The Magic of Swimming in Stars

Chapters

1. Fallen
2. Second Time
3. Celebrations
7. The Failure of a Unicorn
8. Departing Vanhoover
9. Bumpy Landing
10. Fighting Fire with Fire
4. Northern Travels
5. Valley Life
6. Dinner for Two

1. Fallen

Part One: The Magician's Redemption.

Could she say that she was once a great and powerful magician? Maybe, but then who would believe her? Twilight had shown her just how wrong her ways were, and all of Equestria was quick to remind her of that. And if she claimed to have changed, nopony would take it seriously anyway. The cruel irony of a pony who had been reformed. A lack of belonging to one side, or the other. Maybe that wasn't so bad after all...

"Ohh, the sorrowful and drenched Trixie does not feel happy at all." That was what it had come to. She was sitting under a tree, in the heavy rain of night. All she had was her hat and cloak, only barely keeping her warm given how wet they had become. There didn't seem like much point in using her magic to start a fire, it would go out within a few moments under those conditions. So she sat, on the damp root of the tree to avoid the muddy grass.

This was how she would spend the night. In an attempt to start her life anew, all her possessions had been given away to ponies who actually needed them. All but her clothes, they were the only things keeping her reasonably sane. It was a decision she didn't regret, despite her current condition. At least there was nothing for foals to scribble pictures on that made fun of her.

A cart rolled by on the puddle filled dirt road. It looked reasonably well kept, not unlike the stallion pulling it. Of average build, a pastel green mane which clung to his neck in the rain. His coat was surprisingly coloured in a stormy blue-grey, suggesting something of pegasi origin. But he was an earth pony alright, if anything that made her feel more comfortable. They were the most understanding ones, she wouldn't have to face another look of disapproval tonight.

"Excuse me Miss. Are you not cold in this weather?" Trixie lifted her head with quite a bit of surprise. He had left the cart where it was, and made his way over without a second thought for his cargo. This wasn't something she had expected at all. "I have noticed you around these parts before, always sitting under a tree in the rain." Noticed? Had she made a habit of sitting under trees in the rain? Given the amount that Vanhoover had compared to other parts of Equestria, she assumed that she would have noticed herself, well before having it pointed out to her.

"I, uh... I don't have anywhere to go, you see. Nopony wants Trixie the Phoney Magician under their roof, do they? I find it's just easier to stay away from everypony, and just watch." Maybe she had said too much at once. He could leave again, and she'd be alone once more. But having somepony to talk to after all that time had led to the urge to unload all her thoughts.

He didn't seem offended at all by her confession. The fact that he sat down beside her was a touching gesture. "What boastful magician spends their days under a damp tree? All I see is a young and beautiful unicorn who doesn't know where to go." Beautiful? Trixie never recalled being called that before. For once, she felt just how cold her body had become. Each droplet of water had drawn out a tiny portion of warmth. Now she was probably colder than the rocks near her hooves, half buried in the freezing mud.

"Come, my sister has a room to spare. She is kind, and many respect her. I cannot say what motivates the other towns of Equestria, but I can say that nopony is unforgiving in Vanhoover." He proved to be a very patient pony, as Trixie remained silent for several minutes. The idea of somepony offering to not only give her a second chance, but a place to stay as well was unimaginable.

Eventually, she got to her hooves and followed him to the cart. As she moved to get in, her back hoof slipped out from underneath her. At that point, she expected to end up with her whole underbelly covered in mud. Instead, he caught her with a firm hold, helping her into the back of the cart. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get that close. But you've clearly been through enough, a mud bath isn't what I'd call ideal right now."

Why was he being so kind to her? She hadn't done anything that deserved even a simple thanks, from anypony. That reminded her of what she had forgotten to do until that moment. "Thank you. I really don't deserve such charity, especially after what I've done. But it does mean a lot, that you went out of your way to help." A soft, meaningful chuckle came from the stallion as he began to pull the cart again. Now she was up there, it became apparent that he transported an assortment of vegetables. The aroma was overwhelming.

"Fleethoof Saddles, of the Saddles family. I do a lot of the transport jobs for Vanhoover, always enjoyed the feeling of pulling weight across great distances. And I can get goods around pretty fast if need be." Trixie shuffled closer towards the front of the cart so she could see the road ahead better. His mark was a hoof in full gallop, an apt name.

Maybe her luck had finally changed, albeit it was a long time between her giving up everything and now. Time wasn't important anymore, the gift was there, and she would accept it with a very grateful heart. "I cannot say how lucky I feel that you came this way at this time, Fleethoof. Everything you've done so far already is more than I could possibly ask for."

The pair continued on through the rainy night. Light was becoming scarce, but didn't seem to hinder Fleethoof too much. A lantern was suspended from the cart to light the road ahead. In the meantime, Trixie settled down between the sacks of vegetables. Now that she had more shelter from the wind, it was far easier to stay warm. And it gave her a chance to rest. Repaying his kindness would be a key priority of her's.

After some time, Vanhoover itself came into view. In comparison to Ponyville, the buildings had a rather more forest theme. Probably due to the abundance of pine trees, which seemed to be the main building material for the residents. Further along the river that ran beside the town, the city itself could be barely seen as a silhouette in the darkness. This was undoubtedly the main suburb.

The cart rolled through the cobble streets until it stopped under the shelter of a cart station. There, Trixie helped unload the sacks of vegetables without question. It was a small start, but at the very least it made her feel useful again. Fleethoof had no objections to her assistance. The sacks themselves were placed inside a small storage shed which would insulate them from the damp. At last, they had a moment to talk properly again.

"My sister Starlight runs the main food market, as well as other community events. She's a unicorn too, the Saddles are a pretty mixed family after all. I think you two should get along well." He kept the door open for Trixie as she made her way inside. The kitchen felt cozy, admittedly larger than one would expect from a normal house, but the way Fleethoof described his family seemed to indicate they had a very close bond.

"Thistle's having her bath, I'll be there in a moment Fleet." Trixie hesitated her step for a moment. Was that just Twilight Sparkle's voice she had heard upstairs? No, it couldn't be surely. Twilight wouldn't be in Vanhoover, Starlight probably just sounded a lot like her. She did have a name of a pony who had been in Canterlot at some point, and she was a unicorn at that.

"I found a visitor along the roadside, Trixie. I do hope that the spare room is still available, she's in need of a good bed after the amount of time she's spent in the forest." Trixie by then had wandered into the loungeroom, where a warm fire was going. Her hat and cloak were outside to dry, so there wouldn't be any accidental puddles. Fleethoof nodded for her to sit down to warm up.

It gave her a good view of the staircase, and the pony who made her way down. Her mane was coloured in the stormy grey of Fleethoof's coat, her own a pale pink. Her mark was very reminiscent of her name, a star shining light down below. Seeing the siblings beside each other did show family resemblance, notably in their faces. The fire in the meantime had warmed her body back up quite a bit, stopping the shivering altogether.

"Trixie, yes I recall the name. Several of the foals quite enjoyed your last performance here, such a shame that you left in a hurry though. So, what were you doing in the forests alone?" It took a moment for Trixie to stand, and approach slowly. Something felt odd, like things were pointing back towards Ponyville. Starlight, her name, voice, and appearance. All reminded her of Twilight.

"I uh... Was searching for an answer, to a question I have been pondering for some time. But, I think that can wait for now." Starlight nodded, smiling as she led Trixie back up the stairs. Fleethoof had made a silent departure by then, leaving the unicorns alone in the house.

2. Second Time

For the first time in over a month, Trixie didn't wake feeling sore and exhausted. The room that Starlight had offered her was simple, a bed and some dusty boxes, but it was ideal. Tucked away towards the south end of the house, it stood next to Starlight's own room, with easy access to the rest of the floor. Thistle looked very similar to her mother as it turned out, sharing the same coat, but with a vibrant spiky mane of purple. Where her name had come from wasn't too hard to guess with that in mind.

Another important feature that the room had, for that matter, that Vanhoover architecture in general had, was soundproofing as an extra benefit of the heat insulation. Thistle's waking in the early morning could only be heard as a faint muffle. And her not so early morning pondering was kept private. Some things she didn't want to burden other ponies with just yet, or at all.

Now that it wasn't dark outside, Trixie had the opportunity to take a good look at what would hopefully become her lodgings for her time in Vanhoover. The walls were a mellow cream plaster, in places bearing the signs of a younger presence in the house. The floor itself was polished pine, like the beams that ran up the walls. It wasn't Canterlot brick, or Ponyville straw, but it definitely had a unique appeal to it.

She descended the stairs from there, making her way into the kitchen. It too had a polished floor, though the sheen had been worn down through activity. Starlight herself was preparing Thistle's breakfast. Mushy carrots from the look of it. "I do apologize if I came down later than preferred. There was a need to think about, things, before I got up." Starlight only smiled in response as she carried Thistle to her special chair.

"It is quite alright dear. For a pony in your position, I would be worried if there wasn't any confusion to be settled." Trixie watched for a moment as Starlight carefully fed her little filly. The bond they had was so close, it practically made her whole body melt just to watch. There was no need for words, or sounds even. Still, she didn't think it would look appropriate if she continued to stare. Wandering around the kitchen seemed to be the best option to bide her time.

There were several notes and leaflets open, all of which seemed to indicate there was an upcoming celebration of some sort. That was good timing for her. A celebration would surely mean fireworks! Luck definitely did seem to be turning in her favour for once. But rather than give the impression she had been snooping, she remained silent for now. She could pass off her interest as something discussed the night before.

"Is there anything I can do to help? Fleethoof mentioned that there was a town celebration coming up. I'll admit that my cooking isn't anything spectacular, but perhaps, I can contribute in some other way?" Starlight would have responded sooner, had Thistle not clamped her mouth around the spoon at that moment. It was rather adorable to watch. And it gave Trixie time to think of ways in which she could actually help.

"Sure, I could always use another helping hoof, or horn in your case. We haven't had a pony who knows the ins and outs of fireworks for quite a few years now. That's a speciality of your's, isn't it? And in the meantime, I'll show you the ropes of the markets. Thistle's quite a hoof-full, so it would give me more time to care for her." That seemed quite reasonable. Admittedly running a market stall wasn't something Trixie had done before, but it couldn't be that hard.

Hard proved to be exactly what it was. Between spilling a whole potato sack across the ground, mixing up the prices of the tomatoes and carrots, and accidentally setting fire to the stall itself, even Starlight had to admit that Trixie didn't have the best organization skills. Trixie herself was rather disheartened by her inability to run a simple stall. It didn't seem that different from planning out several tricks, and pulling everything together into a performance.

"Well uh, it was a very good try. You just need to try and relax for starters." Starlight was desperate to find something that Trixie could do which wouldn't end with a singed sign, and potatoes everywhere. "How about we leave running the stall for another time. The main stage is in the park, they finished assembling it just yesterday. Everypony will be preparing their own parts for the day, just tell Stage Fright that I sent you to take care of the fireworks."

Trixie was already on her way there. Her little incident with the fire had drawn the attention of other ponies in the marketplace, and not in the good way. A few recognized her, she wasn't making a good second impression. "Just maintain your composure Trixie. This isn't too different from any other performance. The idea is to do your best, and ensure that you don't linger on any mistakes, right?"

Keeping that attitude allowed her to calm down enough to get a good look at Vanhoover itself. Like she had seen the night before, most of the town's paths were laid out in cobble. Good drainage would be very important in a town which had a high frequency of rainfall. Vanhoover itself was centred around the Main Hall, with a decent amount of space between it and the businesses. The markets were positioned in that space, providing a very rich experience when one walked around in the circular path left.

The park itself was bordered on two of it's three sides by the streams running through Vanhoover towards the sea. Several willow trees on the sides on the park side of the stream all merged together like a leafy curtain. A lone brick bridge provided a path into the park itself, over which Trixie crossed. Once there, the view of the park itself was opened up. Several ponies were already setting up banners and gazebos and chairs around a clear space in front of the stage.

Stage Fright, as it became quickly obvious, was hardly shy about managing the arrangements. The tan pony with a grey mane had a megaphone harness on to project his voice across the field. "Do be careful with the food pavilion! We don't want to have a large crowd of hungry ponies now do we?" Trixie was careful to make her way around the edge of the establishment. Before finally making her way onto the stage where a few fireworks boxes were waiting, she adjusted her hat and cape to ensure nothing looked out of place.

"You there! What are you doing?" The way Stage approached had a very intimidating motion to it. Had she done something wrong simply by looking at the fireworks? "I may not be an expert in pyrotechnics, but that is hardly a reason for random ponies to take it upon themselves to begin tinkering with my attempt!" Rather than approach her directly, he got up onto a barrel in order to project his voice better, even with the megaphone still on.

Trixie was of course rather intimidated by his very up front and superior personality. It reminded her a lot of her former self. "I uh... Was sent by Starlight to organize the fireworks. They are a speciality of mine after all." She took the chance to examine his 'attempt' while explaining herself. It was alright, nothing that would go horribly wrong or be a big disappointment. Yet it still had an amateur feel.

"For starters, you have too many large shapes grouped together. What you should do is organize these shapes into their own sections, and use the smaller spheres as support instead. That way you won't have too many conflicting rockets." Stage Fright got down from the barrel at that moment. At the very least, he seemed intrigued by her suggestion. How he was taking it however was difficult to tell.

"You know, I can't quite believe I didn't consider that myself. And Starlight did send you, as you say." He hummed in the moment of silence to think. "Very well, you seem to have a firm grasp on fireworks. I was hoping to revive the display this year, rather good fortune that you have arrived. By the way, you are Miss Trixie, aren't you?" Trixie had already set about the task of rearranging the fireworks nearest her.

"Yes, it's Trixie. Now I just need a little bit of time to work this out." To avoid any accidental launches, she had resorted to pulling the rockets out manually. The last shaped one scraped on the edge by accident as she pulled it free. While the resulting spark was small, it did manage to set the fuse line alight. "Ohh no!" It had spread to too many of the rockets to stop now. She needed a plan very quickly. "Uh, how about a demonstration of what I have in mind?"

Trixie used the few remaining seconds to push the box out into the clear. Stage Fright was about to inquire about her behaviour when the rockets began to fire up. Red, green, blue and yellow balls began to flare around the outline of a pine tree. Rather appropriate, and it definitely impressed Stage Fright.

"Well, that certainly was far better than I could have possibly expected! Would you be able to plan out a full show in time? I am quite sure that it will be a huge success." Trixie chuckled nervously to herself. A huge success. For a moment, she wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to be a huge success. It seemed like a throwback to her past that she didn't want. But at the same time, she couldn't disappoint the town by not providing fireworks.

She had to make the decision, and quickly. "Well, I really don't know if it would be that great. I just want to make a contribution to something that is important to the whole town." Other ponies had begun to approach the stage at that point, all from the park itself. Stage Fright obviously wasn't the only pony to have taken notice of her 'accidental' display. A pegasus with a vacuum cleaner mark got up to meet her personally.

"Hey, aren't you Trixie the Magician? That was a really great display just now, it's been so long since we've had real fireworks like that. Are there going to be more?" Trixie glanced at the floor again. Maybe this was the chance she had been looking for. To show her skills without making herself the centre of attention. It took a few moments for her to work out a proper response.

"Just Trixie is fine. I'm only here to try and bring back the fireworks to this wonderful celebration. Nothing to get overly excited about, right?"

3. Celebrations

The night was alive with singing. A huge variety of food created a rich aroma through the crowd. Vanhoover's theatrical group was recounting the founding of their town on the main stage. Fleethoof was pulling cart after cart of young ponies around the park while Starlight told them a variety of stories about the constellations. And Hoover, the pegasus with the vacuum cleaner mark, had taken to assisting Blaze Dancer with his spectacular ability in juggling fire sticks and other flaming items.

Trixie was busy making final adjustments to the fireworks display during all of that. Vanhoover really did know how to throw a celebration that entertained everypony. And she would be a part of that. She had only been there a week, and already other ponies greeted her with a smile and a wave. Such a turn around from before, all because she had just made a simple contribution. To Vanhoover however, it was far more than just another fun thing to watch.

"There, now all that this needs is a whole lot of hoping it doesn't blow up! And some magic of course." At last, she was able to set the final box back into place. It had taken quite a bit of fine tuning on her part, and a lot of magic dust to ensure it would be perfect. But the result would definitely live up to the town's expectations. And the best part of course was that she'd be in bed by the time it finished.

The play concluded at that moment. Another pony band would deliver the final songs of the night, then her fireworks display would conclude the celebration. She at long last had time to enjoy the festivities for herself now. And the food pavilion would be her first stop, that rich aroma too strong to resist. A little food wouldn't go amiss, especially after all those last minute adjustments she had made.

"It can't hurt to treat yourself, can it Trixie?" She was in the middle of biting a cherry tomato when her heart skipped a beat. Twilight Sparkle was there in the crowd?! The one pony that she had been thinking about for the past month was now there, right in front of her eyes. Did she go to celebrations in other towns on a regular basis? Or was this a freak coincidence that not even her good luck streak could be the cause of?

Whatever the reason, Trixie couldn't let herself be seen there in Vanhoover too. Twilight could very well inform the town of the alicorn amulet incident. And there was no telling what that would do to her improving reputation with the resident ponies. Much as she wanted to show Twilight just how much she had changed, the risk of undoing everything she had accomplished so far was too great.

"Stay calm, get the fireworks ready, and go to bed. And stop talking to yourself out loud while you're at it Trixie." Her trademark hat and cape had been left back in her room. Without those, she would be somewhat less obvious in the crowd. She still didn't feel safe enough to resume eating until the side curtains concealed her from the listening crowd entirely.

At last, with the music in the background of her eating, there was time to think properly. Maybe she had just overreacted, Twilight wouldn't bring up an incident like that without reason surely. She was too nice to do a horrible thing like that. Then again, would she even care if Trixie had found a new home? It wasn't Ponyville after all. And it certainly wasn't anywhere that would be of daily concern to her.

The band concluded their performance sooner than she had expected. But the kebab could wait, all she had to do now was set the fireworks off. And at long last she would be able to return to bed. Stage Fright was making his way onto the main stage when he paused to speak with her. "I hope you don't mind sticking around after the fireworks Trixie. The town wants to give you a proper welcome." In one go, her plans for the night had been changed completely.

"Sure, I'll stick around..." Perhaps she might as well visit Twilight in the meantime. At least that way the surprise wouldn't be when she went up on stage in front of everypony. But for now, she had a very simple task to perform. Lighting up the display only required a simple touch of her horn to the fuse. A very humble beginning to a dazzling display.

The original plan for taking her leave of the celebration was to use the darkness outside the circle of tents to sneak away unseen. Now that cloak of darkness concealed her approach towards Twilight Sparkle. She was at the back of the crowd, an open book lying in front of her How typical. Even during a night of celebration, she couldn't draw herself away from books.

"Starlight is a lot like you." Twilight hadn't expected that anypony would pay much attention to her, let alone walk over and begin a conversation. But she couldn't have ever imagined that it would be Trixie who would do that. "The name for one thing, and her voice for another. Third night I was here, she showed me a look out in the mountains where you can see the crystal aurora. And, she cares about everypony she knows. She's always willing to forgive."

There was a certain undertone to what she was saying. Twilight eventually caught on. "Trixie, you had no way of knowing what the alicorn amulet would make you do. If you're looking for forgiveness, you had that before you even left Ponyville. Don't you have a home to go back to?" She bit onto her tongue as s. She had two homes. One in Ponyville, with Spike and her friends, the other in Canterlot with her parents. The parents who provided for her studies, and enrolled her in the best school. But would a pony who had all that make the decisions Trixie had?

Trixie was relieved that her worries were indeed pointless. Of course Twilight wouldn't be spiteful enough to ruin her reputation, how could anypony think that? But then, she was reminded of home. If she could even consider it one any more. Would a pony who had a family that actually wanted her around be travelling around Equestria, performing magic acts for a living?

"I don't need a home to go back to. I've changed, and Vanhoover accepts me for who I want to be. I'm not the Great and Powerful Trixie anymore." She may have been too quick to assume that Twilight had spoken out of place, but that didn't matter. Twilight now knew that she was around, that was all she had intended to inform her of. Trixie had a new life to fulfil, not an old one to feel sorry over. "I doubt I'll see you around, but in case we do... Thanks for at least giving me a chance. I have a welcoming ceremony to attend now."

It felt easier to leave at that moment, given she hadn't actually sat down. She had been polite, and explained her position. Could anypony ask more of Trixie? The answer seemed clear as she made her way back to the stage, where a few of the more important ponies had gathered. If welcoming a new resident to their town was a tradition, then she was very lucky to be part of that.

The infamous Vanhoover rainfall decided to make it's appearance right before the start of the welcome. In the scramble to pack up, she had negotiated that they save it for a clearer day. At least then she wouldn't be up on stage in front of Twilight. How lame would that insistence on having changed look if she still had everypony watching her like that?

"But why do I have to prove to her that I've changed?" Starlight entered her room with a look of concern. Obviously her question to the universe hadn't been as private as she would have liked. Still, her friend must have noticed something had happened. There hadn't been any attempt to conceal her conversation with Twilight, and outside the gathering they probably stood out.

"I couldn't help but notice that you were conversing with another stranger. Is she an old friend?" There was a long silence. Trixie didn't know anymore. Was Twilight ever really a friend? Sure, she went to great lengths in order to free her from the alicorn amulet's influence. But that was more to save Ponyville than her. It was commendable. But the hard truth of the matter was that Trixie wasn't as important to the unicorn named Twilight Sparkle, as her actual friends were.

"No. Just somepony I met a few years ago. I don't think I'll be seeing her again, really. Nothing important..."

7. The Failure of a Unicorn

4. Northern Travels

The group of eight ponies had only been on the ascent for an hour, and already the view was breathtaking. Vanhoover stood proudly on the right, the rest of Equestria laid out in front of them until it faded into the haze. Acres of green fields and lush forests beyond the river. On their side, pine trees and blue-green grass lined the landscape. And above, the snow-capped peaks of the Frozen North's border awaited.

This was a moment Trixie had been looking forward to for a while now. A chance to get to know other residents of Vanhoover, and see the full scope of her new home from the mountainside. Wind up there was stronger, fresher from the cold lands further on. It bore an icy chill of refreshment that left her both shivering and deeply inhaling. Northern air felt nice, not quite the same as the calmer, warm air of down south.

Fleethoof was leading this hike. His storm blue-grey coat stood out proudly against the rich blue sky. For an earth pony, he really made quite the heroic figure. And a very humble one at that. One could only admire how a heritage of proud pegasi and northern ponies cumulated into the figure before Trixie. But the admiration didn't go on much further for her. There was a certain level she didn't feel comfortable going beyond, not yet at least.

"There's a good spot to stop about ten minutes further on. The cave looks has views just like this, and it's sheltered from the wind." Everypony in the group perked up at the prospect of a break. Everypony had a saddlebag of food, except for Art Easel. Both saddlebags were crammed with art supplies and brushes. Nopony could blame her for wanting to capture the amazing views on canvas.

The ground beneath Trixie's hooves had been worn down into a reasonable track by the many hikers in Vanhoover's history. Early ponies of the town had used the crystal chunks found throughout the northern mountain range for tools. Now, what remained served as collectibles for foals who went on the larger hikes. This was a smaller occasion.

Snowflakes began to enter the wind blowing at them when they reached the inlet Fleethoof had mentioned. For the most part, they only caused a brief stinging sensation on exposed skin. The warm weather had deterred winter clothing initially. "Alright, let's set up camp. We'll be up at the peak just after noon at this pace." The sky's colour had barely any traces of red left from the sunrise at that point.

Trixie pulled together some pine branches and needles for a fire. Lighting it without magic would be near impossible, even in their shelter from the wind. An odd vacuum formed right beneath the overhang, which sucked any life out of her kindling. "I don't suppose any of you know a 'clear weather' spell?" Launching magic fireworks at the pile seemed rather drastic under any circumstance.

The wind did settle down for a bit at that moment. Enough at least for her to get the fire going before it picked up again. Soon the group had a nice blaze to warm up beside. Trixie moved to a spot above the alcove to sit by herself. There was still a level of awkwardness between her and the other ponies. Twilight's visit had her unsettled, despite how hard she tried to conceal it.

"You look preoccupied Trixie. Not unlike the first night, only ice falls instead of water." Fleethoof maintained a respectful expression as he stood between her and the oncoming wind. Such a humble, yet mystical pony. Coloured like a pegasus, enchanting like a unicorn, strong like an earth pony. An embodiment of such admirable traits. More importantly, he was always concerned for her well-being.

Trixie was lost in her admiration for some time before she realized a statement had been made, one that implied an answer. "I'm uh, thinking. Being up here, it makes me want to consider what I am doing in life." Family was one of many things she had come to consider. Twilight had brought up the issue, after years of leaving it buried to fade away altogether. Her entire life had been spent serving her own interests; family meant nothing for all that time.

"Twilight has done many things to serve Equestria. But she lacks something that you have. The determination to change, to become something better than what she was. You need not compare yourself to her." Trixie hadn't expected advice like that at all. Not that many in Vanhoover recognized Twilight Sparkle at a glance, yet Fleethoof seemed to know a lot about her.

The wind picked up again, enough to push Fleethoof off balance. His stumble brought him rather close to Trixie. She instinctively lifted a hoof up to keep him steady. For a moment, the contact brought warmth to both. "Uh, perhaps we should move back into shelter for now. But thank you for your kind words. I feel a bit better already." She withdrew her hoof to stand up. Nopony had noticed their brief moment of contact, much to her relief.

Green Tail made his way up from the group towards them. "Art, Stone, and Swift want to stay down here for the painting. The rest are ready to continue on." Fleethoof nodded on his way back down to retrieve his bags. Trixie took another glance up the mountain. Ice capped the peak in a sharp point, carved by the biting winds and stinging snow. They wouldn't be going for that height; a tiny plateau below the top was their target.

"Alright. Let's continue on then." Trixie retrieved her bags and joined the four other ponies when they continued up the mountain trail. The snow whipping in her face turned to harder ice. A simple melting spell kept her eyes safe from harm; the rest couldn't be said for her right side. Her ears started to sting from the painful whistle around her horn. Fleethoof and the others were unfazed.

A loud crack from below echoed through the mountains. Trixie immediately looked out over the side without thinking. Part of the face below them had begun to fall away in large chunks. "Fleethoof! It's falling apart!" The path between her and the other ponies crumbled into a hail of rocks, forming a chasm that continued to expand at an alarming rate.

They wouldn't make it to safety before the decay carried them down the mountain. Neither would she, but for once she couldn't care less about her own well-being. "I hope this works." She concentrated her magic onto the path Fleethoof was escaping on. The spell wouldn't hold it together for long, but they only needed a few more seconds advantage to stay ahead of the crumbling mountain.

A rush of tails was the last she saw of them before she found herself tumbling down the dark blue rock face. Stinging ice on the wind felt like nothing compared to the scratches and cuts brought on by sharp bits of flint and rock. Something hard smacked her horn during the descent. Her saddlebags caught on an outcropping of rock, adding food and the rest of her supplies to the tumble.

Water broke her fall. Ice cold water, freshly melted from the mountains she had fallen from. Trixie pulled herself free from the chilling river onto cold, blue green grass. Rocks continued to rain down on the opposite side of the slushy water. Echoes of her name ran through the freezing valley, Fleethoof had made it to safety. That was more important than anything else. Now, she merely needed to keep warm until the winds died down so the pegasi could come get her...

8. Departing Vanhoover

5. Valley Life

It was a situation that really made Trixie wish she had taken the time to study maps of Vanhoover in depth. She could be in any number of valleys in the southernmost reaches of the Crystal Mountains. And without a direction to head in, the best she could do was wait until she saw the rescue party. A magical flare would help pinpoint her position, if she could preserve enough magic to fire one of course.

She needed to stay warm throughout all of that. That meant finding a cave, and preferably something to keep herself off the cold floor. Magic only lasted so long in constant use before a unicorn needed to rest. She had good talent, but not even the highest-level unicorns wouldn't last more than a few days in the sort of weather she was facing. Freezing was a very real and scary possibility.

"Come on, you can handle this Trixie. Fleethoof would say as much, and things could be a lot worse. At least there's trees." The notion that lightning would strike all of the trees, reducing them to charred splinters came up. It seemed like the exact sort of jinx that would happen in Equestria. "That or they all catch fire and burn down. Under a thick blanket of snow too."

Following the river seemed like the best option. She would have access to the ice, undoubtedly a lot cleaner than the river itself. It wasn't far enough upstream to avoid the mess that built up from the surface freezing over. And caves would be more common where water flowed. A few basic things she remembered from school. Yet, it always seemed to be the little things that became important in a bad situation.

Another important thing she recalled was to make the best of the situation, to never lose hope. Each time her hoof crunched down through the thick snow, her eyes would move to another feature of the valley. Hazy blue mountains, with ice cut ribbons of stone running down into more mounds of snow. The dark aquamarine of the trees that poked from under the white blanket. The closest she could see bore tiny frozen raindrops on each needle. Above, the twisted sky continued to pour down snowflakes onto the rushing of the wind.

A cave opened up in front of her from the crunchy blanket surrounding her. More of a tiny hollow, but Trixie wasn't giving into pessimism just yet. It provided decent shelter from the wind and snow, and she could easily build a makeshift wall to keep the warmth in. First, she made sure to arrange a few large branches into a marker outside, so that anypony searching could easily find her.

The first hour was cold. Closing up the hollow took a lot of tedious work with the snow on such a steep slope. Not even half of the opening was covered in that time, but it did make enough of a difference for her to be satisfied. Snow no longer surrounded her hooves, and there was a place to keep them where the cold air did not draw more heat away.

As each hour passed, another part of the wall was formed. A small entrance to the side she left open as a precaution. It took almost all of the day to do so, but she had sealed up the hollow. A few branches stuffed in the opening provided extra protection without sealing her in. Inside, the little light remaining was a washed out grey. But the cold no longer hurt, merely caused discomfort. "Alright Trixie, that wasn't so bad. Just gotta stay warm, and get some sleep."

Cold stone wasn't her idea of a camping bed. A far cry from the comfort of her bed in Starlight's home, and even a thin layer of foam covered in material sounded wonderful in comparison. She didn't make any verbal complaint. Throughout the night, her horn glowed very softly, enough to keep the warmth. By tomorrow, pegasi could hopefully patrol the skies again. And she could work on finding a better shelter, one that would allow her room for a fire.

Snow fell away when she pushed the twisted branches out. Her marker outside looked somewhat shorter than the morning before, quite a bit of snow had fallen during the afternoon and night. "Well, great. If I don't freeze to death, I may end up buried in a tomb I made to keep warm." Not for the first time, she pictured Vanhoover and concentrated her magic.

Teleportation was a rather difficult spell to begin with, let alone master to the level Twilight had. Her last unsuccessful attempt had been before acquiring the power and knowledge of the alicorn amulet, the latter of which she retained most of. That attempt had failed without as much as a tingling sensation. And now, she felt a severe lack of confidence that she could perform the spell without the amulet's power.

"Come on." The wind picked up again, fighting against the building magic in her horn. In her mind, she focused on Starlight's theory of Equestrian magic. How each unicorn had a certain reserve of magic to call upon, and a certain rate at which that magic would replenish. Powerful unicorns could perform spells beyond their abilities by opening up to Equestria's raw magic pool. What frustrated her most was the fact that she knew exactly how to do that. Only she couldn't, limited by her own lack of training in such a procedure.

Her horn fizzled out again under the biting cold wind. That itself died away very soon after. "Great, so instead of teleporting myself out, I'm just making myself a magnet for cold weather." She still retained a good portion of her magic from the attempt. The risk of losing much more than that prevented her from trying until she had shelter. That, and the fact that her saddlebags were probably somewhere in the river below Cloudsdale at that moment.

"Trixie!" Something came down the slope she had fallen at great speed. Dark blue, with flashes of a stern green. The object stopped short of falling into the river, lying in a muddle on the frosty grass. Fleethoof. Only this time he was burdened with two travelling packs, notably sleeping rolls. He was quick to recover his balance. "We found your saddlebags in the river, and feared the worst."

Trixie ran to the other side of the river. "Fleethoof? Do you realize the risk you took coming down here? Just another half metre and you'd be soaking wet now." There wasn't anything he could cross the river on. And even a pony of his strength couldn't possibly jump it, especially with the supplies he was carrying. "Alright, hold on. I might be able to freeze the ice, but it won't last long. I sure hope that you've got a tent in there."

Her other attempt had a good chance of sapping most of her magic away anyway. Using it instead to help a close friend seemed only appropriate. "Okay, get ready to jump. I don't suppose you've got a bit of pegasus magic buried underneath all that baggage?" Her magic struck a small portion of the river, freezing it into a tedious platform. Fleethoof jumped with little hesitation as it flowed past.

The following seconds caused Trixie's heart to knot up. It tilted forward to a very dangerous angle, causing water to lap his hooves. Then it rocked back, letting the cords on his saddlebags dip into the river. As it leaned forward again, he leapt. By instinct, Trixie moved to catch him. Instead, she ended up softening his fall, rather redundant given the thickness of the snow that broke the fall for both of them.

Fleethoof looked down at her only momentarily before getting up again. "Sorry about that. I'm accustomed to making long trips, not short jumps. Are you hurt?" Trixie shook her head with a smile. She wouldn't admit it of course, but she admired his ever-so-selfless concern for her wellbeing over his own. Such a trait she just didn't see in other ponies as often as him.

"I'm freezing to be honest, but catching you did warm me up a bit. Come, I have a makeshift shelter that should keep us warm in turns." It was small enough already while she was in there. Fleethoof would have less room still, and the discomfort over becoming that close with him remained. The mutual friendship and trust they already had was a balance she didn't want to change. Not yet at least.

The walk there was relatively silent. Neither pony felt a need to speak, and talks of that nature seemed to feel better when in the presence of a warm fire. "Impressive. I would never have guessed that a nomadic magician could handle herself so well in a desperate situation." That caused her pale blue cheeks to take on a tinge of pink. He didn't notice to her relief, occupied with unpacking some of the supplies.

A couple of sleeping bags and foam rolls came first. Those she had wanted the most, sleeping on freezing stone had been difficult at best. Warm clothes she didn't hesitate to put on. Just feeling the warm, cuddly lining cover her was comfort enough. He put his on soon after. "Good idea, there was a lot of sharp stones and flint on that hillside." More camping supplies followed; eventually she couldn't help but notice that only one tent was packed.

By the way he fumbled to open the roll, it was pretty clear he had noticed her questioning mood. "Uh, two proved to be a bit more than I could handle. I'll take the hollow if it makes you more comfortable." She shook her head and stepped closer. Her confidence had returned once four boots were covering her hooves from the biting cold.

"I trust you, Fleethoof. And I certainly couldn't ask you to spend the night in a cave. We're two mature and perfectly responsible ponies. We can share a tent as such. Agreed?" She began clearing snow away to make an area for the tent. Lower down, it became hard for her magic to simply lift the slush away. Most of it had been refrozen into chunks of brittle ice. Below, what remained of the grass drowned in mud. "On second thought, I think that there's a wide overhang in the other direction. It wasn't suitable for shelter, but might be for a tent."

There was no objection from Fleethoof as he picked up the items once more. "You certainly have a firm hoof on the situation. I shall try to restrain my admiration in that case." As they approached the noted overhang, Trixie stopped him again. This time it was with her hoof, and not in the forceful fashion. "Is something wrong? We can tie the ropes to rocks; there are certainly plenty of suitable weight."

The outstretched hoof moved to his lips. He entered silence appropriately; unsure of whether he was quite comfortable with what Trixie was probably going to say. "I didn't say anything that meant we would necessarily have to avoid each other, did I? Try not to be so solemn for once. I know for a fact that this sort of situation, some would find very appealing." She leaned forward so their foreheads touched briefly. "Now that you're here, I certainly do."

9. Bumpy Landing

6. Dinner for Two

Feeding Thistle was by far the hardest task for Trixie. Her sporadic and very limited unicorn powers weren't the problem in this case, more her firmly closed mouth. "Come on, I may not be the best cook, but I do know how to take a spoon of foal food and feed one." A mess of purple spikes covered the filly's eyes when she shook her head again. Trixie gave up in frustration. "Thistle, mommy has been busy lately. You need to eat, otherwise there's trouble for both of us."

The front door opened. Starlight was back from Fillydelphia with several bags of food on her back. "Don't worry yourself Trixie; I'll take care of her. You've got plans for tonight after all." Thistle's mood improved rather drastically when her mother entered the room. In the first few weeks of her stay, it had caused a tinge of resentment in Trixie. Now it no longer bothered her.

"I don't make a very good aunt, do I? Then again, Thistle has the perfect mother. It's a very high standard to live up to; I don't think I could even get close." Starlight smiled in such a way that suggested Trixie was being too kind. She herself was having doubts if it would even come to that. "Anyway, you're right. I'd better get ready, wouldn't want to keep Fleethoof waiting." Thoughts like that were probably a good sign that she was putting serious thought into her life for once.

She made her way up the stairs to her room. It was dark in the hallway for once, her fault really. Thistle had taken up her whole attention for the day, especially when running the stall at the same time. A small flare of her magic relit the candles that never melted away. Her home of a few months now. She had reached the point where it was difficult to imagine living anywhere else. Vanhoover had accepted her in as one of them.

Ever since the mountain climbing accident that had left her stranded in a cold valley for a full day alone, it had become hard to ignore the extra attention that Fleethoof gave her. Not in the uncomfortable way of course. Even before then, he had spent a lot of time in helping her to integrate with the town. Now it was pretty clear that he was spending time with her for more, personal reasons. At least that was what she assumed.

The room she slept in had gone from a dusty, unused spare bedroom to something that really felt like somepony appreciated it. Her hat and cape sat proudly on the dresser beside her mane brush. They served as both a reminder of what she was, and what she could do better this time around. Of course, she hadn't expected that it would lead to a potential special somepony. It was actually really funny. Trixie, with a special somepony in a town where everypony was super friendly.

Below, she could hear Starlight tending to Thistle. Bonds like that were so unfamiliar to her before coming to stay in Vanhoover. "Who knows, I could end up going to her for advice a few years down the road." Brushing her mane to the rising moon out the window added to the mysterious charm of the town. It was so unified, and nothing really big ever happened there. The ideal place for settling down, her sort of place after years of travelling.

It was a clear night, each of the constellations shined brightly over the north. Over the Crystal Mountains, ribbons of colour danced. Candlelit homes bordered her way to the open-air restaurant. For a moment, it all felt too picturesque. Everything was so surreal and perfect. Did ponies like her deserve such ideal settings? After all that had happened, it still felt too good. Sure, Twilight would be used to such settings, being one of Canterlot's prized ponies. But Trixie?

Her destination was set towards the summit of a hill east of the town. There, the restaurant overlooked the town and the deep blue sea as it caught the bright moonlight. Ponies from Tall Tale, and even Cloudsdale were regular visitors there. Better still, it was one of the more relaxed establishments. There was no silly expectation for formal attire, just a level of reasonable neatness. These days she always kept herself very clean and proper.

"Excuse me Miss, might I take you to dinner?" Fleethoof's approach wasn't exactly silent, but Trixie pretended that it was anyway. It was rather adorable to watch him take her hoof lightly. The small black bowtie that he wore looked a bit out of place against his stormy coat, but otherwise he too had taken time to present himself really well. "I hear the chef has a lovely rose roast for tonight's special. Does that suit your tastes?"

It earned a giggle. Trixie couldn't control herself at that moment. His flair for being so likeable made the perfect contrast to her old personality. She began walking with him up towards the warmly lit entrance of the restaurant. "Well, you know me just as much as anypony. My tastes vary, but how can I turn down such a polite offer?" Her tail brushed against his briefly. To her, it wasn't even a gesture. But it still earned a friendly nudge from her companion.

The establishment had been designed to resemble a cluster of trees, a bit more temperate than what was commonly found in Vanhoover. It added to the sense of being in a different part of Equestria, without detaching from the north itself. Starlight had compared it to her visit to the Hollow Shades. That was one of the few places Trixie hadn't seen for herself, but she could definitely feel the mystical atmosphere upon entering the building.

To the east side, a pegasi band played soft, relaxing music that flowed all the way through to the western balcony. One of the waiters approached the pair as Trixie took a few moments to admire the sheer effort that had gone into crafting the room. "Madam, I will be your waiter this evening. Please, your table is this way." She glanced at Fleethoof who merely shrugged and followed the waiter with her. Their table was set on a platform that extended from the balcony, a good distance from the others. He had to have made the reservation far in advance.

From there, the whole landscape was visible. A breathtaking site, and far more enjoyable now that she wasn't in an area where the ground had a habit of falling away. Even when glancing through the menu, her eyes kept returning to the sight. Night had just as much charm as the day, if not more so. Then her eyes returned to the pony sitting across from her. The pony who had stopped on a rainy day to rescue a pony from falling into the pit of her own despair. The very same who had risked his life to ensure her safety in dire circumstances.

"I simply wanted you to have a really nice night, there's no need to stare at me as if I'm some sort of Canterlot royalty." She held his hoof across the table. Fleethoof was far from royalty in every good meaning of the phrase. Humility was just one of many words that came to mind. Until then, she hadn't ever really contemplated what her life would be like when she wasn't the only one living it. Having somepony else there to be with her would change virtually everything.

"You've given me far more than a nice night Fleet. You've given me the opportunity to turn my life around completely." She glanced at some of the other ponies on the balcony. All were preoccupied with their own conversations to notice them. "I realize we haven't known each other that long, and I'm willing to take things at a comfortable pace because of that. But it's about time that I start doing things to help you too. Like this for example."

She leaned right across the table to bring her lips to his. Unexpected as it was, he only flinched momentarily before settling into the kiss.

10. Fighting Fire with Fire

7. The Failure of a Unicorn

"Morning Mr Lumber. How's the new plantation holding up?" Trixie immediately set about pulling together his usual order. Jack Lumber was the head pony of the pine business in Vanhoover. Thus, he often prepared food for the other timber gathering ponies. And as a result, they had become quite good friends during their regular transactions. Today was salad day for the yard, which for Trixie meant a rather easier order to fill than most other days.

"Very well. The beavers did an excellent job with the dam. Next downpour won't drown out the saplings for sure. Good thing too, because the main plantation is up for harvesting in a few days. Wouldn't be much time to take care of the others." Beavers, Trixie recalled them well. Not exactly the most polite of Equestrian residents, but they certainly were resourceful. And a good group to have in Vanhoover, a dam could prove crucial in the event of a flood.

"I'm glad to hear that. Here you go." The appropriate amount of bits tumbled onto the counter as the bags containing Jack's order floated down into his saddlebags. "I hope that the salad goes well. Have a good day!" Jack nodded to her in thanks before heading off. It gave Trixie a moment to look around the marketplace. This time of the week was typically quiet, A majority of ponies would be at their jobs for the end of the working cycle.

Her break would be coming up in a few minutes. Of course, given how quiet the market was, it didn't seem like anypony would notice if she slipped away a little earlier than that. "I don't think they'll mind, really." It was decided then. Trixie casually pulled out the appropriate sign for her coffee break from underneath the counter. A pair of hooks was set into the top of the stall so it could hang down, thus becoming very visible to anypony walking by. And that was that, she could now grab a bite to eat.

"Oh Trixie, you are quite clever when you need to be." She took the first steps towards the coffee shop right across the open plaza. The smell of freshly baked pastries, delicious desserts and of course aromatic coffees was enticing. Within moments, she found herself trotting, as opposed to merely walking. Yet, at that moment it didn't feel quite right to her. Something was stirring in her mind. Everything suddenly felt very still, too still for any time of day. The sensation came down to something like Equestria itself holding it's breath. Had she done something wrong by taking her break a few minutes earlier than usual? Even then, did it really warrant the very world around her slowing down to a stop?

What is going on... The answer was quick to arrive. A bright green fireball exploded outward right in front of her, throwing her clear into a stall of oranges. Much to her surprise, that turned out to be something which saved her life. As the inferno of green dissipated, a large plant was left in it's place. It rivaled a small house for size, but the sudden arrival of such a plant was not the reason at all that ponies began to panic. This plant had a mass of vines, and two long, thick tendrils. Shivers ran down Trixie's spine as a deep, dark chasm opened up in the middle of it. Three guesses wouldn't be necessary as to what it was. A mouth.

"Trixie!" Starlight half tackled her with use of her magic in a charge from the right side. Both rolled clear as the orange cart was torn to shreds by the two tendrils. Trixie guessed that they were searching for the presence of a pony in the wreckage. Her. "Get up you silly filly! Run!" Starlight was back on her hooves and running for safety by then. Trixie took a bit longer to get up, but was soon able to follow to the shelter of a nearby wall.

"What is that thing!?" One of the tendrils smashed the corner of the building wall clean off to her horror. A very fine line remained between her foreleg and the grasp of the tendril in that shocking moment. Was it after her in particular, or just anypony nearby? In the tense moment that followed, she hoped with all her will that it was the former. At least then it would suggest intelligence, and not just a ravishing hunger for ponies.

Either way, she couldn't stand by and let it wreak havoc on Vanhoover. It was her home, the residents were her friends. Starlight was the closest she had to family. And Thistle. She hadn't seen the little filly with her mother... "Starlight, you need to get Thistle to safety. I'll distract it with my magic. And please don't argue, you two are far more important than I am." There was no point in waiting for a response. The path she needed to take was clear.

As she prepared to lead an attack, hesitation locked her body into a frozen state. She was potentially putting her life on the line for another pony, who she had only known a few months. Despite what she had said about not being important, there was still a hint of self concern. I might not make it out of this alive... As it passed, she leaped from her cover right into the open plaza.

"Come and fight me you monster!" A volley of fireworks launched right from her horn at the main body of the plant. Each impact was met with a shuddering roar of fury. The most likely case was that she had only upset it, but the effect was what she wanted. Now the focus had been turned to her alone. Starlight would have a chance to get her daughter and run to safety. That was all that mattered at that moment.

The battle itself was quickly devolving into a matter of dodging the tendrils, and shooting back fireworks whenever she could get a clear shot at the beast's mouth. In the midst of that, a single memory began to pierce the very centre of her being. The Ursa Minor... How different was that battle from this one? All she was really doing now was throwing party tricks at the monster, no better than her previous encounter. You didn't have a pony and her foal to protect back then...

"Look out!" The memory had distracted her enough to conceal the crumbling of a chimney stack right above her. Had Starlight not warned her from the doorway of her home at that moment, Trixie would have been knocked unconscious by the collapse. As Trixie moved to avoid the impact, one of the tendrils closed in around her leg. The falling chimney was a mere distraction to ensnare her. And she wasn't the only pony that the beast had caught.

All seemed lost in that moment, until her body went into turmoil. A hard kick to the base of the tendril caused it to recoil violently. Now Trixie was hurtling through the air in a wild spin. Gravity became meaningless as she stopped moving upward, and started to twirl back down out of control. She barely felt the impact, it was the after effects that had overwhelmed her. Too disorientated to see anything but the fluid tumble in her eyes. Too incoherent to speak as Fleethoof began to drag her to safety. He had been the one who delivered that life saving kick at the key moment.

"I gotcha. Just hold on and you'll be fine. I promi-" Trixie attributed his sudden cut off to temporary loss of hearing. By then her eyes had begun to settle enough for vague vision. But she hadn't gone deaf, there were still screams in her ears. Instead, she watched as the blue grey stallion was thrown into the gaping maw of the plant monster. It had grabbed him instead of her. It hadn't been after her in particular then, she was just one of the closest ponies...

"Fleethoof... No, Fleethoof!" Deep within her, the urge to stand began to burn furiously, in defiance of the enormous struggle against gravity it entailed. Each movement of her head caused her vision to swing, beating her down. And still she continued to raise herself off the ground with sheer determination. Trixie couldn't see much, nor did she need to. Fleethoof couldn't take the fall after saving her. Not like that. Not to a big plant that ate ponies.

There was a stinging pain in her eyes as they continued to clear. For a moment, she was grateful of being able to see more colours. Bitterness over what she did see soon overwhelmed that gratitude. Had she remained blind, the sight of the plant beast vanishing in a column of green fire wouldn't be burned into her memory. What remained came down to a darkened patch on the cobble plaza, and some dead leaves scattered about. Several buildings had been damaged, a few ponies had been hurt. Trixie was oblivious to all of that. Fleethoof was gone. The one pony who had stopped to help when she was on the side of the road, instead of continuing on his way. The hard working earth pony of the Saddles family. Gone.

Trixie collapsed out of exhaustion. It had happened again. She couldn't defeat the monster threatening the town by herself. Only this time, Twilight Sparkle wasn't there to handle the situation. This fight was up to her to win, and she had failed. Not only had her pride taken a catastrophic blow, ponies had been lost as a result. It was her fault. She hadn't changed one bit from her old self. She was still Trixie, the arrogant and stupid unicorn...

4. Northern Travels

8. Departing Vanhoover

Tall Timber. Snow Peak. Icicle Pop. Cindy Spruce. Mud Tail. Fleethoof. Six ponies unaccounted for at the emergency meeting. Six ponies who would probably never be seen again. Six ponies that had been the subject of a month long search. Those six ponies who came to Trixie every night. Not to berate or insult the one who had failed them, but merely to ask the simplest of questions. Why couldn't you save us?

Trixie had been spending each night of the last three weeks in a tent. The search for the plant which had taken their friends had spread from the borders of the Frozen North, to Smokey Mountain in the south. Even to the very last day, she clung onto the distant hope that a single shred of evidence as to their whereabouts would turn up. But it never did.

"Trixie, what are you doing?" Starlight found herself watching from the doorway as Trixie packed the few items she had into her saddlebags. She had only been back a few days, and that was due to sickness contracted by many of the ponies, including her. Now it seemed very likely that she was planning to leave, without even giving herself time to recover fully.

"Trixie... Is going to Canterlot." The first words that Starlight had heard from her friend in three days. And that was it. She planned to go to Canterlot. After how hard she had worked to make herself a part of Vanhoover, and especially so soon after the terrible incident, she was just going to leave. It didn't seem like Trixie at all to give up so easily.

"Look dear. I know that it's been hard. But I think Fleethoof would have taken it even harder if you were the one lost. He is a very strong pony, both in body and mind. I'm sure he'll find a way to come home. You need to have faith." Trixie snorted as her prized hat settled into place. This wasn't about redeeming herself, or trying to get over her guilt.

"Trixie isn't leaving because of what happened. She is leaving because of what might happen. She has been unable to save her friends twice now, that must change." The fact that she had suddenly begun referring to herself in the third person didn't seem right at all. Starlight could only move closer. There wasn't anything deeper than a close friendship between them, at least that they had decided on, but Trixie had been so caring of Thistle. It was hard to imagine going back to life without her friend.

The saddlebags were filled by then. Trixie seemed hesitant to get going however, staring down at her bed. "Trixie, listen. This wasn't an isolated incident either. Canterlot was attacked by an enormous one on the very same day. They found a small one in Ponyville, which already was almost impossible to defeat. And Manehatten, Fillydelphia, Los Pegasus, even Appleloosa have all had similar attacks. What you did that day saved Vanhoover from what could have been a far worse ending. We only lost six ponies, not sixteen or sixty."

Only six? Trixie could appreciate that Starlight was trying to get her to focus on the positive outcomes. But 'only' six was unfair. Only one would still be unfair. She could have saved every single one of them. But she didn't. When things had gone sour, did she try and change her life at first? She had given up and decided to sit under a tree in the rain. And the price for her laziness had now been paid.

She had a plan for the future, but Starlight deserved better than just watching her walk away. "I... Trixie may or may not come back. But she needs to learn how to use magic properly, and not just for party tricks. Until then, Trixie cannot guarantee the safety of anypony. And that's not good enough." The last words that left her mouth had a bitterness to them. Aimed at herself.

To her own surprise, she found her hooves around Starlight in a tight hug. It had been more instinct than thought. But it provided the comfort she so desperately needed at that time of decision. Another surprise came as she felt a weight on her back. She released her hold to look around properly, only to see that her saddlebags had been placed on her back already.

"Take care of yourself Trixie. If you feel this is what you need to do, then I wouldn't be a good friend if I tried to keep you from that." Neither pony wanted to let the moment devolve into awkward silence. So instead, they made their way outside. Starlight paused in the kitchen to give Trixie a few apples for her journey, joining her as she waited at the border of the town. "Good luck in Canterlot."

Luck was exactly what Trixie needed on her way to Canterlot. Magic School wouldn't be free, and even if it were she still needed enough funds to feed herself. So, her journey to the city was occupied with a variety of simple shows, as well as the odd job in towns she travelled through to earn whatever she could. It took her two months to reach the city itself however.

Canterlot had changed since the last time she visited. Of course, that had been when she purchased the infamous alicorn amulet, on a dark and rainy day. Today was very different. Not only was it a bright day, but there seemed to be some sort of celebration going on up at the castle. It didn't concern her. What did grab her attention was the long awaited sight of the school she would hopefully be attending.

"Big wedding going on, and they're from Ponyville of all places." Trixie jumped upon hearing the voice behind her. She turned with great haste, only to jump again. It was definitely one of the head teachers of the school, possibly the headmaster himself judging from the mark. What he said alerted her to just how odd Canterlot had felt. There was a noticeable lack of activity on the streets, most would probably be at that wedding.

"Oh, Trixie's apologies. She was not aware of any wedding, nor a meeting with one such as yourself. Trixie came to hopefully learn a few basic spells. And she has enough to cover the costs." She removed one of the money pouches from her saddlebag and presented it. The headmaster waved his hoof to her surprise. Had she misunderstood something about the payment?

"Your costs have been covered in advance. We received a letter from Vanhoover, along with the money, that informed us that you would be arriving." A range of confused expressions cycled through Trixie's face. Vanhoover... Oh Starlight, why do you have to care for everypony so much? Maybe she wouldn't have to get a job after all, which would allow for more time to study.

The sheer generosity of her close friend was still overwhelming to comprehend. "Well, Trixie had no idea that this had been done. But, if somepony else was generous enough to help cover Trixie's fee, then she'd like to put that to good use right away." Not a second concern for the wedding, beyond the fact that they were from Ponyville. Yet another sign pointing towards Twilight perhaps? Or just another painful reminder of just why she was there in Canterlot...

End of Part One.

5. Valley Life

9. Bumpy Landing

Part Two: Star Dust in the Sky.

((Resuming from Chapter 19 of Crystals Grow on Rainbows.))

"Would you consider accepting me as a special somepony? Unbelievable!" Spike would have been searching for his emergency pillow suit at that moment were it not for the stack of books between him and Twilight. News travelled fast, Trixie's arrival in Ponyville after months of hearing nothing about her was causing a stir. And now, Twilight was really flipping out over what sounded like a proposal!

"Uh, Twilight? Maybe you're overreacting this time? I mean a special somepony can just mean a very good friend, right?" Books started to fly in response. This time he took cover inside one of the shelves. Obviously his excellent and well thought out advice had been blatantly ignored by Twilight in her study induced rage. "Come on Twilight! It isn't that bad! You really should try to relax, read a book or something."

Twilight definitely wasn't in the mood to just 'read a book'. Many of the books she had out until the interruption were in fact moving back to their places. How could anypony think that she had time for... love!? And Trixie seemed perfectly fine in Vanhoover, why was she suddenly in Ponyville with the attitude of somepony who had nothing left in life? More distractions undoubtedly, she needed to focus.

"Spike! This is not the time for reading! This is the time for keeping up with study. If I don't pass this test, then everything I've worked so hard for will be meaningless! I don't need another failure to my name." Spike came close to being squashed by a very large book that occupied the entire shelf he had chosen. "And besides, Trixie? I mean really, there are plenty of royal stallions who I'm sure Princess Celestia would gladly introduce me to. When I'm done with my studies of course."

It was too much to bother with. Spike made his way back into the kitchen after having escaped the book case tomb. "Fine. But can I at least get something to eat before the whole place explodes?" With Rarity pregnant, his gem supply had been less than substantial. Neither unicorn could make the journey with him in order to find gems the easy way. Now it seemed another trip would be necessary as he tipped the last few rocks into a bowl.

Maybe Trixie can help find gems? He looked down into the bowl again. What was he thinking?! Trixie had only been back in Ponyville a few hours, and already he was getting ideas about gem hunting with her? The growl from his stomach seemed to be the source of desperation. Trixie was a unicorn, and judging from how she acted a little while before, probably would like the chance to get to know Twilight again.

He began chewing on a long shard of amethyst to get his brain going. As Twilight's closest friend, and number one assistant, he was in the position to talk to her on behalf of somepony else. Trixie would definitely be that somepony else. And in return, his gem supply would be back up to normal! "Very clever of you Spike, as usual. Now, so long as Twilight doesn't turn her into an orange, this plan should definitely work!"

All Twilight could hear was a bit of mumbling, and a lot of chewing and crunching. Typical Spike, whenever she had to deal with a terrible disaster that would affect her whole future, all he did was eat. And eat. And sleep. She sighed as the last book slid into place. Several were still lying around, but they were too important to put away just yet. Maybe Spike had the right idea about sleeping. "Just stay calm, and everything will be okay." She repeated that to herself as she slid into bed. Dash had been pretty quick to get the rain going that night, which for once she didn't mind. Anything would be a nice distraction from Trixie.

"Rainbow Dash, are you sure about this?" Trixie shied away from Applejack's tone. It didn't seem favourable towards her. "No offence Trixie, but I'm not sure if everypony in Ponyville is going to be glad to see you moving in." Rainbow Dash wasn't impressed with the response. Most of the ponies in the market didn't seem too bothered that she was around. And she hadn't seen others shutting their doors and closing their windows upon seeing Trixie.

"Come on AJ. You know all the good places in town that are available. Rarity and I will take care of the rest, including her costs. And you did a pretty good job with helping Princess Luna, why not Trixie?" Applejack flicked her tail. Dash did have a point, though Luna hadn't tried to turn Ponyville into her own little dominion. Or demanded apple sauce facials for that matter.

One look at Trixie's whimpering face pushed all of that aside however. "Okay, fine. I'll ask Big Mac to handle things tomorrow, we can go and look then. Just take care of yourselves, you hear?" It brightened up Trixie's mood to see Applejack's change of heart. Rainbow Dash was equally happy with the turn around. Rarity was right, being forgiving of Trixie like she had been forgiving of Gilda hadn't ended badly at all.

"Alright, just head over to the Carousel. I've gotta help get the rainfall ready, hope you don't mind." Trixie shook her head as she began to make her way back to Ponyville. Rain didn't bother her at all, apart from the reminder of Vanhoover it entailed. What did bother her however was the stark reaction Twilight had to her simple question. She probably could have worded it better, but did Twilight really have to yell like that?

At least unlike her first time in Vanhoover, she knew her way around the town from earlier visits in the dark. Getting to the Carousel before the rain started to fall was no challenge at all. Rarity was waiting in the kitchen for Dash to return, and thus didn't see Trixie approach until the front door opened. Her favourite mug was on the table before her. From the smell of chocolate it wasn't hard for Trixie to guess what she had been drinking.

"Thank you, Rarity. Trixie would never have been able to find a place to stay without your help. And Rainbow Dash was so nice. You really do make a lovely couple." Rarity blushed at her compliments. Such a wonderful change from before, polite and very grateful. It would be far better if Twilight weren't so occupied with her studies. But who could tell with that unicorn.

"It's no problem at all dear. Dashie and I went through quite an ordeal before our wedding, but it brought us closer than we could have expected. I think some of my generosity has rubbed off on her." Trixie smiled, gratefully sitting down as Rarity offered. It was the first smile in several months, the way Rarity talked about her love renewed hope that Twilight would at least be willing to accept her as a friend.

But something clicked in her head, disrupting all of those positive thoughts. An ordeal, before the wedding. Two ponies from Ponyville, married in Canterlot... "Wait, did that ordeal, have something to do with that giant plant which attacked Canterlot?" Things were falling into place, pointing back to Vanhoover once again. She had made her way to Ponyville in the hopes that she could start over. But everything here was reminding her of the past.

Rarity became worried when Trixie began to cringe. Celestia had mentioned that other towns had been attacked by tendriculos, now it seemed that Trixie had been in one of those towns on that day. "Oh, I didn't think that you would have been affected by the attacks. We rarely talk about it now, though if you feel you need to." And so Trixie did. Everything from the day she first met Fleethoof, to the day she left Canterlot upon hearing about the unicorn of Ponyville with child. Starlight was the only other pony who knew the whole story, at least up until that day.

There was no interruption from Rarity throughout, by the end she was utterly speechless. Her idea of what Trixie had done before coming back was nothing at all like the truth. And even after all that, she still had the courage to come back to the town least likely to accept her. "Trixie, I'm certain that you won't have to go through that again. Twilight is here, and she'll come around. You just need to give her some time."

A nudge inside made her shuffle for a moment. Her foal didn't seem to like her sitting in one place for a long time. "She's getting a little restless. You can have the spare room for now, Sweetie Belle doesn't stay overnight that often. Get some rest, I'm sure that tomorrow is going to be very different from today."

6. Dinner for Two

10. Fighting Fire with Fire

"It's uh, quite lovely actually. Trixie didn't expect something so, perfect." A modest, two storey house that was positioned near Twilight's library, without being too close for comfort. Nothing overly fancy or eye catching, and a good size to set up her new endeavour in. There was a practical joke shop in town, which while quite good, lacked the sort of tricks that unicorns could provide. Something she intended to rectify with her own shop.

"Glad to hear it. It's a bit too busy here for some ponies, but of course that's ideal for what you're going for. Well, I'll give you a moment to look around, RD should be at the agent by now." Applejack replaced her hat before vacating the spacious room. For Trixie, there was a clear advantage in that the ground floor had been used as some sort of shop before. All that remained of the business was the counter, but it was a good start.

From travelling magician to trick shop owner... Not exactly the sort of change she wanted to demonstrate, but it was something. "Trixie just hopes Twilight will give her another chance." Sitting down on the counter gave her a good view of the library through the window. All she needed was some assurance that her efforts weren't in vain, that there was actually a glimmer of hope that Twilight would change her mind.

Rarity entered with an assortment of curtain materials floating beside her. "Hello darling, Applejack said you had taken a liking to this place, so I assumed that it wouldn't be too presumptuous to begin working out some of the decorations. After all, you do want this to be a very inviting and mystical shop, no?" Trixie slid down off the counter to take a look at her selection. They were quite pretty, each had it's own style without detracting from the magical theme.

She decided on a dark purple base with stars and other magical shapes sewn into it. Pinkie Pie had a lot of fancy lights that would go with it well, and the carpet could go in when the walls were repainted. At that moment she realized just how much had changed in a day. Already, her initial idea for a magic store was taking shape. And she now had real magic spells to use, as well as her performance and trick spells.

"Thank you, Rarity. You've done so much in just a short amount of time already, Trixie may never be able to ever repay you for your generosity." Rarity giggled from across the room. That was all on top of being halfway into her pregnancy, not many ponies would be able to keep up in a similar condition. "If there's anything at all that Trixie can do, she'll be here from now on."

Spike took his turn to wander inside. "Hey Trixie, I was wondering... Since Applejack says you've found a good house and all, would you be interested in helping me find some gems? I know a place where it's easy to find them with unicorn powers, but Twilight refuses to leave her study for an afternoon." Rarity was there too, much as he would've liked the whole load to himself, it'd be rude to not consider her gem needs as well. "How about you and Rarity get a share each, and I get what's left? I'll even bring my wagon."

Collecting gems did seem like an interesting idea. She could carve some with her magic, and sell the ornaments here. And it would go towards improving her reputation with Twilight. "Uh, in a few minutes Spike. Rarity and Trixie have a few more things to discuss here. Unless of course..." There was no response from Rarity, she had become absorbed in designs for the whole room by then.

"Great! Meet me at the south bridge in half an hour then. Besides, the Diamond Dogs have moved on from that area. All those gems are free for us to take!" Spike was gone by the end of that sentence, leaving Trixie to look confused. She'd heard about the Dogs, but why would they move on without the gems they collected?

"Just a little further, I promise. There's still plenty of caves that I haven't had the chance to explore yet." What Trixie hadn't counted on was just how much heat solid rock reflected. A cooling spell for her hooves would be nice, or at least some form of hoofwear to protect from the baking ground. Spike of course didn't notice the scorching heat, the lucky dragon with his hard feet and thick scales.

"Trixie doesn't suppose there is any shade nearby? The heat is threatening to make her hooves crack." It was a slight exaggeration, but pain like that wasn't easy to ignore. At least Spike finally decided the pick up the pace. "Thank you Spike. Trixie don't mind spending hours in caves searching for gems, it's burning her hooves before they get there that she'd rather avoid."

At long last, a cave appeared not far from where they were headed. Cool, dark ground to walk on. It wasn't Spike's fault that the ground was too hot to spend a long time on, just an inconvenient time of the year to go gem hunting. The relief that washed over her hooves as they finally entered the torch lit cave was incredible. She sat down to take another look at them in case there had been any damage.

"By the way, why do you always refer to yourself in the third pony? Not that there's anything wrong with referring to yourself by name, but it's kinda, unusual. Just wondering." Trixie glanced up from the examination of her hoof, which to her relief hadn't been scalded. She wasn't quite sure herself about why she chose to speak that way.

"Trixie, isn't sure herself. It just feels, more comfortable for her." Her horn began to glow as the gem finding spell kicked in. It was a good distraction from a conversation she'd rather not have. "This seam must be quite large, I can feel the spell growing quite powerful in it's presence." Once back on her hooves, she kept the pace fast to avoid further conversation.

Spike followed with his wagon. Obviously Trixie didn't want to talk about it, and that was no problem at all. The possibility of a large seam of gems however had him very excited. At last, his unwanted diet from lovely jewels would be over! And of course Rarity would be able to resume making her dresses. "So Trixie, got anything in mind for what you wanna do with your share? Since Twilight's busy with studies, I suppose I have some free time to assist..."

His jaw dropped to the ground, not unlike Trixie's. A large seam didn't accurately describe the immense hoard right in front of them. More like a huge hidden stash left by the Diamond Dogs! And all there for the taking, an endless supply of gems. For a moment, he hesitated to get closer. But it was too good, too rich to resist diving in and gorging himself on gems.

"This is unbelievable! I've never seen so many gems since... Oh no." His mouth was half filled with rubies, Trixie had a lot of trouble working out what exactly he was trying to say. What loomed over him in a cloud of dark smoke wasn't hard to work out at all however. Of course, the Diamond Dogs wouldn't have left such a huge horde of gems without a good reason...

"Dragon! Spike, hold on!" Trixie scooped up a large portion of gems, along with Spike, before high tailing it back through the cave. "Trixie can't believe that she was so foolish! Of course a large hoard like that wouldn't be unguarded." The pile of gems dropped into the wagon as she passed it. Pulling the handle with her magic was far easier than keeping hold of so many items. Spike managed to dig his way up for air in the mess of gems.

"Trixie! We can't outrun it! Take the gems, and find the others, I'll keep it busy!" His struggle to get out of the wagon had caused most of the loot to fall out. It wouldn't matter if the dragon caught them. Already it had taken flight from another exit of the cave, preparing to attack. "Forget the gems Trixie! They'll survive a fire breathing dragon, but you won't!"

She had already let go of the wagon by then, but it was too late. The dragon landed down in front of her with an earthshaking thud that knocked her off her hooves. Once again, face to face with a beast far larger than her. Third time lucky? She had attended magic school again for a moment like this, but not against something as powerful as a dragon. Would her magic be strong enough to hold out until help arrived?

"Trixie, Spike! What did you do!?" Twilight leapt out from behind the dragon, diving to the pair before casting a shield spell. A blast of fire from the dragon followed immediately after, leaving a red hot ring in the rock around the shield's edge. "I thought you said the caves were empty Spike! What is a dragon doing here?" The shivering huddle of green and purple dragon didn't respond.

It was an opportunity for Trixie. Twilight was there too, surely both of them could drive the dragon off if they worked together. But would she go along with a plan like that? "Twilight! Trixie learned some new spells in Canterlot, real spells in case of an emergency like this. If you keep the shield going, Trixie thinks she knows a spell which should work drive away the dragon!"

Twilight glared at Trixie with a look of distrust. It seemed very likely that Trixie was up to something. But now wasn't the time for doubts about her honesty, especially with an enormous and cranky red dragon looming over them "Alright, but be quick! I can't hold this protection spell for long." The second blast of fire caused her to stumble under the strain on her magic.

This is going to hurt, but the alternative is getting roasted. With gems scattered all around her hooves, and the sun beating heavily down from behind her back, Trixie closed her eyes for the spell. "On the bleakest day, and the darkest night, let the fire return, nice and bright." The pink glow of her horn grew into a fiery beam, that fired not at the dragon, but right into the air.

"Trixie, what is that going to do?" Twilight's answer came quickly. An enormous phoenix flew overhead, far larger than the dragon which had begun to cower in fear. They were natural enemies, and this one had the sheer advantage of size. "Oh my Celestia! How in Tartarus did you summon a phoenix that big?! Even I don't know a spell like that!"

It was effective nonetheless. Within seconds, the dragon was speeding away into the far distance, pursued by the phoenix. After the great bird passed over the mountain, it wheeled back and flew towards the sun, vanishing in a ball of fire. Spike was too awestruck to notice as Twilight helped lift the weak Trixie back up. "Princess Celestia wanted everypony attending the school to learn some form of sun spell, in case another tendriculos attacked. Trixie has had a larger capacity for magic spells since she wore the alicorn amulet, but it still hurt a lot."

Nopony spoke for some time after that. Twilight was still stunned that Trixie had saved all of them at the cost of great suffering to herself. Spike had turned to picking up gems to load back into the wagon. At least with the dragon gone, he wouldn't require a unicorn to help find more gems for months. To Trixie however, it had all been worth it. Even if Twilight didn't change her mind...

"Trixie, I'm sorry I doubted you before. But I really am busy with my studies, and it just wasn't a good time for anypony to interrupt. Once they're over, I promise I'll do my best to help you fit in. Just not right now, alright?" All Trixie could manage was a gentle squeeze to the back of her neck. Her plans to work on the shop would be delayed by this, but they were all alive.