I heaved my cart uphill along a dirt trail that night, sweat dripping off my brow. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves in the few trees around me. I stopped at the top of the hill to catch my breath and looked up to Celestia’s… no, to Luna’s night sky. It was a strange thing, getting used to a new princess ruling the night and raising the moon. I could scarcely imagine what it would be like for Luna herself. But if it weren’t for her return, I wouldn’t be here now, heading toward the little, previously unknown town that welcomed her back.

I unhooked myself from the cart’s harness and fished around inside it for a bottle of water and a map. There weren’t any real landmarks around me and the dim light from the full moon made it difficult to see, but I was surely on the right path. I was almost there. Ponyville was just over the horizon. I finished off the water and tossed the bottle and map back in the cart. I reared back, stomped the ground and brayed to psych myself up for the final stretch of my journey before donning the harness and galloping forward.

All my life I’d lived on my own, relying only on myself and my hard work to get the things I wanted. When I was a filly, I dreamed of meeting the princess. I thought if only I could show her my worth, I would be on easy street. But getting an audience with the most powerful pony in the world, especially for somepony born in obscurity, was essentially impossible.

When news hit about Celestia having a sister who had returned from banishment, everypony was talking about it. It was amazing to think that this thousand year history had faded into myth and had almost been forgotten. Nopony could believe that Nightmare Moon, the mythical monster of nightmare night was not only real, but had been reformed by six mares in some backwards village and was returning to her throne.

But where everypony else saw something to talk and debate about, I saw opportunity. I may not have been any closer to an audience with either of the princesses, but these six ‘Elements of Harmony’ that had reformed Luna were a different story. They had declined any sort of interview and their pictures were never published. Nopony knew their names or what they looked like, but everypony now knew the town they lived in. These ponies were important; there were even rumors that one of them had a direct connection to Celestia herself. If I could just impress and entertain even one of them, then my life would be forever changed.

Celestia’s sun started to rise on my left and drape light over the land. I slowed to a stop and breathed heavily. I could see it now, Ponyville was only a few minutes away. I smiled. This was it, this was my time. No more travelling around, no more scraping by, no more eating grass when I ran out of money. Today was going to be the best day of my life, I could feel it. Today, I would make a name for myself. I looked back into my cart and levitated my hat onto my head before continuing into town.

“I hope you’re ready, Ponyville, because here comes The Great and Powerful Trixie!”