Trade Ya - Alternate Endings
by Jay-The-Brony
Chapters
Ending 1
It was a day that all of them had been looking forward to for a long time. The day of the Rainbow Falls Traders Exchange. On this day, Twilight and her friends planned to spend the day looking around and finding all sorts of thing that they might wish for themselves, or at least have a fun time while doing so. It was a beautiful day for it too, with barely a cloud in the sky and the sun shining down gloriously upon the entire proceedings. It would have been a perfect day for all, except that for one newly-crowned Princess, the joy of the event was somewhat undermined by one of the downsides of her recent ascension.
For it was not long after their arrival here that a young pony had walked up to her and asked for her to sign a photo of her that he'd offered. Twilight was usually remiss to want such things, but she had to keep up appearances, and so she indulged the child, whipping out her quill and starting to sign it. Her friends looked on with some amusement at this, until their attention was then diverted to Rainbow Dash, who was practically abuzz with energy as she hovered above them, clearly excited over something. It was only when she spoke that all became clear to them.
"There's a pony here who has a mint-condition copy of "Daring Do and the Quest of the Sapphire Statue!" And I'm gonna get it! I've been able to get first editions of all the Daring Do books, except this one. And nopony has ever put together a whole set, and I'm gonna be the first!"
Her friends then looked on as the usually-energetic pegasus then began to hover in a more lethargic way, her wings and face drooping down somewhat, a sure sign that she was worried about something.
"That is...if it hasn't been traded yet. It's the only one in all of Equestria!"
The other mares looked to each other, perhaps looking to see if one of them would step forward and say something to cheer her up. Of all of them it was Rainbow's fellow pegasus, Fluttershy, who took this leap, as she began to walk towards her childhood friend.
"Oh no, that would be awful if you didn't get it. If you like, I can help you."
Rainbow looked over to her friend, her previous low attitude perking up slightly. She knew Fluttershy well enough to know that she was willing to do anything to help a close friend like Rainbow, so she knew she would keep to her offer as best she could. The Rainbow-maned pegasus showed her appreciation by placing a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder, the two friends now smiling at each other. However, this tender moment was interrupted by Twilight, who had finally managed to get away from her young fan. The group looked on as she spoke during her approach.
"Sorry about that. Now then, what was it you said you wanted, Rainbow? Daring Do and the...?"
Rainbow lowered herself to the ground, her previous enthusiasm returning.
"And the Quest of the Sapphire Statue! I heard it's a good one!"
Rainbow and the other mares looked on as their alicorn friend raised a hoof to her chin, her expression a thoughtful one. Twilight began mumbling to herself as she looked away from her friends and towards the many boxes she'd brought with her. The mares looked at each other with some confusion over this behaviour as she began rummaging through her boxes, all of which they could now see were filled with some of the many books from her library. They were each levitated out by the distinct purple aura of Twilight's magic as she looked over each other. Eventually, her expression brightened up as she used her magic to pick out a smaller book from the bottom of one of the boxes.
The other mares all strained to see what it was, but Rainbow's eyes widened with shock, for she knew exactly what it was. Twilight now returned to her friends, and there, hovering in front of her, was none other than the very book Dash had been hoping to trade for. "Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Statue". Rainbow couldn't help but express her sheer surprise at this turn of events.
"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!"
The blue pegasus stared at it with her mouth agape, and was on the verge of drooling over the sight of it before she was knocked back to reality by a small giggle from Twilight.
"I know it's not exactly mint-condition, but you're welcome to have it."
Rainbow looked at her, not quite believing her luck, before smiling at the book and taking it into her hooves, even going so far as to enthusiastically hug the book, much to her friends' amusement. For a brief moment, she wondered how it was that Twilight could have a copy, even a non-first-edition such as this. But then it occurred to her that Twilight was perhaps the only one from among her friends who was as much of a Daring Do fan as her, and as such felt more than a little silly that she'd never even considered asking if she had it. But then her expression became more serious.
"But...don't you want anything for it? I even brought my lucky horse-shoe to give to the vendor for hers."
Reaching behind her back, Rainbow pulled out the item in question, an old and rusted horse-shoe, and presented it to Twilight, most likely as a potential trade for the book she'd offered. Twilight looked at the object with a mixed expression. Looking past Rainbow, she saw that several of her friends were regarding it with equal attitudes, with Rarity in particular showing great disdain for the rusty old item. Looking back at Rainbow, Twilight put on a small smile and gently pushed the shoe away.
"It's okay, Rainbow. I was planning on just giving most of these books away anyway. Keep it, as a gift from me."
Rainbow looked on at her friend, completely oblivious to the fact that she simply didn't want Rainbow's lucky horseshoe, and gave a massive smile. In appreciation, with the book sill in one hoof, she rushed forward and scooped up her alicorn friend in a hug in mid-air. It was a fairly tight one however, and Twilight struggled to breathe, with several of her friends trying their best to stifle their laughs from this sight. Eventually, Rainbow finally let Twilight down, allowing the latter to breathe, and the two gave each other a small smile. With that said and done, Rainbow turned to Fluttershy and approached her, placing her hoof on her shoulder once more, with a look of determination upon her face.
"Now then...let's get you something awesome for that bear-call of yours!"
Ending 2
To say that Rainbow Dash was frustrated would have been an understatement. She and Fluttershy had been all over the Rainbow Falls Traders Exchange, bargained for every kind of obscure item that a pony could think of, and been through all manner of stress to boot, and after all of that, it now seemed as though it had all been in vain. For here they were, back where they started, at the stall which possessed the one thing in this entire place that Rainbow had wanted, a mint-condition first edition copy of "Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Statue".
The book in question was right there, on the table, and was receiving Dash's full attention. But as close as she was to owning it, one stumbling block remained. The book's current owner, the one who was running the stall, was no longer interested in trading for it, at least not for what Rainbow and Fluttershy had been told she'd wanted. And speaking of which, that trade now stood alongside Fluttershy. A massive, two-headed dog, which was at this moment slobbering over the surrounding grass. The stall's owner looked at the thing with some disdain and fear, having already expressed her apprehension for owning it, despite having shown a desire for it earlier.
However, much to Rainbow's good fortune, Fluttershy now spoke out in the animal's defence.
"Oh, it just needs careful training. With a little patience, and a big slobber-pot, they can be a very faithful household pet."
Rainbow looked on as the creature now enthusiastically leapt forward onto the stall, taking it's owner by surprise and lathering her face with a number of affectionate licks. For a brief moment, Dash was worried that this might make the owner even less willing to take the creature. But, to Rainbow's surprise, the mare actually broke out into a smile and started chuckling.
"Oh ho! All right, all right! I'll trade you..."
Dash's expression lit up as she saw the vendor pick up the Daring Do book and hand it over to her, ready for her to take it. The cyan-coloured pegasus broke out into a massive smile as she gazed upon the book, looking upon it with utter awe, not to mention a hungry look not dissimilar to the dog she was standing next to. However, before Dash could claim the book as her own, the owner then pointed a hoof at Fluttershy.
"...if she comes and stays with us in Manehattan until it's trained!"
That remark broke Rainbow out of her trance-like state, replacing her previously-enthusiastic expression with one of shock. She turned around and looked over to Fluttershy, who had been similarly taken aback by this turn of events. It was clear that the demure pegasus was thinking things over. Rainbow knew her long enough to know that she would not be inherently opposed to spending a long time in training an animal, especially since she'd grown so find of the beast in their brief time here. But, even so, it was clear from her somewhat worried expression that there was more on her mind than this.
"Gosh! Training one of these takes a long time. I'll probably be gone from Ponyville for...I don't even know how many moons."
Those words hit Rainbow pretty hard as she saw her friend turn away, weighing her decision in her mind. Turning back, Rainbow looked once more at the book offered before her. This was, after all, the very thing she'd come here to find in the first place. And here it was, so very close. But she knew that this vendor wasn't going to settle for the trade unless Fluttershy went with her, and that absolutely did not sit well with Rainbow one bit, as evidenced by her words to her childhood friend.
"Fluttershy...is this something you're okay with?"
The yellow pegasus looked away a little, as though unwilling to look Rainbow in the eye. Her voice was hushed as she spoke.
"Well, um...if it gets you your book...then I guess I can live with it."
There were moments in Rainbow's life when she could not believe what her friends are willing to do for her, and this was most definitely one of those days. She looked at Fluttershy's face, seeing absolute honesty there, and knew that she was more than willing to go through with this, leave her home, just to make Rainbow's dream of owning this book come true. Rainbow looked down at that book, only a few inches away from her, and gave it an intense glare. When she first came here, it meant the world to her. Now though, it just looked like a pile of paper pages.
Both Fluttershy and the vendor then looked at Dash with confusion as the latter began to chuckle.
"Fluttershy...sometimes I wonder if you should have been the element of loyalty."
The demure mare tilted her head in confusion over that, not quite understanding her friend's words. But what happened next absolutely shocked her, as Dash placed one hoof on the book and pushed it back towards the vendor in a clear sign of rejection, with Dash's expression being one of contentment all the way.
"Thanks for the offer...but I already have everything I need."
The vendor looked somewhat irritated by this, perhaps thinking that this was a complete waste of her time, and turned away from the pair of them to get back to packing her goods away. Rainbow turned to Fluttershy, who was still shocked that Rainbow had done this for her, even knowing it would cost her what she came here for, and looked on as Rainbow placed her hoof on her shoulder, still smiling.
"Come on. The others will be waiting."
It took a few moments, but Fluttershy broke out into her usual smile, and she nodded back at her friend, clearly appreciating that she meant more to her than this. And so the two began to walk back across the Exchange, with their slobbery two-headed dog still in-tow.
Ending 3
Of all the things that the ponies here had expected to happen, this was not one of them. Twilight Sparkle, Equestria's latest Princess, had been called to settle a dispute regardng one of the many trades that had occurred here at the Rainbow Falls Traders Exchange. This was the young alicorn's first time being the arbiter of this event, and as such this was also her first mediation. By law, it was the duty of the attending Princess to uphold the laws of the trade, to decide whether such trades are fair. But the trade that was now in question was, to say the least, a strange one.
For the real shock to all gathered there was that this trade involved two of her closest friends, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. When Twilight had heard what had happened, it was, needless to say, a shock. Rainbow, in her enthusiasm to obtain the one item she'd come here for, a rare and special entry in the popular "Daring Do" book series, had agreed to trade not only an exotic two-headed dog, but also Fluttershy herself, who would go on to train the animal for it's new owner, who had traded Dash the book.
But, it had taken mere moments after the trade was concluded for Rainbow to realise the true consequence of her actions, and as such had immediately called Twilight's attention to it. Knowing Rainbow as she did, Twilight had no doubt that she was hoping she could overturn the agreement and release Fluttershy from her obligation. And so, sitting upon the throne of the Princess, meant for such disputes, Twilight looked out among the assembled ponies there, with her friends and the vendor standing at the front, thinking this entire matter over. To try and sway her, the vendor was in the middle of her explanation.
"...and so you see, your highness, this trade was agreed upon by myself and this mare. I am not willing to go back on this agreement, and she cannot make me!"
Twilight narrowed her eyes at the accusing mare before turning her attention to Rainbow. It was clear from the expression on her face that she was feeling terrible about all this. But even so, Twilight had a job to do, and as such her tone was far more strict than her friends were used to hearing from her.
"Rainbow Dash. Do you deny these claims?"
Rainbow looked up at her alicorn friend briefly before lowering her head, shaking it as she did so.
"No...I don't. I agreed on the trade, like she said."
But, it was here that the pegasus stepped forward, looking up at Twilight on her throne and speaking out in a more impassioned tone than before.
"But I made a mistake! I was wrong to trade what I traded! Fluttershy shouldn't have to pay for me being too blind to see what I was doing!"
Twilight considered that carefully. It was true that Fluttershy was deeply involved in this, and as part of the trade itself no less. She knew deep down that the laws of the Exchange were clear. Both Rainbow and the vendor had gone into this, eyes open, and both agreeing to it. That meant that there was no dispute by the Exchange's rules. However, Twilight was no fool. She knew there was one place in all of this that she could use to her advantage. She wanted to help Fluttershy just as much as Rainbow, and though she knew it might hurt her image as Princess, she knew it had to be done.
"Rainbow...the rules are clear. Both you and she both got what you wanted from this at the time you traded."
Rainbow's head hung low, and the vendor looked on with a look of smugness that Twilight did not care for. But all looked to her once more as she spoke out again.
"However, I am indeed willing to overturn the agreement."
These words had an immediate and profound effect, as all the ponies gathered there began murmuring amongst themselves. Even a complete novice to the exchange would have known how clear the rules were, and that Twilight was in violation of them by doing what she'd just said. The vendor especially seemed incensed by this turn, and stepped forward with an angry look on her face.
"Your Highness! This is unacceptable! You can't just..."
But she was cut off from finishing by a raised hoof from Twilight, who spoke before she could speak further.
"I know the laws. They say that all involved in the agreement have to be happy with it. But there was one pony that wasn't happy when the trade was made."
The vendor looked at the young Princess with confusion, as did Rainbow. A small smile crept onto Twilight's face as she clarified.
"There's also Fluttershy to consider. She was not happy with the arrangement, and just went along with it."
Rainbow's ears and expression perked up upon hearing that, as too did Fluttershy's. The two friends turned towards each other and smiled, clearly happy that their friend had thought of a way to get them out of this. However, there were more than a few angry looks from amongst the crowd, and none more so than the vendor herself, who now spoke out once more.
"Your Highness, if I may..."
But she was cut off for a second time by Twilight, who was looking at her with a somewhat disdainful look.
"Besides, do you really want to be known as the kind who'd trade for a pony...a person?"
The vendor opened her mouth, most likely to try and dispute the matter further, but shut it soon afterwards. It was clear from the look of horror on her face that she now fully grasped the full meaning of Twilight's words, and what the implications of this trade migth have meant for her had it carried on. Looking around, and the new whisperings from some of the other ponies, it was clear that several of them were now thinking the same thing. Thinking hard, the vendor eventually let out a long sigh before looking up at Twilight.
"Then...I will abide by your ruling, your Highness."
Twilight gave a small smile at that, trying her best not to look to smug at having won this victory for her friends, before bathing her nearby gavel in the aura of her magic. It was levitated before being slammed down hard on the side of the throne, indicating that the matter had been brought to a close. Grumbling, the vendor walked off, with Fluttershy and Rainbow staying behind as the crowd dispersed. They stayed and watched as Twilight used her wings to glide down from her throne. Rainbow looked at her with a look of sheer glee, but that expression dimmed somewhat as she saw that Twilight was looking rather irritated. It was a look that was explained as the young Princess spoke.
"Rainbow, that was the first time I've ever had to use my authority to make a pony do something they didn't want to do. I'm glad things turned out well for you two...but I don't like having to do that."
The cyan-coloured pegasus looked somewhat down at that, clearly feeling bad at having put two friends in uncomfortable situations today. But she looked up as Twilight let out a long sigh, her face becoming more relaxed.
"Just...try to be more careful with your trades next time, okay?"
Rainbow smiled back at her, nodding ferociously to show that she understood her friend's words. Twilight nodded back at her before giving a small smile to Fluttershy. Once that was settled, the young alicorn began making her way away from the two of them, presumably to begin packing up her own items before the train ride back to Ponyville. With just the two of them here now, Rainbow looked at Fluttershy with a look of utter guilt upon her face.
"Fluttershy, I'm so sorry about all this. Can you forgi..."
But she was stopped by Fluttershy placing a hoof upon her shoulder. Rainbow looked on as Fluttershy gave her friend a small smile. She said nothing, but it was clear to Rainbow from the look in Fluttershy's eyes that she'd already forgiven her. Perhaps it was because of all the effort she'd gone through to get her out of the agreement, or perhaps some other reason. But regardless, the two simply stood contented, moving forward and embracing each other in a hug, to let them know that everything had worked out.