//------------------------------// // 3 - The Show (Part III) // Story: A TrixDash Love Story // by Yukito //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash looked herself over in the mirror of his father’s guest room. I just a few minutes, she would be leaving to go and ‘challenge’ Trixie in front of a large audience. There was really no need to fuss over her appearance over something like this, but she couldn’t help but remember Trixie’s words the previous day. “Trust me, the crowd will be judging you as much as me! And besides… you’ve got a nice mane, you should take full advantage of its beauty.” Rainbow saw her face turning red in the mirror and quickly shook her head to clear all thoughts. “This is so stupid! Why am I crushing on Trixie of all ponies?” Rainbow felt her face heating up further as she spoke, and she fall backwards onto her bed with an aggravated groan. It was after she had parted with Trixie two days ago at the ice-cream parlour that her suspicions first arose, and it was spending the day with Trixie yesterday that confirmed them. “After the Great and Powerful Trixie is certain that the audience’s attention is focussed solely on our performances, and not on waiting for you to defeat Trixie, she shall give the signal for you to launch a sonic rainboom. The signal is- Are you even paying attention?” Rainbow Dash turned her head to avert her gaze from Trixie’s eyes, which were now staring straight at her. “Yeah, I’m listening. Do you really think I should go sonic rainboom so early, though? I usually save that for the end.” Trixie nodded, lowering her eyes back to the papers scattered across the floor of her trailer. “There will be a final sonic rainboom at the end, backed up by Trixie’s own magic to make it even more impressive than the first. The purpose of the first is simply to draw in those that, for whatever reason, chose not to come and see our show.” Rainbow Dash looked back at Trixie, who was scanning through the papers before her almost as fast as Twilight reading through a book on… any subject, and with the same big smile on her face. The papers contained a detailed list of all of Rainbow Dash’s talents and air tricks, as requested by Trixie earlier that day. “By the way, has anypony ever shown you a dictionary? There are more words in the Equine language than ‘awesome’ and ‘cool’.” “Sorry, I must be using all my brainpower to remember that your name’s ‘Trixie’. Perhaps you should tell me a few more times to hammer it in there.” Trixie looked up at Rainbow Dash with an un-amused stare, which was greeted to a smug grin from the Pegasus. Trixie then grinned herself and reached a hoof forward, poking Rainbow’s forehead once, who responded by batting the hoof away and scooting backwards a little bit. “You may be fast in the air, but up here…” “Hey, I’m a doer, not a thinker!” Rainbow Dash responded. “I don’t follow stuff like schedules or timetables, and I don’t think about how things work whenever I fly. I just jump, spread my wings, and go fast!” Trixie pulled back and put a hoof to her chin. “Oho? You never once thought about the science behind your flying techniques?” “Of course I did. For like, two seconds. Then I got bored, ‘cause I wasn’t flying.” Rainbow’s ears twitched as she heard the sounds of somepony suppressing a giggle, and she shot Trixie a glare as the showmare snorted through her laughter. “What? You got a problem with the fact I’m not an egghead?” “On the contrary. What you just said reminded Trixie of her own days back in Celestia’s School,” Trixie explained as soon as she had managed to calm herself down. “Trixie always found studying to be such a bore, and would much rather practice her magic than sit through one of those horrible lectures.” “So how’d you deal with it? ‘Cause from what I’ve heard, that school only accepts the best of the best.” Trixie’s grin grew even wider, threatening to split her face in two as she leaned in closer to Rainbow Dash. “The Great and Powerful Trixie was surrounded by snobs and pompous nobles, most of which believed that Trixie would drop out in less than a year. I proved them wrong, and it felt good. That’s why Trixie kept going, because it was all worth it in the end.” Trixie let out a sigh, before drooping her ears and looking down at the floor. “It was so good back then, when everypony respected Trixie and her magic…” Rainbow Dash felt an uneasy feeling as she watched Trixie’s mood suddenly fall. She felt like she had to do something to cheer her up. To bring her back to her usual loud and arrogant self. This woeful and despondent look just didn’t fit the once-proud showmare at all. “So, uh, what next then?” she asked, grabbing the sheet of paper that Trixie was writing their schedule onto and reading it over. “We’d better finish this quickly, if you’re gonna put on an awes- … Epic show tomorrow.” Trixie slowly raised her head and studied the paper in Rainbow’s hooves. She seemed to be mulling something over for a few seconds, before her horn lit up and a purple glow surrounded the page, tearing it to shreds in just a few short moments. Rainbow Dash was left completely stunned by this, and a little angry. “Hey! What did you do that for?! Don’t tell me you’re thinking of throwing in the towel all of a sudden!” “… Rainbow Dash,” Trixie began, staring intently into Rainbow’s eyes. Rainbow Dash gulped, feeling uneasy as she stared back into the determined gaze. “… Change of plans, Rainbow Dash! Tomorrow’s show, is going to be an improvisation between the two of us!” “Huh?” Rainbow Dash tilted her head at the sudden declaration. “Uh… come again? You mean, we’re not following your ‘grand plan’ anymore?” Trixie channelled her magic into picking up the scattered pieces of paper on the floor. “Oh, do not misunderstand. Trixie shall still lead, but since we’re short on time, she doubts that you will be able to memorise any kind of script that Trixie gives you.” Trixie placed the neatly stacked papers to one side and focused on Rainbow Dash. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will throw a challenge your way, and you shall respond to it however you wish. Simple, right?” “But, would that even work? I mean, we barely even know each other.” “Trixie thinks she knows enough about you for the two of us to work in synch,” Trixie said, before turning her face away to hide her blushing. “Trixie… feels that the two of us can connect to each other quite well… That you are very much like Trixie. Don’t you feel it too?” Rainbow Dash scratched her head as she thought about how to respond. “Uh, well… I guess so, but this is your big comeback performance, y’know?” “… Trixie trusts you,” Trixie said in a quiet voice. She quickly picked up her nearby bottle of water with her magic and brought it towards herself. “Trixie is well aware of the importance of tomorrow’s event, which is why she expects you to not let her down.” That felt like a heavy load on the rainbow-maned Pegasus, and she was about to protest to the idea, insisting that they at least plan out half of the show beforehoof. But when she saw the excited look on Trixie’s face as she wandered off to practice retorts and phrases to lead the show on, she could only sit there and watch in content silence. She was happy to see Trixie happy, and she didn’t want to say or do anything that would depress her again. Eventually, Rainbow Dash lost track of time, and when she realised how late it was and left, she felt a sinking feeling in her gut. When she returned home, her father asked her what was wrong, to which Rainbow Dash simply told him that she was feeling unwell and decided to go to bed early that night. It was when she woke up this morning and thought over the events of yesterday clearly that she was able to admit the truth to herself. She felt happy when she saw Trixie smile, and her heart sank whenever she pictured Trixie being sad. She was more excited than she should have been for the upcoming show with Trixie, and she was dreading the end of said show, as it meant that the two of them would be finished with working together from then on. And as if she needed anymore evidence, her dreams the previous night were filled with images of the boastful mare, flying alongside her through the sky and the two of them having fun together at various locations. “Rainbow Dash?” The sound of her father’s voice made the Pegasus nearly jump out of her skin. She quickly turned to face him and tried to act as if nothing was wrong. “.. Somethin’ on your mind?” “What? No, no, no, no, of course not!” Rainbow Dash answered, smiling and laughing to emphasise that she was alright. “So, uh, what’s up?” “The sky,” Spectrum answered jokingly, earning a laugh from his daughter, though how much of it was forced he wasn’t sure of. “Actually, I was wondering if you’d fallen asleep or something. Didn’t you say you had plans with a friend right about now?” Rainbow Dash looked over at her clock and bit her lip as she noticed the time. “Ah, horse- … Er, yeah, you’re right! Eheh… Guess I lost track of time…” “… Dash, is there anything you want to talk about before you leave?” Rainbow quickly shook her head. The last thing she wanted for her dad to know she was worrying herself over a crush. Or anypony, for that matter. “Are you sure? You know you can talk to me about anything, Dash.” A moment of silence passed as Rainbow Dash gave the idea of talking to him about he problem a second thought, but was ultimately unable to reach a decision. “… Y’know, I hear you’ve been hanging out with ‘the Great and Powerful Trixie’ recently.” “Y-You did?! You know?!” Spectrum nodded. “I hear she had a… rather unfortunate change in her life, after passing through the town of Ponyville.” Rainbow Dash bit her lip. “Some say she holds a grudge against that town.” More silence. “And I know how easily my daughter gets drawn into fights, especially when it comes to defending her friends.” “Okay, fine! We weren’t exactly on the best of terms, but we’re not fighting now, honest!” “I know,” Spectrum said, surprising his daughter. “I hear you defended her in town a couple of times. And that you were seen playing with her in the park.” Rainbow’s ears twitched at the word ‘playing’, and she gave her father a frown. “We weren’t playing. We were practising.” “Oh? Practising for what?” “… Okay, look, don’t tell anypony about this, but you see, we sorta have this deal thing goin’ on right now. Basically, I’m gonna help her get back on her hooves by staging a challenge with her, so that everypony will stay long enough for Trixie to actually put on a show.” Spectrum hummed at the thought. “And you think that’ll work?” “… If not, I’ll take responsibility.” Rainbow Dash could see the surprised and confused look in her father’s eyes. “I mean, I don’t want her living like that anymore. All on her own, and not even enough money to buy her own food. It was Fluttershy that dragged me out of the dumps back in Flight School, so… I guess, I just wanna live up to that example.” After a brief moment of silence, Spectrum smiled and sat down next to his daughter, extending his wing to wrap it around her and pulling her close to him. Rainbow reacted by pretending to push herself away from it, but stopped sooner than usual. “Rainbow Dash, you may not be the smartest or the wisest of ponies, and you have a sharp tongue that often gets you in trouble… but y’know what? You have something that so many others lack these days. You care for others, and you do whatever you can to help those in need. As your father, I’m so proud of you, Dash.” Rainbow smiled at the compliment for a second, before going back to frowning for a few more seconds. Then, she put on a neutral face as she went over her dad’s words. ‘That’s right… This isn’t about whether I like Trixie or not, or what I should do if I do like her! Trixie needs my help, she’s counting on me! I have to put this show first, and these feelings second!’ Rainbow Dash quickly nuzzled her father, and then jumped off of the bed and picked up her bags. “Yeah, that’s right! Trixie’s… Well, whatever she is, she needs help from somepony, anypony! I told her I would help, and that’s just what I’m gonna do!” Running to the door, Rainbow Dash stopped for a second to turn back to her father. “Thanks, dad! I’ll be back later tonight!” Spectrum tilted his head and began to speak, but was cut off by the bedroom door closing on a rainbow trail. “… Good luck,” he said quietly to nopony in particular, before smiling and pushing himself up to his hooves. He then sighed. “If only she could have put this much effort into making friends back in Flight School, instead of picking fights with everypony who so much as looked at her wrong… Well, at least she’s doing okay now. I should really send Fluttershy a thank you letter or something…” Trixie tapped her hoof impatiently on her trailer floor as she waited for Rainbow Dash to show up. The meeting time had already passed, and the ponies outside were starting to grow restless already. ‘That airhead. Where is she? If she doesn’t show up soon… Well, it seems it was wrong of me to put my faith in her after all.’ Trixie sighed and sat down her bed, holding her hooves over her ears in a vain attempt to drown out the angry shouting and jeering outside. Trixie felt a tug in her chest, and lowered one hoof over it to feel her heartbeat. “Idiot. It’s not like ponies turning on you is anything new… It’s not like Rainbow Dash bailing on me was unexpected…” “Hey, ‘Great and Powerful Trixie’!” Trixie jumped as she heard the familiar voice calling her name from outside. “Sorry I’m late! Figured I could afford it, since I’ll be kickin’ your butt in ten seconds flat anyway!” The cheering outside caused Trixie to smile. It meant that the plan was working. The crowd sided with Rainbow Dash, so as long as she remained on stage with Trixie, they wouldn’t intervene with the show or leave before the show could get started. They would have the crowd’s attention… and that’s all that the Great and Powerful Trixie needed to get back on top. It was now showtime. “Well?!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she hovered above the crowds. “You gonna come out or what?!” She was beginning to worry about Trixie’s absence, but the feeling was soon lifted as fireworks began to shoot out from the ground, and Trixie’s stage opened out, just as it had done the time that Rainbow Dash had seen Trixie’s performance in Ponyville. “Fool! To challenge the Great and Powerful Trixie is one thing, but to actually show up…” A cloud of smoke covered the stage, and when it dissipated, there was a large black box sitting in the centre. On top of it stood the Great and Powerful Trixie herself. “Well, you certainly have courage, I shall give you that! Now then, Rainbow Dash, why don’t you show the Great and Powerful Trixie just what you’ve got?” Rainbow Dash grinned and shot forward, stopping just mere inches away from Trixie. “Still callin’ yourself that? Well, after tonight, that title’ll belong to me!” The crowd cheered behind Rainbow Dash, making the Pegasus feel of mix of discomfort over Trixie’s position, and pride in herself. “Oho? Well, if you wish to be as great and powerful as Trixie, then you must have a keen eye for detail. A sharp mind, and quick wit.” “I got all that and more!” Trixie chuckled and hopped down from her box. “Well then, Rainbow Dash, why don’t we put that to the test then, shall we?” The box opened up, and out of it stepped… Trixie. Another Trixie. The crowd stopped cheering for a moment as they beheld the perfect replica of the showmare’s self walking out onto the stage, taking a position on the other side of the box to the first Trixie, and then a wash of muttering swept over the audience. “Which Trixie is the real Trixie? Figure that out, if you can.” Rainbow Dash looked between the two Trixies, her jaw hanging open as she tried to find some way to tell the two apart. They were identical. The both looked the same, sounded the same when the second one began to talk, and they could both seemingly use magic, too. They even had the same smell- ‘Wait, something’s not right. Yesterday, that smell made me…’ Rainbow Dash blushed at the memory of just what Trixie’s smell had done to her, and tried to shake it off. But she knew that she was onto something. ‘The smell… There’s barely anything there. And… why don’t I feel anything looking into her eyes right now?’ Rainbow Dash looked between both Trixies one final time, before they both spoke up in unison. “Well?” With a confident grin, Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and turned around. “Duh! Neither of you are real!” The two Trixie’s gave her surprised looks, before suddenly collapsing onto the floor. A flash of lightning attracted the crowd’s attention skyward, where a blue mare clad in a purple pointy hat and cape, both adorned with stars, stood looking down at the Pegasus onstage. “Well well. The Great and Powerful Trixie is impressed!” Trixie jumped down from the cloud, startling the ponies directly below her and causing them to quickly move out of the way, save for one Pegasus, who quickly shot up to catch the falling mare. However, a flash of light surrounded Trixie, suspending her in midair and drifting her gently towards the stage. “And how was it that you saw through that little trick?” Trixie whispered once she was standing next to Rainbow Dash. ‘Because neither of them smelled like you.’ Rainbow blushed and whispered back: “Sorry, trade secret.” Trixie grinned. She was liking this mare more and more… ‘Idiot! Don’t get attached, just focus on the show…’ Clearing her throat, Trixie turned to Rainbow Dash and pointed a hoof forward. “Very well then, Rainbow Dash. The Great and Powerful Trixie has seen you worthy enough of actually challenging her directly! After days of pestering her for this privilege, you shall finally get it! Feel honoured!” Rainbow looked into the crowd, and was pleased to see that the cover story for why the two had been hanging out lately had gone over well with most of the ponies present. “Oh, you know. I just figured I’d see if you truly live up to your boasts or not. A giant space bear didn’t really help me gauge your skill.” Rainbow hoped that mentioning that would make many ponies question how embarrassing it really is to lose to something that even the Royal Guard would have trouble fighting against. Instead, it just seemed to rile the showmare up. “Bite your tongue! Whilst it is true that that ursa minor had caught Trixie off guard, rest assured that she will have no problem making quick work of the likes of you! However, the Great and Powerful Trixie likes to avoid violence if she can-” “Horseapples!” somepony in the audience shouted. A quick glance revealed it to be the pony that Trixie had kicked a few days ago. “Quiet!” Rainbow Dash shouted, surprising the crowd. “I like to fight my own battles, thank you very much! You guys just watch my awesomeness as I show this pony her place!” “You mean ‘phoney’!” somepony else shouted, which soon received a quick glare from both Rainbow Dash and Trixie, silencing both that pony, and everypony else. “… Anyway, as Trixie was saying, the Great and Powerful Trixie much prefers a battle of skill and style, than a battle of kicks!” “Sounds good to me!” Rainbow Dash shouted excitedly as she took to the sky. “I noticed you standin’ on that cloud over there.” “Simple cloud walking spell. Well, simple for the Great and Powerful Trixie, at least.” “That so? Trying to invade the realm of us Pegasi huh?” Rainbow Dash lowered a bit, and pressed her hoof to the brim of Trixie’s hat. “Perhaps you’re jealous?” Trixie scoffed as the audience ‘oooh’d and leaned closer to hear clearly her response. “Jealous? Not at all. Land, sea, or air, none of these can contain the Great and Powerful Trixie!” “Really? Well, let’s see you try to do this!” Rainbow Dash soared into the sky at an incredibly high speed, changing direction and spinning around so many times in such a short time span that any other Pegasus would become dizzy from it. But not her. Not the fastest flyer in all of Equestria. And when she was done, a bright rainbow trail made sure that her name was known to everypony in the crowd. “Impressive. All that Trixie can do is…” Trixie closed her eyes and focussed. Her magic reached out high into the sky, and grabbed the rainbow trail, compressing it into one small space, before stretching it out form a butterfly. The audience gasped and stared at the beautiful shape in wonder, and some even voiced their appreciation for it. The plan was working for Trixie, she just needed to go the extra mile. “Come on, Rainbow Dash! Surely you have a move superior to that!” Rainbow Dash landed next to Trixie and gave her a questioning look. ‘Is she serious? She wants to rainboom already?’ Trixie nodded, as if she had read the Pegasus’ thoughts. The thought of that made Rainbow Dash shudder, but she quickly composed herself. ‘Alright, if that’s what she wants…’ “Heh, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” Rainbow Dash rocketed into the air again, flying much higher and faster that last time, and closed her eyes as she felt it nearing. Trixie closed her own eyes and focussed her magic. Timing was the key here, and the wireless tap she had placed on Rainbow Dash during the whole puppet performance was going to tell her when to set off her spell. Trixie bit her lip. The magic in her horn was starting to burn now, but she needed to keep it in place until it was time. Rainbow Dash was nearing the edge, she could tell. Finally, she heard the bang that could only be heard from Rainbow’s position, that signalled the rainboom would be coming the very next second. Releasing her magic, the crowd looked up as they too heard a bang just seconds after Trixie, and were in awe at the fantastic rainboom exploding outwards above them… accompanied by shooting stars, a meteor show, constellations… essentially all the beauty of the night sky, working together with the rainbow – a wonder seen only in the daytime sky – to create a rare spectacle that left the audience in a state of wonder and astonishment. Even Rainbow Dash had to stop for a moment to admire the fruits of their combined efforts, before remembering that they still had a show to do. And now that the crowd’s hostility towards Trixie seemed to have died down a bit, it was time for the real show to begin. “That… was… GREAT!” Trixie beamed as her hat was lifted off of her head and floated towards the hanger next to her door. “The ponies out there loved Trixie! They practically ate her up! They were cheering, and screaming for more, and throwing roses, not produce, and-” “I know,” Rainbow Dash said from her seated position on Trixie’s bed, watching the excited mare trotting back and forth. “I was there, remember?” “And out of all those who wanted Trixie’s autograph, one of them really stood out! That little filly, who asked Trixie to teach her magic! Nopony’s asked Trixie for teaching lessons since before the ursa minor incident!” “Again, I was right there,” Rainbow Dash reminded her, though she couldn’t help but smirk as she watched Trixie dancing around the room like a filly who had just had their first (successful) date. She was glad that everything had worked out so well, and decided to let Trixie enjoy this moment. However, the showmare suddenly stopped and turned to face Rainbow Dash with a serious look on her face. Rainbow tensed up a little bit and stared back at Trixie, wondering what the sudden change in attitude was all about. “… Thank you, Rainbow Dash,” Trixie said in a soft, quiet tone as she approached the Pegasus. Rainbow Dash was too surprised by the sudden show of gratitude to say anything, and only realised how close Trixie was getting when it was too late, and the other mare’s face was close enough to her own that she could feel her breathing. “You know, the Great and Powerful Trixie did not trust you for a second.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and turned her head to the side, both as a means to play it cool, and to avoid the showmare’s gaze. “Gee, thanks.” “Trixie thought that you were merely trying to set her up for a malicious hoax, or that you were perhaps using her for some ulterior motive. A part of her wanted to trust you, but it was clouded by the part that told her you would abandon her at a moment’s notice.” “… I don’t do that to ponies. I thought I told you that.” “And Trixie had a reason to trust your word?” No response came, so Trixie continued. “… Thank you, for both helping me out… and proving me wrong.” Rainbow turned back to Trixie, her eyes widened by a second wave of surprise. “As it turns out, there are ponies out there that Trixie can trust, and who are still willing to give Trixie a chance…” Trixie leaned forward to rest her chin on Rainbow’s shoulder. “You’re going back to Ponyville soon, aren’t you?” Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure what to do in this situation. If it was one of her friends, she would have been okay with the sudden display of affection, but obviously would never admit it outright. If it was some stranger, she would have pushed them away without a second thought. But Trixie was… What was she, exactly? The first time the two of them had met, Rainbow Dash felt excited with the idea of another flashy, talented pony to compete with, but when she learned that her friends didn’t like her, she played along for the sake of not losing their trust. Trixie left before Rainbow Dash could have that full one-on-one competition with her, and in a rather uncourteous manner to the one who had just saved her life, too, but Twilight told her to just let it go. The second time that they had met, Trixie was suddenly wreaking havoc in Ponyville, and bullying ponies who had so much as gotten within her vicinity. After finding out about the Alicorn Amulet and its corruption, she sought to do whatever she could to help not only Ponyville, but Trixie herself. With the amulet successfully removed, Trixie fled once again, and Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure whether to speak to her or simply let her go again. Now, she had spent the past few days with Trixie and had gotten to know her a little bit. She had learned some bits about the showmare’s past, discovered some of Trixie’s likes and dislikes, and even discerned what kind of pony she was personality-wise, at least a little bit. But it still wasn’t enough; as she thought about it, she realised that she still had things she wanted to talk about with Trixie. She still wanted to hang out some more, to have a real competition with her, and to… “Yeah,” Rainbow finally said after a lengthy pause. “I’ll be going back to Ponyville tomorrow. Catchin’ the afternoon train…” “I see,” Trixie said, her voice almost a whisper. She sighed and pulled back away from Rainbow Dash. “Well, as you can see, Trixie does not have much to offer you now… but, come back sometime soon, and she will make sure that you are adequately rewarded.” Rainbow raised a hoof and waved it dismissively in front of Trixie. “Nah, it’s cool. You don’t have to-” “Trixie insists,” Trixie said sharply, cutting Rainbow off. “With hecklers, the Great and Powerful Trixie holds nothing back. But, when somepony does Trixie a great service, she is quick to show her gratitude. Otherwise karma will just hit Trixie later.” Rainbow almost let out a laugh, but managed to hold it in. ‘She actually believes in that stuff?’ She noticed Trixie’s raised eyebrow, and quickly composed herself. “Uh… Y’know, you could always come visit Ponyville with me. It’s a pretty cool town, when it’s not being attacked by giant bears, swarms of cute bugs, or turned upside down by Spirits of Chaos.” Trixie was quick to shake her head at the invitation, not at all to Rainbow’s surprise. “You honestly think that’s a good idea? Consider how ponies treat Trixie all over Equestria. Now consider how the ponies who are related to all her problems would react if they saw Trixie walking through their town.” “I’m sure they won’t mind,” Rainbow Dash said with a reassuring smile. “They looked past a dragon who caused thousands of bits worth of damage to their town, and a Unicorn who cast a freaky enchanting spell on everypony by mistake. And besides, you’ll be with me!” Trixie still looked unsure. “I don’t know…” “And… I wanna hang out more.” Now it was Trixie’s turn to look surprised. “I, uh… You… You’re a cool mare an’ all, but, we hardly got much chance to really do a lot of fun stuff these past few days. And, I still don’t know a lot about you.” Trixie grinned and flicked her mane at the last statement. “Well, mystery is part of the Great and Powerful Trixie’s allure…” Rainbow Dash gulped as she looked into Trixie’s calm, confident eyes. She slowly raised her hooves and reached forward, placing them on Trixie’s shoulders and pulling the showmare closer towards her. “I wanna spend more time with you, okay? There’s… something I need to find out.” Trixie’s face started to turn red as she felt herself being drawn closer and closer to Rainbow Dash, but she made no effort to pull back. “Oh? What’s that?” she asked, her heart racing and her breathing slowing down. Rainbow Dash said nothing, but also stopped her advance as she realised what she was about to do. Doubt spread throughout her mind, telling her that what she was doing was a mistake. That she had to stop right now, before she crossed a line that was never meant to be crossed, and did something that she would never be able to take back. She was now just staring into Trixie’s eyes, her hooves shaking and any words she managed to form getting stuck in her throat. After a full minute of waiting, Trixie started to grow impatient, and decided to take the initiative herself. Though as confident as she was in herself, she found that making a move was indeed as difficult as Rainbow Dash was making it out to be. Her unsteady hooves lifted up from the floor and started to make their way up towards the sides of the Pegasus’ head, slowly but surely. “Trixie,” Rainbow Dash began as she noticed Trixie’s movements, “I-I’m sorry, I-” “Dash,” Trixie said as she her hooves finally reached their destination, grabbing Rainbow’s head and holding it in place, “The Great and Powerful Trixie is… feeling something weird right now, and wants to explore it as much as you do.” Trixie slowly started to move her face forward. “A-Are you sure? Isn’t this… like, a little fast, or something?” “…” Trixie stopped for a moment to consider it. “… Trixie has met many ponies on her travels. There were ponies that Trixie hated, and ponies she liked. But, there was never a pony that Trixie particularly enjoyed the company of, so much so that it affected even her dreams. Trixie put her faith in you, and was rewarded with something great.” Trixie resumed moving in towards Rainbow’s face. “Trixie’s heart is telling her that she wants this, and so, she’s going to take another chance.” Rainbow swallowed the lump in her throat. She closed her eyes and she saw Trixie’s lips inching closer and closer, and as she them connect with her own, she wrapped her forehooves around the other mare’s neck to hold her in place. ‘This is… totally different from all those times I was just experimenting in Flight School.’ The kiss lasted for a much longer time than Trixie had intended it to. She felt a warm feeling wash over her body, almost similar to when she had discovered her special talent, or when she was awarded her degree from Celestia’s School in front of all those ponies who had doubted her. She felt at peace, and she didn’t want it to end any time soon. Eventually, though, she had to pull back. Even the Great and Powerful Trixie needed oxygen, after all. As the two caught up on all the breathing that they had missed, they never once released one another from the embrace they had worked themselves into. After she could finally speak once more, Trixie smiled and leaned in close to Rainbow Dash, whispering into her ear: “Trixie will meet you at the train station tomorrow afternoon. Don’t you dare board without her.” Rainbow Dash smiled back and simply nodded in response. ‘Well… I guess there’s no going back now.’ Pushing Trixie forward, Rainbow Dash moved in for a second kiss, which was eagerly returned by the other mare. Spectrum looked up at the clock hanging on his wall. It was fifteen minutes until midnight, and there was still no sign of Rainbow Dash anywhere. A smile graced his face as he rose out of his chair and started to make his way upstairs. “Well, she’s a big girl now. I’m sure she’s just having so much fun this friend that she simply lost track of time. She knows where the spare key is hidden, anyway…”