After the duel

Chapters

The offer
Back at the library
New day

The offer

After the duel

The offer

Everypony knew that the night was dark. But until they traveled at night they couldn't really say just how dark it was. While the moon and the stars provided a decent amount of illumination it simply wasn't adequate to properly highlight the treacheries of the road. Upturned tree roots, half buried stones, pot holes and countless other hazards just eagerly awaiting to snag a hoof and twist an ankle on some unsuspecting pony.

It didn't help any that a rainstorm was currently raging away, the thick clouds effortlessly blocking out whatever light Luna's night sky had to offer, and the sheets of rain doing much to dampen the light that was emitting from Twilight Sparkle's horn right now. This storm had definitely not been scheduled for tonight!

She was far away from her library home in Ponyville right now. Away from her nice warm bed and a stack of wonderful books to read, trekking through only Celestia knew where. She'd been out here for hours, leaving the moment she could slip away without being missed by either Princess Celestia or the visiting dignitaries from Saddle Arabia. And in those hours she'd covered...she didn't even know what she'd managed to cover in that time, she was ashamed to admit she'd lost count of how many feet, yards and perhaps miles she'd crossed since setting out.

Normally she'd be at home right now and reading, curled up on her favorite cushion with a good book that talked about the hypothetical theory of the atomic structure of mana and how the exchange between electrons and neutrons fueled the use of magic in the real world. But instead she was out here performing the difficult feat of casting not only an illumination spell but also a forcefield so she could both see where she was going and not get drowned in the downpour.

Technically though she was currently casting three spells simultaneously, two of them active and one passive, the third one being a locator spell designed to home in on a specific magical frequency she'd picked up on back in Ponyville. She was following it like the needle of a compass and desperately searching for any sign of her quarry.

"Where can she be?" she asked herself rhetorically, feeling like the locator was going around in circles right now. She had never been so thankful for a time that she hadn't accepted Spike's offer of assisting her in her endeavor.

"Alright Twilight let's just think about this from a logical perspective. Taking into account the current weather activity, possible athletic qualities, existing physical conditions, uncertainty on the part of the locator beacon..." she mumbled to herself as she looked around, straining to keep everything balanced at the same time. "Think. Where could she possibly be?" she asked herself rhetorically as if an audible query of the question her mind was asking would make the difference in the matter.

"ACHOO!"

"Bless you," Twilight said without even thinking. She certainly hadn't sneezed. And nopony else was present who could've sneezed. She immediately froze in her tracks and looked around again, harder this time. "Could it be?" she asked herself.

She concentrated on the locator spell, switching it from passive to active to try and boost its reliability, the light coming from her horn now dimming as the division of magic was interrupted. Now it was starting to come in stronger and give a more stable reading in a single direction. She followed close behind.

The locator spell lead her over to a large tree, or more accurately the base of the tree. Well to be absolutely precise who was at the base of the trunk of the tree and seeking refuge from the torrents of rain, no matter how flimsy it was.

"Finally. Thank Celestia," she said to herself as she stepped closer and looked down at her quarry.

Her mission had been to find Trixie. It wasn't an assignment hoofed down to her by Princess Celestia with regard to her using the Alicorn Amulet. Nor had it been a task assigned by the mayor of Ponyville so she could be brought to trial for the chaos she'd caused. No this was of her own free accord. And after so many hours of wandering about that task had been completed. She found the former showmare resting uneasily under the canopy of the tree, curled into a little ball and shivering as she tried to keep dry and warm, her cape and hat offering little in the way of protection against the elements. Even the canopy of the tree seemed to be doing little against this unplanned tempest.

Wordlessly Twilight approached and extended her forcefield, blocking out the rain with a far greater level of protection than the fabric goods.

"Now I don't need this locator spell anymore," she said to herself and mentally cut off the flow of magic to the third spell, allowing her resources to more directly fuel the forcefield and the illumination spell. That was much better. "Trixie," Twilight said softly as she shook her shoulder in an attempt to rouse her from her uneasy sleep.

The showmare's eyes slowly opened as she lifted her head to try and identify the source of her disturbance. She'd been expecting to meet with the darkness of the night and was surprised to see actual light instead, making identification easier. "T-Twilight Sparkle?" she asked hesitantly, caught off guard by the purple unicorn's presence. she was the last pony she'd ever expected to see out around these parts and at this hour...whatever hour it was anyway. "W-what are you doing out here?"

"I came looking for you," Twilight said as she stepped a little closer.

"For what purpose did you seek out Trixie?" she asked hesitantly. She'd left Ponyville under less than good circumstances, leaving before any of the residents could forcefully drive her out for her actions while under control of the Alicorn Amulet. And even though some seemed to understand that she wasn't in control of her own actions others had not been so quick to accept the fact.

"A lot of reasons really. Mainly because I feel that I'm partly responsible for everything that's happened," Twilight replied. When Trixie simply looked at her in a confused manner she took it as a sign to continue. "When you first came to Ponyville you were just trying to do your routine with your usual flare and make some bits doing what you knew. Granted you were a bit arrogant but..." she paused and stopped herself, "sorry. I didn't mean to turn this into anything resembling a lecture. Anyway we shouldn't have taken offense to your style of doing things since it was your own. None of us are in show business so we really weren't the best to be determining what was best."

"You are correct so far," Trixie stated but said nothing after that.

"The town didn't blame you for the Ursa Minor showing up. It's not your fault Snips and Snails couldn't tell when somepony is telling an entertaining story that's designed to wow rather than educate. But you left so quickly nopony had any chance to talk to you. We couldn't even help you salvage anything from your wagon that might've survived. Not that much did but we would've tried anyway. And when we tried looking for you the first time we couldn't find you anywhere, you were long gone."

She paused to let Trixie talk. However the showmare continued to remain silent as she watched her and listened, shivering the entire time from the cold dampness that clung to her.

"And then when you showed up again and started causing havoc with the Alicorn Amulet..." Twilight paused again. "Trixie I'm so sorry for what you went through. I heard your story about your experiences after your routine was ruined by the Ursa Minor. I'm sorry you had to work on a rock farm for whatever they'd pay you, how you must've saved up for months to buy the Alicorn Amulet to boost your own magic, whatever you must've been forced to do to scrimp and save your money. And then...all that hard work for nothing. Being controlled by that accursed relic, shunned for not being in control of your own actions, your investment gone in the blink of an eye and you left with absolutely noth-"

"Is there a point to your story Twilight Sparkle or did you simply come to rub salt in Trixie's wounds?" she asked pointedly, clearly annoyed with everything being recounted to her in such graphic detail when it was still fresh in her mind.

"I was just about to get to that point, honest. I know that in some way I'm responsible for everything you went through and I feel terrible for that. I want to make it up to you if I can. Will you come back with me to Ponyville?" she asked.

"So you wish for Trixie to accept your offer because you want to assuage your own guilt over making her suffer?" she asked as she looked over at her and scowled. "Trixie has no interest in making you feel better about your own problems."

"It's not that at all. I didn't come out here looking for you because I feel like I need to make reparations. I came out here because I'm sorry for everything you've had to go through and I want to be your friend," Twilight stated.

"You...you wish to be Trixie's...to be my friend?" she asked, caught off guard by the other unicorn's words.

"Yes I do. Before I came to Ponyville I didn't have any friends, I didn't think it was important. But then I started learning about the magic of friendship and how wonderful it is. And now that I have friends I can't imagine ever going back to what it was like when I lived in Canterlot. Looking back it was so lonely and I was blind to see it. And I wouldn't wish that loneliness on anyone no matter what. Nopony deserves to be without friends no matter what they might've done, deliberately or otherwise," Twilight explained. She paused to let Trixie think over what she'd said before continuing. "Can I be your friend Trixie?" she asked.

"Trixie appreciates your offer but she has no intention of returning to Ponyville a third time. She is fine where she is. You may go Twilight Sparkle," Trixie said in a dismissive nature as if she were holding attendance at a classroom.

Twilight remained silent and unmoving from her spot. Trixie was firm and unyielding about wanting to be left alone and was more stubborn than Rainbow Dash and Applejack combined. She sighed and closed her eyes as she sat upon the wet ground and dropped her shield, allowing the rain to continue beating down on Trixie once again, but also herself.

"I'm not leaving you out here alone Trixie," Twilight told her as her coat quickly became soaked. "Whether you stay here or pick up and move on tonight I'm going to stay by your side so you at least have somepony to talk to," she said as calmly as she could even as the chill of the rain began to set in and make her shiver.

"Hmph! Trixie does not care what you do one way or the other Twilight Sparkle. It is no concern of hers if you catch cold standing in the rain," she said and turned to look away.

"You'll catch pneumonia long before I catch cold, you've been out longer," Twilight pointed out. However her tone softened as she began to speak again, employing another plea to the other unicorn. "Please come back to Ponyville? You'll have a warm bed and a dry place to sleep. You can stay in the library with me for as long as you need. You won't have to go hungry for days at a time. I'll even let you study some of my spell books so you can increase your range of magic and its application. And I'll even ask Princess Celestia myself if she can talk with the merchant who sold you the Amulet and see about getting you some of your money back."

"You..." Trixie paused, finding herself stunned by Twilight's words. "You would do all of that for Trix...for me, if I were your friend?" she asked.

Twilight wanted to say that she would, but the coldness of the rain was making her shiver harder than before and she found it more difficult to talk and instead she had to settle for simply nodding in response.

Trixie didn't know what to say. She'd left Ponyville harboring still smoldering resentments and doubts about where she would go from there as she had no money left, not even a bit to pay for her next meal. In the middle of a sudden and unexpected rainstorm she'd taken shelter under a tree only to be sought out by Twilight Sparkle who sat there in the middle of the downpour allowing herself to be soaked to the bone and extended the most...generous offer she'd ever heard before in her life. And she was asking nothing in return except for her to be her friend. She was...she was genuinely touched by the generosity.

"Trixie...I mean I accept your offer Twilight Sparkle, I will be your friend," Trixie said as she stood up and approached her.

"T-t-thanks Trixie," she stuttered, unable to stop her teeth from chattering. "L-l-let's go back to Ponyville now, it's not fit for even Discord out here!"

"Ponyville is a long way's back, Twilight Sparkle. Are you certain you can walk the distance?" Trixie asked, already wondering if she would need to carry the purple unicorn on her back.

"N-n-no need t-t-to walk. We can teleport back," Twilight pointed out. "Are you ready t-to go back and get warmed up and dry?" she asked.

"Yes Twilight Sparkle, I am more than ready. Let us depart from this cold, damp, inhospitable piece of the forest for someplace better. You need a warm bath or you will wind up quite sick. And right now I am quite hungry and in desperate need of something to eat," Trixie stated.

"W-whatever you say, friend," Twilight stuttered as she wrapped a foreleg around one of Trixie's to hold onto her. The glow of her horn increased as she focused on a new spell.

In the blink of an eye and a puff of smoke they were gone, departing for the library and the warmth and comfort it had to offer them both.

Back at the library

Back at the library

There was a momentary flash of blinding light as Twilight and Trixie appeared inside the doorway of the Golden Oaks Library, both of them thoroughly soaked and just short of freezing from the downpour. The warmth of the inside was a welcome sensation to each of them and they took a moment to revel in it.

"S-S-Spike!" Twilight called out to her dragon assistant to summon him to help. However she was only greeted by the sound of snoring; snoring loud enough to be heard over the shared chattering of their teeth. "Oh that baby dragon. SPIKE!" she bellowed.

The snoring was interrupted in a surprised snort from atop the stairs, followed by the commotion of Spike falling out of his basket and landing on the hard wooden floor. "Ouch," he mumbled before finally picking himself up. "Twilight I was having such a great dream," he said and yawned as he looked down at the ground floor, the lanterns providing just enough illumination to see that he wasn't alone.

"Sorry Spike but it's a bit of an emergency. It's raining and it's cold and we're both freezing! We need your help down here, my number one assistant," she stated.

"Number one assistant? Really?" Trixie asked and blinked as she looked between Twilight and Spike, finding the title very odd considering the circumstances.

"He's much better when he's wide awake," Twilight whispered before hearing Spike make his way down the stairs.

"Alright I'm up, whadda you need?" he asked before becoming fully aware of Trixie's presence. However his response was less than what she was expecting. "Wow. I didn't expect to be seeing you so soon. I thought you'd be miles away from here by now."

"Trixie was...I mean I was miles away from here by now. I was resting under a tree when it was raining and truly did not expect to see Twilight Sparkle standing there when I awoke. I was...not prepared for what transpired," she explained.

"Anyway Spike could you get a hot bath running while I get us a fire going?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Spike replied and yawned. "One hot bath coming up."

"...A fire? In a tree?" Trixie asked as she tilted her head. Had she really heard right?

"It's an enchanted fireplace. The flames are shielded so they can't harm the surrounding wood or anything else," Twilight elaborated as she walked over to the aforementioned fireplace and cast an ignition spell to set the logs ablaze, flooding the lower floor of the library with an immediate sense of warmth and a great deal more light. "Come on over and warm up Trixie. We'll get your cloak and hat drying off."

"That is most appreciated Twilight Sparkle," Trixie said as she trotted over and parked herself down next to the roaring flames. With a bit of magic she undid the clasp on her cloak and lifted the heavy, soaked fabric off of herself, relinquishing control once Twilight had a firm enough hold on them to hang them up on a previously unseen coat rack that was brought over to sit by the fire. However she didn't question the mystery of the coat rack as she was too busy enjoying the pleasure of the fire.

Twilight on the other hoof had to stifle a gasp as the cloak came away from Trixie's body. It was understandable that she was soaked to the bone and would naturally look skinnier than if her coat were dry. But she was pretty certain her ribs shouldn't be quite so visible. Or for her face to be quite so...sunken in appearance. Her mind began running through all the possible scenarios to explain such. Were these physical side effects that went with using the Alicorn Amulet? Was she always so scrawny and she'd just never paid attention until now? Had...had she been literally starving herself in order to save up money at a faster rate for simple revenge?

"The bath's ready!" Spike called, breaking Twilight's train of thought and nearly making her jump in response.

"Uh...thanks Spike. Now could you whip up one of those mouth watering salads you're so good at?" she asked as she tried to focus on something else.

"At this hour?" he asked. Did Twilight even know how much work was involved with such a culinary exercise?

"Please Spike?" she asked as her horn glowed to levitate something over to him. Something that in this case turned out to be a piece of ruby crystal. Spike was already licking his lips in anticipation at the delectable treat before him.

"Sure thing! One of Spike's Special Salads coming right up!" he said before quickly dashing off to the kitchen to get to work.

"He's such a sweet baby dragon," Twilight mused and closed her eyes before turning to face Trixie. "You should get washed up first. You were exposed to the rain a lot longer than I was."

"Your offer is appreciated Twilight Sparkle. But are you certain you do not wish to exercise your host prerogative and bathe first?" Trixie asked.

Twilight just shook her head. "You were exposed to the rain a lot longer than I was, you go first."

"Are you certain that you are certain about this arrangement?" Trixie pressed further.

Twilight giggled. "I am. You're my guest, and my friend, it's only fair that you go first. I'll be alright by the fire while you get washed up," Twilight reassured her. "The bathroom is just to the right. Feel free to use whatever you need; except for Spike's bubble bath, even I'm not allowed to touch that."

Trixie couldn't help but giggle in amusement at the last part. "Your generosity is much appreciated Twilight Sparkle. I shall not be too long," she said before rising up and walking in the direction of the bathroom to take advantage of the offered hospitality.

Twilight sat at watched, waiting until she heard the door to the bathroom close. She got up herself and walked into the kitchen to see Spike chopping away at the lettuce and tomato to make the salad. Without a word she walked over behind him and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for all your help Spike. I'd be lost without my number one assistant."

It was praise like that, that made Spike's work seem all worth it. He wasn't asking for much, just some appreciation for what all he did. That and the promise of a delicious ruby suddenly made this late night excursion a little less taxing to him. "Thanks Twilight. But are you sure about this? I mean I know that she wasn't herself and all, but...well she's Trixie. She's not exactly...well you know..." he tried to explain.

"Everypony needs a friend. And after what she's been through she could definitely use one," Twilight replied. "Although I might've laid it on a bit thick about feeling guilty. I know she was responsible for her own actions and all. She made her own decisions and nopony forced her hoof one way or the other. But still, I can't help but feel at least a little sorry for her. She did lose everything she had to a series of unfortunate events that we're somewhat responsible for. The least we can do is try and help her get back on her hooves."

"I guess you're right," Spike replied simply as he finished chopping up the ingredients and began mixing them in the bowl. "It was still her decision to try and get revenge though."

"I know. I'm not saying she's faultless in all this. There's bound to be consequences down the line. But for right now she needs somepony on her side," Twilight replied.

"Sometimes Twilight you're way too trusting and willing to lend a hoof," Spike thought. She really need a transfusion of cynicism or something.

Trixie honestly couldn't remember the last time she felt as good as she did right now, soaking in a nice hot bath and letting it wash over her aching muscles. If she was going to be soaked hot water was so much more preferable to cold rain.

"Such generosity," Trixie said to herself as she leaned against the side of the tub with her eyes closed. "Such gullibility," she thought to herself.

The unicorn Twilight Sparkle was certainly no experienced salespony, that much was for certain. She had made the request of being friends with her and promised so much in exchange. Who in their right mind would turn down such generosity? A warm place to sleep, food to eat and her money back? She would need to be a foal to turn down such a generous offer; especially when she didn't need to do anything in return to get it except maintain a charade. This was going to be much easier than she thought.

"I'll let her believe that I'm genuine until I get what I want, and then I'll slip away with my saddlebags full. Yes that will work out very nicely," she thought as she sunk up to her neck in the warm water on the tub, chuckling to herself at it all. This was the most brilliant plan she'd ever had yet.

At least that's what she thought anyway.

"Oh good you're out," Twilight greeted as Trixie emerged from the bathroom, her coat still damp and her mane done up in a towel to dry properly, but in much better condition than when she'd went in. "Your salad's ready. I hope you like it."

"I am certain that I will indeed, Twilight Sparkle. As for you, you should take advantage of the bath while the water is still hot. I would certainly feel bad if my new friend got herself sick while worrying about my well being," Trixie replied.

"I planned on doing just that. Don't worry about waiting on me I ate earlier," Twilight replied as she passed Trixie on her way to the bath.

The salad was easy enough to find as it had been sitting out on the table almost as if it was waiting for her. A large bowl filled wit freshly chopped lettuce and tomatoes, garnished with dandelion and daffodil petals and topped with some sort of dressing. Her stomach rumbled loudly to remind her of just how hungry she was, which just served to remind her of how hungry she'd been as of late. Even when she was technically running Ponyville she hadn't focused on properly tending to her hunger due to the corrupting influence of the Alicorn Amulet.

She'd fully intended to savor her most recent meal and enjoy it fully. But instead she'd wound up wolfing it down in a matter of minutes and practically licked the bowl clean.

"Truly delicious," she said with a contended sigh as she lifted her head out of the bowl.

"I'm surprised you could even taste it."

Trixie nearly jumped at being startled by the voice, only to realize it was Spike addressing her. Between the bath and the meal she'd managed to completely forget about him. The fact that he seemed to move so quietly didn't help matters either. He stood in the doorway to the kitchen looking at her and giving her the critical eye. Not that she could really blame him after everything that happened over the past few days.

"And talk about atrocious table manners, whoa," Spike added as he saw the bits of lettuce and salad dressing smeared on her face. He plucked a dampened towel from the kitchen and walked over to her. "Hold still."

Twilight had told him to be nice to Trixie while she was here. However he didn't expect to be tasked with wiping her face down because she was such a messy eater. But here he was doing just that for her the same way he'd do for Twilight if she were in a similar situation.

"You are...quite courteous," Trixie commented inbetween the rag being wiped across her face and mouth.

"Yeah well...guests and all," he replied and shrugged. Hopefully the salad dressing wouldn't just smear into her fur. "Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"You may ask but Trixie may not have the answer that you seek."

"What was it like when you were using the Alicorn Amulet?"

Of all the questions that could be asked why did it have to be that particular one? She truly didn't want to think about that, about what she'd done when under the influence of that accursed artifact. But if she was going to maintain the charade of being friends with Twilight she supposed she should exercise a little courtesy of her own and respond.

"After Trixie...after I first received the Alicorn Amulet and tested its magical properties it felt like being surrounded by an intense but not unpleasant field of static electricity. But the more I used it the more it felt...strange. Thinking back it was like my mind was subjected to intoxicants, I could feel my inhibitions slowly becoming less and less noticeable. Nothing seemed unreasonable any longer and it...it almost felt like there was an inaudible voice telling Trixie...telling me to push on, to do more and use the Alicorn Amulet to a greater and greater extent. By the time Twilight Sparkle returned for her rematch it was like...it was almost like I was watching but unable to control the flow of events. And by that time I found myself willingly carrying out acts that I felt were atrocious in nature. I..I don't want to think of what might have happened had Twilight Sparkle not rescued everypony; myself included."

There was a heavy silence after Trixie finished speaking. Spike said nothing in response before going back to wiping her face until it was as clean as he could get it. "That's the best I can do, short of giving you another bath," he stated.

"Thank you for your kindness Spike. It was...most appreciated," Trixie replied. He just shrugged as he took her bowl back to the kitchen.

Her attention was then diverted to the sound of a contended sigh from behind. turning she saw Twilight stepping out from the bathroom and looking refreshed. "Nothing like a nice warm bath to chase away the chills."

"Quite so," Trixie replied as Twilight approached and sat at the table.

Silence. It was an uncomfortable silence, too much like back on the rock farm where she'd spent so many months. That was an inhospitable time and she didn't want to remember anything about it.

"Would it be possible for me to see those spell books now?" she asked.

"Maybe tomorrow. The study of new spells is best done when properly rested. This hour is late even by my standards," Twilight replied.

"Um...where will Trixie...I mean where will I sleep?" Trixie asked. She hadn't really been given anything resembling a tour of the library and was currently unfamiliar with the accommodations. If there was a bed or sofa to be found she certainly hadn't yet.

"You can sleep in my bed upstairs," Twilight replied. However before Trixie even got the chance to say anything in response she continued. "I'm quite comfortable down here in the library. I've got a nice cozy pillow to curl up on by the fireplace, I've done that a good number of times during winter."

"Really?" Trixie asked at hearing the offer. Twilight simply nodded in response. "That is quite generous. Thank you, Twilight Sparkle."

The bed was unbelievably comfortable to lay in. As tired as she was it would be so easy to fall into a week long sleep in what was easily the coziest place she'd been in a long, long time.

So why had she been laying wide awake for nearly the last hour?

Despite her efforts sleep eluded her, leaving her to toss and turn, and to think about recent developments. This afternoon she'd been in Ponyville unleashing chaos under the influence of the Alicorn Amulet and engaged in a duel of magic against her rival Twilight Sparkle. And now this night here she was back in Ponyville and resting in the bed of her rival Twilight Sparkle, being made privy to more hospitality and generosity than she could ever conceive herself offering had the roles been reversed. How could anypony be so kind under such circumstances?

These were just some of the thoughts running through her mind as she tried to make sense of it all. Others were...not quite as pleasant. Some she was ashamed to admit entertaining. And then her thoughts came to her rival Twilight Sparkle sleeping in the library while she occupied her bed. She hadn't even hesitated to make such an arrangement. And what had she done in return to so much hospitality and kindness? Nothing nice, that was for certain.

Wordlessly Trixie climbed out of the bed, using her magic to levitate and pull off the comforter, before slowly and quietly making her way down the stairway to the library's main floor. She could see Twilight Sparkle resting comfortably on a large plush pillow by a still burning but not roaring fire; she almost looked like a house cat curled up and snoozing so peacefully on her makeshift bed. Spike was elsewhere in the library and snoring away, tucked into his basket of a bed that he'd brought down when he found out she would be sleeping upstairs.

"Twilight Sparkle," Trixie whispered as she approached the purple unicorn, gently prodding her shoulder to wake her up.

Twilight mumbled something as she slowly opened her eyes at the disturbance. "Trixie?"

"It is a rather cold night out. Could Trixie sleep next to the fireplace as well?" she asked as she brought the comforter into view.

"...Sure," Twilight replied after a moment to properly think over things.

With a little help the comforter was folded over and laid out on the floor with the pillow resting in the middle. Done right it allowed just enough room for each unicorn to have their own half of the makeshift bed and remain on opposite sides, the pillow providing sufficient room for each of them to rest their heads without touching.

"Is that better?" Twilight asked as she laid back down. Trixie nodded in response. "Sleep well Trixie. Goodnight," she said and closed her eyes.

"Goodnight Twilight Sparkle," Trixie returned and made herself comfortable, letting the heat from the fire wash over her as she rested again.

Off in the library Spike's snoring stopped as he cracked open an eye. He scribbled on a piece of parchment before stuffing it under his bed and closing his eyes again to go back to sleep.

New day

New day

Trixie was accustomed to waking up in all manner of ways. Having her door knocked on, her door being opened and told to get up and get to work or she was fired, roused from slumber via a bucket of ice water dumped unceremoniously on her head, to the sound of roosters crowing as they perched on her windowsill, and the countless times she would awaken due to horrible nightmares disturbing her sleep or even rolling out of bed and falling to the floor.

She knew many unpleasant ways to wake up. But awaking to the smell of something delicious being cooked was a new one. Not since home was this the morning routine.

"Good morning Trixie," a pleasant voice greeted her as she stirred.

Definitely not since home. What the hay was going on here?

She moaned as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and looked around to gather her senses. The first thing to come into focus was...books. Lots and lots...and lots of books. Where was she?

"Hello?" Trixie asked as she slowly stood up and looked around. As she did she came face to face with Twilight and nearly screamed in surprised. "Twilight Sparkle!? What...what are you doing here?" she asked.

"This is where I live. You're in the Golden Oaks Library in Ponyville," Twilight said simply.

"You live..." Trixie paused in thought. Everything suddenly came back to her in a tidal wave of memories and she couldn't help but sit down and groan. "Last week was not a bad dream afterall. Oh how Trixie wishes it was," she moaned and hung her head.

Twilight didn't say anything in response as she watched her new friend, her demeanor like somepony recalling a night of debauchery in an alcohol-induced stupor; not that she was know anything firsthoof about that! But from what she'd heard it did seem like the two were similar to each other.

"It'll be alright," she finally said in a simple manner as she stepped closer. "Spike's making some breakfast right now. I hope you're hungry."

"A little..." Trixie replied as she looked up. No trace of smugness on Twilight's face. Noting to indicate a feeling of superiority. Nothing but a friendly demeanor about her.

"Pancakes are up!" Spike called from the kitchen.

"Best pancakes in Ponyville, you're in for a treat. Come on," Twilight said and lead the way to the kitchen. Trixie hesitantly followed and saw Spike standing on a stool and dividing up and passing out stacks of pancakes around the table on three plates; and all while wearing a pink frilly apron that read "Kiss The Cook." Trixie couldn't help bug giggle at the sight.

"Nice to see you up and around lazy bones, we were afraid you'd be sleeping the whole morning away," Spike commented as he finished dividing up the pancakes for each of them.

"Go easy on her Spike, it was a late night for everyone," Twilight pointed out. Spike shrugged before getting down to fetch the syrup, butter and anything else that they'd need for the pancakes. "Best eat up while they're still hot. We've got a lot of stuff to do today."

"Such as what exactly?" Trixie asked curiously.

"Well after breakfast I figured I'd show you a few of the spells I know to help you increase your magical potential. Then later in the day I was thinking we should go over to Sweet Apple Acres and see about helping Applejack. Plus it'd be good practice for performing a levitation spell," Twilight explained.

"But Trixie is already familiar with the art of levitation," she protested.

"I know that. I've seen you do it. But can you perform a multitasking levitation spell?" Twilight asked, before surrounding her stack of pancakes with a magical aura to use as a study aid. The pile was picked apart pancake by pancake, each of them spinning in a circle above the table before the pile was reassembled like a deck of cards being shuffled and set back down on the plate.

"Trixie is a showmare, remember?" she asked and decided to show what she knew. But a simple trick with her pancakes wouldn't be enough for that. She looked over at the other piles as Spike came back to the table. "If I may for just a moment."

Whereas Twilight had limited herself to her own pancakes Trixie had extended her magic to envelop all the pancakes and lift them up off their respective plates, stacking them nearly from floor to ceiling on their edges like a chain. The even ordered pancakes then began to spin clockwise while the odd ordered spun counterclockwise.

"Hey careful now!" Spike protested.

"Trixie is always careful," she replied and issued another magical command, now making the pancakes rotate end over end as they spun about. "Entertainment is the name of the game. Be it a flash of fireworks or a complicated display of magical dexterity, Trixie is well versed!"

The pancakes immediately flew high up and nearly hit the ceiling before coming back down, landing in neatly stacked piles on their respective plates just as they had been before. Twilight couldn't help but clap her hooves and smile in an amused manner. "That was entertaining!"

"Thank you. Trixie is..." she began but paused as she took a closer look at her stack of pancakes. "Strange. Trixie could have sworn there was one more in her pile," she said, shortly before feeling something come down and land on her horn. Turning her eyes upward she could just make out the edge of what turned out to be the missing pancake resting on her head.

Spike had busted out laughing and more or less fell off his chair and to the floor, pounding away at the wood as his body convulsed furiously. Twilight glared at him before giving an apologetic look to Trixie, however the sight of her sitting there with the breakfast good impaled on her horn as she looked up at it proved to be too much for her and her best attempts at controlling her giggling proved to be futile as her entire body shook. Trixie scowled at the two of them intently...before the contagiousness of their laughter got to even her and she found herself giggling at the silliness of it all.

Wordlessly and still afflicted with the giggles Twilight levitated the pancake from Trixie's forehead and added it to her pile, substituting it with one of her own to even things out.

"Syrup?" Twilight asked inbetween the giggles as she levitated the pitcher.

"Yes please," Trixie replied before magically picking through the assortment of present fruit and selecting a hoofful of blueberries to add to her stack.

Once the laughter had finally died down all parties could finally get to the business at hoof and actually enjoy their breakfast while it was still warm. Whether or not there was truth to Twilight's statement about the quality of Spike's pancakes she couldn't verify. But they were certainly the best she'd had in a long while, making it really easy to clean the plate and lean back with a contented sigh from feeling full.

"Delicious," she stated.

"Was there ever any doubt?" Spike asked rhetorically as he began to gather the dishes.

She watched as Spike went about getting the dishes ready to be washed before turning her focus back to Twilight as she sat there, also watching her assistant work.

"Um...Twilight Sparkle? Are you certain that being back in Ponyville so soon is a good idea? My departure was not exactly under the best of circumstances," Trixie pointed out. "It could be...dangerous to stay here."

"You don't have to worry Trixie. I know that your last visit here wasn't...nevermind that. I've been in Ponyville long enough to get to know most everypony very well. I really don't think that they'll hold any long term grudges agianst you now that you're free of the Alicorn Amulet. Magic and ancient talismans are an everyday occurrence in Equestria. They can't rightly blame you for being under the control of an artifact that should've been locked up somewhere secure," Twilight tried to reassure her.

"You are far more certain than I am. My actions were still my own unfortunately. Simply being under the effects of the Alicorn Amulet is not a defense and I admit that fact," Trixie replied.

Twilight nodded. It was good that Trixie recognized these facts and admitted to them. If she could admit her wrongs to the town then it would another good step for her, but she had no intention of forcing the showmare to do anything. Instead she would just try and help her along the way and see how things progressed on their own, perhaps providing a little helpful guidance here and there.

"You're my friend now Trixie. I won't let anypony do anything to you, and neither will the rest of my friends," Twilight said as she continued the reassurance. "Now how about those spell books?"

"This is harder than Trixie anticipated."

Right after breakfast Twilight had brought Trixie to the section of library that housed the various spell books she had access to, ranging from beginner's guides for foals just starting out in learning the art of magic to the more advanced books detailing complex theories and multi-step processes, to books devoted to the topic of theory and the science behind magic rather than its practical application in everyday situations.

Trixie had wanted to see the advanced material immediately, believing she was fully capable of performing them with ease. Twilight on the other hoof knew better after asking for a list of spells Trixie knew.

It wasn't that Trixie's magical talent was limited in nature, to the contrary she had a significant level of magic to perform even complex spells. The problem was the extent of her skill was limited. The spells that she knew, she knew very well and had practiced, polished and refined them to a considerable degree. But those spells were limited in number and related mostly to her act and a few basic skills. Everything else she'd more or less neglected and had to learn from scratch.

Twilight watched as Trixie panted and slouched, tired from her practices. Normally it wouldn't be a big problem but she was being taught what was more or less a basic spell.

"Why are you so much more capable of deploying such a spell?" Trixie asked.

"Well..." Twilight paused as she thought over what to say without it sounding insulting. "I don't really know. Maybe it's because I studied magic in general rather than showmareship and how to entertain others. I'm...not exactly the most socially accustomed of ponies you'll ever meet."

Trixie nodded in response to indicate she'd heard what she said but said nothing further. If Twilight had to guess she'd say it was due to dissatisfaction at not being able to perform the spell with the same ease as she could what she was intimately familiar with. Didn't she remember that these things took practice and patience?

"Maybe we should just take a break. You could still be distracted from the last few days and it might take some time to fully clear your mind. There's no telling the full extent of what the Alicorn Amulet did to you, mentally or...physically..." Twilight said as she tried not to stare at how skinny the other unicorn was.

"Perhaps you are right," Trixie replied as she more or less dropped to her haunches and sighed.

"Listen Trixie, if there's one thing I've learned in my time here in Ponyville, it's that sometimes you actually have to put down the books...I can't believe I just said that...and actually get out in the sun and the fresh air and experience things firsthoof. Maybe a nice day out will clear your head and help you focus better," Twilight suggested.

"Perhaps," Trixie repeated and gave a nod in agreement.

"That's good. We'll head out in a minute, I just need to grab something."

Trixie watched as Twilight approached what looked like a coffer chest, magically raising the lid and levitating a number of bits before depositing them in a leather pouch which was fastened around her neck by two leather straps tied in a knot.

"Alright I'm ready to go. Now we can grab something from Sugarcube Corner if we get hungry," Twilight explained as she stood by the door and waited for Trixie to join her.

"I hope that this is a good idea," Trixie mumbled as she approached and readied herself to face the town.

"Don't worry so much Trixie, it's a brand new day in Ponyville. What could possibly go wrong?" Twilight asked.