The Great and Powerful Trixie
Wind Walker sat leaning against a tree by his campfire blowing his harp. He wasn't even close to the best, but he could play with a passion, losing himself in the improvised music. He set up camp for the night on the edge of some woods not far from the road. He was about two days out of Filliesburg, with another three until he reached Manehatten. He was glad the land was so beautiful, he wouldn't have anything or anypony else to occupy him on his journey. "The Great and Powerful Trixie would like to ask to share your campfire for the night." Or maybe he would.
Wind Walker opened his eyes and saw a light blue mare hauling a cart, clothed in a moon and star covered hat and cloak. How did I not notice her coming? Gotta pay more attention while I play. "Uh, sure. Glad to have the company."
"The Great and Powerful Trixie thanks you," the mare responded. Great and powerful huh? This should be an interesting night. The cart's harness was engulfed in a blue aura and lifted itself off of Trixie. She stretched her legs, relieved of the load, and sat across the fire from Wind Walker.
Wind Walker gave a smile and resumed playing his harmonica, blowing a nice slow pleasant tune. "You are quite good...uh, but The Great and Powerful Trixie is much more...oh forget it." She slumped and wore a defeated and tired expression.
Wind Walker stopped playing and looked at the mare. He glanced at her cart and noticed it covered in graffiti. "Having some hard times Trixie?"
"Trixie has had no such thing!" She regained her composure and wore an air of arrogance. "The Great and Powerful Trixie is doing just fine."
Wind Walker eyed her with doubt and slid his harmonica into his coat sleeve. "You want to know what my favorite part of traveling is Trixie?" He tried to appear gentle and caring.
Trixie gave him a suspicious look, before she cautiously said, "Trixie supposes she would."
"Meeting other travelers on the road." He smiled at her before continuing. "I mean, I meet all sorts of ponies in cities and towns, but meeting another pony on the road in the middle of nowhere, there's something special about that. You know what I mean Trixie?"
"Trixie is...unsure that she does."
"Traveling is a unique experience," Wind Walker continued to explain. "Seeing the world, never having a true home, the hardships of the road. It's something that nopony but another traveler truly understands. When I meet another traveler, I instantly feel a connection to them. I can tell them things nopony else would truly understand, share my stories nopony else would truly appreciate, and then we part with nothing but another memory of our travels."
When Wind Walker finished talking, the two sat looking at each other. Wind Walker waited patiently for Trixie to share her story with him. She was clearly scared to open up to him, but eventually she built up her courage. "Trixie is a traveling performer. She performs amazing tricks and feats of magic that astonish ponies from far and wide!" Traveling stage magician, pretty obvious with that get up. "Or rather, she used to astonish them..."
"Something happen?" Wind Walker sat up to ensure she could see he was attentive.
"...Twilight Sparkle happened," she said with venom in her voice.
"Twilight Sparkle? You mean Princess Celestia's student?" Wind Walker had heard stories about her before.
"Yes, Trixie does. That arrogant unicorn humiliated Trixie! She drove Trixie out of a that pitiful Ponyville in shame."
"Ponyville's a long way from here Trixie, that had to be weeks ago at the least. Surely that's not still bothering you."
"Normally it wouldn't, The Great and Powerful Trixie would never let something so small as that purple pest bother her...but it didn't end there. Somepony at the next town I went to heard about what happened in that backwater town, and heckled Trixie off of her own stage! Then in the next town there were even more hecklers, and the next had more, and it just got worse and worse. Pretty soon Trixie couldn't even set up her stage before the hecklers drove her off."
"So now you're a performer who can't perform," Wind Walker offered.
"Precisely. Trixie can't perform, she can't earn bits, she can't fix that busted wheel on her cart," she cast a glance filled with hatred at a wheel on her cart, until her stomach growled in hunger and she cast her gaze to the ground in defeat. "She can barely afford to even keep herself fed..."
Wind Walker dug a package of travel biscuits out of his saddlebag and floated them to Trixie. When she noticed them she took the in her hoofs and took a bite. "...Thank you," she said before continuing to eat more, rather ravenously.
"No problem." Wind Walker took a package out for himself and ate with her. "Not the most tasty meal, but it keeps you goin'." He looked up at her with a smile, and noticed she had stopped eating. "Come on they're not that..." Her down turned face was hidden by her hat, but he could see the tears falling to the ground.
"Thank you, thank you so much," she said without looking up.
"It's really no big deal Trixie," Wind Walker gave a slightly uneasy smile.
"Yes it is. It's been such a long time since anypony has shown Trixie any kindness." Wind Walker stood up and walked around the campfire and sat next to Trixie. He put a comforting hoof around her. She looked up at him with tear filled eyes. "Why are you doing this?"
"I told you before Trixie, I love meeting other travelers. I feel a connection to them." He smiled gently at her. She smiled back and resumed eating the biscuits. "Just for tonight Trixie, forget about your problems." He stood up and started to walk back to his spot under the tree. "There's nopony else around for miles, nopony to cause you any troubles." He sat back under the tree and leaned back. "You can go back to worrying when you reach the next town, or even tomorrow morning if you want, but for tonight you need to just relax." He pulled the harmonica out of his sleeve.
"Trixie thinks she will do that. Thank you...Trixie never got your name." Wind Walker began to play another relaxing tune. "...Well, thank you anyway." She smiled and lied down, enjoying the heat from the fire and the melody from the harmonica.
Wind Walker woke up to a bright and clear morning. He looked around his campsite. He saw a pile of burnt sticks and ash, he saw track marks from a heavy cart, and he saw a piece of paper being held down by a rock. He moved the rock and picked up the paper to find it was a note.
Thank you for everything.
-The Grateful and Powerful Trixie
He smiled as he folded the note and put it in one of his pockets. He sat back down and ate a small breakfast, thinking about the day's travel ahead of him.
