Trixie cleared her throat and spoke tentatively to Rainbow Dash. “You mean, the two of you are going on a double-date, right? Like, you with a pegasus and she with a unicorn?”
“Uh, no. Was I not clear? Twi-” Rainbow Dash stopped herself. She remembered Twilight was trying to get her attention when Trixie pressed for more answers. Twilight feared the two of them butting heads would lead to something; Rainbow Dash just had no clue know what that was. She couldn’t think of what she said to both insult Trixie and scare Twilight. It could be how she told Trixie to back off, but the onlookers wouldn’t be surprised watching Rainbow Dash act like she normally does. Rainbow Dash didn’t think she said anything offensive, and Trixie wasn’t a sensitive pony by any means. The only new thing she mentioned that wasn’t a reiteration of “leave Twilight alone” was their plans for tomorrow.
Rainbow Dash broke a sweat at the thought. Right. The date. Somehow during this whole mess she forgot to keep Twilight’s feelings in mind. Twilight must have wanted her to keep it secret, or at least on the down-low. She wasn’t too familiar with the subject of dating, but she was definitely sure nothing was appropriate about gawking and horrified responses to wanting to be with one’s special somepony.
She wanted to tell off Trixie and her audience so dearly. Rainbow Dash craved to give all of them a piece of her mind about what was going on, but speaking her mind caused enough damage as it was. Keeping Twilight’s feelings in mind and shifting gears seemed to be a better plan if she wanted to fix things.
“Can’t you just get a grip and leave Twilight alone?” Changing the subject wasn’t the best idea, but it was the first to come to mind.
Trixie scoffed at Rainbow Dash, leaned to her side and appealed to Twilight. “Please don’t tell Trixie this is true? What this ruffian, this mundane weather-pony, is telling her?”
Twilight raised to all fours and found some of her composure again to answer, though most of her efforts went into staying up. Her voice was broken, but not completely gone. “I didn’t want to say anything, but yes.”
Trixie continued to plead through a forced smile. “Now, now, just because everypony is watching doesn’t mean you have to answer right away! Take your time for Trixie.” Rainbow Dash heard the desperation in her voice. She’d never seen anypony so pathetic in her life as to scare somepony to death to get what she wanted, then beg for an explanation.
Twilight found the strength in her voice to and broke through Trixie’s persistence. “I don’t need time. All I need is to get off this stage and back in my house. The only pony who can make me happy is Rainbow Dash.” Twilight laid her hoof on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder.
Rainbow Dash blushed. She was worried Twilight would want to distance herself from her to downplay the accidental announcement. She made things worse by playing hero, she ignored Twilight’s plea and spoke before thinking at the cost of Twilight’s apparent desire for discretion. There was no excuse for her shortsightedness. She’s been forgiven by her friends before for her hard-headedness, but this felt so much more... personal. It was more than just forgiveness; Twilight defended Rainbow Dash’s behavior.
With her nose up in the air and lips pursed, Trixie snorted with contempt. Her zeal was gone along with her obnoxious smirk. “Hmph. Trixie’s patience is taxed by this turn of events, as unbelievable as it may seem. I suppose Trixie must call upon her stage-hoof to handle this. Cheap Trick!”
An excited gasp could be heard from behind the curtains. A white colt Rainbow Dash didn’t recognize stumbled onto the stage through the curtains with a dumb grin on his face. “Yes, Miss Trixie? Is it time for the finale already?”
Trixie’s cold stare wiped the smile off his face. “You see these two ponies?”
Trick didn’t even turn his head and nodded hurriedly.
Trixie held the back of her hoof against her forehead, turning away from Trick melodramatically. “The antics of these two ponies confound Trixie. Trixie is now too flustered to cast a even a simple spell to diffuse the sudden chaos before her.”
He took a look around the stage, narrowing his eyes at Twilight and Rainbow Dash, then looked back at Trixie with a tilted head. “Uh, what chaos? It’s just the four of us standing around.”
Unamused, Trixie snapped around and stared him down. “Did you not hear anything,” she growled, “while you were back there waiting for my signal?”
Trick swallowed hard and spoke cautiously. “Sorry Trixie! The curtains are rather... thick?”
Trixie threw a hoof around his shoulder, gripping him tightly and pointing accusingly at Rainbow. “The chaos rears its ugly head before you, simpleton! If you could only imagine what poison this brash cloud-hugger must have poured into poor Twilight’s ear that would dispel the wonders of magic to the eyes of one Twilight Sparkle!
Rainbow Dash scowled, scrounging for any patience left in her not to pounce Trixie and her horrible excuse for a goon. “Cloud-hugger?! Nopony insults me like that!”
Trixie waved her hoof to silence Rainbow Dash, then grumbled loudly into Trick’s ear. “Faithful stage-hoof, Trixie will spell it out for you.” She directed his attention to her free hoof, which she used to wildly exaggerate motions to assist in her explanation. “Trixie sees somepony who is ungrateful and reluctant to accept Trixie’s reasonable proposal. She is particularly weary of the especially aggravating pegasus getting in the way.”
Trick squinted from his ear ringing and processed the story. “You’re sure you’re not making a haystack out of a straw?”
Trixie squeezed him to get the message across. “Then pretend for a moment this is serious to you. Trixie is in no position to perform magic. So can you do this for Trixie, or shall she find someone to replace you?”
Undaunted by the abuse, Trick saluted. “You can count on me, milady!”
His loyalty put Rainbow Dash on her guard. It was a relief Trixie couldn’t cast any spells, but Rainbow Dash didn’t know what to make of what Trick was capable of. Although he showed no signs of discipline, balance or common sense, he could still pose a threat. A botched spell could do as much harm as a successful one. She needed to prepare herself for anything. Considering Trixie’s track record with fans, her hooves were crossed that he wouldn’t amount to much.
Rainbow Dash turned to Twilight. She was squinting in concentration and sparks flew from her horn, but she couldn’t get her a spell going. Rainbow hovered over and wrapped her hooves around Twilight, feeling her chest expand from gasping. “Don’t strain yourself,” she whispered into her ear. “If he tries anything I’ll fly us outta here so brace yourself, okay? And... I’m sorry about earlier.”
Twilight hesitated. She whispered something under her breath that sounded like a question, and soon after she relaxed and the glow disappeared from her horn. “It’s okay, Dash.”
“Ready when you are, Miss Trixie. What shall I do?” Trick pointed his horn, which now shone brightly, towards Rainbow Dash and Twilight. He smirked with the zeal that a colt or filly would have from discovering their cutie mark. Rainbow Dash saw the eagerness in his demeanor all too well. Willing to go to great lengths herself for Twilight, she knew to recognize a desperate-to-please pony when she saw one.
Whatever happens next, Rainbow Dash thought, it all comes down to my speed.
Trixie surveyed the action in front of her, snorting in contempt at the gallant display of readiness from Rainbow Dash. Whipping around to get in her face, Trixie scrutinized Rainbow Dash before slowly revealing a devilish grin.
“Why are you so foolhardy to test Trixie’s assistant?” Trixie paused as if expecting a response, but continued in spite of Rainbow Dash’s silence. “Your despondency almost puts Trixie in the mood to watch some magic put you in your place after all. But not quite. Just leave.”
“What? Do you mean-” Rainbow Dash failed to hide the surprise in her voice.
“Yes!” she sneered. “Just flap those little wings of yours and do whatever it is you pegasi do with your friends. Trixie only wishes to remind you that this scene of yours is merely prologue to unfinished business.”
Trixie then looked down to Twilight, who avoided making eye contact. “Oh, and Twilight? Trixie wishes you the best of luck in finding whatever it is you think makes you happy. Just bear in mind that when her wings fail you, magic won’t be far behind.”
The night’s stress already exhausted any desire in Rainbow Dash to ask what she meant, and she had enough of Trixie’s voice to last a lifetime. As much as she was sure Trixie enjoyed giving her and Twilight permission to leave, she didn’t waste the opportunity. As soon as she saw Trick’s horn revert to normal, she took off with Twilight safe in her hooves. Rainbow Dash and Twilight went from breaking sweat to breaking clouds, with each push from Rainbow Dash’s wings putting more distance between them and their anxieties.