//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 Part 2: A Simple Request // Story: My Secret Daughter // by deadpansnarker //------------------------------// “Ah, now that truly hit the spot!” Trixie stretched all of her most delicate muscles gingerly, whilst exiting the spa with Starlight in tow. “Trixie feels ready for an entire tour… no, make that an entire season of performance-related art! All I need now is to do half-an-hour of aerobics tonight to limber up, and my daily workout routine will be complete!” “ “Performance-related art’? Is that your new name for pretending to cut other ponies in half with a fake saw? And I wondered why I saw you looking at discount leotards the other day…” Starlight commented with amusement, knowing that renaming her act and this new keep-fit program would last for all of a week. Trixie was great at initiating fads, not-so-good at sticking to them. “Hmph! Scoff all you want, but Trixie is going to attract a higher end of clientele in the not-too-distant-future. And that means… maximised profits!” Trixie sniffed petulantly at her fellow unicorn’s cynicism. “Soon, I won’t have to deal with all the yokels and bumpkins I’ve been merely tolerating until now, it’ll be glasses of champagne and caviar-on-a-stick all year round! Doesn’t that just sound dreamy?” “ For a start, that’s not how they serve caviar. And to be honest, not really. Maybe I’d have thought so once upon a time, but things have changed since then. I don’t think the affluent lifestyle is all it's cracked up to be…” Starlight frowned back, referencing her own recent troubles with two members of the aristocracy in particular. “Anyway, whatever you choose to do, you know I’ll support you one-hundred percent. Just try not to get your hopes up, always keep a sense of proportion, and…” “Hey! Is it Starlight Glimmer talking now, or Twilight Sparkle? It’s funny: I don’t see any wings, or a miniature dragon running about bumping into things. But what you just said there could’ve come fresh from The Most Boring Alicorn In Equestria.” Trixie rolled her eyes at Starlight’s platitudinous speech there. “Look, I’m perfectly aware all my carefully-laid plans could be crushed like mouldy fruit at any given moment. But if I don’t try, how will I ever know…?” “Wow, that’s… a surprisingly mature outlook for you, Trixie. You must’ve given this matter a lot of thought, and I really admire…” “...And of course, if everything goes wrong, I’ll just blame it on somepony else. After all, there’s no end of hapless stooges out there. The Careful And Cautious Trixie doesn’t make mistakes, she just gets bad advice!” Trixie’s radical turning over of a new leaf was short-lived, much to the non-surprise of her companion. “...I thought as much. Well, whatever happens, at least you’ll learn something from the experience. Or in your case, maybe not.” Starlight’s ‘here we go again’ moment with her bestie was interrupted by a familiar pink filly running over, and the new arrival apparently had no time for trivial greetings. “Starlight. We need to talk. Now.” “Oh, hi there Diamond! I thought you were spending the day with your friends. If you’ve come to join us at the spa, I’m afraid you’re a bit too late…” Starlight was somewhat taken aback to see her daughter again so soon, but was very pleased she’d chosen to make their separation brief. “No, I came because I knew you’d be finished. My pals are refurbishing our treehouse, something which I can’t claim to be very good at. I want to build businesses when I’m older, not insecure structures…” “Oh, Trixie likes that one! I can tell you and I are going to get on like cinnamon and nuts!” Trixie chuckled at the filly’s play on words, squeezing uninvitedly between Starlight and the younger pony to offer up a blue hoof. “Hi, I’m your Auntie Trixie Lulamoon! You might remember me from such breathtaking magic shows like the one at Ponyville Schoolhouse and the Town Square. How does it feel to be the only child of the Greatest and most Powerfullest friend I’ve ever met?” “E-Erm…” Diamond took a couple of steps backwards, understandably lost for words at this juncture. Oh, Trixie. I warned you before that Diamond doesn’t like this kind of in-your-face style of confrontation. I learned that lesson the hard way yesterday… Starlight sighed at the other unicorn’s blatant lack of subtlety, before pushing herself back in front and smiling apologetically to a nonplussed Diamond. “So sorry about that. Trixie doesn’t have much family, so the prospect of hanging out with us made her a little overexcited. Even more than is usual, hard to believe I know. Anyway, what did you gallop all the way down here to tell me? You look completely exhausted.” “I am, but don’t worry about that. This is more important. And I’d prefer if we were alone.” Diamond didn’t mean to sound rude, but frankly she’d had her fill of overenthusiastic ponies trying to win her over for an entire lifetime.  Plus, in all honesty, she’d always found Trixie kind of weird. A speculative opinion which had only been strengthened the last few minutes. “Fine, fine. You two go off and do your mother-daughter ‘thing’. Trixie knows when she’s not wanted…” Trixie pretended to put on a mock sad voice, but in reality she was a bit peeved at the outright rejection of her genial overtures. “But, little future niece, let me swear this: nopony is immune from the overpowering charms of Trixie The Magnificent! Soon, we’ll be sitting at a table together, sharing cake and bad jokes, and you’ll love it! You’ll l o v e it!!” Trixie then flapped her scarf like a cape and made her exit stage left, making sure that her piercing laughter caught in the air long after she’d departed. After proceedings had returned to some kind of normality, Diamond blinked once, twice, before asking the only question on her lips. “Wait. I’m confused. About everything actually, but mostly this: Is she no longer the ‘Great And Powerful Trixie’, but ‘Trixie The Magnificent’? Are you the ‘Great And Powerful Starlight’ now, o-or…” “Relax, Diamond. Trixie gives herself all kinds of self-aggrandising aliases all the time, and most of us just roll with it until she invents another one. It’s not like she’s hurting anypony, is she? Now… would you like to go somewhere private to discuss what you came here to see me about?” “Y-Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.” A formerly laser-focused Diamond Tiara had been sidetracked temporarily by Trixie’s pique of randomness, but after being reminded about her mission she quickly regained her composure. “Where did you have in mind?” “Usually, I’d say Sugarcube Corner, but after that huge breakfast we had earlier, I’m not sure I could face another cupcake ever again.” There was a reason why Starlight hadn’t let Bulk Biceps massage her front belly earlier: indigestion can be a terrible, terrible condition. “Oh wait, I know! What about the large bridge in the centre of town? Sometimes I go there myself, when I need to think. I don’t know what it is about that place, but it always seems to help…”   “I think I know what you mean…” Diamond nodded in agreement, as bittersweet memories of her own tears falling in the stream below after losing the school election began flooding back to her. “It sounds ideal. Let’s head there together now, shall we? Unless you have somewhere you’d like to go first.” “Not really. Although, I am kind of wondering what was so urgent it made you rush down here so quickly…” Starlight dared ask the question, before they’d even reached the meeting place. “Nothing is wrong, I hope?” “No. I’m feeling much better now, thanks for asking. Although there is something you can do for me…” Diamond regarded Starlight through warm, pleading blue eyes, and it was clear that whatever this pending request was, it meant a lot to the filly. “I see.” opined Starlight, immediately jolting herself to attention. This could be my big chance to worm my way back into her affections, after our somewhat rocky start together! Whatever she wants, short of murder, grand treason or stealing another pony’s cutie mark, I’ll be sure to agree to. For now though, I better remain calm. Don’t want her to figure out how desperate I am to win her over, or she may decide to take advantage of the situation. “And what might that be?” “Well Starlight, I was going to ask you when we got to the bridge, but I suppose there’s no harm in telling you now. It’s about my father…” “Who, Double Dia... I mean, Filthy Rich? What about him?” “I want to… no, I need to see him. Today.”