A/N: Guys, I DO read the comments, you know. I'm fully aware of how derailed you can get, and I honestly don't mind. Have fun talking about mushroom soup or whatever topic you get on today.

"THE GAMES WE PLAY"

ALTERNATE ENDING #11

Guest Submission from Silverquill

    There was only silence; the sound of the two of them breathing and the hushed whisper of snow falling.

    "We'll be okay," Rainbow Dash said, her voice firmer this time. "I promise. No matter what happens. I'm not going to give up on you."

    And without waiting for a reply, she enfolded the mare in one final embrace before quietly lowering her to the ground.

    "Are you ready?" she asked.

    "No," Mare Do Well answered, still breathless and panting.

    A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth, and Rainbow Dash ducked her head in, so that her mouth was moving against the shape of Mare Do Well's ear.

    "Too bad." she whispered. She could feel the mare shiver beneath her.

    It was time. She took one final deep breath.

    Mare Do Well was perfectly still, as if preparing herself for what was coming. For whatever Rainbow did next.

    And Rainbow Dash opened her eyes.

    Under her...before her...there lay a pony clothed in shades of midnight, a cape fanned out beneath her. Atop her head there was perched a matching wide-brimmed hat.

    But now, there was no mask to protect her face. No facade to hide behind.

    There was only her.

    Soft lavender eyes, locked firmly on her own. A mouth, seemingly unsure whether or not it was meant to smile. And hair, a mixture of the lightest blue and white, both colors fighting for dominance all the way along the mane, eventually forming a pool around a darker blue coat.  

    Rainbow Dash felt a gasp rise in her throat; she forced it down as she stared in open-jawed shock. Her mind tried to piece thoughts together, forming the only words she could think right now.

    “No,” she whispered. The mare underneath her watched with wide eyes, a flicker of hurt being visible for only the briefest of seconds. “That… that just doesn’t make sense.”

    The mare averted her gaze, shivering a little- whether it was from the cold or nervousness, nopony knew. “Trixie has some explaining to do, doesn’t she?”

    For a moment, Rainbow could only stare, dumbstruck. Sense slowly returned as she shook her head, her mind clearing up just enough to formulate a reply. “Yes, she does!” Rainbow hissed. She blinked. “You do! What the hay is going on?”

    Trixie looked back up at the pegasus, ignoring the pressure of Rainbow’s hooves holding her down. “Alright, alright. Where do you want her to begin?”

    “The beginning.”

    “Trixie figured.” The two ponies sat there in silence for a moment; Trixie laid there choosing her words very carefully, while Dash fought back the urge to connect her hoof with her captive’s face.

    Finally, Trixie spoke again. “It all started simple enough. After that day in Ponyville, Trixie could barely bring herself to show her face in any town. For Celestia knows how long, she wandered, making ends meet with odd jobs. The Great and Powerful Trixie was reduced to the life of regular citizen. To put it bluntly… you ruined Trixie! Humiliated her!”

    “What does that have to do with anything?” Rainbow snarled.

    “Everything,” the unicorn replied, smirking. “One day, Trixie hears about your little Mare-Do-Well escapades from a newspaper. And then, it hit her: If you foals were the ones who took away Trixie’s fame, then why shouldn’t she be allowed to use them to get it back?”

    Trixie flinched as the pegasus astride her grinded a hoof deeper into her shoulder. “What are you going on about?” Rainbow Dash questioned.

    “Let Trixie finish!” the mare stated. “Where was she… ah, yes. After Trixie had made that decision, she plotted. She schemed and she thought until everything worked out. As soon as all was decided, she took the first train she could find to Ponyville. To begin, Trixie had to get a Mare-Do-Well costume, of course. Your country friend was happy enough to supply it…” Trixie chuckled under her breath. “And by that, Trixie means your friend really needs to get a lock for her chests.”

    Rainbow Dash’s eyes narrowed. “You stole the costume from Applejack? Why? Why go through all this trouble just to screw with my mind?!”

    “Because Trixie was going to make a comeback! She’d do a few rescues here, a few fancy tricks there, and then bam, it’s revealed that she’s Mare-Do-Well! The crowds would flock to see the Great and Powerful Trixie‘s wonderful magic and heroic deeds!” Trixie smirked. “Or would that be the Great and Powerful Mare-Do-Well?”

    “Anyway,” she continued, ”as for messing with you, Trixie had no intention to at first. But when she saw you in distress that first night, her scheme evolved. Trixie could have left you at the mercy of that thug, but no, she decided on another option: She presented herself to you that night, and of course, you didn’t take it too well. From there, everything went according to plan.”

    “What plan? And why me?” Rainbow Dash asked, her angry tone giving way to curiosity. “You could’ve targeted anypony else!”

    “To throw your friendship into turmoil, of course,” Trixie replied. “That’s why Trixie chose you; if she’d chosen somepony else, then they most likely wouldn’t care, or they’d be told they were seeing things when they reported what they saw. But you, no, Mare-Do-Well was invented just to steal your spotlight. As such, you were the perfect target; you would definitely respond, and as a bonus, Trixie managed to convince you that she was one of your friends.”

    Rainbow Dash was at a loss for words. “But… that’s right! How couldn’t you be one of my friends? Why are you even in Canterlot in the first place if this was little more than a cruel publicity stunt?”

    Trixie scoffed. “Trixie is a master of illusions and tricks, you foal! Subconsciously sending you down the wrong path was foal’s play.”

    Another sharp grind of Rainbow’s hooves. She glared straight into Trixie’s eyes, their noses only inches apart. “And this whole ‘romantic game’ we’ve been playing? It was just a joke, too? Publicity? A mind screw?”

    Trixie’s expression deadpanned. For once, the mare’s fierce expression seemed to lose all confidence. “Well… yes, it was just a joke,” Trixie confirmed. “…At first.”

    Confusion crossed Rainbow’s face. “Huh?”

    “At first, it was a joke… and something more,” Trixie muttered. “Trixie doesn’t always go around as the confident mare you’ve seen. Sometimes, she tones down a bit. When Trixie started messing with you, it allowed her a chance to be the pony she never was in public. As for the game, yes, that was just for revenge. But… as the days wore on, it was hard to distinguish the game from what was really going on.”

    Rainbow Dash blinked. “What are you saying?”

    Trixie’s eyes darted elsewhere. “What Trixie’s saying is that… well… she’s genuinely fallen for you.”

    When Rainbow Dash remained silent, Trixie dared to venture on. “Trixie isn’t quite sure when it happened, but over time, the compliments she gave sounded more and more true. The teasing little touches that Trixie gave felt better and better, until she actually wanted to give them. It got to the point where she was afraid to let you win, both because Trixie didn’t quite want to leave and because she was afraid her first impression would scare you away if you figured out who she was.”

    Trixie flinched as Rainbow Dash’s hooves shot out. She waited for the impact, one that never came. Cautiously, she peeked open an eye. The pegasus had moved her forelegs to the sides of Trixie’s head, leaning in closer to get right up into the magician’s face.

    “So,” Rainbow began, ”did you think you were just going to mess up my life and walk away? Play dress-up for awhile for your own selfish goals?”

    Trixie recoiled a bit, forcing herself to meet Rainbow’s eyes as the pegasus kept lashing out. “Hay, did you think that after all that you did, I’d forget all about it and we could just be together? Maybe laugh about it later on?”

    “But…” Trixie tried to interject.

    “No, that’s not how it works,” Rainbow stated. “Why should I forgive you, anyway? You made me unable to trust my own friends. You made me hurt my friends. Pinkie, especially. You messed with my sleep schedule, dragged me around Ponyville, and acted like the biggest creep I’ve ever met, just for some publicity?”

    There was no masking the pain in the unicorn’s eyes. “Trixie will admit that she may have screwed up a little bit,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

    “A little?”

    Trixie ignored her. “Trixie’s desires were selfish at first, but she’s come to realize the error of her ways. She asks for your forgiveness, but the only thing she can say for herself is that she lo…” Trixie paused. “I love you.”

    Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened. Silence filled the alley as the two mares stared at each other, their breathing visible in the chilly air. Finally, Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Well, I don’t forgive you, and odds are I won’t for at least a very, very long time.” Rainbow placed a hoof against her captive’s nose, pushing just enough to get her point across. “For now, you’re coming with me back to the palace, and you’re going to explain everything to the others.”

    The sharp sting of Rainbow’s words stunned the unicorn momentarily. When she spoke again, her words took on the edge she’d sported earlier. “No! Trixie refuses! She’s already made an even bigger fool of herself, and she refuses to make things any worse!” Trixie’s eyes darted around the alley, seeking out any possible escape routes. “Just let Trixie go!”

    “No,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Because if you don’t come with me, you’re never getting one of these again.”

    Trixie’s aggression faded into confusion as Rainbow leaned forward, pressing her lips against hers.

    Trixie stifled a gasp. She slowly closed her eyes, letting her guard down as she lay there. Her entire world just consisted of her and Rainbow Dash at that moment; she hoped the moment would last all night, if not forever. But Rainbow Dash pulled away, the kiss being teasingly, tauntingly brief. The coy smile on the pegasus’ face showed that she knew that.

    “Get up,” Rainbow commanded. “Everypony should still be back at the castle.”

    “But…”

    “Don’t worry about us,” Rainbow said, as if reading Trixie’s mind. “For now, let’s just make sure everypony knows who’s behind this Mare-Do-Well shtick. We’ll get you a room to stay in, alright? Nopony has to know about us- not yet, at least.”

    Rainbow Dash got off Trixie, extending a hoof towards the mare afterwards. Trixie reached forward and grasped it, rising to a standing position. “Deal?” Rainbow Dash asked.

    Trixie started walking out of the alley, feeling the warm cover of Rainbow’s wings enfold her as they headed back towards the castle. “Deal.”

    The trip back to the castle was filled with Rainbow interrogating Trixie over the small details: Where did she stay in Ponyville? How did she get access to the zip line? How did she appear in X location at Y time? Trixie answered as honestly as she could, leaning in towards Dash to ward off the cold.

    Soon, they arrived. Like both were expecting, it wasn’t easy to explain to their friends. Everypony seemed stunned to see the magician show her face again, some a bit more than others. It took a lot of convincing, but Rainbow’s friends eventually accepted Trixie’s explanation: She’d wanted to regain her fame, and messing with Rainbow had just been a prank. The romantic undertone and their showdown in the alley went completely unmentioned, of course.

    Mostly, everypony just seemed glad that Rainbow was okay. They’d been scouring the castle for her and were just about to continue their search out in the streets. Trixie’s arrival and apology were unexpected, but eventually, lodgings were secured for her in the castle wing they all shared. While Rainbow’s friends seemed curious about why she hadn’t knocked the stuffing out of Trixie, they just assumed that Rainbow could respect a great prankster.

    With all the hype of that night, everypony was quick to get to bed after all questions were answered. When she was sure all her friends were asleep, Rainbow snuck out of her room and down the hall, silently slipping into Trixie’s room. She found the mare awake and expecting her.

    They talked through the night. Questions were asked, chit-chat was made, soft kisses were given before the duo fell asleep in each other’s embrace. One night wasn’t nearly enough for things to be set right, but it was a start.

    Come morning, Hearth’s Warming itself, the duo went down to breakfast together. If anypony was curious as to why, they didn’t bother asking. Everypony chatted over their meal as if nothing had happened. In fact, the whole morning was a relatively quiet affair.

    But as night fell, the mood changed noticeably. Presents were given, carols were sung, food and drink were shared, and good times were had by all. Except one.

    Rainbow Dash saw her, gathering an assortment of sweets from the buffet table in the grand hall. Pinkie Pie turned, not expecting Rainbow Dash to have left her spot near Trixie to come block her path. The pegasus spoke the words she dreaded to hear: “We need to talk”.

    And so they did. Rainbow led Pinkie away from the others, and she explained. She had no desire to make public her and Trixie’s current situation, but she simply couldn’t lie to Pinkie; she’d hurt her more than enough. Rainbow apologized for everything she’d done to her, especially what she’d done last night. She even talked about the real reason Trixie was here. She let Pinkie know she could be upset, she could even hit her if she wanted, but all Rainbow wanted was to know Pinkie would still be her friend.

    In response, Pinkie embraced Rainbow. “It’s fine, Dashie,” she assured. “I’m just glad you’re happy. I won‘t tell anypony, Pinkie Promise.”

    Rainbow Dash doubted Pinkie was telling the truth, but what could she do? She returned the hug, promising Pinkie that this wouldn’t change anything between them- well, anymore than things had already changed. The two released each other, talking amongst themselves as they went back to rejoin the festivities.

    That night, Rainbow found herself drawn back to Trixie’s room. The showmare had been a little distant to everypony at the party, but Rainbow’s friends had done their best to make her feel welcome. Trixie didn’t move an inch as Rainbow explained what she’d told Pinkie, simply sighing as Rainbow Dash finished. “At least we have one out of the way,” she muttered.

    After some more whispered conversing and a peck here and there, the duo once again fell asleep together, holding each other close as they slept under their blanket.

    And so the days passed. Every night they spent together left them a little changed as they spent more and more time with each other. But eventually, the time came where they had to return to Ponyville. Options were thrown around by everypony until it was settled: Trixie could stay with Twilight, as well as receive a minor weekly allowance from the unicorn’s own royal funding, provided Trixie helped her with her research and agreed to leave as soon as she was financially stable enough to have her own place. While reluctant to share a home with the mare who had shown her up, Trixie begrudgingly agreed.

    Back in Ponyville, life went back to normal. Twilight had noticed Rainbow’s recent habit of visiting the library every day, spending time with a certain magician, and it didn’t take long for her to put two and two together. When she confronted them, she merely laughed off their embarrassment. “So long as you two are happy together, who am I to judge?”

    Encouraged by their friend’s acceptance, the couple decided to stop keeping their relationship a secret from the rest. They went place to place, making sure all their friends were updated. Some were surprised, others saw it coming a mile away, but all were accepting.

    But something bothered Rainbow. Her and Pinkie had slowly been recovering as friends, but things still weren’t the same. Deciding to pay her a visit, Rainbow and Trixie stopped by, catching the mare as she was frolicking about Ponyville.

    Pinkie Pie admitted that, while she was still a bit heartbroken, she’d move along. In fact, she’d found another mare that caught her interest, and reciprocated her feelings as well. When questioned as to who it was, the mare simply made a zipping motion across her lips, smiling brightly as she hopped away.

    As for Trixie and Rainbow Dash, their relationship wasn’t perfect. Both being bullheaded, competitive mares, they would bicker and compete from time to time. But they made sure to make everything right before nightfall, where they would either spend their night together in the warm library or part with a gentle kiss.

    And everything was okay.

    But Trixie was a show mare at heart. Helping out Twilight wasn’t the worst job, but she yearned to return to her days onstage. Months passed by, winter faded into Spring, and eventually, she found herself with enough bits to buy a new caravan.

    Calling in a few favors, Applejack helped the magician pick out a great caravan, while Rarity designed Trixie a new stage outfit almost identical to her own. Supplies were bought, shows were planned, and eventually Trixie was ready for her new role as the official performer of Ponyville.

    The arrogance was still there from time to time, but she toned herself down when she performed for the crowd. The bits came in in a steady flow, allowing herself to part from Twilight and officially move into her caravan. She stayed on good terms with her newfound friends, and she had a smile on her face as she caught a certain rainbow-maned pegasus at her performance each day.

    With her new home came more time with Rainbow Dash, the two spending many nights together simply talking and nuzzling in the personal quarters of the caravan. One night, sometime mid-Summer as Trixie was about to go onstage, Rainbow Dash stopped her.

    “Break a leg out there, Trix,” she said, chuckling slightly. She pecked the mare on the cheek, her face blushing fiercely as she opened her mouth again. “I love you.”

    It was a first for the pegasus. The smile on Trixie’s face could have been seen from the moon. She swept the pegasus into a deep, loving kiss. She pulled away, forgetting the stage for just a moment. “I love you, too.”

    Her performance that night was at a level far beyond what she usually did, and the crowd went wild as it ended. Nopony clapped harder than Rainbow Dash though, as Trixie let off one last firework. A red heart illimunated the sky above her head, and above that, two little words she occasionally created at the end of her performance:

    The End. Next Chapter: Alt-Universe Side Story: Paper Faces on Parade (Guest submission from Donny's Boy) Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 59 Minutes