Carefully, Trixie stepped into the shower. It was not nearly as clinical as she would have expected a hospital shower to be. Instead it could almost be described as cozy, if one could ever describe a bathroom that way. Trixie supposes Fluttershy’s would qualify.
Currently, Trixie's day was not quite going as planned. Granted not all of the changes were negative. Applejack was a familiar face she had been hoping to meet up with again, and Dinky along with Aloe and Lotus helped Trixie start to think not everypony in Ponyville was actually out to get her. And to top off the pleasant surprises she had had, Trixie was even allowed to use her magic again!
Even so, many other things popped up that Trixie had not expected she would have to worry about. The rumors were bad enough on their own, but the misunderstandings with Derpy were sure to add fuel to the fire. As long as nopony knew who she was it was fine, but that couldn’t last forever. Those issues, however, paled in comparison to the best, and at the same time, worst news she had received that day: she would be fully recovered soon.
Shaking her head, Trixie resolved not to think about anything beyond enjoying her shower for the next ten minutes.
At last! This is going to be so good!
Trixie giggled with glee while she set the shampoo bottle down in front of her, adjusting its position by nudging it with her hooves until it was perfectly centered. Once she was satisfied, she planted her hooves on the floor of the shower. This will be the last time Trixie uses her hooves for anything!
Everything was ready.
She took a deep breath. It felt like she had not possessed her magic in years, and there was the nagging worry in the back of her mind that she would not remember how to use it properly. What would she even do for a living, no, with her life, if she couldn’t wield it perfectly?
The very first tingling that traveled through her horn felt intimately familiar, as though it was trying to tell her that she was fooling herself; Her magic had never left to begin with. Magic was who she was, after all. The gentle feeling grew to a warm glow. Trixie could see the walls shimmer with a comforting orchid reflection, her own personal aurora.
Keeping her hooves firmly on the ground, she lifted the shampoo bottle over her head. It could not even be called a conscious effort, the shine simply enveloped the bottle the moment she looked at it, and followed her every whim to a T.
Trixie simply could not stop smiling as she drew a long dark blue string of thick liquid from the bottle, releasing the scent of blue berries. In a manner using delicate balancing of force and direction, she allowed it to snake through the air towards her mane. Every slight motion within the glow was one she was intimately aware of, even after it left her field of view. Any lesser unicorn might have fumbled such a feat, or at least she assumed so; there were not many opportunities to observe another unicorn's showering habits after all.
As the last of the blue snake slithered out of her view, Trixie closed her eyes, she wouldn’t be needing them anymore. Concentrating all of her attention on just feeling her magic aura, she let the shampoo braid through her mane.
Although Trixie was loving the sensation of spreading the foam around, something was missing. Oh! Water! Well, let’s take care of tha— As fantastic and magnificent a unicorn she was, she had not the faintest idea where to find the faucet. …curses.
Begrudgingly, Trixie opened one eye. Easily locating the faucet, a tendril of her magic lazily slithered over to it, and let the warm water flow. The blow to her ego was soothed away along with the foam while the warmth washed over her, electing a long, satisfied sigh.
As long as Trixie was commandeering a shower, she supposed she might as well claim the rest of the room while she was at it. Though the hospital beds were below her standards, they were still more comfy than the floor.
Two floating towels rubbed the moisture out of her fur and mane while Trixie sat upright on the bed, just watching the dancing pieces of fabric with a smile. She did not truly need to use her magic to dry off, but that hardly mattered. One did not truly need to eat peanutbutter-chocolate muffins instead of gruel either.
If there was ever any doubt in Trixie’s mind, her short hiatus had confirmed her suspicion to a certain fact: Magic truly was the best of all things. How the other races even managed without it their entire lives was beyond her.
How long until Dash gets back here?
Now that she thought about it, how was Dash going to know where to even pick her up? Perhaps she should be out at the door, waiting for her. Although, it was not as if she was going to do any such thing before she was done here. Exchanging the towels for a brush and mirror, Trixie set to work on fixing her mane.
Although levitation was often considered a basic spell, it was deceptive. The actual difficulty of the spell increased exponentially with the number of items manipulated. Any more than two, and Trixie feared she might risk hurting herself again.
Staring into the mirror while long strokes tamed her mane, her mind wandered back to what Nurse Redheart had told her: in a few weeks her recovery would be complete. Originally, Trixie could not wait to get away, and her injury prevented that, but somewhere along the way she’d lost the desire to leave. More than that, it had been replaced by a burning need to stay.
She loved everything about staying with Fluttershy, even the odd chores. Accompanying the gentle mare on her daily routine was part of a serene ritual by now that she gladly went through. Tea time in a quiet peace, or sharing stories while smiling and laughing together, even complaining about her fumbling apologies, and countlessly more little things: all of it felt important, and Trixie didn’t want to do without.
No! Trixie is not just going to up and go. What are they going to do? Force the Great and Powerful Trixie to leave?
Watching her reflection bite on her lip, Trixie tried to reason with herself. Trixie wants to stay, but… once Trixie is better, she has no right to.
It was not a matter of being forced out. Trixie could not even imagine Fluttershy asking her to leave, nor did she even wish to, it was just too painful of an image for Trixie's mind to conjure up. However, she was painfully aware she was costing Fluttershy precious bits. Every day she stayed after her recovery would be blatant freeloading.
If Trixie tries to stay, she must contribute. Yes, that’s it! Trixie will just have to make bits somehow, then Trixie can easily stay… but what can Trixie even do? Her stage is gone, and even if she had it, everypony hates her. As if they would ever come watch a show to shower Trixie with bits, it won't be anything more than rotten fruit… if Trixie is lucky.
She watched her reflection's ears droop while she fruitlessly thought on the problem. Even if she somehow got back on her hooves, she was a traveling magician, which meant she would still have to leave to do her job. She might be able to come through Ponyville once or twice a year. Just the thought made her chest ache, she didn’t want to be away from them that long.
“Oh! Wait!” she exclaimed and perked up eagerly. Maybe Trixie can bring Dash along? She likes to show off, and Trixie is sure she’d make a good entertainer under her guidance! Trixie could be with her all the time! She wrapped her hooves into a self-hug, trying to contain her excitement with the idea.
Yes! And, and Fluttershy could, uhm, get some animals to join in the act! Or cook, something like that! Maybe she’ll even be confident enough to tell a few stories? The energy slowly left her again as she started to think about the logistics of it. Her brilliant plan meant making her friends give up their jobs in the first place, and somehow more than triple the profits of her show if all three of them were living off of it.
…Maybe not… Dash just got promoted. She probably makes more bits than Trixie ever did, and there’s no way Fluttershy would agree to leave the animals behind. Sighing, Trixie let the brush drop into her saddlebags, pulling out a comb instead.
It was depressing. She could not think of any good solution to her problem. Pushing the worry away, she focused instead on putting the final touches on her mane, ensuring it would be back to its full, stage-worthy glory for her date.
Conjuring up the image of what Dash’s face would be like, once she was done, brought a smile to her face. That’s right… Trixie shouldn’t worry about this right now. Dash is giving Trixie a chance, so Trixie has to show up at her best! She dropped the comb back into the bag and brought out a small spray bottle in its stead. There will be time to worry about this after Trixie makes sure Dash realizes this is the best decision she ever made.
Levitating the tiny perfume bottle in front of her, Trixie smiled with satisfaction. It was a lovely scent that was sure to wow Dash, or so she hoped. Finding the exact same mixture as the one that was lost to the Ursa attack had taken a few tries, but the spa ponies had been very helpful and patient with her.
Getting off the bed, Trixie spritzed the air in front of her with the small bottle and trotted through it, letting the familiar scent envelope her. It had a strong, lingering fragrance of West-Equestria Elm wood, and, for a little kick, there was a slight hint of campfire smoke weaved through it.
Smiling, Trixie sat and savored the memories the scent brought along with it.
Her stage and wagon had been made of the same resilient wood, stable and reliable until the end.
The smokey hints underlying the perfume brought up thoughts of her time on the stage. This same smell would surround her throughout her act as she hid her illusions and castings among the clouds of smoke she tripped from various panels on her stage. It was playful and unpredictable, something Trixie liked to think herself as.
After a moment, Trixie collected herself, she stared into the mirror with determination. “Okay, Trixie. This is it. Dash won’t know what hit her!”
These Equestrian hospitals just seem to let anypony in and use their showers.
4992511
I assure you, they have a strict "Megalomaniacs-Only" policy.
4992513 well that's a relief
Sulfer smoke in perfume? That's a new one. To each their own I guess.
*Cough* HOOVES not hoofs *cough* Good chapter though.
4992853 I actually said that in editing, but as it turns out both are correct.
I was quite surprised myself. I will also be quite surprised if Trixie manages to find a job in town. Hmm ... maybe in the dunk tank?
4992727
I am pretty sure it is not a real perfume scent, but i felt it was fitting for the theme Trixie was going for.
Besides, we always knew Trixie was unique.
So the date is happening after 86 chapters. I'm not sure how to feel about that.
4992853
4992991
Yep, I don't quite know why but...
USA, hoofs
UK, hooves
Seems like Americans just cannot write proper English, I wouldn't want to confuse them
(Edit:Do not take this seriously.)
... I should check, I feel like I've swapped between the two somewhere in the story.
4993020
It might be, I've seen some pretty weird perfumes. As for the hoofs/hooves issue, I've seen both in the U.S. So there is only one way for a language to be spoken? All accents are wrong?
4993029
The date? Oh goodness, no, it's going to be another two or three chapters about what RD was doing while Trixie was getting her checkup!
I'm kidding, I'm kidding. It will be the actual date next chapter. I've already got some of it written down and everything.
Seriously though, I guess the hope is that you feel like you've enjoyed the journey up to this point, and where it's going, as we're nowhere near the final destination yet.
4993072
Not at all, I was only kidding around.
Sorry if I failed to make that clear.
Whichever way is fine, as long as you are consistent in using it.
4993192
No problem, I had to deal with some people who weren'tjoking about that recently so I overreacted a bit. I also couldn't find any sulfer related perfumes, closest I found was sine fire based stuff
4993243
Sorry to hear that. Language evolves.
You got closer than I did, all I found was sulfur soap, and a perfume called Sulpher that has no sulfur in it.
4993256
It does, I don't really keep up with slang much, so that's readily apparent to me. It's not as much sulfer as burnt sulfer. Raw sulfer smells pretty different.
4993152 Yeah it has been a great journey so far
You totally made her get her magic back WAY too soon. Only 86 chapters? That's like only 5 chapters, you may have rushed it!
Trees and smoke? So she smells like burnt firewood... sexy
Can we pleeeeease get to the Trixdash lovin? I think it's gonna be the only thing that'll help me hold out against the temptation to listen to the Rainbow Rocks songs! Especially Trixie's and under our spell, everyone says they're sooop good but I want to wait, but it's too hard! I'm gonna crack man, I need to hear Trixie's sexy singing but I want to see her body at the same time! Oh god this is getting really creepy but I don't care! Ahhhhhh! Ahem excuse me, I think I got a little crazy there.
4994680
It's about as quick as my writing speed oh I made myself sad with that one
4994680
I know right? I really should have held out for a nice round 100.
If only I had taken the time to write out a few more days of Trixie recoverying, I'm sure that would've done it.
4995569
Very funny, you git.
No, In the same way that fresh baked bread and a candle do not make the room smell like burnt toast.
Now I'm kinda worried I didn't communicate this well.
Next chapter, TrixDash, I swear.
4995569 Hahahaha really zzz
4995730 Oh def, a nice round 100 would've been decently on the number.
4995730 I know, I'm hilarious, you queen
It might smell like burnt toast if you leave the bread on the candle
Nah it's fine, I just like to mess with you
There better be, I'm on edge as is, I'll probably listen to 'battle of the bands' or evil cafeteria song as I call it, like 50 times tonight
4995808
Really though, I'm like a slug with a typewriter, only with sex appeal
4995808 Fimfic4ever = Update takes 4 ever
4995851 That was for you...
4996129 that is the rough translation
4996135 nice replying half wit, oh snap, I went there
4996178 OUCH! But haha, that's what I thought
4996218 there could be some kind of fimfiction sitcom about us. Half Wit, Takes 4 Ever, and Queen Crows and they all have to live in a house in Ponyville together, constantly getting into shenanigans
4996218
4996236
img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140905224621/mlp/images/1/1f/Adagio_calls_Sonata_and_Aria_idiots_EG2.png
(Sadly, I couldn't find a clip of just that moment.)
4996259
4996218
Dibs being Sonata! I love Sonata I guess that means Crows is Adagio and Wit is Aria
4996236
4996259
I'm down with Aria! She is sexy ;P We'd be a hit TV show~
4992853
Upon actually checking... I apparently had some kind of mind meltdown. Since for the majority of the story I use 'hooves'.
As a result, I've altered the sporadic cases where I'd used 'hoofs', and this chapter.
So, what I'm saying is, you were right, thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Trixie
______________
Just woke up last chapter, and now I can't stop thinking of Trixie being the Jelly in Rainbow Dash's FB&J sandwhich ... with Flutters being the Flutter Butter. And now I'm off to get breakfast ... although I'm sad I'm out of baby muffins. I should have saved one for this morning.
5365693
Thanks for pointing that out. Fixed.
Also, changed heped to helped...
Good morning then heh.
You and Trixie both share this obsession.
5365707
First thing in the morning I only care about reading, and food. Bu yes, Trixie should be obsessed about that. After all Dashie's hot and Flutter Shy was once a model, hotties like that don't stay single forever .
This chapter makes me feel like a voyeur.
Corrections;
'magic was who she was, after all.' should be 'Magic was who she was, after all.'
'There were not many opportunities' should be 'there were not many opportunities'
'another unicorns showering habits' should be 'another unicorn's showering habits'
and
'lazily slithererd over to it' should be 'lazily slithered over to it'
Comments;
That's what they want you to think!
Except in bed with Rainbow Dash. And Fluttershy. At the same time.
Or to settle for Snips and Snails when they can score Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.
Burning down where?
I'm sure you can repay her. Hint hint, nudge nudge.
I'm picturing Trixie getting tarred and feathered right now.
I don't know whether I find this cute or pathetic.
5810674
Just imagine how the Rainbow Dash bath scene would have made you feel had I actually written it.
You can't scare Trixie!
derpicdn.net/img/2013/4/26/308416/large.png
Is that a request for even more voyeurism?
Comparing Snips&Snails to gruel, an apt comparison if I ever heard one.
She walks a fine line. The path of the woobie.
derpicdn.net/img/view/2015/4/13/872866__safe_solo_animated_trixie_magic_book_ball_diatrixes_artist-colon-bakasan_the+little+magician.gif
I'm surprised you didn't turn that into a bestiality joke.
The smell of wood with a hint of rotten eggs? How could any mare resist?
6124109
By this point, I'm starting to think Rarity should stage an intervention.
6125354
YES! Yes! Rarity must give Trixie a make over intervention. After all she owes Trixie.
Smelling like wood, eggs, and blueberries. O my..... This oughta be good.
7841742
Damn, does this still say sulfur? Changed.