Three months after the windigo war ends, Trixie and Maud find themselves caring for a damaged Twilight Sparkle.
Set after three months the events of The Heart of Stone, Trixie and her family find themselves living back in New Slate while Twilight slowly recovers from the windigo war. Meanwhile Maud's close proximity to her family begins to cause some issues to come to the surface.
The flat gray earth surrounded Trixie in every direction and aside from a few boulders surrounding her, the small cottage off in the distance, and some weeds that had cropped up from the spring showers, she stood all alone. Or so it looked. A bolt of fire flew from atop one of the boulders! Trixie quickly dodged to the side, channeled magic through her horn and focused on the boulder the fire came from. She stood there; the wind blew gently against her side. The sun beat down upon the land. She listened for the faintest of sounds.
Gravel flew out from behind the boulder as the peach colored alicorn took off into the sky. Fire blazed behind her, and a teal colored light surrounded the mare. Trixie spun around and took off in the opposite direction in a full gallop. Magic filled her horn until it stung. She would have one shot at escaping the next attack.
The alicorn swooped overhead flying at Trixie like a comet falling from heavens. Trixie focused on the spell and released her will into the world. The air around her shimmered and then Trixie split into six copies of herself. Trixie’s horn was sore from the exertion but as she witnessed the fireball of a pony collide into one of her clones she knew she had made the right choice.
Heat washed over the planes, brushing against Trixie’s fur and making her cringe away. Her copies all followed the movement. The flaming alicorn stopped and looked at another one of Trixie’s clones. Fire raged from her horn slamming into the copy. Trixie was down two duplicates and had only a little bit of time to focus.
Trixie turned around, her clones followed and together the four of them all rushed toward the alicorn. Their horns charged with electricity. Fire lashed out and smote two more of Trixie’s clones. Thankfully she was just close enough to pull off the move. Just as the alicorn aimed her horn at the real one, Trixie lashed out mentally and grappled with the hot fiery mind of the mare before her. She only needed to hold her opponent still for a brief second, and just as she felt the mare’s mind beginning to fight back, Trixie leapt into the air, horn pointed down and she tackled the flaming pony while shouting, “Shocking Touch!”
Electricity flared as Trixie and the mare hit the hard earth rolling. The flames coating the mare’s body burned at her flesh, but she managed to ignore the pain as her horn touched the bare flesh of the mare’s side. Just one gentle touch and zap! The electricity from Trixie’s horn transferred into the alicorn. The mare shrieked in pain.
Two legs kicked Trixie in the chest and sent her sailing. Trixie hit the ground rolling. Dirt mixed with sweat only to get stuck to her fur. Once she ceased rolling she looked up and watched as the mare stood up on shaky legs.
“So, did I pass, Sunny?” Trixie asked.
Sunset Shimmer smiled down at her. The flames surrounding her vanished; leaving only the pale beauty of the alicorn standing before her. Her mane and tail stood out on end which left Trixie feeling a bit proud. “Good job, here in a few weeks you might even be able to enter a real fight and win.”
Trixie pushed herself up and tried to ignore the pain of her burns. “What are we going to do now?”
Sunset shrugged. “Go home, get some grub, have that filly heal your wounds. That sounds about right.”
Trixie turned and led the way back to the small cottage. “Val’s going to be upset that I got hurt again.”
“At least Maud understands the importance of your training, without it you would be particularly worthless. When Canterlot was taken, however briefly it was, we could have used trained warriors.”
Trixie rolled her eyes. “I know, and I did the best I could. This whole thing is partially my fault. If only I’d have been a better po-“
“Rule number seven, Trixie.”
Trixie let out a sigh. “Sunset’s rules of training number seven; no self pity.”
“Exactly. You’re a proud and strong mare, you can’t beat yourself up just because you were used and lost. Now’s the time for strength, Twilight needs to come back to a place where she can feel safe, and you being stronger is the key to that.”
Trixie nodded.
They walked around the cottage until reaching the front porch. Trixie looked at the road leading down into the small village of New Slate, and then out into the distance where she could just barely make out the Pie family rock farm. She stared at the front door to her little cottage home. Old memories of what it was like when she walked into this very house only to find the mane six sitting inside nearly a year ago played through her mind.
To think, that the biggest changes of my life began with Pinkie Pie assaulting me.
The front door of the cottage opened and Pinkie Pie walked out. “Hiya, Trix, Sunny. What’s up?”
“Training,” Sunset replied. A sad look crossed over her eyes and Trixie didn’t have to read the mare’s mind to know that she was missing one of her old friends. “Hey, Pinkie… you uh… ever think about joining a rock group?”
“Have I! I was in several, even got famous in one of them, but that fell apart because the lead singer fell in love with me and I just couldn’t return his feelings.”
“What if you and the others got together with me and we tried to record some music than?”
“OH I’d love too!” Pinkie Pie said while hopping into the air. When she landed she looked down at her hooves. “Though I don’t think the others would be interested; maybe Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Applejack and Rarity wouldn’t be.”
A pained look came over Sunset. “Right… now I remember the reason why I try to avoid the six of you as much as I possible…”
“Oh don’t feel bad, uh, I could convince them to try it. I mean, I didn’t know you liked music so much,” Pinkie Pie said sweetly.
Sunset walked away. “It’s not the music, Pinks.” She looked back at Trixie. “I’m actually going to go home, I’ve got a family of sirens bored out of their mind to take care of. Too bad they all lost their singing voices. You gonna be okay?”
Trixie nodded. “Don’t worry, I can take things from here.”
“Remember rule number six.”
“Trust in your heart and things will work out?”
“Exactly.”
Trixie watched her friend leave for a moment before turning to face Pinkie Pie. Pinkie shrugged and went back inside. Trixie followed. Inside Trixie had a decent idea of what to expect, and upon seeing the five mares she’d grown to call friends her heart lifted. Maud and Valiant were in the kitchen, Maud helping to chop up vegetables alongside Fluttershy, and Valiant sat at the table reading a history book.
Trixie took a seat next to the filly. “Hey.”
The tiny earth pony filly gave her one look, frowned and closed her book. She blinked with that pink eye of hers and shot a look of disapproval at Trixie. The long reddish-brown mane covered the eye patch on the other side. She shook her head and got to work on writing on the whiteboard hanging from her neck.
“Why do you always get hurt?”
“Because I know that I have such a cute little filly waiting to heal me when I’m done. Also,” Trixie leaned in and in a whispery voice just loud enough for Maud to hear, “Maud likes to give me the best kind of get well kisses.”
Valiant’s nose scrunched up and she mimicked the act of vomiting. Trixie giggled. The filly rose her brown hooves and for a moment things felt quiet before a white light emitted from them. The light was soft and warm. Trixie watched in wonder as her injuries healed before her very eyes.
Ever since the night the filly received her cutie mark she had been able to heal small wounds. Large ones were however still difficult or impossible for her to heal; which was primarily why Twilight’s condition was still so precarious. Alicorn or not, nopony should have survived a direct hit from balefire.
Applejack managed to separate herself from her loving pegasus husband just long enough to meet up with Trixie at the table. The prismatic haired filly being carried on her back stared up at her with wide and wondrous eyes. Trixie still couldn’t believe that Applejack had a rainbow haired kid.
“Cousin,” Applejack said with a curt nod. “Can we talk fer a moment?”
Trixie nodded. Valiant was finished with her healing and Trixie decided to go out until dinner was ready. “Follow me.”
Applejack stopped just long enough to set the filly down next to Maud. The quiet, powerful, and stoic mare took one look at the filly, beamed down at her and knelt down so that she could nuzzle the tiny foal. Both Applejack and Trixie smiled at Maud as she began making baby noises which brought giggles from the filly. Valiant made sure to sigh noisily.
Trixie led her cousin out to the front porch where she had inadvertently left her guitar. After taking a seat and strumming up a few chords she looked into the sunset. “What did you want to talk about?”
“Ya’ll are takin’ care of Twi, Ah know we all had our own moment with her earlier, an’ Pinkie is still tryin’ t’ wipe away her tears… but be honest. What d’ ya think about her recovery?”
Trixie hit a sour note. “I honestly can’t say. I mean, think about how long I was catatonic after my first suicide attempt. Really, it’s just impossible to guess when she’ll recover, or even if. I don’t mind though, it’s the very least I can do for her after how she pretty much fixed my life.”
“Twi, isn’t okay.”
“She’s not home right now. When she does come back we’ll have to ease her back into being equine again. I honestly don’t know how this will play out, but I can only hope that it won’t backfire.”
Applejack laid down on all fours and listened to Trixie play music for a while. Sad melodic tunes filled the front porch from Trixie’s guitar. Slowly Applejack grinned and met Trixie’s eyes. “That’s southern music yer playin’.”
“Yeah, it is. I started branching out recently and discovered some really good folk music. Lots of sad stuff. The Shine Brothers among the best.” Trixie adopted her best accent before saying, “So Ah’m learning t’ play some good ol folk. If’n yer interested in learnin’ more, ya best take a gander at mah music collection.”
Applejack beamed at her. “That’s a good accent on you.”
“What can I say, it’s in my blood.”
The door opened and Maud stood in the doorway, the filly was riding on top of her head. “Can you get Twilight, it’s time for dinner.”
Trixie stood up and brought the guitar inside this time. She set it up against the door just inside. Applejack took her child back and followed her as she made her way to the back room. A tight ball formed in Trixie’s chest as she approached the open doorway. Inside she could hear the steady, raspy breathing that made Trixie shiver.
Trixie peaked inside and found Pinkie Pie sitting on the bed next to Twilight, the right half of Twilight’s body was covered in bandages. Even half of that once beautiful face was hidden beneath those bandages. Twilight’s once proud and intelligent eye were now blank, hollow, and her expression was completely flat.
“You wouldn’t believe the scream Flutters let out as she climaxed,” Pinkie Pie said excitedly. “It was like, amazingly loud, not only that, her voice like, totally broke the window. I mean, come on, all I did was eat out her-“ Pinkie Pie stopped regaling Twilight with whatever tale she was in the middle of. Trixie kinda wanted to hear more of it, but she didn’t say anything.
“Its dinner time, it’s my turn to feed Twilight tonight,” Trixie said.
Pinkie Pie blinked, and a few tears rolled down her cheeks. “Can I?”
There was no way that Trixie could tell her no. “Go ahead, I mean, it’s not like she’ll notice.”
Pinkie Pie shut her eyes tight. “I-I think she does. I mean, I can’t prove it or anything, but I think she’ll know if it’s me.”
Trixie regretted her comment, she didn’t mean to sound so rude. “I hope so.” Trixie walked over to Twilight’s bedside and a purple aura surrounded Twilight. Trixie wasn’t strong enough to lift Twilight’s entire body, but she could ease her from the bed into the wheelchair. “Come on, Twi. Food’s up.”
Very slowly Trixie pushed the wheelchair, and Pinkie Pie followed. The silence coming from Pinkie Pie was heavy and thick. There was an air of desperation surrounding the poor mare.
Everypony was already at the kitchen table, but nopony stared as they entered. They’d all seen Twilight’s current condition, and none of them were okay with it. They had also come over quite a number of times to visit their dear friend, so it was no longer an alien sight to behold. Just a painful one.
A very large table had long since replaced the small one, and for good reason. Visits with six to ten ponies had become rather frequent in recent months. Ever since Trixie along with her family had taken Twilight in things were a bit busier than normal.
Everypony had their own seat and a bowl of stew along with a few rolls in front of them. Rainbow Dash had two bowls, though nopony was willing to argue that fact with the battle scarred mommy to be. The mare was no longer wearing a bandage over her ear, which revealed the jagged chunks missing from it.
Twilight was set down on one end and Pinkie Pie took a spot next to her. Trixie sat down next to Maud. Everypony was quiet for a moment, and Trixie felt the tension in the room rise. It was always a little awkward. Pinkie Pie carefully spoon fed Twilight the stew, she took extra precaution to make sure it wasn’t hot.
Trixie needed a distraction from the sight of her old friend being so spoon fed. “So, tell me about what’s been going on with everypony?”
Fluttershy didn’t speak most of the time, her crimson eyes flashed and her batpony ears twitched. Pinkie Pie deciphered the small movements. “Flutters and I have been good. Hollow Shades is a neat place to live, I even met my clone. Wow was that awkward. Fluttershy had her confused for me at first, even with the hair color change. I guess we smell the same. Oh and Flutterpoo’s won some local competition where batponies scream at things until they break.”
“I laid an egg,” Rarity said almost bitterly. “An. Egg.”
“Whoa, is that because you’re bucking Spike?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“We’re married.”
“So, ain’t that the same as you two were before?” Rainbow asked.
“No, no it is not. We got married just after Applejack. I would have loved to ask Twilight all sorts of questions, for example how long does it take to hatch a dragon egg? Unfortunately I was forced to go to her replacement. That Sunset Shimmer might be a nice mare, but she is unnervingly creepy in the way she seems to almost know things about me that I did not want to share.”
“Sunset’s awesome, a bit weird, nervous, and sad, but awesome,” Rainbow Dash replied. She had apparently forgotten to pack her manners as she picked up the bowl of soup and began slurping it down.
“That’s just it though; she’s always got this sad look when she talks to me. I know that she was friends with some of our counterparts, I suppose it might hurt to be around us,” Rarity said thoughtfully. “It still feels… awkward.”
Fluttershy nodded, and moved her lips as though speaking. Pinkie Pie interpreted for her. “Flutterpoo thinks that Sunset smells like remorse. I don’t know what that smells like, spinach maybe?”
Applejack jumped in then. “Well me an’ Soarin are doin’ good. Farm works a bit hard with a filly around, but Granny Smith’s real happy like to see a granddaughter from me.”
Soarin grinned. “Farm work is like, totally different than weather control. Gran says I’m good at it.”
“Where is Spike?” Trixie asked.
“Dragons keep their eggs in their lair and breathe fire over them until they hatch. Or in Twilight’s case they hand you a dead dragon’s egg and you use magic to breathe life into a thousand year old relic,” Rarity explained. “When I return home it will be my turn to breathe fire on it for awhile.”
“Have you thought of a name?” Trixie asked.
“Jade.”
“That sounds sweet,” Pinkie said.
“You named her after a gem,” Maud said flatly. “I like that.”
Valiant nodded.
“Thank you for saying so, though to be honest Spike came up with the first name.”
“First name?” Trixie asked.
“Yes, her full name will be Jade Rarity Bodice. Don’t you think that is such a lovely title for a baby dragon-pony?”
Nopony dared comment on that train wreck of a name… this time. Considering the fact that there are still burn marks in the wall from the last pony to set Rarity off, nopony was willing to risk it. Instead Trixie looked at Rainbow Dash. “What about you?”
“Me? I’m the still the leader of the Shadowbolts… and I’m training with Cinnamon Butterscotch, and as of last month in a real relationship Silverstone. Baby’s coming along nicely too, she’s gonna have Rainbow hair like me.”
“What about the windigo?”
“After we beat the tar out of their leader, the windigo aren’t a threat. Canterlot is still a frozen mess though, hoping that the summer heat will melt it.”
“So no real problems?”
“I’m just glad that there hasn’t been anymore kerfuffles, I can’t imagine what it would be like if the war had continued,” Rarity added.
A moment of silence followed, and Trixie couldn’t help but to imagine all the dead soldiers. An involuntary shiver passed through her. Equestria hadn’t been hit so hard in hundreds of years. The last confrontation that came even close was the siege of shadows about a hundred years ago. Thanks to the ponies like Inkpots though; that battle was won with minimal loss.
Trixie had to thank Sunset for her recent history lessons. On top of having to survive a daily contest of marital and or magical prowess, she’d been studying Equestrian history, and learning some unique skills. In fact, practicing her guitar was actually a part of her ‘training’.
There was a not so subtle knocking on the front door. Trixie pushed away from her dinner and walked over. The list of ponies that would bother them at such an hour was quite small. When saw who it was a frown spread over her lips. She really didn’t want to see this pony.
“Oh, it’s you,” Trixie said as she backed away from the door and attempted to give the mare as much space as she could in this tiny house. “Come on in, we still have some dinner.”
Celestia had to bow her head to get through the door. “Thank you, Trixie.”
Celestia found herself a seat next to Twilight. Of course no matter how large the table, the mare found a way to make this entire house feel like a toy. Since Luna wasn’t here Trixie had to assume that it was less than official business. Even so, she didn’t like being around Celestia anymore; Celestia only reminded Trixie of just how much she screwed up.
“Rule number seven, Trixie,” Trixie reminded herself.
“I’m afraid that I am out place here, to what rule do you refer?” Celestia asked.
“Sunset’s Rule’s of Training, number seven: no self pity.”
“Oh, that sounds like a wonderful rule to have. Why do you bring it up?”
Trixie looked at the wooden floor. “What did you want?”
Celestia let out a sigh. “I did not mean to interrupt your dinner. I just wished to see how things were going for myself. After moving into the Ponyville Castle, I have learned that Princess Twilight was not… she was suffering from things that I had not been aware of. I feel that this whole event is in some part my fault.”
Trixie shook her head. “You did the best you could, I tried, and everypony else here did everything in their power to avert this situation. What could you have actually done differently?”
“Not much I’m afraid.”
“Now why are you really here?”
Celestia lowered her head but that did nothing to make her seem any less imposing. “Is it really so wrong to come and visit my former students? You, Twilight and Sunset were all students of mine.”
Trixie let out a sigh. “I suppose there’s no harm in that.”
Maud set a bowl down with some stew in it for Princess Celestia and a couple of bread rolls. Celestia nodded to her. “I am very grateful for your hospitality.”
It wasn’t long before the chatter around the table picked up again and Trixie sort of blinked out of importance. Simply basking in the warmth of others was enough for her. Despite the fact that things would never be quite the same again, Trixie found that she was able to cope with and maybe even enjoy Celestia’s company after a time.
***
Things were rather quiet inside, and the stars lit up the night sky wonderfully. The cool night air brought with it a sense of relief from the hot house. Celestia stared up at the sky seemingly lost in thought.
After a moment Celestia smiled down at Trixie. “Good night, Trixie. Keep my student safe.”
“I will.”
A bright gold flash signified Celestia’s teleport. Of course Trixie knew the mare couldn’t be teleporting all the way back to Canterlot, but surely Celestia had simply gone back to whatever ride she used to arrive here in the first place. Trixie didn’t want to go inside yet, it was late though and she wasn’t up to being alone quite yet.
Once inside she saw five different ponies all sleeping in the living room. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were cuddling on the floor. Rainbow Dash had one of the couches to herself, meanwhile Rarity took another one. Applejack, her filly, and Soarin were all snuggled on the floor as well.
Trixie nearly went straight to bed but stopped when she noticed the light on in Twilight’s room. She approached and saw Valiant Heart walking with a book in her mouth over to Twilight’s bed. She climbed up it and sat down next to the injured mare. Twilight didn’t even blink.
Once the filly opened the book, she cleared her throat with such a tiny voice that Trixie could have sworn she sounded more like a mouse than a pony, Valiant read aloud, “Once upon a time there was a young filly named Little Red Riding Hoof.”
Trixie watched as the filly continued reading the book, and slowly Twilight’s expression shifted. A small smile grew over Twilight’s lips and her eye almost sparkled. Trixie watched in silence as the filly continued reading the full story to Twilight. Once upon a time Valiant had said she could help Twilight, and now she was making good on that promise.
When the story was finished, Valiant let out a yawn, laid her head down next to Twilight’s and closed her eyes. Trixie walked in and picked up the book, covered them both up and turned the light off. Before she left she kissed Valiant on the forehead and whispered, “Sleep tight.” Maud was waiting for her just outside the bedroom. She looked tired, but there was something else that Trixie couldn’t quite place. Something was off.
“Everypony’s asleep,” Maud said, she was a little too quiet.
“Yeah, they are.”
“What are you going to do?”
Trixie looked at herself. “I’m still covered in dirt and sweat from training today, so uh, I was thinking about taking a bath. Wanna join?”
Maud nodded. “It’ll give us some privacy.”
Trixie smiled at her and trotted into the bathroom where she didn’t hesitate to start the faucet running hot water. Maud was acting a little weird, and if Trixie had a suspicion that she might have been sad. So she also dumped some bubble bath into the mix and watched as pink bubbles filled the bottom of the tub. If there was ever a cure for the soul, bubble baths would be it.
The door shut behind Trixie and Maud stripped the dark blue dress off. Simply the sight of her bare gray fur was enough to make Trixie go crazy for the stoic earth pony. When Maud took her place beside Trixie nuzzled into her neck Trixie thought she was going to lose it. Her entire body was growing hot.
“Trixie,” Maud said, her tone soft.
“Yes, Maud?”
“My father is still pushing me to use the choosing stone. He came over today while you were out with Sunset. I didn’t want to talk to him but he wouldn’t leave until he told me what I needed to do.”
Trixie nuzzled back, planting soft kisses along the length of her lover’s neck. “Doesn’t he realize we’re married?”
A gasp escaped Maud’s lips as Trixie found a particularly sensitive spot. “He doesn’t care.”
“What’s wrong with the rock?”
“I don’t need a rock telling me how to live my life. It was wrong before, and I won’t let it be wrong again.”
Trixie paused. “What if it says that we were meant to be together?”
“The last time it told me to be with somebody… they died.”
Trixie pulled back, noted that the tub was nearly full and turned off the hot faucet with a bit of magic. “Then we don’t need the stupid rock to tell us how to live our lives. You’re parents are just going to have to learn to live with it.”
Soft fur brushed against Trixie’s rear and a yelp escaped her lips as Maud found something new to nuzzle. “Let’s talk about it later.”
Trixie nodded eagerly. “Yes, later.”
***
Early the next day after everypony had taken the train back to wherever they now called home, Trixie and Maud decided to go out. They left both Valiant and Twilight at home in the care of Sunset. Even if they weren’t going to be gone long, Trixie still felt a bit uneasy about it.
They stopped at a small store and picked up some groceries, after the dinner last night they needed to restock. It was just about the time that they were leaving when they saw a young mother pushing a stroller; a brand new baby foal was sitting inside and sleeping soundly. Maud stared at them for a long moment.
“You okay?” Trixie asked.
“It was really nice having our niece over last night. Did you know she likes to hoof paint?” Maud asked.
“She’s barely three months old, and she’s hoof painting already?”
“I remember hearing that the cakes children were discovering things at that age too.”
Trixie shrugged. “I don’t really know a lot about foals I guess.”
They exited the store together and turned toward home. Maud looked pensive. “Lulu, I… I’m glad that we have Val.”
“Me too, she’s a great kid. A bit weird but still great.”
“She’s not just a filly…”
“No, she’s really not. That makes it easy to take care of her though.”
Maud cleared her throat. “You ever think about having a baby?”
Trixie shrugged. “Yeah, but I mean, we’re both mares. That doesn’t work out in our favor.”
“You could always do artificial insemination.”
Trixie gave Maud an even look. “So could you.”
“No. I can’t.”
They were quiet for awhile after that. When somepony did finally speak it was Maud. “I read in a magazine recently that it’s possible with transmutation magic for two mares to create a baby. Of course their child has a ninety percent chance of being a female.”
“That sounds like something we could do I guess…”
“Do you want to have a baby?”
Trixie let out a sigh. “I don’t know right now. We have a lot to do and stuff to take care of. “
Maud looked over at her with pleading eyes. “Please, Lulu. I need your help.”
The sorrow and pain flowing off of Maud washed over Trixie, and she knew that she couldn’t hurt the poor mare by simply saying no. The truth was that she had considered it and although appealing she wasn’t quite ready. There were lots of reasons Trixie didn’t want to have a kid yet, but she was nineteen, and most mares her age were already married and pregnant. Even all of her friends seemed to be settling down.
The question then became; was it time to fully settle down or not?
“It would take a long time to have a kid.”
“A year.”
“And that’s assuming that any of the um… whatever actually takes.”
“It’s called sperm.”
“Y-yeah, and I’ll need to be in heat.”
“It’s spring.”
“And… Twilight’s still catatonic.”
“So?”
“So it would be hard to care for a catatonic vegetable princess and a newborn foal at the same time.”
“Do you really think she will still be like this in a year from now? And if she is, are we really going to take care of her until then?” Maud asked. “We need to start a family soon, we can’t sacrifice our lives for your guilt forever.”
Trixie shivered with the memory that Twilight’s current condition was partly her fault. “Y-yeah… we’ve been living together for two years, dating for one, and married for just a few months. You’re right; we should probably have a kid soon. I mean Val wouldn’t mind having a baby sister… I think… Look I can’t promise anything yet. When I do go in season though, if, if I feel up to it maybe we can try. We’ll need a powerful unicorn to help though if we’re going to have a baby between the two of us.”
“Sunset should know how to do it.”
The thought of Maud with male genitalia, no matter for how short of time that might be was deeply disturbing. Trixie didn’t like boys, she didn’t like boy parts, and she didn’t particularly like those toys that Maud was in love with either. At least I’m finally allowed to tie her up with ribbons… I’m weird.
“Tell you what, the second that Twilight’s back with us, I’ll agree to having your baby.”
Maud smiled warmly and nuzzled against Trixie’s neck. “Thank you.”
“You know I love you right?”
“I love you too.”
When they did get home, they found Sunset sitting on the front porch. She had a particular look in her eyes that made Trixie fearful for today’s training session. Maud gave a knowing look to Trixie that told her she was going to need to ask that question.
“Maud,” Sunset said with a nod.
Maud walked past her, “Good morning.”
Just as Maud entered the house Sunset looked at Trixie. “She having a bad morning or something?”
Trixie pawed at the earth. “She’s probably embarrassed.”
“Why?”
“Well for starters our house is still messy after our visit last night, and we still had to ask you to come over and help watch Twi anyway. Also I need to ask you if you could perform a certain spell for us when the time is ready?”
Sunset gave Trixie an odd look. “What spell?”
“Maud and me want to have a baby.”
“Canterlot was barely retaken, there could be dozens of other threats left to our country. Are you sure that right now is a good time for this? Half the mane six have already forgotten that they have responsibilities to home and country.”
“My life this past year has been plagued by nothing but drama and monsters. I might as well try and get pregnant when I go in heat. Though we are waiting until Twilight wakes up first.”
Sunset bit her lower lip. “I won’t tell you what to do, I mean after Canterlot was taken back Celestia forgave you right?”
“Yes.”
“So… I’ll need to transform Maud into a boy?”
Trixie nodded.
“Geez, transmutation magic. That stuff is a bit worrisome. It’s going to hurt like Tartarus, and that’s not including how it’ll feel for her to be turned back into a female. I can do it, sure, but is Maud really willing to do that? Just so you two can basically make a clone of yourselves?”
“Clone?”
“Neither of you are men, and even if she gets turned into a boy it’s not like her sperm are… normal. Your kid is going to be some kind of clone of the two of you, unless… Well there is something I saw Twilight researching, a method that might work. I’ll work on it, just know that this particular union usually has some odd side effects.”
“Like what?”
“Children might have some minor psychological problems, major side effects such as mutation or physical handicap are rare but not entirely out of the question. This is after all, spitting in the face of nature. You can’t expect to not have something go wrong.
“That said, Twilight’s research has indicated to me that she’s found a way to increase the safety of this type of procreation by seventy percent.”
“How do you have access to Twilight’s research?”
“She’s not living at her castle. I might as well go digging through her crap.”
Trixie let out a sigh. “Well at least it’s possible, and with Twilight’s notes it might even be ‘safe’.”
“Yeah, just you know, I can barely understand what the hay Twilight was trying to write down. Half of those research notes look like incoherent nonsense.”
Trixie gave her a small smile. “I used to go to school with her, she sort of forced us to learn her method of madness. If I can’t understand those notes than nopony can.”
“Great, next time I’m in Ponyville I’ll get the notes and we can do some research. This might actually help me understand her research on Starswirl as well. We’ve only deciphered maybe half of what she’s got written on him.”
Trixie pushed open the door and Sunset followed her inside. When Trixie saw Inkie and Blinkie sitting in her kitchen her heart dropped out of her chest. For a long moment she simply stared at the pair, Maud was picking up some of the mess the mane six had left the night prior, while Valiant stood on a kitchen chair writing messages to Inkie. Twilight was sleeping in the living room as peaceful as could be.
“Oh, yeah, your sisters in law came to visit,” Sunset said. “They wouldn’t leave.”
“You know, I’ll say it again,” Blinkie said while looming over Maud’s shoulder. “We come all the way out here to visit our dearest older sister, and we are welcomed to a dirty house and a rude filly. Seriously?”
Maud swept up a pile of candy wrappers. “Pinkie and her friends were over last night.”
“Oh, you let her make a mess? I would have sworn that you would have thrown her out the window or something for this,” there was venom in Blinkie’s tone.
“It’s just a mess.”
“Yeah, and Maudie Potty is just a mean nickname.”
Maud stopped and gave a level stare at Inkie. “I come home and find you two sitting in my kitchen. That’s trespassing.”
“No, it’s family and entry. Right, sis?”
Inkie lowered her head and stayed quiet.
“I said, ‘right, sis?’”
Inkie pawed at the floor and had no confidence in her voice as she replied, “Mmhmm.”
“What did you two want?” Maud asked, she looked at Trixie with pleading eyes.
“What we want,” Blinkie said, “Is for you two to go visit mom and pop soon. I mean it. You two are wasting everypony’s time with this whole, ‘oh I’m so hurt that you didn’t accept me at first’ routine. Nopony cares about who you’re bucking anymore. You want to sleep with an ex-criminal that’s fine. Mom just wants you to visit.”
Inkie lowered her head until her nose was practically touching the floor. “Mmhmm…”
Maud dumped the spent candy wrappers into the trash. “I’ll think about it.”
“You know that because of your selfishness mom hasn’t gotten to properly be introduced to your filly.”
Maud frowned. “I-I know.”
“Oh so you kept the little thing away on purpose?”
“No.”
“Then it was just a happy accident that mom hasn’t gotten to know her granddaughter yet?”
“No.”
“Which is it, did you keep her away on purpose or are was it an accidental blessing?”
Maud’s lower lip trembled and Trixie decided enough was enough. “Blinkie!”
The gray-purple mare gave Trixie a sly devilish grin. “Yes?”
“Maud does not need to answer any of your loaded questions; furthermore this is our home, our sanctuary. If you can’t respect either of us while you are here, you need to leave.” Trixie looked at Inkie and gave her a soft smile. “Inkie of course is welcomed anytime. You’re very polite.”
That brought a smile to Inkie’s face. Blinkie however scowled. “Fine, whatever. See if I try to help out again. Come on, sis. We’re leaving.”
Blinkie got up and started toward the door, opened it and stepped out. Inkie Paused and nodded toward Valiant before walking reluctantly after her sister. Once they were gone Maud slumped against the wall and slid down to the floor. Trixie hurried to her side and nuzzled the mare’s cheek. Sunset looked at the door for awhile.
“Their horrible,” Sunset said coldly.
Valiant shook her head and scribbled something down.
“Inky is nice, she’s just shy. She’s sorry that Blinky is mean.
Blinky wants to own the farm.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Trixie asked.
“I’m the next in line for ownership of the farm. I thought that my parents took that away from me when I married you… if I’m still in the will than that might explain why she’s so mean,” Maud said, her voice weak.
“Do you want to own the farm?” Trixie asked.
“No… maybe I should talk to mother and father.”
“Probably.”
Sunset walked over to the couch and took a seat. She leaned over and stroked the sleeping princess’s mane. “So what are we doing, Trix?”
Trixie looked at her. “We?”
“Of course, you’re not only my student, you’re my friend. I want to help.”
Trixie smiled. “Oh okay, um… Maud?”
“I’ll need to visit home, and talk to my parents. Without Blinkie if possible.”
Sunset gave them a cruel smile. “So you just need a distraction? I can keep her busy.”
Trixie let out a sigh. “Don’t hurt her.”
“I’m mean, not evil. I’ll just keep her too busy to interrupt you two.”
***
The Pie family rock farm was quiet, dull, and surrounded by nothing much more than weeds, rocks, and a few dead trees. Trixie remembered how many nights she’d lay in bed while working here, staring up through the holes in the old wooden ceiling and thinking about how far her life had gone downhill. It hadn’t occurred to her back than that she had been sleeping in Pinkie’s old bed.
Trixie paused for a moment to take a look at the giant petrified dragon’s egg that lay in their front yard. Sure they had always told her it was just a rock, but Trixie knew better than that. If this thing had been stolen from a dragon’s nest, than it was something valuable to the dragon. The mere thought of what it could be gave her chills.
Sunset Shimmer stepped up to Trixie’s side and pointed a hoof at the horizon. Where she was pointing Trixie saw a lone Blinkie Pie chipping away at a boulder with her pick axe in mouth. Inkie was nowhere in sight. A short laugh escaped Sunset’s lips. “I’ll keep her busy.”
Maud walked past Trixie and toward the door. “Do you think Twilight will be okay?”
“Valiant Heart and Dusk will keep an eye on her.”
“Val’s seven and Dusk is… not much better.”
“Again, we both know that Valiant’s way too mature for her age. Besides we won’t be gone long,” Trixie promised.
Maud nodded.
Together they made their way to the front door and Maud raised her hoof but hesitated. “Lulu, I haven’t been back here since they disowned me.”
“I know, but we can do this.”
Maud knocked and for a while things were quiet. When the door opened Maud took a step back and her ears folded back. Cloudy Quartz stood in the doorway with wide eyes. “Maud, Trixie?”
“Hello mother,” Maud said quietly.
“Miss Quartz,” Trixie said politely.
Cloudy Quartz smiled and beckoned for them to come in. they followed her inside. “It has been too long daughter of mine, how hast thou been?”
They entered the living room where Cloudy Quartz took a seat on a rocking chair. A ball of yarn with a pair of knitting needles sticking out rest on the table next to it. Trixie and Maud took a seat on the couch.
Maud looked a bit uncomfortable on the seat. “It’s quiet in here.”
Cloudy Quartz smiled softly at her. “Thy father is out buying supplies to fix our roof. Sun rot wore a hole through. Should you choose to wait I am sure he would be pleased to see his daughter.”
Maud shook her head. “I am here on business.”
“Oh?”
Maud met her mother’s eyes. “Who is the farm going to in the will?”
Cloudy Quartz looked away, choosing rather to look at the fireplace. “Should that matter?”
“Yes.”
“The will… has not been changed if that is what thou were wondering.”
Maud shook her head. “I don’t want the farm. Give it to Blinkie.”
“But Limestone is not in line for...”
“We both know that Pinkie couldn’t get the farm anyway.”
Cloudy Quartz frowned. “Are thou sure? The farm is the greatest gift we could give to our children.”
“No,” Maud said as she stood up and motioned for Trixie to follow. “It’s not.”
Trixie followed a little reluctantly and they left the house behind. Maud stopped once she got a few paces away from the house. “I can’t do this.”
“Give your sister the farm?”
“Deal with my parents, their lies, and their betrayal,” Maud answered. She sniffled. “Let’s go home.”
Trixie nodded. She caught a glimpse of Cloudy staring at them from the window. The old mare looked sad.
Trixie was about to call out for Sunset Shimmer when she saw Blinkie Pie gallop across the road, her eyes were wide and she was screaming as a pair of giant limes went rolling after her. The mare quickly vanished without saying a word, the limes rolling forever after her.
“What… what?” Trixie asked.
Sunset dropped from the sky, landing next to them. “What, I thought it would be funny?”
Trixie gave her an odd look. “You have giant limes, chasing after Limestone?”
“Yes!” Sunset said with a pleased grin.
Trixie shook her head, and continued forward. The others followed. “I, I think you’re insane.”
“Oh don’t worry, our training will be much worse.”
“Ugh, no…”
Sunset looked at Maud with gentle eyes. “Everything go okay?”
Trixie shook her head. “It’s hard for Maud to be here.”
“You know we could always get you some Cheesy Puffs and weed,” Sunset suggested.
“Sunset!” Trixie complained.
“What?” Sunset said. “It always worked on the other one…”
Trixie grumbled something unkind under her breath.
“I heard that.”
***
After yet another brutal training session with Sunset Shimmer, Trixie found herself relaxing inside the house with a nice bit of homework. Specifically a copy of, ‘Rules and Laws of the Governing Princesses’. Of which there were currently six that held power. Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Trixie, Sunset and Starlight. Starlight was as far as Trixie was aware only a temporary princess until Twilight could resume her duties.
One thing that Trixie had heard about awhile back, and as soon as she had she’d acted on it was the fact that a princess could legally adopt any pupil or apprentice that they wanted to; with our without parental permission. Sure, Valiant might be an earth pony but she could clearly use magic. She made a great apprentice/daughter.
That had raised the question of Celestia’s students. According to this law, Celestia never had to ask permission to adopt foals. Of course she did ask permission, and she respected the parents’ wishes, though few ever thought about declining her offer of adoption. The prestige was simply too great to ignore. The fact stood that she did not need to.
“Hey,” Sunset said from the couch.
Trixie glanced up. Sunset was lying on her back reading what looked to be some sort of comic book. The front cover had a picture of a house made out of four squares and a triangle. Four ponies stood on the cover, each one of them looked sort of ridiculous. Maud was busy looking through a collection of rocks on the table. Meanwhile Valiant Heart was reading a book to the empty husk of an alicorn.
“What is it?” Trixie asked.
“So I’m reading this thing right, and I’m at the part where two of the main characters kiss… only she’s kissing her lover’s decapitated head from her past-present body. And I just realized the most important thing ever!”
Trixie had no idea what the Sunset was talking about, but decided to humor her anyway. “Oh, what’s that?”
Sunset tossed the book onto the table, narrowly avoiding the carefully spread out rocks. “This story is convoluted and full of needless drama that does not forward the plot… and I love it!”
“Oh… that’s nice?”
“I just wish that Fishrika would make another appearance, she’s been dead for like three books.”
“Then how would she-“ Trixie began, she stopped short as she remembered the one thing she learned since getting to know Sunset on a close level. Never ask about the weird book series.
“Sunset, you almost hit my rocks,” Maud warned her.
“Sorry, I was trying to be dramatic.” Sunset sat up stretched her forelegs over her head and grabbed the book in her telekinetic aura. “I’m going home. I have a fish pony that I don’t have to wait for because she’s not dead, and she’s married to me!”
Sunset stood up and walked over to Valiant Heart. “See ya later, Val.” She rubbed the top of Valiant’s head messing up the already wild mane. Valiant glared daggers at Sunset.
Sunset didn’t leave though, instead she leaned against the wall and stared at Twilight while Valiant continued reading. Trixie listened into the filly’s tiny voice. Considering Valiant refused to talk to ponies, this was about the only time she really got to hear it.
“So it was,” Valiant began, her tiny voice the only real sound in the room. “That the evil wizard was banished from the land for all time. Thanks to Starswirl the Bearded, life returned to normal. The sun was shining, the plants were full of life, and nowhere could the dreaded smooze be found. Ponies could once again frolic and play-“
Twilight blinked and said, “-and happiness returned to Equestria.”
Long, dreadful silence crept over the house, and not a single pony spoke. The house creaked and groaned with age, the wind outside rustled against the windows, and Trixie could hear her heartbeat thumping in her ear. Twilight laid there next to Valiant, slowly she looked around, blinked a few times and then smiled.
“Um, h-hi…” Twilight said, her voice was weak and raspy.
Valiant stood up, faced Twilight and her lip trembled. “You’re okay?”
Twilight nodded, cringed and said, “Everything hurts, but I think so.”
Tears rolled down the filly’s face and she reached out with her legs and wrapped them around Twilight’s neck. Her legs were so short that they couldn’t reach all the way around. “You’re okay!”
Twilight tried to lift her right leg, gave a yelp and went for her left leg instead. She hugged the filly. “Why? Did something happen?”
Nopony spoke, and Trixie assumed it was for the same reason that she didn’t speak. She didn’t want to be the one to tell Twilight how bad it was. Her injuries, the scars, or Canterlot and the windigo war. Who could be so heartless as to want to tell Twilight those things?
“Wait a minute,” Twilight said as she tried and failed to push Valiant Heart away. “Did… did you just speak?”
Valiant shook her head and nuzzled into Twilight’s neck.
Maud stood up. “She doesn’t like to talk, at all. Even Trixie has to make do with the whiteboard. But she’s been reading to you, every single day since you were hurt.”
Twilight’s eye sparkled, and she bit her lip. “She… she has? I don’t even know what happened.” Slowly Twilight lifted a hoof and wiped away a few tears forming in the corner of her eye. “Thank you, Val.” She touched her hoof to the bandages covering her left eye and her expression went ridged. Slowly she prodded the bandages with her hoof, feeling up and down. Half of her face was covered by bandages, only her mouth was free of them.
“What, why, when, how, how much?” Twilight asked in rapid succession.
“You were hurt in our retreat from Canterlot,” Trixie said.
“Retreat?” Twilight asked.
“You don’t remember?”
“I…” Twilight closed her eye and cringed. “I think, I don’t, why? What happened? How are the princesses, my friends, everypony?”
“The princesses are fine, so are your friends. Applejack has the cutest little baby, we have pictures, I’ll show you later,” Trixie said.
Sunset sat down. “The civilian losses in Canterlot were minimal. In fact, it was a well excited or extremely lucky escape. I suggest though, that we not discuss the war, politics or the state of our nation with Twilight any time soon. For that matter I suggest we stay away from anything that might alarm her, or cause distress. As for me, I am going to need to send a letter to the Princess right away.”
Trixie piped up. “I can do that!”
“That bird is not going to work.”
“But… the Doctor finally came back to me. Even if it was just to keep an eye on Twilight,” Trixie said.
“I swear, I could kill the both of you for naming your pets’ absolutely horrible things,” Sunset said. She turned toward the door. “Besides there are details I need to add personally.” She opened the door and stopped just before leaving. “Twilight, do you wish for me to tell the princess anything?”
“C-can you tell her that I want to see her?” Twilight asked.
Sunset smiled. “Of course I will.”
Once the door closed behind Sunset, Trixie felt her heart start to fall through her chest. Twilight was awake now, actually alert and acting like herself. This left her wondering what they were going to do next.
Twilight looked down at the right side of her body, and the absolute horror that spread over her features made Trixie’s heart stop. Twilight’s left wing stretched out limply and mock flapped, the whole time Twilight stared at her shoulder where the right wing used to be. The stump had to be removed so it was bare. Her eye glossed over and then she closed it. Slowly Twilight lowered her head to the floor, and Valiant took a couple of steps away from the mare.
“I can feel it,” Twilight said.
Trixie knew what she was talking about. Some days Trixie still awoke thinking that she had both of her wings, and Trixie had only had them for a short time compared to Twilight. There really wasn’t much that Trixie could do or say, but she had to say something. Anything was better than letting terrible silence devour the room.
“Twilight,” Trixie said softly. “I’m sure you have questions; lots of them. I want to be able to answer any that you might have, but first you should know that whatever is wrong now I’m sure that we can fix.”
A harsh laugh escaped Twilight’s lungs. “Oh yea? Am I supposed to get a metal wing? Who says that I wanted wings in the first place? I was the perfect unicorn before Celestia tricked me into being an alicorn! Now I’ve lost one wing, one! Not to mention that I’m covered in bandages… how bad is it?”
“It’s bad, but you’re still an alicorn so your scars will go away… eventually.”
“After years of suffering and pain? My wing won’t grow back.”
Trixie let out a quiet breathless sigh. “No, you’re wing won’t. Neither will mine.”
Twilight opened her eye and stared at Trixie’s back. “How?”
“My alicornhood was ripped out of me. I knew that I wasn’t a real alicorn already, but I didn’t realize just how easily my transformation could be undone.”
“I… I think I remember seeing you in a hospital bed. You were hurt really badly.”
“Not nearly as bad as you are. Believe me when I say this, Twilight. We are all here for you, and we will do everything in our power to help you recover.”
Twilight closed her eye and stayed quiet for nearly a full minute before she said, “The right side of my body hurts, and I look like a Frankenstallion monster…”
“You’ll get better. I mean, there are things we can do to help your wing. You can get a new one,” Trixie frowned as a thought came to her. “Or… you could get the other one removed.”
A choking sound came out of Twilight’s throat. “N-no, I don’t want to be one of them.”
“A lot of pegasi that suffer injuries like that can’t fly anymore, so they… opt for removal of both wings. Try to become earth ponies, you know…”
Twilight opened her eye. “But I was special.”
“You are special.”
Twilight blinked, and a few tears rolled down the side of her face. “I was the princess of friendship. An alicorn princess. Celestia made me special. I don’t w-want to b-be…”
That’s when Twilight began crying. Tears streamed down her eye over her cheek. Valiant cuddled up next to Twilight’s ‘safe’ side and began whispering into Twilight’s ear. At first Trixie wasn’t sure what she the filly was saying, it was hard to hear over Twilight’s sobs. As Twilight’s sobs quieted, Trixie began to make out the lullaby.
“Hush now, quiet now…”
That was all Trixie could stand to listen too before she knew she too would cry. This wasn’t a time for her to show weakness, Twilight needed her to be strong so she did the only thing she could. She trotted over to the back bedroom. “I have a gift for you, Twilight.”
Once she arrived in the room she found the portrait that showed Twilight standing with all of her friends in front of the old Golden Oaks Library. They were all so young that Twilight was still a unicorn in the photo. Written on the glass in black marker was a message from Pinkie Pie. It read simply, “Get well soon my little stalker.”
Trixie could only assume from the journal she read that this was reference to the time that Twilight had spent some time stalking Pinkie Pie and trying to learn the secret of her Pinkie Sense. Of course this only made Trixie wonder just how long Pinkie had had feelings for Twilight. Maybe she’d been in love since the beginning. It really was a shame that it never worked out between them.
Hot tears rolled down Trixie’s face and she had blink them away in a desperate attempt to see clearly. Her heart hurt for her wounded friend. Even if this hadn’t been Twilight’s dream, she had taken so much pride in becoming what Celestia wanted her to be. Now though, Twilight was broken, and as far as Trixie could tell, scarred beyond belief. She may be that way for many years before she looked normal again too.
The portrait was enveloped in a purple aura and lifted into the air. Trixie walked back into the living room, portrait in tow. Once there she set down next to Twilight and gave the portrait to her old friend. Twilight took one look at it, mouthed the words written down and then cried more. Slowly she moved her right leg, bandaged as it may be and weakly grasped the portrait with both hooves.
“Pinkie Pie! I’m so sorry!” she cried into the picture. “I’m so sorry.”
Trixie didn’t dare touch Twilight’s right side, but she did carefully lean over and kiss the top of Twilight’s head. “I swear to you, Twilight. I will not rest until you are back to your old self, I will never abandon you, and together we will find a way to make everything okay again.”
Twilight looked up, her eye was streaked with red. “I’m supposed to be taking care of you.”
“Heh, well it’s the great and loving Trixie’s turn to care for you,” Trixie said with a knowing smile.
Twilight smiled back, it was small, but it was still a smile. If Twilight could smile through this, then perhaps it was possible for Trixie to make good on her promises. Or at least that’s what Trixie told herself.
***
The front porch was quiet save for the depressing tunes whining from Trixie’s guitar. The door next to her opened up and Sunset along with a light blue earth pony that had a deep blue and purple striped ponytail stepped out. This other pony was Sonata Dusk, Sunset’s rather innocent wife. There was an owl on Sunset’s back that gave Trixie a distasteful look. Sunset smiled softly. “Celestia and Luna should be coming to visit soon. There hitching a ride with Twilight’s knight.”
“So Starlight is coming over too?”
Sunset smiled. “Yeah. She feels very close to Twilight since she’s her mentor after all. Well that and the fact that she’s Twilight’s first knight.”
The owl blinked down at Trixie and spoke. “You know I never trusted that Starlight Glimmer. She nearly destroyed the fabric of reality and caused enough emotional trauma to Twilight to make her start getting into dark magic in an attempt to protect her world.”
Trixie strummed a particularly low chord. “Oh, come on. I enslaved all of Ponyville, and look at what happened to Canterlot. I can’t very well judge Starlight. I’m just jealous of her power.”
“Well considering how limited your magic is, I cannot blame you.”
Trixie’s horn lit up and she grabbed the owl in her aura. She yanked it off of Sunset’s back and glared into its eyes. “You know, familiars are supposed to be immortal. Shall we test that theory?”
“Ahem, allow me to restate that. Every unicorn should envy an oddity such as Starlight, even if they have as much power as the Great and Powerful Trixie.”
Trixie growled and released the owl. “That’s better.”
“Um,” Sonata said. “Can you like, speak bird?” She looked at Sunset with pleading eyes. “Sunny, I wanna speak bird too!”
Sunset rolled her eyes. “Trixie can’t speak bird, that’s her familiar. A pony can speak with and understand their familiar. It’s a difficult skill learning to speak with a familiar that does not share a bond with you. Hence the reason why Twilight thought the owl here was a ‘normal’ owl for years. She actually thought she had a pet!”
“Yeah, she destroyed my home and stole my familiar, hooray,” Trixie said un-amused.
“It’s not like you had the magic to actually work with him anyway. Only recently you’ve been in need of another familiar. Just be glad that he came back to you,” Sunset said.
Trixie growled. “Great, now you’re doing it too.”
“Doing what?” Sonata asked.
“I assume,” Sunset started, “that the owl had started mouthing off about Trixie’s skill level with magic. Trixie is still better at illusions than Twilight is.”
Trixie beamed. “Hear that Doctor?”
“I hear it, but I don’t belie-“
“Doctor Hoot!” Trixie nearly screamed.
Sunset facehoofed. “Doctor Hoot, and Owlicious, why do you both give him such horrible names? Can’t you come up with something good?”
“I thought it was clever.”
“It’s not!”
“I prefer Owlicious myself, but perhaps that is only because the other name is obviously a parody of an old hero. One that I quite dislike.”
“He was a cool hero, and he lives in Ponyville now. Why shouldn’t I name you after him? Because he’s a really smart scientist? A great pony? A super old immortal stallion?”
“No because he is quite maddening. Have you tried to hold a conversation with The Doctor?”
“Uh… n-not really. He kinda intimidates me,” Trixie admitted. “… do you really want me to call you Owlicious?”
“If you would not mind master.”
Trixie let out a sigh. “Well I’m sure that Twilight would appreciate it as well. Fine, until otherwise stated you are hereby renamed Doctor Owlicious Hoot.”
“Why?”
“Because your greatest strength is still your encyclopedia of a mind. Oh and uh, you can answer to Owlicious or whatever.”
“I refuse to answer to the name, ‘Whatever’.”
Trixie growled. “You, suck.”
Sunset trotted off. “I’m going to meet Celestia, and when we get back here, please stop this mind numbing argument. You two both sound stupid when you argue like this.”
“Can she understand me?”
“I don’t think so,” Trixie said, “She’s just stuck up sometimes.”
Sonata quickly followed behind Sunset. “Good luck, Trixie!”
Trixie leaned back and let out a sigh. Just as she began playing a soft and sad song on her guitar, Owlicious landed next to her and began messing with his feathers. “You do look rather crazy when you hold an argument with an owl.”
“Shut it,” Trixie said. “The Great and Musical Trixie is practicing.”
Once Trixie had finished playing music she made her way back inside only to find Twilight lying on the couch. Maud must have moved her somewhere a little more comfortable. Valiant Heart was sitting on the floor with her back to the couch. It would seem she refused to leave Twilight’s side, even now that she was back.
Twilight gave a weak smile to Trixie. “I heard you arguing with somepony outside. Is everything okay?”
The owl sitting on Trixie’s back began pruning his wings. “Who?”
“You very well know who it was,” Trixie told her familiar.
“Who?”
“It was you!”
“Who?”
“You, Owlicious, the owl, and pain in my butt.”
“Who?”
“ARGH!” Trixie exclaimed. “You are so infuriating. It’s no wonder that I didn’t go looking for you.”
Twilight cleared her throat. “Um, T-Trixie, you do realize that you are arguing with an owl… right? He can’t make any noises other than hooting.”
Trixie gave her a blank stare, blinked, and then looked up at the owl. She got the distinct impression that it was smiling evilly, even without lips with which to smile. “It would seem that she does not realize what I really am.”
With that said Trixie gave up on the argument, and instead took a seat on the couch opposite of Twilight’s. “This is my old familiar. You remember that I had an owl familiar do you not? I sort of lost him after the first incident with the ursa minor.”
Twilight blinked and then her mouth slowly opened. “Wait… you mean that Owlicious is… he was your familiar?”
“Still am.”
“He still is.”
Twilight shook her head slowly, cringed and stopped the movement. “That explains a whole lot. You received a familiar of knowledge correct? I never did a lot of study on them considering the fact that I never had a familiar myself.”
“Yes, I made a pact with Doc- er, Owlicious here. I thought that his knowledge and wisdom would be helpful. It turns out he was better at organizing my notes than he was at helping me cheat at tests.”
“It would have been wrong of me to aid you in cheating, oh great and honorable Trixie.”
“Silence,” Trixie said. “Anyway, yeah, he’s my familiar. I guess he took a liking to you, he even likes your name for him better than mine.”
Twilight tried to smile again, and then she cringed again.
“Are you okay?” Trixie asked.
“The pain medication hasn’t kicked in yet… and I have… n-nevermind.”
“Look, Celestia and Luna are going to be here soon, if you need something let me know.”
This time the smile stayed on Twilight’s lips. “Luna’s coming to visit?”
Trixie nodded. “She’s been very busy so she has only come to see you once in the past three months. That was… uh…”
“Two months, three weeks, and seven days ago.”
“It’s actually been almost three months since she came over.”
“That, is not what I said.”
Trixie smiled.
Another pained expression came over Twilight’s face. “I need to pee.”
Oh… well that explains a lot. First Trixie looked around and could not find Maud. Second she looked for the wheelchair, that too was missing. This was proving to be a bit of a conundrum.
“B-badly,” Twilight said as she grimaced.
An idea popped into Trixie’s mind. She cleared her throat got off of her seat and walked over to Twilight. “Okay, come on. I’ll help you to the bathroom.”
“This isn’t fair.”
A purple aura surrounded Twilight and she slowly she was pushed off the couch and onto Trixie’s back. A gasp escaped Twilight as she settled onto Trixie’s back. “I’m sorry, I know it hurts, but I’m not strong enough to carry you with magic.”
“I-I thought your telekinesis was really strong?”
“I can move a lot of small objects at once, for long periods of time, and really quickly. I am not however,” Trixie huffed as she lifted up Twilight’s weight and took a few steps, “I am not good at heavy lifting. Especially since my magic is still in recovery. I apologize for my weakness.”
“It’s fine. I…” Twilight cringed once more and let out a small whimper. “I-I-“
Trixie got a quick start toward the bathroom and got as far as the hallway before warm liquid began running down her back. Trixie nearly stopped dead in her tracks. There wasn’t much to say as Twilight began crying, and Trixie couldn’t do an awful lot in this position. So she tried to give a warm smile to her friend.
“It’s okay, Twilight. I uh, I have accidents too.”
Twilight simply cried and Trixie decided not too much until she was finished. It was all over after a half a minute or so, and Trixie along with the floor was covered in wet. Maud walked out of the restroom, took one look at the two of them, and the puddle on the floor before going straight to the closet and pulling out the mop and bucket.
“It happened again. How bad?” Maud asked.
“Just urine, and uh… yeah I’ll get us cleaned up.”
“A-again!” Twilight cried. “N-no, I didn’t mean t-to. I-I’m sorry.”
Trixie shook her head as she walked to the bathroom. “It’s fine. You were holding it in for a while weren’t you?”
“I-I didn’t want to bother anypony.” Twilight sniffled.
“You don’t need to be embarrassed to ask for help. Do you realize how many times I had accidents when I first moved in with Maud? At least once a week. Either I would have a complete mental breakdown and collapse into a ball on the floor, or it would be a nightmare. Maud had to clean up after me, a lot. Valiant has accidents too sometimes. So don’t worry, you’re living in a house full of ponies that pee themselves, constantly.”
Twilight wiped her nose into Trixie’s fur and pulled away. “S-sorry.”
“I’m already covered in pee, a little snot in my fur isn’t going to bother me. Seriously Twilight, don’t feel bad about this,” Trixie tried to reassure her.
They went to the bathroom and Trixie used a sponge to wash Twilight’s uninjured parts. When that was done she checked to see if any of the bandages had gotten wet, luckily they were dry, though they were going to need a change soon anyway. Maud would have to do that bit. Finally Trixie cleaned herself up and took Twilight back into the living room.
The floor was cleaned by the time they were out, and Maud was just putting the mop back. She gave the two of them a glance, and smiled at Twilight. “We will take care of you.”
Twilight sniffled. “I-I’m so useless though.”
Maud shook her head. Closed the closet door, and said, “You are hurt. You need cared for. We can do that.” She walked over to Twilight and kissed the top of the princess’s head. “Now go lie down and remember we love you.”
Twilight’s lip quivered and tears welled up at the corner of her eye. She blinked and a few escaped to run down her cheek. “You’re so nice.”
Maud walked back into the bathroom. “You’re family.”
“Um,” Trixie said. “Where’s the wheelchair?”
“The wheel is loose so it’s in Twilight’s room until I can fix it.”
Trixie nodded, and smiled down at Twilight who had closed her eye was trying to hide her face against Trixie’s neck. They made their way back into the living room where Trixie laid Twilight down on the couch. Just as she did there was a knock at the door.
“Is that my Luna?” Twilight asked in a tiny voice.
“I bet it is,” Trixie replied joyfully.
Trixie opened it up and saw Celestia standing on the front porch, Starlight stood beside her. Trixie looked around and realized with startling urgency that the most important pony was missing. Celestia frowned and averted her eyes. Something wasn’t right.
“Celestia,” Trixie asked in a warning tone, “where is Luna?”
Celestia’s response came back weak and tired, “I asked her to come with me, she was going to until I told her that Twilight was awake… she changed her mind.”
A cold shiver ran through Trixie’s body and then transformed into a furious fire as she thought of the fact that Luna hadn’t not visited more than once. Can’t Luna see that Twilight loves her? Can’t she realize that Twilight needs her! I, I, I can’t believe that evil witch!
Trixie glanced back at Twilight, lying on that couch and looking up at Trixie with a mixture of hope and shame in that eye of hers. A lump of lead formed in Trixie’s stomach. Twilight needs her lover. She’s going to be so heartbroken.
Trixie cleared her throat before saying, “Okay, um, you two can come in if you want.”
Trixie stepped to the side to let the giant princess into her toy home. Starlight followed after her. Once everypony was seated Trixie shut the door, Twilight shot a fearful look to her. For a moment Trixie felt like she could die, rather than tell Twilight that Luna wasn’t coming. She wasn’t going to have much of a choice though.
“Where’s Luna?” Twilight asked weakly.
Celestia opened her mouth to respond but Trixie cut her off. “She was very busy. With the windigo war over, she has been very busy. Really, very busy.” After a moment Trixie added, “She sends her regards.” Twilight lowered her head. “Oh…”
Celestia blinked a few times. She quickly recovered and smiled at her old student. “I’m so happy to see you back with us. I was terrified that you would not return.”
“Yeah, you’re the first friend I really had after… everything I did. I couldn’t bear to lose you,” Starlight said.
Twilight let out a quiet breath. “Thanks. I just don’t feel very well I guess.” She looked up at Trixie with a sad round eye. “I wish Luna was here.”
“It is as Trixie said,” Celestia stated. “She has been very busy with cleaning up after the war.”
“So have you, but you still came here,” Twilight said.
There wasn’t a second of delay in Celestia’s response, “My sister and me lead different sides of the country. There are things that she has to do that I would not be able to help in, not without a lot of preparation before hoof.”
“I guess.”
“It’s the same reason why I could not teach your class about friendship in Canterlot.”
“Yeah…”
“Next time I will make sure that my sister is free to come and visit you. I promise.”
Twilight gave her mentor a hopeful glance. “R-really?”
“I swear it.”
“Thank you.”
Celestia smiled brightly down upon her and the room grew a little warmer. For a brief second Trixie wondered if it was just her, and then she remembered who was in the room with them. The princess of sunlight, Princess Celestia.
Starlight leaned forward. “Twilight, how have you been feeling?”
It took Twilight a moment longer to answer the question than it should have. “I, I’m in constant pain but Maud’s giving me meds for that… not enough.”
“You’ll need to be careful, pain medication is very addicting,” Starlight explained.
Twilight stared at her bandaged hoof. “How long until I get better?”
“The burns will heal in time, six months perhaps,” Celestia said. “It is rather difficult to tell, Alicorn regeneration could make it faster. As for the scars, those will likely stay for a few years before going away.”
“I was burned,” Twilight said. “Even if I’m feeling a little slow, I know that should cause all sorts of nerve damage.” Her right leg twitched. “I can’t even move it on my own. Will I ever be able to walk by myself again?”
“Yes, it will take time, and hard work, but you will most certainly regain complete control of your body again.” Celestia’s smile wavered. “Once upon a time, I was struck down in battle, impaled by a spear. It tore up my intestines but somehow I managed to survive the conflict. I don’t believe I could eat solids again for ten years afterwards.”
Trixie blinked. Ten years! What the hay did that spear do to you?
Twilight looked up, her eye shot wide.
“You are in much better condition than I was, surely after a few years you will be back to galloping around with your friends. Until then you may need to get a wheelchair.”
Trixie’s ears perked up. “We actually have one.”
“Then why are you not using it?” Celestia asked.
“We do, when we take Twilight out for a walk to get some fresh air we use it. We don’t use it in the house much because Twilight has a hard time sitting upright for long periods of time, in fact she often times needs somepony to lean against to sit up at all.”
Twilight looked away. “I wish I had it earlier.”
“I’m sorry.”
Starlight looked up at Celestia. “Hey, we need to get back to business soon.”
Celestia nodded. “Twilight, is there anything we can do for you before we leave?”
Twilight looked up at her. “Can… can you tell Luna that I want to see her?”
Celestia nodded once more. “I will do my utmost to convey the importance of her visiting you. I assure you.”
***
Later that night after dinner Trixie sat in the living room playing her guitar silently to herself. Twilight had opted to stay in her wheelchair after dinner, and with her free leg she was slowly turning the pages of a book. The book sat on top of the pillow lying across her lap. A blue blanket was draped over her shoulders and a dinner stand next to her had a cup of tea.
For a little while Trixie played quiet music to herself while watching Valiant Heart read on the floor next to Twilight’s chair. They were both reading the kinds of books that made Trixie’s head hurt. When you get sentences that included words like, ‘contextual adverb’ she felt dumb.
“What is a contextual adverb anyway?” Trixie asked bitterly.
“It’s when a adverb is used in the proper context,” Twilight answered.
“Well that’s… dumb.”
“I already have a headache, please don’t pull a Rainbow Dash and…” Twilight closed her eye. “Rainbow Dash, is she okay?”
“She’s still the leader of the Shadowbolts, even though she’s going to be a mommy here soon too.”
Twilight didn’t smile. “Mommy?”
“Yeah, she and… Silverstone I think ended up dating or something. She’s six months pregnant and didn’t think to get checked out until after the war was already over.”
“Is Luna okay?”
“She was hurt badly but she survived, and healed. Our escape was costly, if it hadn’t been for ponies like Rainbow Dash taking charge and leading others into action, I’m not sure we could have recovered from this one.”
“Why hasn’t she come to visit me?”
“I… I think she’s scared.”
Twilight closed her eye. “So am I.”
“You were both hurt badly, and I think she’s been hit hard emotionally. She couldn’t protect you, and you couldn’t protect her, not when faced with the overwhelming threat that swarmed us. Maybe the idea of losing you was just too hard?”
Twilight opened her eye and stared down at the book. “How is Pinkie Pie?”
“She and Fluttershy have been living in Hollow Shades for awhile now. Considering the fact that Fluttershy is a batpony now, they’ve been doing just fine.”
“W-what?”
“You turned her into a batpony during the fight.”
Twilight let out a pained sound. “I did that to her twice? How could I do something so horrible to one of my closest friends?”
“She asked you to do it. Apparently she knew that her strength would be a boon in the fight, and in order to unleash her full power she needed your help. You did just that. Besides she’s actually happy like this. I don’t know if she will want to stay a bat pony forever, but she has certainly had plenty of opportunity to change back by now.”
Twilight nodded. “Sunset and Starlight could have both changed her back…”
“Hey, Twilight,” Trixie asked quietly. “Can I ask you something?”
“Why not?”
“Why haven’t you used your magic yet?”
Twilight looked down at her lap, determined to not meet Trixie’s eyes. “I… I can’t.”
“What?”
Twilight screwed up her face in concentration and quickly stopped with a gasp of pain. “It hurts.”
A sinking feeling pulled Trixie’s body into the couch. She’d been there before, waking up after some tragic event only to find out that you had lost your magic. The one thing that made you truly unique was stripped away by a cruel and vengeful world.
“If you need to talk, Twi, let me know. I’ve been down that road before.”
Maud walked into the room and gave Trixie a look that told her she was in trouble. “Lulu.”
“Um, yes honey bunny?”
“Why haven’t you done the laundry yet?”
Trixie gulped. “Because… I was about to do that, now?”
Maud pointed a hoof down the hall at the laundry room. “Yes, you are.”
Trixie rose from her seat, shook herself and gave a comforting smile to Twilight. “Anytime you need to speak let me know. You take precedence over everything.”
Twilight frowned. “Can I go to bed?”
Maud walked over to the chair. “Val, would you like to help me tuck in Twilight while Trixie does her chores?”
The filly bounced up excitedly and squeaked happily. Trixie had been living with her long enough by now to understand some of the sounds that the filly used as her main form of vocal communication. This one meant, ‘yes please!’
Trixie walked to the laundry room, leaving Twilight in the capable hooves of her family. Trixie was determined that she was going to give every ounce of love and care that she equinly could to the injured mare. After all, it was the very least she could do to repay her for when Trixie was hurt, scared, and broken.
It took a lot longer to finish the laundry, mostly because Trixie had been putting it off for a few days now after all. When she had finished she went out into the hall. Her bedroom door was opened but a crack, which implied the idea that Maud and Valiant were asleep already. Trixie couldn’t wait to join them.
She glanced over at Twilight’s room and frowned. The door was wide open and the light was on. Surely they wouldn’t leave Twilight like that.
On her approach to the room she noted that the bathroom door was ajar. Several used bandages were lying on the floor. Trixie’s heart crawled up into her throat as she quickened her pace. Twilight’s room was empty, but she could see a few bandages lying on the floor. There was a splash from the bathroom.
Trixie turned toward the door and opened it. First she saw the makeup mirror, cracked and tossed against the side of the wall, next bandages lying on the ground, followed by red drops on the bathroom floor. Then she saw Twilight, with half of her bandages ripped off and hunched over the toilet. Twilight’s head was stuck into the bowl, the jerking spasms of her body made Trixie shriek in terror. Without thought Trixie galloped to Twilight’s side and grabbed the back of Twilight’s hair with her teeth and pulled. Twilight’s head didn’t budge; her horn was stuck inside the bowl.
“MAUD! HELP!” Trixie shouted as she grabbed Twilight’s body and tried her hardest to pull.
Not even a second passed by before the bedroom door swung open, and Maud galloped into the bathroom. She took one look at the situation, grabbed the toilet seat that Twilight had stuck her head in and ripped it off without any effort. Twilight’s head popped back and she landed on the floor with a wet splash and a toilet seat around her neck.
Wet painful coughs escaped Twilight’s throat, along with a lot of water. Her eye was red and snot ran down her nose. Trixie gently patted the good side of Twilight’s head. Maud looked back at the doorway and at Valiant. The poor filly was watching with wide eyes, her little body shook terribly.
“Twilight,” Maud said softly. “Why?”
Twilight spat some more water, and looked up at them. The bandage covering the left side of her face was missing. Trixie saw the empty socket staring back at her, the scarred burned flesh, and had to look away. Her diner threatened to come back up. Twilight glared at them with the one eye she had left.
“Look at me!” Twilight spat venomously. “It’s no wonder why Luna abandoned me. I look like a freaking monster.”
Trixie shook. “You’ll get better.”
“I am missing an EYE!”
“Th-th-that’s um,” Trixie tried. Her galloping heart wouldn’t let her think well enough to talk, so she laid her head down over Twilight’s side. “We’re here for you.”
“Luna doesn’t want me, why would you?” Twilight asked, she didn’t hide the pain in her voice.
“What happened?” Maud asked.
Twilight closed her eye. “I needed to see. I had to see what happened to me. Sweet Celestia I’m not equine anymore I’m just a monster. A burnt and hideous monster!”
Valiant Heart walked up to Twilight and stared her right in the eye. “No,” she said in a tiny voice. “You’re my friend.”
Twilight blinked, sniffled, and whimpered. While she did Valiant Heart wrapped her legs around Twilight’s neck and warm white light surrounded the two of them. Slowly Twilight’s expression relaxed, and Trixie watched as the filly whispered gently, “I’ll take care of you. Promise.”
“I didn’t, I… I don’t want to be like this. I don’t want to be a broken monster, I just want to be what I used to be,” Twilight cringed. “It hurts, it really, really hurts. Bad.”
They stayed like that for awhile. At some point Maud and Valiant helped Twilight onto her good side so that they could wash her and then re-bandage her. Maud told her she needed to contact Sunset to bring over some healing magic before infection could kick in.
Trixie agreed and left the bathroom. She had to leave, she simply couldn’t look at the injuries. She hated herself for being so squeamish but it would have been worse on Twilight’s emotions if Trixie had let the poor mare see her sickened by the extent of the wounds.
Trixie figured that after everything they’d seen she would be able to handle it, but not this. The wounds that Twilight had were brutal, healing too slowly, and reminded her of a time from long ago when she had met her first diamond dog. Trixie could virtually smell the cooked flesh, and wanted to vomit.
The sensation was so powerful that she actually had to make a quick run outside the side of the house before her diner decided to take an all expenses paid trip up out her throat and onto the hard earth. She slumped against the side of the house and cried in silence for a few minutes. A few tears gave way to streams while Trixie stayed there, all alone, crying in silence.
Why does Twilight have to suffer like this? Does the universe really have to hate the poor mare so badly? It just isn’t fair.
Now that Twilight was suicidal, it meant that they were going to have be more on careful than ever before. Trixie shook with fear, rage, and pain. She knew that she wasn’t capable of doing this, of taking care of her family, and trying to keep Twilight safe at the same time. It was too much for any one mare to handle. Friends or no, Trixie couldn’t possibly see a way for her to do it all.
Owlicious landed on her back and Trixie gave him a desperate look as though he could fix everything. She knew he couldn’t, but she needed to alert Sunset as to what just happened. Trixie cleared her throat; the taste of bile was still thick. “I need you to bring a message to Sunset Shimmer for me. We need her help immediately.”
The night was spent with Maud sleeping in Twilight’s room to keep an eye on her. Sunset had come over and checked out Twilight, her knowledge of healing magic was nowhere near as impressive as say, Moondancer’s but it was still far better than what Valiant could perform with her strange power. After Sunset left, Trixie heard Maud and Twilight talking late into the night, though she wasn’t entirely sure what all was said. Despite trying to listen in she couldn’t hear them well. Eventually she fell asleep listening to the soft sounds of their muffled conversation.
When she woke up the next morning she smelled coffee and pancakes. By the time she got into the kitchen, Twilight was already sitting in her wheelchair at the table and eating. Her left hoof shook as she lifted pieces of food to her mouth with the fork. Maud and Valiant were already eating as well.
Trixie grabbed a plate and some coffee before taking a seat. She noted that Twilight was wearing fresh bandages. Sipping at her coffee she wondered how best to broach the subject of last night. She wasn’t even sure that she should.
“Good morning everypony,” Trixie said.
“Good morning, Lulu,” Maud said.
Valiant Heart squeaked.
“Morning,” Twilight said lamely.
“So uh, what are the plans for today?”
Maud shrugged. “I was going to take Val on a hike. Sunset’s going to spend some time with Twilight while I do.”
“Cool, a hike sounds fun.”
“Just us, Lulu.”
Trixie scrunched up her nose. “Why?”
Maud gave her a level look. “I need to talk to her.”
Trixie shook her head. “Oh come on, I can do that too.”
“She doesn’t like to speak around you,” Maud said flatly.
That stung, but it was true. If Maud needed the filly to use words for something then it would be better to leave Trixie behind. She was curious about what they would need to discuss, but after what Twilight did last night, Trixie was sure it was important. “Alright, I guess I’ll just find something else to do until then. Maybe I’ll go visit Inkie or something?”
Maud nodded. “That should be good. Just don’t believe a word Blinkie tells you.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Only a couple of hours later did Maud and Valiant leave on their hike. Sunset only waited for a few minutes before wrapping the blue blanket around Twilight, asked if she needed to use the restroom, and then wrapped the wheelchair in a teal aura and pushed it to the door. She nodded for Trixie to follow.
Together the three of them went down the wooden ramp and out onto the old dirt road. The sun’s warmth spread over the barren landscape, helping the occasional tree and army of weeds grow. Sunset pushed the wheelchair while simultaneously checking her saddlebags.
“If you need anything to drink or eat let me know,” Sunset said.
“Okay,” Twilight replied.
Trixie walked next to Sunset. “So where are we going?”
“Just taking a nice little walk.” Sunset examined Twilight’s hair. “You’re mane is growing back nicely. Soon you’ll look just like your old self.”
“No, I won’t.”
Sunset frowned. “Yes you will. Just give it time and you’ll see.”
Twilight didn’t reply.
Trixie didn’t blame her. She hadn’t considered it before, but Twilight’s mane had been half way burned off during the fight, and even with a proper mane cut it only looked like a poor copy of her old style. It was a lot shorter. It would be difficult for anypony not close to her before hoof to recognize Twilight as the princess.
“Trixie,” Twilight said.
“Yes?”
“I… I said some nasty things to you didn’t I?”
Trixie looked away. “You were just trying to keep me safe. Honestly I was being foolish and putting myself and my family in danger. You were right to try and push me away.”
Twilight looked down at the road. Her voice came out bitter. “No, it wasn’t. I was having a breakdown and I took it out on you. Now you’re kind enough to take care of me… I’m sorry. I screwed up everything.”
“Twilight,” Trixie said sternly. “I forgave you a long time ago. Now let’s enjoy our walk, and maybe if we’re lucky we’ll find a few flowers.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Maybe even dandelions.”
“Whatever,” Twilight couldn’t hide the anger in her voice, but Trixie was now sure that Twilight’s anger wasn’t directed at her. Twilight hated herself for what happened, and Trixie couldn’t think of how to help her old friend.
The walk went on for a good ten minutes before Trixie saw an odd pair of ponies. A red unicorn mare with a pink mane stood next to a strange creature, something between Griffon and pony. With the brown body of a pony, the tail of a lion, and the wings of a spotted bird this thing that stood before her was a hippogriff. His deep dark crimson mane was messy.
“I am sure that they are somewhere out here,” The mare said.
“Sugarcane, even if she is how are we going to go about this?” he asked.
Sunset stopped. “That stallion’s a hippogriff. I never thought I’d actually see one.”
Trixie had heard of hippogriffs, at least in theory, but pony-griffon relations were always poor at best. This was a rarity indeed. Trixie couldn’t help but to smile. “Hey, Twilight, look it’s a hippogriff. Maybe you can ask him about how that happened? I bet there is a lovely friendship story there about how a griffon and pony fell in love.”
“Screw, friendship,” was the only reply Twilight was willing to give.
Trixie was stunned for a moment, Twilight always loved friendship. This recent tragedy had pushed the alicorn further than Trixie knew was possible. Trixie lowered her head. The one thing that Trixie had hoped would make Twilight smile would be friendship, but it would seem that even the mare’s favorite topic couldn’t rescue her now. Even if she wasn’t interested though, Trixie still was.
Trixie trotted up to the couple and smiled as warmly as she could. “Hello.”
They looked at her, blinked and then asked in unison, “Princess Trixie Lulamoon?”
“Yes, that’s me. Did you need something?”
“I thought you were an alicorn,” Sugarcane said.
“Was an alicorn. The fall of Canterlot was hard on all of us.”
“Harder on some than others I suppose,” The hippogriff said while studying at Trixie.
“Might I ask what brings you two to out little town of New Slate?” Trixie asked
The stallion stood tall. “Actually we needed to speak with you.”
Sugarcane offered a smile, it was twisted somehow. “You see, me and my husband Shine Heart here have been looking for you since we first saw a picture of you and your family in the newspaper.”
“Really?” Trixie asked. She half expected to be asked to sign her autograph.
“Yes,” Shine Heart said. “You seem to have our daughter.”
***
Back at home Sunset made sure to sit next to Trixie while Twilight flanked the other side. Meanwhile Sugarcane and Shine Heart sat on the couch opposite of them while sipping at hot cups of tea. Awkward tension filled the room, and questions flooded Trixie’s mind to the point of exhaustion. Focusing on the few important ones was truly difficult.
“So, let’s get the big question out of the way first,” Trixie suggested. “How did you lose Valiant Heart in the first place?”
A shameful look crossed over Sugarcane’s face, but Trixie picked up a trace of fear from her as well. “We were visiting Manehattan, we come from Tall Tale you see, and wanted to see the Statue of Harmony. We brought our daughter with us but when we were going home, the train station was so busy. There were so many ponies rushing around, bumping into each other and us. It was like being corralled into a prison rather than going onto a train… we…” She sniffled. “We, it was just. I can’t, I’m sorry.”
Shine Heart stepped in, his voice cool and professional. “We were separated and despite how much effort, or how many search parties went out looking for her, we never once found her.”
“That dreadful city took my baby!” Sugarcane cried
“Shh,” He said as he wrapped a wing around her. “We found her again. It will be okay.”
“Thank you,” She said as she wiped her eyes on her leg. Her body regained its composer rather quickly, but that fear Trixie sensed from her was only growing stronger.
“We spent a lot of our time, and money in trying to find our daughter over the years. Eventually we even had to file for bankruptcy, the private investigator’s fees were simply too high,” Shine Heart explained.
Sunset frowned. “How long ago did you lose her?”
“Three years ago.”
Sunset gave a warning look to Trixie. “Valiant Heart is seven?”
“Oh yes, our little baby’s birthday is five days from now, and then she will be eight years old,” Sugarcane said.
Trixie’s eyes popped wide. “Five days! We don’t even have any presents, or a party planned, or, or, or anything!”
Sugarcane raised her eyebrow, “You are still planning on giving her a party?”
“Of course I am, she’s my dau-“ Trixie stopped mid sentence. But she’s not my daughter. She’s their daughter, and after seeing us in the papers they probably want to take her… home.
Sunset leaned toward Valiant’s parents. “Let me ask, what exactly is your intention here?”
Shine Bright smiled, but it didn’t touch his eyes. “We want to see our daughter again, and then maybe take her back home with us. That is, unless you have other thoughts?”
Trixie closed her eyes but couldn’t hide the shiver that ran through her. She knew the correct answer to the question, and it hurt. “I’d love to keep her…”
“How can we be sure you’d be any better at parenting than we were,” Sugarcane asked. “Could you somehow reassure us that you could raise her better than us?”
Trixie shook her head. “I’ve never had kids before so, no I can’t.”
“I’m sure you could think of some way to convince us that you two are acceptable parents,” Sugarcane said, she licked her lips and something crawled across Trixie’s back.
Sunset’s eyes burned. “What exactly could persuade you? A donation of bits to help refund all of that money you two poor souls spent in the search for your long lost daughter perhaps?”
Sugarcane’s eyes sparkled. “That would most certainly prove to us that you could afford to take care of her. That could be enough.”
Twilight leaned forward in her chair. “Get out.”
The two looked at the wheelchair bound pony. Sugarcane blinked. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me, get out.”
“Why should I listen to a paraplegic unicorn?” she asked.
Twilight shot a look to Trixie and Sunset. “These two are threatening to take Val away unless you pay them. Are you seriously going to sit there and let them blather on like a couple of nitwits?”
The front door opened before Trixie could respond and Maud walked in with a tired looking Valiant Heart on her back. The filly looked over and her eye shot wide as she saw her parents. The filly tensed up, grabbed Maud’s hair and stayed completely still. Maud shot them both a death glare.
They didn’t budge. Sugarcane smiled and stood up. “Oh, my sweet poor baby. What happened to your eye?”
She took a few steps toward them, and Valiant let out a tiny shriek. Maud quickly put herself between the two of them. “Don’t get close to her.”
“She’s my daughter, I should be able to if I want.”
Maud scowled at her and hissed, “You’re daughter?”
Trixie saw this all snowballing into a dangerous and life threatening display of Maud’s power. She quickly rose to her hooves and walked over to Maud’s side. “Maud, honey, these two are Valiant’s biological parents. They’ve come here to see their daughter and talk with us.”
Valiant squeaked.
“Okay,” Maud said as she forcefully calmed herself. “Speak.”
“We discussed this with the princess already,” Sugarcane said as she glanced at Trixie. “What do you think?”
Trixie looked at Valiant. “Do you want to go with them or stay here with us?”
Valiant squeaked and clutched Maud’s hair tighter. Maud’s entire body tensed. A nervous cough escaped Trixie’s throat as she looked back at Sugarcane and shrugged. “She wants to stay, what else can I say?”
“So you are willing to, prove your dedication to us?” Sugarcane asked with hungry eyes.
Maud didn’t take her eyes off the mare. “What is she talking about?”
Trixie shook her head. “I am a princess of Equestria. Are you really going to push this?”
“She is my daughter,” Sugarcane said. “If you are unwilling to work with us than I see no reason why I shouldn’t just take the thing back.” she reached out with a hoof toward Valiant.
Maud stepped back and snarled. “Don’t.”
Valiant whimpered.
Sugarcane stepped forward. “The noisy thing belongs to me and if you aren’t paying I’m taking her back!” She lashed out with a foreleg.
The filly’s pupil shrunk and she grappled with Maud’s hair while shouting, “Don’t let them take me, Mommy!”
There was a flash of movement, and next Trixie knew it Sugarcane was no longer standing inside the house, but rather she was sailing out the front door. Her body hit the railing and broke it as she continued sailing over the ground for a good thirty feet before colliding into the ground and rolling a few times. Shine Heart stood and stared out the door at the limp form of his wife.
Valiant cried and wrapped her legs around Maud while sobbing, “Thank you mommy, thank you.”
Maud patted the back of Valiant’s head gently. “Nopony touches my daughter.”
Shine Heart walked to the door and slowly backed out onto the porch. He stared at Maud with wide eyes. “You’re insane! We don’t even want the brat, and you…”
Trixie walked up and glared daggers at him. “I have already officially taken Valiant Heart under my wing as my pupil. That means that she is mine now, and there is nothing you can legally do about it.” she glanced at Sugarcane as the mare tried to push herself up, screwed up her face and out came the mare’s breakfast. Trixie met Shine Heart’s eyes. “If you should ever try this again, remember this. Maud is my wife, a mere earth pony. I am a princess of Equestria, my power is absolute. Do not anger the Great and Powerful Trixie.”
He gulped took one look back at his wife and took off into the air toward her. He swooped down and scooped her up just as she finished spitting. The two went flying off into the distance.
The very second they were out of sight; Maud sat down and scooped Valiant into her forelegs. She held the tiny thing like a baby and kissed her forehead. “I will never let anypony hurt you. You are my baby.”
Valiant cried into Maud’s chest, thanking her, sobbing, and calling her mommy. At least Trixie could be sure that her family was safe with Maud. Come what may, Maud would keep them safe. Trixie looked back over the horizon.
“You know one good thing came of this,” Sunset said.
“What?” Trixie asked.
“We know exactly how old she is now.”
***
It was later that night before everypony had calmed down. Maud looked more worried when she learned that Valiant’s birthday was in five days, than she did while she was dealing with Sugarcane. It was interesting to know that Valiant’s lion tail had an origin; she was a quarter griffon. This made Trixie curious as to whether or not the filly could walk on clouds?
“Val,” Twilight said quietly.
The filly was still being held by Maud, but now at least she was resting on Maud’s lap while reading a book. Valiant looked up and met Twilight’s eye. She grunted an acknowledgement.
“Look, I’m sorry about last night… you… you need ponies like Maud and Trixie. You needed a friend,” Twilight said. She closed her eye. “I know I’m not a very good friend right now, but you were kinder to me than anypony I think I have ever met. I don’t think any of my friends would have read to me every night like you did… so… I just want to promise you that I won’t do something stupid again. Not until you’re a grown up with a bunch of friends. Until then, I’ll do my best to be a good friend to you… can you forgive me?”
Valiant nodded, and reached for her whiteboard, Maud had to hoof it to her. She quickly wrote a message down and showed it to Twilight.
Twilight’s lip quivered. “Th-thank you.”
At long last, Trixie took a seat and was able to enjoy the now peaceful atmosphere of her small home. Twilight had just made a promise, as a friend, to try and get better. Trixie knew that Twilight would keep such a promise, no matter what. Sunset was back at home, or if Trixie’s suspicions were correct she was out making sure that Valiant Heart’s parents didn’t bother the filly, ever again.
Trixie loved Sunset, but she was a dangerous mare to cross. Those two ponies just crossed her by threatening her family and friends. Trixie was under Sunset’s mentorship and that meant automatic family membership.
When there was a knock on the door. Trixie expected to find Sunset behind the door, hooves covered in blood and a wicked grin across her face as she promised Trixie that her family was now safe. What she found was the last thing she would have ever expected. In the pale light of the moon stood the one mare who could wear the moonlight as a fashion statement.
Trixie nodded and promptly got out of the way. The second Luna took a step inside the entire room fell silent. Even the fireplace seemed but a distant crackle of burning wood. Luna and Twilight locked eyes. Before Luna could even open her mouth, Twilight looked away, choosing rather to stare at the floorboards than to see her lover.
“Twilight,” Luna said. She took a few steps toward the mare. “You, you’re awake?”
“Yes.”
A few more steps. “Are you in pain?”
“Yes.”
A couple more steps. “What can I do?”
Twilight looked up, face to face with Luna and it was clear that she tried so hard to fight off the desperation in her voice, the need, but she couldn’t. “Luna.”
Luna moved a wingtip over Twilight’s mouth. “Hush, I need to say this before anything else can be done.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I betrayed you, my love. I didn’t come to visit you while you were still out, and when you finally did come back to us I did not come right away. Instead I ran away. From my sister, from my castle, from my heart. I ran from everything and tried to never be seen again.
“My sister didn’t find me to give me your message. Though if she had, I would have likely ran further. Instead I found myself hiding with Fluttershy. I stayed there, and she didn’t bother me. When I finally poked my head out, she was kind enough to listen to everything I had to say, without ever once talking down to me or interrupting me…. And then the pink one returned home.
“I watched as she ran into the pink legs of her lover. There was no hesitation, no fear, just joy at finally being able to be back with the one she loved. And they had only been apart for a few short hours.
“It offered me an insight into what I was doing, and why. Twilight, I was not trying to avoid you. I was avoiding myself. I do not appreciate being scared; scared that I will lose something that means so very much to me; somepony that means that much to me. I would willingly sell my soul to all the nightmare spirits again if it meant saving you. That scares me.
“Twilight,” Luna said, she let out a shaky breath. “I love you so much more than anything else in this world. When I hurt you it destroys me, when you got hurt because me it was even worse. Please don’t hate me.”
Twilight reached out and wrapped a leg around her lover’s neck and slowly brought her head down to hers. A quick and quiet kiss later Twilight said, “I could never hate you. I would go hoof to hoof with Celestia herself for you. I…” A few tears ran down Twilight’s face. “I tried to hurt myself last night.”
Luna pulled back with a gasp. “But, but you would ne-“
“I did.”
“But… what would I do without you?”
Twilight shook her head. “When you see what I look like, under these bandages, you’ll change your mind.”
“I would never change my mind based on appearance. Twilight, you are the most beautiful creature to ever walk this earth, past, present, or future. One day these scars will fade and be replaced by soft, new skin. Skin that I very much look forward to nuzzling,” Luna said with a wink.
Something stirred inside of Trixie as she heard that. An inner fire was being stoked as she watched Luna and Twilight nuzzling.
“Luna, I love you.”
“I love you as well,” Luna looked over Twilight and grinned. “How capable are you, physically? Must we stop at kissing?”
The fire became a raging inferno inside of Trixie. It was driving her insane.
Twilight’s face went pink. “Luna, the burns… there are some, sensitive ones.”
Luna looked horrified. “You were burned, there?”
“...I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Then say no more, I shall play the part of the chivalrous knight and await the day we can once again make love. When that day comes, I will make such love to you that the heavens themselves will be torn asunder.”
Trixie stood up. “That’s it!” Flames raced across Trixie’s body, all of them heading straight for her rear. “Maud, bedroom, now!” Trixie walked to the bedroom. Maud looked from Trixie to the spot on the couch where Trixie had been sitting. Trixie stopped just short of the bedroom. “Come on, I don’t have all night. You need to fix this now.”
Maud gently patted Valiant on the head. “You okay?”
The filly shook her head.
Maud looked back at Trixie. “I’m sorry, but not tonight.”
Trixie moaned her displeasure, walked into the bedroom and before shutting it she said. “Fine, I will take care of it myself!”
Luna’s voice caught Trixie’s attention. “Is she usually so demanding?”
The door shut, and Trixie went straight for the lotion, and the hoof massager.
***
The next day Trixie woke up to an irresistible itch. For a few seconds she was lost in a daze, her hooves slowly moving back and forth as the itch slowly went away, replaced by a fire that she needed more than life itself. Maud shook her and she snapped out of it, looked around and realized where she was. She was in bed with Maud lying next to her. Valiant slept on the other side of her mom. Trixie looked down and saw what she had been doing.
A stampede of flames ran through, starting at her cheeks and through her chest, not stopping until they hit a most sensual resting place. It was enough to drive a mare mad. Trixie rolled out of bed, full well knowing that Maud would not allow her to enact such devious and sinful desires upon them with the filly in the room.
“Lulu, are you okay?” Maud asked.
Trixie gave her a knowing smile. “If you elope with me to the bathtub, than I will be.”
Maud shook her head. “Valiant’s been having nightmares all night. I won’t leave her side.”
Trixie let out a huff, but made no more protest than that. Instead she damned herself to yet another private session in the restroom. At least this way she could get a bath in as well. She felt sticky, gross, and hot.
After said bath Trixie found herself sitting at the breakfast table. Her mind half way lost in a haze, the other half noticed that the hay bacon was slightly overcooked. Maud and Valiant were sitting at one end, while Luna and Twilight enjoyed a seat next to one another at the other. For some reason Trixie could not stop from fidgeting.
Slowly she ate her breakfast, none of it tasted quite right, and her coffee tasted black no matter how much sugar or cream she put into it. Nothing felt good enough for her and she couldn’t figure out why. Some part of her mind returned to the day before when those two horrible ponies showed up out of nowhere to cause trouble. But Maud took care of it, like she always did.
Maud, with her strong muscular legs, soft fur, and her wonderful tongue. The mare that always smelled of freshly turned soil mixed in the morning dew. That wonderful wife of hers whose tongue could dance worlds of pleasure across her fur, and send tremors of ecstasy deep inside of her.
Everypony was now staring at Trixie, and for a moment Trixie simply did not care as she sat in the chair, rocking back and forth. The intense heat running through her was finally going away. Of course when she realized what she was doing to the chair, her face grew as hot as the center of the sun itself.
“Lulu,” Maud said sternly.
Trixie looked down at the floorboards. It occurred to her that she might have finally been corrupted by Maud. At long last the wonderful mare might have destroyed her sense of shame. This was a disastrous blow to her reputation.
“Lulu,” Maud said again.
Trixie looked up. “Y-yes?”
“I asked you if you wanted to go to the castle with Luna?”
Trixie shook her head. “N-no, I’m fine.”
Luna gave a strange smile to Maud. “She seems to be quite preoccupied.”
Maud frowned. “We would be bringing Val, and Sunset could take care of Twilight if that’s what you were worried about.”
Trixie shook her head. “I’m good.”
“I don’t believe now would be the best time,” Luna said. “Perhaps after a week or so.”
Trixie gave her an odd look. “Why?”
“Well because we are launching an assault on Twilight’s messy castle, we have an army of maids at the ready.”
Trixie looked at her plate; she’d hardly touched her food. “Okay.”
Luna gave a smile to Twilight. “I’m afraid that I must be leaving soon anyway, before my sister gets worried. Allowing her to suspect us anymore than she already does would not bode well I think.”
Twilight smiled and nodded. “Thank you for stopping by.”
“You say that like I won’t be coming back. Trust me when I say that I shall run back here every chance I get. I will not allow you to become lonely again, this I promise you not only as your lover, but as the princess of the night.”
The two of them nuzzled and for a moment Trixie the fire inside of her grew. When they kissed, that fire was doubled in intensity and Trixie nearly screamed at her body for not letting her relax. She eventually gave up on the concept of breakfast and went into the living room to try and read her flaming desires away.
Thankfully there was a knock at the door. Trixie raced to it hoping that whoever it was could easily distract her from the issues she was trying not to deal with. The purple pony sized dragon that stood behind the door wearing a nervous smile did just that.
“Uh… hi,” Spike said.
“Let me guess,” Trixie said, her brain working into overdrive to figure out what was going on. “Rarity’s at home breathing fire over the egg so now you have a chance to get out and visit Twilight.”
He nodded.
“Good, because she could really use some more cheering up.” Trixie stepped aside and noted that Twilight and Luna were finally done kissing.
Spike walked in. Twilight and Spike’s eyes met and for a brief moment things became silent. He cleared his throat. “Hey, Twilight. How are you doing?”
Twilight’s lip quivered. “I’m alive.”
He walked to the table and stood next to her. “I’m glad. After the mess at Canterlot I… I was scared.”
Twilight wiped a hoof at her eye. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“It’s not your fault. We were all lucky to survive that mess.”
“Spike, I… I’m so sorry for what I did.”
He shook his head. “Don’t be. It was wrong of me to hide the fact I was dating one of your best friends, and the fact that I had a horde. You had every right to be angry.”
“Angry yes, but not mean. I should never have kicked you out.” She looked down at the table. “It’s been so hard for me to cope with being alone. I didn’t know how bad things were. You were the only thing keeping me sane, the only person I could rely on for anything. Spike you’re… I was eight years old when Celestia dropped you off on my lap and told me to raise you. You’re both a little brother to me and… and you’re my child. I love you, Spike. I hope you can forgive me for being so terrible to you.”
He smiled at her, and reached out to wipe the tears away from her eye. “I love you too… mom. You’re going to be a grandmother soon.”
“I know. You and Rarity had an egg, right? Should hatch in a few months I think.”
“I hope so, it’s really tiring to make sure it’s warm, not to mention the fact that Rarity accidently started a house fire when she first began breathing fire.”
Twilight giggled a little. “I, I can’t even imagine what that must have been like. I still remember when she sneezed fire in front of me. Oh, I was suffering a concussion I think, so I tried to study her. “
Spike laughed as well. “Yeah, now that it’s all in the past it was pretty funny.”
Luna smiled down at them. “I’m glad that you could come, Spike.”
He met Luna’s eyes. “Yeah, me too.” He looked back at Twilight and his eyes softened. “Look, I can’t stay gone long. Rarity doesn’t have my constitution, but when I get the chance I’ll come back to visit. I promise.”
Twilight sniffled. “Will you send me letters if you can’t visit?”
Spike sniffled back. “Of course I will. I think I can even send them to Sunset Shimmer with my fire breath.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it, it’s part of my dragon code to take care of you.”
***
After Luna and Spike left Trixie felt a slight relief. She was still trying to forget how romantic Twilight and Luna had been. Her mind quickly began to describe the romantic pleasures of wrestling tongues, exploring hooves, and short sharp gasps of breath. She had to cut those thoughts in order to keep herself from exploding.
Again she was fidgeting while sitting on the couch. When Sunset walked in she went straight to Twilight who was staring at the bookshelves, using Maud to pick books for her. Sunset held a journal aloft in her teal aura, along with a notepad and showed it to Twilight.
“How do you get this spell to work?” Sunset asked.
Twilight took one look at it and frowned. “You’re doing it backward.” She lifted up a hoof pointed a series of squiggly drawings that looked only vaguely familiar to Trixie. “These should be in the beginning of the spell’s frame. That way when the energy for the transmutation flows through it, it reacts like a water spout, letting the spell go through without spilling everywhere.”
Sunset took one look at it, frowned and then using a pen wrote over the notes. “How does that look?”
Twilight smiled. “Much better. May I ask why you want to transform a mare into a stallion? A normally impossible spell.”
Sunset smiled. “It was a request.”
“It hurts,” Twilight said
“Yeah, but so does childbirth.”
“That’s… true, I guess.”
Trixie set her book down stood up from the seat and took a few steps forward. Pain shot through her, like somepony kicked her bladder, struck her on the third step and a trickle of warm liquid ran down her leg. This told her only one thing.
“I just pissed myself.”
Everypony turned to stare at her. Her cheeks became beet red as she looked down. It was only a little pee, but enough to make her regret ever being born. Maud walked over to her, looked at the wet spot on the couch where Trixie had been, look at Trixie’s tail and smiled. “Trixie, you’re winking at me.”
“No I’m not, I wasn’t even looking at you.”
“Not with your eyes.”
Trixie stood in complete silence. She gulped and tried to laugh. “Think you could help me out then? It feels like there’s a volcano inside of me.”
Maud leaned her head down next to Trixie’s rear and took a long, drawn out sniff. “You’re in heat.”
Trixie spun around. “No I’m not.”
“You were masturbating in your sleep and humping the chair. You are in heat.”
Trixie’s tail waved. “I am most certainly not.”
“Why?”
“Because you said it.”
Maud frowned. “So?”
“So if I am going to be in heat, I am going to be the one to decide it.” Trixie pointed a hoof to herself. “Trixie has decided that she is in heat. Now follow Trixie into the bedroom. There are two ponies here to take care of Val.”
Maud looked over at Sunset. “How long before you can get that spell of yours to work?”
“A minute, tops, than you’re a dude. It will be a few seconds of horrifying agony, a few more of acidic burning, and then a few minutes of you being rock hard… no uh, no pun intended,” Sunset said.
“Good,” Maud said. “Do the spell now.”
“Wait,” Trixie said. “Do I get a choice?”
Maud gave her a level look. “Twilight’s awake, you’re in heat, and we have both the ponies that we need to get the spell done right now. No, you don’t.”
Trixie let out a sigh, thought about what Maud could do to her, and found herself wanting nothing more than to be bent over and-
Sunset blinked. “Right now?”
“Yes, and then you two take Valiant for a walk out front. Stay where you can see the house.”
Sunset’s horn began to glow with that brilliant teal light. “Okay.”
Maud began stripping her dress off. “Trixie go to the bedroom.”
Trixie started toward the bedroom door. “Trixie fully expects you to take her the moment you became a male. Take me, and take me hard. With biting.”
Maud threw her dress onto the couch. “For letting us have a baby, I’ll bite you however and wherever you want me too. Sunset, spell, now.”
Sunset groaned. “How do I get wrapped up in this kind of thing?”
The room turned bright green as Trixie entered her bedroom. She heard Twilight say, “The second I figure it out, I’ll let you know.”
The hours blurred together, and most of what Trixie remembered from it was a few oddities. She remembered asking, ‘wait, that thing is supposed to fit in where?” she also wet herself a few times, which although embarrassing did nothing to derail the ride she was on. By the time everything was said and done, if she was not pregnant, then the universe was broken. She was going to try again as soon as her limbs worked properly anyway. This had been fun.
That said, she could feel it. Something changed. During the course of all this she felt something inside of her, a strange little sensation. Like a flower growing a bulb, or a fish entering a new tank of water. Even more she felt the warm, strange sensation inside of her. Next to all the sticky grossness, she felt something pure, wonderful, and full of hope.
Somehow Trixie knew she was pregnant. There was a little baby sitting inside of her belly, and she was responsible for it. Its life was entrusted to her hooves, and hers alone.
Trixie shot out of bed nearly shouting, “I’m pregnant!”
Her limbs were still weak, and she was sure that she was gross, but she limped into the living room to give Maud the good news. Inside she saw Maud wearing her dress again, although her belt was tied a lot lower than usual. Twilight and Sunset were discussing the noise level, and how that might contribute proof to the spells efficiency. That made Trixie’s face heat up a little.
It was Maud talking to Inkie that made Trixie stop in her tracks.
“Are you sure?” Maud said, her tone serious.
“Um, D-d-dad won’t w-w-wake up,” Inkie said.
“I’ll come right away,” Maud said.
Valiant stood up and jumped onto her mom’s back. When Maud saw Trixie she first smiled, and then she looked down at Trixie’s filthy fur and cringed. “You will want to shower.”
Trixie nodded and limped to the bathroom. She stopped just long enough to look back and say, “I’m pregnant, I can feel it.”
Maud’s smile grew. Valiant took off her eye patch and with that milky eye she examined Trixie. The filly began grinning like a madmare. “Little sister?”
Trixie smiled. “I sure hope so.”
Trixie made sure to take a quick shower, and did not bother to pretty herself up afterwards. She actually exited the bathroom with a wet mane and a hairbrush in her telekinetic grasp. The four ponies swiftly made their way to the Rock Family Farm, leaving Sunset in charge of Twilight while they were away.
The entire trip, Maud was tense. Valiant stared onward with one determined eye. Trixie hadn’t heard about what happened, but if Inkie was willing to speak than it was serious. It was obvious that Maud’s dad was in trouble, and Trixie just wanted to help.
When they did finally arrive at the rock farm, things were quiet and still as ever. They walked up the front porch, and were let in by Blinkie whose red tear stained eyes couldn’t stay open for longer than a few seconds. She was trying to desperately hide her pain from them, blinking away the tears didn’t work, but she kept doing it anyway.
This left Trixie pitying the poor mare. She had always been so headstrong, and even if her abrasive personality pushed Trixie away constantly it did leave Trixie with the impression that this mare was unbreakable. Just as with Maud, Trixie now saw the façade in Blinkie’s strong personality. She was just as weak and scared as Maud was.
They were very similar, maybe that was why they never got along?
“He’s upstairs,” Blinkie said in a rough voice that cracked.
“What happened?” Maud asked.
“He was repairing the roof and it broke underneath him. We found him but he didn’t wake up… if something happens to him…” Blinkie choked.
Maud went for the stairs, but Blinkie stuck out a leg and forbid her. For a moment Trixie saw Maud consider forcing her way past. She didn’t.
“Maud, I just want you to know that I don’t hate you. I love you okay? You’re my sister and even if you don’t like it I am going to love you no matter what. I give you tough love a lot, and make fun of you a lot more, but… I’m sorry.”
Maud nodded, leaned over and kissed the top of Blinkie’s gray mane. “I forgive you.”
“I just want to be as important as you…” Blinkie admitted. “Mom and Dad are always talking about how much they love you, and how proud they are of you. You got your degree, you got your own home, a well paying job, and even a family… I just wanted some of that.”
“They… do?” Maud asked, in disbelief.
“Just because they were upset that you married a mare at first doesn’t mean they hate you. They said some words they regret okay, and so did I, and… they just want you to be happy and they don’t think you can if you don’t go to that stupid rock. I don’t care if you do or not, but they do, they still love you and want to be a part of your life. Just like we do… I… I promise I won’t be so rude anymore if you promise to come back more often.”
Maud smiled down at her. “I promise.”
Blinkie lowered her leg and took a step back. This let Maud and family walk up the stairs and to her parents’ bedroom on the top floor. Once inside, Trixie saw Cloudy sitting on the floor and holding a smooth prayer stone in one hoof and Igneous’s hat in the other, both clutched to her chest. Igneous was lying unconscious on the bed, his head was wrapped up in bandages stained with red.
Maud stopped dead in her tracks. For a long moment Trixie stood next to her and stayed quiet. When Maud did finally begin walking again, Trixie followed. Valiant had already removed her eye patch was staring at Igneous with a serious expression before Maud came to a rest at her mother’s side.
Cloudy looked over and offered a sad smile. “You came?”
“He’s my dad,” Maud said, her tone brittle.
Valiant looked down at the old stallion, and frowned.
“Will he be okay?” Trixie asked.
“We don’t have any healers down here, and the doctor said that Igneous might be okay, and that if it were a younger stallion he would already be up and at it. But he’s not young anymore…” Cloudy stopped talking, clutched the items tighter as though if she could only hold them hard enough, that would be enough to save her husband.
Valiant spoke in that quiet voice of hers, “Concussion.”
Trixie looked up at her. “How do you know that?”
She looked down at her and put a hoof over that milky eye she usually kept covered up.
Trixie nodded. “Can you fix him?”
Valiant’s shrugged and patted the top of Maud’s head.
Maud picked the filly up and set her down on the bed. “I won’t be mad if you can’t help. You’re a filly, you can’t do everything.”
Valiant looked down at Igneous and set her expression into grim determination and nodded.
She took a few steps on the bed and sat next to his head. Cloudy reached out, but Maud stopped her. In a very soft tone Maud said, “Let her try.”
Cloudy looked confused.
Valiant reached out with her hooves and a bright, warm light filled the room. Trixie saw a plant in the corner of the room grow taller and bloom with little flowers. Slowly Igneous’s face scrunched up and he coughed once, twice, and then he blinked open his eyes. Valiant fell back off the bed but Maud caught her. She smiled up at her mommy.
“Maud?” Igneous asked.
Maud nodded. “Yes, I’m here.”
He smiled at her and then looked at Trixie. “My daughters came to visit me? What has this old stallion done to deserve such favor?”
Maud held up her filly. “This is Valiant Heart. She doesn’t talk much.”
“Like Marble then? Thou hast found a perfect family, Valiant Heart,” he said kindly.
The filly smiled, yawned and her eyelids dropped. Maud cradled her and the filly swiftly fell asleep. Igneous smiled at the filly. Cloudy wrapped her legs around her husband and pulled him close. She kissed him deeply. From the doorway Trixie heard Blinkie make a retching sound.
The other sisters walked in and took seats on the other side of the bed. Igneous stayed in bed and smiled at all of his children. Sadness touched his eyes though. “If only Pinkamena were here, then our family would be complete.”
Maud’s lip quivered. “Dad?”
He looked at her with all the tender love that a father should feel for their child, and the need to keep them safe no matter what. “What is it, Maud?”
“I’m sorry,” Maud said as she closed her eyes. “I should have tried to meet with you sooner; I should have tried to explain how I felt. I am so sorry.”
He nodded. “It is fine. I made my mistake when I attacked thy for choosing to love whom you did. Trixie is a good child, thou deserve each other. Please do not hate me for what I said.”
Maud shook her head. A few tears ran down her face. “You’re my dad. I could never hate you.”
He looked down at the sleeping filly. “So this is my first granddaughter?”
Maud nodded. “Yes… wait, first?”
He gave a knowing smile to Trixie. “Thou art glowing, it is I presume because of thou art with child?”
Trixie’s jaw dropped. “I just got pregnant like a couple of hours ago. How could you?”
“A father knows when one of his own has become a mother.”
“Yes,” Maud said.
Blinkie laughed. “Yeah, it was really weird when you ran off to the bathroom for a few minutes and your husband went outside to catch some fresh air. You came back and dad predicted you were pregnant. Heh that was actually really funny.”
Cloudy looked down at the filly. “How did she do that?”
“She’s special,” Maud said.
Something that Dreamweaver had once told Trixie came to mind. Trixie was a Guardian Heart, her goal was not to protect Equestria now, although she still could, it was to guard and inspire somepony that would one day become the hero to save Equestria. It struck her that perhaps, Valiant Heart was that very pony.
After a while things calmed down and the other sisters went back downstairs to start dinner. This left Maud with time aplenty to talk to her parents; which she did. Trixie only managed to pay attention for a little bit of it. Her body was slowly beginning to grow hot all over again. Some of what they spoke about was why Maud didn’t tell them she was dating Trixie at first, some of it was about how Maud felt about the Choosing Stone.
Eventually Valiant Heart woke up and the five of them descended to the table below. Dinner was a classic of rock soup, with rocks for dipping. Trixie ate greedily, along with Maud, and Valiant proudly showed her disgust for eating rocks. The filly did like the soup part though.
Before they left, Igneous told them that no matter what the Choosing Stone might have said, he would have respected their marriage either way. Especially now that he’s had time to get to meet his first granddaughter. Maud nearly cried when she heard that.
They were about to leave the farm when Inkie stopped them. She held a guilty look in those timid eyes of hers. She held out a hoof and revealed a tiny pebble in it.
“I-I’m s-sorry,” Inkie said. “Y-you left him here w-when you got m-m-mad at mom and dad.”
Maud looked down at the rock. “You’ve taken good care of Boulder.”
“I t-take him for walks and f-feed him. He’s b-b-been a good friend.”
Maud looked up at her sister and smiled. “I think you’ll continue keeping good care of him. Remember he likes to play camouflage and his favorite place to ride is on your back or in your pocket.”
Inkie smiled. “You m-mean I c-can keep him?”
Maud smiled. “Yes.”
Inkie squealed excitedly and wrapped her legs around her sister. After all of that was said and done Inkie went back inside and Trixie followed Maud. They did not head straight home, rather they went somewhere off into the back of the farm first. A small old wooden building stood in slightly better care than the house itself.
Maud pushed open the door and just inside they found a perfectly round stone the size of Maud’s head sitting on a purple velvet pillow. Trixie felt the invisible pressure of intense magic as she neared the stone. Maud looked at the thing and frowned.
“Maud what is this, and what are we doing here?” Trixie asked.
Maud gave her a glance. “Trixie, I… I need to do this for my dad’s sake.”
“Do what?” Trixie asked.
Maud focused on the rock. “Oh choosing stone, hear my plea; I have lost the one I was chose to wed for many years now. I have found somepony else in which true love was found, but I must ask, for my father’s sake, did I make the right choice?”
Trixie shot her wife a dirty look. “Right cho-“
The rock started glowing with a soft white light and a voice as deep as the earth and as old as the mountains themselves reverberated from it. “There is no single soul mate. There are many, for many ponies. True love can be found anywhere, but it is one of life’s greatest challenges. You, Maud Milkie Pie have found one such mare. You have found your chosen one.”
The rock dimmed and then went out completely and Maud stood there shivering. She looked down at her hooves for a long while in silence. When she finally did speak again her voice was warm. “You… were really meant for me?”
Trixie smiled. “Of course I was. You were meant for me too. I mean sure, in another universe as Twilight would put it, our paths may never have crossed, our lives would have been led very differently. For all you know, Inkie and Blinkie might like using their real names, they might have been bitter rivals in love for some stallion’s hoof or something too.
“But here and now, yeah, you and me are meant for each other. Once and forever.”
Maud looked up and without warning kissed Trixie. Fire raced across her body and kick started her heat cycle. In an attempt to stall it, she smiled and asked, “Milkie?”
“Well no wonder you’re so big and strong,” Trixie said as she groped one of Maud’s muscles. “You know what else is big and strong?” Trixie leaned in and whispered something that made Maud’s dress shrink and her face go red.
“I think it’s time to go home and put Valiant to bed,” Maud said.
“And then we can put ourselves to bed,” Trixie said with a wink.
Three weeks and four bowls of pickle enhanced chocolate pudding later, Trixie sat on the front porch listening to the ruckus going on inside. She felt full after all that pudding, and yet she knew she could eat another bowl if it was placed down in front of her. When the door opened and Maud stepped out Trixie padded a spot next to her.
“The others are all enjoying themselves. Do you want to come in?” Maud asked.
The stars twinkled up above and Trixie couldn’t help but to think back to how everything had slowly gotten better. Maud and Trixie were under constant siege of visits, hugs, and congratulations from everypony. Twilight had healed nicely and was once again studying friendship, and Valiant Heart was helping her, despite Valiant’s constant mockery of the idea.
“After everything we’ve been through, do you think things will ever be the same again?” Trixie asked.
Maud took a seat. “Probably not. We’ve all grown and changed so much.”
Trixie frowned. “For the better?”
“I think so.”
“Yeah… me too.”
Trixie looked up at her. “How’s everypony doing inside? Spike and Rarity haven’t run off to f-“
“Lulu, no swearing. I don’t want the baby to hear.”
That made Trixie smile. “I’m pretty sure that our little filly won’t mind.”
“They say that babies can hear every single sound that the mother does. So swearing is a no-no.”
This time Trixie laughed. “Okay, okay. I won’t swear… have they though?”
“Not yet.”
Trixie pushed herself up. “Let’s go meet and greet.”
Maud kissed Trixie gently on the cheek. “Okay.”
Once inside Trixie saw Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy sitting at the kitchen table talking quietly, Spike was holding the dragon egg in a pouch over his chest, every now and then he would snort a quick breath of flames over it. Rarity stood next to him, smiling and talking louder than anypony else. Applejack and family were talking to a very plump Rainbow Dash. Finally Celestia and Luna were quietly sitting on a couch and trying their best not to take up the entire house.
There was seriously not enough room in this little house at the edge of Equestria for all these ponies and it felt very crowded. Even so, Trixie didn’t mind the extra company, in fact she relished in having so many ponies she cared about so close. Trixie was sure her mom and Doctor Timequill would have been here too if the this party hadn’t come at a bad time for them.
“Look everypony it’s Trixie!” Pinkie Pie called out excitedly.
Everypony raised whatever they were holding, drink, plate of food, in Twilight’s case a book, and all together they shouted, “TO TRIXIE!”
She stood there in silence for a moment, blinked and then shook her head. “I didn’t do a darn thing.”
“You’re preggers,” Pinkie Pie said. “You don’t need to do anything.”
Trixie took a few steps in and couldn’t stop grinning. Maud shut the door behind them. “Everypony… thank you.”
Twilight smiled at her, she was still covered in bandages and her mane was styled in a way that looked very similar to Inkie’s, meaning that half of her face was covered up by her mane; the bandaged half of course. She went back to reading her book while the others started up their previous conversations.
Trixie decided that sitting next to Twilight was a good idea, so she did and saw Valiant hiding in the corner with pair of earplugs in, while reading a book. She was hiding between the wall and the couch with her whiteboard lying next to her with a message scrawled on it.
“Busy reading, do not disturb.”
“She’s rather sweet isn’t she?” Twilight asked.
Trixie nodded. “Of course she is, she’s my daughter after all.”
“I talked to Luna about that, she has a pair of eyes watching the filly’s parents making sure they don’t try and do something stupid again,” Twilight said.
“Thanks… how’s your pain?”
“It’s not as bad as it used to be. My alicorn regeneration has kicked in ever since I woke up and the wounds are almost completely healed.” She paused and looked at Luna. “I’m still wearing the bandages because of the scars… the only pony here other than you four that have seen them is Luna.” A warm smile grew over her lips. “You know what she did when she saw them?”
“What?”
“She kissed me, in a really, really good way.”
Trixie grinned. “I guess that shows where her loyalties really lay.”
Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie came over next. Fluttershy’s eyes were blue again, and her features far less batty. Of course when she flashed a smile, her fangs were as sharp as ever before, but she looked more or less friendly now. “Maud, Trixie,” Fluttershy said politely. “This is such a wonderful party, thank you for inviting us.”
Maud smiled at her. “You can drop the act, me and Trixie both know how badly your friends scolded you after what you did. We can be friends now.”
Fluttershy nodded. “Oh that would be wonderful. Thank you.”
“After all, I impregnated her,” Maud said. “That means I won.”
Fluttershy blinked, and then looked down at the space between her hooves. “Uh, y-yes.”
“And you’re in love with my sister.”
Pinkie Pie kissed Fluttershy on the cheek. “Everypony else is getting married so we have something to ask you, don’t we Flutterpoo?”
Fluttershy gulped. “I, um, that is, i-if it’s okay with you, if it’s not I’ll understand, but um, I… I. C-can I marry your sister?”
Maud didn’t even blink. “Yes.”
Fluttershy sat down, hard. “R-really?”
“You two love each other right?”
Fluttershy and Pinkie both nodded.
“Then get married if you want. Just invite mom and dad.”
Pinkie Pie frowned. “Yeah, okay… it’s still weird you know? Going back… home and knowing what I do.”
Maud smiled. “You’re still our sister.”
Pinkie Pie smiled. “Thanks.”
Rarity smiled at Spike, and her eyes flashed gold as she kissed him on the cheek. “How’s Jade?”
“She’s still twitching inside that egg, I guess that means she’s close to hatching,” Spike replied.
“Oh our baby’s kicking again!” Rarity exclaimed. “It’s so cute.”
“Think she’ll be a strong pony like you?” Spike asked.
“Oh but of course, she will be inheriting my shop after all… there is no way in Tartarus I would leave it to Sweetie after the last time she tried to make a dress. Ponies have four legs, not six,” Rarity said.
“She could make great Halloween costumes,” Spike joked.
“She could make great horror stories you mean.”
Twilight apologized to Fluttershy, and Trixie listened to the kind mare’s response. “It’s okay, I seem to be turning back to normal by myself… when I’m not angry. I really like this though, I can fly really fast, and apples taste really good.”
“Yer not gonna be stealing apples again, are ya?” Applejack asked. The filly on her back bounced and squealed playfully.
Fluttershy’s eyes darted left and right. “N-no of course not… I’ll um… buy them?”
Applejack shook her head. “Ah’ll give ya a discount.”
“Yay,” Fluttershy said quietly.
Spike walked over to Twilight. “Hey, so I found out that Celestia is keeping a few members of staff present at your castle, permanently.”
Twilight nodded. “She thinks I can’t take care of myself.”
“Sure you can, you were doing great without me.”
“No, Spike… I was falling to pieces without you around,” Twilight’s eyes glossed over. “I didn’t even know how to cook spaghetti. So a permanent staff would be good.”
“Just don’t get snobby,” Spike joked.
“Oh, like I could ever do that.” Twilight sucked in a breath, and then buried her face into the top of his head. “I love you, you know.”
He nodded. “I love you too.”
Rarity looked away shyly. “Does anypony else find it weird that my mother in law is several years younger than me? Or is that just unfair?”
Trixie shrugged. “It sounds like it’s just bad luck for you.”
“Well,” Rarity said, she licked her lips with a forked tongue. “At least I am part dragon. Even Twilight can’t hope to top that.”
Trixie rolled her eyes.
“How is Valiant doing?” Rarity asked. “Sweetie has missed playing with her.”
“She’s hiding and reading with earplugs in,” Trixie replied.
“Val doesn’t like company as much as us,” Maud said. Trixie knew that Maud didn’t like it much more than the filly.
Rarity glanced over at the kitchen. “Pinkie must be on one again, I saw a bowl of half finished chocolate pudding with pickle slices in it. Ew.”
“That’s uh… that’s mine,” Trixie admitted. Rarity shot her a look of utter disgust. “Well the baby is hungry for pickles, lots of pickles, in everything.”
“Trixie tried to eat a peanut butter sandwich with pickles on it earlier.”
“I threw up.”
Rarity frowned. “Morning sickness already?”
“Ugh, I hope not. That wouldn’t be fair.” Trixie rubbed her belly with a hoof. “Hear that, mommy doesn’t want morning sickness, so don’t give it to her.”
Rainbow Dash took to the air and hovered about two feet off the ground while giving a mighty whistle. Everypony quieted down and gave her their attention. Luna and Twilight were smiling. Rainbow Dash clapped her hooves together and grinned like a schoolfilly.
“Everypony, listen up I have two very important things to say. First of all, the news that only Twilight Sparkle and Luna know,” Rainbow Dash said with clear excitement in her voice. “I am officially Twilight’s second knight. Last week those two got together and discussed it.”
A series of cheers broke out around the room.
“And for the even better news,” Rainbow Dash said. “I’m still able to fly even though I’m pregnant and fat.” Everypony laughed. “But no seriously, I’m Twilight’s second knight and that means I’ll be doing all kinds of important friendship stuff. I’m like, the superhero of friendship.”
Pinkie Pie chimed in, “Did you come up with a name for your filly yet?”
Rainbow Dash grinned. “I did actually. It’s Lord Rainbow!”
Everypony groaned. Rarity spoke up. “You simply cannot condone a filly or a colt to such an awful name. Please pick something with at least a modest amount of dignity.”
“Hey my babe’s name is ‘Lord’ that’s plenty of dignity. In fact that makes him a dignitary.”
Rarity buried her head into the woodwork. “I am not hearing this, I am not hearing this.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “I have the feeling that she might change it before she’s done.”
Trixie leaned back in her couch, snuggled up with Maud, her warm, muscular body pressed against her own and nuzzled into Maud’s neck. “I guess life is going crazy for everypony.”
“Once Pinkie has a child, then things will get crazy,” Maud answered.
Trixie gave a sly look to the pair. “Are you two interested? I know a pony that can help you out with that.”
The pair of them blushed and looked shyly away from each other. “Uh…”
Eleven months later, back in Ponyville and at Trixie’s home. She lay on her side on top of a sheet in the kitchen floor covered in sweet, as both Fluttershy and Valiant were at her rear with their hooves out. Maud stayed by Trixie’s head, holding it under her lap while squeezing her hoof tightly.
“Push,” Fluttershy said.
“Breathe,” Valiant added.
Trixie did just that, and although the medication took away almost all of the pain she still felt it as her insides were being ripped apart by something huge passing through her. “MAUD!”
Maud squeezed tighter. “It’s okay, Fluttershy’s got a license and Valiant is very knowledgeable.”
“VALIANT IS A FILLY STARING AT MY COOCH!”Trixie screamed. She took a few shallow breaths in quick secession and screamed again.
“It’s almost here, you can do it,” Fluttershy promised.
“I killed AN URSA!” Trixie cried. “Of course I can do it. IT STILL HURTS!”
For a moment, Trixie’s heart stopped and she was terrified that she was about to die. A bright amber light emitted from her rear, so bright that it was almost blinding. The pain doubled and she felt it move out of her. A moment later the pain vanished and Trixie’s head dropped against Maud’s lap. Her breathing was hard, heavy, and she felt like passing out.
In Fluttershy’s legs there was a tiny filly, with a tiny soft nub on her forehead. The pink fur matched Pinkie’s own, and the purple mane looked like it was a fit for Maud’s, there was however a single red stripe running through the mane and tail. The filly cried out and Trixie’s heart swelled with pride.
Fluttershy gently gleaned off the foal before laying it down on a blanket next to Trixie. Trixie looked down into her baby’s eyes and felt hot tears flowing down the side of her face. She sniffled.
“Congratulations, Misses Lulamoon and Misses Pie, you two have a newborn filly,” Fluttershy said with a smile.
Trixie gingerly wrapped a leg around the filly and pulled her close. Maud smiled down at her. “I’m glad we did home birth.”
“Me too.”
Valiant raised a hoof. “Why did it get bright?”
Fluttershy answered. “Unicorn foals can do some weird things as they enter our beautiful new world.”
Trixie kissed the top of the filly’s head. “I have a name now.”
“What is it?” Maud asked.
“Amber Light.”
“Amber Light,” Maud purred. “I like that.”
Fluttershy giggled. “Now comes the best part of homebirth. You two get to teach her how to walk! D-don’t worry, if you need help I am here to offer advice. This is my fourth time doing this after all.”
Trixie smiled. “We get to see her first steps, honey. We get to help her. As a family.”
Maud leaned over and kissed Trixie on the forehead. “As a family.”
