The Meeting at the Big Pine Tree
On a blustery winter night, a auburn maned, cream coated mare trotted down the bright lights of Manehatten's streets, balancing the sack full of dolls and electronics hanging across her back as she came to the big pine tree at the city's center. Her breaths like smoker's puffs, she thought to herself "Wow, I got lucky today. I know the foals'll love the WiiU, but if my hubby can't be happy about the new Camera I got him, I swear I'll slap the taste out of his mouth" The sound of hooves crushing the powdery snow approached from all around, a booming, cocky voice calling out to her
"Yo, that's some nice stuff you got there. Why don't you let the locals have it?"
"I might, if you know what the square root of 484 is." Stopped in their tracks for a moment, the young punks scratched their heads, with the spiky, green haired leader finally saying, "That doesn't matter! The only math that does matter is that there's 5 of us, one of you, and a lot of goodies to be gained..." As those behind her rushed headlong, a cane decked in white and spiraling red hooked their reaching hooves away. A mighty blow sent the hoodlums flying, and both the remaining kid and the mother looked to see a Santa suit clad mare standing before them, her cornflower blue mane flowing in the breeze as she addled towards the group's lead. Her dark violet eyes peered dead at him
"Stealing from a mom on a Hearth's Warming Eve shopping run? Trixie finds that to be l-o-w, low."
"So? You do what you gotta do, when you don't got nothing." Her tail swaying underneath her skirt, the mare brushed snow from her azure face.
"Nothing? What about your family, your friends, your cherished ones? Are they meaningless to you, as well? Is their love less valuable than that WiiU, in her bag?"
"Anyone ever told you, you talk too much, freak?" With a sneer, she turned to the orange coated companion beside her
"Assistant! Take the mom away from here. Trixie would hate to damage the goods, after all." The short, flame haired mare lead her out of danger. Seeing this, Trixie held the cane half way with one hoof and extended the other. She heard something coming behind her, and stabbed behind, catching her assailant in the gut. With a mule kick she sent him back, then threw herself into a low spin kick. Her frontal attacker now off his hooves, she thrust the cane's head high to her left, and busted her opponent's nose. With a wide swing behind, the cane's hook caught her adversary's wrist and pulled the cyber goth dressed mare into a stiff hoof thrust, landing deep in her gut and knocking all the wind out. As she crumpled to the ground, Trixie pointed her inferno-like gaze towards the other outlandishly dressed colt and said, "So what do you wanna do now? You wanna end up like your buddies here, or do you wanna give her back what you stole from Trixie's assistant and leave the mom alone?" She wielded her cane like a Claymore, pointing the hook end at him, and saying, "Realize that Trixie has no problem painting this pure white snow crimson red." The intensity she held in her eyes and the utter terror she put into his, was felt by all, even her assistant and the mare she watched over. The leader then motioned towards his subjects towards the young mother. One by one they dropped off a red fishnet shirt, green tank-top and dark red cargo pants and freed her, leaving in silence, as none of them wanted to draw the full extent of her wrath. Trixie eased her stance and looked over at the mother, asking, "Hey, are you doing alright, miss?"
"Yes, and I thank you for saving me...but I haven't a clue as to who the blazes you two are."
"Well I would be The Great and Powerful Trixie. That mare getting what those punks took from her is Trixie's assistant." The both of them then bowed to her, saying, "Pleasure to meet you, ma'am."
"Likewise, Trixie. I'm Blossoming Cherries, by the way. You wouldn't mind escorting me home, would you?"
"Not at all. From the looks of things, it seems near necessary." They began trotting towards the local train station, street lamps shining down on them "So is it safe to assume you don't come around here often?"
"Trixie cannot be confined to one place for very long. It's Trixie's duty to show people the true power of magic, and make sure people get what they need at this time of year."
"And what would that be, if I may ask?"
"Well, aside from demonstrating Trixie's greatness, it would be that other ponies never forget the warmth to be found even in the bitter cold; that hope can be found among the chaos and despair that surrounds us everyday; that those closest to us are the most precious gift a person can have" She put her arm around her assistant's waist and held her close, touching cheek to cheek. Blossoming Cherries smiled at the happy couple, then let out a sigh.
"Don't you have those sorts of thing, Miss Blossoming Cherries?" Her assistant asked, glancing over at her
"I think so, but a lot of times it feels like I don't. My foals are always busy with school, and my husband's always caught up in his work...it never feels like we have enough time for each other."
"Well what do you do with the time do you have?"
"I...I don't know...nothing really important. We just hang out around the city and never really do anything noteworthy." Turning a corner, Trixie turned her gaze to Blossoming Cherries
"And what, exactly, do you consider noteworthy?"
"Well, there was the one time me and the kids made some Onigiri for lunch. It was a sticky mess, rolling the rice and all that, but we were so happy then, sharing stories about our days. When my husband came to eat with us, we were finally able to have a family meal, and basically enjoy each other's company. Then there was the time my husband took me to the park, for lunch..." Trixie's tail flickered slightly, as she let out a giggle. Blossoming Cherries shot her a quizzical stare. "Do you find my musings amusing, Miss Trixie?"
"No, it's just that you can't even realize when you have poignant moments with the people you cherish. You, of all people, should know that the ordinary can be extraordinary."
"Easy for you to say, you get to travel all over to show your magic to everyone. And on top of that, you risk your neck, so people like me can get their gifts to where they need to be. What if you get hurt or killed?" Trixie stopped in her tracks, Blossoming Cherries looking back, and seeing a smile on her face
"Trixie may die now or years from now, but her deeds would not." Nodding in agreement, her assistant turned to he
"If she were to die tonight, the deeds she's done would determine how those she met saw her as. And from the time I've been with her, she's been nothing but the embodiment of the power of magic; of hope, of finding warmth, in the bitter cold and of togetherness among the people you cherish." her assistant held Trixie close, as Blossoming Cherries walked towards them, saying, "What about all the nonsense and evil that rules over this world? You saw what those kids did back there."
"Trixie did, and they had their reasons, as do you. Yes, this world is full of greed, uncaring and, seems to hold nothing but misery and darkness. However, if Trixie's travels have shown her anything, it's that even a small beam of light can scatter a darkened sky. I may only have one day here and elsewhere, but in that one day, Trixie will be able to touch many hearts with the message she carries. Trixie knows it, my assistant certainly knows it, and so do the people Trixie get to run into. If Trixie wishes to accomplish anything, it's to bring joy into the lives of those that have none and to get people to see the beauty and wonder their life presents them with on a daily basis." They finally reached the steps leading down to the train station, Blossoming Cherries looking over at them.
"You know, up 'til now, I've always felt like my family was drifting apart. Maybe now I can appreciate the time I have with them now and start seeing this world through a new pair of lenses..." She then looked at the charged Camera in her bag and asked, "Hey, would it be alright, if I took a picture of you two, to remember you by?" her assistant and Trixie looked at each other for a moment, then at her, and softly nodded. Blossoming Cherries set herself up for the shot and snapped the perfect picture, just as her train arrived.
"Looks like your ride home has come," said Trixie "I'd suggest you get back to the people that cherish you, Miss Blossoming Cherries, They're probably worried sick." Blossoming Cherries nodded, and she made her way towards the platform. She looked behind her to say goodbye, but found a ring of fire encircling two small dolls, which bore a more than passing resemblance, to her new friends. Her hands unconsciously reached in to grab them, but found the fire left her and the message attached to Trixie's doll unharmed. She looked at the tag tied onto the tail, reading the message Trixie wrote.
That was a good talk, Miss Blossoming Cherries. Hope we can meet again next year.
A soft smile crossing her face, she stuffed them into her pockets and boarded the train, watching the fire fade away as the train left the station.
Author's Note
This is something I whipped up for the holidays, and I do hope it finds you well this holiday season. Remember, things are only things, and nothing lasts forever
