixie could have the most access to them.

Already, she could feel a nosebleed and headache coming on, and she hadn't even started yet. The showmare struggled to get a hold of her magic, not wanting to keep Garble waiting. Finally, she got her levitation spell to start working, using it to grab Gilda's wings by the tips. She started to snap the bones beneath, slowly, from top to bottom, causing the griffon to scream out at the top of her lungs in excruciating agony. Tears slid down Trixie's face as she winced, feeling just as physically hurt by her magical strain as she was emotionally by what she was being forced to do.

The horrible ordeal gradually made it's way further down Gilda's now mangled appendages, with the unicorn fighting to maintain consciousness as she got closer to blacking out. After what seemed like an eternity of sickening crunches and bloodcurdling shrieks, Trixie had finally broken Gilda's wings all the way down to their foundation. She ceased her magic, barely remaining awake, and the two dragons dropped the griffon, letting her fall face first onto the ground. Gilda sobbed at the unbearable pain and mourning the loss of her ability to fly, while the showmare tenderly rubbed her gargantuan headache, racked with guilt.

Garble applauded, more than pleased with the results. "Well done, Soft Hide! Now, hurry, hurry! We don't want to wait any longer to get us noble dragons our well-deserved gems, do we? Move it!"

"Are you okay?" The unicorn briskly whispered to Gilda.

Gilda fought through her tears to reply; her voice was shaky, and her throat was sore from so much screaming. "Y-yeah... I-I'll be f-fine..." Struggling through the pain, she managed to smile; in some twisted manner, she felt relieved. "N-now were e-even..." she finished, feeling she paid her moral debt to Trixie.

Gustave immediately ran to Gilda's aid, and Trixie quickly fled to Hope.

"Hope, listen to me -- it's going to be okay," she whispered, trying to console the sobbing filly. "We're going to make it out of this -- don't let them kill your dreams -- you're stronger than all of this, I promise," she added, hugging her.

"Come on, Soft Hide, let's go!" Garble grabbed Trixie by the mane, dragging her away and forcing her to let Hope go.

It had been an hour since Trixie started searching for gems. Fortunately, like before, there were many hidden around. She didn't want to think of what could possibly happen when -- if -- there weren't any more for her to find.

Suddenly, she was pelted in the back of a head with a rock.

"Ow!" she exclaimed, rubbing where she was hit. She leered at the dragons behind her, who laughed.

Garble gave Pain a high five. "Nice going, Pain!" He then looked back to Trixie. "But seriously, Soft Hide, you did some good work on that unruly griffon. I almost thought you didn't have it in you."

"Go to Tartarus," Trixie snarled.

Garble recoiled in surprise, and the other dragons let out an impressed "ooooh" at the unicorn's stand against him.

"You're just going to let her get away with that?" Blaze whispered to him while Pain and Smokey chuckled.

At first, their leader seemed like he might have an outburst at the young mare's audacity to defy him, but he apparently kept his cool. He suddenly swooped over and grabbed Trixie by the tail, causing her to yelp in alarm as he threw her onto the ground before the dragons. They formed a circle around her, enclosing her within.

"Why, look at this poor, unhappy pony!" Garble chimed in mock concern once more. "The Noble Dragon Code obligates me to make her happy... And maybe she can make me happy, too," he whispered maliciously.

The other dragons laughed again.

"Naw, man, that's nasty!" Smokey guffawed. "You're not seriously going to hit that pony flank, are you?"

Trixie was chilled with fear, trying to back away, as Garble stroked his chin in thought. "It has been a long time since I've been with a female... All those griffons at that loser camp are way too ugly, and I'm sure that Hope wouldn't fit even if I tried," he remarked, causing the dragons to laugh and the unicorn to boil with anger.

"I can't believe he's going to do it!" Blaze snickered.

"You think it'll feel any better just because she's famous?" Pain remarked.

"Maybe... Just think of how funny it'd be..." Garble pondered.

"What do you mean?" Smokey asked.

"When all those paparazzi and journalists spend months quizzing her on her baby, only to be surprised when it comes out all gross and scaly," he elaborated.

Trixie winced in disgust, shielding herself with her hooves.

Blaze giggled eagerly. "I bet she'll squirm and squeal, like that last griffon from the other place!"

"Mmm, she wasn't able to handle tough love," Garble retorted.

He grabbed the unicorn by the jaw, lifting her into the air with his raw strength. "Come on, Soft Hide... Even you should know, sometimes what you need the most is what you want the least..." He slowly closed in for a kiss.

The unicorn's eyes widened in fear. 'Oh, Luna, please, no -- is he seriously going to do this?!? Leave me alone!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!'

Suddenly, he lunged forward, his jaws clamping down like a steel trap. Trixie leaned out of the way just in time, narrowly avoiding having her muzzle bitten off as she fell to the ground. The dragons laughed again.

Garble fought to catch his breath, then looked at Trixie as if she were overreacting. "Oh, come on, Soft Hide! Relax, I was only joking! I wouldn't mate with your worthless race if you were the last females alive!"

As they turned away to walk around and laugh amongst themselves over what transpired, the showmare's fear twisted back into searing rage. She immediately tried to cast the life extinguishing spell, but in her unbridled fury, she could not get her magic to work, instead greeted only with a massive headache.

'DAMN IT!!!'

After Renard was finished tending to her wings for the time being, Gilda sat on a rock slightly outside of the survivor camp, waiting for Trixie to return. She hid her face in her talons, sobbing, the agonizing pain coursing through her both physical and emotional.

"Gilda?"

The griffon jumped, started by the voice. She quickly wiped her eyes and face, sniffling, and then turned only to see Fiona sadly looking at her.

"Do you need a hug?"

Gilda paused, then closed her eyes, nodding slowly.

Fiona walked over, and they mutually embraced. She squinted her eyes shut, empathizing all too well with Gilda's misery.

After she returned from finding more gems, thankfully unharmed (at least physically), Trixie immediately retreated to her shared hut, finding Hope. Gustave had been keeping her company, and he left as soon as the showmare came in, realizing the filly wanted to be with her again.

Hope's cheeks were damp from crying so much, for so long, so recently. The most intense parts of her current sorrows were all cried out, but the remaining sting of haplessness lingered on her face.

Everything that had been happening to her since she lost her home didn't make any sense to her. Before Trixie found her again, she wasn't sure how she would get through every day; even still, their turmoil made her ponder things that her former optimistic idealism clashed with.

"Trixie... Are all dragons bad?"

The showmare paused. She wanted to say "no" right away, but she didn't, and the fact that she even hesitated to answer made her feel horrible. After taking a moment to mull it over, she told Hope her honest thoughts.

"... I don't know, Hope. I don't think so. A lot of ponies assume that Lunar loyalists and griffons are bad, but, we know better. So, I'm sure that somewhere, there's probably good dragons."

"...Do you think they would do anything to help us if they knew what was going on?..."

"... Yes..."

Hope seemed relieved by this answer. "Okay..." Slowly, her expression turned into one of lament and remorse. "I'm sorry..."

Trixie blinked, confused. "What're you sorry for? You haven't done anything wrong."

"You trusted me to take care of your hat and cape, and I didn't..."

"That wasn't your fault, Hope," the unicorn insisted. "Those dragons are just cruel..." After she hesitated for a few moments, the showmare retrieved her remaining hat and cape, the ones that were meant for her size as a mare. She levitated them into Hope's grasp, surprising her. "Here, you can have these now," she said.

Hope hugged them close to her, then froze, bewildered. "B-but... They're yours! You use these for when you perform! I can't take these!"

"Then you can just borrow them for when I'm not using them... We'll trade," Trixie explained, smiling warmly.

Hope started to caress the hat, frowning unsurely. "These are too special... Nothing can happen to them..." She squinted her eyes shut, loathing the very thought of the dragons destroying them.

Trixie grimaced, sharing her concerns. "You're right... Actually, I have an idea." she felt foolish that it didn't occur to her sooner, but hopefully, it would prevent more unpleasant incidents with Garble and his thugs, at least concerning Hope. "When Gilda and I were a lot younger, we needed to be... Secretive, about something we were doing... I used my magic to establish a conversation link between us. We could hear each other's thoughts, and no one else could. It's been so long since I've done it, I forgot all about that... Maybe we can start doing that, and practice what we'll do when the dragons come by, so they don't bother you again."

Hope cracked a relieved smile, nodding. "That would be nice..."

The showmare shared her relief. "Good. Then, let's get started..."

Ever since Fiona started to feel better, Trixie noticed that it gradually put the older griffons at ease, but not everything was sound just yet, and understandably so. But after spending so long amongst them all, she started to notice peculiar patterns with Tristan's behavior. The only one in the camp quieter than him was Renard, the doctor, and while all of them were still periodically suffering the mysterious nausea, the unfortunately bald young griffon seemed to be especially uncomfortable on a regular basis. She hoped to bring it up, but whenever he seemed to sense she'd approach him with the subject, he'd avoid her.

She hated to do it, especially now, but the only solution Trixie had left was to discreetly read his thoughts, just enough to figure out whatever it was that was causing his eccentric behavior. As soon as the unicorn finally found it, she was startled and heartbroken all at once. She took the next opportunity she could find to speak to Renard about it, which lead to the two of them bringing it up the next time every survivor was out of their huts, in each other's company.

"You have Morningstar disease?!?" Perla exclaimed, shocked.

"I-it's not contagious!!!" Tristan insisted. "I-I just didn't tell anyone because I didn't want them to worry about me... I was never that useful even when you all thought I was healthy, the least I could do is be less of a dead weight without that in the clear."

"I should have seen it sooner," Renard scolded himself, shaking his head. "It's bad enough I haven't been able to cure you all of this nausea we've been experiencing, and now I was too stupid to notice what this poor young man has been going through all this time."

Roul, the older griffon, patted Renard's back. "Don't beat yourself up too bad. You're doing the best you can with what you have. If it wasn't for you, I would have bled to death when Garble ate my wings. Besides, it's not like you're exactly healthy yourself."

Perla huffed, shaking with rage, storming off. "I can't believe you didn't tell me!!!" she yelled, retreating to her hut to be alone.

"You could have told us, Tristan," Adia lamented. "We're all in need here. No one gets left behind, no matter what they need."

Tristan sighed, lowering his head in shame. "I'm sorry I never told you... I'll go help out some more, now..."

"Hold it, Tristan!" Roul insisted. "You can't just let this keep festering any longer than you already have! You need to have the doctor check you out before you do anything else!" he added, gesturing to Renard.

Trixie looked off towards Perla's tent, mystified by her reaction to Tristan's state of health. She decided she would talk to the griffon about it, but she wanted to give her a chance to cool off, first.

"How are you doing, Hope?" Trixie asked, gently stroking the filly's mane.

She perked up, beaming at her. "I'm doing better... Thank you again for letting me use your hat and cape, Trixie..."

She smiled. "Don't worry about it, it's no problem. How are you and Lucy?"

"Oh, we're doing great! Lucy and Special are becoming really good friends, and Special helped her find out that those wish gifts she got are worth having and she can get them, after all! She proved it because she told Lucy all about how she helped make it so that you'd find me again!"

Trixie felt touched. "I'm very glad to hear that!"

Hope nodded eagerly. "Fiona and I are having a lot of fun together, too! She's going to make her own imaginary friend to start playing with Lucy and Special! She said her name's Irene, and she's a griffon! Fiona and Gilda are also making each other happy and spending a lot of time together, just like we do!"

"I just can't believe this happened," Gustave sighed, lamenting the fate of Gilda's wings. "And she told you about what happened with us... I'm... For a while, I found it hard to believe she actually felt bad for just leaving the way that she did," he laughed out of surprise. "It's all so odd... How she said she was jealous of you... I was jealous of you, too, once, and like her, I feel foolish for it... I was jealous when we were all traveling together. Even though I got to serve my food at your shows, our patrons were never so interested in the former as they were in the latter... I felt like my work was never going to get the recognition it required to achieve my goals, so, that's part of why we left. It wasn't fair of me to make Gilda come with me, to either of you... I was afraid I might not succeed without her help somehow, but you were truly happier together."

"I wish I knew so much sooner that she just wanted to do something to make griffons and ponies coexist better... That's what I've always wanted, too. I was... More fortunate than she was, as far as being judged, mostly because I spent most of my life somewhere more open-minded. But, where she's motivated by merely wanting to be treated as an equal, my father Arluin has always encouraged me to pursue the dream of harmony between our kinds. I always just wanted to make him proud. All of this silliness, all this miscommunication and unnecessary strife, all those times I unintentionally used her, taking too much and giving too little... I wish I could have a second chance to do it all over. She never deserved for any of that to happen to her, just like she never deserved to have her wings broken like that..."

Gustave squinted his eyes shut, hanging his head shamefully. "If only I stood up for her... If only I did something... I would have taken her place if I could have..."

"Gilda knows that you care," Trixie reassured him. "Maybe now, you two can finally put all of these things behind you. Maybe now, you can be as close as you used to be."

The next time she got the chance, Trixie sought out the contortionist griffon, Perla. She was morose, sitting alone in her hut, sniffling as she tried to hide that she had been crying for quite some time.

The showmare frowned, wanting to console her, but apprehensive of how she might react. "Hey... Perla?... It's me... Trixie..."

"I know," she answered shakily, her voice ambiguous as to whether she wanted the pony to leave or stay.

"... I couldn't help but notice that you were... Well, really upset when you found out about Tristan's health... Do you want to talk about it?..." Trixie winced, fearing an angry reaction.

Instead, Perla paused for a moment, then sighed. "I'm surprised it wasn't more obvious..." she murmured, forcing herself to get up from her seat and turn to face Trixie. "In the time that I've been here, I've gotten really... Close to Tristan... Or, at least, it's felt that way... I'd like to think he feels the same way about me, but, since he hid this from me for so long, I just don't know..."

The griffon shook her head, her face twisted in a bitter scowl. "Things were finally seeming to go all right for me right before the dragons ruined it all... I had it pretty hard right up until then, and that... That little piece of satisfaction I had between then and now was all too brief," she explained. "My parents were acrobats in the circus... They got in a really bad accident during a rehearsal shortly after my mother became pregnant with me, and they were injured too badly to continue on with their careers... They didn't want to become poor and homeless, and wanted to stay within the circus life, so my mother kept her stomach bound tightly during her whole pregnancy, hoping I would come out deformed so she could sell me to the circus as a freak."

Trixie recoiled in horrified disgust, and the griffon continued revealing her past. "To their disappointment, I was born looking completely normal. They were more desperate than ever, so not long after I learned to walk and talk, they put me into work in a sweat shop... All that child labor crap... I just wanted them to like me, to help them get back in the life they liked and enjoy it the way they did. So, I tried to get good at all kinds of things a circus would appreciate, discovering that I was a contortionist who could manipulate most of my body. My family's desperation became my own, and I kept raising the stakes, trying to be the best entertainer I could. I'd do anything, no matter how painful or humiliating it was. I even did geek shows... Chasing small, live prey around the ring and eating their heads just to give some sick spectators some easy laughs..."

Perla shuddered, ashamed of her former actions. "But, none of it was ever good enough. My parents didn't care. I did get to go into the circus and all, but... It was the bottom of the barrel. The most reprehensible, cheap, dishonest shows around. I got really depressed, and took to drinking... It screwed my crap up for a long time. Then, I decided I was tired of it. I was going to get cleaned up, sober up, and move up into the kind of show I deserved to be in after working so hard for so long. And right when that was about to happen... Well, you know the rest. Dragons. Boom."

The griffon shook her head, sighing sadly. "I never wanted to be in this camp at first... I was so ready to give up, and I thought it'd never be the same... The only reason I stuck around originally was the off chance that someday I might get into another place where I could drink myself to death. But then, I met Tristan... I don't even know how, but... In some way, he got me to open up, tell him about all this crazy junk that happened to me, and, and... We became pretty close friends, and the longer I knew him, the further I realized that I wanted us to become something more..."

She winced, trying to keep herself from crying. "He was always so kind, so understanding to me... He was able to empathize from having this father who always pressured him to overachieve, and was disappointed in him for not living up to his expectations... Tristan would never say it, at least not to me, but he always felt so worthless because of it, and I always wanted to prove him wrong, to show him he helped me look forward to the future again... I found out he used to want to be a mime, but he gave up on it, so I tried to convince him to take it up again, so maybe we could perform together someday... I was getting ready to ask him if he wanted to get closer to me, and then, I found out that he's dying... No matter what I do, no matter how much I suffer, it all just turns to crap..."

The unicorn took a moment to soak all this information in, still cautious about trying to comfort Perla. "... Maybe you can still tell him how you feel?... That way, at least he'll know... You have nothing to lose, right?..."

Perla hesitated, completely still and silent, then nodded in agreement. "... Yes, you're right... I'm not going to let all this go to waste... I... I was just really upset earlier, I wasn't clear headed... Dying or not, I'm going to make this right with him..."

Minutes later, the contortionist found Tristan. Unfortunately, she caught him where they were both in plain view of the rest of the survivors, but that wasn't going to deter her. She was going to confess her truest, deepest feelings to him, whatever it took. Cornering the mime with her neighbors onlooking, she poured her heart out, declaring her desire to become romantically involved with him.

Tristan was just as touched as he was bewildered. "But... I'm useless! I've been the least helpful out of anyone here, this whole time!"

"You've helped me feel better," Perla cooed insistently, softly stroking his face with her talons.

Tristan blushed, clearly not used to female attention, or at least believing that he wasn't worth it. "All my fur and feathers are gone... I'm hideous..."

"I think you look fine," the contortionist replied.

The mime's spirits sank, remembering his fate. "And I'm probably going to die very soon, in just a few years at most..."

Perla smiled, tears forming in her eyes as she cupped her talons on his cheek. "And I want to be with you anyways..."

His heart melted at that. Tristan had never felt so accepted, so desired, so loved. He embraced her in a tight hug, trying to contain the strong extent of his emotions. "O-okay..."

Each of the survivors witnessing this in spite of Tristan's inevitably early death found the scene deeply moving, but most of all, Trixie found it particularly inspiring.

'Even in the face of all this hellish madness, these two want to stay with each other to the very end... No matter how bad things have gotten, how bad things could or probably will get, they still found their companionship truly worth enduring it... Maybe Gilda was right about my choice. How could I have thought it would be bad for me to stay with Hope, when she's wanted me to be there for her more than anyone else? She makes me just as happy as I make her, if not more... That settles it, then. After this whole mess is said and done, not only will I take her to the Hoofington carnival as promised, but I will keep her with me after all, just like I told her.'

"Hello, again, Hope. It's good to see that you and Fiona are getting along so well and having fun together," Trixie observed approvingly, seeing the two youths drawing a picture together.

She inspected it closer, intrigued, finding that it was of an internal view of a three-story castle with a light blue outline. The top floor housed a sadistic-looking tyrant, the middle contained a bloodthirsty army, and the bottom held miserable slaves. In the bottom right corner, outside the castle, a desperate princess was pleading to Lucy, Special, and Irene. "What's this?"

Hope stopped drawing, turning to Trixie. "It's an enchanted, living castle, powered by feelings," she explained. "It used to be run by a princess who did everything she could to keep all of her subjects happy. They were peaceful. But, then, this angry, hurtful king stormed the castle and stole it from her, and the castle is hurting because he and his followers are poisoning it with bad feelings. So, the princess is pleading with Lucy, Irene, and Special to help, and Irene is training them all to become knights so they can drive out the king and his army, free and help his slaves, and give the castle back to the princess and her people."

Once again, the showmare was impressed with the filly's creativity. "Is the castle supposed to be... Me?..."

The filly perked. "Yes, it is!... Special told me about how you were feeling unhappy again, so we tried to find some way to help..."

While Trixie was moved by Hope's desire to help her, she felt bad that she ever even noticed that she was so distraught. She thought she was supposed to hide as much of her own strife as she could, to keep it from effecting Hope in any way. "Well, thank you very much, that means a lot to me... I can see you two are having a nice time, so I'll go ahead and let you keep playing..."

With that, the unicorn started to walk away, deciding that she would go check up on Gilda next.

Concerned, Hope turned to the young griffon beside her. "I'm going to go be with Trixie for a little bit, okay?"

"All right," Fiona replied.

The filly briskly got to her hooves, quickly galloping to catch up with Trixie before she got too far away. "Are you all right?"

"As long as I'm around you, I am," the showmare said. "I thought you wanted to keep drawing with Fiona?"

Hope shrugged. "Eh, I can always do that later... I really like spending time with you..."

Trixie smiled.

"Is it okay if I ask you something?"

"Of course, Hope."

"... There's something about your shows that always confused me... How come whenever you were on stage, you'd talk about yourself like you were someone else? Like, you'd say 'Trixie is here' instead of 'I am here'?"

The unicorn bowed her head. "... When he was still alive, something my father said he always liked about me was how I was honest about my capabilities. He was proud that I knew that just because I was able to do certain things didn't mean I was necessarily better than anyone else. But audiences like a performer who's really sure of themselves, so I tried to create a healthy balance between those by distancing myself from the role I had on stage. I'd make sure that I didn't let it get to my head. That's why I do that."

Hope frowned unsurely. "It's so strange... The way I've seen you act here... It's like you're always able to see the best in everyone else, and you do what you can to help them see it, too, and yet you never thought that much about yourself... It's sad, really... I'd like to think that someone who does things like that for everyone she meets would truly get to see how great she herself really is..."

Trixie blushed. "You're giving me too much credit, Hope... I'm not that great... There's so much more I could have done, but, I didn't, because I was so foolish that I didn't see it until it was too late, or I made other decisions... If I stayed with you in Jennet like you asked, maybe I could have helped, and things wouldn't have been as bad as they were, but, I wasn't even there when it happened..."

"You couldn't have known it was going to," Hope reassured her. "We didn't even know dragons were anywhere near our village before it happened..." She paused, trying to think of what else she could say to try to lift her hero's spirits. "... What if I told you there was a unicorn who was there for me whenever she could be? And she always helped me feel better, no matter what was going on? And she showed me that things can get better, no matter how bad they seem?"

Trixie smiled.

"What if I told you she did all of these things... And she wasn't you?"

The showmare became bewildered.

Hope continued; "Before you started doing your shows, I didn't think very much of myself, either... And yet, other ponies in Jennet, whether they were friends, family or strangers, would always tell me how I was a really nice and kind filly who always made them happy... I never believed them at first, but they kept saying it anyways... Then, I heard about you, and how you would find people who never believed in themselves before, and help them see everything good they had inside... I started to see what those ponies were talking about, and how you set such a wonderful example for all of Jennet..."

The filly looked away. "Every now and then, I'd fall back into thinking badly of myself, whenever I was disappointed with something I was trying to do, or when some of the other fillies and colts would bully me... But then, I'd remember about how you would help everypony else realize their potential, no matter who they were or how bad they believed themselves to be... So, I started to do this thing to remind myself of my own goodness, where I would pretend there was another pony who happened to be exactly like me... I'd treat her nicely, like how I try to treat everypony else, and then feel good about myself again when I realized that pony was just like me... I usually did it with my shadow, because everyone's shadow is like a lock that only they can open, because it's shaped exactly like them, like a keyhole..." Hope looked at Trixie again. "Maybe you might feel better about yourself if you tried it, too..."

The showmare blushed. "I thought I was the one who was supposed to be helping you... Why is my self-image so important to you?"

Hope hugged her. "Because you're my best friend, who's been there for me as long as I can remember, and gave me everything I have. You helped me make my life as good as it ever was, and it's only fair that I return the favor. You can understand that, right?"

Trixie felt a warmth of acceptance overcome her, and she hugged Hope back.

"You're stronger than all of this," Hope reassured her. "We're going to make it out of this together just fine, thanks to you."

The next time she got a moment to herself, Trixie decided to take Hope's advice. It had been such a long time since she was able to muster the magic necessary to temporarily personify her stage alter ego into another entity; something told her that trying it again for a therapeutic purpose, much like before her first time performing in Canterlot, would bear fruit.

This time, she picked a spot in the forest not too far off from the camp, a sunset soon approaching. The unicorn gazed at her own shadow on the ground, and sighed. Closing her eyes, she tried to maintain calm and focused, until a spell materialized and left her horn, causing her shadow to come alive as her separate persona, Trixie The Magician.

"It's been a while, old friend," the shadow kindly greeted her with a warm voice. "This is rather new. Every other time, you've reanimated me as a reflection, at least when you want to discuss matters off stage."

The unicorn nodded. "I'm sorry that we haven't had time to do any actual performances anywhere but here, but... Someday we're going to make it out of this, and get back to what we're used to doing. I think."

"But of course," the shadow replied, "you should know by now that nothing's been able to stop you; literally. As perilous as these parts might be, they will do you no permanent harm."

"It's not my safety I'm worried about," Trixie clarified with a sigh. "It's that of everyone else. Especially my closest friends. Gilda, Gustave... Hope... I want to make sure we all going to leave this place unharmed... Every day, the danger seems to grow, and the likelihood of that happening seems to grow dimmer and dimmer... The ones I care for have been holding up quite well all things considered, and they're quick to comfort me when they can, but I still just feel so unsure..."

"Have you forgotten what Celestia had told you all that time ago?"

The unicorn paused, taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"She told you that Luna is going to come back someday, while you're still quite young, and when she does, she will be welcomed back with the respect and royal treatment she deserves, and the equality of her followers will be validated. You're running out of youth every day; the hour of her return can't be much farther from the present. Whatever transpires while you endure this torment, it will be worth undergoing to see to it that you finally get to meet your goddess. The same goes for Hope. You'll get the chance for both of you to travel and perform together as you promised her, and still see the one you've adored for all of your lives," the shadow explained.

Trixie couldn't help but smile, feeling motivated and inspired by this reminder. "You're right... I'm so used to whatever's going on right in the moment, I forget to keep my eye on the future... I've made it out of times that seemed this bad before, and every time my life only got even better... But this new possibility? Spending a lifetime having a career with Hope, and getting to be in the presence of Luna? Those are going to be the best of all..." she released a relieved sigh. "I feel much better now... Thank you for that..."

"Of course, Trixie. If you ever need to speak with me again, you know I'll be waiting for you inside of your heart." with that, the shadow became still once more, no longer taking it's own shape but conforming to Trixie's own.

Hope and Fiona bowed in unison, graciously accepting the applause.

The conjured violin disappeared, and Trixie levitated the flute back to Adia.

The two young girls who just played a song together smiled at one another. Fiona clenched her talons into a fist, bumping it lightly with Hope's forehoof. A warm pang hit Trixie's heart as she was once again reminded of her younger days forging such a strong friendship with Gilda.

The griffons continued clapping, finding that the combined musical talents of the children made for even more soothing and beautiful songs. The showmare did her best to make sure that everyone got a turn to demonstrate their talents, as long as they were feeling up to it, performing tricks by herself as well to add an additional element to their escapist experience.

The unicorn sighed in relief once the pressure in her horn started to die down. She didn't want to admit it to the others, but she was more exhausted than she seemed, and wanted to stop the show much earlier. She started to trek towards her hut to get some rest.

"Hey," Adia said.

Trixie was startled, and froze in place. She turned to face her, surprised at how much closer she was when she realized.

The griffon smiled. "I just wanted to say thank you for everything that you've been doing here. This entertainment, and all the other things you've provided... It's done great to boost the morale and quality of life here. I know sometimes it might not seem like it, but it really does make all the difference in the world... At least, for everyone here. Keep it up."

The unicorn returned her grin, nodding respectfully. "You're very welcome. I'm glad to -- ... I'm honored to help you all."

That evening, Trixie was putting Hope to bed, as she became accustomed to doing so shortly after moving into the hut. Pulling the filly's blanket over her, she smiled. "Would you like to hear a bedtime story?"

Hope nodded eagerly.

"Okay. Close your eyes."

She obeyed, and Trixie started to cast an illusion spell, once again allowing Hope to experience sights, sounds and other experiences that weren't necessarily real, this time coinciding with the story she told.

"Once upon a time, Princess Luna had nothing in the night sky except for the moon. She did everything she could to keep the dusk hours dark, cold, and peaceful, a silent serenity and a welcome retreat from the stressful chaos of daytime life, allowing her subjects to relax and rest. However, this did not completely soothe them as Luna had intended. Those who ever stayed awake during these hours would look into the sky, only to feel alone and haunted. Staring into the empty black abyss above them would only allow them to reflect on the true nature of the problems of their daily lives, unmarred by interruptions and magnifying their turmoil.

"Those who would manage to get some sleep after this were always plagued with nightmares, having their deepest fears and insecurities come back to haunt them, further empowered by the limitless reach of their own imaginations. Luna was saddened by this, confused as to why her efforts seemed to hurt her subjects instead of help them, and she started to wonder if perhaps she herself was the cause of it. But then, a wise, young filly named Hope got an idea for a solution. She recognized that everyone had a small light glowing inside themselves, however dim or small, that personified all of their dreams and goals, the keys to their own happiness.

"Some of them never realized this, however, and thus Hope thought that if they could somehow be shown this light and constantly reminded of it, it would make the sadness and nightmares go away. And so, she set off to go to the moon to talk to Luna about it. Even pegasi weren't able to fly that high, and Hope didn't have wings, but she was clever; she tied herself to a metal slab and kept throwing a magnet into the sky, gradually pulling her closer and closer until finally, she reached the moon, and got to meet Luna. The night princess was impressed that another had finally managed to make it so far, and was curious as to why the filly had come to see her. Hope explained her plight, and told Luna about her idea.

"Deeply moved and impressed, Luna agreed to give Hope's suggestion a try. They worked together to create the stars, making one for each pony and every other living creature that was back on the world below them. With each star being made for a specific soul, they were able to look up at them and remember their dreams and goals, as well as what they enjoyed the most out of their lives, rekindling the light within them and making them glow brighter than ever. And so, they no longer felt alone and haunted during the night; the sadness became joy, and nightmares turned into dreams.

"Princess Luna was so grateful for everything that Hope did that she decided to give her a reward. With her powerful magic, she granted Hope a pair of wings, a magical horn, and a crown, turning her into an alicorn princess like herself. But there was one last thing left to give her. A reminder of her achievements, and the wonderful, eternal contribution she gave to Luna's night that helped make it so peaceful and beautiful..."

With that, Trixie cast one more spell. "Open your eyes."

Hope obeyed, and immediately noticed something different. She pulled her blanket off of herself, and gasped. The hat and cape she wore were now covered in blue and yellow stars, just like the ones on her and Trixie's cutie marks.

Trixie slowly levitated Hope into the air and over to her, wrapping her forelegs around her in a close hug. "This way, I'm always with you, my little princess. Now and forever, like the moon up high, you'll be every star in my night sky." She gently set Hope back down in her bed, pulling her blanket back over her.

Hope smiled at her, tears of joy in her eyes. "You're like the big sister I never had, Trixie..."

"And you're like the little sister I never had, Hope." The showmare kissed her on the forehead. "Goodnight, and may Luna bless you with sweet dreams."

8. The Great And Powerful Trixie

'Quickly, hide! Take Fiona with you and go into our hut! The dragons are coming!'

Hope followed Trixie's urgent commands, explaining the situation to her friend as they fled to safety. Shortly afterwards, the rest of the camp became alert as soon as they noticed Garble and his crew approaching on their regular schedule.

The red dragon smiled sadistically, then seemed confused. He surveyed their surroundings, then looked to Trixie. "Where's Soft Hide Junior and her feathered little friend?"

"They're not here," Trixie insisted curtly, trying to remain strong without upsetting him.

He rolled his eyes in disbelief. "Please! All the adults are here, and you all strike me as too 'responsible' to simply let them wander off alone. They're probably hiding." Immediately, he started to head for the hut she was in.

Panic gripped Trixie, but she fought for the self-control not to show it, and to keep her magic working well.

'Stay calm -- they won't be able to see you. Just hold still and keep quiet.'

Garble entered Trixie's hut, starting to rummage through it, looking past each curtain to their respective rooms, only to see nothing every time. When he'd gotten to Hope's room, the two young girls tensed up as they froze in fear, only to be invisible to their tormentor thanks to Trixie's illusions.

He scowled as he left, signaling the other three dragons to help him search the rest of the huts in the camp, proving to be fruitless.

"Well, for a moment there, I thought you were protecting them with a lie, Soft Hide. That wouldn't have gone well for any of you." In the corner of his eye, he saw Renard. "Anyhow, that's all well and good, because there's another loser here for us to play with anyways. What's up, doc? Really rocking the mummy look!"

The bandaged griffon started to back away. "No, please! I'm harmless!"

"Gee, he probably looks really cool under there, doesn't he, boys? All burnt and grody? I'm way too curious, so let's find out!"

The four laughed as they closed in on him, starting to pull away at his bandages. Trixie was about to speak, but before she could, Gustave stepped forward.

"That's enough!" He bellowed.

Garble's attention turned to the chef, seeming equally insulted and impressed. "Well, what have we here? Our meek and cowardly Prenchy might've finally grown some balls!"

"That griffon is our doctor, and he's been severely burned, probably by dragons just like you! If you have any mercy in your heart, please, just leave him alone!"

The red dragon narrowed his eyes. "Really? So, you wouldn't mind volunteering to be his replacement, then?" he promptly snapped his claws, driving the other dragons to briskly swoop over to Gustave, holding him down from behind and his right and left.

Their leader slowly walked over to him. "I've gotta say, you were the last person to ever strike me as the rebellious type... That's normally our thing. We can't have anyone ripping off our style, can we boys?"

The dragons laughed. Garble made a gesture, and Smokey and Pain held out Gustave's talons while managing to keep him held in place with Sparky's help.

"So, you don't want us to hurt your silly little scout group's doctor. I can understand that. But, you, the cook? The one who provides food for everyone here? You're really dumb enough to put that at risk? I'd give you another chance to pick another victim, but I'm getting impatient enough already. It's time to pay for your stupidity."

Garble then grabbed the griffon's thumb talons and pulled to their outer sides until they broke. Gustave hollered in pain; Gilda and Trixie moved in to intervene, but the other dragons glared at them.

The red dragon continued, grabbing each of Gustave's talons and excruciatingly injuring them, rendering them all completely useless, one by one. It was a long, slow, drawn out torture, the griffon's every cry of agony being sweet music to the dragons' ears. By the end of it all, Gustave had fallen to his knees, panting and whimpering, entirely seized by unbearable pain.

Garble leaned in close, meeting him at his eye level. "Be grateful I'm merciful enough to let you keep them and heal. Next time you pull some crap like this, I'll eat them." He suddenly threw his arms back, tossing Gustave face first onto the ground; Gilda immediately rushed to his aid, and Trixie glared at the dragons.

"Soft Hide! Come on, let's go!"

Trixie was just as nervous as she was angry. As she continued to find gems for the dragons, she realized that while the camp got closer and closer to getting everything they needed in order to eventually leave, she was also running out of gems to help them buy some amount of safety from their tormentors. Would they get to leave before there was nothing left to offer the dragons?

The dilemma continued to haunt her thoughts as she kept scanning and unearthing for more gems. She was currently in the darkness of a cave with the dragons waiting off in the distance. The unicorn paused when she realized she found something that suddenly triggered surprised feelings in her. It was a light blue, octagonal gem.

It looked just like Hope's lachrylus.

Her heart skipped a beat, silently thanking Luna for her luck. There would finally be something else she had to keep Hope's spirits up. It was tempting to give it to her as soon as she saw her again... But, she was going to wait. The last token the filly received from her mother was special, given to her on a special occasion; so, the showmare thought it was only fair that it's identical replacement should be treated the same way.

"Hey, Soft Hide! What's taking so long?"

Trixie perked, snapped out of her train of thought. She couldn't let the dragons discover this -- they'd just eat it. Thinking quickly, she levitated it into the strands of her mane, tying it there with her own hair.

When she returned, the showmare found Hope, once again terrorized by the violence of the dragons to the point of being driven to tears. It was bad enough when they destroyed her things and broke Gilda's wings, but now Gustave's talons were broken, too.

Hope hugged Trixie tightly, sobbing into her coat. The unicorn gently patted her, waiting for her to calm down.

When the filly was nearly done with crying, she sniffled, looking at her hero. Once again, the constant terror they bore witness to made her question the ideals and perceptions she had when she was living in Jennet. "Trixie... Why do people do bad things?..."

Trixie frowned, thinking back on how Luna was ignored to the point of trying to make the night last forever, and how Myrtle would constantly victimize her because she thought she killed their mother. "They hurt others when they've been hurt, themselves... Sometimes it just seems like there's no other way for them to get the vindication they think they deserve, so they'll treat others how they shouldn't because no one ever treated them the right way, or at least they didn't too often for too long..."

Hope's ears lowered. She'd always believed that before. "Then why do these dragons do evil things?..."

The showmare winced uncomfortably. "... Because... Because sometimes, they get hurt so bad that there's no turning back... Nothing can ever fix what's happened to them, and it's too late to try anything to bring them back from it... It's... It's unfortunate, but... It's true..."

The filly started to bawl again. "But they're so horrible! They're monsters! I don't want us to become like them!"

Trixie was just as bewildered as she was worried. "Why would you think that would happen to us?"

"Because bad things happen to us all the time! I don't want to become a monster! I don't want you to, either!"

"We're not going to become monsters," Trixie reassured her. "I promise."

Trixie and Renard were now working together to tend to Gustave's talons the way they'd already been doing to Gilda's wings for quite some time. Once they were finished for the time being, Trixie and Gilda started to make their way back to their hut. They suddenly realized that they were alone and had another opportunity to talk in private; having so much past experience mentally communicating with one another, they could tell the desire for a two-way conversation was there.

Mutually sensing this, the lifelong friends walked a little further, out to where they couldn't be disturbed by anyone else. They would have merely literally shared their thoughts once more, but Trixie's magic was currently still too taxed from helping Gustave for them to do so. Once they were sure they were alone, the two stared at one another, waiting for the other to start talking.

"... You were right," they said in unison.

Both recoiled in bewilderment. "About what?" they echoed again.

They blinked, dumbfounded by how in sync their thoughts and speech were. "You first," they said simultaneously once more.

They laughed, amused by the humorous coincidence.

"Rock, paper, scissors," Gilda stated.

The two nodded in agreement, putting out their front hooves and talons. Pounding one onto the other three times, Gilda's talon was outstretched flat, while Trixie conjured the image of scissors from the end of her hoof.

"Looks like you go first," Gilda chuckled, still reeling from their unison.

Trixie nodded with a smile. "I was going to say... You were right about Hope. It's a good thing that I kept her here with me instead of sending her away. Sure, she would have gotten to physical safety a lot faster if I did, but... She really did need someone to be there for her, and I just couldn't know for sure if she was going to get the emotional support she needed anywhere else but with me. I'm not trying to brag, but... You know how she feels by now."

Gilda frowned in disappointment. "Oh..."

The unicorn became worried. "What?"

The griffon sighed, looking away, seemingly ashamed of her own feelings. "I was going to say that you were right about Hope... That it would have been better to send her off. Sure, she likes being around you and things, but... You just can't guarantee her safety here. I know it's too late to say so, but... I thought you would have felt better if I told you that I realized you were right..."

Both of them fell into complete silence, the mood between them quickly becoming awkward and depressing, surprised and disheartened by their respective change of hearts.

"... Maybe we should talk about this another time..." Trixie suggested in a stoic murmur.

"... Sure. That'd be best."

The two started to head back to their hut together, unable to look at one another or say a word. Neither had any contempt for the other, just as they always had, but they feared that their newly reversed disagreement would create a rift in their friendship.

Since all of Gustave's talons were injured, he was teaching Trixie how to cook again, with Gilda and Hope there to help her as well.

The unicorn was embarrassed. She hadn't cooked anything in a long time, and almost felt guilty for not regularly practicing; if she had, then she wouldn't need Gustave's assistance so he could rest and recover. She took turns between tending to the food and casting spells to slightly heal Gustave and numb his pain. At the very least, Gustave's role was merely giving verbal guidance, so he was still allowed to relax well enough (or as well as he could with all of his talons broken).

Although they only had so many options between the packaged foods Trixie brought months ago, and the fruits and vegetables scavenged from the forest, Trixie and Gustave were able to expand the possibilities of their potential meals with the help of potions and enchantments, practically recreating dishes that would otherwise be impossible to make given their circumstances. One such example was the current choice they were working on, Fettuccine Alfredo with mushrooms.

Trixie even went so far as to use her classic mirror mix in the cheese sauce, giving it the soulfully reflective appearance she was accustomed to. This particular variant had one hair or feather from all four of the hut's occupants, although it was also tailored to be specifically cathartic to whoever was eating it, personally individualized by the respective plate and diner. Given Gustave's physical state, Trixie and Gilda were not only responsible for feeding those within their hut, but the entire camp, so they were sure to make plenty for everyone.

Hope looked into the mixture, marveling at the radiance of Trixie's culinary elixir. "Wow..." She smiled, watching the fond memories of her and her parents play out on the liquid's surface, only to start to frown, her ears lowering.

Trixie noticed, and became concerned. "What's the matter?"

"I don't want to eat it..." the filly murmured sadly.

"Why? Is there something wrong? Do you feel sick? Are you not hungry?"

She shook her head.

"What is it?"

Hope looked closer at the moving images of her and her parents. "I don't want them to go away... I want to keep seeing them... If I eat it, it'll be gone," she lamented.

The unicorn sympathized with her. "... Well... Just look at it like... Seeing those things there is how you'll know that it's going to be good for you... It has your fondest memories in there, and it'll be easier to keep them in your heart forever if you take them in... It'll keep all the bad feelings out, and the good feelings in... Just like your lachrylus... Besides, you'll get to see them again... You will when I let you revisit your memories before bedtime, remember?"

The earth pony seemed further saddened upon the mention of her missing necklace, but found Trixie's explanation to be comforting. She nodded. "Okay..." She smiled at her hero. "I'm ready to eat it, then..."

Trixie smiled. "Good... But you'll have to wait just a little longer... It'll be ready soon, then we can eat..."

Hope took in a deep breath of the sauce's scent, licking her lips in anticipation. "This is going to be so good! I love cheese so much!"

Gilda cocked an eyebrow. "Really?" she chimed, surprised by her enthusiasm.

The filly nodded eagerly. "Yeah!" She blushed as her ears lowered.

The griffon tilted her head curiously. "Why so embarrassed?"

Hope's eyes met the ground as she pawed a forehoof on it. A moment later, she looked back at Gilda, biting her lip as she shrugged. "... When my parents were still alive, and we lived in Jennet, sometimes I'd get bored, and, well... Try to make new stuff to eat..."

"Yeah? Like what?"

"... Peanut butter and cheese sandwiches," the filly murmured quickly.

Gustave scoffed as he turned his head away, starting to chuckle. "Eww, Hope, that sounds so gross!"

"It's actually really good, if you try it," she insisted sincerely.

Gilda raised her eyebrows, interested in Hope's strange culinary creativity. "So, what else would you make?"

"... Orange milk..."

Trixie's ears perked. "What's orange milk?"

Hope shuffled bashfully again. "That's when you fill a glass half full of milk and half full of orange soda and stir it with a spoon..."

Gustave kept laughing as he recoiled once more. "Stop, Hope, you're going to make me sick!" he joked.

Hope and Gilda laughed along with him. Moments later, as they resumed focusing on making their meal, Trixie couldn't help but crack a smile. She chuckled under her breath, trying to hide it, only to fail.

"What is it?" Hope asked, smiling.

Trixie closed her eyes and shook her head. "When I was a filly, I, um... I'd try to think of ways to travel to the moon, so I could meet Luna and thank her for the sweet dreams she gave me, and, uh..." she snickered. "You know that old pony's tale about the moon being made out of cheese?... I thought I could enchant some rats so they could fly, and that I could train them to pull a sleigh and fly me up there..." she covered her muzzle with a hoof, barely stifling her laughter, finding the fillyhood memory rather silly.

The others immediately started laughing again, imagining a younger Trixie trying to convince the rats to take her to the moon.

The next morning, the survivors ate breakfast together outside of their huts, conversing with one another about how they were, and what they wanted to do as soon as all of them were well enough to leave. The only ones missing were Renard and Roul; some of them were concerned that they weren't amongst them by now, and Adia said that she would organize a search for them if they didn't show up soon.

Suddenly, Renard quickly stumbled out of his hut, falling onto the ground as if he'd been pushed. As his fellow survivors gasped and looked curiously, Roul stormed out of the hut before any of the others could come to his aid.

"You sick freak! Get up!" the elderly griffon shouted as he grabbed the burnt doctor by the neck and forced him back onto his feet.

"I've seen some pretty twisted crap around here ever since we started staying here, with what we're forced to go through and what those dragons do, but this... This is worse than anything that's happened so far!" he continued to shout.

Adia promptly stood up, looking confrontational. "Roul! What is the meaning of this?!?"

"I'll tell you! This traitor here is not what he appears to be! He's been using all of us this whole time!"

The leader looked to Renard out of concern. "Is this true?..."

The doctor was speechless, but he looked away in shame.

"He doesn't have to tell you a damn thing, because I'll show you!" Roul shouted. He ripped off some of Renard's bandages, revealing a sight that made the witnesses gasp. Underneath them was a black, chitinous, shell-like exoskeleton -- seen only in portions of his body here and there, cracked and caked with blackened blood.

"He's a changeling!" The elderly griffon continued to yell. "He feeds off of the love of others! This is why we've all felt so sick! So weak! He gained our trust in order to get close enough to us so he could make us his prey, pretending to be our doctor!" His talon grabbed Roul's face, forcing him to look him in the eye. "I used to wonder why you'd never let us change some of your bandages, or why you'd keep to yourself so much, but now I know! You're not even a real doctor, are you?!? I bet you don't even have a wife and child! You've lied to us about everything!"

"Those were not all lies!" Renard shouted in despair. "I am a changeling, not a griffon, and I did hide that from you all -- and I'm sorry, that was wrong," he panted breathlessly. "But, that was the only thing I lied about, I swear!... But I am a doctor, and I do have a family... I'm a changeling doctor, with a changeling family..."

The other survivors were confused by this all, unsure what to think. Trixie was, too, and she noticed the hesitance and mixed emotions of the others. So, she fought for the strength to read Renard's thoughts, just for a moment.

"He's telling the truth!" she exclaimed.

"How do you know?!?" Roul snarled.

"I just do," Trixie insisted.

Adia grimaced, trying to determine whether or not Renard was truly a threat to them. Being around him for a longer time than any of the others, she knew that even if he was a changeling or did some kind of harm, he at least made up for it in providing vital treatment for his entire stay at the camp.

"Renard, please finish explaining yourself," she insisted.

The doctor sighed. "Like I said, everything else I ever told you was the truth... My home was attacked by dragons, and I sent my family off to safety... I got separated from them when I was burnt -- I thought I was going to die... But, when I found out about Adia and her camp, I thought that I could store enough love for me to sustain myself, and to bring to my wife and child, so I could keep providing for them... So, I disguised myself as a griffon to fit in... I thought if you knew I was a changeling, you would drive me out, or kill me," he lamented.

"And yes, I did feed off of all of you... But only enough to keep me going... A little bit at a time, just enough so that you'd only be slightly uncomfortable, and not seriously sick or hurt... But, I've been very weak... I needed to stay alive... So every now and again, I would take just a little extra more, to keep my strength up... It kept increasing, and I fought to keep myself moderated... I figured, as soon as I could go, I'd never feed on any of you again...

"I tried to help, as much as I could, but I'm used to treating other changelings, not griffons or ponies... There was only so much I could do, but I gave it everything that I had... I tried to never ask for anything in return, since I was already taking something discreetly, and I felt bad enough for that... I would have just turned into an unscathed griffon, or tried to use my shapeshifting to confuse the dragons to help you more, but I've been so badly hurt that some parts of my true form are always exposed, no matter what... Aside from the burns, that's why I kept the bandages on, and only changed some parts myself..."

Renard looked at all of the fellow survivors remorsefully. "I'm sorry for everything I've done, and if you can't forgive me, I understand... If you want me to leave, I'll do it without a fight... All I ask is that you please spare me, so that I might be with my family again... I couldn't live with myself if I didn't at least try to make it back to them and help them..."

Trixie used enough of her magic to keep up with his confession, verifying his honesty. She sighed. "It's all true," she confirmed, stepping out closer to him, in the center of it all. Pointing her hoof at Renard, she continued, "Renard may have done something to hurt us, but he's at least made an effort to atone for his actions. He even regrets it, and is willing to put himself and even his family at risk just for our benefit. But just because we've found out about his dark secret and how it's affected our survival doesn't mean we should condemn him for it.

"None of us are perfect. We don't want to admit it, but some of us have flaws that have weighed down the group as well. Still, we accepted each other for those things and pressed on despite them anyways. Griffon, pony, changeling -- Hell, it doesn't matter what we are, we're all in this together, and we shouldn't leave anyone behind."

Roul continued to hold Renard firmly, scowling, but he slowly frowned and loosened his grip, eventually setting the doctor free as he hung his head in shame.

Adia hesitated, and then nodded. "Trixie's right. Renard's few mistakes don't erase all the good he's done for us. We should let him stay, and besides, now that we know he's a changeling, we'll be able to help each other easier since there won't be any deception and we'll know what to expect."

Renard sighed out of relief. "Oh, thank you so much," he said gratefully. "My family will appreciate what you've done for me."

Later, Trixie noticed that Roul was off in the distance by himself. He merely sat on a large rock, looking at the atmosphere of the rest of the canyon far beyond them, seeming despondent. The showmare frowned, not needing to read his thoughts to understand he was feeling guilty and ashamed about victimizing Renard earlier. She hesitated, briefly surveying the rest of the camp to make sure no one else needed her help first, before she cautiously decided to approach him.

The audible clop of her hooves approaching on the rocky ground betrayed her presence; she couldn't tell if Roul either didn't hear her, or didn't care.

"... Roul?... Roul..."

"What do you want?" he grumbled.

"... I wanted to come check and see if you're okay... It... Doesn't seem like it..."

The old griffon hung his head and sighed. "Of course it isn't... I screwed up again..."

Trixie felt puzzled. "... Again?... What do you mean?..."

"Oh, forget you, kid!" he suddenly exclaimed, glaring at her. "Don't pretend like you can't see it... Everyone knows I'm dead weight here..."

Her ears lowered. "Come on... That's not true..."

"The hell it isn't," he spat bitterly. "I'm as old as dirt. I can't fly. I try to get all pumped up to work harder and skip meals to preserve our rations, and I'm still a drain on our resources. At least that Tristan kid is a decent fellow. I don't even have that going for me."

The unicorn shook her head. "I don't understand what makes you feel this way... No one else here thinks those things about you..."

The elder paused for a moment, closing his eyes. "... Believe me, if you knew more about what kind of garbage I was, you would..." he held his face in his talons. "For the longest time, I was a beast, and a fool, before I came here... I know that Gilda told you all about me, except for those parts. I'd hoped I'd never have to tell anyone. But, it doesn't really look like that matters anymore, so, what the hell..." he sighed. "Okay, where to start?" he clapped his talons together once, looking up at the sky.

"So, I was one of the many griffons where I came from who made a living impersonating the famous actor and musician, Cyrano. He was my whole world... Ever since I was a small child, I looked up to him. I adored him. I wanted to be him. Hence, my... Trying so hard to do that... To be as quick and deft on my wings and feet as he was, to handle a sword and a guitar like he did... To look like him, to sing like him... I was determined to become the best of the second best, the closest there could get to being the real thing. Only, I didn't realize how bad that actually was until I got there."

He hung his head again.

"Word got around that I was his spitting image, a ghost of his past... Cyrano, twenty years younger... And that word reached the real deal. I wanted to use that clout to finally get to meet my hero in person... To get to work with him, and tell him all about how much he meant everything to me... All those nights I'd lie awake as a child, thinking about how one day I'd strive to be that brave, charismatic, virtuous and honorable... To enact those same swashbuckling tales on stages everywhere, to pass them down from my generation to the next..."

Roul started to laugh bitterly. "The day I finally got to meet him, I was so excited... I'd never looked forward to anything more than that... I haven't since... But it was a big, fat lie. The mother of all disappointments. On stage, he was this legendary, fantastic, heroic figure, right out of a fairy tale... But in real life, he was an immoral hypocrite. A decadent, drunken, dishonest lout, who would use everyone he could, manipulate them with his reputation, made harlots out of other men's wives and challenged griffons to duels just for looking at him wrong... They either wound up in the hospital, or the morgue. And he got away with all of it, just because of who he was. Because of the role he was playing."

The griffon clenched his talons into fists. "I was shocked... Outraged... Heartbroken... If I knew all that time that my childhood hero was a filthy crook and a total monster, I would have lived my whole life differently. But it was all wasted on trying to fill shoes that were never even real in the first place. He told me to scram, that he didn't need some stupid kid who believed in all that junk he was selling for anything... The guy I worked my whole life to meet, who I wanted to do nothing for but honor him, and he threw it all back in my face... I hated him for all of it... And so, I started to use my similar appearance to start framing him for things. I exposed his dirty deeds by acting them out in the open, in public, where he would never dare to show his real self."

He squinted his eyes shut. "At first, I did it purely out of spite... But, over time, I really became him. I started to be as greedy and selfish as he was, drinking and stealing and fighting and screaming. The worst part... The scariest part... Is that, for a while, I was completely aware of all this, and I was completely okay with it. It was who I wanted to be. This pure jerk, right down to the bone... The worst thing I ever did in his name was to swindle all these bits from his fans in the name of a charity, only to secretly use most of it for bottomless drinks at the bar for years in a row, along with all kinds of drugs and women and other stupid crap..."

Roul paused for a moment, finding that finally confessing these decades' worth of shame was taking it's toll on his composure. He briefly choked back a sob before he continued. "I hated that old man so much, I wanted nothing to do with him anymore... I was never going to forgive him for letting me down the way he did... For making me turn into this awful thing, for making me look in the mirror and think about nothing but how much I hated myself every night for years and years... I never expected him to say sorry, and even if he was going to, I was never going to accept it... But, then, he actually did it..."

He started to openly cry, no longer holding any of it back. "He said that pushing me away all that time ago was the worst mistake he ever made... He let himself become a complete liar because he never believed he could be even a fraction as good as the heroes he portrayed in all those plays, and it drove him to ruin... He admitted he had all the proof he needed to know it was true when I finally met him, but he refused to accept it and told me off... He took full responsibility for his role in helping me become the same kind of monster as him, and he was sorry from the bottom of his heart..."

Roul sniffled, shaking uncontrollably. He slowly started to hold still, only to shake his head and then look up at the sky, his eyes bloodshot from crying so hard. "And I still didn't forgive him... Not even when he poured his soul out to me, and begged me to accept his apology... And then, he died... The doctors said he had a broken heart, and just, gave up on life... Succumbed early to his old age and his terrible shape, because he had nothing left to hold on to... If only I hadn't hurt him the way that he hurt me... If only I gave him the same chance I wanted him to give me all those years ago... We could have made peace..."

He covered his face with his talons again. "None of that sank in until after his funeral... When I was all alone with myself, with nothing but all those thoughts and regrets to keep me company... I don't know how many more years he would have had if I just forgave him, but we both would have felt so much better if only I didn't do what I did... I tried to go somewhere to be a recluse, only for the dragons to come and destroy the town... So, that's why I came here and tried to help. And I screwed that up, too."

The griffon suddenly got off of the rock and stood up. "I got my wings eaten and became more disabled than I already was just by trying to defend Fiona, which I failed at. I keep pushing myself to the point where I'm more of a burden than a help to you all. And when I discovered Renard, the doctor who saved my life, was a changeling, I thought he was trying to use or kill us all, and I hurt and scared him. So, that's why I'm leaving the camp. It's better off that way for all of you. I'm just a useless old man who needs to die, out there in the wilderness, with the predators and the dragons. It's about time I finally kick the bucket and quit being a drain on everyone." He turned his back on the young mare, and started to walk away.

"Roul, please, don't!" Trixie exclaimed. "You're way too hard on yourself... You don't realize how much you've done for all of us..." he took her talon in his forehoof, and pulled him closer so that he was looking into her eyes. "Do you remember all those wagons we've been making for the past few months? The ones we're going to use to get out of here? Who spent the most time working on those?"

Roul looked away sadly, realizing she was talking about him.

"Who helps me protect the children when all the other adults are tending to other things? Who stays back at the huts or the wagons to watch them by himself, without anyone else's help when we're all elsewhere? Who has never given up on improving the quality of life in our camp, no matter how tired and unhealthy he feels?"

The griffon closed his eyes. "Who terrorized the doctor who was just trying to help his family? Who saved his life?"

Trixie sighed. "You didn't know what was going on. It was good that you were worried. Maybe you could have gone about it differently, but things might have even been worse if you didn't act on it at all. At the very least, it showed that you cared about our group and our safety. Even Renard already said that he forgives you for what happened, and the rest of us understood the situation -- some of us were worried about the same things you were when you told us about it. All of us have made mistakes -- some of us have made very many, including ones we'd like more than anything to take back. None of us are perfect, and that's why we all need each other," she explained.

He forced himself to look at her.

"You're useful, Roul. More than I can even begin to describe." she gently caressed his face with a forehoof. "... When I was a filly, something my dad told me he liked about me was that no matter what I was doing, I tried my best, and I had only the best intentions... I've tried to keep doing that ever since... You've been doing that, the whole time that you've been here... This place wouldn't be the same without you. You're needed here."

She placed both forehooves on his talon now, shaking her head softly. "I can't stop you, and I can understand why you'd want to do this. Why you feel this way. But... Please, please stay. We would miss you if you go. We wouldn't be able to survive as well as we could. It's just like Adia said -- we're all looking out for each other here."

Roul sighed as he looked away. He held completely still, deep in thought, fighting to challenge his doubts with everything that Trixie had reminded him of. Finally, he nodded.

"Okay."

That night, Trixie was putting Hope to bed the way that she usually did.

Pulling the covers over the filly, she was interrupted with "Trixie, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Hope."

"I was wanting to know if tonight could be different... If I could tell you a story, this time."

The showmare was surprised by this request, but decided there would be no harm in humoring her. "Sure, Hope." She sat down beside her best fan, waiting for her to tell her tale.

Hope smiled. "Okay... Well... Once upon a time, in Hoofington, the ponies living there were, um... Running short on this special, enchanted metal they needed... It was, like, this really important part of their lives, that they absolutely needed, and, they weren't sure where they could get any more, except for in this really dangerous cave that they never went into, because they knew that it wasn't safe... But, the miners decided that there was no other way to get it, so they absolutely had to go in this cave... And, when they went inside, they found out that an Ursa Major was sleeping inside there, and they woke it up... It got really angry, and chased them out, all the way back to Hoofington...

"Everyone there got really scared... The Ursa started to destroy all kinds of things... And it seemed like the only way any of them would be safe would be to run and hide at the carnival... Their safety was in the same place they always went to in order to have fun and relax when they were tired from the day... They thought it was only a matter of time until the Ursa went there, too, and destroyed it and all of them, but they didn't know that Trixie The Magician was visiting the town, doing shows... She found out what was going on, and promised everyone there that she would stop the Ursa and help them fix everything...

"So, Trixie confronted the Ursa Major, and she found out that it was only upset because the miners woke it up, and it just wanted to go back to sleep and be left alone... So, she used her magic to lull the Ursa to sleep with this beautiful song, and sent it back into it's cave in the Everfree Forest... Then, she cast spells to fix all the damage the Ursa caused, and helped them get the enchanted metal without bothering the Ursa or waking it up... And, she went back to Hoofington, and performed her show at the carnival, and made everyone happy... The End..."

Trixie felt warmhearted. "That was a very nice story!" she praised Hope. "... Why did you have me stop an Ursa Major?" she asked out of curiosity.

"Because that's what you do with all my sadness, pain, and fear. No matter how bad it is, you make all of it go away."

The showmare blushed modestly, bowing her head. "I'm not powerful enough to stop an Ursa Major, though... I can't even protect us from the dragons... I'm not even a magician, just an illusionist... All I can do is make someone think that something is there or isn't there, that's all..."

"But, that's what makes you powerful! If you can change how people think, you can change their whole life!... If you really wanted to, you could make them do whatever you wanted them to..."

Trixie perked in alarm. "But, I wouldn't do that, that's wrong! I'd only use my magic to help people, not control them or hurt them!"

"Exactly! And that's what makes you a great person!" Hope chimed. "You're not just 'Trixie The Magician', you're, you're... You're 'The Great And Powerful Trixie'!"

The unicorn smiled, deeply touched. "... That's a very nice name... Do you think I should start using that in my shows?"

The filly nodded eagerly. "Yes!"

Trixie chuckled. "Okay, then..." She playfully tousled Hope's mane. "The Great And Powerful Trixie, and her number one assistant, the wonderful Hope Dreamcatcher... I like it..."

Hope giggled. "Me too!"

The showmare nodded. "We'll start introducing ourselves that way in our shows... But first, you need to get some sleep... It's getting pretty late... Okay?"

"Okay."

The unicorn kissed her fan's forehead. "Goodnight, Hope."

As she stood up and turned, starting to leave, she was stopped again. "Trixie?"

"Yes, Hope?"

"... I love you..."

The showmare felt her heart skip a beat. Tears started to well up in her eyelids, but she wiped them away. She smiled back at the filly. "I love you, too, Hope."

9. Hearth's Warming Eve

Everything was perfect.

The morning of Hearth's Warming Eve was peaceful, quiet, and refreshing. Trixie felt as if fate, or karma, somehow knew about the needs of the survivor camp, and mercifully granted this one special day to them to rest and recuperate, without any interruptions or difficulties.

By this time, so many things had gotten better for all of them. Gilda's wings and Gustave's talons had healed. Everyone in the survivor camp was coexisting in harmony, none of them experiencing any major problems aside from the circumstances they had been stuck in for quite some time.

In their hut, Trixie, Hope, Gilda, and Gustave were enjoying each other's company and opening presents. Earlier that morning, they had decided to toss convention out the window and eat dessert for breakfast, just because they could. Although it took much more time and hard work than their previous attempts to recreate otherwise impossible meals in these parts, the combined efforts of Trixie and Gustave was ultimately successful in making Hope's favorite dessert; a watermelon ice cream cake, with green apple cake on the exterior, cherry ice cream on the interior, and grape candies for the seeds. As an added bonus, each of the three distinct features were accentuated by another variation of Trixie's mirror mix, enhancing the meal. They wasted no time in eating it all.

While they had the fortunate opportunity to create surprisingly exquisite foods given their location on seldom occasion, they unfortunately didn't have quite the same luck regarding presents. The occupants of the hut, and the entire survivor camp, had to do their best with what they had, mostly managing to create small trinkets out of their surroundings. Regardless, everyone appreciated each other's gifts.

"Well, I guess that's all of them this year," Trixie said. She then perked, and facehoofed. "Oh, silly me; how could I have forgotten? I have a few gifts left for you, Hope!"

The filly beamed excitedly. "Really?!?"

"You bet! Hang on just a second, I'm going to get them for you..." Trixie then levitated a box that she had barely managed to conjure wrapping for while she prepared the gift quite some time ago.

Hope gasped. "Wow! That looks like such a big present! It has to be something really cool! What is it?"

The unicorn chuckled. "You'll have to open it to find out!"

She placed it on the ground before the filly, who excitedly tore away at the wrapping with her forehooves. She opened the box, and smiled from ear to ear.

"My violin!!! You made one just like it!!!"

Indeed, an almost exact replica of Hope's specific instrument lie waiting for her in the box. As an added bonus, Trixie even autographed it again, this time as "The Great And Powerful Trixie".

The filly leapt at Trixie, seizing her in a hug. "Thank you so much!"

The showmare happily hugged her back, cuddling against her. "Your welcome, Hope..."

She gently set her back down on the ground. "There's one more thing I'd like to give you..." Trixie closed her eyes, and conjured a bouquet of Jennet Orchids. She smiled as she levitated them into the filly's forehooves. "This time, they'll last for as long as they could if I didn't conjure them," she explained. "Just come to me whenever you want some new ones."

Hope deeply breathed in the scent of the flowers, savoring it. "Thank you so much..." Tears of joy brimmed in her eyelids, extremely grateful and happy towards the sentimental gifts that her hero had given her.

Trixie smiled, just as happy as the filly was with her reactions to the gifts.

She could have given her the lachrylus right then, and considered it, but she wanted to wait until her birthday. As tempting as it was, she thought it would be best to give it to her on the same occasion that her mother did.

Hope and Fiona played their respective violin and flute, getting the entire camp into a musical spirit at the end of one of Trixie's shows as the last performance. It was a part that she was trying to get everyone in on, or as many of them as she could manage, at least. One by one, the unicorn welcomed in the other griffons who had a knack for musical talent, conjuring an additional flute for Adia to use while Roul joined in with his guitar.

Perla and Tristan were laughing and dancing. Their experience performing acrobatics for entertainment allowed them to come up with some pretty interesting moves, especial Perla, who utilized her contortionist abilities to be even more creative and perform intricate maneuvers that would have otherwise been impossible. Gilda and Gustave were dancing with them, while Renard kept Trixie relaxed enough to keep focused on her magic by softly brushing her mane with a brush.

They all had so much fun. By the time the music stopped, all of them started talking at once, praising each other's talents and skills, and how together, they were able to create such a wonderful, musical experience.

Trixie was so happy to see all of them at peace and getting along so well. They each had enough problems without worrying about conflict within the camp; things between them all had greatly improved in general, and as far as she could tell, it was going to stay that way long enough for them all to be able to finally flee the canyon unscathed.

Once Trixie was alone, Adia took advantage of the opportunity to have another private conversation with her.

"Hey," she said.

Trixie was startled by her approach. "Hi," she replied awkwardly.

Both of them were quiet for a moment.

Finally, the unicorn chuckled. "I'm sorry, it's just that you're so quiet that you always catch me off guard..."

Adia shrugged. "It's a force of habit... Have to keep quiet around the dragons, and all."

"Mmhm," Trixie nodded. "So... Did you need something?"

The griffon smiled. "I just wanted to thank you again for everything you've done," she explained. "I know I've said it before, but... It's really helped a lot. Now, more than ever, that's been proven... I think we might've... Torn ourselves apart if you didn't come here, bringing everything and doing everything that you have."

The young mare blushed modestly, slightly looking away. "Surely, you know that it's not all me... You all were holding up really well on your own in the first place... Especially thanks to you," she sincerely complimented Adia on her leadership. "I'm just glad that this is all going so well, or, as well as it can with everything else going on, anyhow..."

Adia nodded in agreement. "... There's something else I never got the chance to tell you, though..."

"Hmm?" Trixie looked at her.

"... I've told you before about how the dragon attacks wiped out my entire tribe. My entire family. But, the part of me I never shared with anyone else here in the camp is the conflict I've had in my soul, ever since before I started this camp. When they were alive, my family was split in half... All of them belonged in the tribe at one point. But, over time, some of them drifted apart. While most of us remained a part of the oldest griffon tribe still alive, the others were tired of the limiting lifestyle when there was so much technology and luxuries in the modern world. They sought them out, and were shamed in the eyes of my other relatives.

"I always tried to remain neutral in the civil conflict, although I stayed loyal to the traditions I was raised to uphold. But, I missed the ones who left, and couldn't help but notice how much happier they seemed whenever I did see them, however often that was. I wanted to find a way to convince the family to come together again, to show them that living a modern life didn't mean abandoning our tribe's roots, but neither side wanted nothing to do with the other anymore. Eventually, I was convinced that I would never find a resolution to this, doomed to live a life of confusion, my heart constantly torn between two different lifestyles.

"When the dragons attacked, they killed all my relatives in the tribe... So, I tried to go to the modern city where the rest of my family was staying, only to find that they were killed by a dragon attack, as well. I was entirely alone... I took on the role of sin-eater once more and made sure to purge all of their sins so they would be able to enter the afterlife."

The griffon closed her eyes, looking down. "I never admitted it to anyone, never even to myself, but... I felt so guilty for what happened. I was powerless, it was out of my control, and yet... I felt like I could have done something, somehow, that I didn't do, or forgot to try, even though I did everything I could, but I refused to accept it. And so... I silently promised myself that I was going to spend the rest of my life out here in this forest, in this canyon, protecting others like us as atonement for being unable to save my family..." she explained.

Adia sighed. "... But... After seeing all the improvements here, and upon realizing that maybe we all really can make it out of here, after all... I started to second guess that... I finally saw how much I'd really done for all these different people for so long... How I changed their lives... How... If I did nothing, didn't offer them help after saving them from dragon attacks, they wouldn't be alive... That guilt... Started to wash away..." she smiled, looking at Trixie. "And so, thanks to all of you... I'm going to give the modern world a chance. When all is said and done, I'll go there... I could always come back here if I decided I didn't like it, but, somehow I doubt that will be the case... So... Thank you."

Hope cuddled against Trixie's side. "You know how you had a secret, special Hearth's Warming present for me, Trixie?"

The unicorn smiled at her, nodding.

"Well... I have one for you, too..."

Trixie's ears perked, surprised. "Oh, really?"

Hope happily nodded. "Mmhm! Gilda helped me make it and everything! It's even in a secret place, because it's a secret present!" She grabbed one of Trixie's forelegs with both of her own. "Can I take you to go see it? Please?"

Trixie chuckled. "Sure, Hope."

The showmare was surprised to find that Hope was leading her to the cave where the camp had hidden the wagons they were building to take for their eventual escape from the canyon. Trixie had to use an illumination spell to help them see.

"Where is it?" she asked.

"It's over there," Hope said, pointing a forehoof towards Trixie's traveling show wagon near the back.

As they got closer, Trixie was surprised once she immediately noticed what Hope was talking about.

The purple sign with Trixie's cutie mark hanging off of the brass pole in the front now had yellow and blue stars painted on beside it.

"Now it's just like your cape!" Hope chimed.

"... That's so wonderful, Hope," Trixie said, deeply touched by the gift.

"Ooh! Check inside, too!"

They walked in, Trixie's horn still lighting the way, and found that she had some new additional background decorations as well, intended for use whenever the wagon would unfold to function as a stage. The blue planet prop now had three large yellow stars above it, supported by springs, and the other purple sign with Trixie's cutie mark directly below it was now adorned with yellow and blue stars as well.

"This is so nice... Thank you so much for doing this..." Trixie trailed off, overwhelmed by how heartwarming the new additions were to her.

As they got outside of the wagon and started to walk away, Hope called out, "Wait! You forgot one!"

Trixie turned back to face her. "Huh?"

"Look here," Hope instructed, pointing her forehoof at the two wooden doors on the wagon's side that could function as a window.

Trixie walked closer to inspect it, and found that both wooden doors had a purple heart painted onto them.

Hope hugged her again. "It's meant to show how much we care about each other... How much we always have... Because we love each other, like we're sisters..." She looked up at her hero joyously. "Now, no matter where we are, we'll always be together, just like your hat and cape... Do you like it?"

"I love it!" Trixie exclaimed. She hugged Hope back, pulling her close to her.

The filly giggled. "Good... All I want is to make you as happy as you make me..."

"You do, Hope," Trixie said. "You do..."

Suddenly, she remembered something. "Hey... I was just talking with Adia earlier... Guess what she told me?"

"What?"

"We're going to have all these wagons up and running not too long from now... Do you know when we'll get to go?"

"No... When?..."

"On your birthday!"

Hope exclaimed. "Oh, that's wonderful!"

Trixie nodded. "I know! And when we do... I'll take you to the carnival in Hoofington right away. After we're done with that, we'll start our traveling shows together... And then one day, in a few years, we'll greet Princess Luna when she comes back... Okay?"

Hope was jumping for joy. "All right!!!"

The unicorn was barely able to contain her own glee.

She used to feel sad on Hearth's Warming Eve, remembering only the death of her father. Gilda had noticed, and told her that he would be proud of her if he could see her now. But this Hearth's Warming Eve was completely different. It was full of joy and peace, the way it was supposed to be.

Trixie couldn't wait to see the look on Hope's face when she gave her the lachrylus for her birthday.

It was going to be perfect.

10. Happy Birthday

Trixie could barely contain her excitement.

It was her last night at the survivor camp. Tomorrow, she, Hope, Gilda, Gustave, and everyone else there would finally get to leave. The caravans they required were completely built, moved from the cave to near their huts; the food and supplies they needed were stored away. Months of endless progress were finally about to pay off.

Hope jumped up and down excitedly next to Trixie. "It'll be my birthday tomorrow! And we'll be out of here! We can do all those things we've been talking about, and everything will finally be okay!"

The unicorn chuckled, then hugged the filly. "That's right! Just make sure to save your energy! One more night, and we'll be onward to a better life!"

Her fan reciprocated the hug, cuddling closely against her.

Suddenly, Trixie started to mentally sense a presence nearby. She froze in shock.

'Oh, no.

What are they doing here?!?

They were already here yesterday -- they weren't supposed to come back for another week!!!

What are they doing?!?'

"Hope, go hide in the hut," she briskly whispered.

The filly blinked in confusion. "What? Why?"

"The dragons are coming!" Trixie replied.

Hope immediately obeyed her, quickly warning Fiona before she ran off, both hiding in their respective rooms.

The remaining survivors all became still with fear once they saw the dragons return.

Garble looked furious. He glared disapprovingly at all the caravans and packed belongings. He gestured to them as he looked back at his repeat victims. "What the hell is all this, hmm? Are you trying to be nomads now? Thinking that we wouldn't find you again if you all just migrated somewhere else?" he breathed smoke out of his nostrils, stomping towards them. "Well, guess what? We would, anyways. But we like you right where you are, so we're going to make sure you stay that way." He looked back to his three cronies. "BOYS! RIP ALL THIS PATHETIC CRAP APART!"

The dragons immediately lunged at the caravans the survivors had spent months putting together, sinking their claws and fangs into them and tearing them asunder, sabotaging them to the point of being completely inoperable. It was almost ridiculous how something the ponies and griffons worked so hard on for so long to create was torn down in a matter of mere minutes.

The victims gasped and recoiled at the sight, disheartened and furious at how their extensive labor, their means of escape, had been taken from them.

Garble was panting when they were done. He leered back at the camp's occupants, and then pointed a claw towards them. "That's what you get for thinking you can escape."

He signaled to the other dragons, and they started to walk away, off into the distance.

Once they were gone, Hope came back out from the hut, gasping when she saw what happened. The filly lowered her head, sniffling as she struggled not to cry.

Trixie immediately went to her, hugging her reassuringly as she caressed her mane. "I'm going to fix this," she insisted. "We'll still get to leave tomorrow."

Hope wiped away her tears, looking at her hero. "Are you sure?..."

The unicorn nodded. "Yes. I'll get started right now. I'll fix all of this tonight, and we'll still get to leave in the morning. I promise."

She immediately started working, walking over to the sorrowful sight of the wreckage and using her magic to put all the debris back in their original places and fuse them together, fortifying them back to their original strength. Some of the other griffons, like Adia and Roul, came to her aid, repairing the caravans manually through tools and physical labor.

The filly quickly returned to the showmare. "Do you need my help, Trixie?"

"No, Hope, it's okay. Go ahead and go rest in the hut; you need some sleep. I'll come in as soon as I'm done."

She seemed a little discouraged at her reply, but trusted that Trixie had the matter under control. "Okay..." with that, she went to her room.

The repair took hours, and since it was already dark outside when they started, the unicorn needed to cast a spell to provide light in addition to straining herself on fixing the caravans. Just as the griffons who offered to help were becoming exhausted, so too was Trixie fatigued, pushing her magic about as far as it's ever gone. She felt worn out, and filled with agonizing aches all over. Once she saw that they were finished, she wiped the sweat off her brow with a forehoof, sighing in relief before she started to pant breathlessly. Grunting from the dull pain coursing through her, she trudged off back to her hut, looking forward to getting the rest and recuperation she needed.

As Trixie headed straight to bed, Hope saw her from behind the curtains of her own room. Her ears lowered. "Won't you tell me a bedtime story, Trixie?..."

"I'm sorry, Hope, but I'm way too tired," Trixie panted. "Just try to get some sleep... It's all fixed, so we'll get to leave in the morning..."

The filly quietly sighed sadly to herself. "Okay..." she murmured. Then, she went to bed, just as Trixie did.

The next morning, Hope woke sooner than anyone else in her hut. Gilda and Gustave had helped Trixie the night before, and were almost as exhausted as she was; it was still fairly early in the morning, sometime before the sunrise. The sorrow the filly experienced last evening had turned into eagerness and joy; she sprang out of her bed, expecting her roommates to be readily awake and greeting her on her birthday, only to sink back into disappointment when she realized they were all still asleep.

She briefly pulled back the curtain to Trixie's room once more, seeing the showmare dead tired, still sweaty and dirty from toiling so hard at the repairs. It was tempting to wake her up, to seek reassurance in her comforting embrace and sweet encouragements yet again, but the filly resisted, realizing her hero probably felt as miserable as she looked. She would have to be patient. Hope sighed, wishing that her journey away from the survivor camp and the celebration of her birthday would come sooner.

Seeking a way to occupy herself while she waited, the earth pony stepped outside of the hut, seeing the dawn that still had yet to bloom. Even though it was still fairly dark outside, it was just bright enough to see the world around her. She smiled, reminded of the beauty of Luna's skies she often stayed up to admire while she lived in Jennet, and when Trixie first moved into the survivor camp with her.

"Hey, Hope. You couldn't sleep, either?"

The filly was startled by the voice, looking off to it's source. "Oh, hey, Fiona. Good morning."

The griffon smiled, hugging her. "Happy birthday!"

Hope giggled. "Thank you..."

Fiona pulled away. "So, what are you doing up so early?"

Her friend shrugged. "I'm just anxious for Trixie to get up, and for all of us to finally leave this place..."

The griffon nodded. "I can understand..." She then frowned. "Still, I'm going to miss you..."

"Oh, I'll miss you too, Fiona... But, we'll get to see each other again... Trixie and Gilda used to part ways to do things all the time, but they always found one another eventually..."

She sighed. "Yeah..." After hesitating for a few moments, she added, "Why don't we go for a walk while we wait for the rest of them to get up? Just a short one. Just to say goodbye to this place."

Hope's ears lowered, immediately having doubts about the safety of the idea, but she was feeling bored and restless, and wasn't sure what else would quench those feelings. "... All right. But, we should stay really close to the camp... And I'm going to let Trixie know real quick."

"Okay!"

With that, the filly briefly returned to her hut. She briefly considered waking Trixie up, but wanted the unicorn to conserve her strength after exerting herself so much. So, instead, she retrieved a paper and crayon from her room, writing her a note that she was going to go for a short walk in the forest with Fiona. After leaving it next to Trixie's bed, she returned outside, seeing the griffon again.

"Ready?"

"Yeah."

The two walked and talked into the forest, getting lost in their conversation, reminiscing about all the memories this small place had for them for so many months. They revisited the horrors they witnessed and suffered at the claws of Garble and his dragons, and indulged in nostalgic, warm memories of what Trixie and Gilda did for them, and how they became close friends and befriended all the other griffons at the camp. The two continued to express how much they would miss one another, comforted by the promise that they would be allowed to see each other again before too long. The children who lost all their friends when the dragons destroyed their homes found new ones in each other, forging a bond that only strengthened with time.

They were enjoying the farewell stroll so much that it only dawned on Hope far too late that they had been astray for quite some time. "Hang on," she interrupted firmly. "We've walked a long time... We should probably get back to the camp..."

Fiona frowned, feeling a pang of guilt, but realized both of them were too distracted to notice it before. "You're right... Let's go..."

As they reversed directions, beginning to return to the camp, they were frozen in place by a loud, cacophonous crack, causing the girls to become chilled with fear.

"What was that?" Hope whispered briskly.

"I don't know," Fiona answered.

Suddenly, they heard Garble's laughter. Both children silently gasped, immediately darting behind the cover of a tree. Peeking out from behind it, they saw all four dragons, thankfully oblivious that they were nearby.

"That was hilarious, Blaze!" Garble guffawed. "But I bet you I can do better... Watch this..." He raised one of his arms, the other holding a phoenix egg in it's claw. Placing the egg in his armpit, he bent his elbow and brought his arm down, breaking the shell to pieces, causing a lava-like yolk to trickle down. He scraped it off of his scales as they all laughed at their antics.

Smokey was the first to catch his breath. "Wait, wait, wait! Watch this!" He retrieved another phoenix egg from the batch they managed to steal from their nests. The grey dragon placed it in Pain's mouth before he could register what was going on.

"... What're you --"

Smokey's claw clenched into a fist and crashed across Pain's face, causing him to bite down on the egg in his mouth, spilling the lava yolk out from between his fangs. The other dragons laughed even harder.

Pain spit the rest of the remains out, growling at Smokey and grabbing him by the neck. "Screw you, man!" he yelled, pulling his other claw back for a punch.

"Come on, take it easy, Pain! He was just kidding! It was funny!" Garble insisted.

The slim purple dragon released Smokey. "Sorry, Garble..."

"Don't sweat it." He sighed happily, grabbing another phoenix egg. "You know what my favorite thing about phoenixes are? That no matter what you do to them, they never die. At least, if you let them hatch first. We should do that next time. You can just do whatever you want, kill them over and over, and they'll keep coming back and you can keep torturing them... Their screams and cries sound even funnier and more pathetic every time, knowing what you did to them in their past lives..."

Blaze laughed. "Yeah! It's awesome when you do that!"

"It's too bad we don't just do that with these..." Pain lamented.

"That's only because they'll take too long to hatch at this point. I just don't feel like waiting that long," Garble explained.

Smokey rubbed his chin with a claw in thought, then smiled, snapping his claws. "Oh! I have a great idea, Garble! Frying pan!"

The red dragon laughed in agreement. "Yeah! Frying pan!"

All four dragons started clapping together, chanting "Frying Pan! Frying Pan!", continuing as they started to dig into the dirt with their claws, forming a small hole in a wide circle. As soon as they were done, each dragon stood back on a different side of the hole, and then started to prepare to spit, hocking up phlegm, until each of them released a stream of salival lava, filling the hole with their combined efforts.

"Yeah!" They shouted in unison. Garble immediately cracked open the nearest phoenix egg directly above the pit, pouring the yolk out into it. They all laughed, continuing with the rest of the eggs for their own sadistic amusement.

The hidden children were sickened by the sight.

"That's so disgusting!" Fiona hissed.

"I know... Those poor phoenixes..." Hope whispered.

The filly surveyed what she could see of the situation, noticing that the dragons were starting to run out of eggs. She hated what they were doing, but knew she was unfortunately powerless to stop them. Her heart pounded as the very real and serious danger she was in made itself known to her.

"Fiona, listen... If we don't do something soon, those dragons will be out of eggs, and they're probably going to find us... We need to get out of here as fast as we can, but we can't let them find us," Hope explained.

Fiona quivered, trying to keep herself from crying as she sniffled. "O-okay... Wh-what should we do?..."

Thinking quickly, Hope replied, "You get ready to run, and I'll let you know when they'll be too distracted to hear you..." She turned to face the griffon for a moment, gently stroking her face. "It's okay to be scared... I'm really scared, too... I'll find you again as fast as I can, but until then, try to get back to the camp and tell them what's happening..."

Fiona quickly nodded, fighting to maintain her composure.

She prepared to run, waiting for Hope to alert her. The filly continued discreetly watching the dragons, noticing that soon they were all about to collectively break eggs against each other all at once. As soon as they were about to impact, she signaled her friend with her hoof. Right then, each egg burst open, and the dragons loudly cheered in unison, masking the sound of Fiona running away. Hope was about to follow, but the noise died down before she could.

Some minutes later, the dragons released another simultaneous whoop of mischief at their numerous methods of breaking eggs. Hope quickly started to gallop off, bolting away through fear, but she was too distracted to notice a fallen tree branch before her. She tripped, exclaiming loudly out of shock before she hit the ground with a loud thud.

Garble and his cronies immediately stopped, looking to the source of the noise and seeing Hope. She froze for a moment, terrified, scrambling back to her hooves to try to run away. Before she could, Pain and Smokey quickly flew to her, picking her up with such force that her hat and cape fell off.

"No!" she shrieked, struggling to break free as her two captors flew over to Garble.

The red dragon smiled as he crossed his arms. "Well, well, well... Soft Hide Junior thought she'd do some morning sightseeing... Didn't think it'd turn out like this, did you?"

The other dragons laughed at his taunts.

He grabbed Hope away from Pain and Smokey, holding her up to meet his eye level. He whispered menacingly, "You don't have any grown ups around to save you, now. What happens to you is entirely up to us, and you asked for it by walking in here. I'm afraid you're just too dumb to live..."

"No! Please don't kill me! I never did anything to you! Why can't you just leave me alone?!?"

Garble walked over to the lava pit with Hope in his grasp, dangling her over it, causing her to gasp in fear as she looked below her. He shot glances at the other three dragons, silently gauging how much they wanted him to drop her in, encouraged by their escalating cheers, clapping and laughter. He threw Hope straight up into the air, causing her to scream and flail helplessly, only to catch her by her tail just before she could fall in the lava.

The terrified filly was sobbing hysterically. "No! I don't want to die! Stop it, just stop it!"

Garble cupped his other claw against the side of his head as if struggling to hear her. "You've gotta wail louder if you want the wambulance to come to your rescue, Hope! Keep singing out that sweet music for us!" He started to sadistically toy with her further, pulling her up and lowering her down, forming an unpredictable rhythm that kept Hope's nerves constantly jolted with horror.

"Drop that namby pamby pony in there, Garble! I want to see her skin melt off!"

"Yeah! Let's cook her and eat her!"

The red dragon continued grinning wildly, savoring the pony's suffering and the enjoyment of his unscrupulous comrades. Each of their jeers and demands made it all the more tempting to drop her, but he wanted to squeeze every bit of agony and fear that he could from the child before she was finally gone.

Hope stared into the fiery liquid below her, watching her tears fall in. She'd never been more scared in her life. The helpless filly whimpered, shuddering, hoping that she would somehow get out of this.

Back in the survivor camp, Trixie was finally just then waking up in her hut. She grumbled, wiping the sleep from her eyes with her hooves, blinking a few times and suddenly realizing how long she slept. The unicorn quickly retrieved the lachrylus from under her pillow, using her levitation to tie it in her mane again, smiling eagerly as she stood up and walked past her curtain, expecting to greet Hope. Instead, she was bewildered to find Hope's note, explaining where she had gone. While the showmare believed her to be safe, she still felt worried.

"Gilda, Gustave, Hope's gone for a walk," she stated loudly enough to awaken her two griffon friends. They quickly left their rooms as well. "Let's go find her," Trixie continued. "I just want to make sure that she's safe..."

They nodded in agreement, and then left the hut, quickly walking towards the forest. The three were startled when they were suddenly interrupted by Fiona running up to them, terrified and out of breath.

"We saw the dragons! I think Hope's still out there!" she pointed towards the direction from which she came in the forest. "They're that way!"

Panicked, Trixie immediately galloped off, causing Gilda and Gustave to struggle to keep up as they lagged behind. They were just as worried, but the unicorn's closeness to the filly fortified her efforts.

Mere minutes later, the trio finally found Hope, still at Garble's mercy. Hope's eyes met Trixie's, and the unicorn instantly focused on her magic. The dragon saw this, and just as soon released Hope's tail, causing a searing bolt of torment to explode across the showmare's mind as she forced herself to levitate Hope to safety while enduring such terror; thankfully, the filly was miraculously unharmed.

Trixie briefly winced from her splitting headache and sharp nosebleed. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?!?" she screamed furiously to the dragons.

Garble seemed just as amused as he was annoyed by the unicorn intervening. His scowl turned back into a smirk, and he started to take a deep, fiery breath, suddenly looking back at Hope.

The showmare gasped. With the rush of adrenaline coursing through her system, time seemed to slow down for her; forcing out more of her magic in spite of her emotional state and agonizing discomfort, she leapt in front of Hope while levitating her out of the way of harm once more. Unfortunately, she pushed herself too far, causing a crippling jolt of pain to temporarily stun herself as she hit the ground, leaving Hope completely open as she landed once more.

Garble quickly fixed his aim back onto Hope, and spewed forth a large gust of flames that coated the filly's entire body, causing her to release a bloodcurdling scream at the top of her lungs.

"NO!" her hero yelled. She tried to force out her magic once more, managing only to merely extinguish the flames, but the damage had already been done. Immediately, the terrified Gilda and Gustave took to their wings and swooped around the scene, picking up the two ponies and Hope's nearby discarded hat and cape.

They just as quickly started flying away, but the whole time, Trixie glared down at the dragons.

"YOU FOAL-KILLERS!" she shrieked furiously. "SHE WAS ONLY A CHILD! ALL SHE EVER DID WAS BE NICE TO EVERYONE, AND YOU KILLED HER! YOU HEARTLESS, WORTHLESS MONSTERS! I HOPE YOU ALL ROT AND BURN AND SCREAM AND SUFFER IN TARTARUS FOR BEYOND ETERNITY!"

Gustave and Gilda flew as far away from the dragons as they could in the short amount of time that they had. They knew that Hope had little time left, if any, and if anything was going to be done about it, it had to be now. The two mustered all of their effort to slow down from their vigorous flight, gracefully and gently landing so as to not injure Hope further.

The sobbing, inconsolable Trixie immediately held her in her forehooves, having used her levitation to wrap Hope in her cape as if it were a blanket. She started to try using a healing spell, pushing out more magic and concentrating with everything she had in spite of how much it hurt, but nothing happened; Hope was too badly injured for her to possibly save her.

"No..." The showmare whimpered, refusing to accept there was nothing she could do. She next tried a spell to at least numb Hope's pain, but this, too, was fruitless; her suffering was too great to alleviate in even the slightest form. She would at least be physically hurting very terribly.

The unicorn felt her heart drop into her stomach like an anchor when she realized there was only one other thing she could do. The only way she could stop Hope from hurting any further would be to put her out of her misery. Her heart skipped a beat as she was suddenly reminded of the last night she ever saw her father so many years ago. The tears copiously poured down her face as she gazed into Hope's eyes, silently acknowledging this.

'Trixie... Please...' Hope mentally begged to her.

The showmare's eyes squinted shut, squeezing tears out as she clenched her teeth, trembling and sobbing. She did her best to compose herself, trying to stay strong enough to do what Hope needed her to, nodding in acceptance. Opening her eyes again, she continued to stare into Hope's as her horn started to glow with the aura of the life extinguishing spell.

'Please... Don't...'

Bewildered, Trixie suddenly stopped her spell. "Huh?" she sniffled in an audible reply.

'... I won't leave you alone again... I want to spend every last moment with you...'

The unicorn was deeply touched. She slowly smiled, feeling somewhat relieved in knowing that at least Hope was willing to share her final minutes with her hero. "Okay, Hope... Okay..." She held her closer in a comforting hug, heartbroken that soon, they would never see each other again.

Suddenly, Trixie remembered what she brought with her from their hut. She was just barely able to levitate the lachrylus out of her mane and into her forehoof. "Happy Birthday, Hope," she croaked sorrowfully, gently resting it on her chest.

Hope smiled weakly. '... My lachrylus... It's so beautiful... Thank you...' She gently wrapped her forelegs around it from beneath the cape, holding it close to her.

The unicorn squinted her eyes shut, nodding, trying to force herself to smile. She did her best to refrain from sobbing too much as she continued trying to comfort Hope, although nothing could be done to hold back her tears.

Hope's eyes slowly looked from the lachrylus back to Trixie. '... One... More...'

Again, Trixie was surprised. "... One more what?..."

'... One more bed time story...'

The showmare tried to keep from bawling. She took a brief instant to remain as calm as she could, and then nodded in acceptance.

The filly's smile widened, and she slowly closed her eyes, patiently waiting.

Trixie mustered the effort necessary to give her number one assistant the same kind of illusions that comforted her on so many other nights, giving her sights, sounds, and other experiences that weren't exactly there.

This time, it wasn't a memory they shared to indulge in.

It wasn't even a story that either one of them had invented.

It was a dream that almost came true.

Trixie and Hope walked together through the gates of Hoofington's carnival. They marveled at all the wondrous sights it held in store for them; the candy, the games, the rides, all openly inviting them to have fun and forget all of their problems.

The unicorn smiled at her fan, gently stroking her mane with a forehoof. "Are you finally ready for this?"

"I can't wait!" Hope exclaimed joyously.

The two laughed as they purchased their tickets, immediately running inside and heading for the first attraction they could find.

Trixie closed her eyes, releasing a sobbing, shaking sigh, the agony she experienced from pushing her magic this far almost matching Hope's.

"... Happy birthday to you..." she whispered, singing faintly.

First, they won a plethora of toys and stuffed animals for Hope through all sorts of fun challenges. Whether it was throwing a horseshoe in the right place or spraying targets with a water gun, from whack-a-mole to skee ball, Trixie shelled out enough bits until Hope got enough tries to win all of them. Whenever she received a prize, the filly would immediately name her new imaginary friend and create a backstory for them, preparing them to be Lucy, Special and Irene's newest comrades.

"... Happy birthday to you..."

Next, the two indulged in all of the sweets that they found appetizing served at the carnival. Hope loved everything she got the chance to eat, including cake, ice cream, pie, lollipops and pink popcorn. She was just then getting to try cotton candy for the very first time, loving the way that it dissolved on her tongue, enjoying it's rich taste and fun texture. She shared other pieces of it with Trixie, and the two laughed over how it stuck to their hooves and faces. The filly was ecstatic from all the new treats and flavors she got to enjoy, hyper and energetic from the sugar rush she acquired, quickly listing off all kinds of newly invented recipes she wanted to try with this new knowledge, much like the peanut butter and cheese sandwiches and orange milk she'd sometimes eat.

"Happy birthday, dear Hope..."

Hope yelled in jubilation as the wind whipped past her. She and Trixie continued to feel thrilled as the roller coaster they rode persevered through several loops, twists and turns, rocketing them across the track at breakneck speed. They both laughed, exhilarated as if they were experiencing an exciting flight, filling every cell in their bodies with the palpable sensation of an incredible rush. As the ride stopped, returning where it began, they took a moment to readjust to their regular speed of movement, before being humorously amused by how dizzy they felt when they got to walk off. Making their way to other parts of the carnival, Hope began suggesting that Trixie could utilize her illusion spells to give the audience a similar experience in their shows.

"Happy birthday to you..."

Trixie and Hope stared in awe at the beauty of the fireworks show going off before them that evening. Fantastic colors and patterns exploded into the sky in majestic showers of sparks, lingering in the air as they slowly descended after bursting forward loudly, only to fade away and be replaced by new ones. They held each other's forehooves as they continued watching, stunned at how the radiant designs only became more beautiful and incredible with each display, gradually raising the bar further and further. This culminated in one final, spectacular array of fireworks that perfectly formed the image of Princess Luna, glittering in the air for several moments before finally disappearing.

The unicorn and the filly smiled at one another.

"I love you, Trixie," Hope proclaimed.

"I love you too, Hope."

For the last time, they hugged.

Trixie's magic finally ceased, the dull ache in her head only slowly ebbing away, just as she felt that Hope was about to die.

The filly continued to smile, tears forming as she opened her eyes, deeply touched and comforted by the final gift that her hero had given her.

'... Trixie and Hope, now and forever...' With that, her side of their mental connection completely stopped.

She was gone. She was free.

The showmare stared down in disbelief at the dead filly in her hooves. No longer would her honey golden peanut butter brown eyes shimmer with life and wonder. No longer would she spend every moment she could with her, telling her what a difference she made in her life. It was all over.

The sun finally started to rise in the dawn, it's light and warmth reaching across Trixie's back, casting her silhouette over Hope's corpse until it was completely submerged in her shadow.

She never cried that hard again.

11. Departure

"Trixie?"

The unicorn wouldn't answer Gilda.

"... Trixie?..."

After what felt like an eternity of silence, the showmare finally stood up. She used her levitation to place Hope's corpse on her back, just as she was whenever she'd ride there alive, and started to walk away, remaining wordless.

"Trixie, are you okay?" the griffon's voice croaked. She knew that the answer was obvious, but the fact that her lifelong best friend wasn't responding to her at all deeply disturbed her.

She started to walk after her, but Gustave stopped her. "Give her some time," he suggested somberly.

They stood still, watching her from off in the distance. Trixie continued without looking back once, making her way to a nearby pond. After freezing for a few moments, she seemingly effortlessly started to use her magic again, tearing off parts of several trees surrounding her and fashioning them into a coffin. The unicorn levitated Hope inside before removing the hat, cape and lachrylus and closing the newfound coffin. She then took them to the pond, soaking the items there, using her magic to help wash the blood away and dry them as soon as they were ready.

She placed the hat and cape on herself, staring down at her reflection in the water sadly. Noticing the lachrylus, she used her levitation to make it become the clasp of her cape, helping it stay around her neck and being displayed outwards. Trixie stayed there for several minutes, merely gazing deeper into her sad reflection, before she started to finally walk back off to the survivor camp, levitating Hope's coffin with her.

Once all three returned (Gilda and Gustave following behind, still unsure what to do or say), the showmare took the coffin to her traveling carriage and placed it inside. Then, she returned to the hut they spent the last several months living in, going into Hope's room.

The griffon cousins remained in the hut, the silence in the air heavy with apprehension and nervousness. Both wanted to whisper to the other about what to do with Trixie, but neither could bring themselves to speak, instead merely exchanging concerned looks. They had no idea how Trixie was feeling or what she was thinking; just that whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

Finally, Gilda couldn't take it any more. She needed to comfort her lifelong best friend. She quickly walked to Hope's room and pulled back the curtains, seeing Trixie looking over the empty bed, and opened her mouth to speak.

"Why did you lie to me?" Trixie asked.

Gilda paused. "About what?"

"About karma," The unicorn continued, slowly turning around, her face still damp with tears. She started to slowly walk towards Gilda, who started to feel uneasy, backing away. "Hope never did anything wrong... She was the nicest one out of all of us, and yet she suffered more than any of us... And Garble and his dragons... They're the most horrible creatures I've ever met, and yet they get away with each of their sick crimes completely free, without so much as a scratch... NO ONE EVER GETS WHAT THEY DESERVE!!! YOU LIED TO ME!!!"

The griffons flinched, startled by Trixie's quiet stoicism instantly switching to a boiling rage.

"YOU COULD HAVE STOPPED THEM BEFORE THEY DID ANYTHING!!! BEFORE THEY HURT HER!!! YOU SAID THAT YOU CARED ABOUT HER, BUT YOU LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT!!! YOU NEVER CARED ABOUT HER, OR ME!!!"

"They would have killed us if we tried anything!" Gilda exclaimed fearfully, trying to explain herself and calm Trixie down. "We were scared! All of us were! We just took you and Hope and ran before any more harm could be done!"

"THEY'RE GOING TO KEEP ON HURTING AND KILLING WHOEVER THEY CAN, JUST BECAUSE THEY THINK IT'S FUN, JUST BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE IT!!! WE COULD HAVE STOPPED THEM IF WE WORKED TOGETHER, BUT BECAUSE OF YOU, WE DIDN'T!!! NOW ALL THE BLOOD THAT THEY SHED IN THE FUTURE IS ON YOUR TALONS, ALL BECAUSE YOU WERE TOO COWARDLY TO DO WHAT WAS RIGHT!!!"

"I know that they're horrible! But there was no way we were able to stop them! There was just nothing we could do!"

Trixie shrieked, lunging after Gilda and wildly swinging her forelegs, rapidly punching her everywhere that she could in a blind fury. The griffon winced and cringed as the hooves painfully crashed down on her from all different directions, desperately trying to shield herself and move out of the way; she had no desire to harm the pony. Finally, Gilda saw an opening, and she quickly grabbed Trixie's forelegs in mid-swing, using a karate maneuver to painlessly and harmlessly restrain her, holding her down on the floor and pinning her limbs with her own.

"Trixie! Please calm down!" Gilda begged, distraught over her friend's pain.

The unicorn hissed as she panted between clenched teeth, squirming as she struggled to get out from under Gilda, but to no avail.

"Have you forgotten what they've done to us all?" she growled. "Everything they did to me? Everything they did to you?" her horn started to glow, and she felt a searing headache and nosebleed overwhelm her once more as she forced her magic to work.

"HERE -- LET ME REMIND YOU --"

Then, she broke Gilda's wings again.

The griffon shrieked in excruciating agony, feeling every bone in her flying appendages shattered to pieces. She released Trixie, completely immobilized by the sheer pain. Gaining the advantage once more, the pony turned both of them over, forcing Gilda to hit the ground on her back, injuring her wings further and producing more hurt cries. The unicorn forced one forehoof onto the griffon's throat, choking her and holding her in place, while the other repeatedly punched her in the face. In her furious state, her magic caused her to see her not as Gilda, but as Garble.

'How could you?!?'

Gilda was seeing spots, each punch a cacophonous explosion to her senses.

'How could you be so heartless?!?'

Trixie's hoof started to become bloodied, breaking skin beneath Gilda's feathers.

'How could you be so heartless enough to kill her... AND NOT ME, WITH HER?!?'

Gilda shut her eyes, starting to cough up blood.

Gustave was horrified. "Trixie, stop! You're going to kill her!"

Instead of seeing Gilda as Garble, she now saw her as Hope. She immediately stopped, her anger quelling into grief and despair.

Before she could do anything else, Gustave knocked her out cold with a frying pan.

Trixie groaned as she slowly regained consciousness, feeling a sharp ache in the back of her head. Somehow, she was able to distinguish it from the pain she felt from pushing her magic too far; this was caused by a physical strike. She winced and hissed as she rubbed the sore area with her forehoof, only to realize she was laying in her bed, with Gilda and Gustave watching over her.

Gilda was still bloodied and bruised, looking completely miserable. "I'm sorry we didn't save Hope," she murmured remorsefully.

Gustave was furious. "It's awful that Hope died, but that's no excuse for what you did, Trixie! You broke Gilda's wings! You could have killed her! I can't believe you did that after all we've done for you!"

"Gustave, shut up," Trixie growled.

"How dare you! You have no place to tell me to do anything! You beat the hell out of my cousin! I demand that you apologize!"

As Gustave continued yelling, the unicorn simply ignored him, gathering the rest of her things that were still within the hut, as well as Hope's possessions, and taking them to her traveling caravan, placing them inside. The two griffons followed, one shouting, the other remaining silent.

In spite of her wings and head being in excruciating pain, Gilda was more tormented by how Trixie was upset with her. She worried that the unicorn would never forgive her, that there would be no way to salvage their friendship.

Gustave's anger started to die down as he realized that Trixie wasn't taking in anything he was saying, or if she did, it seemingly didn't affect her. As soon as the unicorn finished packing her things and got inside her caravan, he sighed in defeat, becoming as morose as Gilda, but not quite for the same reasons.

Trixie closed her eyes as she tried to calm down, her breathing becoming slow, not wanting to screw up her magic now of all times. After a few moments, she took a deep breath and exhaled, simultaneously casting a "come to life" spell on her caravan, causing the wheels to start turning. Shortly afterwards, they started to jolt and lurch in clunky motions.

"Damn it!" the unicorn snarled, getting another headache as she forcibly pushed out more magic to get it working right. She sighed as the wheels resumed rolling without fault, rubbing her forehead with a forehoof as if trying to tenderly coax the ache away.

The caravan continued to leave the camp at a steady pace, while Trixie never looked back, refraining from saying so much as one word; a silent farewell, turning away from the only life she knew for the past several months without ever telling the others goodbye.

Gilda sadly watched her leave, falling to her knees as she cried, holding her face in her talons. She felt heartbroken that her oldest and best friend was completely torn away from her by a senseless tragedy, a tragedy that she blamed her for not preventing, when there was nothing she could have done. Gustave gently helped her stand back up, leading her into the hut. He whispered for her to get some rest and patted her head gently.

The rest of the griffons were completely bewildered. They all swarmed around the hut the commotion emerged from, bombarding Gustave with questions, wondering what all the shouting was about, why Trixie was leaving, and where Hope was; they had presents waiting for the filly to give her for her birthday, and Fiona was worried about the safety of her best friend.

But Gustave said nothing.

Trixie felt tears well up in her eyelids as soon as her caravan reached it's destination. Sprawled before her were the empty remains of Jennet. Once a small, yet lively little village, it was now nothing more than a barren wasteland, a faded echo of the lives that were burned away.

She slowly left her vehicle, still tired, hungry and thirsty from days of traveling without having anything to satiate herself. Still, she didn't care. Nothing seemed to matter to her anymore. Not after everything that she lost, finally losing one of the most important ponies in her life.

Even though it was practically burnt beyond recognition, Trixie had lived in the village long enough, and visited it often enough, to have a mental image of what it was like before. She mustered enough magical use to enable her levitation, retrieving Hope's coffin and a few other items as she made her way through the ruins, visualizing the homes and businesses and buildings that used to be there.

The unicorn continued until she found what she was looking for; where her house used to be. She continued to follow her memories, walking through where the front door was, making her way down the hallway, and into the room that was once hers and later became Hope's. Now, it would be Hope's again.

It was strange, to act as if she were inside somewhere when she was merely amongst rubble in the outdoors, but a small part of her mind convinced herself it was just her way of coping with seeing Jennet like this. The showmare found it so ironic that through so many times in her life, every time she'd return to her hometown, it became radically different than it used to be in some form or another. Now, it was going to remain like this forever.

Trixie toned down her levitation spell, letting most of the things she carried gently touch the ground, keeping only a simple shovel suspended. She got to work on digging a suitable grave for Hope, toiling away endlessly until it was ready. The unicorn sighed, wiping the sweat from her brow with a forehoof, taking a brief moment to let her magic calm down. After her short break, she softly lowered the coffin into the grave, and shoveled the dirt back onto it. Finally, she adorned the grave with some old belongings; Special, Lucy, Hope's violin, and Trixie's own crescent moon carving, once made for her by Euthalia.

The showmare stood back, trying to figure out what to say, but unable to speak. After pondering it for what felt like eternity, she finally did.

"Hope... I'm so sorry for what happened to you. I'll never be able to forgive myself for not saving you... If I was just there sooner, or tried a little harder, maybe it wouldn't have happened like this... I'm at least glad that I could comfort you in your last moments, however much good that did. Still, it's just, so unfair... There were so many things you wanted to do that you never got to... You had your whole life ahead of you, and they just, took it away..."

Her voice quivered as tears rolled down her face, and she squinted her eyes shut. "I just wish I had the chance to repay you for everything you've done for me... I'm not sure I ever could have even if you weren't murdered... Even if I you got to know me for the rest of my life... Losing you hurt more than anything that's ever happened to me... Even my Dad would understand how I could say that... I just... I never thought that you were going to die younger than him... It just doesn't make any sense..."

Trixie took a deep breath, slowly releasing a quivering sigh. "You were too good for this world, Hope... You belonged in a fairy tale, like the ones you loved so much... Maybe, now, Luna's allowing you to live in one, just like you always wanted to... I hope she is... And, I hope that one day, I can find you again, and be in there with you, too... My little princess... My number one assistant... Please, help the night princess take care of the stars while you wait for me, Hope. Let them shine on everyone and remind them of how good they can really be... A little more like you..."

The unicorn slowly conjured a bouquet of Jennet Orchids, and laid them on Hope's grave. She kissed her forehoof, and blew it onto the flowers. "I love you, Hope. I promise, I'll do everything I can to see you again one day. Until then... I'll do my best to be everything you ever wanted me to be. The Great And Powerful Trixie."

12. Monsters

It was eight months since Hope died.

Trixie had long since felt bad for what happened with Gilda and Gustave that day. As much as she hated to admit it, she preferred her youth in Jennet over how her life had gone for over the past year. That may have been almost or just as unpleasant as the hardships she recently suffered, but at least there was a predictable pattern to it; she knew what to expect. Now, it seemed as if her whole world were thrust into chaos, the suffering only continually piling on in an endless stream of misfortunes unfurling before her whenever she was unprepared.

On that fateful morning, there were a few hours where Trixie thought she would never speak to them again; they thought so, too. The idea even followed her for days as she made her way to Jennet, but the closer she got to burying Hope, the more she realized her actions were out of blind rage, a misguided attempt to vent her frustrations gone horribly, terribly wrong. It wouldn't have been enough to simply find them again and apologize. She needed to take action. It was a tall order for her to add earning forgiveness from the two griffons to whom she was already so deeply emotionally indebted.

Even though she expected the worst, Trixie was surprised and relieved to find that her initial efforts of reconciliation and contact were not as bad as she feared they'd be. Resuming her traveling show that was postponed since joining the camp still proved financially fruitful, even though the quality of her performances suffered due to her emotional strain. She managed to scrimp and save every bit she earned until she was able to send Gilda an expensive, rare healing tonic specifically meant to aid her wings.

The griffon found this to be a touching gesture, but her cousin was furious that they remained in contact by mail. Even though the tonic was able to restore the functionality of Gilda's wings, it wasn't able to completely heal them, not to where she could fly as well as she once did. Not nearly well enough to become a Wonderbolt with Rainbow Dash, or to pursue any other dreams related to flying, to have even a chance of using them to strengthen ties between ponies and griffons or even earn several ponies' respect.

This had given Gilda mixed feelings towards Trixie, and, compounded with so many other troubles she endured for so long, birthed a serious anger management issue. Some days, she'd yell at Gustave as no one ever had before, and she would even get into heated altercations with random strangers over something as simple as an innocent mistake. It boiled to a head when three of the local guards in the town she stayed in tried to escort her out of a closing bar that she refused to leave. This ended with her blacking out and putting them in the hospital; Trixie wound up bailing her out of jail, under the condition that she undergo court-mandated anger management classes.

Gustave, however, was doing quite well for himself in his culinary endeavors. Gilda would have been glad for him, if it wasn't for the fact that he was doing it simply to spite Trixie. What once was a dream of his was now turning into an obsession that haunted and tortured him; where he would formerly have felt joy in the activity, there was now only emptiness and bitterness, the chef merely trying to convince himself it made him happy instead of that truly being the case.

In their letters to one another, Gilda was able to fill Trixie in on what became of the rest of the survivor camp after they all left. Fiona stayed with her and Gustave for some time, only to go on to live with Gilda's uncle, Arluin. The young griffon blamed herself for Hope's death, punishing herself by giving up on her dreams and settling for a life of mediocrity.

Perla and Tristan left together to find a new life, but unfortunately the comedienne's health started to fail as a result of her risky performances. Being a former alcoholic and an on-and-off sword swallower and fire dancer ended up giving her painful complications that slowly ate away at her life; in spite of the excruciating agony she regularly suffered, she rejoiced in that at least she and Tristan would not die much later than one another, so they could stay together pretty much to the end.

Adia, Renard and Roul were not heard from ever since they left. They were only able to guess as to what fates the three griffons encountered; hopefully, nothing bad had happened on their journey to find new lives. Gilda and Trixie shared concern for whether or not Renard would ever be able to find his family again, and if the others were safe as well.

Finally, there came a time where Gilda and Trixie realized they had a mutual desire to bury the hatchet and reinvigorate their friendship. Both were apologetic and forgiving of any transgressions shared between one another, longing for a simpler, nicer time when they were both younger and never got in any fights. So, after figuring out one another's schedules for the near future, they concluded that they could meet together in Ponyville on Hope's birthday to make up for lost time. Gilda was going to be seeing an old friend, Rainbow Dash, there in the first place, and Trixie had never performed in the town before, so she figured she might as well go.

That was still four months away.

The sparks fizzled and died out, barely making it past her horn.

Trixie winced and cringed, visibly uncomfortable. Her ears lowered as she shrank from the boos of her audience in Baltimare.

"T-Trixie's just having a few magical difficulties -- give her a moment, please!"

"We came here to see a magic show, not a magic flop!"

"Yeah!"

The crowd continued jeering and clamoring angrily and impatiently. The showmare squinted her eyes shut, trying to force herself to relax and focus, but her efforts kept falling short.

'If only that crowd could be quiet for just a minute -- I'll entertain them, as soon as they let me have time to --'

Her thoughts were interrupted by the harsh smack of a tomato hitting her face, exploding on her muzzle and squirting it's juices everywhere. Trixie exclaimed, her concentration broken as her headache worsened. She stumbled about the stage, trying to wipe the tomato juice from her eyes with a forehoof, causing some of the audience members to laugh.

Soon, more of them started throwing whatever they had onto the stage, hurling more insults and complaints with them, showering the unicorn in a barrage of food, garbage and random objects.

"Pfft! 'Great and Powerful' my flank!"

"You're wasting our time!"

"I want my money back!"

"You call yourself a performer?"

Overwhelmed, Trixie's haplessness and dismay slowly twisted into anger. She barely opened her eyes, shielding her face with her forehooves, glaring at the unruly audience.

'You want a show? I'll give you a show.'

Slowly, she found the focus and energy to resume placing effort in her magic. This time, she was able to tune completely into it and drown out the hectic commotion of her hecklers, letting it build and strengthen. The unicorn continued placing more strain on her horn, feeling a headache and nosebleed coming on once more.

'It's not enough. I need more.'

The painful sensations intensified.

'More.'

It spread across her skull, a splintering, stinging pain.

'DAMN IT, I NEED MORE!'

It grew into a searing, white hot burning agony.

Finally, the showmare achieved her goal. After an excruciating effort, she conjured the image of a colossal, terrifying, lifelike cerberus, inhabiting the entire stage behind her, roaring and snarling at the hecklers with all three of it's hideous heads.

"Is this what you want?!? Are you entertained?!?" Trixie started to trot back and forth across the stage, surveying the audience's horrified reactions. "Or is this not good enough, either?!? Does it not feel real to you?!? Do you need to witness firsthoof the sensations of being crushed beneath it's feet or eviscerated by it's fangs? Tell me! TELL ME!"

They screamed in unison as the three heads lashed out hungrily. The cerberus leapt off the stage, into the middle of the crowd... Only to vanish before it could touch anyone.

Trixie hissed and panted, exhausted and furious. "Maybe next time you go to a show, you'll be a little more patient..." she growled. "You have no idea how hard it is to please you ungrateful jerks... If any of you were here on this stage instead of me, you wouldn't have the guts to even try... Now, go back to your homes, you inconsiderate curs!" the unicorn promptly galloped off of the stage, kicking over everything and everyone in her path, quitting the performance in a fit of rage.

It was all over the newspapers.

She should have known she couldn't have had that outburst without running into some form of trouble, but her emotions got the better of her in the heat of the moment. The extent to which she disturbed the peace would have given her jail time if she wasn't able to prove to the guards that the cerberus was an entirely fake illusion and that the audience was never in any real danger. That didn't stop her from having to pay a hefty fine, and becoming an infamous media circus in the local area, but at least she would soon get to move on to the next town and the next show, and try to put it behind her. Trixie hoped that the news of this incident wouldn't follow her, but she grimly realized it was quite likely.

The unicorn quietly breathed a sigh of relief as soon as she was allowed to leave. When she started to walk out, she was suddenly stopped by one of the guards.

The stallion couldn't have been much older than her, and glared as if he were looking at some unforgivable scoundrel. "You might have been lucky enough to weasel your way out of a proper sentence this time, but the next chance I get to bust you for something in this town, I promise I'll jump right on it. There weren't just mares and stallions in that crowd. You could have easily scared those elderly ponies to death, and you probably traumatized those poor fillies and colts for the rest of their lives. I don't know what it was that turned you into such a witch, but whatever it was, I'm glad that it happened to you, because you deserved it."

After he finished speaking, he got out of the way of Trixie's path, legally obligated to let her go freely. The showmare stewed in silent fury at his words, taking a moment to compose herself so she didn't break yet another law. Shortly afterwards, she finally left.

It was tempting to lash out at that guard, to inform him of how he had no idea what she went through, and how coldhearted he was to say what he said. But she didn't need to do anything, or find any form of vengeance. She'd gotten to peek at his thoughts for just a moment -- just long enough, just far enough, to know what she wanted to know, and that satisfied her and calmed her down.

She was delighted in the discovery that this stallion was living a miserable life as well, and acted partially as a result of that.

She was also amused to find out that if he had to go through what she did, he couldn't take it. He would kill himself.

She smiled, until she remembered that was exactly what she would to do, if only she could.

Weeks later, in another town, Trixie found herself blindfolded, upside down, chained, and submerged in water. This wasn't even a performance, but merely an audition.

She couldn't continue her traditional act, since her failing magic would disappoint her audiences to the point of rioting, which she couldn't afford to have happen again after her last one. So, instead, she reinvented her act with a method that was theoretically always possible for her, she had just never attempted or thought of it. She would abuse the magic linked to her survival instinct to help her easily accomplish deadly or normally impossible stunts and tricks.

The unicorn believed the judges would surely be impressed as she escaped from the trap with just her forelegs, wearing a restraint on her horn that kept her voluntary magic from aiding her for the duration. She wouldn't even have a curtain in front of the water chamber like most performers did, but allow the viewers to see everything, so they could know she was genuine and wasn't relying on cheap tricks.

Someday, when she practiced such routines alone, she hoped that some mistake or overwhelming amount of danger might bypass her involuntary magic and finally allow her to die.

The showmare didn't want to perish before witnesses, however. The least she could do about it was be tasteful.

As her forelegs finally slipped free, she winced in discomfort at holding her breath for so long. She instinctively pulled her blindfold off, immediately regretting it; it would have been more impressive to perform the whole trick entirely sightless, but she could try that again with paying spectators later. She briefly got a glimpse of the three judges, noticing the stallion seemed unimpressed, irritated, or both. Trixie's ears lowered, figuring her mistake put him off. Her eyes raised to the chains she was still otherwise bound in, starting to undo them further with her forelegs. She scolded herself with the reminder that it was more impressive if she wasn't looking at them, so she turned her eyes back to the judges.

The stallion wasn't there anymore.

Trixie became so upset that her raw magic burnt through the restraint on her horn, destroying it. She forced herself to teleport out of the water container, now being completely dry, and stomped out of the room, ignoring the remaining two judges' pleas to wait.

She soon caught up with the stallion who was walking down the hall.

"You! How dare you walk out on my performance before I'm finished! If you don't want to accept me, that's fine, but the least you could do is have the courtesy to sit and watch the whole damn thing!"

The judge turned to face her, looking equally confrontational. "I saw everything I needed to see! You have no regard for your own safety, and by extension none for that of your audience, either! That's not just unprofessional, that's morally reprehensible! I'd have you banned from ever stepping on a stage again if it was up to me!" With that, he stormed off.

Trixie froze, stunned by his rebuttal. She'd internally made a point to herself long ago that even if she didn't care what happened to her, she'd never want to hurt anyone else, yet she never considered the possibility of her shows doing this before. She sighed in defeat, wrought with mixed feelings, all of them unpleasant.

She left without even seeing whether or not the remaining two judges would accept her show.

'How am I going to keep performing if I can't perform?'

Trixie lay in the lonely silence of her caravan for hours.

'I tried to do my shows the way I always did, and I messed it up every single time, each worse than the last. I tried to do something new, and then I was told it was too dangerous and wrong. Is there nothing I can do? Was this all just some delusional dream I finally have to wake up from?'

The young mare was chilled with lament. Her plight bothered her not because being a showmare was something she always wanted, but because she feared not living up to Hope's expectations and honoring her memory.

The unicorn wished she could find some form of medicine or enchanted item to augment her magic and compensate for its disability, but no matter where she looked, there were none to be found. In her desperate searches, spending hours in even the seediest cesspits, she heard rumors of an Alicorn Amulet that would fortify one's magical ability to a godly status, but at a great cost. She didn't care what happened to her as long as she could fulfill the role she claimed to hold. Anything was worth being as good as Hope truly believed her to be. Knowing her luck, she figured the Alicorn Amulet didn't even exist, or if it did, she could never get it.

Trixie squinted her eyes shut, trying to keep herself from crying. She sighed, getting out of her bed and pacing around her caravan.

'I can't just stop. I need to fulfill the promise I made to Hope. There has to be something, anything I can do to make this work... I've been in bad spots before, I should be able to get out of this one, too... I just... Need something...'

Finally, she paused as soon as she faced her nightstand, looking right at her most precious possession.

The tears fought harder for freedom as she continued to gaze into the nostalgic reminder. If she could, she would have used her magic to restore the picture to when it was good as new, just after she autographed it. But her emotions hadn't been peaceful enough for her to do that.

Surely, she could at least simply levitate it.

'... You're stronger than all of this... You're The Great And Powerful Trixie!' Hope's voice echoed in her memory.

Trixie started to cast a basic levitation spell, trying to move the picture. The bittersweet feelings it evoked caused her to struggle; as each moment passed, she only felt her head hurting even more, while the photograph never budged an inch. She pressed on, refusing to believe she had become this weak, only for her to run out of energy with yet another nosebleed. The picture remained completely still.

The unicorn cried, disheartened by how completely useless she felt.

Over the weeks, Trixie continuously meditated until she was able to reach a state of quiet, stoic contentment. Content, but not satisfied. She had come to accept, not enjoy, what she thought her life was probably going to be like for its remaining duration. All it boiled down to was to condition herself to simply stop wanting so much. She never cared that much about bits before, but now she would never even set any aside for her own personal leisure, using them only either to sustain her shows, save for Gilda and Gustave, or give to other causes anonymously.

Even simple pleasures that were free were completely ignored. She'd no longer indulge in the beautiful splendor of the night sky, or go for walks just to enjoy herself, or anything of the sort. The more she desired, the more she would only end up becoming further hurt and disappointed. The unicorn tried to extinguish all of her optimism and wants, knowing far better by now the things in store for her if she fostered these things at all.

Not even the return of Princess Luna, as Celestia had promised, brought her any joy. Once, she would have rushed to meet the night princess at the first chance. Now that she had finally come back to rule in Canterlot after resolving her justified anger, even becoming generally accepted by most Equestrians as opposed to before, Trixie would not seek her out. It wasn't that she didn't want to meet Luna, or that her feelings about her had changed at all. She merely believed she did not deserve to be in Luna's presence or earn her recognition, and that the goddess would be ashamed of her and despise her. As far as she was concerned, they would never meet, regardless of how much she would like the reverse to be true.

Now that her magic had improved, only enough to remain functional, she resumed performing, toning her act down to the point of being a generic magician's folly. It felt humiliating and embarrassing, to be reduced to only being capable of a beginner's talents, but Trixie knew (or at least believed) that even this was way too good for her; anything good about her clearly only came from Hope, Gilda, and Gustave.

In addition to this, she had spent many weeks painstakingly trying to enchant the benign lachrylus holding her cape together, so that it legitimately carried the magical traits that legends espoused it to hold. The goal was for her to use such a function to improve her magical abilities by moderating her emotions automatically. Unfortunately, she was only able to enchant it to the point of limiting her emotional expression, without actually decreasing any of the actual severity, thus being indifferent to her actual magical capabilities. When wearing it, her rage would become annoyance, her sorrow would become minor disappointment, her fear would become a slight discomfort... But only to those looking at her. She would still feel the full brunt of every emotion in their genuine authenticity.

Even with her acting experience, this also resulted in her showmare persona coming off apathetic if she didn't force extra effort into trying to maintain its false sense of confidence. Because she tried to compensate by wildly exaggerating, lest she come off unenthused and uninteresting, this caused some of the inevitable hecklers to believe her to be some arrogant braggart with an ego the size of the sun.

Trixie preferred it that way. It was so much better for them to believe her to be that than for them to know the truth; that she was actually something much worse. A whining, worthless loser completely unable to protect anyone that she ever cared about, only hurting them whenever she tried to help and letting them all down no matter what she did. She started to believe what her sister said all those years ago was right all along; her cutie mark was not for bringing peace, but taking good things and twisting them into something awful. Her entire existence revolved around experiencing and creating suffering, whether or not she tried to escape it or help others do the same. The road to Tartarus was paved with good intentions, and she personally laid down every brick.

In spite of it all, there was one other thing that helped her feel good enough to keep her magic functional. Soon, she would be seeing Gilda in Ponyville, and together they would take the first step to repairing their friendship back to the way it always was before. The unicorn reluctantly dared to have some small hope that perhaps this could be the start of fixing the rest of her life, that perhaps once she and her lifelong best friend truly reunited, everything else would gradually fall into place, one by one.

It was almost time.

The note fell onto the floor of Trixie's caravan as she sighed in disappointment.

She came to Ponyville expecting to meet Gilda, only for her not to be there. When she went to the hotel where they were supposed to get rooms, the only greeting she got from the griffon was a note left behind with the receptionist. It explained that Gilda unfortunately had a bitter falling out with Rainbow Dash, and she went back to Gustave so that she could cool down without running into the pegasus again.

The unicorn felt saddened that she didn't at least wait to say hi to her for the first time in months, but she could understand where she was coming from. She decided she would write to Gilda to arrange for them to meet another time in the near future, but first, she was going to perform in Ponyville.

'I've never done a show here before. Who knows? Maybe it might go very well...'

The thoughts she probed herself with were mostly to work up the courage to still go through with it. Gilda's absence was a convenient excuse for her to cancel, but she already scheduled this with Ponyville's Mayor Mare months in advance, and she thought it would have been awfully rotten of her to back out right at the last minute.

But it was mostly important because it was Hope's birthday. If there ever was a time to honor the filly's memory, it would be then. She would not only perform today, but return to a routine that she had abandoned for what felt like so long ago. This show would have tricks requiring volunteers, allowing them to display their most passionate talents for the rest of the audience so they could see how wonderful they truly were. On top of everything else, it was going to be a free charity show.

'I'll go see Gilda after all this is done... I swear. She'll understand.'

In the hours leading up to Hope's tribute, Trixie found herself surprised at how much she enjoyed Ponyville's pleasant atmosphere. She simply walked throughout the town, taking in all the sights, noticing the generally cheery demeanor of most of the ponies. She almost laughed out of surprise when a small idea in the back of her mind suggested she move here, as if the peaceful calm of it's citizens would rub off on her somehow. Even though she doubted it would help her that much, it still didn't seem like a terribly bad idea.

None of the ponies here recognized her, since she wasn't wearing the hat and cape she was often associated with, choosing to keep the lachrylus tied within her mane once more for now. Everywhere she looked, the ponies were kind and friendly to one another, whether they were neighbors or even complete strangers. The warm, homely hospitality surrounding Ponyville caused the unicorn to feel nostalgic for a time when she'd see a certain filly and her parents once a month, in the village she grew up in, gradually turned from a slum full of outcasts to a haven for Lunar Loyalists where they could feel no shame or rejection. She was glad she wore the lachrylus, or else those she passed might have noticed homesick tears.

In her unexpected detour spent appreciating the town's graceful serenity, Trixie suddenly noticed that she would have to prepare for the show very soon. Embarrassed with how distracted she became, she started to discreetly hurry back to her traveling caravan in the town square, trying not to draw too much attention to herself.

"I'm so excited that Trixie finally came here!" a young colt exclaimed off in the distance.

The showmare paused, taken by surprise once more. This was the first time she heard anything about her presence since her arrival. Curiously, she looked to the source of the speech, seeing two unicorn colts several yards away. One was short and stocky with a grayish opal coat, the other tall and lanky with a golden coat.

"Yeah!" the taller one replied to his friend. "We've been waiting for her to come to Ponyville forever!"

"I heard she's finally going to do those volunteer tricks again! We're in luck! After she brings us on stage and we show them all what we can do, Diamond Tiara will stop bullying us!"

The young mare smiled, finding the colts' appreciation of her to be heartwarming. She made a mental note to herself to remember to invite them to volunteer, and then continued back on her way to get ready.

In less than five minutes, Trixie was going to perform for Ponyville for the first time. For so long, she viewed every show with apprehension, gripped with anxiety before each performance, but this time was different. For the first time in her recent memory, she felt so sure that this show was going to be just fine. Even though she had been so wrought over her ultimate fate, the unicorn's memories of Hope were empowering her with how happy they always made each other, and what a difference there was in their lives with one another. She knew she could never do anything to fully repay Hope for all that she did for her, but she would at least try with this tribute.

Her nerves were seized with excitement as she heard the chatter of dozens of ponies just outside of her caravan, waiting for her to appear. The young mare promised herself she wouldn't disappoint them, and would perform just as she had with Hope by her side. Watching the clock tick away, her moment growing ever closer, she smiled and closed her eyes before conjuring a bouquet of Jennet Orchids, taking in their scent.

'This is for you, Hope. Happy birthday.'

Her moment arrived.

"Come one, come all! Come and witness the amazing magic of The Great And Powerful Trixie!"

As the showmare proclaimed her stage name, her caravan started to unfold into a stage as it had done so many times. She teleported from behind the curtains onto the stage, emerging through a puff of dark smoke and glittering sparkles, greeting the audience with a warm smile.

The audience responded in kind with several "ooh"s and "aah"s, mouths agape in astonishment at the unexpected double function of her caravan, and her dramatic entrance.

"Watch in awe as The Great And Powerful Trixie performs the most spectacular feats of magic ever witnessed by pony eyes!" she posed triumphantly, using her horn to make sparks and fireworks go off from the stage and play fanfare from behind the curtains.

A white unicorn mare in the front row leered, unimpressed. "My, my, my! What boasting!" she remarked, rolling her eyes.

'... I'm just starting, miss... I'm playing a role, I'm supposed to look impressive...' Trixie thought to herself, put off with immediately being heckled before even being given a chance.

"There's nothing wrong with being talented, is there?" A lavender unicorn asked.

"Nothing at all," an orange earth pony with a cowboy hat replied.

Trixie quietly released a sigh of relief under her breath. She conjured the Jennet Orchids once more and took in their scent, both to help herself calm down and to impress the audience.

"Except when someone goes around showin' it off like a school filly with fancy new ribbons," the orange mare suddenly added.

'Great. Another one, pretending to be compassionate.'

"Just because one has the ability to perform lots of magic does not make one better than the rest of us," the white unicorn continued.

'I know that,' Trixie thought, becoming further irritated.

"Especially when ya got me around being better than the rest of us!" a cyan pegasus chimed. "Yeah! Magic, schmagic! Boo!"

The showmare grimaced uncomfortably. She was ready to take these insults in stride, to simply continue with her performance as planned. She wanted to please the more appreciative ponies in the audience who were respectfully watching a show; if she could win over these hecklers with her talents, and by showing them her modesty and humility as well, that would simply be an added bonus. Their rudeness wasn't going to ruin Hope's tribute.

But then, something turned all of that around. Something that, for Trixie, froze time in a mere moment, making a single instant feel like forever. Something she saw that she hadn't seen in over a year. Something that made her blood boil.

'A dragon.'

Her eyes briefly rested on him, a small, young one with purple and green scales, evoking a miniaturized image of Pain or Blaze.

'Celestia should round up all of you worthless scalebacks and send you into the sun to burn and suffer forever. You and your whole kind are good for nothing but causing pain and misery.'

If it weren't for the lachrylus reigning in her emotional expressions, she would have leapt off the stage and galloped at full speed to stab his throat with her horn.

'I'll give you visions so nightmarish that you'll claw through your eyes to shred apart your brain just to end them, you savage little devil. I'll torture you in ways that will make you beg for me to stop, but what you need the most is what you want the least.'

She just as briefly surveyed the minds of those closest surrounding him, flabbergasted and horrified at how they could so easily tolerate his presence, as if he were one of them.

'How... Dare you all treat this thing like it's a pony?!? Like it deserves kindness, mercy, and compassion?!? You blind fools!!! Just wait and see!!! He'll grow to become a tyrannical, heartless monster, stealing away from you everything that he can, simply because he wants to! He'll crush and destroy your town and slaughter you all! One day you'll see that I'm right, and you'll all be sorry! You'll wish that you would all have stomped on this useless filth until you sent him to Tartarus where he belongs! I'll show you. I'll show you all.'

Suddenly, the show wasn't important anymore. She had a monster to deal with. But she couldn't just up and confront him to expose him for what she thought he really was. She'd have to discourage and dishearten him, and all those who befriended him, to the point of breaking their spirits so that no one would want to associate themselves with him, and he could not bring himself to harm anyone. Trixie decided to do it under the guise of simply responding in kind to her hecklers; it was the perfect excuse. And, just like that, time resumed for her once more.

"Well, well, well... It seems we have some naysayers in the audience! Who is so ignorant as to challenge the ability of The Great And Powerful Trixie?!?" she proclaimed, raising her forelegs in an angry, accusatory manner. "Do they not know that they are in the presence of the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria?!?" she bellowed.

The white unicorn blew a raspberry. "Just who does she think she is?"

"Yeah! Since we all know that Twilight here is --"

"Spike! Shh!" the lavender unicorn started pushing the young dragon to the back of the crowd.

Trixie smirked, finding that her plan was already starting to work.

'Yes, dragon. You may have fooled them all with your supposed "innocence", but you haven't fooled me. Trixie sees through your disguise and knows what you really are, you monster.'

She posed triumphantly, setting off her fireworks and fanfare once more.

The cyan pegasus leered at her, suddenly taking to her wings and bolting onto the stage, stopping just short of tackling Trixie head-on and hovering right in front of her. She leaned her face inches away from the showmare's, nudging her hat with her forehead, getting up close and personal.

"So, 'Great And Powerful Trixie', what makes you think you're so awesome, anyway?"

Trixie briefly scanned her mind once more, amused by what she found.

'So, this is Rainbow Dash... The one who sent Gilda away after everything she's been through... To think either one of us ever thought so highly of her! And she's under the influence of that damned creature, as well? I'll show her to hurt my best friend and think she can get away with it. You'll be sorry, you lout.'

The showmare chuckled, briefly rubbing her forehead with a hoof as it started to hurt, fixing her hat in the process. "Why, only The Great And Powerful Trixie has magic strong enough to vanquish the dreaded Ursa Major!"

She used some of the horns on her stage normally reserved for fanfare to shoot flames and fireworks into the sky, exploding into an image of the gargantuan beast to which she referred.

The audience released many startled and astounded "whoa"s.

"What?" Snips chimed.

"No way!" Snails added.

"When all hope was lost, the ponies of Hoofington had no one to turn to, but The Great And Powerful Trixie stepped in, and with her awesome magic, vanquished the Ursa Major, and sent it back to it's cave, deep within the Everfree Forest!"

As she recounted Hope's tale, Trixie conjured an image of herself defeating the Ursa Major, erasing it with a widespread stream of magic coming from a wand.

"SWEET!" the unicorn colts idolizing her exclaimed in unison.

"That settles it!" Snips claimed.

"Trixie truly is the most talented, most magical, most awesome unicorn in Ponyville!" Snails yelled.

"No! In all of Equestria!" Snips added.

"How do you know?!? You didn't see it!!!" the dragon complained.

The showmare laughed at his distress. "It's true, my enthusiastic little admirers! Trixie is most certainly the best in Ponyville!"

The audience remained silent at her insult to their collective entirety.

'I may not be anything special, but even someone as low as me knows better than to trust a bucking dragon. You're a whole village full of idiots.'

"Don't believe The Great And Powerful Trixie?" she chuckled. "Well, then, I hereby challenge you, Ponyvillians; anything you can do, I can do better! Any takers? Anyone? Or is Trixie destined to be the greatest equine who has ever lived?!?" she triumphantly posed with another burst of fireworks and fanfare, glaring right at the dragon once she stood back on all fours.

The dragon fell to the ground before the lavender unicorn beside him, clutching her forehooves. "Ple-e-ease! She's unbearable! You gotta show her! You just gotta!" he cried desperately.

'That little demon is so annoying. I want to teleport his dark, cold heart out of his scaly little body and eat it right in front of him.'

She started to survey her audience, looking for potential challengers. "Hmm... How about..." her eyes rested on the orange mare who heckled her earlier, who was now glaring at her. She quickly pointed her forehoof right at her. "You?" Trixie started to walk towards the edge of the stage. "Well, how about it, hmm? Is there anything you can do that The Great And Powerful Trixie can't?" she felt her eye twitch during the confrontational address. "Well, little hayseed?"

"That's it! I can't stand for no more of this!" she exclaimed in reply.

"You show her, AJ!" the dragon encouraged her.

The earth pony quickly got onto the stage, promptly tying a lasso to her tail that was previously concealed in her hat. "Can your magical powers do this?"

Initially, her tail quickly rotated in circles directly upward, enclosing herself within the range of the rapidly moving lasso. She smiled as she stood on one foreleg, lifting the circle directly above her. Standing back on all fours, her tail now twirled it behind her, and she started to play a form of jump rope with it by hopping through the circle as her tail brought it towards her back and forth, all the while still twirling at a blindingly fast pace.

The audience released an impressed "ooh" as she did this about four times, only to suddenly thrust her tail outward, casting the lasso away from her. It ensnared an apple on the nearest tree with perfect precision, only to promptly pull it back. The apple flew towards the mare, freeing itself from the lasso and landing right in her open mouth, all while her eyes were closed. She promptly chewed it to pieces and swallowed it all down.

The spectators cheered her on, offering compliments.

"Top that, missy!" the orange mare dared.

"Oh, ye of little talent... Watch and be amazed at the magic of Trixie!" the unicorn replied, levitating her hat above her as she spoke.

The earth pony's free, untied lasso simply laying limp on the ground slowly came to life, raising up before her eyes in serpentine motions as Trixie used an additional spell to make her hypnotized by it.

'Hmph. What a simpleton.'

She levitated the other end of the lasso to grab another apple from the same tree, pulling it towards her. The end closest to the earth pony suddenly coiled around all four of her legs, constricting them tightly and hogtying her. She exclaimed as Trixie pulled her hooves out from under her, roughly letting her fall onto the stage on her back before she placed the apple in her mouth, making her look like a complete fool.

The showmare then used another spell, one she'd first seen the Flim Flam Brothers do so many years ago, causing most of the audience to like her and cheer her on in spite of her cruel antics, intentionally letting the dragon's friends be unaffected by it with the intent of making them feel foolish as well.

The orange mare started to pitifully hop off the stage with all four of her legs bound together, struggling not to fall.

"Once again, The Great And Powerful Trixie prevails!"

Rainbow Dash furiously flew back onto the stage. "There's no need to go strutting around and showing off like that!" she barked.

"Oh?" Trixie smirked at her. 'You mean like you, you complete hypocrite?'

"That's my job!" she finished, flying off into the air to make a spectacle of herself.

'Ha -- I knew it.'

First, the pegasus bolted straight for a windmill off in the distance. She grabbed one of the four propellers and flew in rapid circles, causing it to spin at her blindingly fast pace, only to use it's momentum to rocket herself skyward towards the clouds. She pierced through nine clouds in a row like a bullet, promptly stopping for just a moment right by the sun as she posed confidently.

Rainbow immediately dove straight back down, perfectly speeding right through the holes she pierced through each cloud, causing several raindrops to follow after her. They continued to do so as she spun on the propellers of the windmill once more, this time using it to launch herself back to Trixie's stage. The pegasus came to an abrupt, miraculously safe stop on all four of her hooves, spreading her wings out and causing the raindrops to splash all over them, creating a small, sparkling rainbow directly above her head that stretched across her wingspan.

"They don't call me 'Rainbow' and 'Dash' for nothin'!" she espoused pridefully.

The crowd cheered her on, sincerely entertained with her impressive feat of flight, agility and weather manipulation.

Trixie grimaced. 'She thinks she's so superior to everyone else. She's so full of herself. She's just like Myrtle... To think that Gilda was ever friends with her. Perhaps it's only through the dragon's deception that she became so vile, but a mare must pay the price of the company she keeps...'

"When Trixie is through, the only thing they'll call you is 'loser'." the showmare cast a spell encasing the pegasus and the rainbow she created in a magical aura. The cyan mare paused in bewilderment as she noticed the rainbow starting to run circles around her. She exclaimed as she was suddenly encased by it, as if it became a physical construct, spinning out of control like a tornado as it flew haphazardly throughout the air.

"Whoa!!! Whoa!!! WHOA!!!"

It finally stopped, placing her almost upside down with her flank in the air as she finished spinning, looking visibly nauseated, dizzy, and uncomfortable. "I... Think I'm... Gonna be sick..."

"Seems like anypony with a dash of good sense would think twice before tussling with the Great Trixie!" the showmare proclaimed.

As the orange mare helped the shaky, distraught pegasus back to her hooves, Trixie conjured a dark cloud directly above and behind her, shocking her with a single thunderbolt that caused her mane and tail to stretch out.

"Ow!" Dash squealed.

Once again, Trixie's spell manipulating the crowd's minds in her favor caused them to laugh with her at her display of bullying.

The dragon was further frustrated. "What we need is another unicorn to challenge her! Someone with some magic of her own?"

"Yeah! A unicorn to show this unicorn who's boss!" Rainbow chimed, seeking retribution.

"A real unicorn-to-unicorn tussle!" the orange mare added.

The white unicorn who first heckled Trixie stepped forward, seemingly tired of the whole situation. "Enough. Enough, all of you! I take your hint, but Rarity is above such nonsense. Rainbow Dash and Applejack may behave like ruffians, but Rarity conducts herself with beauty and grace!"

'Yet another pony the dragon has infected with Myrtle's brand of arrogance... And they have the nerve to call me a braggart? Do none of these ponies ever look in the mirror?'

Trixie suddenly picked up on a new bit of information she found from surveying their minds. Something that only infuriated her even further.

'So, the dragon has not only driven my friend Gilda away from here, but he's manipulated these ponies into denying my goddess her rightful place?!? When she came here seeking justified retribution, they opposed her!!! They attacked her!!! Luna, who had never done anything to them but watch over their dreams and guard the night!!! The dragon has poisoned their souls, making them defy everything that is good and just!!! They forbid virtue and reward decadence!!!'

She recoiled, disgusted by the white mare's vanity. The showmare suddenly smirked, deciding she would use her own vanity against her.

"Ooh, what's the matter? Afraid to get a hair out of place in that rat's nest you call a mane?"

Just as she predicted, her tolerance immediately melted into confrontation the moment she heard the insult. "Oh... IT. IS. ON."

Rarity immediately got onto Trixie's stage, pacing around her. "You may think you're tough with all of your so-called powers, but there is more to magic than your brutish ways! A unicorn needs to be more than just muscle." She suddenly levitated one of the curtains on Trixie's stage towards herself, causing it to circle around her.

"A unicorn needs to have style!" after a blinding flash of light died down, the audience released awestruck "ooh"s at how she seemingly effortlessly and instantaneously gave herself a complete makeover, her mane and tail now taking on a more complex design, the shreds of the curtain turned into a dress adorned with golden decorations.

"A unicorn's not a unicorn without grace and beauty!" Rarity finished.

Trixie smirked as she started to cast her own spell.

'I'll show them what you really are, you fiend... For once in your life, your appearance will match the ugliness inside you...'

"Rarity won't let Trixie get the best of her!" the dragon claimed. "She's strong, she's beautiful..."

Once the showmare completed her task, the audience recoiled in horror.

"Quick! I need a mirror!" Rarity screamed. "Get me a mirror! What did she do to my hair?!? I know she did something terrible to my hair!"

"Nothing!" the lavender unicorn lied.

"It's fine!" Rainbow chimed.

"It's gorgeous!" Applejack added.

"It's green..." the dragon admitted. The three ponies glared at him. "What?"

Rarity started to cry. "No... Green hair... Not green hair!!!" she galloped off of the stage, presumably returning home to fix it. "Such an awful, awful color!" she yelled, sobbing off in the distance.

"Well, Twilight, I guess it's up to you!" the dragon said.

Trixie looked down at her lachrylus, blowing on her hoof and taking a moment to polish it.

"Come on, show her what you're made of!"

"What do you mean? I'm nothing special!" the lavender unicorn insisted.

"Yes, you are! You're better than her!"

"I'm not better than anyone!" Twilight replied, visibly uncomfortable.

Trixie misheard her. "Ha! You think you're better than The Great And Powerful Trixie? You think you have more magical talent?" she taunted, walking towards the edge of the stage. "Well, come on! Show Trixie what you've got! Show us all!"

"Who, me? I'm just your run of the mill citizen of Ponyville! No powerful magic here! I, uh... I think I hear my laundry calling! Sorry, gotta go!" Twilight nervously galloped away.

"Twilight?..." the dragon murmured, disheartened by her folding under pressure.

Trixie scoffed. "Once again, The Great And Powerful Trixie has proven herself to be the most amazing unicorn in all of Equestria! Was there ever any doubt?" with that, she walked behind what remained of the curtains, ending the show as her audience left.

'Those moronic Ponyvillains never deserved to see a real show, anyhow...'

She smirked as she noticed the dragon looking rather upset, folding his arms.

'Yes, beast. You may have fooled an entire village, but you won't fool me. I'm free from your corrupting influence. I remain pure.'

Later in the day, Trixie felt her mane was tangled, so she decided to brush it. In the hours before then, she originally felt so good about what she had done to hinder the dragon's spirits, but the more that time passed, the more she felt unsure about what she did. She wasn't even sure exactly what it was yet, she just knew that she didn't like the way that it felt. It seemed like she did something wrong; something very wrong.

While she was normally comfortable in the privacy and solitude of the inside of her caravan, it now felt claustrophobic and confining. She groaned in frustration, trying to find some way to remedy whatever it was that was plaguing her so. The only thing she could think of to figure out what was ailing her, and how to attain it's solution, was to talk to the magically conjured manifestation of her stage persona once more. So, she took her mirror outside of her caravan once she knew she'd be alone out there.

Staring into it, she was initially distracted by her somber expression. Even as she was wearing the lachrylus, the lingering sorrow that suddenly returned within her was too intense to completely contain; it had never happened before, but she figured that the overwhelming rage and fury she felt with the dragon in the audience might have started to put strain on the enchanted gem. This only made her more desperate to speak with her nonexistent, better half, wanting to solve this bewildering problem.

As she forced herself to focus back on her present task, Trixie started to cast the spell intended to reanimate her reflection once more, but she was too emotionally distraught for the spell to work right. She sighed in frustration, quickly deciding to give up on it; she could always try again another time. For the time being, she chose instead to brush her mane, closing her eyes. The unicorn was sure she would at least feel a little bit better once she was done; then, she could go back inside and try to rest. If the sleep alone wouldn't help her somehow, at least she'd experience nice dreams.

Suddenly, a cup on a plate appeared right before her muzzle.

"Here's your smoothie you asked for! With extra hay, just how you like it!" the stocky colt idolizing her explained.

"Mmm... Hay..." his lanky friend added.

The showmare recoiled in bewilderment, recognizing the young unicorns from earlier. Her knee-jerk reaction was to politely decline, but she figured that it would help with her stress, so instead she accepted the hay smoothie, starting to drink it. She wondered how they knew she liked that particular beverage, until she remembered that they probably read it in one of the magazine interviews she did a long time ago.

Once she noticed the two colts were still there, she stopped. "Yes?" she asked curtly. She immediately felt bad for being so rude as to not even thank them, but she was very distraught and wanted to be left alone; she was just glad the lachrylus was keeping them -- and anyone else -- from seeing how miserable she really felt.

The colts' eyes gleamed in excitement, thrilled to be in Trixie's presence.

"Oh, tell us another story, Great And Powerful Trixie!"

"Yeah! Tell us about how you vanquished the Ursa Major!"

Once again, time froze for her.

'...These colts... They look up to me so much... Just like...'

Her heart sank, and she felt profoundly depressed, more so than earlier. If it weren't for the lachrylus, she would have burst into tears.

'I don't deserve their recognition... Their admiration... All they see is a lie, a role, an act... They don't know me for what I really am...'

Trixie started to wonder why she even brought up Hope's tale in the show; it wasn't true, but then again, neither was almost anything she ever did whenever she performed. She figured that it was an emotional reaction provoked by the dragon's presence.

'If I show them the truth... That I'm really so awful... Maybe I won't hurt and disappoint them like I did for so many others... I don't want to keep stringing them along with my false promises only so they can suffer all the more when they find out it's just a sick, stupid joke... Better for them to find out now when they hardly know me rather than later on...'

She wanted to scream at them, to cruelly tell them to leave her alone and never come back, that she never wanted to see them again, but she couldn't bring herself to. Even if she could have, the lachrylus was still repressing the true depth and extent of how she felt whenever she expressed herself.

The showmare sighed. "Trixie is far too exhausted from performing feats beyond imagination... Begone with you until morning..."

The colts were initially put off, but this didn't seem to diminish their appreciation of her at all. They merely bowed respectfully to her, continuing to do so even as they walked away backwards.

"Oh, of course, Great And Powerful Trixie!"

"Anything you say! We are at your beck and call!"

She sighed again, disgusted with herself for not having the courage to ward them off completely.  The unicorn immediately took her brush and mirror and went back inside of her caravan. She heard voices outside, causing her to think maybe someone else arrived who wanted to talk to her, but she couldn't bring herself to go out again, wanting to be left alone.

The hours passed by as Trixie laid awake, trying to sleep.

The longer she spent struggling with it, the worse she felt. Each passing moment was giving further and further clarity to just what it was exactly that was vexing her so ever since her show today finished.

This wasn't how Hope's tribute was supposed to go at all. She couldn't have gone further away from what it should have been.

Hope would have wanted her to treat everyone in the audience nicely, regardless of how they treated her. She'd even have wanted Trixie to give the young dragon a chance, instead of immediately condemning it, just like how she was immediately heckled. The filly would expect to see the volunteer act Trixie was once so famous for, and for the entire show to be all about bringing happiness to everyone.

What would she say if she was there to see what happened that day? What would she think? How would she feel?

Trixie doubted that her fan would have approved, or be proud of her.

After being given time to think about it, she also realized that a lot of what she perceived when she read the thoughts of those ponies were twisted out of context by her fury towards the dragon. They hadn't opposed Luna out of spite, but rather because they were afraid that she was going to bring harm to their way of life. Furthermore, their goal was not to defeat her, but to reform her; to help her regain her rightful status as a princess of Equestria. Rainbow Dash also didn't mean to spurn Gilda; her actions were out of response to how Gilda changed after what Trixie did to her wings a year ago.

The ponies who heckled her, who she avenged herself on by humiliating them onstage, were actually good ponies, normally acting much nicer to complete strangers and merely having an off day when they came to her show. They were indeed very talented, and much more virtuous than she originally thought they were. Even the stray thoughts she picked up from the dragon suggested he was completely innocent and benign in hindsight.

'If only the dragon hadn't been there... Could all this have gone differently? Better?'

The showmare sighed, exasperated.

'I didn't mean for it to happen like this... I just... How could I not react like that, after all that the only dragons I ever saw put me through?... I wasn't ready... I didn't think I'd ever see one again... I didn't want to see one ever again...'

She buried her face in her pillow.

'Tomorrow, I'll... I'll find them again and apologize to them all. I'll try to make it up to them by offering to give them another free show, and let them volunteer to show even more of their talents... The right way, like how it was supposed to be... Everything will be okay. I'm going to fix this, Hope. I'm so sorry I ruined your special day... I didn't want your birthday to be like this... I promise I'm going to make it all right...'

As she gradually calmed down, she drifted off into sleep, succumbing to her fatigue to wait for tomorrow.

The audience unanimously applauded, cheering wildly at the top of their lungs. Each of their faces were as joyous as could be, every mouth smiling from ear to ear, every eye gleaming with marvelous happiness.

Trixie graciously accepted all the accolades, basking in the thunderous sounds of their praise. She smiled, grateful that the lachrylus kept her from showing tears of joy. The showmare bowed, her latest performance coming to an end. As she closed her eyes, her thoughts drifted to how she almost couldn't believe that her life had finally become this close to feeling good again. It took five years of perseverance and hard work, but now her act was better than it ever was, and she truly felt fulfilled.

The unicorn finally looked back at all of her spectators again. "Thanks very much for all of you for coming to see Trixie this evening! She deeply appreciates it! But the credit for the quality of tonight's show belongs just as much to the one who made all of this possible... Please welcome her back onto the stage! Give a round of applause to Trixie's number one assistant..."

"... Hope!"

The crowd greeted her with another uproar of significant praise. The earth pony, now a young mare, blushed deeply, having never before been cheered on by so many spectators until now. Ever since she and Trixie left the survivor camp and went to the Hoofington carnival, they started the traveling show back up just as Trixie promised, working together for years. She was now just as old as Trixie was when she started performing in the first place.

The two best friends bowed together in unison, accepting the deafening praise of the audience together.

Hope laughed. "That was our biggest performance yet! I can't believe we've come so far! It feels like it was only just yesterday that you and I went to Hoofington!"

Trixie chuckled. "I know... We spent so many months in that awful place, worried we might not ever get out or that things wouldn't get better, but look at us now. We've done so good ever since that we've achieved things beyond our wildest dreams." She hugged her best fan. "I could never have done any of this without you, Hope. Happy birthday."

The earth pony hugged her idol back, tears of joy in her eyes.

Trixie smiled as she started to pull away, gently wiping away Hope's tears and caressing her mane. "Let's go; we don't want to miss your birthday party, do we?"

When Trixie returned with Hope back to her house, the lights were suddenly flicked on as soon as they walked through the door.

"Surprise!" A chorus of voices greeted them in unison.

Hope exclaimed, smiling brightly, caught off guard, but so happy to see all of her friends.

Her parents, Midnight and Faith, approached them. "Happy birthday, Hope!"

The earth pony hugged them in a tight embrace, and she started talking with them about her special day's previous events.

"There she is!" Trixie turned to see the source of the voice, only to find Gilda readily greeting her. "So good to see you again, Trix! Me and Gustave almost forgot how good it felt to be a part of your shows!"

"Indeed," Gustave chimed, happy to see his friend again. They both hugged Trixie. "Thanks for inviting us to Hope's birthday party," he continued.

"Don't thank me, it was Hope's idea!" Trixie joked. They laughed.

Next, Trixie greeted Fiona, who, against all odds, was able to fly. Renard had also fully healed from his burns, and the others were comfortable enough around him to allow him to be in his natural changeling form. He even brought his wife and child with him, having smoothed over his relationships with both. Roul was there, and he got his wings back. Perla and Tristan were there, happy as ever, and healthy, neither of them likely to die anytime soon. Adia was there, with her entire tribe and family.

Trixie was so happy that Gilda, Gustave, Hope, and all of their friends were there, as happy as could be.

"Beatrix..."

The unicorn was startled by the motherly voice. She turned around, and saw three faces that immediately made her start to cry.

Euthalia, Myrtle and Heavy-Heart all smiled happily at her, embracing her in a family group hug. "We saw your show today... It was so wonderful, Beatrix. We're so proud of you... We love you so much...'

Trixie gasped, panting as she opened her eyes. She felt herself overcome by a cold sweat, with tears streaming down her face.

The unicorn rose, sobbing to herself as she buried her face in her hooves.

'Hope... I'm so sorry... For everything...'

She sniffled, wiping the tears away from her eyelids, forcing herself to look at their photograph again.

'... All this time, you treated me like I was your whole world... Like you needed me to give your life meaning... Like I saved your life... You had it backwards... I was the one who needed you. You were the one who saved me. Now that you're gone, I just... I can't move on...'

Trixie sat on the edge of her bed, hanging her head as she sighed.

This was the closest that she ever felt to a nightmare. Almost anyone, she figured, would have said it was a dream, since it was full of things that would give Trixie joy. But, lately, anything that gave her joy reminded her of Hope. And anything that reminded her of Hope hurt.

It was as if bliss and sorrow, comfort and pain, optimism and despair all became one and the same. The unicorn preferred to feel nothing at all, rather than feel something, anything, even if it was good, as long as there was even a chance of getting hurt, which would be perpetually inevitable. The only way she thought she could erase all sensation, all emotion, was to completely disappear, permanently... But, for her, that was impossible.

All this time, Luna had given her sweet dreams, and yet she just awoke from something that didn't feel like one somehow. If the goddess desired to spare her pain in her sleep as she always had, she could have left the showmare's dreams completely empty, dark, and cold.

And so, Trixie wondered whether Luna was finally punishing her with nightmares, or if she had finally found the impossible promises of sweet dreams too painful to bear any longer.

Suddenly, her train of thought was broken by the cacophony of hooves pounding on her door, with panicked voices frantically calling her name. She jumped, startled by the noise. The unicorn groaned out of irritation.

'Could these ponies have possibly picked a worse time to bother me?!?'

She immediately forced out a spell to dry her face and stop her tears, and then hurriedly tied the lachrylus within her mane. Her hooves reached the floor, stomping over to her door. Half of her was confrontational from being approached at such a late hour, while the other half feared it was possibly any of the ponies who she humiliated earlier. Somehow, she doubted the latter; the voices seemed frightened, not upset.

Trixie was just as annoyed as she was disheartened when she saw it was the two unicorn colts from earlier. The ones who had idolized her as Hope had, who she tried to ward off so cruelly that they would stop looking up to her. Perhaps this time she finally could. The lachrylus retained most of the severity of her woe, but her demeanor was still clearly stern.

"Trixie thought she said The Great And Powerful Trixie did not want to be disturbed!"

Snips laughed nervously. "We -- we have a tiny problem!"

"Actually, it's a big one!" Snails added.

"What is so important that you could not wait until morning to disturb Trixie?!?" she snapped coldly.

Immediately afterwards, a loud, ferocious roar echoed from afar. The showmare flinched, deeply bewildered. Her pupils shrank when she saw the trees off in the distance start to break and split apart, forming a pathway for a gigantic beast whose footsteps shook the earth. It finally emerged from the wreckage, taking on a dark blue hue as it glowed, contrasting the purple of the evening sky. It was an enormous bear with yellow and red eyes and a large white star on it's forehead, with smaller stars tattered throughout it's coat, contributing to it's illumination. It was an Ursa Major -- a real one.

But Trixie thought there was more to it than that. It wasn't just an Ursa Major. It was the embodiment of all her sins, faults, and fears -- one for every star -- sent by Luna to punish her.

The beast released another horrifying roar, looking straight at Trixie.

The sheer existential horror from the prospect of being confronted by her personified flaws overwhelmed the lachrylus, causing Trixie to release an uninhibited and fully sincere terrified, pitiful shriek. She flung open the door and pushed Snips and Snails aside, taking to her hooves and galloping off at full speed.

As Snips and Snails screamed, she continued running, looking back at them.

'You'd leave behind two innocent colts to die just because you don't want to face the truth about yourself?!? You complete coward!!!' she scolded herself mentally.

She tried to levitate them out of harm's way, but her magic was too weak. She started to turn back to get them, knowing she would be too late. The colts fortunately managed to run out of harm's way in the nick of time, only for the Ursa's paw to crush Trixie's caravan in their place. The showmare felt a pang of lament in her heart for losing yet another nostalgic belonging, but thought she deserved it for her cowardice.

The giant bear roared furiously, starting to corner the three unicorns against a building.

"Great And Powerful Trixie, you've got to vanquish the Ursa!" Snips insisted.

"Yeah! Vanquish so we can watch!" Snails chimed.

The bear bared it's fangs and growled, saliva dripping from it's lips as it stared the showmare down.

"It took a lot of trouble to get that thing here!" Snips added.

Trixie turned to him, shocked. "Wait!!! You brought this here?!?" she gasped. "Are you out of your little pony minds?!?"

"But, you're The Great And Powerful Trixie!" Snips replied.

"Yeah, remember? You defeated an Ursa Major!"

The beast released a raging bellow, it's hot breath gusting forth with such ferocity that it nearly knocked the unicorns off of their hooves.

"Uh... Okay!" Trixie swallowed a knot of nervousness stuck in her throat. "Stand back!" She winced, trying to force more magic out of her horn.

'Concentrate... This isn't a show any more... This is life or death... You have to protect these colts... They need you to...'

She already felt weary and full of pain, hindered by her fear and shame, but nonetheless pressed on. The showmare quickly located the longest, strongest rope she could find within the nearest vicinity, promptly levitating it closer to her. She constricted it around the Ursa Major's four limbs before tightly tying them together, hogtying the beast the same way she had done to the earth pony in her last show.

She sighed out of relief. "Piece of cake!" she said, smiling timidly at the two colts.

The Ursa, unimpressed, lifted it's paw. Trixie was shocked at first, only to realize that the only things she managed to tie were two of the bear's fingers. It effortlessly snapped the rope apart between them, having never been confined by her in any manner at all. The beast smirked at the showmare, almost silently daring her to try again.

Her face flushed a deep red, entirely embarrassed to find out how mistaken and ineffective her effort really was.

"Aw, come on, Trixie!" Snips called.

"Stop goofing around and vanquish it, eh?"

Trixie gasped, swallowing another knot of nervousness before she forced out more magic, narrowing her eyes and clenching her teeth. She couldn't afford to fail again; not to protect her reputation, but the colts whom she so carelessly endangered.

She was normally reluctant to harm any creature for any reason, but realized that she had no choice. Initially, the life extinguishing spell was going to be her next attempt, until she realized she didn't have enough strength to perform it at the time. Instead, she conjured a large, black cloud directly above and behind the Ursa Major, trying to strike it with a lightning bolt, only to completely miss.

"... Well, that was a dud," Snails remarked.

"Yeah!" Snips blew a raspberry. "Come on! Where's all the cool explosions and smoke and, stuff like earlier, you know?"

The showmare tried again, this time only lightly burning the Ursa's hind quarters with a single, ineffective bolt. It merely glanced back at the cloud in annoyance, then leered back at Trixie, hungrily opening it's salivating jaws.

"... Uh oh..." Trixie meekly murmured.

Another powerful, gusting roar nearly knocked the unicorns off of their hooves, and they galloped away as fast as they could, screaming the entire time.

The Ursa's furious cries shook all of Ponyville to it's very foundations, awakening all of it's citizens, their lights turning on and their windows and doors opening as the ponies investigated the awful, monstrous cacophony.

The villagers who were already outdoors gasped in unison, chilled to the bone with pure terror.

The beast snarled as it laid it's paws atop a house, sinking it's fangs into the roof.

The ponies screamed and galloped away in unison, as the lavender unicorn with the young dragon on her back from earlier made their way to Snips and Snails.

"What's going on?!?" The purple mare asked, distraught.

"We brought an Ursa to town!" Snips explained.

"You WHAT?!?" she replied, shocked.

"Don't worry, The Great And Powerful Trixie will vanquish it!" Snails espoused proudly.

The showmare winced uncomfortably.

'... Even after seeing me fail so much... Seeing me for the loser I really am... They still think I'm going to be able to fix this... They're so wrong...'

She closed her eyes, lowering her head. "... I... Can't..."

"WHAT?!?" Snips and Snails exclaimed in unison, shocked.

"Uh -- I can't! I never have! No one can vanquish an Ursa Major! I just -- made the whole story up to make me look better!"

"Made it up?!?" The colts screamed.

Trixie closed her eyes out of shame, only to be alerted by the approaching footsteps and snarls of the beast looming over her. She looked up at it, feeling completely responsible for this living nightmare falling upon Ponyville.

'... All because I didn't have the heart to tell the colts the truth sooner... To admit it was just a fairytale invented by Hope... I made this happen... It's my fault... I wasn't there to save Jennet from the dragons, and now Ponyville is going to lose their homes and their people to a monster, too... All because of me... The only difference is, I'll be here to see it happen this time, but there will be nothing I can do about it...'

Her heart sank. If it weren't for the lachrylus, she would have burst into tears.

'I'm sorry... All of you, I'm so sorry... I never meant for this to happen... Never...'

Realizing she would be the only one left alive to see all of it happen, the only remaining survivor, made her want to cast aside the lachrylus so that she could openly weep.

The beast stood on it's hind legs, raising it's forward paws as it released a bloodcurdling roar.

The villagers froze in fear, trembling helplessly before the Ursa Major that would surely kill them.

Suddenly, the lavender unicorn stepped forward. The snarling, growling giant bear stepped up to meet her, intrigued by the lone pony that would dare defy it. The young mare squinted her eyes shut as she grunted in strain, her horn glowing with a magenta aura and her hooves firmly planted in the earth as she made an attempt to subdue the fearsome beast.

A strong wind started to blow through the air, and within moments, a soothing melody, seemingly played from an unseen flute, sang through the air. Shortly afterwards, the bear suddenly paused, it's malice twisting into serenity, comforted by the soothing song. It started to slowly rock back and forth on all four of it's paws, gradually being lulled into a tired state.

The unicorn winced, the aura of her horn glowing ever brighter with a sharp noise, pushing her hooves even further into the ground. Soon, the top of a water tower detached itself from the rest of its structure, floating through the air across Ponyville and passing through a farm, somehow replacing its contents with cow's milk.

The Ursa, coaxed to the point of nearly passing out, started to lean over, almost falling. It moved towards Trixie, nearly crushing her beneath it. The showmare knew her magic would protect her, but she was still frightened to see the embodiment of her flaws getting so close to touching her, thinking she would be forced to simultaneously revisit them all if they made contact; she flinched, having nowhere to escape to in time. The other unicorn's lavender aura suddenly encased it before they could make contact, levitating the beast into the air as the showmare looked on in awe.

The lavender unicorn started to writhe, audibly groaning from the sheer amount of overwhelming effort she was placing into her spells. She levitated the almost unconscious bear higher into the air, soothing it further by continuing to play the song and placing the giant milk-filled container into it's paws as a makeshift bottle, allowing it to drink from it freely. The rest of the ponies watched in wonder as the Ursa Major was safely carried out of Ponyville, until it was out of their sight, sent all the way back to it's cave deep within the Everfree Forest.

The unicorn cringed for a few more moments as her horn's aura finally started to die down, grunting and then panting breathlessly once she finally ceased her efforts, her task accomplished.

The ponies cheered her on gratefully for saving them.

"Unbelievable!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

As the citizens of Ponyville continued to shower their unexpected savior with praise, Trixie felt her ears ringing to the point that they drowned out all other sounds. She stared intently at the purple mare who just protected her own village all by herself, recognizing her from her show yesterday, but also from another occasion. The showmare knew she saw her somewhere else before, but didn't remember where or when exactly until now.

She was another student that attended Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns at the same time that she did.

The one who she'd always see in the library, whose facial expressions and body language reminded her so much of herself, as if someone took her shadow, or her reflection, and put it into another pony.

The one she always considered befriending, but never gathered the courage to approach her.

'... Could all of this have been avoided all those years ago if I just... Talked to her?...'

Everything about her seemed so simple and complete.

Her sincere, openly demonstrated modesty and humility made her worthy of the praise of Ponyville.

She was brave enough to step up to defy the Ursa when no one else would.

She was strong enough to subdue the beast without any conflict or bloodshed.

'... Strong. Brave. Worthy.

She's the "Better Beatrix" I always dreamed of being...'

The dragon started speaking again, but Trixie still couldn't hear any of the words any of them were saying. Seeing him participate in whatever they were talking about got her attention, and she started to look into his thoughts, dismissing the previous prejudice she had upon first seeing him.

He was even younger than she originally thought. She suspected that he must have been about as old as a school age filly or colt, but in dragon years, he was still an infant.

"... Wasn't an Ursa Major. It was an Ursa Minor. A baby," the lavender unicorn's voice broke into her thoughts.

"That was just a baby?" Trixie chimed, referring more to the dragon than to her explanations.

Suddenly, the showmare felt her stomach turn. Here she was, having judged a creature far too young to inflict harm on anyone simply for being born as something different from what she was used to. She shuddered, deeply disgusted and ashamed with herself for not only being racist towards him like so many were to her, but also because, for a few hours, she sincerely, deeply wanted to torture and murder an innocent child.

Unwilling to continue giving this realization her attention, she returned her focus back to the lavender unicorn, only to find that she evoked another deep feeling of homesickness and familiarity. She couldn't quite place her hoof on it before, but now she found out what the core of her discomfort with her was.

It wasn't just that they once went to school together, and could have been friends, best friends even, if she merely tried to talk to her.

It wasn't just that she was everything that she wanted to be and more.

There was something else.

'... She almost looks just like --'

That was enough.

She was unable to stand being there any longer.

"Ha! You may have vanquished an ursa minor, but you will never have the amazing, show-stopping ability of The Great And Powerful Trixie!"

The showmare pitifully cast a cloud of smoke about her, initially trying to teleport away or create a blanket of fog thick enough to hide her escape, only for her efforts to immediately dissipate as she galloped away like there was no tomorrow.

"Why, that little -- !" Rainbow Dash's voice echoed off in the distance.

Trixie was grateful that she was able to get out of Ponyville in time. The enchantment of the lachrylus was able to withstand just long enough to keep them from seeing her weep from the total despair that she felt.

Her hooves had never been so tired.

The showmare ran as far as she could before her body gave out, succumbing to fatigue and collapsing onto the ground. She lay on her back in a grassy field, not wanting to put any strain on any of her legs, all four of which were aching deeper than they ever have. Her lungs burned like the fires of Tartarus as she panted breathlessly, trying to recover from being so winded.

The unicorn gradually calmed down, soothed by the nostalgic sights of the beautiful night sky above her. The stars seemed to glow brighter than usual.

'... Luna... If you've let these things happen to punish me... I hope that you're satisfied. I feel no bitterness towards you for any of your actions. I deserved to be punished like this, and the amount I must endure for me to be completely forgiven is impossible for me to undertake. You've always kindly watched over all of us below the skies, granting us dark serenity and cathartic unconscious fantasies. You were wrongfully persecuted and sent away, denied the proper appreciation you continue to earn without fail.'

She closed her eyes, sighing. 'All my life, I've looked up to you and worshiped you. I've aspired to be like you... And instead, I let things go horribly, horribly wrong. I became the exact opposite of what you would want your followers to be. I've shamed you, Luna, and for that, you forever have my apologies.'

Trixie tried to let her mind become blank, to surrender to her complete and total exhaustion, to rest and recover from the agonizing pain she was in, mental, emotional, and physical. But the suffering she endured would not allow her to sleep, or relax.

She figured that Luna did not even want to grant her the luxury of rest. 'So be it,' she thought with a sigh, accepting this apparent scorn as she opened her eyes.

Her thoughts drifted off to other things, reflecting on countless examples of her endless stream of failures, and how she never improved the lives of anyone she ever met, but merely hindered them instead.

'I'm so tired.

Tired of being here.

Tired of always hurting.

I'm tired of everything.

My life's always going to stay the same, it's never going to change. I already know everything that's going to happen, I've seen everything I need to see. Things just always go bad for me, and whenever it seems like they're finally going to get better, they just get way worse instead. It's a sick, vicious, endless cycle. I'm done waiting for improvements when it's plainly clear that it's just not going to happen. Why should I bother staying around to see whatever else comes next? Why don't I just go?'

The unicorn focused as her horn started to glow with the aura of the life extinguishing spell, channeling it inward. She originally felt the unmistakable sting of her magic struggling under emotional strain, slowly becoming indistinguishable from her suicidal attempt, before the aura of her horn grew dim, and the sensations faded away.

'... Oh, I forgot. That's why. I can't.'

She groaned, both out of disappointment and frustration for her efforts serving only to make her ache even more.

'... All these years, I felt like I've been blamed for things that aren't my fault. But, over time, others have shown me that I really have been responsible for each of my flaws all along. I accepted each hindrance, one by one, seeking to strengthen my humility by honestly confessing to my every defect, but there was one accusation I was never able to tolerate. It offended me deep down inside, right in my bones, even though it's the truest blame of all.

I am arrogant.

It's the trait that I hate most about some others that I have met. It is the negative quality I've tried so desperately to avoid, one that I was so sure I would never be caught dead possessing.

But... Truly, completely, deeply, surely... I now see that I'm the most arrogant pony who ever lived.

How dare I think I deserve any form of satisfaction or comfort out of life, after everything that I've done to everyone who has ever met me? I hurt and used those who would care for me. I terrorized complete strangers for merely doubting me. I was completely bigoted to a harmless baby dragon merely because I never met any good dragons before him.

How dare I think I'm capable of anything productive, anything meaningful, when the most I've ever had to offer anyone were pointless momentary distractions? I'm not even that good at it. I'm a horrible entertainer. My skills are sloppy, unpolished, stale. I've lost my edge a long time ago, if I ever even had it at all. My biggest achievement was deliberately wasting everyone's time by trying to make them forget about how awful their lives were instead of doing something to actually improve them.

How dare I think I ever had a chance against my most hated enemy... Life, reality itself? That which is inevitable, all-consuming? That which has no escape other than to completely cease to exist in any form? I've treated it like some awful prison that I've tried to escape, and take its other captives with me in the process. How laughable, that I ever once thought a useless pony like me ever stood a fraction of a chance against the most powerful force in all of existence.

I've never even heard of thoughts so arrogant. I truly am and always have been what I've hated the most... It's no wonder I've always hated myself.'

The unicorn shifted around on the ground, trying to lay down more comfortably. As she rested her head back on the earth, she felt the lachrylus push up into her from below. She blinked, startled, and lifted her head once more, reaching to pull the lachrylus out from under her with a forehoof. She held it above her face, still tied to her mane, watching it gleam in the moonlight.

Trixie sighed out of relief, grateful that her last gift to Hope was still with her. She'd completely forgotten all about it, and figured she probably could have easily lost it while she was galloping out of Ponyville.

Her ears perked as she suddenly realized that she forgot her other possessions, accidentally leaving them back in that town. They were possibly destroyed when the Ursa Minor crushed her caravan with it's paw... Possibly, but not surely.

The showmare's heart leapt. As long as there was a chance, she had to go back to retrieve what was precious to her. She didn't even care about most of the things in there -- she only wanted to take back was was most sacred, what represented most of her time with Hope.

Trixie clumsily scrambled back to her hooves, initially falling back on the ground face first when she tried to gallop back the way she came. She frantically stood up again and ran, starting to build up her momentum, focusing on increasing her pace. There was no telling if the citizens of Ponyville had already done away with her belongings or otherwise moved them elsewhere.

It burned so much, to push herself like this again after doing so not that long ago at all, but this was far more important than simply escaping painful reminders.

'I don't care what they do to me, or the rest of my items... I don't care what they say, or what all of this does for my future... I just want three things...'

As she fought off exhaustion for what she was so sure was at least a dozen minutes, the unicorn felt a single pang of relief upon seeing that Ponyville was completely darkened. Everyone there had presumably gone to sleep. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness by then, and she couldn't find anyone outside from as far away as she could see. The closer she grew to the latest venue for her performances, the more cautious her actions became. Galloping turned to sneaking, and panting turned to holding her breath for all she was worth.

If she hadn't known any better, she would have thought she had just tried to summon the illusion of a cerberus again. The unicorn felt incredibly lightheaded, her limbs ached more than ever before, and her heart pounded like a drum. It took extra effort to keep herself from grunting out of strain, and she was almost tempted to demand her heart to shush lest it alert the Ponyvillians to her return.

A melancholic chill crept down her spine once her eyes rested on what remained of her caravan. Many of the boards that once held it together were splintered all over the place, and it was broken in half right down the middle. The young mare nervously surveyed her surroundings one last time, trying to make sure no one else was around, before she performed a basic spell, causing her horn to glow and light the pathway immediately in front of her.

Using this, she started to navigate through the ruins, careful not to accidentally hurt herself. Trixie grimaced at the state of most of her belongings, finding that they were damaged beyond repair. She hoped that the things she searched for could at least be salvageable. Another merciful coincidence went in her favor when she finally found them.

Her hat and cape were hidden beneath some of the debris, miraculously unscathed. She quickly checked the pocket on the inside of the cape, only to find that the photograph of her and Hope survived as well; aside from it being as aged and dirty as she allowed it to become, there wasn't a rip or scratch of any kind to be found. She breathed a sigh of relief, holding them close to herself.

The unicorn quietly wept, grateful that at least just this one thing went right. '... This is all I wanted... It's... It's going to be fine...'

"So, why didn't you come see me as soon as you got my letter?!? Huh?!? Huh?!?"

Trixie shuddered, hanging her head as she frowned.

Gilda clenched her teeth, shaking with anger. "You know what this has been like for me!!! What were you thinking?!? Don't I matter to you?!? Don't you care?!?"

"I-I just wanted to pay Hope a tribute by doing a sh--"

"Oh, so now your dead friends are more important than your living ones?!? The ones who are still here, who still need you?!? Like the one who's been there for you for, oh, I don't know, your whole life instead of just the last few years?!?"

The showmare winced. "... Y-you know, this hasn't exactly been easy for me, either..."

The griffon rolled her eyes, throwing her talons up in the air sarcastically. "Oh, really?!? It's always 'me, me, me' with you!!! I gave you so many things, and you barely -- if ever -- repaid me, and the one time that I need you the most, all you can think of is still yourself?!?"

With a single beat of her wings, she gusted right up to the unicorn's face, staring her right in the eyes. "So, tell me, once again, what is it that you want?!? Huh?!? Huh?!?"

Trixie forced her eyes to veer away. She quivered more intensely than before, feeling tears well up in her eyelids. "I-I just -- I-I don't --"

"Oh, I know!!! Why don't you break my wings and beat the living hell out of me again?!? Maybe that will make you feel better!!! So, come on!!! Do it!!!"

Without warning, Gilda's talon clenched into a fist and rocketed forth, crashing right into Trixie's muzzle. The showmare immediately spit out blood involuntarily as she fell to the ground, the back of her head hitting it first, along with the rest of her body shortly after.

Gilda instantly pounced on her, both fists swinging across the young mare's face, pummeling it all over.

"Come on!!! I know you want to do this!!! I know you want to hit me!!! Fight back!!!"

Trixie initially flinched as each sharp blow rained upon her, but she soon adjusted to the chaotic barrage of pain, simply accepting it and letting the griffon punch her to her heart's content. She was initially shocked and heartbroken that her best friend would even think of striking her, but quickly decided it was completely justified. Now that she thought of it, she was surprised Gilda hadn't done this much sooner.

She rammed her clenched talons all over the pony's head, narrowly avoiding her horn by sheer luck, her knuckles now coated in the pony's blood.

"FIGHT BACK, TRIXIE!!! FIGHT BACK!!!"

Gilda continued to bark the command, her throat getting sore from screaming so loud. Trixie simply continued to passively watch and absorb each strike, her physical pain multiplying every time they made contact.

The griffon's lungs burned; she could no longer yell, but only grunt and pant, her fury searing hotter with each moment as her lifelong friend refused to comply with her order. She channeled the anger into her limbs, endlessly swinging, her fists starting to ache deeply from hitting so hard and so often.

She was only stopped when a magical barrier suddenly appeared an inch above Trixie's face, keeping her from reaching it again. Nevertheless, she pressed on, trying to break past it and continue punching until Trixie indulged her, but it was no use. Gilda continued until she was too tired and hurt to do so, fighting to regain her breath as she tried to stand up, only to trip over the pony and fall backwards onto her back. As the fatigue set in, she started to feel remorseful, thinking Trixie's magic barrier was an intentional effort to settle the matter peacefully.

"... Okay... I got really carried away... I'm..." She grunted as she sat back up. "So sorry about that... Never should have hit you... I guess we're even again," she remarked, only to immediately wince at the suggestion that Trixie deserved the brutal beating.

Trixie finally opened her eyes, beginning to take deep, slow breaths as she merely looked straight up. She shook her head. "No, we're not even, Gilda. We never will be."

The griffon froze, worried that she had just destroyed their friendship.

"We can't ever be even, because I've done far too much harm to you," Trixie continued. "All the times I took advantage of you, all the betrayal and abuse, all the lies and secrets... I've done so much wrong..."

"Trixie, I didn't mean to do or say any of those things I just said and did," Gilda insisted, her voice shaking with fear and sorrow instead of rage. "I just got out of control... You know I get like this... Don't blame yourself, please, it's not your fault..."

"It is," the unicorn maintained. "If I never broke your wings in the first place, you would never have ended up like this... You'd still be able to pursue those dreams you always wanted to... The ones you never even got a chance to figure out..."

"You weren't thinking clearly! You were just distraught because Hope had just died!"

"And you just did what you did because you're hurt, too," Trixie concluded. She closed her eyes as tears spilled out, turning her head away from Gilda. "I should have let you kill me just now, but I couldn't even have done that if I wanted to..."

The griffon froze. "... What're you talking about?..."

"... I never told you, but... The reason my mom died when she gave birth to me is because of another defect my magic has... It doesn't just fail whenever I'm not calm enough... It also keeps me from dying, no matter what... That night in Jennet, so many years ago, when you found me, and I told you I was practicing for the talent show... What I was really doing was trying to kill myself... I tried again after you left for the year, when Myrtle blamed me for my dad getting hurt, but... This... Thing kept me from dying, just like it did whenever anything else threatened my life, like when I jumped in the way of that wheel before it could hit you... I've been trying to die ever since Hope did, and it still won't let me..."

Gilda cried, holding her face in her talons. "Oh, Luna... Why didn't you ever tell me?..."

"... You always thought I was more than I really am... Even now... I didn't want you to think that a someone was trying to kill herself, instead of a no one... Now that you've seen me for what I really am, called me out for my exposed faults, I still can't..." The showmare sighed in defeat, trembling as she weakly got back to her hooves, almost falling back down a few times.

The griffon's beak was agape in shock. "... Trixie... Listen... I know that things have been really bad for you for a while, b-but... You can't just give up like this... Yes, it's all bad right now, b-but, we can make our way out of this, just like we have every other time it got bad... You can't just give up on life... You need to have hope!"

"HOPE IS DEAD!!!" she suddenly shrieked. "... Hope is dead..." she croaked mournfully, starting to cry again.

Gilda shrank and shuddered at her words. "... I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean to --"

"Gilda, please, don't," Trixie continued, her voice trembling. "This isn't like every other time, where I was just in some slump... There's no coming back from this... It's over..."

Her finalistic words distressed the griffon. "... Wh-what're you saying?" she whimpered.

"I'm saying we can't be friends anymore," the showmare bemoaned. "It's not that I don't want to, it's... Just... No matter what happens, I'm bad for you. Bad for everyone. I've done nothing for you all but make your lives worse... I've let you down, I've used you... I killed my parents, tormented by sister, ruined Gustave's dream, I disappointed Hope and let her die, and I crippled you... I'm no good for any of you... I'm destined to be alone..."

Trixie shook her head, turning away as she began to walk. "So, just forget it all and go. Get as far from me as you can. Fly away, Gilda le Grand, before I hurt you and those you care for all over again."

"Please, don't do this," Gilda begged, sobbing.

The unicorn ignored her desperate pleas, continuing to leave without looking back once.

"We're best friends, Trixie... We always have been... We've gone through so many things together, you can't just throw that all away... Please, don't! Don't leave me alone!"

Trixie ignored her, and then disappeared.

Gilda collapsed onto the ground, sobbing.

The showmare continued to walk, trying to get out of town as quickly as possible, not wanting to have to confront Gilda again. She would have galloped, but she found that she couldn't bring herself to for some reason.

Just as she feared, she suddenly felt the presence of someone familiar yards behind her. However, something was off. It wasn't who she expected. She froze, waiting for whoever it was to say or do something first, only to be further bewildered when nothing happened. Trixie slowly turned around, unsurprised at who she saw glaring at her.

"... Gustave..."

The chef's front legs were folded in front of his chest as he breathed heavily. "Gilda might feel sorry for you for a lot of the things that happened this past year, but I don't. As far as I'm concerned, you've brought most of them on yourself."

Trixie's ears lowered. "I'm not going to defend my actions."

He clenched his teeth, pointing an accusatory talon at her. "Don't you think you can go winning me over just because you finally feel bad, either. It's awful, what transpired, but that gives you no excuse to go around doing the things that you've done. And if it's taken you until now to finally see that, then you still have a lot of work ahead of you before I'll even think about forgiving you, like in another lifetime. I heard about Baltimare, and I heard about Ponyville. You've become as prejudiced as the ones who victimize griffons and Lunar followers --"

That stung.

"-- and you're as hateful as your sister."

But not as much as that.

The griffon started to calm down, satisfied with how he clearly hurt Trixie. "You stay away from Gilda from now on. Don't even talk to her. She doesn't need you to hurt her any more than you already have."

Trixie hung her head, trying to hide her tears.

"I know that you miss Hope, Trixie. We all do. But when she died, so did everything good in you." With that, he left.

Trixie walked for days.

She didn't know where she was going, or what she was going to do, and she didn't care. All that she knew was that she couldn't die. Not soon enough.

The unicorn had finally gotten too tired to continue, settling for taking a break by laying down in a forest. Tears spilled down her face as she was otherwise silent and still, alone with her thoughts, where she hated being the most.

'I have no idea what's going to happen. There's nothing left anymore.

Every time I try to perform, it just... All of it gets messed up.

I have no friends. No family. I have nothing.

Even all my possessions are gone. I have nothing but my hat, cape, Hope's picture, and a measly amount of bits.

... I've never tried starving to death. I suppose I could do that. Just lay out here and let my stomach eat me alive, or however it works.

But, what if that doesn't work? I'll just be alive, and very, very hungry. That wouldn't be nice at all. Would it even be worth trying?

Maybe. I'm not sure. There's nothing else I can think of doing.

I just... Want to do something... Anything... Whatever will help me get away from this, forget all of it. I wish Luna, or Hope, or -- I-I don't know, just, someone, something -- would give me some sign, and tell me what I'm supposed to do.'

She sighed in exasperation, squeezing her eyes shut. The showmare impatiently waited, unable to bring herself to do anything else without some sign pointing her in the right direction.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally noticed a strange sensation. She had fallen asleep, and it had stirred her back into consciousness. Somewhere closeby, there was an elevation in temperature. A warmth that felt distinctly like a campfire. She even heard the crackling of flames, and the beating of wings. Immediately, she groaned.

'Oh, Luna, please no. Please don't let it be a dragon. I can't handle seeing another one, not after what happened last time.'

She forced her eyes open... Only to find something she wasn't expecting.

'A phoenix.'

It sat nearby her, perched on a tree branch, staring at her curiously. It opened it's beak to release a single noise, and then started to slowly fly away, before returning to fly a few circles around her, looking down at her.

Trixie blinked a few times, as if trying to make sure she was dreaming. Then, she did something she hadn't done in such a long time.

She laughed.

She laughed so hard that she doubled over onto the ground, shutting her eyes once more. She kept laughing, until tears spilled out of her eyelids, and her gut and sides hurt, and she couldn't breathe. And then she laughed even more.

The young mare couldn't tell whether it was out of amusement or surprise. The most she could decipher is that it was because of the sheer irony of the situation. Hope had probably felt as bad as she did just now when they saw phoenixes together, and she used them as an analogy to inspire Hope to continue on.

That was the first and last time she ever saw the fiery birds in person, having only previously learned about them in Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns. As such, the only other time she bore witness to such creatures had a connotation as a positive memory, standing out amongst a collection of so many negative life experiences.

By the time she finally stopped laughing, Trixie thought that her gut was going to burst open. She wiped her tears away with a forehoof, next using them to clutch her aching areas as she regained her breath.

It felt so good to feel so alive. It felt so good to laugh at something that wasn't out of a sadistic act, that wasn't at another's expense, that felt so genuine and pure.

The unicorn coughed a few times, taken aback by how hard she laughed, finally releasing a sigh of relief. She felt so refreshed, so relaxed. She used to sometimes question the healing power of laughter, but if she ever had an excuse in her life to believe in it, now would be it.

The comfort provided by the unexpected, yet welcome sensations slowly pervaded throughout her entire body, even erasing the slight aches she felt in her gut and sides. She smiled from ear to ear, suddenly surveying the forest around her, seemingly experiencing an epiphany.

'If Hope were still here with me... We'd be talking about phoenixes all over again. She'd support me, the way I supported her. Even when Jennet was destroyed, we strived to make our lives worth living as Lunar loyalists... And even with Hope gone... I'll still try to do it, just as she would want me to. I'd want the same for her, if it was me who perished and her who survived.'

She closed her eyes and nodded, briefly retrieving their photograph to look at it again.

'... Hope... We're going to keep traveling and putting on shows... Just like I promised you...'

She never found so much hard work to be so worth it.

All by herself, Trixie had rebuilt the traveling caravan that she first made with Gilda, right down to the unfolding stage and the extra paintings she added onto it with Hope. She recreated it from scratch, keeping every last detail exactly the way it was before. Once she was finished, she felt just as deeply exhausted as she did proud and accomplished.

'This is a new chapter in my life. I'm going to turn everything back around. I'm finally going to be the Great And Powerful Trixie that Hope always wanted me to be. Thank you so much for helping me all this time, my number one assistant...'

It all took weeks of grueling hard work with merely a few brief breaks, but the satisfaction of finally seeing her caravan miraculously return almost erased all of her pain and fatigue. The next day was spent resting and recuperating from her massive efforts and rejoicing in the nostalgic bliss of her recreated home. After that, she was able to muster the energy necessary to cast a come to life spell and drive it. The unicorn figured she would start off doing odd jobs wherever she could find them to save up more bits again, and then finally get back to performing.

She stopped at the first town that she found, seeking out the nearest motel for a bed and a meal. Even after taking the time required to operate the caravan, Trixie was still quite exhausted.

For so long, she hated the dawn. Just feeling the rays of sunshine on her face, seeing the dim glow of light against her eyelids, reminded her only of holding a dead filly in her forelegs who meant so much to her. For the first time since, the rising sunlight bathing the covers of the bed through the window signified an inkling of bliss and comfort. It was a fresh, clean slate, a brand new beginning, a second chance for the showmare to find the peace of mind she sought for so long and never found.

She savored every bite of her breakfast, the exquisite taste of her pancakes accentuating the refreshingly pleasant thoughts racing through her mind at light speed. All at once, she was torn between reining in unrealistic expectations and allowing modest goals. The smallest possibility of finally finding a life of contentment was enough to ignite every cell in her body with a warm, soothing joy.

'I'll wait as long as I have to. I'll take every day one at a time. As long as there's even a chance for all of this to finally be all right... I'm going to be fine...'

As patient as she was in the long run, she couldn't wait to get started on the next part of her journey. As soon as she was finished eating, the young mare rushed back to her room to gather what few belongings she brought inside with her, going out of her way to briefly give each of the motel staff a personal thanks for their hospitality while she otherwise hurried to leave. Each strand of fur on her coat tingled with a buzz of jubilation as she galloped outside, eager to continue taking the first steps required to rebuilding her career as a showmare.

Trixie was stopped by the sight of her caravan. Just yesterday, it looked as good as new, just the way she remembered it, a nostalgic memory brought back to life. Today, it was defiled.

The nomadic home was covered in broken eggs and splattered tomatoes, their contents crudely smeared along its entirety, accompanied by green paint used to mockingly portray pictures of Trixie's  humiliation in Ponyville by Twilight and the ursa minor.

On top of it all, the three ponies responsible for vandalizing the caravan's exterior were still present, pointing and laughing at the unicorn and her possession without any remorse or guilt. One of them even looked surprisingly similar to Trixie herself, an earth pony mare with a silver mane and azure coat. It only brought back memories of how often the unicorn would look at her reflection and feel nothing but shame.

She merely stared at the caravan with her mouth agape, her ears lowered, before she sighed and hung her head, passively accepting the brutally personal humiliation.

The three mares who bullied her started talking amongst themselves, continuing to taunt her while congratulating each other for the subjective hilarity they found in their collective prank. Trixie's ears had tuned out their voices while they were still laughing, so she heard none of it, but it didn't matter. The damage had already been done.

The earth ponies finally left, disappointed and unamused by the showmare's lack of a larger reaction. As soon as they finally left her field of vision, she finally allowed herself to start crying. Her horn heated up under her hat as she tried to clean the caravan with spells, only to find she was too distraught for it to work. Instead, she slowly walked forward, starting to weakly scrape the eggs and tomatoes off with her hooves.

Slowly, her thoughts began to drift back to when Myrtle had defaced her hat and cape, only for Gilda to help her clean them.

'...It's okay, Trixie... We can wash this away... It's okay...'

She suddenly stopped, only to break down sobbing, her forehooves slowly sliding off of the wood until she collapsed onto the ground, curling up into a ball and hiding her face as she wept.

It seemed to Trixie as if only just now she had realized that she was completely alone.

"Hope... I'm so sorry that I lied to you."

For the first time in over a year, Trixie returned to Hope's grave in the remains of Jennet, right where their room in their house used to be.

"... For so long, I told you all kinds of things... Like how it really is possible to do the things you want to with your life, or that all the bad times are worth going through in order to make it to see the good times... I think, for a little while, I actually believed in all of those things myself... But they were never true, and they never will be... I was wrong... So, so wrong..."

The unicorn was forced to pause, shutting her eyes as she sniffled, silently weeping, trying with all her might to hold herself together.

After a long moment, her eyes opened, completely moist from her tears as she drew in a shaky gasp, trembling.

"... If only I never gave you hope... If only I never tried to tell you that dreams could come true after all... I only learned the reality of it all way too late... The only way to find any satisfaction out of life is to set your expectations as low as possible."

The showmare looked at the first picture she and Hope ever took one last time before she put it back in her cape's hidden pocket.

"... You always looked up to me, the same way I always did, and still do, look up to Princess Luna... Only, she actually deserves some admiration, while I don't... You thought I was some hero, someone who lifted the spirits of others out of the depths of sorrow onto the heights of joy, but I'm the exact opposite of those things..."

She closed her eyes, shaking her head.

"I never deserved all of the joy you gave me... I still don't... I can never forgive myself for letting you down and failing to save you, from the dragons and from heartbreak... So, that's why, from this day forth, I promise you that I will never perform again. My days putting on shows are over... Instead, I'm going to spend the rest of my life working at a mine, suffering through daily labor like my father did, while I wait until I can finally die, whenever that is... Maybe it'll never happen, and I'll just work eternally... If that's the case, then so be it. Even if I suffered forever, it would never redeem me for what I've done to you... I love you so much, Hope. I'll never forget you."

With that, she mustered just enough effort to levitate her hat and cape -- lachrylus, picture and all -- into the open grave, laying them directly on top of Hope's coffin. She then proceeded to shovel the dirt back in until the grave was full once more, the two dolls, violin, and the crescent moon being the only indicators of the late filly's resting place.

"I'd love so much to be everything you ever thought I was, Hope. But that will never happen. It's just... Unthinkable. I would if I could, but I can't, so I won't. And that's the way it's going to stay... Forever."

Finally, Trixie turned her back on Hope's grave, and began to move her hooves forward. For the last time in her entire life, she walked away from Jennet, never once looking back.

"Hope is truly the greatest evil of all, for it prolongs the suffering of man." - Nietzsche

To be continued...

1. My Heart Is An Anchor

'I'm dying.'

Trixie lay helpless on the ground, eyes shut closed, her breathing sharp and labored.

'It's the best and worst day of my life at the same time.

Not long ago, I had to make a big decision. The biggest one I've ever made.

If I went through with it, Equestria would change forever, and I would have everything I ever wanted.

If I didn't, Equestria would stay the same, and so would I.

It should have been an easy choice for me. It wasn't.

Would it have mattered either way? Everyone has to die someday any ways, but I just wasn't expecting it to happen to me so soon. I'm only twenty-four years old.'

As the pain continued to seize every fiber of her being, permeating throughout her body, the unicorn tried to lose herself in her thoughts.

'Think of something. Anything. Different than this.

I shouldn't try to escape this. I deserve to hurt this much.

...Father.

I remember my father.

He was always worried about whether or not he was doing the right thing. I think I inherited that from him.

For as long as I can remember, throughout my whole life, my heart has felt heavy. I could audibly hear it beating, and feel it pounding in my chest without even having to touch it. Sometimes I was afraid to move at all, because I thought if I did, it would tear through my skin and fall right out. It would always drop into my stomach, like an anchor.

I can't tell if it's because it's big, or just made of stone. Do I care too much, or too little? Is that sadness chilling me to the bone, or is there ice water running through my veins? I can't tell any more, and that scares me. I think I inherited that from him, too. Now, my heart is heavier than ever.'

As her thoughts of the past intertwined with those of the present, Trixie found herself being further and further drawn into remembering her fillyhood, escaping into memory from the agony of her mortal wound.

The only other comfort she could give herself was her most precious possession, hidden inside her cape. Slowly, the mare retrieved it with a trembling hoof. Knowing it would be for the last time, she looked at it, and bawled.

Eighteen years ago, on a cold winter night, six-year-old Beatrix Lulamoon stared at the stars in the dark sky. She wondered to herself why a deity responsible for such beautiful creations would be exiled to the moon and considered a traitorous monster. Most Equestrians thought of Luna as such, but not her. Beatrix was born and raised in Jennet, a small, poverty-laden village founded by worshipers of the night goddess-princess. It wasn't much, but they worked with what they had; there weren't many other places that wouldn't persecute them for their beliefs.

Even most of the children in Jennet loathed that their parents' faith led their families to such oppressed lifestyles, but not Beatrix. She legitimately appreciated Luna for all the wonderful dreams she gave her, a doorway into her imagination, away from the problems of reality. It was the same reason she'd constantly remain clad in the solid purple hat and cape of her magician costume; Nightmare Night was a month ago, but the garb helped her feel secure, as well as forget so many awful things.

One was that she had trouble using her magic under emotional strain, which was fairly common due to being frequently bullied, especially by her own sister. Trying spells during such would give her nosebleeds and headaches of varying degrees, and sometimes she'd even faint. She didn't even have her cutie mark yet. It was bad enough that she was already always worried about her father. The demanding physical labor his job entailed only hindered his health in his old age, not to mention his heart problems. Then, there was...

The dinner bell.

Beatrix's ears perked at it ringing, and she turned around to run back inside.

Every night, she dined with the only two relatives she lived with, both of them earth ponies. Myrtle, her sister, was twelve years old, had a brown mane, tail and eyes, with a dark green coat, and a rose cutie mark. Heavy-Heart, their father, had a dark blue mane, tail and eyes, with a black coat, and a pickax cutie mark. As soon as they finished dinner, each sitting before empty plates, an awkward silence hung in the air for a long moment.

The stallion miner smiled wryly. "So... Hearth's Warming Eve is only a month away... Have you girls thought about what you want this year?"

Myrtle frowned, lowering her head. "You know what I want, Dad."

Her father shared her sadness. "Myrtle, we've talked about this..."

"I know, I know, but... Every year, it's still going to be the same. I'm still going to miss my Mom."

Beatrix laid a sympathetic hoof onto her sister's. "I miss our Mom, too..."

Slowly, she turned to her younger sibling, glaring cold daggers into her. "I said my Mom. Not our Mom. She's not your Mom. You took her from us. You killed her."

The unicorn was taken aback by Myrtle's accusation, mouth agape. She sniffled, struggling to maintain her composure, only to burst into tears, running down the hallways to her room, shutting the door behind her.

"Myrtle!" Heavy-Heart promptly stood up, his disapproval clear.

"But, it's true! You know what happened! You know that she --"

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!!!"

The filly shrank at her father's furious roar, nearly driven to tears herself.

Heavy-Heart's demeanor softened, immediately regretting his outburst. He slowly pulled his daughter into a hug.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare you. But, we talked about this. It's not right to treat your sister that way. You wash the dishes, and then go to bed. No dessert. Understand?"

Beatrix sobbed, curled up under the covers of her bed, clutching her doll, Special, tightly against her chest. All she wanted was to cry herself to sleep. To escape back into the serene, peaceful darkness of oblivious unconsciousness, as if she didn't even exist. That's where she felt she belonged, where all the pain and the guilt disappeared. Her ears caught the rest of her family's conversation, and then the sound of hoofsteps trudging down the halls. She whimpered softly in protest, wanting to be left alone.

The hoofsteps stopped a few feet away from her door. The faint noise of scuttling was audible, and the stallion groaned. "Damn bugs..."

Beatrix flinched as she heard him start to stomp on the cockroaches. They were resilient creatures indeed, but no match for his powerful hooves, crunching beneath them.

"Figures... We can't afford an exterminator because it's hard enough to put meals on the table every night..." with a sigh, he retreated to the bathroom to wash his hooves, and then returned to Beatrix's door, opening it slowly.

"Honey..."

"She's right! I killed her! I killed her, and it's all my fault!"

"No, you didn't, and no, it wasn't," Heavy-Heart replied, his voice soft and compassionate. He approached his daughter, kneeling by her bedside.

Beatrix sniffled, her teary eyes veering towards him. "Th-then... How come Mom gave birth to Myrtle just fine, but not me?..."

Heavy-Heart opened his mouth to reply, and hesitated, then sighed. "... I don't know, Beatrix. But, she was feeling very sick, for a very long time. It had nothing to do with you. I swear."

The filly looked back at her pillow sadly. The stallion gently caressed her mane, trying to think of a way to cheer her up. Finally, he beamed.

"How about I read your favorite story, hmm?"

Beatrix froze, then nodded eagerly.

Her father smiled. He retrieved the book in question, opening to it's first page. It was "The Very Special Pony", by Euthalia Lulamoon, his widow. The story was about a unicorn named Special (who was also Trixie's doll, made by her mother as well) who lacked friends or a cutie mark, and set out to find both. On her travels, she individually met a unicorn, a pegasus, and an earth pony who were all struggling. Whenever she offered to help them, she made mistakes, and failed. Later, she found the three of them having a picnic together, and asked if she could join, but they angrily told her to go away for accidentally ruining their tasks.

Saddened, Special wandered off into the forest to be alone. She found a deep, dark cave, thinking it would be a good place to hide where no one could find her, and went inside. Only, as she tried to sleep, she heard a stallion asking for help, trapped beneath some rocks. Special used her magic with all her might to move them, setting him free. The stallion thanked her, and revealed that he was actually a genie, waiting for a pony brave and kind enough to come "save" him so that he could reward them for their virtues.

Special doubted that she deserved this, but the genie allowed her to be able to look inside of herself, objectively seeing all of her good intentions and every single effort to help, telling her that "You try your best, and you mean well, and that's why you're Special". He offered to make one wish come true, so she wished for everyone to be happy. With that, the genie granted her a magical Wand Of Peace that would lift everyone's spirits and erase their worries, which she used to help the unicorn, pegasus and earth pony, and everyone else she met, and become their friends.

As Heavy-Heart finished the story, closing the book, Beatrix smiled. She had heard and read the story countless times, but it always helped her experience joy.

"You know that your mother wrote this just for you while she was pregnant with you, so you'd know how much you meant to her, but... She also wrote it for me. She said that she used to doubt herself so much, but then she met me, and I made her feel... Well, Special... And, that's how you make me feel," he admitted, tousling her mane playfully. "Feel better?"

Beatrix nodded quickly.

"Good. Now, try to get some rest." With that, he kissed her forehead. "Good night, Beatrix. I love you."

"You too, Dad," she answered. He left, closing the door behind him, and Beatrix rolled onto her side, mulling over her thoughts.

She always preferred the night far more than the day. It allowed her imagination to take a few steps closer to feeling real, whenever she dreamed, letting her believe, however temporarily, that things were different, better than they really were. She would be someone stronger, braver, and more worthy than she believed herself to be. Her magic would work perfectly, everyone would love her, and everything would be made just for her. There would be banners and statues and all sorts of things in her honor, and she would create a paradise for everyone with the Wand Of Peace.

Beatrix could only see Luna as incredibly kind for granting her such dreams. The lucid experience of getting to do everything she always wanted, but never could. On many nights such as this, she would lay awake trying to think of ways to go to the moon so she could thank Luna for everything she'd done for her. She thought the goddess was also alone, like herself, and would want a friend who would appreciate her. Most of her ideas that she tried never worked, but she was sure that her latest one would.

The filly had carefully studied all the stars in the sky she could find, believing that while they were numerous and small, if she could use her magic well enough, she could borrow them to build a ladder to the moon, so she could climb up there and finally meet Luna. She wasn't sure when her magic would become that good, but when it did, she'd try it right away. Beatrix felt her eyelids getting heavy, and smiled. She surrendered herself to slumber, fully embracing it, eager to experience the next sweet dreams Luna would present her with.

The next morning, Beatrix awoke early, while her father and sister remained asleep. It was barely dawn, as the sunrise was still just beginning to shine through the windows. The unicorn softly yawned, gingerly trotting out of her room towards the kitchen to get some breakfast. She froze as something crunched under her hoof. She grimaced in disgust, realizing it was a cockroach, and scraped it off. Looking around, she noticed many more of them scurrying about; whenever they seemed to finally be gone, more would replace them. She frowned, remembering Heavy-Heart's thoughts last night. How were they going to deal with this?

She perked upon finding an idea. The filly quickly, yet quietly hurried to the basement, not wanting to awake her kin. Beatrix turned on the light once inside, rummaging through the items stored away until she found what she was looking for; her mother's spell book. She'd looked through it before in hopes of finding remedies for past dilemmas, even learning a mind reading spell so she could always find out what her father was worried about. Flipping through the pages, she slowly became discouraged when the answer she sought didn't appear to be there.

Beatrix was about the give up and close the book, until she caught something in the corner of her eye that stood out to her. It read, "life extinguishing spell: use with great caution". The unicorn hesitated, feeling uncertain about trying it, but no other solution seemed to apply to the cockroaches. If she was going to help her family deal with them, this would be how.

Minutes later, she cornered one, concentrating intensely. At first, doubt and worry made her fear she would fail, and she started to.

'No -- you need to help. This is how you do it. Think of... Think of how much better it will be here without these things. Dad would be happy.'

After finishing breakfast, Heavy-Heart wiped his mouth with his napkin, walking to throw it in the garbage. Upon opening the can, he was startled to see it almost completely full of dead cockroaches.

"What in the name of --"

"I did it, Dad!" Beatrix exclaimed proudly.

"... Did what?"

"That! I got all the cockroaches! Now you don't need to hire an exterminator anymore, and you can save money!"

She expected him to be proud of her, and glad that the bugs were gone, but instead he seemed more worried than he was before.

"... How did you do that?"

Beatrix stopped, concerned that she might be in trouble. "... Just a spell from Mom's spell book..." she murmured, barely audible.

"Which spell?"

"Just a spell," she whispered, cringing.

"Show me which one. In the book."

Beatrix bit her lip, her ears lowering and her eyes starting to water.

"It's okay, you're not in trouble. Just show me where it is in the book."

The filly released a long, shuddering sigh, hanging her head. "O-okay..."

She lead him to it in the basement, opening it up on a table, going to the page in question.

"That's the one," Beatrix confessed, her hoof right under the "life extinguishing spell".

Heavy-Heart leaned in closer to read it, and Beatrix backed out of his way. As his eyes scanned over the description, a look of silent horror slowly crossed the stallion's face, his eyes widening as his hoof covered his mouth. When he was finished, he rested his forelegs on the table, burying his face into them.

"Dear Luna, Beatrix..."

"I-I was only trying to help," Beatrix whimpered guiltily.

"I know you were, but..." Heavy-Heart slowly stood back on all fours, looking to his daughter with a dead serious expression of concern. "Look... Bugs -- any bug -- are living things, just like us... And... You can't just kill them, you're supposed to find a way to make them go away --"

"But you crush them all the time!" Beatrix protested.

"I know, I know!" the stallion groaned. "What I'm trying to say is... That spell's dangerous. Very dangerous. It could possibly kill not just cockroaches, but maybe any living thing, like you and me. You have to be extremely careful with that sort of thing, and a filly your age shouldn't be using it. You can understand that, right?"

Beatrix nodded. "... So... You're not mad at me?"

"I'm not mad at you." The stallion walked closer, kneeling down to her eye level. "I know you were doing what you thought was good. A-and it is, in a way -- the cockroaches can't bother us any more -- but... It's a very complicated situation. You made... You made a hard decision. But, the next time you need to make a hard decision, you come talk to me about it first, okay?"

"Okay..."

"And... And I want you to promise me... Promise me you'll never use that spell again, okay?"

"I promise..."

While her father was heading to the mines, Myrtle was opening her late mother's florist shop, simply called Euthalia's. Beatrix was there trying to help, but her older sister had assured her that her assistance wasn't needed. She wandered around, looking at all of the beautiful flowers, trying to find her favorite. The unicorn finally discovered them off in the corner; Jennet Orchids, a rare kind that only grew in their local area, taking on marvelous hues of pink, red, yellow and orange. Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply through her nose, smiling at their wonderful scent.

Myrtle saw her. "Get away from those!" she blurted, shooing her off. "You're going to ruin them! They were -- they are -- Mom's favorites..."

"Sorry," Beatrix murmured as she backed away. "Are you sure you don't need help with anything else here, Myrtle?"

"Yes, I am. Go bother somepony else, you useless blank flank... You can't even use magic properly..."

Beatrix felt a pang of rejection in her chest. "O-okay..." she turned, starting to leave, hearing Myrtle whisper just within earshot.

"At least all the cockroaches are finally gone... Now if only we could get rid of every pest around here..."

Her younger sister quivered. 'Myrtle is nice to everypony except for me... It feels so unfair...'

Trying to forget her sister's words, the unicorn filly trekked across Jennet, taking long detours to avoid her usual bullies, off to the mines to look for her father. Fortunately, he hadn't started working for today yet, and she reached him quickly.

"Dad, Dad! Myrtle says she doesn't need my help at the flower shop today... Can I help you with anything?"

Heavy-Heart felt slightly irritated, as he easily worried for the safety of his daughters around these parts, but seeing them always made him smile. "Not right now, Beatrix. Maybe later. Why don't you go ahead and play for today? You've earned some time to relax."

"Okay..."

Beatrix had returned home to spend time with her doll, Special. She always liked to pretend that she was a mother, and that Special was her daughter. It wasn't so much something that she did just for fun, but more out of penance. The idea of being a good mother to Special felt like a good way to apologize to her own mother for apparently killing her by being born, even though she didn't mean to. Deep down, she knew that Special would never be anything more than just a doll in her hooves, and a character in a book, but that didn't stop her from trying any ways.

She always did everything for Special that she always thought a good mother was supposed to do. She would pretend to feed her, bathe her, change her diapers, play with her, and put her to sleep. All the things she had heard of Euthalia doing for Myrtle, or saw mothers living in Jennet doing with their children. Normally, during her free time, it was enough to keep her occupied for a full day. But today, it didn't seem to feel the same. She felt empty. So, she put Special to bed, and went for a walk to think about why she felt the way that she did.

Beatrix passed all the familiar sights in Jennet she had seen on so many walks so many times. There was nothing to steal her attention away from her thoughts, that would distract her from thinking and walking, to try to figure her emotions out. At least, there wasn't until she found something unfamiliar. It was a poster for a talent show that would accompany the upcoming Hearth's Warming Eve pageant.

'I would try out... But I'm not good enough.'

She stared down at her hooves sadly. 'I can hardly do even basic magic right a lot of the time... If I was a better Beatrix, like the one in my dreams, maybe I'd try... But --'

"Hey, you're going to try out for that, too?" a jovial voice chimed.

Beatrix looked to the source, only to find a smiling griffon who seemed older than her, but younger than her sister.

"That's awesome! I've been wanting to meet someone out here to try out with me for some moral support! Plus, it's boring out here without any friends..."

"O-oh, I, u-um... I'm not trying out for that..." Beatrix trailed off, blushing sheepishly. "I'd love to help you out, but, I just can't... I'm sorry..."

The griffon blinked, bewildered. "Why not? You're a unicorn! You can do some magic in there!"

"No, I mean, I can't," the filly tried to explain. "I'm not good at it..."

The griffon rolled her eyes and blew a raspberry. "That's no problem! All it takes is some practice! I still don't know how to fly the best that I can, but that's what I want to do in the talent show, any ways! I used to be no good at it at all, but then my friend Rainbow Dash from Junior Speedster Flight Camp helped me out, and I got better! Maybe I can help you practice with your magic, then we can try out together!"

Beatrix cringed, unsure how to react. 'I've... I've never met anyone else like this before... She actually thinks I'm more than what I really am... Like what I really want to be... I don't want to disappoint her and hurt her feelings.'

"I... I'll think about it."

The griffon smiled widely. "That's great! By the way, I'm Gilda le Grand." She took one of Beatrix's hooves, shaking it.

"I'm Beatrix Lulamoon..."

"Nice to meet you! I'm going to be staying here in Jennet with my Uncle Arluin and cousin Gustave until New Years! Maybe we can hang out until then! If we got to see each other every day, we'd kick all kinds of butt at that talent show for sure!"

The filly laughed unsurely. "If you say so... But, um, listen... I really should be getting home, sorry..."

"Okay! See you soon, Beatrix!"

She felt bad for lying to the griffon, but she wasn't used to such positive social interaction, and somehow it made her uncomfortable. In a way, she told her a half-truth, since she possibly had to go. Beatrix was heading back to the mines to see if her father would need help after all. Heavy-Heart was nowhere to be seen, presumably deep in the mine, so she got to work on levitating a sledgehammer with her magic, using it to break up boulders of silver that were already set aside for that exact purpose.

At first, she seemed to be doing okay. Much better than she usually did. Part of it was from focusing on how happy her father would be with her help, like she did before when she exterminated the cockroaches. But, eventually, her control started to slip away, and it was harder to hold onto.

'No! I have to keep going... Prove I'm helpful... Prove I'm worthy... I need to help Dad!'

The longer she struggled, the more difficult it was to keep using her magic on the sledgehammer. A headache and nosebleed slowly started to creep up on her, gradually becoming more and more intense. Beatrix groaned, incredibly uncomfortable and wanting to stop suffering, but this was outweighed by her desire to be useful. Finally, it became too much, and she passed out, collapsing onto the ground.

At the sound of a thud, Heavy-Heart turned to see his daughter off in the distance. He immediately scolded himself, unsure of how he could have possibly not noticed her arriving. The stallion started walking towards her, deducing that she exerted herself too hard trying to help again. Despite the shortcomings she possessed, Beatrix made up for them in effort and intentions.

"LOOK OUT!!! GET OFF THE TRACKS!!!"

Heavy-Heart looked to the source of the screaming, terrified to find a runaway mining cart full of silver headed straight for Beatrix. Adrenaline seized him as he galloped as fast as he could to his unconscious daughter. He pushed her out of the way just in time... But it was too late for himself.

The cacophonous crash startled Beatrix into consciousness. Upon seeing where it came from, fear seized her heart.

"DAD!!!"

In the hospital, Beatrix sat by her father's bedside.

"I'm so sorry, Dad..."

"It's all right... I understand... You were just... Trying to help..."

The filly sniffled, barely able to bring herself to look at him. Guilt was making it too hard.

"... I... I wanted to do something special, just for you, when I came here... To show you how sorry I am... How much I care about you..."

Indeed, she found a new spell in her mother's spell book, and practiced it rigorously, several times in a row, wanting to get it just right for her father. She closed her eyes, focusing on her magic... And conjured a bouquet of Jennet Orchids. Not only were they Beatrix's favorite flowers of Euthalia's, but Heavy-Heart's, as well. As the stallion's eyes gleamed in awe, the filly levitated them onto his chest. He indulged in their sweet scent, bringing a joyful smile to his face.

"That was wonderful... They're beautiful... Thank you..."

"You're welcome," Beatrix nodded. "I'll... I'll let you rest..." she trailed off. With that, she left.

Once again, her mind was fraught with worry, hanging her head as she slowly trekked home. Just before she was out of the hospital doors, a hoof clamped down on her tail, pinning it to the ground and causing her to yelp.

"Hey!" Myrtle snarled.

Beatrix turned to look at her, flinching.

"You better stop 'helping', before you kill my Dad, too," she growled.

That evening, Beatrix had snuck outside in the middle of the night. Her father was going to be resting in the hospital for many nights, and her sister didn't care enough about her to pay attention to where she went at this hour. She was alone in a field just outside of Jennet, staring up into the stars as she had done many times before. However, they couldn't bring her the same comfort that they had in the past. Even her regular dreams, however nice and constant they were, were ultimately only temporary, and could not solve the very permanent problem of her misery.

Her view of the dark sky above her was blurred by her tears.

'I've tried everything I could to help. But no matter what I do, nothing is ever good enough. Now, there's only one thing I can do.'

Beatrix lowered her head and closed her eyes, coming to terms with her choice.

'I... I need to go. Forever. From everywhere. From existence. My Mom died so I could live... That was a sign from the very beginning that I never belonged here. I'll be gone, and Dad and Myrtle won't have to worry about taking care of me anymore. I'll stop bothering everypony.'

With that, Beatrix started to cast the spell she promised her father that she'd never use again. The life extinguishing spell. Only, this time, she was trying to channel it inward. Towards herself.

The unicorn felt her body seize up and tighten, becoming filled with a sharp pain. It was just like the familiar experience of straining her magic too far, but she wasn't sure if it was just that, or if the spell was working, or maybe both. She whimpered, forcing herself to try harder, no matter how badly it hurt; for all she knew, this could mean that she was getting closer and closer to achieving her goal.

'Just a little more, then all the pain will stop... For me, and everypony else...'

"Hey! What're you doing out here?"

The familiar voice broke her concentration, stopping the spell. Beatrix groaned at her failure, starting to sob. She turned to see who it was, freezing out of surprise; it was Gilda.

As the griffon approached closer, Beatrix sniffled, wiping her eyes. "I-I was just, u-uh... Practicing magic... For the talent show..."

Gilda was surprised, and apparently delighted, by her answer. "Oh, wow, really? What a coincidence! I was out here doing the same thing! Err, well, practicing for the talent show I mean, not magic! Can you show me?"

Beatrix swallowed a knot of nervousness trapped in her throat, completely caught off guard by all of this. "Well, okay..."

She used the mind reading spell she normally used on her father on Gilda, scanning her mind for an idea of what to attempt to conjure. She quickly found something, and forced all of her concentration into it. A headache resounded through her skull for a few moments, but then, a chocolate eclair confection spontaneously appeared, and Beatrix levitated it right into Gilda's talon.

"... Wow, Beatrix, that was... That was amazing! That's exactly what I was thinking of! I..." She hesitated for a moment, and took a bite of the eclair, only to be completely astonished. "These are just like the eclairs my cousin Gustave makes! They're completely the same! How in the world did you do that?!?"

Beatrix blushed modestly, her eyes veering away. "I sort of... Read your mind... I'm sorry..."

"Sorry?!? What are you sorry for?!? This is incredible!"

The unicorn flinched. "It just feels wrong to go into others' thoughts without asking, but you really wanted me to show you a trick, so..."

"Exactly! It's okay if it's for tricks, that's what people expect when they go to magic shows! There's nothing wrong with that!"

Beatrix shrugged. "If you say so..."

Gilda suddenly noticed some damp spots on her face, and frowned. "Are you sure that's all you were doing out here? It looks like you were... Crying... What's the matter?"

The pony blushed in embarrassment, hoping she wouldn't have noticed. It was time for another half-truth. "I was thinking about... A hard decision I had to make... I learned this spell to kill some cockroaches in my house, to help my Dad... But I didn't know until he told me that the spell might kill anything else alive, too... I didn't hurt anything else with it, but, I could have if I wasn't more careful, and, just... I feel really bad about it..."

Gilda nodded in sympathy. "I can understand that... I actually had to make a hard decision like that too, not too long ago... On our way here to Jennet, my Uncle Arluin, Gustave and I lost our food on accident, and we were going to starve if we didn't get more soon... So, Uncle Arluin told us that we would have to hunt for it, but only because it was an emergency... We don't normally eat living things, and, I didn't want to, but... We had to... It was better than being hungry..."

An awkward silence hung in the air. After a long moment, Gilda broke it, trying to change the subject to something more cheerful. "Still, that trick you did was totally awesome! I told you that you could get better if you just practiced! If that was just to give me an idea of what you could do, I'm sure there's plenty of other cool spells you can cast, too! Now you have to try out with me, I insist!"

"All right, then..."

When she returned home to go to bed, Beatrix had trouble going to sleep. Normally, she would lay awake thinking about ways to reach Luna, or what she wanted to dream about next, or her family's problems, until she fell asleep. This time, the thoughts keeping her up pertained to her new friend, the griffon Gilda.

'... I never thought about it a lot before, but... Gilda telling me what she went through on the way here made me remember my family's not the only one with problems... Everyone living here in Jennet is having a hard time, just from trying to make it by, one day at a time...'

The filly raised Special to her eye level, softly stroking her mane. 'Maybe going into this talent show with Gilda is a good thing, after all... I can try to use my magic to get better at creating the kind of things that normally go on in my dreams... The things that make me forget the hard times... And if I can share those things with everyone else, wouldn't it help them? Wouldn't it finally make me worthy after all?'

Beatrix closed her eyes. 'If there's only one reason I should go, it's Gilda. She believes in me... I need to be there to believe in her, too...'

Heavy-Heart chuckled, breathing heavily in his hospital bed. "She sounds like quite the hooffull..."

Beatrix smiled wryly. "She invited me to come over to her Uncle Arluin's house for dinner tonight... I told her I'd ask you if it was okay first..."

"Thank you. I'm glad you thought about that."

The filly stared at her father intently with pleading eyes.

The stallion furrowed his brow in confusion. "What is it? Oh! Yes, of course. 'Yes, of course' you can go there for dinner."

The answer made the unicorn nervous and excited at the same time. She never had a friend before, so she never thought about what to do when she finally got one, but it was a nice change of pace from what she was used to.

"I'm so glad you've finally found a friend, Beatrix."

The filly nodded, then frowned. "She's only going to be here for the rest of the month..."

Heavy-Heart paused, sharing her sorrow. "Well... Cherish the rest of that time you'll have together, Beatrix. The best kind of friends are always close to you, on the inside, no matter how far apart you are on the outside. Besides, I'm sure you'd be lonely without any company while I'm stuck here in the hospital. Just, go on and have fun, and try not to think too much about the things you feel sad for."

"Okay, Dad..."

"I'm also glad you decided to try out at the talent show with her... I just know that'll be a lot of fun. The doctor says that by that time, I should be okay enough to start going places again, but I'll have to take it easy... I promise you, I'll do everything I can to make it there."

"Hey, Trixie!"

Beatrix raised an eyebrow in bewilderment. "What did you just call me?"

Gilda gracefully landed beside the filly, having flown to the middle of Jennet to meet her. "Trixie! It's this new nickname I thought of for you! You know, for all the cool magic tricks you can do! After that neat stunt you pulled with Gustave's eclairs, I just knew you'd have tons of other wild stuff in your tricktionary! So, come on, Trix! Let's go to my Uncle Arluin's!"

Gilda's older cousin, a chef in training, had provided a spectacular meal including items Trixie had never eaten before; her father was usually too low on bits to afford such extravagant foods. She slowly savored every bite of the dish before her, currently gorging on the fettucine alfredo with mushrooms.

After having some more, Trixie looked to the eldest griffon with a puzzled expression. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, could you please tell me what a 'sick-eater' is again, Mister le Grand?"

The griffon laughed. "It's 'sin-eater', Beatrix. And please, call me Arluin." He brought a talon to his beak, clearing his throat. "Any ways, as I was saying, in the oldest griffon societies, or tribes, if you will, each member had a different task assigned to them, in order to contribute to the rest of the group. The sin-eater was the one who would eat the food laid on the chest of the recently dead, symbolically absorbing their sins so that their souls could gain access to the afterlife and be spared from damnation in Tartatus," Arluin explained.

"The role of the sin-eater is what inspired my dear Gustave and I to pursue a new avenue in our culinary adventures. We want to combine comfort foods -- what people usually eat for it's delicious flavor, and to relieve stress -- with healthy foods, which, well, improve your health. On top of it all, depression was once considered a sin, and we'd want our foods to make people happy, so that makes it fit even better. But, since health is one of the goals in mind, you could technically call it a 'sick-eater' if you really wanted to!"

Gilda chuckled. "You're so silly, Uncle Arluin."

Once again, Trixie lay awake in bed at night, mulling over what her experiences with Gilda taught her.

'... If I really wanted to... Could I become the sin-eater of Jennet? To absorb all of their sadness inside me, so they wouldn't have to feel it anymore? They deserve to be set free from that, and I... Don't...'

She closed her eyes, hugging Special close to her.

'That's it, then... I'll enter the talent show and become a magical sin-eater. That way, Mom wouldn't have died for nothing. That way, I'll have finally done something right. Not just for Gilda. Not just for Jennet. But for me.'

For two weeks, Trixie and Gilda vigorously practiced together, helping each other; Trixie had her magic, and Gilda had her flying.

All of it was for today. The time had finally arrived. Countless other times in her life, Trixie had felt as if her heart were heavy, weighed down by sorrow. Today, it was pounding with anticipation. For so many other fillies and colts, it was trying out for a talent show, but for her, it was the most important day of her life. To prove to herself that she really was worth anything for something good after all. Not 'Beatrix the blank flank', 'Beatrix the dud-horned', or 'Beatrix the mother-killer'. This would decide if she really was the strong, brave, worthy pony she dreamed of being; 'Trixie The Magician'.

She had never been so nervous and excited at the same time. Every minute that her turn grew closer, she felt her heart almost leap into her throat, a strangely thrilling fear filling every cell in her body. Trixie never had a chance like this before, and she was sure that it would never come again. She would do her best. She practiced, for so long and so hard. She would make it in -- she had to.

Finally, the three judges were ready for her. When they gave her permission to start, she took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

'This is it. This is where my life is going to change forever. I'll no longer be worthless.'

Smiling, she remembered the encouragements of Gilda and Heavy-Heart, and began her magical display.

Trixie was trying to recreate what she had impressed Gilda with long ago. She reached into the mind of the first judge, a unicorn mare, searching through her thoughts for something palatable to conjure as an elaborate illusion, like Gustave's eclairs. Finally, she found something; a birthday card she received from her son last week. Within moments, it appeared before the mare's hooves, and she immediately recognized it, bewildered and astonished.

The judge opened it, revealing it to be a completely accurate replica, right down to her son's hoofwriting. "That's... That's incredible! This is the exact birthday card I got from my son last week!"

Trixie winced, already starting to feel her magic take it's toll on her.

'No!!! I can't fail yet -- I've only just started... Must... Keep... Going...'

She peered into the mind of the next judge, a pegasus stallion. After a few more moments of searching and applying a grueling amount of concentration, she conjured another item of personal significance to the pony in mind, surprising him as well.

"This is my late brother's lucky stopwatch! However did you bring it here?"

Trixie's headache intensified, and blood began to creep around the edge of her nostrils. She tried to ignore the burning pain, forcing herself to persevere.

'Doing so good -- can't stop -- '

Finally, there was the last judge, an earth pony mare. It took every last ounce of Trixie's strength to perform the same feat on her, especially due to the nature of what she was conjuring.

Once she succeeded, the judge gasped. "Remiel!" the mare exclaimed, addressing her cat by name. The indigo-furred feline affectionately meowed and purred as she pet it, cuddling into her.

Trixie felt her eye twitching, the splitting headache consuming her skull as she started to bleed copiously.

' -- NO! -- '

The overwhelmed filly lost her balance, crashing down onto the floor. Immediately, the three lifelike illusions disappeared, and Trixie's magic stopped, her headache only slowly ebbing away as her consciousness flickered. She fought with everything she had, only barely managing not to pass out, breathing heavily as she slowly got back on all fours. The judges were clearly horrified, deeply concerned.

"Are you okay, little filly?" one of them asked.

"Y-yes, I'm fine," Trixie lied. "How did I do?"

The judges looked at each other hesitantly, clearly very uncomfortable and struggling with mixed emotions. After whispering inaudibly amongst themselves, they simultaneously nodded in unanimous agreement, turning their attention back to Trixie.

The pegasus stallion cleared his throat. "We were... Deeply entertained and impressed with your talents, Trixie, and we think you would make a wonderful addition to the show, except... We're very worried about your health... It's clear that you have a condition involving your magic, and, well... You have to understand, it's not that we don't want you in, we just don't want you to get hurt... So, I'm afraid that we have no choice but to reject you. We're sorry."

Trixie froze.

'But, I... I tried so hard for this... I wanted this so badly... Why can't I?... Am I really that worthless?...'

Slowly, she started to cry. Ashamed, she lowered her head, not wanting them to notice, but her sobs only grew louder, until she broke down.

Heavy-Heart, hearing her from outside the room, entered, approaching his daughter somberly. "Come on... Let's go..." He gingerly escorted her out.

Trixie's father hugged her close to him, letting her sob into his coat. He waited for her to calm down, gently patting her back and stroking her mane, silently empathizing with her melancholy.

"I-I'm such a failure, Dad... I can't do anything right... I wanted to get in there more than I ever wanted anything, but I couldn't even do that..." she sniffled.

After a few moments, Heavy-Heart spoke. "... Hey... Honey..." He slowly pulled away, kneeling down to her eye level, smiling proudly at her with tears in his eyes. "... You try your best, and you mean well, and that's why I love you, Beatrix..."

Trixie slowly smiled, her heart filling with warmth, feeling accepted. She seized her father in another hug, and they silently embraced one another.

Minutes later, after regaining her composure, Trixie looked until she found her friend.

"Hey, Gilda... I'm sorry, but... I didn't make it..."

Gilda nodded, looking quite morose herself. "I know... That's okay, because I didn't, either... Even if I did, it wouldn't matter, because it looks like my Uncle Arluin has to leave before Hearth's Warming Eve, and, well... We're going with him... It's only in a few days, actually..." she sighed in disappointment.

Trixie was chilled with more pangs of lament. "I'm really going to miss you, Gilda..."

"I'll miss you too, Trixie..." with that, the griffon embraced her in a hug. "Hey... We may not have made it in, but we still had a lot of fun while I was here, didn't we? Besides, it's not like we'll never see each other again... Uncle Arluin says I can come back next year... Then, we can try again... That's all there is to it, is to just keep trying..."

A few days ago, Gilda left. Trixie spent the remainder of her time in Jennet with her, but was unable to enjoy it as much as she could have, their fun and games sullied by the knowledge that soon, her first and only friend would be gone for a year.

Heavy-Heart had finally been able to return home, but needed another week of rest and relaxation before he could return to work, on his doctor's orders. With him out of work for another seven days, the Lulamoons depended solely on the sales of the late Euthalia's flowers, with Heavy-Heart even convincing Myrtle to let Trixie help out there until he could work again. Trixie had noticed her father felt bad for not being able to help his coworkers for a little longer. So, four days later, she woke up early to go to the mine to see if she could help them.

Once again, she was breaking down boulders with a sledgehammer using her magic. Trixie was struggling like last time, but was doing better than before. Little did she know that Myrtle was heading there, looking for her; they would need to open the flower shop soon, and they still needed to work together for it.

The oblivious Trixie had no intention of stopping anytime soon. She'd gotten her magic working in a nice, even flow, smooth enough to make progress at a slow, but steady pace, breaking down the silver piece by piece. After several more minutes of this, the all-too-familiar symptoms of her magical exhaustion returned, but she kept pushing anyways.

'Just one more... One more, and that'll be good enough...' she told herself, looking for any excuse to continue.

Off in the distance, yards away, was another boulder of silver. The logical thing to do would be to walk over to it, but that didn't cross her mind in her fatigued state. Instead, the unicorn tried to levitate it closer to her. It was merely slowly dragging across the ground, so she tried to lift it. Trixie felt herself straining, clenching her teeth out of frustration as she struggled to pull it closer as quickly as possible. In her zeal, she accidentally levitated it right above her, a few feet in the air. She felt her control slipping, and gasped as she now forced all of her focus into keeping it suspended above her.

'I-if I drop this, I'll get hurt really bad -- the way Dad got hurt really bad --'

She squinted her eyes shut, groaning out of pain, her legs trembling.

Myrtle finally found her, several yards away. She was puzzled as to why Trixie looked so exasperated, and then noticed that she was using her magic to hold the boulder directly above herself. Her first instinct was to call for help, or try to get Trixie out of the way, but stopped herself before she could act on them. If she did nothing at all, and merely let this happen, she would be crushed, and finally pay for taking her mother. She smirked at the idea, hiding to watch the results.

Trixie fought to maintain her magic, but was slowly losing. Consumed by migraine-worthy amounts of agony, blackness closed in around the edges. With a groaning sigh of tired suffering, she collapsed onto the ground, fainting. With that, her horn's aura disappeared, releasing the boulder.

Myrtle's eyes gleamed with excitement --

-- Only for the boulder to harmlessly bounce off of Trixie.

The filly's jaw dropped in shock. It didn't even bounce off of her, but the air right above her.

The Lulamoons had just returned home from another visit to the hospital. Some of the workers at the mine had seen what happened with Trixie, and tried to help, but were too late to stop it. The fact that she survived without a scratch was considered a miracle, a work of Luna; some of Jennet's parents even used it to tell their children why being so devout to Luna was so important, citing Trixie as an example. But, alas, the doctor had confirmed this was no such spectacle. While the filly had trouble using her magic under emotional stress throughout her life, they had just now discovered that it also had a strong, unconscious link to her survival instinct, automatically protecting her from any serious harm.

Trixie had just finished tending to Special in her room, putting her to bed for another nap, when she heard the dinner bell. She ran down the hallways to the kitchen to dine, and was stopped by Myrtle's cold, hateful glare.

"... What is it?..."

"You know what it is," Myrtle growled. "It's about Dad."

"... What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean!" Myrtle snapped. "Your magic could have protected you all along... You would have been fine either way, but Dad got hurt in your place... The wrong pony got hit by the mining cart that day..."

Beatrix's heart was immediately consumed by fury at this accusation. "STOP HATING ME!!!" she screamed.

Immediately, Myrtle gasped in horror, backing into the corner, her pupils shrunken in fear. She was shaking uncontrollably.

Beatrix suddenly became confused. She didn't expect Myrtle to react this way; her anger had never scared her before.

"BEATRIX!!!" their father roared.

The filly cringed, turning to look at him, when she suddenly realized what went wrong. Unintentionally, unknowingly, she was just about to cast the life extinguishing spell on Myrtle.

Heavy-Heart's face was twisted in blind rage. "WHAT DID I TELL YOU?!? I TOLD YOU TO NEVER USE THAT SPELL AGAIN!!! RIGHT NOW, YOU ALMOST KILLED YOUR SISTER!!!"

"I-I'm sorry!!! I didn't mean it, I swear!!!" she cried, bursting into tears.

The stallion raised his forehoof back, preparing to smack Trixie, causing her to gasp in fear. Suddenly, he froze, realizing what he was about to do. His expression softened into one of regret and guilt, and he slowly put his hoof back down.

"Beatrix..."

Trixie sobbed, running down the hall.

"Beatrix!"

She retreated to her room, shutting the door. Heavy-Heart followed after her, trying to open it, but Trixie used just enough of her magic to keep it locked. He begged and pleaded for her forgiveness, for her to let him in, but she wouldn't. She didn't talk to him for the rest of the night.

Later, Heavy-Heart had given up and gone to bed. Trixie waited until she knew he was asleep, and sneaked outside again. She returned to the field outside Jennet where she looked at the stars, the very same place where she once tried to make this hard decision before.

'Myrtle is right.

It's my fault Dad got hurt. The cart wouldn't hurt me. The boulder didn't hurt me. But the cart hurt him.

It's my fault Mom died.

My fault Dad got hurt.

My fault Myrtle almost died.

My fault that... That everything's wrong, and never going to be okay...'

She shut her eyes, squeezing tears out between her eyelids, hanging her head.

'Dad even... Was going to hit me... He never did that before... He... He's tired of putting up with me and all the bad things I make happen... He doesn't love me anymore...'

After another sobbing, shaking sigh, she looked back up, her forehoof reaching out towards the moon.

'Please, Luna... Please let me sleep forever... I've always loved you for everything you've done... I want you to love me, too... Take me away from here... Take me with you... Let me sleep forever, so that way, I'm always dreaming... Dreaming about a life so much better than mine could ever be... Somewhere away from all the pain, the sadness, and the guilt... I don't want to be the worthless Beatrix Lulamoon anymore... I want to be strong, brave, and worthy... I want to be Trixie The Magician... If I can only ask for one thing from you, please, dear Luna, just give me this...'

With that, she closed her eyes, and immediately started casting the life extinguishing spell on herself again. She placed every last ounce of effort into it, a searing agony gradually coursing over her entire body. It was a hellish torment, but Trixie didn't care; it was worth going through if it meant not having to hurt anymore. All she would have to do was this one last spell, and everything would finally be all right. She'd only have to suffer this one last time, and then she'd never suffer again.

She'd be with Luna on the moon, where she could truly become the pony she always wanted to be. Her magic would work perfectly, everyone would love her, and everything would be made just for her. There would be banners and statues and all sorts of things in her honor. She would create a paradise for everyone with the Wand Of Peace, just like Special in her favorite story. All she had to do was hang on just a little longer, try a little harder, stand the pain just one more time, and she would be gone, off to where no one could hurt her, and she could hurt no one. All her dreams would finally come true.

'... Almost... There...'

Finally, the pain stopped, and she fainted. As blackness closed in towards the edges, and she fell towards the ground, the last remaining shreds of Trixie's consciousness briefly rejoiced in the realization that finally, everything would be okay. The world went dark...

... Until she woke up again, in the very same field. Nothing had changed. She failed. The same magic linked to her survival instinct, which saved her from the boulder, had also kept her from her own escape.

Trixie started to cry.

'... All I ever did for Luna was love her... And even she thinks I'm not good enough... I'll never be good enough... This is the only way it's ever going to be... I'm just going to hurt forever...'

Hearth's Warming Eve was quiet.

There were no presents for the Lulamoons this year. Heavy-Heart didn't get any; not to punish his two children, but simply because he couldn't afford them. The closest thing they had was a cake, just big enough for all of them to share.

Once again, the stallion and his two daughters dined in silence at the kitchen table.

Trixie didn't eat anything. All she could do was stare down at her plate morosely. She couldn't bear to raise her eyes to her family.

Heavy-Heart reluctantly ate his share of the cake. He did so slowly, watching his sad children, disappointed in himself for not being able to get anything more for them. Once he was finished, he winced uncomfortably for a brief moment, and then regained his composure. Releasing a quiet sigh, he slowly stood up and nodded to the two fillies, silently excusing himself for a nap as he walked to his bedroom.

Myrtle was just trying to focus on her cake, but even as she ate it, she couldn't escape the lingering sadness permeating the entire household. Once she finished, she looked to Trixie's plate, bewildered that she hadn't taken a single bite. Trixie slowly pushed her plate with her hoof towards Myrtle, offering her slices of cake to her. Myrtle was about to start eating them, but stopped herself, hesitating. She looked back to her younger sister, noticing the abysmal depression on her face, and, for maybe the first time, empathizing with it.

A long moment passed, and Myrtle slid Trixie's plate of cake back to her without eating any of it. She immediately got out of her chair to go to her own room, trying to hide her face. She didn't want her sibling to know, but Myrtle was actually feeling guilty for recent events. She was ashamed of what she did at the mine that day, and after seeing Heavy-Heart snap at Trixie, realized that they shared some common emotions. It was just hard for her to see before, when she was so used to the blanket of hatred and blame shrouded over Trixie, previously only seeing her as something along the lines of "that thing that killed my mother". She even wanted to apologize to her, but just couldn't bring herself to yet.

Trixie remained sitting at the kitchen table, staring at the cake on her plate for what felt like an eternity. A lingering thought in the back of her mind suggested that she should go play with Special, but she didn't feel like it. That wasn't her daughter, just a doll, and nothing would ever change it.

She never ate any of the cake.

That night, Trixie couldn't sleep. It wasn't for any of the reasons she was used to. She had used her mind reading spell to pick up on her father's thoughts, and couldn't stop listening. He was in agony; he had been for a long time, and was trying so hard to hide it, to remain strong for his children. The health of his heart had only gotten worse over time, and the pain he was going through was starting to feel unbearable.

There was only so long that Trixie could continue to listen to her father suffering without offering help. So, she quietly sneaked out of her room and into his.

"Dad?... Dad..."

Heavy-Heart's breathing was labored. He slowly turned his head to see Trixie, his eyes struggling to focus on her image, the only illumination in the room being moonlight through the window.

"Beatrix," he breathed, clearly suffering. "What's the matter? What's got you up this late?"

"I... You're hurting, Dad... It's really bad... We need to get you help... We need to go back to the hospital..."

The stallion groaned, sinking into his bed. "Can't... There's nothing they can do, Beatrix... Can't afford a heart transplant... Can't afford... Anything... The mining cart put a big enough dent in our bits as it is..."

Trixie's ears lowered; she didn't want to accept that answer. "B-but, there has to be something we can do..."

"I'm sorry, Honey," he murmured morosely.

Trixie slowly walked to his bedside. She concentrated, focusing on her magic, and conjured the Jennet Orchids for him once more, laying them on his chest. Heavy-Heart grabbed them in his hooves, breathing in their scent.

"Thank you..."

After a few moments of hesitation, Heavy-Heart turned to look at his daughter. She had recognized that look on his face before; she saw it the morning that she killed the cockroaches. He was about to say something serious. Something important.

"Honey... Do you remember... When we talked about... Making hard decisions?..."

Trixie felt cold inside. "Yes... Why?..." When he didn't answer right away, she looked into his thoughts again, and was heartbroken by what she found. He wanted her to kill him, to put him out of his misery.

"Dad, no! You can't!"

"Listen, Beatrix... I'm not going to make it much longer like this... Any day now, at the mine, I can get hurt doing just about anything, and... It's just not going to work... I can't keep doing it..."

Trixie started to sob, clutching her father's forehoof. "Please don't go, Dad! I need you! Myrtle needs you! We both do! Please don't leave me alone!"

"I don't want to leave you alone, Beatrix... But, this hurts too much... I can't take it anymore... I'm sorry..."

He squinted his eyes shut, fighting back tears and looking away. "I wanted to try so hard... I was working with everything I had at the mine all these years... Working so hard, all that time, so that you and Myrtle would never have to... But, I failed... I'm a terrible father...  I was never there for you when you really needed me... I let Myrtle hurt you all those times without doing anything about it... And, I almost hurt you... I promised your mother I'd never hurt either of you..."

The stallion forced himself to look his child in the eyes. "And, now, I'm giving up on all of you..."

Trixie buried her face in his hoof, sobbing. She sniffled, looked at him again, and nodded slowly. "... You try your best, and you mean well, and that's why I love you, Dad..."

Deeply touched by her mutual acceptance, Heavy-Heart embraced Trixie in one last hug. As they pulled away, he cringed at another sharp pain emerging from his chest.

"Beatrix... Please..."

Trixie bit her lip, trying to muster the courage to go through with her father's desperate request. Her horn started to glow with the aura of the life extinguishing spell.

"Please..."

"... O-okay, Dad... Okay..."

She blinked, trying to clear the blurriness that her tears put in her eyes, forcing herself to focus.

'I-I don't want Dad to go... I love him... He's always taken care of me, and helped me with everything I wanted... He's a good Dad... A-and... Now, he's going to be gone, forever...'

As she felt the spell starting to fail, her headache and nosebleed already reappearing again, she tried to focus on the positive aspects of what this would accomplish, to make sure it would work.

'But... If I do this... Dad will be asleep forever... Dreaming all the time... He'll stop hurting, and never get hurt again... He'll be... He'll be at peace... That's what he wants... That's what'll make him happy... A-and I want him to be happy, because I love him...'

"I love you, Beatrix... I'll miss you..."

"You too, Dad..."

With that, she closed her eyes, finally mustering the strength and the courage to cast the spell. As she felt it leave her horn, everything went quiet. She opened her eyes a few moments later, seeing her father completely still, his eyes closed and a peaceful smile on his face. Trixie rested her head on his chest... And heard nothing.

He was gone. He was free.

She wanted to be happy for him... But, now, she was only sad that he was gone.

Trixie cried, silently, but harder than she ever cried before. One of the most important ponies in her life was gone. The pony she saw every day, who she would now never see again.

Suddenly, she felt a strange sensation on her flank. She looked behind her, and when she saw what it was, she cried harder, and smiled.

Trixie had gotten her cutie mark.

It was the very same Wand Of Peace from "The Very Special Pony".

4. Hope The Shining Star

It was a year since Trixie started working the traveling show all by herself.

She missed Gilda and Gustave, and she was depressed. While she kept in touch with her dear friends, constantly writing to them while updating them on wherever she was currently staying, it had been so long since they actually saw each other.

That night, she was staying in Hoofington, retiring to her traveling carriage after yet another successful show. In spite of how much she loved performing, the unicorn started to have doubts in her ability as a showmare. Even though she always had a great audience wherever she went, the next day she would notice how depressed they all seemed when she saw them while walking through whichever town her show was in. Her skills might have delighted and entertained dozens for the duration of her shows, but beyond that, was there any real lasting appeal? Was she actually making a difference at all?

Trixie felt like she was merely putting a bandaid on a cancer.

These thoughts of doubt and insecurity had been constantly haunting her for months on end, and she had no idea how to silence them.

She groaned as she forced herself to get out of bed, unable to sleep, half from her emotional state and half from her hunger, realizing that she had nothing to eat that day except for a brief snack for lunch. Trotting over to the other side of her wagon, she briefly considered going to the carnival that Hoofington had going on, which she surprisingly didn't use as a venue during her stay there, but instead in the town's local theater normally reserved for plays. Surely, she could find something to eat there, and lift her spirits by partaking in the other festivities, but she decided not to, fearing that she wouldn't be in the mood and that it would be a waste of time.

Instead, Trixie decided to make herself dinner right there in her nomadic home. She rummaged through her edible and perishable belongings, and then shrugged.

'What the hell. I'll have breakfast for dinner.'

The unicorn immediately got to work, hoping that distracting herself with making her meal would keep her unpleasant thoughts away, only to find that this was to no avail. The dish consisted of hay bacon, hash browns, and a short stack of pancakes with a glass of milk on the side. Once she finished making it and set it on the table, she perked, remembering a special ingredient that she liked to use. Her forehooves rummaged through more of her goods until she found a peculiar elixir that Gustave had inspired her to invent.

It was an edible liquid that visually resembled mercury, except instead of reflecting the outside world, it instead depicted the internal thoughts and memories of whoever created it. In Trixie's case, all she needed was to add a single hair from her mane to make it work, having practiced with it enough by now to perfectly match emotions to flavor; a sour taste represented anger, while a sweet taste represented happiness, and so on and so forth. She liked to call it "mirror mix", and usually settled for making bittersweet variations, both out of nostalgia for happier times and penance for her self-perceived faults.

The unicorn slowly poured a particularly syrupy version of this onto her pancakes, watching the memories and inner demons literally trickle onto the largest portion of her meal, growing in size as it pooled, the mare strangely likening it to the sensation of looking inside a window. The collective mixture divided the appearance of it's surface to separate several different silent, moving images, right out of Trixie's mind. She took a deep breath and sighed, levitating a knife and fork to start carving up the coated pancakes, choosing first to eat the pieces coated with the sweetest memories, like the happier times with her father and traveling with Gilda and Gustave.

Nonetheless, her mind inevitably drifted back to her plight regarding the apparent futility of her career; financially, it was solid, but it seemed to do little regarding her actual goal; bringing peace, joy and relief to her audiences. One of the only comforts she had in the midst of it all was a mysterious gift that appeared every so often in her shows. Now and again, she would receive a bouquet of Jennet Orchids left behind for her after she was finished, each one with a tag reading "To: Trixie, From: Hope". The unicorn knew that Jennet Orchids only grew in her native home, or at least that was the case since she last checked. Her first thought of it was that Gilda's boundless generosity extended them to her whenever she got the chance.

And yet, another possibility would frequently poke at her mind. Trixie didn't want to face it. The idea seemed ridiculous at best, but nonetheless unpleasant, and still not completely impossible.

What if Myrtle sent them?

It wasn't the first time she suspected this. The last time she went to Canterlot, she checked to see if Myrtle still lived there, but she was nowhere to be found, leaving her home and the second Euthalia's to some other ponies. For all Trixie knew, her sister could have moved back to Jennet and done this.

But why? Didn't she hate her?

Even if she did have a change of heart and wanted to reconcile, the unicorn was still apprehensive. Just seeing her again would bring back so many unwanted feelings. The chaotic, mixed cauldron of sympathy, blame, bitterness, hatred, empathy and remorse threatening to bubble over at any given moment.

With every bite of her breakfast, tasting the emotions tinging the images her mirror mix coated and briefly reliving those memories with each chew, her dilemma still persisted. It didn't help that she avoided the rest of her pancakes to finish her hay bacon and hash browns just so she wouldn't have to experience what remained. At the end of it all, the last coated bite remaining was the literally moving image of Trixie and Myrtle at a campfire during their time civilly coexisting together as true sisters.

She decided that the only way she might vanquish this turmoil was by confronting the apparent source. She would go to Jennet to see her sister again.

Trixie had no idea to expect from Jennet. She hadn't been there for almost ten years.

What would be in store for her? The possibilities seemed endless. She figured, at the very worst, the authorities would connect her with her father's death without the proper context taken in mind, and arrest her for it.

'No, that's ridiculous. If that were the case, something would have happened to me by now.'

As soon as she brought her traveling show carriage to a stop just on the outskirts of the town, Trixie stepped outside, recognizing the festivities of Nightmare Night. The unicorn hadn't noticed that she arrived on the evening of that particular holiday, but that seemed to be the case. Being a village of Luna worshipers, the ponies of Jennet took it much differently and more seriously than most others in Equestria. Instead of being blamed as the source of nightmares, Luna was revered as the guardian against them, and bringer of dreams. Nightmare Night was to Jennet what the Summer Sun Celebration was to everypony else.

Walking through the town and surveying the nostalgic sights, the young mare started to notice peculiar details that were familiar, and yet not, at the same time. She blinked a few times to clear her vision, clarifying that she was awake and not dreaming. To her surprise, she recognized these new additions as coming directly from her lucid evening experiences as a filly. There were banners and statues and all sorts of things made just for her, Trixie Lulamoon.

Her jaw dropped, looking around her in complete bewilderment. However did this happen? Why?

Further adding to her shock and confusion, every pony that she encountered was incredibly happy to see her. Even ponies she remembered from when she was younger, who used to despise and mistreat her, even. They would bow at her hooves and offer their apologies and express gratitude.

It was too much; she couldn't deal with all this. There was an overwhelming flow of new information hitting her, contradicting everything she knew and believed in, blending reality and fantasy. This couldn't truly be, could it? Jennet, becoming a monumental tribute to one of it's formerly most loathed ponies?

To her disappointment, Trixie found that Myrtle no longer lived in Jennet.

So, who was the one responsible for sending her all those Jennet Orchids over the past several months?

She next sought to answer that, heading over to Euthalia's. Fortunately, she managed to get there right before it was going to close. There, she saw it being closed up by a unicorn mare with a cinnamon red coat, a black mane and tail, green eyes, and a sunflower cutie mark.

The older mare almost immediately recognized her, smiling brightly. "Oh, my goodness! It's Trixie The Magician!" She galloped over to the showmare, pulling her into a hoofshake. "My name is Faith Dreamcatcher! It's so nice to finally see you in person!"

"Um, thanks," Trixie murmured, blushing. She wasn't used to this much attention, at least, not off stage; the reception she found in Jennet was preposterously glowing in comparison to her shows, which said quite a lot in and of itself. "If you don't mind, I'd like to ask... I've been getting a lot of Jennet Orchids after my shows for quite some time... I happen to be aware that they only come from this store, or at least, they're supposed to... Would you happen to know who's been sending them to me?"

Faith chuckled. "Why, of course! They're from Hope, my daughter! She's your biggest fan!" She shook her head, smiling. "She gets an allowance for the chores she does around our house, and she insists on using all of it to send you flowers! She knows that they're your favorite!"

Trixie's ears lowered as she smiled warmly. "Why, that's so nice... Thank you so much..."

"You should be thanking her!" Faith's eyes suddenly lit up, as if just then coming to a realization. "Oh, Trixie, would you please come to dinner at my house tonight? My daughter is dying to meet you! She's never wanted anything more badly in the whole world!"

"... Really?..."

"Yes, I'm serious! It would break her heart if she knew you came here and didn't see her! Please, make a little filly's dream come true?"

Trixie felt her heart stop. 'This filly... Wants to meet me? More than anything?... I... I can't believe it...'

She didn't know why, but Trixie Lulamoon was more nervous than she had ever been with stage fright. All she was doing was sitting with Faith in her house, waiting for her husband and daughter to return home from trick or treating.

That was the other strange thing -- the Dreamcatcher household was once the home of the Lulamoons, the very same house that Trixie grew up in. They bought it from the previous owners who bought it from Myrtle. Hope had begged Faith and her father to move there after finding out Trixie was born and raised there, and they did so to reward her good behavior. Even Trixie's fillyhood bedroom was now Hope's.

The bittersweet homesickness Trixie felt towards this place was now mixed with a strange new feeling of permeating acceptance and adoration. It was overwhelming, almost frightening, in fact.

"This year, she's a royal alicorn for Nightmare Night. Her costume has this cute pair of wings with a horn and crown... Hope took all of her friends at the Wishmaker Club trick or treating with her," Faith explained. "Midnight offered to watch over them the whole time and take them home when they're done... They should be back any minute."

"The Wishmaker Club?"

"Oh, yes! It's this little group she started to help other fillies and colts get better at what they love to do! You were the one who inspired her to create it! Not only have so many of the children here become happier because of it, but Hope's been able to use it to make friends and improve her skills at playing her violin! It's really made a difference for the better in our whole community!... Something about her just... Brings out the best in whoever she meets... I've never met someone who Hope hasn't been able to brighten their day..."

The showmare was taken aback. "And she did it... All because of me?..."

"That's right!"

Suddenly, the front door was unlocked.

A stallion chuckled. "All right, my little princess, settle down!"

He walked inside, revealed to be a pegasus with a vanilla white coat, brown mane and tail, and blue eyes with a chef hat cutie mark. Riding on his back was an earth pony filly with a violet coat and a lavender mane and tail, wearing a fake pair of wings, a horn, and a crown. Her honey golden peanut butter brown eyes gleamed with excitement, immediately spotting and recognizing the surprise guest in her home.

She gasped, smiling as widely as possible. "TRIXIE!!!" she cried out, jumping off of her father's back and galloping towards her. She caught the showmare off guard, diving right into her and giving her the tightest hug that she ever felt. "I can't believe that it's you! You're here, in Jennet! In my house!"

Winded, Trixie coughed, taking a moment to catch her breath. "Yes, I am," she sighed. She gave the filly a warm smile. "You must be Hope! Your mother's been telling me all about you! She says that you're a really good filly, and that you've been wanting to meet me for quite some time!"

Hope backed off, allowing Trixie to get back up as she stood before her in wonder. "Of course I have! You're the coolest and bestest pony ever! You're my hero, Trixie!" She started to cry tears of joy, ecstatic that her personal idol was right before her eyes, in the flesh. "Before you started doing your shows, I always thought that I'd never get to amount to anything! But you showed us all that just because you come from places like Jennet or worship Luna doesn't mean you're going to be sad and poor all your life! You showed me that you really can make your dreams come true, no matter what anypony says!"

Trixie's heart had never felt warmer or bigger. She was beyond deeply surprised and touched that anypony could ever care about her this much. She knew she was beloved as a daughter to Heavy-Heart, and a best friend to Gilda, but to be somepony's entire world, the way she was to this filly? It seemed unthinkable. It was as if Hope idolized Trixie the same way Trixie had idolized Luna all her life.

It had never even crossed her mind before that the showmare could serve as an inspiration to others like her. And yet, now she finally saw that merely doing what she loved resulted in uplifting an entire town, the very place that she lived for most of her life, to aspire to reach their deepest passions as well.

"I'm so happy you feel that way, Hope!"

The filly nodded quickly, still smiling from ear to ear. "Every time I start to get sad, or think I won't be able to do something, I just remember you, and it helps me get through it! I've always wanted to see one of your shows in person, but I never got the chance! I heard all kinds of stories about you and collected all the newspapers and pictures and stuff I could find with you in them! I love how you help everypony else see how good they really are, and that one trick you do where you open yourself up like a present and give everypony gifts! So I tried to send you those flowers you love whenever I could, to help you keep going the way you always helped me keep going! I want to be just like you when I grow up!"

Trixie chuckled softly, playfully tousling Hope's mane with a forehoof. "I'm sure you will be."

Suddenly, the filly frowned, hanging her head. "Well... As much as I'd like to, I'm not sure about that..."

Trixie shared her sadness. "Why is that?"

Hope sighed. "Well... There's these bullies at school who make fun of me because I want to be your assistant for your shows someday, and they say that it's stupid, and that I can't do it because I'm not a unicorn and can't do magic... They also tease me for not having a cutie mark yet... Even though you make me feel like I can do the things I want to, sometimes, the things they do make it hard for me to try, or they make me want to give up..."

Trixie sat down, closer to Hope's eye level. "Well... Let me let you in on a few secrets... First... It's hard for anyone to try anything when someone else is putting them down. For a really long time, I didn't want to try anything at all, because people would put me down all the time, and I wanted to give up. In fact, it even still happens sometimes. I can't use my magic right whenever I'm feeling sad or hurt. But, remembering how much fans like you care helps me get back up, start over, and try again."

"Really?..."

"Mmhm!" Trixie nodded. "Second... You don't need to be a unicorn in order to do magic. I'll show you how." She used her levitation magic to retrieve something from a hidden pocket on the inside of her cape. It was the thin string and wax mimicking levitation that Gilda gave her so many years ago. Trixie showed Hope how to use it, and gave her the rest of the magical themed items that Gilda had gotten her to help whenever she had trouble.

"I used to rely on these whenever I couldn't get my magic working right... But, now, I want you to have them instead. You deserve them."

Hope hugged the items closely against her. "Thank you so much!!! I'll take care of them and practice and keep them forever, I swear!"

The showmare chuckled. "Even if you don't use them, I promise that I'll make sure that you can be my assistant."

Hope suddenly became distraught once more. "Oh, no! I just remembered! How am I going to be your assistant if I also try to get a job playing the violin when I'm older? You won't be angry if I try to be a violinist, too, will you, Trixie?"

The young mare stroked the filly's mane reassuringly. "I promise, you can take as much time as you want to be a violinist and still be my assistant, Hope. Not just my assistant, either, but my number one assistant! You'll be in charge of helping me with all the most important parts of the shows, and get to perform on stage with me!"

The earth pony gasped, awestruck. "Really?!?"

"Yes! We'll be a team! Trixie and Hope, putting on amazing shows all throughout Equestria!"

Hope hugged her hero again. "Thank you so much, Trixie! I can't wait! I promise I'll be the best assistant you could ever have!"

The two continued to laugh and share stories. Meeting one another had granted each other's wishes, unspoken or not; Hope had met her hero, the one who helped her through countless impossible odds, the one she wanted to thank from the bottom of her heart and let her know how much she meant to her. Trixie had found someone who completely and unconditionally adored her, who saw her for who she really meant to be, and was ready to share a lifelong friendship with her. It was the happiest day of their lives.

Time flew by as quick as it ever did, and soon they were having dinner with Hope's parents.

"For a pony named Midnight, you've sure got a bright coat," Trixie teased.

The stallion chuckled. "I was born at midnight. So was Hope. Our bright star in the dark night."

Faith smiled at Hope, and hugged her affectionately.

"I'm glad that you enjoyed dinner, because it's time for dessert. I made Hope's favorite, just to mark this special occasion, having her hero in our house. I hope you like it, Trixie, because I don't get the chance to make it very often."

The showmare licked her lips in anticipation. "If it's anything like what we just had, I know it'll be good!"

Hope jumped up and down in her seat, clapping her forehooves together. "Just wait and see! It's amazing!"

Midnight set the ice cream cake onto the table, starting to carve it into individual slices to distribute amongst the four of them. It looked like a watermelon; the green and black exterior was green apple flavored cake, the red interior was cherry flavored ice cream, and it had grape candies for the seeds.

"I'm so glad you liked dessert! I always told my dad to make it for you in case you ever came by! It never showed up in the news or anything, but I just knew you would someday, and you did!"

Between the feast-induced sugar rush and the thrill of meeting her hero, Hope was practically bouncing all over the place.

Trixie chuckled, slightly off put and awkward-feeling at the filly's seemingly endless exuberance. "Okay, Hope, relax... Wouldn't want you knocking over anything fragile or something..."

The earth pony suddenly froze, beaming delightfully at a realization. "Oh! I haven't shown you my room yet! You have to come and see it!" She seized Trixie's forehoof in her own, bolting down the hallway as she dragged her to the place in mind.

The showmare gasped, taken aback, her blood pounding in her ears upon the realization that she would get to revisit her fillyhood bedroom for the first time in years. For most of her life, it was the only home she ever knew, and even though it belonged to someone else now, just knowing it was the very same place was enough to send bittersweet nostalgia pumping through her veins.

As the door opened, Trixie was astonished at how a place could all at once look so familiar and yet so foreign. The first impression she got was of what she might have wanted her room to look like if her father could have afforded to give her more, or if her sister weren't so cruel to her. But just as Hope espoused earlier, it also contained easily the largest and most impressive collection of Trixie-related items she had ever seen. Some of the additions were things she didn't even remember partaking in, but upon close inspection they were genuine and official.

It was the strongest example of Jennet's strange transformation over time into a land straight out of the unicorn's dreams, and she couldn't help but wonder how her younger self would have reacted if she knew her life would have ended up like this someday. Her mouth continued to hang agape as she slowly surveyed each element; her name and image practically covered every inch of the room.

She felt jarred when her eyes finally rested on something that didn't fall into this category, yet was still shockingly familiar. Sure enough, before her lay a peacefully sleeping blue cat, who suddenly opened his jade green eyes and locked them onto Trixie's face. The feline released a happy meow of recognition, leaping out of his bed with moderate grace and agility, purring as he welcomed Trixie back to her hometown by cuddling against her forelegs.

The showmare felt her heart skip a beat. "... Is that really?..."

"That's Remiel, my cat!" Hope exclaimed. "He used to belong to Miss Eileen, the judge who helped you enter your first talent show... She used to be my neighbor, and a good friend of my mom's, but then she passed away, but not before letting me adopt him..." her tone became saddened as she recalled the kind mare's natural death. "I got to know her really well, and she told me all about you..."

Trixie frowned as well, lamenting that such a warm figure in her fillyhood was gone. Even Remiel himself seemed much older than he was when she last saw him, but at least he seemed very happy, and was being taken care of very well by Hope and her family.

The unicorn tried to change the subject, not wanting her best fan to focus on her sadness. "What else here would you like to show me?"

The filly paused, tapping her chin with a forehoof in thought, only to soon gasp excitedly. "I know!" She leapt over to the nightstand at her bedside, quickly retrieving a polka dotted pony doll. "This is Lucy! She's a pinata pony, and my doll... My mom made her for me. She's an adventurer who travels to find amazing new places all the time, and she helps out whoever she can on the way! Since she's not just a pony, but a pinata, she can store things inside her back, which she uses to surprise all her friends and the people she helps by giving them presents and candy and stuff!"

Hope then spent the next several minutes ranting about all the different monsters and trials and journeys Lucy had faced, and the many different friends she's made over her lifetime and how they've all come together to form an unbreakable kinship that only strengthened with each time they saw each other again. Trixie smiled, simply listening and enjoying herself, admiring the enthusiastic filly's creativity and optimism, feeling envious and regretful that she wasn't more like her in her own youth.

"And, then... This here, is... Is my violin..." The filly slowly and cautiously lifted the instrument for her idol to behold.

The unicorn stared at the violin intently, as if hypnotized by it's beauty.

"My parents got it for me because I told them I wanted to learn to play music, and... This is the instrument I wanted to use the most... It's just... Able to create so many different feelings, you know? To allow me to speak through it in a language everyone can understand, no matter what mood I'm in... I was able to get it because I always try so hard to be good... I'm so thankful for it..."

"It's very nice," Trixie chimed, sincerely complimenting it. "And I can see how a filly as nice as you deserves it."

Hope blushed, her smile growing as her eyes veered away bashfully.

"I've practiced with it for a really long time... For at least an hour every day, no matter what..."

"That's very good!" her hero answered. "Maybe you can play it when I have my first show here in Jennet!"

Surprisingly, this frightened the filly. She clutched the violin close to herself, almost curling up into a ball. "Oh, no, no, no, no!"

Trixie recoiled, saddened and confused. "What's the matter?"

Hope bit her lip, embarrassed. "I-I'm... I'm not ready yet... I mean..." she sighed. "... My parents and my teacher think I'm really good... But, I don't feel ready... A whole audience, watching me?... I'd be too scared..."

The unicorn's ears lowered. "You don't have to if you don't want to..."

The filly started to calm down, quietly releasing a sigh of relief. "... Believe me, Trixie, I'd like to, it's just... Not right now... When I feel like I'm good enough to do it, then... I'll try it... I promise..."

"All right," Trixie agreed. "I'll respect your wishes... I'd never want to make you do anything you would be uncomfortable doing, after all... Still, I'd really like to hear you play sometime," she added with an encouraging smile.

The earth pony blushed and cringed again. Her eyes remained fixed on Trixie as she tried her hardest to hide that she was almost hyperventilating. It was one thing to play a song for her parents, her teachers, or her friends, but the idea of showing her musical talent to the role model who inspired her to pursue it in the first place terrified her. She worried that she would disappoint her, or that she would embarrass herself by proving to be so meager compared to one she saw as a paragon.

The showmare realized she unintentionally made Hope even more nervous, and was struck with a pain of guilt. "But, you can do that whenever you're ready," she blurted quickly, trying to ease the tension.

The filly nodded, finding that even though she decided not to play a song for Trixie just yet, she still felt bad. She was sure that trying would risk a very possible humiliation, to degrade herself in her idol's eyes, and yet not trying seemed just as bad, or even worse.

"I'm so sorry..."

The unicorn was puzzled. "Sorry for what?"

"Sorry that I'm not ready to play a song for you... I..." she sighed. "That I'm not good enough for you..."

Trixie felt saddened at first, but she slowly gave Hope another warm, reassuring smile. "Hope... I think you're a wonderful pony. And that has nothing to do with how good you are at playing the violin. Sure, it's a nice extra, but it's not what makes you who you are. I like you because you're a kind spirit, who actively tries to make everyone around her happy, no matter who they are. You're the kind of pony I wish I could have had as a friend when I was your age, and I'm honored that you look up to me so much. There's no one else I'd rather have as my best fan."

Hope, deeply touched, paused as she smiled. "... You... You really mean it?..."

"Of course I do."

The filly closed her eyes and lowered her head, letting a few tears of joy escape. "... Then... I want to play a song for you..."

She slowly lifted the violin and bow in her forehooves, rearranging them in front of her to their proper positions.

The unicorn was pleasantly surprised by her fan's sudden change of heart. She sat back on her haunches, patiently waiting.

Hope kept her eyes shut as she started to concentrate, gently resting her bow against the strings of her violin. When it finally started to move, it drew out a long, low note, hanging heavily in the air and establishing a woeful tone.

The filly continued to play, each sound slow and deliberate, delicately painting a portrait of the misery she so long experienced before ever knowing of Trixie, a musical letter to the many heartaches she felt during that time. Gradually, the sounds grew slightly faster and higher, as if suggesting a possibility of escape from this melancholy. The song followed through with it's promise, the sounds becoming soothing, reassuring and heartwarming, the pain slowly ebbing away to reveal a paradise of eternal peace and calm.

The longer this comforting portion endured, the more the sounds evoked inspiration and sentimentality, a sweet, beautiful melody that could lift even the lowest and darkest of spirits into a dreamlike state. The trance lead those who heard it to feel as if their most unattainable desires were so close in reach, and yet there was some sense that all was right with the world, that nothing more could be required to put the listener's soul at ease. Just as efficiently as the tune shifted from bleakness to satisfaction, the song gracefully ended with an equally comforting resolution, as if parting ways with a dear old friend.

Trixie wiped the tears from her eyelids with a forehoof, genuinely touched to the bottom of her heart. "... Hope, that was... That was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard... Thank you so much for sharing that with me..."

The filly was just as touched by this sincere compliment. She gently laid down her violin and bow, and approached the young mare, pulling her into a hug.

"... I wrote that song just for you... To show you how wonderful you make me feel... And... Since you think that I'm so cool... I don't even care how long it takes for me to get my cutie mark anymore... Even if I never get it, it won't matter, because you approve so highly of me, Trixie..."

"That's wonderful to hear," the unicorn doted. She smiled, then suddenly got an idea. Her horn glowed, and she levitated Hope's violin over to them while conjuring a permanent marker. She then autographed 'Trixie The Magician' on it in her finest penmareship, and promptly gave it back to the filly, who gasped in disbelief.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She squeezed her idol in another tight hug.

The showmare chuckled. "Your welcome, Hope."

For three years, Trixie made sure she would revisit Jennet once a month. The showmare was generous enough to give Jennet's villagers a very high discount on tickets for her shows compared to their prices in other cities. The Dreamcatcher family always got in for free, thanks to Hope's devotion and friendship with her idol.

Today was particularly special. It was Hope's tenth birthday.

Once again, the filly got a front row seat at Trixie's show. The showmare asked her fan beforehand if she was ready to play the violin on stage, which she confirmed. This time, right at the end, Trixie bowed to her audience respectfully before addressing their attention.

"Ladies and gentlecolts, tonight is a show with a lot of sentimental value to Trixie. You see, it's a filly's birthday. A filly who has helped Trixie more than she can express, who has always been there for her, and has made a spectacular difference, right here in Jennet, for years. Please, welcome her to the stage and congratulate her on turning ten... Hope Dreamcatcher!"

The spotlight moved to illuminate the earth pony as her fellow spectators began to clap for her. Hope slowly walked onto the stage beside Trixie, buzzing with excitement, her limitless glee locked within a wide smile. With that, the showmare teleported Hope's violin into her hooves. She stepped back, allowing her to play uninterrupted as the sounds of the audience died down.

At first, the filly froze, her eyes scanning the sea of ponies before her in disbelief. While she'd always dreamed of being Trixie's helper and finally getting to play the violin on stage, she was so nervous now that it was actually happening. She glanced at the showmare, who responded with a reassuring wink.

Somehow, this small gesture was enough to put her at ease. While she cared deeply for all of Jennet, Trixie always had a special significance to the filly, and her confidence in and approval of her musical abilities alone made her start to forget the judgments anyone else could have.

Hope closed her eyes, and began to move the bow in her forehoof. Trixie experienced a heartwarming nostalgia as she immediately recognized the song she was playing as the one she wrote just for her. While the filly was already quite musically impressive when they first met, she continued to practice every day, and the improvements showed. As hard as it was for the unicorn to believe, it sounded even more beautiful than the first time that she heard it.

The earth pony was still quite nervous initially, so she eventually dared to open a single eye in the middle of playing, only to be stunned to see that the spectators were spellbound by the gorgeous sounds reaching their ears. Hope felt further encouraged by this, opening both eyes and surveying the crowd happily as her song continued. Her smile widened the more she realized and accepted that this was going so much better than she expected; she previously thought this kind of reception would only be provoked by the talents of Trixie herself.

The unicorn proudly watched her, only to pause when she suddenly remembered something, feeling rather foolish for what she had forgotten. Although at this point it was proven that Hope didn't need it, the showmare sought to accentuate her musical performance with her very own illusion magic to enhance the already magnificent quality of the experience. She almost opted out of it entirely, knowing Hope was more than capable of entertaining the spectators all on her own, but went through with it anyhow, wanting to keep Hope's birthday and debut performance extra special.

And so, her horn illuminated with a magenta-tinged glow, humming to life as she got to work on adding her own flair to Hope's song. Specifically, she induced harmless, temporary synesthesia in all of the song's listeners, blending their senses together to help them further appreciate the music. The audience slowly noticed it sink in during the next few moments; they could see sounds and taste colors, as if the sheer awe inspired by Hope's song was opening the doorway to another reality, like they were blind all their lives and only just now beginning to see.

Hope did her best to contain her emotions, enthralled that her first public musical display was going so spectacularly well. The encouragement she felt fueled the efforts behind her song, maintaining the grace and serenity she needed to keep it feeling virtually flawless. The sensory overflow provided between the violin's soothing melody and Trixie's illusion created a majestic stream of transparent light hovering and floating all around them, not unlike the aurora commonly seen in Jennet's winter skies.

The otherworldly sights slowly faded away as Hope brought her song to a close, drawing out the last few peaceful notes perfectly.

As it ended, the audience, all moved to tears from the song's beauty, unanimously applauded. Each of them were completely enamored and fascinated by Hope's wonderful talents. Trixie smiled proudly.

'She really does brighten everypony's day... Just like Faith said...'

Her attention returned from the spectators back to Hope as soon as she noticed the filly staring at herself with her mouth agape in awe. Tears of joy welled up in her eyelids, and she smiled at Trixie. "I got my cutie mark, Trixie! I got my cutie mark!"

She started to jump joyously, revealing the golden star that now adorned her flank.

Trixie hugged her, wiping the tears from her eyes, and her own. "I told you that you'd get it someday."

Faith looked on proudly, then quickly rummaged through her saddlebag for a camera. She aimed it to take a picture of Trixie and Hope. Seeing this, Trixie levitated her hat onto Hope's head, causing her to smile. After the photograph came out and developed, the showmare promptly signed it.

After the show was over, Trixie was reluctantly preparing to go. She would have stayed behind to spend the rest of Hope's birthday with her, but they both understood that the showmare needed to stay on schedule with her traveling show. The unicorn was packing her last few things in her carriage when she was interrupted.

"Trixie?"

"Yes, Hope?" She answered, turning to face the filly.

Her ears were lowered, and she looked somber. "... Remember how you used to live here in Jennet? How you grew up here, and everything?..."

Trixie frowned, worried about her fan. "... Yes... Why?..."

Hope's eyes veered away. "... Well... Do you think you'll ever move back here?..."

The showmare felt a pang of sorrow and guilt in her heart. "... Some day, maybe... I'd really like to. But, first, I've got to help out some friends of mine. They've been there for me as long as I can remember, and gave me everything I had. They helped me make my life as good as it is today, and I think it's only fair that I return the favor. So, until then, I have to keep traveling and performing regularly in order for that to work. You can understand that, right?"

Hope sighed sadly. "... Yes, I can..."

Trixie gently caressed Hope's mane. "But, I'm going to come back here to Jennet to see you again, like I always have. And eventually, you're going to get to come travel with me as my assistant, just like I promised. So, just hang in there, okay? Everything's going to be fine."

Reassured, Hope smiled warmly, embracing Trixie in a hug. "Okay... Thank you, Trixie..."

The unicorn patted her back. "Thank you, Hope. Congratulations on getting your cutie mark, and happy birthday."

Her fan continued to gaze at her in wonder and adoration, slowly walking backwards, until she reunited with her parents on the other side of the street. Faith had a small gift box waiting for her.

"Happy birthday, Hope," she said as she handed it to the filly.

The earth pony opened it slowly, revealing a small box. When she opened that, she gasped, seeing a beautiful necklace inside; it was an octagonal, light blue gem on a string.

"Do you know what that is?" Faith asked.

Hope looked to her mother, shaking her head.

"It's called a lachrylus," she explained. "Legends say that it's an enchanted stone that filters crying in and out... It keeps the bad tears away, and lets the happy tears stay... Just like you, Hope..." With that, she hugged her.

Trixie smiled at the sight. She was so delighted that Hope was able to have a much better fillyhood than the one she had.

After they finished embracing, the Dreamcatchers looked at Trixie again, waving goodbye to her. She waved farewell in kind, and entered in her traveling carriage to head off.

Weeks later, Trixie sighed to herself out of disappointed sadness. Alone in her wagon at night,  she had spent the last few hours going over her net income, disheartened by the results. While she had enough bits to sustain herself just fine, she had deprived herself of the chance to earn many more by traveling to richer and busier towns more often. There was no place she loved to go more than Jennet, but she couldn't bring herself to charge them more knowing how poor the villagers have always been. Her career wouldn't be over if she kept revisiting as often as she did, but then, how would she ever save up enough to repay Gilda and Gustave for all they've done for her?

It pained her heart so to realize, but the unicorn concluded that she would have to return to Jennet less frequently in order to get those extra savings that she needed. She would at least write to the Dreamcatcher family as soon as possible to explain the situation, not wanting to give them an unpleasant surprise by failing to return when she promised, but the fact that she even had to consider this at all weighed heavily on her. Trixie swore she would try to find some way to make it up to Hope, even though nothing she could think of at the moment seemed to be good enough.

She spent the next few minutes coming to terms with these realities, choosing to step away from planning her travels and shows for the night and deciding to make herself comfortable in her bed instead. The young mare smiled as her thoughts turned to the many sweet memories she made with the Dreamcatcher family. Their loving, warm influence on her life had seemingly washed away all of the pain and sorrow she felt growing up in Jennet as a filly, as if she was being given a second chance at beginning her life there.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized that Hope and her family resembled what her life could have been like if things had only been slightly different. If her mother had lived, if Myrtle hadn't blamed her for what happened, if her father never got hit by the mining cart... Or if Trixie was never born, and her parents had only Myrtle. Even still, the Dreamcatchers considered her one of their own, making her feel welcome as part of their family, in the very same house she grew up in, transformed from a place of misery into one of jubilation. She couldn't imagine what more could be added to make the experience so cathartic.

Trixie sighed, pulling her blanket further over herself as she mulled over the bittersweet emotions running rampant in her mind. While it pained her that she wouldn't get to go to Jennet and see the Dreamcatchers as often, she knew that she would still at least do so whenever she had the opportunity. Her life had been so much better ever since she started returning there on a regular basis, and she couldn't wait to go back.