Trixie happily trotted down the dirt road of Sweet Apple Acres carrying a wagon full of apples. Yes Trixie's life had changed drastically, after the Ursa Minor incident, Big Macintosh had found her to help her pick up the pieces. Yes, he took her in, gave her a job, and even helped convince her to make friends with Twilight and the others. Being a show pony there was one point where she tried to leave this new life to go work for a circus but let's just say that it didn't work out. That was when Big Macintosh found her a second time and, well, after that Trixie had found herself a nice warm life working on Sweet Apple Acres.
Of course she was still a show pony at heart, the stage would always call to her, to dazzle the audience with feats of wonder. But that was where her friendship with Rainbow Dash came in, they would have what she called 'Stunt Off Competitions', Trixie still felt a better name was needed, where each would try to out-due the other with some miraculous stunt or trick.
Trixie smiled at the thought of what their next stunt off might entail with her new friend. Yes, friend, Trixie actually had friends now. Surprisingly enough they were the six ponies she had met during her first visit to Ponyville; who would have guessed? But no friend had become more important to her than Big Macintosh.
Trixie's smile got a little bigger as she started to think of Big Macintosh. He helped turn her in to a better pony and was just all around wonderful to her. They were kind of together now, even though they didn't really talk much about it. But still, she had found herself a very special somepony, not too shabby for a former braggart.
Along with these apples rode Apple Bloom, she looked up to Trixie for some reason. Maybe it was her confidence in her abilities, or maybe it was her showpony flare, the fact Trixie saved her and her friends from a Hydra doesn't hurt either.
"Big Mac sure is gonna be impressed with all these apples you bucked."
"I never would have been able to do it without your help." Trixie beamed.
"Still ya'all have come a long way from when Big Macintosh first found ya."
"Ah yes, Trixie's very special somepony! He is the best part of Trixie's new life!"
"Your New Big Red Life?" joked Apple Bloom.
"Indeed!" Trixie beamed. As they finally got to the house Trixie saw Big Macintosh at the front gate talking to somepony.
"Wait...who is that?" Asked Trixie. She had never seen the mare he was talking to, Trixie had been to Ponyville frequently lately and this mare was never around. She had some fancy dress on which she must have enjoyed showing off by the looks of it.
"Ah've never seen her around here before." stated Apple Bloom.
They seemed to be having quite the conversation, but Trixie figured she'd just walk a little faster and then he'd introduce her and...
"Hey, he's leaving with her." chirped Apple Bloom.
"What?!" Trixie was walking faster now, but the cart was helping. "Macintosh!" she cried out.
He didn't hear her, whatever conversation he was having with the other mare was apparently over now. She started to leave, but Trixie was really shocked when he started to leave with her. "Maaaac!" she called louder.
He walked her to the fence, there was still hope, maybe he was just walking her out...
"Apple Bloom! I'm never gonna cath'em with the cart attached, unhook me!"
Apple Boom had her hoof outstretched trying to reach the buckle. "Ah can't! Yer runnin is shakin the cart too much!"
Trixie bit the bottom of her lip but dug all four of her hooves in to the dirt to stop the cart. She pranced in place impatiently as Apple Bloom unhooked her, when she heard the hooks came off Trixie bolted towards the front gate but they were already gone. "BIG MACINTOSH!" Trixie shouted, hoping he would hear her.
She looked left and right but she didn't see them anywhere, how could they move so fast? WHY would they move so fast? And by 'they' she meant Big Macintosh; didn't he hear her calling him?
"Applejack." concluded Trixie. "She has to know what's going on."
Trixie walked back to Apple Bloom who was busy picking up some overturned apples which fell out from Trixie's run. "Apple Bloom, do you know where your sister is?"
"Ah think she's inside runnin' some numbers."
Trixie paced back and forth trying to grasp exactly what was going on. "Trixie thought he liked Trixie! Trixie thought he felt something for Trixie! Trixie thought he was a better pony than that! Trixie thought he had better tastes in mares! Trixie at least thought he had more class than that!"
Apple Bloom frowned as she watched Trixie pace. "Does it 'hurt' to talk in the third person that much?"
Applejack had agreed to come down from upstairs to help sort this out but only after she was finished checking the numbers from the last cider sale.
Trixie glanced at a family portrait sitting on the mantle piece of the fireplace and frowned. "She's taking too long."
Before she could continue her pacing the sound of hoofsteps on steps signaled Applejack was finally finished. Trixie nearly ran to the stairs meeting Applejack face to face a little closer then she would have liked. Applejack had her head leaned back, obviously to avoid some kind of collision.
"Uh..."
"Who was that mare that walked off with Big Macintosh?! Where'd they go?! Trixie! Wants! Answers!"
"Would y'all just calm down a sec?!" Applejack gently pushed Trixie back with her hoof. "Now why don't you start from the beginning?"
"Some mare Trixie had never seen showed up and took her GREAT AND POWERFUL SPECIAL SOMEPONY AWAY! TRIXIE WANTS ANSWERS!"
Applejack said nothing but her eyes darted towards Apple Bloom.
"Big Macintosh was talking to some mare and before we could make it over to'em they left."
"Ha ha. Oh is that all?"
"Is that all?!" Trixie repeated. "IS THAT ALL?! Listen, maybe you don't care if some stranger comes by just so Macintosh can leave Trixie all alone, but I do!" She walked over to the mantle piece again and stared at the family portrait. "I mean..." she started to calm down a little bit. "I thought we had something special."
Applejack place a supporting hoof on Trixie's shoulder. "Listen Trixie, Ah don't know exactly what's going on, but Ah do know is that Big Macintosh does have feelings for you."
"Honest?"
"Truly. And you of all ponies should know he isn't one to hurt ponies he cares about."
Trixie gave a sad smile. "True, he IS more caring than any other pony I've ever met." Trixie spotted another picture on the mantle piece, this was of him on Nightmare Night giving the Haunted Hay Ride. "Such a big heart. I suppose it's a little silly to be so suspicious, I should have a little more faith. He's a very caring stallion after all. I mean just look at these fillies in the picture."
Trixie narrowed her eyes suddenly. Something was wrong.
"Wait a second, these aren't fillies! These are mares!" Trixie raced out of the room screaming at the top of her lungs "MACINTOOOOOOOOSH!"
"Is this why you don't have a special somepony, sis?"
"...Go to your room."
Trixie made her way in to town, peeling her eyes for the stallion she had come to care for so much.
"How can somepony so large disappear so easily?" Trixie mused.
"HUG!" was the cry Trixie heard before she got bowled over tumbling to the ground. Laying on her back she stared straight up in to the face of none other than Pinkie Pie. Trixie would have gotten mad at her, but right now she was being squeezed so tightly air seemed like a higher priority.
"Pinkie...I need...air..." Wheezed Trixie.
That was all it took for the pink earth pony to drop her and let the color return to her face. Trixie brought herself up and brushed the dirt off of her "What was that all about?"
"I'm sorry Trixie, but you've been spending so much time on the farm that I missed you SOOOO much. So when I saw you I just had to give you a big hug because hugs are huggerific!"
"Well I guess I have been spending a lot of time with Big Macin-I mean on the farm! I'll try harder in the future to visit Ponyville more often, but for now let me ask you something; have you seen Big Macintosh?"
Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes in thought before answering. "Nope. Don't think so."
"Drat!" she kicked the ground out of frustration. "I need to find him."
She started walking but Pinkie Pie was right there next to her keeping pace. "Why? Something happen?"
"Yes and no." Trixie bit her bottom lip as she thought of the situation. "I saw him leave with another mare."
Pinkie Pie tilted her head to the side. "Another mare? Who?"
"Trixie doesn't know..." she said quietly. "But Trixie intends to find out!" she nearly shouted. She looked around trying to see if she could spot any clue of her scarlet stallion.
"Great! I'll go with you."
Trixie paused for a moment, looking at Pinkie Pie to see if there was some reason as to why. When she didn't give one all Trixie could think to say was "Okay."
She started walking with Pinkie following close behind her. "He can't be that hard to find. So help me keep an eye open for him probably talking to a never before seen mare..." Trixie was cut off as some sad thoughts started to invade her head. She stopped walking completely and sat down on the ground.
"But...what...what if..."
"What if what?"
"What if Trixie goes to him and he says he left with her because he thought she'd make a better fillyfriend and has only ever thought about Trixie as a friend?!"
"But he kissed you."
"But what if that was a friendship kiss?!"
Pinkie walked around her to sit in front of her. "I'm pretty sure friendship kisses aren't supposed to be on the lips."
Trixie blushed with an embarrassed smile. "I guess you got a point there." Her smile faded and her woe had returned. "What if, he went with her because he thought she was better looking than Trixie. What if he felt he could do better than Trixie and..."
"Or..." Pinkie cut her off. "It could all just be in your head, and you're worrying about nothing."
Trixie took a big sigh. "You're right," Trixie's eyes shot open as a new possibility came to mind. "But what if Trixie goes to confront him, and it IS all in Trixie's head."
Pinkie scratched her head. "But wouldn't that be a good thing?"
"Listen, what if he gets mad at Trixie for being so suspicious of him? What if he decides he doesn't want some non-trusting pony in his life for a very special somepony and breaks up with Trixie?! What if he even goes as far as to kick Trixie out of Sweet Apple Acres!?"
"Uuuuh..." The most likely of explanations had aroused the most unlikely of outcomes in Trixie's mind so Pinkie Pie wasn't exactly sure where to go with it or how to reassure her otherwise.
"There's only one solution! Investigate!" Trixie steeled her gaze. "We're gonna need a book!"
Twilight Sparkle answered her door to see Trixie and Pinkie Pie waiting for her. "Hi girls, what can I do for you today?"
"Trixie needs your assistance! Trixie is in need..." her gaze became more steely "Of a book."
"Oh well we've got plenty of those here. What kind are you looking for exactly?"
"One on how to spy on somepony!"
"Oh well I guess that would be under-WHAT?!"
Trixie rolled her eyes. "Trixie doesn't have time for this! Pinkie, fill her in while I look for the book we need!"
She walked in and started to look through the shelves. She heard murmurs involving Twilight's and Pinkie's conversation but she didn't let it distract her.
"Aha!" Trixie cried triumphantly. She held in her hoof a book titled "The Art of Seeing Without Being Seen"
"Ooh! Hey! I read that book!"
"You have?" Trixie asked.
"Yeah! From cover to cover! It's an instant classic!"
"Then Trixie thinks that it would be better if you told Trixie how she should spy instead of just going trying to read the book for hours on end."
"Hey," Twilight snapped. "What's wrong with reading a book for hours on end?!"
"Sorry." Trixie apologized while kicking the ground carelessly. "Trixie is just a slow reader, that's all."
"Fine." Twilight rolled her eyes with a smile. "You're forgiven."
Trixie beamed.
"Pinkie, are you sure this what the book said on how to disguise yourself?" Trixie asked.
"Absotively posilutely! As long as we wear these disguises they'll never think they're being spied on."
"Okay...if you say so."
Trixie and Pinkie Pie walked out in to the square wearing their disguises...which were a couple stacks of hay. "Oh! Hold on a second!" Pinkie Pie rummaged inside her stack for a moment before adding a pair of sunglasses with fake noses to their disguises. "Okay, we're good to go! Technically we're supposed to be wearing a coat and hat too but this should be enough."
They worked their way in to the town square receiving all kinds of weird looks from the town ponies. Trixie was about to question if these disguises were really any good when she spotted the red stallion with the mysterious mare.
"There they are! Quick! Hide!" Trixie ordered.
Pinkie Pie and Trixie quickly hid behind a building. They slowly peered around the corner as they watched them walk and chat.
"Just look at them! Walking together, just who does she think she is?!"
"Hey! I know that pony! She's..."
"Shh! Quiet Pinkie, they're coming this way!"
Pinkie and Trixie hugged the wall as the two walked by...which actually just looked like a couple of hay stacks sitting against the wall wearing sunglasses with fake noses. Luckily they went by them unnoticed.
Trixie strained her ears to try and hear their conversation but the only thing she could make out was the mare's laughter, Macintosh must have said something funny.
"Her laughter sounded almost foreign...hm...Pinkie Pie, you said you knew this mare right?"
"Yes. And I think you should know that she's..."
"Pinkie! Just tell me this, she isn't from around here is she?"
"Well, technically, no. But..."
"Aha! I knew it! She's trying to use her foreign exotic-ness to seduce my Sweet Apple!"
"Sweet Apple?"
"It's a pet name, okay? Look, there getting something to eat, we've got to follow them Pinkie!"
So Big Macintosh and the mysterious mare started to walk to one of the local restaurants unaware of the two 'disguised' ponies tailing them.
It seemed to be a cafe of some sort, tables on the outside of it, an option which Big Macintosh and his new 'friend' seemed to take advantage of. Trixie and Pinkie Pie sat down in front of a table not too far away so they could keep an eye on them.
Trixie poked her head out of her stack and glared at them. "Just look at them! How dare he bring her to our special restaurant?!"
Pinkie poked her head out too. "This was your special restaurant?! As in the one you choose to go exclusively together too?!"
"Well...no..." Trixie's fury seemed to dissipate a little. "Technically we don't even have one of those. He's taken me out to just about all the eateries in town. But that still doesn't mean he should treat Miss No Name to a dinner date here!"
"Trixie, she has a name and it's..."
"Hello." a new voice cut her off. "And what can I get for you nice mares today?" asked a tired and unsatisfied voice. It was the butler, he must have spotted them and thought they were paying customers.
"Hey wait a second...Trixie knows you!" she declared. "You're that ringmaster Wilbur, the same guy who hired me and fired me in the same day! What're you doing here?!"
Wilbur gave a long sigh. "After I fired you the circus just fell apart, all my other acts went their separate ways and I had no choice but to get a job as a stinkin' butler!"
"So...you're all alone now?" asked Trixie.
"Not quite. Although there are some days I wish I was. No. One pony chose to stick with me, you know him as..." a crash of dishes coming from inside the restaurant diverted their attention as a very large and masculine pony came out carrying two stack of dishes. "Sigh. Hector."
Trixie frowned, she remembered Hector. He was the muscle head who never got a clue that his advances on her were completely unwanted.
"Good news, Wilbur." he said in a thick accent. "I only broke twelve dishes that time!"
Wilbur gave a worried frown and rolled his eyes. "Hector, you remember our old 'pal' Trixie right?"
Hector dropped both stacks of dishes as he saw Trixie. "Oh it is my darling little Trixie!"
He dashed over and leaned on her stack of hay. "The amazing Hector knew you could not stay away."
"Ugh! Get a life, Hector!" Trixie said with disgust.
Hector ignored her disgust and spotted Pinkie Pie. "And exactly who is cute Pink friend?" he leaned over to Pinkie Pie puckering his lips at her. Pinkie Pie leaned back nervously avoiding Hector's lips.
"HEY!" Trixie snapped. She grabbed Pinkie Pie and hugged her protectively. "You leave Pinkie, alone! She's a very nice pony and she can do better than you! If Trixie can find a stallion then Trixie has no doubt in her mind Pinkie Pie can find a stallion of her own who is at the very least five times the pony you are!"
"No need to worry, Madame Trixie, there is no need of your jealousy, there is enough of the amazing Hector to go arou...wait...did you say you found a stallion?"
Trixie let got of Pinkie Pie and held her chin up proudly. "That's right! And he's been everything Trixie could have ever hoped for!"
Hector almost immediately became enraged and started to look around. Trixie wasn't going to lie, she had never seen him angry before, and it was starting to scare her. "Where is this little so and so!?"
"He's right over there." Pinkie Pie pointed out.
"Pinkie!" snapped Trixie.
Pinkie Pie shrunk under Trixie's glare. "Well he is."
Hector stomped his way over to Big Macintosh's table, taking only a moment to look him up and down, judging him.
"Can Ah help y..."
"The Amazing Hector CHALLENGES You To A Hoof Rassle!" he nearly shouted.
Now Big Macintosh tried to back out but Hector wouldn't hear it. Finally when the mysterious mare urged him to it he agreed.
Trixie sighed. "We're gonna wanna duck."
"A duck? Where? Duckies are so cute!" gushed Pinkie Pie.
Trixie had already ducked inside her stack as Big Macintosh and Hector locked up.
"And funny too! Always going 'QUACK! QUACK!' Hahaha. So funny, QUACK, and..." Pinkie Pie was cut off as Trixie's arm shot out of her stack and pushed her head down in to her own stack just in time to avoid Hector flying through the air exactly where Pinkie Pie's head used to have been.
Trixie couldn't stop herself from feeling just a little bit smug. It wasn't everyday a mare got to see her stallion out muscle a well known strong pony.
"Oh! Trixie, they're getting away!" Pinkie Pie cried out.
"Shoot! Ditch the hay, it's been slowing us down too much."
Trixie jumped out of her 'disguise', but before chasing after Big Macintosh she walked over to a dazed Hector. His landing was awkward in the sense that he was now upside down and was more than likely seeing little birdies flying around his head.
She knelt down and heaved a heavy sigh. "Hector, I still don't like you but I'm going to offer you some friendly advice anyways. If there is one thing that I have learned from this town is that no matter how Great and Powerful you may think you are, there is always somepony out there who is better. Try to walk away with that, okay?"
As Trixie ran off Wilbur came over and shook his head at the poor site Hector had become. "You just had to start something didn't you?"
Pinkie Pie and Trixie hid behind a corner of a building as they watched Big Macintosh get lead in to a building by the mysterious mare.
"Just look at her." Trixie sneered. "Exactly what does he see in this mystery mare?"
"Trixie, please, I keep trying to tell you. Her name is..."
"Do you think it's the dress?! Trixie can wear dresses! And Trixie knows exactly where to get a better dress than her!"
Trixie ran off in direction of Rarity's dress shop.
Pinkie Pie sighed and shook her head. "She always has to do things the hard way."
Before running off to join Trixie, curiosity had gotten the better of Pinkie Pie. She snuck over to building and slowly took a peek in to the window. However, she didn't get to see much as a sudden flash blinded her forcing her to stumble back. Spots filling her vision she stumbled around trying to find her balance.
"Pinkie!" Trixie called from a distance. "What's taking you? Are we in this together or not?"
"Coming!" she cried before slamming her face first in to a pole.
Rarity nearly screamed in surprise when Trixie kicked in the door. "Rarity! Trixie needs a dress!"
Rarity stared at Trixie for a moment, letting this new information seep in to her brain, then she grinned from ear to ear. "Of course darling! I love to create new dresses for my friends, but what's the occasion?"
Trixie bit her lip. "I think I might be losing Macintosh to another mare!" she blurted out.
"WHAT?!"
As Trixie started to explain what happened Pinkie Pie finally managed to find her way in to the room, granted she was still seeing spots in front of her eyes.
"So Pinkie Pie has been helping me spy on them, Trixie still doesn't know who she is but they did have dinner together."
"Wait...dinner at two in the afternoon?" questioned Rarity.
"Okay, so maybe it was a late lunch but it was still a table for two!"
"What kind of lunch was it?"
"Huh?"
"Was there candle light? Music? Ambiance?"
"Um...well...no."
"Then it sounds like they were just have a regular lunch, darling. Probably just catching up with an old friend."
"Then why would he just ignore me like that?! All of Sweet Apple Acres could hear me shouting for him!"
"Hmm..." Rarity stared down in thought. She didn't have an answer for that. "Afraid I don't know..."
"Then you see? I need your help more than ever!"
Rarity gave a sigh of defeat. "Very well. I personally think you're overreacting, but in the off chance I am wrong I suppose I could do a quickie." Rarity lit up her horn and a roll of silver silk floated through the air. "If you believe it is a dress that will help you then I will give you a dress so dazzling it will be IMPOSSIBLE for him to ignore you!"
"You're going for a rush job and have it turn out impossible for him to ignore?" Trixie looked at Rarity with concern.
"Oh Trixie, you make it sound like it's going to be hard." Rarity held up some measuring tape and steeled her gaze. "Now hold still!"
Trixie looked in to the mirror with an impressed grin on her face. "Wow Rarity! I knew you were good, but even I didn't think you could pull off a dress of this quality so quickly." The dress was long and flowing with a shade of silver which seemed to match her hair almost perfectly, the shoulder straps were decorated with blue sapphires which like the dress seemed to match her perfectly, but instead of her hair they seemed to match her fur.
"And this is supposed to be a quickie?" Trixie beamed.
Rarity relished in the praise, this was her art so positive feedback was always well received.
"Love is a battlefield, darling. And I intend to send you to the front lines fully loaded!"
"Yes! Trixie dares Macintosh to even TRY to ignore the glamorous and dazzling Trixie! And that other mare won't know what hit her either! Ha ha!"
"Trixie, this 'other mare', does she have a name?"
"Uh...well...Trixie will go and find that out right now."
Trixie opened the door and ran out.
"I know her name. I know it because I know the mare." said Pinkie Pie as she watched Trixie run off being ever so careful not to dirty her new dress. "And you know her too, Rarity."
As Trixie came out of the dress shop she could feel the stares she was getting. She couldn't help but smirk as she noticed the majority of it was from the stallions.
'Look out Big Macintosh, I'm gunnin' for ya!' Trixie thought to herself.
Trixie smirked as she saw Big Macintosh come out of a building with her 'competition'. She was about to call out to him when she suddenly noticed a shadow over her, it appeared to be getting smaller too.
"What the...?"
"LOOK OUT BELOW!"
Trixie only had to time to look up as she saw a spiraling rainbow careening straight towards her. Any chance she had with the dress was gone as landed in a nicely sized mud puddle. Trixie lifted her mud drenched arms to get a better look at the damage done to her dress, it was worse than she thought. The dress was completely ruined. She felt a twist in her heart knowing that her biggest advantage in this crisis was now gone forever.
Then Trixie started to get mad, who would do such a thing?! Even if it was an accident, an apology was still in order. She started to look around for her 'attacker' and spotted her...with her head stuck in a tree.
"Rainbow Dash, why is Trixie not surprised?" she said with sarcasm dripping from her voice.
The mentioned pegasus then put all four of her hooves against the tree and gave a mighty pull. With a loud 'POP!' Rainbow Dash's head came out of the tree's wooden hole, her eyes circling in dizziness for only a moment.
"Sorry about that. I was working on a trick and it kind of got out of hoof."
While technically an apology it wasn't exactly the kind Trixie was looking for. "You ruined Trixie's new dress!" she snapped.
"Aw what's the big deal anyways? Looks like one of Rarity's quickies anyways."
Trixie stared down at her mud drenched dress. Was the difference really that obvious?
"Wait...don't tell me this dress was how you planned to try and beat me in our next Stunt Off? Because let me tell you, to beat ME you're gonna need a lot more than just a fancy dress. However, I guess I could understand if you started to get a little desperate for an edge against me, not as if your little 'magic' tricks could stand up to my aerial stunts anyways."
Trixie took off her dress and gave Rainbow Dash a very serious look.
"Not that Trixie has time for this...but if Trixie did then Trixie would tell you that Trixie's NEW magic tricks that she has been working on would blow away any kind of stunt you could come up with!" Trixie smirked.
This was what she liked about Rainbow Dash, this competitive spirit of her's was what kept Trixie's skills sharp. And their shows were always fun for everyone involved, shows pitting Trixie's magic tricks against Rainbow Dash's stunts were a true joy, especially for the audiences.
"Oh yeah?" Rainbow Dash hovered in the air so she could give Trixie a stink eye from a higher altitude, even if it was just an inch from her face.
"Yeah!" Trixie retorted.
"Yeah?"
"Ye...I don't got time for this." Trixie deadpanned.
"Okay then." Rainbow Dash almost instantly backed off, offering her a friendly smile. "We'll pick it up when your done with...whatever it is you're doing. I'll see you later?"
Trixie smirked. "Sure."
"Alright, bye." Giving Trixie a friendly wave she flew off. "Nice to know I can still go after my dream, and having somepony along for the ride with me doesn't hurt either." (A/N: I put that in there because somebody has been spammed me about this, thinking I forced Trixie to give up her dream.)
Trixie stared back at the dress folded over her arm. It may have been a 'quickie' but Trixie truly liked this dress. She gave a deep sigh and started to take it over to a nearby trash can. She was about to drop it in when a sharp gasp from behind caught her by surprise.
Trixie looked over her shoulder to see Fluttershy staring at her with her jaw dropped. "What do you think you're doing?!" Trixie was surprised, Fluttershy sounded like she was absolutely horrified.
"Trixie was just going to throw this dress away." she answered.
"But you can't do that!" Fluttershy flew over and grabbed the dress right out from Trixie's grip. "This is one of Rarity's dresses right?"
"Well...yeah. But everypony keeps calling it, and I quote 'A Quickie'."
"That doesn't matter! If it's one of Rarity's dresses then a lot of thought and love went in to this just like with everything she makes!"
"Hey girls," Pinkie Pie chirped "What did I miss?"
When Pinkie Pie had finally left Rarity's shop she tried to catch up to Trixie but the situation before her just left her confused as to what was going on.
"Trixie wanted to throw away the dress Rarity made for her." Fluttershy blurted out.
"What?! But I thought you really liked that dress?!"
"I did! But Rainbow Dash crashed in to me and completely ruined it!" As Fluttershy now stared at the dress in her arms, Trixie sadly added "And I don't think it can be saved."
There was a moment of silence between the ponies until Pinkie Pie finally broke it. "Give it me."
"What?" Trixie stared at the pink earth pony, what could she possibly do?
"Rarity's isn't closed yet. If I hurry I can get it to her in time. I know the dress looks a little Gone-With-The-Mud right now, but if anypony can save it it's Rarity."
"...I think it's worth a try." said Trixie.
Fluttershy hovered down and delicately handed the dress to Pinkie. "Okay, but be careful Pinkie, you don't want to do anymore damage to it than what's already been done."
"No worries Fluttershy, just leave it to me." Pinkie Pie took the dress and dashed off in a pink blur.
"Now then," Fluttershy landed on the ground and turned to Trixie. "What did you even need this new dress for anyways?"
Trixie sighed and slumped her shoulders. She hated that she kept having to repeat the current situation, every time she did she felt a little more down about it. After finishing her tale, Fluttershy was giving Trixie a look of nothing but the utmost sympathy.
"Oh you poor thing, is there anything I can do to help?"
"Trixie needs a hug." she said quietly.
Fluttershy threw her arms around Trixie in a nurturing way. It lasted a moment but Fluttershy finally broke it off. "Trixie, you're my friend but I think you're going about this all wrong. You need to confront Big Macintosh, not spy on him."
"Huh?"
"Any good relationship is built upon trust and communication, and right now there isn't a lot of that going on is there?"
"No..."
"Then you need to go to him and get your answers straight from the horse's mouth."
Trixie straightened herself with a new found determination. "You're right Fluttershy! Trixie cares too much about Big Macintosh to just let this relationship fall apart without a fight!"
Macintosh stood in the center of the room feeling rather uncomfortable without his harness on. Today had been just one big chore for him and he couldn't wait for it to be over. He really needed to get back to the farm and back to Trixie, he didn't like the way he left her like he did.
"Vell, Macintuosh? Vhat do you think?"
Macintosh rubbed the part of his neck where his harness usually was. "Mah neck feels naked."
"Don't vorry, we are almost done."
"MACIIIIINTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!"
The door to the room was kicked in by an enraged Trixie. "YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO!"
Big Macintosh folded his ears back. "Uh-Oh."
"This is an outrage! Who do you think you are, barging in like this?!" the mysterious mare snapped.
"Who am I?! Who are YOU?!" Trixie snapped back. "You think can just stroll in to town and try to steal The Great and Powerful Trixie's very special somepony?!" Big Macintosh face hoofed in embarrassment for Trixie muttering an 'Oh Geez'. "Just who do you think you are?!" Trixie raged pointing her hoof angrily at the mare.
"I..." she moved Trixie's hoof away from her face. "Am Photo Finish!" after her declaration paparazzi ponies seemed to pop out of nowhere and took a bunch of pictures of her striking a dramatic pose. The scary thing about them, Trixie found, was that they left just as mysteriously and quickly as they had came.
"And I am trying..." Photo Finish pointed over to Big Macintosh. "to have a private photo shoot vith Big Macituosh!"
All of Trixie's self righteous rampage rage seemed to be frozen in it's tracks. "Photo shoot?" were the only two words that escaped from Trixie's mouth.
Big Macintosh put himself between Photo Finish and Trixie. "Ah'll handle this. Trixie come with me in to the hallway, we need to talk in private."
Photo Finish watched them leave with a sour look on her face.
Once in the hallway Trixie looked at Big Mac with more confusion than ever. "Big Macintosh, I just don't understand what is going on here! Why is that pony taking photos of you? Why are you letting her? But most importantly, why all the secrecy?"
Big Mac felt his shoulders slump. "The truth is Trixie, a year ago Ah was approached by Photo Finish to do some male modeling. Ah turned her down because back then Ah didn't see the point."
"Then why agree to it this time?"
"Well ever since Ah became your coltfriend Ah've been feeling a little...empty hoofed."
Trixie furrowed her brow trying to understand. "Huh? 'Empty hoofed'? What's that supposed to mean?"
"A good coltfriend should be able to get gifts for his marefriend, but with only mah salary from the farm to work with nothin' in price range seemed quite good enough. So Ah called up Photo Finish..."
"Wait! Wait! Wait! How did you have her number?" This was an excellent point Trixie wanted an answer to, if there was no romantic relations between Big Macintosh and Photo Finish then why did he have her number?
"Actually, Ah got the number from Fluttershy. Photo Finish gave it to her in case Fluttershy ever wanted to go back to being a model."
"Fluttershy was a model?" queried Trixie.
"Eeyup."
"But wait a second, you're not off the hook yet mister! Why did you avoid and ignore me?! That really hurt my feelings Big Mac!"
"Ah'm sorry!" he said with earnest. "But Ah wanted it to be a surprise and not only that but..."
"But?" she urged him to continue.
"Well Ah guess Ah was a smidge embarrassed too. Modeling aint exactly a well looked upon job in the stallion community and I didn't want it to get out that this was the only way Ah could afford presents for you."
Trixie hadn't quite forgiven Big Macintosh just yet, she made this clear by crossing her forearms. "So that is you avoided Trixie and ignored the Great and Powerful Trixie when she called out for you?!"
"Ah'm sorry again about that, but Ah didn't have time to come up with an excuse, and even if Ah did...well..."
"Well what?"
"Ah aint so good at dressin' up words like you are, you always make things sound big and flashy but most importantly...believable."
Trixie fought back a blush at the compliment.
"But me? Ah knew you would have seen through me quicker than Rainbow Dash at a Daring Do sale. Like Ah said, Ah wanted it to be a surprise but yer right. Ah avoided and ignored you, and Ah am sorry."
Trixie's resolve had now melted away in to her own guilt. Her head hung in shame, her actions of the day like a stain on her soul. "No Big Mac, I'm sorry."
"Pardon?"
"Trixie should have had more faith in you. I should have believed you were to honest to actually cheat on me. But when Trixie saw you walk away with that Photo Finish mare..."
Macintosh's eyes shot wide open followed by the exclamation "That was a mare?!"
A weak smile forced it's way on to Trixie's face. "You seriously couldn't tell?"
"Well she had such a thick accent..."
The smile got a little stronger. "Don't you think that's like the pot calling the kettle black?"
"...Eeyup."
Trixie laughed a little. "Blast you Big Mac, Trixie was trying to apologize for her shameful actions and now you've got me smiling like an idiot."
Big Macintosh came over and rested his forehead against her's with a playful smile. "Ah like it Ah get you smiling."
Trixie's embarrassment only multiplied as she giggled like a little giddy school girl. "Macintosh! Seriously, Trixie is trying to say she's sorry for suspecting of you being a bad coltfriend."
Big Macintosh surprised Trixie yet again with his only response being a loving smile.
A moment passed, but it wasn't an awkward one, just a tender one.
"Ah guess we both learned something here today."
"Yeah. But I needed mine more, I was a bad marefriend and..."
Trixie was cut off when Macintosh put his hoof on her lips. "Ah think you've beaten yourself up enough over this. And Ah'm gonna prove it with some simple 'yes' or 'no' questions."
Trixie smiled bemusedly as she waited for him to start.
"Are you ever going to try this again?"
"Not a chance."
"Did ya learn your lesson?"
"Eeyup."
"Darn that's cute! Are you gonna have more faith in me?"
"Eeyup."
"Okay, now you're just trying to butter me up."
"So?"
"Can't argue with that logic. Do you still love me?"
"Buck yeah!"
"Then that's all that matters. You'll try to have more faith in me and Ah won't keep secrets no more, deal?"
Trixie gave him a small peck on the lips. "Deal. But you know, if you still want to get me something...I do have an idea..."
Trixie and Big Macintosh walked down the road in to the sunset, Trixie couldn't seem to stop herself from admiring her gift from her special somepony.
"These photos of you are really great, Big Mac. Hope you don't mind if Trixie shows these off."
"NNNope. Just don't expect my neck to go naked again, Ah've never felt more uncomfortable. Don't know what that Photo Finish was thinking..."
"Did you really not know she was a mare?"
"Them sunglasses were covering up half her face. Cut me some slack."
"I suppose I could. But we should find Pinkie Pie and thank her, she was so supportive of me today."
"We could let her be first in line next cider sale. Either way, Ah'm just happy my 'modeling' career is over. That Photo Finish and her demands were just plain ridiculous!"
"So you really didn't have any feelings for her?"
"Of course not! She kept calling me 'Macintuosh'! Do you have any idea how annoying that is?"
"Not really, but I bet Fluttershy might have an idea where you're coming from. Can't believe you didn't know she was mare."
"Cut me some slack, her glasses were covering up half her face! But it does kind of explain why she wanted beach photos of me."
"BEACH PHOTOS?!" Snapped Trixie.
"Ah said 'no'." he said bluntly.
Trixie quickly regained her composure. "Oh well, ahem, good thing then."
There was a silent pause between the two, but Big Macintosh knew exactly what was on Trixie's mind. "You want us to go to the beach now don't you?"
"Eeyup."
Omake
"MAKE UP!" Photo Finish shouted.
An assistant took a powder puff and quickly tapped it against his face.
"Too much."
A second assistant brought over a duster and brushed Macintosh's face.
"Not enough."
The first assistant came back and dusted Macintosh's face again.
"Too much."
The cycle continued for longer than Big Macintosh would have liked to admit.
Macintosh quickly felt a sneeze coming on and did his best to fight it off.
"Ah-AH-AAAAAACHOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Everypony in front of Big Macintosh was sent flying from the force of Big Macintosh's mighty sneeze. Picking herself up, Photo Finish found herself grinning from ear to ear.
"Oh yes! Even his schneezes are manly!"
It was at this moment that the wall behind them decided to topple over backwards.
THE END
Author's Note
Phew, I'm done. I was not exaggerating when I said you'd have an even longer wait for it!! If anything I was sugar coating it. Anyways, in case you're wondering why I made Pinkie Pie the partner in Trixie's crime for this fic, it is because I kind of felt like I screwed her out of the last story, so I tried to make it up to her with this story. I'm sorry if it wasn't what you were expecting. In other news I think I'm done with this ship. Eeyup. No sequel to this sequel. Whether this ship sinks or sails is now is anybody else's hands. Me? I got some one shots to get out of my system and then I will be moving on to some other story. Hope you enjoyed this story.
