//------------------------------// // Building Bridges // Story: The Mysteries of Love // by MysteriousStranger //------------------------------// Trixie's P.O.V. Meeting Rarity's parents next weekend was making me anxious! I did my best to hide it when Rarity suggested it. It wouldn't be any good if both of us panicked. I wonder what her parents would be like? I must remain cool around her. The less we talk about the subject, the better. I better focus on school until then. I should also see my brother and ask if he has any advice. I only had to get through this slow Monday. Ugh! I opened my locker and found a note inside. Come to the rooftop after classes are over, please. -Sunset Shimmer "Hmm..." I wonder what she wants. Rarity said that Sunset had something for me. Maybe she wants to give me whatever she has? I suppose I should go. "What's that?" I gasped and turned the note into a ball before turning around. Fuchsia Blush was the one to speak. Lavender Lace was by her side with a black eye. "None of your business." I coldly said. I couldn't pretend I enjoyed being around them anymore. "Whatever." Lavender said, crossing her arms. "You have been awfully silent after last week's incident. Aren't you going to suggest on a way of getting back at them?" "I'm not the one with a black eye, Lavender. You're the one who couldn't defend herself from those lousy girls. I'm ashamed of even being around you. How did you let them humiliate you like that?" "Hey!" Lavender Lace pointed a finger at me. "That's not funny." I pushed her hand away. "I'm not interested in your personal vendetta. I have more important stuff to do." I took what I needed from my locker and closed it before walking to class. One day, I will cut ties with them. But I still prefered being around people I dislike rather than being alone. Why? I had no idea. This was it. The last class is over. Finally! I better head to the library to access the rooftop now. I only have to avoid my stupid friends. They are starting to become a real problem. Luckily, Summer was close by, and I won't have to deal with them for three months. For the first time, I was really looking forward to Summer. It wasn't just me, Clementine and Rosemary anymore. I had a girlfriend to spend it with. I giggled like a little girl without being able to hold it back. The problem was, it happened when I was in the library and a few students were present. They stared at me with a strange expression. I blushed, but quickly regained my composure. "What are you looking at?!" frowning, and using a menacing tone, the students got scared and quickly returned to their books. "Shh! Silence in the library." Miss Cheerilee shushed me from the front desk. I looked at her and nodded. I headed to the stairs. since had no other business here, I quickly climbed the final steps to reach the rooftop once on the second floor. I opened the door and walked out. Even though anyone could come here, no one ever came. It must be because it's nothing special. The view wasn't even good. Just a few building, houses and mountains at the distance. At least it meant that no one would see me and Sunset Shimmer. Speaking of which, where was she? I looked around, but she was nowhere to be seen. I sighed and crossed my arms. Suddenly, the door was closed by Sunset Shimmer, who was behind the door the whole time. "I didn't think you would come." "Don't tell me prepared yourself for a dramatic entry..." The former bully chuckled and walked towards me as she spoke. "No. You just happened to open the door when I was there. You almost hit my nose." "Oh..." She didn't seem to be offended. "well, you got me here. What do you want?" Sunset Shimmer sighed and walked towards me. "Okay, listen. I understand that you don't like me, but there's no reason to be hostility between us. You'll see that I'm a nice person once you get to know me." I raised an eyebrow and tilted my head. "Are you asking me to be your friend?" "Not right away. I would like to start over." She smiled a little. "Think about it, I used to be a bully, but I changed. I have friends now, and I'm happier than I ever was. And now, you're trying to change. I want to help you." "Help me?" I crossed my arms. "What makes you think that I want help, or be your friend?" "Don't you think Rarity would be happy to see you at least try to get along with me?" "You're using my girlfriend against me? That's not cool." I said as I unfolded my arms. Sunset Shimmer chuckled and grinned. "Don't try to look innocent. And you still claim to be good." "Don't be so dramatic. Having friends won't kill you." "For your information, I have a friend. Rarity's sister, Sweetie Belle." "She's nice, but, you can always have more. Here, take this." The fiery girl walked towards me, taking something from her pocket and raised her hand towards me, holding a wrapped object. "What's this?" I looked at it, raising an eyebrow. "You'll know when you open it." Sunset Shimmer kept smiling, waiting for me to take whatever she was holding. "If that takes that annoying smile from your face, I'll do it." I took the object from her hand and started to unwrap it. Just by holding it, I knew what it was. "A... bracelet?" I looked at the girl in front of me. "Please, don't tell me it's one of those corny friendship bracelets." "Well, umm... you could just see it as a regular bracelet if you want." Sunset Shimmer said as she touched both of her index fingers. Her smile was gone. She looked like a child who was just scolded. I don't know why I felt bad about it. "T-Thanks..." Sunset looked at me, clearly confused. I sighed and put the purple bracelet in my pocket. "It's... a nice gift." "You really like it?" I nodded. Sunset recovered her smile, which relieved me. "I'm glad you do! It wasn't easy. All the bracelets in my world are made for hooves, which are larger than arms." "Oh, you want me to try it now?" "It's the only way I can know for sure it fits. But if you don't want to..." "Alright, I'll do it." I pulled out the bracelet from my pocket and wore it in my wrist. "Seems like calculations were right after all." "Great! I can't wait to tell Twilight!" "Wait a moment! Did you tell her that I'm...?" "No, no, no!" Sunset waved her hands to stop me. "I promised Rarity I wouldn't tell anyone. I just told her it was for a new friend." "Oh... well, thank you for that." I smiled a bit. I regretted doing so when I saw sparkles from Sunset's eyes. "You're welcome! I also want to thank you for remaining cool when Rarity introduced Fluttershy to you. She told me everything." "No worries. I noticed that she was scared of seeing me. Besides, Rarity was giving me a death glare." "She's still processing the new you. As long as you keep acting like this, not only with Fluttershy, but everyone else will be happy to see you." "Yeah, sure." I said, with sarcasm. "Like if they will just ignore everything I did." "Trixie, listen to me." Sunset placed a hand on my shoulder and looked at me, smiling warmly. "Your past is not today. You're not the same person you were before falling for Rarity. You might still be menacing, but you don't like being a bully anymore. Am I right?" I frowned and opened my mouth to argue with her, but the truth was, she was right. I had nothing to say to contradict her. I closed my mouth and lowered my head. "Y-Yes, you are... Rarity has given me a new perspective in my life. I can't even stand looking at my... friends anymore. I mean, look at me! I just gave you the reason. That's crazy!" "Love is crazy sometimes. You have nothing to feel embarrassed for. Listen, you can be more open to me. I assure you, whatever you tell me will remain between us. I have no bad intentions." I groaned. "Why are you so persistent? Why are you still trying to get close to me?" "Because, out all of my friends, I know exactly what you're going through. When I first tried to make amends to everyone for everything I did to them, they didn't believe me. Only my friends were willing to give me a second chance, but I was sure they didn't trust me a 100%. At least not until I helped them to defeat the Dazzlings. I want you to know that there's people who fully trust you. I know you have Rarity and Sweetie Belle's support, but I can lend you mine too. Please, Trixie. Let me help you." I stared at Sunset. She had a caring smile on her face. One Rarity, my brother and Rosemary used on me all the time. Seeing it coming from Sunset Shimmer was... strange, but it didn't bother me. Something was telling me that she was being serious, that maybe, just maybe, I could let her get closer to me. "Just... don't get too excited..." Sunset grinned, opened her arms and tried to hug me. However, I stopped her by placing a hand on her chest. "Are you deaf?! What did I just say?!" "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I couldn't help it." She said as she stepped back. "I'm just happy. I received nothing but good news since yesterday." "Hmm..." I crossed my arms and stared to her. "What are we supposed to do now?" "Well, how about if I talk to you about my weekend? I saw you on Saturday before I walked through the portal." "T-Trixie was just there to watch Rarity. Nothing else!" I turned around to hide my blush. Why I showed up to see Sunset go was still a mystery to me. "Trixie..." I almost gasped when Sunset placed a hand on my shoulder. "It's alright. I won't tease you." I slowly turned my head to meet her eyes. "Tell me..." "Hmm...?" "H-How was your... weekend?" "Oh?" Sunset smiled brightly. "It was amazing. By the way, the place I come from is called Equestria. It's a kingdom, ruled by..." Surprisingly, I listened to her. I didn't pretend to do so. I was interested on hearing what she had to say about the world she was from, it was weird, but not a bad place to live, I suppose. Apparently there are horse versions of ourselves. Maybe even one of me. I wondered what she looked like? Would her and pony Rarity know each other? I didn't ask Sunset, but I might do so another day. I left the school around an hour later. My destination was the Hospital Clementine was in. I walked as fast as I could and wasted no time to walk upstairs and to my brother's room. "Hey, Clem!" I said as I walked in. "Trix! Great, I'm glad everyone came to see me today." "Everyone?" I stood still and stared at him, confused. "Yeah. Rosey, you, and Rarity with her sister." "Rarity was here?" Clementine nodded. "Yup! She left ten minutes ago. Or thirty. I don't know, it's hard to know without clocks." "Did she come to ask you something? What did you two talk about?" I was still confused. Why would Rarity visit my brother without me and without telling me? "Woah, relax, Trixie. She just came to see how am I doing. Nothing out of the ordinary. Is something wrong?" Sighing, I knelt beside Clementine. "Sorry. I just thought she would tell me if she came to see you." "I don't think she has to tell you. Rarity knows I'm important to you. Plus, she and I get along well. She visited me because she had some spare time. Oh, also, she mentioned that she has something for you." "Really?" I blushed. "Wh-What is it?" "She didn't tell me and I didn't ask. You have to pay her a visit if you want to know." My brother smirked glancing down at my arm. "How are you, baby girl? From where did you get that bracelet?" "Oh, this?" I raised my arm, allowing Clementine to take a closer look to my new bracelet. "A... f-friend gave it to me. She was out of town the past weekend and got me this." "Really, a friend?" Clementine smiled warmly. "A real one?" "Don't make me regret telling you." I said, as I looked away. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I won't make a big deal about it. The news hit me by surprise. That's all." "It's... not so bad, actually. I mean, I think she was already my friend, but only today I admitted it. Please, don't tell Rarity I said that." "My lips are sealed." Clementine smiled and winked an eye on me. It was easier to me to tell the truth to my brother. It was just like back when I first acquired a crush on Rarity. I tried to shake my feelings off, but they kept growing to the point I had to tell him. After he said I might have a crush, it didn't take me long to embrace my new feelings. Clementine always made me think straight. "Thanks. Do you want me to bring you anything the next time I come? Maybe a music player? Are you allowed to listen to music?" "I am, but no thanks. The T.V. keeps me entertained." "Okay. How are you feeling?" "Actually, much better. The doctors are telling me that I'm still healing fast. I might be released when my arm heals." I gasped. "Really? Clem, those are amazing news!" "I know! And it won't take long. According to them, my arm isn't as bad as my leg. I will need a wheelchair for a little while, but I'll be home. I have never been so glad for having an elevator." "I can't wait..." I said as I hugged him. "Home is not home without you, Clementine." "Aww, Trixie." My brother hugged me back. "You have been acting more corny lately." "Shut up." I giggled and released Clementine from the hug. "Did your friends from the band come to see you?" "Yes. They want to organize something for when I'm released. Maybe a small party." "Sounds fun." "Don't worry, you don't have to go. We'll have our own celebration." "Thanks." I smiled at him and my brother chuckled. "What can we do?" "I don't know. Maybe we can invite Rosemary and Rarity. Watch movies, play board games. We'll think on something." "That's a party I wouldn't miss for anything." Clementine patted my head with his uninjured hand. I stayed still and allowed him to continue. It has been so long since he did it. I would normally pretend that I don't like when he does that, but not this time. However, the moment was ruined when a doctor and a nurse walked in. "We're here to check his progress. Would you mind stepping outside while we run some tests on him?" "Sure." I said before standing up. "I'll get some water for myself." "Okay." My brother said. "But don't drink too much water! You’re not borrowing my bathroom." "You can't even use it yet!" It made me happy that he didn't lose his sense of humor. I better listen to him, though. I don't want to use a bathroom in the hospital, no matter how clean they say they are. After catching up with my brother, I decided to pay Rarity a visit like Clementine suggested. I want to personally thank her for visiting my brother. I hope she's home. As I turned around a corner, I spotted Sweetie Belle and her friends. I stopped walking and analyzed the situation. I always enjoyed talking to Rarity's sister, and her friend, Apple Bloom, seemed to be okay with me. The problem was the girl with the scooter. She really disliked being around me. Maybe it's best if I avoid them. Sweetie Belle will surely want to talk to me, which will annoy her friend. I sighed and turned around to take another route. However, as soon as I did so, I heard a scream behind me. "Hey, get back here!" I looked at the direction Sweetie Belle and her friends where and saw that a teenage boy was running towards my direction, with the scooter Sweetie Belle's friend had. He didn't notice me, so I hid around the corner. When I heard his footsteps close, I put my leg on his path. The boy tripped with my leg and fell, releasing the scooter as soon as he hit the floor. I walked towards him, with my hands on my back. "Well, well. Stealing from kids? Pathetic." The boy turned around. "Who do you think...?! OUCH!!!!" I didn't let him finish. Instead, I stepped on his crotch as hard as I could. "Oops! My bad. I suggest you to leave now." "Y-You... aaahhhh!!!!" This time, I stepped on his hand and pressed hard. "Get out of my sight!" Having suffered enough, the boy stood up and ran away. I ducked to take the scooter. After taking it, I turned around and found the owner of the scooter with her two friends in front of me. "Oh... I believe this belongs to you." "Th-Thank you..." The girl said as she took her scooter. "That was... awesome! You totally gave that jerk what he deserved!" I chuckled. "He did deserve it. I never saw anyone stealing a scooter, though." "This is not any scooter. It's a special edition. It has an excellent break, the wheels are highly resistant, and it's easy to maneuver! Rainbow Dash bought it for me. It's my most valued treasure." "Then I'm glad I was nearby." The girl looked at me, smiling. Then, she changed her expression to a surprised one. I think she just realized she smiled at me. "So, uhh... would you remind me your name?" "Scootaloo..." I raised my hand at her, keeping my smile. Scootaloo stared at my hand for a few moments, before slowly placing her own hand on mine. I shook our hands soon afterwards. "Pleased to meet you." "Likewise..." The fuchsia haired girl smiled at me. "Woohoo! 'bout time, Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom said as she put an arm around her friend. "Yaay!" Sweetie Belle cheered, also placing an arm around Scootaloo as well. "I'm glad you finally realized Trixie is a nice person!" "Please, you're embarrassing me..." Scootaloo complained, but judging by the look on her face, she was enjoying it. "Where are you going, Trixie?" Sweetie Belle asked me after she and Apple Bloom let Scootaloo go. "I'm on my way to see your sister. I want to talk to her." "I'm actually going home, too. We can go together!" I swear, Sweetie Belle's excitement will never stop amusing me. "We can accompany you." Apple Bloom said. "I can't wait for the Summer vacations. Two more weeks and no more school for three months!" Scootaloo commented as we started to walk. "Me neither! I want to go to the amusement park!" Sweetie Belle said. "The one near our town?" I asked. "Yup! Haven't ya heard?" Apple Bloom said. "There will be discounts this Summer!" "I haven't heard, no. That sounds good! I think I'm going to go. It will be a good change. My Summers are usually boring." "You should totally go!" Sweetie Belle said, with a grin. "There are all kinds of rides! There's even a spooky house which you ride in a cart." "That sounds so lame. Why don't they make one where you go on foot? Maybe with a flashlight? Or even better! A lantern! That would be scary!" "Because they don't have enough space." Apple Bloom joined the conversation. "Meh!" Scootaloo shrugged. "I might go, but I won't use that boring ride. I'll ride the big and awesome ones!" "We'll ride them all!" Sweetie Belle spoke. "We will go many times until we do so!" "Sounds like a plan." I said, smiling at them. "Just remember, if you're going to eat, do it when you're done with the rides." "We know, we know!" Scootaloo said. "She learnt in the hard way." The farmer girl spoke. "She once rode a roller coaster after eatin'. She was stubborn and thought nothing would happen!" "H-Hey!" Scootaloo blushed, embarrassed, and her friends laughed. I tried not to, but I chuckled a little. The girls talked about different topics afterwards, until we reached Rarity and Sweetie Belle's home. "I'll see you tomorrow! I'll bring our project so we can study in the library after class!" "Bye Sweetie Belle! And Trixie!" Apple Bloom said as she and Scootaloo waved at us. I waved at them, but said nothing. Then, I turned and realized that the girl beside me was staring at me, grinning. "What?" I looked around before focusing on her again. "Nothing." Sweetie Belle giggled and used her key to open the door. Her cheerfulness reminded me of something but I couldn't recall exactly what. "Rarity! I'm home!" My body behaved as it usually does when I'm about to see my girlfriend. My heart started to race and I felt butterflies in my belly. Once I saw her, I instantly blushed. I couldn't help it. She was that gorgeous. "Hello, Sweetie Belle. Did you have fun with your friends? Oh, Trixie." Rarity's smile faded when she spotted me. She placed a hand on her chest and shaped her mouth into an 'O'. She was taken aback. A pleasant, surprise, I hope. Sweetie Belle wrapped her arms around one of mine. "She stumbled across us. It turns out she was coming to pay a visit!" "Oh, really?" Rarity smiled from her sister to me. "I-I know I should have called, but, I wanted it to be a surprise visit." I said as I scratched the back of my head. I would sometimes get too nervous when I was around her, even after becoming a couple it was an issue. "Don't worry, darling. You're welcome to visit whenever you like. Maybe you can call to know if I'm home." Rarity said, as she approached us. I grinned, but I was so nervous that I'm sure I looked like a fool. "Sis, you won't believe this! Someone tried to steal Scootaloo's scooter!" Rarity gasped. "That's terrible! Why are you so happy about it?" "Because Trixie stopped him! You should have seen her. She made her trip over her foot. She totally taught him a lesson!" "Really?" My girlfriend looked at me. She didn't look so happy. Her expression was a mixture of worry and anger. "What did you do, exactly?" "I just taught him a lesson by hitting him where it hurts. I'm sure he will never forget the experience." "That's what I'm worried about! What if he sees you again?! What if he tries to find you?!" Rarity was about to get hysterical. Her hands were on her head. I have to calm her down before she starts pulling her hair. "I highly doubt that. He was just a random thief trying to see if he was lucky. The odds of seeing him again are minimal. I couldn't just let him run away! Not when I was on the right place at the right time." "Trixie, what you did was dangerous! What if he dodged you?!" "But he didn't! If I could go back in time, I would do it again!" Rarity was about to say something else, but she stopped when she laid her eyes on her sister. I gazed at the little girl as well. She looked scared and upset. Like if she was about to cry. "Sweetie Belle..." "I-I'm sorry... I shouldn't have mentioned it..." Sweetie Belle sniffled. I knelt and put my hands on her shoulders. "It wasn't your fault. I would have mentioned it if you didn't do it first. You didn't know your sister would react like this." "But I still caused you two to fight... I don't like seeing you two argue..." "Sweetie Belle, it's okay," Rarity said, as she stood beside me. I raised my hand and she took it. "I yelled because I was worried. Trixie and I are fine. See? No more arguments." Sweetie Belle smiled slightly and hugged both of us at the same time. We hugged her back. "Darling, would you mind giving us some privacy?" "Okay, I'll be in my room!" It seemed like Sweetie recovered her brightness. She grinned at us and left the room running. Once she was gone, I stood up and looked at Rarity. She wasn't staring at me. "Listen, uhh, I'm sorry for worrying you. I acted by impulse. I saw an opportunity, and..." "I know..." Rarity said before looking at me. She wasn't angry anymore. She was... sad, maybe? "I think I should apologize too. What you did was brave, and impressive, but... I can't help but to think what would have happened if that ruffian's reflexes were better. I don't want you to get hurt, or worse." "There's nothing to be sorry for. I understand why you reacted how you did." I said before placing my hand on her cheek. Rarity's eyes opened widely and blushed deeply. I could feel the warmth with my hand. "I would get hysterical too if something happened to you." Rarity puffed her cheeks and frowned. "Hysterical?!" I chuckled and she returned her cheeks to normal before closing her eyes to enjoy my caressing. She reopened them after a few minutes. "I'm happy that you came, Trixie. I wanted to see you." "Of course you did. You spent a day without seeing Trixie. It's astonishing that you survived with just texting me." I said with a smirk. Rarity giggled softly. "I have pictures of you. I still saw you." She said as she took the hand I was using to caress her cheek. "But I couldn't touch you." I smiled and took her other hand before gazing into her eyes. "I wanted to thank you." Rarity tilted her head, confused. "I visited my brother today." "Oh, so he told you I was there." Rarity said, as she recovered her smile. "I just wanted to see how he was doing." "It means a lot to me that you care about Clementine." "Of course I do. He's a nice guy. Did he tell you that I have something for you?" "Matter of fact, he did. I'm curious about what it is." Rarity released one of my hands. "It's in my room. Let's go." I walked beside her, upstairs, and into her room. Once inside, she released my other hand and closed the door before heading to her desk where she kept her computer. I looked around while she headed there. Her room was larger than mine and was tidy. Her bed was in a corner and had a night table next to it. She had a walk in closet opposite to the bed. I wonder how big it was. The walls were white, with a tone of cream. She had framed pictures of people wearing different fashion outfits. Unlike me, she had no T.V. in her bedroom. She also had a small table and a couple of chairs. I also noticed that there was another door, leading to a balcony. Her family spared no expense. "I'm... astonished. You have a nice bedroom." "Why, thank you, darling." My girlfriend said as she opened a drawer and took a small wrapped box from it. Then, she walked towards me and handed me the gift. "I hope you like it." she said as she smiled warmly. I took the gift and took my time to open it. Rarity was getting anxious, just as I hoped. I giggled softly and finally opened the box. My eyes widened and my jaw almost dropped. Inside, there was a hairpin to tie my hair up with the form of a daisy. I looked at Rarity. She was grinning with her mouth opened. "It's... beautiful..." "You're just saying it. It's nothing special." "It comes from you. It's special to me." Rarity blushed madly. Her voice even started to shake. "Y-You really like it...?" I planted my lips on hers, giving her a soft peck. "I love it." It wasn't only her cheeks. Her entire face was turning red. Suddenly, out of the blue, she embraced me. I returned the embrace, resting my head on her shoulder. It was my favorite spot because I enjoyed burying my face on her hair. I could hear her sigh happily. After releasing the embrace, I gave Rarity the hair grip she just gifted me. "Put it on me. Do you want me to turn around?" "No, it's fine. Just stay put." Rarity put her arms around my neck and moved closer to me. Our noses were inches from touching. She combed my hair into a ponytail and placed my new hair grip. "There. Wait, stay here." Rarity walked to her desk again and opened another drawer. She took a hand mirror and gave it to me. "It definitely suits me! I'll use it whenever I jog or practice volleyball." I returned the hand mirror to Rarity. "I received two accessories in one day. It must be my lucky day!" "What do you mean?" Rarity looked confused. "You didn't notice?" I said as I raised the hand I had my new bracelet on. "Rarity, I used this hand to caress your cheek. You're telling me you didn't see it?" "I-I was gazing into your eyes..." She blushed, but still took my hand and took a closer look to my bracelet. "Where did you get it from?" "Sunset Shimmer. She asked me to meet her at the school rooftop today." "Oh! It must be the gift she got you in Equestria. She said she had something for you." "And this is it! A..." I took a deep breath before continuing. I could already imagine how was Rarity going to react. "friendship bracelet..." "A friendship brace- wait." She returned her focus to me. "You're telling me that you and Sunset are... friends?" I blushed deeply and nodded slowly. Rarity smiled widely and kissed me on my lips. It was so sudden, that I almost lost my balance. She didn't even give me time to kiss her back and she pulled away. "I... apologize." She looked embarrassed. "It's just, I wanted you two to get along ever since she found out about our friendship." It took me some moments, but I recovered from the surprise attack. "Rarity..." I kissed her on her lips as I caressed her cheek. "Never apologize for a kiss." "Noted." Rarity said before kissing me back. We closed our eyes and I placed my arms around her waist as she placed hers around my neck. We melted into our kiss. In the end, it turned out to be one of the best Mondays I ever had.