Amnesia's Blessing: Love

by ~Ziddia

A light blue filly trotted into a little town on the edge of Canterlot. She called out into the darkness, where the light emanating from her horn did not reach. "Hello?" called the little filly. "Is anyone there?"

A red pony plodded out, his hooves clopping on the ground. "A-yup, I'm here," called Big Macintosh. "Oh - wait. It's you. Ahm sorry, miss, but ahm gonna have to be takin ya to that guard station." He dragged away the filly. She didn't even struggle.

Later that night, Big Macintosh and the blue pony stood with the Captain of the Guard, Sunset Sprint. Sunset looked the strange filly up and down. "I think we have a match, Big M," he said to Big Macintosh.

"A-yeeeaaappp. We should call Twilight down here to be safe. And maybe Applejack as well, yup." Big Macintosh walked out of the room, his head nearly hitting the doorframe. They could hear him calling for Twilight and Applejack.

"Now, Trixie. Why are you here, where is your outfit, and why were you trying to sneak in?" said Sunset. Trixie stared at him blankly, her face completely innocent. "Trixie? Trixie? Trixie!"

Trixie looked at him in an even more quizzical manner as she realized Sunset was speaking to her. "Trixie? Who's Trixie?"

• • •

Applejack circled around Trixie, keeping her distance from the filly as the doctor checked her over. The doctor finally straightened up after an hour of intensive check ups. "It seems that she is telling the truth. She has experienced full memory loss."

"And how in the hay could that happen?" demanded Applejack. She still refused to go near Trixie, almost as if the pony's former boastfulness was a disease she could catch.

"Well, I don't know. It seems as though her memories simply disappeared - although that is completely impossible. Perhaps she has suffered intense trauma? But no matter what the cause, it is the truth. She has suffered a complete memory loss!" With that, the doctor walked out of the room.

Applejack turned to leave as well, when Twilight nudged her foreleg. "Applejack, don't you see? This is a big oppurtunity! We can help Trixie grow up again - she can learn all about the world again, but this time, we can raise her. We can teach her to be good!"

Applejack thought about this for a moment. "You know what? That is a amazin' idea Twi. Ah'll go talk to the poor filly and we can get started!"

• • •

Applejack trotted up to Trixie gingerly. Although the doctor had said it was true, she still didn't trust the pony. "Uh, Trixie?" she said hesitantly, half hoping that Trixie wouldn't respond.

"Yes?" said the blue pony. She looked up at Applejack, and she saw in the filly the innocence of youth and the look of a lost child. All at once, her hesitance melted away; she plodded up to Trixie.

"Naw, Trixie, ah know you probably don't feel that great right now. But, me and Twi really wanna help you get better. Ah hope you can come visit me tomorrow - maybe we can help you work through your memories 'n all?"

"Oh thank you," said Trixie, in a tone of voice that reminded Applejack so much of Fluttershy. When she looked up at Applejack, her eyes were filled with tears. "Thank you so much, I just want to remember..." The filly collapsed and started crying, and Applejack took that as her cue to leave.

• • •

The next morning, Trixie woke in a bed. For a moment, she lay there, breathing in the air, and hoping that the pony Applejack really could help her reclaim her memories. She sat up, and tried to remember.

Over the night, she had started to remember some things about herself. Her name really was Trixie, her mother had been Starlight. Her father had been a purple pony; she couldn't remember his name yet. She didn't think she had any siblings. Beyond these little details, though, she remembered barely anything of her past. "Stop looking back, Trixie," she told herself, knowing she had done this before. "The only pony who can get it done is you."

She trotted out to meet some ponies in the town center. When she arrived, she saw the ponies from the night before - Twilight? Applejack? And two new ponies. One stared at her with beautiful eyes under a mane of purple hair, and a name drifted to her mind - Rarity. She stopped, wondering where that had come from. She must have it wrong. But she knew the name was right, somehow.

She looked at the other pony. Thankfully, no memories came to her mind from this pony. The pony seemed to be vibrating, her pink mane exploding everywhere around her face as she shook. Trixie shook her head and walked up to the ponies. Applejack smiled as she trotted up. "Girls, this is Trixie. She lost her memory and we are going to try and help her get it back." The ponies nodded, since they had been told about the plan beforehand. "Trixie, this is Rarity and Pinky Pie. They are going to teach ya! Yah'll go with Rarity first to get some etiquette lessons - that's lessons in manners, just in case you don't remember the words. Next you go with Pinky to learn to have fun, and with Twi to learn magic. Then yah'll come with me to learn work. Yah understand?"

Trixie nodded her head, moving away with Rarity. She smiled to herself, happily thinking about the ponies. Of all the places to get lost, this would have to be the perfect spot. She looked at Rarity and said, "Thank you." She smiled even wider as the pony gave her a smile.

• • •

Later that day, Trixie wasn't so sure about this anymore. The lessons on etiquette had been strict, while fair, and she had picked up on everything fast, even though Rarity seemed not to like her very much. The lessons with Pinky were a lot easier; Pinky was all about learning to laugh. Trixie felt like she had laughed and smiled more in that day than she ever had in the rest of her life. Then, there was Twilight's lessons. While the filly was very kind to her, she was also strict and not good at teaching - she was very unfocused as she read during lessons. But Trixie was grateful all the same; she had learned a lot in those lessons.

And now, she was going to Applejack's lessons on work. Trixie had no idea what this work was, but she was determined to try her best. Applejack was her new role model; the filly was just so kind and caring and perfect in every way. Trixie smiled, pleased that she had found a pony that may be a true friend already.

They got down to her lessons. Applejack trotted up to her. "Now, the first thing you need to know about work is that it is hard and it takes a long time to do it. Ahm gonna teach yew to buck some apples, then yew can go do it yerself. Okay?"

Trixie snuffled nervously. "I think so, Miss Applejack," she said nervously. The pony was so imposing that Trixie felt insignificant next to her.

"None of that Miss stuff, Trixie. Ahm Applejack, nothin else," said Applejack softly. "Now, let's get to work!"

• • •

An hour later, Trixie was finally finished her work. Everything ached; her back, her legs, her neck. But, she was still proud of the effort she had put into the work. "Applejack... Did I do good?" she asked, desperate to please to orange filly.

"Ah think you did a dandy job there Trixie! Gud work on ya first day," she replied. Trixie swelled up with pride; she had never expected to get such praise on her first day.

"Um, I have to go now, it's getting late..." she said in a little voice. She really had to go, it was past her haytime and she had another huge day ahead of her tomorrow...

"Just one more thing sugarcube," said Applejack breezily. "Twi told me to show yew this."

Trixie craned her neck forward, to look in a magical mirror. The mirrors contents swirled and a dark night appeared. Trixie saw herself, setting up a caravan... The scene changed. She saw herself boasting to these ponies, wearing a cape and hat... The scene changed. She saw herself running from an Ursa, and she laughed at Twilght. The scenes disappeared and Trixie fell backwards onto the ground.

"How could I be that awful?" she asked Applejack in a little voice. She still didn't remember any of it, but she knew the mirror didn't lie. She knew the scenes really were true. "How could I be that horrible to you all?"

"I don't know, Trixie," said Applejack. She seemed to actually mean it. "Ah just don't know."

• • •

Trixie worked hard for several days, and she found that the best bit of her day was meeting Applejack for her working job. She grew closer to orange pony, and every night she went to sleep happy - until one day, when she had been working extra hard. She had kicked off early because she had finished all her jobs. She headed home.

Later that night, when she was tucked into the hay snugly, Trixie found herself thinking of Applejack. The pony was so kind, and gentle, and she actually seemed to care about her. She had the feeling that no pony had ever been so nice to her before. She quickly fell asleep thinking such nice thoughts.

That was the first night she dreamed of Applejack.

She wasn't sure when her thoughts had turned to dreams, but she found herself sitting on a cloud, and ponies from all over the land were watching her. She waved a wand that appeared in her hoof and the crowd roared as a huge dragon made of smoke flew over their heads. Trixie basked in their approval, but then she spied Applejack all alone in a corner. The filly was shaking her head and turning away.

Trixie ran to Applejack, the applauding ponies disappearing, the clothes fading from her body. She called out the filly's name. "Applejack! Applejack!" But the pony didn't stop. Trixie finally caught up with her, but Applejack turned on her.

"Ah thought we finally taught yew some manners! Ah thought yew were over all this! Why did ah ever think that?" The pony was really angry, but Trixie nuzzled her leg, as if in a dream - which she was.

"Applejack, I'm so sorry. I... I don't know what happened..." She took a deep breath, and stared at the orange pony. "Applejack, I don't want them. I want you."

The orange pony stared at her a moment, then smiled. "Well why didn't you say so?" she said, grinning. "Ah'm always gonna be here for you, Trixie," she said in a very serious voice. She sat down on a patch of grass that just appeared, and invited Trixie down, smiling at her and laughing as she clumsily fell to the ground.

She put her hoof on Trixie's, and nuzzled her gently on her neck, the soft pressure quickly turning into something more. Applejack's gentle kisses ran down Trixie's back, moving ever closer to her cutie mark. Trixie shuddered in pleasure; she realized that this was what she wanted. This was the reason she put up with the lessons.

As Applejack's kisses grew a little stronger and Trixie felt them on her thighs, she turned to Applejack, breaking her off. Applejack looked at her, annoyed and more than a little hurt. Trixie looked her deep in the eyes. "If we're going to do this, Applejack, we have to do this together." Applejack just smiled as Trixie moved in to kiss her.

Trixie woke in her bed, memories of that wonderful, terrible dream still within her head. She had never thought she was this kind of filly; she had never thought that this could happen. Numbly, in the back of her mind, she wondered how she knew that. But that didn't matter. All that mattered at that moment was that she was in love with the orange filly, and that there was no way Applejack could love her back. After she terrorized the town, destroyed so much, boasted about her greatness... How could anypony possibly love her?

• • •

Trixie was late to her lesson with Rarity and the day didn't get any better. The only reason she had to feel good about something that day was when she had her lesson with Applejack. And so it went on - two weeks went by of lessons, hopes, dreams, and a single short lesson with Applejack at the end of the day. That was the only thing Trixie looked forward to.

Finally, she couldn't hold it in any more. She broke down crying in the middle of a lesson with Rarity and just couldn't stop. Rarity patted her gently on the back.

"What's wrong, Trixie? Did I do something to upset you?" she asked softly. Trixie was lost in her sobs and almost didn't hear. It took almost an hour to comfort Trixie enough so she was ready to speak, but Rarity was determined and she patiently waited for her new friend to calm down.

Trixie took a deep breath, and finally registered what Rarity had said to her. She knew that she couldn't keep this inside her all alone anymore; it was going to kill her. "It's Applejack," she said to Rarity.

"Whatever could that filly have done to upset you so?" said Rarity. "I can sort her out for you. Has she been hurting you? Is she a problem? We can help you..."

Trixie shook her head quickly. "She's not hurting me - far from it! Ever since I came to Ponyville you have all been so kind to me, but Applejack was the nicest. She seemed to care about me from the very start. Well, I worked with her for all those days, and I made friends with you all... I was so happy. But then, one night I had this dream... And... And..." She paused to take a deep breath. "I think I'm in love with Applejack," she finished in a rush.

"Oh. Well, that is quite the opposite of what I expected. And I did not think you were that sort of pony. But, there is something romantic about it... You truly love her?"

Trixie swallowed and nodded her head quickly.

"Well then, we have to show her that she can love you. We need to show her who you really are on the inside. I heard, when we were all fillies, that she was like that as well. I hope for your sake that is true. No matter what, we have to try."

Trixie looked up, tears of joy in her eyes. "Thank you so much, Rarity. If you hadn't asked me, I don't know what I would do..."

Rarity nudged the pony's leg gently. "Okay. Here's what we have to do..."

• • •

Trixie went to sleep that night feeling a whole lot better. With Rarity's help, she felt like she actually had a chance with Applejack. She knew that it was slim, but she felt better all the same.

That night, she dreamt of Applejack again. They were lying under a tree, the fruit swinging above their heads. Trixie smiled. Rarity had brought them together and now they would be together forever. Applejack nudged her, waking her from her reverie.

"Trixie..." she murmured, sending electric shivers up Trixie's spine. "I love you, Trixie, now and always," she said softly. Trixie laughed in delight as the pony kissed her along her stomach, her lips coming to rest at her cutie mark. Trixie turned, kissing Applejack back, feeling the strange, amazing feeling of a loved one's lips on her mark. She kissed Applejack's mark as well, and fell into a pool of happiness.

She awoke that morning feeling a lot better and very optimistic. She knew she could make Applejack love her; she had to try! She smiled as the orange filly walked past her room, staring at her, imprinting her on her memories. She knew at that moment that she was in past caring; she was in love with this filly, and nothing could change her love.

• • •

It was only three days later that Trixie took Rarity's advice and made her first move. After a hard day of working, she stayed back with Applejack. They started talking, and, just like Rarity had planned, they decided to meet at the apple orchards the next day.

Trixie walked to the orchards with a spring in her step, smiling at Applejack who was trotting beside her. Applejack seemed a bit nervous, but she smiled and talked all the same. "So how's yer day been, Trixie?" she asked.

"Oh, fine. I was with Rarity for a while, practicing my etiquette. I enjoy those lessons a lot. Then I went to a little happy party with Pinky and got a bit muddled of the time. Before I knew it it was time to meet you. How was your day?"

Applejack looked at Trixie with a slightly confused face, trying to process all the quickly spoken words. Trixie watched her carefully. She seemed to be okay, but - did she see a hint of jealousy? Maybe her hopes weren't so slim after all. She waited for Applejack to reply.

"Ah, mah day's been pretty normal. Ah went to the markets and got some stuff for Big Macintosh and Granny Smith. Ah went over to visit Dash - have you met Dash? Such a nice pony there. Then ah came here to meet you. It's real nice of you to come to the orchards with me," replied Applejack.

Trixie felt a seed of jealousy well up inside her. Dash? Rainbow Dash? What would Applejack want with her? She had been so vague about it - maybe she had done something with the pony that she didn't want to talk about? A huge anger filled her, followed by a crushing guilt. How could she suspect Applejack? She was a true friend, and hopefully would be more than that before too long. Why would she doubt Applejack?

Applejack smiled at Trixie. "Come on, Trixie. Let's set up a picnic blanket here. We can have a l'il party an stuff!" She drew a blanket out of her pack and put it on the ground, in the shelter of two apple trees. She lay down on it, and picked some food from the pack.

Trixie lay down as well, her legs folding beneath her gently. She took an apple from Applejack and started to eat.

"How's it been goin, sugarcube? Got any of those memories back yet?" asked Applejack. She looked at Trixie, perhaps wondering what the answer would be, perhaps scared of that answer.

Trixie shook her head dejectedly. "Nothing's coming back to me yet. I remember little bits and pieces, but nothing about my life. From what I saw about myself before, I hope it stays that way."

"Ah, Trixie. Nothin's worth that. Even though yew weren't all that nice before, we taught yew everythin about being a good pony now! It's not like yew can just forget all that!"

Trixie smiled at her pony friend. "I guess not, Applejack," she replied. Her heart was pounding as she got ready to say the words. "Applejack... This picnic isn't the real reason I invited you to come with me. I had to get you to come with me somehow and this seemed the best way."

Applejack looked confused. "Trixie, why did you bring me here? What's here that you can't ask me at your classes?" Genuine confusion painted her features in such a way that would have made Trixie laugh if she wasn't so nervous.

"The thing is, Applejack... I like all you ponies of Ponyville, especially since you rescued me. But you showed me something that the rest of the ponies didn't. You showed me kindness from the very beginning. From the first time I met you, you seemed to actually care about me. And now, I've been here almost a month, and I've been feeling some strange things. Things I can't explain. Things that are alien to me."

Applejack eyed her warily. "What's wrong? Where is this leading? Are you trying to say you don't like me? Because ah'm okay with that, ah can deal with it..."

Trixie silenced her with a bold hoof to the other ponies lips. "I don't hate you, Applejack," said Trixie, her eyes shining. "I think that I love you."

Applejack sat in a stunned silence for a moment, then chuckled to herself. "I swear to the hay, if you're lying, Ah'm gonna get you so bad. And if Ah'm dreaming... Well, I don't wanna wake up." She pulled Trixie towards her. Trixie's last conscious thought was a sense of relief and delight. She had finally managed it - she had gotten the courage to tell Applejack. And Rarity had been right; it was the most amazing feeling in the world.

• • •

Later that day, Trixie finally broke away from Applejack, basking in the feeling of love that was coming from the other pony. Applejack smiled at her - or was she smiling for the same reason she was? It really was the best feeling in the world. Trixie nuzzled Applejack's cutie mark, an electric tingle running through her as she did. She felt her pulse racing, and knew that she had to stop, or they would be together until the morning.

Evidently Applejack had figured this out too. "Ah have to go, Trixie," she said tenderly. "Ah'll be here for yew in the morning, ah promise."

"I love you, Applejack. Now and forever," she whispered. Applejack got up and left for her work.

Trixie trotted back to her house, feeling amazing about herself. She had finally managed to get Applejack, and it had worked just like Rarity had said! As she walked down the road, she saw a group of fillies speed towards her on a scooter. They didn't slow down and - BLAM! The scooter slammed into Trixie, knocking her and the fillies over. "My Little Ponies, you really should be more careful..." said Trixie slowly.

"I'm sorry miss Trixie," said the one that reminded her of Dash.

"We was just tryin' to get a scooterin' cutie mark," said another one in Applejack's own accent.

"And we work so hard to get them," said the last one, in Rarity's lilting tones.

"Oh ah should really introduce us. Ah'm Apple Blossom, this is Scootaloo, and that's Sweetie Belle. We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders!"

Trixie smiled at the fillies. "And you are trying to get your cutie mark, right?" The fillies nodded vigorously. "And you'll want to know how I got mine?" she said. The ponies nodded even harder. "Well I'm afraid I can't help you. I can't remember anything!"

"Oh, and I was so hoping..." said Sweetie Belle dejectedly.

Trixie strained her mind, trying to remember for the sake of these little fillies. Suddenly, something came to her mind. "Wait! I remember!" The ponies crowded around as she said the story.

"It was a normal day at pony school. I was auditioning for the school play, for the main role. I went out to audition, and got awful stage fright! I tried to speak, but I just couldn't! It was awful. But then, I looked inside myself, and I saw the Trixie that I really was. I said the lines, and got the part, and when I got home, I saw the mark." She waggled her cutie mark at the Crusaders. "That's how I knew I was going to be a stage pony!"

"Oh, another look-into-ourselves story," said Scootaloo grumpily. "I guess we'll just have to keep trying to get it ourselves..."

Trixie smiled at them as they turned to leave. Then, one of them turned to her. "Hey, Trixie? Can yah go put this here zip line on Twilight's house?" asked Apple Blossom.

The little orange one sighed. "Applebloom, we've already done this... We didn't get our marks! Uh... Fine. Let's just try this stupid thing again..."

She looked at Trixie imploringly. "Trixie?"

"Sure!" said Trixie happily. She was glad to help. She took the zip line and off she went to take it to Twilight's house.

• • •

About half an hour later she trotted up to the library. She smiled suddenly as she realized she could hear Applejack's voice in there, and let the beautiful voice wash over her - and then froze as she heard the conversation.

"Ah just don't know Twilight," said Applejack. "Ah think she really loves me, but ah just don't love her. She doesn't understand that there's another pony in mah life! Ah have to tell her"

"Oh, Applejack. It might not be that bad," said Twilight encouragingly.

"But it is, Twi. Ah can't have her following me around everywhere ah go! Ah just don't love her! She's just everywhere ah go, even when ah wanna spend time with the pony ah really love. She's always there!"

"Well, maybe you can sort thus out later," said Twilight. "Right now we need to get some sleep. Maybe you'll feel better in the morning."

"Ah hope you're right, Twilight," said Applejack heavily.

Trixie backed away, her far a mask of pain and anger. Applejack didn't love her. There was another pony. She was just a nuisance - a horsefly that just wouldn't go away.

Applejack didn't love her. And, as she galloped back to their house to say her last goodbyes, only one word was spinning in her head.

Betrayal.

/*And now, a magical preview of Betrayal!*/

BETRAYAL: PREVIEW

Applejack trotted out of the library, sighing in happiness. Twilight was sorting out her Dash problem, she was going to visit her Trixie- what else could she want?

Of course, her brow creased at the thought of Dash, but she was sure Twilight could sort her out, or at least keep her from stalking... Or harming Trixie.

She whistled as she trotted into their little barn, feeling a grin plaster her face as she thought of Trixie. The little filly was so innocent like this- so beautiful.

She trotted into the barn, calling out to her little filly. "Trixie? Ah'm home! Are you there?" There was no response. Applejack called out again, as fear flashed through her. "Triiiiixiiiiiie?"

There was still no response.

Applejack rushed through all the barn, looking everywhere, but there was no sign of her Trixie. Worried, and frightened, Applejack collapsed against a hay bale- and, like magic, saw a note sticking out from under the hay.

Applejack read it, her legs going floppy as she saw the truth. she collapsed again, but this time for a different reason. She read it over again, praying that it wasn't true, that Trixie was going to jump around a corner and tell her it was all just a joke.

It didn't happen, and Applejack began to weep.