//------------------------------// // 246. The Orbit of the Pies // Story: Azure Edge // by Leaf Blade //------------------------------// Twilight still wasn’t feeling great, but she wasn’t feeling so not great that she couldn’t expend a little bit of her time to help out a friend, and in this case it was Pinkie Pie who needed her help. Also, helping out Pinkie Pie would give Twilight a little more time to not think about Shining Armor and everything else. And on top of that, it would give her some time to process what went down with her, Rarity, and Fluttershy because WOW. Twilight had no idea that was Rarity so… WOW. “Thank you for doing this, Twilight,” Pinkie said softly, walking hand in hand with Twilight to the Crystal Empire train station, such as it was. “It’s my pleasure, Pinkie,” Twilight smiled. “I’m happy to help, and plus I’m excited to meet your sister.” “Oh, Maud is super great!” Pinkie beamed and jumped for joy; it seemed just mentioning her sister was enough to get her excited instead of nervous. “She’s super smart and cool, I think you’re gonna like her a lot.” “I hope so,” Twilight giggled and squeezed Pinkie’s hand. “If she’s anything like you, I’m sure I’ll love her.” “She isn’t,” Pinkie said innocently, and something about that made Twilight laugh, “but I’m sure you’re gonna love her anyway!” “I’m sure I will,” Twilight nodded. Granted, helping Pinkie and meeting her sister weren’t the only reasons Twilight agreed to walk Pinkie to the train station. Twilight was also looking forward to meeting up with a familiar face, and it was hard not to notice her lounging on the station platform since she was sprawled across it in her true form. “Trixie!” Twilight said delightedly, the dragon lazily looking over at her with a decidedly unenthusiastic look on her face. “Twilight Sparkle,” Trixie yawned. “Still going with the whole pony disguise, huh?” “Well, yeah,” Twilight said bashfully. “I don’t wanna cause anyone any trouble.” “Gawd, you’re such a narc,” Trixie cackled and rolled her eyes. “There’s no one here for you to inconvenience, nerd. Unless the puffball has a problem.” Trixie pointed a claw at Pinkie, whose face scrunched up in resentment. This was the whole reason Pinkie wanted Twilight’s help, as a buffer between her and Trixie. And it needed to specifically be Twilight, since she was the one who considered Trixie a friend. That said, Trixie made a good point. “Pinkie Pie,” Twilight looked eagerly but nervously at Pinkie, genuinely worried what she would say, “do you mind?” “Twilight!” Pinkie Pie gasped and jumped in the air. “I don’t think I’ve ever gotten to see your big form before! Not like, at least not since the Everfree! Showmeshowmeshowmeshowmeshowme!!!” Twilight grinned ear to ear, basking in Pinkie’s excitement and even the slight smile that Trixie was trying to hide with her hand, as Twilight burned in purple fire, her fur and skin smoldering off and being charred to ashes as her bones grew in size and shape, her body wrapped in a protective blanket of shimmering scales. She outstretched her wings that had galaxies painted into their leathery flesh, and she let out a roar that could shake the heavens. There was so much to love about being a pony, but there was truly no feeling more heady than returning home. Twilight hadn't realized until she had returned to her true form how massive and imposing the spires of the Empire had felt to her before, and now it almost felt like Twilight could fit them in the palm of her hand. Even Trixie, a relatively small dragon, was twice Twilight’s size or more, and now Twilight could pick her up and pet her cute little head if she wanted to. She didn’t want to, but she could have and that’s what was important. Pinkie cooed in amazement at Twilight’s form, and she responded with a gleaming grin, Pinkie screeching in delight. “The fangies…” Pinkie whispered. “Oh?” Twilight smirked, letting her razor sharp fangs take the spotlight for Pinkie’s viewing pleasure, and Twilight could see Pinkie’s legs getting wobbly underneath her. “You like these guys?” “Everyone likes the fangies,” Trixie said confidently, smiling and showing off her own impressive chompers as she idly looked over her claws. The whistle of an oncoming train alerted everyone’s attention, especially Pinkie who leaped over the bench to run to the very edge of the station platform, to the point that Twilight was worried for a moment that she would have to pick Pinkie up off the track or something. Trixie too gave the oncoming train her full, enraptured attention, looking a lot like a dog who was waiting at home for its master to return. Maybe that was an unfair comparison, but it was wild to see someone as, well— who cared about as little as Trixie cared about, giving her full attention to anything. As the train rolled in, the two women got increasingly anxious, and it was starting to rub off on Twilight too. She just couldn’t wait to meet this Maud and see what kind of person she was like. Only a single passenger departed the train: a dark grey earth pony mare wearing very bland, bleak-colored clothing. Her hair was neat and straight, and her expression was completely nonplussed. This was Maud Pie, no doubt about it. “MAUD!!” Pinkie was the first to pounce, and pounce she did, quite literally jumping into Maud’s arms, who caught her without even flinching, Pinkie burying herself in her sister’s embrace as she wrapped her up in a tight hug. “I AM SOOOOO HAPPY TO SEE YOU!” “I’m happy to see you too, Pinkie,” Maud said flatly. It was off-putting at first, almost sarcastic-sounding, but the joyful expression on Pinkie’s face didn’t change, so Twilight just presumed that was simply the way Maud talked. “Hey,” Trixie said casually, and it was funny seeing her try to act cool after she was practically salivating waiting for the train to roll in. “Hey,” Maud said, letting Pinkie go, and Pinkie politely bounced out of the way so Maud could have her moment. “Like what you see?” Trixie said smugly, presenting herself like a gift. “I’m rock hard,” Maud said, Trixie nearly choking on her laughter. “I know you only said that cuz it’s a rock pun,” Trixie cackled, sticking out her tongue playfully, “but I appreciate the sentiment.” “I said it because it’s a rock pun, and also because my penis is erect looking at my sexy dragon friend’s naked body,” Maud explained, and wow Twilight was genuinely impressed by her brazenness. Not as impressed as Trixie though, who was stunned silent with bright red cheeks. “OKAY SO ANYWAY!” Pinkie loudly chimed in, marching up to her sister and grabbing her hand. “Sorry, Pinkie,” Maud said. “Didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I was just flirting with Trixie for a second. Because she’s beautiful and hot and I want to date her.” Trixie, for her part, said nothing. She had the vacant look of someone whose brain was sparking and fizzing with gay feelings; she was clearly not so prepared for Maud’s bluntness, but Twilight was more amused than anything. Turns out the Pie sisters weren’t that different after all. “It’s fine it’s fine it’s fine,” Pinkie dismissed Maud’s concerns with a wave of her hand. “What I wanna know now is, how do you and Trixie feel about, drum roll-” Pinkie took a second to imitate a drum roll, and it was adorable. Even Maud cracked a little bit of a smile. “-double date!!” “Double date?!” Trixie balked, recoiling in what looked like anxiety-induced panic. Twilight knew the feeling well. “We haven’t even single dated!” “That’s okay!” Pinkie said, pumping her fists. “I really wanna get to know Trixie, and I also wanna hang out with Maud! And I want Maud to hang out with Trixie too, so… double date! Everyone wins!” “I’m down,” Maud said, and looked up at the increasingly nervous Trixie. “What about you, Trixie?” “Sure, sounds uhhh super fun,” Trixie chuckled awkwardly, and Twilight leaned over and pat her on the shoulder. “Get used to surprises like this Trixie,” Twilight said sympathetically. “This is just part of what it means to be in the orbit of the Pies.”