The train’s PA system rang throughout the cars, alerting the passengers within that the train was nearing its next stop: the Foal Mountain station. The announcement caused Rainbow Dash to stir about on the bench she was lying down and let out a loud yawn.

“Tired much?” Trixie asked as she looked up from her crossword puzzle, having given up on solving it about ten minutes ago in favour of glaring at it and silently whispering death threats to whoever made the darn thing. “What, you didn’t sleep well last night?”

“… Eh, it was alright. I just get so bored on these things…” Rainbow Dash said, sitting up straight and looking outside the window to her left.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie slept pleasantly, thank you for asking,” Trixie said after a long moment of silence.

“Yeah, I got that,” Rainbow said, shuddering as she recalled her encounter with Trixie at the train station earlier that day. It was clear that Trixie had slept well and was feeling very energetic that morning, and that she was also in the mood for a quick repeat of last night’s activities. Of course, Rainbow Dash wasn’t too pleased that this was how she had to introduce Trixie to her father, but at least he seemed okay with it…

“Your father’s a cool guy,” Trixie said, placing down her crossword and grinning at her new marefriend. “With a lot of interesting stories.”

“I thought I told you to forget everything you heard,” Rainbow said quickly, in a harsh tone.

“Too bad he could never show Trixie the pictures he told her about. Trixie would have loved to see what baby Dashie looked like.” Rainbow’s glare intensified as Trixie’s grin grew wider and wider. “Hey, at least he accepts our relationship, right? I mean, after the initial, what, fifteen minute freak-out? He seemed pretty cool with it after that.”

Rainbow’s expression softened and she lay back down, resting her head against her hooves. “Dad’s always been a super laidback guy. My grandma tried to force him into joining the Royal Guard, so he always tried to give me as much freedom as I wanted. He only ever gets strict when I do something majorly illegal.”

“‘Majorly’?” Trixie asked, wondering where exactly the line was supposed to be drawn.

“Yeah. Like, drunken flying is fine, but theft is just not cool.”

Trixie hummed as she thought about it in her head. “Well then, you probably won’t be happy to hear that’s mostly how Trixie has been surviving this past year.”

Rainbow grimaced and turned to face Trixie. “Well… I guess you couldn’t really help it. You… didn’t steal too much, right?”

Trixie put a hoof to her chain. “Does robbing a bank count?” She saw Rainbow’s eyes widen, and quickly burst into laughter. “Oh, please! You think Trixie would have been rationing an orange if she had robbed a bank?”

“Then what did you steal?”

“Oh, you know. Food, in towns with little security. Water, from travelling merchants.” Trixie leaned forward and gave the Pegasus a sly grin, making her feel a little uneasy. “You.”

“Blech!” Rainbow gagged, sticking her tongue out of her mouth. “C’mon, that was just terrible!”

“Awwww… Is Dashie embarrassed by a little affection?”

“And stop calling me that! It’s too… sappy…” Rainbow Dash turned her head away as she felt her face heating up. “At least just stick to ‘Dash’ or something.”

“‘Stick to Dashie’? Well, if you insist.” Trixie jumped off of her own bench opposite to Rainbow Dash and sat down on the floor in front of her marefriend, before leaning over and resting her head on the Pegasus’ body, treating it as if it were a pillow. “Hmmm… Perhaps Trixie shall take a nap after all…”

“Oh, come on!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she rolled around. “You know that isn’t what I said!”

“Can’t hear you, don’t care,” Trixie said as she snuggled deeper into Rainbow’s said. “Dashie, have you ever considered becoming a fulltime pillow? You might just be the most comfortable thing the Great and Powerful Trixie has ever rested her head on.”

“Alright, alright! Get off already!” Rainbow shouted as she reached forward to push Trixie back, pushing her horn as it was the only thing within reach at the time. “And no smart comments on how I said that last night!”

Trixie, however, was too stunned by the sudden contact against her horn to make such a comment. A jolt passed through her body upon the contact, and she could not hold back a pleasant yelp as she quickly backed away from the oblivious Pegasus. “Dash! In public, of all places?!” Trixie asked, her face now burning and glowing a bright red as she reached her forehooves up to guard her horn.

Rainbow Dash was taken aback by the sudden outburst. She was not expecting such a reaction, but now that she had received it, she could see an opening to turn the tables on this showmare. “Oh? You mean it’s true that Unicorn horns are… sensitive?”

Trixie’s face scrunched up as she detected the teasing tone in Rainbow’s voice. “Well, not all of them. But Trixie’s is- AH! NO!”

“Too late,” Rainbow said as she rolled off of her bench, now standing on her hooves and approaching Trixie with a sultry look on her face.

“W-Wait! You can’t be thinking of doing such things here, can you? …”

“Oh, no,” Rainbow said as she finished closing in on Trixie, grabbing the showmare’s hooves with her own and using her superior physical strength to move them away. “Just gonna remember it for later, that’s all. Well, maybe a little taste, for now…” She leaned in and gave the horn a quick lick, finding that it actually tasted rather nice. Like blueberries, which was made even more amusing to Rainbow Dash based on Trixie’s blue-coloured coat.

Trixie felt another jolt through her body, this one much more powerful than the last, and fired a quick teleportation spell to get away. In doing so, she appeared in the middle of a running stallion’s path, who collided with Trixie without much warning.

Rainbow watched as a grey coated Earth Pony stallion with a short brown tail and a bowler hat concealing his mane, crashed into Trixie’s side, knocking her over. The stallion himself seemed to be fine after the collision.

After knocking the sudden mare in front of him the floor, the stallion stopped to help her up, extending a hoof for her to hold. “Oh my, I’m sorry about that Ms.! I was in a hurry you see, and-”

Trixie batted the offered hoof away and pushed herself to her hooves, righting her lopsided hat and brushing the dust off of her coat. “You shouldn’t be running around like that inside a train! What are you, five?!”

The stallion flinched and took a step back. “Again, I’m terribly sorry. But you see, my son is missing somewhere on this train, and I’ve searched all over but cannot find him!”

“How old’s your son?” Rainbow Dash asked. The stallion responded by taking out a photograph of himself, a mare, and a small colt that looked vaguely familiar to Rainbow Dash. He had a white coat with a few brown spots, a short brown tail, a combed-back brown mane, very fancy clothes… “AH! That’s Pip!”

“You know my son?!” the stallion asked as he put the picture away.

“Yeah, I pranked him last Nightmare Night! Man, you should’ve seen the look on his face!” Rainbow laughed as she recalled the event, bringing a confused look to the stallion’s face. When she calmed down, she said: “Man, he looks so much different in that photo!”

The stallion nodded. “Yes. I let him dress like that for Nightmare Night only. Our family has quite an image to keep, after all. Oh, I’m sorry, we haven’t been introduced. My name is Earl Grey. My friends call me Pap Squeak.” Earl Grey offers his hoof to Rainbow Dash. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. …”

“Rainbow Dash,” Rainbow said, returning the stallion’s offer with a hoofbump. Earl Grey seemed confused by the shortest hoofshake he had ever received, whilst Trixie was snickering. Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes at the laughing mare. “And that’s Trixie.”

“Right, well, I’m sorry again, but I really have to find my son. Our stop is coming up soon!”

“You sure he’s not looking for you, and your moving around is making it harder for him?” Rainbow asked.

Early Grey shook his head. “I’m positive! I told him to meet me back at the lunch car thirty minutes ago! He’s always been so punctual, usually arriving early just in case! Something must have happened to him, I just know it!”

“Easy!” Rainbow said to the hyperventilating pony. “Deep breaths now. Trixie, you were actually awake this whole time. Did you see anything?”

Trixie put a hoof to her chin as she tried to recall her journey. Her minds quickly started to drift to images of the lunch car, which only served to remind her that she hadn’t eaten yet today. As she pictured all the wonderful foods that should be on display out there, her stomach began to rumble. With the bits she received from the previous day’s show, she would actually be able to afford to-

“Trixie?” Trixie snapped out of her thoughts as she heard Rainbow’s voice. “Well?”

“Uh, Trixie cannot say that she did,” Trixie said, earning a sigh from both the stallion and Rainbow Dash. “But, perhaps we could help you look for him.”

“We could?” Rainbow asked, still feeling a little tired and not sure if she wanted to go look around the train for a child who had probably just lost track of time.

“Of course. Weren’t you complaining earlier about how boring train rides are? Well, now we have something to do.”

“Please, if you can find my son, I would be so grateful,” Earl Grey said to Trixie.

“Say no more! Dashie, you go with Earl Grey here and search down that way.” Trixie pointed down the path that Earl Grey was running in when he bumped into her. “Trixie will take the opposite direction, in case you just happened to miss your son in your haste.”

“Very well. If you find him, please take him to the lunch car and wait for me there.”

Trixie nodded and tipped her hat. “But of course. Well then, see you later Dash!” Trixie galloped down the train car before Rainbow Dash could say anything to her. As she ran, she licked her lips. Already she could taste the apple fritters and cinnamon waffles.

The lunch car was not quite as glamorous as Trixie was expecting it to be, and the food there didn’t look or smell all that appealing, either. The apple fritters crumbled far too easily, the cinnamon waffles barely tasted cinnamon at all, and the hay fries were clearly undercooked. All-in-all, a huge disappointment for the showmare who had never seen the inside of a train except for in films before.

As Rainbow Dash entered the lunch car and looked around, sure enough, she found Trixie sitting at one of the tables, nursing a hay smoothie and examining herself in a small pocket mirror. “I knew it!” Rainbow said as she approached the showmare’s table, startling Trixie and almost causing her to choke on her drink. “I knew you were just gonna come here and stuff your face!”

Trixie harrumphed as she watched Rainbow Dash take a seat opposite to her. “Well, excuse Trixie if she was merely hungry after a lengthy search for this colt who may or may not even exist!”

“So you’re saying you actually searched high and low for him then?” Rainbow asked as she reached over and grabbed a few chips from Trixie’s basket.

Trixie used her magic to pull the basket closer to herself and further away from Rainbow Dash. “And even somewhere in the middle. I’m telling you, that colt does not exist.”

“You mean the one right behind you?”

“Where?!” Trixie quickly spun around, scanning her eyes across the entire lunch car. When she heard the sounds of laughter behind her, she knew that she had just been tricked by the crafty Pegasus and was about to turn back to give her a piece of her mind, when suddenly… “Huh, you were right.”

Rainbow’s laughter stopped, in favour of giving the back of Trixie’s head a deadpan stare. “Yeah, nice try. I’m gonna fall for-”

“No, really,” Trixie said, turning back and moving her head aside so that Rainbow Dash could see. “He’s right over there…”

Rainbow’s eyes widened as she saw that Pip was indeed behind Trixie, sitting at a table with three stallions, all in trench coats, and all wearing hats and fedora hats. “What? But Pap said that he wasn’t here!”

Trixie shrugged. “He must have missed him. Or perhaps he got lost and those three escorted him here, and are now waiting for their reward.”

“… I don’t think so,” Rainbow Dash said. “He looks kinda nervous… Scared, even.”

Trixie turned back to face the colt behind her, who was shaking in his seat as she stared down at the table he was at, his eyes wide and his pupils were shrunk to the size of pinpricks. “… Something doesn’t seem right about all this.”

“No duh. I’m gonna go check this out.”

“You’re going to stay right there and not move.” Rainbow Dash stopped rising as she felt something pressed against her back. Something cold. Something metallic. A mare’s voice accompanied it. “Where’s Earl Grey?”

“Who are you?” Rainbow Dash asked, remaining perfectly still as she felt the object being pressed into her back. “What are you doing with Pipsqueak over there?”

“Just stay quiet, and nopony has to get hurt.” Trixie watched as the mare behind Rainbow Dash, whose face was hidden beneath a black veil, turn to face her. “You there, go and bring Sir- Earl Grey here.”

“And if Trixie refuses?” Trixie asked coolly before taking a sip of her drink.

“Perhaps you don’t see this in my hoof?” the mare asked as she pulled her hoof back, revealing nothing but air. “What?!”

“You mean this?” Trixie asked as she held up a small metal rod. “Sorry, was this yours? You can have it back.” Releasing the rod, a purple light surrounded it and suspended it in the air for a second, before the rod launched forward and struck the mare’s shoulder.

Rainbow Dash took the opening to spin around and kick the mare in the face, sending her flying backwards and crashing into another couple’s table. As she did so, the stallions seated with Pip turned around to see what the commotion was all about, only to see a purple light moving quickly their way.

Trixie laughed and stepped forward as her magic suspended the three stallions in the air. “Well, Trixie was going to suggest something more subtle, but I suppose that this works too.”

“W-What are you doing?! Release us at once!” one of the stallions demanded.

“Nice work Trix!” Rainbow complimented as she walked up to Trixie’s side. “Pip, are you okay?”

“Uh…” Pip looked at the three stallions nervously for a second, before suddenly being lifted out of his chair by Rainbow Dash. “W-Wait! Miss Rainbow Dash, I-”

“It’s okay. You’re safe now.” Rainbow Dash shot a glare at the stallion that was sitting next to Pipsqueak. “You three, on the other hoof…”

“How shall we deal with them?” Trixie asked, sending a deviant grin the Pegasus’ way. “Perhaps you have a request for the Great and Powerful Trixie?”

“Easy, Trix,” Rainbow said as she lowered Pip to the floor. “Let’s at least get the kid to his dad first.”

“Pipsqueak!” The two mares and one colt turned around at the sound of Earl Grey’s voice behind them. “There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you! Where have you been?”

“P-Papa… I was-”

“Fear no longer,” Trixie told the stallion as he approached his son. “The Great and Powerful Trixie, and Dash here…” Trixie gestured her head to the Pegasus standing beside her, who shot her a sidelong glare in return. “… Were both able to successfully stop this attempted abduction of your son.”

“Abduction?!” Early Grey shouted in shock, looking over to the three stallions suspended in midair. “… Helping Hoof, what is the meaning of this?”

“What?!” Rainbow Dash looked between the two stallions. “You mean, you know these guys?”

“I sure do. Helping Hoof, Fine Cuisine, and Hawk Eye are all my servants, whom I have paid to look after and protect my son!” The two mares looked at the three stallions in shock for a second. “Now I hear you were attempting to abduct him? After all I have done for you, this is how you repay-”

“I asked them to!” Pipsqueak shouted, silencing his father and gaining his attention. “I asked them to stage a foalnapping, papa. I-I’m sorry…”

“Pip…” Earl Grey lowered to his haunches to talk to his son at eyelevel. “Why would you do such a thing, boy?”

“Because, you’re always busy with work, or out at meetings, and you’re always leaving me behind and cancelling our plans together. And when was the last time you watched one of my piano recitals?”

“Pip, I know it’s hard, but I promise you, things will be better soon.” Earl Grey leaned forward to hug his son. “I’m sorry, Pip. Just give me a little more time… We can spend a lot more time together soon, but with your mother gone, I have to work twice as hard to clear this huge debt by myself. Otherwise, I’ll risk losing you, too.”

“… P-Papa… I’m sorry…”

“I’m sorry too, son…”

Whilst the train car filled with ‘aww’s and the sounds of pony sniffing back their tears, Rainbow Dash simply averted her eyes from the spectacle, putting on a cool face to her marefriend. “Eh, all’s well that ends well, I suppose.” Rainbow noticed Trixie grinning her way. “… What?”

“… You can cry, y’know?” Trixie said in a teasing tone, leaning in closer. “A little sympathy won’t kill you.”

“Pfft! Get real. I don’t do sappy,” Rainbow Dash declared, folding her forelegs and turning away.

“Um, excuse me.” Trixie turned her attention back to the stallions being suspended in her magical aura. “If it is not too much trouble, perhaps, you could let us down now?”

“And call a doctor to look at Rosemary, too.”

“Rosemary?” Trixie asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes, Master Pipsqueak’s maid. She’s, uh… over there, on top of that table.”

Trixie’s eyes shot open as she remembered the mare that had approached herself and Rainbow Dash before they confronted the three stallions. Spinning around quickly, she could see many ponies gathering around the unconscious mare on the collapsed table. “… Oops…”

“Oh my gosh, we’re so, so sorry about that!” Rainbow Dash quickly told Earl Grey, who simply waved his hoof dismissively at the two.

“I’m sure it’s fine. Rosemary is always getting into accidents and hurting herself, and I’m sure she was just taking her little role as Pipsqueak’s foalnapper too far. So I won’t press charges…”

“Cool! Sweet! Well then, we had best be on our way, don’t you think so Rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow Dash nodded quickly as she flapped her wings to lift up into the air. “Yeah, I guess you guys wanna spend some father-son time together. We’ll just be getting’ out of your hair now.”

One smoke bomb later, and the two mares vanished from sight, along with the magic that was keeping the three stallions in the air. Early Grey looked around, but couldn’t find any sight of either Rainbow Dash or Trixie.

“Huh… That’s a shame. I was going to pay them for their troubles…”

“Man, I’m beat now!” Rainbow Dash declared as she lay back down onto her bench, yawning loudly and stretching her hooves outwards. “And still another two hours until we get to Ponyville.”

Trixie groaned as she watched the Pegasus closing her eyes and preparing to take yet another nap. “You are truly the most useless travel companion ever. Trixie was hoping we could have some fun before we arrived at your town.”

“Maybe later. Sleep first.”

Trixie paused for a moment, and then shrugged. “Very well then. The Great and Powerful Trixie is going to go to the restroom. If you wish to join her, you have five minutes.”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow as she watched the showmare walk away. ‘‘Join her’? Why would I want to-’ Then it hit her. What Trixie was inviting Rainbow Dash to do behind a closed door, in a cramped space, in private… away from prying eyes… ‘… Two hours to kill? I got plenty of time to sleep.’

With a grin, Rainbow Dash jumped off of her bench and walked nonchalantly through the train car, following the direction that Trixie had went moments earlier.

Author's Notes:

Chapter four was originally supposed to take place when Trixie and Rainbow Dash arrive in Ponyville. This has now been moved to chapter five, and I made this little extra chapter as an apology for the update taking so long (didn't feel that long, I swear :S).

Also, credit to my friend Navi for coming up with the name Pap Squeak for Pipsqueak's dad. I liked both Pap Squeak and Earl Grey, so I decided to incorporate both :P