Carousel Boutique
“Ataxia.”
The young mare groaned as she rolled over in bed. She knew that voice; it belonged to one of a few mares that could literally make her life a living hell.
“Ataxia.”
By living hell, it was of the two mares that she couldn’t just bully to get her way.
“Ataxia.”
She blinked her eyes a few times, a smile appearing on her face as, even now, she recalled the memories from yesterday. The feeling of Cloudchaser’s tongue buried in her pussy, that smile was still there when Twilight’s form came into focus.
Her smile almost faded when she saw the look of disappointment? Scorn? She wasn’t sure what it was, but it was plastered on the princess’s face. With deliberate malice, Ataxia positioned herself ever so to put the evidence that remained of last night’s ‘debauchery’ on full display for Twilight.
“What? Are you here to yell at me again?” Ataxia asked.
“No.”
Ataxia frowned, then brushed her dark-blue mane out of her eyes with a hoof.
“What? I’m not worth yelling at anymore?” Ataxia asked. “After all, isn’t that your favorite game to play with me? The, ‘Let’s All Yell at Ataxia’ game.”
Twilight sat down on her haunches and rubbed her head with a hoof. It was obvious to Ataxia that Twilight was frustrated, but, for once, she didn’t believe that Twilight was frustrated at her; rather, she seemed frustrated with herself, as if she simply couldn’t find the words she wanted to say.
“Just yell at me and leave, I don’t have the energy for this.”
Twilight closed her eyes and sighed, loudly. “Ataxia, I’m sorry.”
“What‽”
“I said, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t parternize me!”
Twilight couldn’t stop herself. “Patronize.”
Twilight felt a strong pull of chaos magic as Ataxia tried to forcefully eject her from the room. With a raised eyebrow, Twilight canceled the spell almost effortlessly. She sighed. “I’m not here to yell at you, Ataxia. I’m not here to lecture you, to scream at you, or to tell you what you did was wrong. I’m just here to talk with you. That’s all. Have a conversation with me, and at the end, if you still want me to go, I’ll go.”
Ataxia glared at her. “So, let's see if I got this: now you want to talk to me. I have to go and have sex to warrant real attention from my grandma, the Princess of Bucking Friendship. Too little, too bucking late!” She used the term ‘grandma’ more ironically than anything else. Twilight and Spike’s relationship was never a clear-cut thing to her.
“It’s never too late.”
Ataxia’s eyes widened. She—notably—didn’t change position, but she did move her tail ever so slightly, as if to cover some of the evidence of what she did. “It wasn’t illegal. I’m sixteen now, I can do what I want.”
“I know it wasn’t and I know you are.”
“Then why are you acting like I did something wrong? Again.” The last word almost came out like a cry.
“That’s just it, I don’t think it’s you that’s been in the wrong.”
“That’s not what you said last week.”
“Yes, well, putting your actions last week aside, I mean I think it’s been us in the wrong with how we’ve handled you.”
“Because I’m a mare that needs to be handled or something, right?
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what the buck do you mean‽ Because right now you’re just coming off as a patronizing bitch!”
Twilight facehoofed. “C-Can we start over?”
“Yeah, because words are so bucking easily forgotten or something.”
When Twilight brought her hoof down, she was glaring at Ataxia, clearly mad. Good, at least I warrant some bucking emotion, Ataxia thought.
Despite her frustration, Twilight didn’t rise to the bait. Rather, she took three deep breaths. What she said next shocked Ataxia. “Tell me, how do you feel about what happened last night?”
“What?” Ataxia asked, perplexed.
Twilight continued. “I know how Spike feels about it, I know how Rarity feels about it, and I know how Rainbow feels about it. But in truth, none of them matter in this. I want to know how you feel about it.”
“Why… why do you want to know?” Ataxia found herself legitimately surprised that Princess Twilight would want to know about her first time. “Do you want like, details or something?”
Twilight shook her head no. “Please no. Rainbow might later, if you want to tell her, but that’s not the point here. I simply want to know how you feel about it. Looking back with a good night’s sleep, what do you feel?”
“W-Why aren’t you mad at me?” Ataxia asked as she got to her hooves and sat up on her bed.
There was a noticeable blush on Twilight’s face when she replied. “Why would I be? Ataxia, everypony has sex, or at least I hope everypony gets to. The only question is when. Heck, some have it a lot sooner than you just did.”
“So then why do you want to know how I feel about it?”
“Because sex, for mares and stallions, is not only a physical act, but also an emotional one too. And if you don’t understand that, if you don’t understand what you’re doing, it can really have a negative impact on you and anypony you’re with.”
“What? Is it going to mess me up more than I already am?”
“Yes.”
Ataxia felt rage building up in her chest all over again. For her, it was far, far too early for this shit.
“Get o—”
Twilight interrupted. “Ataxia, neither of us are leaving this room until we talk. The sooner we do, the sooner this ends, pinkie promise. Now, are you going to talk to me like the adult you claim to be, or do we need to settle in for the long haul?”
Ataxia huffed. “Don’t you have a schedule to keep or something?”
“Cleared the entire day, just for you.”
The young mare growled. She knew she was caught. There was no way she’d escape Twilight, not yet anyway. Her magic was strong, but nowhere near that level, yet. Briefly, she considered saying nothing, just letting the hours tick by until Twilight finally had to admit her bluff and leave.
She wrote that off as the boredom alone would break her before anything else.
Raising her right hoof, she started lightly rubbing the side of the other as she nervously answered. “It was… nice, I guess.”
“Without any details, or names, tell me how it happened.”
“I went to a club I hadn’t been in before. When I started dancing, I kinda… broke the speakers. After that happened, I went to use the restroom where there were these two mares having sex. They kinda spotted me watching, and then asked me if I wanted to join in.”
“And you said yes?” Twilight asked for clarification.
“Yeah, it looked like fun, and one was a really good kisser.”
“I see,” Twilight said, unconsciously wrapping her tail around her legs.
“Umm.. why are you doing this anyway? Why not mom, or dad?” Ataxia asked.
“Spike wants to kill whoever you were with, Rarity wants to kill you. I offered to talk to you myself as a compromise.”
“I’m amazed they care that much.”
“I’m not. I know for a fact that they both love you.”
“They don’t act like it,” Ataxia looked down at her hooves.
“Ataxia, I’m going to be honest with you—absolutely honest—but please understand that I don’t do it to anger you, okay?”
Ataxia looked up, nodding her understanding.
“On good days you’re a hoofful. You know that, right?”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Then, can you, can you put yourself in their position? Try and see things from their perspective. Most of the town gave up on you, but they haven’t. I haven’t. They try, I try—every single day—to be there for you, to be patient with you. Rainbow tries too. We can’t give you all the attention we’d like, but we all make the attempt.”
“Unlike Dayspring,” Ataxia muttered.
“Day’s just... strong willed. I tried talking with him, but he’s convinced that—”
“That what?” Ataxia asked, looking Twilight dead in the eyes.
“That you’ll have to hit rock bottom before you’ll get any better,” Twilight admitted.
“That bucker, I’ll—”
“Tell me, what will you do to Shimmering Night’s brother?”
Ataxia’s argument died in her throat. “I… uh… nothing. Does… does she know?”
Twilight cocked her head. “Does Night know about what?”
“About, you know, what I did.”
“I was taken to believe that you didn’t regret it?”
“I don’t.”
“Then why does it matter if she knows?”
“It… it doesn’t, I-I guess…”
“Night doesn’t know,” Twilight said, noting the obvious relief Ataxia displayed. “You like her, don’t you?”
“She’s my only friend.”
Twilight was taken aback by that. “You really believe that?”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing… nevermind. Just… lament—regretting another failure on my part.”
“I-I got invited to join them again, tonight, the two mares I mean,” Ataxia said.
Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “Are you going to go?”
“Would you try and stop me if I said yes?”
“No, as you said, you’re an adult now. You can make your own life choices.”
“Then… yeah, I-I want to.”
Twilight got to her hooves and walked up to the bed. In one bound, she leaped up and sat next to Ataxia’s right side. She stretched out her left wing and wrapped it around the mare. “Like I said, it’s your decision to make. You’re a young adult, but even if you weren’t, the only pony that has any right to tell you what to do with your body is you.”
Ataxia felt herself melt into the wing-hug. It brought back feelings she hadn’t felt in quite some time. She felt loved, respected, and safe.
Twilight squeezed her tightly with her wing, feeling Ataxia surrender control—give in completely to Twilight’s grasp. She was momentarily taken aback when she felt Ataxia’s tears fall on her coat. “Ataxia?”
“I’m sorry.” Ataxia was crying, her sobs muffled by Twilight’s coat. “I don’t… I don’t mean to be this way, I don’t like hurting ponies, or being such a big troublemaker.”
Twilight wrapped a hoof around the mare’s neck and brought her in for a big hug, feeling her break down in her gasp. “Shh… it’s okay, everything’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. Everypony hates me!” Ataxia sobbed into Twilight's coat.
As Twilight held her tighter, she felt a few tears fall from her own eyes. “Ataxia, ponies only hate what they don’t understand. But that can be changed; the cure for hatred is easy: it’s knowledge.”
If anything, that only caused Ataxia to cry more. “But I’m dumb and I know it!”
Twilight cooed, “You’re not dumb. Don’t talk about yourself that way. And besides, nopony said you have to do it on your own. I’ll be there, Rainbow too, and Night. We’ll all help you.”
“P-Promise?”
“Pinkie promise,” Twilight stated, “cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”
“You’re… you’re supposed to go through the motions when you do that,” Ataxia mumbled, never taking her face from Twilight’s coat but knowing by the way she was being held that she hadn’t pantomimed it.
“I know, but I think holding you is more important right now.”
“I agree,” Ataxia mumbled, causing Twilight to chuckle as they rocked back and forth.
***
“Rares, if you keep that up, you’re going to wear a groove in the carpet,” Rainbow said with a smile.
“That’s not possible,” Rarity replied.
“Oh, it is,” Spike and Rainbow said simultaneously. They both turned to each other and started laughing.
Rarity glared at both in turn and then back up the stairs.
“Rarity, I know what you’re thinking, but you promised Twilight you wouldn’t interrupt,” Rainbow said. “If you try to go up there, I’ll stop you, not that you could break through that shield Ataxia put up anyway,” she continued with a glare as Rarity took the first step.
“Nothing against Twilight, my dear, she is brilliant and strong; but I doubt that she can change anything in Ataxia’s behavior.” Rarity sighed. “It’s all I can do some days to not pull my mane out and just give up.”
Spike reminded her, “We all agreed we’d let Twilight handle this.”
“No, you all agreed to let Twilight handle this, I got outvoted,” Rarity replied, snarkily.
“You think I don’t want to hurt somepony?” Spike asked.
“Okay, enough you two,” Rainbow butt in. She didn’t want to play referee, but was left with little choice in the matter.
“Why are you here, anyway?” Rarity couldn’t hold herself back, for she was angry and wanted somepony to take it out on. “I get that Twilight’s here to deal with that foal’s bat-shit crazy magic, but you have no use here.”
“I think you forget that Ataxia is grown up. She’s sixteen, not six, so don’t try to simply roll over her here,” Rainbow scowled. “For the other part, I’m here because I’m where Twilight is.”
“Must be nice having a puppy that follows you around everywhere.”
“Rarity, you better shut up now or we’ll see how quickly this puppy can whoop your flank,” Rainbow replied dryly, her golden wings flaring dangerously.
Rarity opened her mouth to give a ball-busting retort, but at that moment, all three of them heard the door open upstairs and four sets of hooves come walking out. They cocked their heads to see Twilight walking confidently downstairs, Ataxia right next to her. The young mare was nervously pressing her coat against Twilight’s.
Seeing her daughter again, it caused something to snap in Rarity. Anger took hold, pure and unconditional hatred. “Ahh, yes, the whore of Equestria, everypony, my daughter, the slut!” Rarity said before anypony could stop her.
“Rarity!” Twilight shouted, however before she could continue the mare practically shoved Rainbow to the side.
“Don’t Rarity me! I want some answers on how the hay I raised a whore!”
Ataxia was practically fuming with steam and pulled away from Twilight. “Hey! Don’t call me that!” she exclaimed, walking down the stairs to confront her mother face to face.
“So what? Mother always told me to tell the truth! So: WHORE!” Rarity continued.
“Rarity, I—”
“Shut up!” Rarity hollered at Spike, “This is between Ataxia, me, and her behavior as the town's slut!”
“No,” Twilight cut in, “this is about you trying to control her. What she needs is understanding and patience, not to be yelled at.”
“Understanding?” Rarity said in a rage, “Sure I’ll give her understanding. Say Ataxia, help me understand just when those legs open for business. Help me understand just how quickly I’ll be a grandmother.”
“I don’t know, MOTHER, maybe I’ll see what Prince Blueblood is up to? After all, all one really needs is a fancy title to make you wet between the legs, right‽ Would that be socially acceptable to you‽”
A white hoof made contact with Ataxia’s face as a loud slapping sound echoed across the boutique. “You little…” Rarity started, but Ataxia officially had enough.
Before anypony could react, Ataxia’s magic spread the room, shutting them all up. She powered her horn and lifted Rarity up by the neck in her magic.
“This is the last time you act like that to me!” Ataxia shouted, her magic shaking Rarity to her core. “You’re my mother, yet you look at me like dirt on your hooves! I should end this right here and now!”
Suddenly, with a loud cracking noise, Ataxia’s spell was shattered. Twilight teleported between her and a struggling Rarity, canceling out the mare’s spell and the grip she had on Rarity’s throat. “Ataxia, no!” Twilight yelled.
“She deserves it!” Ataxia yelled. “She’s no mother of mine, she doesn’t give two shits about me!”
“Ataxia, I can’t let yo—”
Rarity interrupted Twilight’s speech, in a coughing breath she yelled, “Get out of my house!”
“Finally!” Ataxia cheered. “I’ve waited so long to hear those words.” She made her way to the door, but Twilight and Spike tried to block the way. “Out of my way. I’ve got two hot mares waiting for me.”
“Ataxia, please—” Twilight tried to say.
“And you, you’re nothing but a big fucking liar. Aren't you? You said you’d help me, you said you'd take my side, but when push comes to shove, you back her, like always.”
The tears in Ataxia’s eyes were all Twilight could see. “It’s not like that—"
“Yeah it is, she’s no mother of mine,” Ataxia spat.
“And you’re no daughter of mine!” Rarity yelled back.
“That’s fine with me!” Ataxia waved her hoof before levitating Twilight and Spike forcefully out of the way. Twilight smashed against the wall while Spike was sent tumbling up the stairs with loud cries of pain left in his wake, but at that moment, Ataxia couldn’t care less.
As the mare left the boutique for possibly the last time in her life, Rainbow nodded to Twilight, asking if she should give chase.
Twilight recovered, taken aback by the sheer amount of power the mare possessed right now. She glanced at Ataxia and then back to her wife. In the end, she had to shake her head. Chasing after Ataxia, confronting her, forcing her to try and do anything right now, it would only make things a lot worse.
“Good riddance,” Rarity spat in disgust.
“Rarity! I always thought of you as one of the best of us. Today you… Ugh, I can’t even look at you right now,” Twilight said before gesturing to Rainbow that it was time to leave. “I’m more than disappointed in you. It looks like we know who the true immature one is.”
The last thing Rarity heard from her friends that day was the door being magically shut with a loud bang as Twilight and Rainbow left.
“Hmm,” Rarity replied.
“Hmm, huh?” a voice asked.
Rarity blinked twice before looking in the direction of that voice. She glanced over to see Spike working his way back down the stairs, his forehoof held out in front of him. It was obvious he had sprained it, if not worse. “Spike?”
“You know, Rarity, I’ve seen the best of you, and, before today, I thought I’d seen the worst of you. But you just proved me wrong. I’ve never been more ashamed of you in my entire life than I am right now.”
Rarity fell on her haunches and dropped her jaw as she watched Spike, the little dragon that loved her more than his own life, hobble out of the building. “Where… where are you going?”
“I don’t know, but right this second, anywhere that doesn’t have you in it sounds better than here,” Spike stated. His tone of voice wasn’t happy, sad, angry, hurt, or any other emotion. Rather, it was neutral—almost as if he had no emotion left in him—as if, right now, she simply wasn’t worth having emotions for.
“Spikey…”
“Rarity, this is where we’ve never agreed. You keep acting like Ataxia’s a burden. You never saw her for the blessing she is.”
“Blessing? Ataxia?”
Spike looked down at his hooves. “I’m gonna go see if I can find her, tell her that she’s still loved; and yes, a blessing. You’re a pony, and I’m a dragon, Rarity. We never should’ve been able to reproduce, yet somehow we did. I don’t care if she has some strange magical abilities, or if she’s uncouth to you. She’s our blessing, regardless if you see her that way or not,” Spike mumbled to himself as he walked out, tears pooling in his eyes.
As had happened a million times before, the door opened, the little bell on top rang, someone walked out, and then it closed. And, although she had experienced that one act more time than anyone could count, Rarity had never felt more alone in her life.
***
Ataxia found herself battling her worst nightmare: Herself. Everywhere the mare turned buildings, structures, and the very ground itself would start to tremble and shake; almost as if they were asking for her permission to destroy themselves.
She wanted to give it, oh Celestia she wanted to give it so badly it hurt. Yet she fought it off. The mare knew from experience that ‘that’ would be the quickest way to give away her location. They could and would find her easy if she left such a trail of destruction in her wake, and right this second, she didn’t want to be found. She wanted to be alone.
Her desires manifested through her hooves. She subconsciously walked herself to the edge of Ponyville.
When she blinked, Ataxia found herself in the old CMC clubhouse, figuring that would be as good of a place to hide out as any other; she climbed the makeshift stairs and settled in. Right now, she had no place to go, no bits of her own, and no real plans for the future. Well, not until nightfall at least.
Reaching into her bag of tricks, she opened a pocket dimension and took out several items that she had ‘acquired’ and hid away with the note. With a grin she realized just how easy it was.
So what if I don’t have any bits? Ponies give me whatever I want anyway.
So what if I only have one friend? I don’t need a lot of friends anyway.
Ataxia sat and snacked upon several items that she had stored away. She was an adult now, maybe that meant it was time to be an adult. She didn’t need to live with her parents, hell, she didn’t need anyone. A few well place hints in the right pony’s ear and they’d build her a house. Either that, or they’d have to rebuild half of Ponyville.
Terror of Ponyville, Ataxia’s thoughts mulled over the title.
Ataxia, the Terror of Ponyville.
The more she thought of the title, the more she found that she kinda liked it. As nightfall came, she got up and stretched her hooves. “Yeah, if that’s what they call me, buck it, that’s what I’ll be.”
Ataxia found herself with the oddest feeling in her breast. She felt… she felt… self-assured. Like she finally knew her place in the world.
But first, I need a place to stay tonight. With a smile, she reached back into the pocket dimension and pulled out the paper towel with the address written upon it. And I know just where to go.