It was a typical, peaceful day in Ponyville. No big disasters, no important events, and no friendship problems to be found. That made it the perfect day for some outdoor magic practice, at least that's what Starlight Glimmer thought. She was still getting used to the fact that she had another new friend in the form of Maud Pie, but one of her other friends, Trixie, had insisted on some more magic practice. And against her better judgement, Starlight agreed.
"At least this time we'll be outdoors, so I don't have to worry about Trixie teleporting something halfway across town." Starlight thought to herself, as she met Trixie on a hill overlooking the town of Ponyville.
Trixie was unable to contain her excitement, she was thrilled at the idea of learning how to do more magic, especially if it meant impressing Twilight and Starlight. "So, what are we going to work on today, Starlight?" Trixie asked with a bright (and seemingly innocent) smile.
"I... don't really know," Starlight quickly replied. "I didn't exactly have time to think up a lesson plan."
Trixie was not concerned by this, she just shrugged it off. "That's fine, The Great and Powerful Trixie prefers to learn at her own pace anyways," Then she suggested to Starlight. "Why don't we work on my teleportation skills again? I promise I'll pay more attention this time."
"But there's nothing out here for you to teleport." Starlight protested.
Trixie only laughed. "Whoever said I wanted to teleport another object? The Great and Powerful Trixie is ready to try teleporting on her own! It'll be the perfect thing to add to her magic show, a true escape trick! Just imagine, no more smoke bombs, no more illusions, I wouldn't need an assistant to do the Moonshot Manticore Mouth Dive!" She proudly boasted.
Starlight could see how excited Trixie was becoming, and knew it would be hard to steer her friend's mind towards other areas of magic practice, so she decided to just approve of Trixie's decision. "Fine, we can work on self teleportation, Trixie. But it won't be easy, I hope you realize that." She quickly warned.
Trixie nodded. "Trixie shall keep that in mind. Now lay it on me, Starlight. Show me what I must do to be able to start teleporting like you and Twilight!"
Starlight sighed, and took a deep breath. She knew she would need to put herself in as much of a relaxed state as she could to avoid a repeat of her last major teaching session with Trixie. "Alright," She said after a couple of seconds. "Remember what I taught you before about how you need to think of a destination?"
Trixie firmly nodded. "Of course Trixie remembers. Skip to the good part."
"Well, it's a bit more complicated teleporting yourself than it is teleporting objects that can't move," Starlight explained to Trixie, as she began to light up her horn. "You need to focus, and try to visualize your destination. Then you channel the energy needed for the journey into your horn, and when you have enough," Starlight disappeared with a pop, and reappeared on the other side of the hill. "You should be able to appear at your intended destination in the blink of an eye. Just remember, the greater the distance, the more magic you'll need to build up before you make the attempt. Make the jump too soon, and you may end up at a random location anywhere between where you are and your intended destination. So, do you understand that, or do I need to repeat myself to make sure you got it?" She asked Trixie.
"Trixie heard you the first time," Trixie replied, and began to repeat what Starlight had demonstrated. Before long, she was ready to make her first attempt at self teleportation. "Here I come, Starlight! Watch how easy I'll make it look!" She boasted, before she vanished in a flash. She reappeared a few seconds later, standing next to Starlight. "Tada, easy as pie!" Trixie proudly proclaimed.
Starlight smiled a little. "Not bad, Trixie. For a first attempt you did better than I expected. But long range teleportation is a lot harder than short range."
Starlight spent the next hour and a half teaching Trixie, and watching Trixie make her teleportation attempts. Trixie had no trouble teleporting from one side of the hill to the other, or from the top of the hill to the bottom of the hill. But both unicorns quickly discovered that as the distance between locations increased, it became harder for Trixie to teleport without complications. Her first major long range teleport attempt, ended with Trixie ending up in a pond and getting completely soaked, something Starlight couldn't help but find hilarious.
"Alright, I think that's enough practice for today," Starlight said, as she helped Trixie out of the pond. "I wish I had more time to help you train, but I've got some errands to run. And unfortunately, that includes a visit to Zecora who lives in the Everfree Forest. Even with my magic, that place freaks me out, it's just not natural."
Trixie could recall her own experiences with the Everfree Forest, or at least one of the creatures that inhabited it. She knew why ponies were so afraid of the forest, and why they seldom ventured into it. She could also see that Starlight was more than a little unsettled at the thought of having to venture through that forest alone. So she suggested. "Why don't you take Trixie with you, Starlight? Trixie will be by your side the entire time, and don't they always say 'Two heads are better than one.'?"
"I... guess you could accompany me if you really wanted to," Starlight pondered. "It's a pretty simple trot to Zecora's for some ingredients for potions, and if worse comes to worse I could always teleport us to safety, I think. Do you promise not to wander off and do your own thing? I don't wanna have to spend time looking for you and end up getting us lost."
"Relax, Starlight, you have Trixie's word that no harm shall come to you on her watch," Trixie promised with a grin. "Now come on, we'd probably already be on our way if we weren't sitting around here, talking to each other."
Starlight trotted off towards the Everfree Forest, and Trixie followed close behind. Before long, the two unicorns reached the forest's entrance, and without hesitation they trotted in. Despite it being the middle of the day, the forest was nearly pitch black due to all the trees that blocked out much of the sunlight.
Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Trixie spotted what appeared to be some bright blue flowers that were low to the ground. She had never seen such flowers before, and they easily attracted her attention. "These flowers will make a perfect gift for Starlight! They just scream 'Thank you for teaching Trixie magic. She greatly appreciates it.'. Besides, they match my coat, and Starlight's eyes. That can't be a coincidence." Trixie immediately scooped up one of the flowers, and stopped as she cleared her throat. "Starlight," She called, attracting the unicorn's attention. "Trixie has something she'd like to give you. A sort of thank you gift for agreeing to teach her magic, and not holding the table map incident against her."
Before Starlight could ask what Trixie was talking about, she felt her mane being pulled back a bit. But upon seeing what Trixie was going to plant in her mane, Starlight's eyes widened in horror! It was poison joke! "Trixie, no! Don't! Please!" She pleaded. "That flower is dangerous!"
Trixie didn't listen though, she was too busy thinking about the praise she was going to get from Starlight for such a well thought out (if spur of the moment) gift. As a result, she didn't pay attention to Starlight's attempts to slowly back away. "It's just a flower, there's no harm to it. Trixie thinks it will look most lovely on you, Starlight. After all, don't best friends get each other gifts?" She chuckled, as she managed to carefully slip the blue flower into Starlight's mane. Then she smiled as she added. "Now now, there's no need to thank Trixie. But by all means, please tell her how grateful you are to have Trixie as a friend."
Almost immediately, Starlight began to break out in hives, and her entire coat seemed to turn red! Was it Trixie's imagination, or did her horn seem to be sparking like crazy?
"Trixie, you idiot!" Starlight shouted, as she started to hyperventilate. "That was poison joke!"
"Trixie-I mean, I didn't know that Really, I didn't!" Trixie replied, terrified at Starlight's reaction. "Why didn't you tell me?!"
"I did, you wouldn't listen to me!" Starlight exclaimed, continuing to hyper ventilate! "I have to get out of here and get this off me! Twilight should have an emergency epipen back at the castle!" But when Starlight tried to light up her horn and teleport to safety, nothing but a few sparks escaped it! "Great, now I can't even teleport! I'm stuck here!" Starlight panted, as she struggled to catch her breath.
Trixie was in full blown panic mode, she didn't know what to do! All she knew was that she couldn't just leave Starlight to go get help, something told her that seconds mattered. "Come on, Trixie. Think, think, think!" She thought to herself, before an idea suddenly settled in her mind. "It's risky, but it's the only thing I can think of that'll get us both out of here in time!" Without even stopping to consider the alternatives, Trixie rushed up to Starlight and grabbed her tightly. "Hang on tight, Starlight!" She called, and lit up her horn as quickly as she could. Both unicorns disappeared in a flash.
Spike was humming to himself, as he relaxed in his bed and occupied himself with one of his comics. All of a sudden, his concentration was interrupted by the sound of thuds, as if something had just hit the castle walls.
"Just when I was getting to the good part!" Spike thought to himself, but still put the comic down and went to investigate. Upon opening the doors, he was nearly knocked aside, as Trixie came rushing in, still holding onto a hyper ventilating Starlight, whose entire coat was red, swollen, and covered with sickly looking spots (to say nothing of her horn that was shooting off sparks like crazy)! "What happened?!" Spike asked with concern.
"My fault! Poison joke! Allergic reaction!" Trixie explained between pants. "Tried to teleport us here! Missed the door!"
Upon hearing the words "poison joke", Spike immediately sprang into action. "Twilight!" He called at the top of his lungs. "You've gotta come quick, Starlight's been infected with poison joke!"
Twilight appeared in the front hallway in a flash, quickly but carefully grabbing her student with her magic and examining her carefully, until she found the source of the allergic reaction. Using her magic, she carefully removed the poison joke from Starlight's mane and set it aside to deal with later. "Spike, get an epipen from the emergency stash in the kitchen, I'll poof down down to the spa for some of that herbal bath cure! Quickly now, go go go!"
"Yes ma'am, I'm on it!" Spike replied, quickly dashing off, as Twilight teleported away!
That left a panic stricken Trixie alone with Starlight, who despite having the poison joke removed from her mane, was hardly feeling any better. "It's okay, Starlight! You're gonna be okay!" She reassured her friend, even though the magician wasn't so sure. And all she could think about, was that this entire mess was her fault.
Spike returned shortly with the epipen, and with practiced precision he moved the syringe close to Starlight's rump, and pressed down hard. The medicine quickly worked its way into Starlight's system, allowing her breaths to return to normal. "That was a close one," Spike said to himself, wiping the sweat from his brows. Then he helped Starlight to stand, as the medicine made her feel slightly disoriented and weak at the knees. "Come on, let's get a bath going for you. Twilight should be back any minute now with the cure for poison joke, and then you'll feel much better."
Starlight didn't answer, she just let Spike lead her away, while she tried to collect her thoughts. Everything had happened so fast.
When Twilight returned with the herbal bath cure, Trixie offered to give it to Starlight, but Twilight refused. "You've never dealt with poison joke before, Trixie. I have, and this cure needs to be administered just right to be effective. Otherwise, poor Starlight may start clucking like a chicken, or scratching herself like a dog, or whatever other kind of practical joke the poison joke plant had in mind."
Several tense minutes passed, as Trixie found herself unable to do anything except just stand around and wait for news. She couldn't take off and leave though, even if all she wanted to do at the moment was run away and forget that this entire ordeal had ever happened. After all, that's how she'd dealt with just about every other problem she'd been faced with in life. Rather than let life have a laugh at her expense and drag her through the mud, she would dash off and forget the experience even existed. It was easier that way, it spared her the pain of facing all those unpleasant memories.
This time, however, Trixie knew that there was nowhere she could run where she could hope to be able to forget about what had happened to Starlight, her best friend. "Just how was I supposed to know poison joke would do that to her, or what it looked like? This is the first time I've ever heard of such a thing." The magician thought to herself, as she wished she had a clock she could glance at to determine the time. It had to have been at least half an hour now since she'd shown up at the doorstep of her former nemesis (it had been rather difficult for Trixie to accept that she was no match for an alicorn princess, at least not without a great deal of training). Was Starlight going to be okay? Was she going to pull through?
At last, Trixie got the answers she'd been waiting for. Twilight entered the main hallway and clearing her throat she said to Trixie. "Starlight is resting now, the entire ordeal has taken a lot out of her. But, you can go and speak to her now if you want. Just please, no more surprise gifts or presents."
Trixie bowed her head. "Trixie.... er, I mean I would very much like to speak to Starlight. If that's okay with you, princess." She said politely, hoping that if she acted nicely, Twilight would hopefully reconsider any kind of punishment for what Trixie had unintentionally done.
Twilight led Trixie to Starlight's room, Trixie was surprised to see just how small a bed Starlight had, and that Starlight apparently had kites resting next to it. Spike sat near the foot of the bed, keeping a close eye on Starlight, who surprisingly seemed none the worse for wear after her close call. But even so, an uncomfortable silence filled the room, and to Trixie the air felt heavy.
Reluctantly, Trixie approached Starlight and asked her. "How are you feeling, Starlight Glimmer?"
Starlight was silent for just a second, before her eyes narrowed at Trixie as she said in an angry tone. "Just fine, no thanks to you of course."
Everyone gasped at Starlight's comment! Naturally, Trixie was quick to try and defend herself. "B-but Starlight, it was an accident. Trixie swears."
Starlight didn't buy that statement for a second. "I tried to tell you, I tried to get you to put that flower down before you put it in my mane. But you didn't listen, all you could think about was yourself. And now that I've had time to think about it, I've noticed that this seems to be a constant pattern for the two of us. I go out of my way to be nice to you, to befriend you and teach you, and yet you always end up dragging me into a situation or get me in trouble, all because you don't listen. You only think about yourself. I've put up with a lot, Trixie. I've given you the benefit of the doubt even after you admitted to using me to beat Twilight at something, or when you treated the disappearing table map like it was no big deal. But what you did with the poison joke, that I can't just ignore and forget. You could've killed me, Trixie!" She complained, every sentence she spoke was punctuated with an angry stare.
"But Trixie was the one who teleported you here and got help," Trixie protested. "Surely, that counts for something, right?"
Starlight shook her head. "Twilight and Spike did most of the work, even if I should be grateful that you didn't just turn and run, leaving me by myself in the Everfree Forest!" She angrily replied. "I know you saw how much I was freaking out, a good friend would've asked what was wrong instead of trying to put that poison joke in my mane like that. I just can't believe it's taken me until now to realize how little you actually listen to me. It seems like you only ever truly care about me, when it's most beneficial to you!"
"That's not true!" Trixie insisted, adopting the best pleading face she could muster up as she added. "Starlight, please. Forgive me. I truly didn't mean for any of this to happen. I really am sorry."
"Sorry for what?!" Starlight glared. "Sorry for infecting me with poison joke because you didn't listen, or sorry that I'm not just gonna forgive and forget this time?! Maybe Twilight was right about you back when we first met, maybe you aren't the kind of friend I should be making. A good friend knows how to listen."
Now it was Twilight's turn to try and plead with Starlight. "Starlight, I know you're upset about what happened with Trixie. But please, think about what you're saying, what you're implying."
"Besides, you're not perfect yourself," Spike added. "You've gotten into quite a few predicaments because you didn't listen, or tried to take a shortcut."
"Please, Starlight. Don't blame Trixie for an honest mistake," Trixie insisted, trying not to cry. "I can't stand having you get mad with me, you've practically never gotten angry with me."
Starlight just sighed, her stern glare not letting up for a second. "You're right, I don't get angry with you, even when I should. But this is one time I'm not gonna make that mistake," Then she added in an ominous tone. "I'm starting to wonder if it's worth being friends with you. If you can't learn to listen, you'll leave me with no choice but to break off our friendship here and now."
"What?!" Everyone else exclaimed, they could hardly believe their ears!
"My decision hasn't been made final, yet," Starlight quickly added, and she turned to Trixie. "I... need some time to think about this. And hopefully, to give you a chance to do some thinking for yourself. I don't know when exactly I'll be back, but expect a decision by sundown today." And with that, before anyone had a chance to stop her, Starlight lit up her horn and vanished.
Maud Pie was resting on her bed in her recently established home in Ponyville adjacent. The relaxing scenery and sounds made her feel safe and at peace. Considering how much life in Ponyville was different from life while studying for her rocktorate, Maud was glad to not have to worry about deadlines, papers, or lab projects.
Just as her thoughts drifted toward her new friend, Starlight Glimmer, Maud was surprised to hear what sounded like a pop. She slowly turned around and faced her unexpected guest. It was none other than Starlight. "Hello, Starlight," She greeted in her usual flat tone of voice. "I was just thinking about you. Thanks again for helping me decorate my new place, it truly feels like a home, and Boulder really loves it here."
"Hi, Maud," Starlight replied, trying to flash a welcoming smile, only for it to quickly fade. "I..... needed some time to think about some important things in my life."
"Like what?" Maud asked, her expressions and tone of voice remaining the same.
Starlight sighed as she simply said to Maud. "Personal stuff, stuff I don't really know if you'd care for. It's about me and Trixie though."
"If you don't want to talk about your feelings, that's fine with me. I don't usually talk about my feelings either, though in light of what happened with my sister, I'm starting to think I may have to just a bit more frequently," Maud said in reply, and then offered. "Would you like to go fly kites? I find it easier to think about things if I have something I like to do to help distract me."
"Oh, I'd love to!" Starlight happily exclaimed, before she realized something. "But, I left my kites back at my room. I... sorta teleported here as a spur of the moment decision. I knew I wanted somepony to talk to and you were just the first pony that came to my mind," Sighing, Starlight then apologized. "I'm sorry if I'm bothering you with all this. I can just see myself out. Fluttershy's probably a better pony to talk to for things like this."
Maud simply replied in her flat tone (though her face seemed to contort in a slight look of concern). "It's okay, you can stay. I don't mind what you have to say. And if you're worried about the kites, don't be. Boulder and I made our own kites the other day, Boulder's probably grown just as fond of kites as you are."
Starlight eyed the decently made and dully colored kites resting off to the right side of Maud's bed, they actually seemed airworthy, perhaps even better than the store bought kites Starlight had in her room. "Kite flying sounds good I guess. I have to say, your kites seem very well constructed for something home made."
While Starlight was with Maud, Trixie was busy pacing back and forth in the throne room of Twilight's castle, while Twilight and Spike just sat in their respective chairs, unsure of what to say or do.
Trixie, meanwhile, was just talking to herself, trying to wonder what she could do to avoid losing Starlight's friendship. "Maybe if I bought her some normal flowers from those flower vendors? I could ask them what Starlight's favorite flowers are." She said out loud, not particularly caring if anyone could hear her.
"Trixie?" Twilight spoke up, attracting the young magician's attention.
"What is it, princess? You interested in rubbing your victory in my face?" Trixie asked, hanging her head. "Go ahead, tell me that you told me so. That you were right all along about me."
Twilight narrowed her eyes, annoyed by what Trixie said. "Despite what you might think, I'm not gloating about this. I'm the Princess of Friendship, and I'm certainly not going to be so mean as to let a friendship fall apart if there was something I could do to prevent it. So, do you want Starlight as a friend or not?"
Trixie's eyes grew big and watery. "YES! YES I DO!" However, she then added. "But I fear I'm beyond hope," A noticeable hint of sadness was contained within her voice. "Starlight probably hates me now for what I've done. And this time, I think it's clear even to a dum-dum like Trixie what the problem is."
"Are you talking about-" Spike began.
"-The fact that I don't listen to Starlight, and only care about her when it benefits me? Yes," Trixie interrupted. "And don't bother trying to say otherwise, even if you believe Trixie is wrong, how do you propose she go about proving that to Starlight? All Trixie wants to know is, why has it taken until now for Starlight to make this problem known? Hasn't she had plenty of times before to drop the hint, or was she waiting on Trixie to be a mind reader?"
Spike only sighed. "I wasn't present when you teleported the table map a few weeks back, or when you and Starlight went around town looking for it. But I did happen to be in the kitchen when Starlight told me she was going to literally bottle up her anger. I could tell something was wrong with her when I saw that big red storm cloud. And she told me that the reason she was doing that, was because she didn't want to lose you since she couldn't tell what her magic might do in her angered state. She also told me that, if you knew she was thinking at that moment, she didn't think you'd ever want to talk to her again. Starlight kept her anger at you hidden, because she was afraid letting it out would hurt you or drive you away. I think it's safe to say, she's probably been doing something similar to that all this time." He explained to Trixie.
"Great, so once again Trixie has made things ten times worse, all because Starlight wanted a friend who could listen." Trixie frowned.
"But you're not a mind reader, Trixie." Twilight spoke up, trying to sound kind.
"Well perhaps Trixie should be!" Trixie complained. "Maybe then she would've known about the poison joke before she put in Starlight's mane, or that Starlight was mad at the fact that Trixie didn't listen to her as much as she should. No wonder Starlight is threatening to break off our friendship, maybe it's better that way for the both of us."
Twilight shook her head. "Don't say things like that, Trixie! Friendship is a very powerful thing, it's hardly something you can just do without. You feel bad about what you did to Starlight, and that's good. What's most important is that you take this as a chance to start learning how to listen more carefully."
"And how is Trixie supposed to prove she's a good listener to Starlight? How is she supposed to convince Starlight Trixie deserves another chance?" Trixie asked with concern. "I mean, this isn't the first time I've messed up. I've gotten more second chances than perhaps anypony should ever have to receive, yet look at what I've done with them. I've ignored the big lesson all those second chances were hoping I would learn. I actually came close to just up and running away when Starlight suffered that allergic reaction, and that seems to be all I'm ever truly capable of. Talking a big game, and then running away when I'm exposed for who I am. Maybe The Great and Powerful Trixie should be the Great and Ignorant Trixie?!"
"I think maybe you're missing the point here," Spike commented to Trixie, trying not to sound annoyed. "This isn't just about you, and you seem to be struggling to realize that. All I can say is, if you want to prove to Starlight that you've changed, that you're a better pony now, you have to show her."
"Spike is right, Trixie," Twilight added. "We can offer you advice if that's what you want, but in the end it's up to you to prove to Starlight why you deserve another chance. Just as it's up to Starlight to decide if she should accept that chance or not."
"So, what should I do then? How can I become a better listener?" Trixie asked, as she trotted over to Twilight and added. "It really pains her to say this, princess, but Trixie needs your help. Teach her how to become a better listener."
Starlight and Maud went to the same hill on which Starlight had taught Trixie earlier in the day, the two were soon flying their kites high into the sky.
Maud was enjoying herself (or at least one would assume she was enjoying herself, with the expressions on her face it was hard to tell), but just by looking at Starlight she could tell that the same wasn't true for the unicorn. Knowing full well what needed to be done, Maud cleared her throat and said to Starlight. "I think there's something you need to talk about, something that's bothering you a lot."
Starlight tried to feign ignorance. "I... don't know what you mean, Maud. There's nothing for us to talk about, everything's fine," She gave off a nervous laugh, but Maud just continued to look at Starlight with that straight, flat expression, that nevertheless made Starlight feel as if Maud were staring into her very soul. A long, drawn out sigh escaped Starlight's lips. "If you must know," She told Maud. "It's about Trixie."
"Isn't she that magician pony Pinkie says worked on our family rock farm at one point?" Maud asked, trying to recall any memories she might have had with the performer, only to draw a blank.
"Yeah, that's her," Starlight replied, and frowned as she told Maud. "Trixie ended up infecting me with poison joke earlier today, and I suffered an allergic reaction as a result. She said it was by accident, and I'm pretty sure it was just that. But I'm still mad about the fact that I tried to tell her about what poison joke is and what it does to me, and she didn't seem to listen. It made me think about our past experiences, and how often it seems Trixie doesn't listen and gets us into trouble. And I may have overreacted just a tad."
Maud listened to the entire speech, when she was certain Starlight was finished she said in response. "So, what's troubling you? I know I said you don't have to talk about your emotions, but I can tell this is something that isn't going to go away until you talk about it. I've always been more of a listener, so I don't have to talk much. But I can tell when other ponies need to talk about something, sometimes talking is the only way others will know something's bothering you."
"It's just, this isn't the first time I've had somepony I really like hurt me. Trixie isn't the first friend to cause me pain," Starlight commented, a few faint tears forming in her eyes as she explained. "My other best friend, Sunburst... has also hurt me. Back when we were younger, he got his cutie mark before I did, and left for Canterlot to attend magic school. It tore me up so badly that I became too afraid to make any new friends for a long time. I thought Sunburst had forgotten all about me and didn't want anything to do with me, and that... sort of led to me thinking that cutie marks were evil."
"That's why you asked about that powerful stone when I was studying for my rocktorate." Maud realized, but her expressions and tone of voice did not change.
Starlight reluctantly nodded. "I'm... not really fond of reflecting back on what I did to that village, I still can't believe they forgave me even after everything I said and did to them. And when I met Sunburst again, I had to tell him all about that stuff in order to get him to open up about his past and allow us to be friends again. It wasn't long after that, when I met and befriended Trixie, though I learned that at first she was just interested in using me to beat Twilight at something. Then there was the whole 'teleporting the table map while Twilight was away' problem just a few weeks ago," Starlight had to pause to get her feelings under control, as she finished by saying. "Both times I forgave Trixie. But between what just happened today, those two other incidents with Trixie, and what happened with Sunburst, I'm wondering if it's truly worth befriending ponies, when all it seems to do is cause me pain."
Maud's response was something that Starlight was quite surprised to hear. "Reaching out and making friends can cause you to get hurt, but so can anything else. If you're afraid of getting hurt, you'll never be able to do anything in life. But that's not what's really troubling you, is it?"
"You can see right through me, huh?" Starlight commented, and before Maud could confirm or deny this, Starlight went on to say. "You're right, Maud. What I'm really worried about, is whether or not I should forgive Trixie. She always says she's sorry, but each time I've given her another chance, she ends up hurting me in some way, shape, or form. Even if she claims it's by accident, do I really wanna keep doing this if she's never going to change? I really want to believe she can be a different pony. But after all the chances I've given her to do so, can I bring myself to give her one more on the off chance that she might actually change?"
Maud reached out and put a hoof around Starlight's neck, and cleared her throat as she told her friend. "Ponies are a lot like rocks, it's easy to judge them by what's on the outside and not what's on the inside. But just like rocks can change their shape and appearance overtime, I believe that ponies can do the same. Not all rocks change though, some remain the same forever, and the same can hold true for ponies. Basically, it's up to you to decide. You have to do some listening too, not just to other ponies hearts, but to your own. That's why I gave my sister another chance after she kept cutting into our bonding time, I could hear and sense that she was truly sorry and that she had changed. And now, you have to do the same with Trixie. You have to listen to what her heart says, and what your heart tells you. No one else can do that for you. And one more thing, Starlight. I've heard ponies say that 'To forgive is not to forget.', so keep that in mind when you make your decision," Upon finishing her speech, Maud removed her hoof from Starlight and asked. "So, shall we get back to flying kites?"
Back at the castle, Trixie was now seated in the throne that had Rainbow Dash's cutie mark, and was eyeing both Twilight and Spike, who were discussing some things with each other. Trixie felt tempted to speak, but she couldn't find the courage to open her mouth.
It was Twilight who broke the silence, as she looked at Trixie and asked her. "Are you ready to start practicing your listening lessons?"
"I.... guess so," Trixie nervously replied. "Do you think this will work?"
"It's worth a shot at least," Spike responded, and looked across to Twilight. "You go first."
Twilight smiled, and cleared her throat. "Okay, Trixie. Now, let's go back to when you and Starlight first became friends. I will be Starlight, and you will be yourself," Then, adjusting her voice to try and sound more like Starlight, Twilight commented. "Trixie, tonight is this very important dinner with Twilight, and she is expecting me to bring you with me to see Princess Celestia. But, I know tonight is also the night of your big magic show. So there isn't enough time for us to do both. What should we do?"
Trixie wanted to giggle at Twilight's bad impression of Starlight, but she was too busy trying to think of a response to do so. She struggled to think of what she should say, and what Twilight would want her to say.
"I'm waiting." Twilight commented, trying not to sound impatient.
Trixie sighed, as she reluctantly replied. "I don't know, what should we do?"
Twilight frowned a bit. "That was not the right answer, Trixie. You were supposed to say either 'Let's go to the dinner and postpone the magic show until tomorrow.' or 'Let's leave Twilight a note so she knows where we'll be and won't have to worry.'."
"I'm sorry, princess. Guess I've already failed my lesson, huh?" Trixie asked, as she slumped down in the chair and hung her head in shame.
Twilight shook her head. "It's okay, I didn't expect you to get it on the first try. Let's just try again, okay?" Then looking across to Spike she asked the dragon. "Are you ready with your scenario?"
Spike nodded. "I was born ready!" To Trixie he then said. "Now, why don't we try a more recent scenario? I'm sure you know which one I'm talking about."
"Oh yes, the one with the teleported table map. How could Trixie ever forget that?" Trixie sighed, even as she reluctantly lifted her head up to look at Spike.
"Okay, I'll be Starlight, and you'll be yourself," Spike explained, and launched into the scenario. "Trixie, you just teleported the table map, and that is extremely important to Twilight. How do you think it makes me feel knowing that you didn't listen to my instructions and jumped the gun?"
Trixie thought and thought for a while, even more so than the previous one she had to really think about what she was supposed to say and what the correct response was supposed to be. At last, however, a light bulb went off in her head, and she knew what she had to say. "I'm sorry, Starlight. That must make you pretty mad, and you have every right to be mad with me," She said, making sure her voice sounded sincere and apologetic. "I should have listened to you before I tried to practice teleporting, and I promise I won't do it again. Now, how can I help you get the map back?"
Spike clapped his claws together and cheered. "Bravo, Trixie! You got it right!"
"See, Trixie?" Twilight smiled, getting up out of her throne and walking over to Trixie. "It's easy enough if you just try. You don't have to doubt yourself, you can be a good listener."
Trixie felt slightly more confident than she had been since this entire ordeal with Starlight had begun, but she was still very worried about what Starlight might do when she inevitably came back. And it was because of these worries that she asked Twilight. "Do you think it will be enough to convince Starlight to give me another chance? Do you think our friendship can still be saved?"
"I'm afraid I can't answer that, it's not up to me to decide for Starlight," Twilight replied in a serious and somber tone. "All I can do, is try to put in a good word on your behalf if necessary. But you have to make the case for yourself, and Starlight has to decide whether or not to accept your apology. If she says no, there's not much I can do to change her mind."
"Would it maybe sweeten the deal if I bought her flowers or offered to take her out to dinner or something?" Trixie asked, wondering if it might be possible to adjust the setting and mood to suit her needs.
"You can't buy an apology with favors, Trixie, it'll just make it seem like you're putting on an act," Spike said with a shake of his head. "You want Starlight to forgive you? Then you have to present yourself as who you are now, as a better pony than you were at the beginning of today. That's all you can do."
"I was afraid of that," Trixie admitted, nervously. "What if I mess up the apology or something? I don't know if I can do this by myself, this is the first time I've decided to face my problems instead of running away from them."
"Just do the best you can, and try to think about why you're doing this," Twilight encouraged. "Now, all we have to do is wait for Starlight to come back. And then the rest is up to you."
Several hours passed by, as Twilight, Spike, and Trixie, waited anxiously for Starlight to come back. But Starlight did not return until Celestia's sun was beginning to set in the west. By this point, Trixie was all but a nervous wreck, despite her best efforts to keep this from showing.
Twilight and Spike decided it was best to make themselves scarce, leaving Trixie and Starlight to eye each other, while the tension in the room became so thick you could've cut it with a knife.
Seconds ticked by, then minutes. But neither unicorn dared to say a word, they just seemed intent on staring each other down, as if daring the other to blink.
At last, it was Trixie who broke the silence. Despite how much she struggled to look Starlight in the eye, she managed to say in the most apologetic tone she could. "Starlight, before you say anything, Trixie wants you to know that you don't have to forgive her and she won't ask you to. If you want to hold all my past mistakes against me for however long you want, do so, it's a punishment I deserve," Struggling to keep tears from her eyes she then added. "But please, if at all possible, give Trixie one last chance. I don't want to lose your friendship, it means everything to me. I know I'm not good with words and making apologies, but I promise I'll try my hardest to listen to you from now on."
Trixie's words were slow to sink in for Starlight, as she tried to do some thinking on her own. But before long, she opened her mouth and gave Trixie a response, all the while tears started to form in her eyes. "I forgive you, Trixie. I don't want to lose you as a friend either, your friendship means a lot to me, even despite the times you've hurt me. And just like you need to do a better job of listening, I need to do a better job of talking and not keeping things to myself. I could've told you about the dinner before it became an issue, or told you how mad I was before I decided to bottle up my anger."
"But it was still my fault both times for not listening to you, and for that I owe you an apology," Trixie protested, tears of her own starting to form. "And I don't expect you to forgive me for the poison joke incident."
"Well, you did bring me to the castle to get help, and I should've told you much earlier about my poison joke allergies," Starlight replied. "I guess we both have things to be sorry for. And after spending some time thinking about it, I realized that.... I overreacted earlier, just a little. So, do you forgive me for that?"
"Of course," Trixie nodded, as she and Starlight embraced each other in a hug. "Does this mean you forgive me, the Sad and Apologetic Trixie?"
Despite her tears, Starlight smiled. "You bet it does. And, I think we both learned some very important friendship lessons today."
"Indeed we did, Starlight. Indeed we did." Trixie agreed, as the two unicorns continued to hug each other. Even Twilight and Spike had to admit the scene was heartwarming. And hopefully, Trixie and Starlight had emerged from this ordeal as better ponies, and with their friendship stronger than ever.
Author's Note
After how badly she was written in "All Bottled Up", I knew I had to write something to address my grievances with Trixie. Suffice it to say, "All Bottled Up" really called her entire redemption arc into question, much like "Every Little Thing She Does" did the same for Starlight. I get that Trixie has an ego, but is it so hard to ask for it be toned down if dialing up just makes her unlikeable?
I knew when writing this fic that I had to keep things fair and balanced, since Starlight is no saint and there are some things she could've done in "All Bottled Up" and even "No Second Prances" to prevent the problem, even though that doesn't mean Trixie can escape blame for her actions. When "Rock Solid Friendship" had Starlight and Maud interact and bond, I knew I had to work that into this fic as well.
Hopefully, I wasn't too harsh on either character, and addressed everything that needed to be addressed. I should mention that I don't ship Starlight and Trixie, even before "All Bottled Up" I just couldn't see that as a workable relationship, at least not right now.
Now, I'll be working on my Stallion Six fic next, plus a non-pony endevor on FanFiction.net, and those will probably keep me occupied through May and into June. I'm thinking that my next new fic will be a sequel to my CheesePie fic, involving Cheese Sandwich meeting Maud, but we'll see what happens, especially considering what some of the upcoming episodes will involve.
