It was over. The Ursa Minor had been defeated, the town was safe again, and Twilight learned yet another important lesson about friendship. Everypony could sleep soundly, except for Snipps and Snails, who were left cleaning up the mess of what was left of Trixie’s wagon.
But something was wrong, and only one pegasi knew what it was.
Fluttershy gathered a few things, including some food, a blanket, and a small stuffed bunny toy. She quietly flew off from the front steps of her home and took to the starry sky, she wasn’t sure where exactly she was headed, or why she was looking. But she knew deep down inside her, that even though she was probably the last pony who should attempt what she was going to do, she was probably the only one who would have any chance of success.
As she flew over Ponyville, she could see the lanterns and candles in windows being blown out. The night of excitement was more than most ponyfolk were used to; even Pinkie would have trouble rivaling an event like that with one of her parties.
Fluttershy headed east, past the outskirts of Ponyville, into the surrounding hills that lay in between Ponyville and Canterlot. She was beginning to grow nervous, the more she tried to think about it, the more she wanted to go back, but still felt an irresistible need to keep going, to keep looking. Ponyville now sat on the horizon, only visible by the blank spot it left among the stars.
As Fluttershy began to grow tired, the unusual weight of her pack weighing her down, she found what she’d been looking for.
“This is it.” Fluttershy thought to herself, “There’s no going back now.”
She softly began her descent to the ground. Quietly spiraling towards the small glow she saw on the ground. As the ground grew larger, so did her fears, but the need to move forward stayed as well, compelling her to land.
“Curses!” she thought to herself as she landed, “When I became the element of kindness I never thought it would lead me to something like this!”
She landed behind a small hill, careful not to be seen from the sky. She began to walk over the hill, and though it was just a pony looking at the stars, Fluttershy saw what was really there. A pony that needed help.
“Um… hello?” Fluttershy timidly approached Trixie, but even though Fluttershy was quiet, she couldn’t match the silence of the night.
“Who’s there?!” Trixie yelled in surprise, suddenly standing up, looking around, “Who dares approach the great and powerful Trixie!”
Fluttershy held her head low, and though she was terrified, she pressed on. “Um… me.” She said.
Trixie whipped around to stare her down, taking on a defensive stance, her horn beginning to light up. “Oh!” She looked at Fluttershy with anger, “It’s one of you! More townsfolk coming to try and challenge the great and powerful Trixie! Well go on! Show me what you’ve got!” Trixie’s horn was starting to give off sparks.
Fluttershy’s head ducked even lower, she wanted to cry, but managed to hold back her tears, “Um… actually…”
“WHAT!” Trixie screamed, her horn looking like it was about to do something deadly, “You may think that I can only do show tricks! But I’ve learned a few things! What could you possibly want from me! I left town! I won’t come back! You don’t need to worry about Trixie ever bothering your stupid little town again! So tell me! WHAT! What do you want?!”
“I… I…” Flutttershy could barely stop herself from breaking down; her legs were shaking almost uncontrollably. “I… I… wanted to know… if…”
The glow from Trixie was illuminating the fear in Fluttershy’s face, and Trixie stepped down a little when she saw this, her horn dying down a little. “W-what!” She asked again, a little more unsure this time.
“I… was wondering…” Fluttershy managed to make the last part of her sentence audible, “…If… you wanted to talk.”
Trixie’s face fell flat for a few second, but she quickly regained her composure, “Talk?” Trixie let out a sharp laugh, “W-why, why would the great and powerful Trixie ever want to- to…” Fluttershy looked up a little, giving Trixie a look of humility and compassion Trixie had never seen before, Trixie looked away, “…talk?” she finished as a tear ran down her cheek.
“Because, I know how you feel.” Fluttershy said, gathering a little more confidence, enough to stop shaking, although still hiding her face behind her mane.
Trixie tensed up a little, she stayed with her head turned, “How would you know how I feel, you don’t even know what I’m feeling right now.”
“But I do,” Fluttershy responded, “I know exactly how you feel, because I feel that way a lot.” Fluttershy continued, despite Trixie’s silence, “You feel… you feel alone, and you feel helpless, and you feel like you’re scared, and even though you know you don’t have to be, you can’t help it.”
Trixie still stayed with her head away, she was trembling a little.
“You feel like you’re the only one in the world who is the way you are, and you feel like you will always face every problem alone. Even if you had friends, you feel like they wouldn’t make a difference.” Fluttershy stood with her head all the way up, approaching Trixie even more; she kept going, feeling that if she didn’t say what she needed to say now, she would never say it. “You shun friends and life in a home that isn’t on wheels because you feel like if you stay anywhere for more than a few days, everyone will see that you aren’t always perfect.” She was in front of Trixie, looking for any sign of acknowledgement; she began to grow nervous, “That, that is… the way you feel? Isn’t it?”
A second of uncomfortable silence passed, Fluttershy standing there with her ears beginning to droop, and her tail hanging in apprehension. Trixie still stood there quietly, with her head turned away, though in defiance or shame, Fluttershy couldn’t tell.
Then, without warning, Trixie lurched forward. Fluttershy gave out a cry, scared that she was being attacked. After all, she couldn’t fight if her life depended on it.
But Fluttershy quickly realized what was happening. The great and powerful Trixie, the infallible unicorn, with all her magic and might, was crying helplessly while she held on to Fluttershy like she was the only thing that existed.
Fluttershy hugged Trixie back, whispering softly to her. “Don’t worry, I’m here for you.”
Trixie, tears still streaming from her eyes, stepped back, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
“Don’t you worry,” Fluttershy said as she looked at Trixie with a caring smile, “just let me get a few things out, I’m sure you’re starving.”
Trixie nodded, unable to talk while she still cried.
Fluttershy set down her pack, taking out what she had brought. First, she gave an apple and some bread to Trixie. “Here,” she said, “some good food should make you feel better, then will get you warm.” Fluttershy pulled out the blanket, motioning for Trixie to take it. Trixie lifted it with her horn, wrapping it around herself as she continued to eat.
Fluttershy pulled out the stuffed bunny.
Trixie, coughing a bit as she stopped sobbing, looked at the bunny. “W-what’s that for?” she as she sniffled a bit.
“This is so you always have a friend.” Fluttershy said, “Angel will be furious that I took it from him, but I think you need it more than he does.” She handed it to Trixie
Trixie smiled a little at the bunny as she held it closer, grasping it to her chest; and wrapping the blanket around her more tightly. She sniffled some more, “Th-thank, thank you.” She squeaked.
“It’s no worry,” Fluttershy said, taking on the tone she had when she talked to the sick and injured animals she took care of, “I know how sad you must feel, and I wanted to make it better.”
Trixie looked at the grass, “I don’t know if I’ll ever be better, I don’t know if I’ve ever felt good.”
Fluttershy sat down next to Trixie, as they both looked up at the stars. “You can tell me anything, Trixie; I’m a really good listener. It’s all I usually do actually.”
“You wouldn’t like what you hear,” Trixie said with sadness, “I’ve tried telling others before, and I’ve lost some of my dearest friends by asking them to listen.”
Fluttershy looked over at Trixie, “I think I know what your problem is, why you’re so lonely,” she said.
“You do?” Trixie asked in mild surprise.
“Yes, but why don’t you tell me why you’re so sad first,” Fluttershy responded, “I don’t want to offend you if I’m wrong.”
“Well…” Trixie continued staring at the stars timidly, “I’m very lonely. I’ve always been lonely, even when I had friends and didn’t move around so much.”
Fluttershy nodded and continued listening.
“I’ve always loved performing magic, even when I was really little it was something I’d practice, and for the longest time, it was all I needed. But one day, when I was really young, I noticed I was different from all the other fillies and colts, not noticeably, at least to them, but I knew I was different. I told my mom about it once, but she got very serious even though she tried to sound nice about it, and told me that eventually I would get over it, and I would be normal and have a normal life, I just had to ignore my ‘problem.’”
“But you couldn’t ignore it, could you.” Fluttershy said.
Trixie sighed a little, “For a while, yes. I ignored it for a very long time, and had a normal life, and made lots of friends and had fun doing magic. I was happy, even if I knew deep down that I wasn’t. I had my best friends: Starla, Rosy, and even Skunk was my friend. But no matter how close we got, they could never be close enough, because I was still different, and my mother had told me never to tell anyone about it, so I always had a secret.”
Fluttershy gave a reassuring look to Trixie, “Go on.” She said.
A tear dropped down Trixie’s cheek, “I hated it! No matter how surrounded by friends and family I was, I was always alone! No matter who helped me through my troubles, I always felt like I faced my problems alone! My friends never knew who I really was, and my mother, the only person who did know, was ashamed of me! Everything I did with others, every experience, every good day, every bad day, was just something else that reminded me of how alone I actually was. I couldn’t take it, it was eating away at me. I had to do something.”
“Who was the first person you told?” Fluttershy asked.
“Rosy,” Trixie said her name with an almost sympathetic voice.
“How did she react?” Fluttershy asked with concern in her voice.
“Rosy was nice enough,” Trixie said more calmly, “I don’t think she believed it was even possible, so she didn’t really understand anything about it. But Rosy wasn’t the problem, Starla was. Poor Rosy never could keep a secret, especially if she thought it was juicy gossip, which she did. And once Starla found out…”
Fluttershy gave Trixie a questioning look.
Trixie kept going, “Well let’s just say that I found out who friends could really be sometimes. Once the word got out, my life was over. Going to school was a nightmare, I was shunned, picked on, and a few colts even beat me up a few times. My school didn’t do anything to help, I suspect the teachers despised me almost as much as the students, even if they couldn’t show it, and my mom told me that I deserved it, that I should have kept my mouth shut.”
“Oh dear,” Fluttershy said, “I am so sorry for you.” She moved closer to Trixie and gave her a hug. “I can’t imagine what that must have been like for you.”
Trixie began to cry harder, “It wasn’t fair! How could I just stay quiet about something like that! How could I! And then when I finally say something, I’m ridiculed and hurt for it! I’m forced out on my own to make my own way, with no friends, or help, or anything!” Trixie had begun sobbing now, “It’s not fair! There was nopony like me! There is nopony like me! Everywhere I go, no matter what I do, I’m always alone!”
Trixie broke down completely, hugging Fluttershy back and letting her tears flow. Fluttershy continued to hold Trixie, and together, they fell asleep in each other’s arms.
When the two ponies awoke, the sun was just barely coming up. The dew on the grass was fresh, and the air was pleasant and cool. Fluttershy opened her eyes, and stood up to stretch a little. Trixie had fallen asleep in her arms, so she was careful not to make too much movement to get up.
Fluttershy sighed a little; she had a lot of thoughts racing through her head. She felt good that she had come out to help Trixie, but she also felt a little guilt, because she knew, that in a way, she had found Trixie more for her own sake rather than Trixie’s.
Trixie began to rustle under the blanket, she began to wake. As she viewed her surroundings, the events of the previous night came back to her. She looked up, and saw Fluttershy smiling at her.
Trixie stammered, “Oh, Celestia, I’m- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-“
“Didn’t mean to what?” Fluttershy asked, smiling in such a way that it was clear she knew the answer.
Trixie looked down a little, “I didn’t mean to say all those things, I shouldn’t have said anything, I- I didn’t want to, I just- I just-“
“You just wanted somepony to understand.” Fluttershy said, finishing the sentence.
Trixie nodded timidly.
“I know how you feel, Trixie.”
“Oh do you.” Trixie responded sarcastically.
Fluttershy sat down, and began to snuggle under the blanket again. She moved over to Trixie, and rested her head on Trixie’s shoulder. “More than you know.” She replied softly.
Trixie looked confused at first, but quickly caught on. “You? Really?” She asked.
Fluttershy nodded.
“You, you’ve kept your own secret too then huh?” Trixie asked.
Fluttershy nodded again, “I’ve known ever since I was just a little filly in flight school.”
“And you never told anyone?”
“Not anyone, except you now.”
“Did you never even want to tell anypony?” Trixie asked, her curiosity piqued.
“There were times when I wanted to, but I saw how my friend Rainbow Dash was treated, and she hadn’t even done anything. I couldn’t handle the kind of attention that I would have brought to myself by telling anyone, and by the time I lived in Ponyville, I figured it would just be best if I kept quiet, and didn’t bother anypony.”
Trixie nuzzled Fluttershy sympathetically. “Thank you.” She whispered.
“For what?” Fluttershy asked.
“For making me realize that I’m not the only one, that I don’t have to look up at the stars during the night, thinking about how alone I am. And thank you, for trusting me enough to give me the same secret I gave you.”
Fluttershy smiled again. She stood up, and readied the basket she had brought. “Well, I have to go now. I don’t think I can trust Angel to make breakfast himself.” Fluttershy turned to look at Trixie. “Are you going to be alright?”
Trixie stood up as well, “I think the Great and Powerful Trixie will be a lot better now.” She said, giving a showpony smile. “Although, I hate to go off alone again.”
Fluttershy walked over to Trixie, she nuzzled Trixie, and whispered, “You’ll never really be alone anymore, because you know that I’m out there, looking at the same sky as you.” Fluttershy looked at Trixie again, and then kissed her gently.
Trixie almost jumped away, but after a second, kissed Fluttershy back. “Thank you.”
Fluttershy smiled, she walked a few feet away, and prepared herself to take off for flight.
“Wait!” Trixie said. “I have one more question.”
Fluttershy turned around. “What is it?”
“How did you know?” Trixie asked, “How did you know to find me?”
Fluttershy smiled coyly. “I saw the way you singled my friend Twilight out, I noticed the way you looked at her. She is very pretty, isn’t she?”
Trixie blushed a little, and smiled. “I guess it would be fairly obvious to you, wouldn’t it?”
Fluttershy smiled at Trixie. Then, she turned around, and flew back home.