> Stonewalled at the Spring Fling
>  by Phaoray
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Great and Powerful New Image.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"All right class," Miss Cheerilee started. "We have a new student transferring in today. Would you care to introduce yourself, miss...?"

"Trixie, her name is Trixie."

Cheerilee looked at Trixie curiously. "Her name...?"

She nodded. "That is what Trixie said. Now..." Trixie turned towards the class with a smile.

"Good morning, one and all! Trixie is new to this school, so please bear with her. After asking around this wonderful town, Trixie just knew this was the school for her. She has heard nothing but great things about the teachers and students at Canterlot."

She pointed to Roseluck. "Trixie has heard that your family runs a flower shop that sells the most beautiful bouquets around." Roseluck blushed and looked away.

"You," Trixie gestured to a grey girl with a bow tie. "The cellists at Trixie's old school talked about you're playing in awe." Octavia smirked, a eyebrow slightly raising as if such talk about her was only natural.

Trixie then looked to Miss Cheerilee with the same wide smile. "There was even some talk among the faculty about you, Miss Cheerilee. About how you were willing to help any student in need, and never gave up on them." Cheerilee, in turn, smiled back and waved Trixie off from saying anymore.   

Trixie then scanned the small class in front of her, seemingly making eye contact with each and everyone before speaking again. "Trixie hopes to learn more about all of you, so that we can become good friends." She then looked to the side and brought a hand up to her mouth, seemingly hiding her expression out of embarrassment. "And, if you had the time, Trixie wanted to display one of her hobbies this Friday in the gym. She has always enjoyed magic and would like to put on a little show for all of you. So, it would mean a lot to see you all there. And feel free to invite anyone you think might be interested in seeing it as well."

The amount of hearts that melted at the cute display was almost palpable in the classroom, inciting many of them to vocally express their interest in coming to the show. 

Trixie stopped hiding her face once the class calmed down and gave them another smile. Her eyes seemed alight with energy and happiness to everyone present, making many feel lucky to have such an intriguing new girl in their homeroom.

"Thank you all. Trixie has been working on this performance for months. She knows it'll be hard to pull off, but she hopes you won't see through her act."





"Now, see, if Trixie subtracts thirty two from this side, she has to subtract it from the other, leaving only "P" over here, making your answer-"

"P" equals negative five! Of course!" Flitter exclaimed, interrupting Trixie.

Cloud Chaser pumped her fist in the air. "In your face, Math! That was actually pretty easy once you explained it, Trixie. I've got this test in the bag now!"

Trixie lightly chuckled from the other side of the desk, and gave Cloud a slight grin. "She hates to say it, but this is the easy part of the test. At least half of it will probably be much more tricky."

Cloud's eyes widened and she slammed her head into her book before letting out a tired groan. "B-but, I only have two weeks! If I fail another test, my parents are going to kill me!"

Trixie patted her on the back sympathetically. "We'll just have to make sure you don't fail it then, right? How about we get together for an hour after class to go over things for the next two weeks then?"

"R-really?"

Flitter, who had been mostly watching Trixie helping her sister, meekly raised her hand in the air and smiled nervously. "U-um, mind if I join too?"

"Of course." She smiled. "Trixie would be glad to help both of you."





"Sure, I'll try to check it out soon."

Trixie smiled and waved to the departing student. She did a quick stretch by putting her arms over her head, before sitting down by the statue in relief. 

"O-oh, thank you so much for the help, Trixie."

"It's no problem, Fluttershy. Trixie was more than happy to help with handing out the fliers."





"And Trixie is telling you you're doing it wrong."

"Pfft. No offense, but what would a goody two shoes like you know about being awesome?"

Trixie looked around, ensuring they were alone in the music room before letting a devious little smirk appear on her face in front of Rainbow Dash. "Hmph, Trixie is as awesome as she wants to be, when she wants to be. Here, let her show you."

Trixie held out her hand to Rainbow Dash. Though a little surprised, Dash was looking forward to seeing the egghead make a fool of herself, so she handed over the pick and guitar.

Several minutes and one long guitar solo later...

Trixie used a finger to gently close Dash's gaping mouth.

"W-what! How do you-"

"So-" Trixie interrupted, playing a short, but intense riff. "Care to try it again from the top?"





"Yes," Rarity started, looking over the well worn dresses. "I see why you came to me with this."

Trixie smiled sweetly, both hands clutched behind her back. "When the drama club asked for Trixie's help, she knew who to immediately go to. She's good at making accessories and flair for her own outfits, but Trixie wouldn't be able to breath life back into these old clothes. Would you be willing to help them?"

Rarity nodded. "Of course, dear. Let it not be said that Rarity wouldn't help her fellow students in their hour of need. And these...ugh...dresses are in desperate need of some attention. Still," Rarity looked over curiously. "I haven't heard anything about you joining the drama club."

"Trixie actually isn't part of the club."

"And yet they came to you about this?"

Looking away, Trixie brought her hands out from behind her back and started twiddling her thumbs. "Y-yes? Trixie didn't exactly expect this to happen, you know."

Rarity grinned at the cute display, and went back to folding the dresses. "This isn't the first time I've heard of a club coming to you for help, either."

"W-well, Trixie doesn't want to disappoint anyone, so she couldn't say no the first time. Then-"

"Then it snowballed from there, yes? If you keep acting so kind-"

"It's not an act!"

Rarity stopped folding and looked over to a wide eyed Trixie. Quickly, Trixie placed her hands over her mouth and cheeks to hide. 

"S-sorry, I-"

Trixie was waved off from saying anymore by Rarity. "No, it's okay. While most girls at this school are kind, I've already heard the rumor floating around about you, Trixie. Still, if the best they can come up with about you is "She's too good to be real", then I don't think you have much to worry about. Sorry if it sounded like I believed that rubbish."

"N-no, it's fine. Trixie has just been a little sensitive about it lately."

Rarity nodded. "Understandable. Well, let me rephrase. If you keep helping other like this, I would not be surprised if you were made princess of the Spring Fling in a few months."

"O-oh." Trixie gave a little smile, her cheeks refusing to change from their scarlet color for the moment. "I'm not sure about that. She was thinking of, well, maybe running, but-"

"My dear, you simply must! It would be a crime for you to not at least give it a try."

Trixie shuffled a foot back and forth on the floor, nervously. "Well...maybe..."

"Then it's settled." Rarity stated, grabbing several bags of dresses. "The sign up is next week. I will be quite cross not to see your name on it, am I clear?"

"All right, Rarity. If you think Trixie can do it, then she'll give it a shot."





Trixie smiled as she walked down the hallways, returning waves and greetings. Behind her, two younger students, Snips and Snails, argued on who would carry her books tomorrow. Flitter and Cloud Chaser walked at her sides, while several of the more popular guys led the way to the cafeteria. 

Just two months after first coming to the school, and this had become the norm for Trixie.





Finally, Friday. And not a moment too soon.

After closing the door behind her, Trixie promptly tossed her book bag on the couch in the living room and headed for her bedroom. Her shoes and shirt were already off before she was halfway up the stairs. She carelessly left them strewn about in the hallway, wishing only to be out of the clawing outfit as soon as she could. 

Trixie was down to just her underwear when she collapsed onto her bed, groaning. She was tired and frustrated. The outfits felt tight against her skin and confining compared to what she used to wear. Her old outfits were exiled to the back of her closet, replaced with what she learned was popular in her long hours of research.

Even that air head Rarity was impressed with Trixie's clothing. At least that means the effort was worth it.

Or was it? She quickly discarded the question.

Of course it's worth it. 

She stretched and rolled over to her side while thinking. She had painstakingly worked everything in her favor. Her looks, her personality, heck, she even somehow managed to convince her parents to let her transfer schools two months into the new semester to give her that alluring transfer student image. 

She laughed a little to herself, thinking back on Rarity's comment about the Spring Fling, and her insistence on Trixie trying for Princess. Of course she was going to go for it. Go for it, and win. What was the point of all this, if she didn't have a goal in mind to show how far she had come from her last school? Just the thought of the school she had attended up to this point brought back bitter memories. 

Pfft, look at that dork, probably off to practice her crappy show again.

What a waste. if she wasn't so creepy, I could see her being kind of popular with the boys. She is kind of cute.

Really? Have you seen her outfits? Stars and wands? What is she, six?

The sad part is, Trixie thought, as she put a pillow over her own head. Those were my better days. 

Most of the time, past her first year in middle school at least, she had been utterly ignored. What friends she had made growing up had been encouraged by others to slowly drift away from her. It was like the entire school wanted her to be alone. 

Even her hobby, illusions and sleight of hand, hadn't helped. The reactions to the few shows she had the courage to do were mixed. At best, some light clapping and a person or two mentioning that she was like a different person on the stage. A person they preferred over her. At worst, mockery and taunts that caused her to end her shows early. Unexpectedly, her shows had made things worse in the long run. Rumors spread that she was a gypsy who stole anything she could and did creepy spells. Whenever something went missing, she was blamed. 

When her dad mentioned a big move, she had been ecstatic. It was like a golden opportunity to reshape herself had been handed to her. But, she didn't want to start over as she was, the girl who didn't know a thing about looking attractive and had a fixation on magic. She spent months going through fashion magazines, finding out about her new school, and practicing her new personality.

Yes, her new personality. No longer would she be Trixie, the lazy and creepy girl you avoided. She would be popular! Popular enough to win the Spring Fling! She'd make her stage personality, the confident and brazen one she constructed by watching countless magicians, and make it who she truly was. She even found that having a quirk, like talking in third person could be thought of as cute, and could potentially make her even more liked if she played it off well.

Still, it had not been easy. She all but completely stopped going to her old school in the two months prior to her transfer. That time had been between herself, a mirror, and an endless amount of research and videos on how to remake yourself. The few times she had gone to school in that time had been encouraging. She only went to practice her new personality, and the changes were well received, resulting in a few received numbers and the gleeful joy of taking them and stomping them beneath her boots as she walked off. She didn't need to care about what they thought about her anymore, she had others to impress now. Even when she was positive she could pull off this new personality, she still had other problems to address about herself. 

Two months of learning and practicing had barely been enough. She constantly had to remind herself to talk in third person. And that isn't even mentioning the questioning glances her parents gave her. She'd given up junk food, her lazy nature, and even forced herself to keep smiling while she explained to idiots things they should be able to figure out on their own. Instead of going home after school and enjoying surfing the internet and stuffing her face with crackers of all shapes and sizes, she stayed behind and helped clubs, or struggling students. It was stressful, it made her body ache and protest, but damn-it, she was finally popular!

Sighing, Trixie took the pillow off of her head, and rolled to her side. She was pretty sure she could spend today resting, but she'd need to hit the books tomorrow. Being a good student sucks.

She would have preferred to just look for new illusions on the internet, or maybe even take a walk down to the abandoned quarry and rest in the sun there. But, she couldn't. Not if she wanted to keep this act up. 

Trixie shook her head. It's not an act. This is who she is now. Popular, and liked, and, and...why am I so exhausted every day just being me? She shook her head again. No, it's 'Why is Trixie so exhausted every day just being her?' Or was it herself? Ugh.

Regardless, it was still better than the alternative, right? And speaking in third person all the time was becoming easier. A few more months, and it'll be like she always spoke that way. She was sure of it. 





Monday, outside of the school cafeteria...

Trixie blinked uncomprehendingly as she stood next to Rarity. Rarity, along with Rainbow, Fluttershy, and a few others were handing out flyers.

"Come again? Trixie doesn't think she heard you correctly."

"Oh, darling," Rarity started, putting her hands together in a pleading manner. "Please understand. I am wishing you the best with the Spring Fling, but, it is a competition. The only other girl to sign up was someone named Sunset Shimmer. And, well, let's say she isn't exactly endearing herself to anyone."

Deep Breaths, Trixie. Just hold it together.

She forced herself to smile at Rarity. "Sunset Shimmer, isn't she new here as well?  Don't you think it's a little unfair, you competing with two girls who have only been here a few months?" She folded her arms and gave a little pout. "Trixie was hoping for your help in this, after you convinced her to run you know."

Rarity gave Trixie her most apologetic look. "I know that it looks bad, darling, but please believe me, I really do think you have a good chance of winning. Most of the school adores you already. As for Sunset, while I do not mean to be rude, she has no chance. It'd hardly be a competition between the two of you."

Trixie remained silent and continued to give Rarity a hurt face, causing her to sigh and lightly pat Trixie's shoulder.

"Look, darling, this is just a friendly competition between friends. I would not even consider turning this into anything else. If you need help, I am more than willing to give advice, or point you in the right direction. But, I was planning to run in the Spring Fling before you even came to Canterlot High." Rarity's eyes went wider and a little teary as she looked into Trixie's eyes. While a good act, Trixie's had become quite adept at ferreting out insincerity. "So, please darling, don't take this personally. And don't drop out because of me."

Drop out? DROP OUT! Trixie'll rip that arrogant little-

"I understand Rarity." She gave a small smirk, expertly working her muscles from making the absolutely livid expression she wanted to. "But don't think Trixie is out of this. There's still five months until the Spring Fling after all."

With a grateful smile, Rarity regarded her new rival. "Oh, that is so good to hear, darling! I wish you luck."

"Hey Rares, you wanna help us out since, ya know, this is your competition?"

"Oh! Right, so sorry Rainbow! Ta ta for now, Trixie."

"Ta ta..."

I'll TA TA YOU AND YOUR WHOLE TRAITOROUS GROUP RIGHT OUT OF CANTERLOT, YOU-





"-Stupid jerks!"

A rock went flying, making a small thud as it hit against the rocky outcropping.

"Trixie didn't want to be friends with any of you anyways!"

Another rock was deftly kicked and darted out of sight. 

It was all perfect! Perfect until that traitor showed her true colors!

She quickly made short work of most of the stones within kicking distance as she continued her fervent tirade. Luckily, no one was close enough to hear her.

Trixie had found this old, closed down quarry almost by accident while searching for somewhere to quietly practice her performances. The fact that there was warnings all over the outside of the quarry did little to deter her from making use of the area. After all, if someone found her here, well, it was likely they shouldn't be there themselves. A small, boxed in area below a rocky ridge was the ideal place to her for keeping out of sight while she practiced.

It also made a great place for her to openly and loudly vent. 

I had everything! A nothing rival, two of the most well known and liked students in the school to back me up *Fluttershy was a little too introverted to count for much more than a cute face*, and they all just, j-just turn on me like that!? Why!? Did they see through me!? Was it that obvious to them!? If so-

Trixie kicked her newest victim hard enough to feel pain at the connection between her foot and the rock.

"Why couldn't they just tell it to my face!?"

Kick!

"Why did they even pretend to like Trixie!?"

Kick!

"Why did they pretend to be my friends!?"

Tap, tap tap tap tap...

The sudden noise jolted Trixie out of her tirade. She was panting, partly from rage and mostly from how worked up she was. Looking around, Trixie noticed  some dirt and rocks had fallen from the ridge above her.

Trixie wasn't that loud, was she? It would be just her luck to yell loud enough to bring the whole...ridge...

As she looked up, face flushed from exertion and sweat trickling down one side of her face, Trixie's lavender eyes came in contact with a pair of sky blue ones.

For a moment, neither said anything. Trixie was too shocked to do more than stare. Her train of thought had derailed so badly by the new presence that she had almost forgot to keep breathing. Finally, the dull, sky blue eyes blinked, releasing Trixie from her paralysis. 

Immediately, Trixie took a few steps back, her face turning into a scowl she hadn't made openly to anyone in months. The most striking feature of this creepy stranger to Trixie was her face. Oh, not the mulberry hair that ran down to her neck, or the grayish brown skin that covered said neck.  Her face. It was so...dull. No makeup to add a hint of color. Her eyes, her lips, everything about this stranger oozed boredom with everything around her. Even Trixie, wondrous, amazing Trixie, was regarded with that same look of disinterest.

Trixie just scowled more at this. Even the strangers clothes weren't that interesting. Just a blue frock and matching boots that nearly reached her knees. While Trixie was sure it was ten times more comfortable than the confining white shirt and itchy plaid skirt she was wearing, it did nothing to make the stranger any more alluring than the lifeless rocks that surrounded them.

With a touch of a growl in her voice, Trixie asked. "Who are you? Didn't you see all the signs to stay out of here?"

An agonizing ten seconds went by before the stranger finally answered. 

"...I'm Maud."

Wonderful, I'm in the presence of someone worse at speaking than that stupid canary colored liar.

"Hmph, think carefully on this then, Maud. You weren't here very long, right? You didn't hear anything, did you?"

Another long silence followed, of which the most interesting thing was Maud doing one, agonizingly slow, blink.

"...Just you..." 

Trixie's glare was met with Maud's dull stare for another minute, before Trixie put her nose in the air and turned around. 

"Whatever, it's not like it matters."

With that, Trixie  started walking back the way she had come. Albeit, at a slower than normal pace due to the pain in her foot. 

It doesn't matter if she heard Trixie, it's not like she goes to her school. 





...She goes to Trixie's school...great.

Trixie didn't blame herself for not noticing. If anything, Maud almost seemed to go out of her way to be overlooked. Or maybe she was just naturally hard to notice? Trixie's eyes practically went over her several times throughout the day, only catching her with a second, or even third look, causing Trixie to wonder just  how often she had seen Maud, but really hadn't.

The first time Trixie noticed Maud was only because of the pink haired whirlwind known as Pinkie sitting next to her at lunch the day after their brief encounter. A few smiles and short conversations later on in the day, and Trixie had managed to find out that Pinkie and Maud were sisters. This created a potential problem for her.

If there was one student at Canterlot High Trixie had learned to stay away from, it was Pinkie. Pinkie was...hard to read, to put it lightly. Trixie couldn't tell if she was just a energetic idiot, or pretending to be one.  She was disturbingly insightful at times, even once nearly unmasking Trixie in front of several admirers before bouncing away like nothing had really happened. Pinkie was also a person with connections to nearly every group in Canterlot High. And the surrounding area. And the area surrounding that area. She was someone who talked to a lot of others at the school, meaning she was probably a very big gossip. 

She was also someone Maud might tell about Trixie's angry tirade the other day. While she really didn't care whether or not Pinkie was on her side in the competition, she certainly didn't want to be on her bad side for acting that way in front of Maud.

It was with this line of thought that brought up a cruel irony to Trixie: She was more worried about Pinkie's opinion than her sisters. To Trixie, it seemed as though Pinkie overshadowed Maud in every department. It was a bit pitiful, really. While Trixie felt some sympathy for Maud, at least she had probably been protected by Pinkie's popularity from bullies throughout her life. And it wasn't like Maud seemed to really care much about her utter lack of impact on anyone around her. She was probably what Trixie would have eventually become if she had stopped caring and remained at her old school. 

Trixie brushed that thought aside with a shiver.

Regardless, Pinkie hadn't given Trixie any indication that she was aware of what happened a few days ago, and she wanted to keep it that way. It was time to play nice, to show Maud that what she saw in the quarry was just a minor hiccup instead of what she really thought. To this end, Trixie found herself waiting outside of the school on her own later that day, holding back the urge to head home and remove the clothing that, despite months of wear, was still incredibly uncomfortable to her.






"So..." Trixie said, looking to the other side of the table. "How have you been since our last meeting?"

"...Fine..."

Inside her head, Trixie was screaming. 

She had been successful, waving Maud down when she came out of school and asking to talk. Inviting her out to a small diner. But...the talking part...	

Well, this could be worse. 

Trixie held back a sigh as she poked at her salad. Despite  her hunger, she was just sick of them. Her parents had shown concern at her diet and the weight she dropped over the last few months, but Trixie had been quite insistent at keeping to the popularity regime she was following, and that meant keeping as far away from what she really wanted. Cracker's, fatty, but incredibly delicious treats, and what was on Maud's plate, no less. She worked hard to keep the longing look off of her face at the remaining half of the burger Maud deemed not to eat.

Trixie felt a toe prod her knee, causing her to make a undignified yelp and throw a glare at Maud. 

"What the hell are you thinking!? Did you seriously just take off your shoe and touch me with your dirty foot!?"

"...Yes..."

Trixie quickly put a hand up to cover her own face and get a grip on her anger. Slowly, she took a large breath.

Great. Just great. Way to show her Trixie's good side.

Slowly, Trixie took her hand away from her face, revealing a slightly too wide smile to Maud. "Sorry about that, Trixie assumes you were trying to get her attention, right?"

Maud put a elbow on the table and leaned her head on her hand as she dully looked over at Trixie. "Your attention..."

Wonderful, now she's talking even weirder.

"R-right. So, thank you for coming here with Trixie, she just wanted to clear the air between us after what happened a few days ago."

Trixie could swear she saw Maud's eyebrow move slightly, but it was most likely a trick of the light. "You mean the quarry...?"

Trixie nodded and gave what she considered to be a embarrassed little laugh. "R-right. Please understand, Trixie was just out of sorts that day. She's never been that...upset before. And she didn't mean to treat you like that. If you could, it would mean a lot to her if you would just forget about it. And-"

Surprisingly, Maud interrupted. "Ask me to..." 

Trixie lapsed into silence at this, staring uncomprehendingly at Maud. "U-um...she just did...?"

Something about Maud's face definitely changed for a second, but Trixie couldn't place it before it was gone. A slight, repetitive movement beneath the seat indicated that Maud was tapping her foot.

"No, you didn't..."

"Yes, Trixie is sure she just did." 

Maud stood up, and then proceeded to say the longest sentence Trixie had heard from her yet. 

"...Sorry, but...I can't take you seriously like this..."

"Can't take Trixie ser-what are you talking about?" Trixie stood up as well, doing her best to keep another glare off her face. "Trixie is being serious!"

"...Stop talking like that..."

"I-Trixie doesn't know what you are talking about."

"..."

"..."

"...Sorry...I thought I was talking to the girl at the quarry..."

With that, Maud walked past Trixie, leaving her with four parting words.

"...I liked her more..."





Trixie walked down the hall of the school, finding herself on her own for once. It gave her time to herself at least, something she was grateful for, with how odd things in the school were becoming. Something had started to shift over the last few months in the school, though she couldn't put her finger on why. Everyone was just more moody, more angry. Her contacts around the school were coming up with all sorts of odd events. Friends were turning on friends, relationships were breaking up, even those in Trixie's own circles were having problems. No one was really talking about why, but she was noticing drastic changes, lunch being one of the most obvious indicators for her. More and more, people were seeming to cut themselves into sections of the lunchroom. On one hand, Trixie really couldn't care, it wasn't her business. On the other hand, she was finding herself trying to arbitrate more and more fights before they broke out, and it was wearing her thin.

The only bright side was that Rarity wound up dropping her nomination in the Spring Fling, meaning Trixie was running virtually unopposed. Apparently Rarity's friend group was having some major troubles of their own. Rarity had sworn she would try again on her own next year, but Trixie couldn't care less about next year.

Hmph, serves them right. They turned on Trixie at the drop of a hat, it's no wonder there friendship is snapping like so many stale crackers.

"So, you're Trixie, right?"

Looking to her left, Trixie saw someone she had been expecting quite some time ago leaning against a set of lockers. From her black and pink knee high boots, to her black, studded leather jacket. The light orange skin, the red and yellow hair. She even had the teal eyes and the pink shirt with fire over it that others had told Trixie about. Trixie turned and gave a polite smile.

"And you must be Sunset Shimmer, right? Trixie is pleased to finally see you as opposed to just hearing descriptions."

"Oh?" Sunset placed a hand to her chest. "I hope they've all been flattering."

"They were very light in detail, actually. Trixie was worried she wouldn't even see you until the night of the dance."

Smirking, Sunset placed a hand on her own hip and regarded Trixie. "So sorry for the delay, honey. Let's just say I've been saving the best for last. Besides-" Sunset threw her hands to the sides and looked away. "It's not like finding anything out about you has been easy either. It's why I arranged this little...meeting."

A brief look around revealed not a single other student in the hallway. "You?" Trixie smiled indulgently. "Sorry, but she doesn't believe this to be more than a coincidence. Trixie definitely would have heard more about you before now if you were popular enough to get this set up."

"Oh, Trixie-" Sunset started with a Cheshire smile, walking over and putting a hand on her shoulder. "There are much easier ways to get things done than just popularity. Though, it doesn't hurt to have it. But, that's why I have Flash."

Trixie raised an eyebrow while gently removing Sunset's hand from her shoulder. "Flash? As in Flash Sentry? Forgive Trixie, but she hasn't heard a thing about him dating anyone."

"Oh, it hasn't happened yet, but he will be before the month's out." 

"Right..." Well, this conversation is getting creepy. "Perhaps Trixie should let you go so you can inform him of his new girlfriend then?"

"Tch-" Sunset's eyes dipped down for a second before she was all smiles again. "I'm still quite amazed, you know. I've been working hard to find out about everyone else here at Canterlot, and yet there is so little about you. I mean, don't get me wrong, Trixie. You're pretty popular." Sunset started to tick items off on one hand. "You've helped out quite a few of the schools clubs, despite not being in them. You tutor after school for the less 'adapt' students. You're rumored to always have an answer, or know who to go to when someone is in trouble. And don't think I haven't noticed that group you are walking with all the time between classes. Yet..." Sunset leaned forward, her face inches away from Trixie's own with a barely perceptible look of frustration on it. "No one knows a bucking thing about you."  

Trixie looked at Sunset confusedly while taking a step back from her. "Bucking..? And why wouldn't you just ask Trixie if you were interested in her? She doesn't bite."

"Oops." Sunset placed a hand over her mouth. "Sorry, it's a term from my last...school. Heh." Sunset grinned. "And look, you are one of the most popular girls here, not to mention the competition. Why would I approach you before knowing more about you? But-" Sunset shrugged. "That plan is out the window now. Favorite food, favorite place to hang out, friends, enemies. All my inquiries, and nothing came up. Isn't it a little strange?" Sunset pointed a finger at Trixie while holding a teasing grin. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were hiding something."

"Hmph." Trixie turned her face away. "She doesn't know what you're rambling on about. She has nothing to hide, she is just a little more...private about her life than others. Perhaps that's why she isn't caught up in...whatever is happening in this school to drive people apart."

"You don't know the half of it."

"Excuse Trixie?"

Sunset shook her head. "Never mind. I seem to be getting off track. Look, How about I cut to the chase? I think it would be better for everyone if you dropped out of the Spring Fling. I have plans around winning, and, well, everyone else has been so...cooperative so far, so-"

Trixie chuckled and held up a hand to interrupt her. "Right, no, Trixie will not be doing that. It's a competition, after all. And Trixie would be crazy to give up now that Rarity has dropped out."

"You...you think you've already won, don't you?"

Trixie's reply was a cock sure grin.

Sunset remained silent for a moment, a blank expression on her face. Finally, she gave out a long sigh, and hardened her gaze at Trixie. "Fine, we'll do this your way then. But, look, don't blame me for how this ends, all right? I am planning to win this, Trixie. Even if it means having to go through you. Not like that should be too difficult anyways."

Trixie glared. "And what do you mean by that?"

Sunset glared right back. "Hmph, forget it. I'd just watch your back if I were you, Trixie. I'll see you at the coronation. My coronation."

Trixie blinked at her, causing Sunset's irritated glare to slowly alter into a confused look.

"What?"

After a few more seconds, comprehension dawned on Trixie's face.

"Oh! You meant the dance, right? You'll see Trixie at the dance?"

"T-that's what I said!"

Trixie smirked. "Oh, don't worry, Sunset. Trixie thinks she understands your choice of words quite well. She actually imagined the same thing herself. Well, when she was younger, at least. You just want to feel like a princess for a day, right?"

In the blink of an eye, Trixie found herself roughly shoved against the locker, head hitting into one of the doors a bit harder than she liked. By the time the world stopped spinning, Sunset was already halfway down the hall. "It won't be for just a day!" Sunset called out before turning a corner.   

"Ugh. If that's how she really is, Trixie is going to win this hands down."



> The Past Always Catches Up.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

What the hell is going on? Trixie is a shoe-in for Princess, right? Right!?

Nervously, Trixie paced in a meandering circle at the quarry, kicking stones out of her way as she came across them. Keeping up her 'good' attitude around the school stressed her out badly enough without the dark mood everyone was now in. The closer the Spring Fling came, the worse things at Canterlot High seemed to be getting. The worse things at Canterlot High seemed to be getting, the more Trixie found herself venting her frustrations out here, alone. Well, alone enough. If Maud was out here when Trixie was, there might be a little interaction between them. But for the most part, they left each other alone. 

The latest reason Trixie had for coming out here was finding out that Snips and Snails were now following Sunset around. She had lost others before this, but hadn't expected to lose them. They had seemed to love her shows so much.

Or was that a lie too? Why is everyone Trixie spent all this time impressing leaving her?

Well, they weren't 'leaving' her. If only it was that simple. Yes, they spent less time with her, and they seemed...different around her now. But, none of them had truly broken off contact. They all just seemed so nervous lately. Like they were hiding something from her. And it was driving her crazy! The only thing that kept her together was that everyone Trixie asked assured her that they had voted for her for Princess of the Spring Fling. If they were telling the truth, then Trixie had won by a landslide. If so, then next week would be the pivotal moment of her entire existence up to this point.

Yet she couldn't shake off the feeling of dread. Not with how off everyone was acting. It was like the entire school body was in on something and Trixie had missed the text about it.

Trixie was taken out of her gloomy thoughts by the sound of a chisel hitting stone. She rolled her eyes and looked up the ridge to where the likely culprit was. With nothing better to do, she made her way around the small boxed canyon she had more or less claimed as her own and went up the ridge overlooking it.

Along the way, she passed multiple different stones of various sizes carved into squares. For some reason that was the easiest starting point for sculpting. Or so Maud claimed. However, as she made her way up the ridge, the carvings changed dramatically. Many of them were simply various shapes like triangles and hexagons, but there were a few stand outs like a heart, and a strange, yet well done, palm-sized stone horse. 

The sound of the chisel rang louder as Trixie approached, and stopped all together once she was just a few yards away.

"...Hello..."

Maud didn't stand up from her place on the ground. In front of her was the stump of a tree with a rock resting on top of it. She had her chisel and hammer in hand, though she placed them down beside her as she looked lethargically over her shoulder at Trixie. 

Ignoring the look, Trixie walked up behind Maud and peered over her shoulder. "So...what's it today?"

"...A rock..."

Trixie sighed. "Trixie knows what it is, Maud. She-"

"-Then why did you ask...?"

"Don't interrupt me!" 

Trixie glared down at Maud. Maud, for her part, looked up at Trixie unimpressed. She barely suppressed the growl that threatened to come out of her as she walked around Maud and kicked the stump to empathize her point. 

"Look, Maud. I won't expect you to get it. Heck, I somehow doubt you've ever aspired to anything beyond this dung hill of a quarry you come to all the time, but-"

"-You come here too..."

"I said don't interrupt me! Just why do you keep doing that anyways? No one in school besides Pinkie gets more than two words out of you, yet I show up, and you can't help but keep cutting me off!?"

Trixie waited for a few seconds, her foot still against where she last kicked the stump. When no further comments seemed forthcoming from Maud, she continued with her rant.

"Do you really think I'd come here if there was anywhere else? You're the only other person from school I've seen out here so it's the safest place to screaaaa-get some alone time. Trixie is NOT here because she wants to be, you know. She has tons of friends at school she'd rather be with than out here in the boonies with you." 

Trixie wanted to think Maud was annoyed, but it was impossible to tell. Still, she was sure some emotion was behind Maud's next words.

"...You're doing it again..."

Yes. Maud's eyes narrowed a little when she was speaking this time, Trixie was sure of it.

"Hmph, it?" Trixie sat down on the stump, carelessly knocking the stone off of it. "And just what 'it' is Trixie doing?"

As calm and careful as always, Maud stood up. Then, she grabbed Trixie by the waist. Naturally, Trixie acted as calm and in control as she always was.

"Get your hands off me you, you rock carving freak! Just what do you thin-eeep!"

Maud picked Trixie up like she was nothing, then, gently, deposited her on the ground in a similar manner. Once done, Maud picked up her stone, and placed it back on the stump.

"...You were pretending again..."

She then sat back down in front of the stump and dully looked at Trixie, who was currently shooting her an angry look.

"Just who do you think you are? Tossing Trixie around like some rag doll, it's no wonder you're always out here alone."

"...I'm not alone..."

Trixie harrumphed and turned around, leaning her back against the stump as Maud picked up her chisel and started to work again. 

After a few minutes, Trixie spoke up. "I'm not pretending..."

"...Sounds like you are..."

"What? When I-when Trixie speaks like this? Did you ever think that maybe this is how she wants to speak? She doesn't complain about the way you speak."

"...You didn't always speak like that...not really..."

"And how would you know?" Trixie glared at Maud suspiciously. "You're not digging through my past, are you?"

"...No, I just know..."

Trixie just continued to glare at her for another minute before giving up.

"...You asked what I was making this stone into..."

"...Right...?"

"...This stone is a great example of a felsic intrusive igneous rock.  It is made up of twenty, maybe thirty percent quartz, and about fifty percent alkali feldspar."

Trixie just stared at Maud confusedly. Maud continued, undeterred.

"...I'm not making this granite into anything it isn't already... unless I really want to, which I don't."

"...What?"

"W-well, it usually involves a hydraulic press...a vacuum..a-"

Trixie looked at her blankly. The sound of the chisel against the stone became louder.

"I meant... this granite will always be granite. Regardless of how I shape it..."

"Wait, is this one of those stupid 'can I use the bathroom' 'I assume you can' things? Was this all a round about way of being sarcastic to Trixie?"

Less than a second later, Maud hit the stone a little too hard, causing it to crack and crumble into a pile of small rocks in front of Trixie. Maud gave out the smallest of sighs.

"...Sorry... I'm not as good at this as my sister... I was trying to say, that no matter how much you try to change who you are, you can't. Granite is granite... I just don't like you when you're pretending..."

"...hmph...well...you'd be the first then, outside of my parents, anyways. Still-" Trixie grabbed one of the small rocks from the pile, and placed it in her pocket. "I'll keep this as a small reminder of this...little bonding time of ours. She-I'll try not to be so...pretend around you, since you're keeping Trixie's secret from your sister. And sorry that I have to say this, but, I've spent close to half a year getting to this point, and I'm not going back to what I was."

Maud tilted her head slightly at Trixie. "What you were...?"

Trixie looked away nervously and stood up. "W-well, okay, so I am still me, like your whole granite is still granite thing. So I suppose it's more that I'm not going back to how others thought of me then? Y-yeah, that works. Anyways...Trixie has homework she needs to get done. She-er..I'll see you later, Maud."





The following week...

Well, this is it.

Trixie took a deep breath as she approached the double doors to the gym. She could hear the music blasting behind them, along with sharp flashes of light under the door. She hadn't chosen to be a few minutes late, but  she needed to look perfect for this. That perfection had just taken a bit longer than she had expected. It wasn't due to anything stupid like nerves. Still, despite her lateness, Trixie found herself lingering a moment before the doors, and giving herself one last look over. 

Her dress's red and purple colors shimmered in the light, assuring that she would catch the eye of anyone looking in her direction. Her makeup, the part that took her the longest, gave a light blush to her cheeks while her eyelashes were shiny, long, and alluring. At least, she thought they were alluring. Were they alluring?

Trixie had just taken out a make-up mirror to check when she felt an arm slither over her shoulders and give her a tight squeeze. 

"Well, well, well. Look who decided to show up."

Trixie flailed for a few seconds in shock before realizing it was Sunset who had an arm around her. Much to Trixie's surprise, Sunset was dressed in a plain white dress along with some simple matching heels and a gold sash around her waist. With a flat look, Trixie calmly unwrapped herself from Sunset's grip and faced her 'rival'.

"Of course Trixie would show up, this is her night after all." She grinned. "Or would you rather she call it her coronation?"

Sunset rolled her eyes before placing her hand on Trixie's shoulder again. "Well, at least you look the part. Though it's such a shame. You dressed up so nice, yet you have no chance now, hun."

Trixie quirked an eyebrow at Sunset in disbelief. "You're still saying things like that? Trixie actually wasn't sure if you would show up at all. Especially not with something so...simple on. Isn't a princess suppose to be dressed up for a coronation, not down?"

The grip on Trixie's arm tightened a little. Sunset smiled, though it was a bit crooked, like the smile of someone about to snap. "I'll work harder on the dress next year. You're right though, I just didn't quite have the time to find what I deserved to be wearing for this. I had so many students to talk to and find out more about that the dress almost slipped my mind."

"...Whatever, could you please step aside? You're in the way of Trixie's grand entrance."

Sunset's expression changed, though Trixie couldn't quite understand what the new look was. It came off to her as a look of pity, or maybe, regret? The grip on Trixie's shoulder loosened as Sunset almost whispered. "Are you really sure you want to do this? It's not too late to get out of my way, you know."

It was Trixie's turn to smile while shaking her head. "Trixie's already won, Sunset. You're not going to stop her. Trixie's friends have told her nothing significant about you, meaning you're hardly known in the school. Why would Trixie drop out when success is guaranteed?"

Sunset looked Trixie over carefully. "...You're not too good at the whole friends thing, are you?"

"What are you talking about?"

Sunset shook her head. "You didn't add up at all to me until I had Snips and Snails do some digging. Now though? It's no wonder you still think of everyone here as your friends." She chuckled again. "Really, you're as cut out for this friendship crap as I am. So-"

With that, Sunset shoved Trixie against the door, causing her to gasp at the impact. She quickly found Sunset's elbow pressed against her chest. With a sinister smirk, she continued. "I'm going to be nice, one last time. Back. Off. I get why you want this, even if your reasons are more...simple than mine, I get it. Just go home, and, tartarus, maybe I'll even throw you a bone in a few days. You're resourceful enough, and it's not like Snips and Snails aren't replaceable."

Trixie glared as she placed both arms on top of the one against her chest. "Get off. Trixie plays second fiddle to no one! You wanted this so bad? What a load of bull! Trixie put in the time and effort. She never saw YOU burning your free time tutoring. Did you spend WEEKS organizing a club that couldn't take care of itself?! No? Well, Trixie did! Trixie also never saw YOU helping to pass out fliers for that traitorous canary girl or saw you helping her idiotic friends!" She shoved Sunset's arm away, forcing her to take a few steps back. Trixie took a step forward and pointed at Sunset. "Have you even SEEN how others are around you, Sunset? Even mentioning your name causes them to turn rigid. You, Princess of the Spring Fling? With how you treat others? With how they almost tremble at hearing your name whenever Trixie mentions it!? Don't make her laugh! You're not cut out to be the princess of anything!"

Sunset's anger was blindingly obvious now, and Trixie could see the effort she was making to not let it completely cover her face. Trixie heard Sunset take a deep breath or two, before slipping a hand into one of her dress pockets. "Before you go in, I think you should  have a look at thi—"

"-Well excuse me, Princess, but Trixie doesn't have to do anything! Or, is that a royal order, Miss nobody?"

Trixie caught her breath in the silence that followed between the two of them. Once again, she saw that strange, forlorn look in Sunset's eyes one last time before it disappeared under an angry glare. Sunset's teeth clenched together as she placed her palm on Trixie's chest and swiftly pushed her through the doors with enough force to knock her to the floor. 

"Enjoy the dance."

Sunset closed the doors behind her and walked off, leaving Trixie to pick herself off the floor and assure those near her that she was fine.

So much for Trixie's grand entrance She lamented. She'll just have to make up for it at the finale of the night.

With what just happened, Trixie hoped she'd only have to see Sunset's face one more time. And, with any luck, it'd be right before Sunset stormed off after Trixie won. 





"And now, we'd like to announce the Princess of the Spring Fling! Would Sunset Shimmer and Trixie Lulamoon please make their way to the stage!?"

The applause. It was glorious. Trixie had to pinch her own side while gracefully walking to the stage to remind herself that it wasn't just a fantasy. The only thing that would have made it better, was if Sunset's name hadn't been included. Still, she only had to share the audience with her for a few more minutes, then, it'd all be Trixie's.

The lights were dimmed throughout the room so all focus could be set towards the stage, where Sunset and Trixie stood on opposite sides. Surprisingly, the announcer was another student, and not Principal Celestia, or Vice Principal Luna. While she thought it was odd, Trixie's curiosity was quickly extinguished as the announcer spoke again.

"While both contestants did their best to earn this, only one can be crowned Princess of the Spring Fling. Trixie Lulamoon, a name everyone here knows for the countless times she's helped others. And Sunset Shimmer...w-well, what really needs to be said about her, r-right?"

Trixie had to hold back a ill-timed snort at that. Poor Sunset. You never had a chance against Trixie.

"So, without further ado, let me introduce you to the new Princess of the Spring Fling...TRIXIE LULAMOON!"

The cheering was all for Trixie this time. A victorious smile lit up her face as several tears ran down her cheeks. Trixie walked towards the announcer who was holding the crown. Her crown. She had done it, she was popular.

A brief bow of her head, and Trixie felt the crown's weight on top of her. The announcer gave Trixie a smile, though, frowned when she saw Trixie's tears of joy. She looked briefly over to Sunset Shimmer again, before handing Trixie the microphone, and walking behind the stage.

Trixie wiped her eyes before fully turning to face the crowd. The cheering had died down, but, Trixie knew it was because they were waiting on her words. It was a respectful silence honoring her. Inwardly, she reveled in it. In the attention. Outwardly, she smiled and brought the microphone close to her lips.

"Thank you. Thank all of you. Trixie never imagined this would happen. She-"

Trixie continued her speech, but the corner of her eye caught Sunset shimmer still on stage. An almost malevolent smirk was on her face as she watched Trixie. Still, all she did was stare, so Trixie tuned her out and concentrated on the speech she had prepared weeks ago.

"Trixie remembers first coming here, how warm and welcoming everyone was-"

From out of the audience, a snicker or two were heard.

"While she knows things have been tense around here, Trixie promises that-"

A small dim of laughter started up around Trixie. Growing, and growing as she continued her speech, until, all she could do was stare confusedly out at the black shapes that were her fellow classmates. 

"U-um...hehe...I-is something on Trixie's face, or-"

"Trixie."

Sunset Shimmer's loud, booming voice caused Trixie to look over to where Sunset was standing. Sunset had gotten a microphone from somewhere and was still giving Trixie that same dark look from earlier. Slowly, Sunset's hand rose in front of her, and pointed to something behind Trixie.

"We all think that it's about time you stopped faking."

As if in a trance, Trixie's body slowly turned around to see what Sunset was pointing at. Trixie's pupils shrunk in on themselves while she slowly shook her head in denial at what Sunset had set up.

Three large, white canvases were against the stages wall, having been invisible until someone had moved the curtain, most likely while Trixie was distracted with her speech. the two canvases on the sides were showing...pictures. Horrible, horrible pictures. Each one stayed on the board for around ten seconds, before flashing to the next.

Flick

There was Trixie, at her old school. She had been late that day, and grabbed whatever she found on the floor. It hadn't mattered at the time to her, but oh, how it mattered now. Grease stains from wiping her hands on her shirt while eating pizza the night before were everywhere. Her hair was frizzy, her eyes, red. And above all, she was alone at her table. Like always.

Flick

She was lazing on a bench outside of the school. She had fallen asleep that day while looking over a magazine. Around her were several empty boxes of crackers, the crumbs visible all over her and the surrounding area. Several pigeons were having a field day pecking at the crumbs on her legs while she slept on.

Flick

Two boys held her upside down above a toilet while several girls seemed to be laughing. Her head wasn't visible, as she was in the middle of being dunked. Her hands were clutching at her skirt, trying to keep herself covered.

Stop it.

Flick. Flick. Flick. 

Stop it!

She never understood fully why she was the butt of her last school, but she had learned what that meant very quickly. Every picture being thrown up on the screens were from her first year of middle school, before she learned what it meant to be paranoid. Before she learned that every smile was fake, every offer of friendship was another trap to humiliate her, and that every teacher really couldn't care less what happened to her.

"This, my fellow students, is the REAL Trixie Lulamoon." 

If the pictures weren't enough, the middle screen caused her to seize up and nearly have a panic attack. A video was displaying the worst incidents to occur when she had shown off her talents at stage magic. The time students at her old school had come to mock her, even though the show was outside of school. The one where she had literally broken down and wet herself while on stage appeared. The time when she had accidentally caught herself on fire and ran around the stage screaming her head off before someone doused her in water.  

"Look closely at the pictures now." Sunset continued, a almost playful lilt in her voice. "Has anyone here seen Trixie wearing any of those outfits before? Isn't it strange to see how different she acts when not on the stage in these videos? No, it's not. At least, when you realize the truth about her. She's been lying. To me, and to you, for months."

Trixie was taking out of her catatonic state by a sharp push, causing her to fall over on the stage. She barely had time to understand what was happening before the crown was taking off of her head by Sunset.

"Do we really want a lying little joke like this as our princess!?"

She knew she was surrounded by laughter, yet, she could hardly hear it as her blurred vision narrowed to Sunset placing the crown on her own head. Her brain sluggishly tried to process while Sunset posed for photo's, an almost tranquil and innocent look about her during them. Each bright flash of a camera snapped Trixie's mind back to another memory of her old school.

She could feel something wet trickling down her leg.

"Enough!"

The flashes stopped. The world was just a blur of color to Trixie now. A reddish-orange object approached her.

"Aww, it seems like I broke her. Well, I'll just skip to the last part then. No sense in playing with a dead mouse. Snips! Snails!"

Seconds later, something wet covered Trixie's sight. Chunks of something dripped down her head. But, while her eyes and ears were out, Trixie's sense of smell decided to take over. She was assaulted with a smell she knew well, but hadn't indulged in for months.

Graham crackers. She was covered in graham crackers soaked in milk.

The cold, clammy, sticky substance brought Trixie out of her paralysis. 

I have to get out of here.

Sunset was laughing right in front of her.

I Have to get out of here! 

Sunset was blocking her escape.

I HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!!!

Sunset needed to be moved.

With an almost animalistic scream, Trixie lunged at Sunset, tackling her to the ground. The end result was making both girls covered in milk, crackers, and a slightly acidic smell. Sunset had just come out of the shock of being tackled when Trixie grabbed her side and pushed her off of the stage, and out of her way.

She ran out the closest exit to the sounds of laughter, and the yells of a very angry Sunset Shimmer.





Why? Why? Why! WHY!?

Trixie had collapsed just outside the school, her mind trying to make sense of what had just happened. Or deny it. She needed time, she needed to hide, to cry, to stop the swirling void her mind had become after what she had just went through.

She wasn't going to get it.

"You stupid little bitch!"

A kick to her side caused Trixie to cry out and press herself against the building.

"You couldn't just run off crying, could you!? You just HAD to do one last stupid little stunt."

Another kick slammed into her chest.

"I'm supposed to be on stage right now, basking! Thanks to you I'm 'freshening up'! Months of work and I don't even get to enjoy it! But I'll enjoy this!"

Trixie felt Sunset grip the front of her dress and pull Trixie up, forcing her to stand and look at Sunset. So little emotion was left in Trixie, she was numb to the reality of what her life had become. 

Ruined...My entire School life is ruined...again...

"Idiots like you don't know when to give up and bow out. Just don't know when to just give me what I want and step out of the way!"

Ruined by this girl. This, this wretched little-

"L-let me go!" 

Sunset laughed, inches away from Trixie's face. "Or what, your highness? It's over, you stupid, spoiled brat! If I-"

Trixie did what she had been doing for the last six months. Nothing was left anyways.

"Y-you're the spoiled brat!"

Nothing but to let go and play her role out to the finish. She shouted at Sunset, despite barely being able to see through her tears.

"P-princess!? No one in their right mind would ever mistake someone like you for a princess! You're a monster! You don't deserve it, and you never will! You-"

Trixie's rant came to an end when Sunset slammed her fist into Trixie's face, causing her to hit against the wall again and fall to the ground. Almost casually, Sunset started hitting any part she could reach while Trixie squirmed.

"Deserve it!? What would you know!? I spent YEARS wasting my time with her! Listening to her talk about being worthy of my position! I deserved it, and she was just afraid of me! Afraid of how much BETTER I was! If that-"

Trixie hurt. Everything hurt. She could feel blood trickling down her nose. Adrenaline rushed through her, giving her the energy to make one last mad gamble. When Sunset came at her again, Trixie grabbed her arm and pushed her back, causing Sunset to stumble a bit and need to back pedal to stay upright.

"Stay away from me!"

Trixie felt for anything she could defend herself with. Feeling a hard lump in the pocket of her dress, Trixie pulled out a stone and threw it directly into Sunset's face. 

"AAH!"

The stone left a nasty gash along Sunset's left cheek before clattering to the ground nearby. For a few seconds, all that could be heard was Trixie alternating between sobbing and panting for breath. Sunset rubbed her cheek, and saw blood smeared over her fingertips.

"Oh...I am SO going to make you regret that!"

Stumbling to her feet, Trixie did her best to glare at Sunset, to look intimidating. Still, the words that came out of her mouth seemed more of a whimper, even to herself. "W-well, c-c'mon then! T-Trixie has more than e-enough boulders to keep going!" 

Sunset raised her fist, and brought it down. Trixie had tightly closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable pain. But, seconds later, no pain came. No impact left yet another bad bruise she'd have to explain to her parents later.

"Grrr, Let go of me!"

The distress in Sunset's voice caused Trixie to carefully open her eyes. Sunset's fist was still raised to strike, but someone else's hand was holding her wrist, preventing it from coming down. 

"M-Maud...?"

Trixie didn't understand it, but Maud was there, in front of Trixie, dressed as she always was, and holding Sunset's wrist. She gave a brief look over her shoulder at Trixie, before turning back to a flailing Sunset.

"...Leave..."

Sunset growled and used her other hand to bust open Maud's lip. "Let go of my arm!"

"...No..."

Sunset gave a pained cry as Maud's grip tightened. She began kicking and hitting Maud more frantically, which Maud continued to ignore as she applied more and more force to Sunset's wrist.

After less than a minute of this, Maud looked almost as battered as Trixie, minus the various fluids covering her. Sunset had stopped hitting Maud though, and was hanging in the air by the arm Maud continued to hold and screaming.

"...Leave..."

"OKAY! OKAY! I'LL GO! JUST LET GO OF MY ARM!"

Maud let go, causing Sunset to crumple to the ground, clutching at her bruised appendage. Maud continued to stare at her, until Sunset managed to pick herself up off the ground. With a snarl at the two of them, she slowly limped back into the school.

"W-what..."

Maud turned around, facing Trixie, who was still crumpled up against the wall of the school.

"W-what are you doing here...?"

"...I followed you..."

"B-but..." Trixie slowly stood up, wincing in pain. "W-what happened to the teacher...the principal...w-why isn't anyone-"

"-I don't know..."

"...Y-you're always i-interrupting me..."

It's the same as the last school. The teacher's looked away while Sunset did...this. No...It's worse...

This time she thought she could win.

"I-idiot.."

Trixie dropped back down to her knees in front of Maud. 

"L-look at you...y-you're as bad off as me now...a-and for what? N-nothing."

"...I don't think that..."

Trixie sniffled as Maud put a hand on top of her milk covered head.

"...You're not nothing..."

Slowly, carefully, Trixie wrapped her arms around Maud's legs. Once she had her head pressed against Maud's knees, she let it all out, crying while Maud calmly stood there with a hand on her head. 




Twenty minutes later...

"For the last time, Trixie will be fine!"

Maud gave a doubtful look at Trixie, but she was pretty sure that she missed it. Maud never had luck conveying what she thought with just an expression. Outside of her family, at least.

"Look...thank you for the...help...but, Tr...I can make my own way home...I-I need to end tonight with some shred of dignity left...even if it is just being able to walk home on my own..."

Trixie pointed down at the stains on Maud's legs. "Besides, you smell as bad as Trixie does. you should go home and clean up too. I'll be fine...really..."

Trixie then turned towards the gates and started limping away before Maud could reply.

Maud was... frustrated. She was never good at thinking through what to do in situations like this. She often followed her first reaction, if something even seemed worth reacting to. Most things in her life so far hadn't. 

However, what happened tonight, to Trixie, had deserved one. Maud had intentionally hurt someone. She didn't break Sunset's arm, but, she had wanted to. A part of her still did. She hated that part of herself. 

But, after what she saw happen to Trixie, she hated Sunset even more.

There was nothing else she could do to help tonight, though. Well, besides quietly make sure Trixie made it home safely. 

She just had to pick someone up first.

"...Hello..."

Looking down, Maud stared at the small granite stone Trixie had thrown at Sunset. She thought back to the last time she was in the quarry with Trixie. How the large chunk of granite had broken, leaving nothing but a pile of small stones behind. Most of them were probably still together in the rock quarry, but this one was far off on its own now. 

T-Trixie has more than e-enough boulders to keep going!" 

A boulder is what Trixie had called it. A grand and overblown name for a little rock like this one. Still, this stone had sailed through the air, and had done it's best to act like it was bigger than it was. Had thrown itself against something it never had a chance to take down. 

And now it was here on the ground, alone and uncared for. Gently, Maud picked up the little stone.

"Let's go, Boulder. We need to catch up..."