//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: It's Just Begun // Story: Major Problems // by asmariamoon //------------------------------// Major Problems By Asmaria Moon Chapter 7 It's Just Begun Trixie watched as Twilight did the flourish cut without dropping her cards. "Very good, Twilight. The speed at which you learn makes Trixie proud to call you her student." Trixie said, smiling, and causing Twilight to blush once more. "Now, try to do it with one quick motion, like this." Trixie said, completing the cut with a fluid motion of her magic, so that the top half turned, flipped twice and went under the bottom half, then sat flush with the deck again. Twilight tried this, but once again dropped her cards, once more barely catching them before they hit the ground. "Do not be discouraged, Twilight. Just keep practicing. I am sure that you can do it." Trixie said. Suddenly, a knock on the library door surprised Twilight, causing her to drop her cards again "Do you mind if Trixie answers that?" Trixie asked. "No, go ahead, Trixie." Twilight said, picking her cards up off the ground where they dropped. Trixie trotted over to the door, grabbing the handle with her magic and opening it. "Hello, Fluttershy." Trixie said, seeing the shy yellow pegasus standing in the entrance. "Oh... ummm... hello, Trixie." Fluttershy said. "I'm... ummm... not... interrupting anything, am I?" she asked, retreating a bit behind her long pink mane. "Of course not, Fluttershy. Twilight was just practicing the flourish cut that Trixie taught her." "Oh. That's... good." Fluttershy said, then fell silent. Trixie knew that if she wanted to keep the conversation with Fluttershy going, she would have to push the shy mare. "Did you need something, Fluttershy?" Trixie asked. "Oh, well... yes. I met Diamond Tiara on my way here, and she told me that you apologized to her this morning. I wanted to tell you that I'm very proud of you. That was a very kind thing to do." Fluttershy said. "Thank you. Speaking of which, Miss Tiara seemed very willing to apologize to Trixie as well. You wouldn't have something to do with that, would you, Fluttershy?" Trixie asked. "Ummmm... well... yes. It's just that... I don't like to see ponies fighting with each other." Fluttershy said. "Fluttershy, you have to stop doing that. While I agree that everypony has the capacity for kindness, and it makes me sad to see some ponies choosing to use meanness instead, that's their choice to make, and nopony else's. Forcing somepony to say they're sorry, even if they're sincere when they apologize, isn't the same as when that pony realizes they did something wrong, and apologizes without being told to." Twilight said, cutting her cards again, then suddenly dropping them on the floor as she realized something."Oh, this would make a great friendship report to Princess Celestia! Too bad Spike's asleep so he can't dictate. Oh, well, I'll just write it myself, and tell him to send it when he wakes up." Twilight said, grabbing a quill and blank parchment with her magic as she trotted over to the desk, muttering to herself as she wrote. "Ummm... I'm sorry... Twilight.... I just... really don't like seeing... anypony arguing... with anypony else." Fluttershy said, letting out a small squeak and trying to retreat behind her mane once again. Trixie only smiled as she watched Twilight writing her letter to the Princess. She had a look of determination on her face that Trixie had only seen there once before, the night that she had put her skills to the test against the Ursa Minor. "I know, Fluttershy, but you have to realize that forcing other people to apologize isn't being very kind to them, or to the people they're apologizing to. It's okay to help them realize that they made a mistake, but it has to be their choice to apologize." Twilight said, not looking away from her letter. Finally, she ended it with a muttering of "Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle." and rolled the letter up, putting a ribbon seal around it and setting it on the desk for when Spike decided to wake up. "I really... am sorry... Twilight." Fluttershy said. "It's okay, Fluttershy. You made a mistake. It happens." Twilight said, putting a hoof on Fluttershy's back. "If you say so. Well, girls... I must get going. Rainbow asked me to watch over Tank, because he's sick." Fluttershy said. "Tank?" Trixie asked. "He's Rainbow Dash's tortoise. She even made him a shell-back propeller so that he could fly and keep up with her. He really is the sweetest thing, but he can barely stand on his own legs right now, he's so sick, so I really need to get home and take care of him. Perhaps I'll see you later, Trixie? ...If you want to, that is." "Of course Trixie wants to. How about you meet her here when you're free, and we'll get lunch." Trixie asked. "Oh, that would be wonderful, Trixie. Bye, now." Fluttershy said, fluttering out of the library. Trixie watched as Twilight walked back to where she had dropped her cards, picking up all of them with her magic and stacking them back into a deck. She tried to perform the cut another five times, but dropped the cards all five times. "I can't do it." Twilight said, slumping to the floor. Trixie stood up on her hind legs, waving her forehooves in the air dramatically. "Don't believe in yourself, Twilight. Believe in her, the Trixie who believes in you! YOUR DECK IS THE DECK THAT WILL PIERCE THE HEAVENS!" Trixie exclaimed, pointing a forehoof up to the ceiling.. "Ummm... what?" Twilight asked, thoroughly confused. "T... Trixie is not sure where that came from." Trixie said, lowering herself back to the ground, blushing with embarrassment. "She thinks she might have been hanging around Pinkie a bit too much." she finished. "Oooookay then... Pinkie Pie-style randomness aside..." Twilight said, trying the cut once more. This time she did it in one fluid motion, without dropping her cards. "I did it!" Twilight exclaimed, throwing her hooves around Trixie's neck in another tight hug, causing Trixie to blush deeply again. "Ummm... Twilight?" Trixie started. "Trixie would like to know why you keep hugging her like this." Trixie said. "Why? Does it bother you? I can stop, if you want me to." Twilight said, releasing Trixie. "N... not necessarily. Trixie would just like to know the reason." Trixie said. "Well... it's cause you're my friend, and my teacher, and you keep having faith in me when I'm short on it myself." Twilight said, though from what Trixie could tell from the purple unicorn's sheepish expression, that wasn't the whole reason. "Are you sure that's the whole reason behind your hugs, Twilight?" Trixie asked, a doubtful look in her eyes. "Ummm... well... there's more. Only... I can't really explain it very well... because... well... I've never... ummm... felt this way... about anypony else." Twilight stuttered. "Twilight, are you... trying to say that you have feelings for Trixie?" Trixie asked, blushing deeper at the thought. "Ummm... maybe? Like I said, I... ummm... don't really have... anything to compare it to." Twilight said. "Well, Trixie knows a way we can find out. A test, or an experiment, if you will, that will tell us whether your feelings for Trixie are... well... the same as Trixie's feelings for you." Trixie said, looking away to try to hide her blush as she admitted the last part. Twilight's ears perked up and her eyes shined as she heard the word "experiment". Then, she suddenly blushed even deeper than Trixie as realization hit her. "Trixie, you have feelings for me?" she asked. "Well... ummm... Trixie doesn't really have much experience in this area either, but she thinks so. That is part of the reason why Trixie wants to perform this experiment, if you are willing." Trixie said, and Twilight nodded to show that she was willing. At this, Trixie leaned in closer to Twilight, and tilted her head a little bit, her heart pounding in her chest the whole time. Trixie closed her eyes as she drew near to her target, and a fire she had never felt before burned through her as her lips met Twilight's. Twilight's eyes opened widely as Trixie kissed her, but they soon melted closed slowly. Trixie held the kiss for a few dozen seconds that seemed to stretch on into entire minutes, then finally broke the kiss, a little short of breath. She looked at Twilight to gauge her reaction. The purple mare had a broad smile on her face, and her eyes were shining almost as much as when Trixie had first proposed the experiment. "It seems that the results of our experiment have turned out to be positive." Trixie said after she had caught her breath. Twilight smirked seductively at Trixie. "Anypony who knows anything about experimentation knows that you must perform each experiment at least twice, so that you know that the first experiment wasn't just a fluke." she said, leaning closer to Trixie. She wrapped her forehooves around Trixie's neck and used them to help pull the blue mare into a deeper kiss. Twilight held Trixie against her with her forehooves as she kissed her passionately, until finally she broke the kiss after about a minute, gasping for air. "Yes, I'd say there's a definite chance that the results are overwhelmingly positive." Twilight said once she'd caught her breath, smiling again. Her face fell as another thought hit her. "Wait... does this make us... fillyfoolers?" she asked. Trixie's own smile faded into a very serious look. "Trixie hates that term. What does it mean? Fooling around with fillies? It disgraces the emotions shared between a mare and another mare, making them seem like no more than a foalish game or joke." Trixie said. "Trixie I assure you, my feelings for you are more sincere than those toward anypony else. But does this make us..." Twilight racked her brain for another word to use. "Does it make us homosexual?" she asked. "Only if you want it to, Twilight. Your sexuality is something only you can define. Nopony else can make that choice for you, not even Trixie, with all her Greatness and Powerfulness, can tell you whether you're homosexual or not. That's something you need to decide for yourself. Not even society as a whole can stop a pony from feeling how they want to feel about another pony." Trixie said. "I think I like the idea of being homosexual, if it means that I get to be with you, Trixie." Twilight said, after thinking about it for a bit. "Trixie feels the same way." Trixie said, nuzzling her muzzle against Twilight's cheek. "I'm glad." Twilight said, nuzzling back against Trixie. "Trixie thinks she may have a more fitting term to describe us, Twilight. Trixie's mother was the one that taught Trixie that the other term was disrespectful. She used to call mares who felt this way for other mares sapphic instead." Trixie said. "Of course! As pertaining to the ancient griffon poet Sappho! Why didn't I think of that?" Twilight asked. "Because you were thinking about it too much. Sometimes, the best solution is right in front of our faces. That's why we need to work harder to focus on it, because we're too busy focusing on the bookshelves behind it to realize it's there." Trixie said. "Thinking too hard about something is a lot better than not thinking enough about it. Besides, entire bookshelves are more likely to contain the information you seek than one book that just happens to be floating in front of your face." Twilight stated matter-of-factually. "You're such a nerd, Twilight." Trixie said. "I am not a nerd!" Twilight said defensively. "Yes, you are, and that's what makes you great. Don't be ashamed of your intelligence. Embrace it. Like this." Trixie said, putting her forehooves around Twilight's neck and pulling her into a warm embrace, kissing her passionately. Twilight's eyes shot open again as she felt Trixie's tongue seeking entrance into her mouth. Twilight opened her mouth in surprise, and Trixie's tongue slid in, playing softly over Twilight's tongue. Trixie felt the tongue beneath her own come to life, sliding past Trixie's tongue. Trixie tried to wrestle Twilight's tongue down with her own, but Twilight seemed determined to force her way into Trixie's mouth. There was a knock on the front door, and without thinking, Twilight opened it with her magic, too caught up in Trixie's embrace and the wrestling match going on in their mouths to think straight. "Oh... my..." Fluttershy said as she witnessed the two other mares kissing passionately. Trixie immediately broke the kiss. "Oh! Fluttershy! I'm so sorry you had to see that." Twilight said as she saw the yellow mare in the doorway. "It's... okay, Twilight. It seems that... this time... I really am interrupting... ummm... something. I'll just... leave you two alone." Fluttershy said, beginning to retreat back out the door. "Wait! Fluttershy, what about lunch?" Trixie asked. "If... if you'd rather... ummm... spend it with Twilight... I'd understand." the shy pegasus said. "No, Trixie made a promise. She is going to lunch with you." Trixie said. "Well... if you insist, Trixie. I just... don't want to take you away from Twilight." Fluttershy said. As if on cue, the yellow mare was startled by a growl coming from Twilight, or more specifically, from Twilight's belly. "Ummm... actually, you two wouldn't mind if I joined you, would you?" Twilight said, blushing with embarrassment. "As long as it's... okay with Trixie, I don't mind." Fluttershy said. "Of course it's okay with Trixie." Trixie said. "Then let's get going! I'm starving!" Twilight said, trotting out of the library with the two other mares following close behind. "I... ummm... don't mean to pry... into your business... but are you two... marefriends now?" Fluttershy asked. "Trixie guesses you could call us that. We're still new to this whole thing though. Trixie is mostly just winging it." Trixie said. "That's nice. It's good to know that we're not the only couple in our group of friends." Fluttershy said quietly, but not so quiet that Trixie couldn't hear. "Oh? Do you have a marefriend too, Fluttershy?" Trixie asked. "Oh... ummm... did I say that out loud? Well... to answer... ummm... answer your question... well... ummm... yes." Fluttershy stammered. "Who, if you don't mind Trixie asking?" Trixie asked. "No, I don't mind. Ummm... well... Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy said, and Trixie's eyes went wide. "Her? But Dash is so... well... let's just say that Trixie would have never expected you to be marefriends with her." Trixie said, then realized how that could have been taken, and added, "No offense to either of you, of course." "Oh, none taken, Trixie. It's true that Dash can be... well... abrasive at times, but I've known her since we were both just fillies. She's teaching me to be more confident, and I'm teaching her to be a bit gentler with her words. Also... well... ummm..." Fluttershy said before her volume fell below Trixie's hearing capacity. "What was that last part? Trixie didn't quite catch it, Fluttershy." Trixie said. "Ummm... well... Dash really knows... ummm... the... uh..." Fluttershy started before letting out a mewling squeak, blushing deeply. "Please go on, Fluttershy. Dash really knows what?" Trixie asked. "Well... she really knows the... ummm... sensitive spots... on my wings." Fluttershy whispered just loud enough for Twilight and Trixie to hear, turning even redder as she admitted this. Trixie blushed almost as deeply upon hearing this. "Trixie is sorry if she made you say something that made you uncomfortable, Fluttershy." she said. "Oh, not at all, Trixie. Just promise me that you'll keep it a secret." Fluttershy said. "Trixie's lips are sealed." Trixie said, drawing an imaginary zipper across her mouth with her hoof. "Mine are too, Fluttershy. We promise not to tell anypony." Twilight said. "Thank you, girls. Rainbow would be devastated if that got out. Believe it or not, under her cool exterior, she really worries about what other ponies think of her, and... well... let's just say that touching another pegasus' wings is... well... kinda looked down upon." Fluttershy said just barely above a whisper. "Don't worry, Fluttershy, we would never look down on you and Dash for something that you happen to enjoy, and we won't tell anypony, so your secret is safe with us." Trixie said. "Hey, what do you say to eating here?" Fluttershy asked, pointing a hoof toward a small restaurant that didn't look too expensive. "That sounds great, let's go!" Twilight said, galloping toward the restaurant, with Trixie and Fluttershy not far behind. Author's Note: Well, here it is, finally. I had some technical difficulties that resulted in me losing all my progress when I was more than halfway done, but thankfully, I still had the general idea of what I wanted to do when in my head, so it wasn't that hard to retype it. Flutterdash was the first really good pairing (IMHO) that I came across, which is why I wanted to include some of it in here. In fact, flutterdash is what got me into reading the fanfics in the first place. Fluttershy is my favorite pony, with Twilight being a very close second. Thanks to Midnight-Specter for giving me the idea of Fluttershy having talked to Diamond Tiara as well.