Wish

Chapter 2

My eyelids can feel the warm sun’s light knocking on their front doors. I pry them open to the daylight piercing through the cracks between the wood. My ears can hear the cheerful sounds of birds calling, and a breeze blows through the lively trees. Pulling myself over near the wood, I peak through to see nothing but foliage and flora clustered around the area. The flowers out there look so gorgeous with their bright colors and captivating scents. Then, a memory of the vase on Trixie’s countertop full of dying flowers crosses my mind striking me with an idea. Perhaps I could leave the trailer for a minute and fill the vase with lively ones instead. That should be able to show Trixie my gratitude for sure. I should be quiet; I wouldn’t want to wake up Trixie, as I’m sure she’s still asleep. I search around the large door at the end of the room to see if I can find a way to open it. Using my hand to feel around the sides of the door, my fingers stumble upon a latch. With a bit of a struggle, I jar it loose, and the door immediately falls to the ground causing me to jolt and hold my breath. The trailer shakes; but since it landed on a bed of tall grass, not much noise was made. I take a breath of relief and calm my heart down; as I was sure the noise would have been louder.

I take the vase and quietly hurry outside. All the trees and plants are covered in droplets of water and the air smells of rain. The tree branches that seem miles high shake and shudder as birds hop from branch to branch. Small squirrels scurry up and down the trees’ thick trunks effortlessly. I shouldn’t go wandering off into the woods, as I fear getting lost. I feel much safer when I am near Trixie’s wagon. Scanning around the grass and bushes for some of the flowers I had seen, I plan to fill this vase up with as many colors as possible.

My eyes spot a bright orange one with five pointed pedals. Without hesitation, I excitedly remove the wilting flowers from the vase and drop them to the ground. After pulling the bright orange flower from the soil, I pause. A small sense of guilt fills me. Now that I have taken this flower, it soon will die just like the others that I have discarded. It too is alive, and I have put a hold on its life. Its beauty shall soon fade; and it is all because of me, but I mustn’t let this hold me back. I’m filling this vase with life for Trixie; she deserves to see their beauty and carry them along with her for as long as possible. I gently place the flower inside the vase and hurry over to a plant with large, thick, umbrella-like leaves. Each one is covered in huge droplets of glistening water, so I hold the vase low and shake them one by one to have the water drip down into it. I am careful to not miss any precious drops. It fills a good portion of the vase which should help the flowers prolong their lives, and me to relieve some of the guilt that had sat heavily on my shoulders.

Searching around the plants once again, I find a wonderful tall, violet flower with several small pedals overlapping one another. Pulling it from the ground and carefully setting it next to the orange flower, I spot a periwinkle flower across from me. Just like the other I pull it and set it in as well. Afterwards, I find two more: A long, pink, trumpet-shaped flower; as well as a vanilla white and lime green flower with long, rounded pedals. With all of these in the vase, I feel now that it is perfect. Feeling that she may come through the door at any moment, I hurry back into the trailer and set the vase down back onto the countertop. In the center of the fallen door there is a thick metal handle, and with all my strength I tighten my hand around it and hoist the door up. My arms strain as they have never had to endure such physical effort. I can almost feel myself lose balance, but I grasp onto the sides of the doorway to keep myself up. Once the door touches the sides, I lock the latch back into place. Tired from simply trying to get the door closed, I rest down onto the floor and lean my back against the wall.

Staring at the collection of flowers resting inside the vase, I feel Trixie will be pleased with them, at least I hope. While still staring at them, the door’s knob suddenly twists, and Trixie pokes her head through the doorway. “Ah, you’re awake.” She says in a worn out voice. Trixie steps in, and I notice that her eyes look heavy as she can hardly keep them fully open. Did she not get any sleep at all? “So, before we . . . What is this?” Her eyes now laid onto the vase, “D-did you do this?” I then nod my head.

“They’re for you.”

“For me. . ? Why, they’re. . . They’re gorgeous. W-where did you get these?” I raise my arm and point my finger to the wall, indicating that I had retrieved them from outside, “. . . You really did this for me?” I nod my head once again, “Why that’s. . . That’s very kind. Umm.” I catch a stumble in Trixie’s voice as she covers her mouth with her hoof, and I also catch something glistening around her eyes as the sunlight shines upon her face. Tears are gathering around her eyes as she desperately tries to wipe them away. “Th-thank you. Umm. . . I actually have something for you too. J-just give me a minute.” Trixie steps outside, and she remains quiet for a bit. What else could Trixie have to give me? There is nothing else I need; she has already given me so much. “Okay, see these?” Trixie returns, and after taking a deep breath, she twirls around to show her cape and hat to me, “I sewed these together myself, and since you’re a part of my show now, I decided you need a costume of your own. So, I stopped by the market and was up all night sewing these together.” She reaches back behind the doorway, grabbing hold of whatever it is she has for me, “Voila!” Holding up a long elegant black jacket, she presents it with such pride and joy.

At the base of the neck hole, a tall collar stretches out, and the cuffs of the sleeves are pointed. A white stripe outlines the borders of the cuffs, collar, and bottom of the jacket. Also, from the cuffs all the way to the end of the forearms, the cloth is decorated with white stars, circles, and crescent Moon shapes similar to the design of Trixie’s hat and cape. The further my eyes follow the shapes across the fabric the smaller they gradually become before ending and leading off into plain black. The same design is repeated from the collar down to the chest region, and the bottom of the torso up to the stomach area, leaving most of the chest region bare. “But that’s not all.” She continues, “I also have. . .” She reaches back behind the doorway, “These!”

She reveals a pair of pants of the same style. The cuffs at the bottom are also pointed and outlined in white, and the white shapes reach all the way up to the knees. Along with those, she brings out a pair of pointed, black buckled shoes. My eyes are in complete awe of the garments she holds before me; I almost feel unworthy of such gifts. “It was quite the challenge, and since I have never made anything like these before, they may be a bit off in the measurements; but I did the best I could. Why don’t you go ahead and try them on? I’ll leave you alone to change.”

Trixie steps out, and I am left with the next amazing gift she has bestowed to me. I pick up the jacket and feel the smooth, tough, sleek fabric. My eyes never would have guessed they would be gazing down at something as great as this. Without any further thinking, I excitedly disrobe myself and set the dirty tattered clothes aside. I slip on the jacket and squeeze into the pants as they are just a bit tight, but nonetheless they are still comfortable to wear. I slip my feet into the shoes and tighten the buckles. Looking down at myself I feel refreshed and ridden of filth with these new clothes, but them being a gift from Trixie, makes them even more valuable to me. These are wonderful works of art she has crafted for me, and I will not take them for granted. “Are you finished yet?” She peaks in through the doorway, “Ah, so you are.”

Trixie chuckles a little at the sight of me posing in my new outfit. “Cute. Now, remember that will be your uniform from now on for when we go on stage.” Trixie yawns, trying to cover her mouth with her hoof, “We’ll discuss more about our next show later. Right now, I must find out where our next destination shall be.” Just before Trixie leaves the room, she picks up the vase of flowers and looks back at me. She doesn’t smile, but doesn’t frown. Her face doesn’t show any recognizable emotion to me, but I think I can assume what it is she is feeling.

Once again that unknown feeling returns to me like the last time our eyes locked. This is something that I may only come across once during this life, and I do not want to lose it. I’m not sure if I should call it destiny, or call it chance; but the thought that this is happening for a reason still befuddles me. She could have kept following the path in her wagon that night and left me in the cold; she wouldn’t have any other burden to carry. No worries, no problems, just a straight path to wherever she was headed. Instead, she turned around and held out her hoof to me to accompany her. Why? I am nothing like her, and she even shewed me away like some filthy animal. Yet, she still came back for me, and I followed. She’s given me a place to call home, and a gorgeous gift to adorn my body. Perhaps I shouldn’t think about it so much; I don’t want to lose this feeling of happiness, not now. My heart needs to enjoy it as long as it lasts.

Day and night we traveled. Our first stop was a small little town. Its inhabitants were not as bright and colorful as the others I had seen, yet I could see that they were ready to have a great time. Even though the terrain was desert-like as dead weeds roll across the ground, these ponies knew how to keep a smile on their faces. It showed me how happiness can exist without the need for luxury or colorful things. Trixie’s magic was just as mesmerizing like the first time, and once I stepped onto the stage the ponies in the crowd were once again staring in awe. We made a good deal of coin that day, but that wasn’t all we made. Some of the locals brought over fresh baked bread, pies, fritters and all kinds of sweets. Trixie looked astonished to see such gifts; and it appeared to me as if she had never seen such a thing before. Which I wouldn’t understand why not, if her shows are this incredible I would expect her to receive gifts on a regular basis. Trixie was so happy that night, so happy in fact that when she came back into the trailer I swear I could have seen a tear run down her smile. She shared with me the food she was given, and the tastes I experienced were so rich and sweet I could tell my stomach thanked me for it.

Afterwards, we stopped and set up a camp in the forest. She used the chopped logs from inside my side of the trailer to start a fire. We sat in the grass around the fire, watching the golden sky turn to violet. Trixie shared with me stories of her other travels as we sat bathing in the warmth of the fire. She told me stories of great beasts such as serpents, timber wolves, and Ursas. She told of how she would use her magic to defeat each and every one that stood in her way. I could feel myself become so entranced by her stories, and the glow from the fire would only make her look even more heroic as I listened. She told me about her previous shows and how she would leave the audience just begging for more, which only made me feel a bit down about myself. Since I couldn’t accomplish anything like that on our first show, I felt completely insignificant. However, she brought back my spirit when she told me that maybe one day I could produce the same reaction as long as I listened to what she tells me. Even though I know that there is no way I could compare to Trixie it still made my heart light up.

My stomach rumbled a bit during the fire, so she brought out these small white sweets and stuck a few through a thin branch. She handed me my own, and we held them over the fire until they turned a golden brown. However, I messed up a bit since mine actually caught fire (which made her chuckle a bit). After a while she snuffed out the fire, and now the both of us lay on the bed of grass staring up at the indigo sky. Something about this particular night is special. The stars flooded the sky as the blue and purple behind them cloaked the sky to create such an incredible sight.

I feel so restless after hearing Trixie’s tales of adventure. I want to just jump up and go and have an adventure of my own! Although, I know I don’t have what it takes. My feeble body and inexperienced mind wouldn’t stand a chance out there, especially not against any of the creatures Trixie had defeated.

Thinking back to our previous shows, I find that in every single crowd there was not one individual that resembled me. I wonder when I’ll set my eyes onto another one of my kind. If Trixie says she’s never seen anything like me ever before, then where can I find others like me?

I turn over to Trixie to see if she has fallen asleep yet, and to my surprise she hasn’t. She’s just staring up the sky just as I have; maybe she sees the same beauty in it as I do. Just as I am about to lay my head back down she gasps, causing me jolt back up. “Aireal look!” She points up to the sky. Beneath that mass of stars a streak of white light slices across the sky. “A shooting star! It’s been a while since I’ve seen one of those. . . You do know what happens when you see one don’t you?” Unsure of what she means, I confusedly shake my head. “Well, once you see one you’re supposed to close your eyes and then make a wish.”

“A wish?”

“That’s right. You can wish for whatever comes to your mind, and in time, it’s supposed to be granted. . . Of course, I never believed in such a thing.”

“Why?”

“Because whenever I would see one, I would just shut my eyes. . . My wishes would never come true no matter how hard I wished, and no matter how long I waited. . . Why don’t you give it a try? Maybe it’ll work for you.” Her words push back the excitement I had felt before. I do not know how to respond, or if I should even say anything at all. Until something comes to me, I do not know if it will make her happy, but it’s worth a try.

“. . . I don’t need a shooting star.” I say.

“What? Why not? Don’t you want a wish?”

“Well, you’ve already granted me my wish.” A short moment of silence takes over our conversation, leading me to believe that what I’ve just said has struck a nerve with Trixie.

“G-goodnight.” Trixie quickly turns over facing away from me and pulls her cape over her shoulder like a blanket. I was hoping that maybe we could’ve talked some more, but now I feel like I have done something wrong. After feeling I had made her mad at me, I could hear her faintly sobbing ever so quietly under her cape. Why could she be crying? I did not mean to make her cry, I only wanted to bring her some happiness like she had done me. Now filled with guilt and confusion, I lay my head down. My cheeks are beginning to lose feeling from the cold, but the rest of my body is kept safe by Trixie’s gift to me. I let my mind run free, and my eyelids shut as they await the safest time of day to dream. However, it feels that time is cut short as they flare open without reason. I wonder how much time has passed; nevertheless I cannot resist laying my head back down. A faint sound then creeps through the wind, raising my head back up from the grass as well as my curiosity.

I spot a dim light from behind the small curtain near the front of Trixie’s wagon. I feel I should wake Trixie to warn her, but she is no longer laying in the grass. All that is left is her indentation. Quietly, I stand and brush through the tall grass, and with each step I take, a crowd of small winged insects flutter out and away. Once near the wagon I hold my ear near the draped window to hear the sound of weeping. “You were right. . .” Trixie’s voice whispers, “You were always right. . . I wish that you could see me now. . . To see the. . .” A long pause is drawn out as I wonder who it is Trixie could be talking to. Confused, I hold my ear even closer to the window. “. . . To see the friend I have made.”

The sound of that word tosses me into disbelief, but at the same time, a sense of excitement overcomes me. Is she truly referring to me? Am I really a friend for her? My heart feels an explosion of joy mixed with confusion. Was I not supposed to hear this if she is hiding in her trailer? “I wish you could see. . .” She continues, “I-I. . . I love you Mom. I miss you so much. . .” Her voice is followed by the sound of the gentle folding of paper and a bit of rustling in the room. Startled, I feel the need to run back to the patch of grass I was laying in. Pushing through the grass as quickly as possible I hope to make it before she sees me. I toss myself down and fold my body into a comfortable enough position and shut my eyes.

Sounds of a door creaking open and locking closed are followed by the light rustling of the grass. Trixie takes a seat uncomfortably close to me as I feel she may somehow know that I am not really sleeping. Regardless, I still remain stoic, hoping she would not have noticed my body cringe once she had sat down. “. . . You weren’t exactly as I had pictured. . . But still . . . Just when I was ready to give up. . .”

Give up? Give up on what? Perhaps, the sound of the folding paper was the note that she had snatched away from me last night. She mentioned her mother, so could it have been a note from her to Trixie? I can only imagine what Trixie must have gone through before that note, but my imagination probably won’t be able to comprehend it. The last question in my mind still hovers without an answer. What happened to her mother? Trixie never says anything else after that; she must be trying to get back to sleep as I hear her resting herself back into the grass. I can feel my body return to its peaceful rest as I set my mind’s thoughts aside to put me at temporary ease.

The next thing I know I’m being shaken awake by Trixie who, for some reason, holds an excited smile. A kind of smile I have not seen borne by her yet. The first time she showed her voice she sounded so prompt, but now she sounds more cheerful. I’m noticing something very different about Trixie. Something bright and gentle is revealing itself via her big sparkling eyes. “Come now, rise and shine! I hope you slept well because we need to begin our plans for our next show. First things first, I know that you seem to have a handle on just standing around and looking good for the audience, but why don’t we make it a bit more. . . fun?” Raising an eyebrow I am confused by what she means when she says ‘fun’. “I was thinking you could. . . I don’t know. . . Move around a bit. Get more involved with the audience! I could cast a few spells around you so you can improvise. Here, I also found these in my little trunk I keep stashed away in the trailer.”

Trixie hands me a small brown sack tied with a thick, yarn-like tie. I open it up by prying an opening between the tie and see several small white spheres. At the sight of them I try to identify what exactly they are. “These are smoke bombs.” She begins, “All you have to do is take one. . .” She reaches over and pulls one from the bag, “And just throw it to the ground!” She slams it down onto the soil, and a white cloud of thick smoke explodes from the little sphere. I nearly jolt back from the loud snapping noise, and how large the cloud becomes, as I had not expected it to blind me so much. Yet, I smile at how incredible this little white sphere actually is.

“And that’s not all!” Trixie brings out another bag similar to the first, “I’ve had these for quite some time now; I used to collect these from a certain spot in the forest. I would just stare at these because of how beautiful they are, and every time I would watch them I felt something strange. . . It’s hard to explain. Here take a look.” She opens the little sack and pulls out a small edged stone. At first glance it appears to be dull and gray, but once the light shines upon it, it immediately flares up with the color of green. It’s so bright, and as Trixie had said, I feel something strange show itself in my heart. A feeling, that I cannot completely explain. My eyes are so entranced by this light that they do not want to turn away. “These stones glow all on their own, and I have no idea why. Here, take them. Perhaps you can show them off to the audience. You could even give one of the crowd members a stone if you wish, but please do not give them all away in one night. I could always go and collect more, but Trixie doesn’t want to have the chore of being the rock collector.” She hands me the sack of stones and I slip them both into the wide pockets of my jacket, “Now, let’s get moving. Our next show is in a town a bit of a ways away!” She excitedly hurries to the wagon as I stretch my way to standing, “Also, after the show, I was thinking that maybe we could. . . Spend the rest of the day with each other? You know, to get to know one another just a little bit better. . . Unless of course you’d rather—”

“No!” My voice leaps out before she can finish her sentence. “That . . . That sounds nice.” The sound of the idea feels perfect. I’d much rather spend the rest of the night with her than alone in the trailer waiting to arrive at our next destination. Trixie doesn’t say anything further, instead she glances back at me with a slight smile before entering the wagon. I make my way into the back end of the trailer, eager to move to our next destination. I lock my fingers around the metal handle of the door, hoist it up, and slide the latch into place.