Alterverse: Aftermath

Chapters

Ch 3: The Great and Powerful Dinky!
Ch 1: Fan Filly
Ch 2: Sing A Song
Ch 4: Release

Ch 3: The Great and Powerful Dinky!

Trixie walked up to the door and knocked.

“Who is it?” Ditzy’s voice was heard through the door.

“It’s Trixie, from the other day,” Trixie replied, “I came by because I wanted to check up on Dinky to see how she’s doing.”

“Just a moment,” Ditzy said. After a short wait, the sound of a few clicks of locks being unlocked was heard before the door opened to reveal Ditzy, with Dinky at her side.

At first glance, Dinky didn’t look too affected by the events from the previous day. But Trixie took note of the fact that she seemed to be intentionally keeping rather close to her mother. Ditzy stepped aside, inviting the showmare in.

“So, would you like some tea, or a muffin?” Ditzy asked as she watched Trixie enter.

“Do you have watermelon tea?” Trixie asked, “It’s a favorite of mine.”

Ditzy seemed perplexed at the idea, “I didn’t even know they made watermelon tea,” she said.

“Don’t worry about that. I’m okay with whatever you have,” Trixie sighed, “I’ve been told that I have an odd sense of taste. Perhaps it’s from where I grew up.”

“Well, ‘odd’ isn’t a synonym for ‘bad’,” Ditzy said as Trixie sat down on the couch, “Watermelon tea does sound good. Ooh, I gotta see if there are any recipes for watermelon muffins!”

Trixie’s mouth began to water, “Ooh, that does sound…” Trixie shook her head, getting her thought process back on track, “We can discuss that later. I’m here to check on Dinky after all.”

Trixie looked to Dinky. Ever since she arrived, the filly had a wide grin. Trixie recalled how Ditzy told her about Dinky being her fan.

“You’re the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Dinky said in a voice that was blatantly intended to restrain her excitement.

“Yes,” was Trixie’s only response.

“You’re the famous magician, the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Dinky’s restrained excitement rising.

“Saying I’m famous is probably an exaggeration. But I like to think that I’m well known.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie is here to check on me!”

“Well, I also checked on your two friends. But yes.”

At that point, Dinky could no longer restrain herself. Dinky then took a large breath of air, “OhmyLuna,ohmyLuna,ohmyLuna!!!TheGreatandPowerfulTrixie’sheretoseeme!!!I’myourbiggestfan!!!CanIhaveyourautograph?!Canyouteachmemagic?!Whotaughtyoumagic?!DidPrincessLunateachyou?!What’sitlikebeingPrincessLuna’sprotege?!Canyouintroducemetoher?!Who-” After that torrent of questions in a single breath, Dinky suddenly felt dizzy.

“Dinky, breath!” Ditzy said, rushing to her daughter so that she doesn’t fall and hurt herself.

Trixie smiled at the scene, “I’ve got to give her credit. She can hold a lot of air in her lungs to be able to say that much in a single breath,” Trixie laughed as she did her best to break down the torrent of information she received, “A lot of ponies claim to be my biggest fan. Yes, you can have my autograph. I’ll be starting magic lessons at the start of summer at the local magic shop, but I could train you personally if you’re up for it. I’m actually self-taught. Being the protege of the princess is like being taught by a famous magician. It’s a once in a lifetime experience that you’d be foolish to turn down. But there’s a much higher pressure on you to perform above expectations because they saw the higher potential in you. I can introduce you to her sometime. If you’re going to the Winter Moon Gala, I’ll introduce you.”

Ditzy looked towards Trixie in awe, “Wow! Dinky doesn’t get like that often. But when she does, few ponies are able to understand what she says,” Ditzy pointed out, still keeping Dinky steady, “I assume you have experience with similar scenarios?”

“I am the Great and Powerful Trixie after all, children in awe and wonder of me is part of the territory,” Trixie said, puffing her chest out in pride, “And more than a few will try to ask as many questions of me in as little time as possible. And I was taught that it’s rude to disregard their questions just because I couldn’t understand them. So I trained myself to interpret what I call ‘Single Breath Paragraphs’.”

“So, are you like me and listen for key words?” Ditzy asked.

“In a way, that’s part of it. But it’s more complicated than that,” Trixie answered, “I used to ask the children to repeat themselves. However, most of them would either feel like I wasn’t listening, or repeat themselves at a rapid pace again. There were a few children who wouldn’t mind repeating themselves slowly, perhaps because it meant they got to spend more time with me… I mean, who wouldn’t?” Ditzy and Dinky were looking at Trixie strangely from her boasting, “Sorry, force of habit. It was happening too often for my taste. So I began training myself by playing music at double speed. At first I was playing the same songs over and over until I could understand what was in the song when sped up. But I learned that it was working partly because I was memorizing the lyrics. So I started listening to more songs, including ones I didn’t know. This helped in my training. I was able to make out the song at higher speeds. And that’s how I learned to listen to Single Breath Paragraphs.”

“Wow, that’s impressive,” Ditzy said.

“Well, maybe the end result is impressive. But it took me a couple of years to train myself adequately,” Trixie explained, “Listening to someone talking isn’t the same as listening to music, where the lyrics are rhythmic. And I wouldn’t say that I’ve mastered it yet either. But the main downside to this is that whenever I hear one of those songs, it sounds like it’s playing too slowly.”

“Do you think I could learn that?” Dinky, who had finally caught her breath, said.

“It’s a long process, but I don’t see why not,” Trixie said with a smile, earning a smile from the filly, “As I recall, I believe that you were about to ask me another question before you ran out of breath.”

Dinky perked up at this, remembering that she wasn’t done with her questions, “That’s right! I had another question,” Dinky then calmed down to speak at a normal pace, “You probably get asked this question a lot, just like all the other questions. But who are your parents?”

Trixie’s ears folded back, indicating how she felt about the topic, “I’ve never actually been asked that question before. Not that I minded. I don’t have the best relationship with my family,” Trixie noticed that Dinky seemed to regret asking that question. Trixie tried to lift up the filly’s spirits, “Don’t get me wrong. We’re not on bad terms or anything like that. It’s just an awkward relationship. My father is also a magician who has a show in Las Pegasus. Perhaps you’ve heard of him. The Magnificent Jack Pot!”

“I’ve never heard of him,” Ditzy said.

“Neither have I,” Dinky agreed.

“Well, I suppose being the Princess’s Personal Protege gave me an edge on popularity,” Trixie continued, “But that’s not important. We do have a bit of a rivalry as magicians. Nothing negative. Just a friendly rivalry. And we even get together once a year. We put on a show, competing to see who’s the best in a magic duel. The reason our relationship is awkward is because… of…”

Trixie paused as she shut her eyes, trying to keep the tears from falling. Ditzy got up and walked over to Trixie pulling her into a hug to comfort her, her motherly instincts taking over, “Shh shh shh… It’s okay. You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to,” Ditzy said as she rubbed Trixie’s back.

A shiver went up Trixie’s spine before she pulled away from the hug, “No!” Trixie gasped before taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out to calm her nerves, “I’m sorry. I appreciate that you’re trying to comfort me. But the way you did it was bringing up some bad memories for me. So don’t take it personally.”

“I’m sorry, I should’ve-”

“You couldn’t have known, so you have nothing to be sorry about,” Trixie said, cutting off Ditzy, My moth-” Trixie’s mouth went dry as more emotions came to the forefront. She took a breath and continued, “My mother’s name was… Let’s just say that I inherited my name from her. But she was more commonly known as Spectacle, since that was her stage name. My mother and father met on stage, my mother being one of my father’s ‘lovely assistants’. He has several of them. But he always had a special place in his heart for her. And to keep it child friendly, let’s just say that I was the end result. My Grammy… some would say that she spoiled me often, buying me toys or candy, taking me to amusement parks or other fun places, etcetera. But Grammy made me earn what she gave me. If she bought me a toy, she told me to make good use of it, or she would take it away, teaching me to value my gifts. When she bought me candy, she told me that that’s all I get until the next time she visits, teaching me to save my candy for later and be responsible. When she took me places, it was only after confirming that I had been a good girl since the last time I visited, teaching me to… exaggerate.”

“You lied to her, didn’t you?” Ditzy asked in a disapproving tone only a mother could give.

Trixie suddenly felt like a little filly caught with her hoof in the cookie jar. She shrank down into a timid posture as a blush spread across her cheeks, her voice matching her posture, “No… I wasn’t lying. I was just stretching the truth a little,” Trixie noticed Ditzy raised an eyebrow, “I mean, I was just a filly back then. It’s not like anypony expected me to be a perfect little angel. And it’s not like I was a bad girl… most of the time. Besides, telling stories was fun. And when my Grammy found out, she still wanted to hear my stories. That’s how I learned to turn my magic shows from flashy tricks to engaging tales.”

Ditzy’s expression softened, “I don’t approve of promoting lying.”

“I wasn’t lying!” Trixie countered.

“But since there was no harm done, I’ll forgive you.”

“Thanks, I…” Trixie paused, realizing what she was doing, “Wait, why do I need you to forgive me? The only pony that needs to forgive me is my Grammy. And she already has.”

“True. But I still forgive you,” Ditzy said with a sly grin, “Just consider my forgiveness as a bonus.”

Trixie let out a sigh of resignation, “Whatever. I didn’t come here to tell my life story,” Trixie said defeated before sitting back up and looking back at Dinky, “I came here to see how you were doing. And I noticed that you’ve been a bit clingy to your mother. Can I assume that it’s because you don’t want to let her out of your sight?”

Dinky slowly responded with a nod.

“And would it be safe for me to assume it’s related to the foalnapping?”

“Yes…” Dinky squeaked out.

“It’s because you feel that as long as your mother’s nearby, you’ll be safe,” Trixie grinned, “And from what I saw from her the other day, that feeling isn’t just blind faith. But you can’t help but feel like if you lose sight of her, you don’t know if you’ll ever see her again. And it’s okay to feel scared. But we also need to work on that.”

“But how?”

“Well, I think the process has already started,” Trixie said, her grin growing, “As I was just talking with you now, you were so focused on me that you didn’t even notice that your mother went into the kitchen and got us ice cream.”

Dinky’s eyes widened. She looked around to see her mother and three bowls of chocolate ice cream were on the table next to them.

“I think the healing process starts with having others to trust in,” Trixie continued, “You put enough trust in me that you allowed yourself to pull your attention away from your mom. Perhaps it wasn’t for long. But from what I saw when I first arrived, that’s a big step.”

“Either that or you’re just obsessed with the fact that Trixie is talking to you personally,” Ditzy said, a sly grin on her face as she took a bite of ice cream.

Trixie grabbed her ice cream and took a bite of her own, “I suppose that’s a possibility,” Trixie admitted after swallowing her bite, “But even so, if I can distract her from you in that way, it’s a start.” Trixie levitated the third bowl to Dinky, who happily took it.

“You said you would give Dinky personal magic lessons,” Ditzy pointed out, “But you also said you’d be doing public lessons. If there are public lessons, what’s the point?”

“Well, there are a couple of reasons,” Trixie said before downing another bite, “The first is that I’d be able to focus specifically on her in one on one sessions. The second is that the public lessons will generally only be for simple tricks like parlor tricks and card trick. But with a personal magic student, I can focus on teaching her the more advanced tricks that you see on stage that can’t easily be replicated at home.”

Trixie and Ditzy watched as Dinky’s eyes lit up in awe, “You mean like sawing a pony in half?!” the filly exclaimed, “Or escape tricks?! Or making things disappear?!”

“That about sums up the basics,” Trixie said, “Of course, those are the more generic tricks. I can teach you more unique tricks. And it would be fun to have a Great and Powerful Assistant in my shows.”

The grin on Dinky’s face looked like it would split her head in half.

“Keep in mind though, learning stage magic will take away some of the wonder when you learn how the tricks are done,” Trixie said.

“But if it’s a good show, then it doesn’t matter if I know how it’s done. And you are Great and Powerful when it comes to making a good show!” Dinky said before perking up again, “Wait here! I wanna show you something!” Before they could even question it, Dinky went running off to her room.

“So… Do you know what she’s going in her room to get?” Trixie asked.

“Yes and no,” Ditzy replied, “I do know that she’s been working on a magic trick of her own. But I don’t know what it is.”

“It’s probably a simple parlor trick that anypony can learn,” Trixie said, “But I’m curious about it myself. And it can’t hurt to humor her. Great magicians often start off with nothing more than parlor tricks. And the fact that she told us to wait here, as in both of us, is a great improvement from what I saw of her earlier.”

“You’re telling me,” Ditzy said with a sigh, “Ever since you came today, it’s the most time I’ve had without Dinky glued to my side. I love her to death, but there’s only so much of it I can take.”

Dinky then came running back out wearing a towel like a cape and a generic magic hat, a couple of boxes and pieces of plastic hovering in her magic aura. Trixie took note that the boxes were connected at a corner, creating a hinge. This intrigued the showmare. Dinky then spoke up, emulating Trixie’s own style, “Welcome fillies and gentlecolts, and witness a feat of magic never before seen!” As Dinky began her speech, Trixie eyes began to glow blue as she was watching for any arcane magic to make sure the filly wasn’t cheating with her horn, “In ancient times, ponies would punish criminals by using horren… horri… really mean torture devices. But I, the Great and Powerful Dinky, found one such device. It was used to torture ponies by separating their limbs from theri bodies! Please inspect these blades to make sure that they are real,” Dinky then levitated the plastic squares to the two adults before breaking character for a moment, “I know they’re just pieces of plastic. But can you play along for now?”

The two adults looked over the ‘blades’ before returning them, giving Dinky the okay to continue. Trixie saw that though Ditzy was enjoying the show, she did seem slightly nervous. If it weren’t for the fact that the torture device was just plastic and cardboard, she would’ve been concerned for her daughter’s safety. Trixie also was impressed, seeing as this wasn’t just an everyday parlor trick.

Dinky took back the ‘blades’ and put her right forehoof into the boxes, the tip popping out at the end, “I have found this device, and intend on overcoming the torture that it has in store for me!” Dinky lifted the front of the boxes to show her leg in the box. After lowering the flaps and concealing her leg once again, she then slid the two ‘blades’ in between the two boxes, being held in place by small slits. Once the two ‘blades’ were in place, the mini-magician swung the boxes on their hinge, her foreleg seemingly detached from the rest of her body.

Ditzy’s eyes went wide in a combination of awe and terror. The awe was in such an elaborate trick, even if it was just cardboard and plastic. The terror was in seeing her daughter’s leg disconnected from her body. Her rational mind, which knew it was just a trick with cheap materials, battled with her emotional mind, her motherly instincts desperate to get her little filly help.

Trixie had been analyzing the trick, breaking down the pieces in her head. It didn’t take her long to figure it out. But she just needed a few more details just to be sure, “May I take a look at the back of it?” she asked. The filly nodded, and the showmare saw the back. What she saw confirmed her assumption about the trick and smiled. Trixie then saw the conflict in Ditzy’s eyes. So she went back to her seat next to Ditzy and rubbed her back, “It’s okay. It’s just a trick.”

“I know. But I can’t help being a mother,” Ditzy responded, but sat and let her daughter finish the trick.

Dinky then reconnected the boxes. She used her magic to pull the ‘blades’ out, then she took the boxes off, revealing her perfectly intact foreleg with a proud “Tada!” Ditzy ran over to her daughter to check on her, if nothing more than to ease her worry. After the impromptu checkup, the filly had a hopeful grin on her face, “So, what did you think?! Did you like it?! Was it a good magic trick?!”

“That was amazing!” Ditzy exclaimed in awe, “How did you do it?!”

“A Great and Powerful magician never reveals her secrets. It’s the Magician’s Code,” Trixie said for the filly, “I’m quite impressed at such an advanced magic trick developed on your own for what I assume is your first magic trick. It’s also no more complicated than it needs to be. And you told a good story to go along with it. Was that story historically accurate?”

The glee on the filly’s face was infectious, “Well, it’s kind of accurate,” the filly admitted, “It’s actually a combination of two different torture devices. That’s for the story anyway. I thought of the trick before I thought of the story.”

“Perhaps the story should be modified so that it doesn’t contradict history,” Trixie said, “Rather than making it an ancient torture device, point out that it’s a modern take of the two torture devices. Or perhaps it is ancient, but is the only one of its kind. My point is that anyone who would look into it would find the flaws in the story.”

“Would you use this trick in your show?” the filly asked.

“No,” the showmare said bluntly, causing the filly’s smile to falter, “I won’t use that trick in my show because you will use it in your show. You made that trick yourself, so it should be you who reveals it to the world.” Dinky’s eyes widened in awe before…

THUMP

Trixie wasn’t sure what to think about what she just witnessed. But Ditzy came to clarify, “I’ve got to give her credit,” Ditzy said, holding back a giggle, “For as much of a fan that she is of you, I’m surprised it took her this long to faint at your praise.”

“So… am I…” Trixie said, unsure of what to think, “Either ponies are composed enough to not faint, or they faint before they can even properly interact with me.”

“Well, how many composed fans have the chance to interact with you on such a personal level?” Ditzy asked hypothetically, “Even more composed ponies can falter if you break them down enough. And being a mother requires you to build up a resistance, so I can speak from experience.”

Trixie smiled at that. She intended to wait for Dinky to wake up, assuming it was soon. But she was considering getting on her way.

“Is there a certain day and time of the week that would be okay for me to train her?” Trixie asked, getting a good idea of what to do, “I figured that weekdays are out of the question, for obvious reasons. Unless it’s in the summer, but that limits the time. Or it could be after school on weekdays. But I was thinking Sundays are an option. I plan on starting my magic training classes at the start of summer on Saturday. So I could make Dinky’s personal sessions on Sundays.”

“Sundays are good, as long as she has her school work done by then,” Ditzy said, “Do you think she’ll turn out to be a great magician like yourself?”

“It’s hard to say,” Trixie said, “But considering that she developed a more advanced trick on her own, I see potential for greatness.”

“Do you have to go so soon?” Ditzy asked, “I don’t want to keep you. But I don’t think we focused much on Dinky’s issues.”

Trixie thought that over. Though it was true that Dinky was showing improvement, the issue at hand wasn’t addressed. Most of the time taken up was for her talking about herself, and Dinky putting on a performance. They were distracting from the issue rather than facing it head on.

Dinky’s eyes fluttered open in a confused daze, “Huh… wha…” she mumbled as the memories of her idol’s praise returned to her, “I’m getting my own magic show?!”

Trixie held back a giggle at the filly’s reaction, “Eventually,” Trixie confirmed, “But I think we should start with you being my assistant.”

Dinky reacted by leaping to her hooves and suddenly hugging Trixie. Taken off guard, Trixie returned the hug.

“I’m glad you like the news,” Trixie said, “But now, I think we should talk about what happened to you when you were foalnapped.”

Dinky suddenly went rigid at the mention, slowly inching her way towards her mother. The topic struck a nerve.

Author's Note

I actually suffered some writer's block on this chapter, which is why it took so long to post this story. Once I got past that hurdle though, this chapter actually ended up going in a slightly different direction than I had anticipated, which will lead Dinky's resolution in the next chapter to end completely differently than I had planned.

As for the magic trick I made for Dinky, it's actually a magic trick from a YouTube magician who teaches magic. It's actually relatively simple, and it's really just a modified version of sawing a person in half, just specifically localized on the arm. I upgraded the trick slightly, while downgraded the materials to everyday household materials that a child could use. As for the story Dinky made for the trick, I actually did take two real life torture techniques and combined them. One technique is the Iron Maiden (fun fact: the Iron Maiden, though it does actually exist, was never actually used). The other technique is simply sawing someone in half. What makes it torturous is that the sawing stops before it hits any vital organs. So rather than a quick and painful death, it's a slow and painful death. (If the plan is for the torture victim to die, then why draw it out? Just kill the victim and get it over with.)

And if you want to see the trick it's based on, here it is. (Go to the time stamp 2:59.)

Ch 1: Fan Filly

Dear Princess Luna,
I arrived in Ponyville a few days ago. I’ve found a place to stay, which just happens to be a magic shop. I encouraged the owner, Top Hat, not to go out of business by helping him make his shop more appealing. I’ve even acquired the assistance of a local seamstress to aid in overall aesthetics and upgrading some of the merchandise.
I’ve also made a few new friends already. Though how I made them could’ve been under better circumstances. On the train ride to Ponyville, we met an earth pony named Maud Pie. She’s a rock farmer. I’ve never met a pony that takes things so literal. And I won’t lie. Her lack of emotional expression is very off-putting. But it’s fascinating how much she knows about rocks and minerals. She was able to spot that the gem on my cape is a lapis lazuli. Not only that, but from what Surprise told me, she’s insanely strong. And there are certain…qualities about her that trying to understand would just give you a headache.
That’s right, I forgot to mention that Surprise came with me to Ponyville. And then she took the initiative to be my roommate. Not that I mind. It’s just that it’s a single studio apartment, so there’s not much privacy here.
The other friends I’ve made were under the “could’ve been under better circumstances”, I pointed out earlier. Ditzy Doo, the mailmare, opted to give us a tour of Ponyville. So I suppose we met before the issues. We then went with her to pick up her daughter from school. But when she didn’t come out of the school, we went in to meet with one of the teachers, Cheerilee. This is where the circumstances come into play. Ditzy's daughter, Dinky, was one of three fillies that never arrived at school that day. The other two were Cheerilee’s little sister, and the daughter of another pony we meet a little later. I was able to track down their saddlebags, finding that they were completely abandoned. We met up with two more ponies, Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Philharmonic, the mother of the third filly. We also met up with Maud again, who helped us.
After tracking them down, we determined that they were foalnapped by members of the Lunar Core. And I witnessed first hoof just how ferocious angry mothers can be. There were four in all, two unicorns, an earth pony, and a griffon. The griffon got away, but not before Octavia dislocated her wings. So she’ll be grounded for awhile. The rest of them are now in custody…and receiving medical treatment for the beatings they received.
But the fillies are safe and sound, and everything’s back to normal…though I have a feeling I may need to redefine my definition of “normal”.
Sincerely,
Trixie Lulamoon, the Great and Powerful

Trixie finished writing her letter before placing the royal magic seal on it, acting as a teleportation spell and sending it directly to Princess Luna herself.

“You done writing that letter yet?” Surprise asked impatiently.

“Yes, I’m finished,” Trixie answered, “I just wanted to make sure that Princess Luna was aware of what happened in the last few days and what happened with the Lunar Core.”

“Exposition. Got it,” Surprise said.

Before anything else could be said, a pony came barging into their apartment. An orange pegasus filly to be exact. The filly tackled Surprise, taking the older pegasus off guard.

“You’re Surprise of the Lunarbolts, aren’t you?!” the filly asked excitedly, “And you were one of the ponies who saved me and my friends, right?”

“Yeah, I am,” Surprise said, “You’re… Scootaloo, right?”

A look of awe spread across the fillies face, “You know my name?! That’s so AWESOME!”

“Well, it’s not like we could avoid learning who you fillies were,” Surprise explained, “But I’m not sure I was much help back there. I was-”

“Oh, come on! You’re a Lunarbolt! A member of the royal military!” Scootaloo exclaimed, cutting surprise off, “That means you must’ve been awesome! I mean, being awesome is like a prerequisite of being a Lunarbolt!”

“Well…I can’t deny that logic,” Surprise said with a cocky grin, “But I-”

“She couldn’t have done it alone,” Trixie said, interrupting Surprise, “It was a team effort. And every member of the team was crucial in saving you.” Trixie gave a side glance to Surprise, telling her that she was a big help, despite getting caught by the paralysis spell.

“Uh…yeah! We were all awesome!” Surprise said, her ego reinflating, “There’s me, of course. Then there’s Trixie here, the personal protege of the princess. A super strong earth pony named Maud, two awesome mothers that you don’t want to get in the way of, you’re sister who knows how to wrestle, and Vinyl Scratch and her sound manipulating magic.”

Suddenly in a poof of magic, a letter with the royal seal appeared. Trixie undid the magic seal and read the reply.

To My Faithful Protege,
The Lunar Core has been a pain in my flank for nearly a century now. At least Solaris fight against my rule. But having an extremist activist group do these actions in my name sullies my reputation. There was a time when their actions were flattering…until I learned of just how far they’re willing to go.
I am thankful for you and your new friends for dealing with them. I am also relieved that the fillies are safe. But don’t dismiss them just yet. It’s unlikely that everything is back to normal just yet. An experience like this leaves a traumatic mark on foals their age. You should know that better than anypony. So I recommend that you be sure that everything is back to normal before you make such a statement.
Sincerely,
Princess Luna

P.S. Why do you insist on including “Great and Powerful” to your name even when you’re writing letters to me personally?

After finishing the letter, Trixie looked up to see the pegasus filly sitting on top of the floored Lunarbolt, “Well, that’s one filly I can check off the list.”

My little pony, My little pony
Ahh ahh ahh ahhh…

(My little pony)
I thought I had all the friends I'd need
(My little pony)
But in Ponyville I found a new lead

Raving music
Flying through the air
A motherly love
Power to share
Teaching kindness
A great and powerful feat
And magic makes it all complete!

You have my little ponies
Will you all be my best friends?

Trixie, Surprise, and Scootaloo had met up with Cheerilee, who confirm that the filly didn’t skip school, just that she’s just that fast on her scooter.

“I’m sorry about Scootaloo,” Cheerilee apologized, “It’s just that after school got out, she had zoomed out before I had the chance to even say anything to her.”

“That’s alright,” Surprise said, “It’s cool having an admirer, ya know?” The four of them were walking down the street towards Cheerilee’s house while they continued their conversation.

“I guess,” Cheerilee said, “But still, she should at least have enough manners to knock before barging into somepony’s home.”

“Don’t be too hard on her,” Surprise said, “She had a tough day yesterday, and wanted the chance to thank her savior personally.”

Cheerilee raised a skeptical eyebrow at this, “Right...”

Trixie leaned over to whisper in the teacher’s ear, “Just let her have this,” Trixie whispered, “It’s for Scootaloo’s sake more than anything else.

A smile of realization appeared on Cheerilee’s face before looking towards the pegasi, “Well, if our resident Lunarbolt doesn’t have anything to do today, would you like to spend the day with us?”

Hearing this, Scootaloo had a face-splitting grin. Surprise, seeing this reaction, couldn’t help but smile herself, “Well, I don’t have anything to personally do,” Surprise said, “So how about we start off with a little fly with a Lunarbolt?”

Scootaloo’s expression instantly flipped as her ears folded back, “I…I…” Scootaloo said, having trouble admitting her fault to a Lunarbolt, “I…can’t fly.”

“Well, I can help teach you to fly,” Surprise said, “And for now, you can ride on my back.”

Though the sadness was still in Scootaloo’s eyes, her expression did cheer up, “You’d really teach me to fly?” Scootaloo asked hopefully.

“I won’t lie, I can’t promise anything,” Surprise admitted, “I don’t have any experience teaching foals how to fly. And…your wings do seem underdeveloped. But if nothing else, you can at least have the bragging rights of being taken under the wing of an actual Lunarbolt.”

The mention of her wings appearing underdeveloped caused Scootaloo to look at her wings. She always felt self conscious about her wings, but she always tried not to let other ponies see that.

“We were gonna go for a fly, right?” Surprise asked, leaning down, “Get on.”

Excitement overrode Scootaloo’s disappointment as she climbed onto the white mare’s back. Once on, Surprise took off into the air.

Meanwhile, Trixie and Cheerilee were left behind on the ground, “Did they forget that we can’t fly?” Cheerilee asked.

“That’s just how Surprise is,” Trixie said, “Act first, think never. But I suppose I can take advantage of this. Is it alright if I talk to you about Scootaloo?”

“Oh?” Cheerilee questioned, “What about?”

“Just how she’s doing,” Trixie explained, “I wrote to Princess Luna about what happened with the foalnapping, and she wanted me to make sure the fillies were okay, since something like this can be traumatizing for foals her age.”

“Scootaloo’s a special case,” Cheerilee said, “It’s a personal issue. But she cut herself off emotionally. There are several factors that go into it, part of it being her underdeveloped wings. I’m…”

Seeing Cheerilee struggling, Trixie patted her on the back, “As much as I hate not knowing something, you don’t need to tell me,” Trixie said, hating that she would once again be in the dark about something.

“No, I should tell you. You’ll figure it out eventually anyway,” Cheerilee sighed, “Before I continue, I need to specify that we are only half sisters. We have different mothers. And though my mother is okay, our father and her mother…Scootaloo, by definition, is an orphan.”

“Her parents are dead?” Trixie asked, a slight waver in her voice.

“Yes,” Cheerilee continued, “I’d rather not go into further detail. But she was put under my care, even though she would probably get along better with my twin sister, Cherry Blossom. Cherry was the daredevil, while I was the one taking care of her injuries.”

“You’re the nurturer,” Trixie clarified, “That’s why Scootaloo was put under your care. Your twin may have been able to relate to Scootaloo better. But that doesn’t mean that she’s the better choice to be her caretaker.”

“But out of all this time, I still don’t know how to take care of her on an emotional level,” Cheerilee explained, “I can take care of a whole class, but I can’t take care of a single filly.”

“This was thrust upon you unexpectedly,” Trixie said, trying to comfort Cheerilee, “You shouldn’t beat yourself up about it.”

“But why can I deal with a classroom, but not my own sister?!” Cheerilee said, turning to Trixie with tears in her eyes, “Is there something wrong with me?”

“I may not be experienced with dealing with foals, outside of an audience that is,” Trixie said, “But I think dealing with a single foal so closely would be very different than dealing with a classroom. You’re special talent helps you to be skilled as a teacher. But being a sister or a caregiver isn’t the same as being a teacher.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Cheerilee conceded, “I just wish I knew how to help Scootaloo.”

“I think the best thing you can do for her is to be there for her,” Trixie said, “Just having somepony there can make all the difference. And I’m sure she appreciates you for it. Knowing her, I’m sure she would rather have been put under your twin’s care. But as I said, you’re the nurturer.”

“Do you really think she appreciates me?”

“Young children have difficulty expressing how they feel, sometimes because they don’t even realize it themselves,” Trixie explained, “But I know there’s a part of her that does appreciate your help, as little as it may be. Even if she doesn’t show it now, she will appreciate what you’ve done when she gets older.”

“You sound like you have a lifetime of experience,” Cheerilee said, a small smile creeping onto her face.

“A lifetime would be a blatant over-exaggeration,” Trixie said hypocritically, “But Trixie has experienced her fair share of hardships in life.”

Cheerilee took note of Trixie’s sudden shift to third person, filing it away in her memory for later analysis. She then continued the conversation by shifting the topic slightly, “Do you think Surprise would be willing to spend time with Scootaloo more often?” she asked, “Being a pegasus, she could probably help in ways that neither me nor Cherry would be able to. And if nothing else, Scootaloo has already bonded with her because of being her savior…even if she doesn’t know about what really happened to Surprise.”

“When I told Scootaloo that it was a team effort, I wasn’t lying,” Trixie explained, “Yes, she missed out on a battle that she probably would’ve loved to be part of. Or at least it would’ve been better than being out of commission for it. But she did make finding the fillies quicker, and was there to make sure Ditzy didn’t go charging in and ruining things.”

“I suppose,” Cheerilee admitted with a sigh.

“As for Surprise and Scootaloo, that’s really up to Surprise,” Trixie continued, “But I know her well enough to make an estimated guess that she’d say yes. She loves seeing ponies smile.”

“Well, it does seem like nothing can get her spirits down,” Cheerilee said before a sly grin formed on her face, “That is except a paralyzation spell.”

The two of them share a laugh at that comment.

“It also seems like you’re waiting for Scootaloo to come to you for help,” Trixie commented, “She may not even realize that she needs help, or could just be too stubborn. So you should take the initiative and talk to her. I saw how you just let Scootaloo just walk off and do her own thing. When I saw that, and you told me that that’s just how she is, I couldn’t help but think that it wasn’t right.”

“I have tried before in the past, but she just rejects my help,” Cheerilee said, “So I just let her have her space when she needs it.”

“And that’s the problem,” Trixie said, “You aren’t even trying anymore. If giving her space is the best option for a situation, then so be it. But even if she doesn’t accept your help, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t need it. She may be trying to force herself into a more mature mindset as a defense mechanism. But she has to understand that it’s okay to be sad and accept help. Even if that help is nothing more than a sister being there as a shoulder to cry on, it’s still support nonetheless. Just let her know that it’s okay for her to still be a child.”

“Those seem to be wise words,” Cheerilee said.

“Words of wisdom from my grammy,” Trixie clarified, “You should talk to her. Even if it’s unrelated to the foalnapping, she should know that you’re there for her.”

“I’ll have to tear her away from Surprise first,” Cheerilee said with a smile, “Thanks for the talk. I really need that.”

“What are friends for?” Trixie asked hypothetically, “I think I should go see how the other fillies are doing now, seeing that Scootaloo is…I assume this is normal behavior for her.”

“A hyperactive fangirl of the Lunarbolts? Yeah, that’s normal behavior for her,” Cheerilee said, “I should let you know that Silver Spoon may be a bit jumpy. Perhaps some left over paranoia.”

“That probably means I should check on her first,” Trixie said, “How about Dinky? Is she doing okay?”

Cheerilee had an awkward look on her face, “To tell you the truth, I don’t know,” Cheerilee admitted apprehensively, “She didn’t come into class today. So I assume she stayed home.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Trixie said, “I’ll stop by to see Silver Spoon first, since they’re the closest.” With that said, Trixie headed off to see the next filly.

After Trixie left, something occurred to Cheerilee, “Wait, Ditzy lives closer to here than Vinyl and Octavia.”

Author's Note

For as short as this story is going to be, it's taking me surprisingly long to finish it. But out of curiosity, should I wait until a story is finished before posting it to the Alternaverse, making it bingable at the start, or should I spread the chapters out to give the readers some breathing room? (Absence makes the heart grow fonder, as they say.)

Thanks to this wait however, the show has finished... :fluttercry: ...and Season 9 gave Scootaloo established parents. And I still made her an orphan. Does that make me evil? I mean, all the other orphan Scootaloo fics were before season 9. I made this fic knowing she does have parents (and I knew it even before The Last Crusade aired).

Ch 2: Sing A Song

Vinyl Scratch was at her turntables using her equipment to play synth instruments. Meanwhile, Silver Spoon was singing.

“If I go crazy, then will you still call me Mare Do Well? If I’m lying there, will you pick me up after I fell? I’ll keep you by my side with my-”

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

The sudden knock on the door caused Silver Spoon to jump into the air before dashing behind Vinyl for protection. Seeing this hurt Vinyl, knowing what the foalnapping had done to her. Vinyl then sighed before heading to the door to see who it was.

Opening the door, Vinyl saw that it was Trixie at the door, “Hi, is Silver Spoon and Octavia home? I just wanted to see how they are doing after the other day’s events.”

“As much as she wanted to stay with Silver Spoon, Tavi had a performance in Canterlot that she couldn’t cancel just to comfort her daughter,” Vinyl said with synthesized voice, “But Silver Spoon is here. She’s hiding behind my sound system. The knock on the door freaked her out.”

Trixie cringed at the thought. Obviously she didn’t intend to scare the filly. But it happened nonetheless, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare her,” Trixie apologized, “Is she okay?”

“Yeah, more or less,” Vinyl said, “I’m taking care of her until Tavi gets back.”

Trixie nodded before she headed towards the sound system to see Silver Spoon peek out from behind, “Silver Spoon?” Trixie said in a gentle voice, “I’m sorry for scaring you. I didn’t mean to. I came to see how you’re doing.”

Silver Spoon slowly came out from behind the sound system as Vinyl went into the other room, “Y-You’re one of the ponies that saved us, right?” Trixie answered the filly with a nod, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to run. It’s just-”

“Don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault,” Trixie said, “You went through a harsh experience. It’d be foolish to think you would get out of that unphased.”

“Will… Will I get back to normal?” Silver Spoon asked, “Will I stop being scared at any unexpected sound?”

Trixie walked over to the sofa, Silver Spoon following, “It’s expected that you’d be…” Trixie pauses as she noticed the sofa was split down the middle with two different colors. She then took a good look at the house and how it was split down the middle in two tones, “Your mother and Vinyl don’t agree on colors, do they?”

“We compromised and did halvsies,” Vinyl said as she walked back in, carrying three bowls of ice cream in her magic, “It works for us.”

“I’ve never really thought about it,” Silver Spoon said.

“But it looks like you bought two different sofas and stuck them together,” Trixie pointed out.

“That’s kind of true and not true,” Vinyl said, giving two of the three bowls to Trixie and Silver Spoon, “We did go to a shop to get ideas for the different styles. Tavi wanted the fancy classical style, and I wanted a more modern style. We made our choices and requested to get a sofa custom made. That certainly cost a pretty bit. But it’s a good quality sofa. We even got it magically enchanted to resist damage.”

Vinyl used her magic to create a magical blade and cut the fabric of the sofa. After cutting, the tear just restitched itself.

“That’s…different,” Trixie said hesitantly, taking a bite of ice cream, “But certainly creative.”

“The enchantment is limited, so we can’t cause too much damage to it,” Vinyl specified, “But we’re not exactly rectless, so it’s not an issue. The worst this sofa gets is maybe a stain here or a demonstration of it’s magic there. Or using it as a stage.”

Silver Spoon’s face went red at the mention, indicating who that applies to.

“We’re getting off topic,” Trixie pointed out, “I was here to check on Silver Spoon.”

“Well, a little side conversation to pass the time never hurt, right?” Vinyl asked.

“I suppose,” Trixie said before returning her attention to Silver Spoon, “Anyway, where was I? Oh right. You went through a traumatic experience. It’s expected that you wouldn’t get out of it unphased. Although seeing Scootaloo earlier makes me question that assumption.”

“So… I’m gonna be jumpy like this forever?” Silver Spoon whimpered?

“Of course not,” Trixie said, trying to comfort the filly, “I mean, you may subconsciously be more cautious indefinitely. But your paranoia should go away in a month or two. And your jumpy behavior should be gone by the end of the week.”

In truth, Trixie didn’t actually know much about the psychology of trauma victims. She was just guessing. But from what little she knows of Silver Spoon, Trixie had deducted that she is mildly introverted. This means that her jumpy behavior could simply be paranoia enhanced by introvertedness.

“Do you really think I’ll be okay by next week?” Silver Spoon asked hopefully.

“I’m not exactly an expert in psychology. So forgive me if I ask for a margin of error of a few days,” Trixie said, “And as I said, the jumpy part should be gone by then. You won’t be fully okay for a little while. But if it’s the jumpy part, I can see that being gone in a week. Ten days max.”

“So, I’ll still be jumpy like this for a week?”

“That’s right. A week feels like much longer to a filly your age than a mare my age,” Trixie said, “Saying it’ll be just a week to ten days is probably harsher for you than it would be for me.”

“Well, with how boring school can be, I’m sure that there won’t be much to cause you to jump,” Vinyl said, “I mean, if you can keep track of time so that the school bell doesn’t take you off guard.”

“That’s an unfortunate fact,” Trixie conceded, “But if you can get through that, then that’s all you need. On a side note, Did I hear singing earlier?”

“Yeah, that was me,” Silver Spoon said bashfully.

“When your mother comes from a family of musicians, music tends to come naturally to you,” Vinyl elaborated, “And when your father is known for his speaking skills, that musical talent tends to come out in the form of singing.”

“Her father?” Trixie asked.

“Silver Tongue,” Vinyl said. Vinyl didn’t need to say any more. Silver Tongue’s negotiation skills were legendary.

“Would it be too much for me to ask you to sing a song?” Trixie asked, genuinely curious.

“Well, I’ve never actually had an audience before, other than my mom and aunt Vinyl,” Silver Spoon said.

“Don’t be shy, Silver,” Vinyl said as she walked over to her equipment, “You have a great voice that should be heard. Here, I’ll even get you started.” Vinyl starts up the sound system as music started to play.

Silver Spoon listened to the beat of the music. Though she was nervous, she let the music wash over her. Silver Spoon then began to sing.

So I know what you've been thinking
That you're the only thing that's lurking in the night
You aren't safe within in the shadows
'Cause tonight begins the hunt and you're in sight
Moonlit eyes under still and haunting sky
I can see within the soul you've stowed away
Tend your fire, draw this cursed evening's ire
Try your odds and you just might become the prey

Trixie’s eyes began to glow as she watches the magic in the room.

That adrenaline rush when weapons fly
It's the fear that brings out that body high
So you know that I'm stuck here paralyzed with you
In a midnight clash of circumstance
At the mercy of your lack of chance
I will bring myself to see this challenge through
It's a stalemate
In a twist of fate
When you're face to face with death itself
Grounds of battle where no heroes dwell
For a light thrill
Or a cold night's chill
You will be this hunter's golden prize
If you leave your guard down, paralyzed

Trixie watches the ambient magic in the room. It seems to flow with the music in a strange way. If she didn’t know better, she would’ve thought that the ambient magic was harmonizing with the music and dancing along.

Wicked traps are set around you
Not a lantern lit in sight to guide you home
You've been looking for the danger
And you sense my presence chilling in your bones
Take your stance, I will give you one fair chance
So let's make this dance a bloody masquerade
Understand how this ends, and what I am
You're against the night itself, so be afraid

As the darkness takes the light
Shadows crawling through the night
I will let you take my hoof
But I hope you understood
That it's always been the same
Bringing thunder with the rain
But you shouldn't be afraid
Of the games they like to play
Every moment left alone
Gets to feeling more like home
Leaving chills under your skin
So let's start to settle in
Through the multitude of eyes
Taking shapes under the skies
Aren't you curious to see
What kind of monster you've set free
You try to scream but there's no sound
Try to hide but you'll be found
You'll be next to bear the mark
From the tendrils in the dark

The song ended, and in turn, the ambient magic stopped it’s ‘dance’.

“You have quite a Grrreat and Powerful voice, Silver Spoon,” Trixie praised as the glow from her eyes faded, “Your singing is so moving that the ambient magic in the room itself was dancing along.”

“Oh, my singing isn’t that good,” Silver Spoon blushed.

“Oh, but I’m serious,” Trixie said, “I’ve only known of one other pony in Equestria that can cause ambient magic to react in a similar way. And that’s Princess Luna herself.”

“I’m no expert on ambient magic, so I can’t validate that claim,” Vinyl said, “But as for the singing voice, Trixie is correct about your singing. It really does sound great.”

“You also seem a lot less jumpy,” Trixie pointed out, “Does singing help to calm you down?”

“I guess it does,” Silver Spoon admitted, “I guess I’ve never thought about it before. But whenever I feel upset, singing always does seem to help me feel better.”

“Well, it seems to work well enough to carry over after the song is done,” Trixie said, “Perhaps you should consider singing more just for the sake of relieving your anxiety.”

“Do you really think it would work?”

“If nothing else, you have nothing to lose,” Trixie pointed out.

“Best case scenario, it will get you through your anxiety quicker and easier,” Vinyl said matter of factly, “Worst case scenario, nothing changes, and you still get to do what you love. I can see no way of there being a negative scenario from this.”

“What if one of my classmates hears me singing, and I end up embarrassing myself in front of them?” Silver Spoon asked.

“How I see it, the only one who can embarrass you is you,” Vinyl said before elaborating, “You’re a great singer, so that’s nothing to be ashamed of. If anypony tries to tease you for your singing, it can only get under your skin if you let it. And I doubt anypony would honestly tease you about it. They would most likely want to listen rather than claim it’s bad. If a pony tries to heckle you after your done with a song, ask yourself why they would wait until the song is finished before heckling you. The most likely answer is that they wanted to hear the song to the end without interruption. If they don’t interrupt you, the most likely reason is that they liked it, but don’t want to admit to it.”

“Sorry to cut the conversation short, but I should go check up on how Dinky is doing,” Trixie said. After saying their goodbyes, Trixie headed out towards the Doo residence.

Author's Note

This is my first attempt at putting a song into a fic. I'm not sure why, but it feels like it's a fitting song, even if it's not specifically a "heartsong." I'm also a fan of The Aviators, so I'm giving them the credit that they're due.

Paralyzed, by Aviators

Ch 4: Release

Trixie sat next to Dinky, noticing the filly’s tense muscles. She then noticed her eyes seem to glaze over and the expression on her face. Dinky was actively cutting herself off from her own emotions.

“Dinky, I understand how hard it must be for you to have to talk about what happened,” Trixie said in a comforting tone, “But the only way to start the healing process is to address it head on.”

“I’m fine,” Dinky said. Trixie and Ditzy cringed at the tone of her voice. It wasn’t harsh or lashing out or anything like that. Though considering what it was, they probably would’ve preferred if it was. Her voice was no longer that of the excitable fan filly from before. It was a cold, mechanical, emotionless voice.

“If you were okay, you wouldn’t be building a wall around your emotions like this,” Trixie said, “I may not have known you for long. But I can tell that the filly sitting next to me right now is not the same filly that I saw when I first came here. But it is the filly that I came here to help.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Dinky said coldly, inching slightly closer to her mother.

Trixie took notice of this, an idea coming to mind. She took note of the one thing that the filly she saw when she arrived and filly she saw now had in common. They both are relying on her mother for comfort… no, not just comfort. For strength.

Trixie went over to Ditzy to whisper something in her ear, using her magic to make sure Dinky didn’t overhear. Ditzy then turned to the showmare sceptically, “Are you sure?”

“To be honest, no, I’m not sure,” Trixie admitted, “But I feel that it’s the best way to break through to her true emotions.”

It was apparent that Ditzy didn’t like Trixie’s idea. And Trixie’s lack of confidence didn’t help. But considering how Trixie was able to get through to Dinky before, it may just work.

“Can you excuse me?” Ditzy asked with a sigh. Trixie nodded with a knowing smile, letting the pegasus walk away. Dinky then got up to follow.

Just as Trixie had anticipated.

Dinky was stopped when a blue barrier formed in front of her. For a moment, Dinky just stood there as she watched her mother walk away without her.

Trixie on the other hand could tell that though Dinky was still in her emotionless shell, that shell was starting to crack, “Momma?” Dinky mumbled as she watched the distance between her and her mother grow. Trixie, however, had made the barrier sound proof, making sure that Ditzy wouldn’t hear her daughter and choose to scrap the plan. But anticipating that the plan will work, Trixie felt a wrenching pain in her heart. Trixie could practically hear Dinky’s metaphorical shell cracking more. Either that, or it was her own heart breaking that she heard.

Ditzy finally had moved into the hallway and out of site of Dinky. Dinky got up onto her hind legs and put her front hooves against the barrier as if trying to push against it, “Momma, come back,” Dinky said, Trixie stealing herself against the panic growing in the filly’s voice, and the pain in her heart that came with it, “Momma, come back. Momma? Momma, don’t leave me!”

For a moment, Trixie clutched her chest as her eyes began to tear up. But she forced herself to continue the plan, “You can’t always rely on your mother to be there for you. You’re gonna have to learn to stand on your own four hooves eventually,” Trixie said as she walked towards Dinky and sat next to her. Dinky’s shell was cracked enough that she showing her emotions. But she was still resisting, “You’ll always have ponies who will love and protect you. So even if your mother can’t be there for you, just know that you’re not alone,” Trixie continued. Dinky looked towards her idol, tears welling up in her eyes. Dinky then latched onto Trixie in a hug, which Trixie returned. But the filly’s trembling indicated that she was still trying to resist.

“It’s okay to feel sad or scared. But you need to let yourself feel your emotions. It’s okay. I’ll be here for you if you ever need me,” with that said, the floodgates broke, her metaphorical shell shattering simultaneously with Trixie’s heart. Loud wailing. Tears streaming down the filly’s cheeks and staining both of their coats. Certainly not a pretty picture. But it was an emotional release that needed to happen.

Down the hall, Ditzy was waiting for any sign that the plan worked. Suddenly, she heard her daughter’s wails, and her maternal instincts kicked in. She rushed to see what was wrong. Remembering that the sound barrier should be up, however, curiosity got the better of her. She slowed down and just peeked out of the hallway.

“That’s right. Let it all out,” the pegasus heard Trixie say as she stroked the filly’s mane comfortingly.

A part of Ditzy felt jealous that she, as Dinky’s mother, wasn’t the one comforting her. But she couldn’t deny that Trixie was doing a good job, and kept herself from interrupting. She wasn’t even sure if Trixie knew that she had let the sound barrier down.

Ditzy just sat there, letting the scene unfold, “Trixie would make a good mother,” she said to herself, smiling inwardly.

A half hour has passed since Dinky had cried herself to sleep, her emotional exhaustion overtaking her. As much as Trixie wanted to make sure Dinky was okay when she woke up, Ditzy insisted that it was okay for her to go.

“Are you sure she’ll be alright?” Trixie asked, “I mean, an emotional release like that is a good thing. But I just want to be sure she’s okay.”

“I appreciate that you’re concerned for her. But keep in mind that I am her mother,” Ditzy said insistently, “I’ll still be here for her when she wakes up. If there are any problems, I promise I’ll come to you to let you know. And I’ll even bring her by tomorrow so you can be updated.”

Trixie’s ears folded back as a blush of embarrassment formed on her face, “Right, I guess a part of me forgot she still has her mother to take care of her,” Trixie said bashfully, Ditzy taking a mental note of that comment, “And I hope you can forgive me for putting her through what she did.”

“I understand. It was hard for me to witness my little Dinky in that much pain. But as you said, she needed that emotional release,” Ditzy said, “Out of curiosity, at what point did you lower the sound barrier?”

“To be honest, I’m not entirely sure,” Trixie said, “It’s just that when she started crying how she did, I just ceased to be aware of what was going on around me. All that mattered was that I was there for Dinky to release her emotions onto.”

Ditzy smiled at that, “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to replace me as her mother.”

This comment took Trixie by surprise, “What?! I would never…” Trixie then saw the gentle knowing look in Ditzy’s eyes, specifically the fact that they were both focused on her. Trixie’s expression softened, “The situation wasn’t the same, but the emotion is. Trixie can sympathize with her, feeling like she’s never see her mother again, and bottling up those feelings.”

Ditzy’s maternal instincts once again told her that Trixie needs comforting. But she remembered how she reacted when she tried the first time. ‘Just give her time, and I’m sure she’ll come around.’ Ditzy thought to herself. She then smiled before beginning to shove Trixie towards the door, “Alright, Trixie. I think it’s about time you be on your way.”

Trixie resisted being forced out, but only because of being physically pushed resulted in that reaction, “Okay, okay! I get it! I can move on my own, you know,” Trixie said in a strained voice. Once Ditzy stopped shoving, Trixie regained her composure, “So, I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“That’s the plan!”

“Well, bye then,” Trixie said as she headed out the door. But before she left, she wanted to say one more thing, “And make sure to tell Dinky I said bye to her too, okay?”

“Will do!” Ditzy saluted, “Bye!”

Trixie was on her way back home feeling emotionally drained… and perhaps a little too much ice cream in her stomach. But as she headed back home, she ran into Surprise. Or to be more accurate, Surprise ran into her.

CRASH

Surprise quickly got back to her feet, “Oh sorry, Trixie. I guess I got a little excited,” Surprise said as they continued, her tone of voice properly indicating the honesty in her claim, “That little filly is a real hoofful. But in a good way. As we were flying, the look in her eyes was that of pure glee… at least I assume that’s what her eyes looked like. She was on my back, so I was facing away from her. But from the tone of voice in her squee of glee, I figured that her eyes matched. After a few laps around Ponyville, she asked if I wanted to see her scooter tricks. At first I was just humoring her. But when I saw her on her scooter, I thought it was disappointing that the Lunarbolts were exclusively an aerial team and couldn’t include stunts on the ground. Because with practice, her skills on a scooter could rival that of the Lunarbolts! Well, not me of course, because I’m just that awesome. But she’d be a close second!”

Trixie couldn’t help but laugh to herself at her friend’s self-inflating ego. But listening to her story was putting her in a good mood.

“I then told her that her parents must be proud of her with how skilled she was,” Surprise continued, causing Trixie to cringe, “I was confused at first. Her sudden shift in tone was like a switch had been flipped. I didn’t realize that she’s an orphan. After getting her to talk about it, she mentioned how she’s independent because she has to be. I asked about Cheerilee. But she said that she just doesn’t understand her. I explained that just because she doesn’t understand her, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to help. I told her that she should talk to her sister about how she feels. Because even if she can’t help in any other way, I’m sure she’s willing to listen.”

“I actually gave Cheerilee similar advice,” Trixie said, “I told her that she shouldn’t have to wait for Scootaloo to come to her with her problems, but that she should take the initiative and talk to her. In a way, we kind of did a tag team there without even knowing it.”

“Yeah, I guess so!” Surprise exclaimed before she noticed Trixie’s bloodshot eyes, “Trixie, have you been crying?”

“Don’t worry about it. I had a long day that ended up being an emotional rollercoaster,” Trixie explained, “But how I had to get Dinky to face her issues was heartbreaking to do. I’ll tell you about it later. But I will say now that I will now be training Dinky to be my Great and Powerful Assistant!”

This got Surprise’s attention, “So… you’re training someone else to share the spotlight with you?” Surprise said before standing in front of Trixie accusingly, “Who are you, and what have you done with the real Trixie?”

“I just had a good bonding experience, that’s all,” Trixie explained with a smug grin, “Besides, if I train her as my apprentice, then I won’t have to worry about her becoming a master magician who could potentially be my rival.”

Surprise smiled, “So you’re protecting your own brand by making her part of it, rather than her potentially becoming her own brand.”

Trixie sighed. She may have been friends with Surprise for awhile. But she just never gets it through her head that Trixie isn’t self centered like that. In Trixie’s mind, it was more along the lines of giving Dinky brand recognition. She was doing this for Dinky, not herself… mostly.

Dear Princess Luna,
Well, I checked up on the children as you suggested. You were right, they all were dealing with their own issues. Surprise primarily took care of Scootaloo, seeing as they have bonded quite well. And I talked to her older sister, Cheerilee. Together, we encouraged them to talk with each other rather than just waiting for the other to come to them. All in all, the issue was easy enough. Scootaloo’s issue however isn’t related to the foalnapping, but is instead relating to the fact that she’s actually an orphan. But as a side note, Surprise had taken the filly under her wing. Although I don’t think her ego will fit into our apartment.
Silver Spoon is a fascinating case. She’s in good spirits, but is extremely jumpy at any unexpected sound, me knocking on the door as one of them. I hope I wasn’t mistaken in assuming she’d be over it in about a month. But something caught my attention about her. She likes to sing, which does seem to calm her down. But as I viewed the magic as she sang, it seemed like the ambient magic was dancing to the music. I know that some musicians can affect the arcane magic around them with their music, even if they aren’t unicorns. But I thought only alicorns could manipulate ambient magic. Could you provide some insight into this phenomena?
Dinky’s case… it was emotionally draining for both of us. She’s been acting extremely clingy to her mother since the incident. But it seems that my presence there helped to distract her from her issues. She’s that much of a fan of mine. She then took a deep breath and asked several questions in a single breath paragraph. Most of the questions were the general stuff I’d expect. But there were two that stuck out to me. One was asking if I could train her. I agreed. And to sum it up, the Great and Powerful Trixie will probably have a Great and Powerful Assistant during my performance at the Winter Moon Gala. She even had made her own magic trick. It’s a simple trick in application. But for a filly her age to make a trick at that level, even if it was made from cardboard boxes and plastic, is quite impressive. The second question was when she asked about my family. That was difficult for me for obvious reasons, but I answered without going into… specific details.
This is where things got rough. Dinky seemed to be recovering well in the short time I was there. But it came to my attention that she wasn’t recovering, she was just being distracted from the primary issue. So I turned things around and made her face her problems head on. It broke my heart seeing her break down like that. But she had to address her feelings. Bottling them up will only cause more harm than good. I hope she’ll forgive me for doing that to her. But she had to let herself feel those emotions. But I believe she had a good cry and will be feeling much better afterwards.
I admit that I had bonded with the filly in a way I hadn’t anticipated. And I think I was making Ditzy jealous. But I believe things will turn out for the better.
Sincerely,
Your Prestigious Protege, Trixie Lulamoon, the Great and Powerful, Mentor To Be

“I miss you, mom.”

Author's Note

This chapter wasn't easy for me. For starters, it went in a different direction than I originally planned. And then there's the fact that I was making myself cry as I write that scene. And that detail at the end being the cherry on top.

If you're still clutching your chest in heartache while reading the Author's Note, then I did my job well. But in all honesty, I doubt that this chapter affected you in the same way it affected me...

...yet.

But I do hope that that moment with Surprise helped to lighten the mood somewhat.