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// Terms and Conditions 
// Story: The Hoofmaid's Tail 
// by GaPJaxie 
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A request by Aquaman:

In the middle of doing otherwise unremarkable paperwork with her, Trixie casually informs Starlight that her name is actually spelled "Tricksy" and she's just never corrected anyone.



Starlight sat in her office, across from that little blue and silver mare. She stared at her over the oak desk, over the stacks of paperwork, penetrating gaze evaluating that tricky creature from horn to hoof. Starlight’s expression was one of quiet concentration, focused attention, wheels turning inside her head as she worked towards some decision.

“No,” she finally said, turning back to her work. “It’s ‘Trixie.’”

“I think I know how to spell my own name,” Trixie laughed. “It’s… wait.” Trixie paused. “No, it’s ‘T-r-i-c-k-s-y.’ Trixie. Trixie.” Her tone quickly shifted from casual conversation to active alarm. “Starlight, what did you do!?”

“We agreed when we got married we were both going to have to make some changes,” Starlight replied, eyes still down on her paperwork. “I promised to go on the road with you every year even if it wasn’t convenient to my schedule, you promised to give up pony meth, I promised to make nice with your family, all that.”

“What does that have to do with my name?” Trixie demanded, suddenly gripping her head in a moment of existential crisis.

“You remember how you promised to stop doing things that were ‘blatently stupid’?”

“Of course I remember, it was in our wedding vows! I had to say it at the altar!” Trixie snapped, her grip on her head tightening. “Starlight, my name is spelled T-r-i-c-”

Starlight waved a hoof. “No. No.”

“What did you do?” Trixie demanded. “Did you do magic? Did you? Trixie. Trixie!”

“You’re the one who swore a vow to an evil sorceress,” Starlight replied, blase. “Wait, sorry, you’re the one who swore a vow to a school headmaster. The point is, you shouldn’t be surprised it’s actually enforced.”

“I would never have sworn an oath against stupid things if I knew it would actually be enforced,” Trixie snapped. “And you know it! Now let me say my own name right!”

A long silence hung between them.

“Okay,” Starlight says, “your name will keep being spelled ‘Trixie,’ but you can start doing pony meth again.”

“Deal!”