//------------------------------// // Chapter 76 - Remedial // Story: Trixie's Forest Retreat // by crowscrowcrow //------------------------------// After seeing Rainbow Dash off, Trixie closed the front door, and made her way back into the kitchen. Excitement coursed through her with every step while she did her best to stay at least calm enough not to knock anything over. She prepared a tray with Fluttershy’s strawberry pancakes, some tea, and a few pieces of fruit. This is the best! The trip up the stairs was a little bit tricky, but by holding the tray in her mouth, Trixie managed it without tilting it too much. A few quick knocks on the door announced her presence before entering. The room was dark as always, thanks to the cloths covering the windows. It was not something Trixie had actually thought about before today. She supposed she could get rid of them, since it turned out she was fine when she woke up in the sunlit living room. Trixie set down the tray on the desk, then turned her attention to the sleeping pegasus, apparently she had failed to wake her up with her entrance. It was a rare opportunity for Trixie to actually be awake before both pegasi, the last time had been their ill-fated trip. Watching the soft relaxed features of Fluttershy’s face, Trixie smiled. It was a little strange to see Fluttershy with a neutral expression rather than alternations between smiling or frightened, but it was no less cute. Fluttershy snoozed peacefully, but Trixie could see her face was red and puffy, and she had the blanket curled tightly around herself. Oh no, it looks like she really is sick. Maybe Trixie should let her sleep for now? Suffering a moments indecision, Trixie took a step away from the bed, and she considered if she really wanted to wake her up. Fluttershy never tried to wake Trixie, except that first week, and that had been incredibly annoying. Still, she couldn’t just decide to give her cold pancakes. Trixie will just wake her up a little, and if she doesn’t want any, Trixie will let her sleep. “Fluttershy?” Trixie reached out a hoof to the mare’s shoulder, shaking her gently. “Fluttershy?” “Mhm… Trixie?” Fluttershy mumbled softly, half opening one eye to look at her. Apparently, Fluttershy was a fairly light sleeper. When Trixie thought about it, she already knew that, as she’d done nothing but wake the poor mare up when she tried to sleep last night. It made Trixie feel worse about it now that she realized Fluttershy had probably been sick back then too. Trixie kept her voice down. “Good mor—afternoon, Fluttershy. Are you okay?” “Hey, Trixie… I’m fine.” She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and gave Trixie a once over. “Oh. How are you? You collapsed last night.” Fluttershy did not sound particular energetic, but Trixie had to be fair to her, she did just wake up. With a dismissive gesture, Trixie tried to look casual. “Trixie was just tired, she’s much better now! Dash said you might be sick, and, uhm, you do look a little ill.” She motioned over to the tray on the desk. “Trixie brought you breakfast, if you feel like it, should she come back later?” Fluttershy looked confused for a moment. “Dash? Sick?” After a brief moment, her eyes shot open wide. “Sick! Yes, I-I was cold. Uhm, ‘cough, cough, achoo’. M-maybe you shouldn’t come near me, Trixie?” Raising an eye brow, Trixie stared at Fluttershy skeptically for a few moments, before she burst out laughing uncontrollably. Clutching her sides, Trixie simmered down enough to raise a hoof up to clear the tears of laughter clouding her vision. “T-that, hah, was the worst acting Trixie has ever seen! Good one, Fluttershy! If you’re well enough to make jokes, then Trixie is sure you are well enough for something to eat. Hold on.” Trixie turned around to fetch the tray, setting it down on the bed with a smile and a feeling of pride. “Strawberries, right?” Fluttershy’s face was colored scarlet while she weakly chuckled along with Trixie. “T-that’s right. Thank you, Trixie…” she cast her eyes down at the tray of strawberry pancakes, seeming to take a great interest in it while she started on the meal, she didn’t look up once. It felt great to see Fluttershy so absorbed in something she’d made for her. Though Trixie was concerned to see her precious friend look so heated, and worried she might be trying to downplay how sick she felt. “Say, uhm, Fluttershy? Trixie was thinking… how about you stay in bed today? Just to be sure?” “Oh, uhm, no, t-that’s okay, Trixie. I-I feel much better already… and I can’t leave my animal friends alone after a storm like that, they’d be worried…” Fluttershy picked up the mug of tea from the tray, taking careful sips. “Preposterous! You are clearly not well, Fluttershy. Besides, you deserve a day of rest. Trixie insists.” Fluttershy finally lifted her gaze up to meet Trixie’s own. “B-but, what about the animals? They ne—” “Don’t worry!” Trixie interrupted, and beamed her most confident smile. “Trixie will take care of everything! She knows what to do.” It was true, mostly. She had watched Fluttershy do all the chores and tasks before, and she was fairly certain she could manage them for one day. In fact, Trixie felt as though she could take on the whole world today. “Uh, well… I-if you are sure… No. No, I can’t let you do that.” Fluttershy sat up straight, shaking her head. “The last time we did something when I wasn’t sure went r-really badly. ” Trixie gave an exasperated sigh. “Come on, Fluttershy. This is nothing like last time. Trixie won’t even leave the meadow. Unless the timberwolves followed us home, Trixie will be fine.” She paused a moment to consider how she actually felt about taking on a timberwolf now, but she decided against it; The retrieval of her hat would have to wait a little longer. Fluttershy still looked unconvinced. “I-I just… don’t think it’s a good idea.” It was clear to Trixie by now that Fluttershy had no intention of letting her do this after the last fiasco, and even if she did allow it, she would worry the whole time. Still, Trixie couldn’t just let her run around if she was not feeling well. The most reasonable thing to do seemed to be to bend the truth just a little bit. “Okay, Fluttershy, Trixie understands. She will find Rainbow Dash and tell her what she needs to do. So, you just relax, Trixie won’t do anything.” “Oh, okay.” Fluttershy looked a bit taken aback by Trixie’s concession, but she didn’t question it. Something else was clearly on her mind though, as she fidgeted with her hooves. “Uhm, Trixie? Speaking of… Rainbow Dash, a-and… y-you.” “Yes?” Trixie smiled expectantly. With any luck, Fluttershy might agree to let Trixie help if Dash was there, not that she is, but at least that’s only half a lie. Huh, maybe it doesn’t work like that? Oddly, Fluttershy had put her full attention back on her plate. She was even bent over so far that her mane hid her whole tray along with her face. She was even more soft-spoken than usual. “W-what’s it… like?” Trixie perked up in surprise, she could feel her face heat up. “S-sorry? Trixie, uh, does not understand the question, she thinks.” Cringing, Fluttershy shook her head. “Oh, uhm, nevermind! Just forget I said anything. T-thanks for breakfast, but I better, uh, s-sleep some more.” She immediately turned over onto her other side, but completely overlooked the tray in her lap, which she sent hurtling to the floor. “No, wait!” Before Trixie could do anything about it, she heard the plate shatter and the mug rolling over the floor on the other side of the bed. She looked over at Fluttershy, shocked. It was completely unlike her to be so careless. “Oh goodness! I’m so sorry!” Fluttershy whimpered, and tried to get out of bed quickly. Setting her hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder, Trixie urged her back down on the bed. “Wait, it’s okay. Uh, Trixie will get it. Just relax, Fluttershy.” She was not quite sure how to take the odd behavior from Fluttershy. Is she delirious or something? No, she was fine just a second ago. Fortunately, it did not take much to persuade Fluttershy to stay under the covers, and she soon curled up again on the bed, allowing Trixie to get to work on cleaning the mess up. Though she was distracted by the constant apologies from Fluttershy. “I’m really sorry about this…” Fluttershy mumbled again. “For the last time, it’s fine!” It was beginning to get on Trixie’s nerves. She lifted the last shard onto the tray, then rubbed a rag over the floor to clean up the remains of jam and tea. “It’s not like Trixie hasn’t done the same, at least you didn’t throw your food at your nurse, huh?” Trixie shot Fluttershy a sideways smile. Finally, Fluttershy smiled lightly and shook her head. “I guess not, but that was my fault too.” While Trixie tried to figure out how to get jam out of a groove in the floorboard, mostly by rubbing the rag along it and hoping something would stick on each pass, her thoughts kept going back to Fluttershy. She knew something was not quite right, and not all of it could be explained by a cold. Fluttershy had gone quiet, facing away from Trixie. There had to be something that was bringing this on, and Trixie’s best clue was the last thing Fluttershy asked for. Although it was kind of personal, and Trixie was not even sure if she really understood the question correctly. Still, it was worth a shot. “It is nice.” “Uh, I’m sorry?” Fluttershy turned to look at Trixie in confusion. Trixie thanked the shaded lighting in the room for letting her hide her embarrassment a little. “How it, uhm, feels when Trixie is with her… It is nice.” It was not exactly the most poetic she’d ever been, but she wasn’t exactly comfortable with gushing about Rainbow Dash to Fluttershy. Fluttershy looked away again, resting her head on the pillow. Trixie felt like kicking herself for making such a stupid assumption. “T-Trixie just, uh, thou—” “J-just nice?” Fluttershy asked, though she remained still. For a moment, Trixie was too dumbfounded to respond. Fluttershy had interrupted her? She knew it was just senseless rambling, but still, she would have never guessed. On top of that, she was actually asking about their relationship. It was not some silly misunderstanding on Trixie’s part. “Uhm, well, uh. It’s a little, uhm…” Trixie had been vague, but now that Fluttershy actually appeared to want to know more about it, she was not quite sure how to proceed. She is really asking, so, it’s okay if Trixie tells her right? But why would she want to know? Trixie gave Fluttershy a long look. She did not want to deny her one of the only things she ever asked of her, but it was still a little disconcerting to talk to her about. “Uh, well… we… stayed in bed for a while, c-close together.” Though Fluttershy did not say anything, Trixie could see her ears perk up straight, indicating she was definitely listening with interest. “We talked for a while, and then Dash, uhm, let Trixie, uhm, ‘retry’… Trixie didn’t faint this time.” Trixie wished she had some idea of what Fluttershy was thinking. It was maddening to talk to her without any real responses to tell her if this was really what she wanted to hear, or why. Only barey audible, Fluttershy mumbled into her pillow. “U-uhm, w-w-what… was t-that, uh, l-like?” Trixie felt as though she’d caught fire. “W-what’s k-kissing like?” Actually doing it had been nowhere near as difficult as trying to even imagine talking about it, but the question itself set off a light for Trixie. Wait! Trixie’s heard that before, that’s the kind of question a curious foal might ask… when they get past ‘the cooties’ anyway. Now that she thought about it, it was perfectly normal for foals to have questions like that, even Trixie herself had wondered about it once. Usually answers like that were not sought with adult ponies, but with more experienced peers. Though Fluttershy was no foal, and she was certainly aware of reproduction. The week of visiting baby animals proved that. …but that’s different isn’t it? Just a bit of biology. If Fluttershy had questions, Trixie doubts she would have asked anypony, she’s much too shy. Even if she asked Rainbow Dash, Dash wouldn’t have known till, er, a few weeks ago. Trixie would have blushed at the memory, but she was already scarlet. Trixie raised her gaze back up to Fluttershy, who still was in bed, facing away from her. Did she get curious after… well, last night? Is this… Fluttershy’s ‘talk’? S-so that means, she’s looking to Trixie for answers? No wonder she’s so awkward! It was a refreshing thought. Suddenly almost everything was starting to make sense, except Trixie was not entirely sure why Fluttershy would ask her instead of Rainbow Dash. The idea that Fluttershy trusted her enough to ask that sort of thing, while it was obviously difficult for the shy mare, quickly helped steel Trixie’s resolve to help her as best she could. “It’s, uhm, hard to describe. It felt warm and soft, but not fuzzy soft. It was also, uh, moist, and tasted sweet, t-though that’s probably Dash’s sweet tooth.” Trixie paused for a moment to watch Fluttershy’s reaction. She could only tell that Fluttershy was still listening closely, and she had yet to tell her to stop. “Okay… there’s more to it than that. It’s exciting, feels weird, but a good weird, and it’s confusing. Trixie is pretty sure we’re probably kind of bad at it, but it’s fun. At least we avoided knocking our teeth together so, uhm, that’s good right?” Trixie gave a nervous chuckle. Flattening her ears, Fluttershy gave a wince. Trixie smirked a little. “Sorry, yeah that is not a pleasant thought, moving on. Uhm, after that Trixie made breakfast, Rainbow Dash helped. Can you believe it? She was actually pretty decent at it too, under Trixie’s amazing management of course.” Trixie smiled, though she was briefly brought down by the thought that Dash would be gone the rest of the day. “After that, Dash left for wo—ondering what to do for our date!” Trixie breathed a sigh of relief. Nice save, Trixie! Fluttershy can’t know Dash isn’t here anymore. “D-date?” Fluttershy shifted under the blankets. Smiling brightly, Trixie nodded with excitement, happy to share the good news. “That’s right! Rainbow Dash is going to take Trixie on a date! That’s when two ponies go do something romantic together. Though, Trixie doesn’t know where or what, but Dash will tell Trixie when she’s, uhm, done thinking about it, yeah that’s it. Trixie can hardly wait. Though we’d probably have to discuss when we do it.” Fluttershy, to Trixie’s great surprise, looked directly at her this time. It was difficult to tell in the shaded room, but something seemed off about her, yet oddly familiar. Fluttershy’s tone reminded her of the uncomfortable talk they’d had about wings for some reason. “I’d like to see that. T-the discussion that is. If that’s okay with you?” “Huh? The one about the date? Uhm, sure?” Trixie blinked, it seemed like a very odd request. “Okay, that’s all Trixie can tell you right now, she better go and do, er, tell Dash to do the chores. You get some rest okay, Fluttershy?” With that, Trixie lifted up the tray and after a muffled goodbye left the room. She’s just curious. What’s the worst that could happen?