//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4: Surprises and Orders 
// Story: My Little Pony: Assassinations are Magic 
// by Fluttershy Auditore 
//------------------------------//

The atmosphere in the carriage with Rainbow Dash was palpable as Trixie re-entered, shivering slightly from the cold air of outside. The Pegasus looked up, and then flopped back onto the pillow, not caring. While this was to be expected, what wasn’t expected was the disappearance of the arrow, the surrounding area cleansed and covered in gauze and bandages.  Rainbow Dash still felt small lances of pain whenever she walked, and was constantly reminded of being shot, the heavy bolt which sent her tumbling towards the ground with what felt like being hit by a sonic rainboom.
“Who removed the arrow and cleaned the wound?” enquired the showpony, concerned for the cyan pegasus’ wellbeing. Before anyone else could reply, Dash cut across her, her voice like a knife.
“What, you’d have preferred it if it stayed? If the wound got infected?” She spat, venom dripping from each word.
“N-no, Trixie merely-” Trixie stuttered, fear gripping her.
“Merely what? Huh? HUH?”
Trixie had backed away from Rainbow as far as she could, her rear colliding with the wall of the carriage. She slowly sat down and slid away, but Rainbow was adamant and followed her until the unicorn was in a corner, a predator quick to corner its prey. “Well? What does the GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie have to say about it!?” She was mocking Trixie now, and jeered at her in the same venom tipped voice.
Trixie burst into tears, horrified at the confrontation, wanting to slip away and hide herself from the raw anger that Rainbow emitted. “I-I-I just wanted to know if you were okay! I didn’t want this to happen!” With that, she pushed past Dash and fled the carriage.
“Dashie! That was not very nice,” scolded Pinkie Pie. “Yes, she was a big meanie when we first met her, but we’re trying to help her now! If you can’t get over the fact that you were hit accidentally, and yes Rainbow I know it was an accident, if you hadn’t have moved, the arrow would have missed you, then you have no reason to take it out on Trixie!”
The pink pony put her point so persuasively, that Dash sat down and rubbed the back of her head, feeling guilty at her anger, the pain still ever evident in her flank. “I guess the fact that it hit me in the flank upset me too…”
“Blame the writer for that one Dashie.”
“The who?” Rainbow was confused now. What in the hay was she talking about now?
“The writer.” Pinkie replied innocently, a small smile on her face.
“Uh…” Began Rainbow, but Twilight interrupted her.
“Don’t, Rainbow. It’s Pinkie that you’re speaking to here.” The lavender unicorn frowned slightly at her pink and cyan friends. She was highly annoyed at Rainbow’s outburst; even for her, this was a bit brash “And Rainbow Dash, I am disappointed as well. I honestly expected better than that. Yes, she made a fool of you the last time she was here, she made a fool of all of us, and I really hoped you would have accepted that like the rest of us and be done with it,” she paused, taking a deep breath before her next sentence. “I think you should go and see Trixie. I think you should apologise, and try to make amends. We all have, as far as I’m aware,” a quick glance around proved her point, as the Elements of Honesty, Generosity, Laughter and Kindness nodded in unison. “So you need to get this done,” she finished, proudly, giving a small resolute nod to Rainbow Dash, making it clear that this wasn’t a request.

Rainbow Dash limped into the food cart, spotting Trixie almost at once. The mare was sitting at a table, comfort eating her way through several large packs of hay fries, apple fritters, potato chips and Celestia knows what else. Sobs still wracked her as she chewed and swallowed loudly, and Rainbow was quick to notice that everypony else in the carriage was quietly leaving, the noises putting them off their own food. As she approached the table, Trixie glanced up from her food and flinched as she saw the Pegasus approaching.
“Trixie, look. I just came to apologise. I didn’t mean to yell at you, it wasn’t your fault. I shouldn’t have overreacted. I-” Rainbow’s words came tumbling out, but before long, she was cut off by the showmare.
“Rainbow Dash, I forgive you. I just hope you forgive me…” Trixie looked at the floor, then pulled a hipflask out from beneath her cape and took a swig. The liquid burned Rainbow Dash’s nose, and she was quick to turn away.
“Trixie, what is that?”
“Vodka,” The mare replied with a sigh, she was not proud of herself. “Since Twilight made a fool of me back at Ponyville, after the Ursa Minor incident, I’ve… been an alcoholic,” Another portion of the beverage was glugged back. “I just… can’t stop,” A third, and Trixie put the flask away with a shudder. “I just want to be left alone.” Trixie turned her head away from Rainbow Dash, ashamed of herself, still unable to meet her gaze.
Slowly, carefully, Rainbow reached under Trixie’s cape and pulled out the flask. The unicorn didn’t bother resisting her, sighing and lifting a fritter to her mouth. Dash opened the flask and slowly walked to a window. It opened without resistance, and she poured the clear alcohol out of the train; good riddance to that. She could swear that she saw a blur of white against the blue of the sky, but she couldn’t find it again after only a few seconds; what seemed like a ghostly apparition that was seemingly there for a few seconds had disappeared once more. Shrugging and deciding it was probably just a trick of the light, she shook the flask to get rid of the last few drops before taking the flask back and returning it to its owner.
“Thanks,” came the murmured reply from the desolate showmare. What happened next happened so fast that neither mare realised what was going on until it was done. The train reached a bump in the tracks, the impact knocking both mares in the food cart off balance. Trixie fell forwards, Rainbow backwards. Their faces bumped together, their lips locked in a kiss. Rainbow was the first to realise, and tried to spring away, but Trixie’s surprising weight kept her pinned down on the wooden slats of the floor. Seconds later, but seeming like hours to the Element of Loyalty, Trixie leapt away, her eyes wide and fearful and full of realisation of what just happened.
“Trixie,” began Rainbow Dash slowly. “Whatever happens...That is now a secret we are keeping forever. Okay?” 
“Okay,” agreed the showmare. Rainbow turned to leave, limping out the carriage and closing the door quietly behind her, shocked by what had just happened. Trixie slowly sat down at the table again, wondering what just happened, and why she didn’t want it to be kept secret, the taste of Rainbow’s lips still burning against her own.


In the halls of Canterlot Castle, a white unicorn colt with a long, blonde mane trotted down towards the entrance of the royal dining room. He threw open the doors and at once spotted the pony being harassed by a pair of Royal Celestial Guards. 
“Step aside guards! This stallion is here to see me,” Shouted Prince Blueblood. The guards glowered at the hooded and robed Earth Pony, but allowed him through to talk to the royal prince. Once they were out of earshot of anypony but themselves; the assassin put his right hoof over his heart and bowed, a sign of respect to the royal stallion.
“My prince, it is an honour to meet with you again at such short notice. I come with a warning. The target is on her way here, and with her are the Elements of Harmony. I sense that they want to interrogate you about my attempts on her life.”
“Wait. You said ‘attempts’. You haven’t killed her? The best of the order of assassins has failed in the task I paid him for?” The prince growled menacingly, causing Ezio to step in quickly.
“My prince! I believe I will be able to get her tonight, when the train arrives, if I am careful.” He never failed a client, and he had taken it upon himself to make sure that this Trixie met her end at the tip of his blade.
“Then do it. That mare must die for what she disallowed me. This meeting is over,” snapped the unicorn, turning away from the other colt. “You may leave through the back entrance, it’s closest to here,” he began glancing back. But the assassin had already vanished into the darkness, like a leaf on the wind, he was gone. As Blueblood turned again, he could swear he heard the quiet metallic clink of a blade dropping into position from its hidden holster.