>You roll out of bed reluctantly.

>Last night was terrible.

>The dream was so familiar to you that even after another round of sleep you still couldn't forget it.

>You proceed with your morning duties.

>Food, Mane, teeth.

>You step outside of the stage coach.

>Today was a cloudy day.

>Very cloudy.

>In spite of the clouds, you check your stage mechanism.

>You notice something slightly out of place, but shrug it off as just some wild animals toying around with the outer casing.

>The show must go on, anyway.

>You spend your morning preparing the fireworks and making sure the electrical is in order.

>Today was the day you'd dazzle them all with another performance.

>Several groups of ponies come and go.

>You mentally prepare yourself as you adjust your outfit.

>You cast a spell to amplify your voice.

"Fillies and gentlecolts! Behold, the one, the only! The Great and Powerful Trrrrixie!"

>With a flashy entrance, complete with fireworks and the stage popping open, you stand center stage, cape flowing in the wind.

>The ponies just grumble and mumble among one another.

>"Is she serious?"

>"She's trying this again?"

>"Didn't she learn the last time?"

"Why, ponies of Ponyville, Trixie means you no harm!"

>You conjure up a gorgeous bouquet of flowers and toss it to the quickly fading audience.

>"You tried this before! No one's interested!"

>"Yeah, go home you hack!"

>You jaw simply drops open.

>Sitting down, you try to keep their attention.

"T-Trixie isn't... She... I'm not like that anymore!"

>"Yeah, like we'll believe that."

>They continued to quickly disperse.

"Wait, Trixie.. She..."

>No one was left to listen.

>You sat on the stage, alone.

>Your ears perk up as you hear a loud snap and crunch sound.

>You turn your head to watch as your stage falls apart.

>Someone tosses a beam toward you from around a corner.

>"That was for trying to make us your slaves, Trixie."

>This is all you had..

>Your stage, your act, your home...

>Trashed in a single day.

>You weep.

>A few moments later, Spike approaches you.

>"Trixie? What're you doing out here? Don't you know it's going to rain? And---"

>He looks at the pile of parts behind you, matted and broken.

>"What happened here?"

>You're barely able to talk through broken tears.

>"All Trixie wanted to do was... Just put on a show..."

>Even though he didn't like you very much before, Spike felt sorry.

>"Well, uh... Hey. Even though your stage coach thing is broken, you could always stay at Twilight's until we got this fixed!"

>You look at him.

>He HAS to be pulling your leg.

>"What? Why're you looking at me like that?"

>He takes note of a few ponies staring at you both.

"Twilight wouldn't want Trixie around. I mean, why else would her and her friends be avoiding me?"

>The rain started to come down, light at first.

>"Look, the offer's there. Take it or leave it."

>He just looks at you sternly with his little dragon paws on his little dragon hips.

>You shake your head.

"Trixie has to clean up this mess and get out of town. There's nothing here for her anymore."

>Spike rolls his eyes.

>"Suit yourself, then."

>You get up and begin to try and sort out the mess.

>Piece by piece, putting it together.

>Trixie's stage, following the patterns break by break.

>Making sure the parts are sorted nicely...

>You heave a sigh.

>You look over the pile of wood and metal.

>The rain is coming down very heavily now.

>Your outfit is absolutely drenched, mane drooping.

"Might as well throw this out. Can't be fixed."

>You levitate the broken bits and set them into their container.

>"Trixie!"

>A familiar voice comes from behind you.

"What do you want, Sparkle? To flaunt? To send me off with the last laugh?"

>"What? NO! I'm here to check on you."

>You turn to look at her.

>"Spike told me all about what happened. Are you okay?"

>You snapped at Twilight.

"Does it LOOK like I'm okay!? It's raining buckets, everyone here hates me, my stage and coach are ruined, I'm totally drenched and...

>"Trixie..."

>Somehow, you found yourself wrapped in a towel and sitting in front of a fire in Twilight's castle.

>It all felt like a blur after you snapped at her.

>"Trixie, please, just.. Calm down."

"Why should Trixie calm down!? She's just lost everything! This whole trip here was a mistake!"

>Twilight looked at you in concern.

>"Trixie.. I'm sorry. The girls and I were out of town. We got called by our new map to go deal with a friendship problem."

>You threw a piece of broken lumber at the purple Alicorn.

"Like I haven't heard THAT one before..."

>You were simply seething with anger.

>"Trixie, please, just.. Why don't you come to my castle? We can get you warmed up, dry, fed... And get your clothes a lot less damp."

>You sit by the pile of broken bits, quietly sobbing.

>Twilight put a hoof on your shoulder.

>"Please?"

>You sip on some tea to help ease your nerves.

>You still felt pretty shaken up.

>Twilight walked into the room with a towel around her neck as if she just got out of a shower.

>She takes a seat next to you on a pillow.

>"Trixie."

"Sparkle."

>"You ready to tell me what that was all about?"

>She sounded so condescending, yet also genuinely concerned.

"Trixie just... Wanted to put on another show for the ponies... And to try to make amends for what she did."

>The embers of the fire in front of you reflect in your eyes.

"But all I managed to do was just ruin everything, and myself.."

>Twilight gently wrapped a wing around you.

>Using her magic, she takes the towel off your back and begins scrubbing your mane with it playfully.

"Gah, Sparkle!"

>She couldn't help but giggle at your reaction.

>"Is that all? The townsfolk here did seem pretty off lately, they probably just don't understand why you're here again."

>You said nothing.

>"I'm sure the girls wouldn't mind seeing you again, if what you say is true."

"They ruined my stage, Twilight. They ruined my coach, as well. All I have no is myself and my outfit."

>You felt tears welling up again.

>Twilight pulled you closer to her.

>"Who needs some silly little stage coach and stage?"

>You look at her with anger in your eyes.

"I do, Sparkle! What's a magician without her home? Her stage? Her props--"

>She silences you with a hoof put up to your mouth.

>"We'll remake it. Bigger, better, fancier."

>You just look at her in silence.

"You... You're kidding, right? That was themed just the right way to match The Great and Powerful Trrrixie! Plus it was one of a kind with collapsible parts..."

>"Then we'll do the same thing, but better. I'll even get the girls to help!"

>You look down at your tea, smiling a tiny bit.

"...Thanks, Twilight. Say, what was that about this... Map?"

>"Well..."

>You look at the large crystalline table with an entirely detailed map of Equestria.

>You jaw drops open.

"THIS is your map!?"

>"Yup! It has all of the places in Equestria, and even some outside of places we've been. Is this your first time hearing of this?"

>You nod some.

>"Spike didn't even tell you we were away on a trip?"

>You shake your head quietly.

>Twilight looked a bit annoyed.

>"SPIKE!"

>Right on cue the dragon rushes in.

>"Yes, Twilight?"

>"Why didn't you tell Trixie that we were out of town?"

>"Well, it IS Trixie we're talking about here."

>You watch as she gives him the stank eye.

>"You know that's not okay, even if it was someone that we weren't really friends with before."

>"Yeah uh... Sorry about that."

>You stick your nose to the sky.

"Trixie forgives you."

>"Spike, please go and prepare some food for tonight."

>"Counting Trixie, too?"

>"Yes, her too."

>"Yes, ma'am."

>He runs off as you two approach the map.

"Say, Sparkle..."

>"Yes, Trixie?"

>You point to the an area of the map that looked like Ponyville.

>Twilight's Cutie Mark was floating around it.

"What's up with the map doing this?"

>She giggles some.

>"When the map calls to one of us, our Cutie Marks glow and the map shows us where we need to go."

"So that means...?"

>She looks at you with a beaming grin.

>"Somepony in Ponyville is in need of some friendship help!"

>You give her a dumbfounded look.

"A... Map can tell you that?"

>"Well, I AM the Princess of Friendship, and this map IS magical..."

>Almost simultaneously, you both spoke.

>"It's magic. Don't gotta explain anything."

"Yeah, yeah.. I get it."

>You look down at the floor.

>"But don't worry about it. Hey, you want to see my library?"

>You spent a good portion of your evening traversing the castle with Twilight.

>You had to admit it WAS pretty impressive.

>That night you ate dinner with Twilight and Spike.

>"So, because of the whole, "I gotta send a letter every week" thing, I went nuts and the whole town started fighting over my enchanted Smarty Pants doll."

>You giggle softly at the story.

"And that's when Princess Celestia just rained down from the heavens to stop you?"

>She nods as she swallows some of her food.

>"Yeah. Let me tell you, when she's upset, she is REALLY scary."

"I can imagine..."

>"If it wasn't for my friends... I would probably be back in.."

>She pauses to shudder.

>"Magic Kindergarten..."

>Mentioning the name made your ears perk up.

"Uh... Yeah. Magic K..."

>You give an uneasy chuckle.

>Spike chomps down on his bowl of gems.

>"You okay there, Trixie? You look like you have something on your mind."

"Me? Oh, no! I'm fine, Sparkle. Trixie is.. Just fine."

>They both cock an eye brow at you.

>Seeing them do this, you begin to stuff your mouth with food.

>"Riiiight. Anyway, after we're done here, I'll show you to the guest room. You can stay there until we get things going."

>You nod quietly.

"Sounds uh... Sounds great."

>Twilight opened the door to a large room.

>Some books, a desk, a nightstand, and a bed were all inside.

>Your jaw drops open.

"THIS is the GUEST room?"

>You step inside to examine it.

>"Yep! We have a few of them, never know when company will stop in."

>Not only was it such a fancy room, it was also next to Twilight's.

"Are you sure Trixie can stay in here?"

>"Oh, yes. I mean, we offered to let you stay until we got your stage coach fixed so... Yeah."

>You sit on the bed.

>It was very plush and soft.

>It felt almost like it could swallow you whole if it wanted to.

"I... I'm very grateful, Twilight."

>You smile softly.

>She smiles back.

>"Well, I'm sure we'll have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Yeah..."

>You weren't looking forward to meeting the others again.

>You felt that they would reject you like the rest.

>"Sleep well, Trixie."

"Uh.. You too..."

>That night the same dream came back.

>The same events...

>The teasing kids.

>The magical blast.

>A shadowy figure loomed over you, laughing from the creeping darkness.

>"The Great and Powerful Trixie? You're nothing but a fake! A sham!"

>The darkness closed in on you.

>You held your hooves up to try and protect yourself.

>The shadows consumed you.

>When you awoke, you were shaking, laying in the fetal position.

>Twilight burst through the door.

>"Trixie, are you alright!? Is someone else in here?"

>She turns on the light and sees you.

>You just look into the distance as you run through the imagery in your head over and over.

>"Trixie?"

>She waves a hoof in front of you.

>You snap out of your stupor and begin to weep.

>Instinctively, Twilight sat down next to you, sat you up, and held you in a hug.

>"Shh, Trixie. No one is there. No one will get you. What happened?"

>You clung to her as you spoke of the recurring nightmares.

>How they always brought back the terrible memories, and somehow got worse and worse.

>She merely rubs your back to calm you down.

>"Is that what the whole boasting thing was about before? You were afraid of being alone?"

>You nod, wiping the tears from your eyes.

"Yeah, it was... After all that, I didn't want to be seen like this..."

>She merely just holds you.

>"Because of your hard past, you were afraid to be yourself. I think I know who the map was pointing to, now."

>You put one of your pillows onto Twilight's bed before hopping up on it.

"Are you sure about this, Twilight? Trixie doesn't mean to impose..."

>She simply giggles a bit at your bashfulness.

>"Don't be silly, Trixie. Applejack and Rarity had a slumber party with me before. I was a bit of a train wreck at first, but... It was still good!"

>You give her a soft smile as you play with your mane a bit.

"Alright.."

>You two spent the rest of the night gossiping and reading about magical spells and famous unicorns.

>You eventually fell asleep from pure fatigue.

>Tomorrow was another day. Next Chapter: The Third Day Estimated time remaining: 10 Minutes