As the train pulled away from the Crystal Empire Trixie couldn't help but smile. Despite knowing that Starlight was not interested in Sunburst romantically, she had accomplished her objective. No longer would the pony she loved have to worry about being harassed. She could not wear her smile for too long though as at each stop, more and more ponies got on board as daylight was approaching.

Several hours had passed before the train finally arrived in Fillydelphia. Despite not having been there for years, she still knew her way around the city like the back of her hoof. As she approached her mother's house she couldn't help but notice that she had done some remodeling since she left home. When she was a filly it looked like every other house in the city, now the roof appeared to resemble what her hat looked like. She laughed to herself, "Hmmm....mom has really butchered this place. The roof looks just like Sunburst's, or should I say how Sunburst's DID!"

She walked up to the door and knocked. She stood there quietly for a minute before knocking again. Almost immediately the door opened and she heard a voice ask, "Who is it? Who is it that is disturbing The Amazing and Powerful Moonrise?"

Trixie rushed to her and said, "Mom!"

Moonrise looked at her daughter with shock as it had been years since she had paid her a visit. She asked, "Trixie, is that really you? I haven't seen you but once since you went on to be a traveling showmare."

Trixie hugged her and replied, "Yes mom, it is The Great and Powerful Trixie!"

Moonrise frowned, "Trixie, when you are talking to me can you just say me or I. You know how I always felt about us talking like that to one another."

Trixie replied, "I know mom." She looked in the door and asked, "May I come in?"

Moonrise replied, "Sure." The two headed in and unlike the outside of the house, things looked exactly like they did when she was a filly. Moonrise ordered Trixie to sit down and asked, "So Trixie, why did you come to see me? Why has it been five years since you last came to visit?"

Trixie replied, "I'm sorry mom it is just that I'm on the road a lot and here over the past few months, I had the incident involving Chrysalis."

Moonrise sighed, "I know about the incident with Chrysalis but still, you couldn't take time out of your busy show schedule to come and pay your mother a visit?" She stared into Trixie's eyes intently and continued, "You didn't just come to see me to catch up did you?" Her voice became more intense as she continued, "You're in trouble, aren't you?"

Moonrise had always been good at seeing into other ponies' minds, especially Trixie's. Trixie sat there quietly for a minute before her mother continued, "Well?"

Trixie replied, "Well mom, I might be. You see, I had to take care of a problem that involved this pony I met in Ponyville and some other pony that I thought was a threat."

Moonrise sighed, "There is a whole lot more to this than meets the eye, isn't there?"

While Trixie didn't really want to reveal the whole truth to her mother, she knew she had better since she had always been able to read other ponies rather easily. Trixie replied, "Yes mom, this is a rather complex situation."

Moonrise sighed, "Well I'm listening."

Trixie continued, "Well you see ever since I met this pony named Starlight Glimmer, I have felt a genuine closeness to her and you know how I am, I have never felt a true closeness to anypony before."

Moonrise commented, "I know. As a filly you never even bonded with me that much and I'm your mother for Luna's sake."

Trixie continued, "Well at first Twilight wasn't real happy that I was growing close with her student,"

Moonrise interrupted, "Twilight? You mean to tell me that you have befriended a student of Princess Twilight Sparkle?"

Trixie replied, "Yes I have. Well back to where I was, we have become very close and then after her and I aided in basically saving Equestria from Chrysalis, Starlight and I have grown even closer."

Moonrise could easily read her daughter's eyes and had a feeling where this was headed but decided to wait to say anything. She simply gave her daughter a smile and said, "Alright. Please continue."

Trixie continued, "Well recently Twilight, Starlight and I headed up to the Crystal Empire for Flurry Hearts' first birthday party and Starlight met up with a colt named Sunburst, an old friend of hers, in his house!"

Moonrise leaned forward and asked, "Oh, and I take it you weren't thrilled?"

Trixie uncharacteristically became emotional in front of her mother, "No I wasn't! Starlight is my best friend and I was worried that he would steal her away from me!"

Moonrise's smile grew wider as she commented, "Awww....my little Trixie has her first crush!"

Trixie was shocked that she would know this. She asked, "You know? How could you possibly know?"

Moonrise laughed, "Come on Trixie, you know I can read you like a book. From the moment you mentioned Starlight I could see it in your eyes that you are crushing on her, really crushing on her!"

Trixie hung her head in defeat, "You're too good at this mom, way too good at this."

Moonrise replied, "You should know it." She leaned forward and continued, "I'm tickled that you have your first crush but I know that you haven't only come to tell me that you have a crush." Her voice became more intense as she continued, "You've done something not so pleasant, haven't you? You're hiding a huge secret, aren't you?"

Trixie sighed, "I have."

Moonrise asked, "Well what is it? I have a bad feeling it is likely illegal but tell me."

Trixie began, "Like I said, when we were up in the Crystal Empire Starlight met with this pony and after she came back to the castle she was really distraught. Once we were able to get alone she told me that this friend of hers asked her to be his marefriend and tried to kiss him!"

Moonrise's eyes grew wide as she asked, "Oh, and what happened next?"

Trixie replied, "Well luckily she didn't let him kiss her and she told him that she wasn't interested in a relationship. After we got back from the Crystal Empire we became much closer and we began spending a lot more time together."

Moonrise smiled, "Wow, it sounds like this Starlight pony has a crush on you too." She began to laugh, "You know, I think you should admit your feelings to her because with everything you have told me, I am certain the feelings are mutual." Her laugh disappeared and she asked, "Enough about your crush on Starlight though. I still want to know, what did you do before coming here?"

Trixie sighed, "Well I'm sure you probably can already tell but I left Ponyville yesterday and told Starlight and Twilight that I was coming to see you."

Moonrise said, "Alright but that is obviously not where you went."

Trixie replied, "No, I took a trip to the Crystal Empire to take care of some business."

Moonrise developed a huge smile on her face as she asked, "And I take it that you did what any good mare would do? I take it you wiped out the threat that could take Starlight before you could get her?"

Trixie replied, "Yes, I did." She gave her mom an odd look and continued, "What is up with the smile?"

Moonrise motioned for Trixie to come to her and continued, "And this Trixie, is why you were always my favorite. Out of all my kids, you are the most like me, you were always the one to do what it took to get what she wanted."

Trixie rushed to her mother and hugged her. Moonrise said, "And I take it you are worried that you may be questioned about where you were when you murdered him?"

Trixie replied, "Yes, I am."

Moonrise smiled, "Well since you said yesterday that you were coming here, if they question me about it I'll simply tell them that you have been here since yesterday afternoon."

Trixie again hugged her mom and continued, "Thank you mom. You have no idea how much I appreciate this."

Moonrise's stomach began to growl and she said, "You know Trixie, I'm thinking you and I should go out to celebrate not only your first crush, but wiping the pony out that could steal your crush away from you."

Trixie asked, "So where do you want to go?"

Moonrise replied, "I'm thinking we should go to The Hayburger since you loved it so much as a filly."

Trixie squealed, "Thanks mom! It will be just like our mother/daughter lunches of old!"

Moonrise smiled and the two headed out the door. Trixie couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as she was so worried that her mom would be upset with her. She was ecstatic that not only would her mother vouch for her, but that she was proud of her for killing Sunburst. While Trixie was certain that all of them, her mother included, would be questioned, she knew that her mother was the master at lying and getting away with it. She truly felt like everything would be perfectly fine.

Author's Note

Most of this chapter will be done in back and forth dialogue.