Can this be love?
Back at the Carousel Boutique, Sweetie Belle was trying to entertain Trixie.
"And that's when Applejack showed us her old clubhouse and, after restoring it, we made it our headquarters as the Cutie Mark Crusaders club house! Then, the girls and I started to…"
She's still talking! How can anypony talk this much, non-stop?! You are going to pay, fancy lady, you are so going to pay… Trixie thought as she tried to smile, but she wasn't good at it, one could see the impatience in her face.
"And then we realized that books are boring! So we gave up on trying getting our Cutie Mark as librarians. Our next stop was…" But Sweetie Belle was interrupted by a door opening and Rarity entering the Boutique.
"Hello, everypony! Sorry for taking so long, but I got the supplies I needed! As well as food to prepare for lunch!"
"Finally," the light baby blue unicorn whispered, and then cleared her throat. "I mean, it was about time you showed up! What took you so long?!"
Rarity stopped and looked at her angrily at first, but then sighed and pretended to smile. "I'm sorry, but I came across with Twilight and…"
"Sparkle?!" Trixie exclaimed as she stood up, stepping with her injured hoof, ignoring the pain. "You told her that Trixie was here?!"
"Yes, I did, but…"
"I knew it! I knew you didn't care about Trixie at all! You asked Twilight Sparkle to get Trixie banished, didn't you?!"
Rarity looked at Sweetie Belle with a serious look. The filly got the message and left the boutique. The fancy pony looked again at Trixie when her sister left. "No, I did not! Why would I do that?"
"Because you hate Trixie! You want her gone forever, you want her to suffer and starve, and…!"
"No!" Rarity suddenly exclaimed, making Trixie to fall in silence. "Look, I never said I hated you, it is true that I think you are mean sometimes and you are, but… hate you? No… Why don't you trust us? We wish to help you… that's why I told Twilight and only her. She will help you if you give her the chance… And banish you? From where did you get that? That's just evil!"
The magician pony heard every word, she felt the honesty in them, but she was fooled before. She wasn't going to trust that easily. She sighed. "Okay, Trixie believes you… for now. Just don't make her regret doing so."
Rarity smiled. "You won't. Now, could you please don't step with your injured hoof? It will never get better if you keep doing that. And please stay on the couch until lunch is ready?" Trixie mumbled something and obeyed her.
Sweetie Belle came back a few minutes later. "Is it safe to come in?" she asked, standing by the door.
"Yes, Sweetie, come in!" The filly smiled as her older sister let her in.
"Is everything okay?" Sweetie Belle asked worried, looking from her sister to Trixie.
"Yes, darling, don't worry. Where did you go?"
"I just went to Sugarcube Corner to buy a chocolate," the filly said as she sat on the table.
"Sweetie Belle, you know you're not supposed to eat sweets before meals!"
"I know and I'm sorry, but I galloped until I couldn't hear your yelling anymore, and I ended up there!"
"I'm sorry, Sweetie, I didn't realize we were yelling so loud…" the marshmallow coated pony said, embarrassed.
"You reminded me of when mom and dad fight, I end up galloping from home too…" Rarity blushed at this statement and looked at Trixie, who was just looking uninterested anywhere but her. Why would Sweetie Belle say that? Ponies fight all the time, but why it reminded her of a couple's quarrel? She didn't have feelings for Trixie and she was sure that Trixie didn't like her either. Was it because she was staying with her? But it was just one day and they never had a friendly talk, just Trixie being, well, Trixie. Rarity didn't realize that she was still staring at the magician pony, until she sneezed and looked at her.
"What?" Trixie said with an annoyed look. "Does Trixie has something on her face?"
"What? No, nothing! I just got, uh, distracted!" Rarity said, looking away to hide the sudden blush. "I-I'll be in the kitchen!" she added and trotted back to the kitchen.
What's with her…? Trixie thought, before looking to the ceiling.
Half an hour later, lunch was ready and everypony went to the table to eat. (Rarity offered Trixie do bring the food to her but she refused, saying that she was not weak). Lunch was quiet, every time Rarity tried to start a conversation, it would die quickly - Trixie didn't seem a pony who liked to talk. She just stared at her food and occasionally had a bite. The marshmallow coated pony looked at her concerned.
"Rarity… Rarity?!" Sweetie Belle tried to get the attention of her sister. "Rarity?!"
The fancy pony shook her head and looked at the filly. "Sorry, Sweetie Belle, what was it?"
"I just wanted to tell you that after lunch I'm going to see Apple Bloom and Scootaloo."
"Oh, well… have fun! I'll see you later," Rarity said, distracted.
"I'm not leaving yet…" The filly said confused. "Are you feeling OK sis?"
"Yes, I'm perfectly fine," the marshmallow coated pony said, smiling nervously.
"Are you sure? You are acting… strange."
"No, no, no... I'm fine, really. Please, keep eating, Sweetie Belle." The filly obeyed her sister, but she wasn't convinced. An hour later, everypony finished eating and Sweetie Belle was ready to go.
"Goodbye, sis! I'll be back before it gets dark!"
"Have fun, sis, take care!" Sweetie Belle said as she left, waving a hoof. Rarity closed the door, sighed, and looked at Trixie, who got back to the couch as soon as she finished her lunch. Once again, the marshmallow coated pony found herself staring at the light baby blue unicorn without realizing until Trixie spotted her.
"What?! Seriously, why do you stare at Trixie like that?!"
Rarity shook her head again. "Sorry! Umm, I need to walk to clear my mind. Will you be fine alone for a few moments?"
"Trixie has been fine on her own until now, she doesn't need anypony or anyone to help her."
"Fine. You have books there if you get bored."
Trixie used her magic to bring some books towards her.
"Ponyrella? The Beauty and the Draconequus? Little mares?" What is this garbage?!
"Hey! It's better than laying there doing nothing all day!" Rarity said, offended.
"Yeah, whatever, just go already," the magician pony said, putting the book on the table next to her. The fancy pony sighed.
Rarity huffed. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Take your time." Rarity left, softly closing the door behind her and leaving Trixie to herself, staring at the ceiling for a few moments before looking back at the books. She sighed and used her magic to pick up Ponyrella and opened it, sneezed, then started reading.
Who does she thinks she is to treat me like that?! She doesn't know anything about how to treat a lady and she clearly isn't one herself! Rarity thought, angry as she trotted through the market, but after letting a sigh out, her thoughts changed. Still… why am I suddenly feeling strange by looking at her? Only once I found myself like that but it's impossible it is that, it must be something else! I'm so confused right now… I need to talk to somepony! Because she was so in on her thoughts, she crashed with a pony and both of them fell to the ground.
"I'm-I'm sorry…"
"No, it was my fault… Fluttershy?" the marshmallow coated pony said as she quickly helped her best friend to get up. "What are you doing here? Weren't you with Twilight?"
"Rarity?" The timid Pegasus said confused, normally Rarity isn't the kind of pony who would crash with somepony. "Umm… yeah, but we just finished our date and I came here to get vegetables for Angel Bunny. What are you doing here? If you don't mind me asking…"
"Oh, well, I just decided to stretch my hooves, I'm not up for anything, really."
"Um... is Trixie giving you a hard time…?" Fluttershy asked nervously.
"A bit, yeah. Wait, did Twilight told you that Trixie is staying with me?" Rarity asked angry, but quickly calmed down because she knows Fluttershy. "Sorry, darling, but I asked Twilight not to tell anyone."
"She told me on our date but I didn't know she shouldn't have. I'm sorry Rarity…" Fluttershy sadly said. Rarity sighed.
"Now that I think about it… We can trust you. You won't tell anypony else, right?" Fluttershy shook her head, making Rarity smile. "Good. So, what are you going to buy."
"I just need some fresh lettuce; Angel wouldn't eat the ones I have at home."
"Let me help you Fluttershy!, you shouldn't let him to boss you around." The fancy unicorn said as she walked with Fluttershy to the post.
"You know I can't help it Rarity, I can't fight back, I just… just can't…"
"Didn't Iron Will teach you something? At least a bit?"
"I can't always be assertive, I don't feel comfortable doing it…"
"But Fluttershy…"
"Sorry Rarity, but this is who I am, I can't change it." Rarity looked at her friend worried. "L-Let's talk about something else…" the shy pony nervously said, looking away. They got to the post and bought fresh lettuce and walked out from the market area.
"How was your date with Twilight?" Rarity asked once out.
"It was amazing, just like our first date! She is so romantic when we are alone, she gave me my favorite flowers, they were so delicious! And she took me to lunch to the most beautiful restaurant, she reserved a table on the balcony so I could see all the pretty birds but, for my surprise, the birds performed a wonderful song for me. Twilight then told me that she been reading about birds and learnt to train them and then, she told me she loved me. It was the best day ever! My heart was beating so fast and my stomach felt funny the entire date, I almost couldn't talk without fearing I would pass out because of Twilight. It's incredible how romantic she became after starting dating; she actually stops reading when I come." The timid Pegasus told her story with dreamily eyes and blushing while Rarity listened every word as she smiled.
"That sounds so romantic, I envy you Fluttershy! And, let me guess, you two couldn't stop staring at each other."
Fluttershy shook her head, smiling and blushing. "Rarity, to love and be loved are the best feelings in the world… You ever felt like this?"
Rarity looked down. "Not really… the pony that I have ever loved was Prince Blueblood, but he turned out to be a jerk... I haven't fallen in love since then…" The fancy unicorn thought about Trixie again. It's true that she had been staring at her more than normal lately, but she hadn't felt that "spark" like when she'd met Prince Blueblood. It wasn't love, she was just not used to see the unicorn in that state.
"Rarity… are you okay?" The marshmallow coated pony blinked several times and looked at Fluttershy, who was looking at her with a worried look.
"Y-Yes, I'm fine! Don't worry, darling," Rarity said, grinning nervously.
"Are you sure…?"
"Completely sure! I better go back to the boutique before Trixie dies of boredom. Fluttershy, I'll see you tomorrow at the spa."
"O-Okay… Goodbye."
Rarity waved at her best friend as she trotted back to the boutique, thinking on what to do to cheer up Trixie.
"Ha! Take that you evil step-mother and step-sisters! Ponyrella got the prince after all!" Trixie said, hitting the picture of the step mother with her hoof. "Oh, are you going to cry? Poor little filly!" As Trixie chuckled, she put the book back where it was in Rarity's library. "Wait a moment…" She used her magic to take another book and put it closer to read it. "Ponyrella? She has two copies?! And this one is bigger. Why would she have two copies, one larger than the other one?" But before she could open it, the front door opened. Trixie put the bigger book back on the library and the smaller one back to the table next to her before Rarity saw her.
"Trixie, sorry for taking so long. I think I overdid with my walk." The marshmallow coated pony grinned nervously. The light baby blue unicorn looked at her for a moment and then looked back to the fire place.
"Back already? Trixie didn't even missed your presence," she said, sounding like she didn't care.
Rarity mumbled, "Oh yeah, I definitely don't have a crush on you!"
"You said something?"
"No, nothing! How's your hoof?" the fancy unicorn said pretending to smile and trotting to Trixie's side.
"Its fine. Hoping to get healed soon so Trixie can leave this place for good."
Rarity, once again, struggled to not to explode. She sighed to calm down and looked around. She noticed the books in a different place. "Have you been... reading?"
Trixie facehoofed and looked at the books. [i]I knew that Ponyrella was at the end![/i] "Well, yeah. Trixie doesn't have much to do around here."
"Why did you read the foals version of Ponyrella?"
The light baby blue unicorn looked at her. "Foals version?"
"Yes," Rarity spoke before turning to her library and taking the complete version of Ponyrella with her magic. "That's the one I used to read to Sweetie Belle when she was younger. This is the complete one," the marshmallow coated pony said, smiling.
"No wonder why it was so dull!"
Rarity giggled a bit before putting a hoof on her mouth to stop herself. "Maybe you will read the other one some of these days before being able to walk again."
"Trixie can't wait for that day to come," Trixie said, crossing her hooves and looking away. But Rarity could notice that she looked up and touched her mane on her head, what she didn't know is that Trixie did it looking sad. But Rarity did figure out that she missed her hat, which gave her an idea.
"I know! What if I make you a new hat?!" the marshmallow coated pony suddenly exclaimed with sparkles in her eyes. This scared Trixie.
"A new hat? For Trixie?" the light baby blue unicorn said, confused as she raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"Why not? I'm sure it will cheer you up! A magician isn't anything without their hat!"
"Trixie isn't a magician anymore, and...even if she was, it wouldn't be the same!" After saying that, Trixie covered her mouth with her forelegs, but it was too late. Rarity heard everything. After a few moments of silence only broken by Trixie sneezing, Rarity spoke with concern on her voice.
"You… you aren't a magician anymore…? Why? Is it has to be with what happened to you last night?"
"Trixie doesn't have to tell you anything," the light baby blue unicorn said, looking away. But Rarity didn't give up, she decided not to talk about last night for now.
"What about your hat? I still remember it, I can make you one exactly like your old one, you don't even have to pay for it, it will be a gift!"
"It's not that…" Trixie said after sighing.
"Then what is it?" Rarity asked, her voice getting even more concerned. Trixie looked at her after being silent for a few seconds with a sad look and said:
"Because it belonged to my brother, Clementine."
Did I mention that I hate cliffhangers? Well I do! But I use them anyway! XD
I hope you are having a nice reading because it is far to end! ^_^
I now have two editors so expect this story to be updated more often! :)
Sorry! I know this will sound bad but I totally forgot about you guys! I was busy uploading on the other site and I forgot to upload here! D:
I want to thank ShadowBlades for editing this chapter before its release! :D