Trixie stood outside Golden Oaks Library, its tall branches and high balconies looming over her. Stars shone brightly in the night sky above her. She opted to turn up to the party a little later, hoping to minimize any unpleasant encounters. She looked up at the bizarre building with a sense of mixed excitement and dread. There was one pony she wanted to see in there, but she wagered there were many others who didn’t want to see her. She briefly contemplated turning around right then and forgetting about the party, unsure if the potential abuse from Twilight’s friends would be worth it, but the thought passed when she remembered she is The Great and Powerful Trixie, and she won’t be turned away by the snarky words of some other ponies! With her resolve sufficiently built up, she approached the door of the library and knocked on it loudly with a hoof. It swung open a few moments later.

“Trixie, you made it!” Twilight greeted with a smile. “Come on in.” Twilight turned to lead Trixie into the party, but only took a step forward before suddenly spinning back around.

“Oh shoot I forgot to mention, she isn’t here yet; but Princess Celestia should be arriving to the party soon.”

“WHAT?!” Trixie yelled.

“Yeah, I know some ponies get a bit intimidated by her presence, so I thought you should know.”

“Ugh, this just gets better and better,” Trixie groaned, throwing a hoof to her face.

“Are you really that nervous to see the Princess?”

“It’s not nervousness it’s… awkwardness. I haven’t spoken to the princess since I dropped out of her school for stupid unicorns.”

“Umm… her school for ‘gifted’ unicorns?” Twilight corrected.

“Yeah, that one.”

“I had no idea you were in that school.” Twilight frowned. “I went too.”

“I figured as much, there was no way Celestia missed you but… I don’t remember seeing you around the school.”

“Yeah well, I didn’t make a lot of friends back then, or go out much, or really talk to anypony…”

Trixie’s eyes opened wide, as if a revelation had just struck her.

“You were the princess’s pet weren’t you? The one who wouldn’t talk to anyone and just studied all day!” Trixie pointed a hoof at Twilight as she revealed her identity.

“Yeah… that was me.” The hint of a blush crept upon Twilight’s cheeks as she admitted to her less social past.

“Wow, you’re even more of an egghead than I realised.” Trixie chuckled.

“Just get inside.” Twilight frowned, closing the door behind Trixie as she entered.

Trixie entered the lobby of the library to find it saturated in party decorations of various blinding colours, although an overwhelming level of pink was on display. Streamers, balloons and confetti littered the room, and a gigantic pink, sequenced banner with the words ‘Happy Birthday Twilight’ in purple letters hung from the ceiling, stretching the entire width of the circular room. A long table lined the right side of the room, where an assortment of cakes and various candies sat surrounded by party hats. Two large glass bowls containing a bright pink liquid sat in its centre. The room was filled with all sorts of ponies, some of which Trixie recognised from her previous visits to the town, and many she had never seen before. Music blared over the din of my voices nattering away to each other. Nobody seemed to take notice of her entrance. GOOD, she thought.

“You don’t half do the decorations do you?” she pointed out, raising her voice over the racket.

“Oh, you can thank Pinkie Pie for that, parties are kind of her thing!”

“KIND OF my thing?” a high pitched voice cried. Trixie recoiled as a pink pony appeared as if from nowhere beside the two. “They are only my most super-duper favourite thing ever! Besides my friends of course!” She gave a wide grin to Twilight before turning to look at the startled Trixie.

“And meanie-pants Trixie is here!” she announced with a smile.

“Hmm, I suppose meanie-pants is pretty tame all things considered.” Trixie replied.

“Well, me being a meanie to you wouldn’t help anything would it? It would probably just make you an even meaner meanie-pants.”

“Sound logic,” Trixie agreed. “I just hope the rest of your friends follow it.”

“They will,” Twilight answered. “But you might need to give them a bit of time and, you know, show you can be kind too.”

“I dunno, sounds like a lot of work,” Trixie replied with a grin.

“I think you can handle it,” Twilight responded. “Anyway make yourself at home, grab a drink or some food!”

Trixie eyed the large glass bowls of pink liquid on the table. Beside them stood a familiar orange earth pony wearing a large brown Stetson. She was talking to an equally memorable Rainbow-maned Pegasus. She approached the bowl beside the pair.

“What’s in here, punch?”

“Yeah, its-,” Applejack cut off mid answer as she turned to discover who had asked the question. “Well well, look who we got here!”

“Looks like a loudmouth to me,” Rainbow remarked.

“Yup, I’m the horrible and evil Trixie et cetera, but before we start into the name calling, can you at least tell me if there is alcohol in the punch?”

“Uh yeah,” Applejack answered. “The one on the left has my strong cider mixed in it, the right one is alcohol-free.”

“Wonderful!” Trixie turned to the left punch bowl and filled one of the nearby plastic cups with its contents. She then proceeded to pour the liquid down her throat in one gulp.

“Woah there partner, it’s called strong cider for a reason!” Applejack warned.

Trixie finished her cup and inhaled a breath of air, breathing it out with a satisfied smile.

“Is it called that because it will get me very drunk if I drink lots of it quickly?”

“Well yeah but-“

“Wonderful!” Trixie repeated, scooping out another cupful of punch. “Just let me get through a few cups of this and you can call me whatever you like.”

Applejack released an irritated sigh. “Look, we’re not here to pick a fight. Twilight told us she wants to be your friend, and if it’s true that you’re gonna be friendly to her from now on well, we can put the past behind us, right Rainbow?”

“I dunno, I’d still like an explanation for the whole amulet business before I start being all friendly to the pony who enslaved my hometown. Twilight said you apologised, but you only apologised to her.”

Trixie downed her second cup of punch, and turned to fill it once again. With her third, she opted to only take a mouthful initially.

“Alright, gather the rest of your little group around and we can get the whole amulet thing out of the way alright? Not the whole party though, I’m not telling this story to everyone.”

“Why not? You kind of took over the WHOLE town that day.”

“Rainbow, calm your jets. The rest of the group hearing this will be good enough for now.”

With an irritated agreement, the pair disappeared into the din of the party to find the rest of their circle of six. Trixie glanced down into the pink liquid levitating before her as she was left alone. It's going to be a long day she thought to herself.

A few moments later, six ponies and one young dragon had gathered before Trixie.

“You wanted to tell us something Trixie?” Twilight asked.

"It had better be good," Spike frowned, crossing his claws across his chest.

“Sure, I already apologized to you before, but I suppose I may as well explain the amulet business so I don’t keep getting bugged about it, so listen up, I’m not going to talk about this again.” Trixie took another mouthful of punch and looked over to Twilight, who responded with a smile. The sight of it gave her tingles. She swallowed her drink and leaned back against the table to face the others, holding the cup in her fore hooves.

“I’ll make this quick,” she began, her tone strong and direct. “I’m not used to getting showed up. Before I came to Ponyville the first time, I hadn’t met a unicorn my own age who I couldn’t outwit or out-perform in a magic competition.” Trixie paused to take another mouthful of punch. She caught Rarity rolling her eyes, and Rainbow raising an eyebrow in disbelief. She ignored them and continued on.

“Other ponies had always been impressed by my magic, and I got used to having fans. After a while I started making a show of it, travelling from place to place to gain more. Then I came here. Now, I’ve dealt with hecklers like you ponies before with little problem, but never, NEVER have I come across the sheer, unbelievable idiocy that is Snips and Snails.” Trixie’s voice raised as she spoke about the two young colts that had caused her so much trouble, a frown crossing her face at the mere thought of the pair. She calmed herself with another sip.

“I made up some stories to add more flair to my travels, what harm would they do? Then those two geniuses decide to actually go and find an Ursa Major, just because I said I banished it once! Anyway, you all know who steps in next.” Trixie glanced over to Twilight, who responded with a sheepish smile, red creeping into her cheeks.

“So Twilight here sends what was thankfully just an Ursa Minor back to its cave with sheer, singular magical power. I couldn’t believe my eyes, she made it look almost easy. I left, and suddenly all I could think about was getting one up on the one pony who had outdone me in a public light.”

The rest of the group turned to look at Twilight, who was still engrossed in Trixie’s story. It took her a few moments before she noticed the seven pairs of eyes on her.

“What?” she said, looking at her friends, the blush glowing brighter on her cheeks. “I just did my best!”

“For sure you did!” Rainbow agreed. “You are one awesome egghead!”

“Uh thanks, I think?” Twilight responded.

“Anyway,” Trixie continued, calling the attention back to her story. “I remembered reading about magical relics in school, trinkets that could multiply a unicorn’s power just by wearing them. I figured it was a perfect way to get back at Twilight. So I found one, the Alicorn Amulet, and started practicing with it, but the more I used it, the angrier I got. Suddenly showing Twilight up wasn’t enough, I wanted to make her suffer, I wanted to hurt her. Everytime I cast a stronger and stronger spell with the amulet, my anger just built. By the time I got to Ponyville I wanted to take the whole place over. The amulet fed on my anger, and made it worse. I’m sorry I ever put the stupid thing on and…” Trixie hesitated for a moment, “I’m sorry if it caused any trouble to this town. Now, can we get on with this so called party?” with the conclusion of her story, she downed her cup of punch and turned to help herself to yet another.

“Trixie I-,“ Twilight’s voice was interrupted by the abrupt silence of the room around her. The music had suddenly cut out, and a few ponies could be heard gasping in shock.

The rest turned around to see a tall white Alicorn standing in the doorway to Twilight’s home.

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight cried, rushing over to greet her former mentor. The rest of her friends turned to look at Trixie.

“We all make mistakes,” Applejack offered. “If you’re really sorry, and don’t plan on causing more trouble well, any friend of Twilight’s is a friend of mine.”

“I’m always happy to make more friends!” Pinkie agreed.

“If we can get along with Discord, I think you deserve a chance too,” Rarity pointed out.

“Wait… Discord? The lord of chaos? You’re FRIENDS with him?”

“I wouldn’t say we’re friends well… Fluttershy is.” Rarity explained, eliciting a blush from the yellow Pegasus.

“Seriously?” Trixie asked.

“It’s… complicated,” Fluttershy answered softly.

“Anyway, we’re willing to give you a try, right guys?” Applejack asked the group. Three out of four heads nodded.

“We’ll see…” Rainbow replied.

“Good enough for me,” Trixie shrugged.

“Alright! I suppose we ought to go greet the Princess!” Applejack suggested.

The group moved to welcome Celestia, all but Trixie, who just frowned, and sulked over her new cup of punch. She looked over with irritation to see the Twilight embracing the Sun Princess. Trixie stood her place, staring into her drink. A few minutes passed as the party guests greeted the monarch, and eventually the music and din of conversation enveloped the room once again. It was only a few moments after the noise returned that Trixie heard a voice in her ear.

“Well, isn’t this a surprise!” Trixie turned around to see the tall form of Princess Celestia, a warm smile on her face. “It’s been a long time, Trixie Lulamoon.”

Trixie groaned, rubbing her forehead with a hoof. I am too sober for this she thought, even though the punch had begun to take its effect; a light dizziness invading her head.

“Hello Princess,” she greeted, turning her head away from her and drinking some more.

“I’m glad to see you are doing ok Trixie, I heard you had gotten yourself in a bit of trouble of late.”

“I can’t possibly imagine what you mean Princess,” she mocked, taking another sip of punch. Her response elicited a soft chuckle from the Princess.

“Same old Trixie I see. I hope you have been looking after yourself.”

A frown covered Trixie’s face at this comment. “Why would you care how I’ve been doing?”

“You were a promising student Trixie. Of course I was disappointed the day you left.”

“Yeah? Didn’t seem that way to me.” Trixie took another drink.

“It’s true. I was pre-occupied with many issues back then, but you shouldn’t mistake that for me having no interest in a unicorn with your talent.”

Trixie was silent for a few moments as she took in her old teacher’s words.

“Well, it’s all said and done now isn’t it,” she responded eventually. “No point still talking about it now.” She swallowed the remaining contents of her cup.

“That’s not true Trixie, my doors are never closed to you. Now that I have Luna back, and Twilight, Cadence; and to quite a lesser extent Discord, are helping me, I have a lot more time. If you were willing, you could always come back and finish your studies. Of course, I imagine you’d need some more advanced material than where you left off, Great and Powerful Trixie!” she added with a wink.

Trixie turned to look up at the Princess, half expecting to hear the punch line of a joke; but she knew Princess Celestia, she was the very embodiment of sincerity. All she saw was the honest smile on her face.

“I’ll… think about *hic* it,” Trixie hiccupped, the effects of the cider making their rapid appearance.

“Please do, I’d be thrilled to work with you again.” With a smile that never reached Trixie’s eyes, the Princess left the magician to her brooding.

Trixie sat by herself, feeling the effects of the cider cloud her mind. The princess’s words swirled through her head. A few minutes passed before a voice interrupted her thoughts.

“What was that all about?” Twilight’s voice asked next.

“Huh?” Trixie turned, blinking as she tried to focus her blurring vision on Twilight.

“With the Princess? Is everything ok?” Twilight asked with concern, or perhaps just curiosity.

“The prinshesh *hic*” Trixie covered her mouth with a hoof as the air jumped out of her lungs, a slur starting to invade her speech. “The prinshesh seems to think I’d want to go back to her dumb school.”

“And, would you?”

“I don’t know!” Trixie responded, her drunken voice growing louder. “I haven’t really thought about it.” She wobbled on her hooves.

“Are you ok Trixie? How much of that punch have you drank already?”

“Don’t you worry your pretty little face about me Twilight Shparkle.” Twilight scrunched her face as Trixie placed her hoof over it, swinging forward on unbalanced legs. “And I’ll tell you what, since I’m being all great and rec… rec… reconshiling Trixshie today,” Trixie smiled, pleased with herself for getting the word out. “I’ll deal with Princess Sheleshtia.”

“You’ll… DEAL with the Princess?” Twilight repeated, her muffled tone under Trixie’s hoof still carrying an audible concern.

“Yeah!” Trixie teetered to the left, and threw her hoof from Twilight’s face and back onto the floor to catch her balance. “I dealt with your friendsh, may as well hit two stones with *hic* one bird!”

“Uhh… I think you may want to just lie down for a minute.” Twilight suggested. “Maybe get some water?”

“III’m fiiine,” Trixie dismissed, swinging a hoof in the air. “Now if you’ll excushe me, the prinshesh and I have some mattersh to discush.” Trixie glanced around the room until her blurred vision caught sight of Celestia, and made her wobbly way over to the Princess, leaving Twilight behind with a worried expression on her face.

Upon reaching Celestia’s table, Trixie announced herself loudly.

“Prinshesh!” she cried, pointing a hoof at the monarch. “The Great and Powerful Trixshie has some words for you!”

Celestia turned to regard the unicorn who was swaying from side to side.

“Oh does she now?” she responded with an amused smile. “I’m all ears.”

“Trixie!” she began loudly, before her volume suddenly dropped. “Trixie… I… *sniff*,” Trixie’s head suddenly dropped to the floor, and when she looked back up at Celestia moments later, tears were filling her eyes.

“I’m soooorrrrryyyy,” she wailed, throwing herself around Celestia’s foreleg. The princess, taken aback by the sudden attitude change, sat with her mouth hanging open, before smiling with a chuckle.

“Whatever for Trixie?” she asked, placing her other hoof on the sobbing unicorns head.

“I, I jusht left,” she cried, still clutching the princess’s leg. “I didn’t even tell you *sniff* why. I ruined my chanshes at a good educashun because I was stupid and impaishent!”

“Calm down Trixie, there’s no need to cry.” Celestia took Trixie’s chin in her hoof and looked into her eyes. “I told you my doors were never closed to you. I have plenty of free time lately, would you like to come back to school and finish your studies?”

Trixie nodded as she sniffed through her running nose, and wiped some of the tears from her eyes with a hoof.

“Very good, now, I think you should get some rest. I see a friend of yours is worried about you.”

Trixie turned to see Twilight with a concerned expression on her face, looking over at the pair from across the room. Celestia waved her over.

“Is everything ok Trixie?” she asked as she approached the pair.

“I believe Trixie is suffering from a potent mixture of hidden emotion and far too much cider punch!” The princess chuckled. "Do you have somewhere she could go and lie down?”

“Sure thing, I have some room upstairs, come with me Trixie,” she took the inebriated unicorn by her hoof and led her upstairs.

*

Twilight stood for a moment, looking over the slumbering form of her new friend. She had passed out almost immediately upon her head hitting the pillow. Trixie did not say a word as she staggered to the bed with Twilight, only falling into it as directed. That had been a couple of hours ago, and the party had just began to wind down. She had asked the Princess what had happened, and she explained about Trixie’s desire to return to school, leaving Twilight with a letter to remind Trixie in the morning. She had come back up to check on the magician, and was now lost in thought as she watched her sleep.

You were there in Celestia's school all along Twilight thought as she observed Trixie’s face on her pillow, her mane a tangled knot around her head. To think we might have been friends if it wasn't for all the misfortune that followed you into Ponyville.

Trixie jerked in the bed, mumbling inaudibly to herself. It did not seem like she was having a very peaceful sleep.

Maybe if I had of actually made the effort to make friends back in school we would have gotten on great. Twilight sighed in the silence of the dark room. Well, what’s done is done, at least you’re trying to set things right for yourself, although I still don’t know what brought you back here in the first place. Maybe you’ll give me some answers one day, if we really are friends now. Twilight smiled at the thought, and left Trixie alone to rest in the room, hopeful that the enigmatic unicorn would come around. Today had certainly been a change in her usual attitude.

*

“Rise and shine!”

A jovial voice pierced Trixie’s ears, dragging her from her fitful sleep. The sound of curtains being dragged across their railings followed, a blinding light attacking her eyes. She groaned and shielded herself under the bed covers.

“Where am I?” Trixie asked, clutching the sheets over her aching head.

“In my bedroom, oddly enough!” the same peppy voice answered. Trixie peeked out of the covers to see the smiling face of Twilight Sparkle looking back at her.

“Why am I-,“ Trixie stopped herself mid-sentence as the horrors of last night began to form in her memory. “Oh nooooo…” she groaned, embarrassment adding to her splitting headache and violently unsettled stomach.

“I’m assuming you remembered how yesterday went?”

“Unfortunately…” she admitted.

“Well, as much as I’m sure you’re feeling pretty bad right now, you gotta get up, I have things to do!”

“How about just… ten more hours?” Trixie pleaded.

“That’s a bit longer than I can spare,” Twilight giggled. “Come on, up you get!”

Trixie released a confused grunt as she felt herself being enveloped by a magical force. It was soothing, as though she was being wrapped in blanket of warm air. She found herself being lifted from the bed as it circled her. Her headache and pained stomach were reduced, and she felt imbued with a small amount of energy. She hovered over to the floor as the aura set her on her hooves.

“What is this?” Trixie asked. “I suddenly feel a little better.”

“It’s a new spell I learned recently,” Twilight explained, still concentrating her magic around the magician.

“It’s great, you’re going to need to show me this one before I go drinking again!”

“Well, only if you plan on helping another pony’s hangover. Come on, lets go.”

Twilight beckoned Trixie to the bedroom door, still concentrating on the spell.

“What do you mean?” Trixie asked as they left the room.

“The spell only works on other ponies. It’s from a school of compassionate magic. Princess Cadence showed me how to do it.”

She led Trixie down the stairs to the library hall, where a small cart sat beside a purple dragon.

“Well that kind of blows doesn’t it?” Trixie retorted.

“I think you’re pretty happy for it right now!”

“Twilight, hurry up!” Spike moaned. “I’m starving, let’s go!’

“Relax Spike, we are leaving now! Oh, I almost forgot, can you grab that letter for me?”

“Sure,” Spike picked up a sealed envelope from a nearby table and handed it to Trixie.

“What’s this?” she asked, taking it on a hoof.

“Celestia left it for you.”

“Oh…” she responded, the memories of last night flooding in.

“Anyway, bad news is the moment I drop this spell that hangover is going to come back with a vengeance, but I can at least take you to the inn since it’s near the market.”

“Wonderful, I can’t wait,” Trixie groaned.

*

The trio arrived outside Trixie’s inn a little while later, the magician still wrapped in Twilight’s soothing aura. Trixie had asked Twilight how one of her friends had become pals with the spirit of chaos, and Twilight regaled the story of Fluttershy’s mission to her. Trixie looked up with dread as they arrived at her temporary home.

“I guess this is it right?”

“Yeah… sorry about this.”

“I earned it… ok,” Trixie braced herself. “Let’s have it.”

Trixie gasped as Twilight removed the spell from her body, a bitter coldness replacing its warm aura. She groaned in pain as a splitting ache shot through her head once again, and she felt as if a hurricane had started up in the pit of her stomach. Twilight looked with empathy as Trixie slumped against the door of the inn, pushing her body through it.

“I guess… I’ll see you around sometime soon Spark- umm… Twilight.” Trixie corrected herself.

“Yeah absolutely!” Twilight agreed with a smile. “Get some rest for now.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Trixie answered, staggering inside the inn.