Poor Company - Chapter 2

Rebel Soul – Part 2 of Poor Company

“You have done well, Trixie. From what my sister, Celestia, has expressed, Twilight Sparkle’s most recent letter has shown proof of your impact on her studies.”

“It took a month, but I suppose that’s good,” I reply. “Though this isn’t why you called me here, is it, Luna?”

“No, it is not.” The royal throne room doors slam behind me—the sound echoes throughout the room, nearly startling me.

“Ok, well, let’s hear it then,” I say as I tap the ground a couple times.

“This isn’t an immediate task, but it is one I need you to think on.” Luna closes her eyes for a moment before continuing. “I wish for you to return to Ponyville in two years and challenge Twilight Sparkle to a duel.”

I blink once and begin staring at her. What’s the catch, Luna? Spit it out. As per our original arrangements, I’m compelled to help. You’ve given me unlimited access to one of the Canterlot libraries, my own guest room in the castle, and nearly a year’s worth of bits, but you know that isn’t what I’m here for. You promised that these tasks will make me at least as famous as Star Swirl the Bearded.

“And?” I ask as I tap at the ground again.

“It’s far simpler than before,” she continues; by now I’m holding in a groan. “Let it be known that the loser shall be banished from Ponyville forever, and then defeat her.”

“What will that accomplish?”

“Then you must take over Ponyville and rule it with an iron hoof.”

“And that’ll accomplish what?!”

As though ignoring my outburst, she continues. “If she truly is ready, she will come back and challenge you again, for the sake of her friends, and defeat you at all costs.”

“Hah!” slips out, but I immediately stop and hold it in, clear my throat, and continue. “Sure. Let's assume she agrees to the duel and I defeat her. First off, there’s no way Sparkle would be able to become strong enough to defeat me—not in two years, not in even five—and you’re expecting her to shortly after I kick her out? Out of the question. Second, rule with an iron hoof? I can act as a tyrant for a short time, don’t get me wrong, but—“

“You question my methods?” A spark of lightning flashes from behind Luna as she stands from her throne. “I spoke with my sister, and she is more than confident in her student’s capabilities. Is that not reasonable enough?”

“I am the most powerful Unicorn in Equestria,” I say as I take a step forward and straighten my posture. “And we’re expecting somepony who could barely stop a rampaging Ursa Minor to surpass me? If that’s the case, I’ll be stuck a tyrant in Ponyville forever!“

“Such little faith for Celestia’s prodigy.” Luna lets out an annoyed sigh as she turns away. “If you are unwilling to cooperate so be it. Out of my sight.” Luna waves a hoof, shooing me away.

I clench up, stopping myself from jumping up in defiance. There’s nothing else I can say here—Luna’s made her mind. Instead of making things worse, I force a small bow before marching out of the throne room.


---


By now my eyes have adjusted, but these halls are rough to navigate in the dim torchlight that illuminate only the intersections. Every step I make echoes throughout the castle, but I’m glad for it—this place is so stagnant there’s not even a breeze to disturb the flames of the torches.

Guards stand watch around every few corners. They’re staggered so every hall can be seen, but there’s far fewer of them at night than during the day. Still, each one that I walk past gives me a kind smile and nod of the head. Just enough recognition to make me feel welcome, I suppose.

I can’t say the same about the rest of Equestria.

My name is so torn that I might as well change it. Like I’d do that! I might be able to salvage my name by just going out there, but other than Hoofington, most ponies don’t trust my story of defeating an Ursa Major anymore. What else can I even claim?

“Is something bothering you, Trixie?”

I nearly jump out of my skin as I whip around. Before me is the regal, white Alicorn, Princess Celestia looking down upon me with a stern, yet concerned look on her face.

I swallow before replying. “Princess Celestia, an honor to see you this late at night.”

A kind, warm smile lights up across the princess’s face, allowing me to relax a little. “Trixie Lulamoon, a pleasure to see you again. It has been, what, nearly three weeks since our last run-in like this?” She lets out a hearty chuckle. “How we manage to miss each other while living in the same castle, I can’t say.”

I force out a small chuckle in return. “Oh yes, especially since I visit the royal throne room to talk to Lu—er—Princess Luna every night.”

“So I’ve heard. And I’ve even been meaning to say, I don’t believe I’ve thanked you enough for your help—Twilight has gone a long way since you last saw her,” she assures, and before I can reply she continues. “Tell me, Trixie. How have you been faring?”

I blink once, but I can feel my eyelids double in weight as they open back up. “Not terribly, considering the word on the street is I’m a complete fraud.”

“Is Luna not helping you with your efforts?”

I let out a sigh. “If you mean giving me a task that will make things worse and hope for the best? Then yes.”

Princess Celestia chuckles lightly. “That’s my sister for you.” She takes a few steps closer to me, coming closer than comfortable, but I stay my ground.

Out of respect, I close and avert my eyes, but I am immediately greeted by a warm, gentle touch to my shoulder.

“Remember. Any choice you make, Trixie, is your own.”

She removes her hand from my shoulder and softly lifts my head. “Hold on to what is most dear to you and everything will turn out fine in the end. That much, I can promise.”


---


I know that I want to help Luna, but I just can’t agree to the part where Sparkle surpasses me.

I find myself flipping through books in the Canterlot library, trying to find something—anything that might make me trust their judgment.

But every time I need another reference book I have to travel to the opposite side of the room around this giant, golden hourglass. On top of that, half the time I have to go upstairs to the bookshelves somepony felt obligated to place, just to annoy me.

Sigh.

Look on the bright side. At least there’s a nice view from here. The entire back wall’s a window—though I suppose it isn’t too different from the other buildings. That one there has a window. So do those two, and that one.

Gah! Trixie, you’re getting side tracked!

I turn away and rush to a far bookshelf and float a book down. “Predictions and Prophesies,” I read out loud.

“I think I’ve seen the Elements of Harmony in here before,” I say as I flip through the book. I figure I should know more about Sparkle and her friends before I decide to help or not.

“Hah!” I exclaim. “See Mare in the Moon.”

Well that makes sense, but I was hoping for more than just one reference.

I cross the library and climb the stairs to the next floor—the book I’m looking for is open on a stand and flipped to the exact page that I need. Convenient. And odd. I guess I passed over it when I cleaned this place up.

“Mare in the moon, myth from olden pony times, blah blah blah, longest day of the thousandth year, blah blah blah. Useless!” I say as I turn away. “Maybe there’s another book.”

I glance around the shelves throughout the library, and after a short amount of time I finally find myself in section ‘E’.

“Ah, Elements of Harmony, a Reference Guide.” Odd, there’s room for another book on this shelf. As far as I know, no pony really uses this library anymore, so who took it?

I shrug it off and pull out the reference guide. “There are six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known, blah blah blah, sixth is missing—Everfree Forest…” Nothing else? Is the only other reference the stained glass portrait in the throne room?

Well, at this point, I know that Sparkle and her friends embody the six elements and that Sparkle is the sixth element, Magic. They were even able to defeat Nightmare Moon and save Luna from her own corruption.

Corruption?

I whirl around and meet a book halfway from its shelf and fling it open.

“Come out, come out. I know you’re there,” I say while flipping through the pages. I’m certain that Luna mentioned an artifact during one of her stories with some horrible curse—

“Hah! There you are. The Alicorn Amulet. Let’s see… untold powers—Ah! It also corrupts the user, but one can’t just take the Alicorn Amulet off the neck. It has a magical lock, so only the user can take it off.”

I suppose if I impaired my judgment with something like this, I’d be able to go through with Luna’s plans no problem, but who knows what I’d end up doing once I put something like this on. I might even disregard the task all together and do my own bidding.

Sigh, this seems hopeless.

Hmm. Well, even though Luna promised to help me, maybe I don’t need her.

I glance out the window once again, the soft glow of the moon waving over me as I try to energize myself. “Maybe my reappearance in Equestria will be enough to jumpstart my career again. I mean, if I have two years before Luna wants to launch her plans, then why not give it a shot?”

I nod to myself as a grin crosses my face. I’ll do it. I’ll show them all that the Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t need help from anypony.


---


I stand center stage with the spotlight beaming down upon me, isolating me from the rest of the world. Nothing else exists except me and my tormenting fans as they chuck all manners of junk, and soil everything I own.

All the while their words continue striking at me, whirling circles around my head as I stumble away.

“Fraud!”
“Get off the stage!”
“Deserter!”
“Filthy liar!”
“Somepony run her out before she tries to destroy our town too!”

I trip and begin falling face first to the ground. As I fall, the clattering of ponies chasing me with pitchforks and torches grows louder and louder every moment.

I’m done for.

I close my eyes as heat builds up around my heart and behind my eyes, but not a tear will fall. I won’t let it.

My eyes flick back open as I sit up. The crack of a fire snaps towards me; its warm embrace comforts me while bringing me back to my just-as-painful reality.

I’m alone out in a frozen grassy field in my sleeping bag with the frost glistening under the moon’s soft glow. I can’t help but shiver.

My wagon’s nearly falling apart with its broken axel, graffiti-stained wall, and food-smothered stage—though I’m in no better shape. I am laughed and ridiculed at during the day, haunted by it at night. I just can’t escape this fate no matter how hard I try.

On top of all that, I’m running low on food with no money to be made. There’s nothing for me to do but go back to Canterlot and work as a slave for Luna until she decides to let me bathe in the spotlight.

A freezing breeze passes through the field. I can feel the cracking of skin on my face as it strikes; my campfire retreats to itself, trying to stay alive. I toss another log onto the fire as I crawl deeper into my sleeping bag. My eyes are drawn to the flames as they hastily engulf the fresh wood; what I would give for something to eat right about now. But not like that. I don’t want to be like this flame. It only gets as much as I give it, and if I give it nothing it’ll just die off.

I glance past my campfire, to the woods, and shake my head. “It’s so close, but there’s no way to reach it,” I say, shifting my eyes back to the fire. “What are you going to do?” I ask it, but in response it only cracks and continues eating at the log. “Nothing? You’re content with just that?

No response.

“What are you going to do when you finish eating that?”

It wavers towards me for a moment before retreating slightly as a gust of cold air passes over us. I suppose for now I need it as much as it needs me.

“Good point,” I sigh, glancing past it again. If it were to reach the woods, then it wouldn’t need me at all. These stones are about all that’s stopping it; I glance down to the rocks set out in a circle around the fire. It would still be hard for him to reach the woods without the stones, but…

I let out another sigh. Well, looks like another sleepless night—why do I even try?

I toss my cloak on as I give the rest of the firewood to the flame.

“Good luck,” I say as I walk away with my beat-up wagon in tow. I’ve still got a chance to revive my name as long as I get past the barriers that are keeping me bound. What does that mean? Hah! I have no idea, but I can’t just give up.

I begin my journey to the next town, leaving the fire burning brightly and no longer bound by the stones.


---


I levitate a rock and toss it into the lake. “You just had to try a big spell! I told you that you’d over do it! I told you so! I really did!” I begin stomping back and forth. “The moment you try a big spell, they’d fear you; I told you this,”

I stop, and shake my head. “I know, I know. They don’t trust that I can use any powerful spells, so the moment I try they’ll believe that I’m being reckless.” I sit down on a nearby log and look out over the lake. “But if I didn’t try something—anything different…” A deep sigh escapes my lungs as I slump over, staring between my legs at the soft sand, my mind going nearly blank.

Oh? A wet spot on the sand appears, and another shortly after it. A warm feeling travels down my face to the tip of my nose; I raise a hoof to catch a droplet as it falls.

A tear? I’m crying?

I let out a slight chuckle. I can’t even remember the last time I cried. I’m just glad nopony’s here to see this; else I’d lose what little pride I have left.

I look up towards the sky where I’m greeted by a grand rainbow. It appears to be frowning at me, yet it looks so happy. One of these is the form that the Elements of Harmony’s energy took when Sparkle used it to defeat Nightmare Moon. Maybe it’s a sign?

I shake my head. “Get ahold of yourself, Trixie,” I start as I begin standing. “Face the facts, everything you’re doing is not helping.”

“You’re right,” I reply to myself. “I need to just take a break. Take a step away and let them forget.” A soft sniffle sneaks through as I take a deep breath, brandishing a strong grin. “I’ll just find a job to keep myself occupied with—somewhere out of the way, where they’ll accept me as long as I do my work.”

I wipe the tears away from my eyes and begin my journey once again.


---


I open my window as another letter from Luna arrives. How she found me, out on this rock farm, I don’t know, but this is probably just another update on Sparkle’s accomplishments. This does wonders for my pride.

I shake my head as I glance through the letter. “Crystal Ponies?” I whisper. “I’ve never even heard of them, but I guess Sparkle saved their kingdom.” With a sigh, I toss it with the rest.

So, let me get this straight. Sparkle has saved Luna from Nightmare Moon, stopped the master-of-chaos Discord, prevented a possible apocalypse by returning Cerberus to his post at the gates of Tartarus, and even aided in thwarting a changeling invasion.

What have I done? Defeated a single Ursa Major, that’s what. For all I know, she surpassed me a year ago, and I don’t even stand a chance.

“Hah,” I let out. She has relied on the Elements of Harmony up to this point, but what of her own personal skills?

I shake my head. That doesn’t matter. She’s far more famous than I am, and she doesn’t need personal skill when she’s the only pony who can use the Elements of Harmony.

“I’m still far better than her,” I say as I levitate my wand, letting it twirl around. “Regardless of my pathetic, blue-collar job here. But, if I have such skills, why am I not exercising them? Why am I stuck here?” My wand slowly rotates in front of me and begins sinking.

I shake my head again. “All this raw talent and you’re breaking and assorting rocks. Rocks.” I stand and walk over to the window, glancing out towards the horizon. “And what’s your reward?” I ask as my wand follows me over, twitching back and forth in time with my voice. “A bunch of menial work, a small hoof-full of bits each week, and broken wagon wheels to deal with every day—all because you agreed to help Luna.”

“Or—” I flinch back and bite my lip. Is it because of Sparkle?

I pause for a moment, still biting my lip. My wand stops, hovering just in front of my face.

If she didn’t become Princess Celestia’s pet, and if she didn’t require such major pushes to go the right way in her studies, my services wouldn’t have been needed.

Still, at this point I suppose there’s nothing left for me to do but trust Luna. She said that if I follow her plan, which starts in a couple of weeks, she’ll help get everypony to recognize my greatness.

“You know what? It’s worth a shot!” I say while my wand twist and whirls around my head.

I still don’t think I can pull off the tyrant thing, so I’ll run out and find that artifact Luna mentioned—oh, what was it again? Whatever. It can’t be too hard to track down, right?—Then I’ll give Luna my wand for safe keeping—can’t let me use that while wearing the Alicorn Amulet—right, that’s what it’s called—and then I’ll go crush Sparkle.

Brilliant!

Now then, I’ll need to repair my old show wagon. It’s only been out of commission for a year—how hard could that be?

My wand points outside towards a shabby, old, wooden mess.

On second thought, forget the wagon. Its wheels will just break down.

I leave for Canterlot tomorrow. Early morning.


---


“Halt! Who goes there?”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie,” I reply to the lunar guard standing between me and the castle.

“Ah, welcome back! We have been ordered to send you to Princess Luna immediately upon your arrival.”

“Perfect,” I answer, taking off the hood of my black cloak. Luckily, the royal family and guard seem to still remember me, so I shouldn't need to hide my identity.

The guard escorts me to the royal throne room, and the giant double doors creek open upon our arrival.

“You’ve returned at last,” Luna greets as I cross the vast room. “Tell me, how have your travels been treating you?”

I chuckle lightly. “Terribly enough for me to return. I had hoped to repair my name on my own terms, but you can see how well that worked.”

“Ah, yes. I have heard about the unfortunate turn of events, yet my offer still holds if you wish to accept.”

“Yes, I do,” I answer, pulling out my wand. “However, I will need you to watch over this.”

“Oh?” Luna replies, taking the wand. “It shall be done, but what for, may I ask?”

“Safe keeping,” I reply as a pulse from under my cloak calls for me—Luna scrunches her eyes; she probably felt it too.

“Is that so? Well, then if you don’t mind me asking, what was it that changed your mind? You were very intent on not performing this task last we spoke.”

“This.” I pull out a black, winged unicorn shaped pendent with blood red accents and a dark, shimmering ruby encrusted in the center.

Luna’s eyes go round as she draws my wand ever closer to her. “The Alicorn Amulet? Then you truly do plan on putting your faith into Twilight Sparkle.” She looks away for a moment; her eyes appear to unfocus as she stares into the horizon.

“Very well,” she states, turning back. “I shall hold this wand from you, no matter what, as long as you have that amulet.”

“Perfect,” I say as a wide grin stretches across my face. The Alicorn Amulet pulses as I lift it to my neck.

Prepare yourself Sparkle.