A Wish the Heart Makes

by HermitKlam

Donuts

“…ey…….limits…..”

Twilight groaned as she dazedly woke up to a dull pain suffusing her whole body. The strain of breaking through the barrier on her magic coupled with the strain her not-quite-controlled fall had placed on her small wings had been painful. It had not, however, prepared her for the backlash that had assailed her slight form as her weak barrier impacted the bush with startling force. It was perhaps a blessing that she had blacked out in the split second between her barrier shattering and her body hitting the ground.

“…Guar….dem…show…..yo…slf…..”

Twilight sighed internally before initiating her emergency post-experiment procedure; she needed to know what state she was in before she could go back to panicking about what state she was in. Preliminary observations suggested bruising along most of her body, if the dull aching was anything to go by, as well as a – hopefully temporary – problem with her auditory senses.

Secondary observations required her to actively test instead of relying on simple passive observation. Twilight started with her wings by giving them a small twitch. The pain was… bearable, if unwelcome. She supposed it didn’t come as a surprise that one or both of them were most likely contused, if not outright sprained. Still, it would be dangerous and irresponsible of her to simply let them dangle at her sides, and so she painstakingly folded them up with a wince.

Taking a moment to breathe through the pain, she waited until the sensation faded back into bearable levels before continuing. Next on the list were her limbs. Twitching each of her legs, she slowly tested her range of movement before sighing in relief- though she was met with the expected ache, nothing seemed to be missing or broken.

She already knew that there was a problem with her hearing, because while it wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility, she highly doubted that there was a swarm of bees buzzing around her head. Checking things off on her mental checklist, she moved on to the next item. Slowly cracking open her eyes, she was met with a blur of green. Blinking a few times brought her eyesight into focus, the green blur solidifying into a mass of leaves.

Again, no surprise – she had, after all, aimed for a bush.

Another successful check was added to the list as she continued.

Here Twilight paused before steeling herself. It was time to test her magic. She started small by simply accessing her magic and letting it flow along her horn. This was followed by the immediate unpleasant sensation of something prodding her brain, bringing to mind the many times she had suffered from overusing her magic. Not willing to take any chances with her magic on the line, Twilight decided to take her test one step further to be completely certain of her self-prognosis. Focusing, she determinedly pushed away the nervousness roiling in her stomach and decided to simply pluck one of the leaves off the bush with her magic. Enveloping the leaf in her pink aura, she gave a light tug.

The results were… surprising, to say the least.

While her target was successfully plucked, the rest of the bush unexpectedly exploded outwards in a blast of uncontrolled magic. Each leaf that had been previously attached to the bush shot out simultaneously in an arc, leaving the slightly singed alicorn sprawled out in a tangled mess of bare branches.

So…

Twilight blinked, nonplussed as her ears rung.

Not quite what she had in mind. The test was technically inconclusive, but… she’d treat it as magic depletion anyway and wait a while to try again. Just to be safe.

“…rea….ff limi….”

With the bush practically see-through now, Twilight moved her head to look to see if her explosion was confined to the bush she was currently occupying only to startle as she came nose to hoof with somepony. Craning her head, the hoof before her faded into a large white stallion with a deep frown on his face. A stallion with a familiar set of armor.

A guard.

But why did he look so angry…?

Twilight tilted her head in confusion, and watched as the guard’s mouth moved as he spoke. All Twilight heard, however, was the loud buzzing interspersed with faint vocal sounds, however they were too broken up to piece together.

The guard spoke again, his frown deepening at her silence. Despite the fact that it appeared as if he spoke louder, it did not help Twilight understand him.

Twilight decided to look at the whole situation objectively, and try to piece together his behaviour that way. She was currently laying in a bush in the garden that she had magically decimated. She was also feeling… not quite herself at the moment, to put it lightly.

So she was in an unknown – to most ponies - form, squatting in the destroyed leftovers of a bush in the inner garden.

The inner, royal garden.

The royal garden which was off limits to…

Ah.

The whole situation made sense now. It was all a misunderstanding. Once she cleared everything up she’d enlist his help in returning to her room. Hopefully Luna had come up with a solution and everything would be as it once was.

Clearing her throat, Twilight was about to set everything straight when she was unceremoniously lifted up in an unfamiliar magic. Squeaking in surprise, she was floated ahead of the guard as he immediately began to trot towards the exit. Twilight shivered in discomfort; the feel of a stranger’s magic surrounding her was unpleasant enough, but couple that with the fact that she could tell he was angry and he wasn’t being as gentle as he could be and Twilight was feeling nervous.

No, it was more than simple nerves.

While she intellectually knew that the guards were good ponies who served the crown faithfully, this particular guard’s actions and bearing had her stomach all twisted up in knots. The negative feelings grew within her at an alarming rate despite her attempts at rationalization until she was physically shaking in his grasp, her eyes darting to and fro.

Fear.

She was afraid of the guard.

And it was potent. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself that everything was alright and that she should trust the guard, she couldn’t help but feel the same way she did at Cadance and Shining’s wedding. When Celestia had hit the floor, her horn singed, Twilight had never been so afraid. Had never felt so small and helpless.

Until now.

It was as they turned the bend and Twilight got a glimpse of one of the ponies on the path that her mind finally blanked and her instincts took over. Lighting up her horn, she easily tore through the guard’s hold on her with another magical explosion – this one only half unintentional. As soon as she hit the ground, Twilight rolled. It took a few frantic tries before she was able to struggle up on all fours but within a matter of moments she had scrambled past the guard, through another bush, and past the gate.

The only thought in her mind was to escape- to hide. And so she ducked and weaved her way into the city proper, her intention to lose her tail in the bustling crowds.

Blueblood shrieked in startled fear as a pink explosion occurred mere hooves in front of him. He shrieked again when he saw that his pristine coat was now sullied with black soot. He shrieked a third and final time when his brain finally connected the small purple filly scrambling from the scene of the crime with a filly that plagued his memories.

Same explosion.

Same coat - though the tacky cape was new. And hideous.

Same penchant for being a thorn in his hide.

Slowly, Blueblood’s fear turned into ire, the blast from the past unearthing all of the associated emotions from his time as a foal. Contempt, jealousy, ire. Eyes narrowing, Blueblood stomped the ground imperiously with a hoof.

Not this time. This time, Blueblood would stop the little monster before it managed to ruin him and steal the limelight like it did in his youth. This time, Blueblood would get his revenge.

This time, Twilight Sparkle would regret ever thinking herself important enough to associate with the likes of Canterlot’s elite.

“Guards!”

Luna swiftly flew around the castle, her eyes scanning the ground below her for any sign of the wayward alicorn. Coming to a hovering stop in front of Twilight’s bedroom window, she inspected the scene of the crime. The window was still open, the torn drape fluttering in the light breeze. Deducing that the material had ripped when Twilight left, she could also assume that the young alicorn had not done it willingly.

Luna refused to believe that somepony had foalnapped the youngest princess right out from under her without her noticing, and so concluded that Twilight must have overbalanced and fell. While that was concerning, it was one of the better outcomes that had begun plaguing her once she had started her search. The fall, whilst most likely bruising the filly up a bit, would not be fatal due to Twilight’s ascension and increased durability.

Gliding down to the ground, Luna looked to see if Twilight had been knocked unconscious and was laying concealed by one of the garden’s numerous flora. It was a matter of moments before the blue alicorn spotted the anomaly. Not far from the window was, what her mind faintly recalled, supposed to be a rosebush.

Instead of the same lush and thriving leaves and roses as the bushes around it, however, the bush in question was a naked mass of gnarled branches. The branches were broken and flattened toward the center, and it was there that Luna found her first sign of being on the right track. Caught in the branches was a large tattered piece of dark purple material – material which would without a doubt match Twilight’s drapes perfectly.

Inspecting the ground around the bush for more clues, Luna frowned. The path was marred with too many hoofprints to be of any help. Sighing, Luna scanned the path in both directions, debating her next course of action. She knew that she should alert her sister and have her aid in the search, but a few things held her back.

First and foremost, she was certain that Twilight wasn’t in any serious danger. Had she thought for one moment that Twilight was in trouble, she would have helped her sister tear Equestria apart to save the pony near and dear to their hearts. However if she alerted Celestia now, not only would her sister be alarmed, but she would most likely overreact.

There was also a small part of Luna that didn’t want to face the consequences of not informing her sister of Twilight’s predicament and subsequent disappearance whilst under Luna’s care right away. When she finally owned up to her shortcomings on that matter, she wanted to have the filly safe and sound before them.

Which was definitely not because she wanted to have a barrier between them, nor because she was hoping Celestia would turn all of her attention on the youngest alicorn and conveniently forget to scold her.

That being said, Luna was really not looking forward to the guilt her sister’s disappointed expression would inspire.

Though she refrained from bringing Celestia into the fold until absolutely necessary, Luna was taking the matter seriously. Mobilising the guard had been one of her better knee-jerk reactions, and she was relieved that they were taking the situation extra seriously. In fact, their quick response had somewhat impressed her.

//

“Guards. We have a situation.”

The guards, despite their differing states of dress, snapped to attention in unison. A beat passed before one of her night guards took a single step forward, obviously nominating herself as their spokespony.

“How may we be of service?” Her words were clear and cool, her yellow eyes never wavering in their seriousness.

“This is of the utmost importance, and supersedes all of your previous orders,” Luna began by stressing the importance of what she was going to ask of them. “We have a missing foal, who must be found as soon as possible.”

If possible, the guards stood even straighter than before, their determination almost palpable. The thought of any foal, helpless and missing on their watch in their city was simply unacceptable.

“Profile?” The night guard inquired swiftly.

“Filly. Age five- six at the most,” Luna started listing off. “Lavender coat, dark blue mane and tail streaked with pink.” As she continued to describe Twilight, she witnessed the quick confused glances a few of the older guards shot each other. It was this familiarity that convinced Luna to fully disclose their target’s identity, hoping the additional knowledge would cause the guards to prioritize and search places they otherwise wouldn’t.

“Race? Cutie Mark?” The mare questioned again as her monarch fell silent. “What name will she respond to?”

Luna fixed each guard with a searching look before nodding slowly, her mind made up. She recognized each and every one of them, and had no reason not to trust these particular guards. “Alicorn,” Luna responded slowly. “She sports a magic starburst cutie mark, and will most certainly respond to Twilight Sparkle, though we caution you to not advertise her name or situation to the populace.”

Stunned silence permeated the room at the revelation. Luna waited a few moments for the news to sink in for the obviously shocked guards before raising one brow questioningly. Getting the hint, the spokespony cleared her throat, knocking the others out of their shock and back into attention.

“As a matter of fact, this mission is of the highest secrecy,” Luna’s voice deepened to relay her seriousness. “Not even my sister is to know of this. Should you find Twilight, covertly return her to my chambers and inform me of your success. I shall check in every twenty minutes until she is found. Dismissed.”

The assembled ponies snapped into sharp salutes before scattering.

//

Shaking her head and knocking herself from her reverie, Luna debated on her next course of action for a few more beats before turning towards the garden’s exit. Flying over a small commotion near the gate, Luna was tempted to stop and attempt to gather more information until she recognized that the pony throwing the tantrum was Blueblood. Eyes rolling at the spoiled unicorn’s latest fit, Luna beat her powerful wings and left the Prince in the dust.

Twilight stopped after what felt like hours of running and slumped against the wall of a building. Her lungs were burning from the exertion, and the aches from her fall continued to pain her, though they thankfully weren’t debilitating. It took a few minutes for Twilight to get her breathing under control, and once she did she straightened up with a grunt to observe her surroundings.

To be perfectly honest, she had been in a blind panic when she had started fleeing and so had no idea where she had ended up. The narrow corridor and large metal dumpster lent credence to her assumption of being in an alley, and so Twilight cautiously made her way to the end. Peering out into the street, the alicorn blinked in surprise at what she saw.

The Traveler’s Trough.

And across from The Traveler’s was…

Cautiously hopeful, Twilight quickly scanned the street for guards before slinking from cover. Hunching down to appear as small and insignificant as possible, Twilight hugged the wall as she quickly covered the few paces between her and her destination. Giving the street one last paranoid glance, the young alicorn pushed open the glass door.

Jumping at the sudden sound of a bell chiming, Twilight let out a low nervous laugh as she quickly realized that it was triggered by the opening of the door. Scanning the thankfully minimal customers, Twilight made her way to her normal seat at the corner of the bar. Struggling for a moment to climb up – she hadn’t had this problem in ages – the purple pony sighed once she managed the exasperatingly hard task.

It was there, sitting in one of the few places her mind associated with safe and happy thoughts, that Twilight finally relaxed. Slumping against the countertop, the purple alicorn buried her head in her front hooves and let out a large sigh. Safe and resting, Twilight allowed her mind to analyse the past few hours in more detail.

She had fallen asleep during Celestia’s lecture – a fact which still caused her face to pale and heart to race. Somepony had brought her to her room and tucked her in. Sometime between falling asleep in the library and waking up in her bed, she had transformed into a younger version of her current self – she had not regressed, because she was still in possession of her wings, and therefore her current state was most definitely due to some sort of transformative spell.

She was relieved that though her body was younger, her mind and memories had remained as those of her adult self. Physically, she felt as if she had competed in The Running of the Leaves after sleeping on a bed of nails. Emotionally, she was all over the place.

The feeling of terror that had spiked within her when that guard had captured her surprised her. Intellectually, she knew that she had nothing to fear from the stallion, or any of the other royal guards. Emotionally, however, she didn’t trust them as far as she could buck them and feared their very presence. Even now, safe in Donut Joe’s, she felt the stirrings of panic when she thought of being found by the guard.

This worried Twilight greatly.

It seemed that her emotions had regressed to better fit her apparent age. This meant that not only did Twilight have little to no control over them, but that they tended towards the volatile. Foals felt in the extremes, not having enough control to filter or dampen their knee-jerk reactions with logic and reasoning. This was especially important to note in relation to unicorns.

While the ability to shape magic into usable spells relied upon factors such as focus, arithmetic, and magical aptitude, the ability to use magic depended heavily upon emotion. Stronger emotions resulted in more magic rushing to the surface, which if not channeled correctly could result in accidental discharges. That was the main reason why foals were more susceptible to magical flares than adults.

That is to say, the phenomena was most commonly seen in younger unicorns, but was not out of the realm of possibility for an adult. Twilight had experienced multiple flares over her short lifetime, and not all of them were while she was considered a filly.

Magical flares came into existence when two conditions were met. First, the unicorn in question had to have an unstable magical core. This meant that the core was fluctuating as it grew, allowing for a deeper pool of magic whilst increasing the user’s magical potency. It did have its setbacks, however; more potent magic made it so that the unicorn had to essentially rebuild their finer control.

This in turn caused the second condition for magical flares. Magic and emotion were so tightly entwined, that when a pony had an unstable core, and difficulty with the finer points of control, their magic was more likely to react unpredictably to even the smallest hint of strong emotion. Spikes of emotion - such as anger, fear, despair, and joy – were the catalyst for bursts of accidental magic, which more often than not devolved into an uncontrolled cycle of emotion and magic.

For example, the pony felt a strong emotion, and their magic reacted. The pony then felt fear at their accidental magic, and less-than-stellar control, which then fed the magic and spurred it to even greater lengths. Eventually the fear would demolish even the faintest of control, and the build-up of magic would result in an uncontrolled surge.

While fear was the most common catalyst, that is not to say that another emotion or even simply a spell gone awry by over-powering could not bring about a flare. The flare itself, if not influenced by an outside force of equal or greater potency, would eventually die down after consuming most of the pony’s magical reserves. This would leave the pony in question weak and magically depleted for a matter of hours to days – depending on the size of their core. The upside to a flare, was that the slow replenishment of a depleted core seemed to aid in the stabilization process.

This was what worried Twilight the most, now that she had the time to somewhat process her situation. She was used to having flares, yes, but due to her magical aptitude, they were always quite potent and volatile. When she flared next – and Twilight held no illusions here; should she remain in her current state for too long, she would flare – it would be akin to her first.

That is, if she had the magical aptitude of her adult alicorn self during her first flare.

This time it wouldn’t just affect the examination tower in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns and the dozen or so ponies within. In fact, that whole debacle would have been much worse if she hadn’t already poured a good amount of her magic into hatching the magic-resistant dragon egg. She didn’t want to even imagine what level of damage she would cause this time.

“Why, if it isn’t my best customer.”

Twilight, startled out of her thoughts, popped her head up at the unexpected yet familiar voice. Standing next to her was Joe, wearing his trademark apron and easy-going smile. Twilight blinked, the corners of her lips twitching.

“Hay, Joe.” Twilight grinned genuinely for the first time since she had awoken to her current situation. “How did you know it was me?”

“I’m gonna guess by your appearance that formalities are a no-go?” At Twilight’s sheepish nod, Joe continued. “Gotta say, that’s a pretty decent one – almost didn’t recognize you - but it might not work for very long. You look like a younger version of yourself. Sooner or later, somepony will catch on.”

“Hehehe…” Twilight giggled somewhat nervously, a hoof rising to rub the back of her head in a sheepish manner. “Y-yeah. Disguise. It was pretty short notice. I’ll-uh, keep your advice in mind.”

“I do have experience with disguised customers,” Joe winked, alluding to Celestia’s many visits with a younger Twilight, disguised so as to avoid a commotion. “One Sparkle Sprinkle, on the house, coming right up.”

Twilight thanked the older pony with a small grin – she was at Donut Joe’s, and she couldn’t visit the baker’s shop without having at least one of his famous donuts, especially if the donut in question were named after her. The Sparkle Sprinkle was so christened because it was created as a result of one of her – admittedly failed - experiments as a foal. Joe had loved the mess of a donut, and had added it to his menu the very next day. It was the first thing Twilight always ordered when she visited Joe’s, not only for the taste but also due to the fond memories that it brought up.

Maybe taking a break to have a snack would be beneficial. A good deal of her friends - Celestia, Spike, and Pinkie to name a few – always seemed happier and more at ease after consuming sweets, and Twilight could really use the boost. Perhaps her situation wouldn’t look so dire if looked at through the hole of a Sparkle Sprinkle.

Fiddling with a napkin atop the shiny counter, Twilight let her gaze wander around the dining area, absently looking to see if she’d recognize any of the patrons. She vaguely recalled seeing the orange stallion sharing a Double Donut with the poofy green Pegasus once or twice in Celestia’s court, but she doubted that she was in danger of being found out by him.

Folding the napkin into increasingly smaller squares, Twilight continued her absent pony-watching. It was to her silent relief that she didn’t recognize anypony after that first stallion, and so Twilight was able to silence that niggling voice of paranoia whispering from the back of her mind. About to turn her attention to the door to see what was taking Joe so long, a familiar flash of colors caught her eye.

Mane and tail consisting of a pale blue streaked with an even paler, almost white-blue, blue coat, and horn, the figure Twilight was staring intensely at was so familiar that the alicorn didn’t know whether to laugh or groan. She had traded in her purple magician’s hat and cape for a white apron, but even without the tip of her cutie mark being visible Twilight would know that mare anywhere. What were the odds that she’d run into The Great and Powerful Trixie – or was it still The Great and Apologetic Trixie - there and then?

But… What was the showmare doing working as a waitress?

Just then Joe showed up and deposited a delicious looking donut with purple icing topped with blue and pink sprinkles in front of her. Before he could move away, Twilight leaned closer and curiously inquired as to his new help.

“I thought you were against hiring waitresses, wanting to see your customer’s reactions first-hoof.” Twilight tilted her head to indicate Trixie. “How’d that happen?”

“Ah, Trixie.” Joe glanced at Trixie with a light frown. The mare in question was currently frantically trying to keep up with a customer’s long-winded and rapid order, her quill scratching furiously along her small notepad. “I’m letting her pay off her debt by working here.”

“Oh?” Twilight’s interest was piqued. “I can’t really see her pulling a Spike and clearing you out of pastries.”

“You know her?” Joe questioned sceptically before snorting. “No, nothing like that. She’s working off property damage.”

“Property damage?” Twilight’s brows rose at that. While it was true that Trixie had caused a fair bit of damage both times she visited Ponyville, it was nothing the Freak Accident Fund couldn’t pay for. Even so, she hadn’t pegged Trixie as somepony who would go around vandalising other ponies’ property.

“Yeah, I had to replace the whole front window and a few of the tables when her trailer crashed through it.” Joe’s frown deepened in remembrance. “Luckily I was closing up and there weren’t any customers, so nopony got hurt. She didn’t have enough to cover the damages, so I offered to let her work it off instead of calling the guard.”

“I see,” Twilight nodded slowly, slightly relieved to find out that the destruction was accidental. It would have been one thing if Trixie had wrecked Joe’s purposefully, but Twilight was well acquainted with accidental damage. Her mind slowly started mulling over an idea. “How much does she have left to pay?”

“Four-hundred bits,” Joe stated flatly. “I almost wish I weren’t such a nice stallion, and had called the guard as soon as it happened.”

“She’s not cut out to be a waitress, then?” Twilight asked almost redundantly. She was certain waitressing was not one of Trixie’s many flaunted talents.

“No,” Joe agreed immediately. Understanding his tone could be misconstrued as overly harsh, he sighed. “Well, she’s not the worst help I’ve ever hired, but that’s not really saying much.”

“Huh.” Twilight observed the floundering mare for a few moments longer. The idea was slowly spinning into something that, while perhaps not one of her best ideas, was at least intriguing enough to ponder properly. When she spoke, it was slowly, as if she were mulling over her words even as they fell from her lips. “I may have a proposition for you later, but for now I’ll let you get back to work. Mind if I steal Trixie for a few minutes? I have a few things I want to ask her.”

“At this point, having her out of the way may be an improvement,” Joe murmured. “Sure, alright. She’s due for a break anyways. I’ll come by again before you leave.”

“Thanks, Joe,” Twilight smiled up at the stallion who returned the gesture before returning to the kitchen.

Twilight waited until she saw that Trixie was done with her current customer before raising her hoof and waving it around. It took a few moments, but the other mare eventually saw the gesture and made her way over. As Trixie approached, she pulled out her quill and pad.

“Welcome to Donut Joe’s,” Trixie’s voice was somewhat subdued, though it still contained an audibly faint undercurrent of her usual confidence. Her carefully constructed smile was that of a practiced politician – or in this case performer – though upon closer study Twilight could see that it was starting to fray. “How can Trixie be of service?”

“You can sit down and help me eat this donut,” Twilight smiled and gestured towards the Sparkle Sprinkle. “There are a few things I’d like to talk about, if you don’t mind.”

“What-?” Trixie blinked in surprise, her mask slipping as her smile turned into a confused frown. It took a few beats, in which Twilight kept up her smile and Trixie continued to stare in confusion, before the other mare snapped out of it. Scrambling to regain her composure, the unicorn cleared her throat. “Trixie apologises, little filly, but Trixie is working.”

“Don’t worry, Trixie,” Twilight explained. “Joe said you could take your break so that we could talk.”

“What? Why would Trixie’s employer tell this to a filly Trixie doesn’t know?” Trixie’s perplexed frown deepened.

“Don’t you?” Twilight cocked her head, a slight grin tugging at her lips.

“Trixie is quite sure she would remember,” Trixie snorted imperiously, a bit of her usual fire returning.

“Oh?” Twilight’s grin grew. She was actually having fun at the moment, which was a very welcome relief after the day’s earlier panic. “Look closer. Are you absolutely certain you don’t recognize me?”

Trixie gave the filly a sceptical look, though ultimately decided to humor her. Walking closer, she studied the younger unicorn. On further inspection, the purple coat and streaked mane were familiar, though to think that that pony and the filly in front of her were one and the same was frankly ridiculous. Trixie had almost dismissed the thought altogether, when she studied the filly’s face. Those sparkling violet eyes and warm smile were ones that had haunted Trixie’s dreams for quite a time after her visits to Ponyville, and they could belong to only one pony.

Jerking back with an astonished gasp, Trixie’s eyes widened as she opened her mouth in a startled shout. “Twili-!”

“Shh!” Twilight lunged forward and managed to latch on to the showmare’s face, effectively muffling her too-loud exclamation. Twilight whispered back fiercely. “I’m in disguise, and would rather not be found out!”

Trixie swallowed her words and nodded in acquiescence. About to use her magic to remove the princess dangling from her neck, Trixie hesitated. Realizing that, despite appearances, the purple unicorn in front of her was not actually a filly and that her actions would thus be considered rude, the blue mare instead sat down and used her hooves.

Carefully picking Twilight up, she sat the purple unicorn back on her stool. Once she was sure the other pony was secure, Trixie slumped into her own seat, her purple eyes trying to make sense of what she was seeing.

Twilight gave Trixie a few minutes of silence to process – Celestia knows Twilight had needed more than a few – before opening her mouth. “So you’ll take your break?”

“Yes,” Trixie replied unblinkingly.

“And you’ll hear me out?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Good.” Twilight nodded in relief. Her plan hinged on being able to convince Trixie to follow along, and she couldn’t do that if Trixie refused to listen. “So, I figure my first step is to reach the castle and-”

“Why are you a filly?” Trixie blurted out, interrupting Twilight. The purple unicorn gave Trixie an unimpressed look at the interruption, causing the blue mare to fidget. “Trixie is confused.”

Twilight’s frown at being interrupted melted into a neutral expression before she sighed. Grudgingly, she admitted that hoping Trixie would ignore the obvious and take everything on faith was a bit farfetched. Still…

“…I don’t know.”

“What?” Trixie blinked in astonishment as she gazed incredulously at the now squirming filly. “What do you mean you don’t know? How can you not know how you’ve turned into a filly?”

“I mean I don’t know!” Twilight grumbled, ears splaying and hooves crossing in embarrassed annoyance.

“You must have some idea,” Trixie fished, still flabbergasted. “A spell gone awry? An experiment? You said you were in disguise…”

“None of those,” Twilight squirmed, extremely uncomfortable with the line of questioning. “I’m using the disguise excuse as a – well, as an excuse. As for how I’m like this… I-I’m not sure.”

“…Right,” Trixie stared sceptically at the nervously fidgeting unicorn.

The silence that fell between them was heavy, and at least on Twilight’s side, laced with tension. It slowly became too much for the now twitching alicorn to bear, and she finally blurted out what had been plaguing her since she’d had a moment to think.

“I think Celestia is punishing me by making me go back to Magic Kindergarten!” Twilight’s eyes widened as she clamped her hooves over her mouth.

“…Excuse me?” Trixie deadpanned.

Twilight scowled, blushing heavily. Her voice was muffled as she spoke through her hooves. “I’m not going to repeat it.”

“Fair enough, Trixie wouldn’t want to either,” Trixie nodded, before clearing her throat. Her voice made it clear just how much of an idiot she thought the unicorn before her was, princess or not. “That is the most ridiculous thing Trixie has ever heard.”

“But I fell asleep during her lecture-”

“Even Trixie can see that, for some odd reason, Princess Celestia seems to care for you a great deal,” Trixie continued, completely ignoring Twilight’s weak protests. It was actually quite insulting that the purple unicorn had so much, and yet didn’t seem to appreciate it enough to actually trust those who cared for her. Why, if Trixie had what Twilight Sparkle had…

“But I-”

“Do you truly think Princess Celestia would do something like send you back to M-K?” Trixie snorted. “Truly? And this is the unicorn that bested Trixie not once, but twice?”

“I- Okay, fine!” Twilight exclaimed, eyes averted. Trixie’s words actually cut deep. While being sent back to Magic Kindergarten was one of Twilight’s greatest fears, she knew it was an illogical one. The fear of failing both her mentor and her magic, coupled with the bad memories she had of Magic Kindergarten, turned the very possibility into a potent yet irrational fear. Deep down she knew that Celestia would never do such a thing, and it was shaming to even consider it, but that was the problem with irrational fears. Logic had no place there.

“I’ll admit, that while the thought did cross my mind,” Twilight started after doing Cadance’s breathing exercises. She didn’t have time to get emotional. “It’s most likely not true. That being said, I really don’t know how I ended up like this, but I would like to find out, and for that I need your help.”

“Did you say you needed Trixie’s help?” Trixie questioned, her purple orbs regarding the filly strangely.

“Yes,” Twilight sighed, happy they were finally getting back on track. “I need to get to the castle, and I need your help to-”

“Trixie would have thought that you would know your way to the castle by now,” Trixie interrupted once again.

Twilight fixed her with a long enough stare that Trixie actually averted her eyes and mumbled out an apology. Twilight took that as a mark in the win column. “Yes, well, while I know the route like the back of my hoof, let’s just say that I’d like to get there as discreetly as possible.”

Trixie was about to open her mouth, but another squinty-eyed stare caused her to think twice and simply raise a brow in question.

Twilight smiled angelically in response. Perhaps there was hope for Trixie yet. “Are you familiar with the illusion branch of magic?”

“Familiar?” Trixie snorted and flipped her mane. “Trixie excels in illusory magic. Trixie would have thought that was obvious.”

“Perfect,” Twilight practically purred. The assistance of illusory magic would aid greatly in reaching the castle while avoiding everypony. “Hypothetically speaking, would you be able to keep up an illusion on, say, myself, from here to the castle? One that would make it so that nopony would recognize me?”

Trixie frowned and studied the purple unicorn beside her. She knew she could do it easily, illusory magic was her forte - her talent. She also knew, however, that Twilight was not talking in the hypothetical sense, but was genuinely curious to know if Trixie could do that task specifically. What Trixie wanted to know, was why.

Trixie’s voice, when she spoke, was full of caution. “What exactly are you asking of Trixie?”

Twilight looked straight into Trixie’s purple orbs and smiled.

“I want you to be my guard.”