Do You Wanna See The World?
Starlight grimaced at the pen in her aura. Once she had finished scrutinising it, her eyes returned to the paper before her, neat cursive swirls neatly marking the first few words of what would eventually be a letter.
She always found it difficult to get much further. It was hard to know how much to include, as it was hard to know when her friend would return from her latest excursion. Trixie’s tours were always getting extended, or her shows were being cancelled, or she was having to chase up a booking fee because some stingy owner had tried to rip her off, it was pretty hard to keep track of.
Then again, Starlight did keep track of it. In fact, she listened to every word the self-assured blue mare relayed to her with an intense concentration, hoping it would give her some sort of indication as to when she’d be home again. Unfortunately, no such luck there.
It was guaranteed that at some point soon—or, let’s face it, not so soon—she’d be back, spinning tales of her time in Trottingham, Saddle Arabia, Zebrica, you name it. She’d talk about the sights, the ponies she had met, the wonders she had seen, and even the mundanities. Starlight, in exchange, would tell her about the new bedsheets she had bought, or a spell she had been reading about. It really was an unfair swap.
And therein lied Starlight’s issue. While she wanted to maintain contact with Trixie, and she really, really did, she had no clue what to talk to her about. Conversation about magic could only go so far, despite Trixie’s relatively intricate grasp of magic theory, and small talk was near impossible in a letter, it almost felt like worthless filler. It wasn’t so bad when she was only away for a few days, she didn’t feel such pressure on her to write then, but she had received a postcard from Trixie just two days ago—sent from Manehatten—and felt pressured to respond somehow.
Scowling, Starlight dismissed the letter before her – her third attempt at one so far – and walked over to her window for a breath of air. From there, she could see the mismatched and varied buildings that filled Ponyville as well as the verdant greenland beyond. If she was angled right, she would have been able to see Canterlot in the distance. Honestly, Starlight wished she could be in Canterlot.
It wasn’t a resentment of Ponyville that made her feel this way, it was more wanderlust, a desire to see the parts of the world that she had only read about or heard of, that she had scarcely experienced until now. She had traveled in her youth, of course, but not extensively, and even then she had an agenda. Her mind had been focused on a singular objective, not on taking in the sights or breathing in the surroundings. When she stopped to think back, as she often did, she found it difficult to even picture where she had been up until now. It was like all she really knew was Our Town, and now Ponyville.
Even if she travelled, she could return, right? Then what was stopping her from asking? Maybe she was worried that Trixie would say no, that there wouldn’t be enough space and she would be a liability, as well as another mouth to feed. Maybe their friendship only worked so well because they had space once in awhile, a chance to be away from each other and breathe.
Would all of that be ruined if they left Ponyville together? Starlight almost physically shuddered at the thought of them being on the road and Trixie asking her to leave, for whatever reason. A product of her overactive imagination, she knew, but she couldn’t help but indulge it. What would she do in that case? Teleport home, shamefaced? Would she be risking jeopardising the first true friendship she had made on her own with her selfish desires?
And surely it was selfish. Trixie traveled in order to make a living, her life wasn’t a holiday. If Starlight was to follow her, what would she do? She didn’t have any savings, and she essentially free-loaded in the castle, what was there for her to contribute?
Irritated by her second guessing and indecision, Starlight concluded to ask her mentor. She cast a heat detection spell, it was the easiest way to differentiate between the burning cauldron that was Spike and the warm pony temperature that was Twilight. When she had found her she teleported straight there, finding Twilight sat in her study, laid in her comfiest chair with a book on enchanted crystals sitting in her lap.
Twilight, to her credit, barely reacted to the intrusion. Still, Starlight saw fit to apologise, stealing a glance at her hooves as she spoke. “Sorry, Twilight. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Twilight’s smile, as usual, was as mollifying as it was forgiving. “Honestly, Starlight, I’m used to you teleporting in on me by now. I’m just glad you don’t do it in the bathroom anymore.”
Starlight instantly felt her cheeks burn at the memory. “Heh, yeah, sorry about that… I was still learning how the detection spell worked, couldn’t figure out which room was which.”
“I know,” Twilight nodded, “You told me—” she broke off with a slight chuckle, “about twenty times. But anyway, what’s up?”
Instantly, Starlight realised that she had no idea how to broach the topic, despite her impulsive decision to seek out Twilight. She tried to string together a few words, but quickly fumbled. Meanwhile, Twilight leaned in intently, her book to one side and her ears perked up.
When a few seconds passed and she still hadn’t said anything, Twilight saved her any further anxiety. “Relax, Starlight. Take your time. Whatever it is, I’m sure we can work it out together.”
Hoo boy. Okay… Starlight took a short breath, in through her nose and out through her mouth, ordering her thoughts until she felt some semblance of coalescence between them. “Alright, here’s the thing,” she locked eyes with Twilight, her gaze portraying her disquietude, “Trixie is my best friend, you know that. I have a great time with her, and yeah sure, she gets on my nerves sometimes but that’s normal, right? I mean, look at Rarity and Applejack! Those two get along like a barn on fire and it’s because they’re so different, right?”
“I’m not entirely sure where you’re going with this, but calm down, Starlight. Deep breaths. I’m sure that whatever it is, it’s not worth shouting over.”
Starlight’s voice suddenly became very meek, her cheeks flaring. “...I was shouting?”
“A little bit,” Twilight whispered, her eyes shining as she held back a laugh.
A couple of deep breaths, and Starlight started again, this time keeping her volume in mind. “So listen, I’ve been in Ponyville for a while now, and don’t get me wrong, I’ve absolutely loved my time here, but Trixie goes around to all sorts of crazy places every month! I mean, she’s always telling me about everywhere she’s been, and she spends so much time on the road that I barely get to see her, and that drives me a little crazy, and—”
“Hold on,” Twilight interjected, raising a hoof, “is the issue that you feel stuck in Ponyville and that you want to explore, or is it that you want to spend more time with Trixie?”
“Uhh,” Starlight cocked her head. ...Shit, good question.” Starlight hadn’t considered it that way before. The more she thought about it, the more two equally contesting parts of her mind raised points leaning each way. “I dunno, is ‘both’ an option?”
“Sure is,” Twilight grinned, rising from her chair. “The way I see it, if you wanna spend more time with Trixie, go for it! If you get to explore while you’re at it, that’s even better... “ A couple of moments, and Twilight’s face brightened as she raised a hoof high. “I know! You should ask her to let you tag along on her next tour!”
“That’s actually what I had in mind, it’s just…” Starlight wasn’t sure how to phrase her concern, it almost felt silly in retrospect, but she was sure it was valid nonetheless. “What if things go wrong? What if we get out there and everything isn’t as great between us as I think it’ll be?”
Twilight placed a hoof on Starlight’s wither, gently rubbing it. The sensation was calming, it made Starlight feel that little bit more safe. “Don’t think like that, Starlight. It’s just like you said, friends have fights sometimes, but that doesn’t make them any less friends! I mean, I know I can’t promise that going with Trixie will be a great thing, but I’ve got a damn good feeling it will be, so what’s holding you back? Honestly, you’ve made so much progress since you first came here, I almost know that this will be good for you, and even if it isn’t, or you fancy a change of pace again, you can always come straight back here. Who says it’s gotta be permanent?”
“I mean, well, yeah, I guess, but what if—”
“No ‘buts’, just trust me on this one. Trixie would probably love to have you around during those long trips, don’t you think they get a little lonely? Having a friend with her is probably gonna do her a ton of good! Plus, she’ll have support during her shows, and someone to talk to, and to experience all of those far off places with… It sounds brilliant!”
“What about bits?” Starlight asked, the gravity of the situation reminding her all too quickly why it was unrealistic. “I mean, I don’t make any, and I don’t know how I’d manage to pay my end if I did go with Trixie. She stays in hotels a lot, and then there’s eating and stuff.”
“Don’t worry,” Twilight assured her, waving a hoof back and forth as she dismissed the concern, “I’ll cover you. If it means I’m helping you do a good thing for yourself, I’m happy to cover you at least for the time being.”
Starlight vehemently shook her head at the offer, she couldn’t imagine taking more from Twilight than she already had. Unfortunately, Twilight didn’t let her get a word out.
“Starlight, it’s pretty clear that this is what you wanna do. Stop making excuses as to why you can’t just do it. As your teacher, I’m telling you this for your own good. The only way you’ll ever learn anything is to go out and experience it, so go and do that. Call it a study trip, if you like.”
That was classic Twilight. Who else would use a research analogy for something like this? Starlight could scarcely believe how generous she was being, how understanding, but this was Twilight all over. She tried to protest, but all that came out was a choked ‘thank you’ as she stifled a sob.
Pulling her into a tight hug, Twilight wrapped a hoof around her neck, holding Starlight close. “I’ll miss you while you’re gone, of course. Just make sure you try, and I promise it’ll all be worth it in the end.”
“...Thanks, Twilight.” Starlight sniffled, “If I go, it won’t be for long, you can’t get rid of me that easily.”
“And I wouldn’t want to!”
Starlight felt a weight lift from her as Twilight broke her embrace. Suddenly, it felt as if all of the problems she had been faced with were nothing but self-doubt and worry. There was a vibrant world out there, and she had wonderful friends. Because of those friends, she would be able to experience every wondrous facet of that world, and she’d have her favourite showmare by her side the entire way.
Now, she’d just have to ask her.
“Oh yeah,” Twilight said, a small snarl on her muzzle, “and if you happen to go to Griffonstone at any point, tell me nothing.”
This was it. Days of waiting, days of preparing and thinking of what she was going to say, and she had an entire routine down. She knew exactly what she was going to ask, where, and how. Technically, it all worked perfectly, and if it was a drama routine, Starlight was sure it would get top marks. However, with Trixie’s wagon pulling in – the mare in question walking right in front of her – she wondered if she would be able to get even a sentence out.
As she finished her approach, halting with her wagon, Starlight managed to squeeze out two words, a small victory: “...Hey, Trixie,” she squeaked, timidly waving a hoof. Okay, she had managed the first two words without a hitch, now she just needed to remember what came next instead of standing there lamely.
Trixie gave her an odd look. “Are you alright, Starlight? You sound like you have a parasprite stuck in your throat.”
“Just, uhh… Excited to see you!” Starlight grinned, lamenting her inability to think of original excuses.
“Of course,” Trixie laughed, “Anyway, I assume you’re already packed?”
The word ‘packed’ hung in the air like onomatopeia on a cartoon page as a stupefied Starlight tried to work out what the hell it could mean. “P-packed?” she stammered, “Are we going somewhere?”
“Yes, of course we are. My next show date in Fillydelphia is three days away, so we really need to hit the road now, unless we want to get stuck behind a mule migration or somesuch.”
The clockwork in Starlight’s head slowly started turning, just to hit a major spanner. “Wait… We need to hit the road?”
Trixie squinted, studying Starlight. “What is this, your newest impression of a parrot, or an imbecile?”
“No, it’s just, I don’t think I heard you right.”
“What is there to mishear?” A couple of seconds, and Trixie blinked. “Twilight did tell you I said yes, right?”
“...Huh?”
“Oh by all that is great and powerful… Listen. A few days ago, Twilight sent a letter addressed to me—which she forgot to properly address, I might add. Instead of writing ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’ she simply wrote ‘Trixie’, and it was originally sent to a betting horse that apparently shares the same name with me. ...But that’s besides the point. She sent me a letter telling me that you were hoping to come along with me on my next trip, and I said that sounded like a brilliant idea and that I was quite disappointed you hadn’t asked sooner, seeing as I was always dropping hints that you should come along some time.”
“Wait…” With so much information at once, Starlight was unsure which point to broach first, so she picked the most surprising, and simultaneously relieving. “You have? When have you ‘dropped hints’?”
“Just about every time I’ve ever spoken to you at length about my travels. I had been hoping the stories would entice you into wanting to join me. Turns out I wasn’t being explicit enough, hmm? I’ll suggest things more directly from now on.”
Starlight’s tail started twirling of its own accord; her face threatened to split under the weight of her smile. “You mean… We’re actually going?!”
“How was that not clear by now?!” Trixie shouted, incredulous. Her facade soon dropped when she saw Starlight’s smile, quickly matching it with one of her own. “Of course we are! It’s going to be absolutely spectacular too, I just know it.” Looking at Starlight, who was currently jumping in place proclaiming how fun it was going to be, she let loose a joyous laugh. “Well, go and get your things, then! If you’re not back in twenty minutes, I’m leaving without you!”
Before you could say flash twice, Starlight appeared in a purple mist with a large suitcase in tow.
Trixie’s eyes widened; her muzzle hung agape. “You need all of that?! This is only a two week trip!”
“Half of this is Twilight making sure I keep up with my studies. Turns out it was the ‘one condition’ to travelling with you.”
“Any chance you know how to create a pocket dimension? I’d like to be able to move inside my wagon.”
Starlight gave her a sheepish grin. “Uhh… I can see if any of these books tell me how?”
“Nevermind, we can focus on that later. Let’s just put some distance between us and the castle before Twilight comes down with the seven anthologies she misplaced.”
“Yeah, good idea actually…” As they turned and started to walk away, Starlight erupted in fresh leaps, her enthusiasm rivalling Pinkie Pie’s. “Oh, this is gonna be so great! We’re gonna get to see the Isosceles Mountains, all of Fillydelphia, maybe stop off at a few villages on the way…”
Trixie turned to her, a knowing smirk on her muzzle. “See if you’re still so enthusiastic when it’s your turn to pull.”
“Pull?” Starlight laughed. With a spark of her horn, the wagon – sans Trixie – began to move forwards of its own accord. “I don’t think we should bother pulling it anymore.”
Trixie poked her tongue out. “Oh you think you’re so slick! Bet you can’t maintain that spell for three solid days though.”
“No, but I can probably teleport us to Fillydelphia in like, an hour.”
“But where’s the fun in that?” Trixie laughed, looking to her friend. “I’d rather pull this hunk of wood along the road any day, especially if I get to do it with you.”
More kind words followed. Then some bickering, then some more excitement, then a break for tea and sandwiches, and the pleasant cycle continued. Throughout it all, the two mares found companionship in one another as they always did, a soft presence to ease the toll the harsh ground took on their hooves, laughter to stave off the silence that was so common on long journeys, and above all, a friend to share in the beauty of the world they inhabited together.
