//------------------------------// // Euphoria // Story: L'amore รจ femmina (Out of Love) // by Ospero //------------------------------// November 5th, aka Colt Fawkes Night, Ponyville Town Square, 11 a.m. Remember, remember The fifth of November Gunpowder, treason and plot I see no reason Why gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot The old children's rhyme from Trottingham was going through Trixie's mind as she examined the stage set for her. It looked quite a bit more magnificent than the last time she'd been to Ponyville, but then, she wasn't just any traveling showmare anymore. She was The Great and Powerful Trixie, and she had earned that name over the years. Still, she couldn't deny she was nervous. "Trixie?" The showmare looked around and saw a bright pink earth pony approaching. The other mare was holding a clipboard between her teeth and was squinting down at it. "Yes. You must be Pinkie Pie." The unicorn turned to the earth mare and bowed slightly. "Is everything ready?" "Mostly." Pinkie dropped the clipboard onto one hoof and smiled at Trixie, a wide, dazzling smile that seemed to fill the showmare's entire field of view with white. "What exactly do you mean, 'mostly'?" Trixie asked suspiciously. She had far too many experiences with hosts who promised a dozen times everything would be fine, only for her to arrive and find it was anything but. Admittedly, those were more the theatre owners in big cities, yet weasel words like this made her uncomfortable. "Well," Pinkie went over her clipboard, "there is a problem with the amount of fireworks you asked for. This is Colt Fawkes, and most of it is needed for the great fireworks show at midnight." "Oh." Trixie thought for a moment. "How much do I get to work with, then?" Pinkie drew a sheet of paper from the clipboard and gave it to the unicorn. "This is the list." Trixie stared at the earth mare. "Forgive me if I sound rude, but from what little I saw of you the last time I was here, you seem to have become quite a bit more organized." "Oh, silly, I didn't make those lists. Twilight did. Ah, here she comes, perhaps she can explain this to you." Pinkie leaned in conspiratorially. "To be honest, I have no idea what half these numbers and figures mean." Trixie looked down on the paper. While 'half' might be a bit extreme, there were a few points on that list that might need explaining. Why are there streamers and balloons on there? I asked for one or the other, not both. "Hello, Trixie. It's been a while." The unicorn looked up at the sound of the voice. It sounded familiar, yet she couldn't place it until she saw the other unicorn mare in front of her. Oh, great. It just had to be her. "Twilight Sparkle. You've made quite a name for yourself," Trixie said coolly. "So have you, from what I can tell." The purple mare sounded just as distant. Trixie coughed. "So, shall we get down to business then? The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn't like to keep anypony waiting." "With pleasure." Twilight levitated the list over, and they began working on it. *** Three hours later "...oh, I see, Pinkie must have added both of those points." Twilight smiled apologetically at Trixie. "She gets a bit overenthusiastic at times." Trixie looked around and saw that the earth mare had long since vanished, probably because of boredom. A look at the clock tower confirmed that it was high time for a lunch break. "So, are we done? I think those were the last two points on the list, and frankly, I'm starving." Trixie managed to keep the irritation at the last three hours out of her voice. Mostly. "Oh, heh. Sorry. I tend to get lost in planning and things like that." Twilight smiled. "Say, why don't we go have a bite? On my tab, as it were." Trixie was proud of her self-control, which permitted her at that moment not to stand in the middle of Ponyville Town Square with her jaw dropped to the floor. "Why are you so friendly?" She hadn't wanted the question to sound as antagonistic as it came out, and she winced slightly. "You're a guest in this town, and I want to make you feel welcome." Twilight didn't look angry, but bemused. "Why wouldn't I be friendly?" "Uh, hello? Last time I was here, I nearly destroyed this city." Something seemed to click in Twilight's head. "Trixie, that was seven years ago. Most ponies in this town probably don't even remember that." "Perhaps you're right, but I do." Trixie turned away, uncertain why she would even talk about this, but feeling a need deep inside her to do so. "I lost everything I had that day. My cart, my hat, my robe - gone. I -" she swallowed. "I don't want to talk about the year after, but it was hard. I know I brought it on myself, but it was the worst time in my life." She raised her head and looked Twilight in the eyes. "I hated this town, I hated the stupid idiot colts who brought the Ursa Minor here, and I hated you for so effortlessly dealing with it. I didn't want to ever set foot here again." "What changed your mind?" Twilight's voice was quiet, nearly inaudible. "My manager booked me for your Colt Fawkes, and I never go back on a contract." Trixie shivered. "Are there ponies in this town who still remember what I did to them?" A new voice cut in. "You bet there are, showgirl." Trixie looked up and saw an orange earth pony wearing a stetson approach them. "I'll have an eye on you tonight." "Oh, you most certainly will!" Trixie suddenly felt heat rising up in her chest. "Two eyes, whenever you can spare them, and an open mouth to accompany them. Applejack, wasn't it?" The earth mare seemed astonished. "You remember my name?" "I never forget a face." Trixie grinned devilishly. "Though I might make an exception in your case." Applejack's cheeks turned bright red. "Why, you little...!" "Applejack, please! I'm sure she didn't mean it like that." Twilight turned a furious gaze on Trixie. "Did you?" Trixie blanched. "N...no. I didn't." Focus, showmare. You antagonized this town once, that's plenty for one lifetime. "Good." Twilight smiled. "Now, I believe we were going to lunch?" *** Eight hours later Well, that went far better than expected, Trixie thought to herself as she left the stage. No neighsayers, no jeers - well, no more than usual -, and no unexpected interruptions by giant monsters from the Everfree Forest. So far, so good. "Miss Trixie?" She turned around and saw the source of the voice, a purple dragon about her size. "Yes...?" "My name is Spike. I was wondering how you did that thing with the purple and blue flames. All I got is green." Trixie put on her best showmare mask. "Sorry, but the trick is told when the trick is sold. Experiment for yourself, and maybe you'll..." She met his eyes. A sudden jolt of power made her leap back a few feet. "What in the hay...?" Spike had dropped to the ground and was scrambling back onto his feet. "What just happened?" "I have no idea." Trixie shook her head a few times to clear her mind. "Was it something I said?" "I don't think so." Spike seemed as uncertain as she felt. "Perhaps we should go talk to Twilight about this." *** Pinkie sat at a table by herself, sighing into her sarsaparilla. Everything had started off exactly as planned. She had gotten Fluttershy and Big Macintosh to talking, and even though that conversation consisted mostly of silence and an occasional "Um...", it still seemed to have the desired effect. "Pinkie? Why are you alone?" She looked up and saw Apple Bloom standing there. The pink mare forced a smile. "Silly, I'm not alone, you're here." "I'm here now. Before that, you looked like you were about to start crying into your drink. What went wrong?" The younger mare sat down. "Promise me you won't tell anypony?" Apple Bloom smiled. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." "I was trying to get Fluttershy and your brother together." Pinkie sighed and took a sip of her drink. "Well, it's getting high time, that's for sure." At Pinkie's surprised look, Apple Bloom laughed. "I'm not blind and I'm not stupid, Pinkie. I've known for years that my brother's pining after Fluttershy. But he's always been the good little stallion who thinks of Sweet Apple Acres first, and he's always been afraid of how Applejack would react." "Wait." Pinkie was trying to wrest some sense out of what Apple Bloom had said. "What do you mean, 'thinks of Sweet Apple Acres first'?" "We're an earth pony family on an earth pony farm, Pinkie. You grew up on a quarry, you know how hard the work gets." Apple Bloom looked down. "We're not sure whether a pegasus or unicorn could manage, much less somepony as fragile as Fluttershy." "Fragile?" Pinkie had to bite back a laugh. "She stared down a dragon, she's one of the Elements of Harmony, she can fly almost as fast as Rainbow Dash, and you still think she's fragile?" "I never said I did. I think it's the excuse that my brother has used to avoid actually talking to her." Apple Bloom shook her mane in frustration. "He's never done anything for himself in his life, never tried anything new without knowing exactly how it would go." "Well, he did talk to Fluttershy tonight." Pinkie sighed again. "But it went nowhere." "He still puts the farm and the family first, doesn't he?" Apple Bloom looked up, and a sudden grin appeared on her face. "Then again..." She pointed, and Pinkie followed her outstretched hoof. A big red earth stallion was making his way through the crowd towards a yellow pegasus mare sitting alone at the bar, a look of resolve etched on his face. "Sorry, Pinkie, but I've got to see this." Apple Bloom leaped to her hooves. "Are you crazy? I can't miss this for the world!" Pinkie bounced after the younger mare. *** Big Macintosh was solid. That really was the best word to describe him. Solid as a rock. He was reliable, hard-working and stoic, and had never been a pony of many words. Hardly anything could shake him. Which made it all the more astonishing to him that a meek little pegasus mare could do exactly that. She was the chink in his armour. He had made excuses not to talk to her for several years now, painfully aware that they were just that - excuses. He was reasonably sure that she felt the same for him, but he had been too solid, too rooted in his family business to ever act on his feelings. Don't forget cowardly there. You've never dared to take the plunge because you don't know how she or your family would react. He was getting closer to her now, and he noticed his steps were slowing down. He cast his gaze around, looking for any kind of excuse - excuses again - to not speak to her, and his eyes fell on two ponies standing just a few feet away. Pinkie Pie and Apple Bloom. Great. Just what I needed - spectators. His eyes met those of his younger sister, and he felt a sudden impact, as if he'd been struck by lightning. Apple Bloom smiled, and Big Macintosh felt a rush of confidence. Whatever happened, it would turn out for the best, but he had to take the jump first, go chart unknown territory for the first time in his life. A door inside of him seemed to open, one that he had kept locked and barred for all of his life. He stepped up to the bar. "Fluttershy?" She looked up at him, and the wild hope in her eyes almost made him turn back. Oh no, you don't, you big lug. This is your chance, and you're not going to waste it. He cleared his throat and pointed to the dance floor. "May I have this dance?" Fluttershy stood up. "Of course." Neither of them saw the hoof-pumping that Pinkie Pie and Apple Bloom engaged in. *** Two hours later They had danced as if they'd never done anything else in their lives. Now they were simply lying next to each other under one of the big trees, out of the way of the other party guests. "Mac?" He turned his head. Fluttershy was looking at him with a strange mix of joy and worry in her eyes. "What happens now?" she asked. "No idea." He felt a smile forming. "For the first time in my life, I don't know what tomorrow will bring, and I've never felt better. It doesn't matter, as long as you're with me." She wrapped a wing around him. "Why did we wait so long for this?" "I was scared," he admitted, even more quietly than usual. She looked at him in astonishment. "Scared? Of what?" "I've always been the solid, responsible one of the family. I've done what was expected of me, and falling for a pegasus definitely wasn't." He was still avoiding that word. "But I don't care anymore." She whispered something, so quietly he couldn't hear it. "Sorry?" Fluttershy looked up at him and repeated her words, but even now he couldn't make them out. "Didn't quite catch that." She surprised both of them by pulling him closer and pressing her lips to his. He returned the kiss, letting all the feelings he'd suppressed for so long flow into it. When she drew away, her face was flushed deeply. Her words came out quietly, but clearly this time. "I love you." If she can do it, I certainly can. "I love you too." Before either of them could say any more, a blinding flash of golden light made them squeeze their eyes shut. *** Applejack had not had a good Colt Fawkes Night. She had come alone, and while she'd danced with a few stallions, none of them gave any sign of wanting more than that. A few hours ago, she'd seen Apple Bloom and Spike dancing cheek-to-cheek to a slow song, and all the ambiguous feelings she held threatened to overwhelm her right then and there. That had been before all the cider and dandelion wine. She wasn't drunk, exactly, but she felt ... giddy, somehow. Light-headed, yet at the same time her feelings were creeping even closer to the surface. And then, not even five minutes ago, she'd seen her brother and one of her best friends leave the dancefloor and head for one of the big trees. Her curiosity was piqued, especially considering how long Big Macintosh had denied his feelings for Fluttershy. Has the dolt finally made up his mind? Her question had been answered when she saw the two kissing, but then something unexpected had happened - an explosion of light had forced her to turn away. When her eyesight returned a few seconds later, she stared in disbelief at the happy couple. Her brother was looking down at his neck in wonder. Directly above his yoke, a necklace had formed around his throat, shimmering in all colours of the rainbow, and set in the centre with a green apple-shaped gemstone. "That makes it three for three among the Apple siblings, hm?" Applejack whirled around at the sound of her sister's voice. How did I not notice her, dammit? She was right there, looking at their brother. "I wonder what this Element is." "AB, why are you here?" Applejack realized the moment the words left her mouth that the question did not exactly sound all that intelligent. "Same reason as you, I'd wager." Apple Bloom grinned. "Honestly, it was getting a little ridiculous with our brother and his crush on Fluttershy." Applejack laughed. "You can say that. But I sure wasn't expecting him to show an Element tonight." "Me neither. I guess we need to talk..." Apple Bloom was cut short by an explosion ringing out from the main square. "What in tarnation...?" Applejack stormed off, and after a second of hesitation, both her siblings and Fluttershy followed her. *** "Okay, let me summarize." Twilight looked from Spike to Trixie. "You were talking about one of your tricks." Trixie nodded. "The multicoloured fire." "Right. Then you made eye contact with Spike, and you felt something happening." Twilight blushed, seemingly realizing how suggestive that sounded. The showmare smiled. "Yes, and while I think he looks pretty good for a dragon, I don't think it was his charm that triggered it." Spike looked a little miffed for a moment, but then nodded. "It was strong enough to throw me back and off my feet." "Hm." Twilight scribbled something down. "And what did it feel like, exactly?" Trixie thought about that for a few moments. "I can't really say. Like ... like something was trying to break free inside me, if that makes any sense. And I think it's not complete yet." "Not complete? What do you mean?" Twilight asked. Trixie snorted in frustration. "I don't know! That's why I came to you, because this is like nothing that's ever happened to me." "Would you allow me to examine you magically?" When Trixie just nodded, Twilight focused her magic on the blue unicorn. The next thing Trixie and Spike knew, the librarian was collapsing to the ground. "Twilight!" Spike was at her side in a flash, checking for lifesigns. Trixie just stood and stared. "Is she okay?" "She's unconscious, but she's breathing, and her heartbeat sounds stable enough." Spike looked at Trixie. "What in Equestria is going on here?" Before the showmare could answer, an explosion rang out from somewhere quite close by. Trixie stared in alarm. "What in the hay was that?" "Colt Fawkes does get pretty rowdy sometimes, but I've never heard anything like this." Spike gently shook Twilight, who was coming around. Trixie looked at the purple unicorn expectantly. "Well? What happened?" "You are on our side, but you are far removed from Harmony." Twilight's voice was distorted, as if overlaid with a second, much deeper voice. "And that will be of great importance in the days ahead." She opened her eyes, and Trixie and Spike gasped. They were deep, fathomless pools of orange, with no pupils or irises visible. From where the explosion had come, a voice drifted in. "I just don't know what went wrong!" *** It was tradition to light fireworks on Colt Fawkes Night. Normally, they would be starting at midnight and continue until well into the morning. Where Derpy Hooves was involved, though, 'normal' wasn't exactly the default state of things. She had no idea what had happened. She had delivered the last box, a late delivery from Canterlot, and she must have misjudged the distance, and then the next thing she knew, the whole stack of boxes had been blown skyward. All twenty-six of them. The fireworks display was impressive, but also very short-lived. Not even five minutes later, all the crates lay empty and charred. Derpy felt a lot of angry stares, but before the tension could erupt, a booming voice from above cut through. "Citizens of Ponyville! By order of Her Royal Highness Princess Celestia, some among your number are to be immediately taken into custody, wanted for questioning in Canterlot!" A large balloon, evidently with a lot of guards on board, was hovering above the town square. That certainly took a lot of steam out of the celebrations. Silence fell, until finally the Mayor stepped up to the speaker's podium and addressed the guards above. "Who do you seek?" "The wanted ponies are the Elements of Harmony, the Elements of Unity, the earth stallion Big Macintosh, the unicorn mare Trixie, the pegasus mare Ditzy Doo, also known as Derpy Hooves, and the griffon Gilda of Boldfeather." Again, silence descended on the town square. Finally, the Mayor found her voice. "What are these ponies accused of, exactly?" For a moment, no answer seemed to be forthcoming, then finally the booming voice returned, sounding slightly shaken this time. "An attempt on the life of Princess Celestia."