Chapter 1: Welcome Home, Trixie

It was a pleasant afternoon and Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, was strolling through Canterlot. She’d had some business to attend to in the pony capital and was now quietly muttering to herself as her eyes ran over a sheet of parchment. "Hmm, let's see, meeting with Celestia at 7:00. Check. Purchase quills, ink, and parchment for more checklists. Check. That’s it until I have to board the train, and that’s several hours off. Maybe I should get some groceries while I'm here. I do have the time after all.” She’d thought that it would have taken longer to finish her business, but she had been pleasantly surprised with how quickly she finished everything on her checklist. Nodding her head decisively, she started towards the shopping district. While the markets of Ponyville offered foods straight from earth pony farms which were fresher and better than what was available in Canterlot, they simply lacked the sheer variety that the capital’s marketplaces offered.

Leaving the market, the weight of her saddlebags had increased significantly, while that of her purse has only decreased slightly. While shopping in Canterlot was certainly more expensive than Ponyville, that was hardly a problem for a Princess. Looking over at a clock, she saw she still had some time before the train left for Ponyville so, after a moment’s thought, she decided to take a stroll through Canterlot.

As she walked pass an alley, the young princess heard a sound. Pausing a moment, she realized the noise was that of somepony crying. Deciding to investigate, the purple Alicorn rounded the corner of the alley and saw a form huddled into a ball next to a cardboard box. By the sound of the voice, the crying pony was most definitely female. Twilight approached the sobbing mare and as she got closer, recognition dawned.

"Trixie?" Twilight gasped.

The showmare in question continued to let out despairing sobs, not even bothering to look up to see who had seen her at her lowest. Twilight looked over the sobbing showmare, then raises a hoof to her muzzle in shock at what see saw. Trixie's cheeks were dreadfully hollow, her coat extremely ruffled and her mane was in a horrible state. Twilight could see the cerulean mare's ribs poking out from her chest. All in all, the unicorn looked just awful. The Alicorn just couldn't believe that the attractive mare she’d met at Ponyville awhile back had been reduced to such a horrible state.

Trixie finally looked up to see who had found her in her moment of weakness and as soon as she laid eyes upon the pony before her, she latched her forelegs around the purple Alicorn’s neck in a hug and began to weep even harder than she had been before.

"P-please *hic* please...help me." The blue mare sobbed into Twilight's chest.

"Sweet Celestia, what in Equestria happened to you?”

Trixie continued to sob relentlessly. “*hic* my l-life has been horrible since I-I *hic* went to P-Ponyville *hic*"

Twilight soothingly caressed the back of Trixie's head. "You poor, poor, thing, of course I'll help you. You're coming with me, Trixie, you obviously need something to eat."

Finally seeming to have calmed down a little, Trixie looked up at Twilight. "O-*hic* Ok"

As they arrive at the train station, Twilight looked at the blue mare walking beside her, before finally asking the question that had been bothering her since they left that alley. "Trixie, was that cardboard box..."

"It is where Trixie sleeps, if that is what you were going to ask."

As Trixie spoke, it struck Twilight that Trixie hadn’t been talking in the third person when she found her in that alley. Leading Trixie onto the train and towards her private car, Twilight spoke softly.

"I can't believe that this has happened to you."

"Trixie's life has been nothing short of awful since her reputation was all but destroyed after her visit at Ponyville. Trixie's wagon was destroyed along with all her possessions, even her treasured showmare's hat and cape. She has no job. She can't perform anymore. Nopony even wants her to perform anymore. She-she-.. I haven't eaten real food in months. I've had to dumpster dive for anything at all, and lately I haven't even been able to do that."

Twilight felt a pang of guilt in her chest, as she realized just how horrible the blue unicorn's life had become since they’d last met.

"Let me buy you some food. Is there anything you would like in particular?"

"Trixie is now just a lowly beggar and you know how the saying goes, beggars can't be choosers. If you really want to get her something to eat, anything will do."

Pausing in the dining car, Twilight picked out two vegetable pizzas as well as three apple pies before continuing down the train. As the door of the Princess’s private car closes behind them, Twilight levitates all the food over to the starving mare in front of her. Trixie paused for a moment, simply staring in awe at the real, fresh food in front of her, before tears started to well up in her eyes.

"Thank you, Thank you so much, Twilight".

Twilight watched as the cerulean mare began to wolf down her food, Sauce and pie filling splattering across her mane and coat.

‘She’s attacking it like a pony who’s been starved for weeks’ Twilight forced down a laugh at the thought, a task that quickly became much easier as she realized how accurate the comparison probably was.

Trixie once again felt tears form in her eyes as she tasted real food, something that hadn’t happened in when felt like forever. As the last crust of the food slipped down her throat, for the first time in months she felt truly full. Unable to stop herself, she once again flung her forehooves around Twilight’s neck in hug

"Th-Thank you again Twilight."

"Of course Trixie."

Twilight returned the hug and softly caressed the showmare's mane. For a moment Trixie simply enjoyed the hug. The gentle caress of the hoof through her mane, soft fur pressed against her muzzle, the long feathers, gently rustling against her- ‘wait, unicorns don’t have feathers’. Trixie hurriedly released the lavender alicorn from her grasp as she stared at her in shock.

"Twilight, y-you're an alicorn?!"

"Yes, I am."

"D-does this mean you're a princess now?"

"Yes, it does."

Instantly, Trixie threw herself onto the floor in a bow in front of the princess, only to have a hoof slip gently under her chin as Twilight raised the blue unicorns head.

"There's no need for you to bow to me Trixie, I was happy to help you."

Exasperation filled the showmare’s voice as she replied "But of course there’s a reason to bow to you. For one, you're a princess and I failed to pay proper respect to that title, even after you fed me. I have t-"

Twilight raises a hoof and Trixie immediately stopped talking.
"If you're going to bow to me out of gratitude, at least wait until after I've told you about my proposal."

"Your proposal?"

"I was going to offer you a place to stay at my castle. Since you don't have a home and all." The lavender princess offered.

"Trixie? live with you, a princess, in your own castle? R-really?" The blue mare asked, the hope obvious in her voice.

"Yes, Trixie you can stay with me for as long as you want."

Trixie burst into tears for what felt like the millionth time that day. But unlike every other time, these tears were tears of joy. For the third time in as many hours, Trixie wrapped herself around the princess in a grateful hug.

"Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you!! Trixie will forever be grateful for your kindness, Princess Twilight!!!"

For the first time in what felt like forever, Trixie felt actual happiness.

"Welcome Home, Trixie."

Author's Notes:

I Really hope you enjoy this story. I don't really know how much of this story there will be before I finish it but I won't abandon it before it is done. Thank you for reading my first fanfiction

EDIT: A huge thanks to rooks_fanfiction for editing this chapter and fixing all the mistakes.