Everyone needs another chance
Trixie bowed before Twilight. “Thank you Princess.” She took off her hat and curtsied.
Remembering their show was still under way, Trixie and Starlight approached the curtain. With a small magical tug from her horn, Trixie quickly launched perfectly timed fireworks, to the applause of the crowds.
Starlight Glimmer smiled at Trixie, satisfied at how well the show went and at thier new friendship, however a thought made her stop in her tracks.
“I thought you said you could only do stage magic?”
Trixie smiled, standing taller and straighter.
“Ha! Trixie merely meant her talent is stage magic, not that she could do anything else.. though Trixie admits her other magic needs work.” She lowered her head.
Twilight walked next to her and placed a hoof on Trixie’s shoulder
“We’ll be happy to give you pointers any time you want.”
Trixie lifted her head slightly.
“Trixie.. would appreciate that.”
Starlight turned to Twilight.
“Twilight, I’m glad you would offer to help but… shouldn't you get back to your dinner? Princess Celestia is waiting for you.”
“Oh no!” Twilight spun, ready to gallop at full speed but stopped, facing the two again. “Wait before I go… I should apologise again.”
Starlight held her hoof out.
“There’s no need. You learnt to let me make my own friends and everything worked out in the end. We all make mistakes.”
Trixie wore a scowl but said nothing. Twilight knew she had wronged her.
“Yeah.. but I'm supposed to be the Princess of friendship, I should have done better than this.”
Starlight bit her lip.
“Well… I have to ask. You forgave me easily enough, and I tried destroying your friendship just for petty revenge and as a result Equestria could have become a wasteland. Is whatever Trixie did REALLY worse than that?”
Both Trixie and Starlight leaned closer, eager for Twilight’s answer.
“No but...” Twilight struggled to look either pony in the eye, but especially the indignant Trixie. “Well… several reasons.” Twilight had trouble finding the words. “Part of it was that you were both still in the process of reforming yourselves and I was worried Trixie would be a bad influence on you-”
Starlight’s eyes narrowed and her tone soured. She spoke before Trixie could.
“Were you worried I would be a bad influence on Trixie?”
Trixie hissed.
“Were you really just jealous?”
“NO!” Twilight sighed. “The truth is… several things. I know you apologised after last time, but I couldn't be sure.”
Trixie reared up.
“You doubt the Humble and Repentant Trixie?!”
“I’m not sure saying it that way helps- I mean I should have trusted you but I couldn't be certain. I’m sorry Trixie, I DO trust you now.”
Trixie swung her head up.
“Hmmph about time. Though Trixie does see why you doubted her but is glad you accept her now.”
Starlight’s frown deepened.
“But if you couldn’t trust Trixie, how could you trust me?”
“Well for thing you willingly surrendered and stopped what you were doing when you knew the harm you were causing. But not only that I was able to take you under my wing, and with the time you’ve spent with me and my friends, I have no doubts you’re change is genuine.”
Trixie rolled her head.
“Hmmph, I hope you do not doubt Trixie any longer.”
Twilight held a hoof out to her.
“I don’t.”
Starlight creased her brow, suddenly appearing deep in thought.
“Wait… you said you forgave Discord when he sold you out to Tirek and you even forgave Sunset Shimmer when she tried to kill you. There’s something you’re not telling me. Another reason.”
Trixie jumped on the spot and thrusted her hoof forward at Twilight.
“I knew it! You are hiding something miss goody two shoes!”
Twilight looked at her hooves for a second before meeting Trixie’s eyes.
“You’re right….” Twilight took a deep breath. “This isn't going to sound good but… I wanted to impress Celestia and I thought Trixie would make a bad impression.”
Starlight gasped, Trixie growled and Twilight hung her head.
“I know… I am sorry. It wasn’t right, especially for the Princess of Friendship.”
“Hmmph, you can say that again….”
Twilight winced.
“It doesn’t make it right, but you have to understand , Celestia is very dear to me, she’s like a second mother and I really wanted to show her how far I’ve come.”
Trixie gnashed her teeth.
“Just how far have you come if you’re acting like that?!”
Twilight drooped like a wilting flower.
“I guess we’re all insecure about our pasts and we all feel we have something to prove.”
Trixie stepped forward her face almost now almost directly in front of Twilight’s.
“What do you have to prove Miss Princess of Friendship? You’re an Alicorn princess, you have plenty of friends and you even have your own castle!”
Twilight glared back.
“Hey! I mean I’m still worried about letting ponies down, especially Celestia. I don’t know what she would do if I failed her.”
Starlight Glimmer looked conflicted.
“I don’t know her like you do, but it seems like she trusts you to make your own decisions and mistakes and to learn your own lessons.”
Twilight took a second to let that sink in.
“Hmmm… I guess you’re right. Something I’m still trying to learn myself. Sorry Starlight, I’ll try to give you the freedom to make your own choices, while still being there if you need me.”
“Thank you Twilight. Don’t worry I still have plenty to learn myself.”
“Hmmph.”
“And Trixie, I know explaining myself doesn’t magically make everything all right. If there’s anything I can do to make up for it let me know.”
“...Trixie will let you know.”
Starlight placed a hoof on Trixie.
“Don’t you think you’re being a little harsh? Twilight did help us become friends.”
Trixie snorted.
“We were already friends!”
Starlight gave her a look
“Except when you… you know.”
“Fine! Trixie admits everypony makes mistakes!”
Twilight pursed her lips..
“Thanks Starlight, but Trixie’s right I should be better than this. Anyway I REALLY can’t afford to keep Celestia waiting any longer so bye!”
Twilight teleported back to kitchen of her castle. She crept out as nonchalantly as she could, wearing that grin she wore when she tried to hide something.
Celestia rolled her eyes, looking even more impatient than before.
“I’m guessing you didn’t find Starlight Shimmer hiding among the ladles?”
Twilight ran to Celestia and dropped to her knees in front of her, holding her hooves up in penance.
“Celestia I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean for this dinner to be such a disaster and I didn’t mean to keep you waiting while I ran off! I’m such failure. I’m sorry. Starlight is out and… ” She gestured to the three guests, Cranky, Derpy and Dj-Pon3. “These aren’t Starlight’s friends, but I did try!”
Celestia sighed.
“I would have thought we were at the point where you realized I would not banish or punish you for missing an assignment and that you knew you could be open and honest with me...”
Twilight stood up, eyes wide.
“You knew?”
“Of course I knew Twilight. You could never lie to me.”
“Then why didn’t you say anything?”
“I wanted you to be honest with me.”
“Oh uhhh… did you at least enjoy your dinner?”
Celestia rolled her eyes, something Twilight wasn’t sure she had ever seen before.
“I came to see you, Starlight and the new friend she made. And of the “friends” you bought Cranky Doodle is the only one who have said anything.”
“Oh well Dj-Pon3 has always liked listening to music and Derpy…. Decided to talk a lot less after the incident.”
Cranky’s eyes widened.
“Incident?”
Derpy dived under the table. Twilight groaned.
“Don’t ask. Just, please don’t ask.”
Celestia ignore this, her voice unusually stern.
“And where is Starlight Glimmer?”
“I’m sorry! She’s with Trixie!”
Celestia leaned back and relaxed, looking more like the pony Twilight knew.
“Oh? Then it sounds like she managed to make a friend. What were you afraid of? ”
Twilight was briefly at loss for words. Her hooves flailed as she tried to explained.
“I- well at first I was worried Trixie would be a bad influence on Starlight and I was sure if their friendship was genuine but to be honest... I.. I was afraid Trixie would make a bad impression.”
“Twilight….” Celestia said, letting it hang in the air.
Twilight jumped in quickly.
“I know it was selfish of me. I know I had no right to judge the friends Starlight made, I know I need to let her make her own decisions and to trust her… I just didn’t want you think I was a failure.”
Celestia smiled and nodded, looking oddly satisfied.
“Then it seems you have already learnt any possible lesson I could teach you. And Twilight, nothing you do could make me think you are a failure. There was no need for this charade. You know by now I am not going to banish or abandon you if you do something wrong. We all make mistakes and become better ponies by learning from them. You should be past this by now.”
Twilight nodded.
“I know… it wasn’t that. I’ve always looked up to and now that I’m the Princess of Friendship and have my own castle I wanted to show you I could be a good Princess to...”
“I made plenty of mistakes in my youth.” Celestia said. “Do you think I knew everything about Equestria or it’s ponies, even as the Princess of Equestria? That I had no more lessons to learn?”
“No.”
Celestia nodded again.
“I’m sure you are aware much of my own teaching method was letting you find you’re own lessons.”
“Yeah.. I’m sorry, I’m still new at being a teacher.”
“Nonetheless, you are making progress.”
“Thank you… to be honest I thought you would be mad at me.”
Celestia sighed.
“Surely we do not need to go over this again?”
Twilight scratched the back of her head.
“I guess not. But Celestia.. if you don’t mind me saying… you seemed unhappy all evening.”
“Well part of it was you’re charade. Moreover I was saddened that you still felt the need for such a thing.”
Twilight looked at the ground.
“I’m sorry, I’ll try to be more open with you.”
“That and I looked forward to spending an evening with you and Starlight.”
“Hey what am I? Chopped liver?” Cranky stopped suddenly quivering as Celestia looked at him. “I mean please don’t banish me to the moon Princess!”
Celestia huffed, something Twilight was sure she had never seen.
“For the last time I am not that kind of Princess!”
Twilight frowned.
“Celestia if you don’t mind me saying you really are on edge tonight. I’ve never seen you like this.”
Celestia let out an exceptionally long sigh.
“I always have to wear this mask of perfection, always pretending to be Equestria’s perfect flawless ruler and sometimes act like everyone’s mother.”
Twilight looked embarrassed, even trying to look away from Celestia but letting her continue.
“I almost never show it, after a millennia I am quite practised, but keeping up the act wears on me, Twilight. I thought you were one of the few ponies I could relax and be myself around. You and Luna, who I could also have spent the evening with.”
Twilight fidgeted with her hooves.
“I’m sorry Celestia… I just wanted everything to be perfect.”
“No one expects you to be perfect, except you yourself.”
“I know… I guess I should have just taken you to Trixie’s magic show...”
Celestia smirked.
“That might have been fun.”
“I’ll try to do better next time...”
Celestia put a hoof on Twilight.
“Just relax Twilight.”
Twilight took several calming breathes, as Cadance on taught her to do.
“I guess one lesson I’ve learnt to day is we all need second chances. And sometimes third and fourth ones...”
“Being aware of our own flaws and mistakes compels us to do better, but also to forgive the errors and slights of others.”
“Mmm.. I guess all three of us learnt something. Me, Trixie and Starlight.”
“Indeed. Know your way forward will be paved with mistakes and forgive the mistakes of others when they earnest seek to atone.”
“Thank you Celestia.”
