"There she is." Trixie Lulamoon, Greatest and Most Powerfulest Unicorn in all of Equestria, sneered wickedly. Pressing the pair of rusty binoculars she held in her pink magic, she twisted the zoom as far as it could go. Despite the lenses frosting over a bit from the frigid night's air, she could clearly see the object of her hatred.
"Twilight Sparkle!" she spat, pressing herself further against the pile of snow that she was currently hidden behind. The blasted unicorn, the obnoxious, sniveling, lapdog of Princess Celestia, was currently stringing up a few final lights along the outside of the entrance to the Golden Oaks Library.
Snow was sprinkled along the branches of the giant tree, although there were small sections that were completely bare wherever Twilight had hung the multicolored orbs. Although Trixie knew that she knew almost everything there was about magic, the strange little crystals perplexed her. All of the other little houses in Ponyville had just a few candles burning in their windows, or if they were daring, petite lanterns that swung from their entrance's awnings.
Whenever those lanterns wobbled in the wind, their owners were risking their entire house going up in a burst of fire and smoke, which meant that most ponies were not keen on using them. However, the despicable Twilight, mocker of Trixie's prized and treasured title of Great and Powerful, had those strange little crystals.
Trixie mentally noted them and locked it away in her sharp, unwavering mind. When she was done with her plans, she'd have to swipe a couple of those crystals and see what foul spells Twilight had concocted to get them to work. That way she, the Crafty and Cunning Trixie, could use that knowledge against her and leave Twilight even more humiliated than ever!
Catching some hooves crunching on snow to her left, she glanced over and saw a middle-aged mare and her young filly quickly tramping away. She overheard the mare muttering about peeping toms and rolled her eyes. Trixie was no stalker! She merely wished to learn every intricate detail about Twilight's life, so that she could use it to exact the painful revenge that was so rightly deserved by the damned unicorn.
So what if Trixie had been a tad boastful when she rolled up into Ponyville last year? She was a showpony! To not hype up one's act was heresy!
Was she responsible if those two nitwits, Snips and Snails, thought that she actually defeated an Ursa Major and then lured a baby to town? Did she have to be on the hook for the tens of thousands of bits of damage that she was billed, when it were those two morons who caused the problem in the first place?!
She had bills to pay before Mayor Mare had sent those collection agents after her, and it wasn't like money grew on trees.
Of course, being the Brilliant and Ingenious pony that she was, Trixie had promised the two agents that she had the money, quickly went into her wagon and acted like she was digging around, and then pretended to set off one of her new, unheard of tricks. It had "accidentally" teleported the bits somewhere within half a mile of the wagon, and she promised she'd stay there, since she "lost" her cape, too.
Then when they started to look, she slipped away, hitched up her wagon, and bolted out of there. Although she was never harassed by the Ponyville mayor again, she did see her face on posters everywhere in central Equestria. She never realized she was so popular there. If only it had translated to sales.
When she first left Ponyville in—dare she say—disgrace, her shows still had decent attendance. Then word got out that she was the one behind the Ursa Minor attack on Ponyville. Despite vehemently denying it and laying the blame on Twilight's thirst for vengeance after Trixie showed her superiority, the baseless rumors continued to spread.
Within a month of her visit to Ponyville, a good night for her was if she could score a performance at an old ponies' home somewhere and not have the flowers—or tomatoes—thrown at her gummed by geriatrics with two hooves in the grave. Or, if she could make a few bits at a birthday party doing balloon animals while avoiding cake, and the little snot goblins running into her, she counted herself lucky.
Needless to say, her tours had not lived up to her expectations over the last year, and poor Woody was looking worse for wear. At the thought of her beloved wagon, she teared up and dramatically wiped away the stinging water and flicked it off her hoof.
Woody never deserved that. He was her only companion, and if she had to sell him...
Broken from her reverie by a cough, she heard a trembly voice exclaim, "Hey miss!" She whirled around, her heart pounding, as she thought she was caught by Twilight's cowardly yellow friend, but she only saw a small colt dressed in a massive winter jacket.
On his head was a strange little contraption that permanently blew in a counter-clockwise direction, even against the wind. She arched a brow at that, and she grunted, "What? Why do you disturb the Sneaky and Stealthy Trixie?!"
"Oh! You're sneaking?!" he asked, his eyes glittering underneath all the layers of clothing. Waddling a bit closer, he whispered, "Don't worry, I get it. You're probably hiding from them, right?"
"Uh," Trixie stammered as she rapidly looked left and right. Anxiously cracking a smile, she replied with a lilt in her voice, "Yes?"
"I knew it!" the colt exclaimed, pressing right up next to her. "Discord brought those Humgonians just to mess with me!" He nodded. "Okay, I'll leave you to it." As he stepped back, Trixie completely confused and—if she were to admit it—disturbed, he exclaimed, "But before I go..." He pulled out a pencil.
At that, Trixie's heart jumped and she thought excitedly, A fan! Trixie knew she was still loved!
"Do you have any paper so I can get Twilight Sparkle's autograph?! My mom was almost turned into a newt by Discord, and I wanna get it as a gift for her!" He gasped in wonder. "Twilight saved everypony! She's the best!"
Or not...
If she remembered right, she still had some sheets in her cape's pocket, and she dug in. Pulling out a wad of bubblegum, two grimy bits, a picture of herself signed to herself, and some paper, she thrust the latter at him. "Here," she grumbled. "Now scram. Leave Trixie to sneak in peace."
"Yay!" he cheered, rearing up to his hindlegs and snatching the paper. As he did, he started to teeter back, screamed, and then rolled away from Trixie. Grunting and yelping, he bounced away as his puffy and cushiony jacket made him rebound like a ball.
After a loud crash, he cried woozily, "I'm okay! Oh! There's my JoyBoy!"
Trixie sighed, her breath puffing out into a mist that drifted away into the clear night sky. Brilliant, pale white light poured down from the full moon that appeared suspended above the town square of Ponyville. Occasional flakes of snow, falling from both house roofs and the rare cloud, drifted by and provided a festive feeling.
That is, it would if Trixie were not in such a dour mood already from having to spend the last few days wandering away from Las Pegasus. While her father, Jackpot, had welcomed his "little star" with open arms, that was because he hadn't paid attention to the news since... never, and had yet to learn what had happened in Ponyville that year.
Her mother, Spectacle, on the other hoof...
While Trixie never enjoyed her Hearth's Warmings at home, the constant nagging this year from her mother about how she was "reckless" and "endangered ponies' lives" grew to be far too much. After the tenth or twentieth time in less than half an hour that Spectacle reprimanded her, Trixie had decided she had had enough.
Jackpot had tried to get her to stay, since he claimed to never see her enough. However, given that once he had one or two ciders, he always wanted her to do some stupid, impossibly complex trick that he devised, there wasn't much to draw her back.
And that's when she determined that she'd return to Ponyville. If her Hearth's Warming had been ruined by Twilight Sparkle and her smug friendly face, then Twilight would have an even worse holiday.
While there was never much honor in showbusiness—after all, iteration and outright theft of tricks were not uncommon—Trixie still had her ego to stroke. Perhaps she could have duked it out with Twilight on that fateful night then and there, but her body was still filled with adrenaline because of those two idiotic colts. Running on autopilot was all that she could do to save all her gear and bolt before a crowd formed.
Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't fuss about ponies following her around, but usually they were begging for her to bless their foals—or more realistically ask for an autograph. However, she had the distinct impression when she slipped that time back into Ponyville that the ponies wouldn't be friendly. Instead of papers and pens, they probably would have chased her with pitchforks and scythes. It might have been the few destroyed replicas of her she noticed. Or possibly the giant holes from farm tools that she saw in them. Or maybe the frenzied mob setting another dummy of her on fire in the square.
Just perhaps.
For the next couple of minutes, she continued to observe as Twilight used her magic to hang more strings of lights around the outside of the library. When there was a sudden, blinding explosion of light from inside, Twilight sprang into the air and then teleported inside with a burst of magenta.
She swung the door shut from wherever she appeared in the library, but Trixie heard her scream, "Spike! What did you do?!"
Snorting in mild schadenfreude, Trixie pushed herself off the snowbank she was using and slunk out of the alley she had parked herself in. Emerging from the corridor, she took a baleful glance at Woody. The wagon had truly looked better. Paint had peeled, part of the roof was leaking, and there was a stain on the harness that she couldn't quite get off. But it was still her faithful wagon, and it'd be with her to the end.
As she looked to hook herself into the harness to begin her Brilliant and Ingenious Plan to exact her revenge on Twilight, she flared her nostrils triumphantly. Then she saw a ticket sticking out of one of the straps in the harness. She yanked it off and floated it over, snarling as she read the scrawled chicken-scratch hoofwriting.
"How was Trixie supposed to know she was parking in front of a fire well?!" she bellowed angrily, shaking a hoof in the direction of Canterlot. Celestia must have been frowning upon her today.
"Wonderful," she grumbled to herself as she crumpled up the ticket and tossed it onto the road. Wasn't like she'd be back to pay it. "Just wonderful."
After the rage faded away, she was left with an empty pit in her stomach, and her scowl turned into a defeated frown. Sighing and hitching herself up to Woody, she began to march silently up one of the side streets away from Golden Oaks.
She checked her time, guessing it to be around nine-thirty at night. Most ponies by now had locked themselves away in their homes, and she could see through some houses' windows families gathered around a fire, exchanging stories or reenacting the first Hearth's Warming to their foals.
Only one or two pedestrians passed her by, but they gave her a wide berth. Assuming that her fury was radiating off her, Trixie sneered as she mused, One day, Trixie will return and ensure all of this backwater town feels her wrath!
Eventually, she reached the address that she was searching for. One Quills and Sofas, which was advertising a seventy-five percent sale on all quills with the purchase of one sofa. After chatting up in a tavern one of the local mailmares who had a bit too much cider to drink—although Trixie swore there was no smell of alcohol on the mare—she learned that Twilight was planning to be the first one into the store for the sale.
Not surprising, considering Twilight probably wanted to marry a book or scroll some day. However, this information provided Trixie with the perfect plan. If Twilight had taken everything from Trixie, then Trixie would take everything from her, during the kindliest season of the year.
Cackling to herself, she unlatched her harness and swung open the front doors to Woody. Inside were five massive crates of fireworks, as well as a bundle of smoke bombs. At least five hundred feet of rope was coiled into multiple stacks near one corner, underneath her hammock, and to top it off, she had a steel bucket and a lighter. All she had to do for that was scoop up one massive pile of slush, and then wait for it to melt into grimy water to be the pièce de résistance of the humiliation that Trixie would serve.
As luck would have it, there was a large pile of grungy snow stacked on either side of Quills and Sofas, so she knew exactly what she'd do once she was finished here.
Carefully balancing on the steps of her wagon, she managed to hop and then grab the ledge of its roof and haul herself up. Wriggling a bit and scrambling with her hindlegs to fully climb on, she gasped and wheezed for air for a second before she floated out the first crate of fireworks, plus the first length of rope.
Snipping a stretch about thirty feet long, she tied one end around a free beam sticking out from the top of the business's roof, near a couple of small Hearth's Warming lanterns. As she fastened the other on the top of a house and made sure it was tight, she reached out and then wrapped her forehooves around the rope.
It was going to burn like Tartarus the next day, but all the activity she was getting was going to be worth it, so long as Twilight's day—no, week—was ruined.
For the next couple of minutes, she dangled as she started to tie the first few fireworks onto the rope. Eventually pulling herself up to then straddle the line with all her legs, she started to make faster work, and glanced up to see Twilight's library still lit up like a gaudy stagehoof.
Tsking, Trixie began to zone out as her limbs grew slightly numb from the cold, and she fell into a rhythm of taking out a firework, performing a neat twist around its fuse, and then grabbing the next. "Just wait, Woody," she grumped frustratedly. "Soon you and Trixie will have your first payback at Sparkle."
She continued to complain to her wagon, and she became so engrossed in her work, that she failed to hear the steady hoofbeats and jingles of a cloaked figure approaching from underneath. As she finished affixing another firework, she heard a heavily accented voice exclaim, "You seem to be having quite the discussion. Do be careful up there, or you might give yourself a concussion."
"Agh!" Trixie yelped, her fur standing on end and her grip loosening around the rope. Screaming a second cry, she slipped off the rope and bumped one of her fireworks. It knocked into another, creating a cascading effect down the cable and finally bumping one into a lantern. The fuse of the firework caught in the small flame, and soon started to spark and fizzle.
As Trixie's tail tangled itself in the rope, the fireworks began to sputter and smoke, and Trixie cursed, "Well, buck." Closing her eyes, she braced for the worst. Seconds later, there was a deafening explosion, which left her ears ringing, and tingling gunpowder residue blanketed her.
Coughing and gagging, the ashy, smoky taste of the burnt ignitor filled her lungs and caused her eyes to water. She continued to hack for another minute or so, finally managing to get her breathing under control so that she could glower at whoever dared cause her to mess up her revenge.
"It appears you are in a bit of a pickle," the observer stated, her eyes glowing a pale green in the night's light. "But that is what you get when you play with something so fickle."
Great, Trixie griped internally as she struggled to right herself enough to begin untangling her tail. Trixie has to listen to a poet. She thrashed about a bit more, her tail's dock beginning to burn in searing pain as her tail hairs were pulled tight by her deadweight before she remembered she had magic.
With an annoyed huff, Trixie glared back down at the pony and as she slowly started to work her tail free. Trixie's cape hung down limply against her neck, and her hat, Pointy, had lightly fallen beside Woody. She brushed some of her mane out of her face, and she spotted that there appeared to be two massive hoops coming from under the hood.
At last, the observer pulled back the cowl and revealed a straight, striped mohawk. In fact, it was striped everything.
It was a zebra, one who seemed to be enjoying Trixie's misfortune.
Narrowing her eyes, Trixie sneered at the zebra. While she'd not encountered any in her travels across Equestria, she had heard the stories. Esoteric witchdoctors, bent on using their strange brews of alchemy to curse ponies who got on their bad side, or exotic entertainers who usually had other, less savory skills for the right price.
What was one doing in Ponyville, the backwater of backwater towns? Something strange had to be ahoof with this, and if this zebra had taken an interest in her, then there was no telling what misfortunes could befall Trixie.
Nickering and jutting out her jaw, Trixie finally demanded, "What's it to you, zebra? Do you wish to place a bad mojo hex on the Stuck and Helpless Trixie?" She rolled her eyes. "It would fit her luck."
Briefly, the zebra studied Trixie before she smiled widely. Two giant earrings clinked against the rings that were fastened around her neck, making her next couple of movements have a musical quality to them. And, of course, those subsequent actions were laughter. Always with the laughter.
Had Trixie not already become enough of a laughingstock already? Did she need to be mocked further?
"In my time here, there is one thing that is very clear," the zebra stated as she walked a bit closer to stand almost directly underneath Trixie. Somehow making her smile go wider, she added, "There is no such thing as luck; it would not have prevented you from getting stuck." She smarmily snickered.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," Trixie huffed as she waved a hoof dismissively. By now her rump had gone completely numb, and she was beginning to get distracted from her efforts to get herself untangled from the rope.
In resignation, she groaned and went limp, letting herself flop lazily and jostle back and forth on the rope. Absentmindedly staring at the zebra, she saw that the mare had a small present nestled on her back, which caused Trixie to raise her eyebrows in curiosity.
"Forgive me, for I do not mean to pry," the zebra stated, sounding the exact opposite of remorseful, "but I do not think those are for lighting up the sky."
"Trixie's business is none of your concern, striped skunk!" Trixie retorted as she spat at the zebra. The zebra stepped out of the way to avoid the loogy, but she didn't appear offended by the insult.
"If that is how you always treat strangers, it is no wonder you are in danger," the mare quipped, her eyes sparkling with mirth that only caused Trixie's chest to tighten as her blood pressure spiked.
With that statement, they both went silent, as the zebra stared expectantly at Trixie, and Trixie instead tried to determine why the damned creature was still there. The zebra should have gone back to Zebrica. She could have swam, if she had no other way. Stayed with the other weird voodoo ponies on that continent.
Either the zebra must have sensed Trixie's growing hostility, or she was running late for something, because she silently spun on her hooves before beginning to trot off along the street. Seeing that the zebra was the only one left on the street, Trixie squeezed her eyes shut and called out, "Wait!"
Immediately, the zebra paused, mid-step, but remained still. In a painfully slow process, she placed her hoof down and then faced Trixie. Her expression was unreadable, and since Trixie was the best at reading faces, that was truly an accomplishment.
Inhaling sharply, Trixie bit her lip before she blurted out, "Trixie is sorry! Can you please let her out?!" With an awkward, uneasy grin, she tilted her head to look slightly more pathetic, and she tried to put on the most pleading look possible. "She'd rather not end up a popsicle before she gets herself down."
Appearing to contemplate the request for a moment, the zebra finally chuckled and simply nodded her head. With a couple of deft motions, she hopped from the ground to the top of Woody, then catapulted over to the makeshift tightrope. Smoothly and gracefully walking along, much like a cat on a fence, she bent down and quickly untangled Trixie's tail from the line.
"Oh, buu—" Trixie began as she tumbled down to the ground, slamming into one of the nearby snowbanks beside Quills and Sofas in a cloud of wet, slushy, gritty snow. Almost immediately, her entire body began to convulse in shivers as the freezing snow bit into her body.
Chattering her teeth together, she managed to snap at the zebra despite being face-first into the ground, "Trixie didn't mean like that!"
A couple of chortles reached her, and she heard the zebra smoothly descend from the tightrope before clip-clopping closer to her. Pushing herself back up, Trixie spat out some of the gunk that had gotten into her mouth, and she found herself almost face-to-face with the zebra.
Crying loudly, she backpedaled a couple of feet to press herself into the wall and stared at her semi-rescuer. However, all that the zebra was doing was pulling out a small cup and a thermos. She unscrewed its lid and poured something that steamed in the cold. She offered the cup to Trixie.
Angrily, Trixie wiped some wet gunpowder residue off her face, and she huffed.
"Take this sweet drink, it will warm you up in a blink," Zecora said, pleasantly smiling to counter Trixie's wary stare. When Trixie at last took the drink in her magic, which smelled of some kind of leafy plant, the zebra added, "I am Zecora, a humble forest denizen. And who might you be, my testy citizen?"
At that, Zecora reached out a hoof for Trixie to take to get up. Eyeing it for a second, Trixie sipped on the drink and gave a small gag. It was debatable if the liquid was even consumable, given how bitter it was. Still, it almost instantly warmed her mouth and soon her gut, which began to radiate outward through her whole body. Also, she swore she felt a bit more awake after a couple more swallows.
She reluctantly grabbed Zecora's hoof and stood up. Shaking herself off from the slush, she huffed, "I am Trixie, the Greatest and Most Powerful Unicorn in all of Equestria!" She threw up a forehoof into the air dramatically. "At least once Twilight Sparkle is... corrected, though," she mumbled almost imperceptibly.
"You know Twilight Sparkle. Well, that is quite remarkable," Zecora replied, her expression growing happier after Trixie mentioned the blasted purple unicorn. Arching a brow and tilting her head inquisitively, she asked, "But why is somepony like you alone in the cold? Shouldn't you be enjoying the season with your own Hearth's Warming fold?"
At that, Trixie growled and furrowed her brow before guzzling the rest of whatever concoction Zecora had given her. While it might have tasted like dirt, with only a hint of honey, it did help her warm up quickly, as promised.
"No," she spat as she floated the cup back to Zecora. "Trixie does not have her 'Hearth's Warming fold.'" She huffed and growled, "And she doesn't wish to talk about it!"
"Hearth's Warming is about family and cheer. There is no need to be so drear." Zecora placed the cup back inside her cloak and revealed that she was wearing some additional layers underneath it. At that, Trixie began to frantically whip her head around, as she realized that she only had her cape. After a few seconds, she spotted her precious Pointy, partly stuck now under one of her wagon's wheels and hopelessly dirtied.
She held back a small whimper as she snatched Pointy in her magic and pulled it tightly onto her head. Gasping, she pulled her cloak tighter as a gust of wind blew through the street.
When the breeze died down, Trixie stated with a huff, "Well, Trixie has been... busy. Her family understands." Inwardly, though, she mewled, They really don't, though.
In an attempt to switch the conversation, and hopefully turn it into getting rid of Zecora, Trixie pointed at the present and asked, "What's that and who's it for?"
"It is a simple gift for a friend. Nothing that concerns you, in the end," Zecora quipped, blinking innocently a couple of times. Stepping closer to Trixie's wagon, Zecora inspected Woody. Then she glanced over at Trixie. "You seem to be in an unfortunate mood. Tell me, why do you have such an attitude? It is hard to believe that a pony hates Hearth's Warming season. To what calamity do you owe the reason?" She gave Trixie a comforting, if a bit irritating smile, and Trixie puffed out her cheeks and glanced away.
"You remind me of my youth," Zecora went on, staring up at the sky with a bit of wistfulness. "Back when I didn't know Hearth Warming's truth." Kicking at the ground a bit, she added, "We zebra do not have a time of love and care, for we are all wondering what will be the next winter scare. Between angry predators and empty farms, there is much that can do us harm."
"Trixie was..." Trixie finally mumbled, looking back over at Zecora to see that the zebra was still gazing off into the sky. While Trixie was, admittedly, not always perfect at judging ponies' emotions, she was confident that there was a wanderlust, or maybe homesickness, that reflected in Zecora's eyes.
When Zecora turned her attention to Trixie, the unicorn mumbled, "Trixie was trying to, uh, well, 'prank' a pony she knows for Hearth's Warming." She giggled uncomfortably. "You know, it's the time of year for tricks and japes and larks of all kinds."
Scratching the back of her head, she avoided Zecora's piercing gaze, and she began to inch toward Woody. If she could just get the zebra to leave, then she could try for a second serving of Sparkle: Chilled Revenge. As she scrunched and crunched her way to Woody, she heard Zecora state, "This pony whom you wish to play, she wouldn't happen to be easy to dismay?"
"You bet," Trixie exclaimed before she clamped a hoof over her mouth. Don't say too much, you dolt! she furiously corrected herself, and she coughed into a hoof. "Trixie means, she may."
"I believe that I have heard of your display. You wouldn't happen to be the Trixie Lulamoon from last May?" Zecora inquired, and she smirked as Trixie froze on the spot and slowly spun around to gawk at the zebra. "That is all I need to know," Zecora tittered, her eyes sparkling in mirth. "But I wish to tell you something before you must go."
"Yes?" Trixie inquired, shooting Zecora a quizzical expression as she saw the zebra's energy fade slightly
"You wish I'm sure to seek revenge." Zecora lightly placed a hoof on her own chest. "I, too, know what it's like to want to avenge." Glancing to the side, she nodded her head in the direction of Golden Oaks Library and started to trot off toward it. When Trixie stood rigidly in place, Zecora sighed and exclaimed, "If you want me to tell, you must come with me for a spell."
Momentarily considering her options, Trixie shrugged and quickly cantered after Zecora. Curiosity had gotten the better of her, and given that she doubted the zebra would take much of her time, why not at least be entertained by somepony trying to empathize with the Lofty and Unknowable Trixie?
At first, Zecora stayed silent, simply letting their hooves crunch loudly on the snow-mixed gravel. Frost hung in the air, and icicles dripped daintily down from various rooftops along the street, appearing like crystal spindles that glittered in the moonlight.
To her right, Trixie caught the warm glow of some candles burning above the houses, and she turned to see the giant tree that she noted when coming into town. Currently, it was swarmed by pegasi. Each were placing a candle, carefully concealed inside a lantern, on the tree.
One last pegasus hauled up with a bit of effort a giant, yellow star with a small depiction of Celestia on it, and placed it as a topper on the tree. After making sure it was secure and fastened, the pegasus waved the others off, and the tree stood resplendently for all eyes to see.
It was enough for Trixie to slow her pace, and Zecora paused to smirk at her and declare, "It is a wonderful sight to behold. Almost enough to make you forget about the cold!"
"Trixie supposes," Trixie mumbled as she peered at Zecora. Despite how she had jeered at the zebra earlier, it didn't seem like Zecora had held any grudge against her. It almost made Trixie want to apologize. Almost. It was most unbecoming of a showmare of her caliber, after all.
"What were you going to tell Trixie about?" she asked as the two of them started up again, their breath puffing out lightly with each step.
With a mildly pained grimace, Zecora replied, "Fear not, for I did not forget. I simply wanted to make sure my thoughts were all set." Exhaling tiredly and brushing back her mohawk in discomfort, she stated, "You think that all zebras speak this way? That is not the case, I am happy to say. But that still leaves us with a puzzle; why do these rhymes come out of my muzzle?"
"Because you're a traveling, evil enchantress witchdoctor who places ponies in trances and make them dance or something?" Trixie muttered in some frustration, furrowing her brow and rolling her eyes. "Trixie believed you were going to curse her at first, although she thinks these rhymes have caused it to be the worst."
Catching herself at the rhyme, she snapped, "That is, Trixie means to say that she thought you were going to ruin her day!" She blushed faintly as she caught Zecora smirking.
At that, she blinked. "Gah!" she exclaimed. "Now you have Trixie doing it too, which is making her rather blue!"
Chuckling softly at Trixie's curse of rhythm, Zecora only swished her tail playfully before she stated, "I have that effect it does seem, but don't worry, it will soon be your new theme."But I promised to tell you a tale, so come and listen, so that I may regale."
Motioning for Trixie to move a bit closer, Zecora waited for the unicorn to oblige, and she softly declared, "I too, used to be like you. Once I was young and passionate, but that left me with experiences most unfortunate."
As they passed an intersection, Trixie spotted that there were a few ponies going from door to door with a small basket and lantern, singing some different carols of the season. They were just finishing, and Trixie saw that whomever they were entertaining tossed them at least fifty bits. Fifty bits! She could do a lot with that.
Such as buy a water gun to spray Twilight with timberwolf musk.
When they reached the other side of the street, Zecora continued sadly, her register dropping a bit as she mumbled, "There was a time when I believed that I would always succeed, but alas, that was not the case indeed." She stared at Trixie, a couple of tears almost invisible to the unicorn sparkling under her eyes. As if by instinct, she rubbed her neck, and Trixie barely noticed that she had a small necklace with a chunk of wood that had a strange series of swirls on it.
Zecora caught Trixie's gawking, and she cleared her throat, a bit shakily. "You see the mark of my family members; this is all that I have of them to remember." She shuddered once before she twisted the necklace to have the piece of wood rest on her back. Breathing deeply, Zecora mumbled, "There was a wise and powerful member of my tribe, but our opinions did not always vibe. When our last disagreement grew too hot, I decided to prove him wrong and went forth with little thought."
Trixie arched a brow. Since she had absolutely zero clue how zebra society functioned, given it was an entire continent away, she was somewhat surprised to hear that it might have been more than simply huts and tribes.
"I dove headlong into brewing the most advanced potion, but in my haste I didn't hear outside my home some children's play commotion." She sighed and shook her head. "When I incorrectly measured an ingredient but by a fraction, I barely escaped the blast of a runaway chain reaction." Shifting around uncomfortably, she murmured, "But my foolishness didn't just affect me in the slightest, the detonation gravely injured two of our brightest."
She pulled out a different thermos from under her cloak. She unscrewed the cap to reveal a lightly bubbling substance. Noxious vapors wafted off of it, and Trixie held back a gag as Zecora tightly wound it back on. "In alchemy I have always had much success, but when I was young I was far more reckless.
"When I was accused of causing the blast, I denied it until my last gasp." She whimpered. "Most believed me for a time, but the leader who clashed with me suspected my crime." Pausing to take another nervous gulp, she added, "When I realized he had gathered evidence to reveal, I furiously determined that he couldn't squeal." Briefly, even she, the lauded Professional and Aloof Trixie felt like she needed to give Zecora a hug because of her tale.
"In the dark of night I crept into his home, because I believed I could silence him while we were alone. With my sword I planned to cut off confession, but I didn't know that he expected my obsession." Zecora pulled down one of her neck rings to reveal a large cut along her neck. While fur had partly covered the scar, the skin was damaged enough that there'd always be a visible mark if she didn't wear the jewelry.
As another tear trickled down her muzzle, Zecora sadly stated, "We fought for only a minute or two before I was beaten, and soon the commotion brought others who then saw me as a cretin." For once, she actually grinded her teeth together, and Trixie thought that Zecora was going to perhaps lash out, given how tensely she had tightened her muscles. However, she soon relaxed and slowly released a sigh. "And to me the greatest loss was that my mother and brother now saw me as dross."
Slouching for a moment, she paused to recollect herself, and Trixie caught a couple of faint coughs and sniffles. However, by the time Zecora looked back at her, she appeared to have recovered, or, perhaps, put on a tougher mask.
Zecora tapped her muzzle and snorted. "To everypony my guilt was no longer in doubt, so there was only one possible way my life could route.Therefore, I was cursed to rhyme for the rest of my days, but it could have been worse in many ways. While I have always enjoyed a poem as invigorating, to speak in rhythm some days can be most frustrating."
"Sure," Trixie drawled, feeling like she had been led on a tall tale just as a roundabout way for Zecora to ask for pity. Poor her. She had to speak like a weirdo the rest of her days because she made some mistakes, but Trixie had to deal with Twilight's muzzle everywhere.
Interfering in the Great and Powerful Trixie's plans was far more disheartening than being cursed to rap for eternity. At least that way one could find some variety in life.
They passed a large bakery with a gingerbread roof complete with icing, and Trixie blinked in surprise as she saw that it was nearly bursting at the seams with Hearth's Warming Candy. On top of that, there was a brilliant sign decked out in the same lights that Twilight had used on Golden Oaks pointing toward the chimney. "All Santa Hooves must pay present tax before entering!" was written on the sign.
Zecora suppressed a chuckle at the sight and shook her head. "There is yet some more to this story, and it is even less to my glory." With a groan, she slowed her pace and muttered, "After I was cast out in a hurry, my mind was filled with nothing but fury. So angry with others for my failure, I did not see at fault was my own behavior." She absentmindedly went for her necklace again.
After fiddling with it for a second or two, she coughed and muttered, "At first I thought of nothing but vengeance, but after meeting more ponies I realized it had become my dependance." She smirked at Trixie and shot her a lopsided glance as Trixie hissed when some freezing water dripped off a low-hanging icicle. Fiddling a bit more with the necklace, Zecora added, "In my travels I met creatures of all kind, who were friendly and thoughtful and sometimes quite refined. You have been slighted in the past and seek payback today, but that is why I urge you to start on a different way."
"Trixie has no idea what you're talking about," Trixie retorted, although she could feel her heart begin to beat a bit faster as Zecora continued to probingly stare at her.
"Indeed. You claim to be quite the independent steed." Wrinkling her muzzle, Zecora halted and pressed a hoof against Trixie's withers. Her cold hoof caused Trixie to shiver and grunt in discomfort, but Zecora kept it there. As some snow dripped lightly off of Trixie's fur, Zecora stated, "It is plain to see that you are in distress, but you do not want to get it off your chest." Her eyes sparkled knowingly. "I believe you carry more than that burden; of that, I am more than certain."
At that, Trixie's forehead broke out into beads of sweat, and she nervously nibbled on her tongue as she avoided Zecora's prying eyes. Anxiously smiling, Trixie stepped back and shrugged slightly. With a small whine, she muttered, "Well, maybe some of that isn't entirely wrong. The Simple and Humble Trixie has had an interesting life."
That's an understatement, she snarked to herself. Between Jackpot never really being around, and Spectacle wishing to see Trixie achieve the best—whether it was good intentions or not—she had had a bit of a pressured foalhood. Of course, that had only forged her into the steely mare that she was today. The Greatest. Most Powerfulest. Most Amazingest. Moster Unstoppableester. Trixie!
As her ego felt inflated from her self-aggrandizement, she smarmily smirked at Zecora and stated, "But Trixie doesn't expect you to understand."
"Of course I do not," Zecora replied with a meek bow of her head. "But that does not stop you from giving my counsel a shot."
By now, they had gotten to the small plaza that surrounded Golden Oaks, but Trixie had yet to take notice, as she was too engrossed in Zecora's conversation to really pay much attention to her surroundings. She could have walked right into another Ursa Minor and wouldn't have been the wiser.
As they reached the doorstep of the library, Zecora stepped up and turned to face Trixie. Resting a hoof on Trixie's shoulder, Zecora smiled warmly. "We have reached our destination, I trust this chat has provided some information." For a moment, Trixie felt her heart melt, just a bit, at Zecora's warm words. She sensed a tear beginning to trickle down her muzzle, and she shook herself hard to try and keep it from being visible. Zecora gave her a disarming smile, which made the uncomfortable feeling even worse.
"It is plain to see you have been treated in ways quite despicable. Yet there is no need to fight because you’ll surely find Twilight most amicable." Zecora motioned to the door behind her, and Trixie finally registered that they were in front of Twilight's home. Almost immediately, she started to back away, her ears flattening against her head and her pupils shrinking in worry.
No, Trixie cannot do that! Not yet! Twilight has to be... to be punished first! Feel the pain Trixie felt! she told herself, her throat growing thick and dry with unease. It wasn't helped when Zecora simply stared at Trixie and then knocked on the door three times.
"Be there in a minute!" Twilight's voice came from inside. "Spike had a bit of an... accident! Brussels sprout invasion! Nasty stuff!" As she finished, there was a high-pitched scream from something else, and then a loud blast of magic as Twilight exclaimed, "Back!"
A couple of seconds later, she cried, "Spike, I told you not to use the bigger potion!"
"But they're the same size, Twilight!" Spike's voice carried out through the door, sounding noticeably stressed.
Some more crashes and clinks filtered through the door, causing Zecora to chuckle. She undid her hood and shrugged off her cloak. "Forgiveness is the start of a long path, as success is stymied by continued wrath. Obsession with retribution will only ever consume you, unless you realize that you are at fault too. Forgetting one's slights is not a small ask, but I believe that you are up to the task." She revealed she was wearing a thick sweater plus a scarf. She was completely cozy, unlike Trixie.
At that, Trixie started to scratch her chin, and as a gust of wind blew through the plaza, she hummed and asked, "So, Trixie could be more successful if she forgot about this whole Twilight Sparkle thing?"
"There are many benefits to the path of friends," Zecora replied with a chuckle. Pressing a hoof against her muzzle, she stated, "Including accomplishing your dreams in the end." She shrugged and was about to say something else when Trixie interrupted her.
"So, Trixie could forget, for now, Twilight Sparkle's slight on her, and work to be a more successful pony to accomplish her dream?" At that, she rubbed her hooves together gleefully. "Dream of showing Twilight to be the horrible pony that she is." A wide, razor-thin grin spread across her features, and Zecora concernedly raised both her eyebrows.
Squealing a bit in excitement, Trixie dashed over to Zecora and exclaimed in joy, "Trixie thanks Zecora for her insight! Now she knows how to ruin Twilight's day even more!" She gave Zecora a quick hug before she bolted off. "You shall be the pony she punishes last!"
Zecora held up a hoof in a vain attempt to wave Trixie back, then she sighed and shook her head. Almost as soon as Trixie disappeared from view, the door to the library opened up with a soft creak. Zecora saw Twilight, her mane mussed and her balance a bit off-kilter, looking at her happily.
Passing Twilight the second thermos, she stated, "Thank you for the invitation, it was too kind. Now, I kept my promise in mind. Set aside for you, may you enjoy this strange alchemic brew. May it see you through many potions, just make sure you go through the right motions." She grinned, although she did let her gaze drift as far as it could behind her, to try and see if Trixie would return.
"Happy Hearth's Warming to you too, Zecora," Twilight replied with a long, content sigh as she floated the thermos over to the table in the center of the library. After that, she gave Zecora a quick nuzzle and stated, "Spike is cleaning up the mess. I guess it'll just be cold carrots tonight instead of brussels sprouts and garlic sauce." She nickered in disappointment.
Stepping into the tree and giving herself a shake, Zecora hung her cloak on a peg and then started to take off her winter gear. After making sure it was free of snow, she rested it next to her cape and stated, "Whether fancy or simple, to me it's all the same; as long as it's with friends, I shall never complain."
Laughing at Zecora's continued rhyming candor, Twilight nodded and declared, "True, true." She inhaled sharply, and then started to close the door. "Was there somepony with you at the front door?" she inquired and tilted her head a bit in confusion. "I heard two voices there."
Grinning wide and whinnying in mirth, Zecora answered cryptically, "I spoke with a fellow wanderer, but I believe I turned them into a greater ponderer." She shook her head. "They must forge their own road, but their first steps have been showed."
Suddenly, there was a rumble from outside, and Twilight caught the bright flash of about two dozen fireworks going off in short succession. The night sky lit up with brilliant reds and blues, and she arched a brow in confusion as she turned back to Zecora. She also managed to hear through the door the faint cry of a mare declare, "Trixie is fine! She meant to do that!"
"Is Trixie here in—" Twilight began before Zecora planted a hoof over her muzzle. With a bit of surprise, Twilight pushed it away with an irritated huff.
"Let us forget the concerns of the world," Zecora stated as she started to trot into the library and placed her gift under a small tree. "Let us speak and converse, with our hearts unfurled." She smiled as she sat down on a cushion. As she began to settle in, she motioned for Twilight to rest on the nearby couch, she opened her mouth to speak before there was a loud whistling sound from outside.
With a sudden crash and shattering of glass, a single firework rocket tumbled through on its last seconds of fuse. Tied to its side was a single piece of paper, on which was written, "Trixie couldn't help herself!" There was also a crude stick figure drawing of a pony in a pointed hat ready to drop an anvil on another busily reading a book.
"Well, that's a nasty bit of luck," Zecora mumbled in defeat. "I suppose there's only one thing to say: buck."
As the night sky was suddenly filled with a brilliant burst of red and orange, a thunderous explosion carried itself across the town. Far away, in Canterlot, a pure white alicorn murmured from under her covers, "If Twilight has resurrected Princess Platinum again, I swear, she'll wish she had gotten coal in her stocking!"
FIN
Author's Note
Well, that's another Jinglemas fic in the bag. I'm quite glad to have participated again, and I hope LulaCrystal enjoyed their story!
This was a fun one to write, but it was a pain, as I've never touched Zecora's character before, and making all the story beats that I wanted (and later added in revisions) fit with her rhyming pattern gave both me and my editor headaches at points. Still, it was enjoyable to come up with some history for her, and I believe the end result turned out quite well.
As always, a massive thanks to Everfree Pony, as they have helped ensure this was as logical as possible, and found any errors I missed.
Since this is coming out on the 26th, I wish everyone a belated Merry Christmas. Until next fic!
T4E
