The New Tales of Trixie and Twilight

Chapters

Ready Or Not
The Routine
Past and Present

Ready Or Not

Rarity looked rather impatient with Twilight, and she felt much like she looked. When she been informed that Twilight had been having daily battles with that other unicorn for a month now and hadn't seen fit to inform anypony, she had sighed in frustration at the more private mare's tendencies. When she had been told that, over the course of those battles, the two had become friends, she had shuddered, but accepted it as good news, perhaps even promising. Maybe the showpony wasn't completely impossible to get along with after all. And maybe some of Twilight's humility would rub off on her.

But now Twilight was saying that the two would be sharing the library from now on. And that wasn't what was truly shocking about the arrangement. Because they hadn't decided to become roommates in order to cement their newfound friendship. Rather, the aim was to deepen their rivalry. Rarity had never thought she'd hear such an absurd idea coming from so serious and logical a pony as Twilight. Surely this must be a joke, she thought.

"Is it really THAT bad?" Twilight asked. Rarity sighed in response.

"Twilight, darling, I think perhaps you should have consulted your friends long before this. I don't understand why you would even want to go through with such a thing. If there really is some grudge between the two of you, wouldn't it make more sense to distance yourselves from each other?"

"It's not a grudge, Rarity. We're both studying magic and trying to improve ourselves. We're kind of like Applejack and Rainbow Dash - we compete against each other to test our limits and grow. But magic being what it is, you know... it's a very intense process." Twilight had decided it was best not to mention the real reason for the arrangement. After all, she still didn't understand that part herself, so there was no way she was going to expect her friends to get it.

"Well, I still think it sounds like a bad idea. But I suppose we'll just have to see." Rarity tilted her head. "So, is she less dreadful in private?"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "She was never really all THAT bad, she just... builds herself up a lot. She's gotten a little better about it, though. I guess since we've gotten to know each other better there just isn't as much of a point anymore."

"And just what have you learned about each other?" Rarity moved closer to Twilight, leaning toward her in a way that caused Twilight to raise an eyebrow.

"Well, I know that she has a strong desire for validation."

"Obviously."

"She's not used to any life other than the life of a traveling showpony. And she really likes rose-flavored ice cream."

"Well, of course, everypony likes rose-flavored ice cream," Rarity said, waving that last comment aside.

"Personally, I'm pretty partial to poppy," Twilight said with a small chuckle.

"Yes, well. Is there anything else? Anything juicy?" Rarity's grin as she emphasized the last word was positively frightening, and Twilight moved back a bit.

"If you're looking for gossip, now's not the best time for that," Twilight said. "We're new roommates, and honestly, yeah, this arrangement is really weird, so I'd rather not put any extra strain on it by spreading gossip around before she's even settled in. Especially to you, no offense. If you want to know more about her, you can ask her yourself."

"Very well," said Rarity with a respectful nod. "I suppose I'll get the opportunity at Pinkie Pie's party."

A long pause followed that statement. "Which party?"

"Well, obviously, the one she's going to throw when she finds out there's a new pony in town."

Twilight hadn't thought about that. "Yeah, listen," she said, "could you not mention this to Pinkie Pie right away? Trixie may not be completely insufferable, but that doesn't mean she's an angel or anything. I'm afraid the situation might be a little too volatile for a party, especially with AJ and Rainbow. Just let me get everything sorted out first so we don't have a repeat of the Gilda incident." Twilight thought she saw Rarity's eyes flash with something like mischief at that last part. "Please?" she added.

"Oh, alright," Rarity conceded, "I must admit seeing Trixie humiliated again would amuse me, but I'm not nearly as stubborn as those two. I assure you, my curiosity toward her far outweighs any grudges."

"Thanks, Rare." Twilight stood and bowed slightly. "I'd better not waste any time. Don't want to take chances where Pinkie is involved."

Twilight reflected that she really should have thought about Pinkie earlier. The inevitable party constituted a major complication. Now Twilight had to devise some way of preventing Applejack and Rainbow Dash from killing Trixie. Or vice-versa.

"Maybe I could get them fighting," Twilight mused quietly. "Then they'd be too busy fuming to notice Trixie." It was a silly idea - not that it would have been difficult to pull off, all things considered - and Twilight quickly forgot about it.

Twilight pondered the problem all the way back to the library. She was so focused on it that when she got back and walked inside, she almost bumped into the earth pony sitting near the door.

"Hi, Twilight!" Pinkie said, standing up and walking past her. "Sorry, no time to chat, bye Twilight!"

Twilight gaped after the pink one for a minute, then looked to where Trixie was sitting across the room. "What was she doing here?" Twilight asked.

"I don't know," said Trixie with a shrug. "She just walked in, sat down, and stared at me for a few minutes right before you came in."

This was, in retrospect, utterly unsurprising, and it meant that Twilight was going to have to abandon the idea of letting any of her friends get used to Trixie. "Trixie," she began resignedly, "how do you feel about parties?"

~#~#~#~

If there was one thing to be thankful for, it was that the room was crowded. With careful management, and Trixie's reluctant cooperation in giving up her usual distinctive attire for the night, Twilight had managed so far to keep the guest of honor away from certain ponies. The negative attention Trixie did receive hadn't been as strong as they had anticipated. Though her initial visits to Ponyville had been nothing short of disastrous, very few ponies seemed interested in condemning her for them. A good number didn't even realize she was the same pony.

In fact, Applejack and Rainbow Dash still didn't know who the party was for, and they had begun to catch on to Twilight's odd behavior, as she could tell from their suspicious glances whenever they caught a glimpse of her. Pinkie, luckily, had completely forgotten who Trixie was. "I was just about to ask," she explained, "but that's when you came in and I got distracted thinking about the party and how everypony was going to love meeting your friend! So who is she? Is she from Canterlot too? How long has she been here? What does she-"

Twilight silenced her by popping a red cupcake into her mouth. "Listen, maybe you could save the questions for later?" she said. "I'm sorry, but the details kind of need to be kept quiet. And that's hard to do here."

"And why's that?" Twilight turned to see Applejack standing behind her, listening closely. That presented a few problems. First, Twilight now had to come up with an explanation for her behavior that didn't involve announcing Trixie's return. Second, if Applejack was here, then that meant...

Yep, the fluttering sound and the motion in Twilight's peripheral vision confirmed that Rainbow Dash was searching the library for the new houseguest. "AJ, please," she said, "I just want to... show some respect. She wouldn't want me telling everypony all about her. That's something she'd rather do herself, on her own terms, and that's how it should be." As long as her own terms didn't involve a stage this time, anyway.

Applejack glared. "That ain't good enough," she said. "Yer hidin' her from us. Ah don't like bein' lied to."

"Listen," Twilight said, "if you don't meet her tonight, I promise I'll introduce you tomorrow. I just don't want you to... uh..." she had been about to say that she didn't want Applejack to make a scene, but that would hardly seem appropriate. "...get the wrong idea," she finished. At this point she risked a nervous glance at Dash, and saw that, as she feared, Dash was about to spot Trixie at the refreshment table. She was about to excuse herself from the conversation to intervene when she noticed a book on a shelf across the room had started to glow. It slipped out and fell to the floor, the motion and sound enough to draw Rainbow Dash's attention. Nearby, Rarity nodded subtly to Twilight, keeping a poker face, and Twilight sighed with relief before returning her attention to Applejack. "I can't possibly tell you what you need to know about her," she continued, "so I'd much rather you get it from her yourself after things quiet down again. That's both of you, by the way. Okay, AJ? Pinkie?" She waited a second for a reply, then looked around. "Pinkie?"

Oh no. Twilight knew where Pinkie had gone.

The rapid-fire questions had begun again, barely audible to Twilight over the noise of the party. Unfortunately, Applejack heard it well enough. And Dash, meanwhile, had spotted the bouncing mass of pink and become curious. Now they were both headed straight for Trixie. Twilight followed Applejack, trying and failing to come up with any reason for her to look somewhere else. Rarity hissed to herself and pursued Rainbow Dash, trying to get her attention, but the pegasus wasn't about to be distracted. There was no time now. Twilight had to make one move and hope it was going to work. She lowered her head, and her horn sparked.

Trixie jolted to attention. The warning came to her through Twilight's magic. It was a kind of communication unknown to most modern ponies; the two had only recently rediscovered it during the course of their many duels. Looking around, Trixie understood the situation well enough. She didn't have much prepared, but there was one sure option. Everypony in the room suddenly jumped and looked as a pillar of smoke noisily erupted where Trixie had been standing. The smoke cleared, and there was nopony there but a confused and coughing Pinkie Pie.

Trixie, however, had not gone far. She had made it out the door, hoping to find a place in town to hide until the party finished. She hadn't been that lucky. There was already a pegasus waiting for her.

"And where do you think you're going?" Rainbow Dash demanded. "You got off easy last time, but not tonight!" Trixie took a few steps back, thinking she might be able to lose herself in the crowd again, but the sound of hooves behind her made her wince. Well, that escape was a spectacular failure.

'Ya got a lot a' nerve," Applejack said. "Ah'd lay into you right now, but ah'm waitin' fer Rarity first. She's got as much right to ya as either of us."

It was at this point that Applejack felt a telekinetic shove, moving her out of the way. "Rarity is here," announced the white unicorn, moving forward to stand between Applejack and Trixie, "and none too pleased. Did you really think I would do such a thing? Or allow you to, for that matter? Aren't you above petty violence like that?"

"No," Dash scoffed. All three of the other ponies paused to glare at her.

"Rare, everypony KNOWS ah ain't the type ta forgive an' forget," Applejack continued after a moment.

Rarity would hear none of that. "I suppose I don't know you at all, then, because I thought you were better than that. After all you've suffered worse indignities before than being tied up by a stranger-"

"-whom you challenged to-" Trixie started to interrupt, but swallowed the rest of her sentence when Rarity shot her a "not now" look. Once the danger had passed, Rarity continued.

"-you've been through worse, and at the hooves of ponies you still call friends! Why, if you assaulted everypony who humiliated you, half the town would be busy convalescing, I'd be matching my dresses to my scars and Rainbow Dash would be in a coma!" Applejack and Rainbow Dash exchanged an uncomfortable glance at this, Dash nervously motioning toward Trixie as if to usher the conversation back to the subject of the unicorn's transgressions.

Applejack stood silent for a moment before proceeding. "So whaddya want from me, Rare? Jus' ta let it go?"

Rarity nodded. More silence.

"...well, alright then." Applejack's stance relaxed, but only slightly. "Ah don't know she deserves it, but ah cain't deny yer right. Ah'll let her alone fer now. But that don't mean a clean slate, got it?" She pointed at Trixie with one hoof. "Nopony is gonna ferget what ya did. Yer gonna hafta work ta clear that off."

Trixie stood rigid, giving only a small nod in reply, her expression firming rather than softening; she wasn't about to be intimidated, not by the farmer of all ponies. "Trixie understands." As they held each others' gaze, they became aware of the sound of a door opening and closing.

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight called. "I just remembered, I needed you to... uh..."

Four heads turned to Twilight, each raising an eyebrow in unison. She put a hoof to her face.

"Right, nevermind that," she said. "So you're all..."

"Just talking," Trixie chimed in quickly and haughtily.

"Yep. Nothin' more," Applejack agreed, as evenly as she could through the lingering bitterness. Rarity nodded her assent.

Another few seconds passed and they all looked up at Rainbow Dash.

"...yeah," Rainbow Dash said flatly. "Talking."

Twilight heaved a sigh of relief. "Good. And... I was going to tell you, I just..."

Applejack held up a hoof. "Ah don't doubt it, Twi. Ah've never had any reason not ta trust ya. Ah think ah need ta get on home..." She tipped her hat. "G'night, Twilight. We'll talk more about it in the mornin'."

As Applejack trotted away, Twilight looked up at Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow...?"

Unexpectedly, the pegasus alit, looking severely at Twilight. "I. Don't. Like. This," she stated. "I get what you're asking us to do, I really do, but Trixie blew all three strikes and then some the first time we met her. I guess since Applejack and Rarity BOTH seem to wanna see where this is going, I'll play along, but I will not be happy about it, ya got me?"

Twilight nodded. "Yeah. I got it. Thanks for trying, I guess."

Rainbow Dash groaned and took flight again. "So I guess I'm gonna be going too. I have to kick something tonight." She fluttered slowly away from the three unicorns.

"You know," Trixie called after her, earning a momentary pause, "if it makes you feel any better, our arrangement does include her blasting me with spells on a regular basis."

Rainbow Dash tried not to laugh at that as she kept flying. She didn't try very hard, though.

Finally, Trixie turned to Rarity. "Thanks for helping out," she said simply.

"Oh, of course, dear," Rarity responded. "I couldn't let Twilight's new roommate be damaged so quickly. Besides, it's just as Rainbow Dash said. I want to see where this goes." With a smile and a nod, she turned around. "And now if you don't mind I think I shall return to the party. Coming?"

Twilight and Trixie exchanged a grin, then both followed Rarity back into the library.

The Routine

Spike pulled himself out of bed with a loud yawn, just as he did every day.

He scratched at his scales a little as he stretched away some of the sleep, just as he did every day.

He half-stumbled down the stairs, rubbing his eyes, just as he did every day.

He walked right under those brilliant beams of light, ignoring the two unicorns locked in battle, and proceeded toward the kitchen to get himself some breakfast, just as he did every day. "Good morning, Spike," Twilight called to him, still focused on her opponent.

"Pleasant... day today," Trixie added through the strain of maintaining her attack. Spike mumbled back the usual greeting as he ate. He glanced at the clock; it would only be a minute or so now.

At first the battles had been pretty quick, with one of them taking the element of surprise and overpowering the other almost immediately. More recently, though, both unicorns had been better-prepared, and their power had been almost equal. Now one of these sparring matches could stretch on for several minutes, until it was a wonder they hadn't both collapsed already.

Spike raised an eyebrow as Trixie cried out. She was usually just a little more stoic about losing. He stood, and walked back out of the kitchen. "Didn't sleep well?" he asked. Now he saw that it hadn't been a cry of defeat; Trixie had just amped up the power, backing Twilight against a bookshelf.

"Pinkie Pie... reintroductions... all night," Twilight gasped as she tried to match Trixie's power, without much success. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the surge faded. The unicorns found themselves on even footing once more, and then it was Trixie who was backing up. A moment later, Trixie's spell faltered, and Twilight let up as the blue mare's face hit the floor.

"Trixie? Are you alright...?"

Both Twilight and Spike paused to listen for a moment, and heard the unmistakable sound of snoring.

"Heh... I guess Trixie is even more tired than I am," Twilight commented. "Can you get the things for my to-do list for today? I'll just take her to bed, and then we'll head to Applejack's."

Spike gave a salute and began to collect items as Twilight carried her roommate upstairs.

Twilight entered the room and proceeded to Trixie's bed. Cautiously, she lowered the sleeping pony onto the bed, giggling slightly as she let out a particularly loud snore. The showmare had insisted on bringing in a new bed, rather than use Twilight's spare, and admittedly, it was obvious why. The spare was worn and beaten lumpy, uncomfortable and funny-looking, owing in no small part to the abuse it had seen at the hooves of Applejack and Rarity. Trixie's new bed was much more appealing.

It looked so soft... and warm...

~#~#~#~

Spike paused and looked up from his task. He thought he heard something, but it was difficult to tell. Straining to listen, he craned his head in the direction of the sound.

There it was again, a faint thumping. "Twilight? Is that you?" He followed the noise back into the main room of the library. As it repeated itself, he realized that it was coming from the door. Somepony was knocking, just barely.

"It's open," Spike called.

The knocking stopped, and there were several moments of silence. Spike was about to forget it when the door creaked open, uncertainly, painfully slowly, and Fluttershy poked her head in.

"Oh, hello, Spike. Is Twilight home? I wanted to congratulate her," the pegasus said.

"She should be down in just a moment," Spike said, then scratched his head. "What?" he added under his breath. Congratulate Twilight? On... a new roommate? "She's putting Trixie to bed. They didn't sleep last night."

"Oh. Um." Fluttershy looked very uncomfortable now. Moreso than usual. "That's... nice. I can come back..."

"Fluttershy. Get in here," Spike said, rolling his eyes.

The mare squeaked and ducked out the door, returning a moment later with a covered basket in her mouth.

"...huh? What's that?" Spike pointed at the basket, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, when I heard, I thought, I should bring them a special gift basket," Fluttershy said, setting it down. "Should I take it back? I just thought it might be good for, you know, them, to share and, um..." She trailed off.

"...no, I'm sure they'll like it," said Spike, even more confused now. "And if they don't, I'll take it!"

This provoked a squeak from the pegasus, her face reddening noticeably. "Oh, no, I'm afraid that wouldn't be... I mean you wouldn't like it. Trust me." She giggled nervously.

Spike shared the uneasy gesture, then glanced up the stares. "Sure is taking her a long time," he said. "Maybe we should go get her."

"G-get her?" Fluttershy shifted uncomfortably in place.

"Alright, if you say so," Spike said, walking around behind her and pushing her toward the stairs. At his urging, Fluttershy picked up the basket again and stepped forward, ascending to Twilight's bedroom.

"Hey Twi," Spike said as they entered the room, "Fluttershy just came by to..."

He was interrupted by a loud gasp from Fluttershy, who promptly dropped the basket and bolted down the stairs. Spike stared after her, totally nonplussed. He started to call out to her, but she was already long gone. He gave a helpless shrug to nopony, then turned back to the bed.

Twilight had collapsed, her hindlegs dangling off the side of the bed, body draped over Trixie's still-slumbering form. "Geez, you must've really been wiped," he said, pulling the mare's legs up onto the bed as best he could before draping a blanket over the two. He eased himself out of the room, not wanting to disturb the sleeping ponies.

Back downstairs, he found the door hanging wide open. He shook his head with a sigh, then closed it and started wandering around, tidying up the library as he waited.

~#~#~#~

Upstairs, there was a yelp, followed by two thuds.

Twilight picked herself up off the floor, panting slightly as she recovered from the shock, followed closely by Trixie. Twilight gaped for a moment, then shook her head, massaging her forehead with a hoof. "I must've fallen asleep," she said. "How long was I...?" She now directed her gaze toward the clock and gasped. It had been two hours! "Oh no, I'm running late! Sorry for waking you Trixie I gotta go see you later!"

Twilight rushed out of the room and down the stairs, half-stumbling in her haste, leaving a confused Trixie behind her. Trixie looked at the clock as well, shrugged, then idly let her eyes wander the room. They came to rest on a covered basket next to the door. Curious, Trixie picked it up with her magic and examined it.

There was a note attached, reading, To Twilight and Trixie, I hope you enjoy, um,if it's alright with you, that is. Trixie found it odd that the last part was written smaller than the rest of the message, but shrugged it off. She decided that if it was for her to enjoy, she might as well start now. With a smirk, she lifted the cover off the basket.

Blushing scarlet, she set it back down, slid it under the bed, and backed away. "The consideration is appreciated, mysterious note," she half-coughed, "but Trixie thinks you may perhaps be getting ahead of yourself..."

~#~#~#~

"I hope Applejack isn't mad," Twilight muttered as she made her way toward the farm on the edge of town, Spike perched on her hindquarters.

"She won't mind THAT much, will she?" Spike shrugged. "It's not like it'll be the first time somepony has shown up late."

"This is different, Spike. Remember how you reacted when Trixie came back?"

Spike nodded slowly. He still wasn't really sure if he liked having the braggart around or not, but at least he was used to her now; she had become just another part of their lives, like the rest of Ponyville. When she had first shown up, on the other hand, he had wanted her gone at any cost, especially after Twilight started to act more friendly, offering her tea, even settling down for a chat after their frequent spontaneous duels.

"Applejack just found out Trixie's living with us," Twilight explained. "She might think I'm showing up late because I'd rather spend time with Trixie, and knowing how Applejack feels about Trixie, I don't think she'd be happy about that."

Spike had to admit, if there was one thing that could drive a wedge between the friends, it would be Trixie.

As Twilight approached Sweet Apple Acres, she was greeted by the sounds of applebucking. "Applejack?" she called, drawing near to the orchard. "Are you here?"

There was a momentary pause in the kicking, and then an unenthusiastic "Uh-huh" from the same general direction.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Twilight continued as she stepped through the trees and caught sight of the farmer. "I guess I overslept..."

"Right. Overslept." Applejack snorted. "Ah don't reckon ah'd sleep so easy these days, 'fah were you, not sharin' space with a snake. But good fer you, ah guess."

"Applejack, please..." Twilight started, but Applejack just gestured to a basket. With a remorseful sigh, Twilight picked it up and started collecting apples.

The next few minutes passed in relative silence, broken only by thumping sounds, of hooves against trees, and of apples into baskets. Twilight glanced at Applejack a few times, starting to say something but holding her tongue when she saw the irritated, somehow distant look on her friend's face.

It was Spike who finally spoke. "C'mon," he said, poking at Twilight. "I thought you wanted to talk to Applejack about Trixie..."

Slowly, Applejack came to a halt, fixing her eyes on Twilight. "Well then, talk," she said, after a moment's hesitation. "Ah've been waitin' ta hear it."

Her features were perfectly stoic. The coming of this conversation, Twilight knew, must have bothered Applejack quite a bit, perhaps more than Twilight's own tardiness, yet apart from an understandable coldness, Applejack didn't seem really hostile.

"You trust me, right?" Twilight asked cautiously. Before anything else, she needed Applejack's trust. Without that, there wasn't going to be any peace again for a long time.

Applejack drew a heavy sigh. "Yeah, Twi. Ah trust ya. Ah told ya that yesterday. Sorry fer bein' a little snippy, but, well... ah know you can understand. Jus' talk, okay? Ah'll listen."

Twilight nodded. "That's fair. I guess I should start at the beginning. It started a month ago, about a week after Trixie apologized..."

"Whoa whoa whoa hold up," Applejack said, waving both forehooves frantically. "Trixie apologized?"

~#~#~#~

A week had passed since the big duel and subsequent rematch between Twilight and Trixie. Ponyville was blissfully quiet again. Twilight was just making sure everything was in order in the library before getting herself ready to meet with the mayor, to arrange for the sponsorship of a group function for the foals of Ponyville (Rainbow Dash had mentioned camping, an idea that fascinated Twilight; it was like an extension of a slumber party!).

"Spike! I'm going over to Town Hall, I'll be back in a few minutes!" she called, opening the door as she approached it. Spike called back a confirmation, and Twilight stepped out the door.

She had only just cleared the entryway when a rustling sound caught her attention. Spinning in place, she looked around for the source and saw nothing. Several tense seconds of watching and waiting passed, before finally Twilight gave a shrug and turned to resume her errand.

It was at this point that Trixie burst out of a shrub beside the door and tackled Twilight with a cry of "TWILIGHT SPARKLE! TRIXIE CHALLENGES YOU!"

Twilight was knocked off balance and, reeling, fired a lockup spell in the direction of her assailant. At the same time, Trixie used her advantage to charge up something big and hurl it at Twilight. The two spells collided and cancelled each other violently, sending both unicorns flying, to collapse in the dirt.

Twilight was the first to stand, panting from the shock and from the strain of the cold start for her magic.

"Trixie? What are you doing?" she asked, as near a shout as she could manage. "I thought you learned your lesson last time! Why are you attacking me now?!"

Trixie, however, was laughing as she picked herself up off the ground. It wasn't even remotely like an evil laugh. It was more like a sound Rainbow Dash might make; perhaps a little harsh, but ringing of genuine mirth. "Because," she said, "it was fun."

Twilight had no idea what to say about that.

"You see," Trixie continued, "for Celestia knows how long, and especially when my mind was clouded by vengeance, I forgot how enjoyable it could be to have a good contest. A sparring match... a bit of exercise, with a winner and a loser, but no real stakes. It wasn't until I realized that I might lose to you that I began to feel that thrill. And, well... I hardly have any other sparring partners, so I thought..."

"You thought you'd come challenge me again," Twilight said, rolling her eyes. "But, Trixie, you forgot something."

"And what's that?" Trixie asked, grinning broadly.

That grin was replaced with a look of shock as a pinkish-violet aura closed around the blue mare, curling her body up into the shape of a wheel. "You forgot that without any power boosters, I'm way more powerful than you," Twilight said, rolling the wheel alongside her as she made her way toward Town Hall. "It's great that you want to be friends, I think, but maybe sparring with me wasn't the best plan?"

~#~#~#~

Applejack removed her hat and used it to suppress her laughter. Spike also snickered from Twilight's back.

"Since then, we've dueled at least once a day. Well, except for that day she hurt herself," Twilight concluded.

"So... so ya jus'... rolled 'er up and wheeled 'er out, an' she still came back for more?" Applejack asked.

"Well, yeah," Twilight said, giggling a little herself. "Turned out she was onto something. She got a lot stronger just from trying to beat me, to the point where she was actually winning more of those spontaneous matches than I was... at least until I got stronger too, and learned how to anticipate her. Now we're about even and the duels are actually a lot of fun."

"An' she wants ta be friends," Applejack mused. "Whoo Nelly, ah never thought ah'd see the day THAT happened."

Twilight nodded calmly. "Applejack, I swear to you, Trixie has changed. She's not the petty bully who tied you up the first time she came to town or the crazy villain who made a mess of things last time. She's just... trying her best, you know?"

Applejack considered that for a minute. "Ah s'pose... ah can understand that. Alright, then. You tell Trixie she's got one shot at wipin' the slate clean. Next time ah talk to her ah'll decide whether ah wanna try bein' friends or not."

"Thank you, Applejack," Twilight replied. "I'll tell her right after we're done here."

"Hey, what's keepin' ya? Go tell her now." Applejack shrugged. "You've helped enough fer now."

Twilight glanced back at Spike, who nodded. "Alright then," she agreed. "If you don't need any more help, I'll be heading back. Thanks for listening, AJ."

With a polite bow, which Applejack returned in kind, Twilight made her way out of the orchard and down the road once more.

Past and Present

Trixie stared up at the cloud above her.

Were it not for the occasional movement, she would have thought her quarry had left, but now and then a small patch of rainbow became visible over the edge of the cloud. Trixie strained to listen, and heard snoring.

That was enough patience. Time for results. She cleared her throat to announce herself. "Rainbow Dash," she called, using her best stage voice.

The pegasus stirred at the sound of her name being spoken. Confused for a moment, she peeked over the edge of the cloud.

"Muh... huh? Trixie? What are you doing here?" asked Rainbow, raising an eyebrow.

"Watching you sleep," Trixie replied nonchalantly.

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to answer, then immediately closed it again. She repeated this process a few times before giving a small shudder of distaste at the prospect, prompting a victorious smirk from Trixie.

Eventually, Rainbow Dash composed herself. "What do you want?" she asked, with a slight accusatory edge.

"To talk," the unicorn responded simply. "Your words last time have not been forgotten. I want to prove that I mean you no harm."

"Yeah, well, tough, because I don't want to hear it." Rainbow Dash said, pointedly averting her eyes. "After everything that's happened, why would I ever listen to Two-Faced Trixie?"

"Because Trixie is here." Trixie shot her a glare. "Because Trixie doesn't need your approval, but requests it anyway. And because Trixie's estimation of you is not much better than yours of her."

Every feature of Rainbow Dash's body seemed to flare outward at that comment. "What'd you say?" she hissed, leaping from her cloud and swooping down to get right in Trixie's face.

"Trixie thanks you for illustrating," the showpony said flatly. "Doesn't this seem familiar? You, invading Trixie's personal space?"

"Personal space! I oughtta show you personal—"

"And wouldn't that be just the thing to do," Trixie continued. "Arrogant, impulsive, no regard for the well-being of others... sound like anypony you know?"

"I—but, you—what kind of—" the rainbowmane spluttered. "Don't compare me to you!"

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Rainbow Dash shook her head, then made a slashing motion with a hoof. "I've heard just about enough from you. You can say nothing to make me believe there's any good in you."

Rainbow was prepared for some cutting remark, or some kind of self-justification, or anything at all from the unicorn. So when several seconds passed in silence, she flinched and drew back. "...what? No snappy comeback? You waiting for something?"

"You said if I said nothing you'd believe me," Trixie noted, before silencing herself again.

Rainbow Dash stared in disbelief. Then, clenching her teeth, she growled, "Just. Leave. Me. Alone." With that, she turned and flew away.

Trixie sighed and pulled her hat down over her eyes. This had been her practice round, and it had gone about as well as she expected. It occurred to her now, far too late, that a subtler tone might have worked much better. Perhaps, though, this particular hornet's nest was simply not a good one to poke at this time. Shaking her head, she stood and walked off toward the farm.

~#~#~#~

A large red stallion was standing in front of the farmhouse when she arrived. There was something familiar about him, but Trixie couldn't recall having ever seen a pony with a red coat before, so the only impression she had was that he was large. He idly looked her way as she approached.

"Trixie?" he guessed, raising an eyebrow. She nodded, and he held up a hoof, signaling her to wait. He turned and trotted inside.

As soon as he could no longer see her, Trixie shuddered. "What was that?" she wondered aloud. "Some kind of hired muscle? Does Applejack really distrust me that much?" She pondered that for a minute.

The creak of the screen door alerted her to the goon pony's return. She looked up, and he stood to the side, holding the door open and motioning her in. Trixie tried not to make eye contact with him as she passed, to show that she she wasn't going to be intimidated by refusing to acknowledge him at all.

Applejack was waiting in the living room, her hat pulled down over her eyes. A small filly Trixie surmised was either Applejack's sister or her daughter sat beside her. A weathered green mare sat, quietly knitting, in a rocking chair in the corner of the room. She observed Trixie with an intense look that almost made the showmare think twice about coming here. Trixie wasn't sure what to say, but she was sure that ignoring this pony would be a bad idea, so she gave a small bow, eliciting a nod from the elder mare. Nothing else was exchanged, and Trixie turned her attention to Applejack.

"Applejack, Trixie wanted to say—"

Trixie found herself cut off by a raised hoof. "Hold on, now," Applejack interjected. "Before ya say anythin', ah wanted ta tell ya that ah've been doin' some thinkin'." She stood up, pushed her hat back, and turned to look out the window. "Trixie, we hardly know each other. We met twice an' ya hurt me both times. But now yer here, standin' in front a' me, an' ah know ya came ta say yer sorry." She huffed slightly. "Ah don't know whether ya mean it. Yer a good liar, an' that's real irritatin', not bein' able ta tell when yer tellin' the truth. But... it doesn't matter."

Trixie tapped a hoof to her forehead and found it moist with nervous sweat. "It doesn't?" she asked shakily.

The farmer turned to face her now. "No. It doesn't. 'Cause the words're nice, but they don't really change anythin', do they? Regrettin' what ya did won't change that ya did it, an' sayin' yer a better pony now won't make it true. So if ya wanna apologize, then do it with yer actions. Don't ever stop tryin' ta do the right thing. An' as fer me, well." She shook her head. "Ah'm still not gonna let mah guard down. No can do. You already proved it ain't safe. But... ah never have given you a chance. An' that ain't right either. So ah'm gonna let ya do what ya need ta do."

Trixie bowed her head. "Very well," she said. "Then Trixie will do her best not to disappoint." A few moments passed in which the only sound Trixie could hear was the creaking of the rocking chair. None of the ponies in the room took their eyes off her. "So... if that was all you were going to say," she added, "was it necessary for your hired muscle to be present?

As that question sank in, all four of the others broke into laughter. "H-hired muscle?" Applejack replied between guffaws. "Ya mean Big Macintosh?"

"He's our brother!" the little filly explained, collapsing onto the floor as she used her forehooves to hold her sides.

Trixie's face slowly began to redden. "Er... my mistake," she said, backing toward the door. "Well, you seem to be busy now. Trixie should... get out of your hair."

Applejack stepped forward, placing a hoof on her shoulder. "Jus'... jus' hold on a second," she said, calming down. "If you want a start on earnin' mah trust, ah think we can arrange it. Granny Smith?"

The old mare nodded. "We could use an extra hoof sortin' the apples from today's harvestin'. Cain't sell bad fruit. It's an important job."

"Whaddya say?" Applejack asked. "You up for it?"

Trixie gave it a few seconds of thought, mostly for show. She didn't really have the option of turning down an opportunity to help out, and the work didn't sound very hard. "Trixie is in. Just show Trixie where they are," she said with a smile and a nod.

The elder pony got out of her chair and started for the door. Trixie followed her. She quickly came to regret this decision, however, as the old mare moved at an agonizingly slow pace. The showmare eyed the clock as she reached the door, and could have sworn the minute hand was moving faster than Granny. Trixie discreetly used her magic to give her a little extra push, glancing nervously at the other Apples as they headed for the barn.

Granny Smith showed Trixie to a line of baskets, all full of apples. "Bad ones go over there in a pile," she said, gesturing. "Good ones go in the cart. Speakin' of, can ya bring it over here for me?"

There were a few carts set against the wall, and Trixie telekinetically pulled one over. Granny Smith nodded and pulled an apple out of a basket, checking it over. "Good," she declared, tossing it into the cart. She dug out another one. "Bad," she announced, casting it aside. "Bad. Good. Good. Good. Good. Bad." She stopped after a few more, looking straight at Trixie.

Trixie immediately remembered that she was supposed to be sorting, not watching, and took a position beside another basket. She started picking up apples, evaluating them, and tossing them to the appropriate direction.

~#~#~#~

The job dragged on, and slowly Trixie began to lose her sense of what she was doing. After about an hour, she was dangerously close to biting into the inviting red surface of an apple that was supposed to go into the cart. Shaking her head to clear it, she thought about the task for a moment. This really was an easy job. In fact, any novice unicorn could create a spell that could do half the work automatically. With a satisfied smirk, Trixie resolved to do exactly that.

She decided to use the apple in front of her as the baseline for "good", and instructed the spell to send all apples with roughly these characteristics to the cart. She fished out another, and flinched as she saw its bruised, mushy, worm-eaten surface. Definitely bad. She directed the spell to move all apples that shared these properties to the pile. A few seconds of focus, and the energies began to coalesce. She then let her new creation loose.

A whirlwind of purple energy began scooping up apple after apple, depositing them in one place or another. Granny Smith ducked as a few nearly smacked her in the head. "What in tarnation?" the old mare protested. "What do you think yer doin'?"

Trixie smiled back at her as she continued to manually sort the apples left behind by the spell. "Trixie is just making the job go faster," she said with a shrug.

"Don't you faster me!" Granny Smith snarled, shaking a hoof. "That ain't the way it's done!"

"She's right," a voice from the barn door added. Applejack stepped toward them, two cups of tea balanced on her head. "We've had help from unicorns before, but only in emergencies, an' this ain't one." She glared at Trixie as she passed Granny a cup. "So if yer gonna resort ta tricks like that, we don't need yer help."

Trixie flinched. "Trixie had no way of knowing that," she replied calmly, hiding her slight concern that she might have just ruined her only chance. "Are you really going to blame Trixie for trying to help?"

Applejack sighed, slipping the other cup off her head. "Ah'm not mad about breakin' tradition. Like you say, ah knew ya didn't know about it comin' in. Ah jus' hoped you'd manage ta buckle down an' work hard instead a' doin' it the easy way."

"A test, then," Trixie said, fighting the urge to give Applejack an accusatory look now. "Trixie understands perfectly. But you can't expect Trixie to follow rules she isn't aware of. And besides, it did get the job done, didn't it?"

The young farmer thought about that for a moment, passing the cup to Trixie. "Alright, ah guess ya got a point there. Still..."

"You're still not sure you can trust Trixie." Trixie sighed and took the tea with her magic. "Trixie had hoped... oh well."

Applejack paced restlessly, bowing her head slightly. "Ah think we're both gonna have ta try a little harder if we wanna see eye-to-eye, Trixie. But maybe we can, someday."

There was a moment of silence as Trixie considered that. She stood and adjusted her hat, throwing one more apple into the cart. "Trixie hopes so," she said, walking toward the barn door. "For now... I think I've made enough of a mess."

As Trixie stepped through the doors, Applejack raised her head and turned. "An' don't forget ta come back next week," she called. "Ah've still got work for ya."

Trixie paused and glanced back. She thought for a moment about Applejack's meaning, then slowly gave a small smile. "You've got it, boss," she replied, before starting up the orchard path again.