Author's Note

Character Tags: Trixie, Rainbow Dash, OC
Tags: Romance, Slice-of-Life, Sad

Set: 1514 AD; two years after the end of The Broken and The Damned.

Begin Again~PT. 1

Trixie awoke to the sound of her new neighbors tromping around in the apartment next to her. She sat up in bed, groaning and smacking her mouth. She looked out the window next to her bed, silently noting how the sun was only just starting to rise over the sun.

"Why must they wake up so early?", Trixie muttered. "I want to get some sleep."

Still, she slid out of bed, opening her blinds further. Outside, the cobblestone streets below her were already starting to have creatures leave the buildings, heading for their jobs or early morning shopping. In the distance, she could see the rolling and pitching sea and a few ships on it. Further away, she spotted the Pillars of Hoofacles, one of the most notable geographical features near the city of Creui.

She stepped away from the window, heading out of the small bedroom into her apartment's living room and kitchen hybrid. She opened up the cabinet, looking for something to eat. She finally settled on a type of roll, a bagel if she remembered correctly, that she had picked up at a bakery a few days before when she first moved in. She grabbed it in her mouth and went over to the clock on the wall. She clamped down hard and the bagel fell to the floor as she realized the time.

"Oh, buck! I starts in fifteen minutes!", Trixie yelled, levitating the bagel back to her mouth and scrambling back to her room to grab her ID.

Sitting on the nightstand next to her bed, the simple leather covered booklet displayed her name and some of her information inside. The booklet came with her new residency status in the Pryhan Empire, and she was recommended by the worker at the immigration office to carry it on her at all times. While in her room, she also grabbed the apron her employer had given her, sliding the booklet into the pocket on the front and lighting her horn.

She ended up outside, stopping for a brief moment to smile at getting it right, before breaking into a gallop. A few of the creatures already on the streets looked her way. Trixie felt a bit of pride at being an object of attention but pushed it down as she ran to her new job: Donald Family Bakery.

She opened the door, stopping before the counter and said, "Is Tri-I mean, am I late?"

The demigryph behind the counter, a younger one with the head of an albatross, said, "No no. You're almost exactly on time. In fact, go ahead and flip the sign, then get back here."

"Right", Trixie said, lighting up her horn to flip the small piece of paper over. She took her spot behind the counter, sighing and looking around the small store. She stopped when she noticed the demigryph looking at her. "Something wrong?"

"No, not really", the Demigryph said. "Just not used to seeing magic used like that."

"Enought chit-chat!", a voice called from the kitchen behind them. "Desmond, get back here; your sister needs a bit of help. Trixie, you need some help out front?"

"N-no, ma'am!", Trixie answered back. "I can handle it."

"Good! Now, Desmond, get back here! We're on the clock, everyone!", her boss yelled again.

++++~++++

A few hours later, and Trixie was mopping up the front of the store. After the morning rush, the rest of the workers in the store had gone into the back to make more bread and other baked items, leaving her and Desmond out front. As her co-worker wiped down the counter, Trixie asked, "So, is this what the morning rush is normally like?"

"Usually a bit more, actually", Desmond said. "After that, we're not likely to get too much traffic. Mostly creatures coming to pick up some of our stuff."

"Cool", Trixie said, returning her focus to the mop. Silence reigned between the two of them, the only noise being the mop on the floor and the rag on the counter.

Trixie sat down on the bench built into the wall along the edges of the floor, using her magic to float the mop across the floor. As she sat, she looked out the window, watching the creatures go about their business. From normal-looking creatures simply heading down the sidewalks and carts or land-skiffs in the streets to Pryhan soldiers on patrol.

Desmond asked, "So, why'd you move here?"

Temporarily blanking on her Pryhan, she asked, "I'm sorry? Oh, wait. I mean, what?"

"I mean, you're obviously not a native. Accent, mannerisms, lack of knowledge of Pryhan. And, you know, you're a unicorn. So, why'd you immigrate?", he asked.

"Well, back home... I made some mistakes", Trixie said, bringing the mop back to her and dipping it back in the bucket.

"Mistakes?", Desmond asked.

"Well... have you heard of Twilight Sparkle?", Trixie asked.

Desmond stopped wiping down the counter, cocking his head in thought. "I think so. One of the former friends of the Triumphator, right?"

Trixie had heard just enough about her to know who he was referring to and nodded. "Yeah. Well, I first met her a few years ago. I was a traveling magician, and ended up in the town where she was. I was... very arrogant, and we ended up getting in a scuffle due to it. Nothing too major, but I ended up leaving the town. After that, I ended up working a bunch of odd jobs due to nopony willing to pay for my performances. They would vandalize my cart, and I wouldn't be able to make any bits otherwise. All the while... I looked for a way to get revenge."

"Revenge?", Desmond asked.

Trixie looked away from him, a lump forming in her throat. She knew how the Pryhans felt about breaking the law, and didn't know how he'd react. Still, almost like she couldn't stop herself, she muttered, "I... I bought a dark magic artifact and used it to take over a town."

Desmond, who was taking a sip of water, spewed over the counter. "You did what!?"

"I... I paid my time! And I was angry and younger. It was stupid, I know!", she said.

Desmond nodded, wiping away the water dribbling from his beak. He said, "Y-yeah, ok. S-so, what happened after that?"

"Well, Twilight defeated me in a magic duel, and I left after the artifact was taken", Trixie said, once again levitating out the mop. "After spending a bit getting back on my hooves, I tried to have an apology tour. Unfortunately, between the Changeling Invasion and ponies still not really trusting me, it didn't work out. After that... well, I didn't have any bits left. I was looking for a means to... to start over, really."

"So you applied to come here", Desmond said.

Trixie just nodded. Finally finished, she levitated the mop into its holder on the bucket, standing up to take it to the back. However, as she did, she slipped, sending the bucket falling to the ground and her stumbling forward.

She was caught by another figure, looking up in embarrassment. She was greeted by an orange furred earth pony with a buzzed brown mane that had a pair of pink streaks running through it and dark green eyes. Backing up, she saw he was wearing a royal blue padded jacket (Trixie believed it was called a Subarmalis?) with pteryges and a few medals pinned to it, along with a leather belt holding a curved sword and a pistol.

He adjusted himself, before saying, "Sorry, ma'am. Are you alright?"

Before Trixie could respond, Desmond noticed the newcomer. Instantly, he snapped to attention, bowing his head and slamming his fist to his left shoulder. "Ave, Praefect", he said. "Good morning."

"Salve, Desmond. Good morning to you too", he said before turning back to Trixie. "Now, are you ok, ma'am?"

Finally seeming to break her stunned state, she nodded. "Yes. Tri-I, I am fine. Eh, Praefect.", she said, bowing her head and giving him a salute.

The Praefect nodded, looking past Trixie at the spilled bucket. He pointed to it, asking, "You, uh, need some help cleaning that up?"

"Really?", Trixie asked, before sighing as she realized she had switched back to equish.

"Yes", the Praefect said. "As... As they say, 'The best officers are the ones who are willing to get down in the mud along with their soldiers'. And my family are nothing if not good soldiers and officers. Besides, I'm not in any rush" He slid off a satchel and placed it on the bench, calling over to Desmond, "Can we have a pair of rags?"

Trixie asked, "You speak equish?"

"A little", he said. "I've picked up a bit from my superior and her son."

Desmond tossed the rags to them, the Praefect catching them and giving one to Trixie. As the two of them went about cleaning up the spill, Desmond asked, "So, Praefect. What brings you down here?"

"Looking for entertainment after the Adunationem Parade", the Praefect said. "Normally, we just buy extra wine rations and hire a few musicians. Unfortunately, due to some damage to one of the watchtowers, we can't buy as much extra wine as we normally would. So, the Praetor has me looking for other sources to entertain the troops."

Trixie perked up slightly at the mention of entertainment and looked up from her towel. She asked, "What sort of entertainment?"

"I was asked to look for musicians mostly, but if I could find anything else just jot it down. I have a sign-up form in the satchel", he said, flicking his head over to said satchel. "She wants some names so they can come up to the Castrum and she can talk to them personally. "

Desmond shook his head and said, "Well, how many do you have now?"

The Praefect stood up, tossing the soaked towel back to Desmond. He said, "Only a few. All musicians. She wanted something else, so I'm looking for that."

Trixie also levitated her towel over to Desmond, thinking of what the Praefect had said. 'Other' forms of entertainment. Like she had said to Desmond earlier, she was looking for a fresh start. The reason she had taken this job was because she needed the money and Pryhan Citizenship was easier to get if one had a stable job. She would've tried to enter the show business again given the chance or time, and now she had that chance.

"Well, sir", Trixie said, flipping her apron in front of her like her cape. "I would like to volunteer."

"Alright", The Praefect said, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen from his satchel. "What is your name, and what are you willing to contribute?"

"I am a magician. And, as for my name? I am... The Great and Powerful Trixieeeee!", she said, flapping her apron back, standing on her hind legs and flaring her arms, a trio of pale blue fireworks flaring from her horn.

The Praefect wrote it down, then put the paper and pen back in his satchel. "Alright then. Thank you. Meet me at the edge of town by the road leading up to the Castrum, tomorrow at noon. I'll take you up to the Castrum to talk about the details. Vale."

As he turned to leave, she asked, "Wait. Oh, crap. Wait. I never got your name."

The Praefect stopped, chuckling to himself. "How rude of me", he said. He turned back, giving her a small bow. "Aeterna Vexillum, Praefect of the 14th Imperial Regiment."

"Well, it has been a pleasure to meet you, Praefect", Trixie said.

Vexillum nodded, "The pleasure is mine. Now, again. Vale." And with that, he left, leaving Trixie giddy with anticipation at the prospect of her chance.