//------------------------------// // 3. Trixie's Tale // Story: The Secret Story of Big Mac // by Kaidan //------------------------------// “Oh Big Mac. . .” Dash rolled over. “Yes. . .” Dash continued on in this fashion until waking up from her dream. The sun had just risen above the horizon. The light fell on her bed, speeding her along on the return to consciousness. With a long sigh, she rolled out of bed and headed towards the shower. She brushed her teeth while waiting for the water to warm up. Dash pulled the curtain aside and stepped into the shower. The hot water caused a wave of relief to go through her sore muscles. Her head still throbbed slightly where she had banged it against a wall. Showering was such an automatic action that her mind wandered. “That worked out well,” she said to herself with a roll of the eyes. “I expected as much from Pinkie, but even Octavia didn’t have a clue.” “Who should I see next? Maybe Applebloom can tell me, that way AJ won’t know I’m dating her brother. What would I even say to ask him out? Rarity might know how to ask a stallion out, but then I’d be stuck modeling some frou-frou dress.” Dash began to rinse the shampoo out of her mane. “I suppose Bon Bon or Ms. Cake might know more about him. They’re both such gossips that they must know a little about his history.” Tank stood in the doorway as she got out and dried off. Once she had finished, she noticed him standing there. “Oh, I suppose you want fed? Okay, but tell me, how do turtles ask each other out?” Tank blinked slowly, and then withdrew into his shell. “Yeah I tried that yesterday, Tank, it didn’t work so well.” Dash flew over him and went to the kitchen. Pulling down the bag of feed, she saw where Fluttershy had written Tortoise food. “Tortoise, turtle, close enough.” Dash poured the tortoise some pellets of food and refilled his water bowl. Tank was nudging the flight harness Twilight had made him. “Sorry champ, no flying when I’m not home. We still need to work on your. . . well, everything. We’ll practice later.” Dash placed a hoof on his shell as he slowly smiled. Several of her blue feathers were still wet when she headed outside. It was a simple matter to preen them and get ready to fly. The cold breeze felt amazing on her damp fur. Once Dash leapt off the porch, she noticed a figure clad in blue headed towards Sweet Apple Acres. “Hey,” Dash shouted. “What are you doing back in town?” “The Great and Powerful Trixie goes wherever she pleases!” She flourished her cape and glared. “You would be wise not to upset Trixie, she has had a bad week.” “Let me guess, you’re all out of alicorn amulets so you want to annoy Twilight until she surrenders?” Trixie sighed. “If you must know, the Great and Powerful Trixie has had her heart broken by the stallion of her dreams.” Her reply surprised Dash. She softly landed on the ground next to her. “Stallion troubles? Well I suppose that is better than you trying to take over the town.” “Trixie wishes to talk about it, but she does not have any friends.” She tilted her head, angling her hat to cover her eyes. “Fine,” Dash moaned. “I wouldn’t normally do this.” Dash looked around to see that they were the only ponies on the road into town. “I could use a little dating advice, so tell me what happened. And if you breathe a word of this, I’ll throw you out of town personally this time.” “The Great and Powerful Trixie appreciates your . . . restraint. It started when Trixie tried to attend a magic convention in Canterlot.” ====================================================================== “Look, lady, the entrance fee to the convention is forty bits. Rooms are eighty bits a night.” The guard stepped in front of the door to the large hall. “If you can’t afford admission, then I can’t let you in.” “Trixie needs a booth here to earn the bits! Trixie demands to be let in,” she spat. “Booths are sixty bits. Come back when you can pay.” Trixie walked away from the convention center. Fate had not been kind to her since a cruel pony embarrassed her and destroyed her only trailer. ”Getting a little off topic, Trixie,” Dash stated. Deciding to earn the bits for a booth, The Great and Powerful Trixie held a magic show on the side of the road into Canterlot. It was there that she met, the one. The crimson, muscled hunk of stallion— ”Hold on,” Dash stared Trixie in the eyes. “you’re telling me you fell in love with Big Mac and he broke your heart?” “That is where Trixie was headed with this story,” she responded. “Do you want me to stop?” Dash sighed. “No. Go ahead, your story is already more credible than Pinkie’s.” The large red stallion pulled a cart of apples up the road. His large muscles were covered in a sheen of sweat. He chewed on a piece of hay as he effortlessly climbed the road towards Canterlot. Trixie was in the middle of her act, and decided to begin the grand finale. Fireworks shot out of thin air, capturing the stallion’s attention. He smiled at her, admiration twinkling in his eyes. She approached him, only to find out he was so awestruck by Trixie’s beauty he could not speak. He picked a flower from the side of the road and hoofed it to me. He mumbled his first two words. “Name’s Mac.” “Oh handsome stallion, The Great and Powerful Trixie would be most honored to let you buy me lunch!” “Nope,” the stallion replied. “Oh, Trixie insists. Do not be shy to be seen with a celebrity! She recognizes you from Ponyville. Trixie saw how you would watch her from the background.” Big Mac sighed and began pulling the cart into town. “Then it is a date! Trixie knows the perfect café to get a daisy sandwich at.” He continued to walk down the road in silence. “You need not be embarrassed. The Great and Powerful Trixie puts her cape on one shoulder at a time, just like everypony else” “Eeyup,” Mac chuckled. “We’re here, my gallant knight.” Trixie went to an outdoor table and sat down. Big Mac stood there torn between his true love, and his duty to the Apple family. ”Laying it on a bit thick,” Dash quipped. “Stick to the facts.” “Our love was most certainly fact!” she replied. “At least, Trixie thought it was.” “Thank you. Trixie always knew you were a big softy under those well-formed muscles.” Mac stood up and tossed a few bits on the table to cover lunch. “Eeyup.” He hitched himself back up to the apple cart and began walking towards the marketplace. She caught up to him quickly. “Trixie would like to invite you over for hot coffee. Tell me, sweet stallion, has some mare already stolen your heart? Is this the reason for your silence?” Big Mac stopped for a moment. He finally glanced over to Trixie with narrow eyes and a wicked smile. “Eeyup.” The Great and Powerful Trixie stood there in disbelief. Her jaw was open, eyes wide, as her hat was carried off by the wind. Who would dare to steal Trixie’s true love? Who had taken this handsome stallion’s heart? Trixie decided to come to Ponyville and find out. She would have her revenge on the Apple family, and the mare who stole away her Prince Charming. ====================================================================== “And now Trixie is here, on the side of the road, talking to a tomcolt about true love.” Trixie let out a long sigh. “So, is Trixie free to continue?” “I guess,” Dash mumbled. “I may not like you, but you’ve given me the most credible story about Big Mac so far.” “Trixie is confused, you are collecting stories of Big Mac?” “Oh, it’s nothing.” Dash glanced away and rubbed a hoof in her mane. “Just got curious. You know how that Apple family is, three children and not a single one will say what happened to their folks.” “Trixie is not convinced. You shall be kept under my watchful eye, Dash.” Trixie walked down the road not waiting for a reply. “Yeah? Well the elements and I will standby to blast you all the way back to Manehatten!” Dash grunted in frustration and flew off towards the apple farm. The least she could do is warn Applejack that Trixie was back in town. Dash decided it would be best to leave out the part about Big Mac, for now. “Dash! Down here!” Scootaloo shouted. “Hey squirt, what’s up?” Dash landed in the grass next to her. “Are you ready for the flight lessons?” Scootaloo’s eyes shot wide with joy, twinkling in the sunlight. “That was today?” Scootaloo deflated and looked at the ground. “You forgot?” “No. I’m really busy today. Did your parents ever tell you about the birds and the bees?” “No, why? Did they form an army and take over Fluttershy’s cottage? Do you think I can get my exterminator cutie mark?” Dash chuckled. “No, but that’s why I’m busy. It’s an adult thing, kind of like when you snuck Cheerilee a love poison.” “Oh, that.” Scootaloo held up her hooves, staring at them in horror. “I had to write ‘I will not mix love poisons’ on the board 1,000 times.” “Then you’ve learned your lesson. Look, let me take care of something at the apple farm and I’ll swing by to teach you later.” “Pinkie Promise?” Scootaloo began to smile again. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” Dash rubbed Scootaloo’s hair, messing it up. “Now, don’t you have some crusading to do?” “Thanks Dash,” she shouted as she sped away. Rainbow Dash headed back towards Sweet Apple Acres. Once she was over the south field, she noticed something was wrong. “I must have taken a wrong turn, there are nothing but oranges down there.” Dash looked around in confusion. For a moment, she spotted a blue figure darting between trees. “Trixie.” Dash flew after the blue shape, losing it in the rows of trees. Seconds later she heard a voice shout out. “Sis! We gotta problem in the south field.” She recognized the voice instantly, and dove into the nearest tree to hide. Sure enough, Big Mac hadn’t been twenty feet away. Dash looked down at him, recalling Trixie’s descriptions of him. His shoulders were unnaturally strong. He had been able to keep up with Dash during the cider competition against the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000. She realized that she had never seen him without the coat of dust and sweat that came from a hard day’s labor. Despite his dirty coat, he still managed to smell pleasant, somehow. Dash wouldn’t mind sitting up here all day, but a part of her began to nag. Come on Dash, he’s right there and he’s alone. Just ask him out! We can use the guest room at Fluttershy’s for some extracurricular activities. She did her best to ignore the voice as Mac paced around the tree, looking at the oranges. Dash dared not move, or he might notice her in the highest branches of the tree. She clenched her eyes, trying to get the voice out of her head. Her face already felt flush with warmth that was slowly spreading. She needed to get out of here, and soon. Come on Dash, you can’t run away forever! Just ask him, and if he says no then Vinyl will hook us up again. I want you to look, really look at him. Those abs, powerful legs, strong forehooves. . . He is everything you could want in a stallion. Dash began to tremble slightly in the tree as her wings extended. She knew the voice was right, the quickest solution was to just ask him out. Dash also feared losing. She had never lost in her life, and if Big Mac said no. . . Don’t think like that! You jus— Dash’s inner monologue was interrupted. “Ah reckon we ought to get Twilight for this,” Applejack said. “Ain’t ever seen nothin’ like it, sis. All the apples gone and turned into oranges.” “Maybe if ya buck some down they’ll turn back into apples.” Applejack stepped back so she wouldn’t be pelted by falling fruit. “Eeyup, worth a shot. I’d hate to tell Granny she’ll be making orange marmalade from now on.” Dash clutched the tree branch and felt her hooves turning white. Big Mac spun around, bucking the tree and sending vibrations up the branch. Everything about the situation, from his scent, to the vibrations as the oranges fell, tortured her. The object of her desires was mere feet below her. Standing next to him, was the one pony she didn’t want to know about her feelings for Big Mac. Applejack and Big Mac started poking a few of the oranges. Applejack tossed one into her mouth. “Eeck,” she spat. “Definitely oranges.” “Ah guess it’s time to get Twilight. Ah never understood why Granny says not to compare apples and oranges. One bite and it’s clear what the difference is. Oranges ain’t apples.” Dash bit her lip to prevent a laugh. He was cute, even when he didn’t mean to be. A wave of relief filled her as Applejack walked off towards the library. Big Mac remained below the tree until his sister was gone. Dash realized he was looking up in the tree again. The heat in her body was joined by adrenaline. He knows. . . “Is somepony up there?” Mac shook the tree a few times with his forelegs. A soft moan escaped Dash, before she composed herself. “I guess not,” Mac stated. He walked away from the tree slowly, before watching it from a distance. Dash shot out of the tree, nearly breaking the sound barrier in seconds. Luckily, she realized a little subtlety was in order and slowed down, before heading off to find Vinyl. Big Mac tilted his head and spit out his hay. “Well ah’ll be, ain’t that confusin’. Why was Dash hidin’ up in a tree?”