Six Two Six Two

by lunabrony

9 - Lulamoon Rising

The unicorn sitting in the middle of the room was fuming, and for good reason. For once in her life, she'd actually been minding her own business. True, she'd been sulking and planning multiple revenge schemes, but not ALL of them were against Twilight Sparkle.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy surrounded her, the first two with a look of a suspicious dislike. Stitch had left shortly after unbagging the unicorn to check on Rarity and Pinkie.

"Trixie demands an explanation!" The unicorn said snobbishly. "You ponies have no right to kidnap Trixie!"

Rainbow Dash looked momentarily apologetic. "Okay, in our defense, the kidnapping thing was completely accidental," she said. "But it really doesn't look good for you."

"What doesn't look good?" Trixie asked. "That Trixie was out in the forest minding her own business? Oh, yes, that's totally scandalous. Lock Trixie up at once."

Fluttershy coughed. "I thought you left Ponyville, Trixie. What are you doing here? There's scary things out in the forest. They could hurt you."

"Trixie can handle a few monsters," she said with her nose in the air. "And not that it's any of your business, but Trixie has been living in the forest because she keep getting chased out of the towns she goes to." Her voice sounded a bit sad. "Word has spread and everypony thinks Trixie is a fraud and a con artist, nopony will hire Trixie, so she had to go live in the forest and weigh her options."

"That's terrible!" Fluttershy said.

"That's karma," Rainbow Dash said. "You know, if you were having so much trouble, you could have just asked Twilight for-"

"Trixie will sell her wagon before she asks Twilight Snarkle for help!" She hissed.

"And where is your wagon, Trixie?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"...Trixie had to sell it." Trixie admitted. "But Trixie is still not asking for Twilight's help!"

"Well that's good," Fluttershy squeaked. "Considering Twilight's been attacked and turned to stone, and she- stop laughing, it's not funny!"

Trixie had tears in her eyes. "Oh, Trixie can't help it! Trixie thought Twilight said she could handle anything by herself, and now look. She needs Trixie's help."

"We never said we needed-"

Rainbow Dash shushed her with a glare.

"Of course she needs Trixie's help. Trixie is fantastic. And Trixie will be glad to help, provided she gets the recognition she deserves. We will discuss a fee later."

"A fee?! You're not CHARGING us for saving our friends, Trixie!" Rainbow was fuming.

"Of course Trixie is. Trixie doesn't work for free."

"But... but... but..."

"Obsessed with butts, Rainbow Crash? Perhaps the fanfics were right about you." Trixie smirked. "Trixie will help, let us gather the others. Where are they?"

Fluttershy pointed out the window. "Rarity and Pinkie are at the Boutique, and Stitch went to check on them."

"Who is Stitch?"

"That blue ali-"

Rainbow Dash coughed loudly.

"...That blue puppy that dragged you here."

"Trixie forgot about her, Trixie has a word or two to be spoken with that dog. Let us go!"

With that, the unicorn charged out the door into the darkness.

Rainbow Dash groaned. "Great, now we have to bring HER along. How could this whole ordeal possibly get any worse?!"

"Sugarcube Corner could run out of cupcakes," Pinkie offered.

"I don't see how that could-" Rainbow's jaw dropped. "Wait, Pinkie!? How did you... where did you... never mind! Why are you here?! You're supposed to be watching Rarity!"

"Rarity said if I sang one more song she was going to turn me to stone herself," Pinkie said sadly. "So she sent me on a party break."

"How many songs did you sing?"

"Twenty seven," Pinkie said cheerfully.

"Never mind, let's get back there!"
***

"For the last time, Trixie does not want a welcome back party!" The unicorn insisted.

"Aw, but it'd be so much fun!" Pinkie said.

Behind them, the two remaining pegasi hovered in the sky, keeping an eye out for anything unusual.

Pinkie entered the Boutique first, her bouncing stopping almost immediately. "Um, guys?" She called. "Does a giant hole in the back wall qualify as unusual?"

"What?!" Rainbow Dash flew forward, instantly on the alert. The back wall of the Boutique was crumbling, something huge had ripped it down.

Fluttershy was instantly on the alert. "Find Rarity, now!" Fluttershy demanded. "She could be anywhere, she could be-"

"I don't think she's here," Trixie said.

"Oh, and what makes you think that?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Trixie's voice was unusually tender, and for once she didn't sound completely antagonistic. But what she revealed could have broken even the most terrifying dragon. The stone statue she pulled from behind the imported curtains appeared to be Rarity at first... but was far too small.

Fluttershy let out a horrified wail.

"Sweetie Belle..."

Even Rainbow Dash found her wings suddenly heavy, and lowered to the floor. "Rarity must have gone after whatever is doing this..."

"Which is?" Trixie asked.

"...We don't know. But if I know Rarity, she won't stop until this thing is dead. That thing picked the wrong unicorn to mess with."

Dash rubbed at her chin. She was angry now, a child had been involved. Fluttershy was actually shaking with rage. "First Celestia, then Twilight, now Sweetie Belle. If Rarity isn't careful, she'll be next."

Trixie hesitated, and placed a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. "Trixie is sure... your friend will be... alright. She is... capable of handling herself." She said through gritted teeth. She wasn't entirely used to saying nice things.

"Why is this thing only going after unicorns?" Fluttershy asked.

"Applejack isn't a unicorn," Rainbow Dash noted.

"Yes, but what if she wasn't the target? What if she was just... there? And got in the way?"

"Do you think she was protecting Celestia?"

"It's very possible."

Trixie perked up. "Applejerk too? This day just keeps getting better and better."

Rainbow Dash whirled around, her self control snapping. There was a sharp crack as her wing whipped out and slapped across Trixie's face, sending the unicorn reeling to the floor. Trixie looked up in shock, feathery shaped red marks appearing on her face.

"You. Shut. Your. Mouth." Rainbow hissed. "Our friends are being attacked, Princess Luna is in trouble, an innocent young child stands over there turned to stone, and Rarity is going up against this thing by herself. We have no leads and no answers, and I have had enough of your shit."

Fluttershy looked absolutely horrified. "Rainbow Dash!"

Pinkie's eyes were wide as dinner plates. "Dashie, watch it..."

For once in her life, Trixie was speechless. "I'm sorry." She said quietly. "I'll help you."

Dash took several deep breaths, backing away. "No. I'm sorry." She said. "We're going to Twilight's library, and we're not leaving until we get answers. There HAS to be something there to help us identify this thing." Without waiting for a reply, she stormed out of the Boutique.

"Dashie, wait!" Fluttershy called, racing after her, with Pinkie racing after Fluttershy.

Trixie lingered back by herself for a moment, glancing at the immobilized Sweetie Belle and placing a hoof to the swollen portion of her cheek. "Perhaps... friendship really is magic. Was Trixie really wrong about them?" She whispered. She honestly wasn't sure, but their loyalty to each other was commendable. Trixie took only one more saddened look at the ruined Boutique before racing off after the others.

Author's Note:

Merry Christmas, everypony!

Comments

[yrfoxtaur]

oh, I do love to see trixie redeem herself

[RBronyReader446]

3672623 this could be better then Magic Duel's attempt.

[Rhulain]

BOOOOOO! Trixie would go Apeshit if Dash slapped her like that.

[Broovian]

What does fitting slapped in the face have to do with magic. And when has any said that magic was friendship to trixie

[Shadowshame]

The title it a friken castlevania reference I'm pretty sure one of the songs from castlevania in smash is called dark moon rising