What’s that sound? Why is there sound? The last thing Trixie could remember was the roar of the timberwolf, signaling it was right next to her. Is Trixie… Dead? She had never given much thought to the idea of an afterlife, or how it might feel to be dead.
There was still a pounding in her head, drowning out her other senses. She was dimly aware that her body was in pain, but it did not seem important anymore if she was dead anyway. She could sense she was laying on something warm and soft, her ragged cloak acting as a blanket.
This is not so bad… Maybe Trixie should not have been so scared of dying.
She perked up her ears listening to the strange noise, the sound was familiar to her. Somepony was crying and talking in between sobs, it sounded like her own thoughts repeated back to her out loud. Maybe that was what people meant when they said you could see your life flash by when you died? Trixie had imagined it a little flashier.
“I-I screwed it up again… Why does everything I try backfire?”
That’s right… Everything Trixie’s tried failed, or made it worse. Like with her show, her escape, the animals, this forest trip, or… Fluttershy.
“I never should have hurt her, I’m a terrible pony.”
Or Rainbow Dash... She was only trying give Trixie someone to talk too, and Trixie just chased her away.
“I try so hard to make it better, but I just mess it up. I nearly got her killed.”
Trixie was so busy catching up she never noticed the timberwolf. Trixie led Fluttershy right into danger.
“I’m sorry, I really really am. I’m sorry for everything.”
Maybe Trixie should have said that when the Ursa attacked… It’s too late now.
"And I know I should be actually telling you this, but I just can't.... This is my only chance to get it off my chest. You'll never hear it with the mute spell thing around here."
Trixie should te—Wait. What?
Trixie’s eyes opened, the bright sunlight greeted her. It took her a moment to get used to the light, all of the trees that had been shielding it were gone. She could see the sky, sun, clouds, and cyan fur. Her eyes lifted up slowly, a feeling of dread spread through as she began to realize where she was. The prismatic mane came into view next, cementing her fear. She trembled noticeably while she brought her eyes up just a bit more, looking right at Rainbow Dash’s face.
Her first instinct was to scream and scramble away, but the scream died in her throat when she noticed something she’d never seen before, Rainbow Dash was crying? Her mind was racing, she tried to figure out what was going on. This was the same strong and confident pegasus that she’d been afraid off?
Somehow she did not look quite as scary now. The voice Trixie had heard played through her mind again. If that was not Trixie, then… Rainbow Dash felt like this too? She had realized already that the cyan pegasus felt guilty, given her reaction when she threw her near death experience in her face, but not that it had been effecting her this much all along.
She was not even sure how she ended up here, but slowly the memories came back to her. All about her last moments of terror with the timberwolf then getting snatched up off the ground. She might have passed out after that, thinking the timberwolf grabbed her. But from the looks of it, somehow she had her vain hopes granted. She was alive, saved by the prismatic pegasus.
“One second later, and I really would have finished you off by bringing you here…” Rainbow Dash mumbled, her magenta eyes staring up at the sky. She was clearly unaware Trixie was awake, and by the sound of it unaware of how the silence effect actually worked.
She felt a painful stab of guilt in her chest. She did not truly know how to deal with this. Normally she would humiliate any pony that wronged her, but that did not feel right anymore. Maybe… Trixie could try like with Fluttershy?
It took her a moment to actually work up the courage. Rainbow Dash had gone quiet and all Trixie could hear anymore were her breathing and heartbeat, as she had been laying with her head on the pegasus’ chest. Perhaps this is not such a good idea. Should Trixie stay quiet, act like she is asleep? No! This is what Trixie tried to find her for in the first place, don’t be such a coward! Finally she pulled her hooves around Rainbow Dash in a hug, it felt strange to have her hooves dig so easily through the cloud that was carrying both their weights.
“Woah what’s this? Maybe she woke up?” Rainbow Dash blinked the tears out of her eyes quickly and put on a goofy grin as she stared down at Trixie. She motioned towards a cloud lower down with her head.
Trixie followed the motion and smiled widely once she found what Rainbow Dash was trying to show her, Fluttershy was sound asleep on a cloud below them. Good, she made it. Her attention turned back to her supposed tormentor. “You know, sound still works in a few hoof radius.”
Rainbow Dash paled immediately. “I-Is that so? Well that’s erm… convenient I guess. So did you errr have a nice nap?”
“Trixie heard all of it.” She was tempted to let Rainbow Dash squirm with that knowledge for a while, but pulled tighter instead. “It’s okay… Trixie… Trixie is sorry. Sorry for saying those things, for everything... She thought of you as just a monster, you aren’t. You saved Trixie… Saved me… Thank you, thank you so much. T-Trixie thought she was ready, she was wrong.” She broke into tears and averted her gaze quickly. Of course she would snap right in the middle of her little speech, why did she ever think otherwise? “T-Trixie can’t do a-anything right, it’s pathetic.”
Rainbow Dash stared down at Trixie in disbelief for a moment, then shifted one hoof up from Trixie’s back to stroke her mane. ”H-hey uhm uh… S-shhh it’s okay,” she spoke awkwardly, trying to mimic Fluttershy’s tone. It did not last very long. “Ugh I can’t do this! It’s not cool. Trixie, if you failing all the time also made you fail to get yourself killed then I’m glad! Keep failing!”
Trixie shrunk as Rainbow Dash’s went from the almost mock soothing voice to straight up scolding her. She was about to push herself away, but then she felt Rainbow’s Dash tighten her grip on her, warm wings wrapping around her.
“You’re such a foal. You failed to beat my dare, so you beat me. You failed to leave Fluttershy’s care, so you stayed and got better. You failed to take it easy, so you helped around the house. You failed to beat the Ursa, so you stalled until Twilight came. You failed , and you apologized. You failed to beat the timberwolf, so you risked yourself and send that signal. You failed to die twice, so you can keep on failing. And I don’t think that’s a bad thing! It’s not how many times you fail, it’s what you do after. And every time I’ve seen you fail, you immediately adapt! And do the best you can, even if it’s maybe not the right thing, you never gave up, and I think that’s pretty awesome!” Rainbow Dash voice rose in strength, taking deep breaths as she finished her rant.
Trixie looked up into the pure magenta eyes of the pegasus, not a hint of dishonesty to be found in them. She felt soft cyan feathers sweep along her muzzle wiping her tears away. “You… really think so?”
“Hey I may not have gotten the Element of Honesty, but you can trust me to be honest and loyal to my friends.” Rainbow Dash gave a cheesy grin at Trixie. “And I suppose there is enough of my awesome to go around for one more, what do you say?”
Trixie blinked slowly as she let the words sink in, repeating one phrase back to the pegasus almost sure she misheard. “Friends?”
Rainbow Dash grinned at the unicorn on top of her. “Sounds good to me, Friends. Now get off me will you?” She laughed, it was not as if Trixie could even if she wanted.
Friends