Notes: So, I'm thinking of the dangling plot bits (wow that actually sounds kinda dirty for some reason...) from Ursae Majoris, and then I wrote some stuff about Fluttershy having to deal with Trixie and Twilight having friendship problems and then some other stuff about [spoilerz for later in the story etc.] and then I thought to myself "Hey, there are apparently some people that liked reading Ursae Majoris. Maybe they'd like reading this too! And maybe some other people would also like reading spinoff stuff without having any idea what's going on! Might as well publish this!" So then I did.
Sometimes You Just Need Somepony To Talk To
It was a breezy autumn day when Twilight first came to Fluttershy's cottage for advice. Fluttershy had been taken aback at first: why would Ponyville's premier thinker and professional friendship-advice-giver need her help? As it turned out, Trixie had been causing problems. Well, that's what Twilight seemed to think at least. Truthfully, it didn't seem like either of them were entirely blameless. Trixie may have been obnoxious and troublesome, but Twilight had made very little effort to interact with her beyond the Ursa Major Incident.
Sure, she had agreed to Trixie's demands for housing and work, and she had nursed those injuries she had gotten in the forest doing... whatever it was that Twilight had sent her out for. She had even dragged her drunk flank back to the library after she had said some rather... inappropriate things. (By Celestia, was Fluttershy glad she hadn't been witness to that.)
However, the fact remained: Twilight hadn't actually tried very hard to be friendly toward Trixie whatsoever. So Fluttershy informed her of this. After some rather awkward... insinuations on Fluttershy's part (she honestly did not mean to imply that Twilight was a bad friend!), Twilight agreed to try working harder to get along with Trixie. As they were parting, Fluttershy spoke the words.
The most terrible words she had ever spoken, even including unfortunate, accidental implications concerning Twilight Sparkle's character. The words that would forever go down in history (or at least in her journal) as the source of all evil. Or at least some evil. Really, it's not that evil but it caused such a Celestia darned nuisance at times. But yes, those words:
"Bye Twilight Sparkle! I hope if all works out for you. And, uh, if you ever need my help, feel free to stop by!"
-one week later-
Fluttershy was startled from her daily chores by the sound of knocking at her front door. She opened it to see none other than Trixie standing before her. She was wearing her strange white cape (how did she get that "negative sparkle" effect?) and feathered hat. Rarity had told her about it, but she had also said that Trixie had supposedly switched back to her old cape and hat after (technically) receiving them from Twilight.
"Oh, um... hello Trixie. Can I help you?" Trixie proceeded to enter Fluttershy's cottage and glance around, looking very nervous. This seemed uncharacteristic based on what Fluttershy had heard about her.
"Twilight has told me that you are a good pony to talk to if one needs advice, or at least somepony to talk to. I... admit that I am feeling a little... adviceless?" Trixie gave Fluttershy a hopeful glance.
Normally, Fluttershy disliked talking with other ponies, although she could make exceptions for her friends. In this case, however... she was still apprehensive. She could still try, though: it would be impolite to refuse. "Um, okay. I'll go prepare some tea, and we can talk."
A few minutes later, after some tea leaves had been brutally submerged in hot water, Fluttershy felt ready to face one of her greatest challenges: successful social interaction with another pony. She knew of Trixie from Twilight and her other friends, but she hadn't had the opportunity to meet her personally. She felt a little guilty about that. Still, it had only been, what, a week or two since she had arrived? And there had been that whole "national emergency" thing at the time. Fluttershy figured she could forgive herself this once.
"So, uh, what exactly is bothering you?"
Trixie sighed dramatically. "It's that blasted eun-" Fluttershy cut her off with a sudden glare. "Er... unicorn, Twilight Sparkle! Can you believe that she sent me out to collect flowers the other day!? Me! Trixie! Harvesting flowers! I don't care how magical they are, this is demeaning! Sometimes I question whether she really is a Canterlot snob, despite my previous evaluation of her!"
"But... isn't that what you were, well... "hired for" implies that Twilight was the one making the choice, but-"
"That's the thing! I was hired before this whole "Savior of Equestria" thing! I don't know why she spent so much time convincing me that I actually wasn't a complete waste of space during the whole fiasco if she was just going to treat me like this afterward! I mean, all that work and Princess Luna takes all the credit! Sure, she deserves most of it, but I didn't do nothing! Twilight could at least try to acknowledge that, like she did before!"
"Um, I notice that you're getting better at using the correct pronouns..."
Trixie rolled her eyes. "Don't patronize me. It's a self-esteem thing, not an ignorance of basic grammar. You can ask Twilight next time she reports on her little "let's fix the broken mare!" project. I'm sure she's perfectly willing to spill all the juicy details of my psychological profile. She'll probably write a research paper on me and everything."
Fluttershy shook her head. "Look, I don't know exactly what is going on between you and Twilight Sparkle, but I do know that Twilight is only trying to help you however she can. She wants to be friends with you, Trixie, even if she doesn't know why herself."
"I believe you when you say she doesn't know why, but I don't suppose you have any insights on her compulsive friendliness?"
"Well, um, I'm not sure if I should be speculating like this, but I think that part of it is that she wants to prove that it's possible. If she can become friends with you, then I think she would feel vindicated for valuing and researching friendship so much. She might think that it's a great example of just how powerful friendship can be."
"Wow, thanks. Let's see if we can overcome Trixie's inability to form meaningful relationships as an experiment! I feel much better now."
Fluttershy frowned "That's not what I meant! And this isn't a one-sided problem. Twilight came over last week because she wanted to know what she was doing wrong."
"Ha! And what was she doing "wrong" anyway? I certainly didn't notice her throwing verbal abuse at me!"
Fluttershy glared at her again. Trixie was being deliberately obtuse. "She was running away from you at first. I'm not sure exactly why, but when she realized it she felt really bad. She doesn't want to drive you away again, so the very least you can do is try to get along with her in return!"
Trixie sat stock still, mouth agape. She blinked a few times. "I had gathered from Pinkie Pie that you were soft-spoken and, well, doormatish." Did this unicorn often make up words when she was nervous?
Fluttershy huffed lightly. "I'm not a doormat! Well, maybe I am... but I don't want you and Twilight ruining your friendship over something silly." She took a breath and paused. She really didn't want to say what she was going to say. If she could somehow find a way to live up to her title as world champ of "Shhh", she would. But for some reason, her vocal chords decided to become decidedly more effective today. "I think you and Twilight should each come talk with me every other day. I think I can help you two get along better."
Trixie's gaze flitted about nervously. She looked like she was trying to avoid admitting to something particularly painful, like it was the kind of confession where everypony present is already aware of the truth, but the perpetrator is still required to confirm that she knows what she did. Eventually she decided that staring at the floor was the best course of action, lest it try to escape while she wasn't looking.
"Trixie..."
"...Alright. I'll come over every other day. I don't know if Twilight really needs to bother, but I'll let you tell her, if you really want: I'll... admit... I don't want to ruin whatever potential friendship I might have, but I'm not going to start scheduling her life for her."
"Thank you, Trixie. For what it's worth, I'll gladly consider you a friend, if you want."
Trixie looked nonplussed. "I... I... uh... right. Trixie accepts your friendship, Fluttershy. A-As long as you aren't trying to get any further obligations out of her!"
"No, not at all! I just think that you could use another friend." Fluttershy gave her a wide smile.
"Hmph, Trixie is not- you- I mean... another... never mind. Th-Thanks... Trixie must depart now!" Trixie quickly got up and made for the door. "She has yet to finish collecting the ingredients that Twilight requested. Even if her work is demeaning, she must earn her keep." She turned around at the threshold and bowed. "Farewell, Fluttershy!"
Fluttershy waved. "O-Okay. Goodbye?" After Trixie closed the door, Fluttershy's head decided that the desk was an appropriate resting place, and adhered to it, post-haste. Fluttershy groaned. She still wasn't sure why she had volunteered to more advice giving. At this rate, she'd get a reputation for helping ponies, which would mean more ponies coming to her for help, which would mean more talking to ponies!
She was doomed.