Chapter 82 - Regular
The morning sun slowly climbed through the cloudless sky, radiating warmth to all the early birds out and about in Ponyville.
Letting out a long, drawn-out yawn, Trixie blinked groggily against the dim light. She’d forgotten to take down the cloth pinned over the window, but really, maybe she would leave it up after all. It was a much more gentle awakening than getting the sun in her eyes.
A strange, soft noise could be heard on her left. Breathing? A quick glance revealed Fluttershy was sleeping next to Trixie. A smile spread across Trixie’s lips as she noticed that Fluttershy was much closer than before, gently breathing into her ear. At some point during the night she’d scooted closer, which was just adorable.
An odd noise drew Trixie’s gaze a little lower. Fluttershy was chewing on something while she slept. She chews the blankets in her sleep? That’s just too cut—Gah! Wait a minute! Trixie’s eyes widened as she recognized the pale blue locks trapped in Fluttershy’s mouth. My mane!
Trixie was not sure what on Earth had possessed Fluttershy to take a bite out of her mane, but she had to stop her quickly. “Fluttershy? Hey, Fluttershy, wake up!”
The chewing stopped, and a confused pair of eyes fluttered open. “Mphmng, phmf… mnm?” Fluttershy paused as she was unable to form any proper words and glanced down, then turned beet red. She slowly raised her eyes back up to meet Trixie.
“Looks as though you left your side of the bed.” Trixie smirked, and gave a little tug on her mane. “Can Trixie have her mane back?” All she could do was hope that the damage wasn’t too bad.
Sputtering, Fluttershy quickly relinquished Trixie’s mane and covered her face with her hooves, practically dying with embarrassment. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to!”
Trixie pulled back her mane, and glared at Fluttershy with the intention of making Fluttershy feel her stare burn through those shielding forelegs. Of all the times for Fluttershy to show some odd new thing about herself, it had to be sleep chewing, on the most enchanting mane in Equestria, right before an important date.
“You will pay for this, Fluttershy…”
This isn’t so bad… Trixie thought. Nervously, she trotted through the market streets of Ponyville, carrying a saddlebag with the pleasant tune of some bits jingling to the rhythm of each step. … Unless they are lulling Trixie into a false sense of security… To the towns credit, she had not been physically assaulted yet, unless a, supposedly accidental, shoulder bump counted.
Instead, most ponies ignored her as they would any other unfamiliar mare. Some would even give her a polite smile, but Trixie could see the occasional double take by some. There was the rare suspecting glare by a few others, but fortunately nopony lingered. Instead they soon shook their heads and went about their own business.
It seemed to Trixie as though she was not being recognized. Now that she thought about it, most ponies had not seen her au natural; Even during the Ursa Minor incident she had benefited from the cover of darkness for the most part. When she was being carried through the town, she had worn a hospital gown, not to mention she looked awful that day. Any other time, she had been adorned in her distinctive, magnificent cape and hat. …currently torn up beyond recognition and missing in action respectively… Her chest ached, but she couldn’t do anything about it, not yet. At least her misfortune actually worked out in her favor for once.
Trixie absent mindedly paused by a random fruit stand filled with nothing but apples, though really it was just to have an excuse to stand still, and sneak a quick look behind her. The sight of a pale pink mane carefully weaving through the crowd brought a smile to her face. Though she couldn’t hear it, she was sure Fluttershy was mumbling apologies to anyone she thought she cut off.
Fortunately, ‘crowd’ was a too big a word to describe the turnout on the market, compared to some of the more bustling cities that Trixie had visited. A place like a shopping mall in Manehattan, now that would be an amusing situation to picture Fluttershy in. Trixie doubted she would ever get anywhere.
Even in Ponyville, Fluttershy would have fallen behind long ago, if it wasn’t for Rainbow Dash trotting right alongside her, and speeding things along whenever necessary. It was easy to tell when that was, as Dash had no problem loudly clearing a path.
"WHO JUST STOPS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD?! MOVE!"
It was easy to tell that Rainbow Dash was not used to walking through a crowd at all, as the frustration was painfully clear in her voice whenever she lost patience with the whole thing. Obviously, flying above the crowd was more Dash’s speed, but if she was constantly circling overhead like some kind of confused hawk, it would attract even more attention than her occasional outburst. Besides that, they would have lost Fluttershy somewhere at the start of town.
Though by this point, Trixie had to wonder if an escort was really needed, if she was not recognized at all, then the only way she could get into trouble was if she identified herself. It’s a good thing Trixie does not give out her name to every random pony she meets… wait. This might have proven to be a problem for any lesser pony, but Trixie was fairly sure she would be able to keep a lid on it as long as she remembered.
This won’t be hard, all Trixie… All I have to do is talk like a boring pony, I mean normal, no wait, definitely—
“Can Ah help ya, miss? Ya been standing ‘ere fer a while now.”
Realizing she was still staring at her friends, as if she had never heard of the concept of sneaking a quick peek, Trixie jerked her gaze back to the fruit stand. A painful little snapping sound vibrated through her neck. She was pretty sure that couldn’t be good for her, but it faded as soon as it came. “W-wha? Err, no. Just looking for now,” she said, pretending to be completely focused on the apples for sale.
“Trixie?”
Trixie froze up solid; her cover had been blown.
“Well Ah’ll be, Ah was just thinking 'bout ya.” Applejack smiled at her. “Ya looking much better, Sugarcube. Ah weren’t expecting ya to be out an’ about on yer own just yet. Ya ain’t pulling another harebrained stunt are ya?” Applejack chuckled while she picked up one of the apples. She inspected it briefly, then casually threw the apple over to Trixie. “On tha house, or tha farm Ah guess.”
The apple bounced off Trixie’s head, snapping her out of her frozen state. Trixie felt her heart beating in her throat after she was recognized, but fortunately it was only Applejack. Still, she gave a quick look around, apparently nopony else had heard or cared.
"CARROT TOP! YOU WANT THAT RAINSTORM OVER YOUR CROP THIS WEEK? THEN MOVE YOUR FLANK!"
Applejack gasped, and quickly walked around her stall. “Oh! Ah am mighty sorry ‘bout that, Sugarcube. Ah weren’t thinking. You okay there?”
Rubbing the brand new sore spot on her head, Trixie ducked down to pick up the apple. It was bruised worse than Trixie was. “Ugh, Tr—I should’ve known. Can’t trust a farm pony to go five minutes without throwing a fit, hootenanny, or produce. Good thing T—I have acquired a taste for your bruised apples, Applejack.”
Chuckling, Applejack shook her head. “Ah reckon that means yer fine then. Really, Ah ain’t rightly sure if that there was an insult, or a compliment, but Ah guess both are fitting.” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Anyway, how come yer talking like that? It ain’t like ya, Tr—”
Trixie shot a hoof up, and stuffed the apple into Applejack’s mouth to interrupt her. She leaned in and hissed quietly. “Shh, Trixie is incognito,” she whispered, then quickly pulled away again. “See I told you it would taste just fine! A bruised apple is still worth every bit.”
Applejack chewed on the apple with a thoughtful look on her face while she observed Trixie. Finally, she swallowed, and tipped her hat back. “Ah guess Ah see what yer talking ‘bout. Alright, Sugarcube.”
“Thank you.” She had not heard Dash yell in a while, and a quick check confirmed she and Fluttershy were at a stall nearby, attempting to look inconspicuous. Trixie smiled, then something in her mind shifted gears as she realized: this was a perfect opportunity to try something new. “Hey, Applejack? How is the family?”
“Uh, they’re fine, Ah reckon? Why do you ask?” Applejack looked confused.
Trixie just frowned while she shook her head. “Come on, work with T—me. Like uhm, is Big Mac still injured?”
Applejack looked at Trixie with a look of complete confusion, though she played along. “Uh, well, no. Was just a few bruises, healed up real nice ages ago. Though Ah reckon if Granny Smith had found out he skipped his appointment he might’ve been in worse shape, heh.”
“Oh, Tr—ugh—I did not meet her last time, did I?” Trixie wished she was not so obviously bad at the whole first person thing, but it would have to do. A brief look over her shoulder revealed Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had moved over to a water fountain, doing their very best to look casual while they talked. Keeping their distance, they threw sideways glances towards Trixie, waiting for her to start moving again.
“Nah, Granny was off to the school. Seems like Apple Bloom, that’s mah lil sis, ain’t paying much attention in class no more.”
Trixie nodded a bit, then pressed on. “Why do you think that is?”
“Heh, well that ain’t too hard ta figure out. She’s getting anxious ‘bout her cutiemark. Tha number o’ blank flanks in her class keeps getting lower. Ah hope she’ll get one soon, ah dun wanna find out what she’ll do if she’s tha last in her class. Why just the other day…” Applejack launched into story about her little sister’s clearly notorious impatience.
Trixie spent a few minutes talking with Applejack, during which she learned quite a bit about the Apple family, and their place in Ponyville. Apparently they had even played a big role in the founding of the town itself.
“Oh, ponyfeathers, Ah oughta get back ta work.” Applejack trotted back to her stall, giving a friendly wave to a waiting pony. “Coming right away, Ma’am.” She turned her gaze back to Trixie briefly. “Say, why don’t ya swing by tha farm later this week? Since yer so cleverly disguised ‘n all. I’ll introduce ya to the rest of mah kin. If ya’ll stay over fer supper that’d be even better.”
“That sounds good! Actually, I should get going too. Oh, before that, do you know any place that would sell soaps?”
“That’ll be four bits, Ma’am.” Applejack juggled her tasks as she helped her customer load some apples into her saddlebag, and thought on Trixie’s question at the same time. “Well, Ah reckon ya’d be talking ‘bout them fancy soaps, ain’t ya? Than ya could try tha spa over yonder. That’s ‘bout the only place Ah heard of.—Oh, Ma’am, yer change!”
“Thanks, Applejack. See you later.” Trixie smiled, then added, on a softer tone. “And, thanks, Applejack.” Letting Applejack chase after her forgetful customer, Trixie continued on her way.
Once she was fairly sure she was out of earshot, she let out a joyful squeal. Trixie did it! Trixie randomly bumped into a friend at a market, and had a casual talk! Even if it was such a simple thing, she felt giddy with excitement. It was the first time she’d ever had an opportunity to do that, and it felt great, as if she could go anywhere and just run into a friendly face.
“FOR THE LAST TIME, WE DON’T WANT A FREE SAMPLE! ONE MORE STEP AND I’LL SPRAY YOU WITH IT!”
Trixie smirked. By the sound of it, Rainbow Dash had well and truly had it with waiting around. Unfortunately for Dash, Trixie was perfectly aware she had the whole day free, so she did not feel the least bit guilty about taking her time. On the other hoof, Fluttershy probably did not mind the slower pace, and she knew what Trixie was after already.
So far, everything was going much better than Trixie had expected. However, before getting too excited, she had to remind herself that nopony knew it was her, and that was key. Her luck couldn’t hold out forever. Somewhere, there were at the very least three ponies that Trixie knew would be able to recognize her, and they had already proven they meant her harm.
Trixie looked around uneasily, then glanced back at Dash and Fluttershy. She sighed happily, seeing them tailing her brought a bit of peace. Even if something would happen, she could be sure she wasn’t alone for it.
With renewed courage, Trixie trotted up to the spa. It almost felt out of place, like it belonged somewhere in Canterlot, rather than in Ponyville. Trixie supposes the competition isn’t as fierce here. If that was the reason, Trixie idly wondered if that meant the quality of their products was below average. Mhm, well, even if that is so, it’s still a monopoly. She shrugged, and pushed through the door.
At a distance, she could hear Rainbow Dash's voice. "Oh, come on!"
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed.
Let me just dash some hopes real quick (or reassure depending on your points of view), there is no spa ponies scene.
With that out of the way, the writing of this was actually a tad bit screwy, as I only later noticed the chapter was too big for my tastes. Fortunately, I already had a scene break in a good place, which in practice means that I've now got a good portion of the next chapter already written out, so expect it to follow up soon. I would post both of them both at once, but the last time I did that caused a bit of confusion. So I'm playing it safe with a day in between. ^^
Mind, this only means I'm posting this part early, cause otherwise both would have been up tomorrow when the whole thing was done. 
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Hahaha, Rainbow Dash seemed to be getting annoyed. Excellent chapter, can't wait for the next.
YAY APPLEJACK SCENE! I liked this chapter for... ahem... obvious reasons
Now I've got 3 things about this story I'm really looking forward to, the next chapter, the trixdash date, and Trixie meeting AJ's family, can't wait 
Dash was great in this chapter, rude but hilarious. Flurry was pretty good in the beginning as well.sorry chair up soon, I feel spoiled.
But what about Trixie's happy ending?!
4925495
Soon.
Dash and crowds she is not the center of do not mix well.
Though granted, since Trixie is at a distance she can only hear it when Dash is yelling, not when she's calmly asking somepony to move, if that ever happens.
4926202
Best background pony.
Funny, I am really looking forward to each of those too.
4926331
I... I can only imagine you were the victim of autocorrect?
Glad you liked it though.
4926717
Oh my gosh, Maudlin!
I had almost give you up for dead! Or something slightly less dramatic.
Don't worry, Trixie will be leaving with a smile on her face.
4927516 Calm Rainbow Dash? Like that'll ever happen.
4927516 yes TRIXIE is the best background pony, but we're talking about Applejack here, the best mane 6 pony/ best pony ever
Well if you're looking forward to it, then get to writing, need trixdash lovin' and Applejack scenes now!
4927516
Yep, swiftkey is horrible with autocorrect. Every time I try to switch I end up going back.that was supposed to be Fluttershy.
If you ever do Spa ponies please for the love of all things holy have them speak Equestrian. The writers who try making accents for them make them sound like they put Scramble pieces in a blender with more Z's and V's than should be allowed and write whatever the blender spits out. Really takes away from the fic, while normal speaking ones are easier to connect to.
Rainbow Dash thinks the same way I do when it comes to slow crowds.
Correction, 'To the towns credit' should be 'To the town's credit''
Comments;
Oh god.
First thought was Fluttershy paying for Trixie's trip at the spa.
"Ponyville! You've not been assaulted (yet)!" sounds like the best advertizement ever.
*Mission Impossible tune starts playing*
She's about the only seller I know who'd not keep the change for herself.
5412919
You know it's truely bad when Trixie drops out of third person.
Stop reading my mind darn it!
Considering the other slogan is "Ponyville! Disasters on a bi-weekly basis." It's a tough call.
Cap.
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Ah
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