The New Maids of the Castle of Friendship

Trixie's hooves trembled, and her head was flustered with what was going on. Before her was an empty audience, yet again, and it had already been a whole thirty minutes into the show. She let out a quick yell of frustration, and then asked, "What the hell?!"

She came off the wooden stage with a powerful attitude, and onto the grass to glance all around the area. "Everypony's got better things to do on a wednesday than to come and see Trixie perform tricks for them, huh? Is that it? And... more importantly... throw money at her?"

She looked around again, hoping to see someone. Anypony would've done. But, alas, she saw none. This wasn't the only time this had happened to her, though. This was turning into a trend, and she was starting to catch on. "Probably," she reasoned with herself. "Trixie's way too predictable these days. That's got to be it, then! Her tricks are boring to everyone now... Trixie would just quit, but she's still got a long ways to go until she can afford proper lessons from Canterlot. How is this going to work out?"

Then, she finally saw somepony at last. He was trotting along in the distance. Naturally, Trixie came running up to him, but she would have no luck in turning this pony into an audience member. "Hey, wait!" Trixie called out. "Surely you could spare some time, and maybe some cash to watch the Great and Powerful Trixie perform feats of amazement?"

He shook his old, bald head, and explained, "I'm sorry, but I'm on the job. Gotta get these posters up for Miss Twilight Sparkle. You know... The Princess..."

Trixie just gave him a deadpan expression, and then said, "Here, just... let Trixie have one of those."

She practically mugged the poor fellow, and snatched the top paper right out from underneath his hooves. The rest went flying everywhere, but Trixie didn't lift one hoof to help him pick any of it up at all. Rather, she was much more preoccupied by the contents of what he was advertising across town.

"Oh," Trixie said softly. "This is... This is just..."

She kept reading onward, only just now getting to the good part about the payoff. "Diamonds, and emeralds," she huffed with a sweaty neck. "And, there's probably so much more profit to be acquired from her...!" She began to salivate, and whispered, "Haah... So much money. So many possibilities! Profitable, and perhaps even... romantic!!!"

The way Trixie held herself after saying that was almost pathetic. She was limp with lust for Twilight, and clearly emotionally effected greatly by her findings. She then sharply turned to the recovering errand pony only to ask, "Twilight's really looking for a maid, huh?"

He nodded, and said, "Yes, ma'am. She pays good, too, but, uh..."

"Hmm??? What is it? Out with it!"

He pursed his lips, and squirmed. "She, uh... isn't gonna just up and choose anypony. You've gotta know what you're doing." He then corrected himself by saying, "Or, that is... what you're getting yourself into."

He had looked down at the ground, but upon saying his peace, he flinched at what he was now seeing. As old as this stallion was, he had never really seen anypony with such cold, ambitious eyes before. Trixie was staring numbingly down at the paper held tightly in her hooves, and then, she said, "Oh, don't worry about that." She glanced directly at him, and with a daunting smile, she told him, "Trixie knows exactly what she's getting herself into!"

She just began laughing with obvious malicious intent, and walked away from him after that. She made sure to lock up her stage, and began headed straight for the Castle of Friendship.