//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3, A Change in Plans 
// Story: The Lost and Broken Trixie. 
// by Shyrose 
//------------------------------//


 Chapter 3
A Change in Plans
by Shyrose
  

Ferris brushed past Trixie as he moved into the bathroom. He finished his business quickly, then stood for a moment staring at himself in the mirror. Sighing, he draped his scarf back over his neck and stepped out of the bathroom. He met her gaze and scarcely managed to keep a frown from coming over his face. Seeing that beautiful light already fading and her false smile on her face was a heavy blow. "Trixie.."He walked towards her, shaking his head a bit. "We don't have to go out anywhere tonight, Trixie.."

"Trixie is confused. she thought you wanted to go out?" She looked puzzled, her head cocked slightly to the side, causing her limp mane to fall past her shoulder. Slowly, her eyes lit up with understanding, and she hung her head. "Oh.. Trixie understands. You wish not to trouble yourself with Trixie anymore. Trixie understands, she is too much hassle to be around." Moving away from the door, she nodded to Ferris' things. "Trixie thanks you for the time you showed her this morning at least." Trixie hung her head, utterly crestfallen.

"I said nothing of the sort, Trixie." He shook his head a bit, standing his ground as she gestured towards his things. "I just want to spend this day with you. I.." he paused for a long moment, glancing down at his hooves. He stomped the floor a few times before he continued, stepping up and lightly brushing his cheek against Trixie's. "I'm worried about you. After what happened at the park. I don't want you to hurt, Trixie. And that doesn't mean " His voice rising as he went on.  "That I'd be embarrassed by you, or that I don't want to be seen with you, or anything like that. I just.. want to make things better. and I'm not sure a crowded, noisy club is how to do it.."

Pulling away a bit, but not in a disgusted kind of way, Trixie looked at her hooves and shuffled them a bit. "Trixie can not recall asking for help. Trixie is fine just the way Trixie is." She did feel a little insulted that Ferris, essentially a stranger, decided to try and fix Trixie, but, she let it slide. He was only trying to be nice. "Trixie is not sure what there is to make better, but if you did not want to go to a club, what did you want to do? Trixie's home is not really good for entertaining..."

Ferris sighed a bit, closing his blue eyes for a long time, before he mustered the will to look at her again. Everything she'd said was true. She hadn't asked for help. And what was wrong with her was deeper than he could fix with good intentions. It was his turn to shuffle about on his hooves, only able to offer a faint shrug when she asked him what to do. "I'm sorry, Trixie. I've been so.. presumptuous. If you still want to go to Club Pon3, we can go." He kept his mouth shut, burying the 'I've got a bad feeling' sort of lines.

Trixie shrugged, but looked more hopful now that she didn't think Ferris didn't want to be near her. "Trixie would be at work right now. Trixie has no plans whatsoever that didn't come from you to begin with. so it seems only fitting Trixie let's you continue to decide. It has served us well for the most part so far anyway." She nodded encouragingly. "Was there anything else you wanted to do?"

"Well. There is one thing, I was thinking about.." He summoned up a roguish grin. It was part stage grin, but enough real feeling behind it to be convincing. He turned towards the stairs and all but gallopped down them, calling out as he moved down the stairs. "How's your kitchen look, Trixie?" He was already in there before she could answer, his horn flickering to life as he started to search her cabinets.

"Trixie's kitchen?" She asked, puzzled, following him into the clean white room. "Trixie's kitchen is clean, how else should it look?" Seeing him go through her cabinets, pulling things out and moving things hither-too. "W..What are you looking for? Trixie doesn't have a lot of dishes..she normally..only has to worry about herself, with the occasional guest. Trixie Apologizes."

"Pots, Pans, that kind of thing.." It wasn't long before he had assembled most of her modest collection of cookware on the kitchen table. It was a brief bit of inspiration, but he did his best to kindle it. Hoping it might be contagious, and spark something in Trixie as well. "I'm a magician, not a chef, but.." He had walked around the table, smiling across the gathered collection of kitchenware at her. "I'd like to cook for you."

Trixie's eyes widened with surprise, and genuine emotion filled them. Even if the emotion was mere wonder, it was something at least as she looked over the assembled collection. "Cook for Trixie? what are you making?" Trixie honestly had no idea what could take so many pots and pans, but she was eager to find out. Turning the kitchen over to him, she sat down at the table and watched him select his tools.

"I'm not exactly sure yet." He was more taking inventory than getting ready. He made a few more laps around the kitchen, checking her cupboards. "Well, it looks like you've got plenty of things to cook with, with not very much to cook. I think we'll have to take a trip to the store." He nodded a bit, smiling over at her. He finally tied his scarf back around his neck, heading out of the ransacked kitchen. "Anything you really don't like, or you're allergic to?"

Trixie thought for a moment, before responding with a slight giggle. "Trixie doesn't like wheels. but other than that, she has no allergies or aversion to anything that comes to her mind. A trip to the market however, is probably due yes. Trixie hasn't been in a bit." She gathered her scarf and purse of bits. "We better hurry before the stalls close though."

"You don't like wheels? And yet you encourage a Ferris to show you a good time.." While she gathered her things, he emptied out his bags, slinging them across his flanks. He looked at her from the top of the stairs for a moment, glad at the way the evening had seemingly turned around. He pushed the door open , holding it open with a hoof and nodding for her to go ahead. "Right, let's be on our way, Trixie."

Stepping out into the brisk afternoon air as she wrapped her scarf around her neck, Trixie smiled a bit. it was a lovely afternoon after all, the perfect time for a walk. Glancing over her shoulder as Ferris closed the door, she made sure to point the direction of the stalls out. "The market is this was, Trixie needed to go anyway, so this is perfect. Though, Trixie admits to wondering what Ferris is planning." Trixie giggled a bit, her deep amethyst eyes sparked with wonder breifly, and she smiled a genuine smile again.

Ferris met her gaze with his own, smiling back at her. He rolled his shoulder a little bit as he trotted up beside her. "Ferris also wonders what he's planning.  I don't think either of us has eaten anything but pastries since we met."  He took a deep breath, letting the crisp, cool air fill his lungs before letting it out in a soft sigh. "But I'm good at thinking on my hooves. I'm sure I'll find something there I can manage."

Startled that he had no idea what he was doing either, Trixie couldn't help but laugh aloud. it was an altogether different sound than her crying, full of cheer and warmth, and maybe a hint of cockiness, a dash of arrogance? Still, if faded quickly as she calmed down.

"Trixie is not amused by your mocking of her!" She playfully kicked a foreleg into Ferris' shoulder before continuing. "But...Trixie does find this kind of exciting. Seeing what you'll come up with at the drop of a hat. Improvisation is what makes the best show ponies after all." The comment hung in the air awkwardly from Trixie for a minute, before she started pointing out shops along the way. "There is a Library, that one there is a dress shop. Over there is the jewelers. And that one is some sort of magical curio shop.

"I wasn't mocking you!" He took the playful blow in stride, grinning at her like a schoolcolt. "That was good-natured teasing." His mood also seemed to sink after the show pony comment. He looked up as she started pointing out the various places, glad she had broken that moment of silence. He nodded a bit, giving a brief glance at each location. No place selling food, yet, so it didn't spark any interest, until the last place she listed. "Magical curios? What exactly do they sell there, Trixie?"

Trixie shrugged. "Trixie is not sure. She has never had any cause to enter before. Though she has heard that the proprietor has a lot of interesting magical charms, and some say Artifacts for sale. Trixie just thinks it is all hype and nonsense personally. As if a simple shop in canterlot would sell magical artifacts, or cursed amulets with untold power to perform amazing, but dark magics, or some other nonsense like that." Trixie giggled again, pointing down the road where a few market stalls where visible. "We are nearly there. you can see the carrot stand from here."

"Why not? It IS Canterlot after all. If I'd expect anywhere in Equestria to have a shop for things like that, it would be here. Or Manehattan.." He cast a glance over his shoulder at the small shop after they walked by. Another day, perhaps. He let his mind wander a bit, about what those later days might hold for him. It was strange to consider- he felt both more and less certain of his future since he'd stumbled upon her at Joe's last night. He nearly ran into her when she pointed out the market stalls coming into sight down the road. "So we can! I guess we should get your regular stuff first, then I'll search out something special for dinner."

Trotting into the market, Trixie wandered up to stalls, and started to shop. she acquired a few carrots, some celery, lettuce, bread, some juice boxes, apples, oranges, and a selection of flowers from daisies to dandelions. Placing everything in her saddlebags gently, Trixie turns to Ferris and smiles. "Has anything caught your interest? Any ideas yet?

He had kept some distance from her as she shopped. Not too far, always within a few hoofsteps of the light blue mare. Ferris was making a few purchases of his own, careful not to duplicate anything she had bought. He was also trying to keep his shopping out of her sight, though when she turned to ask him if he'd seen anything, he was putting a large squash into one of his bags. He just smiled, knowing he'd been caught. "I might've seen one or two things that caught my eye.."

Eyeing the squash as it dissappeared into his bags, Trixie giggled and stuck her tongue out. "Trixie can't wait to see what's for dinner, that squash looked lovely."  Finishing up her shopping, she but her bits away and started to head back home, making sure Ferris was done aswell. Heading back home, she let them both in and shut the door behind them. Together they took their haul to the kitchen and began putting things away. Trixie stared intently at Ferris' purchases, to try and divine what he had in mind.

Ferris was still reeling, he almost couldn't believe it. She'd stuck her tongue out at him, like some little filly. Quite the change from the broken down mare he'd consoled in the park hours ago. Ferris couldn't help but let a slight grin settle across his face as they returned to her home.  In vain, he tried for a few moments to hid his ingredients, but in the confines of the kitchen with her putting things away, it was no use. By the time everything else had been put away, he had a good selection of vegetables arrayed in front of him. The squash, of course, along with celery, onions, carrots, a large bell pepper, a clove of garlic and a small bottle of oil sitting on the counter in front of him. The last thing he pulled from his bag was a box of bowtie pasta. "Well, here it is. I hope you're hungry."

Trixie was infact, trying to hide the fact she was eating a carrot as he unpacked his ingredients, Starting when she gets caught, she stumbles on her words briefly. "O, oh, yes of course! Trixie is quite hungry! Trixie adores pasta, how did you know?" Trixie sets the carrot in her mouth as she looks over everything, thoughtfully. Ferris was cooking for her. Why was he doing this? Did he want something from Trixie? She had been doing her best to act playful, to make up for her earlier break down, and it had felt good, but it also felt undeserved, like she didn't have a right to be happy. Here, though, with Ferris, she couldn't help it. Something about him seemed to drag out her smile, but it also brought back all the pain too. Trixie couldn't decide if she needed Ferris to stay, or if she needed him as far away as possible.

"I guess so!" He chuckled a little bit as she turned to him, struggling to conceal the partially eaten carrot. He began preparing the meal, finely dicing most of the ingredients. He did it manually, though his horn flared to life now and then as he shuffled raw food and cookware around. He was no chef, but his knife work was quite dextrous. He looked up at her, catching that middle distance stare in her eyes. Not at all unlike the one he had worn during much of their walk to the market. "You too, huh?"

Trixie started again, and her carrot fell to the floor. "Huh? What do you mean?" Trixie tried to play it off, but in the end, she hung her head. "Trixie guesses so, Trixie is unsure about a lot of things, she can't make up her mind at all. On one hoof, Ferris has been so nice and gentle with Trixie, but Ferris hurts Trixie. Not in anyway Trixie can put into words. Trixie is at a loss for what to do. Trixie's life has been simple for a long time now, she hasn't had to feel, or think really, but then Ferris shows up, and..Trixie is happy, but Trixie hurts so bad now..but...Trixie doesn't want Ferris to go, Trixie doesn't want to be alone again..."

He was rather surprised at how much she had opened up, based off of that simple question.  Ferris nodded as he listened to her, splitting his attention between the food he was cooking and listening to her. He had started to speak several times, but closed his mouth when she continued. "Numb." He said the word, staring down at the boiling water he had just dumped the pasta into. "A pony in Appleoosa called me that, a few days before I came back here. And coming out of that numbness.. it's like when your leg falls asleep. Pins and needles, like simply having sensation again is being in pain. But it passes, in time, and you can walk again." He nodded firmly, as if he was fully awake again. He hadn't been as far down as she had, but he wasn't back to normal, either.

"Trixie.. I think I know. What I want from you. What I want to give you.."