//------------------------------// // 7 - Meeting Scootaloo (Part III) // Story: A TrixDash Love Story // by Yukito //------------------------------// It was a hot day out that day, and with very little cloud cover in the sky. Lyra Heartstrings, who had been out running her daily laps around Ponyville in an attempt to stay in shape, was starting to feel the full effect of the day’s weather as she neared the half-ways point of her final lap. Panting and wheezing, Lyra stopped as she passed by a water fountain in the middle of the park. As she put her hooves to the tap and brought her lips towards the fountain, something orange shot out suddenly from behind the fountain, startling Lyra. The orange thing turned out to be the head of a small orange filly, who was glaring past Lyra and towards something in the distance. Scootaloo raised her binoculars and watched as her hero Rainbow Dash passed by, her rainbow hair flowing in the wind, her sleek, athletic figure making Scootaloo’s heart throb and her strong, confident eyes making the filly feel as if she could do anything. Then she shifted her focus onto the blue Unicorn walking alongside Rainbow Dash, a little too close for Scootaloo’s liking. “Who does she think she is? Rainbow Dash only deserves the coolest, awesomest marefriend, not some smug-looking, tacky-looking, suspicious-looking-” “Uh, excuse me?” Lyra asked, interrupting Scootaloo’s rant to herself. “They’re moving on! I’ve gotta go after ‘em!” Scootaloo jumped onto her scooter, which was hidden behind the water fountain, and flapped her wings to push herself forward, leaving a cloud of dust behind herself as she pursued her targets. Twilight Sparkle was an expert in keeping herself calm and composed, provided that no deadlines were on the line, and could sit or stand perfectly still for an entire week, so long as nopony tried their best to get a reaction out of her. At least, all of that was true before she grew two very annoying appendages that seemed to have a constant need to twitch and flap, and just generally be moving about at all time. She had read that when young Pegasi first learn to fly, their wings are sensitive for a while and react to even the slightest outside stimuli. Whilst her own wings were not quite as sensitive, it was still a burden to her. “Twilight, could you- Ow! Could you please- Ooh! Please try to hold still for just a f-few seconds?” Rarity asked as she tried to work her tape measurer around her friend’s flapping wing. “I’m sorry, Rarity. I don’t know how to stop it, it’s like they have a mind of their own!” Twilight clenched her eyes shut and grunted as she tried to will her wings to remain still for just a moment. “Oh dear, this is going to be harder than I thought,” Rarity muttered to herself as she narrowly avoided being slapped in the face by Twilight’s wing. “I’m sorry. Maybe I should come back when I have better control over them?” Rarity quickly shook her head and resumed trying to do her work despite the flailing wing. “No, no, my dear. You need a new dress for the gala, and you are going to get one! I just need a little assistance, that is all.” The sound of a bell ringing echoed throughout Rarity’s boutique, alerting her to a new arrival in her store. “Rarity!” the familiar voice of Spike the dragon called out from the front door. “I got those gems you wanted!” “Oh, Spike! Thank you so much, I-” Rarity stopped as she turned around to see the baby dragon offering a small box to her. The box was empty, save for small speckles of blue, green, and red dust at the bottom. “Spike… where are my gems?” Spike raised a claw to the side of his face and scratched it as he gave Rarity a sheepish smile. “Uh, I kinda got a little hungry on my way over here…” Rarity’s eyes widened and her legs shook as she stared into the empty box. “Spike, you-” She stopped as the box was dropped to the floor, and Spike spun around to reveal a second box balanced on his tail, this one filled with sapphires, emeralds, and rubies. “Just kidding!” Spike said with a laugh as he placed the box onto the floor. “C’mon, you really think I’d eat all your gems just ‘cause I was hungry? Give me a little credit.” Rarity sighed and shook her head, a smile forming on her face as she reached a hoof out a patted her helper on the head whilst her magic picked up the box of gems and moved them to one side. “Yes, very funny. You know, you came at an opportune moment. Twilight needs some help keeping her wings still. Perhaps a strong, dependable dragon like yourself can be of assistance?” “Say no more! I’m on the case!” Spike said with a salute before starting to make his way towards Twilight. He was stopped when Rarity grabbed his right arm with her hoof and took a close look at the red stain on the side of it. “Spike, have you hurt yourself recently?” “Oh, that? I guess it must’ve happened when I tripped on the way to pick up those gems.” Spike pulled his arm away and hid it behind his back. “It’s fine though! Totally don’t feel a thing!” “Spike,” Rarity said in a stern tone, “I have a first aid box in the kitchen. Go tend to that wound immediately, before it becomes infected.” Spike opened his mouth to say something but Rarity gave him no chance to speak. “No buts! I will not have my little Spike-wikey put his health at risk for my sake.” “Well, okay… I’ll be done real quick then!” Spike declared as he turned around and ran off towards the kitchen. “Take your time!” Rarity called after him. When he was around the corner, Rarity turned to Twilight with a nervous smile. “He certainly seems to be taking the news of Applejack and I living together quite well.” “I know, I was surprised,” Twilight said. “I guess he’s a lot more mature than I give him credit for.” “It was dreadful those first three weeks after announcing our relationship to everypony. I just couldn’t sleep at all knowing that poor Spike was in such pain, and I was worried that moving my relationship up to the next level would bring back all of those unhappy feelings within him.” The sound of the boutique’s bell caught Rarity’s attention again as she turned around to see who was there. A wide smile spread across her face as she saw Applejack unloading some boxes onto the floor. “Hey there,” the farmer greeted. “This’s just ‘bout everythin’. Ah still can’t believe ah’m actually doin’ this. Always thought ah’d call that farm ‘home’ for the rest of mah life.” “But you’re still working there, aren’t you?” Twilight asked. “And it’s not that far away. You can still visit your family often.” “Ah know that,” Applejack said. “Jus’… feels kinda weird not livin’ there anymore, y’know?” “I know what you mean?” Rainbow Dash said as she entered the store behind Applejack, lowering a few more boxes onto the floor. “I felt the same when I moved here from Cloudsdale. Took a while getting used to sleeping in a new bed, but you’ll get there, eventually.” “Gee, thanks,” Applejack responded in a sarcastic tone. “Being a traveller, the Great and Powerful Trixie tends not to get homesick,” Trixie announced as she strolled in behind Rainbow Dash, levitating the final few boxes onto the floor. “Oh, good afternoon Trixie,” Rarity said quickly as she was caught off guard by the showmare’s sudden arrival. “I trust your stay in Ponyville has been treating you well?” “Actually,” Rainbow Dash began, “We had a minor incident last night.” “Oh?” Twilight asked, her face taking on a concerned look. “No, we did not,” Trixie said as she flicked her mane. “It just seems that word of Trixie’s grand comeback has yet to reach this town, though it makes sense given that it only happened two days ago. No matter; the Great and Powerful Trixie will simply have to show the ponies here that Trixie is no washed-up has-been.” A blue wing wrapped around Trixie’s back, drawing her attention towards Rainbow Dash, the owner of said wing. “Don’t forget I’m here, too!” “That’s right,” Rarity said. “We’re here too. In fact, if you like, I could prepare a new outfit for your show. Something to give a little more ‘pizzazz’ to your performance.” Trixie shot the white mare a grin. “You’ll have to open a tab for Trixie.” “By the way,” Applejack said as she walked up to Trixie, a sly grin on her face. “What y’all said jus’ now, ‘bout never bein’ homesick. Ah’m sure that can’t be true.” “Oh, but it is,” Trixie assured the farmer. “Canterlot may have been a nice city to live in, but the ponies there were simply obnoxious. If you didn’t hold a good family name, then everypony would just assume you were destined for failure.” “I’m sure you miss it sometimes,” Rainbow Dash said, stroking the tip of her wing against Trixie’s cheek. Trixie had to force herself not to smile. “All alone in your trailer every night. I bet you think about Canterlot all the time.” “Do not,” Trixie said as she tried to bat away the irritating wing. “You sure?” Rainbow asked, leaning in to nuzzle Trixie. “Positive,” Trixie said as she tried to back away. “Look at ‘em,” Applejack said with an odd look as she shook her head. “They jus’ can’t keep their hooves off each other for one second, can they?” “I, for one, think that it’s rather sweet,” Rarity said with a giggle as she approached Applejack’s side, leaning down so that she could rest her head on her marefriend’s shoulder. “Besides, you were much the same way yourself, you know?” Applejack blushed and quickly turned her head to the side. “Well, y’all weren’t any better.” “I was much better than you were.” Twilight simply giggled and smiled contentedly as she watched the two lovey-dovey couples in front of her. Her smile fell, however, when she noticed the baby dragon standing to her right. “Oh, Spike!” The four mares stopped upon hearing the name and turned to face the young dragon. “Oh, she’s here,” Spike said, his eyes narrowed as they focussed on Trixie, before he walked towards the front door. “Sorry Rarity, but I think I’m gonna go clean up the library.” “Spike, I-” Rarity began, but Spike was already outside of the door before she could say anything. “Trixie, please say something!” she pleaded, hating to see Spike so upset. “What exactly should Trixie say?” Trixie asked. “Trixie has dealt with angry and upset children before, but she has a feeling the usual magic trick or two won’t work on this one.” “It’s okay, Rarity,” Twilight said. “Just give him some space. I’m sure he’ll be able to work it out himself.” “Are you sure?” Rarity asked, still looking off into the direction that Spike had wandered off in with a worried look on her face. “I’m sure. In fact, as soon as you’re done taking my measurements, I’ll go straight back to the library and keep an eye on him. Okay?” “… Well, if you say so…” “Why is he so mad, anyway?” Trixie asked, looking down the street outside with a questioning look on her face. “Sure Trixie used him as a basketball, but she did much worse things to others.” “Trixie,” Rainbow Dash started, “You obviously wouldn’t know this, but back when you took control of Ponyville, we looked ways to defeat you and get Twilight back, and found out about the Alicorn Amulet. When Spike saw that, he had a nightmare… that Twilight lost to you, again and again.” “Spike’s always seen me as a kind of role model,” Twilight said, drawing Trixie’s attention towards her. “Back when you performed your first show, he was so angry that I didn’t accept your challenge. He wanted me to prove I was better than you, because he’s always believed me to be the best magic-user in all of Equestria. “So when he had that nightmare, to him, it was like a realisation that… that I wasn’t the hero he had always seen me as. That there was an enemy I couldn’t beat, and he was afraid that he would never see me again.” The shop remained silent after Twilight’s explanation, and Trixie simply turned to look outside once more as she took the story in. “Well he’s not the only one to lose a hero in his life,” Trixie muttered underneath her breath. “What was that?” Rainbow Dash asked, causing Trixie to jump. “Nothing,” Trixie said quickly as she turned around, before feeling a chill down her spine and turning back in an instant. “… It may be Trixie’s imagination, but it feels like we’re being followed right now.” “What?” Rainbow turned to the doorway and looked outside. “I don’t see anything. I think somepony’s just being a bit too jumpy.” “… Perhaps you’re right,” Trixie said as she walked further into the shop and turned her attention towards Rarity. “Now then, back to business. You said something about a new outfit for when Trixie is onstage, correct?” “Oh, of course!” Rarity replied. “But first, I wonder if you could lend a helping hoof? Twilight here’s having a little bit of trouble controlling her wings.” “Wingboners givin’ ya a hard time?” Rainbow Dash asked, bringing a blush to Twilight and Rarity’s faces, and a smirk to Trixie’s. “Rainbow Dash, please!” Rarity shouted. “Let’s try to act like mature adults here! Our Twilight can’t help if her wings are sensitive to even the slightest touch.” Twilight’s blush intensified, and Trixie’s smirk grew. “Or if her wings are continuously flapping around against her will.” Trixie and Rainbow Dash broke out into laughter, thought Rainbow Dash made more effort to hold it back, whilst Trixie simply allowed her laughter to spill out. “Ah don’t think ye’re helping, Rarity,” Applejack said, motioning her head towards Twilight, who was trying to mimic Fluttershy’s ability to hide behind her mane. “C’mon now you two. Ah’m sure you’ve had embarrassing moments like that in your lives.” Rainbow scoffed and waved a hoof in the air. “Yeah, when I was like, a kid. But we’re not talking about those times right now.” “Trixie may or may not have had her fair share of embarrassing moments,” Trixie said non-chalantly. “But you’ll never find out either way,” she added with a confident grin. “We’ll see,” Applejack muttered to herself. ‘Won’t take long fer Pinkie Pie ta wanna know everythin’ ‘bout Trixie, an’ when it happens, she’ll get her info, one way or another.’ Trixie’s ears twitched and she quickly turned around again to look outside of the store window. “What’s up?” she heard Rainbow Dash ask beside her. “Don’t tell me you think we’re being followed again.” “Trixie’s sure of it! She knows this feeling.” Scootaloo glared as she looked inside the window of Carousal Boutique, grinding her teeth together and shaking her hooves in anger as she watched Rainbow Dash laughing alongside Trixie, whilst her wing was wrapped around the other’s mare back, bringing the two so close together that their flanks touched. “Unacceptable… Unacceptable I say!” Scootaloo gasped as she saw Trixie turning her head towards the window, and quickly ducked down into the bushes beneath her, flinching and barely holding back a bad word as she felt the twig scraping across her skin and forced herself into an uncomfortable position in order to remain hidden. “Will you give it a rest already?” Rainbow Dash asked as she sat beside Trixie on the side of a fountain in the town square of Ponyville, bringing her glass of orange juice up to her mouth and taking a drink through the straw. Once she was finished she continued. “There was nopony following us! We checked like, a hundred times!” “Once is not the same as ‘a hundred times’,” Trixie said with an annoyed scowl, which disappeared as soon as she took a drink of her own, refreshing beverage. Unlike Rainbow Dash, she was drinking grape juice, and she was pleasantly surprised by the taste. “And poking your hooves into a bush and rattling it a few times without even looking doesn’t qualify as checking.” “Look, you’re just a little jumpy ‘cause of recent events. If you’d just let me talk to everypony to let them know you’re okay-” “No!” Trixie shouted, poking her nose up into the air. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will revive her career her own way, thank you very much!” Trixie glanced over at Rainbow Dash when she heard no response, and saw her frowning as she stared back at Trixie. “You simply be ready to assist Trixie in her upcoming show, okay?” Rainbow’s frown faded away and her ears perked up. “I’m in your show again?” “But of course. Trixie cannot even set up her stage without you there to quell the crowd, remember?” Trixie looked down towards the ground and fiddled with the glass between her hooves as a tinge of red spread across her face. “And, if you so wish, you may also assist Trixie in her future shows, too.” Rainbow Dash noticed the blush on Trixie’s face and grinned. She decided to have a little fun with the showmare. “Gee, I dunno. I think after one or two more ‘comeback’ shows, you’ll have things pretty much under control.” Trixie looked up at Rainbow Dash with a look of absolute shock on her face. To her, the idea that somepony would turn down an invitation to share the stage with her was unbelievable, and whilst she would normally dismiss the fool’s ignorance and stupidity and move on, this time she couldn’t. Because she wanted Rainbow Dash on that stage with her. Not all the time, but sometimes, she felt, would be nice. “You would turn down so great an offer? The Great and Powerful Trixie thinks you should think more carefully before you answer.” “Nah, I’m good,” Rainbow said, waving a hoof dismissively. Trixie narrowed her eyes as she glared for a few more seconds, and then, with a huff, turned her head away. “Whatever, it was just a suggestion,” she muttered, just loud enough for Rainbow Dash to hear. ‘Okay, I think that’s enough jokin’ around now,’ Rainbow thought to herself as she wrapped a wing around Trixie to pull her closer towards herself. “Well, maybe I could find some time actually. I do like ponies lookin’ at me.” Trixie, taken off guard by the sudden winghug and her heart now beating so fast she could feel it, tried to regain her composure and act like nothing was wrong by acting casual, bringing the straw in her glass up to her lips, only to realise that her glass was empty. “Hey,” Rainbow whispered into Trixie’s ear, sending a shiver down the Unicorn’s body, “Y’know I can feel your heart with my wing, right?” Trixie looked down at her chest, and confirmed the tip of Rainbow Dash’s wing on the left side. “It’s just all the walking we’ve done today,” Trixie said casually as she looked off to the side. “You mean that walking we did thirty minutes ago?” Rainbow Dash asked, reminding Trixie that she had been carried here from Carousal Boutique. “Um… yeah,” Trixie said, prompting Rainbow Dash to lean in closer, which in turn prompted the ever-reddening Trixie to lean away. “You suuuuuuure?” Rainbow asked in a teasing voice. Trixie considered her options. She could either play the Pegasus’ game and lean in herself, giving Rainbow Dash a kiss that could either shock her into backing away, or lead to a full making out session that would last until somepony broke them up. Or, she could play a little game of hard-to-get by teleporting away from Rainbow Dash and insisting that they move on the next location. Strangely enough, fate decided it was then that Trixie would develop stage fright and she leaned towards the option of teleporting away, but as it turned out she would not need to. For something else was about to come between them that would split them apart. Quite literally, in fact. “Hey Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo shouted as she popped up from behind Rainbow’s wing, her head in-between both ponies and a huge grin on her face as she faced her hero directly. “Lovely day out, isn’t it? Fancy meetin’ you here!” “Uh…” Trixie began, but was unsure of what exactly to ask in this odd situation. “Oh! Scoots!” Rainbow Dash shouted, quickly pulling back her head and retracting her wing. “Hey there! Haven’t seen ya in a few days, have I? Well, except for earlier at the farm, I guess.” Scootaloo turned towards Trixie, who regarded the filly with a questioning look. “Hey there, Trixie! You never told me you were friends with Rainbow Dash!” Trixie raised an eyebrow. ‘Did she just put major emphasis on the word ‘friends’?’ Putting on a smile, Trixie regained her composure. “Well Trixie was not aware that the two of you were acquaintances. And in fact, we are more than jus-” “Yeah, I’m like her kid sister and stuff,” Scootaloo said, beaming with pride as she wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow’s waist. “This is so cool! Any friend of Rainbow Dash has gotta be awesome!” Trixie gave the filly an odd look. “Uh, yes… The Great and Powerful Trixie can indeed be considered ‘awesome’. But what do you mean when you say you’re ‘like her kid sister’?” “It’s kinda-” Rainbow Dash began, only to be interrupted by Scootaloo. “Well, I don’t have any real brothers or sisters, and Rainbow Dash is just, like, the coolest pony ever! And the fastest flier in all of Equestria! And she adopted me as her little sister!” “Not officially,” Rainbow mouthed to Trixie whilst patting Scootaloo’s head with a hoof. “Hey, squirt! How ‘bout doin’ me a quick favour?” Scootaloo quickly jumped to attention. “Of course! What is it?” “Could you get us some refills over there?” Rainbow pointed to the juice stand in the distance, where a few ponies were queuing behind some old stallion with a hearing difficulty. “One orange and one grape juice.” Scootaloo nodded quickly and picked up the two empty glasses. “Roger! I’ll be back in twenty seconds flat!” “Isn’t it ten seconds flat?” Trixie asked. Scootaloo shook her head. “I’m not at that level yet.” With that, the filly turned around and charged full speed towards the juice stand. “Well, that was interesting,” Trixie said. “Trixie didn’t realise you had a ‘like-kid sister’,” she added in a joking tone. “She’s alright,” Rainbow Dash said, watching as Scootaloo unsuccessfully tried to get the old stallion at the front to move faster. “Just has a habit of popping up everywhere. I like the kid, but I need some time alone, y’know?” “You’ll need it more than ever, now,” Trixie said with a sly grin. “… Oh no.” “What’s up?” Rainbow Dash asked, noticing Trixie’s expression, somewhere between anger, horror, and worry. She turned around and saw the cause of Trixie’s concern. “Ah.” “It’s true!” the short, chubby colt running towards the two mares shouted. His companion, a taller, skinnier colt, followed after him. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is really back in town!” “Heya, Trixie!” Snails shouted as he waved his hoof. “Are you here to put on another show for us?” “Oh, oh! I’ve got a request! Do the ‘saw a pony in half’ trick… but then end it with explosions!” Snips bounced up-and-down excitedly as he spoke, completely oblivious to the scowl that was growing on Trixie’s face. “Oh trust me, I’d love to saw you in half,” Trixie muttered, not loud enough for the colts to hear, but perfectly audible to Rainbow Dash. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is exhausted from her travels. Go bother somepony else with your nons-” “Oh! Trixie!” Snails shouted, causing Trixie’s eye to twitch from both the interruption, and the sound of the colt’s voice. “We were kinda wonderin’, if you ever came back, if you could teach us some magic!” “Oh, yeah!” Snips said, nodding his head. “We do our own magic show too, y’see, but we’re… not so good at it.” A blush formed on the colt’s face as he remember their last performance, which somehow ended with their tails fused together in front of all of their classmates. “As Trixie said,” Trixie said, grinding her teeth together and taking a deep breath, “The Great and Powerful Trixie is tired, and would much appreciate it if-” “Please?” Snails pleaded, lowering down to his knees. “Please?” Snips also asked, both of them now pleading for their hero to take them under her wing. Trixie, however, could hold it in no longer. “GO. AWAY,” she said, her voice stern and cold as ice, and her gaze no longer just an angry glare, but a dark, silent threat that sent shivers down their spines. “Y-Yeah. We understand,” Snips said. “Sorry, of course you’re tired right now. W-We’ll come back tomorrow.” Trixie’s eyes widened, and Snips flinched. “O-Or never. Never is fine, too.” “Uh, sorry to bother you, G-Great and Powerful Trixie,” Snails said as he and his friend both got up and turned to leave. “Wait,” Rainbow Dash said, stopping the two colts and causing Trixie to turn to face her. “What?” Trixie asked. “Don’t ya think that was a little harsh? I mean, I know you don’t exactly have a good past with them, but they-” “If you’re referring to them bringing a creature that almost killed Trixie, and being the sole cause of Trixie’s biggest ever downfall and her descent into poverty, eventually leading to the acquisition of an artefact that almost consumed her mind, then yes, you are absolutely right about that.” “It’s not like they meant all that to happen,” Rainbow said. “And I’m sure they felt terrible for it. Right guys?” she asked the two colts, who quickly nodded. “Yeah, we felt terrible,” Snails said, lowering his and frowning. “We never meant for you to get hurt or nothin’. And we tried to help you by sending you our allowances, but we didn’t know where you were.” “We’re really, really sorry,” Snips said. “And I promise, we’ve never once set hoof into that forest since that incident! Ever!” “Oh, well then everything is just dandy, isn’t it?!” Trixie turned away from the two colts and Rainbow Dash, folding her forelegs as she stared off into the distance. “Do you ever realise that because of that one action, the Great and Powerful Trixie almost died, and not just once, either. Four times, Trixie had to face the reaper one-on-one. If it wasn’t for Rainbow Dash here, the Great and Powerful Trixie would be starving right now.” Snips and Snails both exchanged sad glances with each other, before both slowly approaching Trixie. “We’re sorry,” Snails said. “If you don’t want to see us ever again, we’ll understand.” “Yeah. I guess we’ll just get out of your hair now,” Snips added, the two colts once again turning around to leave. “Hold on!” Rainbow quickly latched onto Trixie from behind and whispered into her ear: “Are you sure you wanna do that, Trixie? Look at ‘em! They’re trying to make amends for what they’ve done!” “Then let them. By never again being allowed to witness Trixie’s spectacular magic,” Trixie said with a huff. “C’mon, Trixie. Those two are like, your biggest fans! Are you really gonna toss them aside so easily? Even when you were a laughing stock, they still believed in you, and looked up to you.” Trixie turned to face Rainbow Dash. “C’mon, surely you remember what it’s like when ponies wouldn’t give you a chance?” Trixie turned back to the two colts, who were both staring at her with hopeful, pleading eyes. “… Argh! Fine!” she said begrudgingly, lighting a spark of hope in the two colts’ eyes. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will give them a chance to prove how sorry they are, before considering teaching them some magic!” Rainbow Dash sighed and shook head, whilst Snips and Snails ran over to her with wide smiles on their. “Yes, Great and Powerful Trixie!” Snips said with a salute. “Just tell us what to do, and we’ll-” “For starters,” Trixie interrupted, “Trixie’s trailer is parked near the edge of town, near the windmill. It is covered in horrible red writing. When Trixie returns, she wants it spotless. Do you understand?” Snips and Snails both nodded. “Yes, ma’am!” Snips shouted. “One spotless trailer coming up!” The two colts turned around and ran through the streets. “I bet I can make it more spotless than you!” “Nuh-huh! I can reach the higher places!” “W-Well, I can reach underneath it!” As the bickering of the two colts died down, Trixie sighed and brought a hoof to her head. “Trixie has never hated children more than she does those two.” “C’mon, they’re not so bad,” Rainbow said with a reassuring smile. “At least they’re willing to make things up to you. Out of curiosity, how many ‘tests’ are they going to have to take before you’re satisfied?” “Who knows?” Trixie asked with a shrug. “If they’re actually half-competent, a lot.” “Aw, come on. Using children as personal servants?” A glass of orange juice presented itself suddenly to Rainbow Dash, an orange hoof attached to it. “I got your drinks!” Scootaloo said with a wide grin. “Anything else you want me to do for you?” Rainbow took the glass and turned her attention to, who was giving her a smug grin as she took the glass of grape juice into her hoof. “Totally not the same thing,” Rainbow Dash said quickly, averting her eyes as she took a sip of fresh orange juice. “Excuse me! Rainbow Dash!” The three ponies turn to see an old-looking grey mare heading their way. “Rainbow Dash, could I speak to you for a second, in private?” “Uh, sure,” Rainbow said as she quickly finished off her juice and set the glass down. “Why don’t you two talk and get to know each other a bit?” “Sure thing,” Trixie said as she watched Rainbow Dash follow after the other mare, the two of them stopping some distance away and talking to each other. Trixie looked down at the filly beside her and thought of what to say. “So… your name’s Scootaloo, correct?” “Stay. Away from her,” Scootaloo said, jumping onto the side of the fountain and poking a hoof into Trixie’s chest. Trixie raised an eyebrow as she saw the filly’s smile suddenly replaced with an angry scowl. “Um… come again?” Trixie asked, batting the hoof away with an annoyed look. “You heard me. Rainbow Dash already has an awesome sister like me by her side. You’re just a distraction.” Trixie furrowed her brows and lowered her glass as she returned the glare that the filly was giving her. “Oh really? And just what does it matter to you anyway? You got a crush on her or something?” The redness on Scootaloo’s face gave Trixie her answer. “Hmph. That’s too bad, because Trixie got her first.” Scootaloo gritted her teethe together. “I knew her way longer than you have! I bet you don’t even know her fears, do you?” “There’ll be time to learn that. But Trixie knows her likes, which is far more important.” “Well I’ve flown with her! She lets me sit on her back while she flies!” Trixie grinned and waved a hoof dismissively. “Filly, please. Rainbow Dash carries Trixie bridal style when we fly together.” Suddenly, Trixie remember how embarrassing it was to be carried that way, but she kept her cool so as not to lose this battle. “Well, I’ve shared an ice-cream with Rainbow Dash!” Trixie wondered to herself when this became a contest, but didn’t really mind. Because she knew she was going to win. “So has Trixie. More so than that, she has shared a bed with Rainbow Dash.” “So have I,” Scootaloo said in a confused tone. She wasn’t sure why that was Trixie’s rebuttal. “You have?” Trixie asked with a raised eyebrow. “Yeah. When I was… having nightmares… Rainbow Dash said I could sleep in her sleeping bag with her,” Scootaloo said, smiling as she reminisced about the night that Rainbow Dash first took her under her wing. Trixie, however, was giving the filly a huge grin as she barely held back a laugh. “Oh, I see. That’s adorable,” Trixie said, patting the filly on the head. “But you see, when Trixie says she has shared a bed with Dashie, she means in a way that a kid like you wouldn’t understand.” “And just what is that supposed to mean?” Scootaloo asked, annoyed by the comment and waving a hoof to keep Trixie’s away. “Oh, you’ll learn when you’re older,” Trixie responded in a teasing tone. “So what’s up?” Rainbow asked as she followed Mayor Mare to a spot some distance away from the fountain. “If this is about the downpour that happened during your family picnic, I already told you-” “It’s not that, Rainbow Dash,” Mayor Mare said. “But thank you for reminding me. I’ll be expecting a formal apology by this time tomorrow. No, I actually want to talk to you about… her.” Mayor Mare motioned her head towards Trixie, who was sitting behind Rainbow Dash talking with Scootaloo. “What about her?” Rainbow asked, thought she already knew where this was going. “Well, I just don’t really feel comfortable seeing her walking around after what happened the last time she was here. That cage was not good for my back, you know?” “Didn’t Twilight explain to you about the Alicorn Amulet?” Rainbow asked, receiving a nod from the mayor. “Well, do you see an amulet on her right now?” “Please be calm, Rainbow Dash,” Mayor Mare said. “I would just like to know that she isn’t here on some mission for revenge, or that she isn’t planning to start any trouble with the townsponies.” “So long as they don’t start things first,” Rainbow said. “Look, she’s cool, alright? And if she does start something, I’ll take full responsibility. Happy now?” “… Very well then. If you are willing to vouch for her, then that is all that I need.” “Oh, by the way,” Rainbow said quickly before the mayor could turn away, “I have a favour to ask you. You see, Trixie’s going to be putting on a show this weekend-” “Is she now?” Mayor Mare asked. “Well, good for her, I suppose. It’s not healthy for a pony to suppress their special talent, and I’ll admit that I was quite sympathetic when I heard her story. It’s good to see that she’s getting back into her zone.” “Yeah, listen, I just need you to help with the advertising. Can you…” Rainbow whispered her request into the mayor’s ear, who nodded a few times until Rainbow Dash was finished. “Very well then. Consider it done.” “Thanks. I owe you one,” Rainbow said as she turned to leave. “Five,” Mayor Mare said as she watched the Pegasus leave. “And I intend to start collecting soon!” “Well, your cape looks dumb, and your hat is just weird!” Scootaloo said, flicking Trixie’s cape and knocking the hat with her hoof. “Oh yeah? Well your helmet makes you look stupid! No, wait, that’s all you.” “Hey guys.” The two ponies quickly straightened themselves out and faced Rainbow Dash with smiles on their faces. “Er, everything alright?” “Of course it is!” Scootaloo answered, approaching Trixie and nuzzling her foreleg. “Just getting to know my newest best friend in the whole world a little better, that’s all!” As she nuzzled, she used her tail to flick water from the fountain behind her onto the back of Trixie’s neck, causing the showmare to flinch and hold back a shriek as the cold water droplets moved down her back. “T-That’s right,” Trixie said as her eye twitched. “This filly sure is something. No wonder you took her in as your little sister,” Trixie said as she used her magic to freeze the water around Scootaloo’s tail, trapping it in a small patch of ice. “Cool! I’m glad you two are gettin’ along,” Rainbow Dash said. “Oh, we sure are,” Scootaloo said with clenched teeth as she tried to free her tail. “Anyway, we should probably move on now,” Rainbow Dash said. “We’ve got a lot of places still left to see.” “Is that so?” Trixie asked. “Then it seems that this is where we must part ways for now, Scootaloo.” “Oh, I don’t mind tagging along,” Scootaloo said. “No, the Great and Powerful Trixie couldn’t possibly ask you to take time away from your surely-busy day for this.” “But I insist.” “But Trixie insists more.” “If she wants to come, then just let her,” Rainbow Dash said. “Besides, I thought you two were getting along.” “Oh, we are!” Trixie said quickly. “… Fine. Let’s go, Dashie.” With her magic, Trixie lifted one of Rainbow Dash’s wings and draped it over her body, turning around and sticking her tongue out at the filly behind her. Scootaloo, now free Trixie’s spell, jumped up onto Rainbow’s back and made herself comfortable. As Rainbow Dash and Trixie began walking, Scootaloo turned to face Trixie and stuck her tongue out. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will admit,” Trixie said as she entered her trailer, much later that day, “You really did manage to give the full tour in just one day.” “Yep! Fastest in all of Equestria, baby!” Rainbow Dash said as she followed Trixie into the trailer. “Man, those colts really did a good job with cleaning this thing up.” “… Yes, Trixie supposes that they did,” Trixie said as she sat down on her bed, followed by releasing a loud yawn. “It appears that this day has really taken it out of Trixie. It would seem that some rest is in order.” “Not just yet,” Rainbow said she closed the door behind her, using her wing to lock it shut. “There’s still one last thing we need ta take care of. A little ‘gift’ I wanna give you to welcome you to Ponyville.” “Oh?” Trixie turned to face Rainbow Dash, and caught on to the sultry tone in her voice, after seeing the seductive gaze in her eyes. “Oh.” “No need to get up,” Rainbow said as she stopped Trixie from rising. “… So, I’m not quite sure how to do this, but I got some pointers today,” Rainbow Dash explained as she placed her hooves on Trixie’s shoulders. “So, lemme know if I do something wrong, okay?” “What are you-” Trixie stopped and her eyes widened as she felt a wing trace along the base of her horn. “Ah…” “You said something ‘bout a sensitive horn, right? If you reacted like that to just my wing, I wonder what this will do.” Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, opened her mouth, and lowered her head towards Trixie’s horn. Scootaloo growled in frustration as she heard the sound of the door locking from the other side. ‘Darn it, what could they be talking about in there?! I won’t let her get ahead of me that easily!’ Examining the outside of the trailer carefully, Scootaloo found something that looked like a window. Upon closer examination, it turned out that it was indeed a window, or rather one that was supposed to be covered by a window door that appeared to have fallen off of its hinges at some point, and was now lying on the ground outside of the trailer. With a mighty leap, aided by her tiny wings, Scootaloo was able to grab onto the windowsill and peer inside… and see Rainbow Dash touching Trixie’s horn with a wing. ‘What are they doing?’ Scootaloo asked, before something she never could have imagined seeing happened before her very eyes. Rainbow Dash leaned forward with her mouth open, and Trixie let out a loud shriek as her horn was enveloped. Scootaloo quickly jumped off of the side of the trailer and backed away slowly, her eyes wide with horror and her face turning green. ‘W-What did I just see?! Why would they-’ Before Scootaloo could finish that thought, a loud scream came from inside of the trailer, and the filly immediately turned around and screamed herself as she fled the area as quickly as possible. She wasn’t sure what she had witnessed that evening, but she was sure as heck going to do her best to forget when she got home. She had also decided that stalking was not her special talent, and that she would have nothing to do with it ever again.