//------------------------------// // Chapter 44 - Reinterpret // Story: Trixie's Forest Retreat // by crowscrowcrow //------------------------------// It was dead silent in Fluttershy’s house, normally there would be an almost constant soft skittering and chirping from the small animals that lived there in the back ground. Now all the only sound was the breathing of two ponies. Applejack had found the key as she promised and let the both of them, and the apples, inside. Neither of them had ever wandered around in Fluttershy’s house when it was dark however, and it took an embarrassingly long time to find out how to turn the lights on. “Ugh this is taking forever! Trixie thinks it is better to just sit in the dark.” Trixie had made a fairly rapid attempt to cover up her small break down and insisted she merely had gotten viciously assaulted by a roaming speck of dirt to the eye. “Ya can’t just sit in the dark waiting fer somepony, that’s down right creepier than a twelve legged spider in a bathtub. Well unless yer Pinkie Pie I reckon, but she turns the lights right on when ya get there. It still freaks everypony out though, or maybe it’s the screaming surprise part.” Trixie stared blankly at Applejack for a moment. What in the hay? “Yeeesss well, Trixie supposes you have a point. This would be so much easier if we had some actual light.” She tapped what looked like a small shaded lamp with her hoof, but she had no idea how to turn it on. “Well how bout ya make some light with yer horn then? I seen yer show ya could make lots a lights.” Trixie bit her lip. “The Great and Powerful Trixie does not give sneak previews.” She set the lamp back down and tried to spot anything else within hoof distance she could examine, trying to avoid triggering another headache by moving about too much. Applejack raised a brow. “Really, you pick right now to decide you don’t want to show off anymore?” “Right, just hush and figure out how to make light on your own. She’s your friend right, how do you not know how to turn her lights on?” “Yer the one that’s lived here fer a week, don’t ya know where Fluttershy keeps the candles or something?” Applejack squinted at what she guessed might be bookshelves, letting her hoof run past it to feel for anything different. Trixie shook her head. “Trixie was not awake at night, nor during the day for that matter. This is actually the first time she has seen Fluttershy’s house in the dark. It’s… eerie.” Though Trixie was sure it was less to do with the house, and more with the disturbing lack of so many familiar elements. Rummaging through the shelves, Applejack replied. “Ya sleep that much? I figured ya might be a bit spoiled, but I hadn’t pegged ya fer being that lazy.” “The Great and Diligent Trixie is not lazy! Rainbow Dash ki—c-came across Trixie in the forest. Something had hit Trixie in the head, Trixie does not remember it very well. She went to get help. It turned out Trixie had a concussion, it’s what is making Trixie so tired till she is better.” “But it’s been a week. Surely ya can’t be that bad off now.” Trixie stayed quiet for a moment as she considered her options. “Trixie… relapsed. She pushed herself too hard. It’s was just that Trixie did not want to be a burden so she tried to help in ways she probably should not have.” Applejack looked over her shoulder at Trixie’s silhouette. “Well that explains the hospital gown Ah guess. That mean yer tired right now too?” “Exhausted.” “Ya know you could take a nap if ya wanted. Ah don’t mind”  “Don’t underestimate Trixie. She is not—Ahah!” With a cry of triumph she produced a candle from a drawer in the small table the shaded lamp stood on. “As usual if Trixie wants a job done well she should do it herself!” “Real impressive, so how are you gonna light it if ya can’t use yer magic?” Applejack came closer, and stubbed her hoof on a table leg in the dark. Uttering some choice country flavored swears Trixie had never heard before, and she’d have commented if she was not distracted by something else. “Trixie never said she could not! She just will not. Now make yourself useful and just do some earth pony voodoo to light this thing.” “Earth pony voodoo? What in blazes, ya mean hard work?” “Yes that. Hop to it, Trixie did her part.” After giving Trixie a glare, which was rather ineffective given that neither could really see the other, Applejack took the candle from Trixie and made her way over to the hearth. She quickly found a flint and tinder and struck a few sparks. Trixie winced lightly as the first spark caught her by surprise and closed her eyes tightly. “Ack! Give Trixie a little warning next time. Shouldn’t you do that outside or something? What if you burn the house down.” Applejack slammed the flint down on the stone bricks of the fireplace, the sparks illuminating her scowl briefly. “Ya can tell me to do the job, or how to do it. Pick one.” “Err, however you do it is fine. Trixie cannot be bothered to micromanage your every move.” A few sparks later a soft, warm glow flickered through the room. The light revealed all the stools and table legs that the pair would have sworn kept moving about just to hit them in the shins while they walked, of course now they all kept perfectly still. Trixie smiled, the room did not look quite as alien anymore now that there was a little light. “Hey you actually did it, Trixie is impressed with your performance.” “Heh, you know something that actually sounded genuine fer a change.” Applejack picked the candle up and carried it towards the table. “I reckon we can just sit here for a spell and wait fer ‘em here.” “Wait, Applejack, Trixie has a better idea.” She pointed towards the windowsill next to the front door. “Do you think we could put it there? For good luck.” Trixie watched Applejack lift up an eyebrow. “Fer good luck? Ah don’t rightly know what yer on about there Trixie. We would waste like half the light there. And there’s nothing ta sit on.” Applejack looked over at the window then back at Trixie, a questioning look clear on Applejack’s face. Trixie smiled and trotted up towards the window. “Well, it’s a travelers custom. Or you could say a non-travelers custom really. Lighting a candle in the windowsill is said to bring good luck to travelers and help guide them back home safely. Course travelers is a bit loosely defined, runaway foals count for example. Just anyone that is not home and might need a little help returning.” “And you believe that’s true?” ”Well… maybe Trixie does not, but it can’t hurt? What Trixie does believe is that it is a symbol that the ponies left behind really want their loved ones to come home. Trixie has been on the other end before and well… It feels really nice to see a small warm light signaling the end of a tiring journey, to know there is a pony there eagerly waiting to...” Her voice trailed off as she just stared outside at the night sky. Trixie only snapped out of it when she heard a small clank nearby. She glanced down to find the candle in a holder on the windowsill, then looked back to find Applejack nearby giving her a smile. “Ah reckon it can’t hurt neither.” “Thank you.” Trixie mumbled softly and returned the smile. Applejack pulled on Trixie’s tail. “Come along then. I reckon we earned a rest after all that trouble. We got a good view from here too.” She trotted across the room and climbed onto Fluttershy’s large couch, and Trixie followed her example. Laying on the couch, Trixie stared at the weakly flickering flame quietly. The light barely reached them there. After a while of observing, Applejack broke the silence. “Ya really do love ‘em don’t ya?” Trixie flinched startled. “W-what no! Trixie, uh… Trixie… d-does… I-it doesn’t feel right to deny it.” She averted her gaze to avoid showing her face to Applejack. Though she did not exactly expect ridicule from the mare at this point, she had not taken a single opportunity yet. “It’s okay ya know, Ah love em too.” Upon hearing that Trixie’s breath stocked and she looked back to Applejack who smiled softly. “Like Ah do all mah friends and family.” Trixie breathed a sigh, but she could not quite place the feeling she got after hearing that. She found herself letting out a little chuckle. “Ah reckon ya are a better pony fer it. When I saw ya in town ya were just a big show off, but since ya spend been with them yer doing much better.” Trixie’s ears perked up, she had some idea of why that was. “But yer taking it a bit far aint ya? Breaking out of a hospital ta come back here? Ah can’t imagine what possessed ya ta do such a thing.” Applejack shook her head. Trixie pondered the question. What was I thinking… Even if there was a fire what was I going to do? I just was not really thinking straight because… “...They did not visit Trixie.” She choked out the words, it hurt just to say them. “T-Trixie was so worried. She thought something must have happened to them, b-but that’s not the worst part. Trixie hoped something had happened.” Applejack gasped. “Why in tarnation would you wish something like that upon yer friends?” Rubbing her eyes, Trixie tried to hide her tears. “Because otherwise, it meant they were not Trixie’s friends! So when Trixie saw the smoke she convinced herself they were in trouble, and went out to help.” “Oh Trixie… that has got ta be the dumbest thing Ah have ever heard. Ah got half a mind ta put you over mah knee fer thinking of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy like that! As if they would ever just pretend to be somepony’s friends.” Trixie just nodded and stared down at the floor, her shoulders shaking lightly. “Trixie knows it was selfish and stupid. Nobody told Trixie anything, but she should have trusted them. Just yesterday Rainbow Dash was mad cause she did not trust Trixie, and now Trixie does the same thing.”  Applejack rested a hoof on Trixie’s shoulder. “Well its good ya understand where ya went wrong. It’s okay ta make mistakes Ah reckon. Ya gotta look on the sunny side; It’s just one more way we learn, and besides nopony got hurt. Though Ah reckon there’ll be a spot of chaos at the hospital. Bet ya they are as worked up as a beehive with no comb, but that aint mah problem thank Celestia.” She chuckled. “You’re right, Applejack. Thank you for listening to Trixie.” She perked up a bit. “Trixie can see now that some good things came out of her mistakes this time. She got to eat the best pie in the world, and meet you.” Trixie showed a smile again, thinking about the positives really was helping. ”And your BIG brother.” She let her eyes slid half closed and looked dreamily as Trixie said those last three words. She could practically feel Applejack tense up beside her. “Whoa! Ya stay away from mah brother ya hear? Ah mean it! A-and none of that stuff like before neither!” Applejack huffed with narrowed eyes while her face ran red. If Trixie had to guess she was remembering their departure. The dreamy expression melted into a wide grin on Trixie’s face. Teasing the naïve cowmare was just too much fun. “You’re talking about that kiss aren’t you? Well don’t you worry. If you like Trixie can proof to you she won’t go after him.” She leaned in closer as she spoke. “Ya can? Ah doubt that. Let’s see it then.” Applejack said, her eyes ran over Trixie searchingly. With that, Trixie pointed towards the candle in the windowsill, and once Applejack turned her head to look at it Trixie leaned in the rest of the way to plant a kiss on Applejacks cheek in the same manner she had with Big Mac. “Whoa!” Applejack recoiled and tumbled off the couch, crashing into the ground. Fortunately it was not all the high. She laid on her back with her hind legs still on the couch, staring up at the lightly grinning Trixie. “W-what the hay does that prove? Ya just go around kissing random ponies ya don’t know? Have some self-restraint mare!” Trixie’s grin faltered, feeling a sting in her chest at the remark. Her ears folded back against her neck. “N-no, it’s only for friends. Sorry! Trixie thought it might be more fun showing you this way, sorry…” She pulled her gaze away from Applejack and settled it downcast on the pillow she was sitting on. Applejack stayed on the floor for a moment while she thought about this, then climbed back onto the couch, taking a seat next to Trixie. “This another one of yer customs Ah take it?” “Eeyup…” Hearing the imitation, Applejack smirked a little. “Ah see how it is… Okay then. Ya done this with yer other friends too? Like Fluttershy?” “...Eeyup.” “Oh mah. How ‘bout Rainbow Dash? Ah can’t see her going fer something like this.” “Nnope” “Ah figured. It’s a tad strange since we don’t have that custom round these parts but, if Ah understand ya right. This means ya would like me ta be yer friend?” “Eeyup.” “Ya realize ya really should explain this sorta thing first right? Why Ah could’ve misunderstood entirely.” Trixie just nodded and did not say anything further. Applejack blushed but leaned in closer, much to Trixie’s surprise, and placed a kiss on her cheek. Meeting Trixie’s surprised gaze as it rose up to meet her, Applejack just nodded and turned her head a little. Smiling brightly, Trixie kissed the exposed cheek. At the same time, she heard the front door swing open with such force that it cracked the wall. In the door opening stood a completely out of breath Rainbow Dash. “TRIXIE!?” Rainbow Dash galloped inside and skidded to a screeching halt half way through the room, her wide eyes locked on the kissing mare. Even in the dim candle light it was blindingly obvious what was Trixie was doing. As if stuck in a nightmare, Trixie cried out again. “Rainbow Dash! This is n—” “Not what it looks like?” Rainbow Dash finished for her, in a tone of voice that Trixie could only interpret as pure malice. As Rainbow Dash quickly closed in on her, Trixie curled up on the couch, shaking. Applejack watched on in stunned silence, unsure of what exactly she was looking at. As Rainbow Dash got close Trixie closed her eyes tightly. “I-It’s true, I swear,” she whimpered. Trixie flinched when she felt a hoof on her head, bracing for what followed. What followed went against everything she was expecting, Rainbow Dash was petting her. She felt a weight sink down on the couch besides her, followed by the distinguishing high heat of Rainbow Dash’s body when she pulled Trixie against her. “I know, Trixie, I know. I’m so sorry.”