Scrolls with existing notes? Check. Quills, ink, extra quills, and extra ink? Check. Night Star’s Second Treatise on Conjuration? Ch–
“Don't work yourself too much today, Twilight. I know you're doing research for the Princess, but we'd like to spend a bit of time with you before you go back to Ponyville."
A smile tugged at the corner of Twilight Sparkle’s mouth as she tightened the strap on her well-used saddle bags and turned towards Twilight Velvet. “Mom, it's just some light research at the Royal Library." She leaned forward to share a brief hug, then moved towards the door. "Don't worry, I'll be back in time for dinner. See you later!”
She trotted down the streets of her old neighborhood, adjusting her scarf against the slightly chilly air. Winter Wrap-up was only a week away in Ponyville, but the higher elevation of the ancient capitol kept the colder temperatures around just a bit longer than most of Equestria.
Hoof-traffic in the streets was still light as Twilight came upon the beginning of one of Canterlot's many shopping districts. She stopped at the intersection and let her gaze wander over the early risers and the shopkeepers that were beginning to open for the day.
Different, yet still exactly as I remember it, she thought as she noted a few new shops that now mingled with others that had first opened before she was born. Still, the neat rows of storefronts and carts looked as warm and welcoming as they always did. This isn't much different than Ponyville, in a way. So much has changed since I moved there, yet it never loses its identity.
Twilight’s reverie was broken by the gong of one of the nearby clock tower, the aural sequence noting the time to be seven-thirty. Looks like I’m running ahead of schedule. I suppose I could just get an early start, though I’ll have to move the rest of my schedule up to compensate. Twilight unconsciously chewed on her bottom lip as she considered her options. A thought flashed across her mind for an instant, but that’s all the time that her inner filly needed to decide her next move. With an extra spring in her step, Twilight headed for the one shop in Canterlot that she knew as well as her own home.
“There’s always time for a donut.”
The smell of fresh donuts and hot coffee flooded Twilight’s nose as soon as she rounded the corner adjacent to Donut Joe’s store. My home away from home, she mused, chuckling at the memories of countless nights spent huddled in the corner booth, her studying marathons fueled as much by her ambition as the endless pots of Prench Roast coffee. I’m still not sure how all of those donuts didn’t go straight to my flanks. She shook her head at the thought, as well as the rumbling of her empty stomach as she pushed open the well-worn door and stepped inside.
“Good morning, Joe, how ar—”
“Duck!”
The sudden warning barely registered in Twilight’s ears before a mug shattered against the wall next to her, sending hot coffee and ceramic shards flying everywhere. Twilight yelped as she dove to the floor, casting the first shield she could think of to keep the worst of the scalding-hot liquid from falling in her face. She dismissed the shield when the coffee shower stopped, but nearly slipped as she tried to stand up among the broken remains of somepony’s coffee.
What in Equestria was that? she thought. Twilight was about to yell out to Joe for some answers, when the source of the disturbance made its presence all too clear.
“How dare you insult the Great and Powerful Trixie like that! Trixie's payment is perfectly good!"
Donut Joe found himself muzzle-to-muzzle with a more belligerent than usual Trixie. The showmare was nearly standing on her bar stool, leaning over the counter with a sneer across her face. Whatever was going on, Trixie was as mad as Twilight had ever seen her, alicorn amulet or not.
“Look, Miss Trix—”
“That’s the Great and Powerful Trixie to you!” Trixie yelled, banging a hoof on the counter for emphasis. Twilight was frozen in place near the door, too shocked at the spectacle before her to formulate any kind of response.
"Ok, ok!” Joe stammered. “Ok, Miss Great and Powerful Trixie, your payment is just fine, I'll take it! Just, please don't throw anything else!"
Trixie continued to stare holes through the poor stallion as she shifted an object across the counter towards him. Twilight saw the object as it slid across the white counter, and her eyes went wide. That's Trixie's prized clasp! She values that more than her hat, so why would she just give it away? Unless... Oh no...
Acting before her brain could second-guess itself, Twilight quickly stepped towards the counter. "It's alright Joe; I'll take care of it."
Both Joe and Trixie spun their heads to face the approaching unicorn. Joe's face was one of relief, while Trixie's was a mixture of contempt and confusion.
"And just what are you doing here, Twilight Sparkle?" Trixie almost spat the words as she spoke. "Here to embarrass Trixie again? Haven't you done enough already?!"
Twilight took a deep breath to project as much calm as possible. "I originally came here for breakfast, but at the moment, I'm here to stop you from doing something you'll regret."
"What are you talking about?"
"Your clasp, that's what," replied Twilight as she stepped closer still. "I may not be your best friend, but I do know that this clasp is your prized possession, and you'd never give it up willingly."
"Trixie has her reasons," she replied. "And she doesn't need to explain them to you, either."
"You're right, you don't," came Twilight's reply. "Because I think I already know why you tried to give away your clasp for a donut." She glanced to Joe immediately. "No offense to Joe, of course."
"None taken," he replied. "Now, will somepony tell me what's going on here?"
"Don't worry Joe, I've got this." Twilight fished a small pouch from her saddlebags as she spoke, and after checking its contents, quietly lifted it in her magic and placed it on the counter. Another wisp of magic grasped Trixie's clasp and slid it back over to her. "There, that should take care of things."
Trixie cast another glare at Twilight, though this one was much weaker than before. "What are you doing? Trixie doesn't need your charity!"
"Who said anything about charity?" she replied. "Is it a crime to buy somepony breakfast these days?"
"Wh—"
"You're welcome. Now, get your things and follow me. Sorry for the trouble, Joe." Twilight spun on her hooves and moved back towards the door, using her magic to ball up the spilt coffee from the floor and deposit it into the nearby waste bin. Trixie stood wide-eyed for a second at the surprising actions of her long-time rival, but the soft ding of the bell attached to the door spurred her to take up the other unicorn's offer of a way out of the current situation. She hastily grabbed her things and bolted for the exit, doing her best not to wither under Donut Joe's glare. Once outside, she immediately confronted Twilight.
"Ok, Sparkle, what was that all about? What's your game here?"
"How long have you been broke, Trixie?"
Trixie's eyes went wider than dinner plates, then shrunk to pinpricks as she processed Twilight's question. She screwed up her face in an attempt to launch a pithy retort, but it died on her tongue. "Tri– No, Trixie is doing ju..."
Her voice fell away from her, and Trixie could only muster a deep sigh as she plopped down on her haunches. Her mane fell forward with her shoulders, obscuring most of her face, but it could not hide the small sobs that escaped from her lips.
"Trixie is doing badly," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Hoofington was ok, but Vanhoover went horribly, and Trixie didn't even get a full week in Baltimare before she was forced to leave." She raised a hoof to brush some tears from her eyes. "Trixie used the last of her bits to get back here."
Twilight's heart sank as Trixie told her story, and she winced at the pang of guilt that flashed through her heart. Is this partially my fault? I mean, she did ride into Ponyville and challenged me, but she didn't summon an Ursa Minor to trash the town square, either. Could I have said something to prevent everypony from spurning her like this?
Twilight leaned over and draped a hoof over Trixie's shoulders. She jumped a bit at the contact, but settled enough to raise her tear-stained eyes to meet Twilight's.
"Why? Why are you doing this?" she asked.
"Because, while you might give Rainbow Dash a run for her bits in the bragging department, you're still a good pony; and nopony deserves to go broke or hungry, no matter the circumstances."
"Trixie agrees with you on that point," she replied, a small smile crossing her lips before letting out another long sigh. "But, what would you have Trixie do? You might recall that Trixie's show is not exactly welcome in Canterlot."
Twilight mulled that over for a second before responding. "Fair point, I suppose. What other jobs have you held? Have you thought about doing something else other than magic shows?"
"Celestia, no!" Trixie replied loudly. "Magic shows have been Trixie's sole line of work since she moved out of her parents' home!" She turned her head to look at her flank, the image of a crescent moon holding a magic wand proudly adorning her light blue coat. "Besides," she continued, "What else could Trixie do? Trixie is a unicorn like you, and her cutie mark screams 'magic' just as much as yours. But, Trixie didn't have two Princesses nearby to guide every step in her development."
Twilight bristled at the implication, but she bit back the urge to retort. "Fine, but I still had to find out how to best apply my magic, and that's something that you can't get from a book or a Princess. It has to be discovered, just like a cutie mark." She cast a curious gaze to the other mare. "Tell me, Trixie, what was your favorite subject in school? What about your hobbies?"
Trixie furrowed her brow for a moment as she sifted through years of repressed memories. "Trixie's favorite subject was always astronomy, and when Trixie wasn't in school, she was charting the stars with the cheap second-hoof telescope that Mother bought after Trixie's cutie mark appeared." Her eyes seemed distant, as if she were talking past Twilight, to a memory that only Trixie could see. "Trixie may not have lived in a library most of her life, but she used every bit of her allowance to acquire as many books on celestial cartography as she could. Laugh if you want, Twilight, but Trixie is not ashamed to say that her bedroom walls were covered in star charts instead of art or Backstreet Colts posters."
"The Backstreet Colts? Goddess, you're making me feel old," Twilight replied as the two mares shared a brief laugh. "Oh, and my bedroom was covered in rune diagrams, evocation charts, and posters of quotes from Starswirl the Bearded. So, we're even on that count."
Suddenly, Twilight's eyes lit up as an idea struck her. "I think I might have just the thing for you then. It's not as good as taking the stage at Carneighe Hall, but I think you might like it."
"Remind Trixie again why we're here?" Trixie casually asked as the two mares stood waiting in the warmly-lit lobby of the Royal Canterlot Observatory.
"I told you, we're here to see the Manager of the Planetarium," replied Twilight. "Just be patient. I'm sure she'll be here any sec—"
"Why hello there, Twilight Sparkle! I haven't seen you in years!"
Twilight turned to see an older unicorn mare enter the room from the adjacent office, and she met her halfway to share a friendly embrace. "Yes, it has been a long time, Ms. Sky Light."
"You're not on a school field trip anymore, Twilight," she replied. "Sky will be fine." She briefly raised a hoof to brush a stray lock of her mane from her face. I remember her mane being more silver and green than white, Twilight mused as she glanced over the long-time member of the Planetarium's staff. But, I suppose years of tourists and school groups would do that to anypony. An overly-loud cough from behind her snapped Twilight back to reality. She sheepishly glanced back at Trixie, who gave her a very impatient look in return.
"Right, sorry." Twilight turned her focus back to Sky Light as she continued. "Sky, I'd like you to meet my friend, Trixie. She has a knack for astronomy and celestial cartography, and I think she can help you get the Planetarium's star show up and running again."
"Oh, that's wonderful news!" replied Sky Light. "The projector for the star show has been malfunctioning for months, and the pony that used to run it recently left to take a new job in Seaddle. But, if Trixie thinks she can get us back in shape, we'd love to have her."
"She'll do great, Sky," Twilight replied. "Trixie's really great with crowds too - especially the foals."
"Sounds like the pony for the job, if you ask me!" exclaimed Sky Light. "Well, Trixie, how about it? Would you like to give it a try?"
Suddenly aware of her name being called, Trixie fought to get her wandering thoughts under control. "Umm, Twilight? A word please?" She grabbed Twilight before she could respond and stepped to the corner of the room, away from Sky Light.
"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed. "Trixie is many things, but she isn't ready for glitchy projectors and carriages full of screaming foals!"
"Look, remember what I said about finding the right application for your magic? This is what I was talking about," replied Twilight. "I spent six months bouncing around the castle until I finally found my niche in the Conjuration and Divination department. Maybe this is your niche, maybe not. But you won't know unless you try."
"Besides," Twilight added with a wink, "Who better to show the stars than the greatest showmare in Equestria?"
A genuine smile crossed Trixie's lips for perhaps the first time in months. "You're right, Twilight. Trixie will give this a try, but she makes no promises."
"No promises needed," Twilight replied. "Give it a few weeks, and see how it goes. I'm only here for the weekend, so write me in Ponyville and let me know how things are going. And if it doesn't work out, we'll try something else."
Trixie nodded in agreement, then turned back towards Night Sky. "Alright, Trixie will help you with the star show."
"Wonderful!" she replied, her hooves tapping the floor in excitement. "Another school group is scheduled for the day after tomorrow, and it'd be such a treat to have the projector fixed in time for their visit! Grab your things and meet me in my office when you're ready to get started."
Sky Light quickly returned to her office, the spring in her step almost as bouncy as Pinkie Pie's. Trixie re-settled the contents of her saddle bags, then turned back to Twilight, who was preparing to depart herself.
"Trixie is not good with words like this, but... Thank you, Twilight. For everything today."
Twilight stepped over and gently embraced her former rival. "You're welcome, Trixie. You know, we got off on the wrong hoof, but everypony deserves a second-chance; what matters is what we do with that chance."
Trixie flashed a sly grin as she donned her cape and hat in a shimmer of magic. "Then the Great and Powerful Trixie will use this chance to give Canterlot a show they've never seen before."
One month later
"Thanks, Ditzy! Have a good day!" Twilight called after the mailmare as she closed the door to the library.
She held the mail in her magic, flipping through it as she walked back to the kitchen. At the bottom of the stack, a plain envelope with a royal seal caught her attention. She set the stack down on the counter and carefully opened the envelope with a wisp of magic. Inside was a short letter and a small slip of blue paper. Setting aside the latter item, Twilight unfolded the letter.
You're right - it's not Carneighe Hall. But, Trixie has found her calling here. The shows are better than ever, and the crowds simply eat it up! Trixie was right to follow her cutie mark to a life of magical performance; she just had to find the right stage to peform on first.
See you soon,
Trixie
Twilight smiled warmly as she turned her attention to the blue paper - a ticket to the Planetarium's newly christened Journey Through the Stars show, hosted by the Great and Powerful Trixie. She couldn't help but chuckle as she looked again to the letter.
"At least she won't have to deal with any wheels this time."
Author's Note
Written for the Everfree Northwest 2014 Writing Contest. (3000 word limit)
Note to EFNW judges: FimFic word count is 3,147 words; MS Word 2007 and GDocs word count is 2,897
As always, I hope you enjoyed the story, and your feedback is both welcome and appreciated!
