A Little Lost Magic

by Avoidant Trixie

Chapter 4

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Cherry Jubilee and Trixie made their way to the edge of the town, Trixie leaning against Cherry Jubilee the entire time. She kept her head down, not looking around the town at all. Cherry was looking at Trixie nearly as much as she was watching where she was walking. Once again, Cherry tried to make some sort of conversation with the unicorn.
"Sweetheart, I just need to know a little more about you if I'm going to be able to help you a little bit. I do hope you understand. We can start off with a simple question. Maybe just what your name is." Cherry said, her eyes looking down and to her side at the top of Trixie's down-turned head.
Still no reaction from Trixie. Cherry was slowly beginning to lose hope. "Maybe she's a mute? But she was crying out loud before... I don't quite understand... I wish I did." Cherry thought to herself, giving a sigh.
"I... I just can't tell her.. if she knew who I was... she'd... she'd hate me like all the other ponies... I don't want her to hate me.. not the first pony to ever give me a hug... to show me kindness..." Trixie thought to herself, feeling tears form in her eyes. They continued their walk through the streets of the dusty town, cherry began to just talk to Trixie, maybe provoking some sort of reaction.
"Well, my little blue unicorn, I can at least tell you about myself. As I said before, my name is Cherry Jubilee, but you can call me Cherry. I am the proprietor of the Cherry Plantation outside of town by the oasis. Speaking of that, this little town is called Dodge Station. We are but a small community built on the hub of two rail road crossings. Not many ponies live here, but plenty travel through! We have just the basics; the medical center where you were, the general store, saloon, and a few other specialty shops, including a doll maker. Mrs. Spool does a fine job making custom dolls. I got one for my little sister for her birth-" Cherry suddenly stopped as she felt Trixie stop moving with her. Trixie had had her head up and was looking at Cherry ever since she mentioned the doll shop.
"Dolls... I had a doll when I was little.. the only toy mother ever let me have.... why am I thinking about this? That doll I had... was the only thing I could hug... like Cherry. She hugged me too..." Trixie thought to herself. Then she shook her head and lowered it again, trying to get the thoughts out of her head. Those old memories need to be eliminated. She just needs to become somepony else, just vanish off of Equestria. At least she felt like she needed too. Cherry was still staring intently at Trixie, trying to figure out what cause Trixie to react.
"What's wrong, sweetie? Did something catch your attention? Did I mention something? I mentioned the doll shop last. We are going to pass it on the way back towards the plantation if you'd like to look in the window. I know you must still be hungry." Cherry said with a bit of renewed hope. Trixie gave somewhat of a partial nod and leaned back against Cherry. Both ponies continued to walk down the street until they came to the big front window of the doll shop.
"Go ahead and take a look dear. We can always come back another time if you aren't up to it." Cherry said with a smile, taking a look in the window herself. There were small dolls, wooden dolls, plushies, and life-size dolls of all kinds. Ponies, dogs, birds, and every animal in between. In one half of the front window was a special display. The doll maker was working on recreating all of the ponies that were featured on the stained glass windows of the royal palace. There were pictures of the windows displayed and above them various sized dolls of each of the ponies. There were life sizes replications of both Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. There was a wooden doll of Discord and Nightmare Moon as well. There were a few other dolls, Starswirl the Bearded, somepony she didn't recognize and then a life-size plushie of Rarity. Wait... Rarity?
"Wh- what is this? Why is she here!? She hates me! I was mean to her! No! I'm sorry!" Trixie suddenly backed away from the window, stumbling and falling onto her flank. Cherry rushed over and leaned down. "Oh my! What's wrong, little one?" Cherry said, putting a hood on the fallen unicorn's back.
Trixie could feel tears welling up, but then something caught her eye... It was an illustration of a stained glass window on display in the corner of the doll shop window. She slowly stood up and moved towards the glass, Cherry simply watching with a confused look on her face. There were six ponies using the Elements of Harmony on this particular picture and she recognized every one of them.
"I remember them... from Ponyville and.. her..." Trixie looked at the little image of Twilight Sparkle on the picture of the stained glass window. "She must be one hundred times more magical than me... Princess Celestia entrusted her with the Elements of Harmony after all... How could I ever think I was the most magical... I'd... love to meet her, somehow." Trixie thought to herself before shaking the thoughts out of her head. She looked past the image in the window as she started to move further down the street but stopped dead in her tracks, making Cherry come to a screeching halt right next to her. "What's wrong dear, you can tell me." Cherry pleaded.
There, in the window, was a life-sized plushy of Twilight Sparkle. Trixie slowly lifted her head and looked into the dolls eyes. Her face flushed red and she began to shake, feeling scared all of a sudden. She tilted her head down, looking like she was embarrassed. Then she slowly opened her mouth:

"...Hi, Tw-Twilight..."

Cherry Jubilee stopped dead in her tracks. She stared at Trixie, whom slowly turned her head downwards, and her cheeks flushed red. Trixie started to mouth more words towards the doll shop window, but her voice got so quiet Cherry couldn't even hear her. She took one step towards the unicorn, close enough to see tears forming in Trixie's eyes. Trixie suddenly turned away from the doll shop and started to try and run, not getting far before her weak legs gave out on her and she came crashing to the ground on her chin. She lay in the dust of the road just crying, not even attempting to get back up. Cherry quickly ran over to her, kneeling down with her and trying to lift her up a bit off the dirt. "Oh gosh! What's wrong, sweetheart? What did you-"Cherry was cut off as she heard something coming from Trixie between her sobs.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Twilight..."
Cherry nearly burst into tears herself. "What happened, sweetheart? You can tell me... please. Was it that doll?" Cherry pleaded once again, looking back and forth between Trixie and the purple plushy in the front window of the shop, holding back her own tears as best she could but losing the battle. She could feel them running down her own cheeks and did the only thing she knew worked on this pitiful unicorn; she quickly leaned forwards and wrapped her front legs around Trixie, hugging her tightly, managing to hold back any audible parts of her crying. Trixie slowly calmed down enough for Cherry to once again coax her to her feet and lead her home. But not before Cherry had one last good look over her shoulder at that doll...

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