//------------------------------// // Chapter 121 - Racist // Story: Trixie's Forest Retreat // by crowscrowcrow //------------------------------// Rarity had taken a nasty fall, but fortunately the staff appeared to know how to deal with her. A little bit too well actually. The ice pack Aloe brought had a convenient hole in it for Rarity’s horn, and Lotus Blossom had procured a stretcher at some point when Trixie wasn’t looking. They’d taken the unconscious unicorn out of the sauna for some fresh air to help her recuperate. The one thing Trixie had most trouble wrapping her mind around was how calm everypony else appeared to be about this whole thing. Rarity was hurt! Didn’t they care? Fortunately, Fluttershy had caught on to Trixie’s distress, and she had taken the time to explain the fashion mare’s quirks. “So, this is normal?” Trixie asked incredulously, for the third time. Fluttershy nodded, again. “Crazy, all of you.” Trixie muttered while she laid back down on the wooden bench of the sauna. At least she was already in the perfect place to let that new-found tension melt away. Although the spa ponies were both gone, a little spark of magic brought the ladle to life, which easily poured another splash of water onto the hot stones. About to make a comment on the do-it-yourself spa, Trixie hushed when she noticed Fluttershy was fidgeting with her hooves. It wasn’t something Trixie had known originally. But, she quickly caught onto the fact that it meant Fluttershy had something she wanted to say. A vague feeling of déjà vu crept over Trixie while she resolved to quietly sit and wait until Fluttershy felt comfortable enough to speak. After a moment of relative silence, during which only some muffled conversation regarding ice water could be heard outside, Fluttershy took a deep breath. “Uhm, Trixie? Is it okay if I ask you something, uh, maybe not so nice? I’m sorry.” Trixie perked up, surprised. “You have Trixie’s curiosity, go on.” Avoiding eye contact, Fluttershy ran a hoof stiffly through her hair as though she was trying to play this off as a casual thing. “Well, uh, how come you, erm… Do you… only like some ponies? More than others, I mean.” After a brief moment of bafflement, Trixie smiled. She knew what was going on here. Scooting toward Fluttershy, she wrapped her foreleg around the soft mare and pulled her close. “Awh, Fluttershy, Trixie’s so sorry.” Fluttershy tensed up as Trixie suddenly pulled her in. She gave Trixie an uncertain look. “You are?” Fluttershy looked immensely relieved. “Oh, thank goodness. I was worried.” “It’s Trixie’s fault.” She eased up on the hug and with a flicker of magic brushed Fluttershy’s mane out of her face, granting an unfettered view of the cute, if somewhat sweaty, visage. Trixie’s eyes traveled down to Fluttershy’s lips. They looked so soft and inviting. “Trixie didn’t mean to be so distant.” With a struggle, she resisted the urge to claim them, and met Fluttershy’s eyes again. “It’s just… Trixie doesn’t want to disappoint you.” Blinking in confusion, Fluttershy asked. “I, uhm, I don’t really understand. What do you mean?” “Well, you are such a wonderful pony. So kind and loving. Trixie really wants to show you how amazing you are!” Words failed to properly described how she felt about Fluttershy, but they would have to do for now. It was so easy to praise the sweet creature, but equally as hard to force herself to go on. Trixie didn’t like to admit she had faults, especially not to a pony she desperately needed to be impressive for. Still, she pressed on. “But, you are so delicate, and Trixie feels as though you’d shatter if she comes on too strong. It’s simple with Dashie, Trixie can read her pretty well, but Trixie doesn’t know how to tell what you are ready for or what you want. What if she does something wrong and pushes you too far again? Still… Trixie didn’t realize you’d feel this left out if Trixie was too hesitant.” Although Fluttershy’s face was a red as a tomato, she looked no less confused as she stammered, “That… that is, uhm, oh, woah, but it… it’s not, uh, what I wanted to-I mean. What about Aloe and Lotus Blossom?” Now it was Trixie’s turn to be confused. What did those two have to do with anything? Sure they were somewhat above average in looks, but Fluttershy couldn’t possibly be so insecure that she’d think The Great and Powerful Trixie would lower her standards that much. “Huh? Is that what you were worried about? There’s no reason to be jealous of them, Trixie’s not even interested in them. They’re only earth ponies.” Fluttershy stammered. “Jealous? But, uh, what? Only earth—That! That part. I mean.” Her eyes were wide as though she had just seen a ghost. Perhaps she had, because she had just as much trouble formulating a sentence. “You, they, why? Uhm.” Trixie let go of Fluttershy to give her some air. She looked like she needed it. Though exactly why was lost on Trixie. Her chest tightened as she considered that she might have done something wrong by admitting she needed more to go on from Fluttershy. “Are you mad at Trixie?” “Yes. I mean, no. I mean, a little? Oh, I don’t know.” Fluttershy held her hooves to her head, like she hoped to stop it from spinning. “Why do you, uhm, hate earth ponies?” “…What?” Trixie quirked a brow. “That’s the most ridiculous thing Trixie has ever heard. Trixie does not hate earth ponies at all.” “O-oh. You don’t?” “Of course not—” “I’m sorry.” “—Trixie pities them.” “…What?” “You know,” Trixie said while she pointed at her horn. “They can’t do magic. It’s sad.” "And why, umm...don't you feel the same... way about Pegasi?" "Because you actually have something to make up for it?" "W-what?" "Wings! You have wings! Trixie's seen you use them to pick up cups and other things like a Unicorn uses levitation. You can fly as well! What do Earth ponies get? Nothing! They are Unicorns without horns." "B-but that doesn't make it right f-for you to—" "Trixie doesn't treat them badly, Fluttershy. She pities them a little is all. It's why she always makes sure to hold back against them. You saw how dizzy and sick Trixie made Dashie in her show, yes? All she did was tie up Applejack. If anything, they should appreciate the efforts Trixie goes through to not hurt them." Trixie wore a proud smile as she described how nice she’d actually been. “Life is cruel enough without magic, Trixie doesn’t wish to add to it, more than needed.” Fluttershy’s face held a look somewhere between disbelief and astonishment. “I can’t use magic either.” “Oh!” Trixie quickly reiterated. “No, no! But you have wings! Remember? That’s at least a step up. But, they have to use their hooves and mouth for absolutely everything.” She smiled as she finished clarifying. However, Fluttershy wasn’t smiling. She looked almost pained as she spoke. “So, pegasi are ‘at least a step up’? But, it’s still a step below unicorns, right? I-I remember you told Dash once that pegasi start off, uhm, ‘handicapped’. Was that what you meant?” “Yes, exactly.” Trixie nodded. “See? It’s nothing mean.” “But, but it is mean.” Fluttershy pleaded. “Why is it mean when Trixie says she’s better than a pegasus, but it’s okay for you to say you’re better than an earth pony?” Trixie had to admit the difference might have been less obvious than between a flightless earth pony and a pegasi, but she still felt confident she could make the case magic was better than wings. “I don’t say that! I’m not better than anypony!” Fluttershy hastily cried out and waved her hooves as if she tried to physically throw the notion away. “Nopony is better than anypony else.” “What are you talking about? Of course some ponies are better than others. Trixie is right here.” She rested a hoof on her chest while she adopted an almost regal pose. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is better than any pony. She’s already demonstrated a little bit of that during her show, remember?” Completely aghast, Fluttershy could only stare at Trixie. “B-but...” Starting to catch on to the frankly frigid mood in the sauna, Trixie tried to smooth things over. “Look, do we really have to talk about this? Trixie would much rather get back to what we were talking about before… you know, about us.” Trixie coaxed in a sweet voice. It was clear that she was making Fluttershy upset, and Trixie didn’t care about this argument anyway. “About us?” Fluttershy blinked. “Yes, you know, uhm.” Trixie pressed her hooves together nervously, wishing she didn’t have to go through this a second time, but it was too important to her not bring it up again. “You never answered Trixie. What do you, uh, h-how far is okay, Trixie means.” “Uhm, Trixie, this is important.” Trixie nodded wordlessly. Her stupid stomach did backflips while she waited. Just a little something to go on would set her mind at ease. Fiddling with her hooves a little, Fluttershy nervously glanced over to the door before continuing. “You were going to talk with Mayor Mare, but, uhm, you know she is an earth pony. She won’t like you if you talk like that.” “You’re still on this?” Trixie asked with a scowl. “Stop ignoring Trixie.” Fluttershy's eyes widened and locked onto Trixie's as her ears clamped to her skull. “I’m not. I mean. I don’t mean to, b-but you’re not taking this seriously…” “Trixie is the one not taking it seriously?!” Trixie yelled, but as soon as she saw Fluttershy flinch, she bit down on her hoof to shut herself up. As frustrated as she was with Fluttershy, seeing her react like that felt as though someone punched Trixie in the stomach. At that moment, the spa door opened, and with a gust of cool air came Rarity. “So sorry, girls. I just needed some air. Then I figured I could make some arrangements while I had a chance to talk to Lotus and—” She froze as she looked at Trixie and Fluttershy. “Is, is everything all right in here?” “Just perfect.” Trixie couldn’t stand to be in this room anymore. She had to get out. “Trixie is going to get some air too,” she said while passing Rarity, then quickly closed the door behind her to avoid any further questions. Compared to the Sauna, it was practically cold out here in the hallway. Hastily, Trixie trotted away from the door. Once she felt she was far enough away, she leaned against the nearest wall. The cool stone felt good against her damp fur. If she needed to cool her head, she may as well literally do it. She smirked a little at the thought while she rested her head on the wall. Her eyes closed while she thought back on just what went wrong. Why were they fighting? Trixie didn’t do anything. she thought bitterly. This wasn’t how Trixie pictured today going. She’d been nice to Rarity, wasn’t Fluttershy supposed to like that? Okay, so Rarity fainted at the end, but that was apparently a common thing. Surely Trixie wasn’t being blamed for that? Fluttershy was so difficult to read. Trixie couldn’t tell how to impress her, or what she wanted. Well, apparently she wanted to talk about earth ponies. Trixie thought she’d explained herself well enough. Of course earth ponies were not as good as the rest. So why did Fluttershy have to keep harping on that, instead of listen to Trixie when she was trying so hard to be open with her? Trixie sighed and turned slightly to roll her forehead over to a fresh, cool patch of wall. It helped. An unconvincing cough stirred Trixie out of her thoughts. She half opened one eye to find the two spa ponies standing nearby. Each of them apparently carrying laundry. Perhaps it was their fault. If they hadn’t been earth ponies the conversation never would have gotten so off track. Trixie glared at the pair. “What are you looking at?” “Nothing, miss,” answered Lotus Blossom with a smile. Aloe, however, did not even wear her fake smile. Lotus used one hoof to point to the sauna, and with the same motion she also conveniently barred Aloe’s way. “Was it too dry inside? I apologize, I’m on my way right now.” “Well, it certainly wasn’t too hot.” Trixie smirked a little, but obviously neither of them would get the joke. With a wave, she dismissed them. “Trixie will be along shortly.” “Very well, miss. In the meantime, this is for you.” Lotus Blossom grabbed the pile of laundry resting on her back. With her teeth, of course. Upon closer inspection, it was not just a random pile of laundry. After Lotus let it unfurl, she was holding out a bathrobe for Trixie. “Ah, yes.” Trixie took the bathrobe from Lotus. With the use of magic, obviously. It was no trouble at all to slip into it, and it actually was rather comfy. For one thing, it did wonders in keeping the comparatively cold air at bay, which had gradually gone from refreshing to chilling the longer she was out here. Just as the pair were about to move on, Trixie stopped them. “Wait. Trixie has a question.” “Yes, miss?” Lotus Blossom turned to face her again. Aloe paused as well. Trixie looked the pair over. Clearly, one of them was displeased, but then, Trixie supposed that dragging a unconscious drama queen through the spa would put a dent into anypony’s mood. However, it wasn’t important how they felt, Trixie was much more preoccupied with checking if she’d done something wrong. “Has Trixie said anything that was false to you?” Lotus Blossom and Aloe looked at one another for a moment, a meaningful couple of expressions were exchanged between them. After a second, Lotus shook her head. “Uhm, no, miss. Not as such…” Trixie smiled. She knew it. Fluttershy was just worrying over nothing. “As Trixie expected.” Aloe turned to Lotus Blossom and scowled. “Oh, sure. We’re but ‘mere’ earth ponies, aren’t we, Lotus?” “Aloe, hush. I’m sure she meant nothing by it,” Lotus hissed at the more irate spa pony. The next moment, she wore her smile again. While Trixie observed the pair, she was struck by the realization that she might actually like Aloe better. At least she could tell what that mare was feeling, while Lotus Blossom only showed what she wanted Trixie to see. Trixie pointed at Aloe. “You, explain.” Ignoring a pleading look by Lotus, Aloe appeared to actually grow two sizes as she received express permission to voice her opinion from a customer. “Oh! I’d be happy to!” “Aloe!” “Oh, calm down, I’ll be nice.” Aloe sighed as though she was asked to settle for a bowl of ice-cream instead of a barrel. “Besides, I can’t exactly stay mad if she’s here asking us about it, can I?” Trixie got the sneaking suspicion this might have been something of a bad idea. “Basically, when you say things like: I can’t believe an earth pony did that. It sounds like you mean you have lower expectations of earth ponies than you do of pegasi or unicorns. Do you understand?” “Of course.” Trixie nodded. “Go on.” Aloe blinked. “What?” Talking a little slower, Trixie repeated. “Trixie understands it sounds that way. Where are you going with this?” “Uh, well, uh, that is to say…” Aloe stammered, and looked to Lotus Blossom for help. Lotus Blossom chimed in. “She means language like that implies earth ponies are lesser than the other pony tribes. Some ponies may take exception to that kind of thing.” “Oh, now it all makes sense. You don’t like it, and she doesn’t want to hurt your feelings.” Trixie chuckled. It was so obvious in hindsight. Fluttershy didn’t like to see anypony upset, so naturally she would be opposed to Trixie saying something that reminded earth ponies of their misfortune. “Yes, exactly,” said Aloe, actually smiling at Trixie again. “I’m so sorry, Miss Trixie. I was wrong about you. After all the rumors going around I just assumed you were doing it on purpose. I shouldn’t have kept quiet.” As she spoke the last line, she threw an impish smirk at Lotus Blossom. Perhaps it is the same for pegasi. That’s why Fluttershy was upset. Lotus Blossom groaned. “Fine, I was wrong. This time. Do not forget she asked you for your opinion. You are still not to go give Roseluck a piece of your mind, unless she asks for it.” All the pieces were falling into place for Trixie. Now all she had to do was figure out how to fix it. Trixie supposed that if Fluttershy liked it better if she didn’t say things like that around her, she could do that. Smiling, Trixie trotted back to the sauna, leaving Aloe and Lotus Blossom behind as they squabbled over something banal. Just before Trixie wanted to open the door to the sauna, she heard a sound. It was a bit like Fluttershy’s voice. Though Trixie couldn’t quite make out what she was saying, she was fairly sure she had caught the word ‘Trixie’ in there somewhere. It’s not really eavesdropping if it is about Trixie, is it? A quick look behind her showed that Aloe and Lotus Blossom were still nowhere near done. Lotus Blossom actually had turned red in the face by this point. “What do you mean you talked to him about it!?” Yeah. Trixie had a few moments. Magic was such a wonderful thing. It allowed for so much utility. Such as when she found herself on stage with a bit more of a crowd than she was used to, a simple sound amplifying spell the size of a bit, placed strategically before her mouth, would ensure even the peanut gallery could enjoy the sweet sound of her voice. Conveniently, placing one of those same small fields on the door in reverse proved perfect for listening in. “I don’t know… Trixie looked really mad at me...” “Well, you were having a fight, darling. It is expected.” “But, I don’t want to fight with her.” Hearing that, Trixie felt a little warmer. Of course she doesn’t. “Even so, you can’t apologize for disagreeing with her. She was in the wrong, not you. Honestly, Fluttershy, I don’t think you should even bother. It sounds like she’s done nothing but be nasty to everypony.” Trixie made a mental note to put Rarity on her list, and to find some way to mess with Rarity’s mane again at the earliest opportunity. It wasn’t hard for Trixie to picture the two ponies inside. Rarity was probably sprawled out like some kind of queen, dispensing ‘wisdom’ to a curled up Fluttershy. “O-oh, but… that’s not true. She’s really trying to be nice… I mean, she is. Really. It was a rough start… She really doesn’t mean it.” “Fluttershy, please, don’t take this the wrong way, but are you sure you haven’t hit your head too? I just talked with her, and the hostility boiling just underneath the surface of that mare is palpable. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice she made no effort to return the favor when I apologized to her; She is not sorry. Not for any of it.” What did she have to apologize for? And, so what if she didn’t really like Rarity? Acting as if she did had to count for something! It certainly did for Fluttershy, she was praising Trixie for trying. “…” “Maybe this little spat will finally motivate her to leave and stop taking advantage of you. She’s been mooching off of you for a month.” Trixie was beginning to suspect that Rarity didn’t really want her around any longer than strictly necessary. Trixie was okay with this if it only involved Rarity, but it was quite clear that the unicorn, despite acting somewhat civil earlier, wanted Trixie gone from Ponyville entirely. It figures. She acts forgiving when Trixie is in front of her, but, when Trixie's back is turned, tries to poison Fluttershy against her. Has she been saying the same things to Dashie? Trixie glared at the door. She almost never heard Dash talk about Rarity. Was it because of this? Of course Dash wouldn’t mention her then. She would get that little fashion diva for this! But, not right now. She sighed, releasing some of the tension in her muscles. This was something she would have to deal with later. Fluttershy would not be happy if she went off on Rarity in front of her. Especially with their fight earlier. Don’t worry, Fluttershy. Trixie won’t let anybody try to take her away you, from both of you. Twilight already tried and failed; Trixie'll be damned if she lets some prissy unicorn succeed. Trixie gritted her teeth, deciding to get in there before more damage was done. She already had one hoof on the door, and was just about to throw it open, when Fluttershy suddenly spoke up. “S-she’s not! She was just really hurt before, but now she’s been helping around the house, a lot. I never even asked her to; She just wanted to do something. Nice, I mean, for me. And, uhm, the animals like her too, or, well, they do now that she can remember who eats what. Angel even stopped trying to set her on fire—“ “I’m sorry, what?” “— And now that her magic is recovering she’s so good at dealing out the food it barely takes five minutes…” Her timid knight in shining armor. Trixie smiled, and her hoof slipped off the doorknob. She wouldn’t mind hearing a little more of this. Don’t stop now. “Well, pardon me for doubting you darling. But, If that is true, why do you look less than enthused?” Rarity gasped. “Ah! She’s not feeding the small animals to the big ones, is she?” “Oh! No, no! It’s nothing like that! …It’s nothing, just… I miss it.” Trixie blinked. Huh? “Why, whatever do you mean?” “Well… Trixie’s doing her best to finish our chores quickly, and I don’t want to hurt her feelings, but… I don’t want them to be over quickly. It’s not just a chore that needs doing, I like doing it. To just take my time and chat with my animal friends while I’m taking care of them…” “Ah, I understand. You’ve tried to tell her, but she won’t li—” A sudden tap on her shoulder made Trixie drop the spell in fright. “Gah! Don’t sneak up on Trixie like that!” she said while spinning around. Before her stood Lotus Blossom, wearing her trademark smile. “So sorry, Miss Trixie. It’s just that I need to be in there right now.” She motioned to the door that Trixie was blocking. Didn’t she catch Trixie? “Ah! Yes.” Trixie hastily stepped aside. “After you, Miss Trixie.” The implication was clear. Lotus Blossom knew what Trixie had been up to, and although she didn’t say anything about it directly, this was about as obvious a ‘cease and desist’ as one could get. Regaining her composure, Trixie returned the smile and entered the Sauna, shortly followed by Lotus Blossom. Trixie supposed she ought to say something modest to announce her arrival. “Fear not! Trixie has returned!”