Paid Tab’s business once hurt from Trixie’s presence, back when she was a mare on the street with her sister. Canterlot was a classy city, and seeing an unwashed pony and a raggedy kid would’ve driven customers away. If it were up to him, people wouldn’t think too much of it, maybe toss her a few bits.

He sighed. His restaurant became something of a tourist attraction after that one ‘Perfect Day’. That’s what Celestia had called it, and the yesmen in the press had worked hard to repeat it with their printed megaphones. The Canterlot stallion chuckled to himself, stroking the stubble on his chin. It never ceased to amaze him how the press always praised the princess.

Maybe it was just as well, the ponies of Equestria wouldn’t want to hear any critique about her so soon after her big day. He just wished ponies would tone down the harshness that they talked about Trixie with. He knew something was up in that coverage, but the Canterlot Times had just developed the magical finesse to make the pictures in their prints move and play recorded sound. Like a little movie of recent events.

There it was, plain as day, Trixie’s own voice saying absolutely vile things about the princess in her interview before she was sent into orbit, or wherever. It just seemed off to him that Trixie would say things like that, she hadn’t seemed to be like that when she was working for him. Even off the clock when her already loose filter was nonexistent, he’d never hear things like that.

Perhaps he’d get some seething critique of the nobles, or how rich ponies shouldn’t exist and things like that. He didn’t see those as out of the ordinary, he felt the same way about Equestria. Maybe not to the same extent that Trixie felt, but it was close enough.

He was hurting for money when he sent her away, but when the princess sent her away, he was swimming in bits. Funny how that one worked.

He partially blamed himself for this whole fiasco, lying awake in bed at night with the thought of ‘what if?’ What if he had never fired Trixie? What if he’d let them stay in the restaurant after hours? Would any of this have happened?

He shook his head behind the counter of the empty restaurant. It wasn’t his fault, nor did he do any of the things that Trixie did. He couldn’t have any hooves pointed at him. Even though he knew that he still couldn’t stop himself from asking those what-ifs.

He turned to get the ‘out to lunch’ sign when the bell atop the door chimed. A blue and purple unicorn walked in, her face planted between the folds of a newspaper. He could only determine the features about her from her feet and her tail, which if they were any indication, her mane was probably just as wavy.

“Uh, miss? I hope you don’ mind, I was jus’ gonna break fer lunch.” He called out. No response. “Uh, miss?”

“Yeah, uh-huh. I heard you, you can shut the place down and we can both have lunch.” Her face didn’t come out from behind the paper.

Tab shrugged and trotted to the door, sign in tow. He tossed a cursory glance at the paper in her hooves. FIELD MARSHAL CONCRETE PIE TO DEPLOY TROOPS IN YAKYAKISTAN. He rolled his eyes and walked back behind the counter.

“That’s jus’ what we need, innit? Another war, as if we don’t never learn our lesson?” He hollered from the back, as the flattop grill hissed from the oily hay placed on it.

“You said it.” Tab heard the paper fold down. “But if you’re going to say it, please say either ‘as if we don’t ever learn our lesson’ or ‘as if we never learn our lesson.’”

“Oh, you one o’ them grammar students, huh? We charge extra for those around ‘ere.”

“Is that so? What’re you making for me back there, anyway?” He could hear the paper lay flat on the table and a trot coming to the bar.

Paid Tab turned briefly to see the unicorn at the counter. Yep, just as he thought, a mop of wavy hair. “Fried hay hoagies, you gonna turn ‘em down?” He turned his attention back to flipping the greasy stacks.

“Not a chance, wise guy.” She chuckled, and the stallion joined in.

“Oh I’m the wise guy? I think only one of us was correctin’ the other on grammar.” They laughed a touch louder. He finished cooking and sat a plate of a fried hay hoagie with a side of hay fries and spice ketchup.

“Oh, I’m glad to have hay with my hay.” She playfully jabbed, taking a bite of the hoagie, grease coating her lips.

“See what I’m sayin’ about who here is really the wise guy?” He took a bite, and wiped his mouth with his apron. “So what brings you to Canterlot? You must be new in town, cause I ain’t ever seen you before.”

“You could say that.” She dabbed her mouth with a napkin, and took a sip of the glass of Sparkle-Cola, letting out a soft belch. “Call it something of a pilgrimage.”

“Oh, is that so? What, you worshippin’ ol’ Trix now? Ponies today, I tell ya.” He was halfway through his hoagie and still chewing, but he couldn’t help himself from wiping down part of the counter.

The mare laughed. “Nothing like that, no. I don’t think there are any gods.”

Tab mocked a shush. “Don’t let Celestia hear that, eh? Who knows, maybe the next space cadet is you.”

She let out a note of amusement. “No, but seriously. I just came as a tourist, but I’ve been seeing all the sites, as it were. The Badlands and the big runic door Trixie put up, and the site where they blasted her off, even the alley she used to live in.”

Tab held a hoof up. “Wait, pause. You said you were in the alley she an’ her sister used to live in?”

“That’s right.” She blinked. “Why? Is that weird? I’ve heard of other ponies doing that, so I didn’t think it’d be…” She trailed off seeing the confused look on his face.

He shook his head. “No. That can’t be right, when I went to visit that alley when she was still around, right around the time I heard Paper Trail had died, and it wasn’t there. Nopony could find it even though I knew it was where I pointed the cops to.”

“Interesting…” The amethyst mare put a hoof to her chin. “It sounds like she put up an illusion spell to cover the body, if she even left a body.”

Tab wore a bewildered look on his face. “You unicorns got somethin’ off about ya. What’d you say yer name was?”

She popped out of her thought bubble. “I didn’t, but my name is Starlight Glimmer. Sorry if I weirded you out, I’m just a smart sorcerer is all.” She beamed.

Tab cast a sideways stare at her. “Yeah, smart’s one way a puttin’ it.”

She tilted her head and then returned it with a nod. “Oh no! I’m not one of those snooty students from Celestia’s school. I couldn’t stand being around such rich ponies all the time. I don’t know how you’ve managed to for this long.”

He chuckled. “First you insult my grammar, and now you’re callin’ me old. What’s next, eh? Insult my cooking?”

“Well…”

“Hey, don’t start, you’re still eatin’ it aren’t you?”

They eyed each other silently for a second, a cold stare between the two of them. They both laughed. “Fair.” Starlight wiped her eye with the clean side of the now darkened napkin.

“But you gotta point. I don’t know how I’ve managed to put up with these condescending types. I swear to you, Starlight, they look at me an’ my cookin’ like I gotta third eye or somethin’.” He pointed to his forehead for emphasis.

“You know our whole system’s set up like that, right? Monarchy and all that.” Starlight said with a mouthful of hoagie.

“Ugh, don’t remind me. I jus’ wish some ponies who needed help could get it, you know? Like, fer example, would Trixie have gone on a killin’ spree like that if her an’ her sister got help?” Tab popped the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth.

“I certainly don’t think so, then again, I’m not the one in power… Yet.” They eyed each other down again and exchanged another round of laughs.

“Humor me, Ms. Glimmer,” Tab said, slathering a hoof full of fries in ketchup. “What would you do different?” He bowed his head facetiously.

Starlight eyed her empty plate and exhaled with how full she was. “First things first, how much do I owe you?”

“No charge.” He waved his hoof dismissively.

“Cmon, your name is Paid Tab, I can’t just not pay you.”

“Hey, whose name is on the venue?” He tilted his head.

“Well, I won’t say no to free hoagies or fries.” She smiled.

“Yeah yeah, and don’t get used to it either.” He rolled his hoof. “Now out with it, what would you do?”

“Well hey now, I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise.” She winked. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

Author's Note

Here we are again, my lovely readers. Now, I know what you're thinking, I can read minds after all.

You're thinking, "Gosh, is Ruby really going to write a sequel involving Starlight Glimmer overthrowing Celestia? With her usual good style, and great characters, and better politics and her great hair and pretty eyes..." Maybe I'm projecting a bit there, but you'd be incorrect! There is going to be a comparable story in the works that pits Celestia against Starlight, on an ambitious and grand scale, but it will not be a sequel. Ir was originally planned to be the case, but not anymore.

But, don't get too excited. As I said in the last chapter, I will not start posting it until it is complete, which could take a really long time. Fear not, I will be writing other fics, shorter stories and one-shots in the meantime, so you won't forget all about me.

As always, I thank you once again, but it's time you should thank some people too. There are a few people who made this fic possible

Krickis who proofread the earlier chapters. Go check out her stuff, and I'm not just saying that. Her work is outstanding, even in the field of fimfiction writers who are usually a cut above the rest. Her character writing is second to none, as far as I've seen. And her Who We Become series is something of a masterpiece! You can start it here with Looking Glass!

RTStephens who proofread a few chapters around the middle. Go show them some love, their Trixcord fic is a great place to start!

Krixwell who proofread a lot of chapters, including the past few ones. They deal a lot in comedy and slice of life fics, both of which are very good! I'd start with Reflections in Black and Pink!