//------------------------------//
// Chapter Forty Four: Of Fires and Drowning 
// Story: Trixie is Pregnant and It's Twilight's Problem 
// by TheCrimsonDM 
//------------------------------//


Chapter Forty Four: Of Fires and Drowning



Written by TheCrimsonDM


Rainbow Dash had lit the incense and sat there, spilling her heart out to Trixie. Once a perfect stranger, and although a friend, just stranger enough that she could trust her. It wasn't the first of such talks, and she realized it probably wouldn't be the last of them. Still she was surprised to see Trixie was hanging on her every word. Even if she was pretending to read a fashion magazine, it seemed much more habit than disinterest in Rainbow Dash.

Once Rainbow Dash had finished spilling her guts. She sat there feeling drained, and tired, and hurt. She just didn't know what to say any more at that point. "My entire relationship with Fluttershy and Pinkie was orchestrated by Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy herself. I know that when you have a crush one someone your friends are supposed to help, but this feels like it’s gone well beyond that, like, like some kind of evil plot to get me hitched to two different ponies. The worst problem is, I actually love them both."

Trixie nodded. "Trixie understands. If she'd been in your place. Having some pony manipulate her life, her choices, her decisions, she'd have such a deep sense of mistrust with them she'd never be able to get over it. She may even grow to hate that pony, swearing vengeance on them forever. If by some chance she actually loved them at some point to top it all off... well, let's just say Trixie is not as strong as you."

Rainbow Dash could tell there were some darker undertones to that line, but she felt like perhaps now was not the best time to be asking her what she had meant. She just made a mental note to check up on Trixie more often and perhaps bring her some peanut butter muffins from Pinkie's special oven. "Your plenty strong, Trixie. I like that about you."

Trixie smiled at her. "Thank you, Rainbow. Though for once this is not about Trixie. It is about you. And Trixie needs to know, do you think these ponies manipulated you for selfish reasons?"

Rainbow Dash responded all too quickly. "I know for a fact that Pinkie Pie would never do that."

"Just, Pinkie Pie?"

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth. No words came out. All she wanted to say was ‘of course not, Fluttershy, and Rarity would never use her.’ Never have plans that were too selfish and designed only to please them while hurting Rainbow Dash. That's all she had to say right? Right? How come she couldn't say that? How come it hurt so bad it was like some dragon had clawed its way into her chest, breaking the bones and was ripping her still-beating heart out for her to see? How come her eyes were burning? 

She closed her mouth and rubbed at her stupid water eyes. 

There was a flush of the toilet and a moment later she felt two warm legs wrap around her and pull her into an embrace. "There, there," Trixie whispered. "This is an awkward situation for anypony to be in, especially someone as cool as you are. And Trixie would mistrust all three of them herself, but the fact you do trust at least one of them is a great thing."

Rainbow Dash sniffled, great now she must have allergies. "Why's that?"

"Because it means you can fall back on Pinkie if you have to get somewhere more... safe. Emotionally safe."

Rainbow Dash nuzzled into Trixie's chest. Those hooves caressed her back gently. Rainbow Dash nearly whispered. "You mean, if I decide to... leave? I can still have Pinkie?"

Trixie's embrace tightened. "Trixie did not say that... but... that is also true. Trixie simply meant if you felt overwhelmed by all this, you could probably stay with Pinkie for awhile to recover. It sounds like you really trust her."

Rainbow Dash sniffled. "I... I guess I do. Does that make me a bad pony?"

"With the display Fluttershy is giving us right now, Trixie doubts it. Trixie still says that this isn't as bad as it could be, even if Fluttershy is too... interested in ponies she should stay away from, she hasn't actually done anything yet. Perhaps her offer for a massage was truly an innocent offer?"

Rainbow Dash pulled away. "Do you really think that?"

Trixie met Rainbow Dash's eyes. "Trixie thinks we should give her the benefit of the doubt at least. But do not worry, Trixie will not betray your trust. You are as dear a friend to Trixie as Twilight is."

Rainbow dash smiled. "Thanks."

Trixie beamed at her. "Good, now clean yourself up, and let’s go back to the party."

Clean... Rainbow Dash suddenly realized something that sent shivers down her spine. "You didn't wash your hooves... did you?"

Trixie winked at her. "Oops, did Trixie forget to do that before getting her hooves all over your back, smearing invisible germs there? Must have slipped Trixie's mind."

"You are evil, aren't you?"

"Trixie has her moments."


***


Not only did Trixie feel like she'd been pregnant for a whole year already, she was also hungry. It was later into the evening and Trixie found herself at the mercy of the burning fires before her. Only a single stick with a flaming marshmallow being held aloft by her telekinetic aura were there to defend her from the flames. Yet the marshmallow was failing as it burned, cracked, and blackened. It had to withdraw, and as it did, the flames kept pursuing it until she blew them out with her magical breath of wind. The burnt oozing carcass of her once brave and fluffy friend lay there, ready, willing, and vulnerable to her lips. She snatched the marshmallow into her mouth and moaned as the sweetest hottest and most delightful treat pleased her to her core. 

She just really wished that Fluttershy hadn’t been staring at her while she did. It was of course only then that Trixie had the most brilliant of ideas. "Twilight, love, you can teleport right?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes, it is one of my favorite ways of transportation."

Trixie nodded at Rainbow Dash. "I think maybe Rainbow Dash is a bit tired and might be more relaxed at home. Could you teleport these two love birds home?"

Twilight frowned. "I mean... I guess so... I like their company though." She looked over at Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. "Do you two want to go home?"

Rainbow Dash nodded. "I think I would."

Fluttershy shook her head. "I'm enjoying it here. I'd like to stay."

Rainbow Dash looked at Fluttershy. "Are you sure you don't want to come home with me?"

Fluttershy met her eyes, there was a hard look in them, one so rarely seen in the usually soft spoken and pushover pegasus. "No, I'm quite sure I'd like to stay. You can go home if you want."

Trixie wanted to groan. She thought for sure that would work. Instead all she saw was Rainbow Dash look about as shocked as if a skunk had teleported in front of her. Her ears folded back, and her head lowered, she looked down at the floor. "I'll... I'll stay."

It was such a small thing that Trixie almost missed it. Rainbow Dash didn't just back down, she was defeated. Her will was completely crushed by Fluttershy's. What was Fluttershy even thinking? She wasn't going to get anything out of this. Not at all. There was perhaps a real challenge coming and that sickly feeling that today was going to go real wrong real soon came back. Trixie really wanted this night to be over now. Even toasted marshmallows weren't going to fix the disaster that was about to unfold between these two. Their wedding was only four days away too. 

She really, really hoped this was just pre-wedding jitters.

Trixie whispered to herself. "Please, Luna, let this be another nightmare." she waited for a few seconds and got no response. Nope, not a nightmare, this time it was real. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash really just had a micro fight in front of her, and Rainbow Dash lost. Looking at Rainbow Dash, she couldn't possibly imagine what it would be like to be in her horseshoes. If Twilight had done that to her...

Twilight snuggled in closer to Trixie and whispered. "Trixie, I don’t know why, but for some reason I get the feeling I need to tell you how much I love you and that I'd never do anything to hurt you."

Trixie nodded. "I know, Twilight. I trust you."

Rainbow Dash pushed herself up off the floor and began walking to the staircase. "Hey, I'm going to go to sleep. I'm feeling tired... Fluttershy... would... would you like to join me?" Her voice sounded so weak, like she was begging Fluttershy to hear her. Yet Fluttershy was only staring at Trixie. A look of obsession and interest that Trixie could never return.

Fluttershy spoke. "I'll join you in a moment, Dashy."

The way Rainbow Dash scrunched up her face as if she'd bitten into something sour was too painful to watch. She turned her head and began walking down the stairs. Trixie couldn't watch this, she didn't know what she could do. She felt powerless, this whole kind of situation was outside of her scope, but she was learning to pick up on emotions a lot better, and the actions that created them. Trixie couldn’t do anything directly, but she could at least take away Fluttershy's reason for staying. "Trixie is going to bed too. She demands that nopony bother her except for Twilight." She walked over to the stairs and walked up them leaving only Twilight and Fluttershy alone by the fireplace.

The fact that Fluttershy was clearly watching her go up the stairs was... not as pleasing as she'd liked. This time it made Trixie feel kind of dirty. She almost wished she could see what was going on inside Fluttershy's mind but she knew that whatever it was, she did not in fact want to know about it.

Crawling into bed Trixie let her eyes close shut and her mind begin to drift away. Hopefully this was a one-time thing. That Fluttershy would figure what was going on, and how she was hurting Rainbow Dash. This seemed almost impossible that Fluttershy could be this cold toward Rainbow Dash. There was simply no way this was really her. It was like she was a changeling in disguise. Trixie might allow herself to believe that too, if she hadn't seen Twilight's anti-Changeling defense system in person.


***


Fluttershy was finally left alone with just Twilight once more. Sure, she'd rather have been left alone with Trixie. At least there was something beautiful, stunning, and magical to look at. Instead she was alone with Twilight. Twilight was giving her an odd look that she couldn't quite place. 

Twilight spoke gently, in a hushed tone. "Fluttershy, you just broke Rainbow Dash's heart."

Fluttershy felt the pain of her actions stab her in the chest. She knew it too. Usually she had been good about keeping her emotions down about Trixie. Keeping her lust in check. Yet no amount of role-play with Pinkie was going to satisfy her craving to enjoy every ounce of pregnant flesh a mother had. Still, that wasn't even the real reason she was avoiding Rainbow Dash.

In the past month or so since they'd begun dating she could count the number of times she'd had to really enjoy peace and quiet on the number of appendages she had. It wasn't that she didn't love Rainbow Dash. Of course she did. She just... wanted some space. The more she stayed with Rainbow Dash, the more certain thoughts and questions began to run in her mind. 

The kinds of questions she could not outrun forever. She closed her eyes and let out a quiet sigh. "Pinkie would have supported me."

Twilight replied. "What?"

Fluttershy opened her eyes. "O-oh, nothing. Just... I know I hurt Rainbow Dash. I'll make it up to her later. I just need a moment away from her."

Twilight frowned. "You need to be away from her? But aren't you getting married on Friday? You'll be spending a lot of time with her then wouldn't you?"

Fluttershy looked back at the fireplace. It was starting to die down now, the roaring flames filled with heat and energy were cooling. Without another log to add to the fire it would soon die down to mere embers and from there be extinguished. Its heat and passion never to be rekindled without entirely new logs and a new fire. "Yeah... that will be a lot of time together wont it?"

Twilight pawed at the floor. "Didn’t you want to get married to her?"

Fluttershy looked back over at Twilight. "I do. I think it would be nice. We'd have a happy, nice, life together. But... I can't shake this feeling. Do you think she really loves me, for me?"

Twilight blinked. "I don't think I understand."

Fluttershy offered a weak smile. "She helped me out with the animals today. I didn't even exactly ask her to. I mentioned that I was going to do it, and she just offered to help. I was kind of hoping to do it alone. Still it wasn't so bad... until she began complaining about it."

"Oh, I see."

"I don’t think she even really likes the animals, or appreciates how much I like them. At least Pinkie would have talked to them and tried to make friends. Rainbow Dash just sort of... does what I tell her too... all the time... without ever pushing back..."

"She was pushing back tonight."

Fluttershy looked once more at the dying flames. "No, not really. she just gave in. I could ask her to do anything, to let me do anything, and she would just accept it... and if I'm b-being totally honest. I hate that."

Twilight's ears folded back. "Why do you hate that? Isn't that wonderful?"

"No, it's not. The Rainbow Dash that I fell in love with was this strong, independent mare. One who did whatever she wanted, and would fight for what she thought and believed in, even with her friends. She used to be like that with me, trying to push me to be brave, arguing with me about silly unimportant things. Ever since me and her started dating that changed. I know she's scared of losing me, but maybe I'm scared if she doesn't mare up... she might lose me."

Twilight looked down. "Oh no... Fluttershy... I... don't hurt her, please don't hurt her."

"I don’t want to." Fluttershy offered a weak smile. "I just want her to push back, just a little. To show me who she really is. Not what she thinks I want her to be."

"I heard you always break up with ponies."

Fluttershy cringed at that. "I... don’t always do that."

"Please don't break up with Rainbow Dash." Twilight met her eyes. "I want you to both be happy."

Fluttershy smiled. "I know. I want us to be happy too." What she didn’t add, was that it was possible, that perhaps them being happy, and them being in a relationship, weren't in fact one and the same thing. She looked once more at the fire. "We should probably add another log to the flames."

Twilight shook her head. "It’s getting late. Maybe we should just let the fire die out?"

Fluttershy nodded. "You’re probably right."