Author's Note

It was really odd to figure out how to start (and end) this chapter. It either looks rushed or it looks poorly written, though that might be the 2AM talking. Whelp.
Also, why am I posting this as a spoiler? This isn't a spoiler.

When Trixie Came Home

A couple of days had passed since the talk with Luna. I took her words to heart, but honestly, that was what scared me.

Maybe I was overreacting and Starlight would come to terms with what happened, as Luna said. Or maybe she wouldn't. Either way, I hope that day is a long way away.

I spent the few days since then reciting pieces of information from the Library, and putting it down on paper, with the intention of sharing them with Twilight once they were compiled. I wanted to share everything with her, but if it ever got into the wrong hooves...or claws...

Then again, how could a book about Huckle and Finn help an enemy defeat us? Hey, I never said I was going to give her the formula for Relative Trajectory!

Not yet, at least.

But after four days, I decided to take a break. I spent a good majority of bits on notebooks and sketchbooks just to make sure whatever I wanted to share with Twilight was written down. I really wanted to write all of Huckle And Finn and give it to Cheerilee to read to the kids, but the book was only a few years away from being published. If I remember correctly, it's actually being written right now in Fillydelphia.

Time is funny.

But I only chose today to take a break at around two o'clock because - unless I got the date wrong - today was the day Trixie was coming back to Ponyville from her trip across Equestria. Like Starlight told me during our dinner date a few days back, Trixie ended her tour early just to see me. I wrote to her, having Twilight send it for me, telling her to keep the tour going on my behalf. But she insisted that she would come home early, no arguments.

I felt bad, but Trixie wanted to come back home; after all, she did manage to gather half of Las Pegasus just to find me. It only showed how much she cared for me, even if she didn't know me that much.

And even if we did have a lot of less-than-friendly encounters...

Closing the latest entry in the newest notebook I had, I went downstairs and readied a brief meal for myself. Clanks had gone out hours earlier to help some of the townsfolk with anything they needed done. Thanks to Twilight's knowledge, effort, and more resources now that I wasn't cooped up in a limited-supply library, the robot was starting to gain more of a pony-like personality. He still had some of the robot-quirky voice, but he was beginning to sound and act more like the average pony.

Honestly, I never thought I would see that day ever come.

As I finished my snack and washed the dishes, I heard a knock at the door.

"It's open!" I yelled, scrubbing the crumbs from the dish under the water, before setting it aside with the rest of the dishes, while the door opened. I peaked over the counter-top to see Starlight standing there.

"Hey!" she greeted with her smile. "So, Trixie's gonna be here soon. You ready to head down to the train station and give her a surprise welcome?"

"Train station?" I raised an eyebrow. "I thought she always traveled with that wagon of hers."

"Not this time. She thought it would take too long to travel by walking from city to city, so she figured a train would work much better. I've been keeping the wagon under protection for her."

Now I remembered. Not so much the reason for it, but I remember Trixie mentioning not bringing her wagon with her on the trip. I guess that explained why Starlight would disappear sometimes.

"When's she supposed to get here?" I asked her.

"She should be here in about twenty minutes or so," she answered. "If we get going now, we can be there five minutes early."

I laughed a little to myself. I knew Trixie was one of Starlight's good friends, and the first one she really, truly made that wasn't the Elements, Spike, or me.

"Okay," I chuckled, "let's go."

With nothing but a smile on my face, Starlight and I left my house and made our way for the Ponyville train station at a decent pace. The first minute or so was silent and casual, with the occasional greeting from passing folks. Thankfully, the paparazzi were no longer a problem for me or Clanks; Twilight made sure of that.

"So how was your morning?" Starlight began.

I shrugged, "It was okay. I've been up since seven this morning writing down whatever I can think of."

"What for?"

"I plan on giving it to Twilight after I got it all written down. Maybe it can help her on a research mission or project."

"Such as?"

"Well, I've got a few documents on gravitational force affecting magic fields. I'm not sure if that will necessarily help her very much, but it was one of the few things she wanted to know about."

Starlight nodded, taking a slight interest in the subject. I then asked her how her morning was.

"Not...so good," she hesitated. "I had a nightmare again last night."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Starlight nodded. "It was about that day again. The day we tested the spell, I mean. I know I should try and ignore it, but it's always so hard to do that when I keep dreaming the same thing over and over again."

"Has Princess Luna visited you at any point to help with it?"

"Of course. But soon after she leaves, the dream just comes into play again, like her being there didn't even matter or happen at all."

I felt bad for Starlight. I wish there was something I could do to help further, but there was only so much to do when it came to hugging her and telling her it would be fine.

Well, except one potential solution.

"I don't know if this is the right thing to say, but do you think another dinner date would help clear your mind, even just a little?"

It made Starlight laugh to herself. She looked up at me with a smile.

"I'd like that. It helped last time," she said.

I exchanged a kind glance and gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder. There was never a moment in my life that I could remember where I experienced guilt, at least not to this point, so I have no idea the kind of guilt she must be feeling, no matter how many times she tells me.

I only hoped to quell that guilt over time. She doesn't deserve that.

"Are the others coming?"

"No," she frowned, "they've been pretty busy this morning. I was hoping Twilight would've come along, but she's busy too. I think Clanks paid her a visit too."

"That makes sense," I shrugged. "He's been learning to become more pony-like ever since he got back."

"Really?"

"Yep. It's weird, I got so used to Clanks sounding like...well, Clanks. To see him talking more like the average stallion weirds me out. In the good way, of course."

Starlight laughed, keeping her cheery mood all the way to the station. When we arrived a short time later, the station wasn't packed at all. What would be dozens of ponies in a place like Canterlot was only one or two ponies here. On another day we might've gone, it may have been just Starlight and I.

We waited a few minutes, talking about the early morning commutes. A short time later, a faint dot appeared in the distance, growing in size with every second, until the shape of the train came into view. Its horn gave a strong roar, and its wheels squeaked as the convertible slowly came to a stop right in front of the platform.

Its doors opened, and visitors and residents alike began to pour out, starting for the town. Starlight and I stood near one doorway, waiting to see for the show mare and hoping to surprise her. And if not surprise her, then welcome her warmly.

A few moments passed, and still no sign of her.

Maybe she isn't on this train? We might be an hour late or...wait, is that...there she is!

Stepping through the doorway in front of us, Trixie held a look that was a flurry of emotions, ranging from happiness to sadness to merely exhaustion. ... Exhaustion isn't necessarily an emotion, but it still showed.

Looking up from whatever she had been thinking of, she was greeted by the two of us. Immediately, her face beamed with glee.

"Starlight!" she exclaimed, the first thing she said to either of us in a while.

The two mares hugged one another. "I missed you so much," Trixie said in a calmer tone.

"Not speaking in mannerisms again, Trix?" Starlight then giggled. "I missed you too."

Trixie pulled away, laughing quietly, "Trixie has been...less than herself for the past few days."

"I can tell. You look pretty tired."

"Trixie is. Tr...I've been excited to come home, exhausted from the shows, and stressed after...well, you know."

Trixie gave a brief yawn to further prove that, then looked around for a moment. "Is he here?"

"Right behind you, Trix," I spoke, leading her to turn around. "I'm not sure if you were playing with me just now."

"Hey, I said I was tired." The mare laughed again, quieter this time, and her expression changed to a much more caring one, before walking over and pulling me into a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay."

This was the part of Trixie I wish she'd show more.

"I looked everywhere for you," she added. "I put up posters, got the radio stations to talk about you. I even got half the city-"

"Oh, Starlight filled me in on that last part."

"She did?"

I gave a nod. "Oh. Well, you can definitely see how much Trixie cares."

Pulling away and giving her a smile, I chuckled. "I missed you. How was the tour?"

"Extraordinary!" she exclaimed in her show voice. "Trixie captivated every audience around her as she showed them her daring escapes and death-defying stunts! They were all coming back for more by the end of it all! But alas, Trixie had to part from them. Friends come first, after all."

"I still wish you kept the tour going," I said guiltily.

"Nonsense," the show mare proclaimed. "Trixie may love the crowds, but she will always make sure her friends' wellbeing are preserved."

"So, in short, you missed us?"

"...Maybe?"

I hugged her again. "It's good to have you back. Though, I'd really like to see you perform some of the tricks from the tour sometime, if it's alright with you."

"But of course," Trixie said, "The Great and Powerful T-T-T-Trixie would be more than glad to perform for a good friend."

"Alright, you two," Starlight interjected before looking over to me. "Would it be fine if we went over to the castle? There's something I want to show you."

"What is it?"

"It's about the time travel spell," she explained, "I found a way to test it out safely, and...well, I think you're gonna wanna see for yourself."

"A time travel spell, you say?" Trixie leaned in, already intrigued, but I playfully pushed her away.

"Don't go all cynical on us now."

Trixie rolled her eyes, and the two of us followed Starlight back to the castle.

* * * * *

"So six months, huh?"

I had just finished telling Trixie what happened after Starlight cast the spell.

I nodded. "It felt like a lot longer than that. I don't know how to explain it any better than that, but what was six months for me was three days for everypony else."

Trixie exchanged a sorrowful look, something she didn't do all too often.

"You must have felt so alone," she said, but I merely chuckled it off in a lighthearted fashion.

"I get that a lot. And it's true. I felt really alone. I wasn't sure if I was ever gonna get out of there. But if it wasn't for that library and all of its books, I probably wouldn't have."

"You never know," she suggested, "perhaps Starlight would've been able to find a way to bring you back."

"I don't doubt it." I shot a smile at Starlight, who smiled grinned back, but I could tell it was at least partially forced.

After several minutes of walking and talking, the three of us eventually reached the castle. I would never tire of seeing it. We walked up to the front door, Starlight opening it for both Trixie and I.

"Gentlecolts first," she sang.

I raised an eyebrow, but laughed it off. "Finding out how to perform the spell safely really made you happy today, didn't it?"

"You bet."

With a playful boop of her snout, I played along and walked inside, Trixie and Starlight following behind me.

"I tested it a bit in the main room this morning. I couldn't really stay down in that basement very much," Starlight added as we walked into the main hall.

"I don't blame you. It must've been tiring being down there so-"

"SURPRISE!"

I reeled back in just that as I was suddenly bombarded by stares from dozens of ponies, all holding smiles on their faces as they tooted party horns at me and shot confetti at me. At first, I was a bit confused as to what the occasion was.

"WELCOME HOME!" they all screamed at the same time, calling me by my first name. I was still in a daze of surprise and shock, but even that ultimately turned into a laugh as I realized what the occasion was.

"W-Wow!" I exclaimed, "I...honestly wasn't expecting this."

"I told you I was gonna do a party for you~!" Pinkie shouted in the back.

"Y...Yeah, you did." I continued to stare as the ponies around me started to laugh with smiles persisting on their faces.

Quite a way to kick off the afternoon, I guess.