//------------------------------// // Tricky Apologies // Story: The Truth of Bonds and Friendship // by Gadman85 //------------------------------// “Thanks once again, Twilight,” Trixie said as she and Twilight trotted next to each other. “We haven’t really even started yet, but you’re welcome. It may be in the past now, but I think it is pretty good on your for approaching them both like this,” Twilight replied with a smile. “Trixie, should have done this sooner, but she was a bit of a coward she will admit. Now that Trixie has officially passed her Ever-Free Patrol tests, it is time,” Trixie said in her showpony way. She then gave a nervous chuckle and said, “I will admit I am a bit nervous this will go south real fast, but I want to put it behind me completely. I am a new and better pony than I was. I need to do this.” Despite her nervousness, Trixie’s steps were determined. “We’re almost there,” Twilight said as she led the way. Big Mac pointed them in the right direction to where AJ was working at the moment. “Applejack, Hello!” Twilight called to her farm pony friend and mentally sighed when she noticed Trixie was trying to hide behind her. “Hopefully she’s getting her game face on,” Twilight thoughtfully wished. “Well hey there Twi. What brings you ‘round here today?” Applejack said with a smile. She then gave a puzzled face as she asked, “And who did ya bring along?” “Somepony who wished to speak with you,” Twilight said as she bumped Trixie in hopes of getting the pony to speak up. “Go on,” Twilight whispered to Trixie. Applejack continued to wait wondering who would need to go through Twilight to speak with her. When she saw a familiar Blue unicorn with a silver mane, she wore a neutral expression. She had heard that pony was still around, but she hadn’t ever run across her since that show. Trixie stood tall and took in a deep breath and then let it out. “Trixie…” she started and faltered. She then took on a less proud stance and started again. “I wanted to apologize for what I did during the show. I will admit I got a bit out of hoof with my behavior. Can you forgive me?” she asked meekly for her. Applejack took her hat off and held it to her chest with a hoof. “Well Ah guess Ah too got a bit out of hoof. Ah should have known better than to act in a disruptive manner like that. Ah say we let bygones be bygones and start anew, if ya want,” she said. “I would like that. Trixie has learned a lot since then,” Trixie said sounding more at ease. “Where have ya been this whole time anyhow? Ah’ve heard ponies mentioning you a bit here and there, but ah never saw ya,” Applejack asked genuinely curious. “I’ve been staying at the Ever-Free’s HQ. The patrol found Trixie at her lowest point and took her in when they didn’t have to. I’ve been doing what I can to help out around there in return,” she explained. “She’s helped out a whole lot from what the other members in the patrol told me. She also became good friends with Naruko,” Twilight further clarified. She wanted there to be little doubt in Applejack’s mind that Trixie was a different pony from when she first came to Ponyville. “Well then if Naruko’s befriended ya. Then ya can’t be all that bad at all,” Applejack said with a nod as she placed her hat back on top. “How about we go and celebrate this here new beginning with some good old Apple Family Hospitality? Ah’m sure Granny Smith finished with her baking storm by now and Ah sure am starved enough ta eat a whole horse's worth of good eatings,” Applejack said with a friendly chuckle as she led the way back. Just as Applejack said, Granny Smith had indeed baked up a feast for guests. Twilight and Trixie weren’t the only guests either. “Howdy there girls,” AJ said in greeting to the CMC. The trio of fillies looked as if they had just finished with a bath. No doubt they just finished another one of their crazy cutie mark attempts and needed to wash up afterwards. “What were you all trying this time?” Twilight asked in a friendly manner. “We tried to get our cutie marks in construction!” Sweetie Belle said out loud as she took a bite of her Apple pie slice. “It seems we aren’t no good at advanced ramp constructing,” Apple Bloom replied after swallow her bite of apple. “Why is there always so much sap and twigs… We didn’t even touch that kind of stuff,” Scootaloo said before taking a sip of her juice. “Ah’m sure ya’ll will get them before ya'll know it,” AJ said with a sisterly smile. “Not soon enough…” Grumbled Sweetie Belle. Apple Bloom then looked up and noticed Trixie. “Hey! You’re that show pony ain't ya?” she said pointing a hoof at Trixie as the other two looked up. “Now girls. Ya’ll need ta be...” AJ was about to lecture them on being polite and giving others a second chance, but she was cut off by Scootaloo whose tiny wings fluttered in excitement as she grinned widely. “That Puppet Show was actually funny! I even saw Diamond Tiara enjoying it,” she said. “The what now?” AJ asked. “How did ya come up with such a story?” Apple Bloom asked with equal excitement. “Was it hard using magic to levitate multiple objects like that?!” Sweetie asked. Before Trixie could even answer that first question, she added in a louder voice, “Can you teach me?!” “Trixie is glad you all liked the show! I actually first got my cutie mark doing a similar show when I was younger. Levitating multiple objects isn’t too hard once you get used to levitating, but it can be tough to move them independently,” Trixie tried to answer their questions as the girls asked even more questions with mounting excitement. “What am Ah missing here, Twi?” AJ asked quietly as she took the slice of pie Granny offered her. “During the Parasprite invasion, Trixie helped the patrol with organizing the shelter at HQ. She then performed a comedic puppet show to help clam down the younger ponies. It really helped out everypony there because the parents didn’t have to worry about keeping their children calm on top of everything else,” Twilight said. She had made a point of asking about the details. “Really now?” AJ asked as Twilight nodded. “Trixie said it was something she really enjoyed and reminded her why she loved being a showpony in the first place. That was before she got caught up in the whole entertainment showbiz mentality and lost her way,” Twilight answered as AJ found a bit of a new respect for Trixie. {-} {-} {-} The group enjoyed their snack break and things were going really well. Applejack picked up on how Apple Bloom and her friends seemed to take a shine to Trixie. They were obviously really interested in hearing the full story of how the showpony got her cutie mark. Trixie was just about ready to seek out and apologize to Rainbow Dash, but things didn’t work out that way. “Hey! Didn’t know you were all having a snack! Can I have some apple fritters?” Rainbow appeared out of seemingly nowhere and asked as she sat down next to Applejack. “Well hello to you too, Rainbow… Didn’t know ya were coming,” AJ said with a bit of neutral expression. She had a feeling about how Rainbow got there and she didn’t care for it. The rainbow maned pegasus was a good friend and all, but that didn't mean she wasn't without her faults. “I was already here. Your Family’s trees are the best for napping!” Rainbow answered as AJ sighed. “Rainbow Dash?!” Scootaloo shouted in surprise and excitement. “I didn’t know you hung out around here,” the small pegasus said as she added a new entry to her Rainbow Dash hangouts file. “Heya Squirt! What’s happening?” Rainbow asked. “She knows my name?!” Scootaloo squealed and Rainbow raised an eyebrow in confusion. “I didn’t know your name was Squirt. I thought it was Scootaloo,” Sweetie said with a slight frown. “Or Chicken,” Apple Bloom said with a mischievous grin as Sweetie Belle giggled. Apple Bloom was surprised when Scootaloo didn’t react at all to the verbal jab. “She’s gone ain’t she?” she asked rhetorically as Sweetie still giggled and nodded. Scootaloo was smiling and off in her own Rainbow Dash filled world because she thought Squirt was close enough to Scootaloo to count. Rainbow looked to the other two ponies visiting and glared at the blue unicorn. “It’s you… What are you doing here?” she asked as she glowered at Trixie. Rainbow wasn’t known for easily forgiving others at times. This was especially the case if you weren’t already friends with her. Most ponies would figure a way out of it or do something to lessen Rainbow’s temper towards them, if not just avoid her until enough time had passed. This wasn’t to say Rainbow usually held grudges for really long, but with Trixie it was different. Rainbow did not easily get over humiliation, even when she fully brought it upon herself. There was also the fact in this case the humiliation wasn’t something Rainbow fully brought upon herself. Sure, Rainbow was at fault too, but Trixie was as well. Twilight sighed to the situation. There wasn’t really any helping it. She knew that while Trixie had learned to be humbler, she still had a showpony’s pride to an extent. AJ wasn’t sure what to do here at the moment. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle picked up on something going on here but they didn’t know what it was, even Scootaloo was conflicted. She loved Rainbow Dash, but she didn’t think Rainbow would act so hostile to a pony like this. “What’s going on?” Scootaloo asked quietly in worry. She hoped her idol wasn’t actually a bad pony somehow. Such a thought was inconceivable! “Ah don’t rightly know,” Apple Bloom whispered to her. “Ah think it might have something ta do with when Trixie first came here, but we were off crusading at the time. So who knows what all happened for sure,” she said. “I know Trixie didn’t have the best first impression. Rarity was a bit of a mess at that time, but she got over it and when Trixie came to apologize the two actually hit it off pretty well,” Sweetie explained as they listened. It seemed Rainbow and Trixie were having a stare down. “Trixie was thinking we could apologize to each other and get past that show,” Trixie said standing tall. She wasn’t about to back down or be humble when confronted like this. Rainbow gave a derisive scoff. “Me?! Apologize to you?!” She then gave a sarcastic laugh. “It seems your comedy act needs a lot of work! You owe me an apology! I don’t owe you anything,” she said almost growling at the other pony. “Ha! Trixie finds that rich!” the showpony started. “You were the one who interrupted my show and tried to upstage me! You were the one who insulted unicorn magic in front of the whole town!” she said as she scoffed. “You’re lucky Trixie even dared think she too might be at fault.” Rainbow really growled then. “I don’t have to take this from you! I bet you’re a fraud! You aren’t even half the unicorn Twilight or Naruko are!” she said in her rage. The usually easy going blue pegasus was in full stubborn mode now. Trixie rolled her eyes at the pegasus. “Oh yes… Great come back there. After all! It isn’t like Twilight’s specialty is all of magic or anything. And Naruko is a unicorn capable of going hoof the claw with a literal God of Chaos! Trixie is sure any average pony can do that. That’s like saying all pegasus fillies should be able to create a Sonic Rainboom the second they’re born. Trixie finds your attempts at insulting insufficient… Please leave and try again when you actually know how to verbally spar,” Trixie said as she tossed her beautiful mane. It seemed the unicorn was also in full on stubborn mode too. She may be a newer and better unicorn but she was still herself. Trixie would later admit she kind of got caught up in the heat of the moment and lost her temper. She would then ask Naruko to give her extra lessons in tempering her emotions so she can remain calm when needed. That wasn’t at the present moment though. “Maybe I will just leave! I have no reason to put up with the likes of Trixie, The Great and Annoying!” Rainbow said before she flew off. “Get back here! Trixie isn’t finished yet,” the showpony said as she chased after the pegasus. Twilight sighed again. “I knew there would be problems when it came to Rainbow. I didn’t think it would get like this though. I guess I underestimated a showpony’s pride,” she said. “Ah hear ya there. Rainbow can get mightily hot headed when she wants to, but Trixie's personality kind of poured gas on the fire,” AJ said. Scootaloo looked to her friends. They looked to her and each other before shrugging. Scootaloo still loved Rainbow, but maybe she was thinking her idol was less a goddess of the sky and more pony than she first thought. “Still, she's the coolest and most awesome! Buuuut she's also a pony,” she thought to herself. “So, what do ya’ll wanna try getting our cutie marks in now?” Apple Bloom asked. She wasn’t sure about the whole thing with Rainbow, but it was time they got down to business. They already finished their snacks. That meant it was crusading time again. “Do you two ever think we should try getting our cutie marks as stunt ponies?” Sweetie Belle asked. “I mean we have been through a lot of falls and bumps and scrapes and many other things already.” Scootaloo was in thought on that remark. She then shook her head. “Nah! I think we got to try other things instead.” Apple Bloom nodded in agreement with her pegasus friend as the three headed off. “Tha way Ah see it. If we are supposed to be stunt ponies than we’ll get our cutie marks while trying everything else!” “I guess I get it. Stunt ponies do have to do a bit of everything,” Sweetie said as she followed her friends. Once the three fillies were gone, Twilight looked to Applejack and said, “I guess I should follow Rainbow and Trixie and make sure they don’t kill each other.” Applejack nodded to that and so Twilight departed. She judged Rainbow was heading home from the direction she flew off to. {-} {-} {-} Rainbow Dash had to admit she was surprised Trixie was trying to keep up with her after she flew away. “Of course, if I just kick it up a notch she won’t be able to keep up,” she thought to herself. Rainbow was half tempted to hear the pony out since she was so determined… maybe. “Trixie won’t give up that easily!” the showpony shouted. Rainbow was no longer tempted to hear her out. She took Trixie’s proclamation as a challenge and sped off towards her home. “Doubt she’ll bother now,” Rainbow said with a bit of a smirk. Shortly after Rainbow shot off, Trixie ran faster. She could tell Rainbow went towards her home. She wasn’t going to let the pegasus off that easily. If she were a pony to give up so easily, she wouldn’t have made it through the patrol’s tests. She wouldn’t have been able to keep training with Naruko like she did. She wouldn't have become a showpony of any caliber if she was like that. It wasn’t long until Rainbow heard the sound of hooves running towards her home. She looked down wondering if maybe Twilight was coming to lecture her or something. Rainbow would admit she didn’t exactly behave properly in front of Scootaloo and the others. Despite being awesome, she still wanted to be a mentor Scootaloo could be proud of. The self proclaimed fastest flyer in Equestria then decided to take on her role as mentor, idol and older sister figure more seriously. Rainbow was a bit surprised when she noticed it was Trixie who ran to her in the end. She had to give the pony points for determination. Oddly enough, she could appreciate that even in a pony like Trixie. “I will have you know. I’ve learned the Cloud Walking spell and I’ll use it if you make me!” Trixie said as Rainbow stood up and moved. She thought the pegasus pony was about to hide inside her house. She would get up there and keep pounding on the cloud door until Rainbow heard her out. “Oh yeah?! Show me,” Rainbow said in a voice that wasn’t hostile but instead more challenging. “Trixie will!” the showpony said before she cast the Cloud Walking spell on herself and teleported up to stand in front of Rainbow Dash. Rainbow looked her over and actually blinked in surprise. She knew those spells weren’t something just any unicorn could do. Rarity told her how much training it took her to be able to use the teleportation spell and she couldn’t go anywhere near the distance Naruko and Twilight could. The blue pegasus looked to the blue unicorn and gave a slight frown. “Look. Trixie. I can’t just apologize to you. I want to be a Wonderbolt and you humiliated me in front of all of Ponyville. The Wonderbolts do character assessments before they even allowing ponies to attend their academy. They include interviews. How do you think they will react when ponies talk about how I was easily upstaged by a unicorn in my home town?” she stated. Trixie met Rainbow with a matching expression. “And Trixie can’t just apologize to you because you did interrupt her show. I may be trying to move past that show, but it still happened. I can’t just allow ponies to act that way and walk all over me, especially with what Naruko and Princess Luna have planned for me,” she said. “What is that?” Rainbow asked. Her foul mood was overcome by her genuine curiosity. “I have changed a lot since that first show. I have grown, but I will not be seen as somepony that forgives when something like that happens, even if it isn't her full fault. Ponies won’t take me seriously when I’m starting up the Hooffington Contingent of the Ever-Free Forest Patrol,” she said. Rainbow was an Element of Harmony and did have the clearance to know such information and Trixie felt this might smooth things over. “Really?! Hooffington needs one as well?” Rainbow asked. She’d never been to the Trixie’s hometown. She mostly just hung around Ponyville, Cloudsdale and now Canterlot. Trixie sighed as she looked in the general direction of her home. She would admit the part missing her home was growing a little. “Trixie may have exaggerated the tale a little…” she started and looked back to the other pony. Rainbow raised an eyebrow at her. “Okay… A lot… But the tale about the Ursa Major was true. It happened when I was little and maybe it was just an older Ursa Minor, but when you are a filly everything seems bigger than it actually is. You know,” she said. Rainbow nodded in agreement. “It did happen though and we didn't have a pony like Twilight there and her methods might not have worked in this case. It took several unicorns to push it back into the forest. That is something that doesn’t happen often, but there have been other problems as well. We don’t have a direct line to the princesses like Ponyville does with Naruko and Twilight. Hooffington and New Hollow Shades are the first targets for the Patrol’s expansion plan,” she explained. Rainbow was in thought for a moment. She could see where the other pony was coming from, but it still wasn't all that easy for her. “So, what are we going to do then? I’m still not about to apologize first and you aren’t about to either I’m guessing,” she said as Trixie nodded. “I have a solution. If you will listen,” Trixie said. Rainbow nodded for her to go on with it. “I will pretend you apologized to me and I did so in return and we are putting it behind us. You can pretend I apologized to you and you did to me in return and we are putting it behind us. Then we can try to start over fresh. I’ve already apologized to both Rarity and Applejack. I’m sure you wouldn’t dare even humor this if I hadn’t. You are the Element of Loyalty after all,” she said. Rainbow thought it over and grinned. “I can get behind that plan. But only because you managed to both use the Cloud Walking spell and teleport. I still need to get Naruko or Twilight to show me this tree and water walking business they talked about,” she said with a friendly giggle and extended a hoof to cement the deal with a hoof shake. Trixie gladly accepted the offer. Trixie then gave a smirk as she said, “Trixie would wish you the best of luck in getting into the Wonderbolts. But she is sure you have no need for such luck.” Rainbow gave a jovial laugh as she said, “You better believe it!” Trixie then laughed as well, even if it was mostly because she had heard Naruko use that phrase a few times before. Rainbow then smiled easily as she said, “I hope you do your best in the Ever-Free Patrol as a Captain. I want to hear about the super amazing Ever-Free Patrol Captain from Hooffington in a few months after you return.” “I plan on it. I want to prove to both Naruko and Princess Luna that their faith in me wasn't misplaced. I am going to be instructed by Naruko. That should help,” Trixie said. “Then you have the best teacher it sounds like,” Rainbow replied. Trixie then jokingly took on her showpony aura and said, “Trixie will have you know she has already been training with Grand Captain Uzumaki!” Rainbow gave a teasing grin to that. “And how has that been going?” she asked keeping the grin. “Trixie has at least survived!” she said before laughing as Rainbow joined her. {-} {-} {-} Twilight caught up to the two ponies just as Rainbow dared Trixie to use the Cloud Walking spell. Trixie did so and teleported up to face Rainbow evenly. “I didn’t know Trixie could do that. That’s actually very impressive,” the purple unicorn thought to herself. Things seemed to actually be going well after that. Twilight was thinking maybe Rainbow had grown more than she let on as well over the time they’d been in Ponyville. When the two came to an agreement of sorts, Twilight thought it was oddly fitting for the two ponies. Both had egos and pride. The solution allowed them to get past this issue and both move on together while keeping their egos and pride. “I always had a feeling those two would be the type of ponies to get along really well with each other; if they didn’t mix as poorly as oil and water,” she told herself. Twilight left quietly once she realized the two were getting along with each other. She was happy for them both. Twilight saw Trixie as a friend as well and even if the unicorn would be leaving to head back to Hooffington eventually, she still wanted all of her friends to at least tolerate each other if not get along well. Trixie was pleased and really relieved with herself after spending some more time with Rainbow Dash. She was glad things worked out in the end, even if they started off really rough. She felt she could fully move on from her past and become a pony worthy of the rank Captain of the Ever-Free Patrol: Hooffington Contingent. She then blushed a little, even if no pony was around, as she thought over the whole afternoon again. “Maybe I need to have Naruko really train me on better handling my emotions when needed,” she told herself as she walked back to the Patrol’s HQ. She was looking forward to her new life as a part of the Ever-Free Patrol.