> The Element of Magic
>  by Cloud Shimmers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Free Tickets
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Twilight walked off the train, happy to see the familiar sight of her hometown. She motioned for her friends to join her.
Her friends all climbed onto the platform, some of them groaning over the long train ride.
Rainbow Dash yawned, "Why are we here again Twi?" 
Twilight smiled, "The famous Canterlot Carnival is happening right now!"
AppleJack smiled,  "Well it was mighty kind of y'all to buy tickets for us."
Twilight flinched, "Um, about that, I didn't buy the tickets yet."
Rainbow Dash groaned, "So we have to buy tickets now too? Worst carnival ever!"
Twilight calmed her friends down, "I'm sure the line isn't even that long, we wait a few minutes get the tickets and were all off having fun!" She took a few steps forward and bumped into a colt.
"Hey," The colt said, "I've been in line for two days, no pushing!" he saw the sorry look on Twilight's face. "Sorry, I've been in line for the carnival for so long that it must have gotten to my head."
"Wait, your in line for the carnival?" Twilight looked down and saw his cooler and tent. "T-two days?"
The friends began there waiting with optimism, but that slowly faded to boredom, which slowly faded to hunger.
AppleJack began to play I spy with Pinkie, "I spy with my little eye, wait a sec!" She tapped Twilight on the shoulder, "Ain't that, ooh what was her name." AppleJack thought for a second, "Trixie! It was Trixie!"
Twilight looked over to where AJ was pointing, 'It is Trixie!'. She looked a little less 'Great and Powerful' than before.

Trixie was walking to her job, she was in charge of the fireworks at the carnival. For the first time in her life, she was happy; She felt like she was bringing joy to ponies, instead of showing off to them. She had hoped she'd changed since her last visit to PonyVille, she had realized how mean and cruel she was. 'I should apologize if I ever get the chance. 
Another thing had come from her visit to PonyVille, a crush. The one pony who was able to show her up, Twilight Sparkle. Trixie would think about how cruel she was to Twilight and it made her feel even worse. Trixie couldn't stand to feel this way about Twilight, 'She's very pretty,' one part of her mind would say; 'But she probably hates you.' the other half assured her. When Trixie would give in to more "base desires" She often found herself thinking about Twilight. She was snapped out of her daze when she heard her name being said.
Trixie turned her head and saw six familiar faces, "Its you!"
Twilight thought Trixie would have a rage attack at Twilight but this didn't appear to be so.
Trixie walked over smiling, "Hello again Twilight Sparkle."
Twilight was shocked, "Uh, hi, Trixie."
Trixie could see the confusion on Twilight's face, "Twilight, I wanted to say I'm sorry for how I acted."
Twilight had to keep her jaw from dropping to the floor, "Well, I guess I can forgive you."
Trixie smiled, "Lovely! Now that's over with, what are you doing here?"
Twilight regained herself, "We are here for the carnival, you?"
Trixie gasped, "And your waiting in line? Oh no no no." Trixie thought of something, "You see, I work at the carnival and I can get you tickets; consider it my gift of friendship!"
Twilight looked at her friends who were all nodding their heads, "Okay Trixie, why don't you lead the way?"

Trixie walked up to the back door of the ticket booth, she knocked four times and waited.
An older mare with a sweet voice walked out, "Oh hello Trixie, what can I do you for?"
"I was wondering if I could have some passes for my friends?" Trixie said politely
The kind mare looked at them, "I don't see why not! Here ya go." She handed each one of them a necklace with a ticket on the end of it.
Trixie waved goodbye and returned to talking with her new friends. Every one of them said something polite to her about the tickets, but Twilight stopped.
"Trixie," Twilight began, "I can see you've changed, the girls and I were wondering if you'd like to spend the day with us?"
Trixe smiled, a little tear formed in the corner of her eye, she had never had friends before. "Of course, I would love to!" She put her hoof on Twilight's.
"Uh, great!" Twilight pulled her hoof away, sure it was an accident.

The seven friends spent the day in enjoyment, riding rides, playing games, eating unhealthy food. All of the fun things about the carnival. When they finally decided to head back to the train station, Trixie had a sad expression on her face.
"I'm gonna miss you." Trixie mumbled so only Twilight could hear.
"You can always stop by and visit!" Twilight assured her new friend, "I'm sure we could use a great fireworks show."
Trixie decided to take a bit of a plunge, "Do you think, maybe, I could come with you?"
Twilight nodded, "You can even stay in my guest bed! It'll be just like a sleepover, except you'll be staying longer!"
Trixie was blushing, "Uh, if it isn't to much trouble." 'This is the best day of my life!", "I wouldn't want to impose!" 'I'll impose her alright!' she laughed at her own dirty joke.
"Trixie, you've clearly turned over a new leaf." Twilight began, "I think what you really needed was a friend, and I'm here for you!"
Trixie was still thinking about waking up in the morning next to Twilight, "Oh yes, Twilight I need a friend very badly." She said in a seductive voice.
Twilight didn't get the message and smiled, "Then you can come stay with me! But what about your job?"
Trixie's horn began to glow, a burst of energy shot out and exploded into fireworks spelling out 'I quit, love Trixie'
Twilight was a bit impressed, "Your quite good at that!"
Trixie giggled to herself, "I'm good at making things explode." She winked and boarded the train with her other new friends.
	 
> Welcome home
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Twilight and her friends walked off the train, they were all exhausted after their day of fun. Trixie stood behind Twilight, a sad face upon her. When Twilight turned around she was concerned.
"What's wrong Trixie?" Twilight asked sincerely.
"I caused so much trouble," Trixie said quietly, "I don't think anyone will forgive me."
Twilight wrapped her foreleg around Trixie, "Prove to them what you've shown me, show them you've changed and they'll accept you!"
Trixie felt Twilight's heartbeat along with something else, confidence; She stood up straight and entered the town with Twilight.
Twilight saw something in Trixie's eyes, it was something that she couldn't quite make out but seeing it made her feel both happy and a little nervous. When other ponies started to look in their direction Trixie spoke.
"I'm sorry." She said in a polite way. All the other ponies smiled and nodded their heads, some of them even walked over and talked to Trixie.
Twilight was joined by Rainbow Dash, "I still don't trust her Twi."
"Don't be silly," Twilight turned, "Look how friendly she's being, and to be honest your not too modest yourself."
"Well that's only because I try so hard to impress others." She said and flew off in a huff.
'Maybe Trixie wanted to impress somepony too.' Twilight thought.

When Trixie and Twilight  arrived at the library Trixie was impressed.
"A tree shaped library," Trixie smiled, "Like something out of an old ponytale."
Twilight laughed, "I suppose, are you hungry?" Twilight asked.
"Very," Trixie said simply admiring Twilight as she walked off, she then proceeded to follow, "Can I do anything to help?"
"Actually," Twilight said as she grabbed some plates with her magic, "If you could find Spike and Owluicious it would be a great help."
Trixie nodded and began her task, she ended up finding them in Twilight's room, "Uh, dinner soon." She said shyly.
"Trixie?" Spike said in shock, "W-what are you doing here?"
"I've apologized," Trixie explained. "Twilight and I are friends now.
"Who?" the owl said.
"I'm Trixie." She introduced herself.
"Who?" Owluicious said again."
"Trixie," Spike pointed at Trixie.
"Who?" The Owl said one last time.
"THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!" She shouted, "O-oh my, did Tr- I say that out loud?"
"Yes you did," Spike said, "And it shut Owluicious up!"
"I'm sorry," Trixie moped.
"No, that's a good thing." Spike assured her, "He annoys me all day."
"But still, I'm sorry. It happens from time to time, old Trixie breaks out." She explained.
"Well, your okay by me." Spike said.
When the three returned to the kitchen Twilight had just taken a large pot off of the stove.
"I made soup!" Twilight said excitedly as she sat down next to Trixie.
"Y-you  cooked?" Spike asked nervously.
"Yes I did!" Twilight said a little annoyed, "I can cook just fine Spike."
"It tastes fine to me," Trixie said enjoying it.
"Thank you Trixie." Twilight stuck her tongue out at the baby dragon.

The guest bed was positioned on the other side of Twilight's room, at this Trixie pouted a bit but once she found out how comfy the bed was she was fine.
Twilight yawned, "Goodnight Trixie."
"Goodnight Twilight." Trixie smiled warmly. 
Twilight noticed that look in Trixie's eyes again, it was similar to the spark she felt when her and her friend's defeated Nightmare Moon.
"Trixie are you happy?" She asked.
"Of course I am, what an odd question." Trixie noted.
"Its just, I see this look in your eyes, but its only there half the time." Twilight confessed.
"And you spend a lot of time looking at me?" Trixie asked in a seductive way that Twilight didn't pick up on.
"Well yeah," Twilight said, "I just can't over how much you've changed."
Trixie pouted when Twilight didn't get her attempt to advance her relationship, "Goodnight Twilight."
Twilight's dreams were almost entirely about Trixie, and they made her sad. She dreamed of Trixie walking to Canterlot in the rain. Then she saw Trixie on the street with a cardboard sign reading 'outta friends, outta luck.' Then she saw all of the times Trixie had been gloating, it appeared that she was showing off for the whole town, but was she? Twilight remembered how Trixie was incredibly immodest when she was around Twilight. Why was that, why would Trixie try so hard just for Twilight? No one had ever tried for her before, why would Trixie be any different?
Trixie's dreams were filled with Twilight, how Twilight had been so brave against the ursa minor. And how mean Trixie was in an attempt to impress Twilight. Trixie also saw her childhood, her poor family, her cruddy house, being alone at kindergarten because she didn't want anypony to see her without a lunch. She wished she had been nicer to everypony at school. Everypony hated her, even her first crush. When she preferred colt's she had a crush on a not-so-popular colt at school, her crush even wrote her a letter saying that he thought Trixie was pretty. When Trixie went up to him the next day, she was shut down and laughed at. This is what caused her to be a show off, her heart being broken at such a young age. She had been afraid to trust anypony for so long that she forgot how kind others could be; it took Twilight stopping the ursa minor to show her that.

When they awoke that morning, both of them had something important on their minds. Trixie was willing to tell Twilight how she felt, and Twilight wanted to know why Trixie was being so nice after all this time. Spike had made pancakes and was waiting for a 'thank you' but the room was left in awkward silence.
They both started speaking at the same time, Spike's 'private conversation' senses were tingling so he left.
"Y-you start," Trixie said, feeling nervous and exited at the same time.
"Why are you so nice to me?" Twilight asked.
Trixie wasn't expecting that, "W-what do you mean?"
"You got me free tickets, complimented on my cooking, and are being so friendly after last time, whats up?" Twilight said with an observational face.
"I- I just wanted to make things right," Trixie lied, "I just wanted some friends." Would the lies stop soon?
"Oh, I didn't realize," Twilight began, "Well I'm glad you did, your too talented to be mean."
Trixie blushed, "T-thanks."
They finished their meal in silence, Trixie thought she was an idiot for lying to Twilight. 'I need to tell her eventually.'