“Spike, take a letter!” Twilight Sparkle requested.
Spike grumbled but complied, taking out a sheet of paper, a fresh quill, and making himself ready. “Any time Twilight,” he replied.
“Dear Princess Celestia, there is a new foal in Ponyville that I have never seen before. Trixie Lulamoon has taken her on as a student. The foal has a broken mirror cutie mark and it has scared Discord senseless. Your friend, Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight dictated to Spike, who carefully took down each word.
The dragon rolled up the message, took a deep breath, and set it on fire, sending it to Princess Celestia. “Trixie has a student?” he asked when he was finished.
“Yes she does Spike,” Twilight replied.
“And you don’t…” Spike sniggered.
Twilight shot the dragon an icy glare and raised her eyebrow in an acerbic manner. “By the way Spike, Trixie and her student are coming over for dinner. Which you will be fixing.”
Spike’s laughter died abruptly. “Oh.”
“Thank you Spike, I mean that. You do so much for me,” Twilight said graciously, seeing her number one assistant looking a little crestfallen.
“Aw, don’t mention it Twilight,” Spike said bashfully.
Spike hiccuped slightly and then belched, coughing up a scroll. He handed it to Twilight, who broke the seal, unrolled it, and read it.
“Oh dear, we are in big trouble, say nothing to Trixie Lulamoon and await further instructions. Whatever you do, be exceptionally kind to the foal,” Twilight read. “She didn’t sign it, how weird. And she seems to think we are in big trouble. Oh my, I wonder what Celestia thinks is big trouble. Discord is scared, Celestia says we are in big trouble and forgets to sign a letter, I am getting worried Spike.”
“I’m scared Twilight,” Spike admitted, rubbing his claws together and fretting. “Princess Celestia is a stickler for letters. She would never forget to sign a letter under normal circumstances!”
Twilight felt the first prickle of fear. She mentally resolved to go and talk with Discord. Being nice to the foal was a high priority it seemed. Being nice to Trixie by extension seemed wise. “Spike, something extra nice for dinner, but nothing too sweet. Trixie gave her student Hijinx coffee and donuts.”
“Who gives a foal coffee?” Spike cried in startled astonishment.
“Somepony with a good heart and very good intentions who saw a starving foal. She’s nothing but ribs Spike,” Twilight responded.
“Oh. Poor thing. I’ll fix something extra good for her then,” Spike huffed, sounding depressed. “Trixie has changed, hasn’t she?”
“I think so Spike. She’s getting better,” Twilight agreed.
“You like her, don’t you Twilight?” Spike asked.
“She is my friend,” Twilight admitted.
“Oh no, I don’t mean like that, I mean you like her,” Spike stated.
“I don’t know what you mean Spike,” replied Twilight while blushing furiously. She gave Spike the stinkeye.
“I’ll get the candles for dinner,” Spike said as a final parting shot as he waddled off into the kitchen.
Twilight did not reply. She stood alone in the middle of her library, fuming at her number one assistant and feeling some mild concern about the situation that seemed to be brewing.
Trixie and Hijinx stood at the library door. Trixie rapped on the door with her hoof and waited, while Hijinx yawned sleepily. Hijinx was wearing her hat and her yawns were painfully adorable to the unsuspecting passersby.
A passing stallion named Noteworthy took one glance, clutched his barrel with one foreleg, and then staggered off on three legs, his eyes squeezed shut and his teeth bared in pain.
The door opened, and Twilight invited the duo inside before any further passersby could be stricken.
“Hi Trixie. Hello Hijinx. Welcome to the library. I am pleased to have you as my guest,” Twilight greeted.
Spike took their hats and placed them on a small table by the door.
“Trixie thanks you for your invitation,” Trixie replied.
“Jinx thanks you as well and smells food!” Hijinx added while licking her lips.
There was an awkward silence, the sort of awkward silence that spawns awkward silences later when you think back on it and realise just how awkward that silence really was, a pregnant silence that spawned future silences, leaving behind a very quiet future, which seems like a contradiction, but thankfully there is plenty of quiet time to think upon it.
Spike, having a cosmic realisation that the future was at stake, spoke up. “Hijinx, let’s go eat. We’ll leave those two alone so they can make goo-goo eyes at one another,” he invited, patting Hijinx on the withers.
“Spike!” Twilight protested.
Trixie said nothing, but stared down at her own front hooves, blushing.
Spike led the foal along, into the kitchen, and sat her down at the table where a few candles were burning. He carefully pushed her chair in and then took a seat beside her. “Macaroni and cheese?” the dragon asked.
“What is it?” Hijinx asked.
“Here, try some,” Spike offered, spooning some onto her plate. “Here, have some peas and carrots too,” he added, spooning some of those onto her plate as well. He then filled his own as the two mares finally made it to table and sat down next to one another.
Trixie was unusually quiet at the table, looking at her student and then back at at Twilight, and occasionally at Spike when the dragon gave a knowing chortle.
“So what are you going to teach your student?” Spike asked, trying to save dinner.
“Trixie was going to teach Hijinx how to be great and powerful,” Trixie said, glancing at Twilight Sparkle, who had a carrot stuck to her snoot and a pea stuck to her eyebrow.
Twilight was that kind of eater.
“Twilight Sparkle, can Trixie help you get the pea off of your face?” Trixie asked.
Spike and Hijinx both collapsed into chortles.
Twilight turned beet red and Trixie did as well once she realised exactly what she had said. The two mares once again lapsed into silence. Awkward silence. The pregnant silence from before had given birth.
“Hijinx…”
“Call Jinx Jinx,” Jinx replied, interrupting Spike and doing her part to destroy the silence which had returned to haunt them.
“Jinx, do you like the macaroni and cheese?” Spike asked.
“Very much so!” Jinx replied, bobbing her head enthusiastically.
Spike studied the filly, trying to figure out what had scared Discord so badly and had caused Princess Celestia to botch a letter. Jinx seemed normal enough. Except for the fact that she had never heard of macaroni and cheese before. Spike found that strange.
“Jinx, what happened to your parents? Do they approve of you running away from home and being Trixie’s apprentice?” Spike asked.
“Parents?” Jinx asked.
“You know, your mother and your father?” Spike asked.
“Jinx has no mother and father,” Jinx stated.
“Where do you come from?” Spike inquired.
“Jinx does not know,” Jinx admitted.
“What do you mean you don’t know, where were you before Ponyville?” Spike queried.
“Jinx remembers Ponyville…” Jinx said slowly.
Spike tried to ask another question but found no words would come out.
“Trixie is an amazing teacher, isn’t she Jinx!” Twilight said with an overabundance of enthusiasm and shooting a glance at Spike.
“Trixie is both Great and Powerful,” Jinx answered.
Trixie blushed again but said nothing.
Spike, now silenced, began to feel a faint tingle of fear. Jinx seemed to have no memory of life before Ponyville. How odd. And no parents. No knowledge of macaroni and cheese. Twilight had silenced him and had quickly changed the subject. Something was definitely up. Spike looked and saw that Twilight was trembling. And something told him it wasn’t because of Trixie.
Is she a changeling? Spike thought to himself. No, Twilight would have figured that out already and changelings wouldn’t scare Discord.
Trixie was to engrossed in fawning over Twilight to even notice there was a problem. Spike felt a little thankful that Trixie was oblivious.
“Trixie, you truly are Great and Powerful now, being a teacher is what makes one Great and Powerful. Be very kind and gracious to your student so she too, may become Great and Powerful,” Twilight said, making Trixie blush.
Deep down inside, it felt good to compliment Trixie Twilight realised, even if it was only to encourage Trixie to be kind for her own safety. Something was up with the foal and Twilight genuinely didn’t want to see Trixie get hurt. Trixie needed honest praise just like any other pony and unconditional pony regard.
Something in Twilight’s mind clicked and registered, but she didn’t know what it was, only that something had changed and that the world was now different.
What she did not know was that she was in the perfect position to teach Trixie how to become great and powerful, taking on Trixie as both a friend, a student, and perhaps something a little bit more. Something special. By guiding Trixie, Twilight could guide Jinx. Twilight had no way of knowing that the entire fate of the world was once again in her hooves.
Twilight´s letter to Celestia should be on italics, I think.
Nice chapter. Can't wait to see what happens next!
Also:
kathdedon.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/j-olivers-mac-and-cheese-2-golden.jpg
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She was dictating. I couldn't find a good rule.
As a letter, yes. As dictation, I don't know.
Let's see... Broken Mirror Cutie Mark, Discord is scared, DOESN'T KNOW MAC AND CHEESE, and has Fire Magic. Eeyup, we're doomed.
The Gracious and Highly Amused Kinderskrieg has greatly enjoyed this story thus far. She wishes to see more of this Adorable and Hilarious tale.
4527480 Didn't you mention somewhere that this wasn't going to be a Twixie fic? Or was this another story? Sorry if i made a mistake.
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Read the story description very carefully. What does it say?
4528058 Yes sorry i forgot wrong story. So sorry about that... really nice story though like the new chapter.
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Dammit Dale, now I'm hungry again.
Stupid pic.
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Sorry for the late reply.
Also, guns don't kill people, the government does.
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Cars kill more people than guns do. Let's ban those!
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F*CK CARS!!!
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More people die falling in the bathtub than by guns.
Ban tubs!
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F*CK TUBS!!!
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If you have a throw rug in your house you have a higher chance of being injured by the rug than you would if you had a gun in your house.
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F*CK RUGS!!!
Hmmm, the Handsome and Grand Evilhumour enjoyed this chapter!
Lots of silence breeding, Silence sure got busy. Maybe there's merit to what they say about the quite ones.
This is brilliant. It amuses The Frazzled One greatly.
More now, if you will be so kind, and have a like and a fave.
Happy writing.
I see her friends taught her proper table manners.
Jinx appears to be an avatar or equinoid embodiment of some kind, a pony-shaped expression of some higher concept. My first guess is "newborn draconequus," provided this universe follows a different method of reproduction than some of your earlier stories. (And speaking of, the Twixie is great and adorkable.) In any case, looking forward to more.
D'aww, awkward clumsy twixie. Always sweet. Maybe a little overt, but still. Very nice to see Twilight try to justify it as a kind of friendship, too, and remark on Trixie's good qualities.
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