//------------------------------// // Chapter 101 - Rent // Story: Trixie's Forest Retreat // by crowscrowcrow //------------------------------// Staring blankly at the letter, Trixie’s whole body felt numb. No… this can’t be happening. Not now. Why couldn’t it be destroyed? Slowly, she raised her gaze to the kitchen door, allowing the letter to fall the ground. Just a moment ago she’d been all but starving, looking forward to whatever Fluttershy would come through the door with, but now, her stomach felt like lead. It’s all over... M-maybe it would be best… If Trixie just told Fluttershy herself? No, what’s the point? Eyes watering, Trixie slumped down on the couch, folding her hooves over her head in a futile attempt to stave off reality as it came crashing down. Twilight had her book, and knew of the illusion. The letter was at least a day old. There was no way she hadn’t figured out what it really was by now. T-there’s nothing Trixie can do… It wasn’t fair, but then, nothing in the world ever was. Especially when it came to the cards it liked to deal Trixie. Trixie whimpered into the couch pillow, all she wanted to do anymore was just lay there. Idiot. Weakling. Failure… She twitched an ear at the last deprecation, for whatever reason, it made her think of Dashie. What would she think if she saw Trixie giving up without a fight? No. Pushing herself away from the couch, Trixie quickly wiped her cheeks. No. Trixie is not taking this lying down! Trotting quick circles around the table, Trixie pushed her mind into overdrive. Okay, first. If Twilight knew, Trixie would not be here right now. The letter says she doesn’t really know illusion spells. That’s good. Even if she’s crazy powerful, she can’t just ‘brush up’ on an entire field of magic in a couple days. The enchantment should hold out for a little while, Trixie has time! All she had to do was use that time, and come up with a plan, or make something up on the fly. One thing was for sure, Trixie had to finally do what she had been putting off for as long as she’d been here: talk to Twilight. She mentioned that she filed the other books, so that must mean the book is in the library too. If Fluttershy is right, the ponies won’t attack Trixie, but that’s assuming a lot of things. Never mind! This is no time to think about avoiding risks. Get to Twilight’s, spin some story, get the book. She knows something is up. What is a reason to hide a book? Freezing in her tracks Trixie called out, “A Diary!” “Trixie? Did you say something?” A familiar, sweet voice rung out from the kitchen. At about the same time, there was a rapid series of knocks on the front door, sounding oddly musical. “Nothing!” Trixie had to fight to keep the panic out of her voice while she stared at the front door in terror. “Oh, could you, uhm, get the door, please?” “L-leave it to Trixie!” Trixie’s attempt to swallow felt like scrapping a dry log through gravel. Fluttershy obviously believed there was nothing to fear, as she so casually asked Trixie to tend to the visitor, but Trixie was practically sure this was her end. Holding the doorknob for as long as possible, she quietly hoped that whoever was there would give up and leave. If only they hadn’t been so loud, then maybe they could have thought nopony was home, and left them alone. Perhaps they still would? A second round of knocks shattered that little delusion. With a shaking hoof, Trixie opened the front door. “…What?” Bouncing in place right before her eyes, was a pony with one of the craziest poofy manes Trixie had ever laid eyes upon, colored head to hoof in the most eye blistering pink tones known to ponykind. “Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie! I’m only allowed thirty words around you! Soooo, I’ll need this back in like thirty-two weeks. Oh! Even better! You could just give it to Rainbow—” Out of nowhere, a kitchen timer sound rung out, shaking Pinkie Pie’s head as though it was what made the sound. Raising a hoof to her head, Trixie’s temples throbbed while she tried to make sense of what she was looking at. “What?” Pinkie Pie looked at her wrist, which was completely bare, but apparently whatever she thought she saw was not to her satisfaction. Frowning as though displeased for a split second, Pinkie then looked to Trixie and grinned widely before raising up on her hind legs. Reaching behind her back, she pulled out a solid black piece of fabric, tied in a bundle, and gave it to Trixie. Pinkie Pie then made ‘goodbye’ gesture, before literally bouncing off down the road as though the gravel path were just a particularly amazingly textured bouncy castle. “What?” When the bouncy pinkie thing was out of sight, Trixie could only conclude that she had to be delirious, and promptly turned around, heading back inside the cottage, shutting the door behind her. Ever so slowly, she glanced down at the black bundle still magically held to her chest. Pulling on the string that held it together, the bundle folded out into a black cat suit, complete with hood. “…What?” “That was delicious. Trixie is glad you were still able to use the eggs, Fluttershy.” Trixie smiled while she floated the dishes into the kitchen. “Oh, well, you worked so hard on them. It just didn’t feel right to let them go to waste.” Fluttershy smiled, rinsing off the plates. After Trixie’s run-in with what she had always assumed to be some fictional character Rainbow Dash liked to make up stories about, it had taken her a while to get her head back in the game. Fortunately, lunch had been just about ready, and a good meal had done wonders for Trixie’s powers of reasoning. Not that it helped much with making sense of what happened, and Trixie had decided to just throw the suit into the closet next to her books and forget about it. There were more pressing matters that demanded her attention. Fortunately, she was much better equipped to handle them now. It was amazing how much difference a full stomach made. “Fluttershy, Trixie has a request,” she said, while taking the cleaned plates to the cabinets. “Oh? Uhm, I’ll try, what is it?” “Trixie wants to visit Twilight, today. To thank her for the books, and, well, for saving Trixie…” She allowed her voice to crack at just the right time. “Trixie was not very nice to her last time we met.” Fluttershy looked up from the dishes, surprise written over her face. “Oh! Yes, if that’s what you want. But, I, uh, I don’t think Rainbow Dash will be here today… Are you sure you’re okay with just the two of us? I mean, with all the… well…” Smiling, Trixie shrugged. “It was just paranoia speaking. Trixie is sure you are right, and nopony will try anything against us. It’s high time that Trixie stopped hiding from phantoms.” With a flick of her horn, the last of the dishes were safely stored away. “In fact, Trixie is so sure. Could you just give her some directions? It’s probably better if Trixie speaks to her alone anyway.” “N-no, I’m sorry, Trixie.” Fluttershy shook her head, catching Trixie by surprise. “But, I’d be happy to guide you there. I-I hope you don’t mind… I’d be so worried if I knew you were out all alone.” It was a kink in her plan, but only a minor one. “Sure, Fluttershy. Thanks. Oh, this works out well, maybe you could show Trixie around Ponyville a little bit afterwards?” “Uhm, are you okay, Trixie? You don’t have to prove anything… I believe you when you say you’re not scared anymore.” Fluttershy briefly bit her lip, then turned her attention back to the dishes, only to find they were all gone. “Oh.” “Too much? We’ll see how it goes then.” Trixie slid beside Fluttershy, and continued. “Trixie would like to at least know where the Library, Spa, and Mayor’s Office are.” Snaking one hoof around her, she added in a sly tone, “And, maybe a restaurant you like?” Trixie watched with a grin as she saw Fluttershy hide behind her mane, but Trixie was pretty sure her ears were turning a telling hue of pink. Against her every instinct, Trixie pulled away, leaving Fluttershy her space. “Trixie is ready when you are,” Trixie said, as she casually trotted back into the living room. Trixie stared up at the Golden Oaks Library. A tree, hollowed out one way or another, yet somehow still green, and furnished with all the trappings one would expect to see had it been any other building. Just from a glance, Trixie could tell it was a place Fluttershy might have given her left hoof to live in, had it been located anywhere less populated. Part of her had to wonder if the leafy cottage had been inspired by this library. Trixie was glad to have finally arrived, Stretching her aching limbs, Trixie resolved that perhaps she’d been doing too much walking these past two days. More importantly than that, walking through the streets made her feel nauseous and jittery without Rainbow Dash nearby. As wonderful as Fluttershy was, Trixie did not think her capable of smacking a pony upside the head at a moment’s notice if she needed to. Still, she had to take the risk this time. “Do you like it?” Fluttershy asked. Trixie shot Fluttershy a smile, then shrugged her shoulders. “It’s nice, but Trixie is not a fan of its location. So, this is the place, right? Twilight Sparkle actually lives here?” A brief nod was all the confirmation she needed to knock on the door. “Spike!” “Yeah, I’m on it.” The voices coming from inside were vaguely familiar, though Trixie was sure she wouldn’t have recognized them had she not already been told what to expect. Trixie impatiently tapped her hoof while she waited for somepony to answer the door already, taking the time to look around. Although they had avoided the market streets this time, Trixie was surprised by how few ponies they had actually met along the way. As Fluttershy had suggested, nothing bad had happened. The worst they’d gotten was a stray glare, and that pony might have just suffered from indigestion, though Trixie was not convinced. One thing was for sure, Ponyville had succeeded in humiliating Trixie once again, by making her look like a fool to Fluttershy for being so scared of walking through the streets. Perhaps that was their plan? Make her look crazy while luring her into a false sense of security? Before she could think any more on it, the door opened, and a small dragon stood before them. “Hey, Fluttershy what bri—Whoa! Trixie?! What’s she doing here?” Trixie remembered him now, he was the instigator, goading his friends to upstage her. Oh, she had things to tell him alright, she could tell him exactly what she was doing here after his meddling, but now was not the time. Swallowing the bitter mouthful of verbal venom she threatened to spill, Trixie put on her best smile. “Oh, you remember Trixie. You’re Spike, right?” As if she would have remembered his name had it not been shouted loud enough for half of Ponyville to hear just now. From the corner of her eye, Trixie noticed Fluttershy smiling at her. “Yeah. I am.” Spike folded his arms over his chest as if to say ‘what of it?’. Obviously, he didn’t trust her. Trixie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Is your… owner? Here?” Trixie ventured a guess. She’d heard of the upper-class keeping some of the strangest pets, and it wouldn’t surprise her to learn that Celestia’s protégée had a pet dragon, much. Narrowing his eyes, Spike glared at her for a long moment, then turned his attention to Fluttershy, and gave her a questioning, though much friendlier, look. “So, I guess you’re here about the books, Fluttershy?” Pointing at Trixie with his thumb, he said, “I’ll get Twilight, I’m sure she’ll be real interested in your… pet?” “Y-yes, oh, but, uhm, no. Trixie’s not—” Fluttershy tried to clarify, but Spike just winked at her and turned to fetch Twilight. Though Trixie glared at Spike in retaliation, he had unsportingly turned away from her, so he couldn’t see, and ran back inside the library. Coward! “What a cute dragon,” Trixie forced out through grinded teeth, “Just too bad he’s so ‘lively’…” “Oh, I’m so sorry, Trixie.” Fluttershy tucked her tail as she entered the library ahead of Trixie. “Please don’t be mad. They don’t know anything yet. M-maybe I should have gone ahead and explained first?” Upon reflection, Trixie concluded that perhaps this had been what had taken Fluttershy so long when she went out to talk to Rarity. If the dragon’s reaction was anything to go by, then it would take some convincing to get anypony to talk to her. “It’s fine. Trixie does not need help with this.” The inside of the Library, or ‘Twilight’s house’ Trixie supposed, was surprisingly roomy. Shelves had been carved into every available space on the wooden walls all around them, housing hundreds of books. Curiously, dozens of books were strewn across the floor in a disorganized pile as well. “She’s what?!” yelled Twilight from somewhere below. Apparently, the tree had a basement, which was a strange thought. “Why didn’t you say so!” A moment later, a slightly bewildered looking Twilight showed up. “H-hey, Fluttershy… Trixie.” Spike followed closely behind Twilight, still looking vaguely annoyed at Trixie. However, now it was a shared burden, as Twilight earned herself the same ireful stare. Perhaps it was not something personal after all. “Twilight.” Trixie gave a small nod in greeting, then held her tongue. Trying to ignore the sudden dry feeling in her throat, Trixie did her best to smile while she looked Twilight over for any sign of how much she already knew. Glancing from Trixie to Twilight, Fluttershy shuffled uncomfortably in place. “Hi, Twilight. Uhm, sorry for dropping in like this. I hope it’s not a bad time? Are you busy? You look busy, I’m sorry,” she mumbled, allowing her mane to cover half of her face again. Trixie smirked, watching Fluttershy look even more nervous than she was herself. It was too bad she was so prone to hiding her sweet face. Without really thinking about it, Trixie reached out, and brushed Fluttershy’s mane to the side. “Relax, Fluttershy, it’s a public library. It’s her job to be busy with us.” As Trixie exposed her, Fluttershy eeped quietly, nodding faintly in response while they locked eyes. Twilight raised her eyebrows. “Oh, is it?” she asked with an annoyed tone, but her own attitude seemed to surprise her, especially when Fluttershy shrunk away and gave her a look somewhere between trepidation and apology. Twilight’s expression softened the very next moment. “Ah, I’m sorry. I just, well, I wasn’t expecting anypony. Uhm, would you like some tea? Spike was just making some.” “I am?—Ouch, hey!” Spike said, rubbing his left arm after a swift tap from Twilight’s hind leg corrected him. It drew his gaze first to his owner, who directed him to Fluttershy with a brief nod. Apparently he caught on. “Uh, I mean, I am. It’s tea time.” Trixie observed the pair of them, until a soft nudge on her shoulder caught Trixie’s attention. Fluttershy briefly met her gaze, then looked at Twilight and Spike again. Fluttershy whispered, “Y-you’re, uhm, g-glaring…” “What? Oh.” Trixie quickly forced a smile before turning back to Twilight. She just caught sight of Spike as he disappeared through a doorway, most likely leading to the kitchen. “Tea? What good timing. Shall we then?” “Right, so, uhm, follow me,” Twilight said, leading the two of them towards another room. This one consisted of a fireplace, a small table, and once again, shelves upon shelves of books. Apparently, this was where Twilight entertained guests. Although it looked like part of the main library as well. Does she not have any rooms without books? Must be hard to figure out what rooms are public and which are private. As Trixie attempted to keep track of the layout of the treehouse, she was pleased to find it was not all that complicated so far. The main rooms on the ground floor were simple, large, open areas with little to hide but a few staircases and doorways. To Trixie’s surprise, there were few actual doors, she had only counted two: the front and back door. An awkward silence hung over the table they’d gathered around as they waited for the tea. Fed up, Trixie decided to just get it over with, starting with the most recent thing. “So, Twilight. Thanks for, uh, taking care of Trixie’s books. To be honest, Trixie never expected to see them again.” Twilight perked up. “Oh! No problem. I’m sorry I couldn’t fix all of them. But, I think I may have copies of a few here at the library. I could try to order some of the, erm, ‘others’, if you like?” Suddenly, and while clearly making sure to avoid eye contact, her face gained a pink tinge. A few long moments passed once again in uncomfortable silence. "What's taking Spike so long?" Almost just as eager to avoid that topic as Twilight was, Trixie nodded. “Y-yes. Taking forever.” “Oh, uhm, should I help him? He’s just a baby dragon,” Fluttershy offered with a spark in her eye and a surprising eagerness in her voice that she usually reserved for animals, though Twilight didn’t seem phased by it. “He can handle it, but I’m sure he’d like a little company,” Twilight said, smiling while she nodded to the doorway. Fluttershy was nearly half way across the room before she apparently recalled there had been other ponies at the table she left. “Oh, uhm, sorry, I-I’ll erm, be back soon?” Giving a bemused smirk, Trixie waved her off. “What is it with you and ill-mannered creatures? Go on then. Trixie demands honey in hers, remember that.” Fluttershy opened her mouth to respond, but quickly clamped it shut as a red tinge graced her cheeks. She then quickly turned and headed for the kitchen, leaving Trixie a bit confused. Trixie had a hard time looking away, and allowed her gaze to linger. She traced over Fluttershy's wings with her eyes, and only felt a 'slight' bit of guilt as she watched the Pegasi's shapely flank turn the corner and exit her sight. "Ah-hem!" A rosy warmth glowed inside her cheeks while Trixie turned her attention back to the table. Despite her embarrassment, she was unable to stop smiling. It was her first genuine smile since she’d left the cottage. Locking eyes with Twilight again, two things stood out to Trixie: First, that the temperature of the room had suddenly dropped; Second, any semblance of a smile Twilight had before, was gone. Oh, great. She’s got an eye on Fluttershy doesn’t she? Gah, Trixie would give anything not to have to deal with that now! Figures that Trixie would step into a minefield the second sh— “So, why are you really here?” —…or that. Is it too late for Trixie to go back to the love rival thing?