“Look. Trixie gets that you don’t like her. Despite all the love she has given you. Trixie even understands that, despite the expensive conditioners and shampoos she buys you, that you might have some grudge against her for all she’s put you through on the road… But for the love of Celestia, GIVE ME BACK MY COMB!” Trixie cried, yanking at the brush firmly tangled in her mane. Her eyes watered as the roots of her hair protested against her vicious yanking.
“If you keep pulling like that, you’re going to tear your mane out.”
“At this moment, She does not care. Perhaps it’ll serve as a good example to what’s left!” Trixie cursed, horn alight as she grasped the handle of the comb.
“I’m just saying, Night Mother has never been known to like the bald look. Something to keep in mind for your date.”
“It’s not a date! It’s a teacher student outing that involves dressing up and spending the evening together!”
“Pfft, sure, Trix. I’m sure Night Mother loves the innocent act.”
“It’s not an act, you-you…” She froze suddenly, registering the snide voice from just behind her. “Why are you in Trixie’s room, anyways?”
“Oh, you know...” The voice trailed off, replaced by a muffled shuffling sound. “Just being nosey.”
Trixie turned around, glaring at Dusk. The look would have been much more effective if she didn’t have a comb hanging out of the side of her mane, and if Dusk was even facing her. Instead, the mare had her head buried in one of Trixie’s dresser drawers, a few crumpled capes laying on the floor behind her.
“Do you mind removing your face from Trixie’s drawers?”
“I don’t mind actually.” Dusk drawled, pushing the drawer shut with a hoof as she turned to smirk at Trixie. “There’s nothing sexy in there anyways.” She winked, drawing a light blush to the unicorn’s cheeks. “What are you going to wear tonight?”
“It’s on the bed.” Trixie grumbled, turning back to peer angrily at her mane.
Dusk trotted across the room, eye’s traveling across the bed for a moment, and lingering on the mangy cloak before she raised an eyebrow. “Is it under the cape? Or are you going naked?”
Trixie shot her a glance in the mirror, mouth open to defend her attire choice. “N-”
“I mean, I get it. Going naked will definitely make it easier for you and Night Mother later, I just didn’t realize y’all were already so far in your… relationship.” Dusk teased, grinning at the crimson blossoming on Trixie’s cheeks.
Trixie snapped her jaw closed, her mouth in a thin line as she turned away from the mare. She fussed with her hair, making an attempt to show Dusk she was being ignored.
“Would you like some help with that?” Dusk asked, slouching against the tall bed. She received only a huff in response.
The mare giggled into her hoof, and trotted across the room quietly. Once behind Trixie, she reached forward, plucking the brush from Trixie’s mane almost effortlessly. Dusk then flipped the brush around, pushing Trixie down into a sitting position before the mirror as she began to work on her mess of a mane.
“Let me help you. You’ll get nowhere if you just keep pulling like that.” She leaned forward, running the brush through Trixie’s mane like water, the bedraggled hairs straightened easily under her attention. “See? It’s not about forcing the brush, it’s a gentle give and take. You pull, and your hair gives!”
“Yeah, yeah…” Trixie closed her eyes, relaxing against the repetitive gentle tugging at her mane. Her ear perked up suddenly as she lifted an eyelid to glance at Dusk. “How did you manage to get in here, anyway?”
“Hah.” Dusk chuckled, flicking a hoof toward her bedroom window, which lay open.
“Oh. Any particular reason you’ve decided to stop by?”
“I wanted to see how you were fairing before your date. Glad I did, cause you were struggling.” She laughed, prodding the mare with a hoof.
“Well Trixie is sure she would have managed eventually..” Trixie turned, glancing at the batpony suspiciously. “Did Luna mention our outing?”
Dusk grinned slyly, setting the brush beside the mirror as she trotted a few feet away, then spinning around with a flourish before she sat. “Lets just say, there might have been an extra statue on the roof yesterday.”
“You were eavesdropping?” Trixie glared, huffing as she shot Dusk a disdainful stare.
“Well me and… a few other statues.” Dusk confessed, scratching idly at the back of her head.
“That’s impossible! I would have noticed you, especially with those cow spots you call fur.” Trixie snarled, fighting the light blush on her cheeks.
“Eh, it’s a lot easier to hide in plain sight than anypony ever expects. A dash of magic, a bit of makeup, or mud and clay, if you're in a pinch, and everypony's eyes slide right over you. It’s actually become a bit of game between the guards, seeing who can stay hidden on the rooftops the longest…” She pantomimed a statue, chest still as she stared forward unseeingly.
“Well, that explains a lot…” Trixie deadpanned, heavily emphasizing her last word.
“Explains what?” Dusk said, studying her hoof absently.
“Explains why Equestria is constantly in danger… I mean, at least until the Elements step in and save your asses.”
“Its funny that you have time to sit around and insult me, when you have nothing to wear to Night Mother’s date.” Dusk pointed out, choosing to not respond to Trixie’s insult. “If you’d like, you could come with me to see how bat ponies live and I could lend you one of my dresses...and maybe something nice for Night Mother to go under it?”
“Trixie would rather go naked.”
“Well, at this point, that might be the only choice you have left!” Dusk pointed out, trotting toward the doorway carelessly.
Trixie stood, glancing around her room as she grumbled, and followed after the mare a few moments later. She blushed when she stepped out of her room and saw Dusk casually waiting for her at the end of the hallway. Dusk gave her a toothy ‘I knew you couldn’t say no’ grin before disappearing behind the bend of the hallway. Trixie trailed along lazily, hesitating after every few turns through the castle. She reluctantly followed the mare, putting hope into her dress selection.
She found herself slowing at the entrance hallway to the castle, glancing back as she spoke. “Do you not live in the castle?”
“Of course not. We are Night Mothers guards, but that does not mean we sleep inside the castle walls.” Dusk responded, nodding at a fellow guard.
“I just assumed you lived.. under it, or in the towers, or something.” Trixie said, rubbing the back of her neck guiltily.
“Racist much?” Dusk said, sticking her tongue out. “We don’t actually sleep underground, and we can even see fine out in daylight. Our vision is much better in the dark, but we don’t prefer to live in the dark all the time.”
“Oh, I know! I just.. I…” Trixie trailed off, flushing guiltily.
They walked in silence for a few moments, hugging the walkway that ran parallel to the castle. As time went on, Trixie noticed fewer and fewer ponies on the streets, until it was nearly just the two of them. This creeped her out a little, as she had never seen a section of Canterlot, even at night, with so few ponies around.
They walked underneath a large archway, that seemed to divide the blocks on either side of it into two distinct styles. On one side, the buildings stood tall, white surfaces gleaming with their golden designs. On the other side, the white brick gave way to dark grey stone, and dark red roofs replaced the purple and golden roofs. The large shining windows gave way to open space, windowless openings visible in each of the various buildings dotting the next few blocks. Nearly every building here was at least four to five stories high.
“Welcome to Bat Country!” Dusk exclaimed, gesturing at the nearly empty street with a sweep of her hoof. Trixie was almost positive she saw a tumbleweed blow into an alleyway in the distance.
“Bat country?”
“It’s an… affectionate name from the citizens of Canterlot ever since the bat ponies moved into this section. We’re the only species living here, since most other ponies don’t exactly... get along with us.”
“Oh.” Trixie replied, brow furrowed. “Why?”
“Well, I think it’s partly that we weren’t exactly a common sight in Equestria until Night Mother returned.” Dusk explained, trotting down the street, waving at a few other bat ponies as they passed them. “Then, there’s just the differences between us and other ponies. Between the fangs and us sleeping upside down, I guess it freaks you ponies out.”
“Oh, Trixie guess that makes sense.”
“You realize we don’t actually sleep upside down, right?” Dusk glanced over, smiling bemusedly at the naive mare.
“Just keep walking!” Trixie snapped, cheeks flushed once again.
They passed several more buildings, moving into what was now the homes in this block, judging by their smaller size and more vertical aspect. Finally, they came to a stop outside a tall building, with dozens of open windows facing the street they stood on, with a small door off to the side. Dusk extended her wings, flapping quickly to gain a few feet of air.
“I’ll have to head inside real fast. We don’t use doors for the most part…” She said, hovering in place as she turned toward what Trixie assumed was her living room window. She darted off, cutting through the air as she made her way up three floors before zipping into the nearest open window.
Trixie sat on her haunches, an awkward smile on her face as she waved at a nearby batpony filly. The batpony eagerly waved back, a wide smile on her snout. Trixie’s gaze lingered on the filly’s fangs, which appeared far too large for her tiny mouth.
CRACK!
She flinched at the sound and quickly jerked her head towards the door. Dusk was in the now open doorway with a sheepish look on her face. Trixie glared at her until her eyes noticed something that caused her to groan in exasperation.
“Hey! This door isn’t usually used.. it was stuck!” Dusk defended, beckoning her closer. “Come on, my house is just up here.” She stepped to the side, allowing Trixie to step into what was, at least used to be, a very nice apartment complex. The paint on the walls was faded, with several of the lights down its length blinking or out. Trash littered the hallway, and it was overall worn down.
Sighing, Trixie turned to Dusk and pointed a hoof at the door, specifically at the now utterly broken door latch that was halfway up it. “It wasn’t stuck…”
Dusk’s cheeks turned a slight red before she turned around and huffed. “I was in a hurry and it’s not like anyone uses this door anyways.” Dusk began trotting down the hall, grumbling.
Trixie eyed the hallway skeptically, gingerly stepping over the trash scattered across the floor as she followed Dusk down a branching hallway, making their way to a small staircase. As they entered the third floor, the trash had all but vanished leaving a dim and nearly lightless, but otherwise clean area.
They entered Dusk’s apartment, the unicorn wide eyed at the bright furniture and exotic paintings on the walls. The walls were a bright blue, reminiscent of the sky, while the carpet and furniture ranged from deep browns to vivid reds and shimmering purples.
“What do you think?” Dusk said proudly, gesturing out at the living room with her hooves.
“Trixie thinks… that if your choice in clothes is as inventive as your choice in furnishing, that she should look else where…”
“I’ll have you know, my mother picked all of this furniture!” Dusk said defensively, glaring at the mare.
“You still live with your mother..?” Trixie said, stifling a giggle into her hoof.
“Yea, well at least I wasn’t homeless.” Dusk shot back, heading toward her bedroom door. “She’s not here right now anyways…”
“At least I don’t have big hips…” Trixie remarked, sticking her tongue out at Dusk’s back.
“Night Mother is in for a treat if you’re as bitchy with her as you are with me.” Dusk drawled, trotting across the living room and darting into her bedroom. Trixie glanced around for a moment, glancing curiously at the pictures dotting the room. Most of them showed Dusk with different bat ponies, but one in particular showed the mare standing beside Quickshot and Silver Wing.
She picked the photograph up in her magic, levitating it closer so she could study the photo for a moment. She smiled at the expression on Dusk’s face, blushing deeply as the mare in question coughed behind her. She replaced the photo quickly, smiling sheepishly at the mare with a shimmering purple dress draped across her back.
The dress was made of dark purple silk, and part of it would shimmer as light hit it, or if you moved your head. Judging by the dresses length, the sleeves in front of the dress would cling tightly to the wearer's hooves before billowing out a little before the wrist. While Trixie was no expert on dresses, she surmised that the dress would cling tightly to her, like a second skin, up until the back where it billowed out into a simple, and slightly too short for her liking, skirt. Two holes on the sides of the hips would show off her cutie mark, and maybe tease the looker with a little more. The dress was more...provocative then she liked, but it would have sufficed if not for two things.
First, there were two rather large holes that would reveal the majority of her upper backside.
Second, there was a much larger hole in the stomach area, akin to an eye in its shape. This became even more of an issue as she saw that one of the ends narrowed and almost seemed to be pointing directly at her...unmentionables...if she stood on her hind legs. A feat she was known for.
While the second one was easily fixed by her working to not stand up at all during the night, the first was more...problematic. One did not show that much skin off in a dress that also revealed your cutie mark unless you were...well...expecting something more than Trixie was comfortable with happening that night.
“What are these holes?” Trixie asked, pointing at the two holes just below the shoulder blades.
Dusk raised her brow, flexing her wings slowly. “I have wings, Trixie.”
“Oh. Yea.. Well, what about this hole then? And the two on the sides?” She pointed to the large hole where her belly would be, and then the other two on the sides.
“Oh… those show off your belly and cutie mark.” Dusk whispered into her ear, smiling lewdly.
“Well, yes I can see that... I suppose I can just wear my cape to cover the wing holes and the flanks...” Trixie cocked her head, mentally sizing up the cape for a moment. “Yes, it’ll be...tolerable, with Trixie's cloak on."
"Wait, what? Yeah, they match, but that ruins the-"
"You forgot about these when you let me borrow the dress, didn't you?" Trixie pointed to the two wing holes. “This is fine for Pegasi and, I guess, Bats like yourself, but you do realize what it implies for a Unicorn to show off this much fur, right?”
Dusk simply smirked. “Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. You know, it’s not like giving Night Mother a few less than subtle hints wouldn’t help your relationship out. A virgin mare like you can be hard to read when you’re nose isn’t stuck in the air.”
Trixie’s face went crimson. “I am NOT a virgin, you overblown guano factory! And stop trying to distract Trixie!”
“Hmph I figured you would be more distracted by the hole displaying your-”
"Right! The cloak should cover those up nicely, and remove quite a bit of Trixie's embarrassment over the giant gaping holes in this dress." Trixie stammered, blushing at Dusks lewd words.
"But-"
“Thanks!” Trixie said, stepping into Dusks bedroom quickly and slamming the door behind her.
“Hey!” Dusk banged on the door. “Just what do you think you’re doing!?”
“Trying the dress on! Now wait out there and let Trixie change in peace!”
“And you couldn’t do that out here because?”
“For stars sake! I am not dressing in front of you, Dusk. How did a perverted bat like you ever get into the guard in the first place?”
“By sleeping my way up?” She replied, sarcastically. “And how is me seeing you dress perverted?”
“If you even need to ask that, then Trixie is not telling you, now quit distracting her!”
“Crazy ass mare.” Dusk grumbled, walking back to the living room.
Trixie glanced around Dusk’s room, surprisingly darkened compared to the colorful decor in the rest of the house. It seemed to fit Dusk’s personality much more than the living room did, but even here, Trixie could spot a few small touches probably picked out by her mother. The room was painted a deep blue, with light splotches of white, similar in appearance to a clear night sky.
Her bed was pitch black and heart shaped. Dusk had it shoved against one side of the bedroom with various pictures hanging upon the wall next to it. She had a single bookshelf against one wall, but there weren’t any books on it, merely a few ragged magazines and what appeared to be makeup products with a small mirror.
She spotted a small edge of white underneath the black pillow on the bed, and casually moved it aside, giving a small smirk at what she found there. A picture of Dusk and Quickshot. Dusk had a wing wrapped around Quick, who was giving the camera a uncomfortable smile.
Hmm...Trixie can have some fun with this. She thought, eyeing the makeup supplies nearby.
Once she had left her surprise for Dusk, Trixie placed the picture back underneath her pillow, and looked around the room for anything else that looked amusing.
A beautiful moon sat on the far wall, a small glow emanating from the orb. Trixie crossed the room, cocking her head at the orb handing against the wall. She could feel magic wrapped around the orb, and her curiosity got the best of her. She lit her horn, wrapping it around the magical aura and willed it to expand.
She smiled, gazing at the intricate magic weaves that anchored the orb to the phases of the moon. She probed one of the nodes, grinning to herself as the orb flashed through several different phases of the moon before defaulting back to a waning crescent.
She gazed around the room once more before her magic gripped the dress and pulled it into the air.
“What’s taking her so long? That dress has enough holes in it that she could wear it upside down and nopony would frigging notice.”
Dusk glared at the door to her room, about to pop off with a few chosen curse words when she heard the front door open. Glancing behind her, Dusk gave a small, nervous smile as she spotted her mother walking through the door. A few grocery bags were hanging from her mouth.
Dusk had clearly gotten most of her looks from her mother. Despite her mother being a few inches shorter, and her white spots having just the barest hint of grey in them, both mother and daughter were similar enough that it would be hard to tell them apart. Her hair lung limply at her collarbone, instead of cascading down her back like Dusk prefered.
She smiled at the sight of her daughter, and waved happily as she started putting her groceries away. “How are you today, Dusk? I didn’t expect to see you pull yourself away from the castle until this weekend.”
“I’m still on duty, I just wanted to snatch a dress for my...friend to borrow.” Dusk said, glancing back at her locked doorway.
“Oh? Which dress?”
“The dark purple one.”
Her mother whistled. “Somepony is looking to get lucky tonight then.” She pouted. “How could you get so far with a mare, and not have introduced her to your mother yet? Is she planning on leaving a toothbrush here to make visiting easier?”
“M-mom! It’s not like that!”
“Oh?” she grinned teasingly. “What’s it like then? One night stand? Drunken mistake? Or are you the mistress her husband doesn’t know about?”
Oh come on! How could anypony think teasing their daughter like this is cool?
Her mother smiled mischievously as Dusk glared, glancing around the room quickly. “Well, where is the lucky mare?”
“She… she kinda locked herself in my room."
"Hmph, I keep telling you not to be so aggressive, Dusky. You keep frightening them off like this, and you'll end up old and alone."
"M-Mom! I'm not trying to bang her!"
"Oh! Too good to give me grandchildren before I die, and now you're too good for a lovely mare like that?"
“Ugh! How about you take your opinions and shove them up your-”
*Cough*
Dusk’s head snapped around to a flushed Trixie, her cheeks rosy red as she glanced between Dusk and her mother. Trixie had the dress thrown over her back, parts of the fabric effortlessly held in her magical aura, to keep the dress from dragging the floor.
“How long were you standing there?”
“I wasn’t!” Trixie blurted out, avoiding her gaze. “I mean, not long!”
“Right..” Dusk drawled, shooting a glare at her mother, who was nearly doubled over in laughter. “My mother likes to embarrass me by constantly inquiring about grandchildren, despite having no interest in having a child… Making a child is a different story though!” Dusk said with a wink. She allowed a smile to creep onto her face as Trixie blushed slightly.
“Well I need to get going!” Trixie half yelled, her voice an octave higher than she was used to. She trotted mechanically to the door, slamming it behind her.
“Awww, she’s cute!” Her mother draped a wing over Dusk. “And so innocent! Those are the fun ones. Good luck breaking her in, Dusky”
Dusk groaned.
Trixie shifted nervously, second guessing her attire. She was waiting at the palace gates, flattening her cape over the tail end of her dress, or lack thereof. Luna had asked to meet her at six, and six had come and gone ten minutes ago. The mare was slouching against the palace walls when she heard the soft clink of metal over stone.
She turned, expecting to see yet another soldier passing by on his patrol, but instead, found herself standing beside a modestly dressed Princess of the Night. Whereas Trixie had dressed up for their ‘Outing’, it appeared that Luna had dressed down. Instead of her traditional Onyx regalia, she had on a soft silver necklace, with silver shoes matching her jewelry choice. Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, and cascaded limply down her back. This was one of the few times Trixie had seen Luna’s hair not flowing out in waves.
Trixie immediately felt woefully overdressed. Her cheeks burned as Luna froze, staring at her with her mouth hanging open limply.
“You look… amazing, Trixie. But I ugh… I didn’t expect you to be so… dressed up. I did say comfortable clothing, right?” Luna stammered, glancing down at the ground in thought.
“Y-you said a lot of things...You said comfortable, but nice enough to wear around a princess… D-Dusk recommended this dress.” Trixie squeaked, her voice a pitch higher than she was used to.
“Ah. That would explain it.” Luna said quietly, eyes roaming over Trixie again. “It looks nice.” She confessed, cheeks slightly rosy. “Alas, it is a bit overdressed for a Carnival.”
Trixie nodded absentmindedly, thoughts of getting back at Dusk filling her mind. It took her several seconds to register the last bit of Luna’s words. “Wait... A Carnival?”
“Yes! There is a Carnival in Canterlot tonight, and I thought it would be fun if we went together!” Luna said, clapping her hooves excitedly. She glanced down at Trixie, hesitating at the expression on the mare’s face. “Is something wrong?”
“No.” Trixie said, taking a deep breath at the hard tone in her voice. “No, I’m just way overdressed for this... one second.” She stepped away from Luna, horn alight as she faded from view.
Luna glanced around uncertainly, brow arched at the magical hum and sounds of cloth being shifted. She slowly fed magic into her horn, expanding her magical aura outwards until she could just barely feel Trixie’s presence. The mare was only a few feet away, but her magic felt slippery in Luna’s, almost as if the mare was constantly moving around her.
“I did not realize your spellwork allowed you to evade locator spells.” Luna said, glancing toward the spot she last saw Trixie standing.
“It does?” Trixie sounded surprised. “That’s weird. I’m not sure how to block locator spells, so I’m not really sure how it does that…”
“Well, I can feel that you’re near me, but it’s as if you’re constantly moving.. It’s disconcerting at the very least.” Luna confessed. She sat down on her haunches, waiting patiently for the mare to release her spell.
Sure enough, a moment later, and the mare appeared with a shorter dress on made of the same shimmery material, but lacking the revealing holes. Thankfully, her curiosity overcame the disappointed tone that attempted to work its way into her voice.
“How did you..?” Luna trailed off, cocking her head at the mare.
“Oh, it’s just an illusion. I like the dress, but frankly, I don’t think anyone would enjoy my stomach,shoulders, and cutie mark hanging out at a fair.” Trixie said, a thin smile on her face. She missed the blush on Luna’s face as she glanced out at the city, the sounds and lights of a fair just visible in the distance.
“R-right.” Luna stared at Trixie a moment longer, a secret, quiet part of her mind wishing that Trixie was just a touch less good at illusions, if only for one night.
W-well, let’s go ahead and go.” Trixie said, trotting off toward the city center. Luna followed her a moment later, a frown on her face as she glanced from side to side in thought.
“Do we need bits? Or anything else?” Luna asked as they walked, the sounds of cheerful yells and screaming carnival rides filling the air. It was dark outside, but the sky had a faint glow to it from the numerous carnival lights.
“Well, yes we will need bits. Have you never been to a Carnival?”
“No.” Luna said, avoiding Trixie’s surprised look. Trixie closed her eyes, nodding silently as she thought about Luna’s past 1000 years. She studied the uncertain way Luna looked around at the towering Carnival rides, utterly bewildered by the towering roller coasters and ferris wheel.
It looks like Trixie will be paying for the night then. Good thing she’s been careful with her bits.
“Well then, Princess Luna, you are in for quite a treat!” Trixie said, a large smile on her face as she waved for Luna to follow her. “Let’s go get some tickets, than we can hit the rides and games!”