For once in her life, Trixie doesn't know what to do.
It all started this morning when she was having breakfast in a cozy little tavern in Seasaddle, a beautiful town near the sea. Trixie was staying there for a little while to think things over, and to wait for whatever trouble she caused in Ponyville to die down. She's been staying there for about a month and a half now, in a small house she'd rented.
Trixie always goes to the Snapping Crocodile in the morning, even if just to sit and listen to the music. She was always by herself though, so she was a little startled when some stallion came up to her all loud and angry. He'd burst through the door like a speeding locomotive and stomped his way right over to my table in the corner. I could tell that he was seething with hatred, but what it was for I couldn't tell.
He had a large build, like that of a hardworking farm pony, and a caramel brown coat all muffed up like he hadn't showered for days. His mane and tail were in no better condition, the dark coa-coa color making them look messier than they probably were. And his eyes... His eyes were blue and his pupils were shrunken to pinpoints. I should have ran.
Oh Celestia I should have ran.
So Trixie sat at her table staring at the strange and probably dangerous stallion as he marched towards her. When he'd finally approached her table, he slammed his hooves on it. Anyone who hadn't been paying attention before started watching then.
"You Trixie Lulamoon?" It came out like a growl. Trixie, not knowing what else to do, simply nodded. "Well you have a hell of a mess to clean up."
That was when she recognized him. He was from Ponyville. It was at that moment that Trixie thought that his immense hatred was meant for her, but then he spoke again.
"Do you know a Mr. Flim?" Trixie froze.
"Y-yes, Trixie knows him.." she muttered. The stallion seemed to calm down a bit, and sat at the other side of Trixie's table.
"My name's Caramel. Mr. Flim sent me to give you this." He pulled out an envelope from his green saddle bags and set it on the table. "Said it was important."
"Did he.. did he say anything else?"
"Yeah. He said that you got twenty-four hours to respond, or he's going to execute the plan."
"Plan?" Trixie thought aloud. "Caramel, Trixie would like to ask you why you did this for Flam?"
"He said he pay me; I really need the money." And then Trixie saw it. His eyes weren't holding anger anymore. They were.. well, Trixie doesn't really know how to describe them. They just reminded her of herself.
And then she remembered that it was Flim he was talking about.
"How much did he say he was going to pay you?"
"Well I don't see how it matters."
"Just tell Trixie how much."
"...two-thousand bits." Trixie nearly choked. How could he? That damn,
Trixie pulled her bit purse out of her saddle bags with her magic, and set two-thousand five hundred bits in gems and coins in front of him. Trixie wasn't really in a hard spot; she'd been working at a small deli part-time, and had more than enough saved up from her shows in Las Pegasus and other cities and towns. Two-thousand was nothing; just that one time, that is.
"What's this for?" He asked as he looked at the money. He was confused. "Flim said-"
The poor idiot.
"Flim isn't going to pay you." Trixie cut him off. "Or at least, Trixie doesn't think he will. From her experience, Flim doesn't hold up on his promises; you'll probably never see him again." He stared at me with a blank sort of look, not yet processing what I'd said. "Look, you're not getting any money from him! Does Trixie have to nail it through your thick skull? Take the money before Trixie decides to take it back."
Then there was silence.
Slowly he put the money into his own wallet.
Slowly he put the wallet into his saddle bags.
And slowly he turned to look at me.
"Thank you, ma'am. But what if Mr. Flim does do what he says?"
"Well if he does pay you, you can send Trixie's money back." He'd probably keep it either way.
"And what's the extra five hundred for?"
"For your troubles. Trixie isn't the most generous pony, but she's used to cleaning up Flim's messes." Trixie eyed him for a moment after that. "Trixie assumes you're going back to Ponyville?"
"...Yeah. As soon as the next train leaves." Trixie then realized that that wouldn't be until tomorrow.
"Well, Caramel; Trixie has decided that you'll be staying with her. Trixie assumes you have no where to stay otherwise?"
"Yes ma'am. Thanks and all, but I'm not sure if it's right for me to sleep in the same house as a mare..." Hmf, at lest he was a gentlecolt. Although his reasons weren't stated clearly, Trixie could tell what he meant. Most stallions would have been a bit more... rude. But Trixie is an excellent judge of character, so she knew Caramel wouldn't react like that.
"Trixie doesn't care. She has a guest room, and if it make you feel better, she locks her room every night."
"But ma'am.."
"And Trixie thinks you need a shower. Trixie needs to get some groceries anyway; you'll got get cleaned up while Trixie's gone, ok?"
"...ok."
And then Trixie noticed everyone was still watching.
"The hay are you looking at?! Do you think Trixie's putting on a show?"
After that, she and Caramel walked back to Trixie's house. Flim's letter sat in Trixie's saddle bags like a weight. She was itching to take it out and read it, but she couldn't read it yet.
"So, Trixie was wondering what you meant by 'You have a hell of a mess to clean up'? Does it have something to do with Flim, or was that insulting little quip just meant to remind Trixie about Ponyville?"
"I, uh.."
"What happened to the angry, menacing stallion that had Trixie shaking in her hooves earlier? Trust Trixie; if you have something to be angry with her about, she can take it." Trixie had grown used to it, really. Newspapers, tabloids... Trixie is disgusted by how ponies take things that are none of their business and turn them into a story. Especially Trixie's personal life.
"A lot of ponies are feeling pretty sore about what you did," he finally said, "but not everypony is exactly blaming you. At least not them Elements of Harmony, specifically Princess Twilight."
Trixie flinched at the name, and more so at the title. Having somepony you once viewed as a rival suddenly become a ruler of Equestria wasn't something Trixie was accustomed to. Especially when Trixie had tried to ruin the life of this somepony. Especially when this somepony didn't file any reports against her what-so-ever.
"What has.. what has Twilight Sparkle said about Trixie?" Trixie skipped over the title simply by accident, and was given a reprimanding look from the dirty stallion walking beside her.
"Princess Twilight hasn't really said much," he answered, "just that that weird amulet had you all brainwashed or something. She said it wasn't your fault or nothing."
"And others..?" Trixie knew the answer, but she asked anyway.
"Well you've read the news, haven't ya?" he chuckled darkly, though it was more sad than angry. " 'Trixie Lulamoon, Tyrantess of Ponyville!' " he had quoted a headline.
"Trixie isn't exactly proud of herself," she mumbled.
"I would assume not," he said.
Finally they made it back to Trixie's house. Trixie couldn't be more relieved.
Trixie showed Caramel the bathroom and the guest room (which was really just an extra room that was supposed to be an office, but Trixie had put another bed there instead.) She then left him--what? It's not like Trixie's got any valuables lying around--to go "get some groceries". In truth, Trixie was just going to the park to read her letter.
Even though it is raining 99.9999999999% of the time in Seasaddle, Trixie likes to be outside to think. Plus, it's a good place to hide for short periods of time; Trixie knew Flim well enough to know he was probably already in town. He'd probably find Trixie's house soon enough, so that's why she lied to the simple minded stallion. It would give her more time to think.
As soon as she found dry spot under some trees, Trixie sat down and pulled out her letter.
The envelope was sealed with a wax heart.
Trixie tore it off without a second thought.
She pulled out the letter and began to read.
Dear Trix,
I've never stopped missing you, you know that? I've been keeping tabs on you, on your shows and your success. It made me happy to know that even though we weren't together anymore, you were still happy. But then I read the newspapers a year ago, and learned about what happened in Ponyville. I know you're a strong mare, Trix, so I didn't do anything.
But then you were in the news again a few weeks ago.
Once again, your reputation was slandered and it made me angry, angrier than anything else.
And I noticed that two things were the same with both articles: Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle. Twilight Sparkle. That new princess sure went out of her way to make you look bad, didn't she? And somehow, I got angrier.
So I've made a decision; no one, and I mean no one, messes with my Trix. That Twilight Sparkle is going to pay; I don't give a darn that she's an alicorn princess. You know I have other ways of making ponies disappear... I don't need to fight her. The cause of all your troubles can go away, Trix. She can be gone forever. And it wouldn't even be your fault; there's no evidence of any links between us from the old days. I'll just be some crazed stallion who decided to take the life of a Princess. Heck, I have some history in that cursed little town too; it would seem like revenge.
It is either way.
But I realize that maybe you'd like to do it yourself, or just leave it alone. So I'm going to be a gentlecolt and give you 24 hours to respond, or I'm going to execute the plan. Heh, execute... until then, I'll be killing time. Ha.
And maybe you could contact me either way? Maybe we could...
Maybe we could go on a date? Like the old days?
I'll be waiting.
I still love you,
-Flim
Trixie read it over a few times. She smelled the unmistakable scent of alcohol emanating from the dirty paper. He was drunk when he wrote the letter, yet his hoof-writing was nearly perfect. Oh how Trixie hates that bastard.
Trixie knew that Flim and his brother were crazy, but for Flim to even suggest something like that? Trixie wasn't sure what to think. She just knew that he was definitely, for sure, without a question in Seasaddle. He wouldn't be off anywhere else in Equestria with a message like that. Whether or not it had been the drink talking when he wrote it, she wasn't sure. But Trixie knew it didn't matter; When Flim sets his sight on something, he never stops until it's his. He wouldn't stop until he won.
Stubborn fool.
So Trixie shoved the letter back into her bag and began to walk home; she'd left Caramel by himself long enough. The sun was setting then, and it wasn't raining anymore. For a brief moment, Trixie had the feeling that everything would be alright.
And then she felt her hat being lifted from her head.
"Hey, Trix." It was him.
Author's Note
I'm not really sure how bits transfer to human currency, so I'll just say that the promised amount was about enough to hold him over for a month or so.
