The Show is Never Over
The city of Seaddle was bustling with ponies as it usually did. Everypony had some important place to be at every second of everyday in that metropolis. It was either a skyscraper or a graffiti-ridden building that stood in this city. Trash riddled the sidewalks, for no pony cared enough to throw away garbage properly or at least pick up the trash. The sound hoofsteps along the gravel was only matched by the constant shouting of "out of my way" or "Excuse me!" It seemed that only one pony in Seaddle had no place to go. Her name was Trixie, the formerly Great and Powerful.
Trixie slept against one of the decrepit, aging buildings the city had yet to tear down. She laid with her astrological-themed cape strewn over her body, and a matching hat tilted on the top of her head to block out the noon's sun. A small cardboard box was placed in front of her, held down by two rocks. The box had "will do magic for bits" sloppily written on the front of it in black marker. Trixie snoozed away, even though the life around her was as awake as ever. She had become accustomed to sleeping this way.
In the middle of her nap, Trixie felt a nudge on her shoulder. Trixie rolled her body over and lifted her hat to find a colt standing over her. "Pardon me miss, but-"
Quickly attending to the stallion, Trixie rose and interrupted him. "Oh! Do you want Trixie to do some magic? Trixie could… Pull a rabbit out of her hat, or make this box disappear!?"
The colt gazed puzzled at the showpony. "Um... No. I need you to move away from this building. This is under our reconstruction so you can no longer loiter here."
There was a time when if such requests were thrown her way, Trixie would have immediately retaliated, but that time had been long gone. Trixie no longer carried such strong charisma with her anymore. Her boastful personality had been reduced down into a smoldering pile of humiliation. She understood that she was no better than any other Unicorn. They could all do magic, but every other Unicorn had another special talent. What benefit to society was she if all she could do was common practice? So, like in many recent instances, Trixie backed down.
"Oh, alright." Trixie, disappointed, but not surprised, moved the two rocks off of her box so that she could flip it over. She tossed her mattered cap and hat into the box, along with a small can that held no more than five bits. Trixie balanced the box on her back and proceeded to leave that sidewalk.
Trixie continued along the path, bumping into other ponies on occasion, where she would pay no attention. She was too enveloped in pondering whether or not she should migrate to another town or just find another spot to camp for the day. She knew that the two closest towns were Canterlot to the south and Hoofston to the Northwest, neither an easy trek. Trixie finally chose to head to Canterlot. She had preformed there before... The incident, and hoped that she might be blessed by some remembering fans.
Reaching the outskirts of Seaddle, Trixie made one last stop in the city. It was a rusty diner named "Pappy's." Trixie assumed that the name was just there to give the place a more homey feeling, and that it was probably owned by another ruthless citizen of the putrid cesspool known as Seaddle. Trixie thought this way of most of the town's she past through. However, Trixie didn't think that she was much nicer than any of the citizens or deserved to be treated better. She knew she deserved ever last ouch of her own medicine that she would receive.
Entering the small diner, Trixie heard the sound of a bell chime from above her. This was one of those restaurants that had a bell above the door so the staff knew when somepony was coming in or leaving. Trixie couldn't really smell much of anything except cheap air freshener that Trixie could tell had been recently sprayed by the floor still being damp. Pictures of landmarks, like the Statue of Friendship, were hung on the walls of the diner, along with various miscellaneous objects.
The dejected mare took a seat at one of the booths the restaurant had available, which was most. No pony sat at the bar counter of the diner, but three other ponies sat at another booth. They were a trio of older Earth ponies, probably in their seventies. They each gabbed on and on about nothing, shifting their eyes from looking at each other and at the "luncheon special" menu.
Trixie slid her box into the booth, against the wall, and then hopped up on the seat. Trixie knew she had no bits for food, but she had a plan for this situation. Whenever Trixie would leave a town, she would pull a good, old-fashioned eat-and-run on the way out. It was unlawful and immoral, yes, but what else was she to do? Eat food out of the garbage? Trixie still had some dignity, even if it was just a tiny morsel.
Trixie read the menu for a few minutes until she was greeted by a less than enthusiastic waiter. He wore a greasy apron and a small fryer's hat. Five o'clock shadow surrounded his mouth that held a single toothpick in its teeth. "'Ello there Miss. What drink would ya like?" The waiter's rugged voice and disposition gave off a gruff aura. Trixie could tell why not many ponies came here.
"Just water." With her simple request made, the waiter trotted back off to the kitchen. Trixie further perused the menu, practically drooling over the pictures of plastic looking waffles and preservative-filled daisy sandwiches. Trixie's struggled to stifle her stomach's roars as she looked over the menu. Her concentration was obstructed by the ting-a-ling from the bell that hung on the door to the restaurant. Trixie leaned out of the booth to watch who had just arrived. It was a peculiar white Unicorn, with blue hair, even darker blue highlights, a saddlebag, and pair of violet shades that hid her eyes completely. The mare peered around the establishment before fully entering. Focusing on the Unicorn that progressed towards the bar, Trixie noticed two bridged quavers stamped onto her flank.
A musician? I wonder what she plays. Trixie went back to reviewing the menu, but soon found herself staring back at the other Unicorn. Was it her stunningly electric hair or her cool, collected smile that never strayed from her lips? Whatever it was, Trixie was thoroughly enthralled by this mare. Trixie’s unsatisfied hunger no longer bothered Trixie as she watched the Unicorn just sit at the bar. Trixie would have indulged in this mare’s pure essence of beauty for all eternity if he hadn’t returned.
“Here’s yer water," the waiter said, placing the glass of water on the table. "Have ya decided on what ya want?”
Trixie swiftly faced back at the menu. “Uh… Yes! Trixie will have the daffodil and dandelion salad."
The waiter jotted down the order on a small notepad. "And what would you like to eat?"
"Trixie already told you what she wants to eat. Do not make Trixie repeat herself!"
Too uninterested and lazy to truly care, the colt dragged himself back into the kitchen, calling Trixie a "weirdo" under his breath.Trixie glanced back at the Unicorn at the bar, who was now sipping from a strawberry milkshake. After a second or two, Trixie's stomach growled again, except this time for a different reason. Trixie rushed out of her seat and scurried off to the little mares' room.
After she had taken care of her business, Trixie utilized the bathroom's mirror to fix up her hair a bit and clean her face of some smudges. She usually didn't care about how she looked that much these days, but that one Unicorn gave her a glimmer of care. Trixie was still clueless as to why though.
Returning to her booth, Trixie noticed that the mare that she had been watching peeked over at Trixie as she sat down. Oh Celestia! Do I have something in my coat? Is there toilet paper on my hoof!? Trixie frantically examined her body to make sure all was right. Nothing seemed to be off putting about her. Trixie's confusion, however, would soon be remedied, as the mysterious Unicorn stepped down from the bar and trotted towards Trixie's booth. Trixie saw this out of the corner of her eye, but tried to play it off by grabbing the menu and pretending to read from it.
"Hey. My name is Vinyl Scratch," the white Unicorn greeted as she approached Trixie's booth. Her voice was soft, but still a bit tom-coltish; although it was not that tom-coltish to where she sounded like a colt. Trixie couldn't describe her voice, but she knew that it was... Soothing.
Acting as though she didn't notice her before, Trixie put down the menu and faced Vinyl. "Oh, hello there Vinyl. Is there something you need from Trixie?"
"Um... Who's Trixie?"
"I am Trixie! Is there something Trixie can do for you?"
Accepting her whole speaking in the third person thing, Vinyl replied, "Well I saw that you do magic and I was wondering what kind of magic?"
Trixie, attempting to conceal the butterflies in her stomach, continued with her rude attitude. "You are a Unicorn, right? You should be able to do magic too."
Vinyl persisted to talk with Trixie, even though Trixie obviously didn't want to be disturbed. "Yeah, I can do magic, but a Unicorn would only advertise that they do magic if it was something special."
"What in Celestia's mane are you--" Trixie remembered her box which had "will do magic for bits" written on it.
She must have seen my box when I went to the bathroom. I can't perform those pathetic parlor tricks for her! Wait... Why do I care what she thinks...?
Vinyl stood there silently as Trixie collected her thoughts. "So are you going to show me some awesome magic!?" Vinyl tried to cheer up Trixie with her enthusiastic tone, yet it seemed to only feed the anger in Trixie.
"Trixie does not wish perform in such an unruly place." Trixie knew that was not the true reason she wouldn't perform, but she still didn't want to admit the fact that she was a failure. "Now if you don't mind, my food should be coming soon..."
Vinyl hesitated for a second, but then left Trixie alone. Trixie sighed. She wished that she could have been friendlier to Vinyl. She wished that she knew how to converse with somepony without being so mean. She wished that her wishes weren't just wishes. Trixie rested her front hooves on the table and laid her forehead on them. She just closed her eyes and waited for her food.
Trixie heard hoofsteps gradually growing louder until they were next to her booth. She heard what sounded like a dish being set down on the table and opened her eyes. "It took you long enou---" Trixie ceased speaking immediately when instead of seeing the waiter, she saw Vinyl sitting across from her with her milkshake. "Trixie thought she said she wasn't going to do magic?"
"That's fine. I just want to talk. Is that okay with Trixie?" Vinyl giggled at her slight mockery of Trixie, while Trixie just looked back at her menu. "Oh come on. Lighten up a bit Trixie," Vinyl said playfully.
Trixie, about to retort to Vinyl's joking, paused and decided to actually talk with Vinyl. "To answer your question, yes, it is okay for you to talk with Trixie."
"Great. So how long have you been in Seaddle?"
"Actually, I don't live here."
"Oh, then where do you live?"
"Trixie is..." Trixie didn't want to answer because she knew where the answer would lead. Unable to come up with a believable lie, Trixie honestly answered, "Trixie is a traveling showmare." Before Vinyl could respond, Trixie added, "If you wouldn't mind, Trixie would prefer not to talk about herself."
"Sure. No problem." As Vinyl finished her statement, a loud grumbling came from Trixie's tummy. Trixie blushed from the oddly embarrassing sound. Vinyl slid her strawberry milkshake towards Trixie and offered, "Would you like some of my shake?"
"No, Trixie is not a charity case!" Trixie's stomach growled once more. "Um... But if you insist." Trixie moved the glass closer to her and wrapped her lips around the straw. She took a sip of the delicious milkshake, but paused.
"Is there something wrong?"
Trixie couldn't describe the wonderful fireworks of flavor going on in her mouth. The last real meal she had eaten was when she left the last town about a month ago. Even then, the meal was some cheap flowers grown in low grade fertilizer. But it wasn't just the taste of the milkshake that was so awe-inspiring to Trixie; it was the fact that Vinyl, a mare that she had only just met, had gone out of her way to please Trixie. This kindness reminded Trixie a bit of Twilight Sparkle and Ponyville. "Thank you Vinyl."
"No problem." Realizing that Trixie wasn't drinking anymore of the milkshake, Vinyl asked, "I'm done with it if you want to have the rest?"
Unable to even act proud anymore, Trixie just said "Thank you, again." Following multiple gulps of the creamy delicacy, Trixie rekindled the conversation. "What instrument do you play?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your cutie mark is a musical note, correct?"
"Oh! No, I don't play an instrument. I'm actually a DJ."
"A DJ? Where do you work?"
"Well I--"
As Vinyl spoke, the waiter ambled up to the table and set down a bowl of daffodils and dandelions, along with a small cup of vinaigrette dressing. "Thank you sir," Vinyl said as the waiter left the table.
"'Er welcome mam."
Why did she thank him? That wasn't even her food and he surely didn't deserve her gratitude.
Vinyl started again, "I'm actually a traveling DJ."
"Impressive. So where have you been?" Trixie used her magic to pour the dressing on her salad, lift her fork and start eating. Trixie didn't like to attempt those larger tricks she had before, but simple magic, like levitating small objects, was no issue.
"Well tonight I'm performing at the Around the Clock Cafe." Vinyl noticed that Trixie was busy eating, so she just kept talking. "Last week I preformed in Hoofston, and before that I was in Baltimare. My tour will also be taking me to Canterlot, Las Pegasus, Stalliongrad, Trottingham, Fillydelphia, Ponyville, and Cloudsdale!"
Trixie coughed after hearing Ponyville on the list. "Ponyville you say?"
"Yeah, but I thought you would have been more shocked about Cloudsdale?"
Am I ready to reveal my past to somepony I just met... No.
Trixie cleared her thought with a sip of water before replying, "Uh, yeah. How are you going to be able to stand in Cloudsdale?" Trixie resumed to chow down her dish.
"My manager was able to score me this wicked awesome floating stage in the Cloudsdale Mile High Club, so two Pegasi just need to fly me up there and then party in Cloudsdale!"
Trixie found herself grinning at Vinyl's fervor. Trixie hadn't smiled for a long time, but Vinyl sent a glow throughout Trixie's body. Suddenly, the waiter dropped the check on the table and Trixie became choked with nervous energy. Oh sweet Celestia! I can't just walk out on the check with Vinyl here! Maybe I should---
"Here, let me take care out that." Vinyl levitated enough bits from her saddlebag to cover Trixie's bill and placed them on the check.
"W-what? Why are you paying for my meal?"
"Well, I know you're not a charity case, so just consider this a friend lending you a hoof."
A friend...
"But I don't want to burden you," Trixie said, unable to plainly accept this gift.
Vinyl, retaining her tender voice, reassured Trixie by saying, "Please, I have bits to spare. It's no burden whatsoever."
Trixie beamed again. Taking in what Vinyl just said, one thing didn't add up in Trixie's head. "Wait, if you have plenty of bits, then why are you eating at a place like this?"
"I don't like to eat in really packed restaurants because then everypony wants an autograph and a photo and... It's just too much of a hassle."
Trixie was glad to hear of Vinyl's fame, but it was also partially depressing since Trixie was now unfamiliar to the praise that Vinyl wanted to escape.
Just then, the bell above the entrance way rang again as a suited colt wearing a pair or black shades marched into the diner. The colt fixed his gaze on Vinyl and gave a wave of his hoof that directed her to go outside.
"That's my manager. It gotta get going, but it was really nice to meet you, Trixie. Maybe we can do this again sometime." Trixie floated a card out of her saddlebag and gave it to Trixie.
Trixie read the card out loud. "DJ Pon three? This party's not for fillies." Trixie looked up and saw that Vinyl Scratch had gotten out of the booth and was leaving the restaurant."Wait Vinyl! What's 'DJ Pon three?"
Vinyl looked back and corrected Trixie. "It's pronounced DJ Pony. That's just a cool way to write it. That's my stage name by the way." Vinyl looked outside and saw her manager waving her over to her trailer. "I hope I'll see you at my next show. Bye Trixie!"
"Goodbye..." As the door shut behind her, Vinyl galloped into her massive, white trailer. Four stallions connected to the trailer by reigns began to canter, leading the trailer deeper into Seaddle.
Trixie, who had originally planned to leave this town, now reconsidered her next move. She focused on the card Vinyl had given her.
The Around the Clock Cafe...
TO BE CONTINUED...
