Open Ballot

Chapters

The Second Candidate
Meetings in the Night
Familiar Faces
Opening Words
Test of Loyalty
Returning
Grass Roots

The Second Candidate

"Trixie Lulamoon."

The name elicited gasps from the crowd. Trixie's heart began to pound and her eyes widened. She looked around wildly, not even knowing how to react. The only thing that came to her mind is that she certainly didn't sign her name on that sheet. She had only been in Ponyville for a few hours!

The citizens of Ponyville seemed to be just as confused as she was. Heads swiveled and eyes wandered, searching for a glimpse of the pony that had once taken over Ponyville with an iron grip. And suddenly, Trixie's heart splashed into her stomach. A pony near her lifted his hoof and pointed it right at her.

"There she is!" he shouted.

Every eye turned to look at her. Whispers began to course through the crowd, and Trixie didn't care to know what they were saying. Faces of confusion began to twist into faces of rage. Fear began to take over Trixie's mind, and as the angry ponies approached her she did the first thing that came to mind.

In an instant, she was outside the doors of Town Hall. It had taken her forever to learn a teleportation spell, but it was certainly worth it. But now what should she do? She couldn't go back in there and face those ponies. Her courage deserting her, the only feasible plan she could come up with was to run. She wasn't ready to do this. She wasn't ready to face the town. They certainly didn't seem ready to face her. She was about to head back to Fluttershy's cottage and retrieve her wagon when she was stopped by five ponies that burst through the doors of Town Hall.

"Wait, Trixie!" called Fluttershy. Following behind were Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Applejack.

Trixie whirled around. "What?!" she shouted angrily.

"Where are you going?" Fluttershy asked. She was concerned.

"Hold up a minute," Applejack cut in. "What in the hay is goin' on?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Rarity added. "Fluttershy, did you know Trixie was back?"

"Well, um, yes," Fluttershy said. But after getting some suspicious stares from the others, she quickly added, "But she only came this morning!"

"I'd like to ask Trixie herself why she's back," Pinkie said, "and why in Equestria she would sign up to run as mayor!"

Everypony looked over at Trixie, making her feel very uncomfortable. "Hey, I only came back here because I wanted to set things right! I have no idea how my name got on that ballot!"

"Well, then who did, if not you?" asked Rarity.

"Like I know!" Trixie snapped. "The only ponies I saw this morning were Fluttershy and..." A sudden realization dawned on Trixie. She looked over at Rainbow Dash, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "YOU!" She jabbed Rainbow's chest with her hoof.

"Hey, what gives?!" Rainbow shot back, returning the hoof-jab.

"You entered my name in the ballot, didn't you?!"

Rainbow gave her a dumbfounded look. "WHAT?! You think I did that?!"

"It couldn't have been anypony else but you!" Trixie said accusingly. "It certainly wasn't Fluttershy, and you were the only pony besides her that I saw!"

"Ugh!" Rainbow grimaced. "I don't believe this. How could you think it was me?"

Applejack tried to intervene. "C'mon everypony, let's just relax..."

But Trixie was hardly finished with her berating. "You said yourself that you weren't ready to forgive me! So you'd rather have some revenge!"

"Oh, right Trixie, you caught me," Rainbow said, her voice oozing sarcasm. "Because I'm the one that goes crazy with revenge and tries to ruin everpony's lives!"

"Y'all best settle now or I'll..."

"I cannot believe that even after being so apologetic you still won't believe me!"

"Because you haven't done anything worth forgiving you for!"

"HEY!" Applejack shouted. Trixie and Rainbow finally stopped shouting and looked at Applejack. "Y'all should be ashamed of yerselves. Yer squabbling like foals."

Rainbow opened her mouth to speak. "But she—"

But Applejack cut her off. "Not a word outta you!"

"Ha!" Trixie taunted.

"And especially nothin' outta you!" Applejack said, pointing at her threateningly with her hoof. "Now, Trixie, I certainly don't want you goin' around and accusing my friends of things they didn't do. Yer on thin ice as it is." She turned to the other belligerent. "And Rainbow Dash, haven't we learned as friends that forgiveness is important?"

"Yeah, forgiving my friends," Rainbow emphasized. "She is NOT my friend."

"Well, she's my friend, and I forgive her," Applejack said. The others looked at her, stunned, as Applejack moved to stand next to Trixie. Even Trixie was dumbfounded.

"I don't believe this!" Rainbow shouted. "You're taking her side?"

"I'm not taking nopony's side," Applejack replied firmly. "But she said she wants to make things right, and I want to give her the benefit of the doubt."

"Whatever," Rainbow spat. Without warning, she turned and took to the air, leaving them all behind.

"Rainbow Dash, wait!" Rarity called, but to no avail. "Oh, it's no use. That pegasus is too stubborn for her own good."

"She has every reason to be mad at me," Trixie said with a sigh. "I can't do anything right." She hung her head dejectedly, making her mane flip over her face.

Pinkie's frown-hating instincts kicked in. "Hey now, everypony makes mistakes! A real friend will realize that and forgive! Like us!"

Trixie looked up. "You really mean that?"

"Of course!" Rarity agreed. "Although, I think you should apologize to Rainbow Dash the next time you get the chance."

"But she needed a reason to apologize first!" Trixie said.

"Well, you said you wanted to change, right Trixie?" Fluttershy asked.

"I'd l like to try."

"Then you be the bigger pony and apologize first," Fluttershy said. "You'd be surprised what sincerity can do."

"I will certainly try," Trixie said. A new hope began to rise up in her. And a new idea. After all, she had never been one to stay down for very long.

"So whatcha got in mind?" Applejack asked. "There's a lot more ponies here who would like an apology."

Trixie wore her signature smug smile and puffed out her chest. "I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, am going to run for mayor of Ponyville!"

"WHAT?!" the four others shouted, expressions of shock taking over each of their countenances.

"You all heard me!" Trixie said.

The declaration was met with immediate opposition. All at once they began to spout out how she was being foolish, hasty, or otherwise crazy. Rarity was the one that finally quieted them all.

"Trixie, dear, have you lost your mind?" she asked sweetly.

"No, I've found an opportunity," Trixie replied proudly.

Pinkie leaned forward eagerly. "Ooh! What is it?!"

"If I run, all eyes will be on me."

Applejack narrowed her eyes and frowned. "I thought your plan was to change," she said.

"Look, I can't go around door to door and beg for forgiveness," Trixie said. The others nodded. That made sense. "But, maybe allowing myself to be in the open ballot will show that I'm willing to help Ponyville and not harm it. I'll get a chance to change minds."

"But do you even know anything about being a mayor?" Fluttershy asked.

Trixie gave Fluttershy a look. "After seeing how everypony swooned over that Grass Roots guy, I highly doubt that I'd win. That's not my plan anyway. I just want to get the chance to prove myself."

The four others exchanged glances and nodded their heads with approval. "Ya know, that's actually not a bad idea," Applejack admitted.

"I think it's exciting!" Pinkie exclaimed. "It's genius!"

"I know," Trixie said, a bit too pridefully. She quickly caught herself and said, "I mean, thank you." She looked at each of the ponies listening to her, and a solemn feeling came over her. These were the Elements of Harmony, or most of them, and they were already at her side supporting her. If anypony had influence over the town of Ponyville, it was them. "But, I don't think I can do it alone."

Pinkie piped up first. "If it's help you want, you got it, Mayor Trixie!" She saluted the unicorn with her hoof.

"I must say, I would enjoy dabbling in Ponyville's social and political affairs," Rarity said. "I am at your service as well."

"I'm not much for getting involved with anything public, but I'll help if I can," Fluttershy said.

"And me makes four!" Applejack said enthusiastically. "If you need anything, just name it!"

The four Elements of Harmony all extended their forelegs for a hoof stack. They looked over at Trixie. "Come on!" Pinkie called to her. "There's no brakes on the friendship train!"

Trixie smiled in spite of herself. "All right, I'll do it your way." She put her hoof on the top of the stack. The others cheered with exuberance at their new friend.

"So what's next?" Applejack asked.

Trixie looked back over at Town Hall with a determined look on her features. "Grass Roots got his time to speak. Now I want mine." She trotted back to the doors and pushed them open dramatically. She was quickly reminded why she has left the building in the first place. Every single pony was staring at her with complete and utter silence. They were waiting to see what she would do. She swallowed her fear and began to make her way down the aisle. She kept her head held high, not daring to make eye contact with anypony.

Her new friends followed closely behind her, letting everypony else know that they were for her. They ignored the strange looks they were getting.

Trixie took to the stage and walked up to the microphone. "May I?" Trixie asked the mayor. The microphone picked up her voice and carried it throughout the room, breaking the crushing silence.

"Don't let her, Mayor Mare!" somepony called out.

The mayor cleared her throat and paused before she said anything. "Well, her name is on the ballot. I cannot deny her her place to speak."

"Thank you," Trixie said. She picked up the microphone with a levitation spell and brought it to her lips. "Hello, everypony," she began awkwardly. "I know many of you must have mixed feelings about seeing me back in Ponyville, and I don't blame you. But the main reason I came back was to apologize.

"I admit that what I did was horrible and wrong. I deserve whatever anger you have towards me. But, I want you all to know that I regret what I did." She paused to see if they would react. They remained quiet. "I want to make things right, though.

"That's why I'm going to run in the race for mayor." This definitely caused a major stir amongst the citizens of Ponyville. Heads turned to one another and began to whisper. Disapproving glances came her way. The prominent reaction she saw, though, was shock. "I'm running because I want a chance to prove myself. I want to help Ponyville, and more than anything I want to change."

Her audience reacted a bit different to that statement. The anger slipped away a bit, but Trixie could tell that they were still suspicious.

"So this is the Great and Powerful Trixie, huh?" It was Grass Roots, who had boldly stepped up next to Trixie to share the microphone. "I've heard much about you. But, well, I can't hold anything against someone I've never met before. So you are to be my opponent?"

"Yes, yes I am," Trixie replied firmly. She was quite annoyed with the fact that he had taken her platform.

"Well, Trixie Lulumoon, let me be the first to welcome you to this race. I must say that I'm very excited to be running against such an... interesting candidate."

Grass Roots definitely rubbed Trixie the wrong way. Not wanting to make a scene, she quickly put her annoyance on the back burner. "Well, may the best pony win, then." She extended her hoof towards the stallion. He gave the audience a winning smile and shook it.

The campaigning had begun.

Meetings in the Night

The town of Ponyville was in an uproar. Trixie Lulamoon was running as the new mayor, and shortly after the campaign starter event it soon became clear that many were not pleased. Surely she would never win! Most of Ponyville thought that she had dug her own grave by signing up.

But then there were rumors that said Trixie hadn't even signed up herself and that someone else had done it, but of course no one had fessed up. Hardly anypony believed that though. She said that she wanted to help, but may were certain that it was another foolish play for power that could never work.

Trixie, however, for the rest of the afternoon, decided to seclude herself from the townsponies and focus on what she was about to do. The drama would come later. That, and she had no idea what running for mayor was like.

Fortunately, the Elements of Harmony, sans Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle, had been through a few elections, knew how they progressed, and were more than willing to help. Rarity in particular was familiar with the process and was eager to help Trixie. They met in the library that evening and began to draw out a solid plan.

Applejack knocked on the door of the library, since it had already closed for the day. Spike was running it while Twilight was away, and it was he who answered the door.

"Hey Applejack!" he said. He peeked behind her and saw the other three of his friends. "Oh, you're all coming here?"

"Yep," Applejack said. "And we got somepony else with us, too." She tried not to look guilty about it.

"Who?" Spike asked suspiciously. They all stepped aside, revealing Trixie. Spike's jaw fell open. "Trixie is with you guys?!" Spike exclaimed.

"Haven't you heard, Spike?" Rarity asked. "Trixie is running for mayor!"

Spike looked dumbfounded. He rubbed his eyes and blinked up at his friends. "Did I fall asleep for several years? What's the date?"

Pinkie Pie giggled. "No, silly! Don't worry, I'll tell you all about it!"

While she caught Spike up to speed, in a most dramatic fashion, the others filed in and began their work. Fluttershy found a drawing board that Twilight like to use for taking temporary notes.

"So, everypony, we all are going to be very busy for the next two weeks," Rarity began. "The town thinks that this is an impossible task, but I say to Tartarus with them! With all of our combined efforts, we can get Trixie elected, or at the very least get her seen by Ponyville as a worthy citizen.

While Rarity paused, Trixie took the opportunity to put in a few words. "Look, saying things like this has never been easy for me, so you all better listen well!" The others looked slightly taken aback by Trixie's suddenly exclamation, so she quickly continued. "I just wanted to say thank you. For everything. If anypony deserves this, it isn't me."

"We're all just happy to be a friend to someone," Fluttershy said with a sweet smile.

"Listen here, sugarcube," Applejack said, throwing her foreleg around the unicorn, "we've all made mistakes. Everypony does."

"But I nearly overran Ponyville in a power-crazed revenge plot."

Applejack blinked. "Granted, yer mistake was a wee bigger than most, but that don't mean you don't deserve forgiveness."

"Absolutely!" Fluttershy declared. "Even just returning here shows that you're sincere."

"Okay, okay, that's enough mushy stuff for one night," Trixie said sharply, though anypony could see that she was blushing. She cleared her throat. "Now, let's have that schedule for the next two weeks."

"Right," Rarity agreed. "We have much to do and little time to prepare for it all. For starters, we have the first speeches, which are tomorrow night."

"And what am I going to be speaking about?" Trixie asked.

"The candidates will be making their plans for Ponyville known to the public," Rarity replied. "You can talk about what needs to be improved, what you think is already good, and some of your general ideas. The public wants to know what you plan to do for them."

"I think I can manage that," Trixie said, stroking her chin with her hoof.

Fluttershy gulped. "You're going to stand in front of all those ponies with a speech prepared in only a day?"

Trixie waved her hoof dismissively. "It's no big deal," she said. "Public speaking comes naturally to someone like moi."

"Me too!" Pinkie said in agreement. She had wrapped things up with Spike, who was now sitting with them and listening intently. "Whatcha gonna talk about? I have plenty to say! If you need help with things that you wanna say, just come to Pinkie! I have more than enough words for two ponies!"

"We know that, Pinkie," Applejack said dryly. Pinkie playfully stuck her tongue out at her.

"I think I'll find something to talk about," Trixie said. "What's next?"

"The next few days is simply focusing on advertising," Rarity explained. "This is usually where ponies start to make the decision about who they want to vote for. Simply put, you want to make a good impression."

"Everypony already knows about me," Trixie said. They were beginning to notice that Trixie's confidence was once again bordering on pride.

Rarity decided not to say anything, yet. She instead continued. "Now, after that will be the dinner party."

"Dinner party?" Trixie gulped.

"Oh yes," Rarity replied. "Many of the big ponies from Canterlot come for that."

"Canterlot?" Trixie repeated nervously.

Finally something was making her falter. Rarity tried not to smile. "They come to see who is worth funding and supporting. This is the turning point of the election. One candidate can be leading the campaigning by a mile, but if somepony else impresses the Canterlot supporters, he or she will take the lead. That's a guarantee."

Trixie knew she had never been good in social situations. She pushed the looming anxiety to the back of her mind and decided to deal with it a later on. She cleared her throat and chuckled nervously. "A dinner party? Ha! I've only been to a million dinners. How different can this one be?"

The others exchanged glances. It wasn't hard to see through her facade, but they decided to remain quiet.

"Right, anyway," Rarity continued, "so now that brings us to the big debate."

"I'm guessing it's what it says on the tin, right?" Trixie asked. "Arguing with somepony shouldn't be too hard."

"It will be if you don't know what you're talking about," Rarity replied sternly. "At this point it's safe to say Grass Roots will dance circles around you."

"He will not!" Trixie shouted indignantly. "I can dance circles round anypony with my eyes shut!"

"Keep that talk up and yer dance will make you trip over yer own hooves," Applejack reprimanded.

Trixie huffed. "Well, I never..!"

"Now Trixie, she's only trying to help," Fluttershy said gently.

Trixie gritted her teeth, but there was something about Fluttershy's voice that calmed her down.

"Moving on!" Rarity quickly interjected. The last thing they needed right now was an argument breaking out. "A few days after the debate comes the carnival."

"Carnival?" Trixie asked flatly.

"Courtesy of Sweet Apple Acres," Applejack said with a proud smile.

"Um, what's the point of a carnival?" Trixie asked sharply. She had never been one for frivolous and pointless activities.

"For FUN!" exclaimed Pinkie.

Fluttershy elaborated. "Well, it is fun, but it gives candidates a chance to really get to know the citizens of Ponyville, and vise versa. After all, most of the citizens will only know the candidates by their campaigning. They get to see you as a real and regular pony."

Trixie grimaced inwardly. That was the last thing that she wanted everypony to see was her regular self.

"And of course, this is the second turning of the tides," Rarity added. "You must make yourself likable, or else potential supporters will turn away."

Trixie knew she had to fess up at least a little bit. "Well, I think I might, um, need a slight amount of help with that."

Once again, the others decided not to say anything. There would be a time to work on Trixie's demeanor and attitude, but it wasn't now.

"We'll be there when you need us," Rarity assured her. "Now, there is one final speech the night before election day. That's a candidate's last chance to hit home with the voters."

Trixie was adding all of these things to her mental rolodex, going over each point that Rarity had driven home. There was the speech tomorrow, the dinner, the debate, the carnival, and then the final speech. All of it covered two weeks, with advertising in between. It was going to be a long half of a month.

"So, before each event we can get together and brainstorm!" Pinkie declared. Trixie could have sworn she heard thunder rumbling from outside on the word "brainstorm." She rolled her eyes and told herself she was hearing things.

"I agree!" Applejack said. "If we all put our heads together, we can take on that Grass Roots fella!"

"If only we had Twilight to help us think," Fluttershy said despondently. "She's always so good at these kinds of things."

"I can send her letters!" Spike said, making his first contribution. He hardly understood politics, but talking to Twilight was second nature.

"Twilight?" Trixie asked a bit more excitedly than she had planned. But this was Princess Twilight Sparkle they were talking about. Nopony was as good a leader as her, besides from the other princesses.

"Yes, I'm sure Twilight would be thrilled to help," Rarity said. "This is right up her alley."

"I can take a letter tomorrow morning," Spike said. "It's getting kinda late, and she might not even be awake."

Applejack put her hoof to her mouth and yawned. "It is gettin' kinda late, y'all. Maybe we should call it a night."

"I agree," Fluttershy said. "My animals start to get restless without me this late."

"Did you ever find that bird you were looking for, Fluttershy?" asked Spike.

Fluttershy hung her head. "No," she said sadly. "I can't find it anywhere!"

"I'm sure it'll turn up," Pinkie said soothingly. "If anypony knows how to find animals, it's you!"

"Thanks, Pinkie," Fluttershy said with a blush. "It's too late in the day to look now, though. I'm going back to my cottage. Are you coming, Trixie?"

After all the excitement of the day, sleep had been the last thing on Trixie's mind. "Um..."

But Spike came in with an offer. "You can stay here if you like, Trixie," he said, albeit a bit nervously. "It's pretty spacious here, and I'm sure there's loads of books on how to run in an election."

"Tempting," Trixie said thoughtfully. "Very well, I will stay in the library. Prepare a space for me."

Spike rolled his eyes while Trixie wasn't looking at her lack of manners. However he went upstairs and began making the guest bed.

Everypony said goodnight to each other and began to file out of the tree library. Trixie told Fluttershy she would be coming over soon to pick up her wagon.

Twenty minutes later, after Spike showed her where everything was (the immaculate attention to detail over the library's organization unnerved her a bit), she left for Fluttershy's cottage. Trixie assured her that she wouldn't be disturbing her or her animals.

It was a very quiet night, much like last night had been. Was it only this morning that she was wandering on the outskirts if Ponyille, wondering how she was ever going to get her second chance? Now, in less than 24 hours, she was already a candidate for the mayor of the town. When she thought of it that way, the overwhelming nature of the situation made her a bit dizzy.

She stepped into the short trail leading to Fluttershy's cottage. The rhythmic sound of her hooves scuffling on the ground relaxed her. But after a couple steps, it was clear that her hooves weren't the only ones using the path.

"Hello Trixie."

Trixie whirled around, her horn ablaze threateningly with magenta light. "Who's there?!"

The glow of the aura casted itself on Grass Roots. He quickly shuffled backwards and held a hoof out in surrender. "Whoa whoa whoa!" he said quickly. "I just came to talk!"

Trixie relaxed her defensive stance, but she allowed her horn to shine for the sake of light. It was very dark on the pathway. "What do you want?"

"Somepony is a bit touchy tonight," Roots said. He had the tall to approach her. Trixie was not in any way afraid of the stallion, but it was almost alarming how large he was.

"So what if I'm a bit touchy!" Trixie said. She had been trying her best to be nice to her new friends, but she did not want to expend energy on Roots.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," Roots said. Trixie didn't buy his sympathy for a moment. "I only wanted to pass on some advice."

"I already have advisors," Trixie said, sticking her muzzle up in the air. "And I bet they're better than yours."

Roots chuckled. "If you say so," he said. "But I think this is the best advice for you, and your friends certainly aren't going to give it to you."

"Spit it out then," Trixie said tiredly.

"Drop out."

Trixie was stunned. His curtness caught her off guard, and the words themselves floored her even more. "What did you say?" she asked with a dry mouth.

"Drop out," he repeated. "You're in over your head, and quite frankly this race will sap you dry."

Trixie narrowed her eyes dangerously. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm giving you a fair warning. I've worked hard to get here, and you haven't done anything. If you continue to run, you're going to be flattened."

"Is that so?" Now he had her intimidated, but there was no way she was going to show it.

"It is so. I'm busy and I've hardly any time to deal with somepony who doesn't know what she's doing. So I suggest you remove yourself as quickly and quietly as you can before you get hurt."

Trixie seethed at his words. She marched up to the stallion and glared at him, her muzzle inches from his. He didn't back down. "Now you listen me, Grass Roots!" She practically spat his name. "I wouldn't back out of this race if Celestia herself was running. So what I suggest is that you watch out for me! I may be the dark pony in this race, but nopony messes with the Great and Powerful Trixie and gets away with it!" She didn't even give him a chance to reply. She promptly turned around and continued towards Fluttershy's cottage.

From behind her, Roots chuckled darkly. "You're making a mistake, Trixie!" he called to her. "And by the time you realize it it'll be too late."

Familiar Faces

That night, Trixie slept restlessly. As comfortable and quiet as Twilight's library was, she could not shut out the noise in her head. Grass Root's voice rattled inside her mind, eating away at her like acid. "Drop out. Drop out. Drop out..."

How she hated how attractive his voice sounded.

But that was the least of her concerns. She could not drop out. Not under any circumstances. She would never be able to live with herself. Doing that now was already hard enough as it was.

And that threat of his. What could be have meant by it? Surely not any threat of physical harm. She knew politicians were sometimes not beneath that, but Grass Roots knew enough of her history to know how adept her magic was. She shuddered to think about it, but she could cause pain when she wanted to. She had done it before...

Trixie quickly pushed the unwelcome memories from her mind. The last thing she needed right now was a wave of guilt to overtake her again. In any case, she knew how to defend herself in case Grass Roots resorted to violence, whether personally of through hired muscle. She would need to watch her flank carefully.

Trixie rolled over on her side and used her magic to pull the blanket tightly over her. She needed to relax. She took a couple deep breaths and focused on how quiet it was. The library tree was in the middle of Ponyville and was too far away from the noises of any animals or creatures. The loudest thing she could hear was Spike gently breathing through his nostrils on the other side of the loft where the beds were.

She had never gotten a chance to speak to Spike; he had already fallen asleep by the time she had gotten back from picking up her wagon at Fluttershy's cottage. She made herself a mental note to strike up a conversation of some sort in the morning. After all, she was going to be roommates with him for a while.

And now Trixie had distracted herself again. She shut her eyes tight and begged herself to sleep. There were so many things nagging at her, so many things she was trying to deal with at once, that all she could do was...

Suddenly Trixie bolted upright in the bed. Sunlight was pouring in through the windows, forcing her to squint her eyes. Somehow she had fallen asleep, though her sleep had been dreamless. She stood and walked downstairs.

Trixie found Spike in the library's foyer, organizing and dusting off some of the books. He didn't notice her come in.

Trixie cleared her throat to get his attention. Spike turned towards the noise, his face briefly lighting up with alarm. "Oh! Hey Trixie," he said.

"Hey, Spike," she said. They had already reached awkward with only five words between them. Trixie quickly thought of something to say. "So, did you ever send that letter?"

Spike waved the feather duster over the books absentmindedly. "Yeah, I sent it about half an hour ago. We should be hearing back pretty— belch!" Green flames sprouted from his mouth, nearly torching the shelved books. The fire promptly morphed into a neatly bound scroll that fell to the floor.

"Is that her?!" Trixie demanded. She galloped up to the scroll, as if Twilight herself was going to spring from page.

"I would imagine so," Spike said. He scooped up the letter, peeled back the wax seal, and began to read.

"Dear Spike,

You certainly gave me something exciting to wake up to! The last bit of news that I thought I would hear from you is that Trixie is running for mayor! I can't say I'm not surprised, though. I always had a feeling she would be coming back to Ponyville, but I never expected her to try something on this grand of a scale.

Still, it seems like she didn't expect it, either. You say that somepony else put her on the open ballot? I wonder who could have pulled that off. Somepony would have had to know that she was coming to Ponyville. If any of you find any leads, let me know as soon as you can. Something like that bothers me.

As far helping with the election, I will do the best I can while I'm so far away! I've actually never been involved in any mayoral election, since Canterlot doesn't have a mayor. Public speaking, however, is something I've gotten a handle on recently. Tell Trixie that she needs to take constructive criticism to heart. And only constructive criticism. Nothing else should get in the way of what she wants to say. She needs to insist that she'll be growing along with town and that she will strive to be genuine during this stage of reformation.

Besides all that, I hope you and all of our friends are doing well! I've been thinking of you all and miss you dearly! I expect to be back soon! Keep me posted on the election!

With all of my love,
Princess Twilight Sparkle

Spike rolled the scroll back into its original shape. "That's it," he said.

Trixie began to pace around the library, thinking over Twilight's words. It would have been so much easier to talk to her in pony. "Constructive criticism?" she found herself saying aloud. "I can take criticism! Is she saying that I can't?"

"To me it sounds like you're not taking her criticism about taking criticism," Spike chuckled. Then his green eyes widened a bit. "Whoa, that's pretty deep."

Trixie grunted on the inside but did not react physically. The little purple dragon was right. She wasn't about to admit that though. Before she could think of something to say, there was a knock on the library's door.

Spike scuttled to the door on his tiny legs and opened it. Pinkie Pie was just outside, bouncing up and down on the door mat. "Hi Spike!" she said cheerfully. "Trixie here?"

Spike stepped aside and said, "Yeah, she's right here."

"Hi Trixie!" Pinkie shouted. She still hadn't stopped bouncing.

Trixie didn't know how that much energy could be bound inside one little pony. "Hello, Pinkie Pie," she said with significantly less exuberance.

"There's two ponies who really want to see you!" Pinkie said happily. "Come on!"

Spike looked at Trixie and shrugged his shoulders. She pursed her lips suspiciously, but she followed Pinkie outside.

The denizens of Ponyville were already out and about with their daily business. They trotted through the streets merrily, calling out "good morning!" and "how ya doin'?" to one another. She could have sworn that a couple streets away a musical number was being performed. It amazed Trixie how smoothly everything was running. Everypony seemed to know not only their routine, but the routines of others. It was the epitome of the small town spirit.

The only blip in the system that she noticed was the looks she was getting. She didn't bother to wear her dirty cloak, so she knew she was sticking out like a sore hoof. Most of the glances coming her way were rather unpleasant. Trixie just took a deep breath and reminded herself that things were going to change.

Pinkie ended up leading Trixie to Sugarcube Corner. They walked (Pinkie had finally stopped bouncing) into the gingerbread house-like shop, and immediately the smell of the bakery overwhelmed her. Behind the counter was every sort of dessert, confection, and snack that she could think of, all of them tempting her to satisfy her sweet tooth. Sitting at the various tables around the shop were ponies that were having a morning coffee with their breakfast, some on their own and some chatting with their friends.

But sitting at a corner table were two unicorn colts that she recognized immediately, and she knew that these were the ponies that Pinkie was leading her to. The first one had long, lanky legs with a tan coat and mint green mane and comically large ears. The second had a teal coat and an orange mane. He was a bit stocky and had buck teeth.

"Oh no, these two," Trixie muttered under her breath.

But it was too late. Snips, the stocky one, and Snails, the thin one, set eyes on her. Their expressions lit up, and immediately they were by her side.

"Oh my gosh!" Snips said, nudging his friend.

"It's the Great and Powerful Trixie!" Snails said, equally enthused.

Trixie covered her face with her hoof. "Please don't call me that," she groaned.

"But it's you!" Snips cried. "We heard you were back and asked Pinkie about you!"

"And I delivered her, didn't I?" Pinkie said, giving the colts a large wink.

"Thank you ever so much, Pinkie Pie," Trixie said, her voice sickly sweet.

"You're welcome!" Pinkie said with a huge grin, completely oblivious to Trixie's sarcasm. She promptly turned and hopped away, leaving Trixie alone with her two biggest fans.

"We really really wanted to see you again!" Snails told her.

It amazed Trixie how genuine the two of them were about the excitement of her presence. "You wanted to see me?" Trixie asked, her voice filled with humbled disbelief.

"Of course!" Snails said.

Trixie looked away, hardly able to meet their eyes. She hadn't anticipated this kind of treatment from them. "But... but I treated you two so horribly."

"That was, like, a year ago!" Snips said. "We couldn't stay mad for that long!"

Trixie could. She had done it before. In fact, staying angry for so long was the entire reason she had found the Alicorn Amulet and poured chaos over Ponyville with it. "But how?" she asked desperately. She had to know their secret, if there was indeed a secret to be known.

"Eh, I don't know!" Snails said. He shrugged his shoulders and looked at his short friend.

"Well, why bother staying mad that long?" he asked rhetorically. "That would drive me crazy!"

"Many of the ponies around here don't seem to think that," she said sadly. She titled her head back up and looked them both in the eye. "Could I ask you two for something?"

Snips nudged Snails' side. "Wow! Trixie is asking us for permission!" he exclaimed.

Snails held his chin up high and spoke with an official-sounding voice. Or at least as official as he could get it. "You have our permission!" he declared.

Trixie couldn't help but smile at their antics. "Could I ask for forgiveness from you two?"

Snips and Snails looked at each other conspiratorially, as if coming to a decision, and then looked back up at her. "You got it!" they said in unison.

Trixie felt a twinge of happiness deep inside her heart. It was something she hasn't felt in a long time. But somehow, these two colts with their goofy smile and childish innocence had warmed her. Trixie was surprised to feel a warm tear beginning to form in her eye. She quickly looked away and wiped it.

In that moment, as Trixie redirected her gaze, she noticed that other ponies has started to watch the interaction. Trixie didn't mind having eyes on her, but in this one moment of vulnerability she wished she wasn't being watched. But then again, this is exactly what she needed as a mayoral candidate. Trixie hated that her mind wandered to her own gains in this genuine moment, but this was two steps forward for her.

She looked back to Snips and Snails and gave them a soft smile. "Thank you, you two," she said to them. "Now, run along. I'll see you around."

Snips and Snails both said good bye to her and ran out of Sugarcube Corner. Trixie looked around at the ponies who had been watching her, and she made it known that she noticed them. She smiled and said, "Good day to you all!" With a wave, she walked out of the shop, feeling ecstatic.

Opening Words

Noon had come over Ponyville. The sun was high overhead, but fortunately it was too early in the year to for the heat to become too oppressive. The result was a comfortably sunny day without a cloud in the sky. Ponies were outside enjoying the weather; they played in the field, swam in the pond, or went on a relaxing walk. It was a perfect day.

But the only way Trixie could enjoy this fantastic day was from the library's outdoor balcony. She stared at a completely blank page of parchment, complimented by a completely full jar of ink. This was to be the notes for the speech she had to give in a mere six hours, but nothing came to her. She looked at the town's clock tower in the distance. Fifteen minutes had passed, and she didn't have a thing to show for it.

Trixie glared at the useless parchment, as if it was to blame for its blankness. She groaned and banged her head on the wooden floor. She felt a blunt pain in her horn, and her head quickly snapped back up. She cried out in frustration when she realized that she had gored the paper. It fell over her face and obstructed her vision. She levitated it with her magic and set if back on the table. With a quick spell the gaping hole in it disappeared.

But the parchment still remained wordless. She sighed and hung her head, prepared to abandon the task and take it up again later. But the best ideas always come when one doesn't search for them, and it was in that moment that Trixie looked back up at the paper, a fresh idea for a starting point coming into her mind. She chuckled smugly to herself and dipped her quill into the ink jar. With a flourish of the feather, she put the sharp tip onto the pages. But she had barely written down the word "the" when the door to the balcony suddenly flew open, startling her. In her reaction, she knocked over the jar and spilled the ink on the page.

"Trixie!" Spike called. "Applejack and Rarity are here."

"Ugh," Trixie groaned to herself. She didn't mind Applejack and Rarity, but right now she wanted time to focus on her speech. "Alright, send them up."

Within the minute, Applejack and Rarity had joined Trixie on the balcony.

"Hey there, Trixie!" Applejack said.

"I see you are hard at work on your speech," Rarity said less than seriously, glancing behind Trixie at the ruined parchment.

Trixie grimaced at the sheet. "I was trying, but a certain little dragon made me lose my concentration."

Rarity waggled her hoof. "Oh, don't mind Spike," she said. "He only means well."

"Regardless, his well-meaning ruined my process," Trixie griped.

"Aw, don't be so sour," Applejack told her lightheartedly. "Did ya have any idea 'bout where to start, at least?"

Trixie sighed and looked at the parchment desperately. "I, uh, was just thinking to make it clear that I really and genuinely want to help."

"Anything else?" Rarity asked.

"Should there be anything else?" Trixie asked guiltily.

"Ya need to let folks inside yer mind," Applejack explained. "They wanna know exactly what yer thinkin'."

Rarity jumped into the explanation. "But more importantly, they want to know about what you're thinking of doing for them. Your intentions must be made crystal clear."

"But what intentions are those?" Trixie spat with frustration. "I've been staring at this stupid paper and I can't think of a single thing."

Rarity out her hoof to her chin in thought. "Well, I don't imagine that you know much of Ponyville's inner working."

"No, not really," Trixie said annoyedly.

"What we're sayin' is that we do," Applejack told her. She put a hoof on Trixie's shoulder. "If ya need somepony to help ya out with things to talk about, then we'll be there!"

"That's right," Rarity affirmed. "Applejack and I are the only ones of our friends who have lived in Ponyville all our lives, so naturally we know a lot about it."

"Exactly!" Applejack declared. "Mayor Mare comes to Sweet Apple Acres all the time fer various things, so she and Ah talk about all sorts o' stuff."

"Like what?" Trixie asked, leaning forward eagerly. She was desperate for content worthy of a mayoral candidate speech.

"First things first," Rarity said. She took hold of Trixie's parchment with a levitation spell and held it up. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Her horn lit ablaze with an azure glow, and after a brief moment the large ink stain vanished. Rarity smiled with satisfaction. "Stain removing spell," she revealed. "I picked it up from a book here in the library. Really comes in a pinch when you work with clothes." She laid it back flat on the floor and used her magic once again to pick up the quill. "Now then, let us get started."

For the next few hours, the three of them poured over Trixie's speech and made sure it was ready for presentation. Applejack and Rarity provided Trixie with invaluable information, which she was quick to take notes on. One sheet of parchment quickly turned to two, and then to three.

Trixie was surprised to find herself laughing with her two new friends through the afternoon. She snapped significantly less and was in a much better mood than she had been in for years. She was actually having fun, which was something she had gone without for longer than she liked to admit.

The three ponies had finally gotten together a solid speech for Trixie to give with only an hour until she had to deliver it. Applejack and Rarity wished Trixie good luck and told her that they'd be in the front row of the audience.

After grabbing a bite to eat from the library's kitchen, Trixie headed out to Town Hall with her notes in hoof. She hated to admit it to herself, but the closer she got to the gathering of ponies, the more anxious she became. A knot began to form in her stomach, but she decided that this was not the time for weakness. She knew that there were ponies who would wouldn't mind preying on such lack of strength. So Trixie swallowed it and trotted forward boldly.

Trixie went around to the back entrance of Town Hall to avoid the crowd. Attending the mayoral campaigning events certainly wasn't necessary or an obligation, but most everypony liked to attend regardless. As a result, nearly all of of Ponyville was being packed into the building, and indeed there was talk of enlarging it to accommodate the slowly growing population.

Trixie quietly crept in through the back door, which led behind the stage curtains. Waiting back there was Mayor Mare and the only pony that could have made her stomach churn.

"Hello, Trixie," Grass Roots growled, but he did so with a disgustingly phony smile to throw off the mayor.

He did so with flying colors. "Oh, great, Trixie's here!" Mayor Mare exclaimed. At least she wasn't being sarcastic about it. She beckoned Trixie over to her conspiratorially and leaned in towards her, so Grass Roots could not hear her words. "Look, Trixie, I know you had a rough patch with us last year," she whispered. "Believe me, the whole ordeal had me quite shaken up!"

"Where are you going with this?" Trixie whispered viciously.

"Sorry. I wanted to tell you that despite the past, you have my support. I think you'll make a great candidate."

Trixie's expression immediately softened. "You do?"

"I do," said the mayor, nodding at Trixie encouragingly. She stepped back from Trixie and spoke so that both candidates could hear her. "Now, I will go out and introduce you two once more. Grass Roots, you'll being going first."

"Yes, ma'am," Roots said.

With a smile, Mayor Mare stepped in front of the curtain. Her muffled yet amplified voice began speaking moments later.

With the two of them alone, Grass Roots wasted no time in turning to Trixie. "So, will your speech consist of you relinquishing your position as candidate?"

"As a matter of fact, I just spent hours putting together a speech that will kick yours to the curb!" Trixie retaliated without missing a beat.

Grass Roots smirked. "That pride will be your downfall someday, Trixie."

"We'll see," Trixie sniffed. "Just stay out of my way and I'll stay out of yours."

"We'll see," Roots said mockingly. Just then, they heard his name called out by Mayor Mare. "See you on the other side." He turned and walked through the curtain.

Mayor mayor didn't come out through the curtain. She must have been waiting on the side of the stage. Trixie got as close as she could to the curtain and attempted to listen to her opponent without thinking of some sort of way to blast him to smithereens.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlecolts," Roots said. "I hope you all are doing well." The audience responded with the cheerful stamping of hooves. "Before I dive into this thing, I want to take some time for you all to get to know me a little better."

Trixie highly doubted that anypony would ever get to know the real him.

"I grew up on the edge of Vanhoover, far to the northwest. My family owned a small business as clockmakers. It was a humble shop, and we were never blessed with many bits, but we were happy. As Earth ponies, my parents made the clocks by hoof, which made work a bit slow. But I tell you that they were the most beautiful clocks you had ever seen!

"Now, when I became older, my parents began to teach me the art of clockmaking. My older brother had already begun to show significant talent in it and began to help the family business. They figured it was time for me to learn as well. Suffice to say, I was not as good as they had hoped." Roots threw in a wry chuckle. "As a matter of fact, I was pretty terrible. No matter how many blocks of wood I sat down with, I could not recreate the incredible detail that the rest of my family could. I spent months trying to figure out what it was I was called to do. But one fateful day—"

Trixie nearly gagged. Just how corny was this stallion?

"I was nominated to run as the president of my school. That decision changed everything for me. Finally, I had found something that I was good at. I won the election by a landslide, and I had entered the world of politics. I began to study it day and night, and I couldn't get enough of it. I told myself that I would be able to lead ponies with excellence.

"After I finished school I spent a few years working jobs in Vanhoover, getting all the bits that I could. I had a plan, and that plan started with a small town called Ponyville." Trixie heard the crowd stamp and whistle with patriotic enthusiasm. "And that brings me to the story of my name, Grass Roots. It's something many ponies have asked me about, and rightfully so. Grassroots is actually a type of politics that I read about. It's a movement started with small, local politics that can eventually build up to something bigger, which is something I hope to do one day. I'm not sure how my parents named me so perfectly. It's an mystery that seems to plague many ponies."

The townsponies got a kick out of that one. Trixie did have to admit that he had a point.

"But I assure you," Roots continued, "that right now my attention is devoted completely and wholly to Ponyville and to each one of you." The crowd definitely responded well to that. Trixie could tell that the ponies were practically falling for him, especially the mares.

Roots waited until the crown settled. "I believe that one of the strongest suits of a small town is the fact that everypony knows everypony. We are a tight-knit community. And that is why I am making the grand theme for my campaign to focus on the individual. Each of us play an important role in how Ponyville operates, and I believe that should be celebrated! What I want for Ponyville is for everypony known, recognized, and valued." The stamping of hooves ensued. Ponies were eating his words up.

Roots's voice fell silent for a moment. Trixie wondered what he was trying to build up towards. "In light of that," he continued, "I wanted to conclude by saying a word about my opponent, Ms. Lulamoon." Trixie's heart nearly stopped. Immediately anger burned inside her belly. He was about to tear her down in front of everypony. The audience had stopped cold and was waiting for him to resume. "I want to give her the second chance that she deserves."

Trixie was certain this time that her heart ceased beating.

"I, personally, did not know Trixie during her two previous sojourns in Ponyville," Roots explained, "so I cannot hold anything against her. I understand that she is running for mayor because she wants to prove herself to you all. Now, I cannot tell you all what to do, however, I believe that if I'm going to be running on a platform that supports the individual, I am going to include Trixie in it."

Trixie listened wide-eyed as the ponies in the audience whispered amongst themselves. They were just as confused as Trixie was. No, Trixie thought to herself, nopony was as confused as she was.

"I will conclude with that," Roots said. "Thank you all for your time, and I look forward to serving all of you in the coming future."

Despite their mystification, the audience stomped their hooves excitedly and cheered. Amid the din Trixie heard Roots's hoofsteps approaching the curtain. She quickly backed up to avoid being bowled over by his huge frame. The curtain swung aside and Grass Roots stepped through. He stopped briefly only to nod at Trixie with nary a word not expression. Trixie did not respond, mostly because she had no idea how. But one thing she was certain of: she was not convinced by his words. So far she had no reason to trust him, and even though his words were congenial she was not about to start. Trixie had never been one to give others the benefit of the doubt if she thought they didn't deserve it.

Trixie didn't dare to say anything to Grass Roots, so she spent a few extremely and painfully awkward moments with him behind the curtain until Mayor Mare finally called her name.

Trixie stepped out onto the stage, where a podium, a microphone, and a large group of hesitant ponies sat waiting for her. A few of them clopped their hooves on the floorboards, but not enough did it to make her feel welcome.

Four ponies in particular had shown their appreciation: Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. They smiled up at her encouragingly, and suddenly it didn't even matter to Trixie what everypony else thought of her, as long as they were there.

Trixie also couldn't help but notice Rainbow Dash standing with her friends, though she had not shown the enthusiasm that they did. This didn't surprise Trixie in the least. She would have to talk with her as soon as possible.

For right now though, she needed to focus on what she needed to say. She stepped up to the podium, cleared her throat, and began. "Hello, everypony," she said. "I have said before that I know most of you are unsure of how to welcome me. I hardly deserve a welcome. But for me, this is turning a new page. I want to start something new for all of us.

"A year ago, just before returning to Ponyville for the second time, I found myself at my lowest point. I wanted revenge for being humiliated, and I paid a great price for it. I used an object called the Alicorn Amulet, which began to corrupt my mind the more I used it. After several days of using it, all of my mind was bent on using its power for the wrong reasons. However, it would be uncalled for if I were to blame the Amulet for what I did. I know I only have myself to blame.

Trixie bit her lip and paused momentarily to see how her crowd would react. They remained quiet, though she was certain that she had their attention. "I returned to Ponyville nearly three days ago, uncertain of how to approach you all. Somehow, though, my name was placed on the open ballot, and I was somewhat dragged into running for mayor without any idea what I was doing." Trixie noticed that ruffled a few pegasus feathers and regretted wording that sentence the way she did. She quickly elaborated.

"I wasn't sure what I was doing. All I knew is that somehow I had to make things right. So to the pony who wrote down my name for me, thank you! I don't know what your plan was, but if it was to embarrass me or anything like that, then you've failed. Instead, you've given me an opportunity show Ponyville that I'm not who I was.

"I don't pretend that I'm suddenly perfect. I have a lot to learn, and I'm going to admit to you all that it might take me a while. But even though I want to change, I know exactly what I've gotten myself into. Being the mayor means that I have to take care of each one of you, and that's what I'm going to do, if you will have me." Allowing her eyes to scan over the audience, she saw that ponies were giving each other looks of hesitant approval.

Trixie kept herself on a roll. She didn't know what Grass Roots was planning to do by giving her a boost, but she was going to milk it for all it was worth. "So here is the theme of my campaign," she declared. "Servitude! From now own, I am a servant to each and every one of you. If you need something, then I will do everything I can to get it. If I need to be a protector, then I'll be one. Whatever you all need to be, I'll be it." She didn't get exuberant cheers as Roots had gotten, but her audience murmured hopefully to each other. She would take it.

"Thank you all for allowing me to speak," she said, wrapping up her speech. "I look forward to growing with you and our incredible Ponyville." And with those words she retreated to the back of the stage with respectable applause.

Test of Loyalty

Once again, the town of Ponyville was aflame over the words of one light blue unicorn. Trixie's speech had genuinely pleased some ponies. Overall, though, it was indisputable that many were still skeptical. She had said that her promise was servitude, but they would believe that when they saw it.

Trixie, however, was quite pleased with the way her speech turned out. She wasn't naive, though, and knew that she had only swayed very few towards her. But it was a step in the right direction.

That night, Trixie met at the library with Pinkie, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy. The four of them all tried to get Rainbow Dash to come, but to no avail. The stubborn pegasus still refused to talk to Trixie.

"I think you did a great job, Trixie," Fluttershy was saying. "I think some of them are definitely starting to consider you an able candidate."

"I agree," Rarity said. "You kept your head high in the face of adversity."

"Ooh, I'm just so excited for you!" Pinkie declared enthusiastically. She even gave Trixie a quick hug, without her permission, of course.

"Thanks, Pinkie," Trixie grumbled, straightening her mane.

"Well, Ah think it was a strong start," Applejack said. "Keep that up and ponies 'round here'll be flockin' to ya like bees to a honeycomb."

"That's what I hope for," Trixie said. "So, what's next on the agenda?"

"The dinner party," Rarity told her. "But it's not for a few days. We will have plenty of time to prepare for it."

Pinkie gave Trixie a large wink. "And we have a plan for it, too!" she said.

"Details will come later on, though," Rarity said quickly. She shot at glare at Pinkie.

Applejack quickly intervened, leaving Trixie looking bewildered. "Well, it's been a long day, so Ah'm gonna get on home. Night, y'all!" As she got up to walk out, the others agreed that it was time to say good night. They filed out of the library one by one, and Trixie even thanked each of them for stopping by to see her.

Fluttershy was the last one to start leaving, but Trixie noticed that she was stalling. "Is there something you want to say, Fluttershy?" Trixie asked her.

Immediately Fluttershy became flustered. "Oh, well, I, uh, was just, you know, wondering, if I could ask you a big favor?"

"And what would that be?" Trixie asked.

"Do you remember that bird I mentioned to you? The really rare one that went missing?"

"Yes. What about it?"

"Early today, I found what I think is the bird's tracks. A couple feathers here and there and its prints. But they led into the Everfree Forest, and I really don't feel comfortable going in there on my own."

Trixie gave Fluttershy a look. "You want me to help you track a bird in the Everfree Forest?" she asked flatly.

"Um, yes. If you don't mind." Fluttershy smiled up at her meekly.

Trixie was quickly learning that Fluttershy was hardly one of those ponies that one could say no to. Even Trixie herself found herself swayed. "Alright, fine. I will help you. Should I meet you tomorrow morning?"

"Yes!" Fluttershy cheerfully said with a squee. "Thank you so much!"

"Don't mention it," Trixie said. She flipped her mane as shrugged off the statement as if it was no big deal.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning, then!" Fluttershy exclaimed. She flitted her wings excitedly and gently floated out the door.

Trixie smiled roguishly to herself. "Trixie, you are such a charmer!"

The next morning, Trixie packed a small saddlebag with water and bread to take into the Everfree Forest. She knew better than most ponies how large the vast expanse of trees was, and if they were going to be searching for one little bird in it then they would be there for a while.

When Trixie met Fluttershy at her cottage, the primrose pegasus had already packed the essentials as well. They bid each other good morning and began towards the part of the woods that Fluttershy had found the tracks in.

It was at the edge of the forest that Fluttershy glanced over at Trixie nervously and said, "Oh, by the way, I've invited somepony else to help us."

"And who would that be?" Trixie asked suspiciously. She had a feeling who that somepony was.

And within seconds, a rainbow blur landed in front of them with startling speed. The cyan pony that it transformed into did not look pleased.

Rainbow Dash glared at Trixie and immediately turned the look over to Fluttershy. "What gives, Shy?" she asked angrily. "You never told me you were dragging Trixie along!"

Fluttershy adopted a mischievous countenance that was rare for a pony like her. "I never said I wasn't bringing her!"

Rainbow did not look amused.

Fluttershy began her defense. "Look Dashie, you may not like it, but both of you are my friends, and I can't stand to see two of my friends fighting."

"Still, asking permission would have been nice!" Rainbow scolded.

"You would have said no," Fluttershy said simply. She looked over at Trixie, who had up untill this point been silent. "Now, Trixie, you have something to say, don't you?"

Trixie grumbled to herself. She wanted to let her new friends help her, but admitting she was wrong was something that would take a long time getting used to. She sighed, but got the deed over with. "I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash," Trixie said, though it sounded as if it took effort to get the words out. "I shouldn't have assumed that it was you who put my name on the ballot."

Fluttershy nodded her head happily. "See, this is progress!" she said. "Now Rainbow Dash, what do you have to say?"

Rainbow looked over at Trixie with an impassive expression. "I accept you apology for what you did to me, but I still need more time with what you did to all of us a year ago."

Fluttershy frowned. It was not the response she had been looking for.

Trixie was surprised at the hurt she felt deep inside herself. She had never been so concerned with what one pony thought of her, and the feeling was alien. All she knew was that she wanted Rainbow to know how sorry she was. "Is... is there anything I can do to change you mind?" she asked hopefully.

"Look, Trixie, try to understand," Rainbow said. "I was picked as the Element of Loyalty for a reason. I couldn't care less what you do to me. But you hurt my friends, and even though I know you're sorry, that's something I have a tough time swallowing."

Fluttershy pursed her lips. "Rainbow Dash, you just have to..."

Rainbow cut her off. "Let's just go, Fluttershy," she said, and she stepped into the forest without waiting for either of them.

Fluttershy took a couple steps, but Trixie stood in place, unsure if she was still welcome on their excursion. But Fluttershy waved her hoof, indicating that Trixie could follow. "I invited you in the first place," Fluttershy said, "and if Rainbow Dash wants to be stubborn then that's her problem.

So the two of them caught up with the irritated Rainbow and ventured into the trees with her. The Everfree Forest was not a place to take lightly. It was a strange place that was totally self-sufficient; the weather regulated itself, the plants required no care, within its borders the seasons changed on their own. But beyond its peculiarity, it was also dangerous. The forest was filled with countless types of beasts and monsters, and there were plants that could deliver a number of different effects, from poison to paralysis.

But once one got past the innumerable dangers, the Everfree Forest was filled with beauty. The trees were thick, green and lush. Even the most dangerous flora were bright and colorful. Even to those who visited often, the forest never failed to deliver awestruck wonder.

Trixie and Rainbow Dash let Fluttershy take the lead. Immediately she went to work with tracking the bird. It was incredibly how detailed and thorough she was in her search. She would stop and stare at one spot on the ground for minutes at a time, making sure that she was not mixing up the tracks of different birds. She found feathers, claw marks, droppings, anything that could point towards her quarry. Along the way, she would sing out a few notes to try and attract it. Fluttershy's companions, however, stayed quiet to allow her to focus on her task. They weren't particularly in the mood to talk anyway.

The going was slow. It had been three hours and they had only walked about two and a half miles. That included a couple short snack and water breaks. A few times Fluttershy became flustered over losing the trail, but she always picked it up again. She even spent a lot of time up in the air studying the tree branches and leaves.

After what seemed like an eternity (that's what the impatient Rainbow Dash claimed), Fluttershy finally told them that they were getting close. It wasn't until a couple steps later that Rainbow pointed over behind a bush and said, "Hey, Shy, I think I see some silver over there!"

Fluttershy gasped and whizzed past her on her wings. The bird was lying on the forest floor motionless. Immediately Fluttershy pressed her ear to the bird's breast. After a moment, she closed her eyes and laid down next it. Tears forced their way out of her eyes through soft sobs. "It's dead," Fluttershy managed to choke out.

Rainbow's features softened. She put a hoof on her friend's shoulder and said gently, "I'm so sorry, Fluttershy."

"It's a beautiful bird," Trixie added tentatively, and that was her honest truth. The silver-tipped wings glinted faintly in the sunlight that managed to stream through the trees. It was also much larger than she had anticipated; the bird must have been as tall as one of her legs. The rest of its feathers were a solid and sleek black, which only made the silver wings stand out even more. "Is there anything we can do?" Trixie added.

Fluttershy sniffed and wiped her eyes. "No," she replied, her voice barely audible. She looked over at the bird once more. "But there's something I don't understand."

"What?" Trixie and Rainbow said in unison. They gave each other an annoyed look, but were far from wanting to start in argument in their friend's time of need.

"From what I can see, there's no apparent cause of death," Fluttershy explained. "It's not wounded, its eyes don't suggest kind of poisoning from a plant, and it's certainly not an old bird. It looks completely fine."

Nearby Trixie noticed a large feather that was an iridescent dark blue and acid green. She picked it up with a levitation spell and showed it to Fluttershy. "Could this have anything to do with it?" she asked.

Fluttershy squinted her eyes and peered closely at the feather. She gently grabbed it from the air and examined it. "I don't know," she replied distractedly. "I've never seen a feather like this. It's enormous! And the shaft looks really odd, too."

"What do you mean?" asked Rainbow.

Fluttershy extended one of her wings and winced as she plucked one of her own feathers with her teeth. "Look at a regular feather's shaft," Fluttershy instructed, indicating her own yellow feather, "and look at this shaft. My feather's is smooth, but this one has strange barbs on it."

"That's really weird," Rainbow admitted. She shrugged her shoulders. "Well, you're the nature pony, so if you don't know something then I probably don't have a clue."

Fluttershy didn't seem to hear her. Her attention had redirected itself it the ground. She took to the air began to study it closely. Trixie started to walk over towards her, but without losing track of her search she held up a hoof to stop her and said, "Don't step over here."

Just to get on Trixie's nerves, Rainbow's wings became active and carried her over to her friend. Trixie blew a lock of her mane out of her face and scrunched her muzzle. Pegasi, she thought to herself huffily.

"These are the strange tracks I was telling you about a while ago, Trixie," Fluttershy finally said.

"The ones you mentioned when you first found me in that field?" Trixie asked.

Fluttershy nodded. "Yes. These tracks look exactly the same."

"But what could have made them?" Rainbow asked, scratching her head.

"I don't know that either," Fluttershy answered. "These tracks are not made by paws or anything like that. They almost look like an indentation from a fallen tree, but these are sort of windy." She replicated the odd pattern with her hooves.

"Then maybe we better get out if here," Rainbow said nervously. "I really don't like what's going on around here."

"RAINBOW DASH!" Trixie suddenly cried. At the moment Rainbow finished speaking, something indistinguishable soared through the air towards her. With reflexes that even Rainbow herself would have been jealous of, Trixie cast a force field spell in front of her. The green projectile splashed onto the force field. It dribbled down and dripped onto the grass, immediately eating through it like acid.

Rainbow looked over at Trixie, her eyes wide and her mouth agape with shock. "Trixie?" she breathed.

Trixie expanded the force field as another burst of the mysterious liquid shot with blazing speed towards Fluttershy. Trixie realized that it was coming from a clump of bushes and trees that obscured their attacker. Fluttershy cried out, but as petrified as she was she did not leave.

Trixie launched a searing bolt of red light from her horn into the bushes. The spell burned its way through the greenery soared beyond it. The result came quickly; a shrill roar, if such a thing existed, rent the air and pierced their ears drums.

"Run!" Trixie commanded. "I'll hold it off!"

"No way you're doing that on your own!" argued Rainbow Dash. She held her ground.

Another blur of green came their way and hit Trixie's shield spell. "I'll be right behind you! Go!"

Rainbow grimaced, but she soared through the trees on her wings with Fluttershy following close behind. Trixie fired another spell towards whatever beast was antagonizing them. Without waiting to see if it hit, she began galloping at full speed behind Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

More shots came for them at alarming speeds, but Trixie held up the shield spell valiantly. However, the more her shield was hit, the more effort it took to keep it active. She was becoming weaker. Trixie dared to turn around briefly to see if they were actually being pursued. Through the light-distorting lens of her force field, in the distance, she saw a pair of horrible red eyes glaring through the trees at her. But they only filled her vision for a moment; the instant she saw them, everything went black.

Returning

It was a beautiful night. The princess of the night had done her job well. The moon was full and bathed Equestria in a calm silvery-blue glow. The stars seemed to twinkle and shine so bright that it was as if a pony could reach up and pluck one from the sky. The trees shuffled softly in the cool breeze. Down on the earth, the fireflies danced in the air and the frogs croaked rhythmically.

Underneath the night, a mare trotted slowly through the Everfree Forest. The trees were beginning to slowly thin out, and she knew she had to be reaching her destination soon. Behind her was a small, yellow, wooden wagon with a red thatched roof. It had once been decorated with her cutie mark and few simple designs, but she had since simplified it. She had simplified herself, as well. Gone was her star-spangled purple cape, replaced by a drab and tattered brown cloak. The wagon held her few possessions and rolled alongside her wherever she went, and so far it had remained as loyal a friend as she deserved.

In the past she had done things that she regretted deeply, but it was time to face those things and the ponies she did them to. She moved through the forest slower than she should have, but she knew that each and every hoofstep brought her closer and closer to Ponyville, and just the sound of the name brought forth a guilt that she found harder to swallow, even after receiving forgiveness from Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight, the mare knew, was now one of the princesses of Equestria, and the wanderer didn't even know if Twilight would be in Ponyville. She was the last pony the mare had seen before leaving Ponyville. That was a year ago. She had spent a lot of time recuperating in other places, scraping up some bits where she could. She had definitely planned for a different trip this time around. She was done with trying to put on a show. The mare just wanted to make things right this time. In fact, she was planning on leaving her wagon behind and wearing a cloak, in hopes that she would be recognized as little as possible.

It finally happened. She passed the last of the trees and was out of the Everfree Forest and could see the buildings of Ponyville in the distance. She wanted to be sure that her wagon would staying a good distance from the town, and she knew this wide-open field of space would do nicely.

She decided to make herself some breakfast and wait for sunrise, which was about an hour off. She hadn't been able to sleep during the night, and she had spent much of it walking. But she wanted to have a little bit of time to relax.

She pulled a slightly stale biscuit out of her wagon and began to chew on it thoughtfully. She didn't know how she was going to tackle her anticipated meeting with Ponyville. The restless pony was trying to sort through the townsponies through her mind to see which one would be the most okay with seeing her. No... that didn't sound right. It would have to be the pony that despised her the least.

The mare swallowed the last of her biscuit, took a drink of water, and laid her head down. But only for a moment; suddenly she heard hoofsteps approaching her. Her head bolted up, and she saw trotting towards her a slightly familiar pony. It was a yellow pegasus mare with a mane of muted pink. The cloaked pony started scrambling for a name.

"Hello there!" the pegasus said in a demure voice. "All you all right out here? I was looking for one of my lost animals when I noticed your wagon."

Hiding herself had never been part of the plan. The mare took a deep breath and stood up, removing her hood. "Hello, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy gasped and reeled back, taking in the sight of the unicorn that stood before her. She had a periwinkle coat and violet eyes. Her mane and tail were both predominately white with a large light gray stripe running down them. "It's... it's you!" Fluttershy squeaked. "Trixie!"

Trixie gulped. She just had to get this out. "I want to apologize."

Fluttershy blinked, not expecting words like that to come out of a pony like Trixie. "Apologize?"

"Yes, apologize," Trixie said again. "To everypony."

Fluttershy sheepishly scraped the ground with her hoof. "Is that what you're really here for? Because we both know what happened last time."

"Twilight Sparkle forgave me!" Trixie shouted. "Why can't you?!"

Immediately Fluttershy shrank back from Trixie's tirade. For a moment Trixie hated herself. But she took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy," she said sadly. "I want help. I want everypony to see that I want to change."

Fluttershy looked in Trixie's eyes, and for once she saw genuineness in them. She, above most other ponies, knew that second chances had to be given.

She straightened herself and said, "All right. I believe you."

"You do?" Trixie said hopefully.

"Yes, I do," replied Fluttershy, even offering a smile.

"Thank you, Fluttershy!" Trixie said with relief. "Soon, everypony will see how apologetic I am!" She got a blanket of her wagon and laid down on it, preparing to fall asleep.

"Wait, is this where you sleep?" Fluttershy asked.

Trixie sat up. "Yes," she said a bit defensively. "I have nowhere else to go."

"Oh, well, if you're up to it, you can stay for a while in my cottage," Fluttershy offered a bit hesitantly. "If you would rather stay here, that's fine. I'm just putting that out there."

Trixie looked up at Fluttershy, having not anticipated receiving kindness this soon. "You'd really let me stay in your cottage?"

"Sure!" she replied. "I wouldn't feel right letting you stay out here. There's been weird tracks showing up in the Everfree Forest. Usually I'm pretty good at identifying tracks, but I've never seen anything like these."

Trixie yawned at the explanation.

"A-anyway, so, how about it?"

Trixie stood up. "I accept your gracious offer," she declared. "It would be much better than staying out here, anyway. Lead the way!"

Trixie strapped herself to her wagon and fell into stride beside Fluttershy. As they walked, the first rays of dawn leaked into the sky. The stars were not quite ready to give up their place in the sky, and they clashed against the red light.

"So..." Fluttershy said a bit awkwardly, "what have you been doing since you left?"

"Mostly working," Trixie replied. "I've been finding odd jobs, mostly in Dodge Junction and Appaloosa. They're easy to find there."

"It sounds like you were doing well for yourself."

"Yeah?"

"So why'd you come back to Ponyville?"

"Believe it or not, I do have a conscience," Trixie snapped. "I just needed a while to clear my head. I know I wasn't in my right state of mind while wearing the Alicorn Amulet, but I remember everything I did with it. And I do actually feel bad for what I did."

"So you want to be able to apologize?"

Trixie paused. "I just want everypony to know that I'm not a monster."

Fluttershy saw the look of hurt in Trixie's features, and she felt a twinge of pity for her. She quickly decided to change the subject. "Hey, you know, you came just in time for a pretty big event here in Ponyville."

Trixie looked intrigued. "Oh yeah? What's that?"

"The election campaigning for the new mayor of Ponyville is going to start this afternoon!"

"Oh really?"

"Yes! Mayor Mare was reelected at the last election, but she decided not to run again. We're getting pretty concerned about the election though."

"Ponyvillle is, like, the smallest town in Equestra," Trixie replied snarkily. "What could possibly worry you ponies about it?"

"Well, so far there's only one candidate."

"Is it Twilight Sparkle?" Trixie asked, trying to mask any excitement that her voice might betray. "That seems like her kind of thing. She still lives here in Ponyville, doesn't she?"

"No, she's not running," Fluttershy answered with a chuckle. "And yes, Twilight does still live in Ponyville, but she's away in Canterlot for the next week for a conference with the other princesses."

"Oh," said Trixie, trying to hide her disappointment at Twilight's absence. If anypony could have helped her, it was her. She quickly recovered. "Well, no matter. Who is running then?"

"Um, I think his name is Grass Roots," Fluttershy said after a moment of thinking. "He came to Ponyville about three months ago. I hear some ponies talk about him, but I've never met him personally."

The two of them arrived at Fluttershy's cottage. The multitude of birds that had flocked to the organic building chirped noisily. Trixie told herself that she would need to find some earplugs. She unhitched her wagon underneath a tree and stepped inside the cottage with her host.

"Does nopony want to run against this Grass Roots?" asked Trixie, keeping the conversation going. "What's he like?"

"Oh, don't worry, you'll meet him tomorrow," said Fluttershy. "From what I've heard he's taking this election very seriously."

"Yeah yeah," Trixie said, waving her hoof dismissively. "Now, where am I sleeping?"

"I have a guest room upstairs," Fluttershy said. She motioned for Trixie to follow her. Once in the bedroom, Trixie flopped on the bed as she was, without removing her cloak.

Fluttershy winced. "Oh, um, Trixie..."

"What?" she snapped. "I need some sleep."

"I was, uh, just wondering if you could take off your cloak?" Fluttershy asked with no small amount of hesitance. "I just don't want the sheets to get dirty..."

"Relax, Fluttershy," grumbled Trixie as she got underneath the covers. She kicked at the sheets and hit the pillow until she was finally satisfied with he position. "You need to lighten up a little."

Fluttershy turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. She sighed heavily to herself and said, "This is going to be harder than I thought."

Grass Roots

Trixie slept for the next four hours. But despite its brevity, it was among the best sleeps she had ever had. It had been dreamless and unbroken. She had finally gotten a very brief sense of satisfaction and peace of mind with something she had done. She was finally back in Ponyville, and she had already earned the trust of one of its citizens. Granted, that citizen was Fluttershy, who would have probably forgiven Sombra himself if he had asked, but it was a start.

Fluttershy, however, was not having the best of luck with Trixie's arrival. After showing Trixie to her bed, Fluttershy had quietly crept out of the cottage to recover her missing animal, an extremely rare bird that she had befriended. It had silver-tipped wings and an amazing talent for mimicry. She flew over the Everfree Forest while singing to it for an hour, but it never came.

But while she was away, many of the other animals that lived inside Fluttershy's cottage became very uncomfortable with Trixie's presence, and they made it very clear to Fluttershy once she returned. Even with all the noise though, Trixie slept soundly. But the time Trixie got up, silence reigned in the cottage.

Trixie rolled herself out of the bed at ten. Her mane was more of a tangled mess than she cared to admit. She'd have to find somewhere to get cleaned up. She pulled the curtain shutters wide and took a look outside. The morning sun immediately poured in, causing her to squint her eyes. The view was worth it, though. The small stream in front of the cottage flowed lazily, and the animals that surrounded the cottage blended together their various sounds well enough to create a rather relaxing atmosphere.

Trixie found a brush lying on a table in the bedroom and quickly used her levitation magic to brush her hair. She walked downstairs and found Fluttershy hovering near the ceiling in her kitchen. She was rifling through some high cupboards.

"Oh, good morning, Trixie!" Fluttershy said. She quickly grabbed a box of cereal and poured a bowl for her guest.

"Good morning, Fluttershy," Trixie returned. She retrieved some milk from the table and poured it into her bowl.

Fluttershy slowly descended to the floor. "So, did you sleep okay?"

Trixie took a heaping bite of her cereal. She was starving. "Yesch, it wasch fine," she said, bits of half-chewed cereal flying out of her mouth.

Fluttershy cringed, but she decided not to say anything about it. "So, do you, uh, have a plan for today?"

This time Trixie had the decency to swallow before speaking. "Well, I was thinking that I could—"

A knock at Fluttershy's door interrupted her. The visiter didn't wait for the door to be opened.

"Hey Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash called out. "I was wondering if you wanted..." But as she walked in, the scene in the kitchen cut her off. Trixie and Rainbow Dash stared at each other for a few intensely awkward moments, the pegasus with wide eyes and a slack jaw and the unicorn with a mouth full of cereal, milk dribbling down her chin.

Trixie quickly wiped away the milk and swallowed. "Hello," she said, wearing the most awkward of smiles. Just like Fluttershy at first, Trixie could not think of Rainbow's name.

Rainbow pointed at the intruder and looked over at Fluttershy with an unchanged expression. The yellow pegasus winced as if she had been stuck with a needle. Rainbow opened her mouth, but no worlds came out at first. "How... what... why... explain!"

"Rainbow Dash, you remember Trixie, right?" Fluttershy said as calmly as she could. Trixie took note of the shocked pony's name.

Rainbow Dash tightly sealed her mouth shut, as if a massive explosion would issue forth if she dared to open it. In fact, that's exactly what happened. "WHAT IN THE NAME OF CELESTIA IS TRIXIE DOING IN YOUR COTTAGE!?"

Fluttershy was practically blown off her hooves from the shout. "Now, Dashie, please be reasonable about this..."

"Reasonable?!" Dash repeated, her voice cracking. "Give me one good reason why I should be!"

"Because Twilight was with her," Fluttershy countered.

"Oh yeah, because it's like Twilight and I see eye to eye on everything."

"Let me interject right here," Trixie said, but neither pony heard her.

"She's just looking for some friends!" Fluttershy retorted. Her assertive side was beginning to show.

"What about our friends?! The ones that she made miserable?!"

Soon the two were bickering back and forth, which greatly annoyed Trixie. "Hello?!" she said loudly.

They were still going at it.

"HEY!"

Finally Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash stopped and looked at her.

"Fluttershy, thank you for sticking up for me," Trixie said calmly. She looked over at the multicolored pegasus. "And Rainbow Dash, I do want to apologize for everything that I did."

"Yeah, and?" Rainbow snapped.

"Well, I don't know much about friendship, but I want to try my hoof at it. It seems to work a lot better than revenge, anyway." Trixie extended her hoof towards Rainbow to shake. "So? How about it?"

Rainbow sighed, but she didn't shake hooves. "Look, Trixie, you seem sincere, I guess, but I'm not ready for that yet. You hurt my friends and that bugs me more than you know."

And there it was. Trixie felt the sting of rejection, and she knew that it was the first of many to come, but she hadn't fully prepared herself for it. She let her hoof drop in disappointment. Her instinct told her to yell, to get angry, but she quickly swallowed it. "All right, fine. But my offer still stands."

Rainbow Dash turned away from Trixie. "Who else knows about this?" she asked Fluttershy.

"Nopony," she replied in the tiniest voice.

"I'll keep I that way, then. See ya." And with those words Rainbow was out the door.

A minute of silence passed. Trixie needed to pipe up. "That could have gone better," she said bitterly.

"I'm sorry, Trixie," Fluttershy said gently. "Dash has always been like that."

"Yeah, whatever,"

"I think ponies will warm up to you after a while," Fluttershy said comfortingly. "It'll just take some time."

"If you say so," Trixie replied despondantly.

She walked out the door into the cool morning air. The breeze made her cloak gently sway around her body. She sat at the edge of the brook and tried not to think about later on. If the rest of Ponyville reacted in the same way as Rainbow Dash, then she was in for a very long haul.

Trixie caught some of the flowing water with a magenta glow and brought it in front of her. If nothing else, she had her magic. It was the only thing that had been constant in her life, and the only thing that never failed her. Concentrating, she shaped the water into many forms. She found that using her magic was therapeutic, and having to focus on it took her mind off other things.

Trixie spent the next hour exploring the area around Fluttershy's cottage, namely all the animals she had. There were birds, fish, bugs, and rodents, among others. One enclosure she found had various reptiles, which made Trixie positively cringe.

"Aw, reptiles make you nervous?" Fluttershy approached her.

Trixie quickly straightened. "Absolutely not!" she cried indignantly.

"Not everypony likes them, but I think they're fascinating." Flutterwin stroked the chin of one of the snakes with her hoof.

"What do they have that for?" Trixie asked, referring to a narrow burrow that descended deep into the ground.

"Reptiles hate the cold," Fluttershy explained. "They're cold-blooded, and they can't warm themselves during winter. So they burrow down there to avoid the cold."

"Animals are strange," Trixie concluded.

Fluttershy ignored the comment. "So, anyway, the campaign stater is going to begin soon. Are you coming?"

"I might as well. I can't sit around your cottage all day."

"That's the spirit!" Fluttershy said encouragingly. "Come on."

Trixie decided to stay hidden for now. She put her hood back over her head as she walked into Ponyville for the first time in a year. It looked exactly the same as she remembered. Ponies everywhere were flocking to the largest building in the community, Town Hall.

The crowd was packed tightly into the building. All along the walls were banners with large green check marks on them, encouraging ponies to vote. Mayor Mare, the current leader of Ponyville, stood on stage, waiting for the last of the ponies to file in.

Trixie and Fluttershy squeezed their way through the sea of ponies. Near the front, Fluttershy spotted her other friends, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack, standing together. She began to approach them, but looked back at Trixie, torn between choosing who to be with. "Go, go," Trixie said, waving her hoof as if shooing the yellow pegasus away. "I'll meet up with you later." Fluttershy nodded and went to her friends.

Once everypony was settled, Mayor Mare tapped on a microphone, silencing them with the feedback. "Welcome, everypony, to the campaign starter event!" she announced. The crowd erupted into hoof-stomping applause. The mayor waited until they quieted down to continue. "Every four years, we come here together to elect a new mayor to lead Ponyville! And while I have spent the last eight years doing this, I am pleased to pass on this incredible title to the pony most worthy of it. Of course, it will be up to all of you to decide who this will be.

"For those of you who may have moved here recently, I will explain how the campaigning works. Up until this point, candidates are forbidden from advertising their campaign. But after this event, they will have two weeks to go after it will everything they have. At the end of the two weeks, you citizens will vote for whom you feel would best lead Ponyville. The candidate that receives the most votes will win!

"Now, without further ado, let us meet the candidates!" The crowd started to cheer once again. One of them accidentally bumped Trixie in his excitement and knocked her hood off. Having a miniature heart attack, Trixie quickly pulled it back over her head. She looked around in panic, but nopony had seen her.

"Our first candidate," Mayor Mare continued, "moved here to Ponyville just within the last six months, but he is quickly adapting and is eager to campaign. Please welcome Grass Roots!"

During more stomping, from behind the curtain stepped an Earth pony stallion so handsome that not even Trixie could prevent her jaw from dropping. Grass Roots was an extremely well-built pony and was taller than everypony around him. He donned an iron-gray coat, and his mane and tail were an icy periwinkle blue. His cutie mark depicted a small patch of green grass with a red check mark over it.

Grass Roots stepped up confidently to the microphone and spoke. "Thank you, Mayor," he said. Even his deep, reassuring voice could make a mare faint. "And I want to thank all of you for being so welcoming to me as I settle into this fair town. Ponyville is already one of the best small towns in Equestria that one could live, but I seek to make it the best. If elected, I will make Ponyville the quintessential place to be as far as a life of peace and tranquility. I would like for our fair town to grow, but I promise to not sacrifice the feeling of the small but loving community that we have."

Trixie found herself stomping along with the other citizens. This pony was simply captivating, and she could easily tell that he knew it. His devastatingly blue eyes were scanning the crowd, taking in his easily-won supporters. She began to pity anypony that sought to run against him.

Mayor Mare stepped back up to the microphone. "Thank you very much, Mr. Roots!" she said. "Now, I have just been informed that one other candidate has signed up to run. May I see the signup sheet, please?" An attendant levitated the sheet over to the mayor. She took it in one of her hooves and straightened it with a flourish. "Our second candidate is..." She paused and stared at the sheet in confusion. Everypony waited with baited breath. Mayor Mare looked back up, her eyes filled with bewilderment.

"Trixie Lulamoon."