//------------------------------// // Chapter 19 // Story: Swapping Scales For Suave // by Jest //------------------------------// “That certainly was an… interesting trip,” Twilight muttered as she stepped off the train and onto the platform. In the distance, just above the horizon, sat the morning sun, its rays beginning to warm Ponyville and its inhabitants. Which now included Trixie, Rarity, and Spike who were quick to join Twilight on the platform, their luggage clutched tight in their grasp. A few fellow travelers darkened the small, poorly lit platform, but none gave the small group a second glance. “Trixie is glad we were able to get such an early train,” Trixie exclaimed, stretching upon exiting the train. “That hotel room was warm, cramped and smelled vaguely like fish.” Twilight sighed. “I told you we should have put the AC on sooner, and closed that window.” “Why stay near the ocean if you are not going to enjoy the sound of the waves?” Trixie retorted, the group walking into town together. Rarity smiled. “Well you two may not have had a good sleep, but Spike and I sure did, isn't that right darling?” “You could say that,” Spike agreed. “I was out like a light last night. Thank goodness we ordered room service because I don't think anything but the smell of food could have woken me up.” Rarity chuckled. “No kidding. That bed may not have been perfect, but everything else was just… immaculate.” “Yes, things did turn out quite well didn't they?” Twilight mused, flashing Spike and Rarity a smile. “All thanks to you two and your incredible generosity.” “Oh we just did what anyone in our circumstance would,” Rarity dismissed. “Trixie would not do that, she is far too poor,” Trixie offered, only to wince. “Trixie did not mean to offer that out loud.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Just remember to let everyone know about the change of plans, okay? I don't want anyone going all the way out there only to find out that's not where the wedding is.” “We should probably go see Pinkie Pie first,” Spike offered. “I’d hate for her to plan everything only to have to change it immediately.” “A good point,” Rarity agreed. “We should deposit our overnight bags at home, and seek out an early lunch. What do you think Twilight, would you like to join us?” “I think we’ll pass,” Twilight replied. “I have a lot of restocking to do at the library, and I was hoping to get a bit more time with Trixie.” “Trixie agrees. She would very much enjoy spending her afternoon with her favorite book worm,” Trixie added, bumping her hip against Twilight. Rarity chuckled. “Then we will leave you two love birds to find your own.” “Don't do anything I wouldn't,” Spike added. “I’ll try not to,” Twilight replied while rolling her eyes. With that the group split in two, with Twilight and Trixie heading towards the library while the other pair of lovers headed in another direction. They quickly lost sight of one another, with Twilight and Trixie disappearing behind a large house not long after they went their separate ways. The dou were silent for a few moments, both quietly enjoying the fact that they were home, and that they had concluded their business. That lasted until they had deposited their bags at home, and nearly arrived at sugarcube corner. “Do you think she will be upset with us?” Spike asked somewhat nervously. “I know it's Pinkie Pie we are talking about here, but we might be asking her to throw out a lot of work.” “I am sure she somehow saw this all coming and will be totally unsurprised by this sudden change,” Rarity replied. Spike nodded quietly as he pushed open the bakery door and stepped inside. “Very true, though I suppose there is only one way to find out?” “Oh find out what? If there really is a teapot orbiting the planet?” Pinkie Pie asked from behind the counter. “I mean, it's possible,” Spike replied. “But can you prove it? That's the question,” Pinkie Pie retorted. The dragon turned pony scratched his chin, while his partner merely rolled her eyes and walked the rest of the way up to the pink mare. “We come bearing bad news,” Rarity began. “I’m afraid that our situation has changed and that we will be having the wedding here in Ponyville. Likely at Applejack’s farm, provided she allows us use of the premises.” “Wait, why is that bad news?” Pinkie Pie remarked, scratching her head. “Doesn't that mean you save like a whole bunch of money, and don't have to go anywhere?” “Well we thought it would be bad news because you might have had to throw out a bunch of work you’ve already done,” Spike explained. “Nah. I had a feeling that you were undecided about something so I decided to hold off until that feeling went away,” Pinkie Pie declared. “That's wonderful!” Rarity exclaimed. “We were worried that you’d have to start all over again.” “Like our retirement fund,” Spike added with a grim chuckle. “Noper doper!” Pinkie Pie began, only to stop suddenly. “Wait a second. Why would you have to start saving all over again? I thought you werent going to have your wedding at that frou frou place?” “We paid for someone more worthy to have their wedding there,” Spike explained. “You really should meet them, they are wonderful ponies,” Rarity added. “They really have been dealt a bad hand so to speak.” “Wait a second!” Pinkie Pie shouted, leaping atop the counter. “Are you telling me that in a fit of guilt you paid for someone else's wedding using your retirement fund?” “Uh, yeah,” Spike replied with a shrug. “Stay right there. I’ll be right back!” Pinkie Pie proclaimed before sprinting up the stairs so fast she left behind a cloud of pink smoke that vaguely resembled her. “So uh, what do you think that was about?” Spike asked, turning to Rarity. “Probably something to do with her Pinkie sense, you know how it is,” Rarity answered. Spike hummed to himself. “It is rather amazing how good she's gotten at predicting things. I know not to think about it too hard but it makes me wonder if we really do have free will.” “Best not wander too far down that particular road, for there lies madness,” Rarity sagely declared. “Too true. I still get nightmares about that time that Twilight tried to prove that the future was pre written using Pinkie Pie’s predictions,” Spike muttered, shuddering fearfully to himself. “You would have thought she would have learned from the first time,” Rarity added. “No kidding. She probably earned more than a few gray hairs from that one,” Spike exclaimed. “Aaaand here it is!” Pinkie Pie shouted, the speedy pink blur reappearing a second later with a stack of papers in hoof. “Exactly what the doctor ordered!” “Another biopsy then?” Spike joked. Pinkie Pie giggled and shook her head. “Nothing quite so invasive. Unless you count the invasion of bits that are going to be deposited into your account.” Rarity blinked owlishly. “Explain.” “Gladly,” Pinkie Pie opened the stack to a seemingly random page and pointed to a large block of words. “Part ninety three subsection four of my super party insurance plan states thusly.” Pinkie Pie cleared her throat. “Those covered by this plan will be able to claim up to ninety percent of the cost of their wedding should it fall under any of these three parameters. One, they find out their partner is actually queen Chrysalis herself.” “Oh yeah I remember that one coming in handy with Luna,” Rarity remarked. Spike shook his head. “It's a shame how that ended up.” “Or two,” Pinkie Pie continued. “One or more of the betrothed is hit by a meteor and cannot attend the wedding ceremony. Or finally, three. They agree to pay for the wedding of a stranger out of their own pocket due in large part to a feeling of guilt. This is only applicable if that money was intended to be someone’s retirement fund.” Pinkie Pie grinned at the two shocked faces of her friends. “Pretty cool huh? You don't have to spend much at all.” “That's amazing,” Spike muttered. “Pinkie Pie you are a genius!” Rarity proclaimed. “How on earth did you know that was going to be useful?” “Oh, just a feeling,” Pinkie Pie replied. Spike turned and grabbed Rarity’s face in his hooves. “Do you know what this means Rarity?” “We can still retire before we turn eighty?” Rarity answered. “That too, but also, we can afford to go all out,” Spike exclaimed. “We can do all the fancy stuff you wanted without blowing the budget. This can be the wedding of your dreams after all.” “I’ll be marrying you, so it will already be the wedding of my dreams,” Rarity replied with a soft smile. “Daww, that's adorable,” Cooed Pinkie Pie. “Yeah it's real cute, now could you order something already?” demanded a white unicorn stallion standing behind the pair. “Oh uh, right,” Spike cleared his throat. “I’ll get a black coffee and a whole wheat bagel with cream cheese, please.” “I’ll have the same but with crushed rubies on my bagel,” Rarity added. Pinkie Pie giggled. “Two orders, and one awesome party, coming right up!” “That was actually really nice,” Trixie exclaimed. “A little short, but still fun. We’ll have to go back again sometime and really see the sights.” “Yes I’m quite glad we got the chance to go, even if we didn't really get the chance to help Rarity and Spike,” Twilight added. Trixie scoffed. “Those two don't need nearly as much help as you seem to think they do.” “I suppose,” Twilight reluctantly admitted. “It's just hard to think of Spike as anything but that young dragon I hatched all those years ago back in Canterlot. Now he's as old as I was when I arrived in Ponyville, and has a whole life.” “And a soon to be wife,” Trixie declared. Twilight nodded slowly. “I suppose so.” The pair were quiet as they walked back to the Ponyville library, with Trixie staring off into space while Twilight looked down. Both were deep in thought, though Trixie was considering what she was going to have for lunch while Twilight wasn't quite so focused on the present. Rather she was considering her future, as well as the future of her partner, Trixie. “Hey Trixie,” Twilight nervously began. “Can I ask you a question?” “Of course. You may ask Trixie anything you desire,” Trixie replied. “Well it's just that all this talk about getting married has gotten me thinking,” Twilight continued, nervously looking away from the other pony. “I’ve personally always wanted to get married, and I know you haven't exactly been open to talking about it but I want to know.” “What I think about Spike and Rarity getting married?” Trixie replied, the mare grinning a bit too wide. “I think it's great, even if the age difference is a little wide, they are both adults and Spike is very mature.” Twilight frowned. “That's not what I was going to say. I wanted to ask if you could ever see yourself marrying-” “A dog? No way. That would be crazy!” Trixie all but shouted, laughing aproproriasly at her own unfunny joke. “I want to get married!” Twilight yelled. “Why won't you at least talk to me about it?” “Because Trixie is scared,” Trixie admitted. “And Trixie- I. Don't know what to do.” Twilight stopped at the entrance to the library and turned to the other unicorn, fixing her with a knowing look. “Trixie. I know your parents had some relationship issues, but it doesn't mean we will. That doesn't mean we will end up like them,” Twilight pleaded. “I know,” Trixie muttered, her gaze falling to the ground. “It's just difficult not to worry about it. They rushed into it so quickly, and tried to make it work so hard that when it finally collapsed everything exploded.” Trixie sighed. “I don't want that to be us.” “It wont,” Twilight declared, touching a hoof to the other mare’s shoulder. “Because we won't rush, and we genuinely care for each other.” “True,” Trixie admitted. “I love you Trixie Lulamoon,” Twilight whispered. “I-” Trixie bit her tongue, and winced. “I know.” For a moment hurt and confusion warred on Twilight's face, before all at once, hurt won. Tears sprang to her face, and with a cry she ran inside, leaving Trixie alone, standing just outside the library. Left with only her regrets, and a sense of dread that burned like cold fire in her chest, Trixie stared down at the ground. “Even with this stupid curse you still can't say it, can you Trixie?” asked the unicorn to herself. “How is it that you can stand in front of a crowd of hundreds without batting an eye but can't stop fidgeting the second she looks at you.” The unicorn sighed bitterly to herself and began to trot back towards her wagon which was parked nearby. “You are so stupid,” she muttered.