I flung a towel on the rack next to the shower as I stepped inside, pulling the curtain closed as I examined how it worked.

I was right about her house being the smallest in the town she had created. It was very Twilight, books lining the floors that I had a feeling she stole from the Canterlot library and the castle. Papers littered a desk in her room that were just a bunch of hypothesis’? Hypotheses? I’m not entirely sure how to say that word but you get my meaning.

I closed my eyes and turned the water on, accidentally letting out a loud content moan as I felt the water run over me.

How they had actual warm water was beyond me but I was damn grateful. I’m sure one of the many pegasi were responsible with using probably lightning or thunder clouds to warm up the water but I didn’t care at the moment.

I levitated a bottle of conditioner up to my nose, taking a sniff before pouring some into my coat. Smelling like lilies wasn’t my favorite scent but I’m not picky anymore. Conditioner is conditioner after all.

I continued rubbing it into my mane and sighed happily as I sat down, allowing the water to run over my face and mane. If I could, I’d sit in here forever and act like my entire world hadn’t fallen apart around me in, what almost a year now? It wasn’t two years, I know that much. It was hard to keep track after a while.

I turned the water off and shook my body to get the excess water off before I stepped out fully, levitating the towel around me. Twilight had allowed me to store my firearms in the spare room thankfully. I didn’t think anypony would steal them but can’t be too sure after all.

I paused in front of the mirror and looked at my reflection for the first time in a long time, my jaw slowly dropping.

I looked exhausted, Sweet Celestia. My purple eyes looked more tired than before and I had bags under my eyes. My makeup had long since faded off and I looked thinner than I ever have. The last time I looked this thin was at the orphanage as a filly that tended to under feed us.

“Where is my hat and cape?” I muttered as I looked around for the clothing, levitating a note that was taped to the door. “Trixie, we’ve taken your cape and hat to do some minor repairs along with your saddlebags. I left a makeup kit under the sink for you. Sincerely, Rarity.”

I crumpled up the note and tossed it in the trash can. I hadn’t even heard the door open but I was a bit more focused on getting clean.

I opened the sink cupboards and examined the makeup closer.

With a shrug, I went to work on applying it how I used to do it.

I stood in the makeshift street, feeling more like myself than I have recently as I looked around closer, idly counting each stallion and mare I saw.

There was a lot more than what I originally saw when Twilight had first shown me to her place along with a decent amount of kids.

“I’m looking for Rarity,” I said and Thunderlane stopped along with Cloudchaser and Flitter.

“She’s the third house next to the gate. She shares a living quarters with Suri. Those two are always fighting, especially late at night,” Cloudchaser pointed a hoof to another small house painted purple.

“Thank you,” I said and gave a grateful nod as I started to trot in that direction.

“Hey wait,” Thunderlane said as I looked back and he scuffed a hoof against the dirt. “You were in Ponyville recently, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“Did you see my brother, Rumble at all?”

“What did he look like?” I asked and shifted on my hooves.

“Gray pegasus, blackish gray mane, purple eyes, blank flank,” Flitter answered helpfully and she tightened her bow in her mane with her wing.

I paused and bit my lower lip as I tried to remember who all I had seen. The faces and names honestly started to blend together after a bit.

“Yes,” I said finally. “I’m sorry.”

Thunderlane slumped over the ground with Flitter and Cloudchaser on either side of him as they all looked at me.

“So he’s dead then,” Thunderlane sighed and shook his mane.

“If it makes you feel any better, I buried him in the school yard next to Button Mash and Sweetie Belle.”

“How in Equestria is that supposed to make us feel better?” Thunderlane snapped and I recoiled with my ears pressed against my skull. “He’s still dead. Burying him doesn’t do jack shit to any of us. It certainly doesn’t bring him back, so just go to Rarity and get on your way.”

I watched silently as the three started crying and I inhaled nervously.

“I’m very sorry for your loss,” I repeated quietly. Sorry for your loss was always a weird phrase to me. Loss usually meant you’d find what was missing. Death is a bit more permanent than just losing something for a few days or weeks.

I turned to leave and slammed muzzle first into a white unicorn giving me a small smile before she frowned slightly.

“There’s no need for that. Trixie did you a favor by at least giving your brother a proper burial along with my sister and I’m grateful to her for that,” Rarity chided and she narrowed her eyes angrily. “We may have not always seen eye to eye on matters, but I won’t tolerate that disrespect to her. I lost my dear Sweetie so you aren’t the only ponies in Equestria to have somepony you love die. Now we will leave you three to grieve in peace.”

I stared in stunned silence as Rarity turned around and starting trotting off, pulling me behind with her magic.

“I can walk,” I grumbled and I quit glowing blue as I turned to follow her. “Thank you for that back there.”

“Anytime darling. And I suppose a thanks is in order to you as well for how you handled my Sweeetie Belle,” Rarity mused as I watched her wipe her eyes with a tissue. “I would have done it myself but the idea of killing my sister, dead or not was a difficult thing to do.”

I didn’t entirely think of that. I didn’t have any siblings of my own but I suppose that made some sense. It was always a bit more difficult when it came to the kids compared to the adults if I’m being honest. I’m just internally glad there was no foals. Trixie isn’t that heartless, after all.

“I had to get out of that house. Suri was driving me up the wall and no amount of Coco trying to calm us down would have worked. Not even Fancy Pants was helpful,” Rarity scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Why Coco even agreed to date Suri is beyond me. At least Spikey got them to give me space.”

“Hm. An angry dragon would do that. Is he still short?” I asked with a smirk and Rarity matched it.

“Not really. He’s about your height now, give or take. Maybe a few inches shorter but I remember when he was only coming up to my chest,” Rarity snickered behind a hoof and I snorted. “Do you have any good gossip? There’s not much to gossip about her except Soarin and Fleetfoot sleeping together.”

“Those two?” I asked incredulously as I glanced down the street at the two walking together. I had heard a long time ago about the whole replacing him with Rainbow Dash incident. That had been all over the papers for a solid three weeks straight. Newspapers come up with the most wild titles ever. Wonderbolts split in two camps were one of the titles I remember seeing. “Huh. I don’t really have much gossip. Do you know how Rainbow died? She’s the faster thing in Equestria.”

Rarity scowled and I gulped nervously as she glanced at me for a moment before she sighed.

“Her damn loyalty is what got her killed,” Rarity growled and I raised an eyebrow. Rarity cursing was the last thing I’d ever imagined hearing. “I loved that mare like family but her loyalty, admirable as it was, was her greatest weakness. She refused to leave the rest of the Wonderbolts and Scootaloo behind, even the ponies that were dying. She even went back for Zephyr. I know Fluttershy was grateful for that but it got Rainbow killed. Apparently some pony got it stuck inside her head he could heal the dead ones.”

I could believe that. Rainbow Dash did preach loyalty like a religion almost. I could almost see her in a suit and tie, knocking on doors with a pamphlet asking to come inside and talk for five minutes.

I didn’t really do religion but I knew a lot of ponies did. Mainly the ones were viewed the Princesses like goddesses or something. I faintly remember there being a whole secret group specifically dedicated to Celestia that I heard her hating with a burning passion. Knowing the Princess of Friendship has it’s perks.

“I’m certain you’re eager to get your cape and hat back.”

“A bit yeah. I didn’t even hear you come in to the bathroom,” I commented and Rarity blushed slightly.

“Yes well, I knocked and said I was coming in but once I heard you moaning, I decided to just get your belongings and quickly leave you to your activities,” Rarity answered and looked away as I felt my face get hot.

“I wasn’t doing that!” I said hastily and shifted on my hooves. “I haven’t done that in months.”

“I see. Anyway, come inside,” Rarity opened a door and gestured me to follow her as she disappeared through the doorway and I faintly made out two ponies talking upstairs. “Fluttershy and Pinkie are dropping by Twilight’s later. All of Fluttershy’s animals were eaten so she’s been pretty upset by it but finding more ponies that aren’t dead always makes her happy.”

I nodded and quietly shut the door behind me, pausing to glance in the bed room at Spike snoring quietly in the bed with purple sheets and three diamonds stitched into it as I raised an eyebrow at Rarity. Spike did seem a bit bigger than I had last seen him.

“You and Spike, huh?” I tossed Rarity a smug grin. I had known about Spike being into her for months. Damn near sure the whole town had known about it. He was pretty much less than subtle about it.

“This ordeal made me think about a lot of things and well, Spike has always been there for me. He’s a nice dragon and a pretty decent lay,” Rarity admitted as I turned brighter red. “I never thought I’d tell anypony about that but he is. It took a bit to teach him but especially with him on top-”

“Okay, that’s enough down there, mkay?” Suri shouted down the stairs. Or well, a pony who I guessed was Suri based on the accent. Rarity did say she was a bit cultured sounding. “We don’t need to know the details of your sex life!”

I chuckled as Rarity scowled up the stairs.

“What Suri means is isolation is making you more explicit!” Another mare shouted as I raised an eyebrow.

“My roommates,” Rarity said flatly and rolled her eyes. “Suri and Coco Pommel. They’re a hoofful at times. Especially Suri.”

“I heard that!”

Rarity gave a frustrated groan as I bit back a laugh as some fillies and a colt ran past laughing. Hearing that noise was so foreign now. I never thought I’d say that. I used to laugh damn near all the time. I feel way too serious now. I need a drink of something hard.

“Ignore them,” Rarity told me as she led me to a bench. My face lit up at my hat and cape sitting on it.

“Holy shit,” I breathed out in awe. “It’s so clean and you fixed all the holes and tears.”

“Don’t let the fake posh act fool you! She screamed fuck for a solid thirty minutes last night!” Suri shouted and Rarity glared at the stairs.

“I really hate that mare some days. Anyway, your cape and hat. I took some liberties of adding some extra designs,” Rarity levitated my cape up and my jaw slowly dropped. “I hope you don’t mind but I added Starlight’s cutie mark onto it next to yours.”

I stayed silent as I gently ran a hoof over the cutie mark slowly and Rarity shifted nervously.

“Darling?”

“I love it,” I answered finally and I hugged the cape. “Thanks Rarity.”

“It was an honor darling. The three of us jumped on it pretty fast for you. Starlight was my friend too and you have my condolences,” Rarity smiled faintly and levitated my hat on my head. “Now you look a lot like the Trixie I used to know.”

I smiled and I placed my cape on. She had even shined the gem on the clasp as I reared back on my hind legs and hugged her.

If I had bits for how many times I’d been hugged by an Element of Harmony, I’d have two bits.

It’s not a lot but I’ll admit, it’s nice to be hugged again. You don’t know how much you miss something until it’s gone.

Rarity gave me a surprised look before she hugged me back.

Author's Note

I'm not gonna lie, it's 2:36 am and I'm writing this, the nose piece of my glasses broke off and fell on my eye, I fucking freaked and thought it was a bug, flinging it across my room. Shit was awful and I feel so stupid now😂😂.

I honestly didn't really think think this story would get as much attention. I don't really do horror much but if this does well I might do it more.