//------------------------------// // NYSC2013: Trixie x Dash // Story: New Years Shipping Challenge - 2013 // by Indigo Eclipse //------------------------------// New Years Shipping Challenge 2013 – Trixie x Dash By Indigo Eclipse A single snowflake drifted through the crisp winter air, descending into the wide streets of Canterlot to land daintily upon the end of Rainbow Dash's nose. She went cross-eyed attempting to look at the little white spot before the warmth of her breath caused it to melt into her fur. Unfortunately for Dash, the flake was only a scout for the army of it's brethren tumbling from the fluffy clouds coating the sky. The cyan pegasus smirked as she stood in front of a shop, glancing wistfully upwards. Now that she wasn't in charge of the weather, it was surprising how these little planned storms caught her off guard. The only days she ever cared about the weather was on show days. Even then, the Wonderbolts had staff that managed the schedules and ensured the weather was just right to please the audience. It figured that it would snow on her way day off. Oh well, she had an appointment to keep at the community center, so snow or no snow, she couldn't sleep the day away. Blowing a bit of her rainbow colored bangs from her eyes, she admired the faux-fur lined flier’s jacket in the story's window once more before turning to trot down the cold street. Everywhere she looked, other ponies were scrambling to get indoors before the snow covered them, the cobblestones already fading from grey to white. There was no hurry in Dash's step as her hooves rang out on the paved street. For all the hectic madness of training, fans and shows, these little moments in which she could walk in the relative stillness of the falling snow and be truly alone, were priceless. She took a deep breath, letting the sharp cold burn her lungs before exhaling in a puff of white. Minutes passed and soon the streets were desolate. It was going to be a doozey of a snow storm and very few ponies wanted to be out in it. Already her coat had cooled enough that the snow was no longer melting against it. Tickling her feathers and ears. The sky had darkened enough that the shops and homes of Canterlot, illuminated the street in halos of yellow. “Watch and be amazed!” A mare's voice rang out from around the corner, breaking the evening tranquility. Curious, Dash peeked around the brick wall of a shop, noting a blue unicorn standing in front of a beat-up cart. She seemed to be gesturing wildly, attempting to coax a passing couple of mares to stay a while and listen. Dash recognized the pony, with her azure coat and sunflower blue mane, topped with a purple magician's hat and cape that fluttered in the cool winter breeze. “Please, stay and the great and powerful Trixie shall leave you in awe!” She threw her hooves up, a pair of yellow fireworks popped behind her. The couple startled at the noise, bouncing back a few feet before one shook her head softly while the two mares continued on down the darkened streets. The magic mare waved a frantic hoof at them. “Wait! You didn't give Trixie a chance to...” She trailed off, arm going still before she let it droop, giving a heavy sigh. She sat back on her haunches, bathed in the yellow light from house behind her, looking rather pathetic. Dash trotted up quietly, the snow and Trixie's thoughts shielding her presence till she stood directly in front of unicorn. “Hey, Trixie.” The voice startled the azure mare, causing her to jump a little. “OH! You scared m-Trixie.” She tilted her head slightly, “Trixie knows you...” The rainbow-maned pony smirked, “Well, I'd hope so. I am a Wonderbolt after all.” She stated with pride, pressing one hoof to her chest. “No, no, that's not what I-Trixie means.” She looked over the pony a few quiet moments more. “Ah, you're from Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle's friend.” She smiled as the other mare nodded. “Yeah, that's me. So what's up?” “Oh, putting on a show for the fair citizens of Canterlot.” Trixie swept her hoof outward to gesture at the empty city. Dash glanced down one side of the street, then the other. Only flurries of snow-flakes kept them company. “Uh-huh.” She shook her head. “You might wanna call it a night, the snowstorm will probably last till morning. The streets will get really cold soon.” The magician nodded then hesitated. “I know we've not always seen eye to eye, but...thank you for the concern.” “Hey, it's cool. Twilight forgave you, so it's no big thing. Besides, us performers have to look out for each other, right?” Trixie gave a sad smile, eyes not meeting Dash's. “Yes, of course.” There was a long silence till Dash shrugged and began to trot away. “Anyhoof, I'm heading home. Take care.” She glanced over her shoulder as she spread her wings for the flight home, noticing the other pony was tugging a blanket from her little cart. She halted watching Trixie slide the blanket under the cart, it's top just big enough to shield her body from the snow-fall. “Wait, you're not going to sleep out here are you? It's freezing.” Her words froze the azure mare. “I...Trixie has no where else to go tonight.” She tilted her chin up, eyes determined. “Trixie will make it on her own four-hooves, no matter what it takes.” “Yeah, I can respect that...” Dash shook her head. A part of her found it ironic that the Wonderbolts had taught her less about flying and more about empathy. A couple years ago she would have flown off and not looked back. With a defeated sigh, she turned to trot back towards the little cart. “How about some hot chocolate. Stuff hits the spot on a cold night like this. I know a really awesome little place just around the corner.” Trixie seemed conflicted. “That does sound...nice.” She slipped a pouch from a hidden pocket in her cape and turned away from Dash. The pegasus could hear the soft clinking of coins and the magician mare whispering to herself. At last, she turned and shook her head. “Thank you for the offer, but the great and powerful Trixie must budget herself.” Dash rolled her eyes. “My treat then.” “No, no. Trixie refuses your charity. If Trixie can't earn her own way then she doesn't want it.” The pegasus groaned to herself. This is what she got for trying to be a nice pony. “Look, I tell you what. If you stop using your name like that, I'll take it as payment for the hot chocolate.” Trixie pondered the offer a few moments before her belly gave a rumble. Sheepishly the mare smiled. “Erm, throw in some hay-fries and Trix-I mean, I will accept your offer.” Dash grinned. "Deal." A short trip down the street and around a corner and the two ponies were warm inside of a Joe's cafe sipping hot chocolate. Trixie set her mug down, letting her hooves rest on each side of the ceramic surface, soaking up the heat. “Mmm, this really is good.” “Yeah, always hits the spot on a rainy day or a snow day.” Dash poked at a melting marshmallow on top of the brown liquid. They were the only two customers, with just the owner cleaning up somewhere in the back. Dash was a regular, and Joe loved having a celebrity Wonderbolt visit, so just for her, he'd kept the store open a bit longer. “Fries good too?” She asked before lifting her mug between her hooves and sipping. Trixie glanced down at the empty plate, blushing softly. “Yes. Thank you.” Dash looked across the table at the other mare, deciding what to say. It was harder now that she was a Wonderbolt. They had a public image they had to maintain. She'd been yelled at so many times for smart-mouthing the media and rowdy fans, that it forced her to be a little more cautious at what came out of her muzzle. “Were you...going to sleep under your cart?” She gestured out the darkened window at the shadowy shape of the double wheeled cart parked in the street. Trixie looked away, ears lowering. “Hey, it's no big thing. I used to sleep on clouds all day. Even when I was suppose to be working.” She smiled, trying to break the tension. The unicorn sighed. “Trix-I mean, I've had a bit of a bad year.” Her eyes didn't lift from the mug rolling softly between her hooves. “Look, I get wanting to do your own thing. It's all I've ever done.” She leaned across the table, as though she was sharing a secret, lowering her voice a notch. “Just between us performers, I know how hard it is not to want anypony's help.” The unicorn nodded in agreement. “Hey Trixie, we're both show-biz ponies. We both want to wow the crowds and hear them call our names. Gotta do whatcha love, right?” Another nod. "Sometimes it's a struggle...” Dash trailed off, thinking back to all the times her friends helped her out of slumps. She missed them. Sure, she got to see them every now and then. Mostly during the holidays, but she was so busy with her dream that the pegasus didn't have much time to take a trip to Ponyville anymore. It was bittersweet, but she knew the memories of their time together would help her moving forward. Looking across the table, Dash felt a pang of pity and the sense of a kindred spirit. While they'd had disagreements in the past, Trixie was as much a show-pony as she was. Perhaps that was why they'd just about came to blows before. She found her eyes tracing the slight curve of the mare's muzzle and fought from staring as Trixie's violet eyes flickered up at her. Dash shook her head clear, wondering what that strange tightness in her chest was all about. “Hey, listen. You know, and I know that you can put on a crazy show. You're just in a slump, that's all.” Dash gave her trademark smirk. “You just need a good audience, that's all.” Trixie gave a bitter laugh. “Hah, if I can get them to stop five minutes and watch. They say it's all in the presentation.” She sharply thrust a hoof towards the shadowy shape of her broken down cart. “It's a lot harder to prove you got what it takes when I'm forced to lug that old thing around.” A bit of inspiration sparked in Dash's head. She smiled, sly as a fox before tipping back her mug, draining it of the last of the sugary liquid. Setting the mug down in a loud clunk, she raised her voice. “Hey, Joe, we're leaving now. Thanks for staying open late.” The owner poked his head out of the kitchen. “Oh hey, no problem Rainbow Dash. See you next time.” The pegasus nodded before slipping from her chair. “Come on Trixie.” Trixie looked up from her empty mug, blinking in surprise. “Oh...” She glanced out at the falling snow. “At least I was warm for a little while.” Defeated, she slid from her seat, following the other pony to the door. Outside, the wind had picked up a little, gusting the white flakes around, causing them both to shiver as they stepped from the warmth of the cafe. “Well...thank you for the hot chocolate, Rainbow Dash. It was...nice of you.” She gave her a little smile before turning towards her cart. Dash grinned. “Hey, where are you going?” Puzzled, Trixie looked over her shoulder. “What do you mean?” “Got one more stop to make, thought you'd like to tag along.” “I...I suppose anything is better than staying out in this weather.” She gave Dash a slight smile. The pair trotted down the empty streets, sharing the quiet together. Dash found it nice to have somepony enjoy the simple pleasure of the silent street. Well, silent except the click of their hooves and the creaking of a worn axle on the cart. Before long she halted in front of a small building nestled between large oak trees. Even through the curtain of snow, Trixie could make out the bright white and black sign over the door. "Community Center? What are we doing here?" Dash smirked, "Just gonna pop in and say hello to a few friends." She stepped forward, opening the door. "Come on, it'll be fun." ____________________________________________________________________ “And that's why you gotta stick to your dreams.” Dash finished, looking down at the crowd of fifteen fillies that sat around her, enraptured by her story of becoming a Wonderbolt. Further back in the community room, the mothers were smiling at the group, a few whispering softly to each other.. Trixie stood off the side, a little confused, but happy to be warm and amused at Dash's story. The pegasus beamed at the little ponies gazing so adoringly at her. There were a lot of perks to being a Wonderbolt, this was certainly one of them. She'd found that she could sign all the autographs in the world, but nothing came close to the wonderment of a little pony's face when they met their heroine. A small part of her wondered if the other members of her team felt the same way. “Hey Filly Scouts. Did you know I brought you a surprise this time?” They all gasped and giggled in excitement. “What'd you bring us, Rainbow Dash?” A little unicorn asked, bouncing on her hooves. “Oh, is it a manticore?” An earth filly asked to which Dash shook her head. “Mm...is it Soarin?” Another asked, clutching her half-eaten box of cookies to her chest, glancing around fearfully. Dash groaned inwardly, even little foals were afraid that colt would eat their sweets. “No, even better. Do you fillies like magic?” They all nodded quickly, especially the unicorns. “Well, I brought a real live magician for tonight's Filly Scout meeting.” A few of the little ponies gasped in excitement as Dash swept a hoof towards Trixie, much to the mare's surprise. “This is the great and powerful Trixie! Come on Filly Scouts, give her a hoof.” Dash stepped aside, grinning ear to ear as the little ponies clapped their hooves together, bright eyes looking back at Trixie expectantly. Never one to miss a chance to preform, Trixie vanished in a puff of smoke, reappearing in front of the fillies, causing 'oohs' and a few gasps of surprise. “It is I, the great and powerful Trixie! Prepare to be amazed!” She proclaimed, getting another round of excited clapping before she launched into a show filled with magic and wonder. An hour later, the mothers thanked Dash and Trixie before rounding up the little foals and leaving the community center. Trixie was watching them out the window until they vanished into the curtain of snow and shadows. Smiling, she turned to find Dash grinning slyly at her. “Well, that was most unexpected.” Trixie began. “Hey, it was fun. They loved your show.” Trixie tilted her head. “It's odd. The last time we met, I thought you were an arrogant pony who didn't care about anypony but herself.” “Right back at you.” They shared a laugh. “But seriously, I never took you as a pony who, well, cared about other pony's feelings.” Dash trotted up to look out the window with her. “Yeah...before I became a Wonderbolt, I was so afraid of what other ponies might think of me. Now...I just do what feels right.” Trixie glanced at her, thoughtfulness in her eyes. “Thank you, Rainbow Dash. It's hard for me to accept any pony's help, but tonight was just what I needed.” Dash smiled before turning to cross the room, flicking the lights off to dip the room into shadows, bathing them in the gentle glow from the window. She popped open a trunk by the door and nosed about before pulling a heavy blanket from the container. She trotted back to the window, laying it on the floor at Trixie's hooves. “Center wont mind if you stay here for the night. The mare who owns it is pretty cool. It's not a fancy hotel, but hey, it's outta the cold.” Trixie looked down at the blanket, then back up at Dash. “I...Thank you, Rainbow Dash. I'm sorry I was such a jerk to you, those years ago.” The pegasus waved a hoof dismissively, “Meh, it's no biggy.” The unicorn used her magic to fling the blanket up into the air, floating it down to cover her back. She gave the pegasus a sheepish grin. “Can I ask one more favor?” “Huh? Yeah, sure.” “W-would you stay with me tonight? It'd be nice just to have some pony to talk to for once. Being on the road does get a little lonely.” Dash hesitated, looking at the unicorn's needful eyes. “Well...on one condition.” Trixie raised an eyebrow. “And that is?” “I saw your show, so you have to come see mine in a couple days.” The unicorn laughed, bright and cheerful as she snuggled down into the blanket. “It's a date.” With that settled, Rainbow Dash slipped her nose under the edge of the blanket and wiggled under to be closer to the other pony. They weren't touching coats, but she could feel the other pony's warmth and somehow, it was soothing. And so, the two mares watched the quiet snowfall outside, swapping stories of their adventures and boastful reenactments of their amazing feats long into the evening before they both drifted off to sleep, side by side.