Old Rivals

by Jay David

Rating: everyone
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Trixie
Length: 1645

When Twilight returns to the School of Friendship, she realises there's somepony she needs to speak to

With Trixie having her new position at the School of Friendship, it was inevitable that it was going to be commented on by the existing faculty of the place. But what Trixie was not expecting, however, was a private meeting with Twilight, especially given what she has to say to her.

Will contain some spoilers for "A Horse Shoe-In".

Published 2019-09-22 04:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2019-09-22 04:40:02 UTC

Old Rivals

Aside from the occasional tick and tock of the clock on the wall, there was no sound in the office whatsoever, save for her exhales here and there. But this was no sign of tiredness, oh no, but of contentment. Trixie sat in the chair, now her own, and stared out at her office. She'd been wanting to work at this school alongside her friend for some time, and while this might not have been the position she'd envisioned for herself, there was no denying that she was feeling like she'd be happy here. A smile crept onto her lips, and she looked to all the little knick-knacks and other touches she'd started adding to the place to make it more like her sort of office. The plant had gone of course, though Starlight had hurriedly swept it to her office for some, as she'd put it, "emergency resuscitation". Trixie shrugged to that memory, reclining back into her chair and letting her mind bring up all sort of images of the tasks that were yet to come. Images of students, all happy to see her, who would come to her in search of help or guidance with their work or lives. She smiled again but this one happier than before, knowing that she was now in a place where she could do far more with her life than entertain.

"Yeah...this is good."

Suddenly, there was a knock upon the door, shaking her out of her daydreaming. Clearing her throat, she assumed a more professional-looking sitting position complete with having the hooves of her forelegs clasped together on the desk, much like Starlight would have done.

"Enter."

She stifled a giggle over how formal she'd just sounded, instead focusing on the door as it opened. Now, Trixie was fully expecting this to be her first student in need of help. Perhaps that young Yak having difficulty with her homework. Instead, Trixie's smile vanished as she saw who now entered. This was no student but the school's founder and former Head-Mare, Twilight. Naturally, Trixie was taken aback by this, but not so much so that she was unable to stay composed.

"Ah, Princess. To what does Trixie owe the pleasure?"

Twilight closed the door behind her, offering a smile to the new Counsellor.

"Oh, I thought I'd just pop in to see how things were going."

Trixie chuckled.

"Oh? Surprised to hear that Trixie now serves as Student Counsellor so you decided to come and see for yourself?"

Twilight rolled her eyes, walking over to a nearby bookcase, no doubt to check to see if its contents were properly organized or not.

"I had a feeling Starlight would give you a position here, though Counsellor was a surprise, I'll admit."

Trixie swept aside some of her mane.

"Well, Starlight merely recognises that Trixie has talent when it comes to helping others. Though Trixie supposes helping to save Equestria from Chrysalis should have tipped everypony to that a while back."

She enjoyed that smug moment on her part, but said nothing afterwards, instead watching as Twilight continued to slowly walk around the room, keeping her eyes on anything and everything, except, oddly enough, Trixie herself. Trixie picked up on this, and felt somewhat miffed that she was potentially being ignored in her own office. But, as ever, she maintained that "quiet dignity" look she was going for, clearing her throat slightly.

"Trixie doesn't suppose there's anything in particular the Princess has need of her for, is there?"

Twilight paused here, staring at the wall for a few moments, before letting out a long sigh. Slowly, she turned to look Trixie right in the eye and looked, surprisingly, concerned with something.

"Actually...yes, there is something I need you for. Something...very important."

Trixie now started to look worried herself. Twilight, in all the time she'd known her, had never actively wanted her for anything, so whatever this was, it must have been serious. The blue mare also made a mental note of how amusing it was that the first pony she was helping in her role as Counsellor was Twilight of all people, but she knew it wouldn't do to say such a thing out loud. So, quietly, she looked on as Twilight took a seat on the other side of the desk, looking as if she was getting her thoughts together. Trixie allowed her this time of silence, but when the Princess finally spoke again, it was with words she'd never expected to hear from her.

"I came to say...I'm sorry."

If ever there was something Twilight could have said that would have shocked her, it was that, and Trixie just stared at her for the longest time because of it. Twilight looked fairly sad after having said what she'd said, and eventually, Trixie shook herself out of her shocked state to finally say something in return.

"You're...sorry?"

Twilight nodded, leading Trixie to dart her eyes left and right a bit before following up with that.

"Um...why?"

A long sigh from Twilight.

"Trixie...it can't have escaped your notice that you and I...well...we haven't exactly had the best of relationships."

Trixie frowned, giving a quick shrug.

"Well, we both had our reasons for that, I'm sure you remember."

Twilight shook her head.

"I realise that. But whatever you might have done to me, that was a long time ago. I forgave you, I accepted that you weren't a bad person, and I even learned to be happy that my own student took you on as a close friend."

Trixie looked at her with suspicion.

"There's a 'but' in there somewhere."

Twilight grimaced to that, but it didn't stop her speaking again.

"The problem...is that I've made no effort for you and I to be closer than just...well...tolerance. I acknowledged you as Starlight's friend, I even accepted that you'd occasionally serve as a substitute here when me and my friends were away."

Slowly, she looked Trixie right in the eye.

"And yet...it's like I've, knowingly or not, tried to maintain a distance between us."

She pointed to her former enemy.

"I ask you...when was the last time you and I had a real conversation together?"

There was silence here, and though Trixie was usually the first to have some witty or snarky response to a comment like that, here she found that she was totally at a loss. Twilight was right, and she knew it. There had indeed been this unspoken distance between them, even as Trixie had been largely accepted by the town in spite of her past actions towards it and its inhabitants. She'd made friends here, yet she struggled to see Twilight as having been one of them. Oh, they'd spoken, to be sure, but that was always when other ponies were involved. Never before had they talked as if they themselves were friends. It was not something that had ever really been spelled out for Trixie before, but now that it had been, she took on a more serious look.

"Trixie...I...suppose we haven't."

Twilight looked ashamed, sighing again as she glanced away.

"The Princess of Friendship...unwilling to actually be friends."

She scoffed.

"All the people I've accepted into my life, even bitter enemies, yet I've refused to let you into my life."

Here, Trixie took a moment to raise an eyebrow, actually looking amused all of a sudden.

"Well, what do you know, the pristine and perfect Princess making an error? Oh, surely pony society will fall apart from this!"

Twilight looked annoyed at first, but seeing the way Trixie was taking this all, she couldn't help but chuckle to it, followed shortly by the blue mare herself. It lightened the mood, certainly, but there was still the problem Twilight had come here for.

"Trixie...I'm sorry. Maybe I was still holding a grudge to you after all this time. Maybe I dismissed how good a mare you were. Whatever the reason, I haven't done right by you in the way I've done right by other friends I've made in the past, and for that, I apologise."

Trixie too sighed.

"I admit, I haven't exactly been the easiest mare to get along with. And yeah, I suppose I wasn't all that eager to get all buddy-buddy with you either."

Slowly, her face softened.

"...We've made mistakes in our relationship. Both of us. But hey, we all make mistakes. So there."

Twilight seemed surprised.

"You're...not upset?"

Trixie chortled briefly.

"The Humble and Dignified Trixie does not get upset from such things!" she declared with her usual gusto.

A pause, and then Trixie leaned back into her chair.

"Though...I am still grateful that you're willing to talk with me now about it."

Twilight smiled, and in the moment of quiet that passed between them, the young Princess stretched out her hoof, and though Trixie was confused at first, she soon understood, taking out her own hoof and accepting what had been offered. They shook, each smiling to the other. It was an understanding, a quiet acceptance. The bad blood between them? Buried now, after so long of a time, and both mares felt a great deal better as a result. Smiling slightly wider, Twilight turned around, looking to the door of the office and gesturing to it.

"So...wanna get something to eat? I hear the café has a special soup today."

Trixie nodded, getting out of her chair and walking around to stand beside her.

"Trixie is indeed eager to eat. Perhaps we can even discuss decoration options for her new office?"

Twilight giggled.

"Oh, certainly! I hear potted plants always bring a room together."

To that, Trixie looked away and snorted.

"Yep, Starlight definitely learned a thing or two from you."

Author's Note

Starlight gets a new job, Sunburst gets a new job, Trixie gets a new job, everypony gets a new job! :raritywink: