Against the Wind

Chapters

Running
Shelter
Queen of My Night
Surrounded by Strangers
A Wildfire Out of Control
Epilogue
Secrets That We Shared

Running

Trixie could not believe what a fool she had made of herself. She had done such a great job of appearing humble to Twilight before her departure from Ponyville for the second time. Only to trip over that accursed wagon wheel embedded in the dirt path and fall flat on her face for her to see. As she plodded ahead along the road she thought back to their last conversation.

Twilight had just finished up her magic performance for the princess. Trixie felt it needed an added flare with some of her trademark fireworks. The spectacle certainly left an impression on the crowd, the princess, and her guests. Twilight looked for the source of the pyrotechnics behind her.

"Trixie?" Twilight asked the blue mare.

"It's the least I could do." Trixie answered, "I treated your friends so horribly when I was wearing that Alicorn amulet. I just couldn't control myself." She looked down at her hooves in shame, before looking back up at Twilight with the saddest doe eyes she could muster, "You can forgive me, can't you?"

Twilight thought a moment. What would the princess do? "Hmm, sure."

"Oh good." Trixie breathed a sigh of relief, before returning to her usual charismatic self, "Don't you think the Great and Apologetic Trixie is the most magnificent, humble pony you've ever seen?"

Twilight rolled her eyes and shook her head, dismayed. She realized that there were limits to how much the blue show mare could change in one afternoon. It went unnoticed to the reinvigorated show mare as she cast a smoke screen spell and galloped off into the night.

"And tripped over that damn wheel!" Trixie thought out loud to herself, trotting along, down the road away from Ponyville. Always on the move. That was her. She had never settled down in one place longer than was absolutely necessarily for her to make a few bits and move on. Why was that? She wondered to herself. Did she like life on the run? No, life on the move, not run. She meant move. Trixie runs from nothing.

You've been running away your whole life

That creeping doubt wormed its way back into her thoughts.

Never staying in once place because everypony ends up hating you in the end

Trixie's pace quickened. She disliked these thoughts. No no, she was a positive pony. Onward and upwards she was. Just keep moving forward to something better. Just keep trotting down the road to... well, now that she thought of it, she wasn't sure where exactly she was going. Fillydelphia? Trottingham? She hadn't seen any signs on her way out of town either.

The road looked old and overgrown. It looked as though nopony had used it in some time. She stopped and looked around herself. The forest had grown up around her and closed in above her. There were only small holes in the canopy where she could still see Luna's night sky. Trixie began to feel very claustrophobic. Her hooves had stopped trotting, her mind stopped reeling about tripping over obstacles, and she stopped talking to herself.

In her silence, she became very aware of the noises around her in the woods. Little noises, distant noises. Bugs chirping, birds roosting, the odd bat squeak. It was just little animals. The woods are full of them. Little mice and squirrels and...

"TIMBERWOLVES!" Trixie cried out as several pairs of glowing eyes leaped from the underbrush onto the path in front of her. Trixie did an immediate one eighty, and ran just as fast as her little hooves could carry her. Behind her, the wolves gave chase to the azure pony. It was unnerving, Trixie could hear them running behind her. The wood of their limbs bending and creaking like and old rocking chair. But more rapidly, and getting closer with each step. She had gotten a good start running. But a pony couldn't outrun a Timberwolf for long, much less a pack of them. She had to think of something.

The first thing you will learn in magic school, is that a Unicorn is never alone. Magic is their greatest ally, and they are therefore, never powerless.

Trixie thought of the only spell she could in her panic. She couldn't aim her magic focus in the rush, but her boosted adrenalin fueled her raw power.

This was going to be messy.

Her horn glowed brightly and in an instant she released the spell. The whole road was bathed in bright multi-colored light as a barrage of fireworks and screaming rockets flew in all directions. Shooting up into the foliage, whistling off sideways into the woods, and down, ricocheting off the dirt into erratic spirals, all exploding with deafening bangs and booms so near the ground, showering everything in colorful sparks and burning embers.

Trixie screamed as loud as she ever had and just ran faster in a sudden burst of speed away from the mayhem, never looking back. She could no longer hear them following her. But then she couldn't hear her own hooves or hear herself think either. The explosions had deafened her temporarily. All there was was her heart pounding in her head. Seconds passed. She sprinted on. Running for her life each second felt like an hour. In each mid stride of her gallop, all her hooves left the ground. In that dilation of time it felt like she was flying. It was wonderful and terrible all at the same time. It was sublime.

She felt like she had been running forever. But she could see the lights of Ponyville again in the distance. She tried to keep running but her legs were on fire, each gasp made her lungs burn, her head was pounding, both from her pounding heart and her magical overload. She hazarded a glance over her shoulder. Upon seeing the coast was clear, she collapsed onto the road. If the wolves caught up and killed her, she didn't think she would mind very much with the state she was in now. Her vision blurred and the world became dull and fuzzy. She felt her eyelids getting heavy, and then she felt nothing, slipping unconscious.

Trixie dreamed. She dreamed of her father. She dreamed of her loving father carrying her to bed for the night, safe and sound.

Safe and sound and no more running.

Shelter

Tiny streams of light began to peek through from the dawn of a new day. A ray fell upon Trixie's still-closed eyelids, causing her to stir. Trixie tried to roll over in her bed, but found her movement hindered. There was more than blankets draped over her. She looked down to see a lavender hoof laying across her body. Trixie twisted herself to see who it was behind her. It was- Twilight Sparkle? What was Twilight Sparkle doing in Trixie's bed. Trixie attempted to inquire of the sleeping mare as to why she was present beside her in bed but it came out as more of a...

"EEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!" Trixie shrieked as she lept from her bed in her- wait this wasn't even her bed, or her home. Twilight immediately awoke to what she thought was her fire alarm going off, only to see Trixie screaming in her bedroom, clearly in a panic. The events of the night previous came rushing back.

"Trixie! Trixie please calm down! I can explain everything, just pleeease stop screaming!" Twilight begged as she got out of bed herself.

"Trixie DEMANDS to know what you were doing in bed with her!" Trixie huffed in exasperation.

"Trixie, it's okay really! I will explain everything and answer all your question. Just please calm down first!" Twilight implored, wide eyed herself at the harsh awakening. Trixie took a few deep breaths and nodded, still weary of her surroundings. "Okay, let's just have some coffee downstairs and I'll tell you everything that happened OK?"
_______________________

At the table downstairs, Trixie nursed her mug of coffee that Spike had brought her. He was already awake when the anarchy had broken loose upstairs. From the noise, he knew what was coming next and put a pot on.

"OK," Twilight began, "so last night, shortly after you left, I was chatting with Applejack, when we heard the explosions in the woods and a scream. Your scream I take it." Trixie blushed, embarrassed. "Damn, it was cute when she did that. Wait where did that thought come from?" Twilight thought.

Twilight continued, "So Applejack and I came running to help. We didn't see what happened, but we found you unconscious in the road so we brought you back here. I gave you my bed to sleep in, and I watched over you just in case you woke up. But I guess I just got tired myself." Trixie seemed like she wanted further explanation for their... predicament this morning. "I- I guess I thought you were my pillow when I was asleep. I do that sometimes. Sorry about that." That answer seemed satisfactory to Trixie and she relaxed a bit.

"Well, Trixie was ambushed by creatures of the forest. But Trixie supposes there is no harm done. And your intentions were noble enough." Trixie said as she rose from the table. "But Trixie must really be on her way. She has wonders to perform beyond pony imagination elsewhere in Equestria." Twilight looked disappointed.

"Oh, I guess so." Twilight said with a sort of sigh, "But where are you going to go? What will you do? I didn't see your show mare caravan when you came here this time." That gave Trixie pause for a moment.

Where was she going to go?

"Trixie does not, er-" Trixie suddenly looked very lost, "she- ...I- I don't know." Her face fell into a frown. "I have no idea where I'm going." She was lost lost a thousand-yard stare. It was like that last sentence was a summary of her whole life up to that point.

Always on the move. Always on the run.

Twilight stepped in and put a hoof on Trixie's slumped shoulder, "Well why don't you stay in Ponyville until you figure it out?" She suggested trying to cheer her up.

"Oh Tri- er, I couldn't. After everything I've done? I couldn't possibly stay in this, of all towns!"

Twilight smirked a bit, "Oh, you'd be surprised. With all the disasters that happen around here on a semi-regular basis, a magic dictator taking over the town will barely register as a blip on their memories in a few weeks. Heck, a few months ago Spike turned into a giant Godzilla dragon and terrorized the whole town. They even called in the Wonderbolts in on him!"

"True story." Spike chimed in as he cleared their coffee cups and saucers in his apron.

"And he's still here." Twilight finished. "So I'm sure you'll be fine staying here until you can get back on your hooves properly."

Trixie looked very interested in the proposition. "But I haven't a thing to my name. I spent every last bit I had on that damn amulet. All I have is my cape on my back and my- GAH, where is my hat?!"

Twilight was suddenly worried herself, "It was nowhere around where we found you. We were just concerned with getting you somewhere safe at the time."

"I must go back and find it!" Trixie said making her way toward the door.

"I'm sure my friend Rarity could make another one for you." Twilight offered.

"NO!" Trixie caught herself. "I mean, no thank you. I have to go find THAT hat. It's very dear to me. It was... my father's."

"I'm coming with you then!" Twilight said immediately, surprising them both. "Um, you know, in case you get ambushed again."

Trixie smiled, "Thank you. I think I'd like that."
______________________________________

The pair were casually making their way back up the path back into the forest. They were quiet at first, listening to the forest around them for signs of trouble. But it was mid day and they were only going to be skirting the very edges of the Everfree. Twilight had had enough awkwardness for one day. She decided to break the silence.

"So, what have you been up to since the last time you were in town?" Twilight asked.

"Well after you showed me up with that Ursa Minor, I became a laughing stock." Trixie retold her story, "Everywhere I went I was laughed at and ostracized. I even had to take a job on a rock farm just to earn a living. A rock farm!"

"Oh. Right." Twilight remembered.

"What job is there for a pony, whose skill set is performing, when she can no longer be taken seriously as a performer?" Trixie asked. Trixie knew. She remembered what she had to do to earn that pile of bits for the amulet. She shuddered in shame. It went unnoticed.

"Well I'm sure together we'll find something for you to do. Your special talent isn't everything you are after all. Mine might be magic, but I also love to read. That's why I'm the town librarian. Yes, I'm sure together we'll-"

"MY HAT!" Trixie cut her off, dashing into a sprint to the article discarded on the side of the road. She picked it up as tears began to run down her cheeks. It was torn with holes and singed from the fireworks last night. In fact the whole area looked like a war zone, with burnt leaves and branches and bushes, and scorch marks on the road in all directions.

"Oh Trixie, what happened?"

"I- I set off my fireworks spell when I was being chased by a pack of timber wolves. I must have still had my hat on when it went off inside." Trixie began to break down. "It's ruined. Everything is ruined. My whole life."

"Now now Trixie, it's just a hat, I'm sure my friend Rarity can make you a new-"

"It is NOT just a hat!" Trixie snapped, "This hat and cape was given to me by my father when I was just a foal! It's all I have left of him!"

Twilight suddenly realized the gravity of the loss. "Well, just the same, lets bring it to Rarity. I'm sure she can do something to help maybe fix it."

"It's worth a shot I guess." Trixie sulked, as the pair walked back to Ponyville, Twilight holding her close with her hoof over her shoulders.
_______________________________________________

Rarity examined the hat closely through her red framed reading glasses. "I don't know Twilight. I appreciate the faith you place in my talents but I'm no miracle worker."

"Rarity," Twilight growled through her teeth, nodding toward the crying pony back behind her in the waiting room of the Carousel Boutique. "Please try." She whispered, "It's really important to her. It's her fathers. It's all she has left of him."

"I see." Rarity, re-examined the fabric. "I will do my best. Please, this will take some time." she motioned for Twilight to return to the front room, closing the door behind her.

Trixie was a mess on the couch, clutching her tail in her hooves nervously. To anypony else it would look as though she were a mother waiting on her foal to come out of surgery. To Twilight, she knew it might as well be.

Endless minutes ticked by. Twilight sat beside Trixie for support, reading a magazine to pass the time. Twilight normally abhorred magazines, but she was held captive in this waiting space. Most were just fashion catalogs with just page after page of different dresses and suits. The only one with any articles to speak of was the boutique's subscription to Cosmoponytan. Twilight hoofed through a few pages of ads.

"Hey Trixie, how about this?" Trixie turned her head toward Twilight as she angled the magazine toward her, "27 ways to please the stallion in your life." Trixie chuckled a bit out of her anguish. Twilight tried to keep her spirits up, "Let me guess, the first one is probably just, bend over. That's all they ever seem to think about eh?" Trixie laughed a little easier this time.

"Yeah, stallions are all the same." Trixie agreed, "One thing on their mind. I don't know why these magazines make them out to be so hard to understand. With them it's just food and sex. That's why I went back to mares."

Did I just think that out loud? Trixie wondered.

Twilight and Trixie just kind of awkwardly stared at each other for a second more before Twilight laughed first,

"Ha, he he. Yeah me too I guess." Twilight said, not believing she was saying this out loud herself. Both mares broke into a giggle fit at that.

Trixie frowned again, worried about her hat. Twilight took her hoof in hers and held it. Trixie leaned against her. Twilight tried to reassure her. "Don't worry Trixie," she whispered, "I'm sure everything will be okay."
___________________________________________________________________

"TADA!" Rarity exclaimed, bursting back though her workshop doors, Trixie's hat held high in triumph above her. "Oh, Twilight, I have pulled off some amazing feats in my days. Six gala dresses in one night, a set of dresses each encrusted with a different jewel for pop stars, but THIS!" Rarity was beaming even though she looked a ragged mess. The clock on the wall said it had been nearly three hours. "THIS Twilight, is my 'Piece de Resistance'. I have brought this hat back from the dead!"

Trixie was in tears of joy as she took her hat in her hooves, examining it closely, running a practiced hoof over its surface. The pattern, the stitching, every thread, every fiber was exactly as it had been! It was her hat!

"OH my hat! Oh I will never part with it again!" Trixie cried out, putting her hat and cape on as she ran outside, dancing joyfully in the streets.

"Rarity that was amazing! I saw that hat, I thought it would be a mess of patchworks if it were salvageable at all!" Twilight exuded.

"Oh well, I still have a few trick up my sleeves." Rarity said, with modest pride.

"You really must tell me how you pulled it off." Twilight begged.

"Magic?" Rarity tried.

"Oh, don't just leave it at that with me!"

"Oh, alright dear, but this is an absolute trade secret and it must stay just between us. I only tell you because you are one of my closest friends and I trust you." Twilight nodded and leaned in closely, despite the boutique being empty with Trixie still dancing outside.

"There is an extremely rare breed of silk worm found in the caves beneath Canterlot. Its silk, when woven into a fabric, magically takes on every property of the fabric around it. It is strictly regulated and normally only used to restore the ancient tapestries at the castle." Rarity checked over her shoulder again. "But I was able to procure a few scraps of it through a very dear friend of mine. I didn't ask how they got it, and they didn't tell me. It was barely half a yard of the material, but it was nearly 18,000 bits."

"18,000!"

"Shh, yes. It is a strictly regulated material due to the threat of it being used to produce forgeries of ancient arts. I told no one else I had it, I kept it in a secret compartment under my floor for years, just for the thrill of having some, like leather."

"Leather?"

"Oh, it's a material made from cow skin." Rarity said as if reciting from an encyclopedia.

"Oh my gosh, that's horrible!" Twilight recoiled.

"Yes, that is why its production is also VERY illegal." Rarity sighed, returning to the original topic, "The thing is Twilight, I tried everything I could to save that hat, I really did. But there was no saving it. It was dead. But I could see how much she meant to you so I-"

"Meant to me? I'm not- I mean, we're not-" Twilight asked quizzically,

"Oh, it's just, the way you two were, well, it just it seemed so obvious." Rarity said surprised. Could Twilight really be that blind to what was happening right in front of her? Well, she always was a bit lacking in the social department. "So as I was saying, I could tell she meant- I could tell IT meant a lot. to her. So I used the magic silk to restore it. Simple as that. Now I don't have to worry about being caught with that silk any more."

"You used all of it? But Rarity, your money? I'll pay you back somehow I promise!" Twilight said.

"Oh, no no, none of that from you." Rarity insisted, "I'm only too happy to help a friend. It means enough to me to see you happilly with some- to see your friend happy." Rarity smiled. "Spirit of generosity and all." She added as the began to straighten her hair with a flip.

"Thank you Rarity, I'll never for- I'm sure she'll never forget this." Twilight said as she made for the door.

Oh, just go get that dance with her you fool. Rarity sighed.

Twilight popped outside as Trixie ran up and hugged Twilight tightly. Trixie looked past her shoulder and waved into the boutique at Rarity. Rarity just waved back. Ah, young love.
__________________________________________________

Between their trip to the forest and waiting at the boutique, it was late afternoon, and Trixie hadn't found anyplace to stay, nor any means of staying there with any work. Twilight realized this as well as they walked to her home.

"Listen Trixie, since you didn't really get a chance to find a place today, why don't you go ahead and stay at my place again tonight?"

"Thank you Twilight, I really appreciate everything you've done for me, really I do." Trixie said with genuinely humility.

"I could dig out the guest bed this time so that, you know-" Twilight blushed.

"Oh, right, well... We seemed to make it though last night just fine." Trixie said, "There's no need to go through all that trouble. You've already done so much for me." Twilight blushed deeper, Trixie joined her.

Queen of My Night

Trixie sat opposite Twilight at the table in the library. Each were reading a different book about magic spells, and comparing notes. Twilight was just going right along at her usual brisk reading pace, not even looking at her notebook as she simultaneously wrote notes with her quill, multitasking. Trixie looked on, feeling intimidated. She had been going over the same page for the past twenty minutes trying to get her head around this Teleportation spell.

"I just can't understand how this works. It should be impossible." Trixie huffed. Twilight looked up.

"What? What is it?" Twilight asked.

"Your Teleportation spell. It goes against every natural law..." Trixie resigned. Twilight could see her confusion.

"Well, yes, you're right. We certainly can't break the laws of nature..." She began, taking a fresh sheet of paper, "but we can go around them. First try to imagine our three dimensional world as this two dimensional analogue." Trixie nodded, "Now look, lets say you want to teleport from point A..." Twilight made two Xs on the paper, "to point B?" Trixie listened intently. "What is the shortest distance between two points?"

"A straight line." Trixie answered confidently.

"Wrong. With magic, the shortest distance is zero, and that's what the spell does, it folds our space until the two points coincide with each other and then you just hop though the hole." Twilight stabbed through the paper there the two dots touched for effect. "And in an instant, you are there, and space returns to normal." she finished as she unfolded the paper.

Trixie stared at her with a blank face.

"Ok, so maybe your a bit more of a hooves-on learner." Twilight got up and moved over to Trixie's side. "Embrace me!" Twilight said up on her hind legs with a bit of theatrics, her forelegs outstretched. Trixie craned her neck back in her seat and elevated one of her eyebrows by an obscene amount. "Just get over here and make contact at least." Twilight said, more level. Trixie got up and extended her hoof to hold Twilight's when the purple mare made a sudden lunge.

"SURPRISE!" Twilight jumped onto Trixie, wrapping her hooves around her and in a violet flash they both vanished from the room.

In an instant they reappeared in another flash of light outside the front of the library. Twilight was no worse for wear. It was a spell she had done many times. Trixie on the other hand looked a little rough around the edges after her first teleport. "Twilight, PLEASE warn me next time you are going to do something crazy like that!" Trixie said, a bit indignant.

"I did. I yelled 'surprise!'" Twilight giggled and smirked.

"That hardly counts as fair warning." Trixie huffed, trying to un-frizz her mane. "Perhaps something more along the lines of, 'Hey Trixie, do you mind if I do something crazy?'" She said as she finished straightening herself out.

"Well, anyway, do you think you have a handle on the spell?" Twilight asked, a bit more serious.

"Um, well let me think. After what you told me earlier and that... field experience, I think I can piece it together." Trixie said as the gears turned in her mind.

Twilight took her hoof in hers. "Here, you lead this time and I'll help guide you if you need it. You know, to make sure we don't end up inside a wall or something."

Trixie looked a little worried. "Can that happen?"

Twilight reassured her, "It won't. I promise." She squeezed her hoof tighter. It wasn't meant as a romantic gesture, but it was starting to feel that way as they gazed in each others eyes for a long moment.

"Okay." Trixie said, "Here I go." She focused her magic in her horn, focused on the spell, the intended destination. And in a flash they both vanished.

Trixie opened her eyes. The world around her swirled iridescent pinks and purples and electric blues. In front of her was a clear doorway. On the other side was the inside of the library.

It's just a hop, skip and a jump a voice said somewhere, or everywhere. It was hard to tell in this place. Wherever it was.

Trixie stepped forward. Or at least, the thought of willing her hoof forward occurred in her mind, and in that instant of thought she was there. Back in the library. Holding Twilight's hoof. Perhaps a little tighter than she meant to.

"Did- did you do that?" Trixie asked.

Twilight was beaming a wide smile, "No Trixie, that was all you. I didn't have to help you at all. You got it on your first try."

Trixie was positively radiant now, "Well- well of course! Trixie- er I excel at all things magical!" Twilight sighed. She could no longer tell if she found Trixie's brash pride irritating or endearing. Still, it was fun teaching and learning spells with someone who was at least somewhat close to her own level. Trixie certainly had the raw potential. If only she could apply a little discipline to her studies.

"Although, I seemed to have misplaced my hat in the process." Trixie said, motioning to her hat on Twilight's head.

"I... might have had a little hoof in that part." Twilight said as she giggled, taking it off to hand it back to Trixie.

"No, no, that's alright." Trixie said putting a hoof up. "You can wear it for now. It' looks good on you actually." Twilight was about to thank her, "Not as good looking as me. But really, who can." Twilight smirked,

"Come Twilight, what other spells may we learn today?" Trixie asked excitedly. Twilight was caught off guard at the question. 'Come Twilight?' Oh, she didn't mean- Twilight blushed, embarrassed at how she interpreted that. She would have to be more wary of such thoughts.

"Um, yes, we have lots of time this evening. The library has been rather slow today. What else would you like to learn?" Twilight asked.

"Well, why don't we see if we can actually do some of those Alicorn Amulet spells without cheating this time?" Trixie said with an edge of challenge.

"Oh, Trixie I don't know." Twilight said with hesitance, "Those spells that we were slinging around were really advanced. I tried to do an aging spell myself while I was... exiled-" Trixie looked at her hooves in shame for a moment. "And I just couldn't pull it off no matter how hard I tried. I just don't have that level of power yet."

"But I could help you!" Trixie cut in, "You've said yourself how much raw potential I have! I know that together we could pull off those advanced spells off. What if we tried one of the other ones? Like that duplication spell?"

"Well, Trixie, you know that all those 'spells' I did were all really just illusions and sleight of hoof right?" Twilight tried to reason.

"I know that. But I'm sure that together we could figure out that duplication spell for real. What's the worst that could happen?" Trixie asked.

"Duplication spell? Ooh do me! Do me!" Pinkie said from the library entrance.

"NO!" the unicorns said in stereo.

"Aw." Pinkies smile faded.

"Pinkie, what do you need?" Twilight asked.

"Oh, I was going to go help Applejack- Ooh hi Trixie- I was going to go help Applejack with some baking idea for her family reunion in a couple weeks, and I wanted to do it - with a mustache!"

Twilight sighed. "Okay, fine." Twilight's horn zapped Pinkie's nose with number 25. In a flash, there sprouted a regal mustache. "There. That should last you all day."

Pinkie's eyes crossed as she tried to look at her own mustache. Trixie levitated a hand mirror over to the bouncing earth pony. Pinkie inspected herself and busted out giggling, "Ooh, fancy pants! I look so regal." Pinkie struck a pose as though holding an invisible wine glass, "Quite! Indeed! Cheerios! LIKE A GENT!"

"Okay, Pinkie, you look great." Twilight said trying to send the pink mare on her way. "You don't want to keep Applejack waiting now, do you?"

"Oh. Applejack. Right!" Pinkie said as she zoomed out the door in a flash.

Twilight breathed relief, "Okay, now that that's over with-"

"Twilight do you have a monocle I could borrow?" Pinkie asked, reappearing in the doorway.

"A- what- I don't even- No. I don't have a monocle. Sorry." Twilight said, exasperated.

"Trixie?" Pinkie asked, hopeful.

"No. No monocle." Trixie said, even toned.

"Oh... okay." Pinkie said before bounding away.

Both unicorns waited a moment, making sure the erratic pastry chef was gone for good.

"OK." Trixie admitted, "I can see the danger in a duplication spell, however temporary. So that leaves, what, that gender spell?"

Twilight thought a moment. "Well... I guess. But like healing spells, magically manipulating living flesh is very hard to actually pull off. I don't think we have the technical expertise required, even IF we had the combined powers."

Trixie walked over to the library's book shelves, searching them. "Well then," she said, pulling down a couple equine anatomy books, "Let's get us some expertise!"
________________________________________________________________________

Upstairs two ponies laid on the bed, propped up on their elbows, each reading the anatomy book, studying the pages. It was very detailed in the specifics of stallion parts and the physiology. Twilight tried her best to maintain an academic atmosphere. Trixie kept giggling at the pictures and terminology like an immature grade-schooler approaching the subject. Twilight wanted to correct her about keeping a serious attitude, but it was just too cute for her to resist watching.

Twilight had to admit, the whole thing was getting herself a bit... worked up. But she had the presence of mind to keep above it for the time being. Trixie on the other hand was visibly flushed. The images in the book and the idea of the spell had clearly gotten her... excited. It was something Twilight had been trying her best to ignore, but despite her best efforts, her gaze kept returning to Trixie's eyes, as they scanned back and forth over the pages. Her violet eyes were just like her own.

"Aren't you excited to try this? I think we could really pull this off. Twilight? Twilight!"

Twilight was pulled from her dreamy gaze. "Oh, yes. I think we have the physical parts of the spell down well enough. I practically have these pages memorized now. I suppose it just comes down to powering the actual execution of the spell itself."

"Well, leave that to me. With my help, we should be able to pull it off without any problems." Trixie said confidently.

"I'm sure of it." Twilight said with a smile. Trixie just had a way of making her feel like no matter what happened, everything would be okay. She just radiated that 'assured' feeling. "But now we just have to decide who will be the volunteer."

"Well it was my idea to try this, so it should stand to reason that it be me." Trixie said matter-of-factly.

"No. I'll be directing the spell itself with the help of your power. But if anything goes wrong, I don't want it to be with anypony else. I'll do it on myself just to be safe." Twilight said, a little nervous.

"Very well, Twilight. I know you're impossible to talk out of something once you've set your mind to it." Trixie resigned. "Shall we try it now then?"

"I suppose there's no time like the present." Twilight said. "Okay, just like we rehearsed, I'll get the spell started and formed, and when I give you the signal, you touch your horn to mine-"

Trixie giggled.

Twilight continued, "Seriously now, this is important. We have to get this right or it won't work at all. - So I'll give you the signal, and you touch your horn to mine and feed your magic power into the spell. Once it's ready, well... I guess we'll see." Twilight trailed off. Trixie smiled weakly, suddenly a little nervous about the whole thing.

"You ready? Twilight asked. Trixie nodded solemnly. "Okay, I'll begin. You charge up your magic and stand by." Twilight planted her hooves on the floor and began to form the spell in her mind. She began to feed her magic into it as her horn started to glow. Trixie began to charge her own magic in her horn. Raw, shapeless energy, just waiting for a conduit to shape itself.

Twilight remembered her magic 'muscle' memory of giving Rarity wings, manipulating flesh, muscles, bones, nerves, veins. She applied it to her own... anatomy. The air around her began to hum and crackle with energy, a wind began to stir. Twilight had the final spell crystallized in her mind. It was time! Twilight clopped her hoof on the floorboards twice, hard. The signal! Trixie moved in and carefully put her own horn's tip to Twilight's, the magic arcing across. Twilight felt the weight of the spell on her metaphorical shoulders lifted away. It suddenly felt as easy as magically tossing a snow ball.

Twilight 'tossed the snowball', the spell released, enveloping her in magical energy, morphing her body. To Twilight's relief, the spell was both quick and painless. Twilight was actually concerned if it had worked, now that she thought about it. She had expected to at least feel something. Though, truth be told, all she felt was exhausted. Not physically, but magically. Looking at Trixie once the magical energy cleared out of the room, she could tell she was feeling the same. Perhaps more so.

Twilight stood up from where she had found herself laying down, looking to her flank trying to see... if the spell had worked. She felt like a curious little filly again, 'exploring her body'. She lifted her tail and looked, but couldn't see very well from her angle.

Trixie was also just now recovering from the joint spell. "Did it work?" she asked from the other side of the room.

"I- I can't tell. I can't really see." Twilight said, a little frustrated, fearing the spell had fizzled. She certainly didn't feel any different for her part. She wasn't any taller, or stockier. Her voice was the same feminine voice it always was. She looked at Trixie, feeling embarrassed already at what she was about to ask. "Could you- um. Could you look to... see if it worked." Twilight asked, turning crimson with embarrassment, as she turned her flank to Trixie lifting her tail for her.

"Oh, would you relax. It's not like it's something I've never seen before-" Trixie stopped mid sentence.

"What. What is it? Did it work? Is there something wrong?" Twilight began to panic.

"No. I mean, yes. I mean, it's fine. Nothing's wrong." Trixie reassured her, glancing back up to Twilight's eyes, smiling, "I think, uh... I think it worked. How long will it last?"

Twilight still struggled, contorting to see what part of her changed. "It'll only last a day at most."

Trixie held up a mirror for Twilight to see. Indeed her mare bits were missing and were instead replaced with their male counterparts. Twilight craned her neck under her front legs expecting to see something hanging underneath her, but there was nothing but a small flap of skin.

"This is nothing like the pictures." Twilight pouted, disappointed. "I thought it would be... you know, bigger."

"Come on Twilight. I thought you we reading those books, not just looking at the pictures!" Trixie said, feeling smug in her knowledge. "Weren't you paying attention? The book said that a male requires stimulation for... it- to... you know, come out."

Twilight face-hoofed. "Right. I'm a dummy. So I need to be... aroused? Now there's just the matter of how..." Twilight tapped her chin with her hoof.

Beside her, Trixie piped in, "This might work." Twilight turned to look at what Trixie was talking about, only to have her lips smack into hers. Twilight tried to back away to apologize, but Trixie held her head in place, kissing her more deeply now. Twilight closed her eyes and relaxed into the kiss. Trixie led the advance, parting her lips slightly, beckoning Twilight to do the same. Twilight immediately understood. Her tongue slid forward to meet Trixie's advances, battling for dominance in the kiss. Trixie moaned softly, her lips vibrating, sending chills down Twilight's spine. Trixie nibbled tenderly on Twilight's lower lip, as she ran her hoof through Twilight's striped indigo hair. Trixie continued to suck on Twilight's lip until she broke the kiss with a little pop, releasing it, leaving Twilight breathless, her eyes still closed.

"surprise." Trixie whispered.

Twilight opened her eyes, still heady with desire from the kiss. "Trixie," Twilight looked at her with a coy smile. "you should warn me next time you're going to do something crazy like that." she said facetiously. Trixie smiled back, her eyes darting below Twilight's legs.

"I think it worked." she whispered seductively.

Twilight followed her gaze, "So it has." she purred with an almost predatory tone.

Her eyes returned to their deep stare into Trixie's. "SPIKE!" she yelled downstairs, "Go sleep over Sweetie Belle's tonight!"

From downstairs they could hear Spike's muffled voice, "Woohoo, a sleepover at Rarity's!" before they heard the door close. Twilight's horn glowed, as she continued to stare into Trixie's eyes, locking the door and pulling the blinds.

"Hey Trixie, do you mind if I do something crazy?" Twilight asked. Without waiting for an answer she pushed Trixie backward onto the bed, before climbing in on top of her.

"Oh, Twilight!"

Surrounded by Strangers

"Twiliiight! Can you make me another peanut-butter pickle sandwich?" Trixie called out from the living room.

"Yeah, in a minute. Afterwards, I'm going to run out to the store and get those crackers that you asked for." Twilight yelled back.

"Ooh yeah, and pine cones!" Trixie added.

"Pine cones?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah, I'm having the weirdest craving for pine cones. Oh, and this cheese log is almost gone too."

"Celestia help me..." Twilight muttered on her way outside. "At least once the pregnancy is over it'll get easier."

An eerie sound of every parent in Equestria simultaneously face-hoofing echoed across the land.

"Right? It gets easier right?" Twilight begged to the heavens.

"I dunno." said the wall-eyed, grey, mail mare hovering down above her. She struggled to shove a hoof full of mail into Twilight's nearby mailbox, bending several envelopes.

"Thanks, I'll- I'll just take that." Twilight said reaching out.

"Okie dokie." she said, before flittering off to the next mailbox.

Twilight flipped though the envelopes. "Let's see, bill, bill, somepony wants to make my horn bigger, bill, ohh a letter!" She tucked the others away in her bag. "Oh, it's from Shiny!" she said out loud excitedly.

Dear Twilie,

Ever since the Wedding and the Crystal Empire crisis, I've been thinking about how little time we've spent together in a casual setting. Also, it has become abundantly clear that one or both of us seem to be in fatal peril on a semi-regular basis.

Therefor, I have made up my mind to enjoy some time together with you as soon as possible. By the time you receive this letter, I will have already scheduled leave, and I should be in Ponyville in a day or two. So go tie a big yellow ribbon around the old oak tree. Your big bro is coming to town.

Love,

Your brother, Shining Armor

Twilight turned the page over.

P.S. Our parents will be joining us shortly after my arrival as well. Fair warning.

Twilight folded the letter back up and clutched it tightly to her chest, before running back inside.

"Trixie my broth-" Twilight stopped short to the sound of abject bawling. "Trixie what's wrong?"

"WAAAA AHH AHH! I was just so lonely!" Trixie cired out.

"I was only gone for like, forty seconds." Twilight deadpanned.

"I'm sorry! I'm just so saAAAad!" Trixie whined, "I'm going to be a terrible mother!"

Twilight practiced her breathing exercises from the Lamaze classes they went to. "Trixie you're not going to be a terrible mother. Your just having a mood swing. In a few minutes you're going to be fine, just relax." Trixie's face was a mess of tear-matted fur and snot bubbles.

"Oh Twilight, I love you so much!" Trixie lunged at Twilight, trying to make out with her. Twilight winced and craned her neck back, trying to stay out of reach of the mess, hastily fetching a wet face cloth with her magic.

"Here, let's just-" Twilight stalled as she wiped down her lover's face as best she could. "There. Who's a pretty pony?"

"I am." Trixie said, smiling again.

"That's right." Twilight gave her a quick kiss and sat her back down. "Anyway as I was just saying, My brother is coming!"

"Eww." Trixie replied.

"No. I mean he's coming to town. He's arriving tomorrow!" Twilight said excitedly. "And then my parents are going to be here the day after. It's been so long since I've seen them all!" Twilight clopped her hooves together in joy. "And you'll get to meet them all, and they'll all get to meet you. Isn't that wonderful?"

"Meeting the inlaws... greeeat." Trixie put on her best faux smile.

"Well they're not officially your inlaws... yet." Twilight said with a grin.

Trixie completely missed the implied proposal, "Well I meant it more as a jok-"

"Because I was thinking that that is something we really should consider doing before our little bundle of joy arrives." Twilight said, rubbing Trixie's belly. Trixie loved it when Twilight did that, even though she wasn't even beginning to show at all yet. "You know, so we can have proper custody and all when the foal arrives."

Trixie looked back at Twilight, as she rubbed her belly, "Twilight, you really, really care about me don't you?"

Twilight put on her best impression of Trixie she could, "Was there ever any doubt?" Trixie giggled, Twilight joining her.

Trixie climbed on top of Twilight, "Oh I love it when you do that. It's so cute! Annnd since we're not going to have any time for the next couple of daaays..." Trixie began to nibble on Twilight's ear, her hooves roaming over her lavender body.

"Ooh, Trixie. Right here?" Twilight asked, nervously.

"Right here!"
____________________________________________________

* KNOCK KNOCK*

Twilight awoke to a knocking at the front door the next morning. Spike wasn't home to answer the door. He had been at a sleepover with one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. He had been doing that a lot ever since Trixie moved in. Twilight carefully disentangled herself from Trixie's sleeping form. They had both slept in quite a bit that morning.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"I'm coming!" Twilight said, before covering her mouth with her hoof, embarrassed. "I mean, I'll be right there!" Trixie remained upstairs in bed, undisturbed. Twilight opened the door.

"TWILIE!"

"SHINY!"

Twilight jumped up and hugged her big brother tightly. It felt like she hadn't seen him in ages. He put her down after a moment.

"Twi, I was worried for a minute. This was the address they gave me but I thought it was wrong. This is a library."

"Uh huh."

"You live here?"

"Uh huh."

"You live in a library?"

"You sound surprised."

Shining sighed, "Well I guess that makes about as much sense as anything else around here."

"Please, come inside." Twilight covered her mouth again. Having Trixie around had gotten her thinking so dirty, "Er, I mean, please, step inside my home." Twilight smiled nervously.

"Thanks." Shining walked inside, "Hey Twi, I had to catch the early train into town this morning. So I've had hardly a thing to eat. I don't suppose you'd have anything around for your big bro to snack on, would you?"

Always sex and food with boys

Twilight smiled, "Sure thing. I actually just picked up some groceries so I have whatever you could crave." Twilight turned to the kitchen, disappearing inside, "Let me throw together a sandwich for you." she called out as she began to make a clatter of utensils, cooking in the kitchen.

Shinning sat at the living room table patiently, looking forward to catching up on old times with his sister.

"I hear somepony making me a saaandwich!" Trixie called from upstairs, startling Shining. Trixie started down the stairs and saw Shining Armor. Shining Armor looked up and saw her. Both froze in their stare of instant recognition.

Twilight called out from the kitchen, "I'll make one for you too Trixie!" Trixie furrowed her eyebrows, putting a silent 'shh' hoof to her lips, before pointing aggressively at Shining. He just sat there, mouth agape in shock, nodding dumbly in acknowledgement.

Twilight walked back into the living room, not noticing the sudden drop in temperature from the icy stares. "Oh, Trixie, I see that you two have met. "Shining, this is Trixie Lulamoon. Trixie, my brother Shining Armor."

"Hello... Shining. I'm Twilight's... roommate." Trixie said, bending the truth. Twilight didn't understand Trixie's hesitance, but decided not to press the issue until she got a chance to talk to her in private.

The three of them sat down and enjoyed lunch in relative peace and awkwardness. The tension between Trixie and Shining didn't even register to the socially oblivious Twilight. Shining Armor was able to catch up on old times with his sister without the threat of looming disaster for all of Equestria. Just as he hoped. The siblings did nearly all of the talking. Trixie meanwhile did her best to remain invisible at the table.

When actually engaged in conversation, she acted as though nothing was wrong. Nothing at all. It came easy to the career performer. They were just room mates. That was all he needed to know. She and Shining Armor had never met before today. That was all Twilight need to know.

Twilight got up to clear their plates. While she was in the other room Trixie passed Shining a single folded slip of paper. He went to read it but she slapped his hoof, motioning to his bag. He put it away. He would read it later. Entirely by his own choice, he convinced himself.

Twilight came back in and Shining stood up. Stretching his legs with a yawn. "Well sis, I ought to get going." Twilight pouted.

"But it's only seven o'clock. surely you can stay!" Twilight begged.

"I want to sis, I really do. But I don't want to impose on you and your... roommate." Shining's eyes glanced at Trixie for a split second.

"Oh, its no imposition. I could just-" Twilight said, getting cut off.

"No. I already made reservations at the Shetland Inn, just down the street, and I still need to go check in." Shining lied.

"Oh, ok." Twilight pouted.

"Hey, don't worry." Shining reassured her. "I'll be back bright and early tomorrow and we can go out and fly kites and have a picnic with our folks and everything!" Shining said, getting her to smile. Twilight glanced at Trixie, still trying to remain invisible. Shining took notice, "Your room- Trixie- can. come. too. If she wants." Trixie smiled just as hard as she could fake. "Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow kiddo." Shining said as he tussled Twilight's mane, before heading out the door. "Love you."

"Love you too." Twilight said before she closing the door behind him. Twilight sighed, and turned back to Trixie, who was looking at her with the seriousness of an undertaker.

"Twilight. We need to talk."
___________________________________________

Outside the library door, Shining Armor retrieved the note from his bag. It said two things.

Bannered Mare Tavern. 8pm

He tucked the note away, took a deep breath and made his way down the street looking to the sky. "Just one day without a catastrophe. Is that too much to ask out of life?"
____________________________________________

"Trixie, what was that all about today?" Twilight asked.

Trixie was visibly shaken. Shining now gone, her guard finally dropped, as a wave of the day's anxiety washed over her. "Twilight. That night. That last night at the strip club. The bachelor party. It was him! The groom-to-be? It was Shining Armor! Your brother!" She cried out.

Twilight rushed to her side, cradling her in her hooves as though she might fall from her seat at any moment. She listened with all her sympathy and understanding. Finally, after much discussion of what their course of action would be with this new revelation, Twilight came to a final conclusion.

"Trixie, as far as I can see it, this changes nothing." Trixie listened to her lover's confident words, "The facts are thus: You are with foal. And I WILL be here to raise it with you by your side. Shining may not know that it is his foal and as far as I am concerned he doesn't need to know. This is our child, NOT his. I love you." she finished, embracing Trixie tightly.

Twilight always did know exactly what to say to help her feel better. Trixie looked over Twilight's shoulder at the wall clock. There was just one last loose end to tie up.
_____________________________________________

The Bannered Mare Tavern 7:59 pm

Shining Armor staked out a table close to the tavern's entrance. He had been vigilantly watching the door for the past 25 minutes. He was military on-time. Which meant that on-time was late. And that 15 minutes early was on-time. Needless to say he had been sitting nervously in that chair since 7:30.

He held a glass of Applejack Daniels in his shaky hoof, his third since he sat down. His first was mixed with molasses seltzer. His second, plain, over ice. His third he skipped all foreplay and took straight, at room temperature. The burn in his throat did little to mask the electrocution of his every nerve fiber.

The very mare that nearly ruined his marriage was now roommate with his sister of all ponies. "Heh, roomates." he scoffed. He knew a couple when he saw one. And now she wanted to meet him! Could this night get any worse?

Fate accepted his challenge.

*JINGLE*

His attention snapped to the entrance. Trixie entered unceremoniously, 8 pm on the dot. She scanned the room with a predatory efficiency. Her eyes locked on his bright, pure white fur. It was like a beacon in the dark tavern screaming out, 'here I am'. She moved with unnatural speed to his table, seating herself before he even had the chance to extend the courtesy of standing to greet her, let alone pull out a chair for her.

"Now you listen here Shiny," She hissed, making it immediately clear that she was not here on a social call. She was here on business and she meant it! "Listen- I love Twilight. And she loves me. And I am NOT going to let anything get in the way of that, alright?" Shining just nodded, still petrified in shock. Never before had he seen such dominance in a mare. Not his wife, not even the princesses he served.

"I am NOT going to let some stupid mistake from my past ruin what we have. So all you need to do is understand ONE thing." She growled, "I don't know you, and you don't know me. And I never did no dance for you in no club." Shining kept trying to turn away from her dagger eyes, she grabbed his face with her hoof, forcing his gaze, "For the sake of your relationship and mine, that night in that Canterlot club NEVER HAPPENED! You got that?! Now promise to keep your mouth shut!" she barked. He nodded weakly, scared for his life.

"Say the words, mule!"

"I promise." he whimpered.

"Promise what!?"

"I promise that I'll keep my mouth shut."

"About what?"

"I promise I'll keep my mouth shut about that night in Canterlot. It never happened! We've never met." He cried out, clenching his eyes.

"That's three times you promised." She said, striking him in the chest sharply with her hoof.

He cowered a moment longer before opening his eyes. Trixie was nowhere to be seen. The patrons around him were looking at him strangely. Shining Armor didn't know what just happened... as he downed the rest of his drink in one large gulp... all he knew was that he felt like he needed a long. hot. shower.
_____________________________________________________

Trixie closed the door behind her as she entered the library.

"Trixie! There you are!" Twilight cried out, running down the stairs to greet her. "I was so worried! You just left without saying where you were going, or for how long..." Twilight hugged her tightly.

Trixie squeezed back, "I'm sorry Twilight. I just stepped out for a little walk to let off some tension."

Twilight looked at her, concerned, "Well, next time, please let me know so that I can come with you. Or at least so I know where you are." Twilight said with genuine concern, rubbing Trixie's belly.

"You're right Twilight. I promise that from now on I'll let you know if I'm going out. I'm sorry" Trixie pouted, with big doe eyes. Twilight couldn't resist the Great and Apologetic Trixie.

"Oh, come here you!" Twilight said, pulling Trixie on top of her.

"Oh, TWILIGHT!"

"Right." Spike called out over his shoulder, grabbing his pillow on the way out the door. "Sleepover at Sweetie Belle's again."

A Wildfire Out of Control

Despite her fatigue from the night prior's activities, Twilight made sure to wake up early. She put on a pot of coffee, reminiscing about how much she missed Spike's assistance now that he was 'away' so often. All her friends understood his visits for what they were. Even Spike could be naive for only so long.

Twilight wrote, and re-wrote lists. It was her form of meditation. So much was happening. So much had changed so quickly. It was too much for her to process and adapt to. She tried and tried again to formulate solutions to the problems. But every eventuality she reach was disastrous.

Trixie roused to the smell of the coffee. It was only just barely dawn. She didn't like waking alone. "Twilight!" She called out.

"I'm downstairs!" She yelled up. Twilight put down her quill and brought the cups of coffee up to the bedroom. Twilight sat on the edge of the bed and hovered a mug over to her marefriend. "Trixie, I'm worried. Are you sure that it was my brother that night at the club?" Trixie nodded solemnly, "What if my brother recognized you yesterday?"

Trixie looked up from her coffee, "He didn't." She lied, with an immediate surety.

"How do you know?"

"I could just tell, looking at his eyes." Trixie lied again, "He didn't recognize me. He must have been blacked-out drunk that night. He won't be telling anyone about it." She added. "Besides, it would only endanger his own marriage wouldn't it?"

"That makes sense." Twilight agreed. Suddenly things were looking up. Their secret would be safe after all, she believed.

Their secret would be safe. Trixie had seen to that alright. Only three ponies knew what happened that night in Canterlot. Trixie ensured that none of them would speak of it again. And the only two ponies who knew the truth about Trixie's foal were there in that bedroom. And that's how it would stay. Beyond that, to the question of how two mares could biologically breed, the simple answer of 'Magic!' would have to suffice. Because it was the only explanation anypony was going to get from the pair. And that was that.

"OK. So, Shining Armor is coming back over this morning after my parents get here. And as far as you've told him we're just roommates..." Twilight recapped.

"Yes, I felt that more time was required before we announce our relationship to anypony in your family... if that's alright with you." Trixie added, trying to be diplomatic.

"I understand if you're uncomfortable. We can wait until another date to fill them in, I suppose." Twilight nuzzled against Trixie's neck, running her snout through her silky mane before sitting back upright with her quill and pad. "We have lots of time for that later." Twilight jotted a few notes, "So, let's get our stories straight: You are my roommate. We're not going to tell them that we're... romantically involved..."

"And we're certainly not going to tell them about..." Trixie motioned to her tummy.

"No, I suppose not." Twilight frowned. She did not like the idea of lying to her family. Or rather, withholding the truth. Especially such exciting news as this. Her marefriend Trixie was going to have a foal. They were going to get married, and raise their child together. They loved each other so deeply. Twilight just wanted to stand on her balcony and shout it out for all of Equestria to hear. But it would have to wait, she resigned.

"Come on, don't feel so bad about it." Trixie begged, "I promise I'll make it up to you..." Trixie cooed seductively, running a hoof down Twilight's belly, between her legs.

"Ohh, come on, I already have to change the sheets..."

"Then it won't matter if they get just a bit little more dirty." Trixie whispered in a naughty tone, nibbling on Twilight's ear, her known weakness.

"Errrrr FINE, just make it quick!" Twilight huffed diving back under the covers, giggling.
___________________________________________________

-Later-

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"Twilight, I don't know about this. Maybe I should just stay up here. They don't need to meet me today." Trixie rambled, panicking at the top of the stairs.

"Trixie, please just get down here. I've already been through a lot, and I am not facing today alone." Twilight said sternly, before melting back into a saccharine smile. "Beside's it'll be fun. It's just a picnic, not formal night in some Canterlot five star restaurant."

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"I'm com- I'm on my way!" Twilight called out, catching herself that time. She whipped her head back around, "TrixieYouGetDownHereRightThisMinute!" Twilight growled.

Trixie moved to her side in a flash, smiles for miles. Twilight smiled back. Together they opened the door.

"Twilight!"

"Mom! Dad!" Twilight hugged her mom. She moved to her dad. He was locked in a dead stare with Trixie. Trixie felt very uncomfortable under his gaze. She did not recognize this stallion, and she prayed to every deity she could remember that he did not frequent Canterlot gentlecolt's clubs. "Dad?" Twilight asked, harking for his attention.

"Oh, yes." Mr. Sparkle broke from his trance, hugging Twilight back. "I was just admiring your... friend's outfit."

"Right, um. Mom, dad, this is Trixie, my... roommate." Twilight introduced. "Um, Trixie, my parents." The three exchanged pleasant nods, and then just stood there in an awkward silence for a moment. Twilight chimed in, "SO! A picnic today, yes?" Her parents nodded, smiling. They were minus a picnic basket. "Well, we can't have a picnic without a picnic basket, now can we?" Twilight said, feeling very foolish. "Please." Twilight waved her parents inside her tree home.

"Mom, why don't you help me in the kitchen putting some food together for later. Um, Trixie, why don't you get to know my dad a little?"

Trixie flashed Twilight a look of 'I'd rather swallow razors',

"I'd love to!" Trixie said with a smile.

Twilight mouthed back, 'Thank you.'.

Trixie sat on the couch, opposite Twilight's dad. She felt like a colt waiting to pick up his date for the foal spring dance, being scrutinized by her overbearing parents. Her every flaw came rushing to the forefront of her consciousness. The pads of her hooves quickly became cold and clammy.

"So..." Trixie tried, before trailing off. Mr. Sparkle just kept looking over her cape and hat as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. She was getting seriously creeped out. She just wanted to run upstairs and hide under the covers until it was all over. "So..." She tried again. Anything to get him to respond and stop staring.

"Tell me, Ms. Trixie," He spoke suddenly, startling her. "May I call you Trixie?" he asked. She nodded. "Tell me, where did you get your outfit, if you don't mind me asking?"

Trixie was surprised at the question. She had rehearsed several conversations in her head this morning for Twilight's parents. Everything from the weather to sports to politics. She was caught off guard by this however. "Um... my hat and cape, you mean?"

Mr. Sparkle nodded, "Mm hmm."

"Well, um, it's kind of a long story..." Trixie stammered.

Mr. Sparkle looked past Trixie toward the kitchen, listening to his wife and daughter chat up a storm as they made a mess of the room, preparing food. "It's sounds to me that we have the time for a long story."

"Oh," Trixie could see, "Well I suppose the long and short of it is... my father left it to me when he gave me up for adoption. It was as the monks found me, wrapped in this hat and cape as a foal on the doorstep of the Lulamoon Monastery. That was where I got my surname. 'Trixie Lulamoon'." Trixie took off her hat running a practiced hoof over it's seams. "These were all they found with me. Just these and a simple note-"

"You'll be Great and Powerful one day, Trixie." Mr. Sparkle said.

Trixie's face went stark white. The words from the note. THE EXACT WORDS. She had lost that note, along with everything else in her caravan to the Ursa Minor, long ago, but she NEVER forgot those words.

You'll be Great and Powerful one day, Trixie.
Love, your Dad.

Trixie's eyes watered, "How could you know..." Trixie's mind flashed back to every fragment of a dream she had ever had from her memories as a foal. Her father's blue coat, his dark blue mane, his deep amber eyes. He looked... just. like. him...

Mr. Sparkle reached into his pocket and took an old, weathered photo from his wallet. One he hadn't looked at in ages. Slowly he turned it around to show her.

Trixie looked at it for a long moment and barely whispered, "Daddy?"

Twilight and her mother walked back into the living room with a basket, a stack of stoneware, and a couple of glass flasks of fruit juices. Twilight also brought a jar of pickles for Trixie's cravings. Twilight didn't give an explanation for them to her mother, and her mother didn't ask for one.

Twilight looked to Trixie. Tears were running down her cheeks. Damn it Trixie, why now, of all times, to have a weird, pregnant mood swing? She looked at her father, who was tearing up as well. Twilight was puzzled. She asked of them, "What's going on in here?"

Mr. Sparkle stood up and put a hoof around Trixie, turning her toward Twilight and her mother. "Twilight, this is Trixie..."

"your sister."

The room was filled with the sound of plates and bottles shattering against the floor, and the thud of Twilight's fainting form, followed by her mother.
___________________________________________________________

Twilight never paid much attention to her ceiling. It was so practical and plain. She had given it a cursory glance when she first moved into her new home, and then decided to ignore it from then on. What it needed, she realized, was some kind of texture other than the plain wood grain.

Perhaps some grand painting like the ceilings of the Canterlot Chapel. She would have to try a hoof at that in the future. The Princess was always telling her to expand her studies into practical art, and not just it's histories and theory. It's just that, Twilight never had the time to really consider her ceiling. But at the moment she had a great view of it from the floor. That is, until Shining Armor appeared over her.

"Hey, I think Twilie is coming to." He announced to the others out of her squinted view. Soon they all huddled around her, even her mother, who seemed to have already recovered from her own impromptu power-nap. Twilight opened her eyes the rest of the way and sat up slowly, before losing her balance again.

"Whoa, easy kiddo," Shining said laying her back down. "Mom, Dad, go to the kitchen and fix Twilight some soup and some moist towels okay? I'm going to bring Twilight up to her bed." They nodded and vanished from the room. "Trixie, help me?"

"Of course." Trixie said, following Shining as he levitated Twilight, bringing her upstairs.

From her bed, Twilight could just barely make out her brother and... well, her sister, arguing in hushed tones.

~~~
If you're her sister, then that means your my sister, and that means-

I know what that means, you dolt. You don't even know the half of it! I told you, you need to forget that that night EVER happened.

But it did happen and that means-

I told you to forget it. Don't you think I'm trying to?

And you said you loved her. Like, you LOVE HER, love her.

I did. I mean I do. I mean- this isn't the time or the place.
~~~

"Soup and towels!" Twilight's mother called out, ascending the stairs. Her husband was right behind her, levitating each item.

Twilight just wanted to close her eyes and wish all this away. "Twilight," Trixie whispered by her side. "Twilight, do you think you can sit up?"

Twilight peeked at her through her cracked eyelids, before opening them partially. She leaned in close to Trixie's ear with the faintest of whispers.

"make them go away"

It was as simple as a request could be. It was punctuated by the tiniest of pecks on her ear, invisible to everyone else. It said more than words ever could.

Trixie turned to the room. "I- I think she just needs some rest." she said as she ushered the group out, closing the door. She looked back to Twilight.

"You too, Trixie." Twilight said softly. She could see her heart ripping in half on her face. "I love you. I just need some time to sort this out." Trixie nodded, understanding. She turned to leave. "Oh, and Trixie," She looked back in the bedroom, hopeful. "Do get Spike here as soon as you can. He should still be a Rarity's house... It's urgent." Trixie nodded and left quickly to fulfill the request.

Twilight rolled her body out of bed. She was feeling much better now. Physically. But whether it was the concussion or the situation spinning out of control around her, she felt like she wanted to throw up. She was in over her head. Twilight took a seat at her desk and placed a quill and inkwell on the surface from their designated and properly marked drawer. She took a sheet of paper from the parchment roll and laid it flat in front of her.

Dear Princess Celestia,

...

Twilight stared at the three words on the paper.

All the problems surrounding her life now were so huge, so insurmountable, the small piece of paper seemed woefully inadequate to contain them.

She struggled in her mind to find a solution. She couldn't.

She tried to find with words to relay the problems to her trusted mentor. They failed her.
.
.
Dear Princess Celestia,
.
.
The three words just stared back at her.

Endless minutes fell off the wall clock.

The paper became dotted with her tears.

She felt the walls closing in around her. She had swam so far out she could no longer see the shore. She was sinking, drowning.

"Uh oh," Spike said, walking in the room, "Did you and Trixie have a tiff?"

The very corner of Twilight's mouth curled up into the slightest hint of a smile.

"Spike... when did life get so complicated?" Twilight asked.

"When you stopped having me around to help you." Spike said immediately. "You can't do everything on your own, Twilight. You need help sometimes." Spike added, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

maybe it was

"Spike, have I ever told you that you're very wise for your age?"

"It's not the years," he said, running his claws through his green spines, "it's the mileage."

Twilight turned back to her letter.

Dear Princess Celestia,

HELP

She rolled it up and handed it to Spike. "Send it."

In a burst of green flame it vanished, express delivered directly to the Princess.

"What now?" Spike asked.

"Well-"

*FLASH*

Twilight vanished from the room.
______________________________________________________________

Twilight reappeared beside Princess Celestia, who was sitting on her thrown. All around them were dignitaries from distant lands and nations. Also, there were representatives from Equestria's many districts, cities, towns and hamlets, including the whole of Canterlot Parliament. It was the height of Celestia's Day Court, and Twilight had just been teleported right into the middle of it, interrupting everything.

Twilight looked around her. Everypony was staring at her, some shaking their heads in disapproval, others giving her dirty looks. Twilight finished her pan of the room with looking up at Celestia who was right beside her. Celestia looked at her poor Twilight who was shaking next to her. Her violet eyes were running with terrified tears, her pouted lips trembling. She was on the verge of breaking down right there.

Celestia had never seen her faithful student so distraught. But then, she didn't know what to expect when the simple letter appeared in front of her in the middle of her day court. A simple cry, 'HELP'. Celestia did the only thing she could and teleported Twilight away from whatever danger could have forced her letter. And here she was, about to break down in front of everyone in the middle of her Day Court, as embarrassed as a little filly who just wet herself at her own birthday party.

The Princess acted instantly, wrapping a protective wing around Twilight, shielding her from the world. Twilight whimpered inside her embrace. "Shh,." Celestia whispered into her wing, before turning back to the room full of very important ponies.

"EVERYPONY GET OUT!" She yelled.

One of the dignitaries in a very expensive looking suit took exception, "But your Highness, there is still the matter of-"

"NOW!" The Princess roared. Her eyes were ablaze with the fury of a thousand suns pouring into her full, unbridled, Royal Canterlot Voice. It shook the very walls, breaking several stained glass windows.

The room cleared immediately. Not even her personal guards remained.

Celestia turned back to her faithful student, still trembling in her wing. Twilight looked up at the Princess, who was smiling her same soft, motherly smile that just made Twilight feel like everything would be okay. Twilight looked behind her. The room was vacant. The grand doors were closed and locked. The Princess had just thrown out her entire Day Court with extreme prejudice.

Just for her.

"Twilight, my faithful student. What troubles you?" Her soothing voice was honey in Twilight's ears.

"I- I need help." was all she could get out.

Celestia held up her letter. "Yes, I gathered that." she smiled. It bathed Twilight in the warmth of a summers afternoon, lying in a soft, grassy field. "How can I help?"

Twilight looked up at her. Celestia's face was ageless, but her eyes held the wisdom of ages. Twilight knew that there was nothing she couldn't tell her mentor. "Well..." Twilight started, trying to sum up the last five weeks, trying to prioritize her biggest issue. But her mind kept coming back to a single solitary fact that was unshakable.

"I'm in love." Twilight said flatly.

"Ahh." Celestia responded with a sort of half sigh, as though that were all Twilight needed to say as explanation for all her trouble, and for warranting putting Equestria at uneasy relations with the entire rest of the world for one day.

"It's just-" Twilight continued, "It's complicated..."

"Love always is."

That gave Twilight pause. She decided to just start from the beginning. She took a deep breath, "This unicorn, Trixie, came to Ponyville a few weeks ago. And long story short, we fell in love."

"Aww. That's sweet." Celestia cooed with her tall frame craned down as she listened intently.

Twilight continued, "We fell in love, but it turned out she was already pregnant from... a one night stand, more or less." Twilight tried to keep the facts simple. "So she's pregnant, but I don't mind. I'm happy actually. I'm looking forward to it." She looked up at her, "A little scared, but you know." she smiled. "Anyway, it turns out that she's pregnant with my brother's foal-"

"Shining Armor had an affair?" Celestia asked, without even a hint of shock. Just a simple question. In the same tone as 'would you like hay fries with that.'

"Not exactly, it was his.. er... bachelor party."

"Oh."

"Yeah. So Trixie, the mare I love, is pregnant with my brother's foal, who doesn't know she's pregnant. But that's not even the worst of it!" Twilight cried.

"No?"

"This morning, my parents came to visit us and meet Trixie. And my father revealed that Trixie, the mare I love, I really, really love, is my estranged sister that was given up for adoption."

"Why was she given up for adoption?"

"You know what? I didn't even get a chance to ask. It seemed like such a small issue in light of everything else. I don't really care now. It was all too much. That's why I wrote to you."

"I see." Celestia said, placing her hooves together in front of her muzzle as she mulled it over. "You are in a romantic relationship with a mare, who has turned out to be your biological sister, who is pregnant as the result of accidental incest with your/ her, brother. Yes?"

"Uh, yeah, that sums up the problem." Twilight said, a little taken aback at the princess's clinical reduction of her life's turmoil.

The Princess sat and thought a few moments more, considering the facts presented.

"Does your family know about your relationship with Trixie?"

"I think my brother might suspect, but my parents think we're just roommates."

"And do they know of the foal?"

"No. Nopony knows but Trixie and I. And you now, I guess."

"You should tell them, Twilight."

"About the foal? Who?"

"All of them. Tell them everything. Keeping secrets from family, especially when it comes to important matters of the heart, has never come to anything good, Twilight. Take it from me." Celestia said, motioning the the cracked stained glass window of Nightmare Moon.

"So that's it? Just tell them all about everything?"

"Mm hmm." Celestia nodded.

Twilight looked lost, "And... and then what?"

"Rejoice, Twilight!" Celestia said, smiling brightly, "You are young and in love. You will soon have a beautiful foal to bring into the world, and to fill with love and caring, preparing them for a whole life of their own! What could be more beautiful than that?"

"But... she's my sister."

"Rejoice, Twilight! Have you not always wanted a sister? A sister with which to share your hopes and dreams and adventures? A sister to share your life with? Now you do!"

"But... what about the foal? What if there are... complications?"

Celestia looked to the door, "GUARD!" she shouted.

A timid guard just barely peeked inside, "Yes, your Highness?"

"SUMMON THE CASTLE MAGE!"

"At once, your Highness." he said as he vanished behind the door, closing it.

A few moments later a pale pony in a black robe appeared through the door. "You beckoned, your Highness?"

"Bring me a flask of potion 34." She commanded.

"Potion 34? But whatever for?" He asked, eyeing Twilight.

That teared it for the Princess.

Her wings billowed as they unfurled. She took to the air in the throne room, her eyes ablaze once more!
Twilight covered her ears.

"THAT IS NOT YOUR CONCERN MAGE!
I HAVE DEMANDED A POTION, NOT QUESTIONS.
SPEAK NO MORE, AND BRING THE POTION! QUICKLY!"

Several more pieces of glass tumbled from the ancient frames as the terrified mage fled the room. Celestia returned to her calm poise upon the throne.

"You've got a bit of a mean streak." Twilight smirked.

"The benevolent ruler image is good for approval ratings from the populace. But you do not get to stay as the divine monarch of Equestria for millenia by taking any sass from the underlings." Celestia smirked back.

Several moments later the castle mage burst through the door. He sprinted to the Throne, bowing deeply as he lay the potion at the Princess's gold-clad hooves. Backing away quickly while still bowed, he turned and scurried back out the door, closing it behind him.

Celestia levitated the potion to Twilight. "Simply have Trixie drink this. It will prevent any possible birth defects that may arise as a result of the accidental breeding." Twilight looked at the flask. "You are royally guaranteed a healthy, baby foal." Twilight smiled at that.

"Ooh, a Royal guarantee."

"So, is everything all better?"

"I suppose. It's just that... Trixie and I, being in love. Isn't that wrong? I mean, aren't there rules against that?"

"I have made no such decree against loving one's sister." Celestia said, grinning. "In fact, it's a value I espouse daily." she added, looking to the Luna window.

"You know what I mean."

Celestia sighed. "Twilight, rules usually exist for a reason. But some ponies can get so caught up in the rules that they forget the reasons, and that sometimes the reasons don’t always apply. They put the cart before the horse and invent justifications for the rules instead. There can be no justice so long as laws are absolute, I have always said. Even life itself is an exercise in exceptions."

Twilight stared at some nondescript point on the ceiling as her mind processed what she had just been told.

“The incest taboo has some good reasons behind it.” Celestia continued after a few moments, “Besides the obvious issue of inbreeding, it’s a fact that a sexual relationship complicates emotions. Not all ponies can work through the problems it brings. If the romance fails for any reason, it can easily destroy the familial bond as well. When you have relations... with your relations… it’s so much easier to hurt the one you love.”

"So you don't think it's wrong?"

"No, Twilight. I think I've made that pretty clear. Had you come to me a couple months ago seeking romance advice, I would have told you simply to go out and find somepony who makes you happy, that you make happy in return. Somepony that you want to spend the rest of you life with, no matter whom it may be. And you've done just that. And as long as neither of you are planning on breeding with your family members again..."

"NO! Definitely not."

"Well then, there's no problem. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to repair some foreign relations." Celestia finished. "Now go, Twilight. Go get your very special somepony and give her a kiss for me."

"I will, and Princess?" Twilight gave Tia a peck on the cheek, "Thank you."

*FLASH*

Twilight reappeared in her bedroom.

"There you are!" Spike said, jumping up from the bed. "Everypony was wondering where you went. They're all downstairs, worried."

"Everything's okay Spike. I just needed to sort things out." she smiled, "Come on, lets go see everypony."
___________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight appeared at the top of the staircase, everypony below ceased their chatter.

"Its Twilight!"

"Spike said that you vanished!"

Twilight raised a hoof, silencing them. "Everypony, I'm glad you're all here. I have an important announcement to make. Actually several."

Everypony below listened intently. Twilight descended the staircase, walked right up to Trixie and gave her a big kiss. It was most definitely not a sisterly kiss. Their parents were in shock. "Trixie, I love you. Everypony, Trixie is not my roommate, or not just my roommate. She is my marefriend and I love her. We have been in love for some time now. The revelation that she is my sister doesn't change that." Twilight kissed her again to emphasize her point.

"Furthermore, Trixie is pregnant. With Shining Armor's foal." Everypony gasped. "Now, now, it was an accident and they didn't know better at the time. I don't blame them for any wrongdoing and you shouldn't either." Twilight said, looking at her parents. Shining Armor somehow managed to turn an even whiter shade of pale.

"But if it's Shining's, what about the foal?" Her mom asked, "Won't there be problems?"

"Ah yes," Twilight said, retrieving the flask from her bag, handing it to Trixie. "I got this from the Princess herself with her personal guarantee that this will prevent any birth defects." Trixie popped the cork and began to drink the potion.

"Ooh, cherry flavor!" Trixie smiled.

"Well it is Royal alchemy." Twilight chimed.

"Now there is just one final thing. Trixie being my sister is a fact. No one is denying that. And that there are rules against us being in love. But the Princess told me a thing or two about rules." Twilight looked around the room at them, "Yes, the rules against incestuous love exist for a reason, to prevent the negative side affects of inbreeding." Twilight looked at Shining, "And as I said, that was an accident," she looked back to Trixie who finished the potion, "which we have now fixed."

"So I think we can all be mature enough to keep the fact that Trixie is my sister, and the truth about her foal's father, just between us, family. We want to get married and have a normal life and raise our foal without being shunned by our friends and neighbors." Everypony nodded in agreement.

Trixie grabbed Twilight in a tight hug, kissing her all over her face, "Oh, Twilight! I love you! I knew you'd find a way to work everything out!"

"Well I had some help." Twilight said, looking out the window to the glorious sunset, "but in the end, Love conquers all."

Epilogue

Prologue actually.

It was late at night. So late it was early, the wee hours of the morning. In the maternity ward, it was the usual, hectic flurry of action and movement. Ponies in the waiting room waited patiently for news about the new mothers and their foals. For some, they were their spouse, or very special somepony. There were also family members. Brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers waiting for their daughter. Among them was a very nervous Mr. Sparkle.

The doctor came out of the delivery theater. "Mr. Sparkle?"

Mr. Sparkle was shaken from his anxious thoughts at the call of his name. "Yes, that's me!" he called out, standing from his seat on the bench. He trotted over to the doctor. The doc took him aside quickly.

"Mr. Sparkle, I'm afraid there has been a complication with the delivery." he explained.

"Oh my gosh, oh no!" Sparkle began to break down.

"Don't worry, the mother is doing fine, but we're going to have to do a C section for the delivery. She's being prepped as we speak and is already under anesthesia. But since she is unconscious, I just need your consent to proceed." he said.

"Yes, of course! You have it!" Sparkle blurted, wishing the doctor luck. The doctor nodded before vanishing back behind the doors

"Scrubs!" Sparkle heard from behind the doors. With nothing more he could do, he resigned himself back to his seat in the waiting room. To wait. The waiting was the hardest part.
______________________________________________________________________

An eternity later, a nurse called Mr. Sparkle back into the delivery ward. Inside, he saw the doctor just finishing getting out of his surgical wear. "Mr. Sparkle," he waved him over, "please, come here." he walked over. "I'm afraid I have some bad news..."

"Oh no!"

"The mother is fine. She'll recover from the anesthesia soon. As for the foals-"

"Foals?"

"Yes she was pregnant with fraternal, that is, not identical, twins. Unfortunately... only one made it, I'm afraid... Had you decided on the name?" He and his wife could never agree on a name. She wanted to name their daughter Twilight. She was still unconscious. It would be unfair to choose otherwise without her.

"Twilight. Twilight Sparkle." he answered.

"Very well." the doc said, filling in the birth certificate. "Now, there's just the matter of..." the doctors voice trailed off as he passed to Mr. Sparkle, a small box. The size of a baby foal. He placed it gently in his hooves. Sparkle clutched it tight and wept silently. "I'm so sorry for your loss sir. Please, do as you see fit." The doctor said, leaving Mr. Sparkle with the box in the recovery room.

He placed the box on the small hospital table, unable to bear to look inside yet. He moved to the side of his wife's bed. Baby Twilight was sleeping peacefully in the nearby bassinet. He knelt down and kissed each of them in their sleep. He counted his blessings to have them both with him still. He turned back to the small box on the bedside table. He looked inside now. The small, powder blue foal was wrapped in linen. She looked as though sleeping. It was only the lack of the rising and falling of her tiny chest that he could tell she was...

He set his jaw as his sorrow crystallized into resolve. There was still time.

He whispered into his wife's ear. "Please forgive me." before he vanished with the box in a flash of purple light.
_______________________________________________________________________________

Mr. Sparkle reappeared in the basement of his Canterlot home. He tore the carpet from the floor, revealing the silver arcane circle inlaid into the floor. Its ring was adorned with magical gems and carved with runes and sigils. He threw open his old trunk, emptying it onto the floor, retrieving an ancient tome, his old mage cape and hat.

He was once a mage for the royal court. But it was a part of his life he put behind himself for the sake of his wife. That was no life for her to be married to. He resigned to become a librarian. But, being the head curator of the Canterlot Archives, he had access to all the ancient spell books and scrolls.

Even the restricted ones.

He opened the old black book to the correct page and set it on the nearby reading stand. He placed the foals still form in the center of the circle. Everything was in place. "Celestia take mercy on my soul." he whispered.

He called forth his power to his horn, focusing on the spell. The circle's ring acted as a magical focus. This would be no simple automation 'come to life' spell. He was retrieving a very specific soul for this body. The soul of a forsaken baby foal that never was.

The ring glowed with the same brilliance as his horn as he finished shaping the spell. It flashed in a blinding white as the spell released with a *snap*! Sparkle fought back the worst headache of his life, hearing nothing but the sound of his own pounding heart and labored breathing. But then...

Whaaaa, aahhha waaaaa!

The baby foal in the circle cried out! She was alive! But she was a product of black magic. An abomination against nature in the eyes of magic law.

And she was beautiful, Mr. Sparkle decided.

Beautiful little Trixie. He moved to levitate her over to him. Suddenly he felt a shooting pain stab him in the forehead. It was as he feared... Dark magic, especially dark magic of this caliber, usually requires a sacrifice for success. In this case, he had sacrificed his ability to use magic to save his daughter's life. He mourned his personal loss only briefly. Little Trixie was alive and that was enough for him.

Suddenly, all his lack of planning came crashing down on him. Trixie had already been officially declared dead. If she was discovered, he would be tried for crimes against nature. And Trixie... poor innocent Trixie... She would be destroyed as a product of dark magic. He wouldn't stand for it.

But what to do. He didn't have much time. He threw his hat and cape to the floor and began to work. Little Trixie crawled over and began to play with his hat. He paused his frantic plan and took in the adorable sight. He grabbed for his camera and took a picture. It would very well be the only evidence he would ever have to remember her by, for both their sake.

Everything he did took two to three times longer than normal. He felt lost without his magic, fumbling about with his blunt, clumsy hooves. He gathered together a bassinet with a handle. He lined it with soft, warm linen, and also his hat and cape. Finally, he placed little Trixie in the basket and covered her. She had fallen quietly back to sleep. Still under the cover of darkness, he ran out into the city streets, to the one place he knew she would be safe.

Safe. And secret.

He arrived at the Lulamoon monastery. He looked down at her a final time. Tears ran freely down his cheek. He mourned for the time they would never have together. He kissed her one last time on the cheek. He was so scared for her. He didn't know what would happen after tonight for her. He wouldn't know what she grows up to be. He would never get to see the look on her face the day she learns her special talent and gets her cutie mark. He didn't know anything.

Well, he did know one thing. He had given her his magical talent, which was considerable in its own right. He knew he would have to claim magical impotence after today. A condition that afflicted some stallion unicorns after a certain age. But she had his magic now. He was surrounded by so much uncertainty. His future and hers. But he knew one thing for certain. He wrote it on a note and left it with the basket before clopping on the door loudly. He ran off, vanishing into the dark night, back to the hospital, hopefully before his wife awoke. A monk opened the door, retrieving the basket, reading the note.

You'll be Great and Powerful one day, Trixie.
Love, your Dad.

Secrets That We Shared

Four weeks later -

BLAAAAAAARG!

"Trixie!" Twilight called from the bedroom.

BLAAAAAAARG!

"Trixie are you okay! This is the fourth morning in a row you've been sick!"

"I'm alright Twilight," Trixie called out from the bathroom, "I'm just giving my morning prayers to the porcelain god." HURERP!

"Trixie, I'm really worried about you." Twilight said from outside the door. "I'm going to make an appointment with Dr. Horse for you!"

-FLUSH-

Trixie exited the bathroom. Her eyes a little puffy from puking.
"There you see?" Trixie started, trying to look as composed as she could.
"I just needed to get all the sick out. Now I'm perfectly-" BLAAAAAAAAAAARG!!!
________________________________________________________________

In the waiting room Trixie fumed a little. "You really didn't need to bring me here. I feel fine now. Really!"

Twilight was prepared for this waiting room. She brought a couple books in her saddlebag. She was currently flipping though her new cookbook, 'Fifty Shades of Grain'. "I'm sure you feel fine now. But then that's exactly what you said earlier before you repainted our hallway with your technicolor yawn."

"But the doctor said I looked fine." Trixie insisted, "I'm not running a temperature. All my vitals are normal. It was probably just a case of baked bads."

Twilight took off her reading glasses and marked her page, putting her book away. She took Trixie's hoof in hers and looked her right in the eyes to convey her seriousness. "Trixie, it's not that I don't believe you, I DO. I'm sure you are one hundred percent right about being fine. Just as I'm sure that you're right about it just being something you ate. And I promise that just as soon as the doctor comes back with those lab results, I'll not bother you about it anymore. I just want to hear the doctor say that you're okay. Just give me that?" Twilight gave Trixie her best doe eyes.

"Oh, all right. Come here." Trixie said as she leaned in for a kiss.

Twilight backed away, covering her mouth, "Oh, I don't want to catch whatever you've got."

"But you just said you didn't think I had-"

"Lulamoon, Trixie!" A nurse called out.

Trixie got up from her seat, followed closely by Twilight. "I'm Trixie."

"The doctor has you lab results. This way."

Twilight whispered as they followed the nurse, "I promise I'll give you an extra big kiss to your good health once the doctor gives us the good news." as she winked.

The nurse took them from the large, cold waiting room, to the uncomfortably small, much colder examination room. Where they continued to wait. Trixie played with the model cross-section of an ear, talking into it, "Hey Twilight, check it out, 'can you hear me now?'" Twilight couldn't help but giggle. Trixie always knew how to lighten the mood. It was the reason she loved her. One of the reasons anyway.

"Come on, put that down and behave." Twilight said. Sometime she felt like a single mom with Trixie.

Trixie changed tones, playing with her patient gown. "You know Twilight, it seems like an aaaawful waste of this semi-private room..." She said in her most seductive possible voice as she began to hike her gown up.

Twilight was agast, "TRIXIE! I just- NO, not here, just- please behave alright? We'll be out of here very soon and then we can go home and do whatever you want, okay? Just try to keep it together for ten minutes would you please please please?!"

Trixie humfed and crossed her hooves, releasing her gown, and poking out her tongue. "Party pooper."

A few moments later Dr. Horse knocked on the door, letting himself in with a slight limp. He was not a very sociable pony, nor looked as such either, with his constant five o'clock shadow, but he was the best at what he did, and that was diagnostic medicine. But this was a much less serious encounter. Patient: Ms. Lulamoon, was just the latest in a string of clinic patients he was required to see to fill his clinic hours that week. He, like the two other mares in the exam room, just wanted this encounter to be mercifully brief.

"Ms. Lulamoon, everything on your lab work looks good. All your levels are normal. Everything checks out and you are right on track of where you should be. Good heartbeats. You're both very healthy."

Trixie sighed a relief. Twilight looked confused. Dr. Horse was about to turn to leave when she asked him, "Wait, we're both healthy? I know I'm healthy but what does that have to do with her throwing up every morning?"

Dr. Horse just looked at her like she had ten heads. He could feel his individual brain cells committing suicide at the stupidity of the question. "I didn't mean you Miss..."

"Sparkle."

"I meant her foal."

Trixie snapped to attention. "My WHAT?"

Dr. Horse regarded both of them with rare awe. "Ms. Lulamoon. You're pregnant."

*THUD*

Trixie and Twilight performed synchronized fainting.

Dr. Horse rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a migraine coming on.. "I'll schedule the ultrasound."
_________________________________________________________________

Nurse Redheart rubbed the conductive jelly onto Trixie's belly. "Ooh it's cold." Trixie whimpered. The nurse placed the ultrasound probe against her belly as Twilight looked on with both of them at the screen. Both she and Trixie were scared and visibly sweating. Neither of them had ever anticipated this.

"Aaand... lets see what we've got. Ah yes, there's the yoke sac, and you can barely see the heartbeat there if you look. So it's six or seven weeks old. Everything looks good." THAT got Twilight's attention.

"Wait- what did you say? How old is it?" she asked, her heart racing.

Nurse Redheart squinted at the screen, guessing as precisely as she could, "About six weeks."

"Are you sure?!"

"Of course."

"Is there ANY chance at all it can be" Twilight paused to do the math in her head counting back the days from that one night they did that gender spell, "31 days old?"

"No. None at all. At four weeks the foal looks very different. And this foal has a discernible heartbeat, which can happen after six weeks but not before. It's definitely not younger than six weeks. It might be seven weeks. Give me a minute, I can do some measurements and tell you the exact number of days if you want."

Twilight looked at Trixie and saw the pure panic in her eyes. Instantaneously everything became crystal clear. "Trixie?!"

"Twilight please, I can explain!" Trixie cried, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Please just-" Trixie choked up, her hooves outstretched. Twilight leaned in and hugged her tightly. What else could she do?
________________________________________________________________

Twilight sat on her couch at home with a bowl of strawberry ice cream . Trixie sat across from her, shoveling the rest of the bucket. An empty tissue box lay between them. Trixie had quite a tale to tell.
~~~~

"... so after I left Ponyville the first time, I traveled everywhere trying to pick up my old act." Trixie said between bouts of sobs, "But the old act never took off again and I never made enough to get by. The second-hoof caravan I had bought was nothing like the original one that the Ursa Minor smashed. And eventually I had to sell even that just to eat!"

Trixie paused, taking another scoop of ice cream and wiping her eyes, "I wasn't lying when I said I had to work on a rock farm just to get by, but I was only making enough to get from week to week. I wanted to get back on my hooves properly." She looked at Twilight, listening intently, her eyes full of sympathy and understanding. It was so strange to think, only a couple of months ago she had considered the purple mare her sworn enemy.

Trixie continued, "It's funny now, but for a while the only thing that kept me going was the idea of getting revenge on you." Trixie looked down in her lap in shame, "I was such a fool."

Twilight put her hoof on her shoulder, "You're not a fool Trixie. I love you. You were just misguided and desperate."

Trixie looked up, "That's kind of you to say." she said, kissing Twilight. "Anyway, I was trying to track down artifacts that could help me get back into the magic arts again. That was when I found out about the Alicorn Amulet. I found out who had it through some old contacts of mine that I still trusted. I found out that it could be obtained... for a price."

Trixie took a breath, not looking forward to the next part, "And that was when I went to Canterlot to become a... dancer."

Twilight did not understand the dread in the statement, "A dancer? Whats so bad about that? Do you not like ballet?"

Trixie wished she could have laughed at that, "No. Not ballet... Exotic."

Twilight felt a wave of realization wash over her, "Oh, OH, so you, were... a..."

"Yes. The Great and Powerful Trixie was reduced to a common stripper." she cried, taking another tissue.

"Oh Trixie, it's... not that bad." Twilight tried to console her marefriend, "Lots of mares do that. It doesn't make them bad ponies. Most of them are just like how you were, and maybe just fell on some hard times."

"No but it's worse." Trixie started again, "My last night there, I was working a bachelor party, and the groom-to-be's friends had paid me a lot of bits to- to take him to the cider room. He'd had a lot to drink and I wasn't really paying enough attention while I was..." Trixie trailed off, as she rubbed her belly, "And... well I guess I let things get a little out of hoof."

Twilight moved closer, holding Trixie's head against her chest as she wept.

"I'm so sorry Twilight. I should have told you sooner." Trixie cried.

"Shh, shh, no more of that." Twilight tried to calm her, "Trixie we need to look at this as a blessing." Trixie looked up at Twilight, like she was crazy. "Trixie, I wrote to the Princess about the gender spell and she told me that ponies are sterile while under its effects. So we could never have had a foal together unless we adopted." Twilight smiled, "But don't you see? Now we can! We can raise this foal together!"

Trixie smiled faintly and hugged Twilight back. "Always a silver lining with you Twilight."

"Always."