"Why is 'Friendship Lesson number twenty-eight' crossed out at the top of this?" Trixie's eyes narrowed and looked down the list until she found the new writing. "And why does it start with Starlight's name crossed out and mine written instead?"

"It's a work in progress. A contingency for what might have been." Twilight tapped her forehooves together nervously. "Uh, ignore the bits that talk about Sunburst…" She trailed off a little. "Maybe I should start over with a fresh scroll. It just seemed like a good idea to get things going, was all."

"Actually, Trixie could use this." As her eyes scrolled down the page, Trixie smiled more and more. "And she certainly won't ignore the Sunburst bits, she will assume that Rainbow Dash fits in there. Yes, this will do nicely." She rolled up the scroll and turned to Rainbow. "Our show is tomorrow night, still, but the night after the Anxious and Nervous Trixie will take you on the best date ever!"

"Trixie, just chill. Okay? Focus on the show tomorrow first. I am sure our date will be totally awesome." Rainbow lifted her forehoof up and, like always, Trixie met it with a firm clop. "You are literally the greatest showmare in Equestria, how could you mess up a date?" Rainbow got to her hooves and stretched. "I might go and lay down. Hey Twilight, do I just pick a room at random?"

Twilight lifted her head from the entirely new list she was working on. "Huh? Oh you are going to bed? Just pick a room, knock first…" She descended back into the world of planning through lists. "… and then they have to ensure the stars are in just the right pattern to be the perfect backing… I can talk to Princess Luna about that…"

~~~~~+++++~~~~~

Another wonderful day was dawning, and Trixie had been finding a lot more such since not just making up with Twilight and her friends, but since her friendship with Rainbow Dash had grown. Waking in the castle was vastly different to waking in her wagon; the sounds of nature were muted, disconnected.

Trixie was just getting used to the silence the crystalline walls of the castle imposed, when she heard panting breaths coming from the doorway-side of her room—at her back. That somepony was in her room wasn't all that odd for Trixie. On the road she and Rainbow had shared the wagon most chill nights, and on warm ones they had stretched out under the stars.

Slowly rolling over, Trixie's blurry vision started to sharpen just as a tongue connected with the tip of her snout and licked all the way up her face and between her eyes. Staring in shock, Trixie watched—point blank—as Rainbow Dash licked her twice more.

"Shade!" Trixie's exclamation didn't deter her pet in the slightest, and so Trixie's face was now sopping wet with the pegasus' slobber. "Shade is being a little too friendly…" She used her magic to reach for the collar around Shade's neck, gently pulling it away from herself.

Undeterred by the shouting, Shade wagged her rainbow tail vigorously. Tugging against the grip on her collar, she wanted to show her mistress how happy she was her mistress was awake. Turning her head around, she nipped at the pinkish glow near her collar.

"Trixie is not getting out of this, is she?" Shimmying to the side under her covers, she pulled back a corner of the bedclothes and released Shade's collar.

Bounding forward, Shade dipped her snout and aimed for the gap between the sheets of the bed. Shoving down and pulling her back end in, she snouted her way around under the covers, poking her mistress' back hooves repeatedly.

"SHADE!" Trixie's cry was shrill, but tinged with laughter. "Trixie is sensitive on her hooves, you know this!" More and more nuzzles assaulted her hooves, until Trixie was laughing loudly. "St-Stop!" She couldn't cease twisting and turning, trying to get away in vain.

Turning around under the covers just required Shade pushing half of them from the bed, but soon she spotted her target. Standing up and over Trixie, with the covers now firmly dealt with—and on the floor—she began licking and "cleaning" her mistress' face.

Heaving a sigh, Trixie waited for Shade to slow down, and when she looked up in the pegasus' face—as Shade licked her snout slowly—she couldn't stop a blush from rising. This is NOT more intimate than when Rainbow kisses Trixie. Shade is a pet and… Trixie's internal monologue faltered and died. With no warning at all, Shade gave a bark of pure delight and bounced off the bed, crossing the room towards the en-suite.

Freshened, properly washed, and with Shade suitably dressed at her side, Trixie left the confines of her room to almost bump into another pony. "Starlight!" Trixie froze. Starlight Glimmer had been one of her first true friends, and she was eternally grateful to the unicorn for helping her see that friendships didn't have to be like Twilight's and her friends—they could be based on different things.

Starlight was surprised at seeing Trixie, but didn't hold back from giving her friend, and fellow savior of Equestria, a tight hug. "It feels like I haven't seen you in forever, Trixie." Her eyes slid to the Shadowbolt at Trixie's side. Implications poured through Starlight's mind at seeing the monstrous pony having left Trixie's bedroom at such an early hour. "Uh… who is your new friend?"

Trixie looked to Shade, and saw no indication that her pet wanted to be introduced as anything other than a Shadowbolt. "The Great and Powerful Trixie's wonderful new pet is a Shadowbolt! Legendary monsters of the night and shadow, Trixie dares not let the beast roam the castle halls at night, for fear of finding nopony left the next day…"

This is literally the best fun ever. Let's play the part to the hilt, Shade! Rainbow Dash's thoughts were still slow and sluggish, but Shade was quite happy to act on them. She pounced forward, snarling at the air, pouring black smoke from her mouth at a shocked Starlight. Shade's mistress was pulling back, desperately attempting to keep her "wild pet" from mauling Starlight.

"Oh gosh!" Starlight jerked back further than she needed to, only for Shade to charge closer, getting right in the enchantress' face. "Why in Equestria do you have such a monster? Have you talked to Princess Luna about recovering the poor pony's mind?"

The questions bordered on ruining the joke, and while Trixie was about to answer with misdirection and amazement, Starlight suddenly energized her horn. "Wait—"

"I'll go ask her!" Starlight had worked hard to learn teleportation spells. She wasn't nearly as adept with them as Twilight Sparkle, but she had more raw heft than the Princess of Friendship—at least when it came to sorcery; without a doubt, Princess Twilight Sparkle was the undisputed master of any friendship-related magics.

"… Trixie can explain…" Trixie's voice slowed and dropped after Starlight disappeared in a zzz-pop of magic. "Trixie is sure nothing ill will come of this at all. Whenever anypony misunderstands a showmare's tricks, you will find everything works out perfectly."

Even Shade, unwilling to focus on words usually, could pick up the alicorn-sized load of sarcasm Trixie was using. As she gave up her "fierce beast" act, Shade leaned against Trixie and nuzzled her cheek.

"Shade all day until your big moment?" Trixie reached a hoof up to rub Shade's ear, and felt the mare's head nod under her touch. "Rainbow Dash doesn't have to appear. You can stay as Shade until tomorrow if you want."

"No, I want this." Rainbow Dash had to shove her "monster" persona aside, and spread a black, smoky wing around Trixie's back. "I want everypony to know you are awesome. When I first saw you, I just…" She muttered something under her breath, trailing off.

"Trixie didn't hear that." Giving the black and purple attired Rainbow a boop on the nose, Trixie giggled. "What did Rainbow say?"

"I said I was jealous." Rainbow stepped back and looked at Trixie's shocked look. "Okay? I said it. I was jealous of all the things you could do, some were more amazing than what Twilight could do with her magic!"

"I have not ever said this, I don't think." Trixie shocked even herself with her first-person prose. "But I am not better than Twilight Sparkle at magic. Even those tricks…" She hung her head. "… were just tricks. I looked better, no more."

"Well duh, I know that now. But your tricks are even more amazing than they first looked." Closing the distance with Trixie again, Rainbow put a foreleg and a wing around her. "See, I thought you were just better at magic. I figured you were some amazing long-lost student of Star Swill or—"

"Star Swirl." Trixie might be a lot of dishonest things on stage, but she didn't disparage such a hero.

"That's the point. I thought you were another amazing unicorn and 'blah blah blah horns and magic' and stuff." Rainbow waved her free forehoof in the air. "Don't tell either of them, but I am pretty sure Starlight is more powerful than Twi is. But that is all besides the point. Trixie, you aren't just another overpowered unicorn who thinks they are the greatest. You work ten times harder on your tricks because you aren't that powerful."

"What?"

"Trixie, I am saying you are more amazing because it isn't just raw magic doing your tricks, you are really great at what you do, and it shows in how much time you spend practicing." Rainbow froze when Trixie leaned closer and kissed her on the lips.

Time stopped for both mares, and all that existed was each other. Their lips didn't shove or fight, there was no struggle at all. In every other way the mares might be over-competing ego-maniacs, but in the hallway, in that moment, they were only two happy mares… and a baby dragon.

"When you two are done making out, breakfast is ready." Spike turned away, whistling innocently as Trixie and Rainbow almost fell over each other trying to pull apart and look innocent.

~~~~~+++++~~~~~

Trixie adjusted her hat and looked at Shade. "Are you ready for this?" She reached a hoof up to rub the deceptively delicate-looking bridle around Shade's head, and check it for chafing—of course it wasn't.

Shade was more excited than calm. Although her "civilized" half would be trembling in panic, she was anticipating another show. Leaning back, she nuzzled at the special flaps sewn into her suit, the folds of fabric perfect to hide the props hidden there. "Bark!"

When Trixie only heard the one, and saw her excited pet wagging her big tail, she couldn't help but give a laugh as her own pre-show energy was massing. "Let's do this, Shade. Let's be Great and Powerful…"

Stepping out on the stage, Trixie was almost derailed before she started. In the second row—behind all the foals of course—sat Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. "The Great and Powerful Trixie presents her Great and Powerful Show!" She set off a dazzling array of sparklers and spinning jolts of magic; the fireworks were all diversion, of course. The pronouncement had been Shade's cue to launch herself into the sky and gain altitude.

Everything was down to timing. Shade soared on her huge, black wings. She reached a few clouds that the weather ponies had left in the sky at her mistress' request. Flicking a hidden seam on her suit, the smoke effects started to billow great clouds of darkness around her, and the well-trained Shade counted her last wing-beat. Turning her head down.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie has many amazing acts of the highest magic to show you tonight! First, Trixie will perform her greatest trick, one that never fails… to end the pony casting it… forever!" Trixie floated out a huge, serious-looking tome—actually a cook book, but nopony but Trixie and Rainbow need know that—and began reciting one of the Neighponese recipes. Chanting the instructions for making trail-bread, Trixie used her perfect illusion magic to make it look like huge amounts of magic were rushing from her.

Shade watched the pentacle-within-a-circle appear on stage below her, and adjusted the angle of her wings. Smoke billowed out from around Trixie, and even half-seen ghosts and monsters reached for her. In the perfect dive, with no way to adjust her angle of attack, Rainbow Dash floated in the only way she had found to really relax—showing off.

The slightest bit of illusory fire was the last guidance Trixie could offer Shade, but it worked perfectly. A tremendous crash shocked the crowd as Shade slammed into the stage and destroyed the balsa around her landing platform. Under the stage, a huge cushion made the landing much less dangerous than it would have been had she hit a solid stage. "Stand back everypony!" Trixie herself leaned forward, but took a step back, as if struggling against great force. "T-T-Trixie has summoned a Shadowbolt!"

Foals were squealing in delighted fear, and not a few adult ponies shied back from the snarling monster that was in the burning ring on stage. The two Royal Sisters wore completely different looks. Princess Celestia knew a well-practiced act when she saw one, and she had picked up a few details that led her to believe this was very well practiced indeed. Princess Luna was more intrigued than shocked. She peered at the Shadowbolt inquisitively.

Shade dodged the whip her mistress had suddenly produced, snarling at the boundary of her circle like a wild beast. Slowly, she let herself be driven to the opposite side from Trixie, and finally lowered her head.

Keeping the whip held high, Trixie didn't take her eyes off Shade. Stepping into the ring, she let her illusion show the circle briefly flare and then snuff out. "Oh no, I broke the circle!"

Shade's cue to "attack" spurred her to action. Rushing to the front of the stage, she tried to pounce off and onto a foal. Rainbow noticed it was Sweetie Belle at the last moment, and just as she thought she was going to slam into the poor, stunned filly, magic reins lashed themselves to her bridle and pulled back hard.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie will not let her audience be harmed by any monsters!" Trixie pulled back, astounded by how committed Shade was to the "attack." Dragging her pet back on stage, Trixie set about the big "fight" scene. She threw deadly-looking spells at Shade, while her pet continually swooped around, diving at her and bouncing off illusory spheres of energy.

Slowly, the fighting changed to more flashy tricks, with Trixie's mastery over the supposed monster now displayed for all to see. She looked in Shade's eyes, and could see Rainbow look back—and nod. Trixie smiled. "There is one last feat of magic the Great and Powerful Trixie will perform tonight. Some would say that a monstrous Shadowbolt is useful only for guarding and fighting, but Trixie has a way to redeem them."

Luna's eyes widened at the words, and she looked to her sister for answers but found none.

Trixie wheeled a trolley onto the stage, one that had a box atop it. Normally, a showmare like herself would have a trick box, but this one was just normal. "Trixie will undo the magics wrought upon this poor pony, and reveal their true nature." She reared up beside the trolley, and tapped the open box.

Shade shook her head, sticking her tongue out at Trixie in a show of defiance that had all the foals cheering for her with laughter. Cries of "get in the box" and "it's a trap" abounded among them, but when Trixie tugged on the reins with her magic, Shade stepped up. One quick jump had her landing in the box.

Trixie had to push and shove comically to get Shade's wings and tail to fit in the box. The actions drew more laughs, but Trixie motioned the crowd to silence. "Trixie needs help to focus on this spell. We know friendship is magic, and this will take a lot of friendship. Princess Twilight Sparkle?" Trixie beckoned to Twilight, then pointed at Pinkie Pie. "And Trixie has a feeling Pink—"

"YAY!" Pinkie Pie bounced on all fours, beating Twilight to the stage in her excitement. "Are we going to turn them into a chicken? I always wanted to turn something into a chicken, but Mrs. Cake says the only things that turn into chickens are eggs, what are we—"

"Ahem!" Trixie struggled to be heard over Pinkie Pie, but her magically amplified voice was up to the task. "If both of Trixie's wonderful assistants could stand on each side of the box, and think of the most wondrous flying thing they can!"

Trixie started with her magic again, dragging out the performance to give Rainbow Dash time. "Think positive thoughts, happy thoughts. Trixie requires everypony here to focus on the box now, and think of the most wondrous of things." Her words were guiding everypony's thoughts towards what she wanted them to think. Trixie felt the slight trickle of magic as Rainbow triggered the suit to change into a Wonderbolt costume. "Trixie thinks… she thinks it might already be done. Is anypony in there?" She leaned close to the box, cocking one ear towards it theatrically.

Three loud knocks came back. Slow, deep thuds against the casing. The crowd went dead silent.

"Princess Twilight, could you please help Trixie unfasten the lid of the box?" Trixie took one side, and tried desperately to ignore the wide smile of delight on Twilight's face. As soon as the last catch was undone, the lid flew upwards, almost exploding as a rainbow spray of light shot into the air. Rainbow Dash hovered, a shell-shocked look of surprise on her face.

The crowd of ponies exploded into applause. Cheering wildly and stomping hooves in support of the show. Stepping to the front of the stage, Trixie guided Twilight and Pinkie offstage, and took a bow towards the crowd. "Thank you! Thank you! The Great and Powerful Trixie wishes to thank her amazing Wonderbolt friend." She turned to gesture to Rainbow to come to the front with her, but as she did, her eyes widened in surprise. Trixie's lips were pressed against Rainbow Dash's, and somehow the crowd's cheering increased three-fold.

Author's Note

So I do this "Ask x" thing, x can be any pony within the story. You can ask them anything and ~~I~~ they will definitely hopefully reply. Keep the questions appropriate to the age-rating of the stories and of course, ~~I~~ they will answer the best question(s) in the author notes of the next chapter. The more votes a comment has the more likely I will get it to the right pony to answer, try and keep it to one answer per post! ~~I~~ They will pick one question per chapter.

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