Of Rocks and Showmares

by Gweat and Powaful Twixie

Chapters

• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4

Chapter 1

Of Rocks and Showmares

Chapter 1

trixie

A baby blue mare with a moonly silver mane entered through the glass door of the unemployment office. Her head was hung low, and her eyes dared not at wander from the ground. She wore an outrageous, pointed hat and matching cape. The wide rim of the hat had been pulled down to shadow her face. As soon as she entered, she drew hushed whispers and snickers from every pony in the room. Without seeing them, she knew they were nudging their friends, pointing at her, and letting everyone else know that they Great and Powerful Trixie had arrived.

Cruel words floated through the room. Of course none of them wanted her to hear them, but no matter how quiet these ponies tried to be, they just weren’t quiet enough.

”Hey look, isn’t it The Old and Has-been Trixie?”

“Has-been? She was something to begin with? You give her far too much credit.”

“I heard she floozied her way through magic school.”

“Ha, nopony would even bother with that now.”

Everywhere she went, this had become her existence. Sometimes the comments were lighthearted, more fun than flame, even to the point where she could laugh with them. Other times, they were the sort of pure venom that rung her head late at night and early into the morning. Words were words though, and no matter what anyone said, they couldn’t bring her any lower than she was. Some say that hateful words hurt more than any punch, but she had bruises beneath her cape to argue that point for her.

Once she had made the mistake of thinking that her hat and cape were what drew attention to her. She thought that she could go out into public incognito without them, that she’d just be another pony going about her business. What she learned was that some ponies are even crueller when they can see their victim cry.

At least wearing such a large hat kept her tears to herself.

Friends on the other hand, were completely out of the question. The last friend she had was a pegasus named Breezy. She was a fan who turned a close friend. The ‘Breezy” days were the last time she considered herself happy. She wasn’t anything special besides a pony who listened and cared about her.

That ended quickly. After Breezy publicly defended Trixie from a mob, they chased her down, roughed her up, and clipped her wings. After a long night of apologies, accusations and tears, Trixie forced her away out of sheer guilt. She didn’t want to see anypony else hurt because of her.

Still, it didn’t mean she wouldn’t like a friend, or that she wouldn’t give absolutely anything for one.

As Trixie neared the end of the line, the whispers became silent like they always did. Ponies usually didn’t have the gall to insult her to her face. They were spineless in that regard, but occasionally, they did scream to her face. She didn’t know which one she preferred more.

About ten minutes later she reached the front of the line. At the help desk, she pulled her hat down even more.

“My, my isn’t it The Great and Powerful Trixie?” the mare at the help desk said.

Trixie’s voice was calm and smooth. “Ah, it seems you’ve heard of Trixie.”

As soon as she spoke, the whispering resumed. The ponies around her apparently thought she was deaf while she talked.

“Yeah, I have. I used to be a big fan,” the mare leveled with her.

Trixie didn’t look up. She didn’t look away. She simply stayed still and calm.

She didn’t like when ponies were nice to her. Nopony was ever nice to her, just different degrees of mean. She’d seen this before and it was the worst degree. Initially they were pleasant, friendly even. As soon as she opened up her heart even a smidgen, they’d beat it back down.

“Trixie does not have fans anymore. She is no longer an entertainer. That part of her life has passed,” she replied.

“Well, I did say ‘used to be’.” The mare was a bit taken aback. “How can I help you Miss Lulamoon?”

“You know Trixie’s story, no? Given where we’re at, isn’t it obvious?” She motioned to the large, opaque words plastered to the inside of the glass windows. They read “Unemployment Office”.

Trixie paused. The mare opened her mouth to speak, but she cut her off.

“Trixie seeks employment.”

The mare just closed her mouth and raised her brows. She opened a drawer and searched a rather robust file filled with potential employers. Everything from retail shops to manufacturing to food service was available. There was a particularly lucrative business partnership with a convention committee that came up earlier. Trixie would be a natural, but now the mare was disinclined.

“Tsk, tsk ,tsk... It appears like I only have one lead at the time,” she said smugly, singling out an application. “A rock farm.”

She handed the application over and Trixie snatched it out of the air with her magic. She read it beneath the shade of her hat. A few moments later she spoke.

“A rock farm?”

“Yes, given your work history, it’s all I can do for you.”

Trixie cracked a pitiful smile. Never in all her life did she feel so pathetic. Months ago, she had a successful, profitable show with legions of fans at her whim. She had money, influence and friends; everything she could have wanted. Now, she cried herself to sleep every night. She avoided the public like the plague, and she was always hungry.

Trixie read over the job description.

Farm rocks

She let out a mad, cackling laugh, silencing the whispers for a second. Only a certain sort of morbid curiosity and self-pity drove her to her decision.

“Trixie will be a rock farmer then!” she announced in a pained, merry tone.

“This is Sue,” Clyde introduced. “Blinkie and Inkie. They are my family, and don’t think I need to tell you, but in case I do. You will treat them with respect.”

Trixie nodded understandingly. She had considered introducing herself as The Great and Powerful, but that trick hadn’t worked so well with Clyde at the train station. After he ridiculed her and put her in her place, she was quiet. She was starting to understand what it meant to have a broken will. Even now she felt like she was merely shuffled from place to place, doing whatever anypony told her. As depressing as the idea was, there was solace in it. Being a nobody meant she at least wasn’t Trixie anymore.

She sneaked a glance at the three mares in front of her.

The daughter, Blinkie, watched her coarsely. Trixie had seen enough judging eyes in her life to know that this one would be the one who she needed to avoid.

Inkie, on the other hoof, looked almost bored. She peered up to the sky, around the farm and at Trixie, sizing up her and her flamboyant wardrobe.  Eventually her eyes came to rest on Trixie and her deadbeat stare endlessly repeated the same thoughts, ‘Why are you even here? You know this isn’t going to work.’

Sue was a completely blank slate. Her face was plain and devoid of any glimmer of emotion. Her eyes were a wall, barring any sort of reading. They were either dead and simple, or impossibly calculating and wily. For all Trixie knew, Sue could be contemplating how to murder them all and they’d be none-the-wiser.

“Now we start the day at six and end at four. Breakfast is at five, lunch is at noon and supper is at six. We take breaks at...”

Clyde Pie listed off various times that passed straight through Trixie’s bitter, heartbroken ears.

She stood before three simple mares and each one of them looked down upon her in a different way. Trixie was tired of ponies looking down at her. Part of her took the job because she assumed a rock farmer couldn’t look down at anypony. A rock farmer had to be the lowliest of manual labourers and taking this job meant she’d finally see somepony as an equal. Yet, even now, she was looking at the ground, her hat covering her face, while they on the other hand looked proud and stout.

“My oldest, Inkie, will be the one training and supervising you until you are capable of doing work on your own,” he continued.

Trixie looked up to the darker grey mare he spoke of. Inkie let out a muffled groan, letting her breath inflate her lips as if she had been assigned the heaviest labour imaginable. Trixie pulled her hat down further, hoping it might suffocate her.

“Don’t you worry Pa. Trix’ll be a regular workin’ horse in no time,” Inkie replied in forced pleasantry. Her voice was surprisingly soft, wispy and girlish, yet nothing about her tone invited weakness or vulnerability.

“Lastly, you’ll be stayin’ in the guest room. Take the rest of the day to get settled in Miss Lulamoon, but be ready to work by tomorrow. I’ll come by later after supper to check up on you.”

Suddenly shifting from the loud, busy city to quiet, rural nights had made that evening excruciatingly long. In the city, Trixie had always been on the tips of her hooves, ever alert of ponies who’d take their cruel jokes too far. It was a woeful, but necessary distraction. Without that distraction, Trixie was left alone to think and after reliving enough painful memories of being violently chased out of town, tears found their way out.

Somehow Clyde picked up on it. He nearly walked in on her bawling her eyes out, a gift in hoof. Trixie barely managed to compose herself as he knocked.

Out of a practical sympathy, Clyde gave her an inkwell, quill, and some parchment, encouraging her to write to her friends. He told her that it would be good to keep in touch with the ponies she cared about because holidays on a rock farm were few and far between. Having something to look forward to in the mail would help keep her going when the going got tough.

If she hadn’t been so well trained in stage presence, she imagined herself crying at the gesture. Of all of them, Clyde had been the kindest. At least he talked to her and checked up on her, even if it was just for business. The ink and quill weren’t much, but it went a long way to make her feel welcome. She held it as a token of the mutual hardship she was to undertake with them. She promised him that she’d write every single friend she had.

At the end of the night she hadn’t started a single letter.

Trixie woke up an hour early from restless anxiety. In her wallowing self-pity she had an, emotional change of heart. She opened her drawer where she stowed her hat and cape and donned them.

Nothing would change who she was.

In a whirlwind she became The Great and Powerful Trixie once again. She styled her mane and tail, and groomed her coat to the respectable shine of a seasoned showmare. She practiced a few of her showy spells and whispered some confident lines. After throwing a series of dramatic poses in the mirror, she caught herself smiling.

After giving herself some much needed adoration and self-esteem boosting she made her way down to her first breakfast, chin held up high. She thought up a few good lines on the way. The family was already there eating quietly.

When Clyde looked up and saw Trixie, his eyes grew wide then disappointed. For a second, he let his shock communicate the obvious.

“Miss Lulamoon, what in the hay are you wearing...?” asked Clyde in bewilderment.

The question hit Trixie like a train. Here she was, all dolled up for, what only now occurred to her would be, dirty, hard, manual labour. She stretched out her cape and tried to remember her lines, but drew blanks. With the eyes of family on her and Inkie and Blinkie snickering, she threw out the first thing that came to her mind.

“Why, these are Trixie’s affections. She always wears them!” she announced.

“I thought I said I didn’t want to see any of your theatrics back at the train station,” he said. “I read ‘bout you. Do not bring your last job into this one. Now, you’re outta warnings. Go get changed and be in fields in five minutes.”

“Five minutes? But Trixie hasn’t even ate...” she whimpered.

Clyde went back to eating and gave quick glares at the daughters. Their giggling silenced. Trixie met Sue’s dead eyes for less than a second. Trixie stood there, hungrily eyeing the food on the table, before turning tail and walking back up to her room to change.

“So, Trixie just needs to roll them around?” She kicked a rock over and looked up to the grey mare sheepishly. “Like this?”

Inkie let out a sharp sigh.

“I’ll tell you what, Trixie, ya best stop talking in the third person ‘cause it’s botherin’ me a cart load,” replied Inkie. “It ain’t that easy, ya need to follow the rotation.”

Trixie pawed at the rock between them. “So, how is it that you make money off this dreary task?”

Inkie narrowed her eyes.

“I’d suggest that ya change your tone. Last thing we need is some hotshot city mare comin’ ‘round poppin’ her mouth off at us. Us Pies can be real swell to work with or real nasty,” she snarled. “I ain’t gonna think twice about tellin’ Pa that you ain’t cut out for this.”

“Excuse Trixie. Trixie was just wondering how Trixie was supposed to be paid. Trixie didn’t know that Trixie wasn’t allowed to know the farm’s inner working,” she taunted. She instantly regretted those words.

Inkie glared at her.

“What is your problem?! Ya sign up for a job and ya just...” Inkie choked up trying to put her anger into words. “Ya just treat everypony like they ain’t got no brain?! Why’d ya even come here?!”

Trixie winced at Inkie’s outburst. Since her reputation fell, she had learned to avoid ponies who were either shouting or whispering. When ponies whispered around her, their words cut her deep. When ponies started shouting around her, it usually meant she was about to be hurt, badly.

“I—I just needed money...” muttered Trixie.

Inkie didn’t even hear her.

“Ya know what, Trix?! I felt awful sorry for you at breakfast! Seein’ your hungry face made me sadder than a grounded bird. I thought maybe ya might want something to keep ya goin’ so I swiped ya a few scones.”

She opened her bag

“I was thinkin’ we could share them, but now I think I’ll just eat them by myself! Maybe you can go flaunt that ridiculous getup to some cows or something, cause ain’t nopony else cares about it!”

Trixie was silent. Her lip trembled and her eyes became misty. She blurted out a few words.

“Just—! Just—!” Trixie ground her teeth together. Her face burned up. “Just! I’m sorry! And I want to know how the rotation goes again! Okay?!” she exploded finally, turning her face away from Inkie.

“Fine! That’s it! I’m— Wait what?!”

“The rotation! Please! Just go over it again!”

Inkie slighted her eyes at the unicorn.

“You gonna pay attention this time?!” she asked, still shouting a bit.

“Yes... I will.” Trixie’s ears drooped. A few tears had finally broken free and streamed her cheeks.

“Yeah, okay, good... Just give me a moment.” Inkie took a deep breath. “Well, first,” she started before seeing Trixie’s tears. “Hey wait, you cryin’?”

Trixie wiped her cheek and felt dampness. Immediately she rubbed her eyes dry. “No, I just... It’s nothing.”

Inkie spat at the ground.

“Great, now I’m gonna feel bad all day. Made a tender lil’ city mare cry. I’m a champ,” she muttered. “A real champ...”

“I’m not crying! I’m just really frustrated!”

“Yeah? Why don’t ya tell me all about it!?” replied Inkie. “Ain’t never had nothin’ frustratin’ to deal with before!”

Fresh tears surged Trixie’s ducts.She was doing her best to silence her sobs, but she was slowly becoming hysterical. Inkie must have lost it a little because she slammed a nearby rock beneath her powerful heel, crushing it to dust.

“Dang it! Okay look, I’m sorry fer makin you cry like a little filly.” Inkie took another deep breath and steadied her tone. “How ‘bout this? I’m gonna show you how to do this job, you’re gonna shut up cause ya drive me up a wall, and when we’re done workin’, we’re just gonna go back inside and avoid each other. Sound good?”

“Mhmmm...” she whimpered.

“Now, them scones are in my saddlebags. Go get something to eat, calm down and come back when you’re ready.”

Trixie obediently turned around and walked off to the aforementioned bags. Inkie called out after her.

“Hey, Trix!”

Trixie slowly looked back, tears falling silently.

“I’m real sorry ‘bout what I said, okay?” said Inkie with a quick bob of her head. Trixie nodded her head in unison before turning back around.

Inkie sighed and called out after her again. “You’re a mighty big pain in the rear, Trix, but I think you’ll turn out alright! We’ll give you work that you can use your magic to do! Just do the job and keep your big mouth shut!”

Trixie didn’t turn around. Her head was hung again, the tip of her tail dragging across the dirt.

Chapter 2

Of Rocks and Showmares

Chapter 2

trixie

Trixie adjusted to farm life over the next few days. She learned to never make the cardinal mistake of wearing her cape and hat anywhere but her room. Styling her mane and tail weren’t out of the question, but pretty much futile. After a few hours of work she resembled the rest of them.

She still wore her trademark garb when she was alone though. They were comforting and when she was lonely, she could feel the warmth of the mare who gave them to her. That miniscule, insignificant comfort made her feel whole after a long of being ripped into by Inkie of the rest of the family. After particularly hard days, she’d wrap herself up in them and cry herself to sleep. The first day was one of those days.

At first it bothered her, crying so much. Every pony she told her nightly ritual to would immediately try to comfort her. They told her no pony should be so sad as to cry so often. She didn’t mind it after awhile. It was morbid, but crying herself to sleep became the one thing she looked forward to every day.

As the days went on, she learnt the jobs and various tasks of the work. True to Inkie’s words, they gave her jobs better suited for a magician. She was tasked with levitating large quantities of small rocks around. It was the sort of job that would take an earth pony hours of tedious work to do, but she could do it in ways that seemed almost unfair.

Still, she was good at something looked forward to that solitary moment at the end of the day where Clyde seemed to forget they had a unicorn on staff and saw her work. There was a fleeting sparkle in his eye and smile on his face. It wasn’t much and he never commented on it, but Trixie took what she could get.

Trixie also followed Inkie’s advice, along with the general consensus of the household, and kept her mouth shut. The only time she spoke was when spoken to or she had work related questions. Mostly, she’d go to Inkie with her questions and receive short, minimalist answers, often receiving little more than pointing or gesturing.

Both of them figured that the less they talked, the less likely it would be that they’d end up arguing and yelling. So for that, Trixie endured the silence.

They were working out in the fields, transporting rocks from one rotation to another. A recent streak of fortune had put the family in a good mood. They didn’t tell her what exactly happened, but somehow it compelled Inkie to talk to her first.

“Ya know, Trix, if ya ever wanna just talk, it ain’t gonna bother nopony...” she said, breaking the age-old silence of the farm.

“I thought you wanted me to keep my big mouth shut...” Trixie bit back.

“Yeah I do, but that don’t mean you can’t talk, just don’t be a loudmouth.”

Trixie’s brow furrowed. “Maybe I don’t want to talk.”

She raised her voice. “What’s your problem? I’m tryin’ to be friendly here.”

The volume was picking up again.

“Why? I complained and I kept talking in third person. No one likes me, so why should you?!”

Inkie grit her teeth and glared at Trixie. Trixie met her glare and they stood there at total odds with one another. She didn’t want to argue again. She wanted to talk about something, maybe have a conversation, but part of her didn’t care what Inkie said. Inkie had shut her up, and unless something had changed, Trixie wouldn’t give her anything after being told she didn’t matter.

Inkie let out a deep, aggravated, ‘I’m-only-going-to-give-you-one-more-chance-so-don’t-blow-it’, sort of sigh.

“You know what? You stopped talking like that and I haven’t heard a single complaint since,” admitted Inkie.

Trixie threw the rocks in the cart a little harder, listening intently to her words.

“It seems like a good amount of improvement and—” Inkie forced out her next words almost grimacing as she said them. “I want to tell you that you’re doing a good job, okay?”

Trixie’s expression softened and she looked into Inkie’s eyes. She knew when a pony was lying and Inkie looked pretty genuine.

“Yeah?”

“I’m not sayin’, ‘let’s be friends’, but if we’re gonna spend ten hours a day in the field workin’ our tails off, it’d be nice to have some sort of friendly work environment.” She cocked her head to the side as if agreeing with herself. “It’s good for safety or somethin’ like that.”

Trixie considered it. She didn’t know what to make of Inkie being nice to her. Technically, there wasn’t anything for either of them to lose by being pleasant to each other. Talking made the day go by faster and the work feel easier, but she wasn’t convinced. Just because she couldn’t see a reason for a pony to turn something into a cruel joke, didn’t mean there wasn’t one.

Still, here was an honest pony trying to be friendly to her and she wasn’t about to turn that down. Maybe before she would have, but not now. Staring at her empty letters each night was getting harder and harder.

A seismic vibration coursed through the ground, letting them know that it was time for one of their breaks. Inkie threw off the yoke.

“Well, there’s the bell. Hey, instead of going back to your room, maybe you could spend the break with me and we can pretend like we don’t hate each other,” Inkie suggested.

Trixie watched her more closely, reading every twitch of her expression. Some ponies could hide dishonesty well. It’s not like she thought a rock farmer would be some sort of acting prodigy who could trick a lie detector, but she might as well be thorough. Inkie looked from side to side, her pupils shrinking a bit.

“Yeah, okay...” agreed Trixie.

The two mares sat at a preplaced ring of boulders alone. Their silence had given way to the clearing of throats and uncomfortable shifting. After an excruciatingly long minute, Trixie was already wishing she hadn’t agreed to it. The break lasted for fifteen minutes, but that was turning out to be fourteen minutes too long.

“So uh...” began Inkie.

“Yeah?”

“Ya got like a coltfriend back home or something?”

“Oh... no, not exactly... Why?”

“Just wonderin’...”

They shared more awkward silence.

“Why, do you have one?” reflected Trixie.

“Shoot, no, all the stallions in town are knuckleheads.” Inkie kicked a rock. “I just thought that a pretty, city mare such as yourself...  ‘d ya know...?”

“I’m flattered...”

More silence followed. Inkie was busy fidgeting and Trixie had suddenly found the featureless sky incredibly interesting.

“Just tryin’ to make conversation here, I don’t know what you unicorns talk ‘bout all day.”

Trixie looked down at the farmer. “Well, we don’t only talk about colts.”

“Yeah?” Inkie flashed a weak smile that disappeared just as quickly as it appeared. “I’m just goin’ off what I read, I don’t really know. Whataya’ll talk about anyway?”

“Yes, well some of us are into fashion, some are into politics, some literature,” Trixie went on, “Artsy things in general, science, academics, stallions of course, mares, and one very specific unicorn, books, and humiliating other unicorns.”

“Wait, what was was that last one?” Inkie asked.

“Oh, that one?! Her name is Twilight Sparkle, the book reading, house destroying devil of a unicorn—” Trixie eagerly jumped.

“Nah, I mean the one before that.”

Trixie thought for a moment.

“Mares?”

“Yeah, that one. Ya tellin’ me that you unicorns are fillyfoolers?”

Trixie thought she snuck that one past her.

“Well—not all of them by any means. Some are, yes. Why do you ask?” \

Inkie chuckled to herself.

“You’re kind’s real weird, Trix. Buncha fillyfoolers. Shoot, I had no idea. Learn something new everyday.”

Trixie felt the light burning of embarrassment in her face.“Something wrong with being interested in mares?” she snapped.

“Next to bein’ a little weird? Nothin’. But I’m not here to judge.”

Bored, Inkie kicked up a rock from her sitting position and bounced it between her rear hooves, keeping it airbourne.

“Why? You one of them fillyfoolin’ unicorns? You’re gettin’ awful defensive,” she prodded, eyes glued to the rock bouncing between her hooves.

Trixie gawked at the blunt, forthcoming question.

“Trixie thinks you’re being a bit prying. Who are you to ask such personal questions?” she protested, blush blooming across her face.

“You’re doin’ it again...” she warned, catching the rock. “The third-person thing?” They stared each other down, before Inkie went back to juggling the rock. “No need to get all defensive, Trix. If ya are, if you’re not, doesn’t matter to me. Could be into trees for all I care.”

Her blush intensified,

“Trees!? Does every conversation you have find its way to such personal topics?”

“Nope, just this one so far.” Inkie smirked. “Maybe it’s your weird fillyfoolin’ vibe that’s makin’ me get all personal.”

“I seriously doubt that!”

“So, ya are one then?”

Trixie almost screamed. “I never said that!”

“So... ya aren’t?” Inkie pressed slyly, an amused smile curling up her face.

“No, I mean—!” Trixie was bright red now.

“It’s a yes or no question, Trix. Ain’t that hard to answer.”

“Oh. My. Goodness...” Trixie trembled in anger. “You are truly an infuriating pony, Inkie.”

“Relax, Trix, I’m just playin’.”

“No, don’t tell Trixie to relax. She is perfectly relaxed. She is just having an impasse with an intolerable mare. Excuse her.” Trixie got up and stormed off.

Inkie frowned. “Ah come on! I didn’t mean it! Honest!” she called out after Trixie.

The rest of the day, Trixie didn’t say a single word to Inkie, despite Inkie’s many attempts at apologizing. Every time she went up to Trixie to apologize, Trixie would turn her head and ignore her. Eventually it wore thin on both of them and neither of them made any attempt to speak to the other. Supper passed with the usual silence, but unbeknownst to the rest of the family, intensity hid behind their well-mannered faces.

Later that night, the events of the day had washed away and Trixie found herself enthralled in one of her favourite romantic novels. It was a love story about two mares who were shipwrecked on an island. They found love in each other, but were eventually rescued and forced to return to their normal lives on other sides of the world.

A light blush had steadily worked its way across Trixie’s face as she raced through the novel. The imagery and description poured off the pages, putting her right in the middle of the steamy love story. Trixie liked to imagine herself on a tropical island with a choice pony and all the time in the world to fall in love.

She was almost to chapter nineteen, the reunion. Trixie couldn’t help but notice her heart beat a little faster and the warmth spread to other parts of her body as she read of their passion.

She had worked up so much tension over the day that she needed something to help relax and this book was just the solution.

There was a heavy knock on Trixie’s door. She squeaked when she heard it. Trixie could tell by the weight of the hoof that it was Clyde. She dashed the book under her pillow and doused her blush.

“Just one moment! Y-yes, come in!”

He peeked through. “Miss Lulamoon, I was hoping to talk to you ‘bout somethin.”

“Yes, what is it, Mr. Pie?”

“Inkie’s mighty upset ‘bout somethin’ and I’m under the impression that you know what that somethin’ is.”

Trixie crossed her arms and furrowed her brow.

“Oh, that. I may know something about that...” she pouted.

“I don’t like pullin’ the business card, but we got work to do and I can’t have you two not talkin’.”

Trixie considered Clyde’s words. Maybe she had been too harsh with Inkie.

“What’s this all about?” asked Clyde. “I might be able to talk some sense into her, but she’s being a brick wall right now and won’t say anything. It’s my fault cause I raised her that way, but we work to do.” His eyes were genuine and strangely compassionate. Something about the way he looked at her made Trixie want to tell him.

She took a deep breath and met his eyes head on.

“She called me a fillyfooler...” she said quietly.

His compassion fell flat and unamused.

“What?” he said in disbelief.

Trixie was taken abac. “She uhh— called me a fillyfooler...?” she iterated.

“That’s what this is all about?” He shook his head and swore angry words under his breath. “I swear I’m dealin’ with a couple foals still...”

“Wh-what...?”

“Inkie!” he bellowed.

Within seconds, his daughter had peeked around the edge of Trixie’s door.

“Yes, Pa?” she squeaked

“Here at the Pie Rock Farm we are an equal opportunity employer,” he said with authority, “who does not discriminate based on species, race, ethnicity, sex, occupation, marital status, nationality, or sexual orientation. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Pa.”

“I just had a nice chat with Trix here and since ya two are so worried about being fillyfoolers, I’m gonna make both your days. Both of you get to spend the next week workin’ the trenches, startin’ tomorrow.” He stomped. “All alone, just the two best friends that you are. I hear one moan or gripe, you tack on another day. Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Inkie replied.

Clyde looked to Trixie expectantly.

“Y-yes, sir,” she parroted.

The “trenches” were what the Pie’s used to refer to the mines. Dark, dank, stuffy tunnels winding down to the center of the earth. There, they searched for rocks to integrate into the farm and any gems they could sell for quick cash.

It was one of those punishment chores. Devoid of any internal infrastructure, the only source of light would be mining helmets. They’d also be forced to manually remove the excess dirt since minecarts hadn’t been set up. At the core of the job, they were tasked with deepening the mines and hacking away at the wall with pickaxes. The trenches were the reason why the Pie daughters were so well-behaved and disciplined.

The trenches were just beyond the edge of the farm, beginning on the side of a small mountain. The two had to wake up an extra half hour early just to compensate for the walk. Inkie and Trixie glared at each other over breakfast the next morning and packed their lunches in silence. The silence continued until they were clear of earshot.

Trixie followed Inkie’s lead out past the farm.

“Can’t believe I got dragged down with ya...” muttered Inkie.

“Oh me? Now it’s my fault?”

“Yeah, ‘course it is. I tried apologizin’ like eighty times. If ya just accepted my apology, none of this woulda happened.”

“Well, I’m sorry I teased you so incessantly on a topic that was clearly making you uncomfortable! Oh, wait no, that was you. My apologies,” Trixie sneered. “How foolish of me to forget.”

“Trix, you are a serious pain in the rear...”

“Likewise...”

They approached the trenches. A few dozen large piles of dirt sat outside a small, dark opening. Several wagons flanked the entrance and a small shed sat a few feet to the left. Inside, they found some mining picks and a few flashlight helmets.

After suiting themselves up, both of them let out a deep sigh and plunged into darkness. Inkie pulled the cart in while Trixie led the way. She lit her horn for light and the entire cave lit up in the magical luminescence

“Hey, look at that,” said Inkie as soon as the unicorn turned her horn on. “You ain’t so useless after all. Job’s not half bad when you can see what you’re doin’.”

Inkie spun around, taking in the sights of the cave. Stalactite formations littered the ceiling, coming down on them like a giant spiked wall. Tiny, hidden gems sparkled faintly off the unicorn’s light, scattered throughout the spacious cavern. Coupled with the drifting dust that hung in the air, the mine took on a twinkling, dreamy appearance.

“Shoot, I ain’t never seen the whole trench lit up at once. Darned helmets can’t never do this.”

“Impressed by the fillyfooler, are we?” chided Trixie.

“Hey now, let’s not get on that again. Now, that we hafta work together, we need to be friendly or we ain’t gonna get squat done,” Inkie warned.

Trixie smirked.

“I’ve been meaning to ask ya. So, fillyfoolin’ is something we can’t talk about. Anything else I should know of? I don’t wanna get on any touchy subjects.”

“Wheels. I don’t trust them,” Trixie replied shortly, holding her chin up in disgust at the thought.

“Wait, what?! Wheels? You serious?” Inkie burst out laughing. “Oh no, you can’t just say you don’t trust wheels. Come on, ya hafta tell me what’s goin’ on with that!”

Trixie turned around and glared at the mare.

“Okay, okay! No wheels. No fillyfoolin’.” She held up her hooves and backed off. “Good to know, I’ll try and lay off them topics.”

There was silence for a moment.

“So...” started Trixie. “Anything you don’t want me to talk about around you?”

Inkie scratched her chin. “Not that I can think of. I guess... Just try and not take me too seriously. I ain’t ever mean on purpose unless I gotta good reason to be.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

They walked for a few minutes in silence, following the path deeper in the earth. Trixie caught Inkie cocking her head around as she walked, taking in the sights of the cave. She smiled to herself. If a simple cave had this pony awestruck, she wondered what one of her shows would do to her.

She imagined Inkie falling over and going into cardiac arrest at the sight of a single firework. By the end of the show, the simple farmer would probably be left gasping for breath, unable to walk. Trixie giggled to herself.

“What’re you laughin’ at?” Inkie asked.

“You.”

Inkie smiled. “Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

“You’re gawking at a cave. Trixie finds it oh so endearing.”

“Yeah, well I’m a rock farmer and it’s neat. Got a problem with that?”

“Not at all! Trixie would actually like to watch the cave seduce you further. You’re face is so adorable when rock formations turn you into a drooling mess,” played Trixie, batting her lashes at the mare.

Inkie smiled, shaking her head at Trixie’s weirdness. She stopped and gestured towards the wall. “Just start mining ya crazy unicorn.”

Inkie took a pickaxe out of the cart and handed it to her. Together they went to work, chiseling away at the wall. Inkie grunted with each swing, putting the full force of her back into the motion. Meanwhile, Trixie let her magic do the work. Swing after swing they slowly cut through the rock.

*

Some time later Inkie wiped her brow and stuck her axe in the ground. Trixie watched her and looked at the status of the tunnel they had been deepening. THey had made it through a few feet of rock in a short time. She afforded a small smile. At least they were getting the work done they needed to. Inkie turned around and Trixie made sure to be looking at her when she did. Trixie leaned casually against a wall and licked her lips.

“What’re you lookin’ at?” asked Inkie, a little estranged. “Come on, get to work.”

“Trixie is working.” She gestured over at the moving pickaxe in her levitation. “You are the one who isn’t working.”

“Uhh right—My bad.” Inkie went back to hacking away, still looking over her shoulder at the her. “You’re actin’ weird, Trix. Keep on lookin’ at me all funny.”

“Am I? Trixie supposes you’re just making her a little... curious.” Trixie winked at her.

Inkie’s eyes shrunk to pinpricks. “Beggin’ your pardon...?”

Trixie strutted over to the mare, smiling warmly and batting her lashes at her. Inkie gulped and backed up.

“Whoa there, Trix, we uh—should probably get back to work, don’t ya think?”

“But Trixie want’s to work on something else, or shall she say, somepony else?”

Inkie back up further,her back nearly to the wall of the small tunnel. “What the? What’re you talkin’ about?!”

“Don’t be shy. Trixie knows what desire looks like, and it’s written all over your face.” It was true, Trixie was a master of spotting emotion in ponies.

It had been her job. She saw the way Inkie’s eyes came to rest on her more supple features. She could hear the slight hesitation in her voice, the way she seemed to hold just a fraction of her breath whenever Trixie was around. Inkie was hiding something, and Trixie was sure she knew what it was.

“I ain’t got a lick of what you’re talking about! Ain’t nothin’s on my face!”

“Don’t you want Trixie to kiss you?” Trixie pouted, sticking her lips out over so slightly to catch the light of her horn.There was a beautiful, photogenic sheen across them.

“Huh?! W-w-wait j-just a moment!”

Trixie drew her hoof across Inkie’s chest, silencing the farmer. She could feel Inkie’s heart pounding beneath the dainty, girly swirl of her hoof. Inkie tried to find the words to protest, but nothing would come out. After Inkie made half a dozen different expressions of every emotion from shock to fear, Trixie held her hoof up to Inkie’s lips.

“Shhh.... Just let it happen...” Trixie cooed, moving herself closer to Inkie.

The permanently perfumed, sweet aroma of a showmare filled Inkie’s nose, and Inkie’s earthy must filled her’s. Both of them blushed scarlet as Trixie closed in. Inkie closed her eyes and puckered her lips up. Trixie smirked.

“Ah ha! You’re a fillyfooler! Trixie knew it!” she declared backing away.

Dumbfounded, Inkie pushed up and away from the wall.

“Wh-what—?!”

“Trixie knew it! She just knew it! Oh, it feels so good to be right!”

“N-now hold on a second!”

“Inkie’s a fillyfooler! Inkie’s a fillyfooler!” she chanted. She trotted excitedly in place and giggled.

“Wait, no! Ya just— got me really confused is all!” Inkie hid behind her mane.

“Oh, don’t be coy with Trixie. Inkie Pie, you are a fillyfooler and you know it. Don’t worry, Trixie won’t tell anypony your weirdo, little secret.”

“Secret?! There ain’t no secret! I’m bein’ serious! And I ain’t no weirdo!”

“Really...?” Trixie batted her lashes again and put on the same blush. “What if I told you I was a fillyfooler too...?” Her eyes grew wide and innocent. She took a step towards Inkie.

“Wh-what?!”

Trixie held her hooves up to cover her embarrassment. “Well, I was...” Trixie bit her lip. “... just seeing if you were one. Now that I know you are, I can’t help but think of kissing you...”

“Now, wait a minute! Just give me like—fifteen seconds! Ya keep on sayin’ one crazy thing after another and it’s makin’ my head hurt!” Inkie waved her hooves to stop the advancing unicorn. Trixie held off and Inkie took about a dozen deep breaths. “Now, what are you goin’ on about?”

“I’m a fillyfooler, Inkie. I knew you were one too, but I just wanted to make sure,” Trixie explained. “I like you, Inkie...”

Inkie cracked an awkward, bashful smile. The closeness and cusp of passion from only moments before was still alive in her heart. “Yeah ok, I got that. Kinda obvious really. The way you got all defensive about it. And what was the rest of that?”

“You like me, you have a crush on me and you want to kiss me... I feel the same way.”

Inkie looked down to the ground as her blush intensified, hiding behind her mane. She made no attempt to challenge Trixie’s accusations. Trixie reached behind Inkie’s mane and tipped her chin up. Their eyes met. Trixie gave her a devious, expecting smile.

“Well? What about my kiss?”

“Aww shucks, Trix...” Inkie scratched at the dirt. “Pretty mare like yourself... who could say no to that? Just uhh... don’t tell anypony...”

Trixie leaned in and Inkie followed suit. She was almost surprised by how willing Inkie was. She was completely into it, her lips puckered, moving forward slightly, craving that kiss. it was priceless and she couldn’t contain her laughter. As soon as she laughed, Inkie’s eye peeked open. Once she knew what happened, she flushed bright red.

Trixie wiped a tear from her eye. “You are too easy, Inkie! The same trick twice?”

Inkie blinked. In the face of this embarrassment, the option of impaling her temples on the pickaxe suddenly held great appeal.

“I hate ya so much, Trix...” she said in her already soft voice.

“Actually, you don’t. You wish to kiss Trixie and she finds it wonderfully adorable and most flattering. Ahhh! Payback is so refreshing. That is what you get for making Trixie cry.”

Finally Clyde’s seismic bell resonated through the cave. Inkie and Trixie threw their pickaxes in the cart, not working a second past four. They both slumped down to their rumps, panting and groaning. Inkie sat down and massaged her aching legs. Despite being used to doing hard labour all day, mining was something else entirely. Even Trixie was worn out from practicing levitation for so long. At least the day went by quickly with somepony to semi-flirt and have casual conversation with.

“Ya think if Pa saw us kiss, he’d let us out of the trenches?” Inkie complained. “I mean, he sent us down here to be friends. Kissin’ is like bein’ friends.”

Trixie forced out a laugh. “Hahahaha! Yeah, no. Something tells Trixie that he wouldn’t be okay with that. Isn’t it against farm policy or something to fraternize with co-workers?”

“It’s family owned, so... uhh...” Inkie thought. “I have no idea.”

“It’s okay dear, Trixie knows you just want to kiss her. We’ve been over this.”

“Pfft, kiss you? I’d rather kiss a cow. Just...” She massaged her flank and thigh. “I’d do anything to not have to do this tomorrow.”

“Excuses. Excuses.”

Inkie smirked. “Oh yeah? I’ma roll a wheel at ya.”

“You wouldn’t dare... Trixie will turn the lights out. Good luck finding your way out.”

“Oh Trix, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? Turning off all the lights...” Inkie tried a clumsy attempt at Trixie’s trained ‘fluttering eyelash’.

“Not as much as you would if Trixie was a cow.”

Both of them laughed and Inkie held her hooves up in surrender. “Ya got me, just don’t tell anypony how much I’m into cows.”

“Only if you become Trixie’s servant for approximately eternity. Hey, as much as Trixie adores sitting in a dusty cave, she elects that we vacate.”

“Sounds good to me.”

They collected the rest of their tools and dumped them in the cart. After leaving the trench, they both took a massive breath of fresh air. They shielded their adjusting eyes from the bright, afternoon sun. Trixie finally powered down her horn and rubbed it. No matter how much she massaged it, she was certain that she had worked a permanent knot into it from all her magic use.

“So, uh— what’re you doin’ after work?”

“Oh... Trixie was probably just going to catch up on some reading...” Trixie replied half-heartedly.

“Instead of that, wanna do something fun?”

“Like what?” Trixie perked up, a small smile cracking across her face.

“Maybe if it was earlier I could take ya to town, but I could show ya around the other farms,” Inkie suggested smoothly.

Trixie’s ears drooped down and she bit her lip. “Oh um, no thank you... The book I’ve been reading just got to a really good part and I sort want to know how it ends... I’ll see you later though.”

Trixie trotted off, leaving Inkie to put their tools away alone.

“Yeah, okay. See ya around.”

Chapter 3

Of Rocks and Showmares

Chapter 3

trixie

Trixie fluttered her eyes and sighed in the warm, morning light. She rolled about and nuzzled her custom, down comforter covers. A pony once told her that investing a thousand bits into bedwear was a waste and there were better uses of money. She never once regretted it. Even when money was tight and she was hungry, Trixie always took comfort in knowing she slept like a goddess.

She welcomed the sight of the golden morning light that poured through her windows. If the sun was up and she wasn’t already covered from head to toe in dust that could only mean one thing.

“Hey, Trix!” Inkie blurted out suddenly from her bedside.

“Bwah!” Trixie yelped.

Trixie fell to the floor in a flailing mess of blankets and pillows.

“Shoot, I didn’t startle ya, did I?”

“Oh no, not at all! Trixie was just bidding a good morning to the floor! How may she assist you!?” Trixie replied with a big, sarcastic smile.

“Yeah, I know how you unicorns are, your weird mornin’ routines and all. You know what today is, right?!”

“Saturday?”

“Yup, that means no more readin’, just us goin’ to town! Ya promised, remember?”

“That Trixie did, but—”

Trixie was interrupted by the sudden closeness of Inkie, who had somehow appeared almost directly on top of her. Trixie blushed as Inkie’s strangely appealing scent of moist earth filled her nose.

“But Trixie think’s maybe she should eat breakfast first and get ready,” she finished.

Inkie didn’t move, smiling at her friend.

“So, maybe you should let me do that?” Trixie shooed her off.

Inkie looked down at her hooves and up and down Trixie’s body. “Oh geez! I’m sorry, didn’t even realize how—yeah, sorry...” Inkie blushed a bit and backed away.

Trixie got to her hooves and brushed herself off. She started making her bed. “My, my, Inkie. And here Trixie thought all our talk of fillyfooling was just witty banter. We haven’t even had breakfast, yet you’ve already found Trixie in bed and gotten her on the floor.” She patted her blankets smooth. “We both know we are, but capacity and interest are two different things. Tell Trixie, do you have a crush on her?”

Trixie threw out her trained, ‘seductive’ look. She was going to know what Inkie felt whether she admitted to it or not. For almost a month now, they’d been working together and Trixie had far too many suspicions of her.

Inkie’s already soft voice became that much softer. “Well, ‘course I do. I dream ‘bout ya every night, Trix. Just you and me, sittin’ out on the beach, waitin’ for the sun to set... But then!” Inkie made a dramatic gesture. “A storm blows in and we’re forced into a small shack for shelter! All night, alone in a shack... I wonder what happens...” She tapped her chin a few times.

Trixie gave her friend the weirdest look. She raised a brow.

“You’ve been reading Trixie’s books again haven’t you?!”

Inkie chuckled. “Yeah, kinda— maybe a little bit. I can see why you’re always so flirty, readin’ stuff like that. I particularly liked chapter nineteen. Such great detail...”

Trixie face flushed bright scarlet.

“Ya know, the part where she comes back after five years and they—”

“YES, TRIXIE WILL GO EAT BREAKFAST NOW.”

Trixie took a long look at her hat and cape.

She wasn’t exactly thrilled by the idea of going into town. From what she gathered, the town Inkie planned on taking her to held about the same population as Ponyville. More ponies meant a greater chance that somepony would recognize her, for better or worse. Trixie heard Inkie call out to her from the first floor.

“Ya almost ready?!”

“Trixie is just wondering if she should wear her hat and cape!”

“I don’t see why not! Only chance you’ll get to show em off is in town!”

Trixie decided against it. If somepony was going to recognize her, nothing was going to stop what followed, but she was used to that. What bothered her more was the idea of Inkie finding out who she really was. Despite their overtly flirtatious relationship, she was becoming good friends with her. Maybe she’d mind that Trixie was despised by the greater public, maybe she wouldn’t, but Trixie didn’t want to find out.

If she’d learned one thing, it was that no one stays friends with a pony everyone hates for very long. Trixie didn’t want Inkie to get hurt by being friends with her.

“Eh, Trixie worked so hard on her mane and coat today that she doesn’t want to have it ruined or hidden!”

“Whatever ya want, Trix! Just hurry up though! I’m gettin’ bored!”

Trixie trotted down to meet her friend and they left.

The walk to town took the lesser part of an hour at a brisk pace. Trixie didn’t know what to expect as Inkie went on about ‘how they had everything’. ‘Everything’ to this mare could mean anything from a tiny little, western town to the great city of Manehattan. When the city peaked around the ever approaching mountains, Trixie gulped.

She was familiar with Dodge City, but thankfully she had never been there on her tour. It was what could only be described as the biggest, western town in Equestria. The roads were still dirt, the buildings held that rustic, wooden feel, and swinging doors were the norm. It wasn’t terribly large, but it was getting to the point where knowing everypony in town was becoming a rare point of pride.

As they entered, Trixie saw streets sparsely populated with quiet ponies going about their business. Wooden carriages carried the affluent and important, hooves carried the less so. Everypony looked busy and paid little heed to each other as they passed. Sometimes a friendly ‘howdy’ rang out, but only for a moment.

“Why does everypony look so distant?” Trixie observed out loud. “Trixie imagined something more of a small town.”

“I dunno. Guess they’re just too busy to stop by and say hello. Used to be that way back when I was a filly, but everypony got too worried ‘bout makin’ money.”

Trixie tensed up as two of young stallions passed by her. They were joking and laughing quietly between themselves. The taller one perked his head at the two mares. He was a dusty white stallion with lightning yellow locks who wore a red bow tie and collar piece. He called out to the farmer.

“Inkie Pie? Is that you? Mercy, how long has it been?” he said warmly, approaching them. His voice was deep and calm, holding only a slight dialect.

“Far too long, Silver. What? Ya ‘fraid I’d never come back?” replied Inkie with a smirk.

“It’d do my heart great pain to never see the lovely Inkie Pie again. You know that.” Silver glanced at Trixie and held his hoof up to his heart. “What pains me more is that you haven’t already introduced me to your equally lovely friend yet.”

Trixie’s stomach dropped like lead. She stood rigid, stress and anxiety racing through her. She just realized she was going to have to say her name. If somepony didn’t recognize her immediately by face, they almost always knew her name. She could be moments away from a repeat of what happened in Manehattan.

“Why this here is my good friend, Trixie!” Inkie patted her on the back with a smile. “Go on, Trix. Don’t be shy.”

Trixie couldn’t afford to glare at her oblivious friend, she was frozen under the scrutinous eyes of the stallion. Her heart raced in her chest and she could feel herself going pale. Against every instinct, she held out her hoof to shake.

“Charmed...” she squeaked weakly.

Against all odds, his smile only grew warmer.

“Trixie, my name is Silver Shot and may I say...” He reached for her hoof and gave it a light peck. “I say, I’ve never seen a unicorn as beautiful as you.”

“Oh my...” The second he kissed her hoof, the tension melted away. Her anxiety became the giggles of a school filly and an attractive blush spread across her face. It had been a long time since a perfect stranger was so kind to her. Silver’s garnet eyes stared deeply into her amethyst counterparts.

“That’s enough, Silver,” Inkie butted in. “Perhaps ya want to introduce your friend to Trix as well.”

“It’d be my pleasure.”

Behind Silver, a short, stocky stallion stepped forward. He tripped over his hoof before catching himself. He wore a goofy, toothy grin. He was was a brick red with a steely silver mane resembling an overgrown, shag rug.

“May I introduce Sir Gustavus Ernest Von Neighvach-Hoofenburg,” Silver announced, almost regally.

Trixie gingerly put her hoof out to shake. “Your name is... Gustav?” she attempted.

“Ya’ll can just call me Lucky...”  He corrected. His thick country accent surprised Trixie. They shook hooves.

“Charmed, Lucky. Trixie assumes you are from Germaney. Trixie adores foreigners.” She gave him a smile.

He blushed. “Just mah folks are. I was born Equestrian...”

Trixie’s smile fell a smidgen. ”Ah...”

An awkward silence followed as all four of them flitted eyes for a moment. Silver was the next one to speak.

“Well, Inkie, this run-in is far too fortunate for mere coincidence. Be it a bold idea, but I’m thinkin’ we were meant to share company this fine day.” His voice was smooth and confident, never breaking for a moment.

“Well, I was fixin’ on showin’ Trix ‘round town. Maybe you can tag along if ya want.”

He looked down to his friend. “Well, Lucky, it seems like we found ourselves dates for the day. Time to put our best hooves forward. We’re in the company of mares now.”

“Gotcha big guy.” A fresh wave of confidence came over Lucky’s face. He stood up a bit taller and looked her straight in the eye. “T’will be a pleasure showin’ ya ‘round Miss Trixie.” He raised his eyebrows at her a few times.

Inkie closed her eyes and shook her head. “Both of you are crazy.”

Silver slid up next to Trixie, looking down at her with a warm smile. “Shall we be off, Trixie?”

Lucky slid up her other side, looking up in the same way. “Ya’ll ready ta git goin’, Miss Trixie?”

Flustered by the attention, Trixie could only blush and nod shyly. She squealed and giggled as they hurried her into town. Inkie was still shaking her head from side to side when she opened her eyes. They were leaving her behind.

“Hey wait, just hold up a second!”

They took leisurely paces as they strolled through town. The two stallions spared no courtesy or pleasantry with the mares. They led them around, pointing out historical landmarks to the interest of the unicorn. At first she was still fearful that somepony might recognize her, but the fear eroded with time. They were laughing, joking, and exchanging stories in no time when a nostalgic kind of aroma filled their noses. It was sweet and thick in the air.

Trixie sniffed at the air. “Mmmm, what is that?”.

Silver smirked, glancing at the unicorn. “Which one of you two want to let our good friend Trixie in on Dodge City’s biggest, and might I add, most delicious secret?” he asked, holding his chin up high in pride.

Inkie passed. “All yours, Lucky.”

“Gotcha.” He threw his arm around Trixie’s neck, pulling her down to his level. “Now, Miss Trixie. When Dodge was first settled, somepony had the nerve ta say it wouldn’t last six months and that it was cursed. They weren’t too far from the truth. Ya see, Dodge City was first built on ancient zebra buria—”

“No! Not that secret! I mean the other one!” exclaimed Silver, waving his hooves for him to stop.

“What? What other secret do we have?” he asked..

They exchanged confused looks.

“Ya mean the fudge...?”

Trixie’s eye lit up. “Fudge? Trixie loves fudge!”

“Yer in fer a treat, we got some purdy good fudge here in Dodge. Prolly the best fudge this side of Canterlot. Would ya like some?“

“Yes, please! Take Trixie to this fudge!”

The two rushed off to find the origin of the aroma.

Meanwhile, Inkie was still standing there a bit dumbfounded. Finally something connected. “Wait, was that ‘bout the curse on Dodge City? Something ‘bout an ancient zebra—”

“Yes, Inkie! Ancient zebra recipe for fudge! Can you believe they just figured it out? Mustn’t be without ancient zebra fudge for too long!”

He shuffled her along while loudly explaining how ‘blue’ the sky seemed to be at that particular moment.

what brings them together: inkie’s side

As they ate their treats, Trixie was smiling radiantly. Usually Trixie was much more sarcastic and snarky. While it could be fun in short spurts, sometimes it became overbearing. Ten hours a day of pessimism, no matter how witty, got old after awhile. Yet, right now, Trixie was being playful, innocent, and surprisingly cheerful. She had once accidentallied poked Inkie in the side, revealing an explosively ticklish reaction, which she was using to her advantage.

She was always at the head of the group, urging everyone to move on faster to the next stop on their tour. She hadn’t even been flirtatious, instead telling amusing stories from a nearly endless pool when she had the spotlight. It was refreshing and Inkie was starting to like the mare a whole lot more because of it.

All too soon the day came to an end. It was getting dark and the mares had a long walk home. Despite trying to drag it out another hour longer, Inkie convinced Trixie they needed to leave. After exchanging hugs, they departed the two stallions, promising another date in a week’s time.

They were well on their way home when Inkie noticed that Trixie was almost skipping in her step and her face was permanently set in a smile.

“Have fun, Trix?”

“Oh, Inkie Pie! Trixie had a grand time!” she said, hugging her friend tightly. “Thank you so much for taking her!”

Inkie blushed as Trixie began rubbing her cheek against her own. She cleared her throat. “Ahem, yeah... So, what’d ya think of Silver and Lucky?”

“Trixie is baffled. You said all the stallions in town were ‘knuckleheads’. That Silver is quite the gentlecolt.”

“I’m guessin’ you got the hots for him?”

“I am surprised you don’t.”

Inkie’s blush intensified, she cleared her throat again. “Well... yeah, ya know why that is...”

Trixie released her. “Well, if you must know, Trixie does fancy that stallion...”

Inkie slumped a bit.

“But...”

Trixie wrapped her tail around Inkie’s.

“Trixie fancies a lot of ponies...”

Inkie’s heart leapt up into her throat. Trixie smiled and gave her a quick peck on the cheek before releasing tails and carrying on with their walk home.

Inkie melted under the unicorn’s soft, delicate lips. At first, it felt almost anti-climactic, just a light touch that was soon forgotten. Yet, slowly but surely, it surged through her like liquid lightning. Warmness crawled through her body, weakening her knees. Trixie turned around and noticed the her lovestruck short circuit.

“Inkie, dear, you’re blushing like mad right now. Are you ok?”

Inkie’s soft voice could only blurt out babble as she dug her hoof at the ground. “T-trix wh-why’d ya d-do th-that?”

“Do what?”

“Ya kissed me...”

“But it was just a little—” Trixie cut herself off.

It was in that moment that they knew.

“Oh my goodness, actually, Inkie,” she said slowly.” Do you want to talk about something? Maybe about us?”

Inkie’s delicate voice squeaked. “Mmmhmmm...”

Trixie couldn’t help but notice how adorable she was. She smiled and looked Inkie straight in the eye. “I think I want to know how you feel about me.”

“Well, I— I...” Inkie trailed off into silence. Her lips trembled. She looked away from Trixie and hid under her mane. Trixie tried to twist her neck around to see her, but she kept turning away.

Their tender moment was interrupted abruptly. A voice rang out.

”Is that the Great and Powerful Trixie?! Yo, guys, check it out!”

”Heh, yeah. Guess it’s our lucky day,” another voice said.

“Oh, no...” Trixie whispered. She looked at Inkie and made her split second decision.

Inkie snapped out of her emotional reverie. “Huh? What’s goin’ on?”

“Hey, Great and Powerful Trixie, how’re the streets treating you? Find any good benches to sleep under?” a third voice rang out.

A group of stallions, two unicorns and a pegasus approached them.

“Trix, ya know these guys?” Inkie muttered still a little breathy.

Trixie forced a laugh. “Oh, you never fail to amuse Trixie! To be honest, she is in no mood to fight tonight. I assume the standard fare?” she said to the stallions cheerily. Trixie whispered through her teeth at Inkie. ”Inkie, go on without me, I’ll be back home soon.”

“Huh...?”

“Coming easy this time?” One of them smirked. “Who’s your friend?” He nodded at Inkie.

“I’—”

“She’s nopony. Trixie couldn’t even tell you her name.” Trixie lashed her tail at Inkie and turned to her. “Now, if you’ll leave, Trixie and the three of us have important business to take care of. Begone with you!” She shooed Inkie away.

The stallions snickered. Inkie cocked her head, trying to understand. She couldn’t find the words to speak, nor the thoughts to explain Trixie’s actions. Something wasn’t connecting with her. Why was Trixie acting so weird and who were these stallions?

Trixie scoffed and held her nose up at the mare, driving the wedge ever deeper. She shot daggers of venom at the farmer. Inkie’s eyes watered, but she blinked them away.

“Hey, w-wait... what’s goin’ on?”

“Are you quite done? Didn’t Trixie tell you to get lost?”

“T-trix, what’s wrong with ya? It’s me, your friend.”

”Does Trixie look like she cares? Get out of here you stupid mare, don’t make The Great and Powerful Trixie tell you again!” she yelled

Inkie shook her head, backing away from the unicorn slowly. She blinked to clear the tears, but a few escaped, falling down her cheeks in steady streams. Her face scrunched up, emotions piling behind her pursed lips and hurt eyes.

“Why’re ya doin’ this to me?! I ain’t done nothin’ wrong!” she burst out. Another pause later she erupted again. “You’re rotten Trix!” she cried. “Real rotten! To answer your question, I don’t feel nothin’! Not anymore at least!” Inkie turned tail and ran, sobbing.

She ran harder and faster than she ever ran before.

Inkie had run home in less than an hour. She cried the entire time and never looked back to see if anyone was following.

Chapter 4

Of Rocks and Showmares

Chapter 4

inkie

Inkie paced on the porch, mumbling with increasing mania. It had been four hours since she got home, and in those four hours she’d imagined Trixie going off to be with another pony, laughing at her behind her back, getting ponynapped by the government, committing murder, and finding new employment. Yeah, she had wanted to talk to Trixie about feeling stuff, but after four hours of worrying herself sick, Inkie wasn’t sure how she felt.

She’d still fall head-over-heels for Trixie, but not without yelling and arguing.

In the distance, Inkie saw the signature baby blue of Trixie’s magic aura. Inkie leaped off the porch and dashed over to her.

“I can’t even believe ya came back. Gotta lotta ner—!” Inkie started.

She froze in her tracks when she saw Trixie.

Deep, black bruises ran along the length of Trixie’s body. Her cheeks were swollen, she was covered in scrapes and her mane and tail were trashed. She kept her head down and avoided eye contact with Inkie, hiding behind her ratty mane.

Inkie choked. Saying she looked shocked was not only an understatement, but a little inaccurate. “Trix—! What? Gawd darn it, what happened to ya?!”

“Nothing, I’m fine...” she answered.

Inkie wasn’t shocked, she was infuriated.

“No, you’re not fine. Look at ya. You’re all beat up.” Inkie’s eyes grew misty. She began shouting. “What happened?! Don’t you lie to me Trix!”

“Inkie—” she said, trying to get her attention.

“Those are hoofmarks!” Inkie pointed to a darker, incriminating bruise. “W-who did this to ya?! Was it them stallions ya went off with?!”

“No, j-just...”

“I’ll whup ‘em! I swear I will! Ain’t no one does this to my Trix...” A few tears dropped as Inkie stamped around at the antagonizing darkness.

Trixie was starting to shake. “P-please, Inkie...”

“Just tell me, Trix, tell me which pony did this to ya and they’ll be sorry real quick! They ain’t gonna walk no more!”

“Inkie!”

Inkie stopped and looked at her friend. Both of them were crying now. Inkie remained quiet aside from her angry panting.

“C-can I j-just have a hug first...?” whimpered Trixie.

Inkie was dumbstruck. She hesitantly walked forward and lightly put her arms around the unicorn. Trixie immediately latched onto the mare, pulling her in to cry into her shoulder. Inkie held her tighter, but was lost for words to comfort her friend with.

“Just umm...” Inkie hesitated, rubbing Trixie across her back. “It’ll be okay, alright? I don’t know who did this to ya, but they’ll walk over my dead body before they do it again. You’re safe now, ya hear?”

“Mmmhmm...”

They sat their in each other’s embrace for a few minutes. Eventually Trixie’s crying died down and Inkie’s stopped completely. They rocked lightly back and forth, letting the soothing motion settle them down. The comfortable silence was just reaching the awkward point in length when Inkie bit her lip.

“Hey, let’s get ya inside.” Inkie tried to pull away, but Trixie just squeezed tighter and shook her head, burying it further in the earth mare’s chest.

“Don’t leave me...” she squeaked almost childishly. “I don’t wanna be alone again. You hafta stay...”

“Ya, ain’t gonna be alone. And as much as I like sittin’ here with ya, we can’t stay out here all night. Gotta go in some time.”

Inkie helped her up and immediately Trixie wrapped her tail into Inkie’s, half-cuddling her as they began to walk. Trixie’s breathing had been ragged and choppy since at least arriving back at the farm, but she cooed as her tailed brushed up against Inkie’s toned thighs. It felt wrong to think sultry thoughts of it given the circumstances, but Inkie couldn’t help it. She tried to deflect her own thoughts.

“So, what happened, Trix? I’m mighty curious to know why it looks like you’ve been to the sulfur pits and back,” she asked.

“Trixie doesn’t want to talk about it...”

“Doesn’t work that way, maybe ya don’t have to tell me, but my Pa’s gonna wanna know. You ain’t in no condition to work.”

Trixie looked away. “Trixie fell down some stairs...”

Inkie scoffed and shook her head. “Really...? Stairs is gonna explain all that?”

Trixie nuzzled Inkie’s neck. “Please... Trixie just wants to forget what happened. Please, don’t make her tell. They were really, really long stairs...”

Inkie rolled her eyes and sighed. “Okay, stairs it is. Worst lie I ever did hear, but I ain’t gonna make you do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

“Thank you...”

As they walked in silence, Trixie began to whine a bit. She pushed playfully into Inkie, straying them from their path.

“You alright?” Inkie asked.

“Trixie would like to apologize...” she said.

“For what?”

“All the nasty things she said to you...”

For a moment, Inkie had forgotten her heartbreaking impasse earlier that day. It seemed so far away all of a sudden. “Oh, yeah. Don’t worry ‘bout ‘em. Water under the bridge.”

More silence. Trixie began whining again.

“But seriously, Trixie feels awful. She thought about you all night...”

“Did ya? That’s mighty thoughtful. Apology accepted.”

Further silence.

“But really, you’re being too nice. Trixie would understand if you didn’t want to talk to her again...”

“Ain’t no such thing as ‘too nice’. And I’m gonna talk to ya all I want.” Inkie smiled at her. “I just like ya too much.”

Trixie stopped, releasing Inkie’s tail. Inkie turned around, puzzled. She furrowed her brow and narrowed her eyes.

“Why aren’t you mad at me?” Trixie said with a calm, but accusatory tone.

Inkie blinked. “Why’d I be mad at ya? Do ya want me to be mad at ya?”

“Er—no, but I told you to ‘get lost’, doesn’t that make you mad?”

She scratched the back of her neck. “Yeah, it did for awhile, but ya said sorry. Nothin’ more to it.”

“I broke your heart though!”

That she did. Trixie had unabashedly torn her heart right out at the worst possible time. Maybe she should be more angry about that, but she didn’t it feel it all. She could pretend to be angry, but without genuinely being angry, she’d be yelling for no reason. Trixie was back and she didn't seem at all annoyed or hateful towards Inkie.

“Look, Trix, I really don’t care ‘bout that right now. We got feelin’s and maybe we’ll talk ‘bout em later, but right now, you’re hurt.”

Trixie’s wiped a few tears away..

“I’m gonna take ya to bed, get ya cleaned up and fix ya something to eat. If ya didn’t notice, ya fell down a flight of stairs ‘bout a mile long. Really, I’m not about to start blamin’ ya for dumb stuff, not when you’re all beat up.”

Trixie didn’t move, sinking down to her rump instead, pouting.

Inkie rolled her eyes. “Fine, if it makes ya feel any better, I was mighty sad when ya told me to scram. ‘fact, I cried like a little filly all the way home.”

Satisfied, Trixie scratched at the dirt. “Trixie is a terrible pony...”

Inkie rolled her eyes. “No, you’re not. You’re a sweet, loving mare, kay?”

“You’re just saying that!”

Inkie let out an exasperated sigh. “Oh good mother of Earth... Trixie, I really, really don’t care about what you said. I’m over it. What I’m not over is you bein’ a pain right now. Ya got this weird guilt trip goin’ and it’s tickin’ me off.”

“See? Trixie is a terrible pony who doesn’t deserve friends— WAH!”

Inkie ignored her, walked over and hoisted Trixie up onto her back. She could tell that she was just being ridiculous. Inkie let herself smile finally. Whatever happened to Trixie didn’t change a single thing about her. She was still the self-obsessed, childish little city mare she met a month ago.

“Yup, don’t care, I’m takin’ ya to bed. Seems like them stairs clocked ya on the head real good. You’re talkin’ crazier than a mad cow, Trix.” Inkie shook her head with a grin.

She flailed wildly. “Put Trixie down this instant, you brute! She’s trying to apologize!”

Inkie talked over her, overpowering the Trixie’s feeble voice. “Ya’ll should hear yourself right now! One crazy thing after another! Don’t ya worry your cute, little horn off, I’ll nurse ya back to health, lickity split!”

Inkie enter the room balancing an apple pie on her head and a serving tray with hot cocoa along her back. Trixie laid in her bed, fresh bandages covering her. They had managed to slip by Clyde and sneak her up into her room unnoticed. There, Inkie dressed her wounds and got her comfortable.

Inkie bumped the pie on her head up, tossing it behind her. She stuck out her rear leg and caught it. She hopped over and put it on the unicorn’s bed. She grabbed the serving tray by her mouth and set it down Trixie’s nightstand. Trixie looked down at the pie and then up at Inkie skeptically.

“Go ahead and eat, Trix. I already ate.”

Trixie took a piece and chewed, savouring the flavour.

“Thank you, Inkie. You’re a really good friend.”

“No problem.”

Trixie reached over for the warm mug of cocoa and swirled it around pensively in its cup. “You’re a really good friend even when Trixie is being a little filly...”

“Pfft. That’s half the reason why I like ya so much.” Inkie smiled. “I gotta say, I thought I had ya figured out. First, I thought you were some prissy city mare.” Inkie idly flattened out a section of the bed as Trixie listened. She kept on pressing a single stubborn crease. “When I saw you all beat to a pulp, I got mighty scared. Figured something bad musta happened, real bad. Sort of thought you’d be scarred for life, bein’ so tender and all.”

“Yeah...” Trixie agreed.

“I was wrong though. I probably would be torn to shreds goin’ through whatever you went through. You might cry a lot, but deep down, you’re tough as nails.”

“Inkie...”

“That don’t mean I don’t have behind to kick though. You ain’t foolin’ me with no stairs. Somepony messed with ya, and mark my words; I will find them and I will make them pray to Celestia herself for what they did.” Inkie felt her blood racing again. “But, despite what ya’ve been through, you’re not lettin’ it get to you. You’re in good spirits, you’re happy, ya... keep lookin at me weird...” Inkie’s smile grew.

She took a deep breath and looked into Trixie’s deep eyes as she took an opportunely timed drink of hot cocoa, slurping loudly.

Sluuuurrrp.

Inkie stopped mid sentence, but Trixie looked unphased. She still had the mug up to her muzzle, her eyes remained locked on the mare. She listened and watched intently.

“Go on, Trixie want’s to know how much you adore her.”

Inkie composed herself. “Yeah ok. Good spirits, strong wille—” she continued.

Sluuuurrrp.

Inkie words fell right out of her mouth. She sighed sharply and narrowed her eyes.

“Yes, go on...” Trixie nodded, her expression was enthusiastic.

Inkie cleared her throat. “Erhm, you’re weird and sometimes get on my ne—”

Sluuuurrrp.

Inkie sat there in silence again as the obnoxious noise rang through the air.

“No, get to the part about how beautiful Trixie is.” She bobbed head, encouraging Inkie to continue.

“Ya look like a cross between a cow and a mo—”

Sluuuurrrp.

Inkie winced for a moment before continuing. “Moose with a—”

Sluuuurrrp.

A thick silence hung as Inkie took a deep breath. She glared at Trixie’s big, innocent eyes.

“...”

Sluuuurrrp.

“How much hot cocoa is in there?!” Inkie snapped, trying to look into the cup, but Trixie just held it closer to her muzzle. They stared each other down.

“...”

“...”

Sluuuurrrp.

“I give up!” Inkie declared, throwing her hooves up in the air.

Trixie started giggling girlishly, her face beaming. Her melodic laughter soaked the air through with warmth.

“Oh, now we’re laughin again?”

Trixie snorted in an adorable way. “Of course we are, Trixie is the funniest”

Inkie cracked a huge smile. Seeing her friend laugh so lightly after what must have been a terrible night was heartwarming to say the least.  “Is she now?”

“Yup!”

“Dang it, Trix, I was tryin’ to say something nice, but ya made me lose my train of thought,”

“You were surprised by how normal Trixie is... and then you started saying nice things about her.” Trixie put her cup down on the table. “To be honest, I’m also surprised by how normal Trixie is right now...”

Trixie fidgeted her hooves.

“Any other night, I’d still be crying, still trying to forget what happened, but I’m not. I don’t know why, but when I’m with you... I’m really happy...” Trixie blushed. She brought her hoof to her mouth and blushed even brighter after realizing what she said. “Oh my goodness, that sounded funny, didn’t it?!” she exclaimed.

Both of them were quiet, unsure of how to follow up Trixie’s suddenly tender words. They flitted eyes with each other in an uncomfortable, but desiring way. Eventually, they both held still on the other’s and refused to break contact. Their hearts grew heavy for the other.

Trixie could see Inkie struggling to break their bated breath.

“Inkie, say something...”

“Cows,” she blurted.

“No, I don’t wanna joke right now. I just said something really weird.”

“Yeah, I saw that...”

Trixie bit her lip. “Wh-what did you think of it?”

“It... It made me kinda happy.”

Both their hearts took off soaring. Their faces were crimson red now. Trixie smiled to herself as she thought of something clever.

“Inkie, do you mind if I’m your cow?”

“M-my cow? Wh-what?”

“Yeah, cause you always talk about how into cows you are. So, I thought—”

Inkie blinked twice.

“Oh my gosh, stop being so clueless!“

Inkie barely caught on. “Oh. Oh! Right! Yeah! I guess that’s ok!” She blinked. “Should I kiss you now? C-cause we’re marefriends, right?”

Trixie just buried her face in her pillow and squealed. At least Inkie had her mind in the right place.

“Why are you so awkward Inkie Pie?”

Frightened by her outburst, Inkie backed up instinctively. “I-i don’t know! Cause!”

Trixie plopped the pillow back to her lap, her blush still permanently burned into her face. She noticed the shy mare backing towards the door. “No, dear, come here...” She beckoned her over with one hoof, facehoofing with the other.

Inkie stared innocently at the unicorn, still unsure. Trixie tried one last clever line.

“Inkie, you are the definition of a hot mess, let Trixie clean you up.” Trixie winked and Inkie was clueless. Trixie face scrunched up in. “Come here you silly mare!”

Inkie obediently and gingerly stepped back forward. Trixie, annoyed, grabbed the mare by the arm and briskly pulled her on top of her. Immediately, both of them giggled bashfully as they came close. Wrapping her arm around Inkie’s neck, Trixie made sure the met exactly how they needed to. As they did, their breath exhilarated into each other.

“Stairs?” said Clyde with a deadpan look.

He wasn’t believing her. Inkie knew he wouldn’t, but Trixie had insisted. She was impressed by just how well she was pulling the lie off. Had there not been hoof shaped marks, Inkie might have actually fallen for it. With some makeup and magic, those bruises became more regular looking. Still, it was a lot of damage for just one fall.

“That’s right,” replied Trixie. “She had the horrible misfortune of falling down the hotel’s stairs from the top floor. Twelve floors, and I crashed into two ponies.”

He shook his head. “Miss Lulamoon, I’m not one to judge, you know that. You also don’t have to tell me anything, but as my employee, you’re a liability now.”

Inkie chewed her bottom lip at the word “liability”. Good things never followed for employees branded as such.

“Two things,” he continued. “ If you’re too hurt to work we might need to send you on your way. I won’t give you back breaking work, but this month is really important and we need your production to meet demand. You understand?”

“I appreciate your generosity, but I don’t expect better treatment. I’ll work as I have been,” she replied.

“Good to hear. Secondly are you gonna be fallin’ down any more stairs in the foreseeable future? We can’t go making a habit of this. If you make yourself unable to work, I don’t need ya here.”

She shot a glance at Inkie. “No, I don’t think this will happen. And if it does, I understand that my employment will be at risk.”

He nodded. His eyes said that he didn’t buy any of this lip service, but they all knew he couldn’t just call her a liar.

“I’ll leave you to it then. You’re to cover the west field today,” he said. “See you out there.”

He took his hat off the hanger and left out the front door. Inkie and Trixie exchanged looks.

“Told ya he wouldn’t believe it,” said Inkie.

“It was Trixie’s only option.”

Inkie didn’t buy that. Maybe no one else cared, but she did.

“Ya know, I’m here for you,” said Inkie. “Some day ya need to talk about what happened.”

Trixie whined. “I don’t wanna, it’s just dumb stuff that doesn’t matter.”

Inkie looked into her eyes. They kept their gazes for a few seconds before Trixie drew Inkie in for a kiss. They both drew in a deep breath as they met. They continued to lock lips, wrapping more hooves around each other. The broke their touch, remade it, and broke it over and over. Trixie grabbed at Inkie’s mane and pulled her head back so she could kiss Inkie’s neck.

The feeling never got old. It could happen at any time, for any reason, and Inkie could find herself enjoying it. She’d considered asking Trixie to wait for her to go to bed and then wake her up with a kiss, just to know what it was like. It was silly, but she’d do it Trixie in return if she asked.

Trixie let Inkie kiss her a little more before they finally broke apart.

“Inkie, you’re getting better. Did you go cheat on the cow with me last night?” asked Trixie, still holding Inkie.

“Trick question. You’re a cow,” she replied. “Oh, that’s a point of me!”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Go work you dirty pony, and maybe sneak off with Trixie at break time?”

Inkie pecked Trixie.

“Okay, but I have something I want to show you.”

“Oh, darling!” exclaimed Trixie with a fake blush.

Inkie blushed for real at her sudden excitement, holding her hoof in front of her face. “And you’re callin’ me dirty?”

“Yes.”

“Whatever. So, can I show ya the thing?”

“Can you show me it right now?”

Inkie blushed harder. “Will ya stop it?!”

“Only when you stop wanting it,” replied Trixie, her eyes so devilishly innocent.

“Why you bein’ so hard right now? It’s a simple yes or no.”

“Because you like it when I’m hard.”

Inkie lost all composure, her face full scarlet by now. “I think we should probably get to work,” she said. She released Trixie and left out the front door.

Inkie was finishing up breaking down a large boulder, she felt a series of seismic vibrations course the ground. When her father was young, he’d learned to send small, unobtrusive shockwaves through the ground with a stamp of his hoof. Over time he developed them to have different feels to them to communicate different messages to those who knew their meaning. Once mastered he taught his family and close friends the system, eventually making it into a regional custom. Every rock farmer in southern Equestria knew of Clyde and his system.

The actual translations were fairly primitive, but they got the message across they needed to.

Inkie felt the vibrations through her sensitive hooves. Once she knew what it said, her heart dropped and she took off running.

Problem. West field. Need help.