//------------------------------// // Chapter Four: Of Friends and Cookies // Story: Trixie is Pregnant and It's Twilight's Problem // by TheCrimsonDM //------------------------------// Trixie is Pregnant and it’s Twilight’s Problem Chapter Four: Of Friends and Cookies Written by TheCrimsonDM The gathering of Twilight’s friends was about as easy as ever and within the hour she had summoned all of them to her treehouse. They all sat downstairs around the table with cups of tea and a bowl of cookies in the middle. Twilight was happy to see them all here but it was still weighing on the back of her mind that she was going to be omitting some information that they might need to fully understand the situation, but it was a promise she’d made and she was going to keep it. She really hoped they’d believe her based on the secondary reason Trixie was staying. With a jittery heart Twilight announced, “Good news everypony. I have an announcement to make.” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, “Did you finally tell Celestia you have the hots for her?” Twilight balked. “W-what?” Pinkie feigned a frown and replied, “Oh phooey, I was hoping that would be today’s meeting. Guess that’s next week.” Twilight blinked several times trying to comprehend anything that Pinkie had just said. There was zero chance in Tartarus that Twilight was ever going to tell Celestia anything even remotely close to that. Although maybe she wanted to? She wasn’t sure, but she was sure that her head was now filled with odd thoughts she needed to suppress. Shove them into the mind closet with all the other thoughts that bothered her and she would be just fine. No need to open that closet, not ever. Rarity gently prodded Twilight. “Darling, what did you bring us here for?” Twilight cleared her throat. “Yes, um, that. I have a new guest staying with me for some time. She’s going to be learning about the Magic of Friendship from me and has become my pupil.” Pinkie Pie gasped. “Ooooohhh, that was this week. Okay. I got my timeline straight now.” Twilight chose, very wisely, to ignore Pinkie. “She’s been through a lot and was in a very bad situation but I am helping her get back on her hooves and doing what I probably should have done last year. I’m helping her learn about something she doesn’t know anything about, friendship.” Rarity smiled. “That’s wonderful, darling. You do always love to show ponies how friendship works.” Rainbow Dash added. “It’s kinda your whole deal. I’d be surprised if you didn’t do something like this eventually.” Applejack nodded. “Agreed, Ah figured that you’d be helping some poor lost soul like that.” Fluttershy smiled. “Reminds me of when I adopt a new furry friend.” Rainbow Dash snickered at that. The others smiled as if trying not to laugh at the comparison. Was it really like taking in a wounded animal? Well maybe it kinda was, but ponies were not animals so it couldn’t be considered too much. Still they were happy with the news so far, hopefully this would continue to go well. Rarity chimed in with a question that made Twilight’s heart skip a beat. “So, who is this mystery mare you invited into your home?” Twilight swallowed, her throat was dry. She took a sip of tea. Still dry. “B-before I get to the who, let’s cover a few rules first. I really want… no I really need this first meeting to go well. So please, even if it’s challenging keep an open mind, and be willing to give her a chance. She has never had a friend before me so she doesn’t understand a lot of things. Think of me when I first got here to Ponyville only… in a worse position.” Most of them were starting to frown. They could already sense this was going to be a problem. Only Pinkie Pie was still smiling. In fact Pinkie was the only one to respond, “Of course we will play nice, silly. Any friend of Twilight’s is a friend of mine. I honestly think it’s amazing you took her in. Proud of ya.” Twilight stared at her. “Do you know who it is?” Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes. “She’s only stuck her head down the stairs three times since I’ve been here to look at us. She looks so silly being nervous.” Twilight spun around to only to see a trail of white and cobalt hair flying upstairs. She really hoped nopony else had seen her. At the very least this meant that Pinkie was okay with her presence. Maybe… maybe she could trust her friends after all. Twilight swallowed. “Will you all give her a chance?” Everypony looked at each other as if unsure. After the recent introduction of Discord into their lives it was understandable that another force of mystery and chaos was not exactly welcomed but after a moment every pony gave a nod and a verbal agreement. They would give her a chance and that was all that mattered. Twilight stood up and walked over to the staircase. “You can come down now.” Trixie’s voice called back. “How are you so sure?” Twilight offered a smile towards the staircase as if hoping Trixie could see it. “Because they are my friends and I trust them. One of the first lessons of friendship is trust.” Trixie replied. “Trust is what foolish ponies believe in before being betrayed and intelligent ponies use against you to betray you.” “Come on, I promise you, I’m here and you trust me right?” There was silence for a moment before Trixie finally replied. “F-fine. Only because a promise was made…” Twilight watched with eager eyes as Trixie walked down the steps. Her head hung low and avoiding eyesight. The gasps from behind Twilight set off warning bells making her body tense up but she was prepared. Every possible encounter from them really liking Trixie to getting violent had been prepared for and Twilight was not going to let anything happen to her ward. Not when it was two lives on the line. Trixie finally reached the last step and spoke. “The Great and Reluctant Trixie is finally here to- ‘sniff sniff’ to- ‘sniff’ are those peanut butter cookies?” Trixie raised her head and all the anxiety she imagined was gone as her eyes scanned for the nearest bowl of cookies. Seemingly having forgotten her fear she trotted to the table and dragged the bowl over to her to start pulling cookies out and eating them. Everypony was watching Trixie with a mix of mistrust and confusion. Twilight sighed but at least this was not the worst case scenario. Twilight took a seat next to Trixie and explained, “Yes, it is Trixie Lulamoon that will be staying with me.” Trixie replied between bites of her third cookie. “The Great and Powerful.” Twilight offered a smile. “Yes, The Great and Powerful Trixie Lulamoon.” “Close enough.” Rainbow Dash was the first to speak. “Wait… but… why her?” She was going to need patience for Rainbow Dash, too bad that wasn’t an element of harmony. “Because she needs help and wants to learn about friendship, do I need any more reason to take her on as a pupil?” Rarity swallowed and said, “Well… darling, it is your life and your choices, but yes, yes you do.” Twilight glared at her. “If it’s my life and my choices I believe I can make them with any sort of reasons. If it helps, I am taking a play out of Fluttershy’s book here.” Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “I-I-I um…” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Because it worked so well with Discord?” “Exactly. Discord was a force of mean chaos but he’s learning friendship and becoming a much better person for it. At least Trixie won’t be flooding any pony’s farm.” Trixie had eaten six cookies so far. She finally looked up to see every eye on her. There was a brief moment where Twilight saw the reflex. Eyes widening, breathing stopped, lip quiver. It lasted only a fraction of a second, enough for an observant Twilight to see the fear in Trixie’s body. It quickly turned into a scowl and Trixie spoke, “Trixie is fine with all the attention but you all should be thanking her, honestly, Twilight is lucky to have Trixie as a pupil.” The tension in the air tightened. This was not going as well… Pinkie Pie replied. “Of course she is. Anypony would be lucky to get to know you.” Trixie smiled but it seemed less than genuine, more practiced than anything else. “Of course, Trixie is glad you understand Pink Pony.” Pinkie Pie grinned. “After all, you’ve spent so much time distancing yourself from everypony that letting anypony in even a little is a miracle. We thought you’d be prickly forevah.” Trixie choked. “Prickly!” Damage control Twilight, how to do damage control with Pinkie around. “Like a coconut!” Everypony looked at Twilight with confusion. Especially Trixie. Twilight found herself standing on the tip of a knife, what was she saying. “Prickly like a coconut. Y-you know with the sweat tender inside but you need to be patient with it to find out how good it really is?” At this point she didn’t even believe herself. Trixie took a bite of another cookie. “Trixie is not prickly… but she might be a coconut, so long as it’s mixed in with peanut butter. Speaking of which, something is wrong with your bowl.” Twilight glanced at her. “O-oh?” Trixie set it down. Empty. “It would seem that the cookies have all vanished from it and Trixie requires more.” Rainbow Dash whistled. “Wow… didn’t think anypony other than Pinkie could eat like that. Trying to beat Pinkie at some kind of sweets contest?” Trixie glared at her. “Trixie has no idea what you mean, she only ate one… or two… or three.” Twilight groaned. This was certainly going to be a mess. What if they asked more about why Trixie was eating so much? Rarity studied Trixie for a moment. “When did you get here, darling?” Trixie replied. “Yesterday night, Trixie arrived much like a true hero would in the middle of a rain storm.” Rarity nodded. “Did you eat much since then?” Trixie put a hoof to her chin. “Not as much as Trixie would like.” Rarity asked, “And how long was it since you had a proper meal before that.” Trixie’s ears twitched and folded back a little. “Trixie eats properly every night, she has never gone hungry and never will. What do you think she is some kind of poor pony? Trixie will have you know she eats like a queen and always has.” Rarity nodded. “Of course, I’m sorry for any ill implication.” “Trixie forgives you, not all of you could be as astute as her.” Rarity eyed Twilight as if trying to say something in her eyes. The words she spoke were, “So have you fed Trixie like a queen since she’s been here?” Twilight raised a hoof and then lowered it. What did they eat for dinner last night? Some nachos maybe… oh… oh no, had Trixie really not eaten enough since she arrived? Twilight stood up swiftly. “SPIKE, can you go prepare a meal… a big one.” Trixie glanced up at her. “What are you planning?” Twilight smiled. “You deserve to eat well, don’t you?” Trixie eyed her suspiciously for a moment but then relaxed. “Assuming you did not poison it, then yes.” Twilight attempted to smile at her. “I wouldn’t do that.” Trixie let out a sigh. “Trixie knows…” Spike and Trixie quickly left to go feed her in the kitchen. Once she was gone everypony was staring at Rarity. Rarity smiled and explained. “So, Twilight, how long ago was it that Trixie actually ate a real meal?”