• Published 17th Oct 2011
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The Guidance and Patronage of Trixie - Im_not_sue



Trixie becomes Sweetie Belle's tutor, teaching Sweetie (and herself) something they both need.

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3
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Chapter 3

“I’ll move my royal guard here, capturing your other pegasus. And um... checkmate.”

“When did... this isn’t possible! The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t lose this many times in a row, especially not to a kid!” Trixie groaned, bringing her hoof down on the game board, shaking the pieces and knocking some into the grass by the stream.

“So...” Sweetie Belle said expectantly.

“Fine. Here, just have them all. I’ve lost enough already.” Trixie sighed as she rubbed her head with one hoof, levitating the bowl of wrapped apple candies Applejack had given the two and upending it into Sweetie’s matching bowl in defeat.

“And later tonight you’ll...?”

“Yes, I’ll brush and comb your mane as I promised.”

“And I can...?”

“Yes, yes, alright! You can have all the pillows you want from my bed tonight, and the blankets too.. Just don’t rub it in anymore.”

“Yes! Sweetie Belle is once again the chess playing champion of Ponyville! Undefeated of the east orchard! Master of the-- ” Sweetie froze mid-sentence, turning to see Trixie giving her a very unamused stare. Taking a moment to glance at her flank but finding no new cutie mark for her success, she smiled back sheepishly at the older unicorn. ”Um... sorry.”

Trixie rolled her eyes, resting her chin glumly on the tree stump between the two ponies as she levitated the game pieces back into their box, followed by the board, and finally sealing it with the lid before setting it to the side with a a stack of other boxes. “I do believe that exhausts all our boardgames to defeat Trixie at? It would appear that they are not your special talent either, although she finds your skill uncanny.”

“There’s a pony in my class at school named Snails who I used to play with a lot. He’s really good at them ‘cause he takes a long time to think about his moves. I almost never win against him... although he forgets which color he’s playing sometimes.” Sweetie Belle replied. “But we still had fun, right? It looked like you were having fun!”

Trixie shifted uncomfortably in the grass, looking away from Sweetie Belle with an upturned snout. “Trixie... may enjoy these mental diversions from time to time, and assisting you in finding your special talent is not without its merits as well. But enough of this, we have been playing all morning and it is time for your practice.”

Sweetie Belle’s expectant smile faded, quickly replaced by a pout. “Can’t you teach me something more magical instead of making me practice all the time? I’m tired of just ‘holding’ rocks or whatever you say I’m doing. It doesn’t even feel like magic!”

“Practice is what separates the masters of unicorn magic, such as The Great and Powerful Trixie, from the dabblers and braggarts! Trixie became as good as she is now only through unwavering devotion to her skills.” Trixie said, waving her hoof for emphasis. “There has not been a single day in her life that she did not strive for the greatness she now possesses. Understandably not every pony can be as great as Trixie, but if you wish to be the student of such a brilliant unicorn you should show some modicum of devotion yourself.”

“Okaaaay.” Sweetie responded with disappointment. Standing up, she trotted back up to the clubhouse to retrieve the bucket of small rocks, marbles, and other objects Trixie had designated for practice. Pausing midway, she turned and looked back at the other unicorn, chewing at her lip in hesitation before speaking. “Um... Trixie?

“Yes?” Trixie responded, looked up from the tree stump.

“I’m glad you’re my friend.” Sweetie Belle said, smiling softly.

“I... I’m glad too.”


“The Guidance and Patronage of Trixie”

Chapter 3

An MLP:FiM fanfiction by Im_not_sue (aka Lounge_lizard)

(Characters: Sweetie Belle, Trixie, Applejack, Rarity)

(Revision v1.1 -- 11/16/2011)

A knock came at the door of Ponyville’s fashion-famous Carousel Boutique one day at the end of summer. A heavy overcast had begun to fill the sky, the weather patrol having brought together many clouds to increase the chance of rain and begin the seasonal change to cooler weather. It was just past noon, but the sign in the dimly lit window of the boutique had already been turned over to show the words ‘Please come again’ in elegant cursive script. Sounds of music echoing out of a record player could be heard inside, notes of a lone piano echoing elegant and melancholy inside.

Seconds passed as the request from the front door of boutique went unanswered, the whole of the building quiet aside from the music. In the back room of the shop Rarity stood in front of her worktable, unmoving and silent, her mouth hanging open in a small but sad frown. Front hooves rested limply upon a half-stitched cut of fabric as it in front of her, the cloth frozen in its journey through the sewing machine. Her eyes stared off into space past her work to a small worn pillow
resting on the floor under the window, the few early afternoon sunbeams cast through the glass giving it a delicate beauty. It had been by no means been Rarity’s finest creation, but the pony that had received it had loved it all the same. The pillow was empty now, though, and had been for a long time.

The knock came again, a little stronger this time, accompanied by some murmur that sounded familiar. Rarity looked down at the sewing machine in front of her and blinked slowly, her eyes stinging from dryness. Reaching up with a hoof to rub at her tired eyes, she found a small damp trail running down her cheek, making her pause. What have I been doing ? Was I... crying?

Her mind began to slowly wake back up as the knock came for a third time, startling her off her worktable. Shaking her head to clear the mental fog, she trotted over to the inner door separating the front and back rooms of the boutique, holding it open for her to call though. "I'm sorry, we're closed," Rarity responded to the visitor at her door, her voice croaking as she broke into a dry, rattling cough. "The new hours are on the sign or by appointment only, please come back tomorrow!”

“Rarity, its me AJ, open up! We need’ta talk about Sweetie Belle.” The brown earth pony’s voice was muffled as she continued to pound on the door with her hoof.

“A... Applejack? I’m sort of busy right now dearie, can’t this wait till some other day? I... I’m sure whatever it is can wait till then. How about tomorrow at...” The white unicorn nervously glanced over her shoulder and into the workroom to the shelf where her scheduler lay open to the current month. Every single entry on the page had been scribbled out, erased, or canceled. “...ten-thirty in the morning? I’m just too busy to do it any other time with all my orders and appointments. Its my only opening and you have to catch me right before I close or I’ll --”

Appearing at one of the windows at the back of the shop, Applejack pressed her face against the glass, smudging it as she glared inside at the unsuspecting unicorn. “Nuh-uh, missy. Right here, right now.”

Rarity jumped in surprise, turning to face the pony that had appeared behind her with one hoof tucked against her chest. She blinked hard and squinted, her eyes heavy and swollen from lack of sleep. “Applejack! Don’t you know better than to peep in on a... lady...” Rarity said, her voice trailing off as her gaze fell to the pillow resting below the window, her thoughts drifting back to her earlier reminiscence.

“Now, Rarity! I’ll buck down your door if I have to!” Applejack shouted back through the glass, clenching her jaw impatiently. Her heavy breathing began fogging up the window. Raising an eyebrow in alarm at Applejack’s threat, the other pony cantered off to unlock the front door.

Rarity could feel the animosity radiating from the cowpony as she walked past into the boutique. Furrowing her brows in anticipation, she shut the door with her hoof before turning to face her visitor with a courteous smile. “What brings you visit today, Applejack? Do you need me to re-size that dress I gave you for Sweetie Belle’s school festival? Or did she forget something else here that she needs at the clubhouse? I thought I sent her with enough mane-wash but after you said she needed more last week I started worrying if I sent her with enough beauty supplies.”

Applejack tensed, the corners of her mouth turned down in a scowl as she turned around to face her unicorn friend. “Ya know exactly why I’m here Rarity, so stop actin’ like ya don’t! You’ve been avoidin’ this talk with me since Sweetie started missin’ school. I’m not hearin’ another excuse of ‘urgent order this’ or ‘emergency adjustment that’, you are gonna tell me now -- Why is Sweetie Belle still on my farm?”

“Oh, I... I see. I am terribly sorry to have inconvenienced you, Applejack.” Rarity apologized meekly. “If Sweetie Belle is being a burden, I’m certain I can find some other foalsitter for her. Fluttershy would probably be able to accommodate for a little while while I find somepony, I’m sure. I could probably hire Roseluck or Daisy, they still owe me a fair number of bits for their last festival dresses.”

Applejack’s face immediately contorted into an mixture of anger and disbelief. Lifting one leg up, she slammed her hoof down on the floor of the boutique. “What in the hay is wrong with you, Rarity?! How long are ya gonna leave your little sis sufferin’ out on my farm while you twiddle yer horn in here makin’ fru-fru dresses to impress rich ponies! Its been just over two weeks since I took her in, and you haven’t even so much as tried to talk to her once! Two weeks, Rarity! I took her in so you two could cool off, not so you could ignore her!”

Rarity’s face flushed red with shame from the stinging accusation “Well excuse me for not being the model ‘big sister’ you are to Applebloom. Some ponies don’t have the luxury of raising our sisters with a Granny Smith, a Big Macintosh, and a ballroom of other relatives to help out. I don’t have a business that keeps food on the table year round and is needed by everypony. I don’t have a convenient answer for every problem like you do!”

“That’s not the point Rarity! Yer makin’ excuses! If you needed help with Sweetie Belle you coulda asked me or Twilight or any of us! And its not like the farm hasn’t fallen on hard times some years!” Applejack shouted as she advanced on Rarity, making the unicorn shrink away. “And saying ‘you don’t have all the answers’ doesn’t excuse you none either! Spike was kind enough to inform me you haven’t left the boutique at all this last week, sendin’ customers away an’ limitin’ yer hours, an that’cha even missed yer weekly appointment with Fluttershy at the spa. You have no right to jus’ lock yerself away in here at Sweetie’s expense! She needs you!”

“I’m trying, Applejack! This isn’t as easy for me as you think!” Rarity yelled back, her voice lacking conviction. Tears were forming at the corner of her eyes as she retreated from her friend’s menacing words.

“You jus’ don’t get it do you? Tryin’ ain’t good enough, and Sweetie Belle ain’t just some problem you can try to ignore ‘till she goes away!" Applejack continued, looming over the cowering unicorn.

“No! You don’t get it! I’m trying to take care of her, and I can’t even do that! It’s ME! I’M THE ONE WHO’S THE PROBLEM!” Rarity screamed suddenly, her face twisting up in emotional agony as she lunged forward.

Applejack stumbled back in surprise at the outburst, bumping into the small table that held the record player. The building was cast into sudden silence as the needle jumped from its track, dislodged by the jolt. “Rarity, wait a minute! I--”

“It wasn’t supposed to be me! Mom and dad were supposed to take care of us both! You had the rest of your whole family to take care of you and Applebloom, but after my parents died I was the one left all alone! I was the one who had to suffer!” Rarity shrieked, jabbing at herself with one hoof as tears welled in her eyes. “I didn’t have our mother, but at least Sweetie Belle had me! But it’s not good enough, nothing I do is ever good enough! I’m trying to protect Sweetie Belle and do what’s best for her but it just keeps getting worse! Everything I do makes it worse!”

“Rarity, calm down! I didn’t mean it like that!” Applejack said in alarm, her friend’s behavior distressing her more with every word.

“She was barely two months old, Applejack! I wasn’t old enough to know how to raise a foal, but I had to do it anyway! I’ve given up my life so that she didn’t have to suffer alone like I did! Everything I’ve ever done was for her!” Rarity continued, her voice cracking from her hysteria. “I thought if I worked hard enough, my creations would become famous and I could sell the boutique and my designer’s rights, and then Sweetie and I would never need to worry again! Or if that stuck-up nephew of the Princess had been anything but a horror then she could have been adopted into the royal family! I don’t care about money or being married to some prince! I’ve never cared about anything more than her! I’d sacrifice everything if it meant she could be happy!”

“Please, stop! I just wanted’ta help Sweetie Belle, I said didn’t mean anythin’ like this!” Applejack shouted back, desperate at seeing her words not reaching through to the other pony at all.

“I want to be her big sister, to make her laugh and listen to her dreams and wishes and be the one pony who will always be her friend! The one pony she can always trust to make her happy! But I’m supposed to take care of her, Applejack! I don’t get what I want! I don’t get to be loved by my little sister!” Rarity cried in pained despair, the tears streaming down her cheeks. “I have to be the one to make her angry when I say no, and make her sad when I can’t play with her! I’m the one who has to make her cry herself to sleep when I say she’s too old to stay in my bed every time she has nightmares! And I have to because I have to replace the mother she doesn’t have anymore! Every day I try I have to stop being her big sister a little more, and every day, she hates me a little more!”

“Rarity, Sweetie doesn’t hate you! She loves you!” The orange earth pony pleaded as she reached out to put one hoof on Rarity’s shoulder.. “Please, jus’ calm down!”

“She even tried to run away from me Applejack! And you know what I did? I hit her! I HIT HER!!” Rarity wailed, sinking down onto the floor and holding her head between her hooves, covering her face. Her whole body shook as she tried to hold back in front of the other pony.

“You hit... But...” Applejack let go of the cowering unicorn as she sunk to the ground in front of her, stunned disbelief coloring her voice. “Why... why would you... jus’ because she tried to run doesn’t mean she don’t love--”

“I wish I had died instead of mom and dad.” Rarity sobbed from behind her hooves. “I wish it could’ve been me...”

“No, Rarity please! Don’t ever say that! Sweetie--”

“Leave me alone, Applejack.”

Applejack stood there with her mouth hanging open, not wanting to give up but feeling powerless to fix what had unfolded in front of her.

“Please, go away. Just... go away.”

“Rarity, can I jus’... can I come back, later tonight or somethin’, jus’ to be sure you’re okay? Please... it don’t feel right, leaving you like this.”

Rarity nodded her assent without looking up.

Applejack walked quietly to the door, opening and shutting it behind her as she stepped out into the humid air with a sigh. “ ‘Just go talk to Rarity and give her a piece of my mind,’ huh? Nothin’s ever that simple, Applejack.” The earth pony muttered half-heartedly to herself, the sound of Rarity’s mournful wailing becoming more and more distant as she walked back toward the farm. A few sparse raindrops pattered against Applejack’s face from the dark clouds above.

She was in the mood for rain.

- - - - - - - - - -

“I guess the rest of my afternoon practice will have to wait, huh.” Sweetie Belle said , looking out the window of the clubhouse at the bucket of practice knick-knacks Trixie had picked out, slowly filling with rainwater from the ongoing downpour. It had been forgotten in the rush to bring in the items more likely to be damaged by the rain, such as the many board games now stacked tall in the corner of the room next to the the crates containing each of the Crusader’s personal possessions.

“In light of current events Trixie is willing to grant you this reprieve from your studies. She has no desire to go out in that cold torrent again this evening.” Trixie grumbled from the doorway, her mane and coat sopping wet from doing the bulk of the game-rescuing work with her magic. Her cape and hat had been evacuated inside first, leaving the pony to run about in the rain un-protected. “It boggles me that one child needs all these toys and games.”

“They’re not all mine! Scootaloo got at a lot ‘em from Pinkie Pie, but she isn’t very good. My big sis got me the chess set a long time ago but... you know.” Sweetie Belle’s voice drifted off as her head sank down, her curls shadowing her face in the dim candlelight.

Trixie could tell the direction of the younger unicorn’s thoughts, and quickly changed the subject. “Perhaps Trixie can... er.... teach you something new to do with magic, if this rain continues tomorrow. Or why not right after dinner! I wonder what delicious things Applejack brought for us. And where is that towel..."

“Applejack never showed up today. She’s always come by to watch us in the morning since she met you. I wonder what happened.” Sweetie mused, lowering her front hooves from the windowsill.. “But... I don’t think I want to learn any more magic today. Trixie.”

Trixie raised her eyebrows, a bit taken aback by the filly’s lack of enthusiasm. She’s not usually like this. I didn’t do something to upset her again, did I? I don’t think I did... No, she probably just misses Applejack’s company, or she’s down from thinking about her sister, or perhaps she just doesn’t like the rain. Maybe I can cheer her up, though.

“Well... we have leftovers from lunch right? Lets eat those and then I can brush your mane as promised. Doesn’t that sound fun?” Trixie offered, smiling as she dried herself off.

“Okay.” Sweetie Belle responded gloomily, walking over to the door and picking up the basket of food, a few slices of apple torte and daisy-and-olive sandwiches still left from lunch.

The two unicorns ate in silence, the rain against the roof and windows of the clubhouse continuing unabated. A few minutes later, Trixie stared through her damp mane at an uneaten olive about on her plate, frowning as she rolled it around with one hoof and waited anxiously for the smaller pony to finish her meal. Something’s bothering her and she’s not telling me. Why not? How am I supposed to help her if I don’t know what’s wrong? And what if it’s my fault.? I’m no good at this!

Trixie looked up at Sweetie Belle. She was still busy making a crumbly mess of her torte. Another bat of the blue hoof, and the olive wobbled around the rim of the plate again. This is stupid. The 'Great and Powerful' Trixie wouldn't feel like this. She wouldn’t care. Let her take care of their own problems. She’ll get over it. Besides, its not like I’m obligated to help her or anything. I don’t even have a clue what’s wrong or how to fix it, how am I supposed to make things better?

The olive was interrupted in its tiny path around the world of the dinner plate as Trixie’s hoof stopped it from above, the pressure slowly increasing as her frown grew deeper.

That would be just like me. Some pony I grew up to be. What made me think I could be anything like dad...

“Trixie? Are you... playing with your food?” Sweetie said quizzically, raising an eyebrow.

The blue unicorn blinked as she stared down at the plate, then looked up at Sweetie Belle standing across the room, and then back down to her plate. Lifting her hoof, she found the remains of the olive, smashed into an oily paste on her plate. Quickly retrieving her napkin with her magic, she waved her other hoof dismissively, forcing a smile onto her face. “No, no! Trixie is fine, just fine. She just... doesn’t like olives.”

“Oh... well save them for me next time!” Sweetie Belle said, before turning nudging the basket of brushes and combs away from the wall with her snout. “Is it okay if we brush my mane now?

“Sure.” Trixie said, relieved she had not tipped off Sweetie Belle to her negative thoughts.. “Get a few pillows for us, okay? The floor’s getting a little chilly.”

Sweetie went over to the pile of cushions that was Trixie’s bed and pulled a few down. Using her front hooves, she kicked the cushions in front of her as she crossed the room back to Trixie, who was sorting out a few brushes. A small vanity mirror was set on the floor a short distance away.

“Just put them here and sit down in front of the mirror, okay?” Trixie said, standing and gesturing at the ground in front of her. “I’ll do your tail first. We’ll have to put curlers in some other time too, the only bath you could get right now would be a cold drench in the rain.”

After positioning a pillow for Trixie and two between her, Sweetie eased down on her side onto the pillows facing away from the older unicorn. Glancing down, she flicked her tail out to straighten it. “Is this okay?”

Trixie concentrated briefly, adjusting the mirror with her magic till she could see Sweetie’s face reflected in it. Levitating a broad-tooth comb, Trixie began to brush it through the hair of the filly’s tail, freeing loose bits of leaves and burrs that had accumulated in its curls.

Trixie continued for several minutes, making broad strokes through the pony’s fine hair, working her way up to the base and back down again until the tail lay straight and smooth. The filly’s chest rose and fell as Sweetie took a deep breath and let it out. Glancing in the mirror, she could see Sweetie’s eyes were closed. I closed my eyes too, when dad brushed me before bed. It felt good. I wonder if...

Trixie cleared her throat nervously, setting aside the comb and slipping a broad, flat coat-brush over her hoof. Her heart pounded in her chest as she smoothed the short pale hair of Sweetie’s coat, slowly trying to build up courage.

“Okay, other side now.” she said, tapping the filly gently on the side with her hoof. Sweetie Belle obediently rolled onto her stomach and turned around to lay down again on her other side. As Trixie worked the teeth of the brush across Sweetie Belle’s body she began to hum softly, her voice wavering on each note.

Sweetie Belle’s ear flicked up as it caught the sounds of Trixie’s voice, but she remained still. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and glanced at Trixie in the mirror. “Is that a song?”

Trixie’s brush-holding hoof paused over the filly’s shoulder, her foreleg shaking. “Y-yes...”

“Would you sing it for me?”

Trixie swallowed, trying to clear the tightness in her throat. “I-I... I’m not very...”

“Please?”

“Okay.... I’ll try.”

Trixie took a few deep breath, her whole body shuddering as she tried to let her anxiety dissipate. Gradually, she felt her heartbeat slow and her shaking ceased. Putting her right hoof back on the smaller unicorn’s coat, she closed her eyes, letting her sense of touch guide the brush as she sang, her voice quiet and delicate.


Down from my night sky, bright stars shine

They shine on my face through a hole in the roof

Behind the dark clouds here, there’s a moon

And when I sing to them, I close my eyes.

Inside my room here, I catch the stars

And inside a jar I keep them for you

Safe in your bed, fall asleep

And when I sing, my stars will shine

Just for you.

Down from my night sky, bright stars shine

They shine on my face through a hole in the roof

Behind the dark clouds here, there’s a moon

And when I sing for you, tonight,

I close my eyes.


Trixie’s voice trailed off, the unicorn falling silent and looking down at the filly laying at her feet. Sweetie did not speak, her chest continued to rise and fall slowly and steadily. Trixie lifted her hoof and continued to groom the young filly.

Sweetie lay there patiently until she felt the brush lift from her coat. When it did not return, she opened her eyes and looked looked in the mirror again to see Trixie holding her hoof to her face, eyes closed and frowning sadly. Pushing her small legs out, she lifted herself off the cushions.

As Sweetie sat up, Trixie quickly opened her eyes and turned to the side, her face hidden behind her hair while she slipped the flat brush off her hoof and levitated a fine tooth comb over to her. “Your mane will have to be straight for awhile until we can curl it again.” she said, using her hooves to pull Sweetie Belle right in front of her.

“Are you leaving, Trixie?” Sweetie asked quietly.

The brush dropped from the air, clattering on the ground next to the two ponies.

“I...why... why would you think that?” Trixie responded.

“Applejack said you had done bad things a long time ago, and that when my friends came back that you probably wouldn’t be able to stay here anymore.”

“When?”

“At the end of the month.”

Trixie sat wordlessly behind Sweetie Belle, a few minutes passing with only the sound of rain falling on the clubhouse.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie wouldn’t... she wouldn’t abandon her student. Of course she is staying.”

“But... what if you do have to leave? I don’t... I don’t want...” Sweetie Belle did not need to finish her sentence. I don’t want you to go away.

“Trixie will do everything in her power to stay. She promised, and Trixie always keeps her promises.” Her voice was flat and emotionless.

“Are you sure?”

Trixie levitated the hairbrush back up to the mane in front of her and resumed her work, the pink and purple curls slowly unraveling as the teeth of the brush passed through them. “Of course.”

“Okay.” Sweetie said, her voice sounding a little more spirited as she looked away from the mirror and closed her eyes, focusing on the feeling of the brush through her hair. All she could see were her own legs anyway. “I liked your song. And... I’m really glad I met you Trixie.”

Sweetie Belle did not see the older unicorn clench her jaw and close her eyes tight to keep herself from crying, nor sense the tightness in her chest that made it so difficult to reply.

“...I am too.”

-To Be Continued-

Comet Cloud’s Lullaby is a lyrical rewrite of “Green Grass of Tunnel” by Mum, one of many songs that inspired my writing of this fiction.