//------------------------------// // Interlude: Better // Story: The Moon Has a Harsh Mistress // by levarien //------------------------------// "Your Highness," said Corporal Moonburn, "the others... they are starting to wonder if you've changed your mind." The raised right eyebrow of the patiently waiting alicorn caused the bat winged stallion to sit back on his haunches and raise his hooves in protestation. "Not that I would dare question her majesty's determination," he said, "the Night Guard simply wonders why we flew in a dead sprint from Trottingham to this small hamlet, only to wait along the road outside for several days. The wingless in particular are quite curious: They are still nursing sore hooves." "Tis Ponyville, my faithful guard," said Luna, "You would do well to remember this place. It is where we first returned from our exile, after all." She shifted on the thick cloak that had been laid out for her as a blanket and looked down the empty country lane once more. "Prithee, inform thy comrades that we have certainly not lost sight of our mission," she said, "We believe that today might be a great step on our journey: We had to be at this place; we simply misjudged the time." The creak of a well worn wood axle caused her ears to perk up. "Go now," she said to the stallion, "and do not disturb us or our visitor. Do make sure Sir Flügelnacht has taken his rest. Tis poor for morale for the command of our Night Guard to collapse in exhaustion." Moonburn rose a hoof to his brow and flipped down his tinted glasses before flapping his leathery wings. Luna rose to her hooves and flexed her own wings to shake off any dust or stray leaves that might have found their way in between her feathers. She watched the guard's dark blue tail disappear over the tree tops and focused her gaze on the road. The princess of the night apprehensively milled about on her hooves, trying hard to fight the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Predicting actions from dreams wasn't an exact science, and she didn't exactly have anypony to compare notes with. She was reasonably certain the mare would take this route; her dream-self was fairly open about her plan. She was extremely open about her past exploits, and it fit with what Luna had learned in her few days of covert research in Canterlot. She half expected to see another farmer hauling a cart of dirty vegetables to market. After the first drawn out conversation with a particularly adoring subject, she had taken to wearing a plain cloak over her back, wings, and head while waiting. She lifted the cloak from the ground and donned it before standing placidly by the side of the well worn road. She watched from under her hood as a heavy covered wagon, pulled by a garishly dressed unicorn, ambled down the lane. Luna waited until the unicorn and cart were within a few dozen meters and took a series of exaggerated limping steps into the middle of the road. "Ho there!" she called out while waving her unadorned forehoof in the air, "Might we parlay with thee?" The unicorn mare had little choice but to pull up short, lest she run directly into the tall stranger. A bright pink magical aura lifted the harness from beneath the mare's billowing purple cloak before she removed her matching pointed hat. "Trixie has little choice," said the young mare, "Though she would have gladly stopped anyway. Are you badly injured? Trixie could see you limping from down the road." "Alas," said Luna, trying to keep her voice as low in volume as possible, "We do seem to have twisted our ankle in a most unnatural manner. Wouldst thou offer us a ride to yonder hamlet? We have an acquaintance that could help us back onto our hooves." Trixie reached behind her and patted the small padded ledge built on to the front of the wagon. "Of course," said Trixie, "The Great and Benevolent Trixie is always willing to help those in need. Here, let Trixie help you into place." The unicorn mare tightly closed her eyes and braced her hooves as she surrounded the hobbled mare with her magic. Luna subtly shivered as she was lifted up and onto the padded bench. She hadn't been lifted by somepony else's magic in several years; at least a thousand. Lifting an fully grown alicorn princess was no small feat. Trixie quickly harnessed herself and began pulling the now heavier cart. "Her magic is quite strong," thought Luna, "If we had been released from our exile a few short years earlier, perhaps t'would have be her to complete Starswirl's work." She had engaged in too many hypothetical musings over the past few months to follow that particular line of thought. She instead began trying to determine if the unicorn's intentions were as muddled as they were in her dreams. "We did not expect to be rescued by a celebrity," she said, "might we inquire whether or not you intend to perform in Ponyville again?" Trixie blushed slightly and nearly stumbled over a half buried rock. "Trixie doesn't intend to perform per se," she said, "Trixie thinks the citizens of Ponyville have had enough of The Great and Powerful Trixie to last them a lifetime." "Oh it wasn't so bad," said Luna, "Ursa attacks used to be a common occurrence in our day, and thou art not the first unicorn to fall prey to the corrupting influence of the Alicorn Amulet. "Trixie still thinks most Ponyvillians think otherwise," said Trixie. "She thinks most view her as a troublemaker. To be honest, Trixie is rather worried that they will take a single look at her and run Trixie out of town. Part of Trixie thinks they would be right to." "Then why woulds't thou return and incur the wrath of those you've wronged?" asked Luna. "Trixie is going to show them all that she has changed," said Trixie, "Trixie has found and studied the Magic of Friendship, and after she shows Sparkle and her friends, she will show all the ponies she inadvertently wronged. Then nopony will doubt that Trixie truly is the greatest and most powerful unicorn and friend in all of Equestria." The fervor in the unicorn's voice worried Luna. She had studied Trixie's dreams enough over the past few weeks to know that she was flamboyant, the mare talked in the third pony in her dreams, for Faust's sake, but she was starting to think she may have misjudged the unicorn. Putting her worries aside, Luna proceeded with her plan. "So Miss Trixie," she said, "how does one become a traveling showmare?" "Trixie didn't become a showpony," said Trixie, the cadence of a performer entering her voice, "Trixie was born to be a showpony." She smiled widely as she launched into her favorite story of them all. "Trixie was born on a Monday morning in Trottingham's oldest hospital." Luna smirked and reclined with her hooves behind her head as she watched the scenery crawl by. "-but of course Trixie turned down the offer," continued Trixie, "Trixie can't be shackled down inside a stuffy school. No, Trixie's destiny was out there, on the roads and byways of Equestria and beyond!" "We do hate to interrupt you," said Luna, "but Ponyville lies just around the bend." "Aww," said Trixie, "Trixie didn't even get through her elementary schooling." "'Tis truly a shame," said Luna as she rolled her eyes, "but thy plans must surely take precedence. Anypony with such pressing business with Twilight Sparkle shouldn't waste their time entertaining simple ponies such as us." "Trixie doesn't think it was a waste," said Trixie as she slowly pulled the wagon to a stop and looked at her hooded passenger. "The road does get... monotonous. It's good to have somepony to talk to." "Or talk at?" asked Luna with a chuckle. Trixie blushed and smiled back. "Sorry," she said sheepishly, "Trixie always talks to herself when she travels. At least she looks a little less crazy with a passenger." "Well, we were simply enthralled by your tale," said Luna sincerely, "perhaps we can hear more someday." She looked at the cozy hamlet spread out in the small valley below them. "Might I accompany you to the central square?" she asked. "Trixie could take you to a doctor if you would like," said Trixie, "it's really no trouble." "Oh, our leg isn't so bad," said Luna, "you go meet with our favorite librarian and we shall make our way to our friend's home on our own." "If you're sure," said Trixie hesitantly. She began pulling the wagon into the town, giving the few ponies they passed an obviously rehearsed greeting and wave. Luna recognized the trepidation on the faces of the townsponies they passed and her heart went out to the unicorn. It had taken months for those nervous stares aimed her way to fade away, and even longer for her to suppress the shame that they elicited. Trixie didn't seem to notice their glares, or chose not to. Their pace remained steady, and soon, the wagon pulled up next to the large multi-tiered town hall. Trixie parked it well away from the main entrance and removed the harness from her back. She turned to help Luna from the bench, but found that the tall cloaked mare had already found her way to the ground. She realized something and looked at the ground in embarrassment. "Trixie didn't even get your name," she said in an uncharacteristically bashful tone. "Tis Selene," said Luna warmly, "and think nothing of it. We understand what it must be like when everypony knows your name." Her wings ached from their confines beneath the heavy cloak, so Luna decided to cut their farewell short. "Many thanks again," she said with a formal bow, "good luck with your non-performance." "Thanks," said Trixie as she stretched her back and made sure her cloak and hat were free of dirt and dust, "but Trixie doesn't need luck. With the Magic of Friendship, she will charm Twilight Sparkle and make her into a true friend." "We don't think you can just make-" began Luna before she was cut off by appearance of Trixie's pink magical aura. It surrounded the unicorn's head and concentrated around her eyes. Something about the spell tickled her memory. "What was that?" she blurted out. "The Magic of Friendship of course," said Trixie while starting to walk across the plaza towards a towering lone oak tree. "Trixie thanks you for the company again Ms. Selene!" Without looking back, the showmare trotted towards the library, her head held high. Luna waited until the unicorn was nearly to the tree before jumping into the sky. She took a wide circle around the plaza and approached the Golden Oaks Library from the other direction. She landed in the upper boughs of the tree and made her way along the large branches, careful to keep from rustling them too much. She slowly pushed aside a large bunch of leaves and twigs and looked down at the entryway just in time to see the unicorn come to a stop in front of the large red door. A few moments passed, and Trixie knocked on the door once more, this time with a bit more force. "You don't have to knock," said the young dragon as he opened the door, "this is the public lib...rar...y." From Luna's perch, the young drake appeared to sway on his stubby little legs. "Tr...Trixie?" asked Spike before jumping forwards and wrapping his arms around the unicorn's neck. A confused, bordering on mortified expression flashed across Trixie's muzzle as the dragon stepped back and waved her in. "Twilight!" he yelled into the dwelling, "Trixie's finally back!" He grabbed the mare by the forehoof and pulled her inside, slamming the door shut behind them. Luna hopped across two larger branches until she was just above of one of the circular windows that looked down into the library's main floor. She wrapped her legs around a thick bough and swung underneath it. Upside down, the alicorn peered through the glass and spotted two confused ponies and one excited drake. Ever so gently, Luna pulled the window open with her magic. "-did this happen?" shouted Trixie, "and why wasn't Trixie informed!?" "A few months ago," said Twilight calmly, "it was in all the papers." "Trixie doesn't read newspapers," she said, "not since they claim to have revealed Trixie's secrets." The unicorn paced around Twilight, poking and prodding the alicorn's newly sprouted wings. "Filthy muckrakers," she spat, "all of them." "Trixie," said Twilight with a hoof to her forehead, "is there something I can do for you?" "No," said Trixie, "Trixie is here to show you how much she learned about the Magic of Friendship." With a final jab at the alicorn's wing, she stepped in front of Twilight and gazed into her eyes. "So is Trixie doing it right?" she asked, "is the spell working?" "What spell?" asked Twilight, "Trixie, are you feeling alright?" "Ooh, ooh," interrupted Spike as he jumped in between the two mares, "can I get you some water Trixie? Or maybe you want a hoof massage? Maybe a snack? Twilight can you loan me a few bits to go get a box of cookies for Trixie, I wasted my allowance on flowers for what's-her-name? Hey, do you want to go see a movie Trixie? I think the new Khan Mane flick is playing at the Bijou." "Spike, calm down," said Twilight, "you're supposed to be helping me with my letters remember?" "Whatever," muttered the dragon, "we can do that anytime. C'mon Trixie, let's go!" "See," crowed Trixie, "Trixie's friendship is so powerful, she can befriend the cold-blooded." She shook the tiny claws from her hoof and stood next to Twilight. With a winning grin, she wrapped her right foreleg around Twilight's withers and squeezed. "So, new best friend," said Trixie, "shall we go find all of your friends and make them my friends?" "Trixie, I'm happy to see you again," said Twilight as she peeled Trixie's hoof from around her neck, "truly I am, but I've got several letters to draft and send to Princess Celestia." She looked at Spike and pulled him over to her side with her magic. The drake struggled to reach for Trixie's hanging mane. "So you don't wish to be Trixie's friend then," asked Trixie doubtfully, "you don't want to do whatever Trixie wants to do?" "Yes," said Twilight quickly, "I mean, no, I would love to be your friend, but I'm very busy right now. Maybe some other time-" "Trixie doesn't get it," mumbled the unicorn as she walked towards the front door. Luna watched as Twilight lifted a hoof to call out to her, but was too late as Trixie exited the Library. The younger alicorn turned her attention to the dragon desperately trying to crawl after the departed mare. Luna climbed back her previous position and looked down on the perplexed showmare. "It doesn't make sense," she heard Trixie say, "Trixie cast the spell just like it said. Why won't she be my friend? Maybe Trixie needs to recast it." With another flash of pink light, Trixie's magic suffused her eyes. She turned and looked out across the plaza. "Ah, yes," she said, "she's one of Sparkle's friends!" Luna followed Trixie's gaze to the bouncing pink earth pony across the avenue. "Tis a most peculiar spell," mumbled Luna to herself as she watched Trixie gallop across the plaza. "Phaw, our memory has been rubbish since our return." She took one last look at her fellow alicorn and her struggles with her young ward before dropping out of the tree and onto the ground. She tried her best to blend into the crowd, but found it hard, as tall as she was. She hunched down and followed an apple cart being pulled by a large red stallion. "-course I'm your friend!" barked an excited voice, "I'm your bestest friend in all of Equestria. No, in all the world! No, in all of the universe!" Luna peeked around the corner of the produce cart. The pink one had draped herself across Trixie's back as if she were a pair of saddlebags; a pair of loud, hyperactive saddlebags. "She can't be your friend," said a grumpy, yellow coated mare, "she's my best friend!" The aquamarine unicorn next to her jerked her head back in surprise. "Trixie can be everypony's friend," said Trixie as she looked into the adoring faces of the ponies who began crowding around her. She carefully pried an over enthusiastic foal off of her leg and backed away from the gathering crowd. Luna collided with the back of the suddenly stopped cart. The stallion had thrown off his yoke and was pushing his way through the crowd towards Trixie. She shook her head and waited for the momentary double vision to fade. When she looked back to the crowd, smiling faces were replaced with angry glares and snarling muzzles. Pony stared down pony, who, moments before, had been enjoying a stroll on a beautiful sunny day. Luna recognized the situation as a veritable powder keg. The first spark was magical in nature. A half eaten hay-burger was magically propelled into the face of a bickering earth pony mare. The shove she gave the unicorn was light, but pushed him back into the flank of a large stallion who fell forward onto yet another unsuspecting pony. The crowd began ebbing and flowing chaotically as bouts of shouting turned into shoving matches. "The Great and Powerful Trixie demands you stop this squabbling!" shouted Trixie, her voice barely audible over the din. Luna caught sight of the mare as she pushed her way into the crowd. Trixie had been backed up to the entrance of a small alley between a hay warehouse and a sporting goods emporium, the pink ball of bubbly energy still hanging over her back. "Stop that!" shouted Trixie to a pegasus trying to lift her off the ground in his hooves. Luna found herself buffeted and spun around by the surging crowd and briefly considered throwing back her cloak and revealing herself with the full force of the Canterlot Royal Voice. However, when the crowd around her began thinning, she looked back towards where she had last seen Trixie in time to see an impressive display of magical aptitude. Large bales of hay were lifted from an open loading bay door and stacked on top of each other in front of the alley, providing cover for the unicorn's apparent escape. As Trixie disappeared from view, several nets and ropes flew from out of an open window of the other storefront, tangling the wings of several of the pursuing pegasi. Several unicorn and earth ponies tried to remove the impromptu barricade, only to find their way blocked by even more bales. Luna immediately ran towards another alley, wondering why the other ponies had not had the same obvious idea. So single minded were they in their pursuit, that they seemed to have lost all common sense. She emerged from the other alley and looked across a deserted street. No sign of the mare's passing was visible. "Mayhaps my machinations have gone too far," she thought to herself, "perhaps Trixie's have as well." The disguised alicorn took one last look down the boulevard that led out the north side of town and began trotting back towards the Library." "What is wrong with you!" shouted Twilight as she held on to her assistant's tail with her magic. "What's wrong with me?" asked Spike, "What's wrong with you! Trixie is like my best friend ever and you won't even let me go find her so we can hang out together!" "Friend?!" exclaimed Twilight, "She rolled you into a ball and bounced you against the ground! I'm glad you can forgive her, but aren't you taking it a bit far?" "Ahem," said Luna loudly as she cleared her throat, "Problems, Twilight Sparkle?" Twilight's magical grip on Spike's tail momentarily wavered. The dragon hit the ground running, and dashed towards Luna and the front door behind her. The Princess of the Night pulled back her hood and gathered her magic into her long dark blue horn. The drake was surrounded in her dusky aura and gently lifted from the ground, his legs still furiously kicking. "Princess Luna!" exclaimed Twilight, "what are you... I mean... I didn't expect... that is..." Twilight stammered for a few seconds more before slightly bowing her head. "It's wonderful to see you." "Thou hast heard tales of my outburst in court," said Luna, her unshakable deadpan stare aimed squarely at the youngest alicorn. "The princess is so worried," said Twilight. She closed the distance between them and gave the elder princess a quick hug around the neck. "I'm sure if you just went back and talked with her-" "I said what needed to be said," interrupted Luna, "and you can assure Tia that I bear no hostility towards her. If you would know the truth, I was truly at fault. Tis not my sister's fault that I found myself possessed by a lethargic spirit of boredom. I fear that if I return to that castle I will lose whatever momentum I've gained in the last few weeks." Remembering the problem at hoof, she shook her head while passing the still flailing dragon onto Twilight's back. A long scarf hanging on the coat rack made for a comfortable, yet effective bond that covered the drake from head to tail. "Quit squirming," said Twilight over her shoulder to her muffled passenger. "So Luna, why, if I may ask, are you here?" "I am not quite ready for my plans to be made public," said Luna, "but 'twould not be an egregious risk to tell you that I am looking for somepony to take under my wing; somepony who can help me in my new venture." "I'm flattered," said Twilight, "but I don't think I could leave Ponyville, or set aside my royal duties. Twilight flinched when she realized what her response implied and nervously waved her hoof back and forth in front of her face. "Not that I think that you are abandoning your duties," she said in a panic, "I mean, Princess Celestia says you're still moving the moon each morning." Luna laughed under her breath. "Be easy Twilight," she said while slowly walking away from the front door, "your loyalty to my sister and your subjects is commendable, and I would never cause tension between thee and thy mentor. I had my eye on another magical prodigy." She walked through the library with Twilight following close behind. She entered the small study Twilight maintained for her own studies and sat down on a small pile of delicately embroidered pillows. Twilight, still troubled by Spike's odd behavior, placed him next to her desk and surrounded him with her magic. "Well, Ponyville has a few unicorns of some considerable talent," she said, "I've made sure young Dinky Doo has a place at the School for Gifted Unicorns, and Miss Scratch's way with sound based magic is unrivaled." "She's not from Ponyville," said Luna. Twilight froze mid-spell. The scanning spell around Spike collapsed in a shower of lavender sparkles. "You're here for Trixie aren't you?" asked Twilight. "Excellent deduction as usual," said Luna. "Yes, this Trixie Lulamoon should make an ideal student and assistant." Spike nodded furiously in agreement. "Well," said Twilight, quite taken aback, "you just missed her." She turned back to Spike and began scanning him again. "Trixie is certainly talented," she said, "but she's a little hard to work with. She's had her problems making friends around here." "You are referring to the Alicorn Amulet incident?" asked Luna, "How that horrific thing managed to survive to this age is a mystery to us." "She apologized to me for that," said Twilight, "but didn't stick around long enough to apologize to anypony around town. Beyond that, her boasting had something to do with an Ursa Minor attack a year prior." A quill on the desk dipped itself into ink and began scribbling on a blank piece of parchment. "I just want you to understand the challenge you're taking on." Twilight flared her horn and aimed it at the bound dragon. The violet ray that struck Spike quickly surrounded him in a magical aura. Twilight used her hooves to unwind the scarf that wrapped around his pudgy body. "As I said: A challenge is just what I'm looking for," said Luna. "Well her enchantment certainly did a number on Spike," said Twilight. "I suppose I should be glad this spell was so easily undone. Maybe her visits don't necessarily have to end in disaster. So is Trixie still your favorite pony in all the world?" "Not so much," said the confused Dragon as he finished pulling the scarf from where Luna had tied it to his tail, "what is she up to this time?" Twilight examined her hastily scrawled notes and found some meaning in the seemingly random arrangement of letters, numbers and symbols. She had tried to explain her shorthand to Luna once, but the elder alicorn found it impossible to follow the fabricated language. She was ashamed that she felt the sting of jealousy at the younger pony's magical prowess, but reminded herself that Twilight Sparkle was the first pony in eons to create new magic. Magic was part of her as sure as the Moon was part of Luna. "This spell," asked Luna warily, "what exactly was it?" "It looks like a variation on the 'Need-it-Want-it' spell," said Twilight with a blush, "there are some slight alterations though." She moved the quill over the parchment and underlined several blocks of text and took a few more notes in her perfectly maintained margins. "Twilight?" asked Spike. "Hold on Spike," replied Twilight, "there's something odd about the way this spell attached itself to you." Luna's ears pricked up and began to pick up what the Dragon's more acute senses had detected: A faint but steadily increasing rumbling sound. She rose from the cushions and walked towards one of the windows. "Twilight Sparkle," she asked, "what would happen if one ensorcelled one's own self with this spell?" "Well it shouldn't be possible," said Twilight, "the spell can only be cast on inanimate objects." "Humor us," said Luna. "Well, anypony who saw the caster would become enraptured with him or her," said Twilight, "Being with the caster would be their heart's true desire. They would disregard anything else they were supposed to be doing and would instead seek-" "Much like young Spike's yearning for Trixie Lulamoon?" interrupted Luna. She looked back down and rolled her eyes as the young drake reached for the window latch. Twilight, distracted from her parchment, finally noticed the loud rumbling. She stood and walked next to Luna at the window. Her jaw dropped at the sight of Trixie running for her life from a stampede of Ponyvillians. The unicorn desperately flung spells back at the crowd. Magical oil slicks materialized from nowhere, tripping up the unicorns and earth ponies, while powerful conjured gusts of wind sent Pegasi tumbling out of the air. "Spike, go fetch 'Failsafes and Fallbacks,'" she said, "that should have the counter-spell Celestia used last time." When the dragon didn't move, she looked down and groaned in frustration. Luna had managed to restrain him again with the scarf before he could open the latch to the window. "Why can't she just drop in and say hi," asked Twilight to herself. "Is it too much to ask for a nice picnic, or a milkshake with friends?" She galloped out of her study and raced through the front door. She took a wide stance and planted her hooves into the hard packed soil in front of library. Luna carefully donned her cloak and hood and placed Spike on her back. She sauntered out of the study and made her way out of the front door. She stood behind a large sign and watched as Twilight literally worked her magic. Ponyville's resident princess squeezed her eyes shut and carefully crafted a barrier spell. A curtain of shimmering lavender light began rising from the ground in a circle around the tree. Luna whistled appreciatively as the wall of magic began to form a hemispheric dome around the entire oak tree. She made a mental note to ask Twilight Sparkle about her family's ability with these wonderful shield spells. "Sparkle, wait!" shouted Trixie desperately, "Trixie would have your help!" Luna judged that there was no way the unicorn would make it to the tree before it was enveloped in the sparkling shield. Her estimate was proven correct when the unicorn pulled up at the edge of the barrier. She nervously looked over her shoulder. The stampede of ponies hot on her heels was streaming onto Ponyville's main plaza. "Let Trixie inside!" she shouted as she pounded on the outside of the dome, "they won't leave Trixie alone!" Luna remained behind the large placard and watched as Twilight casually walked to the edge of the dome opposite from Trixie. "Just answer me this Trixie," said Twilight, "Why?" "Why?!" exclaimed Trixie, "Why does it matter!? Let Trixie in Sparkle, they'll be here any second. That rainbow haired one is fast!" "Is this because I'm a princess now?" asked Twilight calmly, "Is this petty jealousy?" "Jealous!" sputtered Trixie in outrage, "Trixie didn't even know about your... transformation. Please Sparkle, let Trixie in now, they're almost here!" The showmare desperately battered her magic against the lavender dome, succeeding only in creating a shower of multicolored sparks. "Yes they are," said Twilight. She brought her foreleg up and casually inspected her hoof. "I've seen firsthoof what ponies will do under the influence of a variation of this particular spell," she said, "I wouldn't want to be pony of their tender affections." She pursed her lips, blew a bit of dirt from her hoof and waited expectantly for Trixie's reply. Trixie looked back and forth between the mob and Twilight. "Trixie just thought she could show Twilight Sparkle that she had changed," she shouted, "Trixie is learning the magic of friendship. She thought Twilight Sparkle would appreciate that." Twilight gave her head a nearly imperceptible shake and flared her magic. A small hole opened in the dome through which Trixie quickly entered. "Trixie thanks you," she said after exhaling deeply, "she has no idea what went wrong with the spell." Twilight wrapped Trixie's ear in her magic and began pulling the showmare into the library. "That's three times now Trixie," she growled, "three times you've shown up out of the blue and turned Ponyville upside down. You're up there with Discord right now, and he's an immortal spirit of Chaos. What's your excuse?" The cloaked form of princess Luna followed some distance behind the two younger mares, softly closing the door behind her after one last glimpse at the crowd of ponies now beating their hooves at the barrier. "Oww! Release Trixie!" exclaimed the unicorn, "The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn't deserve this abuse." Twilight acceded to her demand and deposited the unicorn in one of the piles of cushions on the library's main floor. "Trixie thought that Twilight Sparkle was above such brutish physicality," said Trixie as she rubbed her ear. Under Twilight's withering gaze, many ponies would have flinched, but Trixie simply returned a defiant stare of her own. Before she could unleash her righteous fury upon Trixie, Twilight felt a hoof gently rest upon her withers. "We believe thou hast more pressing matters," said Luna from beneath her deep hood. "The ponies outside must be your first priority." Twilight looked out the window and back at the obstinate unicorn. "We shall parlay with Trixie," said Luna as she nudged the younger alicorn towards the door. "You didn't say that your friend in Ponyville was Twilight Sparkle," groused Trixie after the front door slammed shut. Luna turned back to Trixie and gently placed the still squirming dragon next to her. Spike immediately wriggled his way to Trixie's side like an inchworm and gazed adoringly at the unicorn. "We travel in the same circles," said Luna as she lowered her hood, "other than our sister, Twilight is the closest we have to kin." She removed the plain cloak from her back and folded it neatly before sitting next to the stunned unicorn. "I...I...I," stuttered Trixie before stopping to collect herself. "Trixie doesn't understand. Why ask Trixie for a ride? You have wings! Why didn't you just fly here? Um...your highness." Luna snorted in amusement. "Interesting," she said aloud, "your first question isn't about our motives, rather, it is a critique of our mode of transport." Trixie indignantly glared at the princess. While her mind was racing over the question of how she attracted the attention of one of Equestria's immortal princesses, her ego stepped in as it always did, and took control. "Trixie assumes you were drawn to the stories of Trixie's grand exploits and unforgettable displays of magical prowess." "Ah, and so our purpose is easily divined," said Luna with a smirk. She ignored the flashing lights streaming through the windows of the library and stared intently into the young unicorn's eyes. "You are aware of our charge to safeguard the dreams of ponykind?" she asked solemnly. Trixie nodded slowly, her head still buzzing with confusion. "We stumbled upon thee and thy dreamscape quite by chance," said Luna, "we must admit that we rarely see such... animated... dreams. Truly such action and danger usually belong in a dream's dark twin, but 'twas obvious that thou hast enjoyed thyself." Luna smiled and raised her eyebrow. "Especially the part where you saved Twilight Sparkle from the marauding owlbears," she said with a mischievous grin. "The Great and Powerful Trixie would obviously have great and powerful dreams," said Trixie, "Trixie supposes you wish her to apologize to Sparkle for treating her so roughly in her dreams? Well forget it. Trixie is free to dream what she wishes." She folded her forelegs and turned her head to face away from the alicorn, her eyes closed and lips drawn tightly in a petulant frown. "T'would be quite unfair for us to demand repentance," said the scandalized alicorn, "Dreams are where all of our desires manifest themselves: Some are baser than others. We heard from thy own mouth that you had learned the importance of asking for forgiveness, and the joy that comes from being forgiven." "Joy might be a bit too strong a word," said Trixie softly. "Very well," said Luna, "satisfaction then. We know not what motivates thy drive for fame and power, but we know whom you compare yourself to. Had we not seen how you converse with her, we would say she was your idol." "Idol!" shouted Trixie as she stood to her hooves suddenly. She flared the magic in her horn and surrounded several bookshelves and tables with her sparkling pink aura. The furniture rose into the air and twirled around without dropping a single tome. "If Trixie had half the opportunity Twilight Sparkle had, she would been the undisputed champion of magic." "We seriously doubt it," said a thoroughly unimpressed Luna, "Twilight is better than you." "Trixie begs your pardon?" asked the unicorn, her right eye twitching. "Twilight. Sparkle. Is. Better. Than. You," said Luna. Each punctuated word visibly shook the younger unicorn. "She exceeds thee in most matters from what we can tell. 'Tis fortunate for us that it was Twilight that our sister groomed to face us upon our return," she said, "All of Equestria would be shrouded in eternal night otherwise." "Well fine then," said Trixie, "if you're done insulting Trixie, than she will be on her way. Trixie would ask you to give Twilight her regards, but you would probably tell her that Trixie was madly in love with her." A deep blue aura surrounded the mare before she could storm off and forced her back to her haunches. "'Tis not insulting to point out somepony's superior," said Luna, "We frequently point out our guards' deficiencies compared to their officers, if only to give them an example of how to better themselves. We imagine Twilight Sparkle herself was compared unfavorably to many of her predecessors. To be told that somepony is better than you is not to be told that they will always be better than you." Trixie struggled against the alicorn's magic while simultaneously trying to keep the bound young dragonling at bay. "You would know wouldn't you," she spat, "Everypony knows Celestia outshines you in every regard." "In most, yes," replied Luna, calmly refusing to take the unicorn's bait. "We could say she had advantages and opportunities we did not: Age, beauty, and ponies who were awake to appreciate her. Yes, we could and did focus on perceived inequities, but where did that lead us?" She saw the glint of gold binding on an ancient brown covered tome and pulled it from its pedestal. She flipped through the pages and stopped on a particularly terrifying depiction of Nightmare Moon. The white of the wicked mare's sharpened teeth seemed to glow in contrast to her coal black coat. "This is where that path led me," she said, "Thrall to my basest emotions and willing to inflict grievous harm upon my family, friends, and all the innocent ponies of Equestria." She still felt shame for her actions, and a single tear worked its way down her cheek. Trixie's gaze glanced towards the open book and back at the slightly shaken alicorn. She ceased her struggling and waited for Luna to continue. Minutes passed before the magical aura around her dissipated leaving the unicorn to slump forward slightly. Luna lowered the book to the ground and said nothing as she examined several of the pages. "So what would you have Trixie do?" asked a subdued Trixie. "What is it about Sparkle that makes her so much better than Trixie in your opinion?" She lowered the furniture back into place and began twisting her hat in her hooves as she did when she was nervous. "Trixie thought it was her friends, so she found the magic of friendship for herself." Luna wiped the dampness from her cheeks and smiled. "Friendship is not something one can find on one's own," she said with a chuckle, "and tis not as simple as casting a spell." The alicorn rose to her hooves and looked at the window. Twilight stood talking with the other elements of harmony, gesturing at the tree wildly as the crowd of ponies went back to their daily routines. "We have a proposal for you, Trixie Lulamoon," said Luna, "let us call it a chance to better thyself." When the front door opened and Twilight walked through, her face a thunderhead of anger, Luna smiled and knelt to face the unicorn. "We're sure Twilight will have words for you first though," she said with amusement, "If you wish to hear our offer, we will wait at your cart." Before turning to leave she leaned in and whispered in the young unicorn's ear, "Remember the joy of forgiveness." "Princess Luna?" asked Twilight cautiously. "She is all yours Twilight Sparkle," said Luna, "We believe you have a spell to counter and lesson to teach our would be apprentice." The devious grin that split the younger alicorn's face caused Luna to laugh to herself as she exited the library and made her way to the large covered wagon.