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// Return to Twilight's Castle 
// Story: An Unexpected Union:  A Princess and a Former Showmare 
// by StormLuna 
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Once the three got into Twilight's castle, the tension quickly began to build.  The memories of living there, being Twilight's pupil and most of all, her time of being Trixie's marefriend began flooding back to her.  It was equally as difficult on Spike as well given that for quite some time he was Twilight's assistant.  It would not be long until the three would be greeted by Trixie. 

Trixie rushed into Twilight's hooves and asked, "Hi sweetie, how are you doing?"

Twilight replied, "I'm doing good, even better being back home with the love of my life."

Starlight and Spike rolled their eyes in disgust before hearing Trixie ask, "Hello Starlight, how are you doing?"

Even though she had agreed to be her mare of honor and was trying to let her mane down, with Trixie she still expected formalities, "That is Princess Starlight Glimmer to you Trixie."

Given what Starlight had said earlier, this shocked Twilight.  She asked, "Starlight, I thought you were wanting to let your mane down and be less formal.  Why does she have to be formal with you?"

Starlight replied, "Because of her history with me."

Trixie quickly interrupted, "Remember Princess, if it weren't for me convincing Twilight to send you up to Canterlot, you'd still just be a pupil.  You wouldn't be the Warrior Princess."

Starlight sighed, "Oh alright.  You don't need to keep reminding me of that."

Twilight decided that they needed to discuss what they originally headed back to her castle over.  She asked, "So Trixie sweetie, what do you want Starlight's dress to look like?  She is your mare of honor after all."

With Twilight putting a lot of emphasis on the word "your," Trixie's ego became a bit inflated.  She giggled, "Well, I think it should be gray with accents that match my coat, has my cutie mark on it and she needs to wear a dunce cap!"

When Starlight heard this, she lit her horn up in anger.  She yelled, "You know what?  Forget it Trixie, you can go up there with nopony by your side and look like the pathetic little wretch you are."

Spike added, "You have a lot of nerve to speak to The Warrior Princess like that Trixie."

Starlight grabbed Trixie in her aura and ripped her cutie mark off of her.  She stood there with a smirk on her face and laughed, "Come on Spike, let's get back to Canterlot so I can get this thing sealed away."

Twilight rushed to Starlight and smacked her horn, causing her to drop Trixie's cutie mark.  She yelled, "Starlight, what was all that about?  I didn't think you were like that anymore!"

Starlight snapped, "Twilight, one does not disrespect me like that and get off scot-free."

Twilight interrupted, "Starlight, she was only joking!  You should know that she wouldn't really want you to dress like that because it would make her look bad too."

Starlight glared at Trixie and asked, "Is what she says true or were you just being your arrogant little self?"

Trixie shrank back and replied, "I'm sorry Starlight, I didn't really mean it."  As Starlight's glare deepened, Trixie stuck her bottom lip out and continued, "Starlight, please don't back out of being my mare of honor.  I promise I'll respect you."

Starlight sighed, "Oh alright.  Now what do you really want the design to be?"

Twilight replied, "Trixie, I was thinking that a good design would be off white with accents that match her coat and have her cutie mark on her flank."

Twilight gave Trixie a slight glare as she thought about this.  Finally Trixie agreed, "Alright, that sounds good."





It was getting close to supper time and Starlight's stomach was growling.  The first to hear this was Twilight.  She asked, "Starlight, it is close to supper time and your stomach is really growling.  Would you and Spike want to have supper with us?"

Starlight replied, "Well, I'm not really sure.  I really need to get back up to Canterlot."

Twilight sighed, "Oh alright, but I just thought it would be nice since the wedding is coming up before too long."  She then looked at Spike and continued, "Spike, maybe you could get her to stay.  Even though you haven't been here in ages, I still have some gems."

Gems are not exactly common on the base so almost immediately Spike began to beg, "Please Starlight, can't we stay?  It's just for supper."

Starlight sighed, "Oh alright, but afterwards we are headed right back to Canterlot."  Her sigh became more frustrating as she continued, "We can't be gone for any longer than we already have been."

Twilight and Trixie both gave one another curious looks as they couldn't help but notice the frustration in Starlight's voice.  While neither one of them could be sure, to Twilight it seemed almost as if Starlight didn't exactly want to go back that quickly.





Despite Twilight inviting Starlight and Spike to have supper with her and Trixie, the meal was rather quiet and tense, even for Spike who had his first huge meal of gems in quite some time.  Finally he broke the silence, "Thank you Twilight!  I wasn't expecting any gems!"

Twilight replied, "You're welcome Spike.  When you left I still had a few gems around and given that I was under Trixie's control, I never sold them."  She cast her gaze at Starlight and asked, "So Starlight, how often do you give him gems?"

Starlight replied, "Well he usually gets some a couple times a week.  It may not be all that often but when he does get them, he gets a rather large bowl of them."

Twilight looked at Spike who was agreeing in agreement with Starlight.  After their supper Starlight let out a large yawn, "Ugh, I don't know about you Spike but I'm getting tired.  Think we should get going?"

Spike replied, "Yeah, we probably should."

It had already got dark and while it would seem odd, Twilight decided that she would offer Starlight something, "Starlight, Spike, I know you think you have to hurry up and get back but it is getting kind of late.  What would you think of staying here tonight?"

Spike's eyes lit up, "Really?  You want us to stay here with you?"

Twilight replied, "Yeah, I do."

Starlight sighed, "I don't know.  I don't want everypony being worried about where I am.  The last thing we need is for the soldiers to go into a panic worrying about my whereabouts."

Spike begged, "Please, can't we just stay for one night?"

Being in the castle already brought enough in the way of bad memories for Starlight.  She certainly did not want to spend the night there, especially if it meant staying in her old room given that that was where Trixie threw away their love for Twilight.  She sighed, "No Spike, I think we need to get going."

Spike replied, 'Ok Starlight."

Starlight put her armor on, opened the door and ordered, "Hop on Spike, we need to get going.  The next train leaves very soon and I really don't feel like either having to wait around for another hour or so nor do I feel like flying to Canterlot when it is pitch dark."

Twilight, in a last ditch effort to get them to stay said, "Wait, why don't you......."

Trixie put her hoof over her mouth and interrupted, "Just let them go.  Starlight probably has to get up early tomorrow and besides, it would be hard for me to sleep with Starlight around."

Twilight asked, "Why?"

Trixie stuck her bottom lip out and continued, "It just would.  You wouldn't want your precious fiance to have trouble sleeping, would you?"

Twilight sighed, "No, I wouldn't."  She yawned and continued, "Well it is getting late, we better get to bed."

As the two headed up to their bedroom Trixie couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.  She knew that Starlight does know mind control spells and was worried that while she was asleep that Starlight may try to turn Twilight against her out of spite or that she would do something to her to make her leave Twilight.