Trixie trotted back to her friends, a big smile on her face. Glancing behind her, she saw Rainbow Dash flying down from the cloud she'd been keeping stationary, presumably to congratulate Fluttershy. Turning back to her friends, she saw both Carrot Top and Lyra looking at her with obvious happiness. "That," she told them, "Is one very happy family."
Lyra hugged her. "I knew you could do it!"
"Of course! Was there ever any doubt?" Trixie paused. "Don't answer that."
"We knew you'd come through," Carrot Top chuckled as she pointed with a hoof at the crowd, which was still milling around the stage and filling out donation forms. "Looks like the concert was a big success. I don't think Soft Hoof'll have any trouble getting that clinic funded."
Trixie noted Duchess Posey leaving the alley and approaching Soft Hoof. "I think that's a safe bet. Although... maybe I'll chip in a few bits. Never let it be said that the Great and Powerful Trixie is without heart."
"I'll throw in some too," said Carrot Top.
"Me three! And Octavia will..." Lyra looked around. "Hey, where'd she go? It's not like her to run out right at the end of a concert."
Trixie turned to Sugar Cube Corner, but the cellist was gone. "I know she was here at the end," Trixie said. "I saw her clapping. Maybe she went back to her hotel?"
"No, she told me she wanted to talk afterwards. Something about a music group she's working on with this metal artist named Crescendo and a few other ponies; she wanted to see if I could check it out. She even asked me to recommend somewhere with good tea where we could talk." Lyra frowned. "I guess she might be in the crowd of ponies donating..."
"She shouldn't be too hard to find," said Trixie. "Lyra, you check the crowd up by the stage. Carrot Top, check the local cafes. I'll look in Sugar Cube Corner, make sure Pinkie Pie didn't drag her in there, tie her up, and start force-feeding her cake."
Carrot Top giggled. "You just want an early dessert."
"What can I say? The Great and Powerful Trixie has a Great and Powerful sweet tooth." Trixie grinned. "See you in five!"
***
"Octavia?" asked Mrs. Cake. "Yes, dear, I saw her. Pinkie took her down to the basement. Poor mare looked exhausted. Pinkie said she was going to give her something to perk her up."
Trixie frowned. "In the basement?"
"Well, Pinkie can be a little... confusing sometimes. But she's really a splendid baker." Mrs. Cake smiled. "Want a peanut-butter cookie? She just baked them before the concert."
"One to go, please." Trixie eased the basement door open. Was it her imagination, or did she hear maniacal laughter floating upwards? "Um. It looks kind of dark."
"She's putting together a Nightmare Night exhibit downstairs. She told us that we should dim the lights so it's more, uh, spook-a-riffic."
"Of course she did," murmured Trixie as she gingerly stepped downstairs. Was the Cakes' basement always this far down?
After a long flight of stairs, Trixie found herself at the bottom. The room was very dark, but the showmare heard what sounded like somepony struggling. Her horn flared, and she had a glimpse of ghost and spider decorations on the walls --
And then Pinkie Pie was standing right in front of her. She had a huge grin on her face. And a large knife in her hoof. "Hi Trixie! I'm glad you're here! I have a special treat just for you!"
It finally happened, Trixie thought, staring in stunned bewilderment as Pinkie Pie brought the knife up. Pinkie snapped, and now she's going to cut me into little bits and probably bake me into a cake or something. I survived Corona, and Grogar, and the salamanders and all the others, and now I'm going to be killed by a crazy party pony.
Pinkie slashed the knife down... into a large cake on a table right next to Trixie. "It's banana-chocolate-marscapone cake! You'll love it!" she chirped as she cut a huge wedge of cake.
Trixie just kept staring, mouth open, until Pinkie shoved the cake into her hooves. "Um... thanks?"
"No problem! I love giving treats to my friends!" Pinkie hugged Trixie, then hopped away from the bewildered mare.
Trixie dimly recalled why she'd gone down into the basement in the first place. "Hey! Have you seen Octavia?"
"Of course, silly! She's right over here!"
Trixie walked to the far end of the basement, where her horn illuminated Octavia. The cellist was lying on what looked like a gigantic marshmallow, sleeping quietly. The showmare blinked a few times. "Pinkie? What's going on?"
"You told me not to shoot desserts at Octavia anymore. So I decided I'd just put them right in her mouth! But she kept running away whenever I tried before, so I had to get her while she's asleep! After the concert, I saw how tired she was, so I got her to come in here and then I got the cake ready! Once she wakes up, I'll just stuff a ymmylicious slice of cake in her mouth and liberate her from the shackles of healthy eating!" She grinned. "Oh, once she learns how good chocolate tastes, I'm sure she'll thank me! And then we'll be great friends, and we can share dessert recipes, and she can introduce candy to her fancy concerts, and--"
Trixie shook her head. "Pinkie! You can't just force-feed a pony desserts."
"Of course I can, silly! It's easy!"
"No, I mean--" Trixie tried to figure out how to explain it. "I mean, you're not supposed to. It's illegal."
"Nuh-uh! My Nana said that you're allowed to force a pony to eat one dessert for thirty seconds as long as it's really delicious and you don't mean to harm them!"
"Why in the wide world of Equestria would that be legal?" asked Trixie.
"Well, Nana says..."
***
Two thousand years ago.
Celestia patrolled in front of her Royal Guards. There were a dozen all told, her top commanders and most powerful magicians. Each and every one of them could match any four of the lower-ranked Guards in any martial competition imaginable. They were all veterans of countless high-stakes missions for the Equestrian government. But the mission they were about to go on would still be the most challenging task they had ever undertaken.
"Ready?" Celestia murmured. Their target was in the very next room, distracted by her work -- though she wouldn't be for long. "Everypony?"
"Ma'am, yes ma'am!"
"Then go!"
The Guards burst into the room in a well-trained rush. The occupant jerked herself up to her hooves. "What is--"
"Attack!" ordered Celestia. "Tickle formation!"
"Tickle--?"
And then the Guards had swarmed Luna, each with a feather held tightly in their teeth. And they began to tickle her. All over.
Luna was quickly overcome with muffled giggles. She tried to brush them off, but Celestia blocked her telekinesis, and the Guards were tough enough to dodge the few strikes Celestia missed. Soon the blue alicorn was laughing helplessly on the floor. And that was when Celestia levitated the chocolate cake into her mouth.
"Mmmf!" Luna's eyes widened, but the guards stopped tickling and she was able to chew and swallow. There was silence for a moment. And then she said: "...alright, dear sister. I concede that this new invention, this 'chocolate cake' that your baker friend is so proud of, is indeed a delicious treat."
"And...?"
"And we can hire him as our castle baker."
"Yay!" cheered Celestia.
Luna giggled, using her magic to wipe a bit of cake from her muzzle. "Really, I would have tasted his cake eventually. I am busy--"
"A very dear sister of mine told me once, when I was staying up at all hours working out what to do about the Everfree, that one should never be too busy for dessert. But I'm glad you agree." Celestia smiled and dismissed the Guards. "Would you like another slice?"
"...maybe one more."
Celestia grinned.
"But you know," said Luna, as they went to the castle kitchens, "I could technically have you arrested for that."
"No you couldn't. I had the Courtiers make a little change in the laws..."
***
Trixie could only stare. "Pinkie, that's ridiculous!" she said.
"What, cause Corona's a big old meanie-pants? I thought you said she used to be a nice pony!"
"No, but -- I mean -- okay, Luna would never do that!" Trixie turned up her muzzle. "She is a serious and dignified ruler. She would never do something so silly as squabble with her co-sovereign over dessert! That's like saying she'd... get into pillow fights!"
***
At that very moment, back in the page barracks of Canterlot castle, a young page known as Night Vision -- really Princess Luna in disguise -- was cheering with some friends as another page, a perpetually happy one named Paperweight, struggled to balance five overstuffed pillows on her muzzle.
"Seven!" the watching pages cheered. "Eight! Nine! Te -- oh!"
For the top pillow was falling down off of the stack. Paperweight squeaked and tried to rebalance to catch it, but she tilted her muzzle too far, and a moment later she was attacked by five falling giant pillows. "Oh no!"
The pages helped her up, and Night Vision grinned. "Five pillows, for twenty seconds per pillow. I think that's a new record!"
"Care to match it?" Paperweight grinned. "Bet you a grilled cheese sandwich you can't!"
"You're on!" Night Vision grinned, then tilted up her muzzle. "Start piling them on!"
Three overstuffed pillows were immediately set on her head, and the pages began to count. "One! Two!"
***
"Well, it doesn't matter!" said Pinkie. She shook her head quickly and picked up a plate with more cake on it. "Desserts are wonderful! I can't imagine how much fun she hasn't had because she's scared of them! Now, I'm going to help her, and--"
"Wait!" Trixie stood between Octavia and the cake Pinkie was rushing at her mouth, with the result that the cake spattered all over Trixie's barrel. "...okay, ignoring that. But Pinkie, is this really what you want? To force somepony to eat your desserts? Aren't desserts best enjoyed when it's voluntary?" She frowned. "I mean, if you're forcing somepony to eat something they don't like, does it really matter if it's something delicious like candy, or yucky like, uh, okra?"
Pinkie paused. "But..."
"Well?"
Pinkie seemed to deflate a little bit. "Sure... but then she'll never eat sweets! She'll never know the sheer joy of a perfect brownie, or lemon bar, or cookie, or even a cup of ice cream!" She put a hoof to her head. "Can you imagine anything more tragic?"
"But this isn't the way. Just like Fluttershy and Soft Hoof didn't force ponies to give money to the veterinary clinic... they just showed them how great animals were, and then the ponies donated of their own free will." Trixie took Pinkie aside. "Do you really want Octavia to eat desserts regularly? Not just when you force-feed her, but of her own free will!"
"Of course!"
"Then what you have to do is make the most spectacular, delicious dessert you've ever made." Trixie spun Pinkie around so their muzzles were almost touching. "Make it so incredibly delicious, so obviously sublime, that Octavia won't be able to resist it. Show her, not by force, but by example, how incredible desserts are. That's what you have to do."
"But, what if I can't make a dessert delicious enough?" asked Pinkie. "Can we really stake the fate of Octavia's taste buds on that?"
"Yes! I'm sure you can bake something that even she'll want to eat if you try -- you're an incredible baker, Pinkie! And I will help you! Whenever you finish a test run, send me a sample, and I promise I'll be the most exacting critic you can find!" Trixie clasped her hoof. "Together, we can make a dessert that not only Octavia, but ponies everywhere will love!"
Pinkie grinned. "Wow! I had no idea you thought so much about my skills!" She jumped up and down. "Okay then! I'll do it!"
Octavia groaned, and her eyes fluttered open. "...Trixie? What's going on? Where am I?"
"Oh, I dragged you down to the basement of the bakery so I could force-feed you cake," chattered Pinkie. "But Trixie convinced me not to. Instead, I'm going to design a new dessert that even you want to eat! In fact, I'm going to start right now! Later!" And she ran off.
Octavia and Trixie looked at each other in the nearly pitch-black basement.
"...you live in a strange town," said Octavia.
Trixie grinned. "Wouldn't live anywhere else. C'mon, I think Lyra wants to talk to you."
"Yes, she mentioned that." Octavia got to her hooves. "I trust you will be with us as well?"
"You... want me there?"
Octavia hesitated. "...yes. I admit that we did not get off to the best start. I was still angry with you over the Ice Palace... incident... and then of course I associated with Greengrass, and you know the rest. But your actions over the past few days demonstrate that you are a mare worth befriending. And if you can forgive me my earlier betrayals, I can forgive the comparatively minor slights you made against me." She smiled slightly. "I would be honored to count you among my friends."
Trixie grinned. "Right back atcha."
***
"All in all, I think that went well."
Trixie sighed as she reclined on her sofa. Octavia had gone back to Canterlot -- but she'd given Trixie a warm goodbye before leaving, and had even invited her to her 'genre fusion' group's first recital in a month. Fluttershy too had returned to her cottage, but she'd had such a warm smile on her face that Trixie just knew she'd be a little more willing to get out of her house and do things like this in the future. Soft Hoof, Posey, Rainbow Dash, and the other Elements all seemed happy with her. Even Rarity -- who had been complimented by Soft Hoof for her designs, and who had apparently agreed to rent them to the Baronetess for future performances -- had stopped by the Representative's Residency to thank her.
Yep. This day could not possibly get any better. She paused. Well, unless I finally got that invincibility spell worked out for my window. But besides that.
That was when her hat glowed and a letter shot out of it. Trixie caught it with her telekinesis and floated it over. "Huh?"
"My faithful student," the letter began. "I have had several reports today of your recent activities -- from Duchess Posey, Baronetess Soft Hoof, and also my Court Musician. I am so incredibly proud of you. You demonstrated remarkable maturity and a thorough understanding of friendship..."
Trixie grinned. Alright. Maybe it could get a little better.
She settled back on the couch and continued to read the letter. And, as she did so, one thought kept running through her head.
I really am a good friend.