Trixie's Forest Retreat

by crowscrowcrow

Chapter 12 - Realization

Trixie swept the floor of Fluttershy's cottage. She had never thought that such a mundane act could be anything but a bore, yet she could not help but smile as she worked. It felt good to be moving about again after being forced to stay in bed for what felt like forever. Though given how much of the day Trixie slept away, it was not really something she could object to, even if the few waking hours had been boring.

“Trixie can't believe she almost did not even let Trixie do this. The Great and Powerful Trixie—” She paused for dramatic effect. “—does not get winded from simple manual labor. Who does she think pulled Trixie's wagon?”

During the days that she had been bed bound, forbidden to read, and with nopony to talk to, the minutes had crawled past slower than Discord, and that thing was petrified. Fluttershy still made for a very poor conversationalist and often only had a small amount of time between doing chores, making it even harder to break any ice. Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, had not come into her room again at all, supposedly for her rest.

Trixie reared the broom back for a moment, then swung hard to send the pile of dust out the door, scattering it to the wind with a satisfied smirk. “Another foe chased out by The Great and Powerful Trixie!”

Her life of boredom had finally changed today. She'd gotten the okay to leave her room and wander around the house and garden, though Trixie had elected to stay inside the house for safety. Even if Ponyville was out of earshot, it could still be seen clearly, and it stood to reason if she could see Ponyville, it could see her.

Despite this, however, her magic was still off-limits for over a week, which was something she had agreed to initially, but when the headaches stopped, she quickly regretted it. Trixie threw an annoyed glare at the broom while she replayed her attempt to renegotiate.

“But Trixie is fine. These are spells every foal could do,” Trixie said.

Rainbow Dash hovered in midair, pointing a hoof at Trixie. “And every pegasus foal can fly, but even I know you don't go flying with a broken wing; it won’t heal right.”

“Well then Trixie is sure you'd be okay not flying for a week? In solidarity?” Trixie pointed down at the floor. Trixie grinned at the look on Rainbow's face. She knew full well no pegasus would agree to that.

“Oh…” Fluttershy looked up from her conversation with a pair of mice, that she apparently had voluntarily living in her wall. “Sure, if it will make it easier.”

Trixie drug a hoof down her face “Except that one, of course.” Fluttershy had not minded, but that was never the point she had been trying to make, now she had ended up accidentally grounding Fluttershy. Just to make matters worse, she could not complain about not getting to use magic if Fluttershy did not complain about flying.

Her eyes fell upon the saddlebags next to the door, giving a smile at the sight. They had been left there by Fluttershy as a constant reminder that Trixie could at any point pick up the bags and head out if she really wanted too. Though it was followed by the most talking she had ever heard from the shy pony for almost an hour straight about how it did not mean she wanted Trixie to leave, only that it was symbolic for the freedom to do so.

Trixie felt a soft grin creep up. “Perhaps Trixie's teasing her with a hurt expression was a bit cruel, but it was so effective in getting her to finally use that lovely voice, worth it.” Trixie paused a moment at her wording, tilting her head. Lovely? Mhm, well it was, Trixie supposes.

Trixie’s ears perked up when she heard hoofsteps that trotted along the meandering dirt road that lead to the cottage. Peeking out the door to check, she found Fluttershy, and just as she expected, in the company of Rainbow Dash, voicing her displeasure loud enough for Trixie to pick up on.

“Come on, Fluttershy, she's not even here. It doesn't count if she can't see you fly.” Rainbow Dash flew another impatient circle around the walking pegasus.

Fluttershy just smiled. “I'm sorry…” She then noticed Trixie in the doorway and waved. “H-hello, Trixie, still up?” Her eyes scanned over her patient briefly.

Trixie rested the broom against the wall. “Welcome home, and welcome respectively. Trixie is fine, Fluttershy. She won't fall down from one morning's work.”

“G-good…” Fluttershy passed over the threshold and glanced down at the freshly swept floor. “T-thank you, Trixie, for helping I mean.” She made her way to the kitchen with the groceries.

Rainbow Dash landed besides Trixie, getting a small flinch from her. She gave a hurt look in return. “I wish you'd stop doing that.”

Trixie recovered quickly. “Trixie does too. Trixie knows it's pathetic.” She looked at the rainbow-colored mane with a shudder, then stared at the floor.

“No, it's not that… It's a little awkward.” Rainbow Dash raised her hoof to scratch the back of her neck.

The both of them stood in silence for a moment before Fluttershy returned. “Rainbow Dash, are you staying for lunch?”

“Nah thanks, Fluttershy,” said Rainbow Dash while she returned to the air. “I have a raincloud to deliver to AJ's, and Granny Smith promised apple-pie for speedy delivery; I’m almost late as is actually, so I'll see you guys later!” She took off at top speed.

Trixie's eyes went wide from seeing Rainbow Dash make it to the other side of Ponyville, cloud in hoof, in no time flat. “Wait, what? Was she always that fast?” Disbelief was written across Trixie’s face; she had to have been seeing things. She looked over to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy on, the other hoof, seemed to barely take notice. She just looked at Trixie in confusion “I-I'm sorry… You mean Rainbow Dash? Uhm… Well no, I guess she used to be slower in flight school… Why?”

“Not quite what Trixie meant. It was difficult to estimate distance when she flew straight up in the air during Trixie's show, but… if she can cover that much ground…” Her eyes drifted between the road to Ponyville and the Everfree Forest “…Trixie never stood a chance.”

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!

Chapter is a day late, I am ashamed.
Turns out that "I'll just take a quick nap before I finish this." When your tired can actually go wrong.

Comments

[Knight of the Raven]

You don't stand a chance against her animal magnetism either, Trixie. Resistance is futile. Save time and give in.

I liked the lines 'the minutes crawled past slower than Discord, and that thing was petrified.' and '“Except that one, of course.”'

Mistakes;

the comma after 'Flutterhy's cottage,' should be a semicolon,

add a comma after 'she slept away'

'something she'd objected too' should be 'something she'd objected to'

'Pausing for dramatic effect.' should be 'She paused for dramatic effect.'

'with no-pony to talk too' should be 'with nopony to talk to,'

add a comma after 'between doing chores'

'Rearing the broom back for a moment then swinging' should be 'She reared the broom back for a moment then swung'

add a period after 'with a satisfied smirk'

change the comma after 'had finally changed today,' to either a semicolon or a period,

'it stood to reason if she could see Ponyville it could see her.' should be 'it stood to reason that, if she could see Ponyville, it could see her.'

'something she had agreed to initially but when the headaches stopped quickly regretted' should be 'something she had agreed to initially but quickly regretted once the headaches stopped'

'An annoyed glare given at the broom' should be 'She gave the broom an annoyed glare'

'it wont heal right' should be 'it won't heal right'

'Trixie grinned at the look on Rainbows face' should be 'Trixie grinned at the look on Rainbow's face,'

add a period after 'Trixie drug a hoof down her face'

'Her eyes falling upon the Saddlebags next to the door giving a smile at the sight, left there by Fluttershy' should be 'Her eyes fell upon the saddlebags next to the door and she gave a smile at the sight. Fluttershy had left them there'

'and head out if she really wanted too' should be 'and head out if she really wanted to'

you didn't capitalize 'Perhaps' in '“perhaps Trixie's teasing'

'Mhm Well it was Trixies supposes' should be 'Mhm... Well it was, Trixie supposes'

'Trixie heard hoofs trotting' should be 'Trixie heard hooves trotting'

'the meandering dirt road that lead' should be the meandering dirt road that led'

'Peeking out the door to check and finding Fluttershy' should be 'She peeked out the door to check and found Fluttershy'

'in the company of Rainbow Dash voicing' should be 'in the company of Rainbow Dash, who voiced'

add a comma after 'Come on Fluttershy'

add a period after 'Fluttershy just smiled'

'Then noticed Trixie in the doorway and waved' should be 'Then she noticed Trixie in the doorway and waved.' ; note the period,

'she won't fall down from one mornings work' should be 'she won't fall down from one morning's work'

add a period after 'at the freshly swept floor'

add a 'she' before 'made her way to the kitchen with the groceries.'

add a period after 'Trixie recovered quickly'

samewise after 'before Fluttershy returned'

add a comma after 'Nah' in '“Nah thanks Fluttershy,”'

'apple-pie' should be 'apple pie'

'Taking off at top speed.' should be 'She took off at top speed.'

'Looking over to Fluttershy.' should be 'She looked over to Fluttershy.'

'Fluttershy on the other hand seemed to barely take notice, just looking at Trixie in confusion' should be 'Fluttershy on the other hand seemed to barely take notice and just looked at Trixie in confusion.' ; I suggest to add a 'back' after 'look' ,

'Well no I guess she used to be slower' should be 'Well, no, I guess she used to be slower'

and

'Her eyes drifting between the road to Ponyville and the Everfree Forest' should be 'Her eyes drifted between the road to Ponyville and the Everfree Forest.'

[TheGreatEater]

In solidarity?”

solitary

[solidarity is unity or agreement of feeling or action, especially among individuals with a common interest; mutual support within a group.]

Or did you not mean her semi-issolation she was mentioning previously? Since before that paragraph she was talking about how hard it was to stay in the bed with nopony to talk to, nothing to read, nothing to do. Just her, by herself. Followed by Rainbow Dash saying it wasn't that bad. But afterwards, Flutters agreed to not fly if Trixie didn't do magic which would be a 'sign' of solidarity.
_____________

[crowscrowcrow]

5358701
In this case, no, not solitary. Though that is probbly how Trxie feels overall. ^^

This bit is specificly about Trixie not liking that her magic is offlimits, and she asks for RD to ground herself as a means to impart how important magic is to her, under the guise of a sign of solidarity. (I guess just saying "in solidarity" is incomplete? I didnt know that, interesting.)

[HeartfireFirebrand]

“Trixie can't believe she almost did not even let Trixie do this. The Great and Powerful Trixie—” She paused for dramatic effect. “—does not get winded from simple manual labor. Who does she think pulled Trixie's wagon?”

Yeah Trixie is probably quite physically strong amongst unicorns.