Trix of the Trade - Chapter 19

>Outside the wagon, the sun shines down from between two large bodies of clouds. Not often does Fillydelphia get this much sunlight, so you plan to enjoy it as long as it lasts. With Anonymous.

>With cup of rainbow concentrate still held by magic, you look over at Anonymous sitting on the bench a few feet in front of you. With reins in one hand, and the same drink as yours in another, he slowly brings this cart north through Fillydelphia, and on to Manehatten.

>He didn’t pay any attention to you when you came up, but it seems he had a rough night so that might be expected. Still, where’s all the love for your magnificent performance last night?

>Well if he won’t give it out so willingly, you’ll have to fish the compliments out of him. Easy enough.

>You down your drink in one large gulp, attempt to suppress the noise and fire as best you can, and climb over the bench to sit with Anonymous. You rest on your forelegs, find a comfortable position, and let out a content sigh.

>Oh, are you in Anonymous’ personal bubble? Whoops.

>He doesn’t say anything, so he must not mind.

>Over the next few minutes, the only sound between the two of you is Anonymous sipping on his drink. Otherwise, you silently soak in the sun with a small smile on your face. You’ve almost forgotten the sun was a thing, with all your time in Fillydelphia.

>But of course, the silence must be broken, and Anonymous was intent on not being the one to do the honors.

 

“Hm, it’s almost as if the sun is shining in celebration of Trixie’s magnificent show last night!”

>You’ve become comfortable enough around Anonymous to no longer speak in third pony, but when you’re bragging, nothing can stop the number three.

>”Mmhm.”

”Wouldn’t you agree?”

>“Just did.”

”Ah, yes. It gives Trixie a good feeling about Manehatten. Trixie is on the fast track to fame and fortune now.”

>No response.

>You lean in a little closer before saying at a low volume,

”And Trixie couldn’t have done it without you!”

>Critical hit to your own ego. The doctors say you’ll make a full recovery.

>”Thank you.” He blurts out quickly clears his throat, scratches his nose, and falls silent again.

>So what’s the issue?

>He takes a sudden turn off the road the Manehatten, towards a familiar destination.

“Where are you…”

>”Collecting our bits for the show. After that, I have one more quick stop, and we can get out of here.”

“Ah, of course! And what did our fine patron think of Trixie’s show? Wasn’t it magnificent?”

>”Actually, he thought it was a little too short, and you probably could have spent a little less time talking to stallions.” That second one was Anonymous’ own little criticism, but he’s not willing to admit it. “And, this is from me, but you should try to avoid reusing finales.”

“Hm?”

>”The magic vine thing. You did that in Hoofington. It’s great, but you can’t afford to reuse finales.”

>O-Oh…

>That passed over your head with everything else going on. How could you make such a stupid mistake? You know what’s worse? Admitting that mistake to Anonymous.

 

>A few months ago, you wouldn’t admit that mistake to yourself.

>What happened to you? Who have you become?!

>Joking aside, Anonymous is correct.

“Hmph. If you would have stopped rudely talking to that loose mare, perhaps Trixie could have concentrated better!”

>You hate you.

>”Hey, lay off Vinyl. She’s all set, so she shouldn’t be bothering you much longer.”

“Bothering ME? As in, you’ll be keeping in contact? You’ll be writing letters? You’ll be trading erotic stories and lewd pictures?”

>”That’s a hell of an escalation.”

“But is it true?”

>Anonymous scoffs and rolls his eyes.

>”Yes, I’m going to try. She’ll me moving around a lot too, so it’ll be tough.”

“Moving far away, I hope.” You mutter under your breath.

>”Densely populated areas. Places like Appleloosa or Ponyville have no use for a DJ. So, if you want to avoid her so bad we can shoot ourselves in the foot and avoid large cities, hm?” You detect a little bit of animosity in his voice. Why would be getting hostile at YOU? He’s the one wasting his time with that mare.

>”In fact, we should skip Manehatten. You know, probably the city where you’ll make it or break it-“

“Quiet! Trixie… urgh, what is wrong with you this morning?”

>”I…” She sighs and leans back. “I’m just tired. Forget it, okay?”

>You avert your gaze and adopt a smirk.

“That all depends on what you’ll be doing to earn Trixie’s forgiveness.”

>”No. No games, please. Just drop it.”

>Then, you realized something was wrong. Anonymous was more than just annoyed like he usually is. Did you do something? You can’t remember…

 

“Anonymous, did Trixie-“

>”Ey, yo! Whaddup!” The familiar voice of Vinyl Scratch calls from somewhere behind the wagon.

“FUCK!”

>Anonymous and Vinyl stare wide-eyed at you.

>You… lost your composure. Only for a moment.

>”Uh, so… Anyway, you headin’ out?”

>Anonymous stops the wagon, climbs over the bench, and walks over to the other side of the roof. A dirty looking Vinyl stands shakily outside a cheap looking hotel, with that ever present smirk on her face. You hate that smirk.

>”Eeyup, taking your advice from last night.”

>”Heh, right on. I’ll be sure to be there for the New Cycle celebration. It’ll be ballin’.”

>New Cycle? Is the next year already so close?

>”And hopefully I’ll see you there. Anyway I’ll see you later.”

>To your relief, Anonymous turns back to the wagon, but is stopped by Vinyl’s, “One more sec.”

>”Hm?”

>She adopts a smirk.

>”… Last night.”

>Anonymous shakes his head and suppresses a snicker.

>”I’d rather not talk about it in front of a lady, thank you very much.”

>”Aw, but I was there.”

>”Talkin’ about,” He nods his head in your direction.

>”Lady? Well, if you say so.” Vinyl lets out a quiet, “Hehe.” And adjusts her glasses before continuing. >“Anyway, I bet you’re hankering to get on the road.”

>”Yeah-Oh! One more thing, you ever find out Sweet Something’s real name?”

>”Noooope!”

>”Ah, shit. She’s gonna be pissed if we bump into each other again.” Anonymous claps his hands together. >“That’s the future. We’re living in the now. And it’s now time to go.”

>”Ah, ah, ah.” Vinyl stops him. “Come down here so I can give you a ‘you-saved-my-flank’ hug.”

>Anonymous playfully lets out a fake sigh.

>”If you insist.”

>When Anonymous dismounts the wagon, you look away.

 

>But you still hear them. Or, Vinyl, rather. Anonymous is quiet aside from his footsteps, but Vinyl likes to moan at every touch, it seems. And the way she’s moaning… Pervert. Disgusting, stupid, greedy, thieving, loose, pervert. Why does everything she does set your blood ablaze? It’s just a hug. It’s just a stupid, meaningless hug.

>You find yourself clenching your teeth, tensing your muscles, closing your eyes, anything to help distract you. You’re done asking why. You know why. Disgusting little jealously rearing its head once again

>”Mmmmmmmnyah! There!” Vinyl pushes away from the hug. “Mom always said hugs longer than fifteen seconds better be going somewhere else. Hehe. I’ll see you later.”

>”Yeah-“

>”That’s a promise. I’ll find you and hunt you down.” She pulls down her glasses just to wink at Anonymous, eliciting another giggle from him.

>”Sounds like a fun game. I’ll make it tough. Later, Vinyl.”

>”Peace. Tell Trixie I’ll miss her. I won’t, but tell her anyway.”

>Anonymous and Vinyl turn away and walk in opposite directions. As Vinyl renters the motel, Anonymous climbs back on the wagon.

>He takes his seat once again, with a small smile on his face that wasn’t present before. Why does he have to taunt you?

“Hmph. What are you so happy about?”

>”… Nothin’. Let’s uh…” He seems to lose his train of thought for a moment. He taps his fingers on his knee for a second before regaining it. “Let’s get our bits and get going.”

>Yes. It’s time to leave this dump for Manehatten. The city of opportunity and dreams.

 

>You are Twilight Sparkle.

“Dear Princess Celestia. Today I learned that just because someone looks, smells, or acts different, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be allowed to live and walk among us. Of course, I learned this with Anonymous’ arrival, but the Diamond Dogs had to be handled differently. Now, I believe they will easily integrate into Ponyville, coming and going as they please. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.”

>Rolling the parchment up, you hand it off to Spike so he may send it to the Princess.

>You can’t help but stare out the nearest window afterwards.

>Ponyville has slowed down in the past few months. That is to say, it’s finally back to normal.

>Anonymous created a lot of excitement for the citizens of Ponyville. With his departure, things slowed down quickly.

>Pinkie Pie was working overtime to make Anonymous feel welcome. Now that he’s moved on, her party schedule has returned to normal, and she’s finally getting enough sleep.

>Applejack’s life hasn’t changed much. If anything, she only has one less person to talk to when operating the stalls.

>Fluttershy has been released from house arrest with the good word of Rainbow Dash, and has reintegrated into Ponyville. She stills spends most of her time in her house, though. Hehehe.

>Rainbow Dash has been affected the most be Anonymous’ departure. You sensed something between the two of them. Shortly before Anonymous left, Rainbow Dash has become more open minded to… let’s just call it Rarity’s lifestyle. You’ve caught her here and there with tads of makeup applied, each time provoking a blush out of her.

 

>Rarity’s business slowed down about a month ago, and has yet to pick back up. It’s allowed her to visit you and your friends more often, but she seems to have lost some… motivation.

>And you? Well, you wanted Anonymous to return for two reasons. One, you weren’t done observing how he would integrate into pony culture. He’s still new to this world, and already he was so eager to explore it. Two, Trixie. That’s it. Trixie will waste Anonymous’… self, if that makes sense. But, you’ve come to cope with it.

>The letter you just finished was the first big task you and the gang have taken care of since Anonymous’ arrival. It never occurred to you how much of a handful he’s been!

“Spike!” You call as you roll up the letter and seal it with the royal stamp.

>Spike’s voice resonates from the kitchen, as usual. He’s picked up baking once again, hoping to finally impress Rarity. You made the grave mistake of telling him that a mare likes a stallion who can cook. You couldn’t quite understand, but his response means he at least heard you.

>Sure enough, the pitter patter of his steps approach your room.

>”What’s up, Twilight?” Spike asks as he pokes his head into the room.

“I need you to send a letter!”

>”Right away!”

>You float the rolled letter to Spike’s hands, and he quickly sets it ablaze with an emerald fire, sending it to the princess.

>”Anything else?”

“Nope! You can get back to-“

>Spike cuts you off with a loud belch, forcing a parchment similar to the one you just sent flying at your face.

>You catch it, and immediately open it. Princess Celestia rarely relies this fast to letters. What is so different about…

“Spike!”

>”Yeah-huh?”

>You give the letter another look over, before allowing an excited smile to spread across your face.

“Get the girls!”

 

>Half an hour later, your friends have all been assembled in the library, all tittering and chatting with excitement. You haven’t even told them the news!

“Girls!” You call from the staircase, “Settle down for a second, I have some good news!”

>Pinkie Pie gasps. “Is it super duper pooper scooper good news!?”

>You roll your eyes.

“Yes, Pinkie.”

>”Well, go on,” Applejack urges. “What’s all the ruckus about?”

“Well,” You take a deep breath, “We’re invited to this year’s New Cycle Celebration!”

>They all pause for a moment before Rarity speaks up.

>”That’s nice, darling, but don’t we celebrate it every year?”

“Of course, but you celebrate it in Manehatten?”

>They all gasp simultaneously.

“With the princesses?”

>They gasp louder this time, then they follow it up with a silence.

“Yep! That’s what I thought!”

>”Twilight!” Rarity shouts. “The next year is in less than a week! You cannot expect me to prepare for such an event in so little time!”

“You’re right! I expect you to be ready by tomorrow morning!”

>”What!?” Rarity then proceeds to faint.

>”Can’t go.” Rainbow Dash flatly states.

“What? Why not?”

>She simply shrugs and averts her gaze.

>”Is it about Anon?” Fluttershy quietly asks from next to Rainbow Dash.

>Rainbow Dash only shoots her a harsh glare, before turning away again.

“Aw, come on, Rainbow Dash. Even if he does visit while we’re gone, I’m sure we’ll be back before he leaves.”

 

>Rainbow Dash takes a few moments to think it over.

>”… Fine. I just don’t want to miss him when he comes back, okay?”

>”That’s okay!” Pinkie leaps in front of Rainbow Dash. “He was in Baltimare a month ago. He’s probably going to be in Manehatten for this thing!”

>Rainbow Dash’s ears noticeably perk at that.

>”You think?”

“There’s no guarantee, but there’s a possibility.”

>”Tch, if that’s the case, count me in!”

“Perfect. The train leaves early tomorrow morning, and I expect you all want to start packing.”

>Everyone agrees, and with that, the little Elements of Harmony meeting is adjourned.

>Your friends leave one by one. Rarity and Applejack find an excuse to stick around a little longer, but end up leaving not much longer.

==

>Later that night.

>Rarity has packed mountions upon mountains of clothes and accessories.

>Applejack only packed one dress.

>Pinkie Pie packed baking ingredients.

>And Twilight Sparkle packed books.

>Rainbow Dash, however, hasn’t packed anything.

>With the sun finally set, Rainbow Dash exits her cloud home, and quickly arrives in front of Fluttershy’s cottage.

>She gives the front door a quick rap, and Fluttershy opens it a moment later.

>”Oh… Oh! Hello, Rainbow Dash.”

>”Hey, Flutters.” Dash pushes  herself in and walks past Fluttershy, with a concerned look plastered across her face.

>”Are you packed and ready to go?” Fluttershy flies up to Dash while she apprehensively paces around Fluttershy’s living room.

>”Look, we gotta talk.”

>”Talk about what?”

>”We gotta talk about Anon.”

 

>Fluttershy falls to the ground. Her cheerful expression turns to one of guilt.

>”You’re scared Anon might be there… and,”

>”Look, Fluttershy, I trust you, okay? But… I’m still worried.” Rainbow Dash approaches Fluttershy with a concerned look on her face. “So, IF Anon is there, I’m going to give you this one chance. If you… you know…” She sighs. “I don’t think I can be your friend anymore.”

>For the first time, fear and worry becomes apparent in Fluttershy’s eyes, but she doesn’t protest.

>”I understand. I-I promise, I’m better now.”

>Rainbow Dash pats Fluttershy on the back.

>”Good. I believe you.” Dash pulls her in for a quick hug before making for the door. “Welp, I gotta pack up and hit the hay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

>”Bye-bye!”

>With off Rainbow Dash’s mind, she flies off towards her home.

>However, Fluttershy was scared stiff.

>The thought of an encounter with Anonymous in Manehatten.

>Fluttershy, taking him out to a lovely dinner for forgiveness.

>Him, drinking perhaps just a little too much.

>Both, in a hotel room. All night.

>Oh Sweet Celestia. This was one of the several fantasies that have reemerged.

>”Please, please, please don’t be there, Anon.”