//------------------------------// // A Twixie Date // Story: A Twixie Love Story // by Yukito //------------------------------// Rarity hummed as she walked through the streets of Ponyville with a bag of jewels at her side. Today had been especially kind to Rarity; she had intended to spend the entire afternoon looking for enough jewels for her latest project, but, as luck would have it, she struck the mother lode of rare gems, and was able to finish up early. Even if she didn’t have as many as she originally planned to have, with this kind of gem on her outfit, quantity wouldn’t matter. “Just a quick stop to Ruby Necklace’s store to pick up my order, and then perhaps I could pay Fluttershy a friendly visit. Oh, wait, I believe she’s already made plans with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie today…” “Thank you, ma’am. Please visit again!” “Trixie will consider it.” Rarity stopped and stared as Trixie exited the store that she was about to enter. Trixie also stopped upon noticing the white Unicorn, and quickly hid the box she was holding in her magic behind her back. “Good afternoon.” “Good afternoon, Trixie. I thought you had a date with Twilight today?” “Trixie does, but Twilight’s busy sorting out her inventory, and Trixie had to pick up… something.” “Something?” Rarity asked with interest, leaning her head to the side to try and look at the box behind Trixie’s back. “Yes, something. Anyway, Trixie should be getting back to the library now. The train will be leaving in-” Trixie looked up to see a clock in the distance. “-Twenty minutes! Oh, Trixie really should get moving! It will take about ten minutes just to get Twilight out of her tidiness frenzy.” “I understand darling. Please tell Twilight I said ‘hello.’” Trixie nodded, and bolted off down the street. Rarity took a good look at the box on Trixie’s back. A small, purple velvet box, probably big enough to hold a ring, or a bracelet. Shrugging it off, Rarity entered the store and greeted the owner, Ruby Necklace, who was also a good friend of hers. “Nice to see you again, Rarity,” Ruby said with a smile on her face. She stepped from behind her counter to give Rarity a friendly hug. “We really have to get together more often. Outside of work.” “I couldn’t agree more. What would you say to dinner this Saturday? We can catch up with each other, share gossip stories we’ve heard… It’ll be just like old times!” “Sounds great! I’m guessing you’re here right now for your order?” Rarity nodded, and Ruby walked over to her counter, motioning the Unicorn to follow her. “I tell you, you’re half the reason this place is still in business. The ponies of this town just aren’t that into fashion. The only customers I get besides you are those two rich fillies, but I can hardly pay off my debts on just their allowances.” “I’m sorry to hear that business hasn’t been going so well. Have you not considered advertising to neighbouring towns and villages?” Ruby sighed and shook her head. “You kidding? I’m barely getting by as it is, there’s no way I’d be able to afford something like that!” Ruby pulled a small blue velvet box out from under her counter, and presented it to Rarity. “Here you go. Your payment’s already been received.” “Thank you, darling,” Rarity said as she opened the box up. She looked at the necklace inside with a smile on her face. Once again, Ruby had really outdone herself. Who said you could only find skilled jewellers in places like Canterlot, or Manehatten? Still, she felt sorry for her friend’s predicament, and her smile faded as she closed the box and slipped inside her bag. ‘If only there was something I could… A-ha!’ “Well, have a nice-” “Ruby, dear, I have an idea!” Rarity suddenly declared. “I know where you can find a sponsor for your store!” Ruby sighed. “I told you, I don’t have the money for something like that.” Rarity smiled reassuringly at her friend. “Not to worry. The pony I’m thinking of is a friend of mine. If I ask her, I’m sure she’d be willing to do it for free! She does put on free shows, after all.” “Well… that does sound tempting…” “Trust me, my friend travels across all of Equestria, putting on her shows! She can advertise your jewellery in her shows, and even model them as she just walks around! I’m sure everypony will be asking her where she got such magnificent jewellery!” Ruby blushed and turned away from Rarity. “You think so?” “I do! Just leave it to me. Trixie is Twilight’s marefriend, after all, so even if I can’t reason with her, I’m sure I can get Twilight to help me out.” “Wait, Trixie? As in, that pony who was just in here before you?” “Oh, so you know each other then? Even better!” Ruby shook her head. “No, I just know her name because she goes around announcing it all the time…” A giggle escaped Ruby’s lips. “Yeah, I guess she’d be pretty good at advertising. She’s certainly able to draw ponies’ attentions towards herself.” Rarity suddenly remembered the small box she had seen Trixie carrying earlier, and her curiosity returned to her. “By the way, if it’s not too much trouble, what exactly did Trixie buy from here? Just out of curiosity.” “It was a ring,” Ruby said. “A ring with a diamond on it. I guess she’s planning to propose to that marefriend of hers. How nice,” she added with a sigh. “I wish I had somepony like that…” Rarity didn’t register her last comment. She was too busy hanging her jaw open, gaping at the air in front of her as she tried to convince herself that she had misheard. “D-Did you say… that Trixie bought an engagement ring?” Ruby nodded. “Yeah, that’s ri-” Rarity quickly turned around and bolted towards the door. “Sorry, I have to go! I’ll see you this Saturday, right?” Before Ruby could answer, Rarity was out of the door so fast that she left a trail of dust behind her. Ruby blinked a few times, but then shrugged it off. “That mare never changes. Always so excited about even the slightest bit of gossip…” Fifteen minutes later, Rarity was hanging outside of the library, peeking into the window along with Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, who she had happened to run into on the way there. Applejack spotted them halfway through their spying, and when she shared the news of Trixie’s proposal, she quickly dropped what she was doing to join them. Inside the library, the ponies could see Trixie open the box and levitate the ring from inside. “Oh my gosh!” Pinkie Pie shouted, quickly being shushed by her friends. “It’s… It’s…” “It’s gorgeous,” Rarity said. Applejack whistled in appreciation of the ring that Trixie had picked up. “Twilight’s gonna have a hard time saying ‘no’ ta that, that’s fer sure.” “If she does, I call dibs on it!” Rarity said, her eyes sparkling as she pressed her face against the glass window in a vain attempt to get closer to the magnificent ring, and the diamond sitting on top. “I don’t see what the big deal is,” Rainbow Dash said. “It’s just a rock on a ring.” Rarity and Fluttershy both gasped in shock. “How could you say that?” Rarity asked. “Relax, Rarity,” Applejack said, placing a hoof on Rarity’s shoulder. “Rainbow’s not the type that’s interested in jewellery. Not unless it’s a collector’s ring from a box of Wonderbolts cereal.” Rainbow Dash turned her head away and scoffed. “I just don’t see what the big deal is. You find diamonds all the time with that spell of yours. What’s so special about this one in particular?” “Well for starters, it is of the highest quality diamond!” Rarity started. “Here we go,” Applejack said, rolling her eyes. “Nice goin’, Rainbow.” “So, when do you think she’s going to ask her?” Fluttershy asked. “Maybe it’ll be on their date today?” Pinkie Pie suggested. “She’s gonna propose at a theme park? Doesn’t seem very romantic if’n ya ask me.” Something clicked in Rainbow Dash’s mind, and she quickly turned her attention back to her friends. “Hey, wait. Isn’t today supposed to be the opening of that new attraction? The romantic thingy?” “You mean the seven-star restaurant that will hold a play of the romance story ‘Titanic’, with famous actors from all over Equestria, such as Theatric Flare, Glamour Model, and Nightshade?” Everypony gave Fluttershy odd looks at just how much she knew about this restaurant. Even Rarity, who had stopped ranting about diamonds sometime whilst Fluttershy was speaking. “I, uh… read brochures,” she timidly explained, a blush creeping onto her face. She gave her friends a nervous smile, and they quickly focused their attentions back on Trixie. “Looks like Twilight’s comin’,” Applejack said as a purple Unicorn made their way down the stairs inside the library. Trixie quickly put the ring back inside the box, and hid the box underneath the table. The two ponies inside began speaking to each other, but those outside couldn’t hear a word that was being said. Soon afterwards, Twilight wandered off to another part of the room, where she began packing some lunches into her saddlebags. Trixie got up and walked off to grab her cape. She left her hat on the stand next to the door, and instead put a manepin in her mane, the one which had the pattern on Twilight Sparkle’s Cutie Mark. Twilight herself was wearing her ‘Trixie manepin’, and as soon as she was done packing, she made her way to the door and opened it up. The five friends quickly ducked down into the bush. “You ready to go?” Twilight asked. “One second,” they heard Trixie say back to her. They heard hoofsteps inside the library, which grew more distant at first, but then soon grew louder again, telling them that Trixie was now approaching Twilight. “Okay, all ready.” “Great! Then let’s go!” The five ponies in hiding waited until they were sure that Twilight was gone before they re-emerged from the bushes, with Pinkie Pie smacking the left side of her head to force leaves out of her right ear. “Soooo… we’re followin’ ‘em, right?” Applejack asked, receiving nods from the other mares, minus Fluttershy. “Duh!” Pinkie Pie said. “We have to follow them! This is gonna be huge! Trixie’s going to propose to her, and Twilight’s gonna say ‘yes’, and they’ll both be so happy! And then, we’ll jump out and shout: ‘SURPRISE!’” The other mares winced at Pinkie’s unusually high-pitched voice. “And then they’ll be even more happy ‘cause they’ll have all their friends there to celebrate with them!” “Now hold on, everypony,” Fluttershy said. “I don’t think it’s right to go around following our friend without her permission like that.” “I agree with Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash said, earning surprised looks from her friends, with the exception of Fluttershy, who was giving her a proud smile. “On the other hoof, I’ve got the day off today… and it’s been a while since I’ve been to a theme park before.” She gave a wink and a sly grin to her friends, who acknowledged with their own grins. Fluttershy sighed and frowned at the ground. “C’mon, Fluttershy!” Pinkie Pie said, wrapping a foreleg around her friend’s shoulders. “Aren’t you totally-super-curious to see how it will go?” “Well… maybe a little bit,” she said. She saw the unconvinced looks from her friends, and let out a small whimper. “Okay, more than a little… Okay, I’m really, really, really, really curious, but I… Oh, what the hay! Let’s do it!” “Al-right!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, jumping into the air and doing a flip. “You heard her! Let’s get going!” “Going where?” The ponies turned around to see Spike, giving them strange looks, which wasn’t surprising considering that they were in a bush. Rainbow Dash grinned, and flew down to Spike to wrap a wing around him. “Hey Spike, guess who’s getting a new sister-in-law.” Twilight looked at the map in front of her with great excitement showing clearly on her face. “According to the map, the nearest attraction is the Journey to Flutter Valley roller coaster, but that has a waiting time of seventy minutes. In contrast, the Sea Pony Adventure log flume, though a little out of the way, has a wait time of only fifteen minutes, and we can dry off on the other rides afterwards.” Twilight folded the map up and placed it into her bag. “Well? What do you think, Trixie?” Trixie bit into her churro and looked up at the larger map on display in front of the two Unicorns, which Twilight had apparently missed. “Trixie thinks it would be logical to ride the flume first, but on the other hoof, waiting in line doesn’t sound all that bad either… if it’s with you.” She gave Twilight a wink, and the other mare giggled in response. “Well, you say that now, but I know how you get bored very easily, and I’d rather not risk getting kicked out because somepony can’t keep her hooves to herself after half an hour of doing nothing.” “That was one time, and it’s not like we were the only ones! Who said it was a crime to make out with your marefriend whilst waiting in line, anyway?” “Nopony, but when you’re running your hooves along your marefriend’s flanks, it’s called indecent conduct.” Trixie finished off her snack and tossed the paper wrapping it came with into a nearby bin. “Well then, it seems we are riding the water ride first. And then afterwards, we can dry off on the Haunted Paradise Estate attraction.” Trixie pointed to said ride on the map, showing that it was practically right next to the log flume. She heard giggling beside her, and wondered what Twilight found so amusing. “You got a little something on your face,” Twilight said, opening her bag and pulling out a hoofkerchief. “Here, let me handle it.” She ran it across Trixie’s muzzle before the blue mare could say anything, and ignored the muffled protests as she wiped the crumbs away from Trixie’s face. Once she was done, she removed the hoofkerchief to check her work. “There, all better!” “A mirror would have been just fine, you know?” Trixie asked as she turned her head away to hide her blush. “What, are you getting shy now?” Twilight teased as she moved closer to Trixie, who simply back away in response. “Ooh, I see. It’s okay if I’m the one getting embarrassed, but if it’s just you, you don’t like it.” “Glad we have an understanding. Now let’s go.” Trixie began walking away on her own, but soon slowed down when she felt something tugging her right forehoof. She turned to see Twilight smiling at her, locking hooves with Trixie. “Why the rush? Let’s take our time.” Trixie returned Twilight’s smile, and the two continued to walk at a leisurely pace as they talked about all manner of things. “Looks like they’re headin’ for the flume,” Rainbow Dash announced into her walkie-talkie. Beside her, Rarity, Lyra, and Bon Bon began to follow the two mares. “We’ll keep on their tails, and we’ll swap after they get on a ride.” “Okey-dokey-lokey!” Pinkie Pie’s voice boomed out from the communications device. “Ooh, it’s our turn to ride the teacups! BRB!” Rainbow Dash put the device away into her bag, and ran to catch up with the other members of her group. “You two sure you wanna be spending your days off with us?” she asked Lyra and Bon Bon once she had caught up to them. “If you recall,” Bon Bon started, “I insisted on letting the two have their privacy.” She shot a sideways glare at her marefriend walking beside her. “But somepony apparently had the final say in my decision.” Lyra laughed and wrapped her foreleg around Bon Bon. “C’mon, it’ll be fun! ‘Sides, weren’t you saying it would be nice to go out and do something together today?” “I meant something that wouldn’t be such a burden on my wallet! The candy store hasn’t been doing so well lately. Not since Minuette scared every single foal in town with that stupid cavity video.” The cream mare let out a disgruntled growl at the image of the dentist pony. “On the other hoof, I hear her business has been booming these past few days, with foals wanting checkups, just to be safe.” “Eh, can’t win ‘em all,” Lyra said, planting a soft kiss on Bon Bon’s cheek. “It’s easy for you to say that! You’re the only pony who plays the lyre in all of Ponyville! You’ve got no rival businesses to deal with-” She stopped for a moment to scowl at the image of a certain pink pony and her two employers. “-And it’s not like anypony can find a reason to hate lyre playing. It’s quiet and soothing, after all.” “Hey, looks like they’re getting in line,” Rainbow Dash said as she lowered down to the ground. “What should we do?” “We’ll blow our cover if we follow them,” Rarity said. “And we can’t wait for them at the exit, either. Most troublesome.” Lyra turned her attention towards a nearby gift shop, where she noticed bright yellow ponchos being sold. She noticed that a lot of ponies in the line for the log flume were wearing these. “I got an idea.” After about ten minutes of waiting in line, Trixie was beginning to get bored. Along the line, there was a series of boards, each one containing a question for foals to have a go at, and an answer to the previous board’s question. But they were simple questions, such as: ‘What is the chemical formula for water?’, or ‘how many Sea Pony characters can you name from cartoons?’. Trixie tried to pass the time by poking Twilight repeatedly, but after the hundredth poke (she counted, that’s how bored she was), Twilight used her magic to form a protective shield around herself. After that, she tried to just walk around in circles for a bit, but that only made her dizzy, and didn’t pass the time at all. Naturally, Twilight tried to engage Trixie in conversation, but even then, something about just standing in line for long periods of time seemed to really rile the showmare up. “Trixie, can’t you calm down a bit? Why don’t you tell me what you and Sweetie Belle have been up to for the past few days?” “She thinks her special talent may include magic, so she’s been asking Trixie to train her,” Trixie said, tapping her forehooves against the ground repeatedly. “Can’t this line move any faster?!” “What is it with you and lines, anyway? And why would Sweetie Belle be asking you to teach her magic? She already came to me before, after all.” “She said that you’re dull, and use too many big words that she doesn’t understand, and that you give her tests and are a strict teacher.” Trixie bucked the post behind her, startling a few of the ponies nearby. “And Trixie doesn’t know, she just hates waiting in line! Ponies are supposed to line up for Trixie, not the other way around!” “Just calm down!” Twilight turned around and apologised to the ponies around her on Trixie’s behalf. “And what is Sweetie Belle talking about? I’m not strict! I just want to make sure that if I’m teaching somepony something, they’re actually paying attention! The tests are just to make sure she’s learning, and the ‘big words’ are necessary if she wants to graduate with honours and move on to earn a degree!” “Trixie doesn’t think Sweetie Belle wants that,” Trixie deadpanned, causing Twilight to blush. “She just wants to learn the basics, to see if it’s her talent. She may not be far off, but she’s practicing the wrong kinds of magic. Trixie tried to explain this to her, but…” “She said you were being dull and hard to understand?” Twilight guessed, and Trixie nodded. There was a hint of sadness in Trixie’s face, and Twilight leaned forward to hug her. “There, there. Nopony ever said being a teacher is easy. Just ask Cheerilee.” “Well, it got worse when Snips and Snails found out. Now Trixie has three students, who all want her to teach them magic that they’re just not suited for! Trixie doesn’t even know how to teach them. Magic just comes naturally to Trixie.” “What about your lessons from school? Can’t you just repeat them?” “Trixie never paid much attention. The lecturers were so boring, and Trixie always found teaching herself magic to be a more effective method. The school just gave Trixie access to more material, and helped her with the few areas she had trouble grasping on her own.” “The line’s moving,” Twilight pointed out, and the two Unicorns began to move down the line. “If you don’t want to teach them, why don’t you just say no?” “Could you say no to this?” Trixie’s ear flattened against the sides of her head, and her eye began to tear up as her lips curled into a pout. She gave Twilight the most adorably pleading face she could, making sure their eyes always maintained contact. “O-Okay, I see your point.” Trixie undid the face, and allowed Twilight some time to recover. ‘I need to find some way to combat that. It’s just too cute!’ “Oh, it looks like it’s our turn!” Trixie said excitedly as she began to move forward with the line. “See? That wasn’t so bad, was-” Twilight was cut off as the rope at the end of the queue was hooked back onto its post, stopping the two mares from entering. “Sorry, you’ll be on the next one,” the stallion on the other side of the rope said. Twilight noticed Trixie’s ears beginning to fume, and acted quickly to make sure the blue mare didn’t lash out. She wrapped her forelegs around Trixie’s neck and started nuzzling quickly. ‘Please don’t get us kicked out, please don’t get us kicked out!’ It seemed to work; Trixie slowly began to calm down, and managed to keep her emotions in check as the log flume completed its round. Finally, the two were able to take her turn. The two approached the log, and Twilight decided to let Trixie sit in the front, for two reasons: one, to use her as a shield against splashing water, and two, to make sure that Trixie didn’t try anything risky during the ride. Trixie took her seat in the front, and suddenly felt an uneasy feeling wash over her body. Twilight noticed that Trixie was shivering, and gave her a concerned look. “Are you okay?” she asked. Trixie nodded. “Just cold, that’s all.” Twilight smiled and snuggled up close to Trixie from behind her. “Does this help?” “Yeah,” Trixie said, though it was a lie. For some reason, as the ride set in motion, her heart began to thump quickly in her chest, and she felt a terrible chill run down her spine. ‘What’s going on? Why am I feeling like this?’ As the ride progressed, she soon understood what this uneasy feeling was. This feeling that she hadn’t felt since a certain incident weeks ago. An incident that cost her her left eye. The ride was a journey through a wrecked ship, with automated sea ponies popping up every now and then to spray the ponies riding with water. Whilst Twilight simply giggle and wrapped her forelegs tighter around Trixie’s chest, Trixie’s breathing steadily increased, and her face twisted in fear as several images flashed through her brain. Images of the kraken attacking the ship, and of her body freezing up as debris began to fly everywhere. When the big drop came, the worst memory of all sank in. The memory of her sinking down into the ocean depths, her body freezing, and her vision blurry as she watched a trail of red mist moving up in front of her. ‘No…’ Trixie leaned her head down and covered it with her forelegs. “NOOOOOO!” “Trixie?! What’s wrong?!” As the log dropped down, Trixie continued to scream, not from excitement, but from fear. Even after it was over, and they were returning to the start, Trixie continued to tremble and scream. Many ponies looked at the scene with concern, some wondering if the pony was okay, and others more worried about the ride itself, wondering if she had hurt herself because of it. It took two stallions and Twilight to get Trixie out and escort her to a bench outside of the ride area. Twilight assured the park staff that they were just fine, and that she could take it from there. As soon as Trixie had calmed down and was finished crying, Twilight asked her if she could explain what had happened to her. Trixie only responded by bringing her hoof up to her eye patch. “I see,” Twilight said, holding Trixie close to her. “You were reminded of… that, weren’t you?” Trixie nodded silently. “Well, don’t worry! You’re safe now, and I won’t let anything bad happen to you ever again!” Trixie let out a few sniffles, before finally speaking up again. “Thank you. And I’m sorry I ruined our day together.” “What are you talking about? We’ve still got plenty of time left!” Twilight jumped off of the bench and pulled Trixie up onto her hooves. “C’mon, let’s go to the Haunted Paradise Estate attraction! Last pony there pays for dinner!” Trixie quickly perked up, and began to chase after the running Twilight. “No fair! You had a head start!” “I need a handicap, against the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Trixie pouted at Twilight’s pitiful attempt of an excuse… but knew that she couldn’t dispute it; she was great and powerful, after all. “Oh my. What do you think could have happened to her?” Rarity asked as she watched the two mares running away together. “Who knows? But she looks fine now,” Rainbow Dash responded. “Well, they’re Pinkie’s group’s problem now. Let’s go try out this ride!” “And ruin my beautiful mane?!” Rarity exclaimed in shock. “There is a reason I refused to stand in the splash zone with you three!” “Alright, fine. Suit yourself. Lyra, Bon Bon, you coming?” Rainbow Dash looked over at the two mares, who were still standing the splash zone of the ride. Lyra was jumping up-and-down in excitement every time the log dropped down and caused a huge splash, whilst Bon Bon had a look that clearly showed she didn’t want to be there at all. “I’ll be right there, Rainbow Dash,” Bon Bon said as she turned around and walked away from her marefriend. “I’ll just stay here!” Lyra said. “I’ll cheer for you two when you come down!” ‘Cheer in what way? And why?’ Bon Bon shook her head, and walked with Rainbow Dash to the start of the ride’s queue. ‘Whatever, at least I’m not stuck with that crazy pink pony.’ “Tonight, the night shall last FOREVER!” A cackling laughter followed the terrifying proclamation, along with flashes of light and roaring thunder. In the small, cramped room, foals began to cling to their parents or guardians, and mares to their special someponies… and one teenage colt also wrapped his forelegs around another colt, letting out a whimper at the ghastly figure lingering above them. “You don’t seem to be so scared, Twilight Sparkle,” Trixie whispered to the purple Unicorn, a little disappointed that she wasn’t grabbing onto her for protection. “Y’know, you don’t have to hold back on Trixie’s account.” Twilight shook her head. “When you’ve seen the real thing, a fake just isn’t that scary.” “True,” Trixie responded. Twilight looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “You’ve seen her before?” “Hm? Oh, no…” Trixie hesitated for a second, but then shook her head. “No, Trixie hasn’t. But she’s seen scarier things than this. That was what Trixie was referring to.” “Oh, right…” ‘I guess eternal night doesn’t seem so scary, when you’ve lived your life all alone.’ Twilight held Trixie’s hoof tightly, and shot her a smile. “Don’t let go, okay?” Trixie gave Twilight a grin. “Scared of the dark, Twilight? At you age?” “Not with you around,” Twilight responded playfully. The image of Nightmare Moon began to scream in agony as she was blasted by a blinding light. The image of a regal white Alicorn took her place, and the room started to light up. The sound of a mare’s voice could then be heard from the speaker on the walls. “As Princess Celestia locked Nightmare Moon away, saving all of Equestria from eternal night, the messenger of darkness lay one final curse on the land: Paradise Estate, the former home of Princess Celestia and her sister, Princess Luna, became warped and twisted by darkness. Under Royal decree, the house was to be locked away forever, lest all of the terrifying apparitions of the dark be unleashed upon the land. “For one thousand years, nopony has stepped even one hoof into Paradise Estate… until now.” The doors at the front of the room creaked open, and the temperature suddenly dropped, causing everypony to shiver as a chill filled the room. “Now, we step into a world similar to Tartarus. Now, we brave the terrors of Paradise Estate. MWUHAHAHAHAHAHA!” “The laugh was kind of overkill,” Trixie said as she stepped forward, Twilight following right next to her. “Of course, nopony knows what the inside of Paradise Estate really looks like. Well, maybe the Princesses…” “Still, I’ve heard good things about this attraction. Who knows, it may even be able to scare you.” “Hmph! Not a chance!” Trixie proclaimed proudly, holding her head up high as the two mares continued to walk together. Suddenly, the lights went out all at once, and the ponies around them began to scream. “Wait, is the floor moving?!” Suddenly, the sounds of doors slamming shut could be heard, and the lights turned back on. Twilight and Trixie looked around to find that they were still in the same corridor as before, but with one difference: there were two closed doors where there was previously nothing. Now, they were trapped, and before Trixie could try either of the doors, she noticed that the floor was also moving downwards, as If they were on an elevator. DING! One of the doors opened slowly, creaking as it did so. Trixie walked outside cautiously, with Twilight following closely behind her. “Hello?” Trixie called out, wondering if anypony else was down there with them. “Hi!” a loud, cheery voice called out. The two mares looked up to see a white Pegasus pony with a curly blonde mane floating above them, with a huge smile on her face. A floating Pegasus would have been nothing unusual, had it also not been completely transparent. The Pegasus reached forward, and her hoof ran right through Trixie’s face, causing the blue mare to suddenly back up a bit. “I’m Surprise! What’s your name?” “T-T-Trixie…” Trixie cleared her throat, and stood her ground bravely. ‘Twilight’s watching. I have to look good!’ “Nice try, but the Great and Powerful Trixie isn’t surprised by such foalish trickery. Honestly, a ghost in a haunted house… Who wouldn’t be expecting that?” Twilight smiled and nodded. “Sorry, ‘Surprise’, but you’re going to have to try harder than that to scare us.” Surprise looked down at them with a confused look on her face. “Haunted house? Why does everypony keep thinking that this is a haunted house?” “Uh, ‘cause it is?” Trixie said. Surprise shook her head. “Nuh-huh! I’ve been living down here for one thousand years, ever since that meany pants Nightmare… whatever, took away my old home, Paradise Estate! Seriously, even a ghost can’t live there anymore.” “Uh-huh. Nice story, but we should probably just get going now,” Twilight said, taking a look around the room. “… Where’s the exit?” “Look,” Trixie said, pointing towards a door in the distance. “That must be it. C’mon, let’s go see what ‘horrors’ await us further ahead.” Twilight giggled, and then followed Trixie towards the door. Suddenly, Surprise shouted over to them: “Good luck! Nopony else has ever made it out of this place alive before!” Trixie rolled her eyes, and then opened the door. Her face suddenly paled, however, and then she slammed the door shut. ‘Was that-No, it’s just another trick. Deep breath, Trixie. Twilight’s still watching you, after all.’ “Trixie? What’s wrong?” Twilight asked. After receiving no answer, she opened the door herself… and immediately jumped back and screamed at what she saw. It was one of the ponies that they had seen in the elevator earlier, only he was lying on the floor, with a knife pierced into his back, and blood pouring out of the wound. “T-T-That’s…” “Oh dear, not another one,” Surprise said, startling the purple Unicorn. “Ponies are always coming down here, and then they die in under an hour.” Twilight stepped back quickly. This wasn’t a prop, there was just no way. After all, this was just a random park attendee, that just so happened to enter the attraction with the rest of the group. “Twilight,” Trixie called out, but it was too late now. Twilight was freaked out, and she immediately turned tail and ran full gallop back towards the elevator that had brought them down here, screaming at the top of her lungs. “Wait, Twilight, it’s just an illusion! Watch!” Trixie turned back to the corpse and lit up her horn. She waited for a few seconds for the illusion to disappear… Any second now… “Uh…” Suddenly, the showmare heard a scream from above, and looked up to see something falling down. It landed on a large stalagmite, sticking up from the ground, and the screaming stopped, instead replaced by a gurgling sound as the pony that was impaled by the sharp rock began to squirm and pant for breath. Trixie recognised it as another one of the ponies from the elevator. “T-They’re not illusions?” A cold wind blew through the room, chilling Trixie down to her core. As if to finish her off, the ghostly hooves of Surprise wrapped around her neck, and the apparition leaned in to whisper into Trixie’s ear. “Boo.” “KYAAAAAAAAAAA!” Trixie immediately pulled off her best impression of Twilight turning tail and running away, screaming as she passed straight through the ghost of Surprise. As she entered the elevator, where Twilight was waiting, she immediately flew into the other mare’s embrace, and the elevator began to move up once again. Below them, the sounds of Surprise’s laughter could be heard echoing, until they were finally high enough up that the sounds couldn’t reach them. “We were completely fooled, huh?” Trixie said as she held her forehoof to her face. Twilight sat beside her, frowning at the picture that was offered to them at the end of their journey through the haunted house. A picture of herself running away, screaming at the top of her lungs. Trixie had a similar one, which featured herself, instead of Twilight. Apparently, these were complimentary gifts to everypony that had ‘survived’ the journey through Haunted Paradise Estate. “How did they do it?” Twilight asked, looking over at the stallion that she had seen lying on the floor, dead. “Was he in on this? What about the other one?” “The stallion most likely works for the park, yes. That would explain why Trixie’s illusion detection spell failed to work on him. Of course, they could see that Trixie was a little less eager to jump to conclusions than you-” Twilight shot Trixie a glare, but she nonetheless continued her explanation. “-Hence they had to do something to prevent Trixie from examining the ‘corpse’. The mare that came crashing down earlier was simply an illusion of one of the random visitors to the attraction that we saw in the elevator. Since Trixie had already checked for illusions, it didn’t cross her mind that the only the second one was one. At least not until she had some time to calm down and think about it rationally.” “Makes sense,” Twilight said, sighing as she folded her picture up and put it away into her bag. “I’ve got to admit, they really deserve the reputation they’ve got.” “For the record, Twilight, the Great and Powerful Trixie was not scared one bit, and was simply humouring these foals and their childish games.” Twilight looked up into Trixie’s eye. “Got it, and I didn’t cry into your shoulder on the elevator ride up.” “Deal.” The two shook hooves, and then left the gift shop at the end of the attraction. As they walked through the park, discussing where to go next as Twilight pulled out her map, Trixie dropped the picture of her running away with fear on her face, and used her magic to set it ablaze. “Look, lady, we gave full warning to all ponies that this attraction isn’t for the faint-hearted! If your friend got scared, that just means we did a good job!” “Now you list’n here!” Applejack shouted back. “Scaring ponies is one thing, but our friend passed out from yer stupid haunted house thingy! And then she had nightmares, and-” Applejack decided to withhold information about Fluttershy’s ‘accident’. “Anyway, ya went too far! What if she had had a heart attack or somethin’?!” “Listen, we’re sorry about your friend, but it’s a haunted house! What did you expect, foals frolicking together under a nice, beautiful rainbow?” “A-Applejack,” Fluttershy timidly said, “I-It’s fine, I don’t want to be the cause of any trouble.” “See? She’s fine! There’s no problem whatsoever!” “Why you-” Fluttershy put her hoof on Applejack’s shoulder, and cut her off. “Applejack, maybe we should just leave. Pinkie Pie and Spike are still waiting for us outside, and we might lose Twilight and Trixie.” Applejack scowled at the businesspony in front of her, before sighing and turning around. “Fine, let’s go.” The two mares left the office, Fluttershy offering a polite bow on her way out. “Man, I’ve seen some strange mares in my time, but… And what was with those cloaks, anyway?” “Hey Twilight, let’s get some cotton candy!” Twilight narrowed her eyes at Trixie, who flinched in response. “W-What? Surely one stick won’t hurt. C’mon…” “Ugh, fine. But just one! And only a small one.” “Stingy,” Trixie muttered as she and Twilight walked over to a nearby cotton candy stand. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will have the biggest size cotton candy you have!” “The smallest size,” Twilight correct, nudging Trixie’s side. “… Fine, the smallest size, then.” “Coming right up, my dear!” the stallion at the stand said. He lifted a stick up with his magic and ran it into some strange machine. “Wait a minute… Flim?!” “Flam, actually,” the stallion corrected. “Flim’s taking a break right now. Here’s your cotton candy! That’ll be three bits.” Trixie levitated some money over to Flam, and took the delicious sugary treat into her magic. She bit into it almost immediately, and her entire face lit up. “What are you doing here?” Twilight asked. “I thought you were running a lottery now.” “We do lots of things!” Flam responded. “Apple cider, lottery, cotton candy, you name it, and Flim and Flam are selling it!” “Wow… Sounds like you two get around a lot.” “Sure do! By the way, would you like some wipes for when your marefriend’s finished eating? They only cost a bit more.” Twilight looked to her side, and saw Trixie finishing off her snack. Bits of cotton candy were stuck to her coat around her mouth, making her muzzle a sticky mess. “Uh… yes please,” she said, trying hard not to giggle at the state that Trixie was in. “Here you go, my dear! And make sure you tell your other friends to stop by too!” “My other friends?” Twilight asked as she exchanged a one bit for a wet wipe. She levitated the wipe over to Trixie’s mouth, and began to clean it vigorously. “What do you mean?” “Oh? Didn’t they come with you? I noticed them following you around earlier, so I just assumed you came as a group, and they were simply giving you two lovebirds some space.” Twilight blushed at the term ‘lovebirds’, but was paying more attention to what he had said before that. “Our friends have been following us around?” Twilight looked around cautiously, and then turned her attention back to Trixie, who was just finishing up her cotton candy treat. “… C’mon, Trixie. Let’s go.” Twilight grabbed Trixie’s hoof and began to lead her away. “Wha-Wait. Where are we going?” “We’re gonna lose ‘em! Get ready to run!” “What? Wait, TwiLIIIIIIIGHT!” Rainbow Dash landed on the ground in front of Applejack, and shook her head with a frown on her face. “Darn it! How in Equestria did they manage to lose us?” Applejack asked, looking over the other ponies with them. Actually, it seemed rather easy… Spike was too busy buying things left and right, and at one point had run off with Pinkie Pie to just go and ride all of the rides around them. Lyra and Bon Bon were in the middle of a lover’s spat, and Fluttershy had been feeling down ever since the entire haunted house fiasco. The only ones who had been properly paying attention to their targets were Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity. Applejack let out a defeated sigh, and shook her head. “Ah guess that’s it, then. We’ll just have ta call it a day, ah guess.” “Not quite, Applejack darling,” Rarity said, grinning at the orange Earth Pony. “Let’s not forget where Trixie is going to propose to Twilight. We’ll just have to meet back up with them there.” “But we don’t have reservations. How can we-” “Oh, don’t worry about that.” Rarity levitated a small mirror out of her saddlebag, and made sure that her mane was adequately pretty. “Just leave it to me,” she said with a wink. “You’ll be surprised at what a little feminine touch can accomplish.” “Can’t believe that worked,” Applejack said as she took her seat at one of the tables in the restaurant. From where they were sitting, they could easily get a good view of Twilight and Trixie at their table, but were at no risk of being spotted themselves. Just as long as a certain hyperactive pink pony could remain calm for a short while, and not draw attention to herself. “Oh, Applejack. You do continue to underestimate me, don’t you?” Rarity took a sip of her wine as she wore a proud smile on her face. “By ‘feminine touch’, ah didn’t think ya meant trickin’ security into leaving their post so we could sneak in. Ye’re jus’ full of surprises, ain’tcha?” “Well naturally, my original plan was to make them fall head-over-heels in love with me, to acquire free admission inside… but did you see the clothes they were wearing? Absolutely hideous! An insult to fashion everywhere! I couldn’t possibly flirt with somepony who dresses so… so… Ugh! I don’t even have a word for it.” Rainbow Dash poked her head out to check on Twilight and Trixie. “So, when do you think she’s gonna pop the question?” she asked. “Hopefully soon,” Rarity said. “The play doesn’t exactly end on a happy note, so proposing at the end of it just wouldn’t be good timing.” “Ooh! Maybe she hid the ring in the cake they’re eating!” Pinkie Pie suggested as she watched a waiter pony bring over a chocolate cake to their table. Everyone watched in anticipation as Twilight sliced through the cake and began to eat a slice of it… and then another. And another. And… “No, it doesn’t look like it,” Lyra said, frowning as she turned her attention back to her menu. “Man, she sure is taking her time with it.” “Maybe she’s feeling nervous?” Fluttershy suggested. “You mean she has cold hooves?” Rainbow Dash asked, receiving a nod from the other Pegasus. “She’d better not have! We paid good money to come and see her propose to our friend! That… kinda sounds creepy, doesn’t it?” “Just a tad,” Rarity said, but then immediately perked up as she saw Trixie getting down on one knee. “Oh my gosh! This is it!” Everyone stared at the two mares again, waiting for Trixie to pull out the ring and pop the question… only to instead see the mare picking something up off of the floor – a cherry that seemed to have fallen off of the cake – and then climb back into her seat. “UGH!” Bon Bon slammed her hooves onto her table in frustration. “What is she doing?! Just ask the stupid question already!” “Hey, Bons,” Lyra said, trying to calm the Earth Pony down, “Just relax. I’m sure she’s just waiting for the mood to be just perfect.” “Well, she’d better hurry up,” Spike said. “The show’s gonna start soon, and she can’t ask in the middle of it, right?” “What about during one of the intermissions?” Rainbow Dash asked. Rarity shook her head. “There won’t be any intermissions. It’s not exactly a long show, after all.” “You’ve gotta be kidding me! Then, when is she going to-” “Twilight, wait!” Trixie shouted, prompting everyone to turn around to see what was wrong. They saw Twilight running through the restaurant with a foreleg covering her eyes, and Trixie chasing after her. “W-What happened?” Fluttershy asked. “I don’t know,” Rarity answered. “I wasn’t paying attention.” Rainbow Dash got up out of her seat, followed by Applejack. “We’ll go see what’s going on. You guys wait here.” The rest of the group nodded, and the two mares quickly ran out of the restaurant to chase after their friends. Applejack’s face hardened as she follow Rainbow Dash through the corridor outside. ‘Twilight… was she cryin’?’ The two saw Trixie entering a restroom, and quickly followed her inside. They didn’t know what was going on, but they had both seen their friend running out of the restaurant with tears in her eyes. And they weren’t going to let anypony get away with that. “TWILIGHT!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she burst inside the restroom. “Yes?” was the calm response she received from the purple Unicorn inside, who was smiling at her Pegasus friend with tears in her eyes. “T-Twilight? What’s wrong? Are you okay?” “Of course she is,” a voice said from behind the two concerned mares. Rainbow Dash and Applejack turned around to see Trixie standing before them, wearing that same cocky grin on her face that they saw during her performances. “Just a little tear powder, that’s all.” “Tear powder?” Applejack questioned. She put two and two together in her mind, and slapped a hoof against her face. “… Ya knew we were watchin’ you, didn’tcha? “Yes, we did,” Twilight said, frowning at her two friends. “And quite frankly, I’m rather disappointed in all of you. Not to mention shocked! I would expect this from Rarity and Lyra, and maybe from Pinkie Pie, but not from you girls!” “Twilight, we can explain,” Applejack started, but was cut off by Twilight. “Hold on. Let’s hear it when all of you are present, okay?” Trixie couldn’t stop laughing. Twilight, on the other hoof, was doing a much better job at holding herself back. The seven ponies and one dragon around them were bright-red, having just admitted to Twilight and Trixie why they had been following them. “You thought… that Trixie was going to propose to me?” Twilight asked in a stunned tone. “Oh Celestia, that is too rich!” Trixie said, still having a laughing fit on the table in front of her. “What made you think that Trixie would propose to Twilight in a place like this?” “W-Well,” Rarity started, wondering in the back of her mind what problems Trixie could have had proposing in this restaurant, “We saw the ring, darling. The engagement ring you bought from Ruby’s shop.” “That wasn’t an engagement ring,” Twilight said. “That was a present for my mother, who we’ll be visiting together next week. She lost her favourite ring, so I asked Ruby to make a replica of it, and then asked Trixie to pick it up.” Twilight turned her attention to Trixie and gave the showmare a hard glare. “I also asked her not to take the ring out of the box. So how did they know about it?” Trixie stopped laughing, and quickly tried to think of something to say in response. When nothing came to her, she simply leaned over onto Twilight’s shoulder, and began nuzzling the purple mare. “Trixie’s sorry, Twiliiiiight. Can you forgive her?” Twilight sighed, and pushed Trixie away from her. “Honestly, girls. Even if it did look like Trixie was going to propose to me, you shouldn’t have invaded our privacy like that.” “Ah know, and ah’m sorry Twilight. It’s just… ah wanted ta make sure everythin’ went alright with you two,” Applejack said, taking her hat off and bowing in apology. “Yeah, sorry ‘bout all this,” Rainbow Dash added, and the rest of the groups joined in with their own apologies. “Sorry guys. Oh, and don’t be mad at Bons… I kind dragged her here against her will a little bit.” “Sorry! I just wanted to throw you both a super-duper party after you said yes!” “I actually just came here for the free rides,” Spike admitted with a sheepish grin on his face. “I, um… I hope this doesn’t ruin anything between us.” Twilight smiled reassuringly at Fluttershy. “Of course it doesn’t, Fluttershy. And hey, this works out great! We were just about to leave, so now we have our friends to talk to on the train ride home.” “You were just about to leave?” Rarity asked. “But the show hasn’t started yet.” “I know, but…” “T-Twilight… about the show tonight… you know what it’s about, right?” “Of course I do! The story of Titanic takes place on a ship that sails north, and hits an iceberg! It’s a romantic story, that ends in tragedy as the ship… Oh.” “… I-If you want to see it so badly, that’s fine… But…” “Trixie, if you feel uncomfortable, we don’t have to stay. I’ve read the book enough times that I can recite it all in my head from memory!” “Are you sure? Trixie doesn’t want to-” “And I don’t want to put you through any more pain than you’ve already gone through. That won’t make me happy.” “… Thank you, Twilight.” Twilight sighed, and wrapped a foreleg around Trixie, who was still nuzzling her in an attempt to avoid a scolding. “I’m just tired, that’s all. I don’t think I’d be able to properly concentrate on the show anyway.” Twilight shot Trixie a smile, who returned it with equal parts love and gratitude. ‘Thank you, Twilight… Proposing, huh?’