The Sad, Lonely, Hearth's Warming Trix-Eve

The girls were sweeping the massive amounts of confetti left from Pinkie Pie's cannon after the epic fail of a party they threw for Trixie. The gloomy mood of the room was only heightened by the fact that they deserved what had happened.

"So, that didn't go to plan..." Rainbow moaned as she continued to push more confetti in a pile while flying through the air.

"This is all my fault..." Twilight went blaming herself. "If I had been a better friend, I could have known more things that Trixie enjoyed."

Applejack cut her off on the moping train. "No Twilight, the fact is..."

"It's my fault!" Came a voice from all the remaining ponies in unison, who then looked at each other in sorrow.

"I guess we all share some blame." Fluttershy added on, the others nodded in agreement, but Twilight wasn't ready to give up yet.

"Well it's not over yet!" Twilight stomped the ground and began to trot to the exit.

"Twilight, where ya going?" Applejack asked the Princess.

"I'm going to find Trixie." She declared. Rainbow Dash didn't think it was the best course.

"Are you crazy? After how bad we goofed up, she won't wanna talk to anypony." But Twilight didn't accept.

"Maybe so, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't try. We made this party so that she wouldn't be alone this Hearth's Warming Eve, and I'm not going to let this stop that from happening!" And with that, Twilight Sparkle left the room and eventually the castle.

While the remaining ponies continued to clean up the main room, they heard clatter from upstairs coming down to the main room where they were. Then they heard a voice.

"What was all the commotion about?"

Upon looking, they saw Starlight Glimmer making her way to the remains of the party, with a tissue in hoof blowing her nose slightly. She apparently no longer needed the aid of a Health Bubble to help her get around. And while she didn't look fully recovered, it was a far cry to her bed-ridden self from a couple days prior.

"Uhh...kinda a long story." Applejack being the first to speak up. The tone in her voice made Starlight worry what had happened, along with the absence of The Princess, she knew that she about to hear probably wasn't good.

***

Twilight hurried back to the spot where she and her friends found Trixie right outside Everfree Forest, unfortunately this time around when she arrived, there was no sign of her. The tracks of her wagon and hoof prints could be seen in the little bit of snow that had fallen, so finding her was still possible, so off she went to track.

After several minutes, Princess Twilight found the location of where the trail had gone. Trixie stopped by the nearby pond outside Ponyville. During the heart of Winter it would be where all the ponies would ice stake and have the time of their lives, however currently the pond was only half frozen making no reason to venture there yet. For Trixie though it was perfect reason to. She stared into the half frozen water and looked at a choppy reflection of herself in it, making her frown. Herself, alone, it was all she had been reminded of all day thus far; it seemed fitting to be with herself now.

"Trixie? Are you alright?" Came a voice from behind her. She recognized the voice instantly, but made no effort to turn to acknowledge.

"Go away Twilight..." Trixie rebutted. "I want to just stay here alone, and look at my reflection. Which is fitting because looking at all your friends today was like looking in a mirror. All they were pretending to be like was me..."

Twilight slowly came over to her friend and sat next to her by the pond. "Trixie I'm sorry. I thought doing things that you would enjoy would make you feel happy."

Trixie raised an eyebrow at the comment. "But why? That doesn't make any sense...Since when have you ever befriended somepony by acting like someone you're not?" The Princess likewise returned a slow confused like to the unicorn, not understanding what she meant. "What do you mean?" She asked, making Trixie sit up.

"Well think about it. When you befriended all your friends, do you act like what you THOUGHT they wanted you to be, or did you just be yourself?"

Trixie's remark was quick, and just when Twilight was about to answer...she stopped, and her jaw remained open with a hoof up. Trixie's question left the Princess speechless. This made Trixie just shake her head. "Wow...you like REALLY overthought this didn't you?"

Twilight could only sigh and hang her head, for the first time in what seemed forever, she failed at a fundamental lesson of friendship: Being yourself. Trixie lifted Twilight's head up to make her look at her to tell her some advice.

"Twilight, you and your friends don't need to show me how great I am...trust me I already know." The remark made Twilight roll her eyes, but that wasn't the point of the statement. "The point is to show all the great things that make all of you special."

Twilight understood what her mistake was and realized what she needed to do. As she walked back over to Trixie, a smile arose on her face. "Ya know. Starlight was right. You do give good advice, I can see why she made you the Student Counselor at the school." The kind comment made Trixie blush slightly in embarrassment.

"And you're right. Maybe we should head back to the castle, and do our celebration the right way." Twilight began to walk away as Trixie was hesitant to follow, but the princess looked back to her. "You're welcome to come back if you'd like." And with that, Twilight headed off.

Trixie watched the princess leave the scene and thought about what to do. But after considering, she smiled knowing her mind had been made.

***

Back at the castle, the remaining members of the Mane Six looked on with embarrassing looks on their faces, after Starlight Glimmer had finished her moral of the error of their dilemma.

"I can't believe we looked past something so obvious." Fluttershy wimped in a pitiful whim.

"You said it..." Applejack agreed. "I feel sillier than making a Haycake on Flapjack Day." The remark was followed by a horrible groan from Rainbow Dash.

"UGH! I feel so stupid!" She yelled in embarrassment, kicking the air to vent her frustration.

"Well, at least Twilight didn't hear a lesson so simple." Pinkie Pie told the group, when came a voice in the entrance to the party room.

"Hear what lesson?"

Some in the group looked around, the others hoof palmed in further humiliation as Princess Twiight slowly headed back into the room. "What's going on?" She asked, soon after asking spotting Starlight in the room as well, with a not so jolly look on her face.

"Starlight!?" Twilight cheerfully spoke out, while still managing to sweat off her muzzle. "You're...feeling better?"

"I was...until I found out what's been going on down here..." The recent ill unicorn glumly responded, approching the Princess. "Where is Trixie Twilight?"

The sweat dropping off Twilight Sparkle intensified, as she tried to gather a proper response. "Well, the girls and I wanted to make Trixie feel at home in the castle while you were sick...but it didn't go so well." Starlight's face looked heartbroken at the answer she was given. "She left afterward, I tried to convince to come back, ...but I don't think she's coming."

Starlight took a deep breath before coming to reason with the story. "I appreciate you trying to make Trixie feel welcome, but you went about it completely the wrong way. When trying to befriend somepony, you forgot the most important thing to do..."

"Just be yourself..."

Everypony's eyes suddenly widened, for they didn't hear just one voice. They heard two, at the same time. The voice of Starlight as they expected, but another voice came from behind them. A familar voice in fact, and when all turned around, a familiar face greeted them.

"Trixie!" Starlight Glimmer called out running over, who was quickly greeted.

"Starlight, you're all better!" Came a happy reply from The Great and Powerful unicorn. The others looked on with delight, they all came to realize how much each meant to one another, much like they all meant to each other. "Well, not all better." Starlight told her friend. "But certainly the worst of it is done. I'm sorry I got sick Trixie, I was really looking forward to spending the holiday together."

"Oh Starlight, it's not your fault..." Trixie stated in a calm soothing voice, hoof on a shoulder of her friend. "The important thing is we're together." Suddenly, Trixie was reminded of when she first arrived to the castle. "In fact, wait right here!"

In a snap, Trixie poofed and disappeared, not with a smoke bomb, but with an actual teleportation spell. In a couple seconds, she reappeared next to her friend, levitating the very gifts she brought Starlight to celebrate the trip. Two new toboggans for the cold winter nights. Starlight was truly grateful for the gifts, and tried one on for it was first time she got to wear one of them. It was a perfect fit, and it made her happy. All the while when Trixie looked back at the present Mane Six, they were still in shock to see the level of Magic that Trixie had performed, for it was clearly they saw her perform highly advanced magic. Trixie though scoffed it off. "What? I've been getting lessons..." As she gleamed to her friend.

"Trixie they're perfect. Thank you!" Starlight clapped her hooves together in acceptance as Trixie got put on her matching hat to fit right in. "In fact, I got something for you too. While you were gone, the girls and I put something to together for you..." Starlight hovered over a decent sized blue box with pink ribbon. Trixie became surprised that gift was thought on such quick notice, but "The Great and Powerful" Trixie was never one to decline a generous gift, much less from a friend. She thought in her mind what it could be as she magicked the wrapping paper apart. When Trixie saw what it was she gasped, and her eyes began to water. She lifted it up to get a closer look.

It was a little Trixie doll, much like ones of all of them over on the fireplace in the main room, she glazed over to them to realize what it was for. The girls began to give their intentions for the gift.

"I saw you were looking at our dolls over the fire during the party, and it gave me an idea." Rarity graciously announced. Fluttershy then walked up. "I had animals who were willing to give up fur and fluff for the stuffing and hair."

"And I'm pretty handy hoof sewing. Got'er stitched up in a jif." Applejack proudly spoke. Pinkie Pie then spoke up. "And I used blue food coloring to dye the coat. Then, I ate the rest of it. No reason to let good food coloring waste." She giggled.

"And I got all the things needed to make it happen in a flash. Only took half a second..." Rainbow declared, which got an annoyed look from the party present, to which Dash sighed in conceding. "Fine! Two seconds..." Making the group smile for the honesty. Who would have known to the ponies a second and a half off was a big deal?

The Princess soon paced over with a smile as Trixie held her doll close, Twilight glanced at it for a second and came to a conclusion. "And I think I know what can make it even better..." Twilight then teleported out of the room, and a moment later she reappeared holding the hat and cloak of her "Starswirl the Bearded" costume she had worn from many "Nightmare Night's" past. Now with wings and having grown some, the costume no longer fit her; so now the opportunity arose to make something new out of it.

Twilight proceeded to use magic on the outfit, making glow her purple aura. After a second, the hat and cloak began to shrink in size. Once the spell had been completed, Twilight floated the tinier accessories onto the doll Trixie held. The smaller articles of clothing now looked just like Trixie's trademark magician garb that she had worn for moons. Both of them smiled with delight over it. "There! That should do the trick..."

"It's wonderful..." Trixie looked up to the princess. "Thank you Twilight...thank you everypony." Everyone gleamed with happiness at the approval of gift given.

Starlight Glimmer walked over with Trixie as she floated the doll over to the fireplace to place it amongst the rest of the doll of themselves. They looked perfect together, a group of new friends and old that symbolized their true bond of friendship. Starlight then decided to talk to Trixie about what to do next. "Well Trixie. We still have some time to spend Hearth's Warming Eve together...just you and me. Like we planned...we can head out if you want to."

Trixie pondered over the thought for a bit, but soon gave a shake of her head. "No...I think I would rather spend it with my friends..." Looking back to all them behind her. "...All of my friends."

The delight on all the ponies faces proved even though everything didn't start great, it's how it ends that really matters. Starlight came over to Trixie as they all looked upon all their dolls set on the fireplace.

"Great and Powerful Friend"
Lyrics:
Starlight
Since I have met you, I've come such a long way.
From the pony, that I now am today.
Back in my village, I made myself to pretend.
That life was perfect, that I'd never need a friend.

But when I met you, on that wonderful day.
You made me see, everything will always be okay.
And here we are now, our friendship is so true.
I feel so special, whenever I'm with you!

Starlight Chorus
You helped me realize, when I'm all alone.
That I'm never, truly on my own.
If I remember, the wonderful times we'll spend.
Thank you for being, my Great and Powerful Friend!

The look on Trixie made Starlight gleem with happiness.

Trixie
I once was known for having tricks up my sleeve.
The thought of friendship was something I never believed.
Performed my magic, and traveled from town to town.
But with no friends, I was so lonely and felt so down.

But then I met you, on that glorious day.
Like a true Starlight, you chased my darkness away.
That's when I learned that, no magic can compare.
To the love and friendship that we share!

Trixie Chorus
You helped me realize, when I'm on my own.
That I never, truly am alone.
If I remember, the wonderful times we'll spend.
You always will be, my Great and Powerful Friend!

Trixie and Starlight
We sometimes laugh, we sometimes cry.
We're sometimes lonely, when we say goodbye.
But when together, we're happy as can be.
Our friendship is now, a perfect harmony!

We taught each other, when we're on our own,
That we never, truly are alone.
If we remember, the wonderful times we'll spend.
Thank you for being, my Great and Powerful Friend!

Starlight: Just remember, when you're all alone (Trixie: Good memories, that we share!)
Starlight: That you're never truly on your own. (Trixie: Our magic friendship shows we care!)
Starlight: If you remember, the wonderful times we'll spend. (Trixie: We'll be together until the end)
Both: You always will be my Great and Powerful Friend!

Everypony: Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!

Everypony laughed as they celebrated all throughout the night. And they all agreed that this had truly been a "Great and Powerful" Hearth's Warming Eve and one they would never, ever forget.

The End