Three days later, after Applejack and Trixie had resolved their differences and reached an understanding, things in Ponyville were a lot calmer than they were when Trixie first moved in. Tension between ponies not sure about who to side with between Trixie and their local Ponyville heroes disappeared, and those who lived close to the library were starting to warm up to their new neighbour.
Though not all was entirely peaceful… Now that she was fully settled into Ponyville, and her previous disputes had been solved, Trixie decided to try putting on her show in the Ponyville town square. There were still hecklers present, as the showmare had expected, and she didn’t hesitate in using whatever methods she could to silence them.
What Twilight gave as simple advice to Trixie about holding back, and not being so aggressive towards hecklers, Trixie saw as a lecture from Twilight about how she should let those disrespectful ponies walk all over her. That night, the two slept in separate beds, and the following morning…
“Look Trixie, I’m sorry if you took what I said the wrong way, but I was trying to help you.” Trixie continued to focus her eyes anywhere in the room except on Twilight, who was constantly shifting her head to try and meet Trixie’s gaze. “I understand that, when you’re being heckled, you can’t simply ignore it. But you can’t be too over-the-top, either. You have to find the right point in-between. Have I ever told you about when Fluttershy met this minotaur called Iron Will?”
“Yes, you did. And Trixie does not see how she was ‘over-the-top’ at all,” Trixie said, biting down hard on her piece of toast.
“Well, you did make that one stallion throw up…”
“Is it Trixie’s fault he had such a weak stomach? Think of how Trixie felt when she had to clean that stuff off of her trailer!”
“Then you did that barber pony’s mane up in pigtails with little pink bows…”
“Oh, yes. Trixie can see how she ruined his life with something that would take one or two minutes to easily fix up.”
“And let’s not forget what you did to Caramel.”
“… You can’t deny that that was just plain funny.”
Twilight scowled at Trixie, and raised her voice. “It doesn’t matter! My point is, it’s one thing to put hecklers in their places, it’s another to just give them a reason to hate your guts! What if they simply come back, angrier than before, and try to ruin your show again?”
Trixie, with her hooves over her ears, waited until Twilight was finished before responding. “Twilight, you sure seem eager to defend these ponies.”
“Well, of course I am! They’re my friends, after all! … Some of them, at least.”
“Oh, so you’d sooner defend them than Trixie, is that it?”
“Trixie,” Twilight said is a stern tone, “You know that isn’t true. I just want you to be more tame with your approach to hecklers, that’s all.”
“Like you would understand,” Trixie mumbled.
“What was that?” Twilight asked, having not heard Trixie clearly.
“Nothing.”
“… Trixie, if there’s something on your mind-”
“It’s nothing. Just drop it.”
“Trixie-”
“I said drop it!”
Twilight rose to her hooves and stomped the ground, causing a loud sound to echo through the library. “Ugh! Why are you so stubborn?! I’m trying to help you, and you’re just throwing it in my face! And you’re keeping secrets from me!”
“What, is Trixie not allowed to keep secrets or something?!” Trixie shouted, also rising to her hooves.
“Don’t yell at me!”
“You yelled first!”
“I’m not yelling! I’m being very calm, thank you very much.”
“‘Calm’? You?” Trixie scoffed. “You who fusses over every last detail? You who always has to know everything before she’s satisfied?”
“What’s wrong with me wanting to know more about my marefriend?”
“There are some things you don’t need to know.”
Twilight stomped her hoof again. “See? Stubborn! You’re always like this! I try to help, but you’re all: ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie can do anything all on her own! Even if she’s always grabbing Twilight in her sleep, she totally doesn’t need her.’”
“How dare you?! So what if Trixie wants to be close to you?! You should try it sometimes, Twilight! Maybe if you weren’t so afraid of being close to me, we’d be further along in our relationship by now!”
“W-What are you-Where did that come from?! I was just concerned about how my friends would see us!”
“Trixie’s point proven! You care more about your friends than you do us!”
“How can you even suggest such a thing?!”
“Trixie doesn’t hear you denying it!”
“Uh, girls?”
“I can’t believe you would think something like that, after all we’ve been through together!”
“Trixie can’t believe you would side with her enemies over her!”
“I told you, it’s not like that! Why don’t you ever listen?! Why do you have to act so stupid?!”
“Girls?”
“Stay out of this Spike! And don’t call the Great and Powerful Trixie stupid!”
“Don’t yell at him! And I can’t think of anything better to call you right now, stupid!”
Spike backed into the kitchen as he watched the two mares continue to argue. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but it was sure escalating quickly. It went from petty insults, to insulting each other’s abilities, to pointing out what each mare considered the other’s flaws, and then back to petty insults, but with a lot more disdain planted into them. By this point, he wasn’t even sure if they remembered why they were arguing.
“EGGHEAD!”
“LOUDMOUTH!”
“NERD!”
“IDIOT!”
“THAT’S IT!” Trixie shouted with finality, turning around and putting on her hat and her cloak with her magic. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is out of here! Enjoy eating your lunch all alone, Sparkle!”
Trixie pushed open the library door and marched outside, making a point of not closing the door behind her. Twilight followed her as far as the doorway so that she could shout out to her: “Oh, I won’t be alone! Unlike somepony, who can forget all about sleeping in the same room as me tonight!”
“Like Trixie would want to anyway!” Trixie shouted back.
“FINE!” Twilight shouted, absolutely refusing Trixie the final word. She huffed as she watched Trixie walk away, steam coming out of her nostrils as she kept her glare on the showmare, until she was out of sight. “Stupid Trixie…” she said quietly to herself.
“Twilight,” a familiar voice said, “What’n tarnation was that all about?”
Twilight raised her head to see Applejack and Rarity walking towards her. “Oh, good morning, you two. Nothing to worry about… Just Trixie being a big, dumb, stupid-head.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Stupid-head?”
“Oh my. Trouble in paradise, dear?” Rarity asked, giggling with excitement. “Oh, I do love a good lover’s spat every now and then. They’re always so exciting, and intense, and… Oh, um, sorry darling… I shouldn’t have-”
Twilight shook her head. “It’s fine. It’s just… We’ve never really gotten into a fight this big before. Well, not since we resolved our differences in Manehatten… I’m not quite sure what to do now…”
“I think that, for now, you should give Trixie some space,” Rarity said, placing a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “And avoid her for a while, until you can calm down and talk to each other in a civil manner.”
“What were you two fightin’ about, anyway?” Applejack asked. Twilight thought for a second, and then furrowed her brow as she remembered. She explained to her friends that she was just trying to convince Trixie to be more gentle with her hecklers, and that Trixie took it the wrong way, and started an argument with her. “That’s it? That’s what got her so worked up?”
Twilight nodded, and Rarity let out a sigh. “It all seems rather childish, doesn’t it?”
“Childish ain’t the word ah’d use,” Applejack said, turning her attention down the street. “More like, she’s just being a huge idiot. She really has some nerve…” Applejack felt something itching in the back of her mind, and turned her attention back to Twilight, who was now sending her a heated glare. “T-Twilight?”
“Trixie is not an idiot! And I’ll thank you not to insult her in front of me!”
Applejack quickly nodded her head, backing off from Twilight’s literally-fiery gaze. “A-Alright, sugarcube! No need ta get so worked up over it!”
“Oh, Twilight, darling,” Rarity said, calming Twilight down and gaining her attention, “We were just on our way to the market, to do some early grocery shopping, when we happened to bump into each other. If you’re not busy, perhaps you’d like to join us?”
Twilight smiled, and nodded her head. “I’d love to. Just give me a second to get ready, okay?”
“Sure thing,” Applejack said. Twilight re-entered her library, and began rummaging around for a few items. “… What was that all about? Weren’t they fighting just a minute ago?”
Rarity laughed, and playfully nudged Applejack’s side. “Oh, Applejack. You really know nothing when it comes to romance, do you?”
“If it’s this weird, I don’t really think I wanna know.”
“Okay! I’m ready!” Twilight shouted, emerging from the library with two saddlebags and a roll of parchment in her magic. “What’s so funny?” she asked upon seeing Rarity still giggling.
“Oh, nothing, darling. Shall we?”
Trixie kicked a stone in frustration as she stomped her way through Ponyville, glaring at the ground whilst thinking about the events that morning. ‘Stupid Twilight Sparkle… I thought you were on my side!’
“Great and Powerful Trixie!” a voice called out. Trixie stopped to see two colts running towards her. One was a short, chubby, blue colt, and the other was a slightly taller, slim, yellow colt. She recognised both of them, and their presence didn’t do anything to lift her mood. “Great and Powerful Trixie, that show you put on yesterday was awesome! Are you gonna put on another one soon?”
“You two… Clips and Nails, correct?”
“Uh, my name’s actually Snails,” the yellow colt corrected.
“And I’m Snips, but that’s okay! You can call us whatever you want!”
‘Say that in Canterlot, and you’ll regret it later,’ Trixie thought to herself. “And what do the two of you want? Can’t you see that the Great and Powerful Trixie is busy?”
“You are? With what?” Snails asked.
Trixie looked around, and then pointed to a nearby flower stand. “Trixie is out doing some shopping, and was just about to check out this florist’s shop.”
“Oh, hey! Can we help, Trixie?” Snips asked, jumping up and down excitedly. Trixie shot him a glare, and he quickly corrected himself. “I-I mean, Great and Powerful Trixie?”
Trixie was about to blow them off. And not politely, either. After all, it was these two that almost got her killed that night. These two that destroyed her home and her possessions, and forced her to break into her savings account, which had remained untouched ever since she graduated from Celestia’s School. It was these two that almost destroyed her career.
However, thinking back to her earlier fight with Twilight, Trixie had to wonder what her marefriend would say if she discovered that Trixie had been rude to her fans. And children, at that.
Furthermore, the looks in their eyes… For some reason, Trixie just couldn’t find it in her to simply turn them away. They wanted to help her. They wanted to spend time with her, and to be praised by her. And something inside of Trixie couldn’t refuse them that. ‘Ugh, stupid colts with their stupid puppy dog eyes…’
“Fine!” Trixie said, pulling a small pouch of bits out of her cloak and dropping a few onto the ground in front of the two colts. “You may start off by buying Trixie a newspaper. Make sure it is Equestria Daily. Got it?”
“Yes, Great and Powerful Trixie!” Snips said, bowing along with Snails as he picked up the bits with his mouth. The two colts ran off down the street quickly, leaving Trixie behind.
Trixie grinned as she watched the colts run away, and turned around to leave before they had a chance to return. However, a tug at her cape stopped her, and she quickly spun back around to find…
“Here’s your paper, Great and Powerful Trixie!” Snips said, dropping the newspaper at Trixie’s hooves. “And your change!”
Trixie levitated two bits and the newspaper into the air, and stared at them in astonishment. “T-That was… rather fast work.”
“Aw, it was nothing,” Snails said, a tinge of red spreading across his face.
“So, what’s our next job?”
‘… Maybe I can actually use these colts…’
Applejack and Rarity chatted and laughed together as they walked from stall to stall in the market area, with Twilight following close behind her two friends as she buried her muzzle into a book.
“Can ya still believe Apple Bloom actually tried ta bungee jump off of Canterlot Falls ta get her Cutie Mark?”
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Sweetie Belle managed to procure a crossbow.” Rarity looked over her shoulder when she realised that Twilight was being very quiet. “Twilight, darling, are you okay? You haven’t said much since we left the library.”
“What’s that book called, anyway?” Applejack asked, seeing how interested Twilight was in whatever book that was.
Twilight smiled and held up the book for them to see. They both stopped and leaned in closer to read the title: Relationships & You – How To Deal With Your Marefriend.
Applejack let out a small chuckle, whilst Rarity facehooved and shook her head in disappointment. “It’s a fantastic reference guide!” Twilight said, turning her attention back to the inside of the book. “It’s meant for stallions, but the same theories should be applicable for mares, too. Right?”
“Ah guess so,” Applejack said.
“Let me get this straight. You’ve been learning all about relationships from… a book?” Rarity asked with concern.
“Of course not!” Twilight answered, drawing a sigh of relief from Rarity. “Several books! Who only looks at one source and thinks that that’s enough?”
“Duh,” Applejack said sarcastically. Rarity shot a glare at Applejack, who just turned her head away and whistled innocently.
“Twilight, you can’t be serious. Dating isn’t something you can just learn from reading books!”
“Well…” Twilight began, bringing her book up to her face to hide her blush, “Actually, Trixie helped me out, for the most part… She was new to dating, too, but had a better grasp on things than me. Stuff like, just letting things flow their natural course, and how to not be so nervous when we talk to each other…”
“And how to perform in bed?” Applejack asked. Twilight’s blush intensified, and Rarity gave the farm pony a sharp jab with her elbow. “Ow! Ah was just kiddin’! Sheesh…”
Rarity shook her head, and turned back to Twilight. “So Trixie gave you a fresh perspective, one that you can’t find in books.”
Twilight nodded, and for a second, just stared in front of her with a dreamy look on her face… before the book in her magical grip began to shake, and her dreamy expression became one of rage. “Yeah… but then, she dared to insult not just me, but my books, too!” Twilight’s mane caught fire, startling her friends and the other ponies around them. “Who needs her?! I’ll show her my books aren’t useless! I’ll become the kind of marefriend she could only dream of having, then she’ll be begging for my forgiveness!”
“A-Alright, Twi. Calm down, now,” Applejack said, slowly backing away from the enraged mare as the fire in her mane grew larger.
“Indeed. Just as Applejack said, you should approach this calmly, or else you may slip up, and then you can’t prove yourself to Trixie.”
Twilight stared at her friends for a second, and then let out a slow, steady breath. The fire died down, eventually reverting back to her mane’s usual appearance, albeit a little more frizzy, and with smoke rising from the top. She smiled at her two gaping friends. “You’re right. Come on, let’s go!”
“G-Go where?” Rarity asked.
“To get ice-cream,” Twilight answered, turning around and walking away.
“Ice-cream?”
Twilight nodded. “It says in the book that, when your marefriend is angry, she’ll eat lots of ice-cream to calm herself down. And since I’m Trixie’s marefriend, I guess I should follow that rule, too.”
Rarity and Applejack exchanged questioning looks as they began to follow Twilight. “Is that true?” Applejack asked Rarity quietly.
“Of course not,” Rarity answered. “While it’s true that ice-cream is a good way to calm down after suffering heart-break, it doesn’t mean that it applies to every mare in all of Equestria. That book was probably written by some ignorant stallion who has no idea what he’s talking about.”
“A-CHOO!”
“Goodness, Blueblood. You certainly don’t sound very well.”
“It’s nothing, Cadie.” Blueblood raised his cup of tea to his mouth and drank it slowly, in an elegant manner, before setting back down just as elegantly. “I imagine it’s just some love struck mare who can’t get me out of her head. Such is the curse of one so handsome as moi.”
Cadance giggled, and levitated the nearby teapot to refill her own cup. “It could be a stallion, y’know?”
“Come now, Cadie. That idea is simply preposterous.”
“Great and Powerful Trixie!” Trixie lowered her shades from her face and looked down at the two colts bowing before her. “We got the cupcakes you wanted!”
Trixie sat up and levitated the box from Snails’ back. She opened it up, and took in the pleasant scent from within. “And the change?”
“Right here,” Snips said, dropping some coins by Trixie’s hooves.
“Very good. Why don’t you two take a break for now? Trixie will call upon you if she has another task for you.”
“Um, well, actually… we were wondering if you could… y’know…”
“Teach us magic?” Snails finished.
Trixie raised her eyebrow at the two. “You wish to become the Great and Powerful Trixie’s apprentices?” she asked, receiving two very enthusiastic nods. “… The Great and Powerful Trixie will think about it. For now, though, she wishes to have her lunch in peace! You two should go and have your lunch, too.”
“Y-Yes, Great and Powerful Trixie!” Snips said, bowing as he backed away. “We’ll leave you to enjoy your lunch, then!”
Trixie watched the two colts leave her. She didn’t have any more jobs for them to do, so she decided to dismiss them for now. Although, she had to admit, for two idiot colts that almost ruined her career… ‘They aren’t so bad.’
Trixie levitated a cupcake to her mouth and took a bite. It was a delicious strawberry-flavoured cupcake, and her taste buds felt like they were dancing upon taking the first bite. “This is good…”
“Aren’t they?” a voice above her asked. Trixie looked up to see something blue in the tree behind her. “Sugarcube Corner makes the most awesome cupcakes in all of Equestria! Well, ‘cept maybe for the ones made in that one bakery in Canterlot…”
“Rainbow Dash?” Trixie asked, seeing a blue feather fall down from the tree.
“The one and only,” Rainbow answered. “So what’s up? How come you’re eating lunch out here, by yourself? Is Twilight busy or something?”
Trixie frowned upon hearing that name, and turned her attention back to her half-eaten cupcake. “… Like Trixie cares what she’s doing,” Trixie said, wolfing down the rest of the cupcake in one final bite.
Rainbow jumped down from the tree and gracefully fluttered down to the ground. “What’s up? You two have a fight or something?”
“We did nothing of the sort. Trixie was being the most reasonable pony ever, and Twilight was being an immature filly.”
‘Sounds like a fight to me,’ Rainbow Dash thought as she watched Trixie levitate another cupcake out from her box. “Is that what you’re eating for lunch?”
Trixie nodded. “Twilight thinks that Trixie eats too many sweet foods, but since Trixie does not care what she thinks today…”
Rainbow Dash shrugged and sat down beside Trixie. “So you’re gonna eat all of ‘em? By yourself?”
“… You want one?” Rainbow smiled and nodded. “Too bad. These are all Trixie’s cupcakes.”
“Tch. Stingy.” Trixie took a bite of her next cupcake, this one apparently being so delicious that it actually brought a smile to the showmare’s face. “So what’s up? Between you and Twilight, I mean.”
“… Don’t wanna talk about it,” Trixie said with a pout.
“Oh, come on! What, you can’t trust me or something?”
“It’s not like you’d be able to help anyway.”
“Try me,” Rainbow challenged, pressing a hoof to her chest. “I may not be as smart as Rarity or Twilight, but when it comes to my friends, I always try my best!”
“Then go talk to Twilight directly,” Trixie said, waving her hoof dismissively.
“I was referring to you,” Rainbow responded. Trixie’s eye grew wide, and she nearly choked on her cupcake after hearing what Rainbow had just said. She turned her gaze to the rainbow-maned Pegasus, staring in shock with her mouth wide open. “What?”
“You just said… we’re friends?”
Rainbow placed her forehooves behind her head and leaned back against the tree behind her. “Yeah, so?”
“When did that happen?” Trixie asked, completely bewildered by what the other pony seemed to think was just common sense.
“Well, we’re not enemies anymore, right?” Trixie nodded. “That’s really all the reason I need. If we’re not fighting, we might as well get along.”
Trixie thought about it for a second. “That sounds like something the pink one would say.”
“Pinkie Pie? … Yeah, I guess so. Darn it, she must be rubbin’ off on me.”
The two remained silent for a while, with Trixie simply eating her cupcakes whilst she thought about what Rainbow Dash had said to her, and Rainbow Dash constantly shifting her gaze between the Unicorn and the fountain in the distance. She was awkwardly waiting for the other mare to say something.
Instead of responding verbally, though, Trixie instead used her magic to levitate a cupcake in front of Rainbow Dash. Rainbow looked at it confused for a moment, and then looked at Trixie, who had turned her head away. “That for me?”
“… Trixie is full, so you may have the last one,” Trixie answered, quickly shutting the box before Rainbow Dash could see the last three cupcakes inside. “It would be a shame to waste it, after all.”
Rainbow Dash grinned, and grabbed the cupcake with her right forehoof. “Yeah. It would be a shame to waste the time Snips and Snails took to get it.”
“… So you saw that.”
“Yeah. You’ve got those two eating outta your hooves, haven’t ya?”
Trixie grinned and flicked her mane as she turned back to face Rainbow Dash. “Well, at first, Trixie simply wanted to make them pay for what happened last time. But, Trixie must admit, those two are very hard workers.”
“To you, maybe. But from what I’ve heard, those two are terrible in school. Low grades, homework never in on time… Y’know, if you were their teacher, I’d bet their grades would shoot up very quickly.”
“You’re referring to the apprenticeship that they want?” Rainbow Dash nodded. “Trixie would love to take on an apprentice. Somepony to pass her secrets onto. There’s no telling how long she may live, after all.” ‘Especially with him out there.’ “But… Trixie’s not sure about those two.”
“Because of the ursa minor?” Trixie nodded, and Rainbow scratched the back of her head. “I get that they’re not exactly your favourite ponies after that, but… they’re only colts, y’know? And they definitely learned their lesson after that event. I mean, did you see any behemoths flocking into town after yesterday’s show?” Rainbow asked jokingly, giving Trixie a sly grin.
“Very funny. Trixie must have been distracted by the rain that wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“So I slept in! It happens! Anyway, don’t dodge the issue here. Those two kids look up to you. Probably even see you as kind of a big sister. I think you should at least humour them. Even if you don’t make them your full apprentices, you could maybe spare a few days now and then to teach them something.”
Trixie could tell that Rainbow Dash wasn’t just making this up on the spot, or reciting it from a book or something. “You’ve experienced this before?”
“Well, let’s just say there’s a certain orange filly that looks up to me, the way Snips and Snails look up to you. And let me tell ya, it’s awesome having somepony like that! Even on days when I’m feeling down, sometimes I find that having even one fan backing me up is more than enough reason to keep giving it my all!”
“… Indeed… There may be some truth to what you say. Trixie will think about it.”
“Great! Now, about you and Twilight…”
Trixie sighed, and brought a forehoof to her face, but then stopped when she formed an idea in her head. “Very well then,” she said, grinning at Rainbow Dash. “Trixie will tell you, under one condition. Tell her the story of the Sonic Rainboom.”
“Now, isn’t this simply relaxing?” Rarity asked, sitting down in one of the spa’s steam rooms with Applejack and Twilight. Applejack looked a little uncomfortable being there, and insisted on wearing her Stetson hat even inside the hot room, despite Rarity’s suggestion to leave it outside. Now the farm pony understood why.
Twilight, however, was anything but relaxed. “Why should I apologise?!” she shouted. “She’s the one at fault! She started it, by completely blowing things out of proportion! And then she had the nerve to say such things!”
“Nopony said ya had ta apologise,” Applejack said, taking off her hat and fanning herself with it. “We just asked if ye’re ready ta talk ta her calmly yet, which ah guess ya ain’t.”
Twilight blushed, and sat back down on the bench. “I’m always ready to talk to her calmly. It’s just a matter of whether or not Trixie is willing to be reasonable, instead of being such a stupid blockhead!”
“Twilight, darling, please try to remember that there are other patrons here,” Rarity said, desperately trying to calm Twilight down before they got kicked out by Aloe and Lotus.
“S-Sorry, I just… She called my books useless!” Rarity facehooved and gave up on trying to get Twilight to calm down. “Useless, can you believe it?! And she said I was being petty! She’s the one who overreacted! How am I the petty one?!”
“We get it, Twi,” Applejack said. “Now sit down an’ try ta think about somethin’ other than Trixie.”
“Yes, what did your book say you should do at this point?” Rarity asked.
Twilight thought about it, trying to remember what she had read before entering the spa. She left her book in her locker, so that it wouldn’t get damaged during their spa treatments. “I think… something about flirting with other ponies to get your mind off of your marefriend, and also to make her jealous and come crawling back to you.”
Applejack and Rarity remained silent. Even if she didn’t know much about relationships, even Applejack knew that that was not the way to go.
“… So, Rarity…”
‘Oh Celestia, tell me she isn’t-’
“Your mane is, uh… pretty good today! Very shiny and… purple! My favourite colour, you know?”
Rarity laughed nervously as she backed away from Twilight, who was gazing at her with half-lidded eyes. “Eheheh… Y-You don’t say…”
Applejack was struggling to suppress her giggling, but that ended as soon as she saw Twilight turning her attention towards her. She suddenly felt very uncomfortable under Twilight’s gaze, and like Rarity, tried to seek shelter in one of the corners of the steam room.
“Applejack, have I ever told you that, uh… you have… very fine leg muscles?”
Rarity facehooved, and Applejack, whose face was now red from more than the heat of the steam room, looked around nervously, trying not to make eye contact with Twilight. “That’s, uh, mighty nice of ya ta say, Twilight. Y’know, ya don’t have ta do everythin’ that book says.”
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked incredulously. “What else could I turn to?”
“Well, how about one of your friends?” Rarity suggested, pointing a hood towards herself.
“But, nopony I know is in a relationship.”
Rarity’s right eye twitched, and her hoof dropped to her side as Twilight’s words rang through her head. “Y-Yes… Quite right… We’re all still single, aren’t we? Single… Single… Forever single…”
As Rarity continued to trace circles on the steam room bench with her hoof, whilst muttering the word ‘single’ over and over again, Applejack sighed upon realising that she was on her own now. “Twi, why don’t ya try jus’ not thinkin’ so hard?” Twilight looked at her confusedly. “Ah mean, whenever there’s something on mah mind, ah find that, no matter how hard ah think about it, ah can never get anywhere while it’s still mah number one concern.
“Maybe you should just stop thinkin’ ‘bout Trixie for now, and just do whatever you would normally do. Then, when ya’ve had the chance ta calm down, that’s when ya can think about what ya wanna do. Not what some book tells you ta do. The heart ain’t somethin’ that can be understood from just books.”
Rarity stopped muttering to herself and was now staring at Applejack in bewilderment. That was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard from the usually clueless farm pony. Sure, Applejack had her moments where her simplistic views on life would provide great wisdom to others, but this was something Rarity certainly wasn’t expecting.
Unfortunately, Twilight didn’t seem to share that view. “What do you mean? Of course it can! I learned everything there is to know about the heart from books when I was in fifth grade! A wave of excitation passes through the tissue wall to start off a heartbeat, causing the…”
As Twilight continued her lecture on the mechanics of the pony heart (which had lost her captive audience about five seconds in), Applejack and Rarity shared an exhausted sigh together. However, a moment later, Applejack figured that this wasn’t so bad, in its own way. ‘Lecturin’ is somethin’ she really loves ta do, so… ah guess ah could let her continue for a while, if it helps her take her mind off of Trixie.’
“Another glass!” Trixie shouted, sliding her third empty glass across the table.
“I think you’ve had enough chocolate milk, Trixie,” Rainbow Dash said, watching as the StarBucks waitress brought Trixie her fourth glass.
“Trixie will tell you when she’s had enough chocolate milk!” Trixie downed the drink quickly, licking her lips afterwards to make sure she got all of it. “Eheheh… This is great! Twilight would flip if she caught Trixie having this much sugar!”
“You should probably cut back,” Rainbow suggested, watching as Trixie shook in her seat, her head shifting and her gaze moving all over the place. “I think only Pinkie Pie could handle the amount of sugar you’ve had today.”
“Nonsense!” Trixie shouted, jolting up suddenly out of her seat and wrapping a forehoof around Rainbow’s neck. “You said that Trixie should calm down by doing things she likes, and she likes sweet things! Cakes and chocolate and muffins and more cakes and sugar sticks and candies and-”
“Okay, okay! I get it.” Rainbow Dash managed to force her way out of Trixie’s hold, rubbing her neck from how hard the showmare had held it. “Just don’t blame me when you have a sugar crash.”
Trixie’s eye winked a few times, with her ear twitching in synchronisation with it. She looked over to the third pony at their table, who hadn’t yet ordered anything other than a glass of water. “What’s wrong? Do you not like StarBucks or something?”
“Oh, no, it’s not that,” Fluttershy said, nervously looking at Rainbow Dash. “I just…”
“Yeah, yeah?” Trixie asked quickly, leaning in with her eye wide open, and an excited look on her face.
“Well…” Fluttershy mumbled something inaudible to Trixie.
“Fluttershy and coffee don’t really get along very well,” Rainbow explained with a sly grin. “Not after the incident sixteen years ago.”
“Sixteen years ago?” Trixie asked, still leaning a little too close to Fluttershy for the shy Pegasus’ liking. “Trixie was about five then!”
“Me too. But Fluttershy was seven.”
“… NO WAY!” Trixie shouted, startling many ponies around her as she jumped back out of her seat, forelegs flailing wildly in the air, and then landed on her back with a loud thud!
Before anypony could ask if she was alright, she was immediately back on her hooves via a teleportation spell, and was standing next to Rainbow Dash, giving the pony a disbelieving look. “You mean to tell Trixie that she’s two years older than us?! Impossible!”
“I-I know it’s hard to believe,” Rainbow said, caught off guard by Trixie’s sudden teleportation next to her, “But it’s true. She’s actually twenty-three years old.”
“It’s rude to go around giving out a mare’s age without her permission,” Fluttershy said sternly, but immediately yelped and fell back into ‘shy Fluttershy’ as soon as the two other mares were looking at her once more.
“So? What was this incident that happened back then?” Trixie asked, her ear twitches becoming more regular by the second.
“Well, like I said, I was only five at the time, so I don’t really remember it. But according to Fluttershy’s mom, Fluttershy got curious about how coffee tasted, and decided to try a cup. Though, because this was during a New Year’s party, the only empty glass she could find was a pint glass… meaning she drank a whole pint of coffee.”
Fluttershy blushed and sank a little into her seat. “And because she liked it so much, she drank another. And another, and-”
“C-Can we please talk about something else?” Fluttershy asked, her face now a full-on red.
Rainbow Dash let out a snicker, and then patted her friend’s back. “Fine, fine… but basically, she’s never trusted coffee again after that night.”
No response came from Trixie, so the two Pegasi turned to see what was up with her. They were both shocked to see Trixie standing with a blank look on her face, and tears streaming out of her eyes, even coming from underneath her eye patch.
“She never trusts coffee again…” Trixie suddenly leaned forward quickly, banging her head on the table, shocking her friends even more. “Just like how Twilight will never trust Trixie again! Argh, why am I so stupid?!”
Trixie continued to bang her head on the table, shouting ‘stupid’ over and over. Fluttershy tried to calm her down, pleading her to stop before she ended up hurting herself, while Rainbow Dash grabbed the glasses and lifted them off the table before they fell off.
“Twilight’s totally gonna end things with me, and then I’ll have to move out and be all alone again, and then she’ll find somepony new and rub it in my face and… What should I do?!” Trixie stopped banging her head on the table, and just settled for resting it on there instead. “I need another drink…”
“Something’s not right here…” Rainbow Dash caught a familiar scent in the air, and noticed that it was coming from the glasses she was holding. The glasses that should have just contained chocolate milk, but… “Is that… gin?”
Trixie nodded. “Trixie noticed there was alcohol in the first two glasses, but she didn’t say anything ‘cause she felt like she could use a driiiiink.” A hiccup followed, and Trixie quickly brought her forehooves to her head. “Trixie forgot that Trixie is a lightweight… and now all Trixie can think about is how Twilight Sparkle will never forgive her… Why did I have to ruin something so great with my big mouth?”
Rainbow Dash put the glasses back down on the table. “Hey, aren’t you just overreacting? I mean, I know Twilight can be a bit… sensitive, but c’mon, she’s not the type to hold a grudge, and she certainly isn’t gonna break up with you just because you got a little carried away in your argument.”
Trixie raised her head to reveal her large puppy dog eye. “Really?” she asked, in a pleading tone that brought a blush to Rainbow’s face.
“O-Of course! I mean, having fights is natural in relationships. What, is this the first fight you two have had?” Trixie nodded. “Well, then, I think you two should hurry up and resolve it. Trust me, I’m sure she’s feeling just as bad as you are right now… Except, maybe not quite as drunk.”
Fluttershy nodded in agreement, walking around the table and running a hoof across Trixie’s mane. “She’s right, Trixie,” she said in a gentle, soothing tone. “If you’re feeling worried about what Twilight thinks of you now, then that’s all the more reason to go and talk to her, and get everything sorted out. The longer you hold on to this feeling, the more painful it will be.”
Trixie smiled at feeling of having her mane stroked, and also from the comforting words from her two friends. However, when she pictured in her mind one of the many ways a conversation with Twilight could go (a negative way, at that), she started feeling doubtful again. “I don’t know…”
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy exchanged glances, both wondering what more they could say to convince her. Suddenly, Rainbow had an idea, and leaned down to whisper into Trixie’s ear: “Y’know, Lyra and Bon Bon fight all the time. And I hear the make-up sex is, like, twenty percent more awesome than usual.”
Trixie’s ears shot up, and she immediately rose to her hooves. “Well why didn’t you say so?!” she shouted, before turning on the spot and galloping off away from the restaurant, shouting for Twilight to wait for her.
Rainbow Dash laughed as she watched Trixie running away with newfound resolve, whereas Fluttershy was simply confused, and wondering what Rainbow had said to her to suddenly lift her spirits. “Oh, I just reminded her of what she would be missing if she didn’t make up with Twilight. Anyway, more importantly…” She motioned towards the glasses on the table. “Who the hay was responsible for this?”
From a distance, Caramel grinned and laughed wickedly as he watched Trixie running off through Ponyville, tripping over things and crashing into ponies on the way.
“Well, I’d say that just about makes up for yesterday,” he said, placing the bottle of gin back into his saddlebag and lifting a cup of coffee up to his lips.
Twilight turned her attention towards the clock, which showed that it was nearing 18:00. “Ooh, where could she be?” she asked worriedly as she continued to pace around the library.
“I dunno,” Spike said from his seat at the bottom of the stairs as he watched Twilight with a bored look on his face. “Why don’t you just go and look for her?”
“I wouldn’t even know where to begin. And what if she comes back while I’m looking, and thinks that I left so that I wouldn’t see her, and then she leaves too, and this time doesn’t come back?!” Twilight stopped and gasped loudly. “Or maybe… maybe she’s out there waiting for me to find her! Maybe she’s testing our love by seeing if I’ll track her down to patch things up! Meaning that, if I remain here, I’ll only end up destroying our relationship!”
Spike quickly produced a paper bag from a nearby cabinet, and rushed over to Twilight, who was beginning to hyperventilate. “Easy, Twilight. Remember: slow, steady breaths.”
“This is serious, Spike!” Twilight shouted, batting away the paper bag with a hoof. “I have to think: what would Trixie do in this situation? Is she out there waiting for me, or should I wait here for her to return on her own?”
“Well, Trixie’s kind of a hardhead, right? So she probably wouldn’t come back on her own. At least not for a few days.”
Twilight shook her head. “She’s like that in public, but it’s different when she’s alone or with me. You’ve noticed how clingy she is with me in the library, right?”
Spike rolled his eyes. “How could I not? Whenever I wanted to speak to you, Trixie would be hanging off of your leg or something…”
“She’s afraid of losing me. Probably because she’s had such a harsh upbringing, so she doesn’t want to lose the happiness she’s found in her adulthood…”
“Makes sense. Then, if she doesn’t want to lose you, she’ll definitely come here, right?”
“But she’s also pretty silly at times. She may think it’s over between us already, and not risk coming back here to see if it’s true or not…”
“Who did you just call silly?” Twilight and Spike jumped at the sudden voice behind them. They turned around to see Trixie standing in the library, breathing heavily and… wobbling as she stood. She was staring at Twilight with a worried look on her face. “Trixie was on her way to apologise, and then you go and call her silly behind her back!”
Twilight wanted to argue that she was silly, but decided not to, given the current situation. She looked down at Spike, and didn’t need to say anything for him to get her message. “I’ll leave you two alone,” he said as he walked past Trixie and outside of the library. He closed the door and began to walk off, before seeing a familiar purple tail poking out from behind the bush next to the library door.
“Rarity?” Spike asked as he approached the bush. He was instantly shushed by Rarity, who jumped out alongside Applejack. “What’re you two doing here?”
“We’re here to make sure everything works out between them,” Rarity said quietly as she approached the door.
“We gotta make sure Trixie doesn’t make Twilight cry or nothin’,” Applejack added, joining Rarity by the door as the two mares pressed their ears against the wood. She could just about hear the voices inside.
“Well, you two do that,” Spike said as he turned around and began walking away. “I think I’m just gonna go see what Pinkie Pie’s up to.”
Back inside the library, Twilight and Trixie stood together in an awkward silence, occasionally making eye contact with each other, but for the most part just looking around uncomfortably as they waited for the other to speak up first.
“I-” they both said simultaneously.
“Um, you first,” Twilight said.
“Trixie is… sorry for overreacting earlier… and calling you names and stuff…” Trixie looked up at Twilight, who seemed to be waiting for something more. “… Oh, and for insulting your books.”
Twilight smiled and kicked a hoof against the floor. “Well… I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have lost my temper like that, and I shouldn’t have called you things like stubborn, or stupid…”
“Even if it is true,” Trixie said with a giggle. Twilight joined her, and Trixie took a few steps forward. “I am sorry, Twilight. I just… I’ve been dealing with hecklers the same way ever since I started putting on shows with my magic, and it’s always been a system that works for me. I didn’t like it when you suggested I change suddenly, but I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that.”
“I shouldn’t have yelled either. It was clear there was something bothering you, but I just assumed you were simply being immature for the sake of it.”
“So… are we good?” Trixie asked timidly, turning her gaze towards the floor. “To tell you the truth, I was afraid that this may be it. That you wouldn’t ever forgive me for this, and that you’d kick me out of your life… Please tell me that isn’t true.”
Twilight reached forward and hugged her shaking marefriend. “Of course it isn’t true. I would never leave you, or kick you out, Trixie. Because I… I love you, with all my heart.”
“Twilight…” Twilight pulled back, and gazed lovingly into Trixie’s eyes, silently beckoning her towards her. Trixie read the message loud and clear, and leaned forward slowly, inching towards Twilight’s lips little by little…
BANG!
Trixie leaned forward more, only to fall forward onto her face. “Ow!” She rubbed her nose and looked up at Twilight. Or at least, at where Twilight should have been. Instead, there was nothing. Nothing but a small piece of paper, with some writing on it:
Come to Sugarcube Corner at once! Twilight will be there!
Trixie raised an eyebrow at the strange note, and rose to her hooves. She turned around to see the library door wide open, and figured that that must have been the loud noise that she had just heard.
“Now Trixie’s got to go all the way to Sugarcube Corner? This making up stuff is hard…”
Trixie opened the door to Sugarcube Corner slowly. She peeked inside to find that all of the lights were off. ‘Rule thirty-five of living on the streets: if you can’t see what’s ahead of you, don’t go forward.’ Trixie’s horn lit up, and she closed her eyes as she focused her magic through the walls of the building. It was a little harder to pull off with the alcohol running through her system, but eventually, she managed to find what she was looking for.
When she opened her eyes, and her horn stopped glowing, the lights inside began to flicker, before turning completely on. Looking inside again, Trixie found several ponies that she recognised. Lyra, Bon Bon, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie… who looked very angry.
“Hey! What did you do that for?!” Pinkie Pie shouted, suddenly appearing behind Trixie.
Trixie jumped and spun around. “W-What?!” she asked, turning back to look inside Sugarcube Corner. Sure enough, Pinkie Pie was no longer in there, and the ponies who were standing next to her looked just as confused. “How did you-”
“Don’t try to change the subject! I set this surprise party up for you, and you ruined it, ya big party pooper!”
“S-Surprise party?” Trixie asked, backing away from the furious Pinkie and into the bakery behind her. Looking around, Trixie could see many streamers and decorations around her, along with tables with food and punch scattered about. “Well, how was Trixie supposed to know that it was a surprise party?”
“You weren’t! That’s the whole point, duh!”
“Um… Sorry?”
Pinkie Pie’s angry glare suddenly turned into a huge smile, and she reached over towards a random table and grabbed two cupcakes with her forehoof. “Okay, I forgive you! After all, a party should be a place to have fun, not to fight!” Before Trixie could say anything, Pinkie Pie shoved a cupcake into the showmare’s mouth, and then threw the other cupcake into her own mouth, before skipping away merrily to another part of the room.
Trixie struggled to swallow the cupcake whole for a few seconds, and then panted heavily as soon as the baked good had made its way down her throat. “W-What the… What is going on here?”
A familiar laughter entered her ears, and she turned around to see Twilight approaching her. “Sorry about that. It’s just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie.”
“Trixie meant the party, but your friend’s disrespect for the natural laws is also a concern to her.”
“Oh, right, the party.” Twilight pointed a hoof up to the ceiling above her. Looking up, Trixie could see a banner that read: ‘Welcome, Trixie Lulamoon! And congratulations Twilight and Trixie!’ “It’s a dual party. One for your welcoming to Ponyville, now that you’ve settled in, and one for the two of us getting together.”
“That’s… Trixie knows you’ve told her about this, but she never thought a Pinkie Pie party would be so…”
“Random?” Twilight offered.
Trixie nodded, and then realised something. “Did you tell Pinkie Pie Trixie’s last name?”
Twilight shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. Maybe she heard it from somepony else? Maybe Lyra?”
“… Maybe. Trixie honestly doesn’t think she should question this particular friend of yours.” Trixie lowered her head and gave Twilight a sultry look as she stepped forward. “Anyway, we were interrupted earlier, in the library. Should we continue?”
“H-Here? Right now?” Twilight asked, her face turning red as she backed away. “I don’t think we should-”
“Don’t hold back on our account, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash shouted.
“C’mon you two! This’s your party, after all!” Applejack added, hoof bumping the blue Pegasus next to her.
Twilight tried to protest, but anything she said was drowned out by the ponies around Trixie and her cheering for the two of them to kiss. She turned back to Trixie, who had already puckered up and was leaning forward. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Twilight resigned herself to her fate, and leaned forward to meet Trixie’s lips.
As soon as she made contact, the embarrassment from kissing her marefriend in front of all her cheering friends died down somewhat, and the idea that she had fought with Trixie earlier and essentially lost a whole day with her made her feel completely stupid. She swore to herself that she would never do anything like that agai-
‘Wait…’
Twilight backed away as soon as Trixie began opening her mouth, and a strange taste entered her own. “Trixie… have you been drinking?”
Trixie gulped, and grinned sheepishly at Twilight. “Um… No?”
Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “Really? Then you won’t mind if I use a quick spell to check?” Before Trixie could answer, Twilight’s horn lit up, and she leaned forward to cast a quick analyse spell on Trixie’s mouth. “… W-What the? What is this?”
“Okay! So Trixie had two gins! So what?”
“Trixie, just how many sweets have you had today?!” Twilight shouted, startling Trixie and silencing all of the ponies around them.
“O-Oh, that.”
“Answer the question!”
“Well, Trixie was upset! Sweet stuff helps her to relax!”
“I thought we agreed that you would cut back on sweet food after a certain sugar rush got you in trouble with the Las Pegasus police!”
“No, you agreed that Trixie would cut back! Trixie believes her exact words were: ‘No way! Meanie!’”
“Just how many other things have you been doing behind my back?!”
“How dare you?! Accusing Trixie like that! And you call yourself her marefriend?!”
“Marefriends aren’t supposed to lie to each other, you-”
“Okay! Time out!” Rainbow Dash shouted, placing herself between the two mares and extending her hooves to keep them at bay. “C’mon, guys! Didn’t you two just resolve a previous argument?”
“Yeah! Besides, this is a party!” Pinkie Pie shouted, motioning her hoof around the room. “You’re totally lowering the mood!”
“But she-” Twilight began, but was cut off by Rainbow Dash.
“Yeah, yeah. Listen, maybe we can resolve this in a better way than raised voices and name-calling, don’t ya think?” Rainbow moved closer to Twilight. “I think the only fair thing to do is to…” She leaned forward and whispered into Twilight’s ear. When she finished, a demonic grin spread on Twilight’s face. “Since she likes sweets so much, right?”
“Right,” Twilight said, turning towards a now worried-looking Trixie. “Okay, Trixie. I’ll forgive you… just as long as you take your just desserts like a mare.”
Trixie gulped, and looked around to see everypony looking at her expectantly. “Fine,” she sighed. “Let’s get this over with, whatever it i-” Before she could finish, a large cake collided with her face, and was accompanied by the sounds of laughter from many of the ponies around her. She used her magic to wipe the cake off of her face, and glared at the laughing purple Unicorn in front of her. “Oh, it is on, Sparkle!”
Trixie grabbed a piece of the cake from the floor with her magic, and threw it at her target. Twilight, acting on instinct, grabbed the nearest thing she could with her own magic and used it as a shield. Everypony gasped when the piece of cake collided with a certain rainbow-maned Pegasus, and the entire room froze as they awaited her reaction.
“… FOOD FIGHT!” Rainbow Dash shouted, grabbing a cake off of a nearby table and throwing it at Twilight. It missed, and hit Rarity instead, causing Applejack to laugh, which prompted Rarity to grab the cake and shove it into Applejack’s face.
Before long, the entire room became a full-out war zone, with everypony throwing food at some specific target, but with their attacks flying all over the room, hitting anypony unfortunate enough to be in the line of fire.
“Well, that was certainly different than most of the parties Trixie has previously been to,” Trixie said as she and Twilight walked together through the streets of Ponyville, both of them completely covered in bits of cake and frosting. “Well, except for one or two kids parties that Trixie once performed for, but even then, the adults never did anything like that.”
“I know what you mean,” Twilight giggled. “I was taken by surprise myself during Pinkie’s first ‘food fight party’. This kind of thing is just more common in Ponyville than it is in Canterlot.”
Trixie nodded, and then took a good look at Twilight as the moonlight lit her up. There was frosting all over her body. At first, Trixie suppressed her laughter as she looked at the frosting on her face and dripping from her coat, but then her face turned red and her heart started to beat faster as she moved her gaze down Twilight’s body, eventually reaching her flank, which was also coated in the sweet dessert.
“… It’s a shame we couldn’t actually eat any of that cake,” Trixie said, moving closer to Twilight and giving her a sly grin.
“I think you’ve had enough sweets for today. But we did miss dinner, so if you’re hungry, I guess I could fix something up when we get back.” Twilight looked herself over. “After a shower, of course. I really need to clean myself up.”
Trixie leaned towards Twilight, and said a low whisper: “Trixie was actually thinking of eating and cleaning up at the same time.”
“What do you-” Twilight turned to face Trixie, and stopped when she saw that look in Trixie’s eye. That same look she had seen many nights before with the showmare. That half-lidded, lust-filled gaze that told Twilight that there would be no sleep tonight. “Oh… Trixie,” she said in a sultry tone. “I don’t know… I was thinking of taking a morning jog tomorrow.”
“Cancel it,” Trixie said, reaching towards Twilight’s face and licking up some of the frosting on her face. Her lips then met with Twilight’s, and the two mares began kissing passionately in the middle of the street, not even caring who may happen to walk by.
Passing by the two mares with an exasperated sigh, Spike rolled his eyes and decided to leave them be, since he knew there’d be no getting through to them for a while now. “Great, more grossness… Why do adults like that kind of stuff so much?”