• Published 11th Mar 2012
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Trixie's Gettin' Back On Her Hooves - Shadow Raikou



Accidentally stumbling upon a homeless Trixie, Twilight must help her get back on her hooves.

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Chapter 7: Fun and Games

Trixie stared at the three fillies, jaw almost to the floor. “So the story that inspired Trixie’s act that earned her Cutie Mark was about your grandmother?” Trixie asked Applebloom, eyes wide with shock.

Applebloom nodded nervously. “Yeah, that sounds about right…”

“And that means Trixie publicly humiliated the granddaughter of the one who is indirectly responsible for her Cutie Mark?”

“Yeah…I guess you could say that…” said Sweetie Belle, only to be elbowed by Scootaloo.

Trixie lowered her head and pinned her ears, looking miserable all of a sudden. “Now look, it ain’t your fault, yah didn’t know,” said Applebloom, trying to comfort the mare turned filly.

“But Trixie shouldn’t have done it at all…”

“Yeah, yah are probably right, but has Applejack accepted your apology?” asked Applebloom, a little surprised to see Trixie acting this way. She recognized the way the unicorn was holding herself. It was how a foal acted when they expected to be punished for something. The Crusaders were…well acquainted with it, but this seemed like a really strange thing to expect to be punished for.

“…Applejack forgave Trixie, yes…” Trixie replied unsurely. After all, she hadn’t exactly apologized. It hadn’t bothered her before…but now it just felt so wrong that she hadn’t. Something just seemed to click…what was it? She’d been forgiven, so why did she feel like she’d forgotten something?

“Well then its water under the bridge!” said Applebloom, in as serious a tone as a filly could put something. “She forgave yah, so the only thing yah need to do is make sure it don’t happen again, ok?”

Trixie still looked unsure, wanting to listen, but not sure if it was right or not. “…Trixie guesses that makes sense…”

“Good,” said Scootaloo, eager to move on. “Now lets do something fun, ok?”

Trixie looked about as confused as Princess Luna had when confronted with the concept. “Um…Exactly what do foals do for…fun?”

Scootaloo rubbed her head with her hoof, remembering Trixie’s childhood hadn’t included much playtime with other foals. “Let’s see…How about we play a board game? We’ve got a lot of them around here we tried to earn our Cutie Marks with.”

Trixie once more looked uncertain. “Um…sure, that sounds like…fun…”
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“Alright, my employees, we’re about to get to work,” said Checker in her normal detached fashion, like a boss speaking to office workers in their cubical instead of hired guns. “And no, it does not involve kidnapping or brute force,” she stated, cutting off Rover as he tried to respond. “We’re doing things my way…you work for me, remember,” she stated, then gave a genuine chuckle, something that scared Rover and his pack mates even more than her cold attitude. “Dig underground and hide near that bin over there,” she said, pointing to the bin containing the pile of the Apple Family’s perfect apples. “When Trixie is as close as possible to the door, open it. That is all you have to do.”

“But how do you-”

“My way, that is all you need to know,” replied Checker in her cold tone and accompanied by an icy glare. “Now go,” she ordered. “Do it, and you‘ll get your paycheck.” As the dogs rushed off, she gave another disturbing chuckle, as if seeing her obey her actually rose a bit of joy under her icy cold exterior. She looked back at her yes stallion. “Helping Hoof, you know you’re expendable, correct? That I could fire you and get another hundred like you as easily as I can breathe, correct?” she asked, in her normal cold tone.

“Yes, Miss Monarch,” replied Helping Hoof, not seeming to find the subject unnerving…on the surface.

“But then again, even if I did, you’d still probably be working for me,” said Checker, her cold personality unchanging, but giving a cruel smirk. “So many ponies work for me and they never know it. I’m a privileged sort that way, you know, and that‘s just how I like it.”

“Yes, Miss Monarch.”

Checker turned away, watching the Apples and their friends on one side, specifically Rainbow Dash, then looking back to the Diamond Dogs.

“There are two types in the world, or so you’re told
The strong who care only for themselves and no other
And the weak who treat everypone like their brother.
But what you won’t find in that saying of old
Is one who is above all the rest,” Checker sung, projecting her chessboard once more, all the pieces moving on their own with their real life counterparts. Her singing was rather like a dance in its pitch and tone, but actually had a bit of passion in it, since she was the subject.

“That is the place to which I do belong
She who controls both the weak and the strong.
The one who is the best of the best,” she continued, watching out events from the side lines.

“It’s something that long ago I realized
Just something I always have possessed
To me the world is my own game of chess
At least it is through my eyes,” sung Checker, looking at her little chessboard as she did so, pieces moving this way and that with their real life counterparts.

“I discovered my talent when I just was a filly
How easy it is to make my puppets dance
I just point the way and away they prance
How do I do it? It’s quite simple really
All it takes is knowing the tricks
Knowing how to twist someone’s heart
Make them think they’ve lost from the start.
Add a little deceit into the mix
Or you can wear just the right disguise
If you hide behind the right mask
Manipulation becomes an easy task
Especially if you see the world through my eyes.” Checker continued, her pace picking up, but keeping the same calm tone as it began with. She was watching Applejack closely, her and Rainbow Dash, analyzing their every movement. Rainbow Dash was running on the treadmill with Big Mac to power the cider maker and Applejack was bucking trees for apples, facing the opposite direction as Rainbow Dash. Checker’s horn glowed and an apple moved a few inches to the right in a basket so that it was lined up just right.

“It’s not very hard, this I promise
Move one little piece just right
And you can start a big fight
And I am the master of this.”

She motioned Helping Hoof to move and check the alignment of the apple from the bushes with a small extending telescope produced from his pocket. He motioned her to the right a little and she adjusted accordingly until he gave her a nod and stealthily returned to her.

“I am the one who guides their fate
If only the strongest will thrive
Then why is it any surprise?
That for me it‘s always check and mate?”

Right as Applejack bucked again, Checker’s horn glowed and Applejack’s front hooves did the same, slipping and causing her to miss. Checker’s magic subtlety guided her hind legs right into the apple, launching it so that it slammed right into Rainbow’s flank, throwing her off balance and making her trip. She fell on the moving treadmill, causing her to be spun around in the treadmill until Pinkie Pie tried pulling the break lever, but it jammed, briefly flashing with Checker’s magic. Rarity ran to help her as she tried to pull the lever.

“If you don‘t know, it‘s time you realized
Nothing is out of my reach
Your life hangs on my speech
That‘s how it is through my eyes
To resist me is so unwise
So just sit back and relax
There‘s no need for your will to tax
Just look at the world…” Checker sung, never changing from the soft, dance like pace she used as she released her magic hold, allowing Pinkie to pull the break at just the right moment, launching Rainbow Dash out of the treadmill and right into Applejack as the Earth Pony ran to help her friend.

“…though my eyes,” finished Checker, giving a cruel, cold smirk.

Rainbow snarled as she stood up, already not in the best of moods from her lack of sleep and Trixie‘s presence in Ponyville. “What’s the big idea nailing me with an apple!” she yelled at AJ.

Applejack gave a growl. “You think I’d do that on purpose?” she replied, looking rather Insulted by the assumption.

Checker looked to her chessboard and moved the pieces for Rainbow and Applejack so they faced each other. She gave it a thoughtful look. “Mate in…six…” she stated, giving a cold glare at the Trixie piece.
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Trixie telekinetically moved one of her two remaining checkers and jumped Scootaloo’s last three. “Aww, I lost!” exclaimed Scootaloo, a little disappointed in tone.

Trixie suddenly cringed, as if expecting something bad to happen.

“Good job Trixie, you’re really good!” Sweetie Belle stated, with a bit smile.

“Yeah, way to go, Trixie!” Applebloom added, also giving the blue unicorn a smile.

Trixie blinked, looking up. “Y-You’re not mad Trixie won?” she asked, cocking her head in bewilderment.

Scootaloo blinked, giving the mare turned filly a confused look. “Uh, no…Nopony likes losing, but I’m not gonna get mad just because somepony beat me fair and square!”

Applebloom looked concerned. “Why did yah think we’d be mad?”

Trixie pinned her ears back and lowered her head. “The only pony Trixie has ever played games with was her elder sister, and she was…a sore loser to say the least. The one time Trixie actually won her sister’s favorite game, her sister put a hole in the neighbor’s window.”

The Crusaders cringed. “Baseball?” Scootaloo asked.

Trixie shook her head. “Chess.”

“Wow, sore loser,” Sweetie Belle replied, with wide eyes.

“Well we’re not like that,” Scootaloo said, as reassuringly as she knew how to be. She wasn‘t that good at that kind of thing after all. “You beat me fair and square, good job.”

Trixie gave a small, timid smile. “T-thank you…” she said softly, then looked up. “So…what should we do now?”

“Well we could play another game, or go outside and play,” said Scootaloo, thinking it out.

“What do you want to do, Trixie?” asked Sweetie Belle, the trio looking at her expectantly.

Trixie shifted nervously, swinging one of her legs back and forth uncomfortably, having little to no knowledge of this subject. “Well…i-it is a pretty day outside…”

“Alright, let’s go then,” said Applebloom, leading the way outside.
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Rainbow Dash was taking a break while Big Macintosh took over the treadmill for a bit, Checker Monarch watching closely from her hiding place. As the drowsy Pegasus walked over to a tree to try and rest, Applejack doing much the same on the other side, Checker smirked at the opportunity. As they laid down, her horn lit up and she magically shifted the apples off their stems and dropped them on both ponies in mass.

Rainbow growled, popping out of the pile of apples, still cranky from lack of sleep. “Hey! Watch where you’re going, Applejack!” she yelled, glaring at the Earth Pony.

“Ah was! Ah don’t know about you!” AJ yelled back, glaring right back.

Checker gave a cruel smirk as the two argued. “Let’s see, what next?” she asked, looking over everypony and everthing with her analytic eyes. Her eyes fell on Pinkie collecting apples and bringing them to the sorters.
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The Cutie Mark Crusaders bounced a ball back and forth between them with headbutts, each seeming to have a good time with it, while Trixie just watched nervously from the sidelines. “Yah want to play, Trixie?” asked Applebloom as she bounced the ball to Scootaloo.

Trixie looked uncertain, swinging her front leg back and forth nervously. “But what if…you know…” she said, pointing to her horn.

“Don’t worry, Twilight put a special spell on this ball so it won’t pop,” said Sweetie Belle, bouncing it to Applebloom, making sure her horn hit it to prove the point. “She gave it to me for my birthday a few months ago.”

“Oh…o-ok,” said Trixie, moving forwards as the group made room for her and began bouncing the ball back and forth once more. Finally, it was sent her way by Applebloom. She closed her eyes and bounced it towards Scootaloo with a grunt, then blinked as the Pegasus bounced it to Sweetie Belle. Sweetie Belle then passed it back to Trixie, who sent it to Applebloom. The third time it was sent to her, by Scootaloo, Trixie actually gave a real, genuine smile. “This is actually kind of fun…” she admitted it. ‘I can’t believe it, I’m actually having fun playing ball with a bunch of foals…is this what I was missing all those times father wouldn’t let me play with the other foals?’

“See! Told yah it was!” said Applebloom, before sending it her way again. “Heads up!”

Trixie happily headbutted it and sent it to Sweetie Belle, smiling brightly.
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“Now how in Celestia’s name did this happen?” asked Applejack, looking at the now broken treadmill, scratching her head with her hoof. One of the gears was missing completely, rendering it effectively useless without a replacement. She didn’t notice the disturbed ground next to the machine, as if a hole had been dug and filled in. She gave a very aggravated sigh. “Ah guess we’ll just need to get another gear…Can anythin’ else go wrong today?” she asked, looking over to see Rarity and Pinkie picking up apples from several baskets that‘s bottoms had broken while being carried, and she herself covered in apple cider from a barrel that had sprung a leak while she was carrying it.

Checker coldly pocketed the gear. “Good job Spot, I knew it was an excellent idea to send you,” she said, her tone as if she’d done all the work. She took out a few gems and deposited them in the Diamond Dog’s paw. “Now get back to your place and wait for the time to be right,” she ordered, in her cold, unemotional tone, causing the Diamond Dog to run off. She looked out as Applejack examined the machine, frustrated from Checker’s manipulations, while Rainbow Dash stood nearby sulking from just how things were going before laying down and trying to rest. “Well they look suitably angry…Time to check how our other little pawns are doing,” she said, walking over with Helping Hoof following closely.

She peaked out of the bushes to see Trixie still happily playing ball with the Crusaders. “Aw look, she’s happy…We can’t have that, now can we?”

“No, Miss Monarch…” answered Helping Hoof. “Um…Miss Monarch,” he said, professionally, but with a hint of uncertainty in his voice. “It has occurred to me that this course of action may cause considerable losses to the Apple Family, it’s not a one hundred percent certain thing, but it is still a considerable possibility. Not a certain one, they could very well end up fine…but it‘s quite possible they‘ll lose a great deal of money.”

“And?”

“Well, is it really necessary to risk harming some ponies we don’t even know to ruin this mare? I mean clearly, what you say goes, but aren’t there…other options?”

Checker gave him the look of someone consulting someone about a business decision. “And is there a benefit to me if I choose not to make this move? Does pursuing this course of action harm me or my company in any fashion?”

“Well…no, Miss Monarch.”

“Then why should it concern me?” asked Checker callously, turning back to Trixie and the Crusaders. “I have no use for apples, there is no gain to be had by changing my course of action, therefore, I won’t, and that is final,” she stated in an absolutely cold, detached voice, even more than normal. “Understood?”

“…Yes, Miss Monarch.”

Checker turned as the four fillies continued playing with their ball, the mare looking at Trixie’s smiling face like it was some hideous thing that shouldn’t even exist. Her horn flashed as she changed the trajectory of the ball by a few inches, causing it to miss Applebloom and bounce close to the bush. Checker stuck her horn out, keeping the ball between the four fillies and herself to hide her from sight. She touched her glowing horn to the ball carefully, causing it to glow momentarily before she pulled back into the bush as Applebloom ran over.

“Got it!” the Earth Pony filly called as she picked up the ball. She looked down at it and her eyes suddenly seemed to roll over, getting hearts in them.

“Applebloom?” asked Scootaloo, noticing Applebloom had froze up.

“Applebloom, is everything alright?” Trixie asked, she and the others walking over. The moment they looked at the ball, their eyes too rolled over into hearts. They all looked at the ball like it was something they couldn’t live without, like they absolutely had to have it.

“Hey! Let me have it!” called Scootaloo, trying to pull it from Applebloom’s grasp.

“Its mine anyway! I want it back!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, joining in the tugging match.

“No! Trixie wants it!” Trixie yelled, trying to pull it from the others. “Trixie must have it!”

Checker gave another cruel smirk. “Now that they’re under my spell too deep to know what‘s going on…” she said, grabbing the ball with telekinesis and bouncing it from their grasp, all four blindly running after it as she guided it where she wanted it to go. As they got closer, she moved small rocks and tripped the Crusaders one by one, allowing Trixie to move on ahead and finally catch the ball, spinning head over hills with it.

“Trixie got it!” exclaimed Trixie, looking at the ball adoringly.

Rover stuck one of his long arms out of the ground and undid the latch on the bin of perfect apples…which Trixie was right in front of.

Checker gave a cruel smile and concentrated on the ball, shattering her spell.

Trixie groaned as the Want It, Need It Spell was broken. “What…what happened?” she asked, shaking her head in a disorientated fashion, then turned as the door swung open and the apples fell on her in an avalanche, causing her to let out a loud scream.
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“That was Trixie!” exclaimed Rarity as the group heard the scream and took off towards it, except Rainbow, who‘d fallen fast asleep.

When they arrived, Applejack looked at the scattered apples in shock and despair. “No…” she said, rushing over and looking over the mess in complete shock. Fixing up the farm road on these apples that were now all over the ground, some obviously would be unusable now from bruising, but she had no idea how many. And the longer they set on the ground, the more likely something might happen to them or worms might get in them or something! She desperately tried to pick them up. “Don’t just stand there! Help me pick ‘em up! Hurry!” she plead to her friends, who instantly took to helping.

Trixie looked in shock as she climbed out of the apples covering her, she didn’t know what happened….But she’d been the only one around and something bad had happened…She looked up at Applejack, seeing how whatever happened must‘ve hurt her…how SHE must‘ve hurt her. She felt her heart sink looking up at the mare. “Applejack…Trixie…I’m-”

“Do yah have any idea what yah did?!” snapped Applejack, causing Trixie to recoil in surprise and fear. “These apples are the only thing that’s gonna help us fix up this farm! These were really important to my family! We needed em to fix up the farm! And yah all might have ruined that!” she yelled in rage, a day’s worth of frustration suddenly erupting to the surface in one moment…then she saw the look on little Trixie’s face. A look of pain and fear, tears welling up in her eyes. Applejack instantly felt like someone stabbed her in the heart, rage cooled by bitter guilt. “Trixie…A-Ah…”

Before Applejack could finish, Trixie ran off in the opposite direction, crying her eyes out.

“Trixie!“ called Applejack, but she could only watch as the poor girl ran off and vanished into some bushes next to the farm. Applejack pinned her ears in guilt and sorrow. “A-Ah…Ah’m sorry…”
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Checker gave a cruel, cold smirk as she watched this, then looked to her chessboard. “Mate in…two,” she stated, turning and noticing Rainbow Dash had fallen asleep. “On second thought…make that three…” she said thoughtfully, turning and looking to the Pegasus. She closed her eyes and her horn lit up dark violet. Almost instantly, Rainbow began to contort in fear as slept.
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Rainbow Dash stood, looking at her friends, who were all sobbing, sitting on street corners begging for money, looking like homeless mares no better than Trixie had looked when Twilight found her.

“What happened?! W-who did this?!” asked Rainbow, looking at the scene in horror, finding herself in the same fashion as her friends when she looked upon herself. She felt rage, sorrow, and pain fill her mind.

“That would be Trixie,” said Trixie’s voice, almost proudly. Rainbow turned to see Trixie, dressed in fine clothing in an extremely fancy chariot.

“You!” yelled Rainbow Dash, glaring daggers at Trixie.

“Yes, it was Trixie, Rainbow Crash,” said Trixie, giving a chuckle as she opened the door telekinetically, her horn glowing dark violet. Rainbow couldn’t put her hoof on it, but Trixie’s eyes seemed…wrong…just wrong, she just couldn’t describe what it was. “Trixie tricked your friends into giving her everything, well, some of them. Others she just took great satisfaction in ruining in every way she could. You were all so gullible. You really believed all those lies Trixie told to earn your sympathy?” she asked with a cruel laugh. “Pathetic.”

Rainbow looked up at her in anger, staring daggers through her as the mare laughed.

“Now, Trixie has a show to put on, and you’re going to be the star,” said Trixie, giving a cold, sadistic smirk. “Ready for the spotlight, Rainbow Crash?”
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Checker opened her eyes as Rainbow sprung awake with a shout a few minutes later and looked around in a panic. Checker turned to Helping Hoof and the returning Diamond Dogs. She shushed them until Rainbow regained her wits and noticed she’d been left behind, then ran off to find the others. “Alright, speak,” Checker said calmly, ignoring the act she just committed as she floated a large pouch of gems out of her pocket and threw them to Rover. “Good job, I knew it was a bright idea to hire you,” she stated, as always sounding more like bragging than praise.

Rover opened the pouch and looked at the gems eagerly, but then looked to Checker with uncertainty. “What you do to pony?” he asked, having seen her do it the night before, but not understanding it. It honestly scared the Diamond Dog for reasons he didn’t know.

“Oh, just a dream infiltration spell used by psychiatrist ponies to better analyze the dreams of their patients. Psychology is a major part of business and manipulation, both of which are my forte, so it falls within my realm of expertise,” explained Checker, not seeming all that interested in it, more like speaking about a trivial note. Rover and the Diamond Dogs all gave her a shocked look, even their simple minds able to understand what she said, but none of them spoke. “Of course unless you’re a licensed therapist, using it at all, let alone on somepony without their permission, is highly illegal, at least it is if you get caught. Not that anypony would believe your word over mine, and of course things would end…messy for you if you did, which is naturally why I‘m telling you this…Now come, let’s go watch the fireworks,” she said, in a plain, uninterested tone as she lead them on.
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“…So Ah blew my top and yelled at her,” Applejack explained to Twilight, looking and sounding absolutely guilt ridden. “Ah was just so frustrated Ah lost it…Ah know Trixie wouldn’t do somethin’ like this on purpose…Ah just lost my cool…”

Rainbow scoffed. “Don’t be so sure,” she muttered, knowing no one else still distrusted Trixie like she did. That dream…it seemed off but…it was what she was afraid of, it’d just brought the fear back to the surface. Just like the dream the night before had reopened her old wounds from being bullied in flight school.

“It’s alright, Applejack, I know you’d never hurt Trixie on purpose,” Twilight consoled with a hoof on her friend‘s shoulder, but she still looked worried. Trixie had the personality and emotional state of herself as a filly, Twilight couldn’t imagine what the poor mare was going through right now.

“We don’t know how it happened sis…” said Applebloom, looking just as guilty as her sister. “We were just playin’ ball and then…this happened…” she said, she nor her friends remembering anything after Checker’s spell was put on them until it was broken. The apples had been collected, and only a few were bruised, but it still hurt to know not only had their game hurt her own family, but hurt Trixie as well.

“It’s alright, Applebloom, we’ve still got enough apples for the fair,” said Applejack. Though with the loss of some of the apples, their odds of winning still decreased, but she didn‘t want anypony to be worried by it. “But poor Trixie, the poor mare’s heart must be broken after what Ah said…”

Zecora, having returned with Twilight and Fluttershy to make up the antidote, watched nearby, her saddlebags full of the necessary herbs. “Healing hearts can wait for now, now Trixie must be found,” she said, showing concern. Even if she’d never met Trixie, she was still worried. After all, she was Twilight’s friend; that was good enough for the zebra. “You cannot make up for your outburst, if we do not find her first.”

“Zecora’s right,” said Twilight. “Girls, lets split up and find Trixie!” she called out, then looked to Rainbow. “ALL of us!”

Rainbow growled. “Fine!” she yelled, still angry and bitter. She took off and flew away to search, though not too hard.
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Checker kept moving pieces on her chessboard. “Almost done,” she said, looking over as the Diamond Dogs returned. “You found her?” she asked, a tad surprised they could smell Trixie’s scent through their own appalling stench.

The trio gave a nod, though they now watched her more closely, almost fearfully. While they did still want her gems and intended to follow her orders to receive them, they now knew just how dangerous their boss was, how even someone‘s dreams were not safe from her. To a pony, this was a disturbing thought, but at least a unicorn understood how their magic worked and understood all Checker did was misuse her own natural power in a wrong and highly illegal fashion. A disturbing thought, but they at least knew what she did. But to the more simpleminded Diamond Dogs who knew very little of how it actually worked? They had little intention of seeing what else she had in her arsenal, especially seeing it used on them. Checker didn’t seem to mind, in fact, she even seemed to enjoy it. The control their fear gave her over them was something she seemed to relish.

“Good, now let’s make sure my little pawn does too,” the insidious mare said, looking at the Rainbow Dash piece.
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Rainbow Dash grumbled as she headed through the woods, it being too thick to look properly from the air. She half wanted to just fly home and get some much needed sleep, give up on Trixie all together, but of course Twilight would just chew her out if she did that. Plus, if she found Trixie first, she could give her a serious piece of her mind, which she fully intended to do. “Stupid Trixie…who does she think she’s got fooled?” she grumbled as she walked. “She probably spilled all those apples on purpose, just to mess up Applejack and her family…Why am I the only one who sees her for the…bully she is!” she exclaimed, letting out her frustration by bucking the air.

Suddenly, she heard a rustling in the woods near her. “Huh?” she asked, approaching, barely missing Spot shaking a tree as the Diamond Dog fled off as quietly as he could. She walked that way until she began to hear something else. “Is someone there?” she muttered, slowly walking forwards and poking her head through some branches, seeing Trixie sitting in a clearing, her back to her. Rainbow growled at the sight of her…then realized something. Trixie didn’t know she was there.

Checker watched from nearby, a cruel grin on her face. “Come on. we know you want to do it. Yell at the little brat so much she runs far, far away from here,” she whispered, looking to her chessboard. “And from any possibility of ever getting back on her hooves.”

Rainbow got a rather disturbing smirk, a nasty thought brewing in her head as she slowly snuck up behind Trixie, her hoofs making little to no noise, a little thing she‘d learned from hanging out with Fluttershy.

Checker got a cruel smirk as she moved the Rainbow Dash piece into position. “Checkmate…”
‘Nows the time to show her. I’ll never let her mess with me, or my friends, again,’ thought Rainbow as she approached, spreading her wings to their full length to appear more threatening…Then, as she got closer, she heard the foal…sniffling? No…sobbing…

Refolding her wings, Dash stood perfectly still, listening closely.

"...I didn't mean to...I'm so sorry...please don't hate me...it was an a-accid-d-dent...please..." The little filly sobbed.

'The hay?' Rainbow Dash studied her target. Trixie was hunched over, and even from behind, Rainbow Dash could tell her eyes were clenched. Trixie had curled inwards into a little ball, and was pretty much crying her eyes out. She let out another sob as her mantra continued.

“I didn’t mean to…I didn’t want to hurt anyone…I just was playing and…”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes went wide in surprise. There was no one around, or at least it was clear Trixie didn’t think there was. She was all alone…and she was crying her eyes out over what she’d done on accident…And Rainbow had been about to give her hay for something that’d happened months ago and something she was afraid might happen in the future. “Man, what was I doing?” she whispered as she realized something that shook her to her core. Images of a little rainbow haired Pegasus curled up on the crowd crying her eyes out with her hooves over her ears in Flight School as she was mocked by the entire class filled her mind, followed by the image of a little blue unicorn doing the exact same as the same pegasus yelled her head off at her for something everyone except her tormentor was smart enough to forgive and move on from.

Rainbow Dash shook that image away as her expression changed to one of concern and she set down next to the filly. “Trixie, are you ok?” she asked in a genuinely concerned tone.

Trixie jumped at the sound of Rainbow‘s voice, eyes wide in fear before she recognized Rainbow. “Oh…it’s…i-it’s you,” she said, looking up at Rainbow Dash shamefully, ears pinned. “I’m …I’m so sorry about the apples! It was an accident!” the little filly exclaimed in a panic, then looked down, with that ‘I’m about to be punished’ look. “I just…I just didn’t want you all to hate me…not again…” she said, lowering her head and looking like she was about to cry again.

Rainbow looked down at the filly, at a loss of what to say. She wasn’t used to these kinds of situations, it was Fluttershy or Pinkie Pie’s thing. What was she supposed to do? “You’re really sorry?” she asked after a few seconds, looking down at the filly.

Trixie nodded, looking up at her, tears streaming down her face.

“…Well…I guess it didn’t cause too much trouble…and it WAS an accident…” said Rainbow Dash, rubbing the back of her head with her hoof, not believing she was saying it after all this. But she couldn’t believe how closed she’d come to something she knew she’d have regretted. She was just glad she’d snapped out of it before it was too late. “I forgive you…I guess…”

Trixie looked shocked. “You…you do?”

Rainbow Dash gave her a little smile and put her wing on her back to comfort her. “Yeah, yeah, now come on, let’s go get you cleaned up…I don’t like seeing foals cry…too many bad memories from flight school…” she said, leading the way.

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Checker looked on at the scene in utter shock for a few seconds before she smacked the Rainbow Dash chess piece with her hoof and sent it flying into a tree where it shattered into magic dust, the only sign of her anger being a small growl.

“Pony’s plan fail,” Spot whispered to his pack mates.

Checker suddenly spun around, giving the Diamond Dog a glare that made his heart skip a beat from terror. “MY plan didn’t fail. MY plans NEVER fail.…SHE… SHE just should’ve hated Trixie more! And call me BOSS or Miss Monarch, not pony!” the mare snarled before regaining her composure again and recollecting her chessboard with her normal cold, detached look on her face, the only inclination she‘d been angry at all was her hair having been slightly messed up. “Let’s go, it’s time for Plan B.”
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The group reassembled back at the farm, Rainbow still not back. “I couldn’t find Trixie anywhere,” Fluttershy said, worry clear in her tone and voice.

Rarity sighed sadly. “I couldn’t either…” she said, looking around. Applejack looked the most upset of them all, she understood why and put a hoof on her back.

Zecora shook her head. “I looked high and low, but Trixie was nowhere I did go.”

Twilight paced. “She has to be somewhere, she’s in the body of a filly, where could she have gone?” she asked, looking around worriedly for any sign of her.

“Hey girls!” called Rainbow Dash’s voice, getting everyone’s attention as the rainbow maned Pegasus touched down. “Looking for somepony?” she asked, turning to reveal Trixie riding on her back.

“Trixie!” exclaimed everypony as they ran over, exclaiming their relieved comments at finding her safe and sound.

Applejack looked to Trixie, guilt clear on her face. “Look…Ah feel just plain awful for what Ah said…It wasn’t right…” she said, taking off her hat and putting it over her chest as she looked down in remorsed. “Ah’m sorry…Can yah forgive me?”

Trixie looked surprised by this but then slowly nodded. “…O-of course…I‘m really sorry I messed up like that, it was my fault…”

Applejack nodded, giving a small smile. “Ah‘ve already forgiven yah, sugercube, accidents happen all the time,” she said, putting a hoof on the little filly’s shoulder.

Twilight looked in shock at Rainbow Dash, who didn’t seem to mind Trixie’s prescience anymore. “Rainbow…What happened?”

Rainbow looked to Twilight, trying to look nonchalant. “Oh, nothing much. I just found her in the woods over there.”

Twilight didn‘t buy it for a second. “Should I get Spike?”

“…Later, ok?” asked Rainbow in a low voice, but gave a small smile.

Twilight smiled back, glad Rainbow had a change of heart. She gave a nod, then looked to Trixie. “Trixie, this is my friend Zecora, she’s got the antidote to the Poison Joke ready to go,” she introduced, though she was a little uncertain of how Trixie would react to the Zebra.

Trixie looked up at Zecora. “Habari, bibi.

Zecora gave a surprised gasp, but then smiled warmly. “Habari, bibi,” she replied, politely.

The group just blinked as they looked at the scene. “Ok…what just happened?” asked Rainbow, giving the two a confused look.

“Trixie’s magic instructor as a filly was a Zebra, he taught her illusionary tricks with simple herbal dust, he also taught Trixie that phrase. It simply means ‘hello, madam’ in their language,” Trixie explained, looking to Zecora.

Zecora nodded. “And it does my heart good to hear, a greeting from my homeland dear,” she replied, rather happy. “Now, mare who has been made young again, are you ready for your healing to begin?”

Trixie was about to answer…then looked to the Crusaders. “Um…Could Trixie maybe stay a filly just a little bit longer?…Please?”
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Twilight watched Trixie and the Cutie Mark Crusaders playing ball once again, Zecora waiting nearby until Trixie was ready to return to her true age. After the last accident, it was decided a watch would be helpful. Strangely, all the problems they’d faced all day seemed to have been resolved, though she‘d been absent for most of them. Twilight smiled, glad to see Trixie having fun for a change, she looked so happy. Twilight turned and got back to work as the four continued their game.
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“Now hold still, this will only take a moment, Applejack!”

“Rarity, watch what yah all are doin’ with my mane!”

“Just a little more!”

A few seconds later, Rarity turned Applejack in front a full length mirror. Her mane had simply been cut a little bit around the ends and a few split ends clipped here and there. Applejack was rather surprised how different she looked with her mane out of its normal ponytail, allowed to hang straight down. She didn’t really like it all that much, it didn’t look like her. “Ah don’t know, Ah don’t really look like…me…”

Fluttershy, standing nearby, gave a small nod. “Um…its really pretty…but I think whatever Applejack thinks…”

Rarity nodded as she looked at her friend’s look. “Yes, I see what you mean…” she said, giving it deep thought. “Ah, lets try this, shall we?” she asked, and went to work again. Applejack’s hair was soon up in a bun behind her head, though perfectly arranged. “Better?”

Applejack gave herself a look in the mirror. “Well…Ah guess Ah could wear this to the fair. Still ain‘t me, but it ain‘t that bad.”

Rarity nodded. “Alright, how about we head over to the spa?”

Applejack blinked, giving Rarity a confused look. “Say what now?”

“To the spa, Fluttershy and I go every week, which is why she’s here now, so I thought taking you along would be a good idea. Mainly for your hooves and fur, make sure you look presentable in Canterlot.”

Applejack narrowed her eyes. “And just what does that mean? Yah sayin‘ there‘s somethin‘ wrong with how Ah look?”

Rarity sighed, and was about to explain when the door flew open, and Pinkie Pie…vibrated in. Her entire body was vibrating like crazy to the point she was kind of bouncing around. “P-Pinkie Pie? Whatever is going on?”

“Hi Rarity! My Pinkie Sense is going crazy again!” announced Pinkie, not stopping her vibrating at all, her voice oscillating with it.

“Oh no, not another doozy!” exclaimed Applejack, looking surprised.

“Yeah! That’s it! And whatever it is happening here!” Pinkie replied, vibrating around the three mares.

“Another?” asked Rarity, looking surprised. She then gasped. “This has happened before? What does it mean? What’s going to happen to my beautiful boutique, Applejack?!” the white unicorn pleaded, hooves on Applejack’s shoulders as she went into her typical Rarity hysterics.

“Well…last time we ran into a Hydra…”

“A Hydra?! A Hydra is going to attack my shop?!”

“What?! No, it ain-”

“Then what is it?! Parasprites?! A cockatrice?! A Dragon?! Who isn’t Spike?!”

“DRAGON?!” screamed Fluttershy in terror before she zipped under a nearby table and cowered, peaking out fearfully.

“Now calm down Rarity!” stated Applejack, putting her hooves on Rarity’s shoulders and making her look her in the eye. “Now listen, last time the Hydra wasn’t the doozy, it was after that when Twilight admitted she’d been wrong bout Pinkie’s Pinkie Sense,” the orange Earth Pony explained. “Now we still don’t quite understand what it means, but it ain’t anythin’ like yah think it is. If it was, she’d have been doin’ it when Discord and Nightmare Moon showed up, wouldn’t she?”

“Well…I suppose…but if it’s nothing to worry about, then why is Fluttershy cowering?” Rarity asked, pointing to Fluttershy, who was still hiding under the table, only her eyes visible as she peaked out fearfully.

“Cause yah all said dragons, and she‘s terrified of ‘em,” Applejack replied. “Now calm down and lets just think about this,” she said, turning back to the vibrating Pinkie Pie. “Yah alright, Pinkie?”

Pinkie nodded, despite her vibrating. “Yeah! It makes my voice sound silly! This is so fun!”

At that moment, Trixie, back to her normal self, let herself in and blinked at the sight before her. Applejack with had her hair done up like she was going to some fancy party and a mildly hysteric Rarity observing a vibrating Pinkie Pie while Fluttershy cowered under a table. Trixie responded by giving a raised eyebrow. “Is Trixie interrupting anything?”

The group looked at her and blinked, before realizing how strange it must’ve looked. “No, nothin‘ at all, Pinkie’s Pinkie Sense is just goin’ off and we‘re tryin‘ to figure out what‘s goin‘ on.”

Trixie once more rose an eyebrow. “Pinkie Sense?”

“Uh…it’s kind of complicated, sugercube, but Pinkie gets these weird feelin’s that predict things. Like if her tail twitches, somethin’ bout to fall,” Applejack explained. “Normally on somepony’s head.”

Trixie blinked. “But that makes no sense.”

“Yeah, but Twilight believes it…after tryin’ for a day to figure out how it worked and afterwards not knowin’ any more bout it than she started.”

“But we all believe it, and right now, Pinkie is predicting a doozy of something is about to happen right here!” explained a still mildly hysteric Rarity. “Please don’t let it be something bad! Not with all my beautiful dresses all ready for shipping! That’d be the! Worst! Possible! Thing!” she exclaimed, with her typical overly dramatic posing.

Trixie gave a sigh, deciding it’d be less of a headache to just accept Pinkie’s weirdness and move on. “Regardless, Trixie is here simply to check and make sure everything is alright after her…unfortunate mishap with the sewing machine.”

Rarity looked back, giving a sympathetic look. “Everything is fine, Trixie, no need to worry,” she stated, giving a small smile. “That’s just water under the bridge now, darling.”

Trixie gave a small smile. “…Alright, Trixie was merely checking in…” she said, but something felt…strange…why? She’d actually felt strange since she’d returned to her adult self, but wasn’t sure why…Then it hit her…Rainbow Dash’s sudden change of heart. At the time, as a little emotionally delicate filly, she’d been more relieved…now she was confused, even more than before. Come to think about it, Rainbow Dash had been a perplexity since they’d met, and the only one who’d acted as Trixie thought they would…something was off.

“…Why was Rainbow so angry with Trixie? Trixie knows she hurt you all, that’s something she’s seen…but why did Rainbow take it so hard? Normally Trixie wouldn‘t think much of it, but her being the only one of you that feels that way? There must be a reason for it.”

“It might be…well, Rainbow was bullied a lot at Flight School, so was I, and she always stood up for me,” explained Fluttershy, crawling out fully from her hiding spot, memories of ‘Fluttershy can hardly fly’ chants flashing in her mind briefly and causing her to whimper lightly before she shook it off. “So I guess you just opened some old wounds…”

Trixie lowered her head, ears pinning as the full weight of that hit her, the realization of how painful her misdeed must‘ve been to Rainbow Dash. “That would explain it…Trixie should’ve known better, Trixie was bullied as a filly, she knows what it‘s like…and she became one she supposes…” she said to herself, then gave it a good deal of that. It’d actually felt good to apologize earlier to Applejack, it’d took a huge weight off of the unicorn. And she did know exactly how Rainbow Dash must feel, having been bullied herself…Trixie finally sighed at realizing what she had to do to make this right. “All that Trixie can do is go set things right…Trixie must go and make up with Rainbow Dash,” she announced, in a slightly over the top and hammy fashion. “It’s the only thing to be done.”

This was greeted by a group jaw drop that Trixie, ADULT Trixie had decided, completely of her own accord to actually swallow her pride and apologize…and then Pinkie Pie launched into the air, doing a series of convulsions, before landing with a blink as the vibrating ceased. She then giggled. “Oh, so THAT was the doozy!”

Applejack face hoofed while the frustrated Rarity did an overdramatic faint onto a couch she pulled over telekinetically.

Trixie blinked. “…Huh, she does faint just like Trixie does…Is it really THAT surprising?”

Applejack rubbed her head. “Kinda. Feelin’ guilty? No surprise, but swallowin’ your pride and decidin’ to apologize? We ain’t seen yah do that before, not as your grown up self anyway, no offense.”

“None taken…Trixie understands…” she replied, realizing that she rarely if ever apologized for anything as an adult, the only time she’d done so yet was to her grandmother, and she was the only one aware of that. Of course it was surprising. Now that she thought about it, it even surprised Trixie she‘d decided it.

Fluttershy nodded, then gasped as something popped into her head. “Oh, don’t tell Rainbow I told you! She’ll be so angry if she finds out!” she stated, realizing she’d let a secret of Rainbow’s slip.

Trixie nodded. “Trixie understands…let Trixie guess, Pinkie Pie Swear?” she asked, getting a nod. Trixie sighed. “Alright, cross Trixie’s heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in her-AHHHH!”
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Rainbow Dash laid on her back in her house, finally able to concentrate enough to read her book after having gotten herself a good nap earlier in the day…when there was a knock on her door…or as close to a knock as one could make with a cloud door. Rainbow growled and put her book down. “Man, just when I get to the good part…” she muttered, walking to the door and opened it, expecting Fluttershy or some other Ponyville pegasi. She was more than a little surprised by who was actually there. “T-Trixie?! How did you get up here?!” she asked, wide eyed at the sight of the unicorn. Standing at her cloud doorstep. About a hundred or so feet in the air.

“Twilight put a cloud walking spell on Trixie at her request, said she didn’t trust Trixie with the wings spell after some incident with Rarity involving that spell. Then Pinkie gave Trixie a ride up here on some crazy contraption of hers,” Trixie explained, looking a little surprised about that herself.

“Hi Rainbow Dash!” called Pinkie Pie, on a peddled powered helicopter/balloon/bicycle machine of some sort as she waved from outside. Rainbow Dash just waved back, used to this by now.

“May Trixie come in?”

Rainbow blinked, then shook it off. “Uh…sure, come in.”

Once the door was closed, Trixie turned to Rainbow Dash and looked serious. “Trixie is not good at this kind of thing, nor is she an emotionally delicate filly that does this constantly at the moment, not that she didn’t mean it when she said it before, so forgive her if she doesn’t do this right…Trixie knows she tied you up with your own rainbow…and shocked you with lightning… and publicly humiliated you…and publicly humiliated two of your best friends…in front of the entire town…”

“Then bragged about it.”
“Yes…there was much bragging involved…What Trixie is trying to say is…Trixie is sorry,” Trixie said, her voice truly genuine as she looked down with her ears pinned.

Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped nearly to the floor. It’d been crazy enough hearing Filly Trixie apologize, but ADULT Trixie? That was just completely out of left field. “Y-you’re sorry?!”

Trixie nodded, looking down in shame. “Trixie was wrong to do that and she apologizes. If Trixie is going to move on with her life, Trixie should start with a clean slate…Anyway, Trixie wanted to apologize to you because it seems you were hurt worse than the others were…”

Rainbow looked nervous and rubbed her head. “What gave you that idea?”

“Do you think Trixie is really that naïve, Rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow sighed. “Alright, I may have been a little sensitive…It’s just…”

“Bully troubles?”

Rainbow’s eyes went wide. “Who told you that?” she asked, almost evasively.

Trixie slowly looked over to the window with only her eyes, seeing Pinkie Pie glaring back at her and mouthing “FOREVER”.

“Lucky guess…”

Rainbow Dash rose her eyebrow. “Really?”

“A Pinkie Promise is involved!”

Rainbow Dash nodded understandingly, knowing a Pinkie Promise was not to be trifled with. “Ok, I won’t ask…” she said, then gave a sigh. “Yeah, I got bullied back in flight school…a lot. I was great at flying…not so much at landings…You’re going to laugh, aren’t you?”

Trixie shook her head, looking sympathetic. “No…Trixie understands; as talented and spectacular as she was even as a filly…she still had magic fireworks explode in her face…multiple times, after which her elder sister mocked her until Trixie’s eyebrows grew back…she mocked Trixie for a lot of things. Even though Trixie loves her, it didn‘t change how much her teasing hurt…Trixie really hurt you, didn’t she?”

Rainbow sighed, realizing there was no point evading it now. “Yeah…I guess you just reopened old wounds I really hoped would stay closed…”

Trixie nodded, sitting down next to Rainbow Dash. “Well Trixie is sorry…she doesn’t know what more she can say than that…“ she replied sincerely, then looked thoughtful. “Rainbow Dash…you had the chance to get revenge on Trixie today, but you didn‘t take it…Why?”

Rainbow Dash looked a little surprised, then looked down. “You were just a little filly crying your eyes out. I might not be a sap for the emotional junk, but…seeing you like that and me about to make it worse made me realize I would be no better than the bullies who picked on me if I kicked you while you were down like I was planning to…And I knew that if you were that upset from an accident, you couldn’t be as bad as I thought…”

Trixie listened carefully and nodded. “…The idea of losing her new…friends frightened Trixie a great deal, even now it does a bit…Thank you, Rainbow Dash…Trixie is glad you had a change of heart…So will you forgive Trixie for what she did to you?”

Rainbow looked up at her. “Can you forgive me for being the pain in the flank I’ve been to you?” she asked, Trixie gave a nod. “Then we’re good.”

Trixie and Rainbow both nodded and smiled. Trixie’s eye then wandered over to the book Rainbow had left. “Daring Do,” she stated. “My, Trixie wouldn’t have pegged you to be a book lover…But you have good taste.”

Rainbow blinked. “Huh? You read Daring Do?”

Trixie smiled. “Doesn‘t everyone? They‘re one of the most popular series out there. And what kind of storyteller would Trixie be if she didn’t keep up on the newest things?…Alright, Trixie just started the first one this evening at Twilight’s request, she couldn’t put it down. Trixie especially loves the research the author put into it,” she stated. “Did you know that Ahuizotl is an actual mythological beast?”

Rainbow Dash blinked. “I did not know that…”

“And the author got the design quite accurate, the tail is a defining trait of the creature,” Trixie said. “Which book are you on?”

“The fifth one.”

“My, a dedicated reader are we? Trixie is only on the first book, but she has read the entire Harry Totter series in one setting, you’d probably enjoy them.”

“Really? What are they about?”

‘Dear Princess Celestia;
Today I learned a pretty important lesson. If you let old grudges get the better of you, it can cause everypony more trouble than it’s worth and make you into something you don‘t want to be. Ponies can change and if you can’t see that, you might miss out on making a really cool friend. It’s better to learn from the past than live in it.
Your’s truly, Rainbow Dash’
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Applejack sighed, finally relaxing after the hard day. And it had been a HARD day, what with everything breaking down and all that, but things finally cleared up and it looked like they’d have more than enough cider for everypony in town. She peaked into the living room, Granny Smith in her rocking chair, Big Macintosh relaxing. Applebloom was upstairs doing homework. It was pretty quiet…until a knock sounded at the front door.

Applejack opened the door. “…Trixie?”

“Hello, Applejack,” said Trixie, looking to the farming pony. “Um…this shall sound strange, but…may Trixie speak with your grandmother for a second?”

Applejack blinked. “Uh…sure, Ah don’t see why not…Granny Smith’s in the livin’ room,” she replied, not sure why Trixie wanted to speak with her grandmother. Applebloom had been kind of quiet since they’d gotten the crisis all settled, so she didn‘t know what Trixie and the CMC had spoken about.

Trixie nodded, heading into the living room. Big Macintosh gave her a stern glare. Trixie looked up at the huge stallion. “Trixie knows what she did to your little sister, Big Macintosh. She’s sorry, it was the wrong thing for her to do…now she has something to say to Granny Smith…it’s important…” she said, sincerely. “May she speak with her? Please?”

Big Macintosh blinked, then gave a slow nod. He didn’t see anything to make him think she was lying. “…Eeyup…” he replied, slowly moving out of the way, but kept a close eye on her.

Trixie slowly approached Granny Smith, despite being an adult, she was still a little nervous. “Um…Granny Smith?”

Granny Smith startled. “Huh? Who’s there?!” she asked, looking around before noticing Trixie. “Who are yah? Ah ain’t seen yah here before…”

“Trixie…” said Trixie, then realized that using her normal third person speech would likely confuse an old mare. “My name is Trixie…I have something I need to say to you, it’s important…” she said, looking serious.

“Well, what is it?”

“…You were the one who discovered the Zap Apples and caused Ponyville to be founded, correct?”

Granny Smith gave a surprised look, then smiled nostalgically. “Yeah, that was me…That was a looooooong time ago though, back when Ah was a youngin‘…”

Trixie nodded. “Yes, it was…Granny Smith…That story of what you did…it inspired me to do a magic act when I was a filly…The one that earned me my Cutie Mark,” Trixie explained. “…And for that…I thank you.”

Big Macintosh and Applejack’s jaws both dropped in surprise.

Granny Smith gave a smile. “Trixie is it? Well…Ah can’t take credit for that, findin’ yer Cutie Mark is somethin’ special. No pony can take credit for yer Cutie Mark but yerself…But yer welcome, not a lot of ponies thank me for what Ah did anymore other than the youngins…Yah made this old mare happy.”

Trixie gave a small smile. “I understand…” Trixie stated. “But still, I…Granny Smith?…She’s asleep, isn’t she?”

Granny Smith had indeed fallen sleep in her chair and snored.

“Yeah…but don’t worry none, yah didn’t bore her or nothin’, just how she is,” Applejack said, as Big Macintosh took Granny Smith upstairs. AJ then looked to Trixie. “Yah really meant all that? Granny Smith foundin’ Ponyville is what earned yah your Cutie Mark?”

Trixie nodded. “Correct…Trixie just didn’t know it until today…Trixie must admit…that was one of the brightest moments of her youth, it only seemed right to thank the one who made it possible. Trixie knows your grandmother founding Ponyville was important, but…”

“Yah don’t need to explain it, sugercube…” she said, putting a hoof on Trixie should with a warm smile. “Ah understand how much it must’ve meant to earn your Cutie Mark and all…”

Trixie gave a small, almost sad smile. “Yes, thank you, Applejack…it really is getting late, Trixie should be returning to the library, goodnight, Applejack.”
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As Trixie walked home from Sweet Apple Acres, taking care to be seen as little as she possibly could be, she still didn’t know if the townsponies would accept her, considering some would likely blame her for the Ursa, she thought back to the day she earned her Cutie Mark…
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Trixie walked home with her father and sister, keeping her father in the middle. Trixie had a bronze third place trophy on her back, carrying it relatively proudly. Top three was respectable, and after all, she had earned her Cutie Mark in the process. Why wouldn’t she be proud of herself? “You did well, Trixie,” said her father, looking down at her out of the corner of his eye. “You’ve discovered your special talent…but it needs work, third place means two ponies are above you, and you must never settle for just that, understood?”

Trixie nodded, respectfully, but frowned slightly, not seeing any smile on her father’s face.
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Trixie put the trophy in a cabinet in her relatively nice bedroom. She had few things outside her necessities, her sister had far more. Their father made them work and earn everything they had outside of the necessities, and earning it wasn’t easy. The cabinet was a very recent edition given to her for simply seeking to enter the contest, meant to encourage doing well to fill it.

“Well well, aren’t you proud of yourself,” said her sister’s voice.

Trixie turned to face her sister. “Why shouldn’t I be? I got my Cutie Mark and third place in the contest!” she exclaimed in excitement.

Her sister gave a small, seemingly sympathetic smile. “Yes, you did,” she said, then frowned. “I only wish father was as proud.”

Trixie’s smile became a frown. “What do you mean?”

Her sister gave a sigh, walking over. “I heard him talking with one of his friends, eavesdropping spell, always handy…He said he’s ashamed to have a daughter come in third. Third place is no place after all, you might as well have come in last. His words, not mine of course.”

Trixie looked like someone had stabbed her in the heart. “W-what?”

“That’s what he said…Oh, Trixie, don’t you remember? Father won’t accept anything but perfection. And third is far from perfect.”

Trixie looked like she was going to cry. “B-but…but he said he-”

“Of course he did, because he doesn’t want you to feel bad by letting you know he‘s ashamed of you.”

“T-then why are you telling me?”

She looked sympathetic, coming over to her sister. “Because, I’m your big sister. I just want you to do the best. It’s better you know, so in the future you can do better and really impress father,” she said, giving her sister a hug, then turning and heading to the door. “Oh, and I wouldn’t bring it up to father. After all, he’ll just cover up the lie again.”

As her sister left, Trixie slowly sunk to a sitting position, breaking down in tears as she did.
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Trixie let tears flow as she walked, then shook it off and wiped them away. “I don’t care…I earned my Cutie Mark that day…What father or anyone else thinks is irrelevant,” she said, wiping her tears away. “Besides, I’m a brand new mare…it’s time I moved on with my life…” she said, looking back at Sweet Apple Acres, then ahead to Ponyville, giving a small smile. She trotted on towards the library.
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Checker Monarch stood on a hill and looked over Ponyville with a sadistic smirk forming on her face. “Your ‘friends’ may have forgiven you, Trixie…But what about the rest of Ponyville? Will they be as forgiving?” she stated, thinking back. “I’ve always been good at turning your triumphs into failures, haven’t I?”
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The young Checker stood in front of her father’s living room, listening in with her eavesdropping spell. “And she earned her Cutie Mark on top of it! Outstanding, wouldn’t you say?” asked her father’s voice.

“Certainly, Centurion, certainly. Checker hasn’t even earned hers yet, has she?” answered a stallion’s voice.

“Not yet, I’m certain she will soon, after all, she‘s not going to let her sister outdo her, it‘s not her nature,” said Centurion’s in response. “I’m so proud of Trixie, but you mustn’t allow your child to become too proud. Pride can easily become hubris, and nopony wants that. But still, I’m sure she’s destined for great things!”

Checker snarled in rage, turning around and walking away.
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“…Oh, and I wouldn’t bring it up to father. After all, he’ll just cover it up with a lie again,” Checker finished as she walked out of the room, hearing her sister begin to cry and giving a cruel smirk. “No one upstages me and gets away with it, Trixie,” she whispered as a light flashed on her flank and her Cutie Mark appeared.
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Checker smirked, looking back at her Cutie Mark. She then slowly headed towards town to begin her plan.