It was a year since Trixie started working the traveling show all by herself.

She missed Gilda and Gustave, and she was depressed. While she kept in touch with her dear friends, constantly writing to them while updating them on wherever she was currently staying, it had been so long since they actually saw each other.

That night, she was staying in Hoofington, retiring to her traveling carriage after yet another successful show. In spite of how much she loved performing, the unicorn started to have doubts in her ability as a showmare. Even though she always had a great audience wherever she went, the next day she would notice how depressed they all seemed when she saw them while walking through whichever town her show was in. Her skills might have delighted and entertained dozens for the duration of her shows, but beyond that, was there any real lasting appeal? Was she actually making a difference at all?

Trixie felt like she was merely putting a bandaid on a cancer.

These thoughts of doubt and insecurity had been constantly haunting her for months on end, and she had no idea how to silence them.

She groaned as she forced herself to get out of bed, unable to sleep, half from her emotional state and half from her hunger, realizing that she had nothing to eat that day except for a brief snack for lunch. Trotting over to the other side of her wagon, she briefly considered going to the carnival that Hoofington had going on, which she surprisingly didn't use as a venue during her stay there, but instead in the town's local theater normally reserved for plays. Surely, she could find something to eat there, and lift her spirits by partaking in the other festivities, but she decided not to, fearing that she wouldn't be in the mood and that it would be a waste of time.

Instead, Trixie decided to make herself dinner right there in her nomadic home. She rummaged through her edible and perishable belongings, and then shrugged.

'What the hell. I'll have breakfast for dinner.'

The unicorn immediately got to work, hoping that distracting herself with making her meal would keep her unpleasant thoughts away, only to find that this was to no avail. The dish consisted of hay bacon, hash browns, and a short stack of pancakes with a glass of milk on the side. Once she finished making it and set it on the table, she perked, remembering a special ingredient that she liked to use. Her forehooves rummaged through more of her goods until she found a peculiar elixir that Gustave had inspired her to invent.

It was an edible liquid that visually resembled mercury, except instead of reflecting the outside world, it instead depicted the internal thoughts and memories of whoever created it. In Trixie's case, all she needed was to add a single hair from her mane to make it work, having practiced with it enough by now to perfectly match emotions to flavor; a sour taste represented anger, while a sweet taste represented happiness, and so on and so forth. She liked to call it "mirror mix", and usually settled for making bittersweet variations, both out of nostalgia for happier times and penance for her self-perceived faults.

The unicorn slowly poured a particularly syrupy version of this onto her pancakes, watching the memories and inner demons literally trickle onto the largest portion of her meal, growing in size as it pooled, the mare strangely likening it to the sensation of looking inside a window. The collective mixture divided the appearance of it's surface to separate several different silent, moving images, right out of Trixie's mind. She took a deep breath and sighed, levitating a knife and fork to start carving up the coated pancakes, choosing first to eat the pieces coated with the sweetest memories, like the happier times with her father and traveling with Gilda and Gustave.

Nonetheless, her mind inevitably drifted back to her plight regarding the apparent futility of her career; financially, it was solid, but it seemed to do little regarding her actual goal; bringing peace, joy and relief to her audiences. One of the only comforts she had in the midst of it all was a mysterious gift that appeared every so often in her shows. Now and again, she would receive a bouquet of Jennet Orchids left behind for her after she was finished, each one with a tag reading "To: Trixie, From: Hope". The unicorn knew that Jennet Orchids only grew in her native home, or at least that was the case since she last checked. Her first thought of it was that Gilda's boundless generosity extended them to her whenever she got the chance.

And yet, another possibility would frequently poke at her mind. Trixie didn't want to face it. The idea seemed ridiculous at best, but nonetheless unpleasant, and still not completely impossible.

What if Myrtle sent them?

It wasn't the first time she suspected this. The last time she went to Canterlot, she checked to see if Myrtle still lived there, but she was nowhere to be found, leaving her home and the second Euthalia's to some other ponies. For all Trixie knew, her sister could have moved back to Jennet and done this.

But why? Didn't she hate her?

Even if she did have a change of heart and wanted to reconcile, the unicorn was still apprehensive. Just seeing her again would bring back so many unwanted feelings. The chaotic, mixed cauldron of sympathy, blame, bitterness, hatred, empathy and remorse threatening to bubble over at any given moment.

With every bite of her breakfast, tasting the emotions tinging the images her mirror mix coated and briefly reliving those memories with each chew, her dilemma still persisted. It didn't help that she avoided the rest of her pancakes to finish her hay bacon and hash browns just so she wouldn't have to experience what remained. At the end of it all, the last coated bite remaining was the literally moving image of Trixie and Myrtle at a campfire during their time civilly coexisting together as true sisters.

She decided that the only way she might vanquish this turmoil was by confronting the apparent source. She would go to Jennet to see her sister again.

Trixie had no idea to expect from Jennet. She hadn't been there for almost ten years.

What would be in store for her? The possibilities seemed endless. She figured, at the very worst, the authorities would connect her with her father's death without the proper context taken in mind, and arrest her for it.

'No, that's ridiculous. If that were the case, something would have happened to me by now.'

As soon as she brought her traveling show carriage to a stop just on the outskirts of the town, Trixie stepped outside, recognizing the festivities of Nightmare Night. The unicorn hadn't noticed that she arrived on the evening of that particular holiday, but that seemed to be the case. Being a village of Luna worshipers, the ponies of Jennet took it much differently and more seriously than most others in Equestria. Instead of being blamed as the source of nightmares, Luna was revered as the guardian against them, and bringer of dreams. Nightmare Night was to Jennet what the Summer Sun Celebration was to everypony else.

Walking through the town and surveying the nostalgic sights, the young mare started to notice peculiar details that were familiar, and yet not, at the same time. She blinked a few times to clear her vision, clarifying that she was awake and not dreaming. To her surprise, she recognized these new additions as coming directly from her lucid evening experiences as a filly. There were banners and statues and all sorts of things made just for her, Trixie Lulamoon.

Her jaw dropped, looking around her in complete bewilderment. However did this happen? Why?

Further adding to her shock and confusion, every pony that she encountered was incredibly happy to see her. Even ponies she remembered from when she was younger, who used to despise and mistreat her, even. They would bow at her hooves and offer their apologies and express gratitude.

It was too much; she couldn't deal with all this. There was an overwhelming flow of new information hitting her, contradicting everything she knew and believed in, blending reality and fantasy. This couldn't truly be, could it? Jennet, becoming a monumental tribute to one of it's formerly most loathed ponies?

To her disappointment, Trixie found that Myrtle no longer lived in Jennet.

So, who was the one responsible for sending her all those Jennet Orchids over the past several months?

She next sought to answer that, heading over to Euthalia's. Fortunately, she managed to get there right before it was going to close. There, she saw it being closed up by a unicorn mare with a cinnamon red coat, a black mane and tail, green eyes, and a sunflower cutie mark.

The older mare almost immediately recognized her, smiling brightly. "Oh, my goodness! It's Trixie The Magician!" She galloped over to the showmare, pulling her into a hoofshake. "My name is Faith Dreamcatcher! It's so nice to finally see you in person!"

"Um, thanks," Trixie murmured, blushing. She wasn't used to this much attention, at least, not off stage; the reception she found in Jennet was preposterously glowing in comparison to her shows, which said quite a lot in and of itself. "If you don't mind, I'd like to ask... I've been getting a lot of Jennet Orchids after my shows for quite some time... I happen to be aware that they only come from this store, or at least, they're supposed to... Would you happen to know who's been sending them to me?"

Faith chuckled. "Why, of course! They're from Hope, my daughter! She's your biggest fan!" She shook her head, smiling. "She gets an allowance for the chores she does around our house, and she insists on using all of it to send you flowers! She knows that they're your favorite!"

Trixie's ears lowered as she smiled warmly. "Why, that's so nice... Thank you so much..."

"You should be thanking her!" Faith's eyes suddenly lit up, as if just then coming to a realization. "Oh, Trixie, would you please come to dinner at my house tonight? My daughter is dying to meet you! She's never wanted anything more badly in the whole world!"

"... Really?..."

"Yes, I'm serious! It would break her heart if she knew you came here and didn't see her! Please, make a little filly's dream come true?"

Trixie felt her heart stop. 'This filly... Wants to meet me? More than anything?... I... I can't believe it...'

She didn't know why, but Trixie Lulamoon was more nervous than she had ever been with stage fright. All she was doing was sitting with Faith in her house, waiting for her husband and daughter to return home from trick or treating.

That was the other strange thing -- the Dreamcatcher household was once the home of the Lulamoons, the very same house that Trixie grew up in. They bought it from the previous owners who bought it from Myrtle. Hope had begged Faith and her father to move there after finding out Trixie was born and raised there, and they did so to reward her good behavior. Even Trixie's fillyhood bedroom was now Hope's.

The bittersweet homesickness Trixie felt towards this place was now mixed with a strange new feeling of permeating acceptance and adoration. It was overwhelming, almost frightening, in fact.

"This year, she's a royal alicorn for Nightmare Night. Her costume has this cute pair of wings with a horn and crown... Hope took all of her friends at the Wishmaker Club trick or treating with her," Faith explained. "Midnight offered to watch over them the whole time and take them home when they're done... They should be back any minute."

"The Wishmaker Club?"

"Oh, yes! It's this little group she started to help other fillies and colts get better at what they love to do! You were the one who inspired her to create it! Not only have so many of the children here become happier because of it, but Hope's been able to use it to make friends and improve her skills at playing her violin! It's really made a difference for the better in our whole community!... Something about her just... Brings out the best in whoever she meets... I've never met someone who Hope hasn't been able to brighten their day..."

The showmare was taken aback. "And she did it... All because of me?..."

"That's right!"

Suddenly, the front door was unlocked.

A stallion chuckled. "All right, my little princess, settle down!"

He walked inside, revealed to be a pegasus with a vanilla white coat, brown mane and tail, and blue eyes with a chef hat cutie mark. Riding on his back was an earth pony filly with a violet coat and a lavender mane and tail, wearing a fake pair of wings, a horn, and a crown. Her honey golden peanut butter brown eyes gleamed with excitement, immediately spotting and recognizing the surprise guest in her home.

She gasped, smiling as widely as possible. "TRIXIE!!!" she cried out, jumping off of her father's back and galloping towards her. She caught the showmare off guard, diving right into her and giving her the tightest hug that she ever felt. "I can't believe that it's you! You're here, in Jennet! In my house!"

Winded, Trixie coughed, taking a moment to catch her breath. "Yes, I am," she sighed. She gave the filly a warm smile. "You must be Hope! Your mother's been telling me all about you! She says that you're a really good filly, and that you've been wanting to meet me for quite some time!"

Hope backed off, allowing Trixie to get back up as she stood before her in wonder. "Of course I have! You're the coolest and bestest pony ever! You're my hero, Trixie!" She started to cry tears of joy, ecstatic that her personal idol was right before her eyes, in the flesh. "Before you started doing your shows, I always thought that I'd never get to amount to anything! But you showed us all that just because you come from places like Jennet or worship Luna doesn't mean you're going to be sad and poor all your life! You showed me that you really can make your dreams come true, no matter what anypony says!"

Trixie's heart had never felt warmer or bigger. She was beyond deeply surprised and touched that anypony could ever care about her this much. She knew she was beloved as a daughter to Heavy-Heart, and a best friend to Gilda, but to be somepony's entire world, the way she was to this filly? It seemed unthinkable. It was as if Hope idolized Trixie the same way Trixie had idolized Luna all her life.

It had never even crossed her mind before that the showmare could serve as an inspiration to others like her. And yet, now she finally saw that merely doing what she loved resulted in uplifting an entire town, the very place that she lived for most of her life, to aspire to reach their deepest passions as well.

"I'm so happy you feel that way, Hope!"

The filly nodded quickly, still smiling from ear to ear. "Every time I start to get sad, or think I won't be able to do something, I just remember you, and it helps me get through it! I've always wanted to see one of your shows in person, but I never got the chance! I heard all kinds of stories about you and collected all the newspapers and pictures and stuff I could find with you in them! I love how you help everypony else see how good they really are, and that one trick you do where you open yourself up like a present and give everypony gifts! So I tried to send you those flowers you love whenever I could, to help you keep going the way you always helped me keep going! I want to be just like you when I grow up!"

Trixie chuckled softly, playfully tousling Hope's mane with a forehoof. "I'm sure you will be."

Suddenly, the filly frowned, hanging her head. "Well... As much as I'd like to, I'm not sure about that..."

Trixie shared her sadness. "Why is that?"

Hope sighed. "Well... There's these bullies at school who make fun of me because I want to be your assistant for your shows someday, and they say that it's stupid, and that I can't do it because I'm not a unicorn and can't do magic... They also tease me for not having a cutie mark yet... Even though you make me feel like I can do the things I want to, sometimes, the things they do make it hard for me to try, or they make me want to give up..."

Trixie sat down, closer to Hope's eye level. "Well... Let me let you in on a few secrets... First... It's hard for anyone to try anything when someone else is putting them down. For a really long time, I didn't want to try anything at all, because people would put me down all the time, and I wanted to give up. In fact, it even still happens sometimes. I can't use my magic right whenever I'm feeling sad or hurt. But, remembering how much fans like you care helps me get back up, start over, and try again."

"Really?..."

"Mmhm!" Trixie nodded. "Second... You don't need to be a unicorn in order to do magic. I'll show you how." She used her levitation magic to retrieve something from a hidden pocket on the inside of her cape. It was the thin string and wax mimicking levitation that Gilda gave her so many years ago. Trixie showed Hope how to use it, and gave her the rest of the magical themed items that Gilda had gotten her to help whenever she had trouble.

"I used to rely on these whenever I couldn't get my magic working right... But, now, I want you to have them instead. You deserve them."

Hope hugged the items closely against her. "Thank you so much!!! I'll take care of them and practice and keep them forever, I swear!"

The showmare chuckled. "Even if you don't use them, I promise that I'll make sure that you can be my assistant."

Hope suddenly became distraught once more. "Oh, no! I just remembered! How am I going to be your assistant if I also try to get a job playing the violin when I'm older? You won't be angry if I try to be a violinist, too, will you, Trixie?"

The young mare stroked the filly's mane reassuringly. "I promise, you can take as much time as you want to be a violinist and still be my assistant, Hope. Not just my assistant, either, but my number one assistant! You'll be in charge of helping me with all the most important parts of the shows, and get to perform on stage with me!"

The earth pony gasped, awestruck. "Really?!?"

"Yes! We'll be a team! Trixie and Hope, putting on amazing shows all throughout Equestria!"

Hope hugged her hero again. "Thank you so much, Trixie! I can't wait! I promise I'll be the best assistant you could ever have!"

The two continued to laugh and share stories. Meeting one another had granted each other's wishes, unspoken or not; Hope had met her hero, the one who helped her through countless impossible odds, the one she wanted to thank from the bottom of her heart and let her know how much she meant to her. Trixie had found someone who completely and unconditionally adored her, who saw her for who she really meant to be, and was ready to share a lifelong friendship with her. It was the happiest day of their lives.

Time flew by as quick as it ever did, and soon they were having dinner with Hope's parents.

"For a pony named Midnight, you've sure got a bright coat," Trixie teased.

The stallion chuckled. "I was born at midnight. So was Hope. Our bright star in the dark night."

Faith smiled at Hope, and hugged her affectionately.

"I'm glad that you enjoyed dinner, because it's time for dessert. I made Hope's favorite, just to mark this special occasion, having her hero in our house. I hope you like it, Trixie, because I don't get the chance to make it very often."

The showmare licked her lips in anticipation. "If it's anything like what we just had, I know it'll be good!"

Hope jumped up and down in her seat, clapping her forehooves together. "Just wait and see! It's amazing!"

Midnight set the ice cream cake onto the table, starting to carve it into individual slices to distribute amongst the four of them. It looked like a watermelon; the green and black exterior was green apple flavored cake, the red interior was cherry flavored ice cream, and it had grape candies for the seeds.

"I'm so glad you liked dessert! I always told my dad to make it for you in case you ever came by! It never showed up in the news or anything, but I just knew you would someday, and you did!"

Between the feast-induced sugar rush and the thrill of meeting her hero, Hope was practically bouncing all over the place.

Trixie chuckled, slightly off put and awkward-feeling at the filly's seemingly endless exuberance. "Okay, Hope, relax... Wouldn't want you knocking over anything fragile or something..."

The earth pony suddenly froze, beaming delightfully at a realization. "Oh! I haven't shown you my room yet! You have to come and see it!" She seized Trixie's forehoof in her own, bolting down the hallway as she dragged her to the place in mind.

The showmare gasped, taken aback, her blood pounding in her ears upon the realization that she would get to revisit her fillyhood bedroom for the first time in years. For most of her life, it was the only home she ever knew, and even though it belonged to someone else now, just knowing it was the very same place was enough to send bittersweet nostalgia pumping through her veins.

As the door opened, Trixie was astonished at how a place could all at once look so familiar and yet so foreign. The first impression she got was of what she might have wanted her room to look like if her father could have afforded to give her more, or if her sister weren't so cruel to her. But just as Hope espoused earlier, it also contained easily the largest and most impressive collection of Trixie-related items she had ever seen. Some of the additions were things she didn't even remember partaking in, but upon close inspection they were genuine and official.

It was the strongest example of Jennet's strange transformation over time into a land straight out of the unicorn's dreams, and she couldn't help but wonder how her younger self would have reacted if she knew her life would have ended up like this someday. Her mouth continued to hang agape as she slowly surveyed each element; her name and image practically covered every inch of the room.

She felt jarred when her eyes finally rested on something that didn't fall into this category, yet was still shockingly familiar. Sure enough, before her lay a peacefully sleeping blue cat, who suddenly opened his jade green eyes and locked them onto Trixie's face. The feline released a happy meow of recognition, leaping out of his bed with moderate grace and agility, purring as he welcomed Trixie back to her hometown by cuddling against her forelegs.

The showmare felt her heart skip a beat. "... Is that really?..."

"That's Remiel, my cat!" Hope exclaimed. "He used to belong to Miss Eileen, the judge who helped you enter your first talent show... She used to be my neighbor, and a good friend of my mom's, but then she passed away, but not before letting me adopt him..." her tone became saddened as she recalled the kind mare's natural death. "I got to know her really well, and she told me all about you..."

Trixie frowned as well, lamenting that such a warm figure in her fillyhood was gone. Even Remiel himself seemed much older than he was when she last saw him, but at least he seemed very happy, and was being taken care of very well by Hope and her family.

The unicorn tried to change the subject, not wanting her best fan to focus on her sadness. "What else here would you like to show me?"

The filly paused, tapping her chin with a forehoof in thought, only to soon gasp excitedly. "I know!" She leapt over to the nightstand at her bedside, quickly retrieving a polka dotted pony doll. "This is Lucy! She's a pinata pony, and my doll... My mom made her for me. She's an adventurer who travels to find amazing new places all the time, and she helps out whoever she can on the way! Since she's not just a pony, but a pinata, she can store things inside her back, which she uses to surprise all her friends and the people she helps by giving them presents and candy and stuff!"

Hope then spent the next several minutes ranting about all the different monsters and trials and journeys Lucy had faced, and the many different friends she's made over her lifetime and how they've all come together to form an unbreakable kinship that only strengthened with each time they saw each other again. Trixie smiled, simply listening and enjoying herself, admiring the enthusiastic filly's creativity and optimism, feeling envious and regretful that she wasn't more like her in her own youth.

"And, then... This here, is... Is my violin..." The filly slowly and cautiously lifted the instrument for her idol to behold.

The unicorn stared at the violin intently, as if hypnotized by it's beauty.

"My parents got it for me because I told them I wanted to learn to play music, and... This is the instrument I wanted to use the most... It's just... Able to create so many different feelings, you know? To allow me to speak through it in a language everyone can understand, no matter what mood I'm in... I was able to get it because I always try so hard to be good... I'm so thankful for it..."

"It's very nice," Trixie chimed, sincerely complimenting it. "And I can see how a filly as nice as you deserves it."

Hope blushed, her smile growing as her eyes veered away bashfully.

"I've practiced with it for a really long time... For at least an hour every day, no matter what..."

"That's very good!" her hero answered. "Maybe you can play it when I have my first show here in Jennet!"

Surprisingly, this frightened the filly. She clutched the violin close to herself, almost curling up into a ball. "Oh, no, no, no, no!"

Trixie recoiled, saddened and confused. "What's the matter?"

Hope bit her lip, embarrassed. "I-I'm... I'm not ready yet... I mean..." she sighed. "... My parents and my teacher think I'm really good... But, I don't feel ready... A whole audience, watching me?... I'd be too scared..."

The unicorn's ears lowered. "You don't have to if you don't want to..."

The filly started to calm down, quietly releasing a sigh of relief. "... Believe me, Trixie, I'd like to, it's just... Not right now... When I feel like I'm good enough to do it, then... I'll try it... I promise..."

"All right," Trixie agreed. "I'll respect your wishes... I'd never want to make you do anything you would be uncomfortable doing, after all... Still, I'd really like to hear you play sometime," she added with an encouraging smile.

The earth pony blushed and cringed again. Her eyes remained fixed on Trixie as she tried her hardest to hide that she was almost hyperventilating. It was one thing to play a song for her parents, her teachers, or her friends, but the idea of showing her musical talent to the role model who inspired her to pursue it in the first place terrified her. She worried that she would disappoint her, or that she would embarrass herself by proving to be so meager compared to one she saw as a paragon.

The showmare realized she unintentionally made Hope even more nervous, and was struck with a pain of guilt. "But, you can do that whenever you're ready," she blurted quickly, trying to ease the tension.

The filly nodded, finding that even though she decided not to play a song for Trixie just yet, she still felt bad. She was sure that trying would risk a very possible humiliation, to degrade herself in her idol's eyes, and yet not trying seemed just as bad, or even worse.

"I'm so sorry..."

The unicorn was puzzled. "Sorry for what?"

"Sorry that I'm not ready to play a song for you... I..." she sighed. "That I'm not good enough for you..."

Trixie felt saddened at first, but she slowly gave Hope another warm, reassuring smile. "Hope... I think you're a wonderful pony. And that has nothing to do with how good you are at playing the violin. Sure, it's a nice extra, but it's not what makes you who you are. I like you because you're a kind spirit, who actively tries to make everyone around her happy, no matter who they are. You're the kind of pony I wish I could have had as a friend when I was your age, and I'm honored that you look up to me so much. There's no one else I'd rather have as my best fan."

Hope, deeply touched, paused as she smiled. "... You... You really mean it?..."

"Of course I do."

The filly closed her eyes and lowered her head, letting a few tears of joy escape. "... Then... I want to play a song for you..."

She slowly lifted the violin and bow in her forehooves, rearranging them in front of her to their proper positions.

The unicorn was pleasantly surprised by her fan's sudden change of heart. She sat back on her haunches, patiently waiting.

Hope kept her eyes shut as she started to concentrate, gently resting her bow against the strings of her violin. When it finally started to move, it drew out a long, low note, hanging heavily in the air and establishing a woeful tone.

The filly continued to play, each sound slow and deliberate, delicately painting a portrait of the misery she so long experienced before ever knowing of Trixie, a musical letter to the many heartaches she felt during that time. Gradually, the sounds grew slightly faster and higher, as if suggesting a possibility of escape from this melancholy. The song followed through with it's promise, the sounds becoming soothing, reassuring and heartwarming, the pain slowly ebbing away to reveal a paradise of eternal peace and calm.

The longer this comforting portion endured, the more the sounds evoked inspiration and sentimentality, a sweet, beautiful melody that could lift even the lowest and darkest of spirits into a dreamlike state. The trance lead those who heard it to feel as if their most unattainable desires were so close in reach, and yet there was some sense that all was right with the world, that nothing more could be required to put the listener's soul at ease. Just as efficiently as the tune shifted from bleakness to satisfaction, the song gracefully ended with an equally comforting resolution, as if parting ways with a dear old friend.

Trixie wiped the tears from her eyelids with a forehoof, genuinely touched to the bottom of her heart. "... Hope, that was... That was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard... Thank you so much for sharing that with me..."

The filly was just as touched by this sincere compliment. She gently laid down her violin and bow, and approached the young mare, pulling her into a hug.

"... I wrote that song just for you... To show you how wonderful you make me feel... And... Since you think that I'm so cool... I don't even care how long it takes for me to get my cutie mark anymore... Even if I never get it, it won't matter, because you approve so highly of me, Trixie..."

"That's wonderful to hear," the unicorn doted. She smiled, then suddenly got an idea. Her horn glowed, and she levitated Hope's violin over to them while conjuring a permanent marker. She then autographed 'Trixie The Magician' on it in her finest penmareship, and promptly gave it back to the filly, who gasped in disbelief.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She squeezed her idol in another tight hug.

The showmare chuckled. "Your welcome, Hope."

For three years, Trixie made sure she would revisit Jennet once a month. The showmare was generous enough to give Jennet's villagers a very high discount on tickets for her shows compared to their prices in other cities. The Dreamcatcher family always got in for free, thanks to Hope's devotion and friendship with her idol.

Today was particularly special. It was Hope's tenth birthday.

Once again, the filly got a front row seat at Trixie's show. The showmare asked her fan beforehand if she was ready to play the violin on stage, which she confirmed. This time, right at the end, Trixie bowed to her audience respectfully before addressing their attention.

"Ladies and gentlecolts, tonight is a show with a lot of sentimental value to Trixie. You see, it's a filly's birthday. A filly who has helped Trixie more than she can express, who has always been there for her, and has made a spectacular difference, right here in Jennet, for years. Please, welcome her to the stage and congratulate her on turning ten... Hope Dreamcatcher!"

The spotlight moved to illuminate the earth pony as her fellow spectators began to clap for her. Hope slowly walked onto the stage beside Trixie, buzzing with excitement, her limitless glee locked within a wide smile. With that, the showmare teleported Hope's violin into her hooves. She stepped back, allowing her to play uninterrupted as the sounds of the audience died down.

At first, the filly froze, her eyes scanning the sea of ponies before her in disbelief. While she'd always dreamed of being Trixie's helper and finally getting to play the violin on stage, she was so nervous now that it was actually happening. She glanced at the showmare, who responded with a reassuring wink.

Somehow, this small gesture was enough to put her at ease. While she cared deeply for all of Jennet, Trixie always had a special significance to the filly, and her confidence in and approval of her musical abilities alone made her start to forget the judgments anyone else could have.

Hope closed her eyes, and began to move the bow in her forehoof. Trixie experienced a heartwarming nostalgia as she immediately recognized the song she was playing as the one she wrote just for her. While the filly was already quite musically impressive when they first met, she continued to practice every day, and the improvements showed. As hard as it was for the unicorn to believe, it sounded even more beautiful than the first time that she heard it.

The earth pony was still quite nervous initially, so she eventually dared to open a single eye in the middle of playing, only to be stunned to see that the spectators were spellbound by the gorgeous sounds reaching their ears. Hope felt further encouraged by this, opening both eyes and surveying the crowd happily as her song continued. Her smile widened the more she realized and accepted that this was going so much better than she expected; she previously thought this kind of reception would only be provoked by the talents of Trixie herself.

The unicorn proudly watched her, only to pause when she suddenly remembered something, feeling rather foolish for what she had forgotten. Although at this point it was proven that Hope didn't need it, the showmare sought to accentuate her musical performance with her very own illusion magic to enhance the already magnificent quality of the experience. She almost opted out of it entirely, knowing Hope was more than capable of entertaining the spectators all on her own, but went through with it anyhow, wanting to keep Hope's birthday and debut performance extra special.

And so, her horn illuminated with a magenta-tinged glow, humming to life as she got to work on adding her own flair to Hope's song. Specifically, she induced harmless, temporary synesthesia in all of the song's listeners, blending their senses together to help them further appreciate the music. The audience slowly noticed it sink in during the next few moments; they could see sounds and taste colors, as if the sheer awe inspired by Hope's song was opening the doorway to another reality, like they were blind all their lives and only just now beginning to see.

Hope did her best to contain her emotions, enthralled that her first public musical display was going so spectacularly well. The encouragement she felt fueled the efforts behind her song, maintaining the grace and serenity she needed to keep it feeling virtually flawless. The sensory overflow provided between the violin's soothing melody and Trixie's illusion created a majestic stream of transparent light hovering and floating all around them, not unlike the aurora commonly seen in Jennet's winter skies.

The otherworldly sights slowly faded away as Hope brought her song to a close, drawing out the last few peaceful notes perfectly.

As it ended, the audience, all moved to tears from the song's beauty, unanimously applauded. Each of them were completely enamored and fascinated by Hope's wonderful talents. Trixie smiled proudly.

'She really does brighten everypony's day... Just like Faith said...'

Her attention returned from the spectators back to Hope as soon as she noticed the filly staring at herself with her mouth agape in awe. Tears of joy welled up in her eyelids, and she smiled at Trixie. "I got my cutie mark, Trixie! I got my cutie mark!"

She started to jump joyously, revealing the golden star that now adorned her flank.

Trixie hugged her, wiping the tears from her eyes, and her own. "I told you that you'd get it someday."

Faith looked on proudly, then quickly rummaged through her saddlebag for a camera. She aimed it to take a picture of Trixie and Hope. Seeing this, Trixie levitated her hat onto Hope's head, causing her to smile. After the photograph came out and developed, the showmare promptly signed it.

After the show was over, Trixie was reluctantly preparing to go. She would have stayed behind to spend the rest of Hope's birthday with her, but they both understood that the showmare needed to stay on schedule with her traveling show. The unicorn was packing her last few things in her carriage when she was interrupted.

"Trixie?"

"Yes, Hope?" She answered, turning to face the filly.

Her ears were lowered, and she looked somber. "... Remember how you used to live here in Jennet? How you grew up here, and everything?..."

Trixie frowned, worried about her fan. "... Yes... Why?..."

Hope's eyes veered away. "... Well... Do you think you'll ever move back here?..."

The showmare felt a pang of sorrow and guilt in her heart. "... Some day, maybe... I'd really like to. But, first, I've got to help out some friends of mine. They've been there for me as long as I can remember, and gave me everything I had. They helped me make my life as good as it is today, and I think it's only fair that I return the favor. So, until then, I have to keep traveling and performing regularly in order for that to work. You can understand that, right?"

Hope sighed sadly. "... Yes, I can..."

Trixie gently caressed Hope's mane. "But, I'm going to come back here to Jennet to see you again, like I always have. And eventually, you're going to get to come travel with me as my assistant, just like I promised. So, just hang in there, okay? Everything's going to be fine."

Reassured, Hope smiled warmly, embracing Trixie in a hug. "Okay... Thank you, Trixie..."

The unicorn patted her back. "Thank you, Hope. Congratulations on getting your cutie mark, and happy birthday."

Her fan continued to gaze at her in wonder and adoration, slowly walking backwards, until she reunited with her parents on the other side of the street. Faith had a small gift box waiting for her.

"Happy birthday, Hope," she said as she handed it to the filly.

The earth pony opened it slowly, revealing a small box. When she opened that, she gasped, seeing a beautiful necklace inside; it was an octagonal, light blue gem on a string.

"Do you know what that is?" Faith asked.

Hope looked to her mother, shaking her head.

"It's called a lachrylus," she explained. "Legends say that it's an enchanted stone that filters crying in and out... It keeps the bad tears away, and lets the happy tears stay... Just like you, Hope..." With that, she hugged her.

Trixie smiled at the sight. She was so delighted that Hope was able to have a much better fillyhood than the one she had.

After they finished embracing, the Dreamcatchers looked at Trixie again, waving goodbye to her. She waved farewell in kind, and entered in her traveling carriage to head off.

Weeks later, Trixie sighed to herself out of disappointed sadness. Alone in her wagon at night,  she had spent the last few hours going over her net income, disheartened by the results. While she had enough bits to sustain herself just fine, she had deprived herself of the chance to earn many more by traveling to richer and busier towns more often. There was no place she loved to go more than Jennet, but she couldn't bring herself to charge them more knowing how poor the villagers have always been. Her career wouldn't be over if she kept revisiting as often as she did, but then, how would she ever save up enough to repay Gilda and Gustave for all they've done for her?

It pained her heart so to realize, but the unicorn concluded that she would have to return to Jennet less frequently in order to get those extra savings that she needed. She would at least write to the Dreamcatcher family as soon as possible to explain the situation, not wanting to give them an unpleasant surprise by failing to return when she promised, but the fact that she even had to consider this at all weighed heavily on her. Trixie swore she would try to find some way to make it up to Hope, even though nothing she could think of at the moment seemed to be good enough.

She spent the next few minutes coming to terms with these realities, choosing to step away from planning her travels and shows for the night and deciding to make herself comfortable in her bed instead. The young mare smiled as her thoughts turned to the many sweet memories she made with the Dreamcatcher family. Their loving, warm influence on her life had seemingly washed away all of the pain and sorrow she felt growing up in Jennet as a filly, as if she was being given a second chance at beginning her life there.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized that Hope and her family resembled what her life could have been like if things had only been slightly different. If her mother had lived, if Myrtle hadn't blamed her for what happened, if her father never got hit by the mining cart... Or if Trixie was never born, and her parents had only Myrtle. Even still, the Dreamcatchers considered her one of their own, making her feel welcome as part of their family, in the very same house she grew up in, transformed from a place of misery into one of jubilation. She couldn't imagine what more could be added to make the experience so cathartic.

Trixie sighed, pulling her blanket further over herself as she mulled over the bittersweet emotions running rampant in her mind. While it pained her that she wouldn't get to go to Jennet and see the Dreamcatchers as often, she knew that she would still at least do so whenever she had the opportunity. Her life had been so much better ever since she started returning there on a regular basis, and she couldn't wait to go back. Next Chapter: 5. The Phoenix Dream Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 3 Minutes