Author's Note

I was NOT intending in ANY way for this to be a series. I was originally planning one chapter and done, but the idea suddenly hit me. The idea couldn't have been more poorly timed because as soon as I started typing, our power went out and my laptop died before I did any actual work.

So I wrote this chapter from the LG Optimus Pro G.

And it wasn't fun.
(Sorry It took so long <3)

The First Stop

Trottingham

The air was crisp and chilling when we got out of Trixie's wagon. It was much larger on the inside than it would appear. It was magic after all.

"First, we need to find a good place to set up the stage." She told me. I had never been to Trottingham before, so I didn't know the first thing about where to set up. The good part of that was I got to walk around with Trixie.

Trixie's snobbish side still came out every now and again over the night. Especially when I couldn't name something or help her with her act. But with the right amount of time, she was actually a pretty good friend. After nearly an hour of walking around town together, we found a wide open area in front of a large water fountain. "This should be a good place to set up." She said triumphantly, "Let's go get the cart and get ready!" She turned around to leave, but something in my head clicked on and made me stop her.

"Hey, wait!" I called out. She turned around with an expectant look and I started to fumble again. "Well, I w-was wondering if we, uh, if we could hang around a little bit?" I was pretty sure she was going to say no, or at least try and put an argument. However, she surprisingly agreed and relaxed a bit.

"Well, what should we do?" She asked. This was the second time I'd been put in this situation and I still couldn't give an answer to that question.

"Uh, we could..." I looked around to see what all was in the general area. Furniture store? No. Beach Supply? No. Coffee Lobby Trottingham? Maybe. "We could get some coffee?" I suggested after none of the other buildings seemed to be anything worth examining. However, there was one building that caught my eye. It didn't have a sign, but it had red neon lights in the windows. I put it on my mental list to check out later.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn't drink coffee." She answered dramatically.

"Well, I'm sure they have other things besides coffee." I shrugged. Trixie sighed and agreed; We made our way to the coffee store. The barista pony greeted us with a smile and offered us something called "Bon Bon's Deal of the Day." Trixie looked around the lobby, noticing a few ponies who were looking at us strangely. They saw some celebrity walk into their normal coffee shop and saw she was was accompanied by a pony they have probably never seen before. Who knows what they were thinking?

We got our drinks and sat at an empty table away from the other ponies. "I don't like sitting in a crowd." She explained.

"Maybe you're just not used to it." I suggested. Trixie looked down at her drink, and seemed deep in thought about something. "Trixie?" I called to her, making her snap back to reality.

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about a spell I learned last night. It's a minor defensive spell since we'll be getting to Manehattan eventually." She shuddered, "I lost all my bits in some poorly executed mugging."

"Poorly executed?" I asked.

"Well, obviously it worked, but their technique was terrible." She let out a small laugh as if her being robbed was a joke. I let out a nervous chuckle, not knowing what to say. We finished our drinks while discussing our travel plans. Perform here tonight, go to Baltimare, perform, go to Fillydelphia, perform, go to Manehattan, perform and then run for our lives to Hoofington where we won't perform, and then back where we started. We were walking through the streets of Trottingham when a sudden voice blasted overhead.

Heyya, everypony! It's me, Silver, reporting to you live from the EFR: Equestria's Finest Radio! And only Radio... Suddenly I remembered that the bigger cities had radios. Where I came from, they weren't very popular, and they were seriously expensive. I remembered hearing about some disc jockey named "Silver Puls" who used to perform with electronic music. Supposedly, he settled down and now broadcasts music and news from a hidden bunker/radio station.

"Hey Trixie, what do you know about radios?" I asked the blue mare.

"Not much, other than they are loud and I want one. There aren't any good radio stations besides EFR, which is why they are playing it here. But never mind that, we have to get the wagon to my spot. Let's go."

Night Time

The show went off without a hitch: Fireworks, magic, showmanship, an "Ursa Major, and more fireworks. I had a front row seat and when the show was over, I stuck around to help Trixie pack up and we left for Baltimare. Luckily the wagon is large enough on the inside that we can sleep in it so we don't have to pay for a room at Inns. While we were on the road, I decided to get to know more about Trixie.

"Hey Trixie?" I asked, somewhat nervous.

"Yes?" She looked at me with her bright blue eyes.

"Well, I-I was wondering if I could ask you something." I kicked at my forehoof.

"I suppose so." She responded; not necessarily paying attention. I was already losing her!

"Well, where are you from?" She snorted an answer that sounded like "Hoofington" but I couldn't be sure. "Er, do you have any family in Balt-"

"No." She said flattly. This was going really well.

"Friends?" No. "Business partners?" No. "Envelopes?" No. For some reason, she wasn't in a talking mood and I felt I was making things worse. "H-how about you ask me a question?"

"Are you good with magic?" She asked halfheartedly.

"I can do a card trick or two-" I started to offer, but she cut me off again.

"I've been thinking you should start doing some work if you're going to be traveling with Trixie. What are you good at?"

"Um-uh," Fiddlesticks, I wasn't good at anything! She's probably going to dump me off here between Trottingham and Baltimare! I tried thinking of things she did and if I would be any good at them. Suddenly, it hit me: "Fireworks! I know how fireworks work. You light the fuse and they go off!"

She seemed to think it over, and then finally agreed. "I guess you can be in charge of the lights. We'll be in Baltimare by tomorrow afternoon. Trixie is going to sleep now."

That was a close one! I screamed internally, and something else suddenly hit me: I have a cousin that lives in Baltimare! Ozo would love to meet Trixie! I slept on the floor where I did the night before and fell asleep thinking about how I'd see my cousin again.

For Sale: Inquire Within

"He doesn't live here anymore?" I asked the sign in front of his house. "What about Lantern? He should still be here!" I knocked on the big door and a pony I had never seen before opened it.

"Are you here to buy the house?!" She asked excitedly.

"Um, no. I'm looking for my cousin who lives- well, lived here."

"Oh, are you Ozone's cousin? He moved to Ponyville a few months ago." She maintained the excitement.

Ponyville? Where in the hay is that? I thanked the estate pony and ran back to where Trixie parked the wagon. "Hey, do you know where Ponyville is? My cousin lives there and I was hoping I could visit him on our trip."

"Ponyville, hm?" She pondered, "I believe it is somewhere south of Canterlot, and a little out-of-the-way, but Trixie supposes.

"Thank you so much!" I nearly tackled Trixie with a hug. Ozo wasn't just my cousin, he was my best friend, and I haven't seen him or Lantern in years, and- and-

I'm hugging Trixie.

I'M HUGGING TRIXIE. I quickly jumped off her and let out a nervous laugh. She was standing there as if frozen and I feared the worst. I knew I crossed a line by touching her when she can't even stand most ponies talking to her. I knew I was about to either be yelled at or asked to leave.

But she didn't do either of those things.

Instead, she smiled at me. My chest started to pound, but not from fear. I didn't know what I was feeling. "No need to thank Trixie. Plus, more shows mean more bits." She added "Ponyville" between Baltimare and Fillydelphia on the list hanging up in the wagon. This is going to be the best trip ever!