Trix of the Trade - Chapter 24

>You are the Great and Powerful, yet sneaky and stealthy Trixie. Despite the standout-ish cape and hat, you’ve shadowed Anon and his… ‘friends’ for a whole minute now. You have expertly weaved through thick crowds of ponies Anon could easily split in half and those pegasi fly over. Stupid pegasi, being lazy. But clearly Anonymous is able to cause those ponies to part because of your reputation. Word has spread that he accompanies you, so they spread for his recently acquired Great and Powerfulness (by association)
>Yet, you feel a twinge of jealousy. Why would they move for HIM but the ponies just push right through you? Yes, yes, it suits your needs perfectly. But… why? It’s unfair! You—Oh, they’re getting away!
>You somehow manage to put those concerns away for the moment and keep a close eye on Anonymous. The further and further they go the crowds on the road thin out, making blending in much harder. You take to hiding behind objects more than ponies when you could become easily visible at fifty paces away or so.
>Sneaking has turned into a sixth sense—Rather, twenty-sixth sense you’ve picked up after all those other amazing things you’ve learned in your lifetime. You press your back and sides up to brick, stone, and wood. All of it you bland perfectly with. Surely the ponies looking as they pass by are shocked at seeing a mare missing where it was easily seen a moment earlier.
>You’ve built up the confidence to get a little closer to Anonymous and his friends in hopes to evesdrop on their conversation.
>You follow at a pace that slightly supersedes theirs. The pace is perfect, and you’re sure you won’t get ca—WHYDIDTHEYSTOP?!
>In a fit of panic, you dive behind an assorting fruit cart to hide from the trio.
>W-wait… where did your hat go?

>You are Anon. The brisk walk out of the crowds of Manehatten proves itself to be a correct choice. While the streets aren’t devoid of life by any means, it’s a breath of fresh air as opposed to a packed walkway or being stuck in a wagon with Trixie all day. And that’s another thing about this walk. No Trixie. Even those you simply cannot get tired of will begin to wane on you after a while and Trixie is far from that tier. Being with Rainbow Dash today feels like a guy’s night out with only one guy, and maybe even the first ‘weekend’ feeling you’ve had since you partook on this journey. You don’t regret going on it, but it feels good to put it off to the side, even if only for a bit.
>Fluttershy has been exceeding your expectations since last night. You kept on guard since the second her yellow little butt showed up. While you haven’t let it down, it doesn’t feel nessecary anymore. No such thing as too cautious though.
>And you’ve forgotten how much you missed Dashie over here. In a few ways, she reminded you of Trixie. Boastful, egotist, blue. But Dash always puts her friends first and that’s a trait you haven’t come by in the last several months. An evening alone with her will be a refreshing break from everyone else you’ve been dealing with.
>”A-Anon?” Fluttershy so rudely interrupts your inner recap.
“Whhaaaaaat?” You accompany with a melodramatic groan.
>”Where are we going?”

>You halt, and the two mares do as well.
“Wasn’t I following you girls?”
>They both shrug and looked wideyed.
“Awesome. And… Shoot, left the map back at the wagon.”
>”Do you want to go back and get it?”
“Do you?”
>”O-oh, no… Trixie might be there.”
“Mmmmhm. Can’t the two of you like, fly up and see where we are?”
>”Totally. But uh,” Dash wraps a hoof around your shoulder. “We don’t know this city. At all. I could guide you to the hotel we’re staying at and a few landmarks but that’s it.”
>You sigh and scratch the back of your head for a moment to think.
“Well, could you fly up and see where Tome Square is? As vast as it is, at least we’ll get an idea of where Twilight is.”
>”Hmmm,” Rainbow Dash quizzically rubs her chin. “That’s probably a good idea. Gimme and sec and I’ll be right back.” Dash flares her wings wider before quickly ascending into the air. You give Fluttershy a stern glare before she quickly realizes you don’t want her there. She soon follow after Dash, leaving you alone for just a moment.
>You let out a quiet sigh and roll your shoulders, still feeling a little stiff from waking up. Thank god Trixie is replacing that ro—
>Something catches your eye. Something… purple…

>Such an odd color draws your attention. Bright purple and cone sha—That’s Trixie’s hat.
>No longer in the side of your vision, you can clearly see Trixie’s magician hat sitting in the middle of the sidewalk. A second later, a blue hoof protrudes from behind the brick wall next to the hat.
>You let out an annoyed groan as who you’re guessing is Trixie grasps her hat and slowly pulls it back into the alley. Her hoof twitches and freezes for a moment before quickly disappearing behind the wall with the hat. You begin marching your way over to Trixie to confront her, but a sky blue blur stops you.
>”Yo! Good news!” Rainbow Dash hovers in your path. “We weren’t going completely in the wrong direction. Tome Square is a few miles East. We can cut through a big market or something to save a bunch of time.”
>”Um… It’s really crowded though.” Fluttershy descends from behind, making you jump a little from her voice. “We’ll have to be careful to stick together.”
>”Eh, it’s not like Anon is hard to lose. Er… no offense.”
“None taken.”
>”Great. So we take a right just up ahead and we’ll be on the right track. We set to go?”
“… Sure.”
>Fluttershy nods her head.
>”Cool, let’s get going.” Rainbow Dash drifts by with Fluttershy on her tail, but you hang back for a moment to find out what’s going on with Trixie. You only manage to take a step towards the alley before Rainbow Dash notices you moving in the wrong direction.
>”C’mon. This way, Anon!”
>You’re tempted to take a quick peek around that corner to catch Trixie red handed. What then? You tell her to go away, she stutters around and excuse and then continues to follow you without even hiding it anymore.
>Whatever, she can follow. She’s going to need to fuck off the moment she tries to force her way in though.

>As you turn around a head in the right direction, Trixie lets go of a breath she was holding on to for no particular reason aside from fear. Fear of getting caught, being exposed. Because really, why is she out here, exactly?
>You, Dash and Fluttershy continue along and quickly come across this market. The roads quickly transitioned into a red brick-like stone and the buildings are now scarce and far apart. Instead, small market stands are set up alongside of the road where all kinds of species try to peddle off their wares to passerbyers. The dust in the area seems to be a bit thick, probably from all the hoof traffic no doubt.
>Currently all the booths in the area seem to sell all kinds of oils and scrap for wagon repair. It all looks a little too sketchy for you so you urge Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash out of the area quickly.
>You pass through a few areas that aren’t so desirable, such as an overabundance of creepy dolls, and find relief in the produce section. The fruits in particular are like heaven.  The colors, the smell. Mmmph! It’s so good! You find yourself gawking at a stand of polished, perfect looking oranges while the mare behind it gives you a funny look.
>”Eheh… Anon?” Dash gives you a light tap on the shoulder
“Oh! Right, right. Sorry. They just… look really good right now.”
>”Hmph. Is kinda a thing, ya know? Mom n’ Dad own the best stinkin’ orange farm in Equestria so it only makes sense.”
>The mare behind the booth has a tan coat with a brown, braided mane. Her most notable feature is her huge buck teeth though.

>”So you gonna buy or what?”
“Ah, uhmm…” You grasp around at your pockets, hoping to find any bits. “Shoot, left it all back at the wagon.”
>”Ain’t a charity. Unless you wanna stay and chat with my cuz, I suggest you beat it, cause she’ll talk your ear off. Best not wait for her to get back”
“Will do. We don’t really have the time. You have a good one, miss.”
>”Y-you too.”
==
>Minutes after the three of you have left, the pony at the orange booth finds herself getting bored. The customers don’t seem to be biting today and the only thing alleviating her boredom was her annoying cousin.
>Luckily, she has been without her for quite a few minutes now. If only this could last.
>”Pheeew, you weren’t kiddin’ when you said findin’ a ladies room would be darn near impossible. Sorry I took so long.”
>”Dangit.”
>”What was that?” Applejack inquires as she approaches the stands.
>”Nothin’.”
>”Oh… alrighty then. Y’all get any busier while I was away?”
>”Freaky tall thingy came by and gawked at my fruits before tellin’ me he was broke. Tch, I swear…”
>”Huh? A Minotaur in Manehatten ain’t too weird, is it?”
>”Not a Minotaur.”
>Applejack takes a moment to ponder on her words for a moment before shaking it off and moving back to the task at hand.
>”So has anything I taught ya sunk in yet?”
>”Uhhh… sure?”
>Applejack sighs.
>”Just in case, lemme go over it AGAIN. When talkin’ to a customer, you need to treat ‘em like you know ‘em. Like friends or maybe even family. Why should someone shop from you if you’re just a boring stranger to them?”

>Applejack and her cousin’s eyes drift over to a pony passing by.
>”Look, lemme show ya.” Applejack raises a hoof and her voice to get the pony’s attention. “Good mornin’! Can I interest ya in some Orange family oranges? Best oranges on this side of Equestria.”
>”So says every other vendor here.” The pony mumbles.
>”Ahyes, but I… I…” Suddenly Applejack realizes how little she knows of oranges. She could name every species of apple there is, all 7,500 of them. But she hasn’t spent a second on learning what’s so great about oranges. “My cuz here knows exactly why! Here,” Applejack shoves her cousin in front of her. “Go ahead an’ tell ‘em why oranges are… are so good for you!”
>”Uhhhh… they help your eyesight?”
>”… That’s carrots.”
>”Look, I don’t even like oranges.”
>”Ah… well, these oranges sure are diff-“
>”Save it, I got crap to do.”
>The annoyed pony trots off, leaving a defeated Applejack with her bored cousin.
>”… You seriously know nothin’ about oranges?”
>”They’re orange. So what was that about treating customers like friends and family?”
>Applejack grumbles in her spot and murmmers, “Jus’ you wait. Maybe you’ll learn somethin’.”
>”What was that?”
>”Ahem… nothin’. That last one was just a fluke. Look, here comes another. I’ll make sure to…”
>Applejack’s train of thought skids to a stop as she takes a good look at the pony passing by. This particular pony happens to be wearing a cape and hat so she’s very easy to pick out of a crowd. What’s also worth mentioning is that Trixie looks incredibly lost.
>”… Trixie, what are you doing here?”

>You are Trixie! The fact that this story is not seen from your perspective a hundred percent of the time is incredibly offensive, by the way.
>Following Anonymous through the market proved difficult, and eventually impossible. You followed him into where all the fruits and vegetables lie and ended up losing your trail there. Somehow you managed to lose him in here! How is that even possible? The giant oaf is far stealthier than he lets on.
>You were searing for possible traces of him. Perhaps stunned ponies or giant footstep, but you come across nothing. You’re an amazing tracker. One of the best. But Anonymous must be good at covering his trails, of course. Why else aren’t there huge footsteps where he came through?
>Getting lost in the mystery, some p0ny called you out and realized your worst fears. How you expected not to be recognized is beyond you. In fact, you could say this was your fau—… No, it’s Anon’s. Somehow.
>You turn to the pony who called out your name. She and some other pony stand on the other side of one of the several stand surrounding the area.
>Wait… Wait, you’ve seen that orange one before! From  where though? Hm…
“Ah… y-yes! Trixie remembers you well… orange pony! You were there when Trixie performed in… in… Hoofington?”
>”Trixie?”
“The Great and Pow-“
>”It’s Applejack.”
“… Is that a cereal?”
>Applejack groans and moves out from behind the stall towards Trixie. You take half a step backwards and take a more defensive stance. You don’t expect her to actually harm you, but having a strong look during a verbal fight is helpful.
>”Do ya seriously not remember me? You tied me up on stage the first time we met, humiliated my friend the second, and took my cousin into your room while I sat in the next room, the third time.”
“… You will need to specify more.”
>”Anon was there for the second and third.”

“Ah… Yes! Applejack! Trixie was sure she would eventually remember and she did!”
>You still have no idea what she’s talking abou—Wait! She’s one of the friends of the pegasi! How could you have forgotten!
>And she found you! The whole plan is ruined! Surely they… wait, they’re nowhere to be found! Did you find the Apple one first?
“As a matter of fact, Trixie was on her way to finding Anonymous and those… two pegasi friends of yours.”
>”Hmph, can’t say I’m surprised Dash found him. W-wait, did you say two?”
>You shirk behind the rim of your hat just at the thought. How Can Anonymous trust the yellow slut?!
>”… I don’t like it.”
“Trixie… agrees.” Then a brilliant idea strikes you. Something only a pony as clever as you could come up with. “… And that is why Trixie requires your aid!”
>”Eh…”
“Hm, hear what Trixie has to say first.”
>”Only if you drop that dumb thing you do by saying your own name.”
“What?! But Trixie must—“
>”I ain’t goin’ anywhere otherwise.”
>You bite your lip and avert your gaze, trying to think of a way out of this. How could you even think of dropping your stage presence in front of this… earthworm!
>But, it’s only temporary! Once you find your stupid human, you can pull him away from these harpies and bring him back to the wagon. Just a quiet night between the two of you. That’s exactly how he likes it.

“Grr… very well! Tr,… I will revert to normality for the time being, only if it means you can give me information on Anonymous’ destination.”
>”I have two good ideas, but I ain’t done with my terms.”
>THE WENCH!
>”You also gotta lose the hat and cape.”
>WHORE!
“What?! That’s completely un—“
>”You look silly in ‘em. I don’ care what you wear in your free time, but when we’re together, I don’ think I want to be with a costumed attraction.”
>Ooooooh! You just want to… hit her! Yeah! But she has information on Anon. You must abide by her rules.
“Tch, fine.”
>You remove your cape with magic while scooping up your hat in your hoof. You stuff in the cape into the hat and with the flick of your horn, you poof it off back to the wagon. Unfortunately, you cannot poof it back unless you come very close to the object itself.
“There! Anymore absurd requests, miss tyrant Applepony?”
>Applejack chuckles lightly to herself before turning back to her stand to address the other mare.
>”Welp, I gotta get goin’, cuz. Think you’ll be fine without me?”
>”Sure, whateva’.”
>Applejack is clearly displeased with this answer, but comes back to you nonetheless.
>She approaches before gesturing you to follow her. She goes in the opposite direction from where you came before throwing out a few speculations.

>”So I assume they were headin’ this way?”
“When I last saw them, yes.”
>”Hm. Alright then, this way.”
>What? She has basically no information and she seems so confident in where they went!
>She leads you along for a few minutes before getting back to the normal streets of Manehatten. The dust and dirty stenches have lifted. Not to say that this part of town didn’t stink either.
>”Now this is where I’m a little torn.”
“Hmph, so you have no idea what you’re doing?”
>Applepony glares at you for a second before returning her gaze to the road.
>”If they were headin’ this way, I betcha they were lookin’ for Rarity or Twilight. Problem is, Twilight is North from here… an’ Rarity is South.”
“How do you—“
>”Twilight will be spending all week in Tome Square. Rarity will spend a fraction less time in the Garment District. I know my friends, Trixie.”
>You can’t help but feel like that was somehow a jab at you in some way.
“So, what do you propose?”
>”Hmmm… Probably Rarity. She ‘n Anon were close. I bet they’re aching to see each other by now.”
>They weren’t too close… from what you saw. They only lived together…
>”Ya’ll right, Trixie?”
“W-what!?”
>Applestupid is looking at you out of the corner of her eye.
>”Your face is getting red. You feelin’ thirsty?”
“Trixie is fine! And you are right about Anonymous heading towards the… white one?”
>”Her name is Rarity. And what did I say about the third per—“
“The annoying white one! Quick! Lead the way so we might find Anonymous and tear him away from the grip of those wicked ponies.”
>”Enough with the act. We haven’t even decided which way we’re goin’ and you’re already on my nerves.”
“I… I…” You let out a disappointed sigh, letting all that metaphorical hot air blow out with your breath. You clop one hoof on the stone ground and make it obvious you’re annoyed by the orange one. “What do you have against The Great and Powerful Trixie, hm?”
>”She’s too loud. C’mon, let’s quit wasting time. Let’s hope Anon and Rarity don’t move on before we get there. IF he’s going there.”
>You remain silent as you follow Applejack further into the city, wholly unaware of Anonymous’ real location or direction. All you can do is hope you’re right.
>Because the sooner you can have Anon all to yourself, the better.