Roadrunner raced across the desert at super-high speeds, not a care in the world as he left a trail of dust behind him during his journey. Unbeknownst to him, a pair of scheming eyes were watching from afar, through a pair of binoculars, atop a large mountain.

Wile E. Coyote tapped a finger to his chin as he watched his prey move, and then shifted his gaze towards the boulder in the distance. An idea hit the dastardly coyote, and he rubbed his hands together as a light bulb appeared above his head.

After climbing down from his viewing spot and obtaining some cans of paint, Wile E. Coyote made quick work of painting a tunnel upon the face of the boulder, stopping for a moment to admire his work before stepping off the side to hide behind some cacti, unfortunately pricking himself in the process.

“Beep beep!” That sound told Wile E. that Roadrunner was closing in, and he licked his lips as he watched from his hiding spot as Roadrunner… ran through the painted tunnel on the face of the boulder.

Shocked and confused, Wile E. quickly gave chase, desperate to ensure that his dinner would not get away. He examined the painted tunnel for a moment, and then charged full speed towards it, stopping instantaneously as he collided with the boulder and falling back slowly, his teeth cracked and stars flying around his head.

Pinkie Pie fell onto her back and held her stomach as she laughed out loud, snorting a few times and kicking her legs too. On her left side, Pumpkin cake was also laughing, thought not quite as spiritedly as the pink mare beside her was, on the Pinkie Pie’s right, Pound Cake also cheered for a moment, before his attention shifted towards the lettered blocks in front of him, which he began to stack up one-by-one.

“Pinkie Pie, we’ll be opening up shop soon!” Mrs. Cake called as she poked her head out of the kitchen. “Could you set up the display window for me please?”

Pinkie Pie immediately straightened out and rose to her hooves. “Okey-dokey-lokey!” With a spring in her step, Pinkie Pie cantered across the room towards the kitchen, leaving the twins to their cartoon.

As soon as she entered the kitchen, Pinkie Pie was given a stack of boxes containing the cakes that would be put on display that day, which included standard samples of treats such as regular everyday cupcakes of varying flavours, but there were also a few ‘special’ treats that had a limited stock. Once they were all on her back, Pinkie Pie left the kitchen and made her way to the window at the store’s front.

The store opened up the second Pinkie Pie was finished with her task, and only thirty minutes passed before its first customers of the day had arrived. This of course earned the couple that had entered the store a special shower of confetti and some on-the-house cupcakes from the energetic mare working the counter.

“Congratulations! You two are the first-” Pinkie Pie stopped as she got a better look at her first two customers, and her grin grew even wider. “Oh, hey Rainbow Dash, Trixie Lulamoon!”

“Just Trixie,” Trixie said as she stepped inside and looked around the shop, nodding her head as she regarded the decoration and the all of the tasty-looking treats lying around. “Or ‘the Great and Powerful Trixie’.”

“You don’t like your last name?” Pinkie asked with a tilt of her head.

“It’s just a mouthful in conversation,” Trixie explained.

“Oh, okay then! Anyway, welcome to Sugarcube Corner! Home of the finest baked treats in all of Ponyville!”

Rainbow Dash stepped to the side of Trixie and gave her a confused look. “Wait, hold on. ‘Trixie Lulamoon’ is too long, but ‘the Great and Powerful Trixie’ is just fine?”

“That is what Trixie just said,” Trixie confirmed.

“Yeah. What’s the confusion, Rainbow Dash?” Pinkie asked, causing the Pegasus to freeze up and regard the two with a look of complete bewilderment.

“Just kidding,” Trixie said with a grin, causing Rainbow to sigh, but also to regard her with an annoyed look.

“Well I wasn’t,” Pinkie said with a frown. “What’s the dealio?”

“Hey, Pinkie,” Rainbow spoke up, “Mind getting us some of those special friend cupcakes?”

Trixie gave Rainbow Dash an odd look at the way she put emphasis on those last two words, whilst Pinkie Pie simply nodded with a smile and ran off towards the kitchen. “What are ‘friend cupcakes’?”

“You’ll see. So, what d’ya think? Pretty nice place, huh?” The two had woken up early that morning so that Rainbow Dash could give Trixie a tour of where she lived, and she had decided that the first place they should stop was Sugarcube Corner. “Make sure you eat a lot, ‘cause we’re not stopping for lunch!”

“Trixie will keep that in mind. And as for this place, Trixie must agree. It is pretty… sweet.” Rainbow Dash groaned and slammed a hoof into her face, whilst Trixie simply pointed her nose into the air and smiled proudly at her witty remark.

“Don’t quit your day job, Trix.” Trixie harrumphed and took a seat at a nearby table, followed by Rainbow Dash who took a seat opposite her. “Y’know, this’s actually my second favourite place in all of Ponyville to hang out.”

“Really? What’s your first favourite?”

“On a cloud, of course.”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Of course. Ponyville is actually a lot bigger than Trixie remembers. Are you sure we can tour the whole thing in just one day?”

Rainbow Dash answered with a grin and a flap of her wings. “Hey, fastest flyer in all of Equestria here! Trust me, one day is more than enough time to give you the grand tour.”

“And where are we going to after this?”

“After this, the next stop is Fluttershy’s place. I need to pick up Tank, after all.”

“Tank?” Trixie asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, Tank. He’s my pet tortoise. Fastest tortoise in the world!”

“What, does he have a rocket-powered engine in his shell?” Trixie asked in a teasing tone. “Trixie finds it hard to believe that somepony who prides herself in her speed would go for a pet as slow as that. Not to mention it can’t fly.”

Rainbow Dash simply grinned as Pinkie Pie approached their table, carrying on her back a small cardboard box. “You’ll see. Anyway, looks like your cupcakes are ready.”

“Here ya go!” Pinkie crouched down and bounced back up, springing the box up into the air and causing it to land on the table in-between the two mares. “Hope you like ‘em! My friends “helped” me make them!”

Trixie gave the pink mare a questioning gaze, before turning her attention back to the box. “Well, compared to the… nothing that Trixie has been living off of for the past year, they are sure to be-” Trixie stopped as she opened the box and stared wide-eyed at the contents inside.

There were four cupcakes inside the box. One yellow, one purple, one white, and one orange, and each one had a different pattern on them. A pattern each resembling a certain Cutie Mark that Trixie knew belonged to mares of corresponding colours. What’s more, feathers seemed to be scatted around the purple and yellow cupcakes, small white fragments that looked like bones to the showmare were sticking out of the cupcakes, and there were red splatters painted around the inside of the box.

“W-W-W-What the?!” Trixie looked back up at Pinkie Pie, who seemed to be holding in some intense laughter. It finally broke out, along with Rainbow’s beside her. As the two mares continued to laugh together, using each other for support so that they didn’t fall onto the ground, Trixie examined the cupcakes much more closely.

‘Frosting,’ Trixie thought to herself as she touched the red inside the box. ‘And these feathers and bones are just icing. The Cutie Marks patterns are just sugar paper.’

“Man, that was great!” Rainbow Dash said as she wiped a tear from her eye, finally able to breathe again and bump a hoof with Pinkie Pie’s. “You should’ve seen your face! It was priceless!”

Trixie simply narrowed her eyes as she stared at the two, calm now that she had realised it was just a trick. “Yeah, hilarious,” she responded in a sarcastic tone. “Trixie admits, it all looks real. Especially this eyeball here.”

Pinkie Pie seemed confused at that. “Eyeball? What eyeball?”

Trixie turned the box around, and both Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash looked inside to find a small eyeball resting atop one of the cupcakes, its nerves still connected to the back of it and trailing off down the side of the cupcake. Before either of them could question what it was, the eyeball rolled over to meet their own eyes and blinked a few times.

Both mares yelped and jumped back, only realising moments later, when Trixie’s laughter filled the room, that it was fake. “Now those faces are priceless,” Trixie said as she reached into the box and took out the fake eyeball, stuffing it back into her cape before going back in for one of the cupcakes.

Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure what to say. She hadn’t expected Trixie to retaliate with a prank of her own, let alone one that actually worked. Pinkie Pie, however, knew exactly how to respond: smile and laugh.

“Wow, that was neat! Where’d you get it?”

“Trixie picked it up one Nightmare Night, long ago. It seems development was banned because it was scaring children too much.”

“Something was banned for scaring children… on Nightmare Night?” Rainbow asked. “Isn’t that the whole point?”

Trixie simply shrugged. “That’s how it works up in Canterlot. Ponies find the stupidest things to complain about. Why, there was even one Hearth’s Warming where parents tried to ban sweets because one child had too much sugar.”

“THAT’S CRAZY!” Pinkie Pie shouted, at a volume so high, so intense, that the wind it produced blew the cupcake out of Trixie’s hoof and past her head. “Ban sweets?! Too much sugar?! I just- I don’t- How-”

“Easy there!” Rainbow said, grabbing a nearby brown paper bag and offering it to her pink friend. “Breathe, Pinkie!”

Pinkie Pie grabbed the bag and started hyperventilating into it. Trixie watched uncomfortably for a few seconds. “Uh, i-if it helps, it ended in complete failure. The vast majority of the city agreed that banning sweets was just ridiculous.”

“Which side were you on?!” Pinkie Pie shouted, her head buried within the paper bag. She closed in on Trixie and pointed a hoof at her, and although Trixie could not see her, she was sure that Pinkie Pie was giving her a harsh glare. “Pro-sweet or anti-sweet?!”

Trixie was confused, and it took a few seconds for the question to properly sink in. Although she still wasn’t sure what was going on, she still had enough information to supply an answer to the crazy mare’s question. “P-Pro?”

A moment of silence passed, and was followed by Pinkie Pie removing the bag from her head, to show her smiling face once more. “Okey-dokey-lokey!” she said in a cheerful voice, before turning around and skipping towards the counter. “I have to get back to work, but it was great seeing you guys! We should hang out later!”

“Uh, sure…” Trixie watched as Pinkie Pie made her way back towards her counter, where there was a stallion waiting to be served. Trixie leaned over her table to whisper to Rainbow Dash. “Hey, Dashie.”

“Yeah?”

“That pony… Trixie doesn’t have to hang out with her, right?”

Rainbow Dash snickered at the question, but not because of the question itself. “Yeah, I get where you’re comin’ from. But trust me, you give her a chance, and she’ll be one of the coolest ponies you know. Second only to me, of course.”

“… If you say so,” Trixie said as she leaned back in her seat, not at all convinced by Rainbow’s claim. She lifted up her second cupcake from the box and took a bite, which caused her eyes to widen and her lips to curl up into a smile. “Oh my word… this tastes great!”

After finishing up their cupcakes and saying their goodbyes to Pinkie Pie, Trixie and Rainbow Dash left the bakery to head towards their next destination: Fluttershy’s cottage.

“So in which direction does your friend Butterfly live?” Trixie asked as she glanced around the town, acting as casual as possible as she scanned for any ponies giving her strange looks.

“Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash corrected.

“Yes, her. Trixie imagines, based on her personality, it would be in a quiet part of the town.”

“Welllll… not exactly,” Rainbow said, drawing a puzzled look from Trixie. “Here, lemme show ya.” Flapping her wings to gain lift, Rainbow Dash reached down and wrapped her forelegs around Trixie, lifting the mare up into the air before she could form any words of protest against the action.

“H-Hey!” Trixie shouted as she watched the ground beneath her getting further and further away.

“There!” Rainbow said, motioning with her head the direction that she wanted Trixie to look. “Y’see that small house on the hilltop in the distance?”

“The one with all of the birds flying around it and… is that a bear? And a floating ball of pink clouds?”

“Oh, yeah. That’s Discord’s guest room,” Rainbow Dash said with an exasperated sigh. “Anyway, that’s Fluttershy’s place.”

“Hold on. By Discord, you mean-”

“And all the animals around it are there because Fluttershy takes care of them.”

“Is she a vet, or just-”

“Anyway, you’re right about it being in a place that’s quiet, but as you can see it’s not exactly in the town.”

“Do not ignore Trixie!” Trixie shouted, her body flashing purple for a second, before disappearing and reappearing upon a nearby cloud. “The Great and Powerful Trixie demands to know: why does she live so far outside of town?”

“Well, I guess she just likes the peace and quiet,” Rainbow said with a shrug, landing gently upon the same cloud. “Besides, you really think she’d be allowed to have all those animals around inside the town?”

“… Trixie sees your point,” Trixie said, flicking her mane aside as she stared at the house in the distance. Suddenly, an idea passed through Trixie’s head, and she turned to grin at the Pegasus sitting beside her. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has just thought of something fun we could do.”

“Great!” Rainbow said, jumping up and flapping her wings. “Fun things are my favourite things!”

“Well, Trixie was thinking…” Trixie channelled her magic through her horn, and a faint purple light enveloped the cloud beneath her, “… Maybe the two of us could racetothecottagelastonethere’saparaspriteGO!”

Before Rainbow Dash could completely decode what Trixie had just said, the light around the cloud brightened suddenly, and the cloud zipped past the Pegasus, Trixie still sitting upon it and looking back at Rainbow Dash with her tongue sticking out.

When Rainbow took the time to unravel what Trixie had said, her eyes narrowed, and a grin formed on her face. “Oh, you want a race? You got a race!” A rainbow trail was left behind as Rainbow Dash lived up to her namesake, speeding through the air at such a high speed that she caught up to Trixie in no time at all. “Hey there, slowpoke! What’s up, cloud a little heavy?”

“Perhaps so. Trixie will have to remedy that.” The purple glow around the cloud brightened again, and a moment later a torrent of water shot out of the cloud, aimed at Rainbow Dash and hitting her squarely.

“Whoa! Hey, that’s cheating!”

“All’s fair in love and war!” Trixie retorted as she increased the level of magic she was using, causing the cloud to travel faster.

“Oh, well in that case…” Rainbow Dash altered her flight path to grab a hold of a nearby cloud, and then moved back to pursuing Trixie. Once again, water was fired her way as she closed in on the Unicorn, but this time Rainbow Dash was prepared. The water was absorbed into her cloud, and once the torrent was over, she dashed through the enlarged cloud and made a break for Trixie’s.

Trixie was startled by what she saw, and attempted to fire another torrent of water at her, but did not have the time as Rainbow Dash collided with the cloud, causing it to dissipate instantly. Before Trixie could even begin to fall, she was caught by a pair of blue outstretched forelegs.

“That’s playing dirty,” Trixie said with a pout, moving a hoof to her head to prevent her hat from blowing off into the wind.

“All’s fair in love and war,” Rainbow replied with a wink.

Trixie blushed and turned her head to the side with a huff. “… You’re just lucky you’re cute.”

Rainbow cocked her head to the side. “You mean ‘cool’, right?”

“Trixie knows what she said. By the way, if we keep going like this it’ll be a tie.”

“We’ll see.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by-”

“Ah, we’re almost there! Brace yourself.” Rainbow Dash leaned in order to descend very quickly towards the ground. Though she wouldn’t admit it out loud, Trixie grew panicked as she saw the ground closing in on her and held a firm grip around Rainbow’s neck. For a moment, Rainbow Dash almost reconsidered her next course of action, instead opting to raise her forelegs to move Trixie closer and let their faces touch as they landed.

Then she saw Fluttershy, who had turned her head up from her flower patch and was now looking directly at them. Now it became a matter of saving face in front of her friend, and ‘plan A’ took priority. Slowing down a bit, Rainbow turned around and released Trixie, using her forelegs to pry Trixie’s open and make her fall onto the ground. Her next move was turning back and dashing towards the finish line, touching down onto the ground mere inches from Fluttershy.

“Hah! I win!” Rainbow declared, turning back and shooting a victorious grin Trixie’s way. “Better luck next time, Trix!”

Trixie picked herself up off of the ground and dusted herself off, using her magic to readjust her hat and straighten out her cape. “How dare you?! Throwing Trixie into the dirt is like cursing towards one of the Royal Sisters!” Trixie walked slowly over to where the two Pegasi were standing. “Not to mention you bruised the Great and Powerful Trixie’s rump. How is she supposed to perform a show if she cannot even move?”

“Ah, quit your whining. I’ll kiss your booboo for ya later,” Rainbow said, freezing in place as she remember that Fluttershy was standing right behind her. “Er, what I mean is, I, I, I…”

“Oh, good morning Rainbow Dash, Trixie,” Fluttershy said, sending a warm smile towards the approaching Unicorn. “Are you okay? I’m sorry. Rainbow can be a little competitive, but she usually makes up for it later…”

“Oh? How so?” Trixie asked.

“Well, there was the time she modelled saddles for Rarity after she broke her roof.” Rainbow’s eyes widened and she quickly waved her hooves in the air, signalling for Fluttershy to say no more. Unfortunately, Fluttershy did not seem to notice. “And then the time she helped me to read a bedtime story for Ms. Mouse and her children. Oh, it was so sweet, and Ms. Mouse was practically begging for her to read to her again.”

“Interesting,” Trixie said as she finally approached the two. She rose up onto her hind legs and draped her forelegs over Rainbow’s body, leaning on her to relieve some of the pain from her behind. “Well, Trixie can certainly think of a few ways for Dashie to ‘make up’ for this.”

“Trust me, she’s a very hard worker,” Fluttershy said with a smile.

“I know,” Trixie replied. “Oh trust me, I know.”

Fluttershy looked confused for a second, before she noticed the blush on Rainbow’s face and the sly grin on Trixie’s, and put two and two together. “O-Oh. Yes, well, s-she’s also good in that regard, I suppose…”

“Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash shouted, startling her friend.

“S-Sorry, I only meant it in a positive way…”

“Wait, how do you- Oooooh.” Trixie narrowed her eyes, causing Fluttershy to hide her face behind her mane. “One of Dashie’s exes?”

“N-Not exact-”

“We just experimented in Flight School, that’s all. Now can we drop this?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking over her shoulder at Trixie. “Anyway, I’m here to pick up Tank.”

Fluttershy jumped at the mention of Rainbow’s pet’s name, and slowly nodded her head. “Y-Yes. He’s taking his morning bath right now.”

“Morning bath?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Yes. He likes to bathe before he gets his shell polished.”

“Shell polished?! Fluttershy, Tank doesn’t like doing girly stuff like that! He’s too cool, and awesome, and radical!”

“Aren’t those just synonyms?” Trixie asked.

“Gesundheit,” Rainbow replied, drawing a puzzled look from Trixie.

“Um, actually, Rainbow Dash, Tank was having morning baths and shellicures before you adopted him as your pet. In fact, he wakes up before you so that he can use your bathtub every morning.”

“So that’s why my water bill is so high!” Rainbow Dash took a moment to consider something. “Guess I owe the mayor an apology.”

“Um, I think Tank should be finished soon. I can take you to him, i-if you like.”

“Yeah, okay.” The three mares simply stood there for a few moments, none of them moving from their current location. “Well?”

“Oh. Um, first, I have to say something… I mean, I know it’s probably not my place, and you probably know this already, and please don’t take offence, it’s just I really care for all the animals here and I have to make sure that-”

“Can we speed this up please?” Trixie asked with a sniffle. “Trixie thinks she may be allergic to some of the flowers here.”

“Oh, okay. I just have to make sure… Please take care not to let Tank see you two during your… night-time… activities…”

Rainbow Dash groaned and slammed a hoof into her face. “Really? C’mon, Fluttershy! You know I wouldn’t let the guy see something like that!”

“What does it matter? He’s just a tortoise, right?”

“Tort- Oh.” Fluttershy blushed and kicked the ground with a hoof. “Y-Yeah, but he’s still a young and impressionable tortoise.”

“And he’s not just a tortoise!” Rainbow said in a stern tone. “He’s the most amazing, fastest, and super-cool tortoise that’s ever lived!”

“Right, well, just as long as you understand.” Fluttershy turned towards her cottage. “This way.”

As the three mares walked down the dirt path towards Fluttershy’s cottage, Trixie decided to break the silence with some small talk. Although she didn’t still held grievances towards the ponies that had heckled her in the past, she could not recall Fluttershy being one of them. In addition, there was something about this mare that made it difficult for Trixie to dislike her.

“So, you two went to the same Flight School… How was that?”

“Oh, well, we didn’t really talk much until the last two years,” Fluttershy said. “But, Rainbow did save me from being bullied… a few times…”

“Yeah, well, I hate seeing ponies ganging up on other ponies,” Rainbow Dash said, receiving a nuzzle from Trixie.

“Yes, you made that very clear to Trixie. A real knight in shining armour.”

Rainbow Dash blushed, but didn’t back away. Instead she extended her wing and wrapped it around Trixie as they walked. Fluttershy pretended not to notice, but she still couldn’t help smiling at the site.

“So, do you have a special somepony?” Trixie asked, receiving a headshake in response. “Really? Why not? Ponies in this town not much to look at? Of course, with Trixie here, they’re going to have to work hard to keep up their looks.”

“I-I’m just not really looking for a relationship right now. What you two have is nice, but I think… I’m happy as I am, for now.”

“… Well, when the time comes, do not hesitate to ask the Great and Powerful Trixie. She will cast a spell that will make you perfectly irresistible to mares and stallions alike!” Looking at Fluttershy, Trixie could see that she appeared very panicked. “Not a literal spell. Figuratively speaking.”

“Oh. Um, yes, I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.”

Rainbow leaned closer to Trixie. “That was pretty cool of you,” she whispered.

“Trixie can hardly help it. This pony emits such an aura of purity it feels like it would be a grave sin not to befriend her.”

“Yeah, that Flutters alright. Even when I was trying to keep up my ‘rebel punk’ appearance back in Flight School, I still ended up at her house drinking tea with her stuffed dolls somehow.” Trixie was caught off guard by a sudden kiss planted on her cheek. “Anyway, thanks for trying to get along.”

Trixie blinked a few times. “Well then, if Trixie becomes BFFs with her, is the reward going to be even greater?”

“We’ll see,” Rainbow replied with a wink. She stopped as something in the distance caught her eye. It was a tub of water sitting outside of Fluttershy’s cottage, and sitting inside it, resting his back against the side, was Tank the tortoise. “Hey! Tank!”

Rainbow Dash unwrapped her wing from around Trixie and shot forward towards the cottage. This left Trixie and Fluttershy alone, with an uncomfortable silence between the two of them.

“So,” Trixie began, in an attempt to break the silence, “… Trixie will be holding a magic show this weekend. She would appreciate it if you came to watch her.”

“Oh, I would love to,” Fluttershy said. “I think my animal friends would like to come, too. Would that be okay?”

“… So long as they are respectful and do not throw things at Trixie, it is fine.”

“Hey Tank! How’ve ya been?” Rainbow Dash asked as she pulled Tank up out of the tub of water. “I know, I’ve missed you too! But sorry, flying’ll have to wait a bit! There’s somepony you gotta meet!”

Fluttershy and Trixie stopped as they reached the tub, and the latter was greeted by a tortoise being shove into her face by the blue Pegasus holding him. “Trixie, meet Tank! Tank, this is Trix! She’s gonna be spending some time with me, but that doesn’t mean she’s replacing you!”

“… This is… a side of Dash Trixie could not have ever contemplated existing,” Trixie said, earning a giggle from Fluttershy.

“I know. I was surprised too, when she chose Tank as her pet.” The two watched as Rainbow Dash rubbed her nose against Tank’s for a brief second, before lowering him back into his bathtub. “By the way, I don’t suppose you have any pets, do you?”

“Unfortunately, Trixie has only ever had two pets in her life. The first was a hamster, which sadly don’t last as long as Trixie thought.”

Fluttershy nodded, her face falling into a frown. “I remember when my first hamster… stopped moving…”

“The second pet Trixie owned was a chameleon.”

“Oh? What happened to it?”

“… Do you remember the ursa minor?” Fluttershy nodded her head, and Trixie simply stared at the Pegasus until she figured the rest out for herself.

“… O-Oh. Y-You mean, when it crushed your cart-”

“Trixie was panicked, and Leon… completely slipped Trixie’s mind. Since then, Trixie has not had the finances to own a pet. Even if she could find one for free, she would not be able to care for it.”

“I see… Well, there are a lot of animals here that I’m sure would just love to be your pet.”

Trixie shook her head. “Thanks for the offer, but Trixie would like to get her career back in order she considers a new pet.”

Fluttershy nodded. “I understand. But, out of curiosity, what kind of pet would you be most interested in?”

Trixie thought about it for a few moments. “… A velociraptor?” The answer drew a whimper and a panicked look from Fluttershy. “Just kidding. Trixie actually isn’t so sure, to be honest.”

“Well, if you ever feel the need for an animal companion in your life, my door is always open for you.” Trixie simply nodded, not sure how else to respond to such an offer. “Also if you simply want somepony to talk to.” This made Trixie even more uncertain, but thankfully Rainbow Dash was ready to break up the conversation between the two.

“Hey, Fluttershy, Tank says he’s still not done here just yet. You don’t mind keepin’ him just a little bit longer, do you?”

“I don’t mind at all. Tank’s become really popular among the other pets ever since you taught him your ‘101 ways to be cool like Rainbow Dash’.”

“Cool!” Rainbow turned back to Tank for a moment. “Alright then, lil’ guy! You just… do this, I guess, and I’ll be back later to pick you up!”

“A mongoose might make a good pet,” Trixie mused to herself out loud. “Hm? What? We’re moving on?”

“Yep! Next stop, Sweet Apple Acres!” Rainbow Dash swooped in to lift Trixie off of her hooves, but was instead pushed back by Trixie’s magic before she could move close enough. “H-Hey!”

“Trixie has seen through you now, Dashie! Whilst Trixie appreciates the gesture, you could at least lift her up with a little more grace, don’t you think?”

“Fine, whatever. Guess we’ll just walk there,” Rainbow said, landing on the ground and walking away from the area.

Trixie’s eyes widened as she watched the Pegasus walk away. “H-Hey! Hmph! Fine then, Trixie does not care either way!”

Fluttershy watched as Trixie ran to catch up to Rainbow Dash, and then the two walked side-by-side together, facing opposite directions so as to avert their eyes from each other. “… I’m sure they’ll be just fine…”

Rarity was a lady. A lady of grace, and dignity, and beauty. Of lady of refined, civilised tastes. When her hoof polish cracked, she stopped what she was doing immediately to fix it. She took a bath every night before bed, and every morning after waking up, and allowed only the finest quality beauty products to touch her fabulous hair and her soft fur.

However, Applejack knew all of Rarity’s weak points. She knew what Rarity loved and hated, and she knew exactly what to say in order to convince Rarity to help out. She knew exactly what to offer in order to persuade the mare to get her hooves just a little dirty with some packing and moving.

What she didn’t account for was Rarity’s muscles, or lack thereof. Even if she had convinced her to help out, nothing could be done about the fact that the dressmaker had probably never done any real heavy lifting in her life. Why would she? Ever since the two were fillies, Rarity had the power to bend any colt to her will, and she did not fear abusing it.

Even now, whenever Applejack took her eyes off of her for even a second, Rarity took the chance to try to unload some of her burden onto the ever-reliable Big Macintosh. It was getting to the point that Applejack was ready to have Apple Bloom bring the school teacher – and more importantly Big Macintosh’s marefriend – Cheerilee to keep Rarity’s attacks from having any effect, until she noticed something speeding towards them from the sky. Something… rainbow.

With a sigh, Applejack threw down the boxes that she was carrying and stepped swiftly to the side, narrowly avoiding the incoming rainbow which then crashed into the tree behind her. “Nice of ya ta drop in, Dash.”

Rainbow Dash groaned as she pulled herself out of the tree. “Darn it. I must be out of shape or something.”

“So what brings y’all here? Can’t imagine ye’re offerin’ ta help out with the heavy lifting?”

“Uh, the what?” Rainbow looked at the boxes to Applejack’s side. “Oh, right! You’re moving to Rarity’s, aren’t ya?”

“Eeyup.” Applejack remembered who Rainbow Dash had brought home with her the previous day and looked around for her. “Trixie not with you? Ah’d have thought you’d be showin’ her ‘round or somethin’.”

“I am. She’s just…” Rainbow looked around herself. She was sure that Trixie was right behind her, yet there was no sight of the mare anywhere. “Huh. Guess I went a little fast, huh? She must be out in the orchard somewhere.”

“… Y’know our orchard’s a big place, right?” Applejack asked. “Folk that aren’t familiar with it can get lost pretty easily.”

“Aah, she’ll be fine. I left a trail for her to follow, see?” Rainbow pointed up towards the rainbow trail still hanging in the air. “Hey, how ‘bout I help you move some of these boxes while we wait for her?”

“Y’sure ‘bout that?”

“Sure I’m sure. I was hoping you’d give her a tour of the farm, but you can hardly do that if you’re moving boxes.”

Applejack smiled and lifted up half of her boxes onto her back. The other half was lifted up by Rainbow Dash. “Well ah certainly appreciate the thought. This’s the last batch anyhow. Well, save for the smaller boxes. Left them for Rarity, since her back ain’t so tough.”

As the proceeded along the dirt path together, Rainbow decided that then would be the opportune moment to bring up something she had thought about the previous night. “Hey, AJ. You an’ me are friends, right?”

“Last time ah checked.”

“And friends… help each other out, even when the thing one friend needs help with is a little… difficult to talk about.”

Applejack stopped and turned a questioning gaze towards Rainbow Dash, who also stopped and tried to look casual as she faced her friend. “Dash, there somethin’ botherin’ you? Somethin’ y’all need help with?”

“Well, y’see, I was kinda wondering…”

“Yes?”

“Since you’re in a relationship with a Unicorn an’ all…”

“Yes?”

“… Could you… teach me how to do a hornjob?”

The hard wind blew a tumbleweed between the two, and Applejack’s face brightened after allowing the question to sink in for a few seconds. “Uh, ah’m sorry, ah think ah misheard ya…”

“Look, I’m confident enough about my technique in bed. In fact, you ask any of my old Flight School marefriends and they’ll testify! But, I’ve never been with a Unicorn before, and I heard there’re are certain ways to… y’know…”

Applejack was still blushing, but she knew where her friend was coming from. The first few weeks of her relationship with Rarity were a nightmare of figuring out how to ‘treat a lady just right’, and in bed was no exception.

With a friendly smiled, Applejack wrapped a hoof around Rainbow’s neck and motioned towards the field of trees beside them. “Dash, let’s take the scenic route. It’s gonna take a while ta pass on everythin’ ah know.”

The two walked off of the path and into the orchard, taking the long way around as Applejack passed on the fruits of her wisdom to her good friend.

Meanwhile, Trixie was tired and exhausted and had to stop to rest against a tree before she completely collapsed. Trixie removed her hat and used it as a fan to cool herself off. It was then that she heard a snap in the distance, and quickly placed her hat back onto her head and she faced the direction of the noise.

From out of the nearby bushes came three little fillies. One yellow, with a red mane and a pink bow, one orange with a purple mane, and one white with a purple and pink mane. They were all wearing matching red capes, and they were all looking towards Trixie.

“Howdy there!” the yellow one shouted, running towards Trixie. “Y’all here ta see Applejack? Ah’m ‘fraid she’s busy right now, but ah can take a message!”

“What? No, Trixie is-”

“You look familiar,” the white filly said as she and the final filly approached Trixie. “… Hey! You’re that wicked pony that enslaved all of Ponyville!”

The three fillies gasped, and the glared. Trixie sighed and shook her head. ‘Great, just what I need.’ Clearing her throat, Trixie put on her best smile and looked down at the three. “Ah, you must be mistaken. That pony was my evil twin sister, Truxie. I am Trixie, great hero to ponies all over Equestria.”

“You sure?” the orange filly asked. “Sounds sketchy to me.”

“Would a hero tell a lie like that?”

The three fillies exchanged glances before looking back up at Trixie. “Ah guess not,” the yellow filly said with a smile. “Well mighty nice ta meet ya Miss Trixie! Ah’m Apple Bloom, an’ these are mah friends Scootaloo an’ Sweetie Belle. An’ together, we are…”

“THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!” the three shouted in unison.

“So, y’all need help with anythin’?” Apple Bloom asked. “Directions? Lost cat? Got somethin’ ya need fixin’?”

“I’m not fixing anything after that table incident,” Scootaloo said with a shudder.

“Actually, Trixie is in no need of assistance,” Trixie said as she looked up towards the sky. The three fillies followed her gaze. “She is on a quest to claim the gold at the end of this rainbow, and was simply taking a rest when you three snuck up on her.”

“We weren’t sneaking,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Nevertheless, you needn’t concern yourselves here. The Great and Powerful Trixie can handle the situation just fine.”

“Trixie?” The four ponies turned to find two mares walking towards them: Applejack and Rainbow Dash. It was Rainbow Dash who spoke. “Hey, you caught up! Well, kinda.”

Trixie glared at the grinning Pegasus. “You have some nerve. Do that again and those wings of yours will find themselves tied up nice and tight.”

“Uh-huh. You wouldn’t have fallen behind if you didn’t make such a big deal about me carrying you.”

“Silence,” Trixie said with a blush. “What’s with those boxes on your back?”

“Oh, these? I’m just doing a quick favour for Applejack.” Behind Rainbow Dash, Applejack waved at Trixie. “After this, AJ’s gonna show you around.”

“A tour of the farm? Trixie will pass. It doesn’t sound too thrilling.”

“Trust me, this is no ordinary farm. This’s the heart of Ponyville’s wealth, and not only that, but it’s the only farm in all of Equestria that bears zap apples.”

“Zap apples, you say… Very well then. Perhaps it will prove entertaining after all.”

“Hey sis?” Apple Bloom asked as she watched Trixie and Rainbow Dash starting to leave. “Who’s that pony? A friend of yours?”

“… Ah guess y’could say that, though ah don’t really know much about her to be honest with ya.”

“She’s gettin’ along pretty well with Rainbow Dash.”

A grin took over Applejack’s face. “Well actually, that’s ‘cause the two of ‘em are all lovey-dovey.”

Scootaloo’s eyes widened, and her mouth hung open in shock. “What?”

“Hey Dash!” Applejack shouted as she walked after them. Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder to see what Applejack wanted. “Don’t ya go forgettin’ everythin’ ah taught ya now!”

Rainbow’s face turned entirely red in just a single second. “S-Shut up! Idiot!”

“What she taught you?” Trixie asked.

“Nothing!” Rainbow shouted, picking up her pace. “It was nothing, so drop it!”

Meanwhile, the three Cutie Mark Crusaders were watching the mares leave, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle with huge grins on their faces. “Awwww, ain’t that sweet?” Apple Bloom said. “Though ah always thought Rainbow Dash would wind up with Fluttershy.”

“I always thought she’d start dating Twilight.”

“Twilight? Are you serious? The two have nothin’ in common.”

“But it’s the whole opposite attracts thing! You know, like your sister and mine!”

Apple Bloom gasped and her smile grew even bigger. “That’s right! You an’ me’re jus’ one step away from bein’ sisters!”

“Hey, yeah!” Sweetie Belle squeaked back with excitement. “This is so cool! We gotta do something to speed things along!”

“Ah agree! Scootaloo, you in?”

Scootaloo, however, was too busy staring off into the distance, following after the faint signs of the rainbow tail that could still be seen among the trees… before it disappeared completely. ‘Rainbow Dash… has a… marefriend?’

“Scoots? You okay?”

Scootaloo’s eyes narrowed and her teeth grit together as she watched the rainbow tail disappear behind the trees. “WHAT?!” Her two friends backed away from her sudden outburst, but she would not stop there. “No way! I am not cool with this!”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle watched as Scootaloo chased after the three mares. “Wait! Where’re y’all goin’?!” Apple Bloom asked, only to receive no answer to her question. Exchanging a confused look with Sweetie Belle, the two remaining fillies simply shrugged and turned back towards the direction of the farmhouse. “Maybe Granny Smith has somethin’ she needs help with.”

Author's Notes:

I put way too much research into finding out weather Roadrunner says 'Beep Beep' or 'Meep Meep'. In the end, I found way more sources saying it's 'Beep Beep' that I went with that.

This is very important stuff I have to get right, or the whole story is ruined! Ruined I say! ლ(ಠ益ಠლ)

... So, yeah. Enjoy and contemplate what could possibly happen in the next exciting chapter of... this.