“Where is Boomer? Is Boomer okay? Where is she?” Trixie’s voice bordered on frantic worry and she pranced in place beside the cushion where Sumac had been laid down. She looked at Twilight, her eyes wide with fear, and repeated herself. “Where is Boomer?”
“Boomer is fine,” Twilight replied in a soft voice. “She’s with Pebble. Sumac left Boomer with Pebble because Pebble had a cooking class and Sumac was hoping that Boomer would get a chance to eat. Everything is fine.”
Trixie let out a sigh of relief, but her near frantic state of worry persisted. She stared at Twilight and her wide eyes narrowed. “How could you let this happen?” Trixie blinked and shook her head. “Why?”
Caught off guard, Twilight took a step backwards and without thinking, she replied, “Sometimes things happen. You’ve been there yourself. Think back to the alicorn amulet before you say anything else about Olive.”
For a moment, anger glittered in Trixie’s eyes, and just as suddenly as it had appeared, it was gone, replaced by sadness and resignation. Her ears drooped, her face fell, and the corners of her mouth curled downwards. Her back slumped and her tail tucked between her hind legs.
“I wasn’t trying to be unkind,” Twilight said in an apologetic voice, “but I was trying to make you—you know what, never mind what I was trying to get you to see. Take the afternoon off, with pay. Look after Sumac. The nurse said he’ll be fine, but both shoulders have been hyper-extended. He’ll need to stay off his legs for a few days. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go and deal with Olive now that I know that Sumac is okay.”
“Twilight…”
Hearing her name, Twilight paused in the doorway and turned her head to look at Trixie. She waited and watched as different expressions crossed over Trixie’s face. Anger, gratitude, fear, sadness, too many to keep track of.
“Thank you, Twilight.” Trixie’s voice was raspy and a bit choked with emotion.
“Don’t mention it,” Twilight replied as she exited.
Her mind filled with memories that she did not wish to recall, Trixie pulled Sumac a little closer to her. He’d been given something to drink that made him a little woozy and had lessened his pain. He remained in the infirmary for observation. While Sumac appeared to be okay, the nurse wanted to make sure.
“Sumac, we need to have a little chat about you antagonising Olive.”
The only reply from Sumac was a low, lingering groan. Trixie rubbed her chin against his ear, hoping to make him feel better, and herself as well. She also hoped to let him know that she wasn’t angry and that she still loved him.
She pressed her nose against his ear and inhaled. She felt his ear twitch against her snoot and his scent filled her nostrils. Even though she resisted, her mind took her back to another time, a time when she was helpless, and she thought about her rescuers. The memory made her right front leg ache. Kindness had saved her, had kept her warm, had kept her safe. She thought of Tarnish and Maud, fond thoughts, and pleasant memories.
The infirmary was empty at the moment. It was a circular room, with broad cushions on the floor, perfect for a foal with tummy troubles or a headache to lay down upon. The overhead lights were dim, easy on the eyes, and the whole room had an atmosphere that seemed conducive to drowsiness.
The drowsy atmosphere vanished when a tall, serpentine figure burst through the door. Discord stood in the middle of the circular room, a rare look of worry upon his face. He looked down at Trixie and Sumac, squinting, his ears twitching. He reached down to grab Sumac, but Trixie would not let go. Stymied, Discord did the only thing he could do. He lifted up Trixie too, and cradled both her and Sumac in his forelegs.
“I came when I heard what happened!” Discord said in a manic voice.
“Discord, what are you doing?” Trixie’s voice was one of exhausted exasperation.
“I was worried,” Discord replied, sounding a bit miffed. He drew himself up to his full height and looked down at Trixie, who he cradled in his careful, protective embrace. “That Olive is a menace! Really… they’ll let anypony into this town… even the known troublemakers! What fools!”
“Discord…” Trixie rolled her eyes and redoubled her grip on Sumac. “Why are you here? Really?”
“Well,” Discord replied, and then paused so he could collect his thoughts and try again. “Sumac has a terrible, terrible, negligent father and being the kind, generous, loyal, honest, funny, and even magical reformed draconequus that I am, I took it upon myself to be a good male role model for Sumac. He needs one, wouldn’t you agree?”
Trixie’s lips pressed into a straight line and she glared up at Discord. After several seconds, she said, “Yes, I agree, he needs a good male role model—”
And she was about to say that Sumac had a good male role model—Big Mac—but the words never had a chance to leave her mouth. Stunned, she suddenly found herself in pearly white wedding dress, Discord was wearing an obnoxious plaid tuxedo, and Sumac was wearing a rather nice looking dark blue blazer and with a dark purple tie.
“Discord!” Trixie snapped. “What is going on?”
“You agreed!” Discord shouted in a gleeful voice. “You agreed that Sumac needed a good male role model and I’m more than willing to be his father! I mean, I’m not in love with you, not at all, but that doesn’t matter because we’ll stay together for his sake. We’ll say that we love one another and we’ll have nice breakfasts together, and pleasant dinners, and we’ll be a family and he’ll have the role models he needs to become the pony he is meant to be. Who knows, maybe someday, we’ll learn to love one another for realsies!”
“Discord, the Great and Powerful Trixie is not marrying you.” She shook her head and glared her disapproval at the draconequus who was still holding her. “Look, I just want a quiet moment with my son, is that too much to ask?”
Lowering his head, Discord used his tail to tip back the tall stovepipe hat he was wearing. “I did this for you as well… that brain of yours… it went to dark places, right? I bet this brings back memories for you… to be helpless… at the mercy of another… I bet it pains you.”
Blinking, Trixie squirmed as she held on to Sumac, who let out a confused moan. She shook, her whole body trembled, and she stared up into Discord’s red and yellow eyes, not understanding why he would do this.
The wedding dress vanished, as did Discord’s tuxedo, and Sumac’s dashing blazer. Trixie then found herself back down upon the cushion, and Discord was sitting beside her on the floor. His concern looked… genuine. She didn’t know how to respond.
“I like Sumac… he’s my friend and fellow agent of chaos,” Discord said in a strange, saccharine voice. He reached out his talons and poked the colt on his cutie mark, a zap apple with nine rainbow coloured lightning bolts arcing off in different directions. “He is one of the most interesting ponies I know. I can have conversations with him. Not-boring conversations.” Blinking, Discord jerked his head back and a crazed smile appeared upon his face. “Plus, I look forward to the trouble he will cause.”
Sighing, Trixie looked up at the draconequus and felt a strange feeling of kinship with him. She gave him her kindest smile, reached out her front hoof, and touched his lion’s paw. “Discord, I’m flattered that you would be willing to marry me to help Sumac. But why don’t you just try and be his friend?”
“He gets annoyed with me,” Discord replied. “I figured if I was his father, I would have the authority I needed to make him listen to me.”
Biting her lip, Trixie snorted, and then, very much against her will, she smiled. She couldn’t help herself. The draconequus’ logic made sense in a way, a very distorted, disturbing, troublesome way.
“He seems a little out of it,” Discord said, commenting upon Sumac’s condition.
“They made him drink something… he’s drugged,” Trixie replied. For a moment, Trixie had the most amusing thought that Sumac would probably be a good influence on Discord. She smiled, but said nothing of her thoughts. She decided to make Discord feel better, since he tried to make her feel better. “You know, between you and Big Mac, I think that Sumac is set in the good male role models department.”
“Maybe…” Discord grinned while rubbing his talons and his paw together. “But do you think that Big Mac would say yes to marrying me? He was rather attractive in a dress!”
Now alone with Sumac, Trixie thought about her encounter with Discord, Sumac’s encounter with Olive, and her own encounter with diamond dogs. She thought of Tarnish and Maud, two ponies that she should treat better, but didn’t. She still felt guilty for sneaking off and running away from them when they were only trying to help her. Pride was a terrible thing, a dreadful thing, pride had almost been her undoing.
And it was during this moment of reflection that the infirmary door opened yet again. A chocolate brown filly with a violet mane entered. She was wearing something that Trixie couldn’t decide if it was a smock or a dress. It was white, covered in fresh stains, and had dark blue piping on the sleeves. Perched on the filly’s head was Boomer, who looked as though she had been dipped in batter and rolled in breadcrumbs.
“Hello Pebble,” Trixie said and then patted the cushion with her hoof to invite Pebble over.
“How is he?” Pebble stood near the door, unmoving, and worry could be heard in her voice. It was faint, soft, muted, but detectable. Her blue eyes glittered with anxiety.
Looking at Pebble reminded Trixie of Tarnish. Tarnish would also be a great male role model for Sumac. She made a mental note to have a conversation with him when he returned to Ponyville. Pebble’s hooves were muffled as she walked over the thick carpet on the floor to where Trixie and Sumac were laying together.
She climbed up onto the cushion, crawled closer to Sumac, and settled in beside him. Boomer scurried over to Sumac’s head, where she lingered for a moment, and then with a cry, she lept to the top of Trixie’s head, wrapped around her horn, and went still, her bright yellow eyes focused upon Sumac.
“I think he’ll be okay,” Trixie said to Pebble, hoping to put the filly’s mind at ease.
“I understand that he roasted Olive.”
Scowling, Trixie didn’t acknowledge Pebble on this one. She was disappointed with Sumac about this issue and he was going to get a stern talking to. She looked into the filly’s eyes and tried to read Pebble’s feelings on the issue, but couldn’t make anything out.
Pebble reached out her hoof, poked Sumac on the neck, and shook her head. “You’re an idiot. She’s twice your size and has dangerous magic. What were you thinking?” Pebble blinked, and for a moment, she resembled her mother.
“Uuurgh,” Sumac replied.
To place emphasis on her displeasure, Pebble established a boop-loop, that is to say, she poked Sumac on the snoot with her hoof over and over while she scowled at him. Her mouth contorted into an annoyed pucker and her lower lip protruded. Like her mother, Pebble was patient and dedicated. She could do this forever.
Trixie realised the value of settling down. Sumac had friends now. She had friends. Sumac had ponies—and a draconequus—that cared about him. And she did too. She felt something ignite deep within her barrel and it blazed, filling her with warmth.
“Do you think he’s learned his lesson?” Trixie asked as the boop-loop continued.
“No.” Pebble’s words held stony conviction as her hoof poked Sumac’s snoot with metronome timing. The little filly’s brows furrowed and her ears angled forwards as she continued.
“Pebble, would you like to come home with me and help me look after Sumac? We could stop by and ask Pinkie on the way home. I could use your help. I think Sumac needs his best friend.”
The unending boop-loop kept going as Pebble replied, “I can help out. Pound and Pumpkin get on my nerves. It’ll be nice to get away from them. Pumpkin likes to grab me so Pound can punch me.”
“That’s awful,” Trixie said in alarm.
“The adults say they’re just playing. I can’t punch him back. I’d break him…”