Twilight always knew she wasn't into dating, so why is that suddenly changing?
Twilight knew right from when she was a foal, she wasn't interested in 'dating' as so many promptly put it. She always blamed the books for this, as she wasn't really interested in making friends either. But after that fateful day when she defeated Nightmare Moon, she knew, deep down, that there had to be something else to it. The thought never really concerned her until a certain blue mare had ended up staying with her.
This is an Alternate Universe. Anything that may not be accurate should be accepted as such.
RATED TEEN FOR: Violent Imagery, Foul Language, Adult humor, Sexual Innuendos, and Subject Material That May Be Inappropriate or Even Offensive To Some Audiences. Please do not read if you are easily offended. (Reason I did not rate Sex is because there is no explicit sex scenes)
The sun hung high in the sky, pouring it's heat upon the fields, washing everything in incredible golden light and warmth. The grass flowed gently in the breeze, little dandelion fluffs ever so often landing on a pony's nose, tickling them ever so slightly. There was not a cloud in the sky, and the beautiful robin egg blue surrounded the Elements of Harmony, Discord, and of course little Spike as well. Rainbow Dash always made sure the weather was perfect when they got the chance to sit, relax, and simply have a nice picnic. It had been a while since they all had the free time to do that.
Twilight smiled to herself. Being a Princess was nice, but she missed being able to sit and just talk.
"I STILL can't believe you two are dating!!" Pinkie Pie squealed in delight, making Fluttershy blush.
"We announced it a week ago Pinkie..." She mumbled, hiding behind her mane as Discord puffed out his furry chest in pride.
"Yeah! You should have announced it sooner! Thanks for leaving us out to dry!" Rainbow remarked, grabbing an apple and sinking her teeth into it.
"I-I-I'm sorry!!" The yellow pegasus squeaked, burying her face in her hooves.
Rainbow looked up at the mare and snorted, placing her apple down onto her plate. "I didn't mean it like THAT Fluttershy," She grumbled in between chewing.
"Don't talk with your mouth full," Rarity nagged, glaring at Rainbow Dash as the pegasus rolled her eyes. Rarity turned back to Fluttershy, and gave her a small smile.
"We approve of whoever you want to date darling! As long as they aren't a BRUTE." Rarity glanced coldly over at Discord with that, as if to tell him that if he ever hurt Fluttershy in any way, he was going to get an earful of the most high pitched whining and complaining he had ever heard. Discord shuddered.
"Am I the only one that's surprised Fluttershy started dating someone?" Spike asked, taking a sip of tea. "I mean, I didn't expect it..."
"Ah' was..." Applejack mumbled.
"Not at all! Fluttershy dated a couple colts back in High School! She really knew how to pick em' too! She never had a relationship that didn't last several months!" Rainbow Dash said, chuckling at Spike's shocked face.
"I wish I was that lucky.... I'm horrible at choosing whom to date and whom not to date...." Rarity muttered.
"WE KNOW," Everyone, including Fluttershy, groaned out. Rarity looked taken aback for a moment, but then scowled.
"I'll have you know that I dated over 20 colts in High School ONLY!"
"Is that something to be proud of, Rarity?" Twilight asked, making Rarity hiss in anger, her face red from embarrassment.
"I've dated about 18 guys my whole life! One was when we were both in kindergarten! I dumped him though, because he didn't like cake! CAKE!" Pinkie bugged out her eyes like it was the most gruesome and surprising thing in the universe. "I may have not even had my cutie mark then, BUT CAKE WAS STILL DELICIOUS!!!"
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes once again. "I've dated like, 4... maybe 5 guys."
"That's it??" Rarity asked, and Rainbow sighed.
"I'm not romantic at all Rarity, how is that such a big shock?"
"Well-"
"I've dated thousands and thousands!" Discord interjected. "Even Celestia might I add!"
"What..? Sure buster sure...... What about you AJ?" Rainbow turned to the orange mare sitting next to her.
"About 10."
"Seems legit."
"What about YOU Twilight??" Pinkie asked, everyone's attention now turning to the purple alicorn.
Twilight peered up from her tea. She hadn't been taking much attention into the conversation, because she honestly wasn't very interested. She wasn't the most keen on romance. Heck, she really didn't care! Honestly the whole hub bub about it didn't really seem to make any logical sense to her. She still enjoyed a good romance novel every now and then, and she didn't disapprove of romance entirely, she just wouldn't go out of her way for someone like that. She was perfectly content with the life she had now. Why go around picking out random stallions to court?
She thought about her answer. It has been awhile... How many colts has she dated in the past?
"Well... There was this one-" She cut herself off. That young pony had been dating a filly in her class, not Twilight! She thought again. "Wait... This pon-" She did it again. Noticing how she didn't date that one either. She attempted to say something else, opening her mouth before thinking again that stallion had not dated her. Had she ever even had a crush before? She certainly never remembered anypony who had caught her eye. Wasn't it the same way friendship had been to her? Useless? Stupid? A distraction?
That was then the sudden realization crashed into her like an entire swarm of Parasprites.
She.... She never did date anyone! Not a single stallion! None had ever gone out with her! Not a single soul!
She looked up at her friends in dismay. She did say romance wasn't very important to her. But not even one? How? How has she never dated anyone before?
"I...." She began incredulously. "I never have...."
The 7 others all stared at Twilight like she had gone insane. Rarity's eyes bugged out so far Twilight could have sworn she was part of a cartoon. Spike seemed deep in thought, like he was trying to remember for himself if Twilight had ever dated. He stopped after a moment, realization etching into his features.
"Oh," He mumbled softly in surprise. That had broken the awkward silence at least.
"Not a single one...?" Fluttershy asked, her voice hushed.
Twilight shook her head, and the air seemed to stop.
At least until Discord broke into horrible, high pitched laughter. He fell onto his back and rolled around, trying to control his diaphragm, but to no avail. The rest of the gang decided to join as well, at first in small chuckles and then growing into loud snorts. Eventually everyone was rolling on the ground as well. Twilight was taken aback by the whole entire situation.
"W-Why are you laughing at me?" She asked in accusal, shifting her eyes from one hysterical friend to another.
"PFFFT! We-e aren't laughing HMMM at you Twinkie! We HAHAHA! We're laughing with you!" Pinkie choked out, somehow managing to sculpt her words so Twilight could understand them.
"But I'm not laughing!"
Unlike her hopes, her friends seemed to ignore her, continuing to chortle. Twilight groaned, slamming a hoof against her weary forehead. She grabbed a howling Spike and tossed him onto her back. Spike still was laughing though, and Twilight groaned once again, starting to make her way back to civilization and out of the field.
"Sorry folks but looks like I have to go now!" Twilight said in a slightly too sweet sounding tone, flashing a big, fake smile to her friends.
Immediately, despite all odds, her friends stopped laughing. They all looked up at the mare, and Rainbow Dash looked guilty.
"Oh come on Twi!" The pegasus retorted, standing up finally. "We didn't mean to hurt your feelings or anything!"
"NO NO!!!" Twilight said in a sing-song voice. "I REALLY must be going! Lot's of books and whatever! Toodles!"
She quickly took off, hearing Applejack call back at her, but didn't even look behind her. Friends can be annoying sometimes.... So instead of listening to their snarky comments after they all calmed down, she decided to head home for the day.
After all, some nice relaxation alone at home would do her good.
In no sense of the word, Trixie did appreciate. She liked doing things on her own, which resulted in her failing most of the time. But, that was okay. She liked making mistakes to where she could fix them next time. She also might be a tad bit stubborn... But it was her mothers fault for that quality. Besides, stubbornness wasn't necessarily bad. It meant that she wouldn't get tied up in bad situations as often! That was good! No, Trixie did not like asking for help from anyone.
Especially Twilight Sparkle.
Unfortunately for Trixie, she really had no choice in the situation. She had no home, no money, and she needed a place to rest at the least. Canterlot was an expensive place to live, and Trixie had once again, made a mistake. She had managed to live in Canterlot for 4 years before her money waded out and she was left broke with an angry land lord. She didn't even own any of her furniture! All she managed to take with her were some dresses, her hat and cape, Trixie's medication (She had a lot of migraines and back problems from running shows), a blanket, A doll she had since she was three, a couple of books, some basic necessities (toothbrush, mane brush, etc.), and a couple of magic tricks Trixie simply couldn't let go of.
Trixie figured that if she was going to ask to stay with someone, she might as well ask Twilight. She had a mutual respect for the mare (Something she would NEVER admit out loud) and she supposed that, due to the fact that Trixie was actually considered a friend to her, that might make Trixie more tolerable. She did hate how others accused her of being such a monster sometimes. Twilight was the only pony who basically understood that there was no need to call ponies those horrid names. Maybe the other elements were like that too, but Trixie didn't care.
The moon hung over her as she made her way through the empty streets of Ponyville. Trixie peered up at the stars throughout the dark sky. It wasn't that late actually, 8:00 at the latest. But she desperately hoped Twilight was still awake in that little tree house she called home. Wait, did she even live in that place anymore? When Trixie arrived at the sight, the whole place seemed to be obliterated. Figures, she probably lived in that looming crystal palace that Trixie could spot even from here. Stupid Twilight with her stupid antics. She's the student of the ruler of Equestria, what was to be expected from such? A giant house at the least. Trixie could feel her eyes roll before she even started to trot to the large castle.
She finally made it to the shiny front steps of what she assumed was Twilight's humble (Humble indeed..) abundance. Trixie mulled over the words in her mind, repeating them over and over. No mistakes were going to be made this time! She's totally got this! There was no need to feel nervous. Trixie paused as she was about to knock on the smooth crystal door. Would it break if she pounded too hard? It was crystal... Why was she even arguing to her self about this? This was just another excuse to take longer than she really needed. It was just a door! She huffed in a deep breath, and pounded her hoof upon the crystal, not really caring if would break or not. Luckily it didn't.
Why hello Twilight! It is I the Great and Powerful Trixie! Trixie has bestowed her mighty appearance to you tonight for just a small favor! After all, we are friends aren't we?
The words were simple. There was nothing to worry about. Twilight was only.... a very smart and powerful mage..... Nothing to worry about at all!
The door opened.
Trixie could have jumped in the nearby bush, but she stood her ground bravely.
"Why hello Tw-"
SHIT Trixie cursed in her head as she gazed upon the purple figure in front of her.
"Trixie? Is that you?" Twilight Sparkle asked in all her greatness, and the pony questioned simply stared at the mare in front of her.
Trixie's eyes were wide, and she tried to grab a hold of her lovely prepared thoughts in her brain, but to no avail. Trixie regretted everything. She wanted to run far away from this palace, which clearly was not made for a student...
...Rather... A Princess.
"I.... I-it is me- I Great...... Powerful..... Why didn't you TELL ME??" Trixie chocked on each word that left her mouth, struggling to breath.
Twilight seemed indifferent. "What do you mean? Tell you wh- OHHH!" Realization dawned itself on the purple alicorn, who stretched one of her wings out to simply gawk at it. "Oh these? Yeah I'll explain that another time maybe... I would have sent a telegram but I never got your address..."
So that's why..... SHIT Trixie plagued her mind for words, anything at all! Anything to just say! SAY IT!
"Y-you look... nice..."
KILL ME PLEASE
Twilight retracted her wing to her side and looked back to the unicorn. She wore a confused expression, but then turned her gaze to the bag that resided next to Trixie.
"What's that? Do you have another show in there?" Twilight piped out of pure curiosity, Trixie could see. Trixie thought she would have been more regal, but she acted like what she used to act like, like she was the same mare when she clearly wasn't.
"Erm.. No... I-I..." Celestia, why was this so HARD all of a sudden?? It wasn't like this changed anything, she still needed a place to stay.
Twilight seemed to smile a bit, taking her attention back to the unicorn. "It's okay Trixie, I'm still the same Twilight."
That, for some reason, calmed Trixie down to a great magnitude. Maybe it was the sound of Twilight's reassuring voice, since the mare seemed to always know what she was doing, never making mistakes like Trixie did. She drew out a shaky breath, and went back to business.
"Right... Erm... Trixie- I need a place to stay..." The unicorn mumbled. Was it too much to ask for a favor now? Should she bow? Address her with 'your highness'?
Twilight looked aghast. "Oh jeez... Oh Celestia what happened??" She asked, voice filling with a concern that made Trixie's stomach churn. "Please, come right in!"
Trixie felt about a hundred thousand pounds being lifted from her shoulders. That was much easier than she thought. She would have to thank Twilight for being so nice one day.
Trixie graciously accepted Twilight's offer, hoisting her suitcase up with her magic and stepping through the front door Twilight was holding open for her. She really should be honored by being in a Princesses presence, but she couldn't help but feel calmed by the sound of the mare's voice. Celestia, she was so horrible! Trixie should not feel at home around a Princess! She should not be collected and cool! This was not the way she was supposed to act around such regalness!
"It's no problem really, you can stay for as long as you need!" Twilight said, closing the door behind her. "I have quite a few.... guest bedrooms in this house..."
Still sheepish. Still the pony she was, and once again Trixie was calmed. This was Twilight, not some Prissy Princess. She should just relax.
"Sorry... Trixie ran out of money..." Trixie explained. "Canterlot wasn't the best choice of residence..."
Twilight seemed to chuckle, leading Trixie through the common room (which, Trixie had to gaze upon the beautiful tree bark chandelier in the center of the ceiling).
"It's absolutely alright Trixie, I get it."
Of course she would get it. It was Twilight, the blue mare didn't have to be so nervous.
Twilight led her through the hallway, up some stairs, and stopped in front of a purple door, which was (not surprisingly) made out of crystal as well. Trixie looked around the hallway, it's vastness sending shivers down her spine.
"I know, something to get used to right? Took me a while..."
Trixie jumped a bit at Twilight's voice, not realizing she was being watched.
"Y-yeah..." She replied quietly.
Twilight smiled, and opened the door in front of her. The whole room was painted a light shade of purple, with white tiling covering the floor and a shaggy blue carpet in the center. There was a desk, a bookshelf, a vanity, a humongous bed, a bedside table with a lamp, and a window in the far side of the room. Trixie then realized the window was actually a door which lead to a HUGE balcony. A balcony? In a GUEST bedroom? This had to be the nicest guest bedroom Trixie's ever seen! Could this even count as a guest bedroom?
"This.... This is the room right?" She asked quietly, grasping the attention of the Princess.
"Yes...? Is it too big? I assure it IS a guest bedroom.... My bedroom is actually bigger....." It was like Twilight could read minds or something! She knew exactly what Trixie was thinking!
Trixie gave a small nod, peering around the room. She set the suitcase on the bed with her magic and smiled a bit. Trixie couldn't believe she was being offered so much by the pony who was considered her sworn enemy not too long ago. It made her feel special for once, which was a good feeling that she rarely ever had. It kept making her feel like she was worth more than what she actually was, and she had to shake her head to remember that she was still just a silly, little, and insignificant unicorn looking for a place to crash. Twilight gave her a look, but quickly dismissed whatever she was thinking and headed back over to the door.
"Welp! The room is yours for now! Goodnight Trixie!" Twilight piped, beginning to head out of the room to give Trixie her privacy.
"Goodnight Twilight Sparkle..." Trixie muttered, but that wasn't enough was it? She had to say something else.... What did ponies say in this situation? "Wait..."
Twilight halted and turned to look back at the blue mage. "Yes Trixie?"
"...... Thank you..."
Twilight smiled, turning once again, and trotted out the door.
Sure she did eat breakfast, but it was normally an apple or some cornflakes. She simply didn't have time to cook something.
But she would make time; she had a guest.
When Twilight opened the door the night before this morning, she wasn't expecting to see Trixie Lulamoon of all ponies! It was quite the surprise! And not only that, but Trixie seemed so polite. Twilight briefly hoped it wasn't due to the fact that she was a Princess now. She didn't like how ponies treated her different just because she was royalty. She just wanted to be Twilight, the friendly bookkeeper that was just residing in Ponyville. Honestly, she didn't think Trixie was the pony to respect royalty like that, but what did she know? She wished that she had been able to send mail to her. She was such an interesting individual. There was so much that she didn't know about her. There was so much she wanted to know, but never got the chance. As Princess Celestia said: You can learn something new from anyone you meet. Twilight briefly wondered if Trixie knew some magic that she didn't. The thought brought a smile to her lips. It's been awhile since she's practiced her magic.
She flipped the pancakes in the pan as she heard hoofsteps in the hall. She didn't think Trixie would be able to find the kitchen. Maybe she was making a lot of noise.
Trixie walked into the room with a yawn, her eyes drawn to the fluffy, circular piles of goodness. Twilight couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. It was strangely... cute. The blue mare looked as if she's never seen a simple pancake!
"Trixie thought you would have a chef to do that...." She mumbled tiredly. Twilight shook her head.
"Nope. Just me."
"Hmm..." Trixie waltzed over the other side of the room, gazing out of one of the windows. "Know how to make a cup of coffee?"
Twilight laughed. "Of course... I nearly forgot..." Twilight couldn't even run the rest of the day without her coffee fix, and it seemed that Trixie was the same way.
Twilight made her way over to the coffee pot, quickly filling it with water and pouring the coffee grounds into the filter. Trixie watched as she did this, seemingly mesmerized by Twilight's movements in her tired state.
"Where's Spike?" Trixie asked suddenly, Twilight turning to the mare as she took the pancakes off the stove.
"He's still sleeping. He's heading over to Rarity's today I believe." Twilight replied, making Trixie's plate.
"Typical."
Twilight once again chuckled. She wasn't used to laughing so early into the day. It was kinda nice having a roommate who wasn't a baby male dragon who always argued with you. She grabbed the plates she had made for both of them, setting them out on the table with her magic as she took the now finished coffee and poured it into a couple mugs. Trixie watched in amazement.
"How do you multitask like that??" She asked, trotting over to the breakfast table and taking a seat.
There it was again. Something Trixie pointed out like it was foreign, and yet it was just another thing Twilight had gotten used to. Whether Trixie pointed it out or just looked at something, she seemed to be enchanted by all her surroundings. It made Twilight smile, because it was nice to see someone appreciate everything given to her, rather than be simply jealous. The words Trixie mumbled last night were not easily forgotten. It had been sweet, and also rare. Trixie had actually said 'Thank you'. It was strange; She didn't normally thank ponies. But it had been nice to see the mare actually say the words. Twilight grinned.
"You get used to it... But it did take a lot of practice!" The alicorn sat down with her mug, placing the other in front of Trixie.
Trixie automatically stabbed into her pancakes with her fork, shoving a large bite into her mouth without even bothering to pour some maple syrup onto it. Twilight eyed this curiously, as Trixie once again ate a huge bite of fluffy goodness. In no less than twelve seconds did Trixie devour both of her pancakes, and she snatched the mug off the table and downed the liquid as if it were a shot of rum. She wiped her lips, placed the mug down, and then suddenly started speeding for the door.
"H-hey! Where are you going??" Twilight called quickly, and Trixie skidded to a stop, her butt plopping down on the floor.
"Um......" Trixie burbled. "N-nowhere...."
Twilight brightened. Maybe this would be a chance to get to know her a bit more.
"You sure about that? Because you kind of took off into a sprint!" Twilight teased, smirking a bit when Trixie's ear's flattened in defiance.
"I didn't.... I..... Ughhh...." Trixie groaned, trotting back over to her chair. "Trixie's just used to eating a quick breakfast is all...."
Twilight beamed. She was getting somewhere. Breaking that hard outer shell that she never realized was there.
"Tell me more..." She said softly.
Trixie's eye's seemed to widen a bit as she took her seat. Twilight rested her head on her hooves and patiently waited for the blue mare to start talking.
"I... Have a lot of shows.... Well, had would be a better term... Trixie never had the time... She got used to eating quickly...." She flushed a bit. It was seemingly hard to pry her of the smallest detail, so Twilight listened to every word carefully. There was something about the unicorn that made the Princess want to learn about her. She wished there was a book about her.
"You really do a lot for your dreams..... I wish I had the chance to do that nowadays...." Twilight mumbled, looking at the table as she spoke.
"Dreams? Tsk.... More like nightmares..."
Twilight looked up in confusion when she said that, and the look on her face told the Princess that she hadn't meant to say that at all.
"What?"
"Huh? Why's Trixie here?" A voice said from the other side of the room. Twilight looked over to see a tired baby dragon rub his eyes groggily.
Twilight cursed to herself, wishing Spike had slept in for just a little longer. She would never be able to get the information out of Trixie now. The mare looked relieved.
Dammit.
"Trixie needed a place to stay," The blue mare explained, seemingly forgetting what they just spoke about. Spike only nodded, his head perking up when he obviously smelled the pancakes in the far side of the room.
"You want some pancakes, Spike?" Twilight asked, smiling a bit when he nodded vigorously. "With crushed ruby?"
"YES PLEASE!" He exclaimed, rushing beside Twilight as she began to make his plate with her magic. He licked his lips as she took out a jar full of sparkly, red dust. She poured a generous amount onto his plate, and he began jumping for it in the air. He clawed for the plate, but Twilight simply floated it over to the table. Spike burst for his chair, chomping down his tall stack of pancakes.
Trixie covered a snicker. Twilight gave her a look, a look that clearly stated 'Oh you kinda looked like that a few minutes ago'. The unicorn flushed. Twilight briefly thought that it was adorable, before she started laughing herself. Trixie stared at the alicorn. Spike made a noise, looking up for a moment with some ruby dust sprinkled on his face. Trixie guffawed, and they both broke out into a large series of giggles. Spike gave them a weird glance.
"What's your guys problem?"
"Pinkie Pie... I really don't think this is safe for the public...."
Twilight Sparkle was now out and about, signing papers for different companies in Ponyville. Lots of the small shops begged for her approval, since they could basically sell whatever they wanted with a Princesses permission. It slightly annoyed Twilight.
And this was no different.
Pinkie was bugging Twilight to sign a paper for this cake. A cake in which she wanted to sell. But there was one problem.
The cake contained almonds. And not just any almonds.... bitter almonds. Which were known to be full of cyanide unless cooked properly. And she knew for a fact that Pinkie had absolutely no idea how to process them. Where did she even get them? The selling of bitter almonds were illegal in Equestria. She must have grown them herself.... or did something else to get her hooves in them.
"It is!! I cooked and even tried a couple of the almonds myself before I put them in the cake!" Pinkie exasperated.
"Pinkie... This is illegal!!"
"But you can MAKE it legal!"
Trixie was sitting in the corner through the whole mess, Twilight not wanting to leave the mare alone in the house. She watched the scene unfold, eyes glancing back from Pinkie to Twilight each time they spoke. She once again seemed mesmerized in the scene. It made Twilight blush the teeniest bit for absolutely no reason, before turning her attention back to the raving pink mare.
"Pinkie this isn't safe at all!"
"Yeah it is!!!"
"I'm not signing the damn paper!"
Pinkie grimaced, whining a bit as she pouted and made sad, goo goo eyes. Twilight could see Mr. Cake throwing away the almond catastrophe out of the corner of her eye, and she knew full well that Pinkie's experimenting had gone too far this time, and that she was going to get a nice long talk from the Cakes tonight. Twilight sighed as she looked back to Pinkie Pie, unaffected by her friends puppy dog face.
"But TWIIIILIGHHHHTTTTTT!!!!"
"No!! Come on Trixie, we're leaving!"
Trixie obeyed, sliding off the seat and trotting alongside the purple mare. Twilight made a mental note to send a letter to Mrs. Cake to tell her to keep an eye on Pinkie, in case she had consumed any cyanide. Celestia did Twilight hope she didn't.
The bell rung as they both stepped out into the sunlight. Twilight took her checklist out of her saddle bags, putting a nice, red check next to Pinkie's smiling face. Next was the sofa and quill merchant. What did he want to sell this time? The pony always seemed to make weird quills that could kill someone. Swiss army quill, metal feather quill, Phoenix feather quill (those had a habit of setting on FIRE), and so many more. That stallion was dangerous with his quills....
Trixie looked around at the small stands the surronded the streets of Ponyville. She seemed to be drawn to every one of them. Another thing that made Twilight smile.
"You wanna get something?"
Trixie seemed to jump at the sudden question. She kept doing that. It was like she forgot that she wasn't alone.
"Tr-Trixie is fine....." She mumbled, flushing slightly as she walked.
"Just pick something out! I'm a Princess.... I really have money to spend.... Go ahead and get something!" Twilight assured brightly, beaming at the mare when she looked over at a stand.
"M-Maybe something over there...." Trixie mumbled, pointing over to a booth with lots of shiny trinkets. Jewelry, trophies, silverware, anything shiny and it was there! Twlight could see why she liked the one.
"Sure!" She exclaimed, trotting over to the booth, glad that she could get away from work for a bit. Trixie gawked at the beautiful display, eyes glancing over many different things as Twilight watched. It was like a little foal trying to pick out a candy bar. Twilight would have to write down all the things Trixie did that simply made her smile, because there was too many to count.
Trixie's eyes lingered on a certain brooch before being teared away to look at the next item. Twilight noticed this very clearly.
"You want that one?" Twilight asked abruptly, pointing at the golden star-like brooch.
"I-I couldn't possibly.... The price...." Trixie mumbled, digging a hoof into the ground.
"What?" Twilight looked at the small, white card underneath the display. "It's not that much at all!"
"It's 200 bits....."
"I'll just put it on my bill! It's really nice; I think you should have it!" Twilight coaxed, already alerting the merchant that she was going to buy the brooch.
Trixie shuffled a little bit on her hooves, awkwardly eyeing the ground. Twilight grabbed the golden star out of it's case, and floated it over to the mare. She looked uneasy, but quickly took it and dropped it in her own saddle bags.
Twilight could see the small smile form on her lips.
It was strange having someone with her the whole day, but Twilight easily got used to it. She closed the door behind her, and Spike was probably home already, doing some of his chores. Trixie sighed as she plopped to the floor, obviously exhausted. Twilight felt the same, but knew she had to stay up with more paperwork to fill out. She also had to make sure to send that letter to Mrs. Cake. Maybe another cup of coffee would aid the Princess a few more hours.
"The floor is cold..." Trixie stated, smiling against the crystal. It had been sweltering hot today.
Twilight smiled back. The mare seemed so comforted... It was the first time Twilight's seen her like that. It was.... strangely nice to see the mare happy.
She should make her happy more often.
"I have to get back to work.... But if you need anything I'll be in my room," Twilight said, trotting towards the hallway.
"Mmmf.... okay..."
That voice made her shiver and turn back. Trixie purred against the cool ground, and Twilight found her words caught in her throat. Twilight tore her eyes away, quickly shaking off whatever that was. Strange.
"Thanks..... again......." Trixie murmured, once again ending the night with the same words.
A grin found its way onto Twilight's face before she even said anything. It was so easy to let loose around this pony. She normally felt more uptight around her friends. But, Trixie was being so polite, is that what she was normally like? It was very enjoyable, and Twilight found herself trying to make her smile, because she really did have a great one. She had a nice laugh as well, and the alicorn vowed to make her laugh more often. Maybe having a roommate was better then she expected.
"Y-you're welcome..." Twilight spat quickly, finding it harder to say the words today than last night. She coughed, shifted a bit, and turned towards the hallway once again.
Trixie Lulamoon has now been living with the purple Princess for 4 days.
Trixie loves every single moment of it.
She had already gotten used to waking up to the sound of pots and pans, the smell of delicious breakfast cooking, and the best damn cup of coffee she's tasted in a long time. Defiantly better than microwaved slop or crappy, chemical filled cafe coffee. Twilight was superior in the skills of making a fine morning pick-me-up. The dragon was enjoyable to talk to, going on and on about his antics of winning Rarity's heart or how many books he managed to organize last night. It reminded Trixie of the more enjoyable aspects of childhood, which wasn't something she normal thought of when she remembered her past. Twilight Sparkle was nice to chat with as well. She would always seem so interested in whatever Trixie had to say, so focused on listening that Trixie never had to repeat herself at all. It was amazingly thoughtful, Trixie never had anyone pay attention to her so contently unless she was performing a show. She began to love waking up in the morning. The only bad part about it was having to swallow her pills so her back would cooperate.
And now, it finally was the weekend!
Trixie could feel a pair of stern hooves shake her out of dreamland and back into reality.
"Trixie!! Trixie wake up!!!"
She groaned, flopping over on her side. She knew it had to be early since she didn't feel like getting up. Twilight didn't relent however, and instead shoved the blankets off of Trixie. Cold air surrounded her body as her eyes flew open to see Twilight's beaming face.
"Fuck....." Trixie cursed.
Twilight's smile disappeared, and was took over by pure shock. "TRIXIE!!!"
"Whaaaat....."
"Don't curse like that!!!!"
"What's the big deal? It isn't hurting anypony. Fuck. Fuck. Fuckity. FuckFuckFuck."
"GET OUT OF BED!!!"
Trixie sighed, rolling over and not even bothering to block her fall as she fell off the side of the bed. "Ow."
Twilight snickered, and the blue unicorn opened one little eye to glare at the Princess.
"Something funny, your highness?" She spat.
Twilight simply blew some raspberries, and began to walk out the door without answering Trixie's question. Normally, Trixie would have thrown out a nice little insult towards whoever dared to disrespect the unicorn. But this was Twilight Sparkle. A totally different story. And even though she was being the slightest bit obnoxious today, she still was one of the kindest mares Trixie's ever met. Giving her a place to live while also taking care of her as if she were more of a guest than a roommate. Trixie thought about how much work the poor mare had to do every morning, and every night. Maybe she should help her one day, since the mare was doing so much for her. She smiled at the thought, and got up slowly to follow Twilight.
"Where are we going so early?" Trixie asked curiously, eyeing the purple mare. She thought about her pills once more, thinking that she would take them at a more convenient time.
"My friends and I have a meeting today. It's apparently.... National Popcorn Day..... I really need to ask Celestia why she makes these holidays...."
"Maybe she was drunk at the moment?"
Twilight laughed, looking back to the blue mare behind her. "I can't imagine Celestia like that.... But Pinkie insisted that it was a great holiday and we should celebrate it..."
Trixie smiled, trotting into the main room along with the purple mare. "Don't worry, I'll help you clean up afterwards." She offered, sitting down on a pillowed seat in the corner of the room.
"What?"
Trixie peered over at the alicorn questioning her, and stared at her perplexed face.
"You would help me?" Twilight asked, tilting her head at the blue unicorn. Trixie nodded.
"You've helped me so much.... Shouldn't I help you? It's only fair."
Twilight's eyes widened, and she seemed to falter a bit. Trixie observed this, and simply smiled a bit.
"I uh..... D-don't worry I got Spike for that..... He'll get angry if I have someone else do his chores....."
"How strange...."
The smallest, quietest little knock came from the door, and Twilight rushed to get it. Trixie had scooted her little chair up to the table, since Twilight had insisted that she participated in their eating of the popcorn. Whatever. Free popcorn sounded nice anyways. It was Twilight's friends that were a little iffy. Trixie shifted in her seat, eyeing Twilight as she opened the door with a petite Fluttershy standing behind it. At least the first one to arrive was the 'kind' one. She at least would get along with her. That was what Trixie was kind of hoping for. Spike was dusting some vases on a shelf, standing tip-toed on a stool to reach the ones on the very top.
"Hi Fluttershy! Come right on in!" Twilight beamed, Fluttershy waltzing in slowly only to peer at Trixie peculiarly.
"Um.... I don't mean to sound rude... But.... What is she doing here?" Fluttershy asked softly, taking her seat on the chair with the butterflies.
"She just hit a rough patch... She's staying with me for a while," Twilight said, Trixie flushing just the slightest at how she was put on the spot.
"Oh I'm sorry... I didn't mean to embarrass you... If it makes you feel any better, the animal business has made me file for bankruptcy....... four times...." She smiled sheepishly, and Trixie had to admit that did make her feel a bit better about the whole situation, but that was only a small percentage of the problem. Trixie being broke was only a portion of it.
"It's fi-" Trixie was cut off by the sound of the door slamming open. Her eyes widened as her head swung around to stare at a pair of bright blue eyes.
"WHO'S READY TO MAKE POPCORN NECKLACES!?!" Pinkie Pie shouted, bounding into the room along with a flustered looking Rainbow Dash.
"She won't stop talking about popcorn...." Rainbow mumbled, sitting in her chair as she looked up at Trixie. "Hey, why is she here?"
"Can we just explain this when everyone gets here?" Trixie asked, and Twilight nodded in agreement.
"Fine whatever. What's up Trixie? Haven't seen you since the amulet!"
Trixie was slightly off-put and offended by Rainbow Dash's simple statement, but then again, it was Rainbow Dash.
"Trixie's doing... Okay. Though she really wishes the coffee maker hadn't broke...." Trixie sighed as she remembered Twilight screaming at the blasted thing only just yesterday. It really was hilarious. The Princess of Friendship growling and hissing at the damned coffee maker. She had thrown various things at it after giving up on trying to make it work, and ended up taking the coffee maker outside, grabbing a baseball bat, throwing the coffee maker into the air, and hit herself a home run. As the coffee maker soured through the air, Twilight had screamed; "DAMN YOU BARISTA!!!"
It had to be the best thing Trixie's ever seen, and she even made fun of Twilight for it.
"Damn. That sucks. I can run up and get some for you. I know this great place that makes some of the best coffee. I know how much someone needs their caffeine fix."
It was a bit surprising for Rainbow Dash to be offering her something, but before she could politely decline, Fluttershy was already out the door.
"Welp. Guess she's getting some." Rainbow stated.
"I remember seeing you a couple days ago!" Pinkie chortled. "I meant to ask why you were in town!"
"Speaking of which, are you okay Pinkie?" Twilight asked, concern flooding her features.
"I.. ended up getting sick.... heh."
"Figures..."
There was another knock at the door, Rarity and Applejack trotting in while arguing about something Trixie didn't care about. Fluttershy arrived soon afterwards, with enough coffee for everyone. Trixie was eternally grateful. Twilight smiled at her friends as they all sat, Pinkie dumping mountains full of popcorn on the table. Buttered, carameled, brown sugared, cheesy goodness. Whatever popcorn flavor you could possibly think of, it was there. Pinkie and her logic; bring every damn popcorn type possible. Trixie had to give it to her, it was quite impressive. Especially since she made it all herself. They all tasted delicious, Trixie's favorite being the caramel. Everyone seemed to be having a good time simply being in each others company, and Trixie felt like she belonged there with them.
"Make it blue!" Applejack shouted.
"Make it pink!" Rarity retorted.
"Make it rainbow!" Pinkie Pie interjected, giggling when Applejack and Rarity both stared at her.
Trixie sipped her coffee, smiling at Twilight who was trying each popcorn bit individually, unlike Pinkie Pie who was just shoving handfuls into her mouth like it was an endless black hole.
"Hey Fluttershy, why didn't Discord come?" Rainbow Dash asked abruptly, the yellow mare flushing slightly.
"He.... said he wanted to work on something....." Fluttershy muttered.
"OOOOOOOOOOOHHH!!!" Rarity squealed, nearly jumping out of her seat. "He is soooo making something for you!!"
"Y-you really think so?" Fluttershy asked in anticipation.
All of the elements nodded excitingly. Fluttershy blushed a little more, and Trixie looked confusingly to Twlight.
"Trixie's a bit confused...." The blue mare muttered, catching pony's eyes as they looked over to her. Twilight simply gave a little smirk, nodding over to the shy pegasus mare, who was promptly red at that point.
"They're dating..." Twilight smiled, turning towards the blue mare.
"Seriously? A draconaquus and a pony? Who have ever heard of such a thing?" Trixie gawked at the yellow pony, Twilight chuckling at the sight.
"Love conquers all darling," Rarity said, shrugging.
"Trixie guesses that you're right..."
Rainbow Dash snorted, snapping Trixie's attention away from one pegasus to the other. The cyan mare nudged Twilight in the side, the Princess looking rather bewildered. Trixie eyed this behavior curiously, something she couldn't avoid, as she normally became interested in matters like this.
"Yeah, all except this one!" Rainbow chirped, smugly looking at Twilight square in the face.
Now Trixie was once again out of the loop, and she felt a bit annoyed that she wasn't getting any information on the topic. Twilight rolled her eyes, any sign of a smirk completely disappearing from her face.
"Can't you just drop that?" She groaned, and Rainbow stopped smiling.
"Cool it... I'm sorry..."
"We all are...." Applejack joined, and everyone nodded guiltily. "We didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
Trixie looked around. "Uh..... hello?"
The attention was finally brought to Trixie again, and she felt a bit relieved.
"Oopsies! Sorry Trixie!" Pinkie chortled. "We just aren't used to having you here is all! Twilig-"
"YEP!" Twilight once again cutting off one of her friends, and Applejack simply stopped.
"Darling don't intteru-"
"WOW WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY!!"
Trixie stared at the purple pony, perplexed as to why she suddenly wouldn't let anyone speak. Twilight blushed, smiling nervously as she continued to babble on about whatever she thought in her head. Trixie lost her composure for a moment, uncertain as to why she did, and looked over to the feisty Rainbow Dash for help.
"Twilight," The cyan mare stated.
"HHAHAHAHA! YES RAINBOW DASH??"
".... It's okay that you've never dated anypony!!" Rainbow blurted out.
"DASHY!!! WHY?!?!" Twilight cried out in anguish, face planting onto the table.
A moment of silence flowed around the ponies, each of them getting a little more nervous as Twilight continued to sit in her own embarrassing despair. And yet they all stared at Trixie, waiting for her response. But, out of the blue, they did get a response.
Trixie was in hysterics.
They all should have expected this. Trixie, of all ponies, was going to find this funny? Of course she was! It was HILARIOUS. And even though Trixie was now considerably Twilight's friend, she had to poke fun sometimes! The Great and Powerful Trixie still had to get some amusement out of the mishaps of others; this was still the same unicorn.
Huh, friend. That was weird.
"Trixie!" Twilight groaned, glaring at the laughing mare. Trixie wiped away a tear, pounding her other hoof on the table.
"OH THIS IS SO RICH!!" She yelled, trying hard to keep breathing. "Trixie wouldn't have ever guessed you were a virgin!"
Rainbow Dash guffawed, and Rarity spit out the tea she was drinking. The rest of the ponies were either blushing or giggling lightly. Even the so called 'baby' dragon found this amusing, though Trixie hoped he had no idea what she just said.
"WHAT?! NO I'M NOT!!" The Princess retorted.
And that's when it went quiet again, and nopony even dared to move. Trixie's face was full of shock, and she sat up to get a good look at Twilight's face. The Princess looked like she regretted every word that came out of her mouth, staring back at her in a way that told her everything she needed to know.
And she was laughing again, tears streaming down her face. "Y-YOU HAD A ONE NIGHT STAND! WOW! CLASSY PRINCESS, CLASSY!!"
Twilight looked mortified, and her friends all were chuckling along with the hysterical unicorn, each staring at her in curiosity.
"TRIXIE I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!" The alicorn choked out, her face heating. The 'threatened' mare only ignored her, trying to control herself before she got hiccups.
Hic. Too late.
Trixie finally stopped laughing at that hiccup, and noticed the indescribable look Twilight was giving her. The Princess shook her head, however, and looked away.
"Was it satisfactory?"
"RARITY!" Twilight screamed, looking even more mortified then she was already.
"Just a question darling!"
Twilight face planted on the table once again, drawing out a long heavy sigh as she rubbed her temples. "Spike. Go clean something."
Spike nodded quickly, running out of the room before another word was said.
"No," Twilight muttered, pulling her face up to look Rarity dead in the eyes. "It wasn't anything like I expected, and honestly a huge let-down."
Hic.
"Sorry Twilight," Trixie said, now feeling a little bad. Twilight looked like she needed a break, and now she was just giving her crap about how she had a one night stand. It honestly wasn't a huge deal.
Her friends didn't stay long after that, only a few apologizes and cleaning. The area was popcorn free by the time they all left, Trixie helping extra to make sure Twilight didn't clean a single inch of her floor. That was the least she could do.
"I really am sorry..." The unicorn mumbled. Hic. Damn it she still had those hiccups. This always would happen whenever she laughed so much!
"Here." Trixie heard from behind her, and turned to see the purple mare with a glass of water. She blushed a bit, staring at Twilight as though she'd never seen her before. How could she still be so nice even after she embarrassed her like that? It was insane. The amount of care she put into her actions and words while Trixie just stood there like a dope. She didn't know what to do. She never knew what to do.
And even so Twilight stared back, the endlessness of her purple eyes making Trixie's blood run cold. Trying to compose herself was hard, for whatever reason. She felt the need to either get closer or walk away, and both of those options didn't make any sense. So she stood there. Twilight smiled, almost as if she understood somehow, and used her magic to simply float the glass a little closer. That caught Trixie's attention, and she remembered what was actually going on.
Hic. Yeah, she remembered.
She took the glass with her own pink aura, downing the beverage in two quick gulps, hoping that it helped. Twilight stood there all the while.
"It's fine..." Twilight stated awkwardly. "I mean.. It was something I needed to get off my chest anyway.... You just got it out of me... I should thank you really.. It's a totally normal thing that I should have told my friends about before right? You probably have had one night stands before... honestly a lot of ponies have... Why should I be emba-"
That's when Trixie's magic cut off, her water cup hurdling to the ground. Twilight jumped back, screaming at the loud CRASH that emitted from the broken glass.
Trixie's ears rung, and she couldn't hear Twilight, but she could see her look of terror and confusion. She could feel her hooves shake her slightly. Trixie didn't give any head however, and she stayed silent.
You can forget about it again. It's okay. You can stay strong. You can work through this.
Three days ago, when Twilight had merely been having a conversation with Trixie, something snapped. It was a complete shock, Twilight had thought she was having a strange form of a stroke. She was freaking out, shaking Trixie, screaming at her, and yet there was no response. She knew the unicorn had migraines, could something like that lead to something so severe? Never-mind the glass, this mare had just completely frozen up for what seemed like no reason! But yet after about a full minute Trixie suddenly moved, looking Twilight in the eyes. The Princess was relieved, preparing to get Trixie to the hospital (she always freaked out over things like this). But the unicorn declined, and took herself to bed. It had to be one of the strangest things Twilight's witnessed. Did she do something? Say something wrong? Why was she suddenly staying in bed all day?
"Trixie.... You need some food! You can't just stay in here!"
"Trixie assures you, Princess, that she's perfectly fine and you need to leave her alone!"
"But-"
"LEAVE ME ALONE!!!"
And with that, Twilight was magically shoved out of the room with the door slammed to her face. She yelped in pain from the sudden contact to her muzzle, and rubbed it soothingly. Why was Trixie being so difficult? Why was she not communicating? The Princess wished she could understand, but that probably wasn't going to happen. The least she could do was simply drop it and leave her alone like Trixie asked. Or rather, demanded. But there was a part of Twilight that told her that was wrong.
With a heavy sigh, the alicorn made her way down the crystal hallway, staring at her reflection on the floor. She had work to do, and she couldn't be side tracked by a meddlesome, hormone hungry unicorn. Maybe that was harsh, but Twilight didn't have the patience or the time to deal with it. The sofa and quill merchant had already offered another potentially dangerous quill to be put up onto the market, and she couldn't possibly miss that meeting with the Mayor.
Yet, as she ate her breakfast a mere seconds later, she knew she couldn't just leave the mare there like that. Twilight may not understand the situation. But that was no reason to be cold hearted. Trixie was one of Twilight's friends, and just because she was going through some emotional trauma didn't mean that they suddenly weren't. Friends should be there for each other through thick and thin, and Twilight knew that applied to Trixie as well, even if they've had some problems in the past. And, as much as the Princess didn't want to admit it, she really wanted to see the mare smile again.
"Spike!" Twilight called, dropping her fork down onto her plate, emitting a loud clash.
Her faithful #1 assistant appeared next to her instantly, saluting her off as if she were his general.
"Yes Twilight?" He asked anxiously, his green eyes twinkling with excitement. Twilight couldn't help but find this adorable in her motherly sense of him.
"Spike, you know I wouldn't ask you of this if it wasn't important, and I know you wanted to visit Rarity today, but....." The mare attempted to find the right words to explain, but all for not, since the dragon barged in right at that moment.
"You want me to run your errands so you can take care of the whole Trixie situation?"
Twilight was indeed surprised.
"How.... H-how did you?"
"Because I know you Twilight, now get out of here!"
The purple mare couldn't do anything more then smile in appreciation, and run towards the door. Spike was definitely her #1 assistant.
"Make sure you-"
"Decline whatever the sofa clerk is offering. Now go!"
And with that, Twilight rushed out.
Ding ding.
"Welcome to- Oh hello Her Majesty!" Mrs. Cake greeted Twilight as she ran into the shop.
"Get Pinkie. There's a party needing to be thrown!"
Mrs. Cake's eyes widened, and she quickly obeyed. She knew party throwing business was not to be messed with. She was quickly out of the room.
And the pink blur named Pinkie Pie zoomed out. Her blue eyes were bugging out of her head.
"WHAT IS IT TWILIGHT?? Do we need to invite all of Ponyville?? All of EQUESTRIA??" She piped, grabbing the Princesses face in desperation.
"No no! Not at all! It's... much more personal. Come on I'll explain on the way!" Twilight yelped, already tugging the mare out of the cake shop.
"Weee! Okay! Bye Mrs. Caaake!!"
Like it was said before, parties are serious business. It didn't take too long for Twilight to abduct all 4 of her friends other than Pinkie. She explained her plan carefully so that no mistakes were made. This had to be perfect. For Trixie's sake.
Twilight beamed as she opened the front door quietly, motioning the others to follow suite. All of them were practically giggling like school fillies, each of them carrying various objects. Spike looked as if he were just about to head out, done with all his chores at home. He raised an eyebrow at the mares, raising a finger as if he were about to say something, but was quickly shushed by Applejack. He seemed to get the memo quickly, and smiled at Twilight before he walked out the front door, closing it softly for the girls.
They all did their best tip-toeing down the hallways and up the stairs. This was extremely difficult due to the hard crystal floors and the echos from the sheer size of the palace. They all shushed each other every time one of them giggled excitingly, and Rainbow Dash seemed to be almost killed due to her dropping one of the items in the box she was carrying. It had took all their effort to not burst into complete laughter from that. After about 5 minutes, they had finally reached their destination.
Trixie's bedroom door.
Twilight knocked, and when she didn't get a response she turned, eyeing her friends and telling them to be quiet with her facial expressions alone.
She slowly opened the door to the dark room, the light from the hallway pouring over the mass in bed. Trixie mumbled something, shifted a little more under her covers. The Princess frowned a bit, but quickly dismissed it.
"Trixie?" Twilight chirped sweetly.
"Whaaat???"
BOOM.
"OKAY WHAT THE HE-"
And that's when the blue mare sat up, and stared at the sight before her. Twilight and her friends all blew noisemakers, each one of them exclaiming a "Surprise!!"
Trixie stared. Rainbow Dash flew in, placing her box full of toys and games in the center of the room as the confetti settled around. Rarity bustled in with a two tire cake, while Pinkie rolled in on her party canon, once again firing it. Applejack held an assortment of goody bags and treats, setting them on Trixie's dresser. Fluttershy smiled shyly, carrying a small dog inside as well as a tea set. Pinkie pulled a record player out of no where and began to play upbeat music. And then there was Twilight, just standing there, grinning at Trixie like a little foal.
Trixie slowly got out bed, gaping at the sights around her, gaping at Twilight.
Twilight's heart skipped a beat.
"Trixie, I know you've been down in the dumps lately, and I can't figure out why. I've been trying to, believe me, but you just kept getting worse every day. I tried cheering you up with my theories by giving you solutions, but it didn't work. But this morning, I realized I was going about this all wrong. I shouldn't be trying to crack the code, I should be trying to make you happy. I don't need to know why you're upset, I just need to make sure that you aren't upset. So, I got Pinkie and the others to throw you a party. You see, parties always cheer me up. They are part of the reason I became friends with these ponies in the first place. They celebrate who we are, and they gather up our loved ones to support us. I figured that you needed to know that you have friends who can support you through thick and thin. We're there for you, and I hope that this can help you understand that."
The unicorn stood there, flicking her eyes from one pony to another. Her shocked face seemed to melt suddenly, and she began to cry, collapsing on herself. Twilight rushed forward to hug what was left of the confidant mare she once knew, the rest of the mares doing the same. Reassuring murmurs were said every so often, and Trixie continued to sob in their embrace.
"Th-Thank you..." Trixie choked.
Twilight smiled brightly.
"You're welcome."
"How the heck did FLUTTERSHY win??" Rainbow Dash grumbled, glaring at Fluttershy's little horse drawn carriage full of foals.
"She had the most kids! She even took the career path!" Rarity joined.
Fluttershy smirked at her huge pile of plastic bits, counting them out loud once again to prove that she was the winner.
"Trixie does not believe this is fair!"
"Ya' no kiddin'!!"
"Kids aren't supposed to be good investments...."
"I DEMAND A RECOUNT!!"
"Oh come on girls, it's just a game of Life!" Fluttershy snickered.
"Or death!" Rainbow growled, flopping over on the floor, throwing her plastic bits in defeat. "I'm getting cake."
"Me too!"
"Me three!!"
Soon everypony had gotten up to get a second slice of cake, all except Trixie, who had already eaten 4 slices, and Twilight, who currently had a stomach ache. The Princess giggled at her friends determination for more, and looked over at the smiling unicorn next to her.
"How you doing?"
Once again, Twilight's questioning seemed to startle Trixie, even now. The alicorn laughed, elbowing the counterpart in the ribs.
"Well?" She teased, earning a small smile from the mare.
"Great... really..." The unicorn mumbled, glancing back.
Twilight's heart raced. She couldn't explain it. It was like this was all she ever wanted. Seeing the mare smiling was like receiving a precious jewel. But, the jewel was wrapped in packaging labeled 'Fragile'. It took so many of Twilight's efforts just to unwrap it, and it was all worth it just to see it for herself. She knew that she was the one who got Trixie out of bed. She knew it was her who got the sweet joy back into her. It was nerve wracking, really. It was like an addiction that was always there, but Twilight didn't want it to go away. She never wanted it to go away.
Before she realized what she was doing, Twilight nuzzled the soft blue cheek that belonged to the grinning unicorn.
"Keep it that way," The Princess stated simply, pulling away as she began to clean up the board game.
She also knew she didn't have to say anything. Due to the fact that it was her little secret, and also the fact that Twilight said that she wasn't even going to pry her for it either. Trixie appreciated that.
That didn't mean the Princess wasn't curious, oh no.
Trixie could tell by the way Twilight would look at her when she turned away. She could tell by the conversation she was having with her now, how Twilight still seemed to be endlessly searching for clues. The alicorn would never ask however, just listened, waiting for Trixie to give her the answer herself.
She found this very generous of her. Pressuring somepony to tell you something wasn't the right way to go, and Twilight understood this.
But was this really what Trixie should be thinking about? No. She should be thinking about what happened last night.
Her memories... they could always grasp her feelings whether she liked it or not. The things she's been through were dark enough to shrivel Celestia's mind. It didn't usually bug her that much, and she found ways to move on. Yet there was always that one little thing that would trigger flashbacks. That's what happened four nights ago. Maybe she should try having a glass of wine every night, something like that. She didn't want to put herself through the heavy medication, and wine often did the same thing for some ponies. It wasn't as if she was considering alcoholism, only a glass or two every evening. It could make her feelings more solemn, and she could forget about some of the bad memories she had. Calm her down. It could help, but she'd hate to ask Twilight to buy her a bottle of wine every once in a while. She had already done so much. And good wine was extremely expensive.
She had grown to a miserable state, all she could think about was the single most horrible and terrifying moment of her life, replaying it over and over in her mind like a broken record. She couldn't think straight, she could barely even remember speaking to Twilight before the party. Trixie knew she had been rude, and shut the Princess out. She knew that she probably hadn't eaten anything, which would explain why she was so hungry at the party. The few times these flashbacks would happen before, she would sometimes wake up in the morning in extreme pain. She remembered once being so thirsty that she crawled to the fridge for a simple cherry soda. It was scary being alone at times like this, and as much as she wanted to, she couldn't control this. Her past didn't allow her to.
But last night, she had found out how she actually could control it.
The present.
She didn't need to be hung up on her past like that, because she had friends that were there for her, to help her get back onto her hooves. Last night, one of the sweetest things she had ever witnessed happened to her, and her alone. Twilight had given her hope. She had gathered up all of her friends, put down all her responsibilities, and threw her a party just to cheer her up. It was going to Trixie's head. She had been so surprised, so shocked, that she couldn't hold it all in anymore. She broke down, her wires fizzing with everything that ever hurt her. She was an exploding dam, a newly formed waterfall, the blue of her coat now representing her emotions, loud and clear. And Twilight was there, they were all there. The supporting arms of the purple mare guiding her back to tranquility.
Then there was that thing towards the end of the party, the girls and her had all began playing bored games. First Sorry, then Jenga, Candy land, Chutes and Ladders, and finally The Game Of Life. Everyone had left to grab some cake, except her and Twilight, of course. The whole night was pure bliss, the party was simply a get together of them just playing games and listening to music. It was perfect, everything about it was perfect.
Then, pure confusion took a toll. Twilight had nuzzled her.
......
WHAT??
Okay, let's look at the facts here. Other then, TWILIGHT NUZZLED HER, she had what she said afterwards, and the few hints as to how she exactly nuzzled her. Trixie had been going over it all morning.
So, first off, she had said "Keep it that way", referring to how she wanted Trixie to stay happy. She also included the nuzzle into her conversation, meaning; A) It was a naturally occurring thing. B) It was a means of comfort.
This told Trixie that it was a way of friendship, and put her nerves to ease so she could fall asleep that night. However, in the morning, she realized some other things that slightly effected her outlook on the situation.
Twilight was blushing, just the slightest bit to where noppony else would notice. But Trixie did. Also, her smile. Oh Celestia her smile at that moment could have lit up a million dark skies. It was so pure, and remained there the rest of the night. She never had a face of regret, and she never apologized for her actions. THAT meant; A) She meant to do this, 100%. B) It didn't upset her in the slightest. C) She didn't care how Trixie felt in the situation, as she was surrounded by her own giddy excitement. D) She enjoyed. Every. Single. Bit.
........WHAT?!?!
Trixie was flipping the FUCK out! What was the meaning of this?? It put the unicorn on edge, that's for damn sure! What was she supposed to think now? What was she supposed to feel now?? ALL THE BOUNDARIES HAVE BEEN CROSSED!! ALL OF THEM!!!
She sat up in her bed at this moment, turning her brooch over and over in her hooves. The brooch that Twilight gave her.
Man, was she confused.
"Trixie? Are you alright? Breakfast is ready you kn- Oh! You're awake!"
Trixie turned her head to face the pony in her doorway. She immediately blushed.
"Hey! Isn't that the brooch I bought you? Are you gonna wear it today??"
She sounded excited, her eyes lighting up. Dumbfounded, Trixie merely nodded, the Princess squealing at her reply. She seemed to realize what she was doing, and shook her head.
"AHEM!" Twilight asserted, coughing a bit, her face tinted a shade of pink. "I MEAN, that's very nice of you and all, but I was actually thinking about taking a swim today..."
Trixie blinked.
"If you wanna come with.. then that thing can't really....."
Without a word, the unicorn placed her brooch on the nightstand.
"Cool!" Seemingly snapped out of it, Twilight began to walk out of the room. "Come on then!"
Trixie had already gotten used to eating her food slower, not taking off like she did on the first few days. She nibbled on her eggs, catching the few glances Twilight gave her, the usual. Except it wasn't the usual. There was a tense nature in the air, one that wasn't there before. She didn't know if Twilight had noticed it or not. Trixie didn't say anything, watching the clouds in the sky slowly move past.
"Trixie, are you alright? You haven't spoke all morning..."
Okay, she had noticed it.
"I...."
"And why are you so red?" Twilight asked, and reached across the table to feel Trixie's forehead. Her eyes widen, and she instinctively swatted the hoof away. The alicorn raised an eyebrow at this.
"I-it's just hot in h-here...." She huffed, her face heating even more.
Twilight wore a sleek navy one pieced bathing suit with a ruffly skirt and white polka dots. Trixie didn't wear anything, she didn't like the way it felt. She was, however, carrying a pair of saddlebags for Twilight. It contained all the necessary swimming gear, as well as a few snacks and other necessities. She was a lot more nervous then she probably should have been, but she couldn't help it. This had to be a means of friendship, it had too! Twilight was so very comfortable, it almost hurt Trixie's feelings. She was over analyzing this, and that was the alicorn's thing! Not hers! Trixie needed to calm down, and just continue on with her life.
But there was a small problem. It affected Trixie more then it was supposed to. Why was it slightly upsetting that the Princess and her were just friends and nothing more. Trixie may have been new to this whole friendship thing, but she knew it wasn't supposed to turn out like this!
"I haven't been swimming in awhile. A shame too, this spring we're heading up to is overlooked by most of Ponyville. Maybe even all of it," Twilight said, leading Trixie over the small plains right beside the town. It was a beautiful area, wildflowers and dandelions poking out of the luscious green grass. Every couple of minutes Trixie could spot a couple of foals playing tag or some loan cows grazing. It was nice and quiet, and the further the two walked, the quieter it got. Every so often Twilight would say something, and Trixie would respond to the best of her abilities. She did not want a repeat of what happened that morning.
So, she asked a question, still trying to sort through her own thoughts.
"Why is that?"
Twilight gave a small smile, her wings fluttering the slightest bit. Trixie did her best to ignore this, because for some reason this affected her in a way she couldn't explain. And if you couldn't explain it, then she would rather avoid it. Sometimes however, it was required to acknowledge something, so the unicorn looked back to her quickly, grinning a bit.
"I'm not sure, maybe it has something to do with how it's a bit close to the Everfree, but honestly it's a good 2 miles away, so there isn't anything to worry about."
"I concur," Trixie nodded, continuing in giving automatic replies to the conversation. "Some ponies do have false fears that end up clouding their judgement."
"Now, I didn't say that."
"What do you mean?" Trixie stopped walking, forcing Twilight to do the same. As much as she hated to admit it, the unicorn was just as curious as the mare in front of her. There were still many thing Trixie couldn't comprehend about the Princess, so it was pony nature to be a little interested. But after what happened to her, she didn't want to seem forceful in getting answers. Especially since Twilight was being so kind about the fact Trixie didn't want to talk about some things.
"Well, fears like that are often triggered by past events, and sometimes they're just caused by anatomy of the brain. While being irrational, it isn't always easy to just ignore them. Sometimes ponies don't even realize they have these kinds of fears. Haven't you ever seen a mouse scurrying in your kitchen and all of a sudden go into fight or flight?"
"Well yes bu-"
"Well then Trixie, there's your irrational fear! Don't call them false either, they're just the mentality of ponykind trying to make sense of their surroundings. You can understand that, right?"
And with that, Twilight trotted on, barely even registering how Trixie stood still in shock. Eventually, the blue mage began to walk once again.
"That.... You're actually really smart...." She mumbled, placing herself next to the mare once again. She faintly spotted a blush on her counterpart's face, but Twilight shook her head, looking at the ground in front of her shyly.
"No... I just study a lot... Read a lot of books..."
She sounded unsure, but Trixie could still spot the small smile on her face. Her heart stopped for a moment, continuously staring at the mare in front of her for answers. She didn't understand what was going on. She was seeing a completely new light of Ms. Sparkle herself, and none of it was making sense. Her imagination was running wild. More nuzzles, close enough to where they could feel each others soft fur. More peaceful moments like this, just the two of them talking. Waking up to breakfast and a kiss, leaving the door only to look forward to coming back. Hers, and hers only. Desperately wanting to make that 'Ms.' a 'Mrs.'
Dear Celestia what was happening to her??
"Twilight, you must be an idiot if you don't realize how much you know compared to the average intelligence. You really do know how to answer everything."
Trixie didn't even hear the words leaving her lips, let alone remember even thinking them up in the first place. Twilight looked up, a bright smile upon her features. Trixie couldn't cope with the reality of her situation. The answer was staring her straight in the face, but she refused to acknowledge it. It couldn't be true, and she wasn't having any of it. Twilight was her friend and nothing more.
Why did that hurt her?
"Th-thanks Trixie..."
"You're welcome..."
A few minutes of silence between the two arose, forcing the blue mage to focus on the sounds of the birds as they flew through the sky. This was a lot more difficult than Trixie thought it would ever be. She could remember her extreme debt on her rent, the landlord getting tired of waiting. She was forced out of her house, and onto the street. She lived in her magic carriage for some time, earning money by impressing ponies with silly card tricks and such. But then that was destroyed by an Ursa Minor. She didn't have anywhere to go, and she absolutely despised Twilight for doing that to her. She had found her precious amulet, sworn on getting revenge for what happened. But, she once again failed, but something else happened that day. Trixie found the good heart that laid inside of the Princess, how smart she was, and how much she cared about the ponies around her. Trixie may have failed that day, but she realized that, as much as she hated to admit it, Twilight was actually a decent pony. Did that mean that Trixie liked her? Oh no, it meant that she held a certain... respect for the mare. Once again, Trixie went off, alone and homeless, too proud to ask for help.
Then, it happened. Something that had been haunting Trixie for the past year. It caused her to loose all control. She couldn't even think anymore. She had a difficult past, and it brought her down before, but this was absolutely dreadful. She walked the streets, not sleeping for days on end. It took over two months for her to move past it, and take care of herself again. Her motivation was simple; Move past it, or die. But every day she lived on, she knew that she couldn't work more and more. She had to face the facts, and accept that she needed help. But where would she go?
Well, the only pony that really could stand her was no other than Twilight herself.
Trixie figured she would be kicked out in a matter of a few weeks, her arrogant attitude would likely drive that mare insane. But, the blue mage was surprised by the fact that, Twilight wasn't just goody-two-shoes bestie of Celestia, but now she was a princess. She was baffled, soon realizing that she could be arrested. She decided it would be best to give Twilight the utmost amount of respect. Soon she realized that the Princess wasn't that type of pony at all. Rather, a very nice and caring mare, who would do just about anything just to see Trixie smile. Which made this correlation much more difficult.
Trixie always knew she was bisexual, but could she really fall for a nerdy, bossy, stubborn Princess?
The fact was, yes, and it was happening to her before her eyes.
"Trixie.... Trixie!!"
"Uh bu- .. what?"
"You okay? I've said that we're here three times already!" The Princess asked, giving her counterpart a confused look.
"Trixie's fine... Just th-thinking about something.."
"Well come on! I want to show you it!" There was a spark in her eyes, telling Trixie that there was indeed something exciting up ahead. So, she followed her up the hill towards a cliffside.
A crush was a stupid, stupid thing. Forcing Trixie to feel like crap. It was idiotic, she should just pack up her things right now. Why stay? Why bother?
Her.
The unicorn grumbled something, rubbing her burning ears with her hooves. Twilight didn't seem to notice. That's when they got to the top of the hill.
"Oh wow...."
There was a beautiful fresh water spring, a small waterfall running from the cliff side and into the clear water. Many fish could be seen underwater, as well as many fresh water plants. A distinct blue shown off of it, the beauty of it all grasping Trixie in her place. It was really amazing, everything about it was great. Trixie couldn't wait. Maybe she should just calm down and have some fun for once?
And with that, she ran to it, getting ready to make a big splash with her great and powerful canon ball. Ready to forget about whatever she was feeling and simply swim for a bit. Or she should probably think about it, just in a calmer situation.
"TRIXIE!! WAIT!! IT'S-"
Too late.
And directly when the tip of her tail touched the water, Trixie knew, she fucked up.
KERSPLOOSH!!
"AAAAAHH!!!! COLD!! COLDCOLDCOLDCOLDCOLD!!!!!"
Twilight facehoofed herself as Trixie flew out of the water, freezing.
"Tw-Twilight w-w-w-what the h-heck?"
"It's a spring.... it's cold. Springs are usually cold Trixie."
"W-WELL I D-D-DIDN'T KNOW SM-SMART ASS!!"
Twilight rolled her eyes, stepping slowly into the water as her fellow peer stood there shivering. The unicorn cursed herself silently, the air around her making her even colder. Stupid spring. Why was it cold anyway? It was summer, it should be nice and warm! Did physics apply to this stupid body of water? How absolutely idiotic. It threw off her train of thought.
And her train of thought was very important right now. She needed to decide what to do about her current situation.
"You'd better just get used to the water," Twilight advised.
She sighed irritably, making her way down to the shore once more, although very slowly. The Princess smiled nonchalantly, motioning for Trixie to follow her into the water. The unicorn blushed, shivering as she put a single hoof into the water. Following that was a leg, another leg, and the body of a very irritated mare. Why did springs have to feel like an ice bath? She was already in a sour mood, and now swimming didn't seem so wonderful at the moment.
"Just move around, it's fine once you get used to it!" Twilight smiled, swimming across the spring in long strokes, Trixie quickly following. They both stopped when they reached the cliff side, the clear water running down into the spring.
There was a look in the mare's eye that Trixie couldn't decipher. She had a warm smile gracing her face, while her eyes were focused on the waterfall ahead of her, as if she were trying to unlock all of its secrets. She seemed to brighten the slightest, but yet looked even more troubled.
"I don't know why I brought you here," She mumbled, looking down.
Well that was rather rude.
"I didn't mean it like that..." She corrected, catching Trixie's face. "I meant... I haven't told any of my friends about this place, not even Spike. I just tell him I'm swimming in the pond that's closer by Ponyville. This is where I go for a break I guess, just to relax without anyone around. I don't know why I brought you here."
Trixie's whole form submerged into shock. She stared at the Princess, wondering what she meant. Her heart started to pound, unnoticeable by the mare next to her.
"I guess... I didn't want to leave you alone in the castle all day... Spike just goes over to Rarity's... But you just stay at home..."
Home... Did Twilight really see her as part of the household? Saying 'house' was one thing. But 'home'? Home was completely different. Home was where you went after work, relaxing into the comfort of the surroundings. It was where everything you needed was, and everything you wanted could be. It was where your heart was stored, everything familiar and prosper at your reach. When you were part of someone's home, you were part of the reason they keep coming back, comforting them just the same. A house, was just a house. A house could be a home, but so could a car, a cloud in the sky, or even the hug of someone you love.
Trixie fell back into the water, ignoring Twilight's questioning look. If she wanted to relax, fine, but that was not relaxing to the blue mage. It needed to be quiet, she needed to think. She had only been over in Ponyville for two weeks at most, maybe even less. She couldn't even tell anymore, it was all blending together like the huge mass of everything else in her life. She knew she wasn't there for long, so these... feelings couldn't have developed overnight. How long had she felt this way? Why was it all surfacing just now? But most importantly, did Twilight feel the same way? Parts pointed to yes, while others pointed to no. It was like she was being picky. Trixie couldn't understand this if she tried. Which is why she needed a test, something to indicate whether or not this was reciprocal. And that's when she got the best idea she's had in awhile.
She came back above the water.
Twilight and her had been swimming for awhile, and Trixie was now running through the town of Ponyville. Her erratic breaths and her burning muscles did nothing to stop her. Her plan was unfolding nicely, but there was only hope of what was to come. Shocked screams and screeches rang through Trixie's ears as she pushed past the buyers and sellers of the streets.
"TRIXIE!!!!"
The exasperated cry of the newest princess did nothing but push her motives forward, her slim body darting through the several stands. Maybe this would be a good way to dry off? After all she was still soaking wet, and that helped cool down the heat of her muscles, since she was indeed colder now than she was in the fresh water spring. Her hair flew behind her, whipping many ponies with the cold water. Whatever, she could apologize later. Her goals at the moment were a bit more important. Maybe she was being arrogant, but no part of her seemed to care. One thing was in her mind, and one thing only.
And that was to figure this whole 'thing' out.
She dashed toward the large shining palace, forcing the door open and slamming it behind her. She took this time to catch her breath, since she knew Twilight was well behind her. She may be a princess, but damn was she slow.
"Uh.... Are you and Twilight having a race or something?"
Trixie halted, looking up to see the little dragon with quill and paper in hand. Welp, she had not accumulated him into her plans. Wasn't he supposed to be at Rarity's as always? It wasn't a big deal, she supposed. It just meant that he had to watch. It was a little embarrassing, but it was important that she proceeded. Twilight would likely be pissed when she arrived.
Speak of the devil, the door opened. Trixie didn't even get a chance to speak.
Here she was, the Princess tossing her wet bathing suit on the ground. She had taken the time to dry off, unlike Trixie. But that wasn't important. Now was the time to execute the second part of her plan.
"Trixie.... what in the wor-"
Twilight didn't even get to finish her sentence, since Trixie slammed her against the wall. The wind was knocked out of the alicorn, and she panted for a long moment before staring at the mare before her.
"What the.. What are you...?"
She must have cut herself off, since Trixie wasn't saying anything. Twilight's face was evident with shock and confusion, as well as the tiniest tint of pink splashed across her cheeks. Spike didn't say anything, but Trixie wasn't even looking at him. He didn't exist right now, and all she could see was the deep purple eyes in front of her. She didn't move, and remained a mere few inches in front of Twilight's face. A playful smirk rested on her features, but inside she was dying. She desperately wanted to either back away or move forward, but she didn't bring herself to do it. Even if she wanted to, she wasn't going to force herself onto Twilight, she knew exactly why it was multiple types of awful. So she stayed right there. Twilight kept looking more and more unsure of everything, but she didn't look away either.
The unicorn held her position for a good five minutes, both of them mirroring each others silence. Then Trixie fell back, chuckling the slightest, even though all she wanted to do was run off again. But plans were plans, and she would follow them damn it!!
"Hey Spike!" Trixie said sweetly, trotting off past him. He looked insanely deep in revelation, his jaw down to the floor. Twilight looked like she had seen a ghost, as she slid down from the wall and plopped lightly on the floor. Trixie's plan was in action, and part three was coming up quickly.
Without another word, she walked off to her bedroom, leaving the Princess to her thoughts.
Twilight was curious, and she knew Trixie knew that.
But, Twilight also knew that bothering Trixie about such things was not acceptable. There was a thing called privacy, and Twilight didn't want to stomp all over that. She did keep finding out new things about Trixie, like how alike the two were. The alicorn never knew, but Trixie was always thinking a lot like her, and always knew things about her that she never told. She also noticed the little things Trixie did. Like how she would flip her hair back when she seemed proud, but actually really nervous. Or the way she would rub her ears every time she blushed, since they would turn red and warm up. Or the way she would laugh around others, and the difference when she laughed with Twilight. It was more heartfelt, like she was embarrassed about the way it sounded. It was like she was more comfortable with Twilight than anyone else. It would make sense. Twilight never saw her write any letters, which meant that Trixie really was all alone. It was kind of sad, really. Her self confidence was probably lower than Fluttershy's, even though the unicorn has been known to act prideful. Twilight has read books about boasting, and it's actually a known indicator of low self confidence.
The Princess does do everything in her power to see her smile, but it doesn't even seem like enough. Especially after what happened yesterday, and Twilight wasn't an idiot. After that little stunt Trixie put on, the purple mage spent the whole night studying. And after a few books, she knew exactly what was going on. Twilight wasn't a pony who dilly-dallied around, she had to have the cold, hard truth. Even if it upset her, it was always worth it for her. Questions itching at her head was something she didn't deal with. Yesterday was kinda like a spark, that ignited the realization that something was off. The way she acted around Trixie was different than what she did with her other friends. After reading for a bit, she thought it had something to do with how Trixie was clearly depressed. But it was different than that. Why did Twilight feel so clueless around her, yet so at home? That was different, and she's never experienced something like that.
She kept doing her research, determined to find an answer. And she found one alright, but it was not the answer she ever expected.
Oooooooh!! Somepony's in LOVE!! You'll go goo goo ga ga for this pony!! You're absolutely head over hooves in crazy love! You have found your soulmate and it is meant to be! Time to break out the wedding ring, the long walks on beaches, the cuddles and snuggles!! This love is way too much to just keep inside!! You just have to let it pour out and confess to your lover and forever more!!
Okay, first of all, gag. Second of all, how come the correct answer was in a magazine for Celestia's sake? You'd think books would be more informative! But even after wanting to bleach her eyes, she knew it was true. She may have absolutely no experience in love whatsoever, but she knew that there was something there. Everything became so clear. From all of the romance novels she's read, she couldn't believe she hadn't gotten it sooner.
Twilight was having her first love, and she needed all the advice she could get.
She read more books on the topic of love, and stayed up the rest of the night. Sleep was irrelevant, she could sleep tonight. This was much more important and fascinating! One of the books said that she should get some advice from friends, because they will know you better than any book will. Twilight thought that was a great idea, and she planned the morning out smoothly.
Once it was about time to 'get up', Twilight closed the current book she was reading, Love For Dummies, and made her way downstairs to the kitchen. She was surprised, however, to find Trixie already there, sitting at the breakfast table.
"Uh.. Good morning?" She asked, confused.
Trixie's head spun around to face Twilight, and she raised a hoof to rub one of her burning ears. Twilight chuckled a little, and made her way over to the stove to make some eggs.
"M-morning..." The unicorn replied quietly. Twilight stole a glance at her from across the room, and saw her staring down at the table, twiddling her hooves.
"You okay?" Twilight asked, opening the fridge.
Trixie glanced up, seeming a little unsure.
"Fine," She said.
It was at this moment the alicorn realized that Trixie was wearing her cape, with the pin she gave her attached to the collar.
The widest smile graced Twilight's face as she continued to stare, Trixie looking right back.
"Uh.... Twilight... the eggs.."
She snapped back to reality, grabbing the eggs out of the fridge quickly. The lightest splash of pink formed its way onto her cheeks, and she quickly levitated the container over to the stove.
She mumbled something, although Twilight couldn't make it out.
The alicorn sighed, putting her plan in motion.
"I have some errands for you to run today, the girls are coming over, and it would be great if you could do a few things for me..."
"Of course!!" Trixie jumped up, nearly knocking over a vase. She bumped the chair as she stumbled out of her seat. "I would love to!!!"
Twilight smiled again, finding the way she wanted to help comparative to the way a young child would always beg to do a chore until they were allowed. It was cute.
Twilight bit her lip, blushing once more, and turned to crack eggs into a pan.
"Right! So I'll give you this list," She levitated a short paper over to Trixie. "And you can be on your way after you're done eating."
"Cool!!" Trixie rushed towards the door, throwing on her saddlebags before anything else could be said. Twilight couldn't help but laugh.
"Hey, that pin looks good on you."
Trixie's whole face flushed red, and she stopped dead in her tracks. Twilight laughed a bit more.
"Thank you," The Princess said, smiling wide.
"N-no problem!!" Trixie seemed to shake it off and went out of the door quickly.
It took five whole minutes for Twilight to realise that Trixie hadn't even eaten.
"I don't understand why I'm even here, I have cloud duty to do!!"
"Twilight said it was important darling, you should be a bit more understanding."
"Yeah but-"
"Ya' need ta' realize that Twilight has been actin' mighty strange lately..."
"Oh she really has... Angel bunny even realized it..."
"What??" A new voice asked.
Twilight came into the room at that moment, rubbing her eyes and sipping at an espresso she had picked up from down the street. Regular coffee wasn't going to be enough. Another normal morning. Except it was completely different. Everything was completely different, this was completely different. It had taken her a couple hours to wake Spike up, write letters to everybody, send Spike off to do whatever he pleased, and for the gang to round up. She shouldn't have been so nervous at that moment, but she had to admit she was really scared. What would her friends think, falling for a mare who was such a boastful, rude, know-it-all?
Oh right. Discord.
Suddenly she felt much better about this whole thing.
"Darling... you look tired..." Rarity stated simply, eyebrows arching in a type of concern.
"What did you girls say about me acting strange?"
The five of them all gathered to the map, and sat on their correlating chairs. All of them looking at each other quickly, and looked back up at Twilight again. They were doing the eye thing, like they knew something she didn't.
"You've just been acting different..." Fluttershy muttered.
Twilight sighed before walking over to her chair.
"Yeah, you guys seemed to realize it before me then."
The other elements looked confused.
"What do you mean Twi?" Pinkie asked, rather calmly.
She sucked in a breath. It was now or never she supposed.
"I-"
"It's Trixie."
5 consecutive seconds of silence passed. Twilight had been cut off. They knew.
"RAINBOW DASH!!!" Twilight screamed, mortified. Rainbow just shrugged.
"Well think about it you guys! This all started right after Trixie got here!!"
"That actually makes sense fer' once Dash...."
"Shut up AJ."
Fluttershy then stepped in, standing in her chair before daintily tapping her hoof on the table to catch the others attention. Because they had all grown used to this, they all peered up at the tiny noise, even though it was barely noticeable.
"Um... Twilight I'd hate to put you in the spotlight like this.... but... If it's something to do with Trixie... Is... Is it.."
"IS IT WHAT FLUTTERSHY??"
"I... um... I think I know what's going on," Fluttershy nearly whispered back.
"Well! What are ya waiting for!! Tell us!" Pinkie shouted excitingly, jumping in her seat.
Twilight didn't realize it completely, but she started hyperventilating, her eyes darting between the curious friends and the sure of herself Fluttershy. This was a lot more difficult than she first anticipated. She kept trying to think to her self that these were her friends, and they would understand. But, the problem was that Twilight didn't understand herself. She had never been in this situation before, she had never had a kiss, a date, or anything like that. The only thing that could count as something romantic was that stupid one night stand all those years ago, when she still lived in Canterlot. And that was just a disappointment. This was really something, something that she could make into more of something, and something that could be.... well something! She didn't understand what was going on. But, it was better to just come clean now than wait later.
Slamming her head onto the table, staring down at the floor, she spoke calmly, and nonchalant.
"I'm gay."
Silence.
"I'm a friggin' lesbian, okay??"
More silence.
".... Could someone please say someth-"
"I KNEW IT!!!" Fluttershy screamed, slamming her hooves down on the table. Everyone looked her way, and the mare fluttered her wings a bit.
"I mean... I-I knew it...?" She said, quieter.
Twilight was more than mortified, she was completely and utterly submerged in horrid embarrassment. This was awful, why did she ever make herself do this.
"Took ya long enough sugar cube..."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'TOOK ME LONG ENOUGH'??" Twilight shot back, looking up from the table.
"We all figured... since you said you've never dated anypony.. and what you said about that one night stand... that you just kinda swing that way," Rainbow Dash said calmly, like nothing was wrong.
"RAINBOW DASH THAT IS REALLY JUDGEMENTAL!!"
"Hey! It wasn't just me! And what's wrong with making a few assumptions? It's not like we said it was factual or anything!"
But Rarity took a different turn, "So you like Trixie huh?"
Twilight let out a long groan, slumping down in her chair. A few of the elements let out some small giggles, while others appeared to be deep in thought. This was all stupid. Twilight was stupid. This situation is stupid.
"Wow! Going for her? I never would have expected it! But... it kinda is expecting.. It's like, the unexpected expectedness, or something!"
"Rainbow, yer' not helping."
"Haters gonna hate AJ. Haters are gonna hate."
"Girls! Don't argue! Can't you see the state Twilight's in! You need to be more understanding!" Fluttershy spoke up once more, turning to look back at the dismayed Twilight.
Applejack and Rainbow both mumbled small apologies, mama Fluttershy had disciplined them. The alicorn buried her face in her hooves.
"What do I do??" She droned out.
"Isn't that obvious?" Pinkie asked.
"No it isn't! I've never gone through this before and I have no idea how she feels or whatever and-"
The sound of the door opening caught Twilight's attention, and she whirled around too see a blue body slowly trot into the room, her eyes staring at the paper she received earlier.
"Now, I didn't get to the Sofa and Quill shop, because it was closed for today, so you'll probably have to do that tomorrow," Trixie said causally, and she walked across the room, still staring at the list.
Nopony said anything, they didn't dare, especially Twilight.
"But I did get everything else done, and it was actually really fast and easy. I think the Sofa Clerk takes up all of your day."
Trixie shoved her saddlebags off, placing the list inside them as she did. She finally peered up, her candy pink eyes taking in the scene around her. Twilight sat agape, her eyes bugging out of her head. As much as she tried to look over at one of her friends to call out a silent help, it was proven useless. She was frozen, stuck in non-existent glue. Her eyes were paused in time, forever still on the target known as the Great and Powerful Trixie, who didn't seem to falter at this at all.
"Hello," the unicorn said shyly, peering around at the 6 mares all sat in their seats.
They all chimed a few 'hello's and whatnot, each one a bit too enthusiastic. Trixie smiled, trotting over to Twilight, who continued to stare.
With the smallest of voices, as if what she were about to say shouldn't be known by others, yet not even a whisper, said, "I got you something from the market. I got a few bits. I wanted to make it up to you."
She smiled brightly, trotting off into the hallway, with a completely stunned alicorn left behind.
"She totally has a crush on you."
Oh yeah, the annoying ponies called her friends were here. Lovely.
"Why do you say that Pinkie...?" Twilight merely mumbled, even though she was freaking out.
"Because it's obvious."
One of these days she was going to strangle her. But the others nodded in agreement.
And Twilight was left alone, accepting yet denying the cold hard truth.
Do something with her, they said.
It will be fun, they said.
Did they mention any awkwardness? Nope. They all went and left her with their stupid advice. But really, what did she expect when she'd gone and asked them? They had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. Maybe Fluttershy, since she was experienced, but all of the others were blithering idiots when it came to this. All Rarity looks for is the perfect husbands when they weren't so perfect. Applejack just hadn't had a clue. Rainbow didn't care, and Pinkie sounded like that magazine from earlier. Why in Equestria did she listen to them? Maybe books didn't answer everything? Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to consult her friends? The next few hours were sure to be completely awkward. And by Rainbow's suggestion to 'Do something with her', she really meant 'Go on a date'. Twilight was CLEARLY not ready for anything like that! Trixie had only been staying over for 2, maybe 3 weeks! Close friends, maybe, but a date was out of the question. Trixie would definitely refuse, and Twilight had no idea how to even ask. This wasn't even important. Trixie was going through a lot, and there was no way Twilight could put anything supposedly stressful on Trixie's mind.
The alicorn silently waltzed over to the hallway, Trixie awaiting in all her glory. She could do this. Twilight was the master of platonic friendships.
"Here," Trixie said as she shoved something into Twilight's chest. It was a book.
The Unusual Pattern and Array of Stars and Constellations, and Other Such Things That Contribute
"Hey! I used to have this book! It was one of my favorites!" Twilight chimed, turning it over and over in her hooves.
Trixie smiled that casual smile of hers, "I know. It burned with your library didn't it?"
She paused. She never told her about what happened that day.
"The Cakes told me. I went there to look for a job. They hired me."
"Really? Congratulations..."
"Yep, gave me few bits even. I went and bought you a book to start restocking."
Twilight hugged the book against her. Trixie was still the same, yet incredibly different. Using her first few bits just to buy her a book.
"Thank you Trixie...." Twilight said quietly.
"No problem."
There was a long silence, Twilight turning the book over in her hooves some more. Trixie waited patiently, for a response most likely. The Princess was at a lost for words, however. There were about a million things she could say, but she felt as if none of them were necessary. She was still extremely concerned with Trixie's mental state. She didn't want to offend her or make her feel obligated to do something. It was obvious that she felt guilty that she was staying here, even though Twilight could completely afford it and her hospitality told her to let her stay. It was stupid, to put it bluntly, and if Trixie was anyone else she would have told her that. But this wasn't anyone else. This was someone who needed to heal on her own. Of course Twilight would help her when she could but it was Trixie's decision to actually do anything.
The thing her friends didn't realise was that she wasn't stable enough to where Twilight was comfortable.
That may have sounded just a bit selfish, but it was the truth. Twilight was absolutely terrified she would screw things up, and Trixie would be the one to suffer. She could break down again, and there would be no one to comfort her. It was difficult enough for Twilight to get her out of bed, but anyone else? Oh no, it wouldn't happen. And another thing was that she had no experience! None whatsoever! She would mess everything up, and she had no idea where to start.
But her friends were correct in way, she did have to try.
"Hey.... uhh...." Twilight mumbled. Trixie's ears perked up, and she turned towards the alicorn. Twilight's mind scrambled for something to say.
Book.... Meteor shower....
Of course!
"Actually Trixie, I just remembered something!"
Twilight opened her new book, turning quickly to page 394.
"Right here see! This book is sorta recent, it was written 2 years ago. It talks about meteor showers and ones coming up. And, what do you know, there's one in a few days!"
Twilight's mind was a strange void of sentences from books.
"Really?" Trixie questioned, looking at the page herself.
This specific meteor shower is called, Scorpio's Rain. It was named after the fact that Scorpio is a water sign, and the constellation will be closest to the sun.
"A little scribble about it. I love meteor showers!" Twilight splurged, flipping to the index to see if she could find any extra pages about it. There were none. This was a book on constellations.
"Can we go?"
Twilight paused for a moment, shutting the book.
"Wh-what?"
Why did she stutter? Celestia, why did she stutter?? She was not nervous, as far as she could tell. In fact, she was as far from nervous as possible. This was wasn't some stupid rom-com novel. She can control herself. This was stupid. She can control herself!
"Can we go?" Trixie repeated, casually. Fuck.
A date? Does that count as a date? No, of course not. It could never. Twilight was supposed to suggest going to watch the meteors! Not Trixie! THIS WAS RIDICULOUS.
Shrug it off. Continue.
Twilight sighed shakingly.
"Sure." Twilight levitated the book, as if what Trixie had just said wasn't groundbreaking. "Why were you looking for a job anyway?"
Trixie looked off to the side. She didn't want to talk about it.
"Nevermind..." Twilight mumbled, walking forward to put her book away. She needed a night out desperately. Maybe she could plan one with the girls. Whatever, it wasn't going to happen tonight. She should just work. She was behind. Today was a long day. She let out a long groan and rubbed her eyes. She was tired again. That espresso didn't help at all. Was it possibly caffeine free? What a joke. What was the use of coffee without caffeine? She groaned again, trotting down the hallway slowly.
