Coffee.
Coffee was an important part of Starlight’s morning. Ever since she began studying as Twilight’s pupil, coffee was a staple of the breakfast menu. Whether the rest of the meal was pancakes with fruit and whipped cream, or fried eggs and hay bacon, or nothing more than plain oatmeal with a touch of brown sugar, there would always be a steaming hot cup of coffee to start her day.
Usually, Spike would be up early, as soon as the morning sun started to warm his scales under the blanket, while she and Twilight slept in late. Or quite often, Twilight would have woken during her namesake with the inspiration for a new friendship lesson, and she would prepare breakfast on the tips of her hooves, quiveringly eager to share her new lesson plan with her favorite student.
But Starlight was a resourceful pony, and bleary-eyed and groggy or not, she could make coffee just as well as any other inhabitant of Ponyville’s crystal palace. Her horn buzzed, very nearly audibly, as she concentrated on pouring the fresh beans into the grinder while turning the handle around in its circle. In contrast to the middle of the night, the rest of the castle was now as silent as one of Fluttershy’s mice, maybe even Fluttershy herself.
Starlight yawned as she flashed a bolt of magic at the tea kettle, causing an instant spout of steam as well as a slight scorch mark where she’d hit the formerly gleaming surface. Just another reminder to herself why she hadn’t actually gone through with casting a silence ward around her room at night—convenience magic often came with unintended side effects. One overzealous casting and she might not be able to hear anything in the room ever again. Starlight pondered whether that might be worth a good night’s sleep.
The rest of the castle’s inhabitants started appearing just as the first wafting vapors of freshly brewed coffee graced her nostrils. First Spike, still plucking cotton balls from his scaly ears—he was lucky that they didn’t tickle him to death. Then Twilight trotted in, her knees lifting high and her hooves beating an extraordinarily chipper rhythm out on the crystalline floor. Closely behind her followed Rainbow Dash, flying just above head height as she so often preferred to do, making little zigzags through the air. Starlight murmured a “good morning” as Twilight sat down and levitated the town newspaper from the porch in through the window.
“Morning, sleepyhead!” Rainbow giggled as she flew in a tight spiral around Starlight, her rainbow contrail momentarily wrapping her up almost like a hug before it dissipated. Starlight blinked and shook her head slightly as she attempted to refocus her eyes on Rainbow hovering above the middle of the dining table. “Whoops, I think I made your bedmane worse. Lemme fix that for you before I have to scram.”
Starlight was about to open her mouth, but the sticky, sleepy feeling she hadn’t yet been able to chase away with hot coffee kept her lips glued long enough for Rainbow to dash out of the room and back with a hoof brush and to start running it through her mane. She shrugged and finally let some of the miraculous black liquid pour into her body and warm her soul. “I guess you must have enjoyed your sleepover,” Starlight said, finally managing to unglue her lips and find her proper voice again.
“Sleepover, yeah.” Rainbow’s voice hit a kind of scratchy squeak, almost as if she was trying not to giggle. “It was a blast. Makes me wish I could hang around longer.”
“You’re not staying for breakfast, Rainbow?” Spike asked as he spun a loaf of bread in the air and swiped with his claws, producing a stack of perfect slices. A shallow pan full of beaten eggs stood by, and a skillet was already parked over a roaring fire—Prench toast seemed to be on the menu this morning.
“Nah,” Rainbow replied, letting Starlight’s mane go as she swooped over to the kitchen counter and scooped up two slices of bread. “I promised Cloudy I’d help her out this morning. She’s got a storm scheduled and half a dozen fliers out with feather flu. Just the right amount of work for one Rainbow Dash.” She tossed the bread slices in the air, giving them so much spin that they actually hovered in place for several seconds. “Wanna toast these for me? They’re already setting up out there, so I gotta fly.”
Rainbow dived toward Twilight, hugging her around the shoulders and disturbing the straight line of her bangs as she hovered in midair. Starlight watched them for a moment before her attention was drawn by a brilliant, noisy burst of dragon fire from the attached kitchen area. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, clearing her vision just in time to follow Rainbow’s colorful contrail as it zoomed out the window. As it faded from view, Starlight saw a dozen or so colorful little pony shapes pushing dark gray clouds around the sky, and a little blue one rushing out to join them.
—
“So, what’s our lesson plan for today?” Starlight asked, one full cup of coffee and two slices of Prench toast later. “You and Rainbow must have been cooking up something exciting for me to learn last night.”
A pink tinge lit up Twilight’s face before she ducked back behind her newspaper. “Actually, Trixie sent me a note saying she was going to be in town today, so I thought I’d give you the day off to spend together.”
“Oh!” Starlight let out a little gasp as her ears perked up. As if on cue, she could hear the sound of wooden wheels clattering across the cobblestones outside the castle. “Thank you, Twilight!” Starlight spun around the table at a speed worthy of Rainbow Dash in order to give Twilight a brief hug while she levitated her breakfast dishes into the kitchen sink. “I’m sure we’ll have as much fun today as you and Rainbow Dash had last night.”
Twilight let out a noise halfway between a cough and a chuckle. “I didn’t realize you and Trixie were quite that close.”
“What do you mean, Twilight?” Starlight cocked her head as she let go. “We are best friends after all.”
“You mean like Bon Bon and Lyra Heartstrings?” Spike chimed in, grinning at her for a moment before taking a big bite of Prench toast covered in crushed rubies instead of the sliced strawberries she and Twilight had been served.
“Exactly, Spike.” Starlight flashed him a smile, then turned back to Twilight who was now gazing out the window herself. She followed suit and caught sight of the curved top of Trixie’s wagon parked just outside. A grin spread across her own muzzle.
“Well, you two have fun then. Spike, hurry up and finish breakfast. We need to do some reshelving in the library, on the other side of the castle.” Twilight stood up suddenly, dropping her newspaper unceremoniously onto the table.
“Aw, come on. I’ve got another whole slice to go. Besides, we reshelved the library the day before yesterday.” Spike groaned, waving a bit of his breakfast on the end of his fork before stuffing it in his mouth.
“No, we definitely need to reshelve. Far away from the dining room and any open windows.” Twilight’s horn lit up and a series of dull thumps could be heard echoing down the hallway. “Somepony knocked a bunch of books onto the floor, and by a bunch, I mean all of them, so we need all the time we can get.”
Spike let out a squawk as Twilight wrapped him up in a field of purple magic and floated him out of the room alongside her as she left, pulling the door closed behind them. Starlight blinked and stared at the door for a moment before shrugging her shoulders and picking up the leavings of Spike’s breakfast to join her own dirty dishes in the sink.
She turned to clean up Twilight’s place as well and stopped to cock her head. Her plate, slightly stained red with strawberry juice was there as expected, but the coffee mug that should have been there was not. Starlight followed the dishes into the kitchen, veering off to look at the pot of coffee by the stove. Still half full and warm enough to drink.
Starlight brought the pot to her snout and inhaled softly. It seemed a shame to waste good coffee, and she wondered why Twilight hadn’t taken her share. But at the same time, the smell of fresh coffee was less exciting to her than the thought of spending time with her best friend. Perhaps it was the cup she’d already had with breakfast, or perhaps friendship was better than coffee and Twilight didn’t need her usual morning stimulant with Rainbow Dash around.
Her eyes followed the dark stream as it poured down the drain while she pondered what she and Trixie might do together on a rainy day. No kite flying, perhaps just staying in her cart and reading something together. Twilight and Rainbow seemed to like their Daring Do books, and anything good enough for Princess Twilight Sparkle was certainly good enough for Starlight Glimmer. The coffee pot joined the rest of the breakfast dishes with a clatter as she trotted out the door.
As a testament to Rainbow Dash’s work ethic, rain was already falling from the sky by the time Starlight trotted outside. Only a light shower blanketed the town, a prelude to the promised storm. However, several stronger streams poured from the palace itself—their tributaries channeled together by the faceted texture of the crystal surface.
Over the tinkling sound of raindrops on the lawn and cobblestones, Starlight could hear a mare’s slightly husky voice lifted in song and most definitely coming from the direction of Trixie’s cart. It was parked under a low hanging branch of the palace where a stream of water falling from higher up splashed and broke into a much wider spray.
Starlight cocked her head at the sight of one of the awnings from the cart’s roof stretched out horizontally and standing up on its side. Trixie didn’t sound angry, so she all but ruled out the prospect of damage as she approached.
“Trixie? Is everything alright?” Starlight asked as she skirted through a narrow gap between awning and cart. Her eyes flew wide before she managed to cover them with a hoof, leaning against the side of the cart for balance. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize you were showering!”
Before her vision cut off, Starlight had indeed caught sight of Trixie, reared back on her hind legs under the spray of water from the castle. Her long, silvery mane hung down from her head and lay plastered against her back and shoulders. The remnants of soap slithered down her back and onto the patch of grass under her hooves.
Starlight felt a damp hoof clasp her own and gently ease her leg away from her face.
“It’s alright. You’ve seen me naked before.” Trixie gave a little toss of her head to move her wet mane out of her eyes and smiled as she patted Starlight’s hoof. “I’m almost finished anyway, I just need to wash my mane.”
Starlight swallowed a lump in her throat and sat down on the grass with a thump as she watched Trixie pick up the bottle of shampoo in her magic aura, rearing up as she squeezed a dollop onto each front hoof. She hummed the song she’d been singing as she swayed slightly in place, balanced on her hind legs from long practice on stage.
Trixie’s soaked tail swished lazily back and forth as her hooves ran over her scalp, slowly lathering her forelock before gently massaging shampoo into her long, silvery mane. Starlight reached a hoof up to brush a bit of her mane out of her eye as Trixie arched her back and leaned over one of the awning’s support poles, resting her chest and arms against it as she massaged the suds into her mane with her magic.
Starlight blinked twice as Trixie gave a wink over her shoulder before standing again, just in time to miss most of a stream of water falling from the castle as it changed course right above her head. Trixie twirled on her hooves and caught a few dollops of shampoo with her magic as they flung themselves out of her mane.
Trixie’s hooves trailed through her mane again, shaking more suds loose as the purple glow of her magic caught them and spread them through her tail. Her head was tilted back, staring up at the branches of the castle as her hind hooves moved her in a controlled dance always out of the way of the changing stream of water above.
Starlight swallowed again as Trixie finally slowed to a stop and her horn extinguished itself. “We have showers in the palace and hot water. I’m sure Twilight wouldn’t have minded you using them.”
“I had a long trip and wanted to be clean before I came to see you.” Trixie dropped to all fours and angled her head under the stream of water until her hair was free of suds. She turned to face Starlight again while her tail was rinsing. “I’m rather used to having to make do on the road, but I’ll remember for next time.”
Trixie’s magic aura surrounded the awning and lifted it back into place, blocking off the stream of water from the castle as she reached through the window of her cart and picked up a towel in her teeth. She flipped it into the air, spinning it out to full size as she caught it with her magic and began to dry her coat.
“Perhaps Trixie should consider a wet mane act for her show.” She grinned, winking at Starlight as she ruffled her mane with the towel. “The test audience seems enthralled.”
Starlight’s cheeks flushed a bit under Trixie’s gaze. “I’ve just never watched another pony showering before.”
“Trixie is simply having a bit of fun.” She giggled and patted Starlight’s shoulder. “Let’s go inside. I’ll brush your mane if you'll brush mine.”
—
Starlight gritted her teeth as she felt yet another tug against her scalp, gentle enough not to be painful, but that was little comfort in view of the sheer number of times it had happened.
“That should be the last tangle. I didn’t expect to find nearly so many,” Trixie sighed softly as the tugging eased back into much gentler brush strokes. “You must have had a rough night.”
“The castle’s been making a bit of noise at night lately, but I didn’t toss and turn much.” Starlight closed her eyes and leaned forward into the sofa cushion as Trixie pulled the brush through the entire length of her mane in long, slow strokes. “It was probably Rainbow Dash.”
The steady pull of the brush faltered for a moment. “Rainbow Dash tangled your mane?”
Starlight nodded ever so slightly, feeling the tug of her mane against her scalp as she pulled against the brush and Trixie’s hooves. “You’ve seen how she gets when she’s excited, flying around and leaving a trail of rainbow in her wake.” Starlight let her chin sink into the sofa cushion as the brush dug a bit deeper into her mane, her tail now lashing slightly with each stroke. “I guess she was pretty excited about her sleepover. She buzzed me at the breakfast table before I’d had my coffee, then offered to fix my mane.”
“Rainbow Dash did not do a very thorough job, then.” Trixie let out an audible snort. “Fortunately, Trixie does not mind brushing Starlight’s hair. She finds it very relaxing.”
The two of them sat in silence for a moment, Starlight listening to the thrumming sounds of the rain outside as it struck the wooden roof of the cart. The shuttered windows and Trixie’s plush furnishings muffled the sound of the storm low enough that she could still hear the sound of Trixie brushing her mane, but only just as the rain was steadily picking up as promised.
“You said ‘her sleepover.’” Trixie broke the silence as she finally finished brushing and scooted back into the middle of her couch cushion. “Twilight Sparkle invited her friends for a sleepover, but did not invite you to join them?”
“Oh, no. Just Rainbow Dash.” Starlight gave her freshly brushed mane a little toss with her hooves as she turned around to face Trixie, picking up the brush in her own magic aura.
Trixie chuckled as she leaned over the cushion on her side of the couch, giving Starlight access to her mane. “Just Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash, hmm? Quite a tight-knit little sleepover, then.”
“They like to get together and read whenever a new Daring Do book comes out.” Starlight gently lifted Trixie’s mane in her hooves and lowered the brush to it, pulling slowly through her silvery hair from scalp to tips. “I’ve thought about looking into the series myself since they seem to get so passionate about it.”
Trixie swished her tail and hummed softly as Starlight brushed, filling out her matted mane to its usual volume. “I've seen those books for sale. It must take them several sleepovers to get through one, unless they read all night.”
“Rainbow Dash has been staying at the castle pretty often lately.” Starlight’s brush strokes slowed as her gaze focused on the back of Trixie’s head.
“Since the castle started making noises at night, maybe?” Trixie’s shoulders shook slightly and her voice seemed a bit choked up as she spoke.
Starlight tilted her head back to stare at the ceiling. For a moment her ears tuned out everything but the sound of the rain. “Yes, now that I think about it.”
When she looked back down, Trixie had turned to face her and was openly giggling. “Sounds to me like they’re getting passionate alright, but I don’t think it’s about a book.”
“You don’t think so?” Starlight blinked, sinking back into her own sofa cushion as she gazed at Trixie who was stifling laughter behind her hoof. “I don’t know of anything else they’d both get so excited about.”
She held up her left hoof. “Rainbow Dash really loves flying and the Wonderbolts, but Twilight is only moderately interested in both.” Starlight turned her head a bit, holding up her right hoof. “And Twilight really loves organizing and studying and learning spells, and none of those are really Rainbow Dash subjects.”
Starlight clopped her hooves gently together. “Reading Daring Do together is the only time I’ve seen them really cut loose and egg each other on.”
Across the sofa, Trixie’s muzzle was stretched in a wide grin. “Oh, I’m sure they would get that excited over a new Daring Do book, but according to the fliers I saw in Fillydelphia, the next new book won’t be out for another month.”
Starlight pressed a hoof to her chin, staring at the gap between the sofa cushions as she tried to reconcile this new information. Finally, she looked back up at Trixie. “So, what do you think they were doing, then?”
“You should know better than me.” Trixie sing-songed as she leaned forward, holding a hoof alongside her muzzle. “Have you seen them acting a little different lately? Some juicy gossip could help confirm my suspicions.”
Starlight leaned forward herself, knitting her eyebrows as she tried to think of anything relevant to share with her friend. “They have been really chipper and friendly in the morning lately. Without even having coffee. That is kind of weird.” Her muzzle scrunched up as she recalled her post-breakfast conversation with Twilight. “They’ve been so friendly, that this morning Twilight seemed to think you and I weren’t as close as she and Rainbow Dash.”
She sat back upright, stretching a bit to recover from the awkward angle. “I suppose we haven’t known each other quite as long, but she has five best friends, and I’ve been concentrating on just one.” Starlight closed her eyes and nodded firmly. “Even Spike agreed that we’re best friends like Twilight and Rainbow or like Lyra and Bon Bon.”
Trixie raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know many of the ponies in this town by name. What do they look like?”
“Bon Bon has a cream colored coat with a curly blue and pink mane, and Lyra’s a unicorn with a green coat.” Starlight smiled. “I hardly ever see them apart. Trotting around the park together, or eating lunch at the cafe, or sharing a milkshake at Sugar Cube Corner.”
Trixie brought a hoof to her chin, arching an eyebrow for a moment before a wide grin stretched across her muzzle. “Yes, I recognize them from that description. I saw them having a picnic in a little grove of trees on my way out of town once. They seemed much more interested in each other than in the food.”
Trixie smirked, rubbing her hooves together. “If Twilight and Rainbow Dash can be compared to those two, I must be on the right track.”
Starlight blinked, staring at Trixie as the latter chuckled through grinning teeth. The sound of raindrops on the roof of the cart seemed to grow louder as the moment stretched on and on. Starlight finally stretched out her hooves with a small groan, flopping back against the sofa cushion. “Okay, first Twilight started acting odd when Spike said that, now you are too. What am I not getting?!”
Trixie’s laugher caught in her throat as she stared slack-jawed at Starlight’s indignant glower. “It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Trixie tapped out the points on her hooves as she spoke. “Funny noises in the castle at night when Rainbow Dash stays over, no new Daring Do book for them to be making such a racket about, and Twilight thinks she and Rainbow are closer than the two of us? It’s all there.”
The pattering sound of rain filled the silence that stretched between Starlight and Trixie. The cart’s firefly lamps glinted off each pair of eyes staring across the invisible chasm of understanding that had grown up between them. Starlight reached for a throw pillow, hugging it to her chest and biting her lip as she rocked slowly on the spot. “Maybe Twilight was right,” she mumbled to herself, averting her eyes as she hunched her body around the pillow. The storm outside grew louder with each passing second and Starlight swivelled her ears to try and muffle the roaring white noise of the rain.
“Do you trust Trixie?”
Trixie’s voice cut through the static and Starlight’s eyes glanced over to see a dark blue hoof stretched out in her direction. Starlight sniffed back the beginnings of tears that were welling up and turned her eyes fully back in Trixie’s direction.
“Trixie can explain what she means and prove that she and Starlight are just as close friends, but you must trust Trixie.” She inched her hoof a little closer. “If you trust me, Starlight Glimmer, I promise that as your friend I will not hurt you.”
Starlight gazed into Trixie’s eyes, a warm, happy smile lifting the corners, reminding her of the way Trixie had smiled after being rescued from the manticore. Her challenging demeanor that held back a secret had been set aside and replaced with a comforting expression. Slowly, Starlight stretched out a hoof herself, letting the throw pillow fall to the floor as she clasped Trixie in her grip, feeling the warmth of her coat against her fetlock.
Trixie held her grasp as she slid across the sofa, crossing the gap between them until their coats brushed softly together. Her free hoof wrapped around Starlight’s shoulders, pressing their chests together as she rested her temple against Starlight’s.
The heat of Trixie’s body against her own soothed down her nerves at least as much as the prospect of gaining new knowledge. As the hug continued, Starlight found a small corner of her mind drifting off toward some of her earliest friendship lessons, especially the examples Twilight had offered of small spats between herself and her friends, Rainbow Dash being a fond favorite among them.
“There is just one very important thing you must remember, Starlight.” Trixie broke in on Starlight’s thoughts as she pulled away just enough to face her again. “If you want me to stop for any reason,” Trixie gritted her teeth slightly, but finished without much delay, “just say: Alicorn Amulet.”
Starlight cocked her head, repeating the name of the artifact. “Alicorn Amulet?”
“Yes,” Trixie nodded, “say those two words and Trixie will stop.”
Starlight gave a nod more from instinct than from understanding, but before she could ponder out any meaning, the interior of the cart dimmed to near-blackness. Apart from a faint glow leaking in through the cracks in the shuttered windows, only the purple aura of Trixie’s magic was visible as it faded away from each of her firefly lamps and finally from her horn itself. Starlight squinted in the dark, her gaze drifting down from Trixie’s horn to catch a glint of the gray-blue light of the outside world reflecting in her eyes.
With a flash that burned in the darkness, a dozen beads of white hot magic shot from Trixie’s horn and lit the cart with a brilliant radiance that quickly dimmed to a muted glow. Starlight let out a gasp at the sudden light show, her gaze darting around to take in the sight of a dozen candles, now burning with dancing yellow flames, bathing the sofa in a much softer light than that of the lamps.
Starlight let out a squeak as Trixie’s warm breath tickled her chin and she felt her lips peck at the side of her jaw. Once, twice, then a third kiss under her chin and more trailing down her neck as Trixie’s hooves rubbed her shoulders in small circles. Starlight felt a heat grow in the pit of her stomach as Trixie’s lips grazed along her collarbone, drawing a soft moan from her lips.
After far too short a time, Trixie pecked her lips and slithered away. Starlight let her gaze trail along Trixie’s body from shoulders to flank as she slid off the sofa as gracefully as a cat. Her eyes fixed especially on her cutie mark as it flexed with the movement, rippling the sparkling trail of magic as if it were her cape.
“I’m sorry I upset you, Starlight.” Trixie purred as she placed her front hooves on the futon and arched her back, flicking her tail behind her.
The momentary spat with Trixie crept back into Starlight’s mind, but the bitterness was now all but dispelled. “I'm sorry I got upset. I—” Starlight's response cut off as Trixie placed a hoof to her lips.
“Let me show you how important you are to me.” Trixie leaned forward, nuzzling her snout against Starlight's forelock. As Trixie's lips gently touched her forehead, Starlight recalled something from breakfast, an image of Rainbow Dash nuzzling into Twilight’s mane just before she zoomed away from the castle. The heat in the pit of her stomach was joined by two rosy spots on her cheeks.
Trixie leaned back and grinned as her horn lit up brightly, momentarily washing out the glow of the candles. Starlight yelped and rocked in place as the sofa cushion flew out from under her, landing her with a soft bump onto the futon pad below. Just as the tips of her hooves found purchase on the new surface, Trixie’s purple magic gripped the wooden frame and pulled firmly until the entire futon lay flat—and so did Starlight.
The heat in Starlight’s belly grew even as it spread down from her stomach while Trixie climbed up and placed both hooves gently on her shoulders. Their warm coats made contact once again as Trixie lay across Starlight’s body and nuzzled into her mane.
Starlight opened her mouth to speak, but Trixie’s breath tickled the inside of her ear. Then a soft swipe of her tongue tickled the outside edge, breaking her train of thought.
Starlight could feel her heart pound in her chest as Trixie sat up just enough to face her, leaned in and gave a gentle lick across her muzzle before pressing their lips together. Her stomach knotted and fluttered and the heat in her core burned with an unfamiliar intensity as she lay at Trixie’s mercy.
Her lips were slack against Trixie’s at first, but she began to mimic the movement of Trixie’s lips, reaching a hoof up to rest on Trixie’s shoulder. Starlight could feel a soft moan escape Trixie’s mouth at the contact and started to vary her rhythm just a bit until their lips slid against one another, sending pleasurable little impulses through her jaw.
Trixie hummed softly as her lips once again trailed down Starlight’s jaw, chin, and neck. Starlight leaned forward, her lips parted slightly, breathing hard as she tried to follow in vain. Their coats clung together ever so gently as Trixie’s body slid away, but the chill of the cool air inside the cart was quickly banished by the heat of Trixie’s lips, tongue, and softly puffing breath against her fur.
Starlight’s eyes widened as she watched Trixie trailing kisses down her chest and stomach. The heat in her core flared sharply into focus again as Trixie moved closer and closer to its source. Her lips parted, drawing in an unsteady breath that momentarily hid Trixie’s muzzle behind her rising chest.
Trixie dipped lower still, lips and tongue caressing the soft coat of her inner thigh. Starlight tried to catch Trixie’s eye and give her a nod, but Trixie’s attention was completely fixated on the marehood in front of her. Her muzzle flushed with a heat rivaling that radiating from between her hind legs as she watched Trixie lick her lips as if she were contemplating a bounteous meal.
Starlight’s mind flashed with nearly forgotten memories of health classes taken as a filly. Dry textbook recitations made up her entire experience when it came to sex. But even with Trixie’s muzzle still half a hoof away, the warmth and heat was beginning to feel quite wet. Starlight felt an instinctive desire to squeeze her hind legs together and stem the flow, but Trixie’s strong hooves held them apart as her muzzle inched forward.
Starlight hugged her forehooves to her chest and her hind legs gave a twitch as she felt Trixie’s tongue touch a place she’d only ever touched herself while showering. A squeak escaped her muzzle as Trixie’s lips and tongue explored her marehood, spreading that new slick and slippery feeling over a larger and larger area.
As her tongue started to slip between her labia, Trixie finally looked up and caught Starlight’s eye. Even though most of her muzzle was hidden, Starlight could see the smile in Trixie’s cheeks and the accompanying twinkle in her eyes as she worked her tongue. Another, lighter blue smile flitted across her memory and through the pre-coffee morning haze, Starlight could picture Rainbow’s smile after she’d flown in behind Twilight.
Trixie had asked if she trusted her. Starlight had needed to learn to trust, but Twilight’s friends had helped with that, despite some setbacks along the way. She did trust Trixie, more than anypony except perhaps Twilight Sparkle herself.
Starlight felt the tension in her legs ease up, like a spring being slowly unwound. All thought of mind-controlling magical artifacts left her consciousness as her muscles relaxed and welcomed Trixie’s tongue. It pressed up inside her vagina and gently flicked at the tight confines, drawing a moan that rumbled in her chest. Twilight trusted her friends, of course, but perhaps Rainbow was in that uniquely trusted position. Trixie’s tongue swiped upward, dragging between her labia until the rough texture dragged across her clitoris.
The noise was different, but had it echoed off of crystalline walls instead of wooden slats, Starlight’s gasp and moan would have sounded almost exactly like the nightly noises in the castle. She arched her back, reaching a hoof down to clasp with Trixie’s as her best friend lapped at her quivering marehood, coaxing an entire series of differently pitched moans from her core.
Starlight lay on her side, her hind legs curled up to her stomach and her forehooves gently clasping the blue arms wrapped around her chest. Trixie’s warm breath tickled her ear pleasantly as they rested together.
Part of her, a big part, had been telling her to keep quiet, and she had listened. She’d listened to the voice in her head as well as the rain beating on the roof of the cart in order to enjoy resting in Trixie’s arms. The warmth curled against her back was still intoxicating, but the sound of rain outside was thinning out and coming to an end, so it was time to shush the voice in her head as well.
“Trixie?”
Starlight’s utterance was met with a gentle kiss against her ear. She let out a soft, happy sigh, but cleared her throat before she could lapse back into complacency.
“Trixie, I need to tell you something.” Starlight could feel the words rumble ever so slightly in her chest against Trixie’s arms. “Something important.”
Trixie yawned lazily, pulling a stream of cool air across Starlight’s ear until it cut off with a gurgle. Her arms tightened a bit around Starlight’s chest, then went slack.
Starlight slowly rolled over to face Trixie, smiling at her as she cupped her cheek with a hoof. “I wanted to thank you.” She leaned forward, closing her eyes and gently brushing muzzles with Trixie. “I’ve never done anything like that before.”
“Oh.” Trixie let out a held breath. Starlight could feel her chest contract away even as the warm stream of exhaled air tickled her chin. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I suspected that when you were confused about Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash.” Trixie pulled away, looking sheepish.
“I’m glad I trusted you, Trixie.” Starlight ran a hoof along Trixie’s mane, smoothing a few locks that stuck out at odd angles. “I think you’re probably right about those two, but there’s more to it.” Starlight’s eyes drifted to the side. “When I said ‘never’, I mean I never did anything like that, not even by myself.”
Starlight rolled over again, pressing her back against Trixie’s warm chest. She let out a contented sigh as Trixie wrapped her arms around her just as before and held her close. Now that the rain had stopped, there was no longer any white noise to cover the silence, just the offbeat rhythm of two mares breathing.
“After Sunburst left, I just started studying. Every book of magic I could get my hooves on.” Starlight’s voice shook slightly, but she took a deep breath, pressing her chest into Trixie’s arms. “At first I wanted to follow him and find my friend again, but before I knew it, I got obsessed with learning and mastering every spell I found.
“Too obsessed. I missed out on growing up.” Starlight brought a hoof up and cupped it over Trixie’s. “I knew what sex was from school, but I never thought about it personally. Especially when I was leading the village and had to hide my cutie mark so carefully. I could never have been close enough to anypony for it to matter, until now. So, thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Starlight Glimmer.” Trixie purred and kissed Starlight’s ear. “Did Trixie make you feel sure you’re as close to her now as Twilight Sparkle is to Rainbow Dash?”
Starlight giggled, leaning her muzzle down to peck Trixie’s hoof. “Yes, I’m sure now, and it feels wonderful.” She let out a sigh as Trixie gave her a light squeeze and kissed her cheek. “It still feels wonderful.”
The cart lapsed back into near silence as Trixie and Starlight lay cuddled together. Trixie nuzzled into Starlight’s mane and up against her ear, tickling it as she breathed. Starlight flicked her tail over Trixie’s hind leg and wrapped around it.
“Do you mind if I ask about your first time?” Starlight ventured after several minutes. “You know about mine, so I’m kinda curious.” As soon as she posed the question Starlight was sure that Trixie’s cheek grew quite warm against the back of her head.
“Trixie does not mind.” The reply came softly against her ear, Trixie still holding her close against her body. “Trixie has—I’ve had a pretty solitary life too. I’ve had lots of fun on my own—lonely, but fun—but my first experience with another pony was only a couple of years ago.”
Trixie shifted slightly, moving her hoof from around Starlight’s chest to rest against the curve of her hip. “You remember that I spent some time on a rock farm after my wagon was damaged?”
Starlight nodded, letting out a soft sigh at Trixie’s touch as her hoof started rubbing in gentle circles.
“One of the mares who lived there liked to watch me perform and to listen to my stories. It was very flattering, and just the attention I needed. If I hadn’t been so fixated on revenge against Twilight Sparkle, I might still be there.” Trixie’s hoof drifted a little lower on Starlight’s hip, running a slow circle around the star of her cutie mark before tracing along the comet tails. “But then I would not have met you.”
Starlight rolled over again, breaking contact with Trixie’s hoof for a moment until her other hip slid into its place. Her gaze met Trixie’s for a moment as she clasped Trixie’s hoof and guided it back onto her other cutie mark. Starlight smiled at the renewed touch before she leaned in, pressing their lips together as she rested her own hoof over Trixie’s cutie mark, tracing along its own stylized magic aura.
“We really should thank Twilight,” Starlight breathed out several long moments later as they broke for air, “but later. Right now, I just thought up a friendship lesson for myself to learn.” she winked as she rolled Trixie onto her back and lay on top of her, pecking soft kisses against her chest. “If you’re willing to teach me, that is.”
Trixie cupped Starlight’s chin with a hoof and leaned forward to peck at her lips. “Trixie would love to.” She grinned and drew her tongue across Starlight’s muzzle. “Lesson one, take a good look.”
Starlight nodded and pecked soft kisses along Trixie’s stomach, a blush coloring her muzzle as she recalled the way Trixie had spent time gazing at her own marehood before she finally touched her. She followed Trixie’s example, dotting kisses along her thigh as she took her first proper look between Trixie’s legs.
Soft, rounded blue lips met together in a darker blue line that glistened in the dancing candlelight. Trixie’s stomach curved away above, small wet spots matting the fur where she’d planted her lips, but toward the center where she’d veered around sat two mounds. They were barely perceptible in the dim light, sticking up ever so slightly from their surroundings, except for right in the center of each where Trixie’s dark blue nipples stood firmly out.
Some movement out of the corner of her eye caught Starlight’s attention and she let her gaze drift down to see the little triangle of Trixie’s dock twitch below her vulva lashing her tail softly against the futon.
“Trixie tried to show you in the shower, but your eyes weren’t open yet.”
Starlight started to turn her gaze up toward Trixie, but stopped as Trixie pressed her thighs together and raised them in the air along with her tail. She stayed covered only for a moment before letting her tail fall, showing off her labia pressed between the round curve of her hindquarters. She let her thighs fall back to the futon, spread open once more.
“Trixie is yours to look at, even when she must be modest. From now on, Trixie is always on stage for you, Starlight Glimmer.”
Starlight nodded, watching intently as Trixie adjusted her hips, causing her entire intimate area from teats to vulva to dock to flex and ripple. The movement of each individual part influencing that of the others.
“Lesson two, touch.” Trixie said, reaching a hoof down to brush against Starlight’s forelock. “Start with your hoof. Gently, of course.”
Starlight kept her gaze fixed on Trixie’s vulva as she placed a hoof on either labia and gently spread them apart. She let out a cooing noise as she watched them cling together for a moment until they sprang wetly apart, showing off the delicate, glistening skin within, fading from blue to pink.
Trixie hummed, petting Starlight’s mane as Starlight moved her hooves slowly in different directions, watching as Trixie’s folds stretched and compressed, spreading moisture all over. It felt wet and slightly sticky as Trixie’s vaginal fluid reached her hoof, matting both of their coats.
As she ran her hooves along Trixie’s inner thighs, Trixie nickered, drawing Starlight’s gaze up. Her sight passed over the curve of her mound to the two blue points of Trixie’s nipples. Both teats were now swollen slightly, more noticeably rounded with the hint of a crease running between them. Starlight raised a hoof and as she brushed her matted fur over the tip of each nipple, Trixie let out a soft moan.
She let the tip of her hoof trace around the line of Trixie’s teats where they swelled from her stomach and on down her mound to the top of her slit. Trixie gasped as Starlight’s hoof grazed over the spot and arched her back, pressing up into her touch. Starlight spread her labia again, eyes fixed on the point where they met at the top, now bulging apart slightly as Trixie’s clitoris pushed out from between them.
She gazed at the little nub for a moment, but her eyes were drawn down to the lashing of Trixie’s tail. Her dock was completely soaked and the first hoof-span of her tail was matted nearly solid. Starlight’s gaze followed the fluid flow to the passage that winked open when she spread Trixie’s labia to their limit.
“Time for lesson three, Starlight.” Trixie moaned, brushing the tip of her hoof along Starlight’s horn. “Taste me. Put your tongue inside Trixie.”
Starlight let out a breath, making Trixie shudder and moan softly. She ran her tongue over her lips and moved in, spreading Trixie open as she aimed the tip of her tongue at her vagina.
It felt tight. Tight and hot. Tight and hot and wet and soft. More adjectives floated through Starlight’s mind as she wiggled her tongue inside Trixie’s narrow passage.
Starlight tried her best to mimic the movements she remembered Trixie making, sweeping her tongue across the entrance, running the tip around the rim. Each produced a different sound from Trixie’s throat. She poked back inside and wiggled her tongue as deep as she could as she thought about her current lesson again.
The taste was hard to describe, other than tangy. The texture was easy, just soft, wet skin, but Starlight could not put any definite words on the taste. Perhaps that would come in time.
“Nnnng, Starlight.” Trixie arched her back as she moaned, her thighs trembling on either side of Starlight’s head. “Trixie’s clit. Suck on it, make Trixie cum!”
Starlight’s eyes widened as she moved to oblige, licking her way up as Trixie had, dragging her tongue between her labia and probing inside at the top where they met. Her tongue brushed across a firm nub of flesh that made Trixie gasp and Starlight closed her lips around it, puckering her cheeks.
Trixie groaned and arched her back, pressing her clit firmly into Starlight’s mouth as she shook and cried out her name. “Starliiiight!”
—
After giving her a chance to recover and lapping up some of the mess, Starlight crawled back up to Trixie and held her close, facing her rather than spooning. She rolled her tongue around in her mouth, tasting the tail end of Trixie’s flavor. No new words sprang to mind, only a sense of excitement, remembrance of the way Trixie’s body moved and the sound of her moans as Starlight tasted her. Trixie nuzzled against her cheek, tongue darting out to steal the one last dab of her own clinging nectar.
“How did I do?” Starlight breathed, gently pecking at the base of Trixie’s jaw.
“A+. Starlight is an excellent student, Trixie is impressed and is looking forward eagerly to her next exam.”
Starlight giggled. “So am I.”
Starlight stretched, leaning forward and flicking her tail as she paused at the entrance to the dining room of the crystal palace. She grinned over her shoulder as Trixie stopped behind her and gave her flank a gentle nudge, brushing her muzzle against Starlight’s cutie mark.
Twilight was already at the table, her newspaper laying out flat as she sipped at a big mug of coffee held in her magic. Spike was at his usual place in the kitchen half of the room, shredding potatoes with his claws and mixing a bowl of pancake batter with the whisk held in his tail.
Starlight flicked her tail against Trixie’s cheek and continued into the room. A huge grin broke over her muzzle as she trotted around the table, prancing out an airy timpani beat on her way over to give Twilight a hug. “Good morning, sleepyhead. How was your reshelving yesterday?”
Twilight leaned forward, planting her muzzle squarely in the middle of her newspaper. “I am never doing that again. Do you know what happens when you wrap a telekinetic field around an entire shelf full of spell books from more than fifty meters away?”
“No—” Starlight stepped back a pace, watching Twilight carefully. “What happened?”
“The runes in the books start absorbing the extra power you need to move things at that distance, and then they start casting themselves at all the regular books in the room.” Twilight threw herself back into her chair and spread eagled, all six limbs flailing. “Put a book on the shelf, it teleports away. Put another one back, it turns invisible. Scrub Brush’s Compendium of Cleaning Tips started spraying water everywhere. Jalapeño Popper’s Spicy Chile Cookbook caught on fire!”
Twilight’s muzzle planted itself firmly back onto her newspaper while Starlight rubbed her shoulder and Trixie snickered from across the table.
“You’ll feel better in a minute, Twilight. You get this first batch of pancakes.” Spike waddled over and set a tall stack of pancakes by Twilight’s place, melted butter and fragrant maple syrup already dripping down every side. “Want some coffee while I get your batch done, Starlight?”
“No thanks, Spike, just whatever juice we’ve got for me and Trixie. I think Rainbow had better get the next batch, though.” Starlight giggled as she sat down at the table and pointed a hoof toward the doorway. Rainbow Dash slouched in, one wing dragging along the floor while the other covered a yawn.
“Hey, Spike. Got any coffee left?” Rainbow managed to get out between yawns. “I know it’s not usually my thing, but I was up half the night helping Cloud deal with this stupid rogue storm that whipped up from the Everfree.”
Rainbow slumped into the chair next to Twilight and tipped forward against the table. Starlight chuckled to herself as Rainbow’s nostrils flared and her muzzle dipped into Twilight’s coffee mug, slurping sounds soon following.
Twilight spluttered as she tried to lift the mug to her lips and got a mouth full of rainbow mane instead. “Blegh! Rainbow, that’s my coffee. And why does your mane taste like tree bark?”
Rainbow snapped back into her seat as Twilight’s magical aura tugged on her mane, a couple of small twigs clattering to the floor behind her chair. “Everfree. Storm. Lotsa wind.”
“I guess having twigs in your mane must be the next cool thing, then,” Twilight grumbled into her coffee as Spike set a fresh mug in front of Rainbow Dash..
Rainbow swept her mug back, taking a big gulp before setting it back on the table and shaking her head. “Anypony got a brush? Twigs are so not cool.”
“Trixie does.” Trixie purred as she sat down beside Starlight and opposite Rainbow Dash. “The Stylish and Volumetric Trixie is excellent at brushing manes. But please hold still.” Trixie’s purple magic floated a brush from out of her saddlebag and began to run it gently through Rainbow’s hair. Rainbow Dash flattened herself over the table and cooed as her mane was brushed.
Twilight looked up and across the table, her eyes wavering as they tried to focus. “Trixie! So good to see you so early in the morning. Did you enjoy your day with Starlight?” Her muzzle broke out in a toothy grin.
“I certainly did.” Trixie beamed, projecting a radiant smile across the table, her magic steadily pulling the brush through Rainbow’s mane. “In fact, I really must thank you.”
“Oh, no need to thank me.” Twilight smiled back a bit lopsidedly. “I mean, what kind of teacher or friend would I be if I kept Starlight from her lov—friend, I mean friend.” Twilight’s grin grew wider and toothier as she corrected herself. Her eyes darted around as she lifted her coffee mug to her lips, shook it as it turned out to be empty, and lifted Rainbow’s mug quickly into its place. Rainbow’s hoof followed the pilfered mug for a moment, but dropped back to the table as Trixie ran the brush along the underside of her mane.
Starlight covered her mouth with a hoof, fighting to keep from giggling audibly.
“No, no, Trixie really must thank you—and Rainbow Dash.” Trixie grinned, leaning forward on her elbows as she set the brush aside. “You see, if not for your influence, Trixie and Starlight would not be nearly as close as we are now.” Trixie sat back up, looping an arm around Starlight’s shoulder and kissing her on the cheek. “After all, Starlight simply can’t help walking in the hoofsteps of the Princess and her—best friend.”
Rainbow pawed at the table, reaching for the brush as Trixie grinned and gently lifted Rainbow with her magic, turning her to the side so that her outstretched hooves could wrap around Twilight’s barrel, which they promptly did. Twilight let out a squeak as Rainbow nuzzled into her wing and muttered something about lavender.
Spike waddled back to the table and set a second stack of pancakes in front of Rainbow Dash, shaking his head as he returned to the kitchen area and began noisily frying the shredded potatoes into hash browns.
“Hey, Twi,” Rainbow Dash’s scratchy voice emerged from under Twilight’s wing. “Since Starlight’s got a girlfriend now, can we invite them to our next sleepover?”
“Starlight and I would like that. Perhaps you could introduce us to Daring Do.” Trixie grinned, turning and nuzzling her snout against Starlight’s.
“Sounds like a good time.” Starlight giggled.
Trixie turned back and winked at Twilight. “Or whatever else the four of us might find fun to do together.”
Rainbow’s tail swished as she sat up and nuzzled against Twilight’s cheek. “Trixie’s really good with that brush, I wanna see what else she can do with her horn. Besides, three horns have got to be at least ten times better than one.”
As Twilight spluttered into the dregs of Rainbow’s coffee, Trixie’s laughter echoed off the crystal walls.
