//------------------------------//
// Twilight's Family (Part 1) 
// Story: So...What Now? 
// by MythrilMoth 
//------------------------------//

Twilight's family stared up at the massive, vibrantly-colored tree-palace, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. This went on for what felt like several minutes, until Cadance finally spoke.

"Trade you?"

"Nope, uh-uh, no way in Equestria," Shining Armor said emphatically. "There's no way I'd climb around in that every day."

Twilight giggled.

"He's getting a bit lazy lately," Cadance stage-whispered. "Just look at that pot belly."

"HEY!" Shining Armor cried indignantly. The mares all laughed.

Night Light patted his son's shoulder with a hoof. "Your mother does that to me all the time," he said.

"I really want to show you all around," Twilight said, "but..." She motioned around to the workers, who were already in gear, hauling things into the palace while Amber Glow shouted at them. Spike was hovering near Amber Glow, holding a clipboard. The buffet service wagons were mostly gone; the picked-over remains of the earlier breakfast buffet had been piled onto one wagon, and a bored-looking mare Twilight didn't immediately recognize was watching over it.

"Oh, that's okay," Cadance said cheerfully. "We're all sticking around Ponyville for a week."

"Really?" Twilight asked, perking up. She tilted her head. "Are you sure you and Shiny can—"

"I have very capable aides and advisors," Cadance said with a smile. "If there's any trouble, I can be back in the Crystal Empire in no time on the Crystal Express."

"Besides, the whole Tirek thing didn't spill over into the Empire," Shining Armor said. "Somehow, he missed the Crystal Empire reappearing, and...I guess Discord forgot to tell him about it."

"Not like he'd have gotten very far with the Crystal Heart protecting the Empire," Cadance said. "Even without me there, the Heart's power is formidable."

"Well, that's good," Twilight said.

A massive oak display cabinet crashed to the ground near the palace entrance. A blast of feedback squealed from Amber Glow's megaphone, and she shouted a litany of obscenities at the workers who had dropped it.

Cadance stared, wide-eyed. "I don't even think that's anatomically possible," she said quietly.

"Her mother must be very proud of her," Velvet said with a frown.

Shining blinked. "Wow. I haven't heard some of those words since boot camp."

Twilight sighed. "And just think, I have to put up with four more days of this."

"Ouch," Cadance said with a grimace.

Spike wandered over, scales pale and digging in his ear with a claw. "Sweet succulent sapphires that mare has a nasty mouth," he muttered. "Hi Mom, hi Dad, hi Shiny, hi Princess Cadance, welcome to the gutter."

"You left impressionable young Spike with that...that?!" Velvet demanded sharply.

Twilight shrugged. "I needed a liaison," she said plaintively. "Spike, did Amber Glow handle the, uh...little problem?"

"Yeah, she sent the fastest pegasus she could find to pick up a new toilet seat," Spike said.

Twilight's parents raised their eyebrows. Shining grinned.

Twilight blushed. "SPIKE!"

"What? A freezing cold toilet seat is nothing to be embarrassed about," Spike said. "I mean, happens to everypony, right?"

"Oh, tell me about it," Cadance said. "I had to enchant all the toilet seats in the Crystal Empire to be self-warming."

Twilight shuffled her hooves. "So, uh...you're here, and we can...catch up and stuff...we can't really go into the palace right now with all that going on, so..." She trailed off.

Spike rolled his eyes. "Why don't you make the rounds of Ponyville? Give Mom and Dad the tour, meet up with all our friends..."

"Oh, yes! Of course," Twilight said. She paused. "Have you...made arrangements? Sleeping arrangements, I mean? Since...again, the palace..."

"Oh, we've taken care of that," Velvet said. "Your father called in a favor from Mr. Rich, the owner of Barnyard Bargains. He has plenty of guest rooms."

"Great!" Twilight said. "Then let's get going...Spike, you're coming along, right?"

"Don't you need a liaison here?" Spike asked.

Twilight smirked. "Do you WANT to stay here learning new swear words I'll yell at you for knowing?"

"So like I was saying, let's go to Carousel Boutique first!" Spike said with a huge grin.


* * * * *


"We've finished mapping out the floor plan of the palace," an exhausted, lathering worker reported to Amber Glow, presenting her with a roll of parchment.

"Zer gut," Amber Glow said as she scanned the map. "Hmm. Interesting. Zis vill require some resinking mit our approach..."

"Problem?" Princess Celestia asked from behind her.

Amber Glow turned around. "Ach! Your Highness, please do not startle me so!"

Celestia chuckled. "My apologies. So, what did you find?"

Amber Glow presented the map of the palace to Celestia. "Zer appear to be not one, but six sets of royal suites. Zese ozzers vere not found in our initial survey. Admittedly, ze first survey vas...somevat rushed."

Celestia nodded. "I expected this."

"You did?" Amber Glow asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yes. Didn't you notice the six thrones in the atrium? Well...six and a half."

Amber Glow paused. "Ach." She frowned. "So vhat should ve do?"

"For the moment, continue work as planned. We'll need to consult with the rightful owners of those suites regarding their needs and tastes..."


* * * * *


"My, what a charming building!" Velvet said as the group approached Carousel Boutique.

"Almost as charming as the pony that lives in it," Spike said.

"Wow, you weren't kidding about his crush on Rarity," Cadance whispered to Twilight.

Twilight giggled as she opened the door.

Hearing the shop bell jingle, Rarity, who was bustling about inside, called out, "I'll be with you in a moment! I'm afraid I'm getting a bit of a late start this morning..."

"It's just me, Rarity," Twilight called.

"Oh! Twilight, darling!" Rarity turned to greet Twilight. She then took in the crowd that had accompanied her and took a step backward, raising a hoof. "Oh, and...hello, everyone." She smiled delicately.

"My family's spending the week in Ponyville," Twilight said. "I can't give them a tour of the palace yet, so I thought I'd show them around Ponyville."

"Oh, how delightful!" Rarity said. "Well, do come in then!"

As the group filed into the boutique and fanned out, Twilight Velvet studied some of the fashions on display. "I see now why you get written up in so many magazines in Canterlot," she said. "I might have to buy an outfit or two while I'm in town."

Rarity laughed. "Oh, please...your money is no good here!" she said. "For Twilight's family, I'm only too happy to offer whatever you desire, free of charge."

"Oh, I couldn't possibly take advantage of you!" Velvet said. "I'm not big on receiving special treatment just because I'm the mother of a princess..."

"Oh, Twilight being a princess has nothing to do with it, darling!" Rarity said. "It's because she's one of my best friends."

"Rarity's the most generous pony in Equestria," Spike said dreamily.

"So, Twilight," Rarity asked as she directed several things to fly around the showroom, "How are things at the palace?"

"Busy, noisy, and not especially foal-friendly," Twilight said. "On the plus side, the royal suite is amazing! Spike has his own room now, and he loves it!"

"I sure do," Spike said. "I've got a nice, comfortable bed, and a treasure chest to put my jewels in!"

"Well, that's wonderful!" Rarity said happily. "I've always thought you deserved better than an old basket on the floor, Spikey-poo."

"Hey, that basket and I go way back!" Spike said. "Besides, I may not be as greedy as other dragons, but I still have the same nesting instincts. And my new bed is really more of a big, plush nest." He tilted his head. "Now that I think about it, though, it is nice to have more room to spread out."

"So how's your room, dear?" Velvet asked Twilight. "I imagine it's rather like being back in Canterlot, judging by the look of your palace..."

Twilight smiled. "Actually? Everypony went out of their way to make me feel right at home. My rooms have been decorated to look like the library. A lot bigger, of course." She giggled. "It may not be very princessly, but it's just perfect for me. It...it really helps." She sniffled and wiped at her eye with a hoof.

An uncomfortable silence descended over the room.

"You know, dear," Velvet said, "we do have an awful lot of your old things in your old room, and some of the stuff you didn't bring to Ponyville with you is in the attic. Just say the word and anything we have at home..."

Twilight smiled. "Thank you, Mom." She sighed. "I'm...still coping with what happened to the library."

"I wish we could've seen it before..." Night Light said. "I wish we'd come to Ponyville sooner."

"Goodness, I'd almost forgotten!" Rarity said suddenly. "Twilight, I'd very much like to create some tapestries for the new palace."

"That'd be great!" Twilight said happily.

"I was thinking of tapestries commemorating the six of us," Rarity said. "Oh, and Spike too of course. You know, so the throne room isn't so...cold."

Twilight's brow furrowed. "Just...be sure you focus on our friendship, and not...well...I mean..." She paused. "Oh, how do I want to put this..."

"She doesn't want tapestries bragging about how great we all are," Spike said. "Just how great our friendship is."

"Yes, that!" Twilight said, nodding happily.

Rarity frowned. "Oh, but...darling...you simply must make allowances for grandeur!" She sighed. "But yes, I do see your point. How about...a compromise?"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Okay Rarity, I'll just leave it to you." She looked around. "Well...we should be moving along now. See you later!"

"Have a good day! It was nice seeing you all!"

As they left, Twilight sighed. "I'm going to be spending the rest of my life looking at a giant version of me in full-blown princess mode, I just know it."

Cadance giggled. "Twilight...you've really got to start just accepting some of the perks that come with your crown. I understand you're still not comfortable with all this princess stuff, but, well...you're going to be one for a long time, so you'd better start getting used to it."

"She's right, you know," Velvet said. "You're only twenty-two, dear. You've already accomplished more in such a short time than a lot of ponies three times your age. It really is time you accept the pony you're growing into."

"You should listen to your mother," Cadance said. "A hundred years or so from now, that tapestry of you as a great and powerful ruler might not bother you so much."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Oh, Cadance...I doubt I'll even care about things like tapestries when I'm that old. If I ever get that old. I mean, look at Granny Smith..." She giggled. "If I'm even still around in a hundred years, I'll be more worried about where I left my teeth!"

Cadance stopped walking, eyes wide. "Uhh...Twilight...you do realize you're immortal now, right?"

Twilight froze. "Wait...WHAT?!"


* * * * *


Celestia walked into Ponyville Town Hall and found the former mayor hard at work.

"Good morning, Polly."

"Oh, Your Highness!" Polly Mare rose from her desk and bowed.

"I just wanted to see how you're adjusting."

Polly shrugged. "Well, until Princess Twilight comes in and actually starts making any changes, there isn't really anything for me to do except try to sort the papers on my desk." She paused. "I mean, her desk. I'm pretty sure this is her office now."

"That's for you and Princess Twilight to work out," Celestia said. "By the way, I wouldn't expect to see her today if I were you. Her family is in town for a visit."

"Oh, how lovely! I don't believe I've ever met her family before."

"They are wonderful ponies," Celestia said. Her horn glowed, and a sheaf of parchment appeared. "I would like you to place this in your inbox, and bring it to Princess Twilight's attention at the earliest convenient opportunity."

Polly took the parchment from Celestia and gave it a cursory scan. "A guard barracks?"

"I believe there is adequate land in Ponyville," Celestia said. "I would like it to be given equal priority to the construction of the new library."

"Of course," Polly said in a distracted tone. "I'll let Princess Twilight know as soon as..." She tilted her head. "But why, if I may ask?"

Celestia smiled. "Princess Twilight now has a crown, a palace, a domain, and a role to play in Equestria. There is only one thing that remains. She must have her own Royal Guard."

Polly frowned. "I'm not sure she's going to like that idea," she said.

"Oh, she's absolutely going to hate it," Celestia said with a giggle. "Well, I'm off. Have a wonderful day, my little pony!"


* * * * *


Cadance tilted her head. "You didn't know?"

Twilight's right ear twitched as she breathed heavily.

"That's funny," Shining Armor said. "Twiley usually knows everything..."

"I thought everypony knew alicorns are immortal," Night Light said.

"You okay, Twilight?" Spike asked.

Twilight took a deep breath, placed a hoof to her chest, and exhaled, extending her hoof straight out. She closed her eyes for a moment, sighed, then looked around at her family. "Honestly? I hadn't even given it any thought," she admitted. "I mean, I'm still getting used to the fact that I am an alicorn. It never even occurred to me that...that I'd..."

"Why don't we go visit another of your friends?" Velvet suggested smoothly. "And we've still got quite a bit of Ponyville to see."

Twilight took another deep breath, then smiled. "You're right. I can freak out about that...other thing...later." Her ears drooped. "Much later." She looked around at her family. "Soooo...where would you like to go next?"

"How about Sweet Apple Acres?" Spike suggested. "I mean, no tour of Ponyville is complete without—"

"—where it all began," Twilight finished. "Good idea, Spike!" She gave Shining Armor a sly smirk. "Besides, somepony could use the exercise."

"Hey!" Shining protested indignantly, a somewhat petulant whine to his voice. Everypony laughed.

"Good call," Cadance said. "After all, I need him in tip-top shape a couple weeks from now."

"Oh?" Velvet asked. "What for, if I may ask?"

"AHH! Cadance, don't—!"

Cadance stuffed a hoof in her husband's mouth. "We're about to try for a foal," she said.

Twilight gasped. Velvet let out a high-pitched, girlish squeal. "EEE! I'm going to be a grandmother!"

"Wow," Twilight said. "Umm...okay! I'm really happy for you!" She paused, and muttered, "Didn't really need advance warning, though..."

"So!" Shining Armor said loudly, a note of panic in his voice. "Let's head to Sweet Apple Acres!"

The others laughed, and soon the group was underway. "You said something about 'where it all began'?" Velvet asked.

"That's right," Twilight said. "The Apple Family settled Sweet Apple Acres when Granny Smith was a filly. Ponyville grew up around their homestead." She smiled. "Ponyville is one of the youngest towns in Equestria. One of its founders is still alive!"

After several minutes of walking, they saw the gates of Sweet Apple Acres. They also saw Applejack muttering under her breath as she struggled to pry a nail out of a fence post that had rotted through. Beside her on the ground lay a brand new, freshly-painted replacement fence post.

"Consarned...son of a horseapple..." they heard her grumble as they drew nearer.

"Applejack!" Twilight called out. "Need any help?"

Applejack turned, dropping her hammer. "Oh, hey Twi...and Princess Cadance...and Twi's whole entire family..."

"Hello, Applejack," Cadance said. "It's wonderful to see you again."

Twilight trotted ahead of the group, examining the mangled, rusted nail. "Applejack, I know you don't want me interfering with your farm chores, but—"

"Actually, Ah'd be mighty grateful," Applejack said. "Ah've been tryin' t' pull that there nail out for half an hour now."

"Wow, that's one stubborn nail," Twilight said. Her horn glowed brightly. Magenta flames wreathed the nail and the rotted fencepost. In a bright flash of light, they ceased to exist. The new fencepost and two nails from Applejack's toolbox glowed magenta and levered themselves into place. An audible magical hum filled the air as the nails pounded themselves into the fence rails with a loud percussive bang.

Applejack's jaw dropped. "Holy hayseed, Twi..." She leaned forward and gave the new fence post a tentative knock with her hoof. "Solid as a rock..."

"Now that that's taken care of," Twilight said cheerfully, "I was hoping you might give my family a tour of Sweet Apple Acres."

Applejack smiled. "Sure thing." She motioned to the others with a hoof. "C'mon, ever'pony. Granny's cookin' up a mess of apple fritters for th' ponies workin' up at th' palace, but Ah'm sure we can spare a few fer y'all."

The group followed Applejack into the farm. As they walked up the trail to the farmhouse, Twilight's parents gawked at the surrounding orchards. "I've never seen so many apple trees!" Night Light said.

Applejack chuckled. "Hehe, yep. Sweet Apple Acres is one'a th' biggest apple orchards in Equestria. Even without th' west orchard an' th' two acres we lost t' them vampire fruit bats, we've still got a pretty good crop."

"What's wrong with the west orchard?" Cadance asked.

"Fruit bats," Applejack said simply. "Th' regular kind, not th' vampire kind. Whole west orchard's infested. They're content t' settle there, though, so we gave up gettin' 'em out ages ago." She shrugged. "It's just as well. We don't got enough ponies t' buck th' whole Acres. We barely get th' work done every applebuck season as it is."

As they reached the house, Velvet asked, "Can't you hire on farmhands to help with the harvest?"

Applejack chuckled. "Shucks, we ain't got th' bits fer that. Nope, it's just me an' Big Mac when applebuck season rolls around. An' Apple Bloom helps how she can. An' mah friends do their part when we're in a crunch." She looked at Twilight. "Remember that first applebuck season after you came t' Ponyville, Twilight?"

Twilight laughed. "How could I forget? You were a one-pony wrecking crew."

"Yeah, well...Ah learnt mah lesson well," Applejack said. "Although Ah still don't much care fer usin' magic t' do earth pony work 'ceptin' as a last resort."

"Oh, I bet next applebuck season, I can help out just as much without magic," Twilight said. "And I'm gonna take first place at the Running of the Leaves this year!"

"You only came in third last year," Applejack reminded.

Twilight grinned. "We'll see."

Cadance raised an eyebrow. "Twilight, you're not competing in races and stuff, are you?"

"Only every now and then," Twilight said. "And it's more to have fun with all my friends than anything. But the Running of the Leaves is very important, and a lot of fun!"

"So...you really harvest all these trees with just two ponies?"

"We try to," Applejack said as she opened the door and ushered her guests inside. "It was a lot easier goin' when Ma an' Pa were still alive, but..." She sighed. "Me an' Big Mac get by, an' like Ah said...Ah know Ah can count on mah friends for help."

"Yeah, well, maybe you'd have an easier time of it if THIS big galoot'd jes' settle down an' start a family!" Granny Smith's voice interjected.

The group turned to see Big Macintosh sitting at the kitchen table drinking apple juice, and Granny Smith brandishing a mixing spoon.

"Now, Granny," Big Macintosh said, "Ah done toldja, Ah ain't ready fer—"

Applejack sighed. "Can y'all NOT have this argument in front'a comp'ny?"

"Sorry, AJ," Big Macintosh said gruffly. He looked up, and his eyes widened. "Princess Cadance!" He stood and bowed deeply.

"Well howdy-do, Yer Highness!" Granny said. "Land sakes, yer jes' about th' one princess Ah ain't met yet!"

Cadance giggled. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Granny Smith, I take it?"

"Th' one an' only!"

She smiled, then turned to Big Macintosh. "Please, rise. Big Macintosh, correct? I've heard a lot about you from Princess Luna."

Big Macintosh's eyes widened. "Say whut now?"

Twilight blinked. "You know Luna?"

"They spent quite a bit of time together at one of Ponyville's town festivals, from what I hear," Cadance said slyly. "I get the impression she was very taken with you."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Now how come Ah ain't heard none about this?"

Big Macintosh began to sweat. "Uhh..."

"I thought you and Cheerilee were a couple," Twilight interjected with a frown.

"Eenope," Big Macintosh said. "Ah mean...she's nice an' all, but..."

"Yeah, Ah've noticed ever since that stunt Apple Bloom an' her friends pulled, Cheerilee's been mighty keen on..." Applejack trailed off. "Huh."

Cadance giggled. "I'm surprised a big strong stallion like Big Macintosh isn't already spoken for," she said.

"You know," Shining Armor said, "your granny's got a point. You're about the same age as me...you really should think about settling down."

Applejack rolled her eyes, but added, "Well, one of us does need t' carry on th' Apple lineage here mighty quick." Her eyes drifted in a direction that didn't quite focus on anypony present. "An' uhh...Ah ain't quite th' type t' have a foal."

"So uhh...anypony want some apple fritters?" Granny asked suddenly. "Got a fresh batch coolin'."

Twilight and her family sat and ate fritters with the Apples, spending some time visiting and deliberately avoiding the earlier topic of conversation. After they'd spent a good forty minutes in the Apple home, Twilight announced that they needed to move on, because they still had sights to see and ponies to visit.

As they left the farm and headed up the road to Ponyville proper, Twilight asked, "So...where to next?"

"Actually..." Cadance said hesitantly. "I'd...I'd like to..." She paused, trailing off. "Nevermind."

"What?" Twilight asked.

Cadance looked down. "Forget it."

Shining frowned. "I think she was about to ask to stop by...the library."

Twilight looked down, ears drooping. "Oh."

"I'm sorry, Twilight. I—I wasn't thinking..."

"No, it's okay," Twilight said. "I think I understand. It's like...visiting a pony's grave."

"Yeah," Cadance said, ears flat against her head.

Twilight sighed. "Yeah, let's...let's go by there."

"We don't have to—"

"No," Twilight said. "It's fine. This is something I need to get used to." She led the way; the others fell silently in step behind her.


* * * * *


A brightly-painted, magic-driven wagon drove through the streets of Ponyville, earning angry glares and hoof-shakes as ponies were forced to leap out of its path. The wagon pulled to a stop before the ruined, blackened stump of the Golden Oak Library. A door opened, and a blue unicorn descended to the ground.

"Twilight Sparkle...Trixie has returned, despite suffering strange and inexplicable hardships in recent days, and she—is talking to a stump. What?"

Trixie glanced around. Spotting a pink mare with a curly mane, she seized her in her magic and dragged her over. "You! I remember you! You're a friend of Twilight Sparkle. Where is she? The Great and Powerful Trixie demands answers!"

"AAAAH!! You're here to exact your vengeance on Twilight for making you look like a total dork again! You'd better not take my mouth away again or I'll kick you a whole lot, and it'll hurt! Trust me, it'll hurt a LOT! Because I'm an earth pony and I grew up on a rock farm!"

"Trixie is not going to hurt you! And Trixie is not here for vengeance! Trixie is here for..." Trixie paused. "Actually, Trixie is not entirely certain WHY she is here, except she wishes to speak to Twilight Sparkle! Now, WHERE IS TWILIGHT SPARKLE?!"

"Princess Twilight Sparkle is right here, Trixie. Now let go of Pinkie."

Trixie spun around to find Twilight Sparkle, her pet dragon, and several unfamiliar ponies standing behind her, their faces displaying varying degrees of surprise and hostility. She released her magical hold on the pink mare. "So good of you to show yourself, Twilight Spar...kle..."

Trixie took a closer look at Twilight, and her jaw dropped. "What the—"

"Dear? Who or what is this?"

Twilight took a step forward, spreading her wings to their full, majestic span. "Trixie, if you're here to cause trouble again..."

Trixie took a step back, raising a forehoof. Her ears flattened against her head. "...Twilight Sparkle? You...you're an alicorn?"

"You will address her as Princess Twilight Sparkle," a second alicorn said in a dangerous tone.

Trixie wilted, looking around at the ponies arrayed before her with a hesitant expression. "What's going on here?" she whined. "I don't understand any of this..."

Pinkie walked forward and patted Trixie on the shoulder. "There there. Let me explain." She took a deep breath...

"Twilight'sturnedintoaprincesssincethelasttimeyoucametoPonyvilleandthenshesaved
PonyvillefromalotofbigscarynastyvinesandthenwegotamagicboxfromtheTreeofHarmony
andthenwespentmostofthepastyeardoingnormaleverydaystuffbutwealsofoundthekeysto
theboxwithoutevenrealizingituntilthisbignastyjerkescapedfromTartarusandstarted
stealingeverypony'smagicandthenTwilightsavedEquestriafromthebignastyjerkexcept
herlibrarygotblownupwhileshewasfightinghimandthenweunlockedtheboxandgotsuper
powersandtookbackallthestolenmagicandgaveitbacktotheponiesandthenthisGIANT
ENORMOUSPALACEGREWRIGHTOUTOFTHEGROUNDandthat'sprettymucheverythingimportant
thathappenedinseasonfourandalsoDaringDoisreal."

Trixie blinked stupidly at Pinkie. "What?"

Pinkie started to take another deep breath, but Twilight teleported her behind her parents. "Trixie...a few days ago, you had your magic stolen by a centaur, right?"

"Yes..." Trixie said.

"Well that same centaur destroyed the library," Twilight said. "I fought him to a stalemate, and then my friends and I defeated him and returned all the magic to all the ponies who were attacked." She turned her head to face the giant palace that towered over Ponyville. "After that, the Tree of Harmony created this palace for me and my friends."

Trixie turned her head. As she beheld the palace, her eyes bugged out and her jaw dropped. "How in the hay did Trixie miss THAT?!" she exclaimed.

"Gee, can't imagine," Spike muttered. Beside him, Cadance giggled.

"So...you fought that horrid centaur, and then you became an alicorn?"

"No, I was already an alicorn," Twilight clarified. "I've been an alicorn for several months now."

Trixie frowned. "How dare you become an alicorn without notifying Trixie?" she challenged.

"Uhh...I don't even know where you live," Twilight said. "And even if I did, well...there's still the little fact that we've only met twice, and both times ended in you being made a fool of and running away." She tilted her head. "Actually, why are you here?"

Trixie stood tall and proud. "The Great And Powerful TRIXIE! goes where she pleases!" she insisted.

"Okay, but why are you here?"

Trixie frowned. "After being attacked, having her magic drained, and then having it returned, Trixie felt...compelled to visit Ponyville." She paused. "Trixie...needed a hug."

Spike fell over.

Twilight rolled her eyes. "You don't have much in the way of friends or family, do you?"

"Trixie does not," Trixie admitted.

"Awww," Pinkie said. "That's so sad!"

Twilight sighed and awkwardly hugged Trixie. "Tell you what," she said. "Why don't you stick around Ponyville for a while? I'm pretty sure there's room for you up at the palace."

"Really?" Trixie asked. "You...you would allow Trixie to live...there??"

"Of course!" Twilight said with a bright smile. "Besides," she added with a smirk, "I haven't hired a court jester yet..."