//------------------------------//
// Chapter 116 - Rural 
// Story: Trixie's Forest Retreat 
// by crowscrowcrow 
//------------------------------//



The Apple family dining room was packed. Trixie had expected Applejack and Big Mac to be there, but she soon learned there were two more members of the household she had not run into upon her first visit. A rambunctious little filly that had an aversion to sitting still, Apple Bloom. And, an elderly mare named ‘Granny Smith’ that looked as though archeologists might take keen interest in her.

The seating arrangements had left Trixie seated in between Granny and Apple Bloom. If it were up to Trixie, she’d have been seated in between Fluttershy and Dash, but that seat was already taken by Applejack. Trixie was sure this whole thing had to have been Applejack’s way of getting back at her. Now that she thought about it, that also explained why she was not next to Big Mac.

Just over a stupid toothbrush?

Both of Trixie’s neighbors ‘helpfully’ identified the various different apple-themed goods that were on offer upon the table for her. Trixie was painfully aware that she had once wondered sarcastically how many things one could make from apples. Of course she should have known she would end up with the answer placed right in front of her. Apple pie. Apple Fritters. Apple bumpkins. Apple strudels. Apple tarts. Baked apples. Apple brioches. Apple cinnamon crisps, and even a few caramel apples. Most of those were not even things Trixie was aware existed before tonight.

This can’t be healthy.

Although Trixie had the strong impression the Apple family intended to show off as many apple related recipes as possible, she still had the sense that the apple pie was the specialty of Sweet Apple Acres. Her mistake was wondering it aloud, as the old fossil took it as an invitation to yammer on even longer.

“Ah, yer a sharp one, ain’t ya? Got the right end of tha branch there, youngling,” Granny Smith said while setting down her mug of apple juice; What else? “Why, it’s a proud Apple family tradition. Each branch o’ tha family has their own specialty. Fer us it’s apple pies. Sell em all over Equestria ya know. All the way out to Cajun Swamp.”

Rolling her eyes, Trixie rested her head on one hoof as the old mare launched into yet another tirade on the whatever of whenever. Ugh. Why is she talking to Trixie? The only thing Trixie could think to do was to tune out the prattle and focus on anything else.

Across the table, Rainbow Dash was in the middle of complaining to Applejack about what an awful week she was having. Despite how rough Dash apparently had it, she sounded strangely pleased about it. Almost as though she was telling a joke, but the bags under her eyes told of how serious she actually was.

“Alright, alright. Ah’m sorry fer saying ya ain’t got a real job, Dash.” Applejack waved her hooves in a gesture of surrender that made Dash’s grin spread even wider. “Take it from me though. If ya got such a tough time, Ah reckon ya oughta get some help. Ya know we’re all there fer ya, right?”

“Heh, that’s great an’ all, AJ, but I don’t think you’re qualified for the job.” Dash spread her wings as she spoke to illustrate her point. “Anyway, thanks for offering, but I totally got this. It’ll die down at the end of the week for sure. I hope.” Dash let out a long yawn.

“U-uhm,” Fluttershy mumbled, “if you like maybe you could, uh, join us for dinner? N-not right now, I mean, we are, but, well… After working and-oh, n-nevermind.”

“Oh.” Dash scratched the back of her neck as she looked away from Fluttershy. “That’s, uh, I’ll think on it. Sooo… oh! Hey, did anypony see Twilight? She was all freaked out this morning about an old book or something and tried to make me come with her. Hah! You should’ve seen her run, never thought she’d be that fast.” She chuckled unconvincingly. 

Trixie couldn’t believe her ears. A gruesome feeling took hold of her chest. “Wait, what!?” She smacked her hoof on the table, drawing the attention of everypony else. Well, all except one…

Granny didn’t even flinch. “Ah know! Darn tooting that Longhorn bit off more than he could che—”

“Not you!” Trixie snapped at the old mare, then turned her attention back to Rainbow Dash who stared back at her with as much surprise as the rest. “You mean to tell Trixie she suffered though Twilight’s psychotic accusatory episode, while you could have been there the whole time to beat some sense into her?!” Trixie glared at her supposed marefriend.

“What? I don’t know m-Wait, you’re angry at me?” Dash tilted her head as though she hoped Trixie would make more sense from a different angle.

“Yes! Because, because…” Trixie struggled for the right words to express the sick feeling she had inside. 

Trixie’s first thought was of something she had already graciously forgiven Dash for, or at least forgotten to yell at her for it. The whole thing had been Dash’s fault from the moment the accursed featherbrain just had to go against Trixie’s wishes and request the books back, which had led to Twilight discovering her spellbook. As stupid as it had been, Dash had done that for her. It wasn’t what she was truly upset about. She couldn’t have yelled at her for that anyway, not without admitting she was trying to hide the book. 

But now it turned out Dash could have stopped the whole catastrophe this morning and chose not to? Trixie felt as though a dagger in her back had been twisted. “Because, because Twilight tried to take Trixie away! You knew! So where were you? You promised Trixie you’d stop anypony!” Trixie glared at Dash.

Rather than showing any signs of understanding, Dash just looked even more hopelessly lost than before. “That doesn’t even make any sense.” She briefly looked at the rest of the ponies at the table as though she expected anyone to clue her in. When that didn’t happen she sighed  and rubbed the bridge of her muzzle. “Okay, look. Trixie, you probably just had another nightmare. There’s no way Twilight would do that. She’s my friend. Hay, aside from me,  she’s like the safest pony you could possibly be around. I swear.” 

Trixie felt as though she was about to scream before Applejack nodded and chimed in. “It’s true. Ah don’t rightly know what ya are on about, but Twilight’s one of tha most obliging ponies Ah ever did meet. Why Ah’d say—Oh, ya need sum’thing, sugarcube?”

Fluttershy drew her hoof back from Applejack’s shoulder. For a moment, it looked as though she was seriously reconsidering speaking up now that everypony at the table was looking at her. “U-uhm, sorry, b-but… Trixie’s right. I-it was all a big misunderstanding, but Twilight thought Trixie stole one of her books.”

“Somebody stole a book?” Dash rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that’ll set her off, I guess… Uh, wait. I though Twi was out to get a late book?”

“Ya reckon you heard her right, Dash? Sounds like ya tuned out after tha word ‘book’, ain’t that right?”

Dash punched Applejack in the shoulder. “Heh, maybe a little, but I don’t think she said it was stolen.” She turned her attention back to Trixie and briefly looked her over. “I am sure Twilight never said you stole it, Trixie. What happened?”

Maybe it had been wrong of Trixie to get angry at the pegasus. Going by her tone and concern she was showing, Trixie was starting to believe she really didn’t have any idea what Twilight had set out to do. “Well, she just showed up at the cottage at too-early-o-clock, screaming for Fluttershy to open the door. It didn’t end there though.”

And so, Trixie began to spin her tale. She tweaked a few small detail here and there, but otherwise a perfectly functional account of Twilight’s invasion of their home. As Trixie continued, Applejack and Rainbow's eyes widened in surprise, and Fluttershy had to nervously nod to them whenever a part of Trixie's story seemed a little too farfetched for them to believe about Twilight's behavior.

Naturally, she also filled her audience in on what other accusations Twilight had levied against her. And, of course, Twilight’s horrible, autonomy-violating use of her magic to paralyze a perfectly innocent Trixie so she could rifle through her stuff for evidence to ‘arrest’ her with. 

“Trixie never thought she was claustrophobic, but that experience taught her better. It was as though Trixie was buried alive above ground.” Her hooves traveled to her throat. “Trixie couldn’t breathe unless Twilight let her. Even breathing wasn’t Trixie’s own anymore. It was terrifying.”

With gritted teeth, Rainbow Dash had been listening relatively quietly to the story thus far, but not anymore. “That does it!” Dash interrupted and flew up into the air with such force that she sent her chair clattering across the floor. “Just wait till I get my hooves on that, that, whatever!” She punched one hoof into the other as though to practice for what she had in mind. Without another word, she made a beeline for the door. 

She would have gotten away with it too, if not for Applejack’s quick reflexes. The moment she flew overhead, Applejack bit down on her tail and yanked her straight back down to the ground. 

“Ow! Hey! What gives!?” Dash tried to fly up again, but Applejack kept a firm hoof planted down on the pegasus’s tail.

“Now hold on there! It ain’t right to just go kick up a ruckus. Just what did ya plan on doing?” 

“I dunno, how about beat some sense into her! Like I should’ve done in the first place!” She yanked on her tail. “Let me go! Or else—”

“Or what? Ah’m gonna be first?” Applejack said coolly as she met Dash’s death glare. 

Although Trixie had secretly hoped Dash would be angry, actually seeing her on the verge of beating another pony senseless was nowhere near as fun as Trixie had imagined it would be. Especially not one that didn’t have anything to do with it. 

Trixie watched as Dash worked to formulate a response. Knowing Dash, it was not going to be a nice, verbal reply. No, with Applejack and Dash, Trixie was well aware that they both preferred to let their actions speak for them. This would have been fine, if the situation wasn't already so volatile. Before Dash could finish deciding on her response, Trixie had already abandoned her seat and wrapped her forelegs around her from behind, pulling Dash back down to the ground. “Dashie, stop!”

“Oh, come on!” Dash struggled against Trixie’s hold, but faltered when she recognized who was holding her. “Trixie?”

As Trixie held on tightly, she could feel the rage in Dash dwindle and subside. It was still there, just under the skin those tense muscles flexed, fighting as much against themselves as they did Trixie. Finally, they relaxed, and the wings stopped beating, allowing them both to settle on the ground. Not that long ago, Trixie’d witnessed Fluttershy do the same, in that Celestia-forgotten castle. It was a strange sensation, the burdening realization that she was afforded the same kind of trust now by Dash. That she could quiet her wrath.

“Thank you,” Trixie mumbled while rested her head against Dash’s back, feeling the soft feathers shift against her face. “It… Trixie knows she shouldn’t say this, but… Trixie’s happy you are so angry. So livid on Trixie’s behalf. Trixie’s sorry for thinking you didn’t care, she was wrong. Just, don’t hurt anypony?”

Dash looked over her shoulder at Trixie. “But I… She can’t  just...” She grumbled, then let her gaze travel to Applejack and the rest of the ponies staring at her as though they were watching a powder keg with an unseen fuse. “I, uh… I’m sorry, I guess, AJ. I wasn’t going to hurt you.”

“Dang right ya wasn’t.” Applejack chuckled and took a step backward, getting off Dash’s tail. Briefly, her eyes trailed off to meet Trixie’s, giving her a strange look, then she settled back on Dash. “Now Ah ain’t saying Twi was right, but Ah reckon we’d best hear tha whole story before we go storming tha bastille. As ya can see, Trixie’s still here.”

Nodding, Trixie chimed in, “Yes, that’s right. Trixie has like half a story left.”

Rainbow Dash folded her hooves over her chest then sighed. “Fine. You can let go of me now, Trixie.”

With a little yelp, Trixie quickly drew her hooves back. She was sure that she was not ready to explain in front of everypony that she’d much rather hold on forever. After an awkward sequence where everypony returned to their seats, Trixie resumed her story.

Fortunately, the next part of the story involved Twilight getting splashed in the face by Fluttershy, which, judging by the huge smile on Dash’s face, pleased her to no end. The rest of the story had her looking much more relaxed.

There were more things that Trixie would have wanted to tell Dash, such as her anxiety and how well Fluttershy had helped, but she was not comfortable with showing weakness like that. It might have been okay if it was just Dash and Fluttershy, but the Apples were there too. 

“So then Twilight came back and magicked away all the water and mess. She left for real after that.” Trixie had decided it would be in her best interest to include Twilight’s attempt at making things better. She wanted to be seen as the innocent victim after all, and few things raised suspicion in a listener quicker than learning later that there was another side to the story.

Amongst the ponies at the table, the reactions to the story differed a fair bit. Fluttershy was hiding herself behind her mane ever since Trixie expounded on her riot control skill with a water hose. Big Mac wasn’t particularly expressive. The little filly was laughing it up in her seat, clearly too young to understand the gravity of what happened. Trixie initially blamed comic books that played situations like that for laughs, but then she quickly realized that made her old and shook the thought from her head. Speaking of ‘old’, Granny Smith had fallen asleep somewhere during the middle of the story. Which left a tensed-up Applejack who kept looking over to the final member of the group, a strangely calm Rainbow Dash. She had been unnervingly quiet during the entire second half of the story. 

Applejack was the first to venture a brave attempt at contact. “Rainbow? Ya feeling alright?” 

“Of course I am, AJ.” Dash answered surprisingly chipper. “It’s just like Shy said, just a silly misunderstanding.” Trixie was too focused on Dash to pay attention to who it was, but she heard several sighs of relief around the table. 

“Really?” Trixie asked. “Trixie thought you’d still be, uh, never mind.” Something told Trixie she really shouldn't be trying to poke the embers of Dash's wrath if she wasn't ready to deal with accidently rekindling the flames.

Apple Bloom piped up, "Is it time for dessert yet? Nopony's eaten anything in hours!"

Although it was an exaggeration on the filly's part, it was true that even before Trixie began her story most of the ponies at the table had already eaten their fill and had merely been conversing over a drink and the occasional snack. Still, the comment left her wondering, if the apple pie already on the table didn't qualify as a dessert, then what did?

Applejack looked around the table for a moment then nodded. "Sure, lil sis. Just as soon as we clear tha table. Ya can go an' help yer big brother with the dishes."

"Awh, but normally ya just let Winona lick tha plates clean."

Trixie's hooves shot up to her mouth to prevent the sudden escape attempt of everything she'd just eaten off of the plate in front of her. Judging by the green faces on the pegasi, they had a similar reaction. What kind of insan—

"T-that ain't true! Uh, well, it is," Applejack's face turned red as an apple. "but we still wash it afterwards!" 

With a massive, red hoof, Big Mac ruffled the giggling filly's mane as he walked past her seat. "Very funny. Now quit messing with our guests an' come along."

"But it ain't mah turn!" She pointed a hoof at the sleeping Granny Smith. Trixie could only guess this meant the old mare was supposed to be drying plates right about now. "Can't somepony else do it?"

"Nnnope." 

"U-uhm, a-actually." Fluttershy stood up from the table and gave Big Mac an uncertain look. "I'd be happy to, uh, help... if that's okay?"

Before Big Mac had a chance to respond, Apple Bloom was standing in her seat, facing her big brother and Fluttershy. "Sure ya can! Applejack always says we gotta treat our guests right, that means ya getta do what you want. Ain't that right?"

"It don't quite work like that and ya know it." Applejack shoveled what scraps remained on the plates into the biggest bowl on the table. "Fluttershy, ya don't have ta trouble yerself."

"Oh, no. I really don't mind. I always do the dishes by myself, I’m sure it will only be a minute with two of us." Fluttershy gathered up the empty plates. In the meantime,  Big Mac had balanced the trays and bowls on his broad back. Fluttershy smiled at Apple Bloom. “Maybe you could keep Trixie company for me?” she asked, before she followed Big Mac into the kitchen. 

For some reason, that exchange earned Trixie another odd look from Applejack. Trixie paid it no mind and decided to focus instead on finishing off her mug of apple juice before it would be taken away.

“Sure!” Apple Bloom sounded just a little too excited with that trade. 

“Hey, I’ve an idea. We should invite Twilight to come join us. That’s fine right? I’ll go get her.” Dash pushed her chair away from the table and moved to get up, but found Applejack’s hoof on her shoulder.

“Now hold on there.” 

"What? I'm fine, AJ." Dash said through clenched teeth.

"Ah know ya are. That’s why Ah’d like yer help getting these here scraps to the pigs." She motioned at the two bowls of leftovers on the table. “Reckon us two are the only ponies left that can handle that job.”

Apple Bloom raised her hoof. “Hey! Ah’m a big pony, Ah co—Uh, Ah mean, yeah. Just ya both.”

Trixie snickered with the filly's rapid change in tune, but didn’t say anything. She could appreciate a bit of opportunistic rhetoric. “Yes, Trixie agrees. Just cripples, fillies, and elderly here.” She was probably well enough to carry all of that out just by herself, but she didn’t see any particular reason to shatter the illusion that she was too injured to help. It was much less work.

“Ugh, fine. Let’s go, AJ.” Dash grumbled, but dutifully carried out one of the bowls while Applejack handled the door. 

Chuckling, Trixie leaned back in her chair and enjoyed another drink.

No sooner had the door shut behind them or, without skipping a beat, Apple Bloom turned to Trixie. “So ya beat up mah sister and her friends?”

Trixie sputtered and coughed as she nearly inhaled the entire mug. “W-what?”





The cool night air rushed through Rainbow Dash’s mane and fur during the short walk from the porch to the pig pen. It felt good to be out of the house for a moment. She couldn’t really be sure if it was Applejack’s intention, but she felt just slightly less murderous.  

“We oughta do this more often. Ah like having some more folk over.” Applejack reared up on her hind legs and rested on the fence, dumping out the first bowl.

Absent mindedly, Dash stared into her bowl while she waited for Applejack to get out of the way. It was mostly all junk, but there was still one good apple in there. “I guess.” Rainbow Dash palmed the apple, then emptied the bowl over the pig feeding trough, then quickly backed away to catch up to Applejack. “This is disgusting.” The place smelled like, well, a pigsty. What was she even still doing here? She should be taking this chance to fly over to the library and give Twilight a piece of her mind, among other things.

Chuckling Applejack pushed down on the old water pump nearby, rinsing off the bowls. “Yeah, Ah know, but it helps grow tha apples.”

“Yack!” Dash stuck out her tongue and scrunched up her muzzle in revulsion. “You should’ve told us that before we ate them!”

“Best lose that attitude, Dash, or there ain’t no food ya’ll wanna eat when ya know how it’s made.”

“I know how pizza is made, and I still like that.”

“No, ya don’t. Ya know what ingredients are in it, but Ah mean where them ingredients come from. Like say, tomatoes ain’t that dif—”

“Ya-ya-yah!” Dash interrupted, pulling her ears down against her head. “I don’t want to know, okay? You are not ruining pizza for me!”

“And don’t get mah started on tha cheese.”

“Alright! Quit it!” She dropped the bowl to the ground and took to the sky. “Forget this, I’m gonna go find Twilight. To, uh, invite her.”

"Then why are ya bringing that apple with ya?" Applejack stacked the bowls, then rested her shoulder against the water pump as she looked up at Dash.

For a moment, Dash tried to hide the apple behind her back, but all that got her was a raised eyebrow from Applejack as though to say ‘really?’. "What? If she was asleep, I was gonna use it to get her attention."

"Sugarcube, throwing that apple at her window would break it."

"Only if you threw it hard." Dash stared down at the apple. Why did Applejack have to make this complicated? You weren’t supposed to think these kinds of things through, but just do them.

"Were ya gonna throw it hard?"

"....Maybe..." 

"Couldn't ya just fly up to her window an' knock?" 

"Ohhh... thanks, AJ. That's an even better idea!"

"Right... so, you dun need the apple now, right?"

Maybe she didn’t, if she actually meant to just wake Twilight up. She weighed the apple in her hoof. It was a bit heavier than a tomato, maybe a little harder, but it would work. "I still do."

As though she were reading her mind, or perhaps her none-too-subtle throwing practice, Applejack said, “Hitting her with tha apple when she opens the window ain’t exactly asking her to tha farm."

"Only if I throw it at her hard."

"Are ya gonna throw it hard at her?"

"....Maybe…"

They both stared at one another for a few long, silent moments. It was blindly obvious that Applejack knew exactly what Rainbow Dash was planning, or at least had a close enough guess that she knew not to approve. 

"Dangit, Rainbow, ya can't go off the rails like this. Just give it a night to sleep on an' clear yer head. Before ya go ‘round throwing apples at Twilight’s."

Rainbow gave off a low growl, then threw the apple at Applejack. “It’s just about the stupid apple? Fine, take it! I didn’t need it anyway.”

To Rainbow Dash’s surprise, Applejack deftly dodged the projectile and made an impressive leap up at her, snatching her tail between her teeth. The sudden added weight sent them both crashing into the ground.

Applejack kept hold of the tail. “Ain’t bout tha darn apple. Yer clearly mad ‘bout tha whole thing, and ya were talking ‘bout beating sense into her, weren’t ya? Ah ain’t letting ya run off tha hurt a friend, or any pony fer that matter. Yer not supposed ta do that!”

"What?” Dash glared at Applejack, and flew up just enough to feel the pull on her tail anchor her to the ground while she looked down on her. “I’m supposed to just stand by while one of my friends yells at and hurts my marefriend!? You just want me to let Twilight get away with that?"

Rainbow's wings were beating more and more agitatedly throughout their talk, only now getting the force to start dragging them both into the air. Applejack looked nervous as she felt her hooves leave the ground, but held firm to Dash’s tail.

"Ah'm not saying let her get away with hurting yer mare...wait—marefriend?” Applejack nearly lost her grip. “Oh. Well, Ah… Ah didn’t think y’all would, uh. Not that there’s anything wrong with… well, ya know. Just surprised is all, Ah thou—” 

Great, this was even worse than getting lectured. “Really, AJ? Right now!?”

Dangling below from Rainbow Dash’s tail, Applejack’s face turned even redder than it already was. “Right! Yer right, Ah’m sorry. But, uh, Ah suppose that explains a thing or two right about now. Reckon Ah really shoulda seen that coming. What with how y’all been shacking together I mean. Or her an Fluttershy, with the way they were cuddling up ta one'nother when—“

“By Celestia, do you never shut up!? Let go, AJ!" She made a genuine attempt to shake herself loose from the clingy and rapidly rambling busybody. The ground kept getting further away. “What do you even mean when you say you saw it coming? Two mares hanging out doesn’t automatically mea—Look, I would give anything to end this conversation before you make any more of an ass out of yourself. Can you please get back to blathering about Twilight?”

“Ah...look, this ain’t easy fer me either, okay?! Ya kinda just dropped that on me all of a sudden! This is your fault too.” Neither of them spoke while they avoided looking at one another. Finally, Applejack spoke. “So, ‘bout Twilight…” 

“Oh, thank Celestia.”

“…Ah’m just saying, go at her when you aren't likely to break her muzzle. Let her tell her side of this to you. All Ah’m asking is that you don’t go flying off into trouble right this second. Come on down, enjoy some dessert in good company, then have yerself a good night’s rest. See how ya feel ‘bout rearranging her face in tha morning, all right?"

From this high up, Dash could see the faint lights and many dark shapes that made up the night-time Ponyville. It was an easy, straight flight from here to the bushy shape that represented the library, if it wasn’t for about an apple sack worth of terribly embarrassing deadweight hanging from her tail.

“Gahh.” Rainbow Dash groaned. “Really? That was your big speech? I don’t even feel like going over there anymore anyway. All I can think about is how your mouth managed to fit ALL FOUR of your hooves in it.”

“Well, Ah’m sorry if Ah was taken just a smidgen off guard by that. Ya think yer gonna put us back on the ground any time soon? Mah hooves are really getting tired.”

“Just answer me one question.”

“What now?”

“Apples for dessert?”