It's so nice to be the pet for once.

Fluttershy wanted to be a pet.

This much Trixie knew. But, she wasn’t entirely sure what to do with that kind of weird information.

It was something that Fluttershy had accidently let slip over a cup of tea some time ago. Amidst an otherwise unremarkable conversation about the benefits of pet ownership the subject was first broached, sparked by the remarkable display of The Reliable and Hardworking Trixie’s innate capability for responsibly caring for Fluttershy’s many, many, critters.

Fluttershy had suggested that Trixie might enjoy a pet of her own. A preposterous notion, of course. One only offered because the sweet, naive pegasus confused Trixie’s dedication to pleasing her creamy companion by assisting with her duties, for a genuine like for the critters themselves.

Trixie cared not for these furry critters in the slightest. In fact, she had a distinct dislike of at least one particularly feisty white bunny. As such, she’d dismissed Fluttershy’s offers of various animal companions with a series of excuses.

“Maybe there is a different kind of pet that strikes your fancy?” Fluttershy tilted back as she suggestively traced a collar around her throat.

That had thrown Trixie for a loop.

Although they had played it off as a joke at the time, to the Observant and Perceptive Trixie there was no mistaking the heated blush on Fluttershy’s face as they’d spoken about it. The offer might not have been serious, but the desire most certainly had been.

Neither of them had brought it up again since then, but that didn’t mean the subject had been dropped entirely.

Trixie had not forgotten. Oh no, not at all. But who could blame her for taking a few days to think it over?

Granted, it wasn’t exactly what she’d call normal, but on the other hoof nopony in their right mind would ever accuse Trixie of being ordinary either. Trixie could accept something unusual if it meant she could do something more to please her adoring audience of one. It was just that Fluttershy’s tastes were… stranger than she had anticipated.

Still, didn't that adorable Pegasus deserve all the special treatment Trixie could provide her?

Fortunately, Trixie was not entirely unfamiliar with the concept. The many long nights alone on the road lend themselves to ‘recreational’ reading materials. Materials that were often exchanged for new ones in the towns she came across.

One such novel had been about this very subject. It was a very strange and colorful read. Filled with ponies in bridles, costumes, toys, paddles and various kinds of activities that Trixie was positive were highly inappropriate between an animal and it’s owner.

Trixie hadn’t finished it.

At the time, Trixie hadn’t been happy with reading something so weird, but now… well, clearly her past self was even more brilliant than she’d given herself credit for! What Trixie thought to be a mistake was actually a vital, long-term plan that was only now paying off! She must have forgotten the plan bit, though, and how her past self knew she was going to be in this situation one day.

Granted, she couldn’t quite remember all of it, but surely enough to understand what Fluttershy was longing for. The only question was if Trixie wanted to make an attempt at playing along. She’d never done, nor ever thought of doing, anything of the sort. She still didn’t think she could do most of those things, but some of the more tame activities didn’t sound so bad now that she imagined Fluttershy in that role. Maybe they could try something after all.

Still, would Fluttershy be disappointed if Trixie didn't take it that far? What if she wanted Trixie to treat her like in that book? It was a fantasy of Fluttershy's, and Trixie understood the way most fantasies like this were supposed to end. While she did care for her little yellow canary, Trixie hadn’t even gone past making out with Rainbow Dash yet. Doing what she remembered in that book was, as much as she hated admitting it, beyond her for now.

After thinking through it for the last few days, Trixie finally decided to play it safe, if Fluttershy was disappointed by the end, then Trixie would know to step it up next time. Even if she fumbled, she was sure Fluttershy would let her try again, right?

However, Trixie would have to make some preparations.

Being the unrivaled mastermind that she was, Trixie had already spent her time most wisely indeed, subtlety learning various things from Fluttershy as Trixie helped her tend to the menagerie of critters. The way she spoke to them. The way she made their food. The way she pampered them. The way she encouraged them. The way she massaged their stress away...

That last one Trixie still had to reluctantly admit she had some trouble with. Who ever heard of wrestling a bear into submission? Despite Trixie’s incredible powers, she was perfectly okay with not attempting that. She’d learned what she needed to, anyway.

Today was the day.

The tricky part was how to approach this.

“Oh, good morning, Trixie,” Fluttershy said while trotting downstairs. She stifled a yawn while she pushed a lock of her disheveled mane out of her face. “You’re up early today.”

Trixie grinned as she took in Fluttershy’s sleepy, fresh-out-of-bed look. “Trixie had a few things she wanted to take care of before she got started on feeding those impatient pets waiting outside…” Unlike Fluttershy, Trixie was already perfectly groomed and practically sparkling. “You know, Trixie has given it some more thought, and she has decided that perhaps she would like a pet after all.”

“Really? That’s wonderful!” Fluttershy beamed and ran down the last few steps. “Oh, I’ve been working on a song for this! Uh, I hope you’ll like it! Do you have anything in mind? Oh, just look around outside; I’ll be there in just a minute.”

It was rare to see Fluttershy so beside herself with excitement; she was so adorable. Still, Trixie had no intention of going outside just yet.

When Fluttershy made her way toward the bathroom to freshen up as well, Trixie quickly stepped in front of the door, blocking her. “Uhm, Trixie? Can you, maybe, move aside a little bit, please? I just need to shower for a second, if that’s okay with you?”

“Actually,” Trixie grinned wider as Fluttershy’s confusion grew. “It is not okay.”

“Oh,” Fluttershy perked up, surprised. “Uhm, I...I don’t really know...Why isn’t it?”

“You can’t go in there today,” Trixie said, cryptically.

“I’m sorry?” Fluttershy glanced past Trixie to the bathroom door. “Oh my, it’s not broken, is it?” As she returned her focus to Trixie, her eyes settled back on the show mare’s pristine form. Clearly, everything was in working order when Trixie had gone in. “Did, uhm, something happen? It’s okay if it did. The pipes get clogged sometimes, but it’s not anypony’s fault. I think I can fix it. If...” she took a step to the left, and so did Trixie. “You just...” Fluttershy stepped right, and Trixie followed again. “Let me in… Trixie?”

“Remind Trixie, what is the first thing the pets do around here each day, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy blinked. “Well, uhm, they wait outside for us to bring them breakfast?” Fluttershy made another failed attempt to slip past Trixie. “Trixie, if that’s all, could you please..?”

“So, if that’s the case...” Trixie stepped in closer to Fluttershy and pushed her unkempt mane to the side, exposing more of her creamy yellow fur and causing Fluttershy to shoot her an uncertain look. “...Why are you not outside, Pet?” As Trixie emphasized the final word, a long strip of pink fabric came alive with an orchid glow and slithered itself around Fluttershy’s throat; the other end was held firm in Trixie’s telekinetic grasp.

“W-what?” Fluttershy asked, wide-eyed.

“Trixie needs not to browse outside. The Great and Decisive Trixie knows exactly… what kind...” Trixie pulled Fluttershy closer by her new leash, and whispered warmly into one of the nervously twitching ears, “..of pet she wants.”

Easing up on the leash, Trixie allowed Fluttershy to pull back a little bit. With her face as red as a tomato, Fluttershy stammered. “M-me? B-b-but..I d-don’t, uhm, It was a j-joke. I’d n-never, w-well… I-I couldn’t. I can’t...erm.” She petered out and, after failing to pull further away from Trixie, let her long pink locks fall in front of her burning face in a desperate attempt to create some semblance of distance between them.

“Awh,” Trixie pouted, “you don’t think Trixie would make a responsible pet owner after all? Trixie understands.”

“No, I, I didn’t say that.” Fluttershy hastily corrected. “I’m sure you’ll be a great pet owner!”

“Perfect! Then it’s settled! There’s a good girl.” Trixie smiled and petted the almost entirely hidden Fluttershy. Each stroke over her mane seemed to add another, even deeper shade of red to the poor thing’s face. By now even her ears were turning pinkish. Most notable to Trixie however, was that Fluttershy didn’t try to stop her. “Of course, you’ve told Trixie before that the dynamic between owner and pet is important.”

“You r-remembered that?” Fluttershy squeaked out from behind her pink curtain.

“Of course!” Trixie said with a flourish. “The Pet-Seeking and Informed Trixie will see how she gets along with her new pet over the course of the day. Why, perhaps by the end of things it will be clear that Trixie’s pet cannot keep up with such a fantastic and awe-inspiring owner! In which case, we’ll have to annul the arrangement, won’t we?”

Fluttershy was silently sitting on her haunches. Her face was still almost completely hidden behind her mane. With each breath, her ears twitched slightly against her scalp.

Trixie could feel sweat drops running down her own fine fur. She knew Fluttershy was the kind that needed a push at times to get past her own insecurities, or she would chicken out of any proposal. However, it was just as bad to push her too strongly, which would cause her to shut down at best or break down at worst.

After what felt like a hellish eternity, Fluttershy spoke, barely louder than a whisper, “Just…. Uhm, for the day, right?”

Sporting the kind of relieved smile that would normally be reserved for escaping certain doom, Trixie sat down next to Fluttershy and gingerly snuck a hoof around her back. Fighting against her theatrical instincts for just this moment, she lowered her voice down to mimic Fluttershy’s tone. “Just for today, or until you tell Trixie to stop.”

Though Fluttershy didn’t pull away, she also didn’t lean into Trixie. “I, uhm, I don’t know...”

“Trixie promises she will take excellent care of you. She’s been preparing for some time now.” Trixie continued in the same gentle tone and let her hoof carefully stroke along Fluttershy’s back, making well-practiced circular motions. Massage techniques that, going by the sudden jolt, Fluttershy recognized as her own. “Nopony will ever know.”

Slowly swaying under Trixie’s administrations, Fluttershy notably relaxed and her ears perked up as she listened to Trixie’s reassurances.

“Trixie knows you’ve been curious about this… She will help you explore it.” The gentle, circular strokes worked their way down along Fluttershy’s spine, reaching the base of her wings. “Maybe you’ll like it, but, if you don’t then you just tell Trixie to ‘stop’. We’ll drop everything and end the day right there, alright?”

The deep long breaths Fluttershy had been taking were growing more uneven and short as Trixie’s ministrations continued since reaching her wings. “N-nopony?”

“Trixie will make certain of it.”

While Trixie fully expected the awfully withdrawn Fluttershy to bolt, she hadn’t as of yet. It was clear at this point to Trixie that Fluttershy was wracked with indecision, soft little musing mumbles could be heard as the shy little thing considered whether she dared share such an intimate, private part of herself with another.

With the knowledge that Fluttershy had not rejected the offer outright, Trixie could guess at what was going through her head. The question was no longer about whether to accept, it was about when. When, however, was a treacherous trap.

It was all too easy to put something off indefinitely, even if it was something desirable. Ponies went their whole lives swearing they’d one day travel to see some great monument or fashionable city, yet there would always be something that made ‘today’ just not that day. There would be another time, after all. Always another time.

It was a good thing that Trixie knew exactly how to deal with an audience too passive to participate. It was a very simple trick, really. All Trixie had to do was make something disappear. Mere foal’s play for somepony as fantastical as Trixie.

“Though she put a lot into this, it's okay to say no, Fluttershy,” Trixie gave a honeyed smile as Fluttershy suddenly perked up and, still half-hidden behind her mane, finally locked eyes with Trixie again. “Don’t worry, if you refuse, we’ll pretend it never happened.” Leaning in closer, Trixie continued in a softer tone of voice, “Trixie will forget all about it and never bring it up again.”

If Trixie wasn’t so sure she was doing Fluttershy a favor, she would have felt bad about the look of panic that was gaining a hold over the timid, anxious sweetheart. Fluttershy broke off eye contact again, but her expressions betrayed hurried, jumbled thoughts fighting for supremacy.

“I don't want to rush you, Flutter, but the animals are hungry,” Trixie whispered while reaching out and trailing Fluttershy’s jawline with a gentle caress before forcing Fluttershy’s gaze to meet her own. “Do you accept The Great and Caring Trixie as your owner for today?”

Fluttershy swallowed despite her dry mouth, then slowly, tentatively, she nodded.

“Good,” Trixie gave Fluttershy a pat on the head, “then let’s agree on a couple of ground rules...”

What was she doing?

The thought had played on repeat in Fluttershy’s head for what seemed like forever.

She was seated outside, on the grass field in front of her cottage, among ‘the rest of the animals’, waiting her turn as Trixie went around carrying bags of feed and taking care of all the animals in their usual order for today. Smallest to largest.

She knew that meant she was going to be nearly the last, surpassing only Harry the bear.

She glanced up at the large, though very friendly once you got to know him, brown bear. He liked crossword puzzles. He often spent whole minutes at a time giving the crossword section of the paper puzzled looks. She suspected this was on account of the fact that Harry couldn’t read, but she’d never dared to ask. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings after all. Fluttershy had always admired that he had not let illiteracy stop him from enjoying his hobby.

Right now, however, he was giving her a puzzled look, clearly not understanding why his caretaker was sitting beside him as though she was just another pet waiting to be tended to. As though she didn’t have the ability to get up and head into the kitchen for a sandwich whenever she wanted.

As though she needed to be taken care of. Like her only option was to sit out here in the grass and let someone take time out of their day just for her and take care of her needs for her. At least, if she behaved. And if she didn’t...

Was it warm out here?

Fluttershy caught herself breathing harder than she should be for somepony just sitting there in the morning sun. A gigglish growl to her right alerted Fluttershy to her expanding wings, the tips of which were now tickling Harry. She rapidly snapped them shut again, blushing even harder than she had been already.

What was she doing?

The sound of hooves to her right drew Fluttershy’s attention.

Trixie was coming closer!

“Ah, hello, Miss Featherbottom.” Trixie snickered as she listened to the goose honk at her. “Why yes, you are lucky to be in the presence of The Great and Powerful Trixie. Another few days and you’d never want to leave.”

Nervously, Fluttershy watched as Trixie filled up another bowl and paused to make small talk with a family of geese that had recently flown in. It was a strange sight. In part, because Trixie didn’t normally talk to the animals, but also because Fluttershy could easily tell that Trixie didn’t understand a thing the animals were trying to tell her.

“Uhm, she’s actually… asking you to call her ‘Mrs. Featherbottom’. On account of Mr. Featherbottom and, uhm...”

Trixie perked up and looked over at Fluttershy as though she’d only just noticed her presence. A fiendish little smile played on the showmare’s lips. “Now now, there’s no need to be impatient. Trixie will be with you shortly. Though Trixie can understand it must be difficult to wait for somepony as great as her, it will all be worth it in the end.” With that, Trixie turned her attention back to her task.

Fluttershy blinked.

Trixie couldn’t understand her either? That couldn’t be right, Trixie had to be only pretending she couldn’t understand her, but why?

After a moment, it dawned on Fluttershy.

Trixie couldn’t speak with animals and Fluttershy was just another animal right now. If animals couldn’t normally speak with ponies then she couldn’t either. Another hot flash worked its way through Fluttershy’s chest. It wasn’t just that she couldn’t speak, she didn’t have to speak!

The revelation threw Fluttershy for a bit of a loop. How did animals usually communicate their intentions to other ponies when she wasn’t there to interpret the conversation? Should she be making random animal noises for Trixie to guess at?

Fluttershy’s face burned red.

No, definitely not.

Wait! How was she going to tell Trixie if she wanted to stop?! What if she wouldn’t know? What if she kept her as a pet forever because she couldn’t tell her she didn’t want to be one anymore? What would her friends say if they saw her being walked into Ponyville on a leash? All those eyes on her!

Her heart beat picked up to the point where it felt as though it was trying to drill its way out of her chest. She could barely get enough air. It was as if each breath she took just barely got her to the next one. She tried to breathe faster while her thoughts turned back to the humiliation of getting marched into town like that.

Oh, goodness, if that actually happened she could never show her face in town again! She’d have to live by the cottage with the rest of the animals forever and avoid the town as much as possible! Now that she thought about it, she was already doing that!

She felt light-headed.

Before she could go completely over the edge, however, she suddenly felt somepony stroking her mane.

“Fluttershy?” Trixie’s voice pierced through the veil of panicked breaths.

Looking up, Fluttershy saw Trixie just inches away, staring back at her, touching her. One hoof was patting her on the head. She could feel the other was on her chest, making rhythmic strokes up and down through the fluff in sync with Trixie’s own breathing, unwittingly guiding Fluttershy’s own.

“It’s okay, Fluttershy, just breathe.” Even though Trixie was doing her best to sound confident, her scared expression and wide eyes betrayed she wasn’t nearly as calm as she made herself out to be. “Do as Trixie does. T-that’s always sound advice, by the way.”

“O-okay.” Fluttershy gasped.

It wasn’t too difficult to stave off the oncoming panic attack now that she was aware of what was happening. Especially with Trixie’s timely help. Though it did leave Fluttershy wondering. “H-how did you notice so fast? Weren’t you busy?”

“To start with, there are like two dozen animals here, some of them are bound to notice and make a fuss,” Trixie said, offhandedly gesturing to the circle of animals now gathered around them. “Besides, it’s not as though Trixie can take her eyes off you for more than a few seconds at a time,” she added with a wink.

Fluttershy blushed.

Trixie showed a relieved smile. “What happened?”

“I...I...” Fluttershy’s blush deepened. Now that she was calm, it felt so silly in hindsight to be scared that Trixie would keep the act going. At the first sign of trouble, she could trust Trixie to drop everything to come comfort her. Her chest felt so warm again. “...I guess I just… forgot… I mean, I forgot I don’t have to get spooked.”

Trixie blinked, confusedly. “Uhm, okay… Are you alright? Do you want to stop?”

“Uhm,” Fluttershy mumbled while looking around, nervously. This was a good chance for her to back out. She’d gotten to try it for a little bit, even if all she really did was sit around it still felt like she’d taken a big step. It was best to do this sort of thing one step at a time, right? Maybe she could try again when she felt completely confident in herself? When she could deal with all her animal friends staring at her strangely.

Or maybe when pigs flew, that might happen a little sooner.

During her quiet contemplation, Fluttershy noticed something; Trixie looked nervous. It wasn’t easy to spot behind her usual veneer of confidence, but the longer she stood there, waiting for Fluttershy’s answer, the more Trixie’s tail had slowly snuck in between her legs. It was a sobering thing for Fluttershy to realize that she wasn’t the only one that got a little spooked.

Maybe Trixie wasn’t as confident in this as she pretended, but she was still trying her best. Trixie had obviously put a lot of thought into this for her. Didn’t that deserve the same kind of fortitude in response?

Most of the various animals that had gathered around them were wandering off now that everything seemed back to normal, with the exception of Harry the bear and two otters, who were still waiting to get fed.

Well… at least that meant she wouldn’t be getting stared at as much. And… well… it had been an interesting experience so far… If she stopped before nightfall, then that was the end of it, forever. She could keep going a little longer, surely.

“I, uhm, I’m okay. I want to, uh, well... keep going.” Fluttershy smiled. “Besides, I’m getting hungry.”

“But of course!” In a flash, Trixie was restored to full confidence mode, as though she’d never faltered for a second. “Don’t you worry little pet, Trixie will be with you soon.” She briefly patted Fluttershy on the head and gave her ears a playful flick, then she walked away from her to feed the otters.

Having Trixie touch her like that. It was so simple, yet, it felt pleasant and warm. If only it hadn’t been so short, though. Fluttershy contemplated calling for Trixie to come back, but just the idea of asking for something like that was much too embarrassing. Trixie would come to her soon anyway, she didn’t have to push herself.

While she waited, Fluttershy reached up and ran a hoof along her own mane. Strangely, it didn’t feel the same as when Trixie did it. Even though Fluttershy was pretty sure she was going through the same motions, it didn’t warm her up at all.

When Trixie turned toward her, Fluttershy quickly put her hooves back down and pretended she wasn’t doing anything. Her cheeks flushed as she saw Trixie giving a knowing smirk. She’d been caught for sure.

Working under the theory that, maybe, if she didn’t move, Trixie couldn’t see her. Fluttershy sat frozen stiff while Trixie made her way towards her. Clearly, this wasn’t working, so Fluttershy did the next logical thing she could think of and closed her eyes.

Trixie’s hoofsteps still closed in, but then came to a stop.

“Here you go. Trixie went through some extra trouble for her adorable pet.”

A moment later, Fluttershy heard a thunk noise, and then Trixie’s hoofsteps faded away again.

Taking a quick peek, Fluttershy saw Trixie levitating up a jar of honey for Harry the bear. Apparently, she’d just passed her by? Set down between Fluttershy’s hooves was a filled salad bowl, she recognized it from the kitchen. There was just one little difference. There was something written on the side in glowing, sparkly letters.

FLUTTERSHY

Fluttershy squeaked, dropping the bowl back on the ground and looking over at Trixie.

Trixie had the most self-satisfied look on her face. This had to be what she meant with ‘extra trouble’. None of the other animals here ever had their names on any of the bowls, but it was the kind of thing that she knew ponies in town did for their pets.

What if anyone saw this? They’d know right away!

She felt that strange, warm feeling inside her again.

Her stomach growled. It didn’t care how she might look, eating out of a bowl on the ground. Or who might stumble upon her right as she did so. Who was to say that Applejack wasn’t going to be a day early with her delivery? Or worse, what if Rainbow Dash skipped work and came here?

If she got caught, there was no way she could explain this, was there?

Her stomach growled again, demanding she stopped stalling.

There was only one thing to do wasn’t there? She’d just have to eat fast. The quicker she finished, the less likely that anypony might show up and see her. Fluttershy looked to the road and then to the sky. The coast was clear, for now.

Perking her ears up high, ready to be alerted to any approaching sound, Fluttershy dug into her breakfast salad. It tasted surprisingly good! Had Trixie gone out of her way to make something she’d enjoy more than usual? Or maybe… She looked down at her glittery feeding bowl. Maybe it was because of the way it was served?

The more she ate, the more natural it started to feel. Sure, the bowl wasn’t on a table, but this wasn’t actually that different from a picnic, was it? Minus the fact that there was no picnic cloth, and she just had a single bowl… and the bowl had her name written on it… and she wasn’t allowed to use her hooves.

Actually…

Fluttershy found herself musing as she munched down another mouthful.

What made her think she couldn’t use her hooves? Trixie hadn’t said she couldn’t. There wasn’t really anything stopping her from picking up the bowl and carrying it over to the kitchen table… But that definitely wasn’t something any of her animal friends would do. That’s right, she was an animal now. She was even starting think like one if it took her this long to come up with that.

Closing her eyes, Fluttershy laid down by her bowl as she swallowed the final bite.

The grass tickled against her belly, eliciting a soft giggle as she rolled onto her side, enjoying the warm rays of the morning sun. Fluttershy could hear the sounds of bowls clanking together, it signaled that Trixie was cleaning up the breakfast mess. Normally, she would be helping with that, but that was a caretaker's job. She was just a pet. That meant she got to just lay there, enjoying a nice rest after a fulfilling breakfast.

This was nice.

She could just lay here forever, listening to the wind whistling through the trees. She could even…

Fluttershy yawned.

...take a little nap… Heh, a cat nap.

Fluttershy murmured and turned over onto her other side. This proved to be a mistake as this was clearly the resting place of her garden’s hardest pebble, which was now digging into her flank. A few awkward shuffles, and discontented grumbles later, she still wasn’t as comfortable as she’d been a minute ago and reluctantly blinked against the noon sun.

How long did she sleep? A couple of hours?

Where was Trixie?

Getting to her hooves, Fluttershy quickly spotted Trixie near the cottage, enjoying a cup of tea and a biscuit.

Of course, it was tea time. She almost missed it.

Stifling another yawn, Fluttershy quickly trotted over. “Hey, Trixie. Sorry. I guess I got a little carried away.” As she reached for the small side table that housed the teaset, it dawned on her that there was only one cup, Trixie’s. “Uhm?”

“Oh, hello. Look who’s awake.” Trixie said in an overly friendly manner as she leaned forward in her comfy lawn chair. Of which there was also only one, now that Fluttershy was paying attention. “What’s that girl? Are you looking to play? Come here.”

Fluttershy blinked. It took her sleep addled mind a few moments to catch up to what they were doing again. “O-oh, right,” she said while coming closer.

“Sit,” Trixie said while she pointed at the ground, right beside her chair.

After a moment’s hesitation, Fluttershy complied. It shouldn’t have been any different from any other time she sat in the yard. She didn’t even usually use a chair, yet, somehow, it felt different to be commanded to do so. She had no choice in where or when.

“Speak.”

Confused, Fluttershy looked up at Trixie. “I, I thought I wasn’t sup—”

“Good girl!” Trixie interrupted, reaching out to gently pat Fluttershy on the head. A blush instantly spread through Fluttershy’s cheeks. Trixie must have noticed. “Awh, you like that don’t you girl? Who’s a good girl. You are, yes you are.” As she spoke, she kept petting Fluttershy.

So much praise and attention just for doing something so simple. It was overwhelming. It felt so wonderful. As though Trixie was genuinely pleased with her performance. She could feel Trixie stroking the back of her ears and a pleasant shiver passed through her.

“Shake!” Trixie held out a hoof.

Fluttershy knew this one too. She placed her own hoof on top of Trixie’s and was instantly rewarded with another petting session and praise. This was great. Leaning into Trixie’s plentiful attentions, Fluttershy closed her eyes and enjoyed the gentle sensation that Trixie rewarded her with.

She could do this forever. Normally it was so hard to get any recognition for all her hard work.

“Such a good girl.” Trixie cooed, but then withdrew her affections and produced a red ball. She held it out for Fluttershy to see.

Fluttershy recognized this. It wasn’t anything special, just one of the chew toys she had laying around for the animals. The idea had been good, but it turned out that most of her animal friends were not all that interested in toys.

“Fetch!” Trixie threw the ball down the field, then looked at Fluttershy expectantly.

Seeing as even most of the ‘other animals’ were not interested in this game. Fluttershy knew she didn’t have to go get it. She’d still be perfectly in her animal role if she ignored the ball, but… she could be sure as sugar that if she did then Trixie would reward her again.

It wouldn’t even look weird, right? She was just going to grab the ball and come back. A ball that she was only getting because Trixie had told her to. Yes, that was totally normal. Nothing strange here.

She kept telling herself that as she crossed through the meadow, looking for the red ball while keeping one eye on the road to Ponyville. She could see some specks that she was sure were ponies moving around at the edge of town. Could they see her? What if their eyes were better than hers?

She ducked down to pick up the ball and quickly turned tail. On her way back, she could tell that Trixie wasn’t looking at her. Instead, Trixie was busily scanning the road, sky and edge of town from what Fluttershy now realized was a suspiciously strategically placed lawnchair.

Trixie was on high alert, keeping watchful vigil so nobody approached without her knowing so.

That meant she could leave it to her owner to look out for her. Fluttershy’s chest thumped louder as she figured this out.

“Hey, there you are. Trixie’s so proud of you.” Trixie said with what sounded like complete sincerity while she held out a waiting hoof, which Fluttershy gingerly placed the ball into.

As expected, Trixie spared no time to reach out and wrap her arms around Fluttershy’s neck, pulling her in closer for a surprise cuddle. “Good girl. Wanna go again? Do you? Do you?”

This time Fluttershy hardly even thought about the specks in the distance.

The time after that she completely forgot to keep an eye on the road.

After that, the ball and Trixie’s doting attention when she brought it back was all that mattered.

Fluttershy looked at herself in the bathroom mirror; she was a mess!

Somewhere during the course of their ‘playtime’, various leafs and twigs had managed to nestle themselves into her mane, which was all wild and tangled up. Fluttershy was just about sure this was because Trixie had purposefully thrown the ball into the bushes on several occasions, just to see if she would go get it.

She had.

Likewise, her creamy fur was covered in patches of dirt obtained from crawling under branches to get to the ball, and, admittedly, probably from her own thoughtless little dirt nap at the start of the day.

Even when Trixie had decided to take Fluttershy for a relatively peaceful ‘walk’ through the forest adjacent to her house, she still occasionally conjured up that ball from seemingly nowhere and made her get it. Including one awfully mean time where Fluttershy had searched high and low, without success, only to discover Trixie still had the ball! Fluttershy wouldn’t forget that any time soon.

For most of the day, Fluttershy had been much too busy worrying about everything else, or nothing at all, to notice the gradual decay of her looks, but now that she was confronted with her mirror image, it was inescapable. It also didn’t help that Trixie had, for whatever reason, forbidden her from cleaning up this morning.

Perhaps the most nerve-wracking thing was that Trixie was standing right behind her, studying her face in the reflection of the mirror with a smug little smile, as though everything was exactly how she wanted it to be. On the one hoof, it felt reassuring that Trixie was apparently in full control of the situation, on the other… The very thought that Trixie had apparently fully intended for the two of them to end up in a locked bathroom together had Fluttershy extra nervous.

“You’re such a mess,” Trixie said, a little too gleefully. “The Great and Responsible Trixie can’t have her pet looking like that… You know what that means, don’t you?”

Fluttershy gulped, keeping eye-contact with Trixie through the mirror as her ‘owner’ leaned in. Warm breath tickled her ears as Trixie kept her in faux suspense. It wasn’t hard to guess what Trixie had in mind, given where they were.

Trixie whispered, “Trixie’s going to have to give her dirty puppy a bath.”

Red as a parrot, Fluttershy could only squeak out a noise a protesting mouse might have made. As though the promise of being given a bath wasn’t bad enough, this was the first time Trixie had doubled down and actually called her that. Perhaps the most embarrassing thing was that it felt about right after everything they’d done today.

Now that she thought about it, things had happened slowly enough for her not to notice, but over the course of their day together they had gradually gravitated towards this role for her. Had this been Trixie’s intention from the start?

Fluttershy fidgeted.

Just what was Trixie going to do to her? Maybe it was better to call it a day now? But… she was a little curious.

Trixie studied her expression through the mirror with more than a hint of mirth on her face. “Don’t get too excited.” She turned away and motioned toward the bathtub. “Sit.”

Trying not to meet Trixie’s gaze, Fluttershy obeyed, like a good pet.

Meanwhile, Trixie grabbed the showerhead and fiddled with the faucets. “Good girl.” Trixie ruffled her mane affectionately. “Just for that, warm water.” With a final twist, water gushed out of the showerhead.

Just like that, a lot of different things started happening all at once as Trixie’s magic seemed to bring everything that wasn’t nailed down to life. A bar of soap, comb, shampoo bottle, hair brush, and washcloths all animated with purpose. Even the twigs and leaves in her mane started to move on their own accord and untangle themselves from her.

Fluttershy could barely register everything that was going on. It was already dizzying just to watch the swarm of objects swirling around her, each performing their own task. She couldn’t imagine how Trixie was keeping track of all this. She’d listened to Trixie’s stories before, of course, about her ‘unlimited magic prowess’ and ‘unrivaled control’ in ‘all things magical’, but she’d always just taken them as exactly that, stories.

Being a pegasus, Fluttershy knew she had little point of reference, no good way of telling how hard Trixie’s feat really was, but it certainly looked and felt very impressive right now. As though she was at the eye of a combing, lathering, scrubbing, rinsing tornado of cleanliness.

After a little while, however, it all came to an end almost as quickly as it had started up. Many of the objects suddenly began to falter in their duties and swiftly returned to their regular spots. Some of them didn’t quite make it and ended up clattering on the bathroom floor as if they were taking a little breather before leaping up in the air once again toward their old spots.

“Actually, that was far too impersonal, wasn’t it?” Trixie said, her proud posture and voice belying the fact that she was obviously out of breath and sweating. “Let’s take it a little slower. Take a more hooves-on approach. Yes, Trixie believes that will be much better for her pet.”

A single washcloth wrung itself out then slipped over Trixie’s hoof.

Had she been trying to impress her?

Fluttershy gave Trixie an encouraging smile, pretending not to notice the exhaustion on Trixie’s face. “You’re right” Of course, Trixie would pretend not to understand a word, but she hoped it would lift her spirits a little.

Trixie mirrored the smile, seemingly feeling better about herself as she set off to finish the job. Fortunately for her ego, the display of magic prowess had been remarkably effective before it gave out, leaving Fluttershy covered in foam more so than dirt.

Things went much slower now. Fluttershy didn’t mind that so much, though. Where the magical swarm had been quick and effective, the feeling of Trixie’s hooves on her back was much more relaxing. She closed her eyes with a sigh, just letting Trixie take care of her.

Fluttershy could get used to this. Trixie could easily get to hard to reach spots on her back. While she’d been a bit nervous about this, now that it came down to it it wasn’t all that different from a spa day.

Once Trixie shifted focus to her wings, however, that feeling of nervousness quickly returned. There were a lot of sensitive spots there, but Trixie was moving with so much confidence, Fluttershy could only assume she’d learned about pegasi preening somewhere, right?

Wrong!

With a gasp, Fluttershy pulled away from Trixie as she ran the washcloth under her wing. “U-uhm?”

“S-sorry. Trixie, uhm… Trixie thought... Uh, n-nevermind.” Trixie made another attempt, but before long hit another spot and elicited another gasp. Trixie looked lost. As she reached for the wing again Fluttershy quickly folded it before she could touch it again, leaving Trixie to withdraw completely.

An especially awkward moment followed where they looked at each other, then back at the wing. Trixie didn’t make another move for it, opting instead to stare at it with such intensity that it made Fluttershy nervous for what she was going to try next.

Trixie leaned from left to right, getting a different angle on the wing and the position of the feathers, and cocked her head. Her eyes slowly trailed back up to meet Fluttershy’s. After a moment, she averted her gaze and quietly mumbled, “T-Trixie can’t… She… she doesn’t know how.”

“Uhm, I’m sorry?” Fluttershy could hardly believe her ears; Trixie would literally sooner attempt to fight giant bears than admit to the mere possibility that she couldn’t do something. This was completely different. Fluttershy’s heart skipped a beat. Trixie was confiding in her!

Despite being soaked to the bone, Fluttershy felt her whole body warm up by the show of trust.

Wait a minute! This was Trixie looking for help, she had to come up with something! But, how could she even approach this? Trixie was so proud; if she said the wrong thing she’d hurt her feelings, but the longer she didn’t reply the worse Trixie must be feeling. Oh gosh, how long had it been? Suddenly, every second that ticked by felt like she was failing her. “D-do you, uh, want a hint?”

Without looking at her, Trixie nodded ever so slightly.

“Okay, maybe, uhm,” There was no way she could just give Trixie an entire wing anatomy lesson in a minute, but maybe… she glanced up. “Ah! It’s probably best to use water. Just let it do all the work, for now, okay?”

Trixie looked up briefly, following Fluttershy’s gaze. “Ah!” In seconds, all signs of her waning confidence melted away. She reached out to scritch Fluttershy’s ears, a reward she much appreciated. “Good girl,” Trixie said in a soothing tone, as though Trixie was the one trying to keep her calm. “Mhm, let’s try this again…”

After a moment, Fluttershy could feel warm water flowing down her shoulders again, signaling that Trixie had regained control of the showerhead. She angled her wings downwards, ensuring the water streamed down her feathers. A few subtle motions were enough to guide the water down the proper paths to rinse her wings off. Trixie didn’t need to know who was doing most of the work for this.

After a few peaceful minutes, they were done.

The rest was easy.

The shower had been a little stressful, but this? This was bliss.

Fluttershy sighed happily as she curled up on the couch while Trixie was busy meticulously wielding a soft hairbrush. Mane, fur, tail, all of them received special, prolonged attention far past the point where they would have been perfectly presentable.

Currently, Trixie was brushing her left leg again, allowing the bristles of the brush to tickle her hooves for just a second at the end of every downward motion. The soft strokes and caresses had Fluttershy melting into the cushions for what she hoped were hours upon hours. She couldn’t help it as her tail lazily wagged back and forth, the only noise in the room beyond the gentle brushing sound.

To top it all off, the setting sun coated everything in warm, comforting colors.

“So,” Trixie said as she ran the brush through Fluttershy’s long since perfect mane, “did the Great and Gratifying Trixie not demonstrate her unrivaled prowess in the field of pet ownership?”

“Mhm.” Was all the affirmative noise that Fluttershy could muster the energy for.

The brushstrokes slowed to a gentle, but far too early, stop, prompting a soft whine from Fluttershy, “Aww… Is it over?” She blinked gingerly against the light in the room. The windows were black, indicating that the sun had gone down. As Trixie had promised, she would be a pet for a single day and that day was over.

“The day is over,” Trixie said, matter-of-factly. “How was being a pet?”

Disappointed, but smiling, Fluttershy said, “I… I think I liked it.”

"Good." Despite it being over, Trixie absentmindedly petted Fluttershy's leg. "Not that she doubted it, but Trixie is happy you enjoyed your first date with her."

“D-date?” Fluttershy blinked.

“Well, technically?” Trixie awkwardly scratched the back of her head. “Trixie’s means… we’re dating, we did a thing together… so a date, right?”

“I, uhm, I guess that’s right. It’s just...” Fluttershy looked over at the sparkly bowl and ball on the side table. “I never thought dates would involve, uhm, well, this. E-especially as a first date, what if anyone asks what we did on our first date? I, I wouldn’t...” It suddenly dawned on her that she might be hurting Trixie’s feelings by being so dismissive. “O-oh, t-that doesn’t mean I didn’t like it! I did, it, it was a fun day—Date! I had a good date, time, I had a good time.”

“It doesn’t have to end you know,” Trixie casually balanced the brush on her hoof. She grinned as she saw Fluttershy’s ears perk up. “Trixie’s had all day to try this too, and she rather liked her pet. How about we try this again sometime?”

“Oh, uh, y-you’d be willing to?”

“There’s just one little condition...” Trixie’s eyes drifted over to Fluttershy’s awfully neglected wings, then flicked back up to her face. “Agreed?”

She wanted to learn how to preen wings? Her wings? Right now?

“That’s… uhm… That’s really personal, Trixie, but… okay…"

Trixie opened her mouth to speak, but something about Fluttershy’s demeanor must have tipped her off that she was still working up to something. With a look that spoke of self-diagnosed saintly patience, Trixie leaned back and waited for the other horseshoe to drop.

"There’s just one little condition,” Fluttershy cheekily stammered out, Blushing furiously. She glanced down at the hairbrush then met Trixie’s gaze again, giving her a smile that would forever change Trixie’s perception of her meek pet. “Agreed?”

A moment’s disbelief passed over Trixie’s face, before it was replaced with a mischievous grin. “Did you just haggle with Trixie?”

Beet-red, Fluttershy hid behind her wing as Trixie spoke.

“Such audacious behaviour must be rewarded! Agreed!” The hairbrush levitated up to brush Fluttershy’s mane. “The Great and Powerful Trixie couldn’t be prouder of you, Fluttershy.”

The gentle strokes of the brush, as well as Trixie’s praise, did much to alleviate the feelings of embarrassment coursing through Fluttershy’s veins. She knew she’d never had much negotiating strength, Trixie was always going to have her way eventually, but her much lauded bold move had gotten her something out of it too.

All she had to do now was live up to her end of the bargain.

Taking a deep breath, she spread her left wing as wide as she could, showing off all the individual feathers. “T-these big ones here are the primaries...”

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