The Ties that Bind

by the7Saviors

A Cloudy Morning

The overcast sky had brightened considerably while Twilight and Ancient Scroll conversed and a light snow had begun to gently fall outside the cottage.

Sunset Shimmer and Trixie sat at the folding table as they dug into their pancakes while Twilight draped herself over the back of the fluffy armchair to the right of the fireplace.

"So I guess you already got to meet Uncle Scroll, huh?" Sunset asked as she took another bite out of her pancake.

Twilight nodded her head, "Mhm, he's a lot nicer than I thought he'd be. And he was a teacher at Celestia's School!" she added excitedly clapping her hooves together.

Sunset frowned and stared at her pancakes.

"Yeah, a fantastic school founded by our great and benevolent princess..." she muttered.

"I know, right?" Twilight agreed, letting out a sigh of longing, "I wish I could've applied for the exams..."

Sunset merely snorted and speared another pancake with her fork.

"Trixie doesn't see what the big deal is," the blue filly added, pouring more apple syrup onto her pancakes, "as far as Trixie is concerned, school is school. Trixie doesn't see what makes this one so different."

"Trixie," Twilight began, giving Trixie a flat look, "Princess Celestia personally funded and overlooked the construction of the school herself over three hundred years ago. She's also personally hoofpicked each and every pony that's taught there since it's founding," she suddenly gasped in realization, "that means Uncle Scroll was picked by Celestia herself!"

Trixie just sniffed and rolled her eyes as she ate.

"Yeah, it's a prestigious school with lots of history," Sunset said brusquely, "can we please talk about something else now?"

Trixie raised an eyebrow at the orange filly and Twilight gave her a look of concern.

"Is... something wrong, Sunset?" Twilight asked worriedly, "why are you getting angry?"

"I'm not angry," Sunset retorted, "it's..." she trailed off and sighed, "it's nothing. Don't worry about it, Twilight."

"Trixie thinks you looked pretty angry," Trixie muttered loud enough for the other two to hear, "did you try to get in and fail the exams or something?"

Twilight gasped and gave Sunset a pitying look, covering her muzzle with her hooves.

"What? No! I..." she growled in frustration and shoved the last pancake in her mouth before hopping down and trotting to the kitchen - her plate and silverware following behind in a red aura.

Twilight's worried gaze followed her until she was out of sight before she turned to Trixie.

"What do you think that was all about?" she asked.

"Trixie neither knows nor cares," Trixie replied dismissively, using a piece of pancake to mop up some apple syrup from her plate before popping it into her mouth, "it's none of Trixie's business anyway."

Twilight was about to respond when Sunset trotted back out of the kitchen, sans dishes.

"Are you sure you're okay, Sunset?" Twilight asked again, "If I said something I shouldn't-"

"It's fine, Twilight," Sunset interjected in an exasperated tone, "it's just something I'd rather not talk about, okay?"

She trotted in the direction of the bathroom as she spoke.

"Seriously, don't worry about it."

"Alright..." Twilight answered unsurely. She slid off the back of the armchair and into the seat, looking through the window to the gray skies outside, "I... know how you feel, I guess..." she muttered almost absently as she sat there, becoming lost in her own thoughts.

From her seat at the table, Trixie eyed the two with a frown before looking down at her own now empty plate. After a minute she dropped down from the chair and quietly made her way to the kitchen with her own dishes in tow.

There were a few minutes of silence as the three fillies went about their own business.

After using the bathroom, Sunset made her way over to Ancient Scroll's study. She opened the door and slipped inside without a word, closing the door behind her. Twilight watched all of this with no small amount of confusion... and envy.

"Are we allowed to just... trot right into Uncle Scroll's study like that?" Twilight asked turning to Trixie as she trotted out of the kitchen. Trixie cast a quick glance at the door to the study and scowled before she answered.

"Sunset is allowed in there whenever she wants because she's a 'good filly'," Trixie said mockingly, "Trixie isn't allowed because of... some things that happened before that totally were not Trixie's fault," she finished bitterly.

Twilight nodded absently, barely paying attention as she stood over the side of the armchair staring at the door with a gaze that could be interpreted as 'hungry'.

"Do... do you think I could go in?" she asked, her eyes still locked on the door.

"Don't know," Trixie replied casually, walking over to the table near the front door, "you'd have to ask Uncle Scroll when he wakes up."

Twilight sunk back into the seat, sighing dejectedly at Trixie's answer. She found herself annoyed that she'd have to wait for who knows how long before she could roam that small treasure trove of knowledge.

A few moments passed.

Trixie had procured a deck of cards from the table near the door and was now shuffling them with her hooves as she lay by the fireplace. Twilight sat in the armchair, watching Trixie quietly as she worked.

"That's pretty impressive, Trixie," she said after a moment.

"What is?" Trixie asked, not taking her eyes off the cards.

"The way you can shuffle cards like that, Twilight clarified, "Not many unicorns bother to do that without using magic because it takes a lot of dexterity that we lack, unlike earth ponies."

Trixie paused her shuffling briefly before starting again.

"Trixie has had... a lot of practice," she said quietly as she laid out the cards on the floor.

"Oh," Twilight responded tentatively, "that's, um... that's neat."

Something in Trixie's voice bothered Twilight and she decided not to pursue the subject.

"So... what are you doing?" she asked.

"Trixie is brushing up on her solitaire skills," Trixie replied, "this game can be tricky if you're not paying attention."

"Huh... I've never played 'solitaire' before," Twilight admitted, "is it any fun?"

"Trixie thinks so," Trixie answered, "it is a game where you have to look for little details and captial... capa... caplize-"

"Capitalize?"

"Capitalize on them as quickly as possible," Trixie finished, eyeing the cards intensely as she though about her first move, "Trixie enjoys the challenge."

"Huh..." Twilight said, observing Trixie and the cards with interest, "can you teach me how to play?"

Trixie looked up at Twilight and blinked in surprise before a smirk crossed her muzzle. She suddenly stood up on her hind legs and spread her forelegs out wide.

"The Wise and Knowledgeable Trixie can teach you the deepest, darkest secrets of solitaire," she announced with a dramatic flourish, "but be warned, Twilight Sparkle," she spoke in a low tone, "Trixie does not tolerate failure."

For a moment Twilight sat there staring open mouthed at Trixie's performance. Trixie for her part, maintained her pose, convinced that the lavender filly was stunned and awed by her performance.

That is, until Twilight broke into a fit of laughter.

Trixie lowered herself back to four hooves and gave Twilight a flat look.

"Do you want Trixie to teach you how to play or not?" she growled.

Twilight tried to get her giggling under control before she answered.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Trixie," she said, still chuckling, "please teach me. I'm more than willing to learn the deepest and darkest secrets of solitaire."

Trixie rolled her eyes and gathered up the cards, shuffling them once more.

"Just get down here so Trixie can tell you the rules."

Twilight and Trixie spent the next half hour or so playing solitaire before moving on to other card games.

The snow continued its gentle descent to the ground as the cold, gray winter morning wore on.

Author's Note:

As of this chapter I have Sunset and Trixie's backstories worked out.

We'll be gaining a new perspective in the next chapter so look forward to it!

Comments

[Ze1a7in]

Aww... Trixie and Twilight playing cards...

Someone make art of the two fillies playing go fish! That would be adorbs!

[ValNitak Choas]

8752036
make sure it them as fillys,

[the7Saviors]

8752036
Tried to find a picture like that but I couldn't. Here's these instead.

derpicdn.net/img/2015/7/24/942700/medium.jpeg

derpicdn.net/img/view/2012/8/8/70036__safe_artist-colon-tomdantherock_trixie_twilight+sparkle_animated_cute_diatrixes_filly_happy_record+player_simple+background_spinning_transparent.gif

[Ze1a7in]

8752082
Those will do!

[Frustration in Excelsis]

The snow continued it's gentle descent to the ground

Should just be "its".

[The Cynical One]

This is so adorable I have started to vomit glitter and can’t stop saying “aww”. My voice hurts and I need medical attention. Love the story and I’m waiting for the other horseshoe to drop!

[ShadowDreamer]

8752082
I think I just had a heart attack

[Victor07]

Looks like we have a Sunset who resents Celestia and a Trixie who doesn't seem very skilled in unicorn magic, unorthodox.