Trixie walked away, with Ponyville behind her. Humiliated again at the hoofs of Twilight Sparkle, and being taught humility the hard way. Tired of being rejected by all of those around her, Trixie decided to leave behind the title of "Great and Powerful" for the life of a common pony. Feelings of rejection surged through her. All she wanted was acceptance and love and so far she hadn't found either, wether through showmanship or otherwise.
She needed time away to discover herself and to focus on the lesson just learned from the hoofs of those in Ponyville. A journey for something that was missing from her. A part lost. Misplaced. Broken.
"I hate my life right now." Trixie said to herself, looking up at the stars as they were her only friends now. She had been taught her lesson, but why did she still feel like this? She pondered as she walked away.
Trixie kept quiet as she walked. She walked until her hooves ached and when they did, she slept. For weeks this continued. Walk and sleep, sleep and walk. She walked every kind of road and slept where she could, under trees, in abandoned barns and sheds, and even in open pastures under the light of the stars.
When Trixie ran out of bits, the little she had after her purchase of the Alicorn Amulet, and realized this would be the time to start her life as a common pony by doing a common pony's job to pay for her continued journey.
"And here I am. First humbled now poor, and still alone. As if this can get much worse." She said. Quiet, hurt, and by herself as she strode into the next town she would pass through."Pony Hills" the sign read.
"Sounds quaint." Trixie mumbled.
The town was small, housing fewer than a thousand ponies, young and old. It was an old town from the days of the first settlers that was in need of a few repairs. It only had one purpose and that being it helped export apples and other food goods this far into Equestrias territories.
Trixie walked to the local tavern to find out what sort of work was open for her to do. She learned that there was only one that was in need of helpers to tend its fields, Cole's Cabbage. So she strode to find said field and earn a few bits to keep her journey going.
Trixie walked up to a barn with attached shed that was in dire need of new paint and a few boards. She knocked on the red paint flaking door only to be answered but a gruff voice from the other side that commanded one thing:
"Come! "
She opened the door, with a few flakes of paint sticking to her hoof, greeted by a gruff pony to match the gruff voice. Armed with glasses and a pen he waived her in.
"What can I do ya fer?" The gruff one asked
"Hello. I heard you could use help tending your fields, and I could use help with a job." Trixie said reluctantly, not wanting to do common labor but having nothing else to fall back on.
"Sure could! I'm four ponies short and two days behind on my shipment of cabbage." He said, the gruffness falling out of his voice.
"Names Cole Slaw, but Cole will do," he continued "when can you start? "
Fearing that her shame might have followed or preceded her here Trixie faked her name.
"Um...Viola ...Viola Breeze. But by all means Viola will do." Feeling slightly bad about lying. "And I can start today."
"Nice to meet'cha Viola. And I'm glad to hear that, I need the help as ya heard" Cole said rising from his desk. "Let me get ya a tour around the farm and introduced to everypony."
Seeing him upright showed Trixie that this pony was one who had done hard labor his whole life. Rugged and tanned Cole walked past Trixie toward the door, opening it for her. A gentlemanly complement she hadn't had in some time. She nodded a thank you and proceeded through the doorway into the fresh light and air, noticing for the first time how acrid and smoky Cole's office was.
First on the tour was the connected barn and storage segments and where compost was, for the cabbage that wasn't up to standards, follwed by the layout of the fields. Three fields to tend, one to harvest, one that was maturing, and the last that was rotated out to rejuvenate soil and plant transplanted heads from the first field. Last on the tour was the meeting of her fellow work horses, five in total, one mellow green earth pony with a golden mane, Kale Slaw, Cole's own nephew.
"Hiya!" Kale hollered as his uncle and Trixie walked by. Both nodded acknowledging back to Kale as he tended to his duties of plowing the unused field.
Next was a light blue pegasus with a dark brown mane flowing behind her as she fertilized the already plowed field. Introduced as Fleet Vanilla by Cole.
The third of the crew to tend the fields was Berry Grey, a shy and timid earth pony watering the maturing crop of cabbage, who was a full grey pony. To Tricked it looked as if the mare had been plucked straight from the old black and white films.
The next one in the field was almost missed due to the pile of cabbage going to compost taller than him. Soda Superb, noted by his cream soda cutie mark and similar colored hair, was picking clean the heads of cabbage not up to the standards of Cole's Cabbage.
The last of Trixie's coworkers caught her eyes most of all though as they approached the field needing harvesting. It was if she had looked into a mirror but looking back was an earth stallion instead of a unicorn mare. Cool blue with short cropped white mane was Plum Tree. With a cutie mark to match his name he walked up to Trixie and Cole.
"Hiya Boss. Field's ready to harvest tomorrow if weather holds. Not alot going to compost so we should be above quota for the month, and who is that beautiful one next to you?" Plum asked. Trixie blushed and shyly looked away. First gentlemanly kindness from her new boss and now being called beautiful? What a day!
"Name's Tr.......Viola Breeze." Stumbling over her fake name and feeling bad lying to the stallion who just complimented her.
"Well nice to meet you Miss Breeze." Plum said ignoring her prior stumbling. "And what brings you to Cole's Cabbage Fields today? " Plum asked looking into Trixie's eyes and making her feel like she hadn't in many many years.
"She's ya new coworker Plum," Cole said diverting Plum's attention. "Glad ya being so friendly. And glad to hear that welcomin' news too. Celestia knows I need it!" He laughed a pretty contagious laugh which caught Trixie off guard causing her to blush more. "Well we best get going Plum. Gotta get some things wrapped up for the day and then I'm gone. So I guess I'll catch'ya tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow Boss, and good meeting you Miss Breeze. I'll see you both tomorrow then I guess." Plum said nodding his head
Trixie was lost in thought of her last met coworker and his kindness.
"Beautiful he said." She muttered. Not realizing she had openly spoken.
"What was that?" Cole asked barely catching her
"I..um..said beautiful farm." Trixie lied and once again feeling bad. Feeling that she should start to be more honest after her humbling at Ponyville.
"Why thank'ya. And now that I'm thinkin' of it, ya gott'cha a place to stay here in Pony Hills?" Cole asked
"No but I'm sure to find something." Trixie said now unsure what to do. Sleep in another field? Under a tree ......Plum Tree.......
"Well Viola, I got a spare room here in the barn that ya can use if ya want. It ain't much but its better than outside." Cole said startling Trixie out of her daydream of Plum Tree and simultaneously making her blush.
"That would be great Mr. Slaw. I'm kind of low on bits at the moment." Trixie stated and trying to hide her blushing.
"Its Cole, Mr. Slaw was my father. And that's ok I'll have someone set the room up before the night's up. And by the way, I have to ask ....." This just momentarily causing Trixie to think her past had preceded here here and Cole hadn't bought the lies she spewed. " I've had alot of ponies quit on me unexpectedly. How long do ya think ya gonna be around here to work? "
Trixie sighed. Her past was behind her here at least. She thought for a minute. How long? Then her thoughts drifted back to Plum Tree and his manners, how he called her beautiful, and that look he gave deep into her eyes as if trying to look into her soul to see what he could find, that look that made her melt. Then her answer came.
"However long I can work, Cole." Maybe the whole world hadn't rejected her. Maybe there was acceptance out here in Pony Hills, maybe acceptance in his eyes........
Acceptance
Morning came after only a few hours of sleep. Trixie had taken up the offer from Cole to stay in the barn's spare room. It was better than sleeping outside but not by much. Her sleep had been interupted by thoughts of Plum Tree and his gaze, and with that, sleep hadn't come easy. Her body ached and the day had yet to begun. She tidied up the room as it had been before she came in and grabbed her bags and headed downstairs.
In the barn below Trixie had noticed Cole already doing morning chores before the days work could begin. Cleaning out the barn to make room for the incoming and outgoing ponies and carts had made him not notice Trixie descend the stairs.
"Good morning, Cole." Trixie said, startling Cole into dropping his broom. "Sorry."
"Its ok Viola. Ready for some work?" Cole asked picking his broom back up with his teeth. "Should be an easy day, you and Plum are on the first field picking the ripened cabbage."
"Yes sir," she managed without blushing thinking about working with that stallion that haunted her dreams the night before. "Anything I can do to pay off my room and board."
"Think nothin' of it darlin', least I can do fer my newest worker." Cole said now walking towards the open barn door. "By the way here's a few bits to get ya some breakfast. I know ya was hurtin' for some money so this should get ya started. So get filled up cause ya gonna need it." He tossed her a pouch with that jingled as she caught it.
"Cole I can't accept this," Trixie said not being used to this kind of generosity. "I haven't done anything to earn this!"
"Think of it as an investment, gotta have my workers well fed for the work that they do." Cole added a wink. "Now go out and eat up. Work starts in an hour. "
Trixie walked out to the one street that Pony Hills had and found Tammy Swift's Diner. A small diner located near the town square. Waking in she noticed a chalkboard that had the days special hoof written on it. Hash browns and two egg plate for two bits. It sounded filling enough to Trixie to order.
"New in town?" A white pegasus stood before Trixie with a quill and paper to write down customer orders.
"Yes." Trixie said timidly still trying to keep low fearing her past.
"Well welcome to Tammy Swift's Diner. Fastest food in all of Pony Hills. What can I get'cha?" The pegasus said and before Trickier could respond, "Names Tammy Swift by the way."
"I'll just have the special." Trixie said. And not losing manners, "I'm Viola Breeze."
"Well good havin ya here in town Viola, order'll be up in a few seconds flat." Tammy stated confidently.
"Thanks." Now all Trixie had was her thoughts while she waited for breakfast. Her body still ached and hoped that breakfast would help with that. But her dreams last night still dwelled in the confines of her mind. How would she be able to work with the stallion that kept her awake almost all night.
It had been wonderful and nightmarish at the same time. Him walking into her room at night, looking into her eyes once again as if peering into her very soul. Lying in bed with her and giving her comfort where she had never had before. Slowly caressing her cheek with his farm roughed hoof. Making her feel loved. Or as loved as she had ever known. But then came the scary parts that caused Trixie to toss and turn all night. The fear of not being deserving of that kind of love, of being accepted by one such as Plum Tree, the fear of losing him. And that's what happened in the dream. He left. Just walked out of the room after rising from their shared bed. It made her awake in tears, making her glad that she was being housed in a barn instead of being in a house full of neighboring ponies.
Trixie was startled when a plate was sat before her with hash browns and eggs. "Thank you." She ate but still had troubles expelling Plum Tree from her mind.
"Why won't he just go away?" Trixie asked herself pushing her half eaten plate away and putting her head on her hooves.
"He who?" The voice startled Trixie enough that she almost fell from her seat. Catching herself she looked up to see the same piercing eyes that haunted her sleep. Plum Tree stood before her with a hoof put out to help steady the almost unseated pony. "Whoa, settle down, didn't mean to scare you this early." He took the seat opposite of Trixie. "Hey Tammy can I just get a cup of the strong stuff?" He hollered the the pegasus tending tables. All he got was a nod in return.
This was something. Stalking Trixie while she was awake as well as stalking her in her dreams. "Cole said that you and I were working the first field today." Was all she could manage to hopefully keep her blushing at bay.
Plum seemed to not notice the blushing because he continued the conversation as Tammy brought him his cup of coffee. "Yep, all we have to do is pick. Its easy work, busy work but easy nonetheless. I feel bad for the others having to tend to the other two fields, but yep, just you and me today Viola." He sipped his coffee. The seemingly scalding liquid not bothering him the least bit.
"So where you from Viola? We got some time to waste before we gotta start working. Tell me about yourself." Plum said bringing his cup back up to his lips. Trixie still staring at him, drawn into his good looks, had no idea what to say. Lie or truth? Honesty would show her as what she really was, a fraud. To lie would only hurt her, to make guilt settle in on her more than what it already had with the lies already told.
"I'm from ...well a little bit of everywhere. I traveled alot and never really had a place to call home." It wasn't really a lie and it didn't expose her as the tyrant that she was over Ponyville,even if that was for only the briefest of times. "How about you Plum Tree? "
"Me? Well I'm from here, born an raised. Got my cutie mark back when the town had a plum orchard. Trees died about two years back due to some bacterial problem. Been working for Cole ever since. Got me a green hoof as they say." He took another drink of coffee and set the cup back down. "What I don't get is what brings a unicorn as beautiful as yourself to a place like? Pony Hills?" He seemed to blush at his own question. "I don't mean to overstep myself here, but I think I have so you don't have to answer." Now his blushing was almost as bad as hers.
"No bounds overstepped," Trixie said with her cheeks a bright red. "I wanted to take some time to get to know myself better and thought it would be better to do it away from the hustle and bustle of big cities." Not exactly a lie.
Plum tree looked up at the wall behind Trixie and finished his coffee. Trixie had forgotten about what was left of her breakfast looking into the eyes and stunning features of the stallion sharing conversation with her.
"Well this would be the place to do that. Quiet as can be around here. Well its about time to start work. Could I be so honored to walk such a beautiful mare to work this fine morning?" Plum asked making Trixie turn an even deeper shade of red. Still not.used to these gentleman like sentiments she agreed, feeling like the prettiest and happiest pony in all of Equestria. They both paid and left.
Work began and ended. Pulling more than half of the field of cabbage, Trixie was exhausted. More might have been done had she not spent alot of time staring at her coworker and his strong features. Her glances and stares weren't unnoticed, as most of the time it was her making eye contact with Plum Tree that made her get back to work. Then came end of shift.
"Well that's it for today Viola. We did alot today but tomorrow we'll get more done. And so is the cycle of cabbage farming." He said this and passed along a wink that made Trixie blush as much as she did at the diner. "And I think that the Boss wanted to see you before you left for the day too."
"Well I'll stop by and see what he needs. And I guess I'll see you tomorrow back here." Trixie said still tiling about the wink. And headed down to go see Cole.
"Good work out there today Viola. Couldn't have done it without'cha. Well I'll pay ya fer today so you can get yerself a room down in at the local boarding house, it'll be more comfortable than sleeping in my barn." Cole tossed Trixie, yet again, a bag of bits, but this one a might heavier.
"Thank you so much Cole. For the job, for the room, and for breakfast, I've never had somepony treat me like this before!" And without realizing it she reached over and hugged Cole, smelling the acrid, smoky scent of his clothes as he hugged back.
"Anytime kid, and if ya need anything in the future just let me know. Ya did some hard work today, and yer keeping me from being later with my shipments than what I already am." Cole let go of Trixie. "Well I guess tomorrow I'll see ya, so you have a good rest of the day Viola."
"And you as well Cole." Trixie said before heading off to find sleeping arrangements for the night, or week, or month even depending on how long she decided to stay. That wink and breakfast were still on her mind.
As evening grew closer to night Trixie found the local boarding house, an old three story building with a sign that said "Granny Gusty's" hanging over the porch. With a knock at the door she was welcomed by an elderly unicorn whose orange coat had still shined bright underneath a mane of solid grey.
"Welcome to Granny Gusty's young lady, I'm Granny Gusty, but you can call me Granny, or Gusty, or both. I'm assuming you're needing a room for the night?" The olden mare asked.
"Well I'm needing a room but I'm not sure for how long." Trixie said. "I just started for Mr. Slaw down at his farm today."
"Well young lady I have a room open right now on the second floor I have monthly rates and weekly rates depending on however long you're planning on staying." Granny Gusty was well rehearsed in her speech. More than likely she had given the same speech to hundreds of ponies before. "I'm assuming that you're not going to be a noise maker with you working down at the Cole's and all, you're likely to be too tuckered out to do any partying late at night. Am I correct in thinking that?"
"Yes ma'am." Trixies body was sore from that days work that once she got to her room she would probably just pass out on the bed as soon as possible.
"Well then come on in and I'll get you your key so you can get settled in." Upon walking into the house Trixie could see that the house was very well kept and clean. Granny Gusty disappeared through a doorway for a moment and reappeared with a key floating next to her. "Well you have a good night darling." Gusty passed the key to Trixie who carried it with similar magical skill. She nodded to the elderly pony and began her climb up the stairs to her room.
Her room was at the end of the hall and to the right, which would give her full view of the area in front of the boarding house. She happened to look out front in time to see Plum Tree walking by to his house. The feeling running through her was unlike any that she had felt before.
She laid her head down on her pillow intent on passing out after her long days work, but sleep seemed like it would never come due to the days earlier events. A long conversation with what seemed to be the stallion of her dreams, the staring she did into his rugged yet handsome face, him staring back at her with those eyes that seemed to peer into her soul, and then the wink .....O Celestia, that wink that makes her quiver every time she thinks of it.
"Today was better than the last and tomorrow will be even better! " Trixie says to herself lying in bed, hoping that tonight her dreams will be haunted with the thoughts of Plum Tree lying in bed with her....
