"Heh, hey, check it out, it's that magician. She's coming straight for us."
The pony to his left snorted at his friend's words. "Magician? More like monster if you ask me. Haven't you heard what she did in Ponyville? Turned the whole town into her slaves she did. Slaves! Let's just ignore her."
"Greetings gentlecolts! How are all of you doing this fine evening?" Trixie asked, wiping her mane out of her eyes as she came to a stop before the duo. "If you so desire, the Great and Apologetic Trixie can show you some tricks for a few—"
The two ponies walked around her without saying a word. Trixie wasn't surprised that they didn't want to see her perform a few tricks — that was the response she received from everypony nowadays. Nopony took her seriously as a magician anymore, and even if they did, they most certainly did not want to be near her.
Any ounce of respect that anypony had for her was now gone. Her belongings were gone. Most, if not all of her fans had abandoned her.
Everything that she had was gone except for her magic, a deck of cards, and the clothes on her back.
She pulled her cloak closer to her as a frigid gale howled through the street, causing her mane and tail to become even more tangled than they already were. She glanced up at the sky to see that dark storm clouds had gathered. It would only be a matter of time before they unleashed their downpour on the city.
Trixie sighed as she brought out a deck of cards from within her cloak. Her cloak contained all types of pockets, perfect for performing a variety of tricks. Most of them were now empty though — save for the occasional pieces of lint — and of course her empty bits satchel and the deck of cards that she held in her hoof. Holding them felt right, like an old friend she hadn't seen in a long time.
She returned them within her cloak as rain drops began to fall from the clouds above — slowly at first — but it wasn't long until the clouds had unleashed their full might. Thunder rumbled above as Trixie ducked into a nearby alleyway to avoid the brunt of the storm.
The alleyway provided little comfort from the rain, but she didn't complain. This was where she belonged according to most ponies after all; amongst the trash that piled up on both sides of the alleyway. She found the driest spot she could and began to make herself comfortable when she suddenly heard a sneeze come from one of the many cardboard boxes.
Trixie raised her head to look for the source of the sneeze. "Hello? Who's there?" She didn't hear anything in return and simply dismissed it as being a part of her imagination, when she suddenly saw out of the corner of her eye a box that was shaking rather aggressively.
Curious, she walked over to the box and it ceased shaking as she came to a stop before it. With a quick spell, the top of the box popped open, revealing to Trixie something she did not expect. There were two Unicorn fillies in the box — one was clearly older than the other. They both looked strangely familiar to Trixie, but she couldn't quite place it.
The older filly immediately shielded the younger one from Trixie as soon as she saw her. "I've told the rest of them and I'll now tell you. Go away! We don't need your help! Our mother is coming soon for my sister and I, I swear!"
Trixie took a step back, surprised at the filly's sudden outburst. "Easy there little filly, Trixie was just investigating the sounds she heard. But now Trixie wants to know why in Equestria you two are still out in this dreadful weather! How long have you two been here for?"
"Three days, our mother promised that she would come back soon and told my sister and I to stay here, what's it to you?"
Trixie's jaw dropped as she registered in her mind what she had just heard. "Three days? Three days? Both of you can't stay here any longer, Trixie won't allow it!"
"I already told you, we don't need any pony's help! Our mother said—"
"Big sis... I don't feel so well." The younger filly coughed loudly and sniffled. "I'm so cold... when is mommy coming back?"
The older filly turned around and embraced her younger sister, holding her close to her. "Everything will be alright little sis. When the rain stops, I promise we will find you some medicine."
If it was any other time and place, Trixie would have considered this to be a touching moment, but it was clear to her that this wasn't the case. These fillies had been abandoned — by their mother no less. To have survived three days out here already with winter fast approaching, it... it was just simply remarkable. The alleyway must have been their source for sustenance. Trixie wouldn't have stooped that low, but these fillies didn't know better.
Trixie cleared her throat in order to get their attention. "Out of the box you two, Trixie knows where you can get some medicine."
The older sister broke away from her younger sister and looked up at Trixie with an annoyed look on her face. "Oh really? Listen miss, we don't need your help, we are perfectly fine on our—" The younger sister coughed again, much louder this time and she groaned in pain afterwards. "...Fine, but this is only because my sister isn't feeling well!"
Trixie couldn't help but smile triumphantly as she watched the older filly climb out of the box. She couldn't remember the last time she smiled that wasn't simply for show. It was then the younger filly's turn to climb out, but her legs were far too weak. The box tipped over and she fell out, sending her sprawling onto the ground.
Before the older sister could react, Trixie had already torn off her cloak and gently wrapped it around the young filly's shoulders. The cloak helped to stop the young filly from shivering. As Trixie lifted her onto her back, she saw a hooded figure at the end of the alleyway. Trixie blinked once, only to discover that the hooded figure had vanished.
The older sister noticed that Trixie was staring at the end of the alleyway and glanced between her and the spot that she was staring at. "Hey miss, what are we waiting for? Medicine remember?"
Trixie quickly shook her head, removing the figure from her thoughts. "Er... yes, of course. The medicine. Follow Trixie, she shall take you to the medicine."
They left the cover of the alleyway and stood in the rain. Where could she get medicine at this hour? To be honest, Trixie hadn't thought that far ahead, she just wanted to take the fillies some place else... some place... else... The orphanage. Her eyes widened as the thought filled her mind seemingly from out of nowhere. She didn't recall seeing an orphanage when she was walking down the lesser known streets of Canterlot, but for some reason she knew where exactly where it was.
Trixie knocked on the front door of the orphanage and looked down at the filly beside her. She was strong, confident, and very, very stubborn. She reminded Trixie of herself once upon a time.
"She isn't coming back, is she?" The older filly asked and looked up into Trixie's eyes. "Our mother, she... left us, didn't she?"
Trixie simply nodded. She so desperately wanted to give the filly a glimmer of hope —to tell the filly that her mother would return — but something deep down inside of her knew that these fillies were on their own.
"Thats what I thought." The older filly sighed as she sat down against the wall of the orphanage. "I guess I won't ever see that magic show now."
"Magic show?" Trixie's face slowly turned into a smile as a plan formed in her mind. "You... have an interest in being a magician?"
The filly shrugged. "Yeah I guess, I mean, they are just so cool! With the way they do their tricks and such! There was this one time I saw a magician and he was able to pull a rabbit out of a hat!" She bent her leg to form a circle and reached in with her other hoof. "Pop! Just like that! I want to be just like them... but I have no idea where to start."
Trixie knelt down so that she was at eye level with the filly, making sure the younger filly on her back didn't fall off of her. "Can Trixie tell you a secret?"
The older filly looked at her curiously. "A secret? Uh, sure I guess." Trixie leaned in and whispered softly into her ear, causing the filly's face to light up in surprise. "What? No way! Show me a trick! Prove it!"
Trixie giggled as she stood up and cleared her throat. "Okay then, in order for this trick to work, Trixie must ask you to close your eyes." The filly did as she was told. All she saw beneath her eyelids was a flash of light when she suddenly felt an unfamiliar weight on her head. "You can open them now. It's not Trixie's best work, but it shall suffice for now."
The filly opened her eyes, only to see that Trixie's hat was now gone. Her eyes slowly tilted upwards and she gasped when she saw the brim of a hat. It was slightly too big for her head, but she would grow into it eventually.
She looked at Trixie in awe. "You... you're giving me your hat? B-but you don't even know me! You don't—"
Trixie held up a hoof, silencing the filly. She had forgotten what it felt like to silence an audience, but it felt familiar, almost invigorating even.
"The first step to becoming a magician, you always need to look your best." Trixie winked at her just as the front door opened, revealing the same hooded figure that she saw earlier. Even up close, Trixie still couldn't make out her face.
"Oh my goodness, what have we here? New residents?" The hooded pony looked over them and smiled. "Why don't you all come in? It's nice and warm inside."
"These two fillies need some medicine, and a place to stay. Trixie however... has to be elsewhere." Trixie glanced at the older filly to find that sadness had filled her eyes. "Will you take them?"
"Anypony is welcome here, of course I'll take them." The hooded pony's horn began to glow and Trixie felt the weight of the younger filly be lifted off of her back.
She watched as the little filly floated past the hooded mare and inside the orphanage. The older filly began to make her way towards the door when she suddenly turned sharply and hugged Trixie's legs.
"Thank you for your help Trixie... you'll be back right?" She looked up at Trixie and Trixie saw that the filly was on the brink of crying. "Right?"
Trixie smiled and tousled the filly's head. "Trixie promises." She looked at the hooded mare and thought she saw a smile beneath that hood of hers. "Thank you."
The hooded mare simply nodded as she ushered the older filly inside. The filly turned around and gave Trixie one last smile before the hooded mare closed the door, leaving Trixie standing in the rain.
Trixie walked away from the orphanage, not looking back once until she found herself in a nearby park. She found a cluster of trees and made herself comfortable underneath them when she suddenly realized that she had forgotten something.
She had forgotten her cloak which contained her deck of cards and her empty bits satchel, but Trixie simply smiled. They were in good hooves now. She rested her head on the soft but wet grass and slowly closed her eyes, when she suddenly heard the sound of muffled hooves approaching her.
"That was a noble act you performed young Lulamoon." Trixie opened her eyes and immediately jumped up when she saw that the hooded mare was right in front of her. "I must say, you have indeed come a long way since I first laid eyes on you."
"I- it's you! The one from the alleyway... and the orphanage! Wait... why aren't you at the orphanage?" Trixie furrowed her brow and cocked her head to one side. "Have you... been following the Great and Apologetic Trixie?"
The hooded mare chuckled. "I must confess, I have indeed been following you Trixie for quite some time now... through your dreams that is." Before Trixie could reply, the mare reached up and pulled back her hood. Trixie's jaw dropped in utter disbelief. Standing before her was none other than Princess Luna — the Princess of the Night herself.
Trixie immediately knelt before her. "Your highness! Trixie is not— I mean, I am not worthy of your presence." She looked up at the Alicorn with a confused look on her face. "Wait... what do you mean you've been following me through my dreams? Is this... a dream? Are you saying I never actually helped those fillies?"
"Dreams are fickle things Trixie Lulamoon, perhaps this one was just a... reminder." Luna stepped forward and held Trixie's hoof with her own. "I've helped you this far, now it's time for you to place the final piece of the puzzle. You must go to where you began."
"Go to where I began? Why must you speak in riddles Princess Luna? I didn't have a home, I..." Trixie's eyes widened when it suddenly hit her. She knew where she had to go.
Trixie suddenly awoke with a start in the park, her belongings in a pile next to her. Without a second thought, she rushed out of the park and towards the orphanage where she had dropped the fillies off.
When she arrived there, she couldn't believe her eyes. The door and windows had been boarded up and the paint was slowly peeling away — but there was no mistaking it. This was the place.
Trixie's horn shone brightly as she blasted the door to pieces, allowing her entry into the building. She walked inside, only to be greeted by many years worth of dust. White sheets were strewn about the place, covering the walls and furniture, but Trixie knew she only had to remove one sheet.
She tore down the one on the wall next to her, revealing a row of framed photographs. They were the pictures of the fillies and colts that had lived there. At the end of the row, she came across the photo she was looking for.
Memories came flooding back to her as she stared at the photograph. It was the two fillies that she had found in the alley. The older one was wearing Trixie's hat and cloak that were far too big for as she hugged the younger filly — her sister. Trixie remembered that night she had received her hat and cloak, how that old magician had brought them here and gave them to...
"Me..." Trixie sunk to the floor as tears gently rolled down her face. She had blocked these memories off so very long ago when her sister had vanished without a trace, and now that she remembered them... it was clear to her now why things had turned out so horribly for her. Trixie heard somepony cough behind her and she whipped her head towards the front door, only to find Princess Luna who was smiling sadly at her.
"You forgot these in the park." Luna levitated Trixie's hat and cloak from behind her and gently placed them next to Trixie. "I figured that you probably didn't want somepony else taking them."
Trixie looked down at the pile before she slowly stood up. Her horn glowed as her cloak and hat returned to their usual positions — on her head and around her neck respectively.
"I... thank you Princess Luna. I don't know how you did it... but thank you for helping me rediscover myself." Trixie turned around and sighed at the Alicorn. "After my sister had left, I joined show business and forgot over time why I became a magician in the first place. I was blind to just how much my outlook on this profession had changed. I... am ashamed about the atrocities I have committed, the ponies I have hurt and lied to. It's no wonder everypony thinks I am a monster."
Luna walked over to Trixie and gently placed a hoof on her shoulder. "I too, have been called a monster young Lulamoon, but everypony eventually forgave me for the things I had done over time. That young Unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, she helped me to discover friendship for myself. I was able to change Trixie, and I know that you know that deep within your heart, you have the strength to show ponies that you are not who you once were."
Trixie looked back at the photograph and then at Luna. "I just have to... start small again, don't I? Can you... help me Princess Luna? Can you help me show everypony that Trixie... that I am not a monster? That I can be a friend?"
Luna took her hoof off of Trixie's shoulder and smiled warmly at her. "Of course I will young Lulamoon, you need not ask twice. Please, walk with me."
They were about to leave when Trixie rushed back to the retrieve the photograph off of the wall. When she had it tucked away safely inside her cloak, the two ponies left the orphanage side by side. Trixie smiled, for she had found her solace at last... or rather, it had found her.
Author's Note
Heyo! Thanks for reading this little fic of mine. Before I continue, I swear on Celestia's last piece of cake that this story is indeed within the 3K word limit. Fimfiction is saying otherwise, but thank goodness the good folks hosting this contest are offering some leniency due to Fimfiction's different algorithm for word count.
Anyway, I really enjoyed writing this and wish I could have done more. I actually had to cut down some parts in order to get the story to fit within the 3K limit, but hopefully it was enough for y'all to understand and enjoy the story.
Thank you again!
