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A blue unicorn mare stumbled into a cafe. She wore a bedraggled appearance, and seemed to only have received a couple hours of sleep in the past few days. It was early in the morning, with the sun not even barely above the horizon. The town was slowly starting to wake up, with a few ponies rambling about in the streets. The unicorn's appearance didn't fare much better than some groggy ponies opening up their stores or searching for breakfast.
It was the same routine: Live her normal life, practice and study magic in her free time, do a show somewhere on the weekends, go to this cafe in the morning to talk with a friend, and repeat. It had been going on for around two months now. Trixie always preferred to have these conversations in restaurants or diners rather than bars, where it was somewhat easier to have a sane conversation. Granted, whenever she came back to this town, she was in a much better state, but she was finally here nonetheless.
The cafe presented the ideal meeting place. At this time of day, it was a tranquil haven. All the ponies inside had a silent agreement to all partake in the serene moment by peacefully going about their own businesses. The dark oak tables welcomed all visitors, inviting customers to order breakfast. The multitude of aromas wafted in the air to help them wake up and face what was ahead.
Inside, Trixie spotted her destination. She proceeded to hobble over to a booth, at which a lone stallion sat. An earth pony of a tan coat and a mane of reddish-light brown, he had a welcoming and comfortable look about him, much like the warm atmosphere of the cafe. Her slightest hoofsteps caught the attention of said pony.
"Oh hey- whoa, Trixie, you look horrible. Uhh, how about we get you something to eat before talking?"
"Yeah, that'd be nice. Thanks Redwood."
Redwood called over a waiter and let his friend put up some orders. As the waiter left, he began the conversation.
"Geez Trix, what the hay did you do this weekend? You've never come back from a show looking like this. What did you do this time on your quest for popularity?"
"Well, as good as my last shows were, I wasn't satisfied with the outcome. I would've thought by my third or fourth that I'd be hired by some agent or somepony, but still nothing. I've put variety in my shows. Showing off fancy skills, putting in comedy, but still not much noticed me."
Redwood gave a worried sigh. "So what'd you try this time?"
"I thought that if I projected myself as exaggeratedly amazing and extravagant, I could impress ponies enough for word to be passed around and I'd finally be recommended to somepony big. I even took on the stage name 'The Great and Powerful Trixie'."
"I think I can guess where this might've went." The answer would have to wait for a little though, as Trixie's order finally arrived at the table. She half of the warm toast with vigor, wanting to block out her ordeal in the past couple of days. Once she slowed down, Redwood spoke again. "Ready to continue?"
Trixie levitated a napkin to wipe her mouth, then continued her tale. "Right. Well, I planned out the show as always, taking into account the elaborate persona I would take on. I decided to pick a relatively small town to experiment in, finally settling on this town called Ponyville. But I might've went overboard with how big I made myself up to be. These three mares came up to challenge me! Naturally, to preserve my image as a credible showmare, especially with the personality I currently wore, I had to put them in their places. I kind of feel bad about it; the town seemed to be filled with nice ponies."
"Ponyville, eh? Sounds a bit familiar."
"I don't know. Maybe it was in the news or something. Anyways, by that point, I think it boosted my ego, much to my current dismay. The fake persona I created even started taking me over. Originally, I only referred to myself in third-person to project the image of a great and confident performer, but soon, it leaked into my mind where I kept calling myself in third-person under normal circumstances." Trixie paused to drink more coffee.
"The situation I made for myself turned completely the other direction from where I wanted it and ran. I must've painted a picture so crazy that while it did work, it worked too well, maybe. These two colts actually believed I defeated an Ursa Major! Who in their right minds would actually believe that?!"
"By what you said, everypony would, if you really bragged as much as I think you did."
"I'm a magician! A showmare! I'm supposed to advertise myself to attract attention. And I think the audience should understand when I'm advertising for show. But apparently some ponies are too thick in the head to understand that implication. Everything went downhill from there."
"How downhill?"
"So far that it essentially went to the depths of Tartarus."
"It couldn't have been that bad. You're just exaggerating because you're frustrated."
"You'll believe me when I recount what happened."
"Then go on then."
Trixie appeared hesitant to continue for a moment, as she re-lived the memory. "Right... Well, I fabricated a story about 'vanquishing an Ursa Major', and it worked to its intended effect. The crowd was awed, bar these few mares that I mentioned. I don't know what inspired these two little colts, but it truly showed how idiotic they were. For some reason, they set out to find an Ursa Major for me to defeat-"
"I hope they didn't find one."
"They didn't-"
"Thank Celestia-"
"They brought an Ursa Minor back to the town."
Redwood stopped chewing the pastry in his mouth for a moment, then swallowed. He looked like he wanted to say something, but instead just kept a flat face. Trixie waited patiently for him to speak his mind.
"... Are you serious?"
"Unfortunately."
"... I'm not sure what to say to that."
"I guess I'll keep talking then." After another bite in a piece of bread, she continued. "So anyways, I was unfortunately helpless against it. I never studied any powerful spells, since all I needed were ones applicable to illusions-"
"Then why didn't you use any illusion spells against it?" Redwood deadpanned.
"It's hard to think straight when there's a house-sized monster bearing down on you," Trixie shot back. "Besides, I haven't gotten quite that far yet," she solemnly added.
"Alright, what's done is done. You can keep going with your story now."
Trixie sighed in despair. "Anyways, I'm lucky that this other unicorn arrived and stopped the Ursa Minor's rampage. She was incredible. I wish I could be like her."
"Do you know who she was?"
"I'll get to that later. Continuing on, the unicorn stopped the monster. I'd already turned the citizens of the town against me by that point. Actually, that unicorn only told me that it was an Ursa Minor after she vanquished it. I thought I was dealing with the fabled Ursa Major."
"Which you wouldn't have known because you made that up."
"Yes, yes, I know. Afterwards, I made a hasty exit and ran out of Ponyville. It was made slightly easier by the fact that the Ursa destroyed my traveling stage-"
"You lost your stage?"
"It's horrible, I know."
"Were you able to leave with anything?"
"Shattered hopes, dreams, and reputation." Trixie's sullen proclamation was a conversation stopper. Redwood gained the courage to talk after a moment.
"...I'm really sorry, Trix."
"Well at least that purple unicorn allowed me to escape with my life as well."
"Wait- purple unicorn?"
"Yes, why?"
"And you were in Ponyville?"
"I ask again, why?"
"What was her cutie mark?"
"It was a... large reddish star surrounded by a few others."
"Trixie, the one you met and saved your life was no other than Twilight Sparkle, bearer of the Element of Magic."
"Element of Magic..."
"She's one of the six ponies that stopped Nightmare Moon when she returned, reverting her back to Princess Luna?"
Trixie just dropped her face on the table. "All I wanted was to be noticed and have my name be recognized when I enter a town."
"Maybe you should take this as a learning experience. I mean, how much air did you blow into your ego for that show?"
Trixie looked back up. "Look, I've done so many shows of wonderful performance-"
"I know that..."
"- and I just got angry and frustrated. I wanted to vent by going all-out crazy, and thought that it was a viable answer. I know some showponies that are popular because they act all pompous and such."
"I think there's your problem. They're not acting pompous. They create intricate acts with some showing off, sure, but they don't go overboard. I've never heard one brag about defeating a legendary monster. It's partially your fault you dropped yourself into this situation."
Trixie didn't reply, as she contemplated her experience. Then she sighed. "... I know."
"Actually, it might be entirely your fault since you were the one that chose to go crazy with acting overconfident and pompous."
"I'm trying my best to not feel hurt by that... It's too true."
"You can't just run away from it," Redwood stated. Then he thought about it a little more. "But you know, it might also just be luck of the draw. Some get popular, some don't."
In this state of mind, the unicorn was much more of a pessimist than a realist. "So the universe hates me then?"
Redwood resisted the urge to facehoof. He supposed that it was somehow logical to think that, and there was no actual way to prove that it was right or wrong at that moment. "I don't know. Maybe the universe is trying to tell you something?" he suggested with a sheepish tone.
"I don't think I like what the universe is trying to tell me."
"Fine. Have you played all your cards yet?"
Trixie sat back up again. "Probably not. I'm sure I still have some more ideas- well, fine, I have a couple more ideas left."
"That's good! It means you're still in the game. You've still got more chances. Just keep giving it a try."
"But every time I think I have a good idea, it ends up being mediocre! What am I supposed to do?! Especially when I read about a performer debuting just by setting up in of one of the parks in Manehattan! In the middle of the night, no less! What am I supposed to do then?! With something as simple as that hanging over my head and laughing at my efforts?"
"The only thing I can think of is just keep playing your cards. If you want to delve into stuff that's already been seen because you know it has a chance of working, go for it. But you're the one that practically vowed to try and be different... which basically every performer thinks-"
"Not helping. I know that already."
"Sorry. Anyways, what I was saying was that if you think that being different is good, just keep chasing it, right? I think it's a good way to go. You're the one that said you still have ideas."
"If only I felt encouraged by that. I feel like I just dropped myself into a deep, deep ditch."
"Look, maybe it was an off-day for you. Whether that'll cripple your career, I'm not sure. But it's your choice whether or not you're gonna let it happen by itself or at least say you fought against that."
Trixie just kept staring at her plate for a while, before speaking again. "Twilight Sparkle..."
Redwood raised an eyebrow. "Uh, what about her? You think she just sunk your chances at being famous as a performer?"
"Well, not exactly, no. I mean, you did show that it's not really her fault. But Sparkle... if only I could be as good as her in magic..."
"Hate to burst your bubble here, but she's the bearer of the Element of Magic. I don't think it's possible. Not even if you study day and night for all sorts of tricks."
"Which I nearly do," Trixie admitted, "but one can dream, right?"
"If it encourages you to try harder, sure, why not? Maybe you'll eventually get where you want to be if you keep aiming to be like Sparkle," Redwood speculated.
"Maybe. But it's also discouraging, knowing that Sparkle already has, by default, better magic than me."
Redwood couldn't bear it anymore. He facehoofed. "Okay, maybe you should just stop looking at the ones higher than you and just focus on your own stuff. I mean, you're still relatively happy even though you're not all too famous as a stage performer, right?"
"I guess."
Redwood could still sense heavy lamentations inside the unicorn, but he was sure he'd already made his point clear. "Well whatever the case, don't quit your day job."
"Funny."
"Come on. It's got to be an interesting job when you get to test fireworks and special effects each day."
"Of course it's fun," Trixie admitted. "And I use that knowledge every time I go out to perform. I think special effects with fireworks are one of the things I've got better than others. Then there's that pony my boss told me about. One of his favorite clients was an illusionist, but also not full-time. I think he went by the name 'Silver the Spectacular' or something..."
"What about him?"
"Not much. Just the fact that he's somewhat known, and that my boss is personal friends with him."
"Maybe you could talk to him some time?"
"I guess I could."
"Well what else do you want? A letter in the mail asking you to join him on a tour as an assistant or something?"
"It could happen, right?" Trixie chuckled.
"I guess... I mean, your boss is friends with him. I guess that improves your chances."
Suddenly, Trixie remembered the previous few days, and her mood dropped again. "But of course, after what happened in Ponyville, I'd be lucky if a town doesn't reject me at the sight of me arriving with a traveling stage."
"Look, I don't know how fast news spreads out of Ponyville, since it is just a small town. So maybe you've still got some time. You'll just have to keep trying, but be more natural," Redwood advised her.
"If this one incident won't destroy me," Trixie solemnly declared.
"You'll have to take that chance if you really want to be a successful entertainer. Maybe they'll ridicule you. Maybe they'll just keep on barely noticing you. In fact it's probably better to keep trying, to show that you do have merit, and still have ambition to be good, instead of a failure that should be hated."
"If the public even gives me that chance. Come on, Redwood, I nearly destroyed a town! And was lucky nopony was injured!"
"Well maybe now they'll notice you more. In fact, maybe now you'll get all those interviews you dream of," Redwood joked. "Maybe you'll be chased by the press so that they can figure out your dark secrets, and reveal them to the public!"
"Oh yes, you're very funny. Do you really think that could happen?"
"They're the media. All we know is that their minds work in strange ways, and if you can think of a scenario you don't like, you can bet that some of them are going to do just that."
"Then I'm doomed..." Trixie flopped her face back to the table.
Redwood frowned. He did not like seeing a good friend like her be possibly crushed by... the universe, in her terms. Who knew taking up a simple hobby could get so risky? Currently, though, Trixie still had some chances of rising up again. As a good friend, he should at least try to help her physically in some way.
"Hey Trixie. How about I make you a new cart? It's the least I could do, I guess," Redwood offered. "On top of giving some advice, of course." He smiled.
Trixie lifted her head up, and a small smile formed on her muzzle as well. "Yes, that would be nice. Are you sure it's not too much work or money though? Because it's mostly my fault anyways. And it's just a side-job type thing."
Redwood waved it off. "Nah. It's fine. I mean, my advice would be useless if you couldn't use it... Well of course, you could just bring some saddlebags full of equipment and plop right down in a park, but what fun is that? And I think my advice deserves more use than that."
"Would it be wrong to ask you to stop being helpful for your own selfish reasons?" Trixie teased.
"That's hard. I hate having good wisdom go to waste on some boring purpose. I don't think any future attempts are going to do justice to this conversation without a stage," Redwood said with a small laugh.
Trixie sighed. She looked out the large windows of the cafe. Celestia's sun seemed to be a little higher in the sky now. "I think I'm feeling a little better now. And I think more ponies are starting to wake up, so I guess it's time for you to go to work."
Redwood looked outside as well. There were more ponies milling around, and more shops and buildings had opened. "I guess so. I suppose that's my cue- still gotta work our day jobs, right? And I'll see what I can do about making a new stage cart for you."
"Well, thanks for the conversation once again, Redwood. I feel like I've been through therapy." Trixie took one last drink out of her coffee mug.
"Heh. I'm not a therapist. I'm just Redwood Heartbuck. My special talent is guiding things, including ponies. Glad I could help." With that happy note, he stood from the table, and walked away from the booth, stopping by the register to pay for breakfast.
A moment later, Trixie got up as well, and exited the cafe. The sun was just starting to raise higher above the horizon, and as such, the air was still fresh and cool. She was in a small quaint town, and the atmosphere felt refreshing. Trixie resolved that when she returned to her own town, she would not let her past experience drag her down, and instead accept it as part of her life that she should learn from. Yes, even though she had put in so much work and felt like it was for naught, she would carry on.
