Chapter Eighteen

Gotta Know

Somehow, some way they managed to find their way back to the pond the Apple Bloom saw Trinny. That was all about the luck they had though. It looked like Trinny had come and gone already. The only thing left of her were her hoof prints. At least they were fresh and deep. Easy enough to follow. On the trail they went, in search of some pony they weren't sure of anymore.

They wanted to believe that Trinny wasn't the Unicorn from the old story, but they had to know what was going on. Apple Bloom most of all hoped that she wrong. She would feel so guilty if she made the other think that Trinny was something that she wasn't. Especially after all she had done for them. She hoped to Celestia that she was wrong about what she saw.

"Looks like she headed back into town," Sweetie Belle pointed to Ponyville.

"That's where the trail seems to lead," Scootaloo pointed out the obvious.

Babs Seed started to trot down the path, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's find her and clear up this whole business."

The rest of them followed after her. They just wanted it to be over with and prove that Trinny wasn't a thieving Unicorn. One way or another, when they found her they were going to find out what was what. Of course once they hit Ponyville, all the tracks started to look the same. Trinny had larger hoof prints than the average mare, but hers did look like a stallion's. Either way, it was hard to pick hers out.

"She could have gone anywhere!" Scootaloo huffed, "And there's like a thousand ponies out today!"

There really weren't a thousand ponies in the streets of Ponyville that day, but there did seem to be an awful lot of them. They could have just started to ask random ponies if they had seen Trinny, but who's to say if they knew who she was. Trinny did stand out in a crowd… considering she stood taller than most. Though there was one pony that knew every pony else.

"Pinkie Pie!" they all seemed to come to same conclusion.

"Yeah! Pinkie knows every pony and just about where they are… at any moment," Sweetie Belle was a little bothered by that last thought.

"Do we know where Pinkie Pie is?" Scootaloo brought up a good point.

Babs Seed and Apple Bloom looked to one another, then back to them. Just behind them, they notice something that looked at little strange.

"Right there…," they both pointed to a bush that had tuff of pink coming out of it.

"Pinkie Pie?" they all slowly approached the pink tuff.

"SHHH!" Pinkie quickly pulled them into the bush, "I don't want Trinny to hear me," she looked to make sure no pony had seen her.

The girls looked to one another, not sure what was going on.

Pinkie Pie shifted her eyes back and forth, "Can't let her get the drop on me. Not this time. She's always one step ahead," she peeked back outside the bush, "But I've got her this time. Oh yes," a sinister smile formed on her face, "I've got her this time… she won't see it coming… oh no… I've got you this time Trinny," she looked back at the Cutie Mark Crusaders, "You didn't see anything…," she plopped them back out on to the street and slowly snuck back into the bush, "You didn't see anything…"

They weren't sure what just happened or why Pinkie Pie was acting stranger than normal. She always acted a little off, but the way she was talking was… well… it wasn't Pinkie. Why would she want to hide from Trinny? She was the nicest Unicorn ever. Trinny even helped Pinkie with a good night's rest and helped Mr. and Mrs. Cake. Why would she want to keep her doings from Trinny?

They all must have been thinking the same thing.

"What was that all about?" Scootaloo still wasn't sure what happened.

"I don't know…," Sweetie Belle agreed with her.

Babs Seed continued to stare at the bush, "I know Pinkie can be a little… off… but that was just… weird…"

They just watched as the pink tuff moved from bush to bush. Until it disappeared behind a building and out of sight.

"Why would she be hidin' from Trinny? What's she afraid of?" Apple Bloom asked the others.

They could only shrugged their shoulders. But it did raise some very important questions. Pinkie Pie liked every pony and made friends so easily. But here she was, hiding and seemingly scheming against some pony that only wanted to help. Did Pinkie know something that they didn't? Maybe they should have asked when they dragged into the bush.

Babs Seed seemed to understand what Apple Bloom was thinking, "This doesn't sound too good Cuz… I'm starting to wonder…"

They all were feeling it, but it was hard to admit.

"No…," Apple Bloom refused to believe it, "There must be a reason and whatever it is I'm going to help Trinny… just like she helped us… Besides," she whispered, "if Trinny really is a…," she gulped, "Cutie Mark thief… it's not like she can do anything to us," she looked at her blank flank, "We don't have Cutie Marks to steal…"

That was true enough. The Unicorn from the story was only interested in fillies and colts with Cutie Marks. They didn't have any… they may be the only ones that could face her.

"Let's just find Trinny and see what's what," Apple Bloom stomped her hoof, "We're wastin' time just thinkin'. We're Cutie Mark Crusaders and we help ponies in need. Right?"

"Right!" They answered in unison.

"But we still don't know where to find her," Sweetie Bell pointed out.

"Find who?" some pony asked.

"Trinny," Apple Bloom sighed.

"Well…," the voice suggested, "have you tried behind you?"

They all looked behind them, but there was no one there.

"Boo!" some pony whispered loudly behind them.

They all jumped in surprised. Looking back, their eyes met a pair of red colored one.

"Sorry girls," she chuckled lightly, "I couldn't help myself."

The girls laughed nervously.

Trinny noticed that something was bothering them, "Is everything alright my dears?"

This was a moment that Apple Bloom was dreading. She wanted to talk with Trinny, but she still wasn't sure what she was going to say. Though, it felt like she was the one that had to say it.

"Trinny," Apple Bloom quietly asked, "Can we talk you… in private?"

Trinny looked at her in confusion, "Of course."

They didn't want to be in Ponyville when they spokes to her. Unfriendly ears… they didn't want any pony else to hear… or to embarrass Trinny. They walked past all the homes and businesses where all the residents of Ponyville had gathered. They walked until they left it behind; where only they could talk. In peace.

"What was so important that you didn't want any pony else to hear?" Trinny asked as they all stopped.

Looking around, Apple Bloom made sure they were truly alone, "We wanted to ask you about something… something personal…," she could feel a knot forming in her stomach.

Trinny sat down, "What is wrong? Please let me know. If there is something that I can do," Trinny smiled, "Please tell me."

They all looked to one another. There was the feeling of guilty, but also some curiosity. They had to know what was going on.

Apple Bloom took in a deep breath, "Trinny… we ah… we ah… you see…," she still hadn't found the right words, "We wanted… that is… we were going to give you a present…"

"A bouquet of flowers actually," Sweetie Belle inserted.

"Oh how lovely!" Trinny was delighted.

"We… ah… don't have it anymore…," Scootaloo admitted.

"Oh…," Trinny frowned.

"Sorry," Apple Bloom apologized, "But anyway, we split up to find you… because we didn't know where you were. We asked a couple of ponies…"

"And Spike," Sweetie Belle didn't want to leave him out.

"Mr. Cake said that you had just left looking for spring and we went and looked," Apple Bloom continued to explain, "We split up… I already said that… anyway… I heard you humming and went to find you… I crawled through a bush and got stuck… then I saw you… and then I… I…," she couldn't say it.

"What is it my dear?" Trinny begged her to tell her.

"I SAW THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A CUTIE MARK!" she couldn't hold it in any longer.

Trinny was taken aback by the Apple Bloom's loud remark. She seemed more surprised by how loud Apple Bloom had shouted and not by what she was saying. It was strange that Trinny only smiled. She didn't deny or say it wasn't true. Only smiled in the gentle why that she always did.

"Aren't you going to say something?" Scootaloo finally asked.

"What can I say?" Trinny sighed as she looked to her covered back, "You saw what you saw. I cannot deny it."

"But…," Apple Bloom approached her, "Is it true…? Are you… a blank flank?"

Trinny looked up the sky, then back to her flank. With her magic, she gently lifted the blanket away from her hindquarters. There, before their eyes, they saw something that they thought they would never see. Nothing… there truly was nothing on Trinny's flank.

"As you can see," she pulled the blanket back down, "I'm exactly like you… I have no Cutie Mark… it has been gone… for quite some time…"

"AH HA!" Scootaloo pointed at her, "So you admit that you're the Cutie Mark Thief!"

"SCOOTALOO!" they all yelled at her.

"What!? She said that her Cutie Mark disappeared a long time ago," she defended herself, "ADMIT IT! You came to steal some pony's Cutie Mark!"

Trinny gave a little chuckle, "Oh my dear little Scootaloo… you're referring to that old story about the Thieving Unicorn. Aren't you?"

"Um…. Yes…," she was thrown off kilter by Trinny's calmness.

She chuckled once more, "That's an old pony's tale. The Mare of Destiny would never take away a pony's Cutie Mark away…," she thought for a moment, "… not forever anyway…"

"Um Trinny," Apple Bloom still wanted to know a little bit more, "What happened to your Cutie Mark?

With a big sigh, Trinny looked to them, "What I am about to tell you must remain between us. No one and I mean no one can know. Do you understand my little fillies?"

They looked to one another. With a nod, they all agreed that whatever was about to be said would never be heard by another pony.

"It is too long of a story to repeat now," Trinny whispered to them, "but all you have to know is that I gave up my Cutie Mark…," she lowered her eyes, "I did it for a good reason and though I miss it," a tear ran down her cheek, "I know it was for the better and I don't regret it…"

"Oh Trinny," Apple Bloom couldn't help but give her a hug.

The others could hold it back either. They soon joined in and tried their best to comfort their friend.