Trixie strolled along the lush red carpet of Canterlot’s throne room, her teacher waiting patiently upon her seat of power. She greeted her student with a smile as she approached, stepping down from her golden throne. The sound of trickling liquid from the thrones water founts filled the hall. A nearby door leading out to one of the castle’s tall balconies was wide open, letting in the bright sunlight of the morning, along with a refreshing summer breeze.

“Good morning Trixie,” Celestia spoke warmly, sitting down in front of Trixie at floor height. “I wanted to ask, is there anything in particular you’d like to learn or try today?”

Trixie stopped before Celestia, sitting to consider the question with a hoof raised to her chin. A smile crossed her face after a few moments.

“Ooh, I know,” she said, her tone mischievous. “Is there anything Twilight wasn’t able to do in your time teaching her that I could try?” She looked up to her teacher with an eager grin.

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “I hope these lessons are not just ammo for you to show off to Twilight Sparkle.”

“Oh no no no, they are ammo for me to show off to everypony!”

Celestia laughed at this. “For entertainment purposes I hope!”

“Sure, let’s go with that. So, is there anything?”

Celestia hesitated, as though she was choosing her next words carefully. “There were a couple of things Twilight was not naturally adept at, but despite the impressive ability you have shown me so far Trixie, I don’t feel you are quite at that level yet.”

“Aw come on, let me at least try it.”

“No Trixie, it’s dangerous. Magic of that strength is far beyond what your able to handle right now.”

“Oh, but the egghead is able for it?” Trixie retorted. An image of Twilight flashed through her mind, and her face contorted into a frown. “How do you know I can’t do it if you don’t even let me try?”

“Because I know Trixie, you still don’t have precise control over your stronger spells.”

“Why ask me what I want to do if you’re just going to throw it back at me?” Trixie’s tone grew louder, and she stood up on all four hooves as she directed the increasingly loud questions at her teacher. This tone was not sitting well with Celestia, whose eyebrows were now also crossed.

“Trixie,” she began. “I think you should take a minute to calm down.”

“Bah, I’m starting to remember why I left the first time.”

“So am I. I would have thought you had matured a little in that time.”

“You know what? I don’t need this right now.” Trixie turned on the spot and began walking towards the door out of the throne room. She only took a couple of steps before Celestia’s booming voice sounded from behind her.

“Trixie!” she yelled, her voice filling the room as it echoed down the long hall. “I have given you a place to stay and my own free time to teach you! I found your attitude a welcome break from the usual fearful respect that many others regard me with, but I will NOT abide by this complete lack of gratitude! If you walk out that door now you can go straight to your room, pack your things and leave!”

Trixie stopped in her tracks, staring fiercely at the ground. She stood still and silent for many moments, battling internally with logic and her own stubborn pride. The image of Twilight, shocked and disappointed at her being kicked out of the castle passed through her mind. She let out a sigh, her anger subsiding. She turned to the princess.

“I’m sorry,” she said, making only momentary eye contact with Celestia as she apologized.

“I’m glad you have proven to me that you have matured a bit since you were last here. Now, if there was nothing else you had to suggest, we can move on to something new.”

*

Trixie stared with an angry face at the blank parchment on the writing desk in front of her. She hated blank parchment. She felt like it was mocking her, daring her to write her secrets and innermost thoughts on it. It was always so difficult to know where to start, what to say; and yet, she was able to say more on this parchment to Twilight than she would ever have been able to say to her face. This fact made her hate the blank parchment more, as if it was better at talking to Twilight than she was.

“Stupid paper,” she muttered to herself. “Joke’s on you, you’re going in the fire.”

She picked up the nearby quill, dipped it in ink, and began scrawling the first words that came to her mind.

Hey Twilight

So I nearly got kicked out of the castle today. Honestly I’m surprised me and Celestia haven’t gotten at each other’s throats earlier. Don’t worry though, we squared things out, it was just me being impatient again.

I’ve told you before how impatient I can be. The only thing I hate more than waiting though, is being told what I can and can’t do, and that’s exactly what happened today. I got upset because Celestia told me I wasn’t ready for some magic. I still feel like she could have at least let me try, but what can you do?

Anyway, I’ll try not to get on her bad side again, and if I do, you’ve got my back right?

Trixie

P.S. Are you visiting here soon or what? It’s been like three weeks.

Trixie immediately leapt from behind the writing desk and tossed the parchment into the fire, eliciting the bright green flames that transported the letter to its destination. All her letters were sent in this hurried motion, lest she read over them and cringe at the words the horrible parchement had drawn out of her. That last line had felt especially desperate, but she couldn’t help it, she wanted to see her egghead again.

It’s going to be so weird she thought to herself. I’ve told her so much in those stupid letters. Celestia better have been right, if this doesn’t get me in with Twilight, I’ll never listen to Sunbutt again.

*

“It looks amazing Rarity!” Spike spoke dreamily as he stared at his idol, barely registering the long, frilled white dress she had just created, and was currently modelling on herself.

“I suppose it’s good,” Rarity replied, eyeing the dress in one of Carousel Boutique’s many mirrors. “I feel like its missing something though. What do you think Twilight?”

Twilight was sat at a desk which was littered with Rarity’s dress making materials. She was busy scribbling away intently on a piece of parchment which she had pushed some of the debris aside to make room for. She gave no response to the question Rarity had asked.

“Twilight?!” Rarity called, louder.

It wasn’t until a purple claw prodded her shoulder that Twilight realised she was being addressed. She looked up to see Rarity regarding her with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh, sorry!” Twilight took a moment to observe the dress that Rarity was currently modelling. “It looks fantastic Rarity!”

“It seems your attention is elsewhere, what has you so distracted?” she asked, eyeing the letter laying by Twilight’s hoof on the table.

“Oh, sorry. Spike received another letter from Trixie. I was just writing back to her. Spike, if you wouldn’t mind sending this for me.”

“That was a quick response, am I going to be coughing another one out in a minute?” he asked irritably as he took the parchment from Twilight.

“Don’t worry, I just wanted to respond to that one fast because she seemed kind of upset in it.”

“All right,” Spike balanced the parchment on the tips of his claw before engulfing it in green flame.

“So, you two are sending each other letters now?” Rarity asked.

“Oh yeah!” Twilight’s face lit up as she responded to the question. “I asked her to keep me up to date with how her lessons are going, plus I’ve learned a lot about her. You wouldn’t think it but I actually have quite a lot in common with her. She even told me in one of her letters how she dressed up as Starswirl the Bearded one Nightmare Night, and that she even modelled her hat and cape after his!” The excitement leapt out of Twilight’s voice as she spoke.

“Well I certainly agree that I didn’t expect you and Trixie to have a lot in common.” Rarity approached Twilight and Spike as she spoke, walking carefully in the new dress. “I’m surprised you can get on so well with her after how she has acted.”

“Me too, but the more I learn of her the more it seems like we could have been great friends if it wasn’t for the more unfortunate circumstances that we met, and I believe she is genuinely sorry for the trouble she caused in the past.”

“I see…”

“Don’t worry Rarity,” Twilight said, picking up on the suspicious tone to Rarity’s response. “I feel good about this.”

“Well, you do seem happy,” Rarity admitted. “I noticed you smiling ear to ear reading that letter.”

“Oh really?” Twilight’s ears drooped downwards, and she gave an embarrassed smile. “It’s strange but, I just get kind of excited when I think about her.” Twilight’s eyes wandered to an unoccupied corner of the room.

“You should see her when I get another letter from Trixie,” Spike said, rolling his eyes. “Like a foal opening a Hearth’s Warming present.”

“Is that so?” Rarity’s eyes narrowed. “Do you find yourself thinking about her a lot?”

“Huh?” Twilight shook her head. “Sorry, I was just thinking about Trixie again. What’d you say?”

“Twilight, I don’t want to alarm you but…” Rarity paused for a moment. “It’s starting to sound a lot like you may have a crush on Trixie to me.”

“WHAT?!” Spike yelled. “Twilight, you couldn’t really have a crush on her could you?!” he asked, turning to look up with horror at his housemate.

“Relax Spike,” Twilight chuckled, raising a hoof to her mouth. She turned to Rarity with a dismissive expression. “I think you may be getting ahead of yourself Rarity. I think I’d know if I had a crush on Trixie.”

“Is that so?” Rarity responded, a grin forming on her face. “Tell me Twilight, how many other ponies have you been romantically involved with up to now?”

Twilight opened her mouth, hoof raised to answer the question. However, no words followed.

“I’d still know though!” Twilight responded instead, the smug confidence lost from her voice.

“I’m not so sure you would!” Rarity answered, her voice growing excited in contrast to Twilight’s. “Tell me, what do you think of her physically?” She had now gotten much closer to Twilight, who was shifting nervously on her seat.

“Rarity…” a blush crept on Twilight’s face.

“This is getting too weird,” Spike interrupted. “I’m outta here.” Spike dashed to the front door of Carousel Boutique, quickly letting himself out.

“Come on Twilight, dish! Let me know all about it! You can tell me!”

“About what?! I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Twilight’s voice was anything but convincing.

“Just tell me what you think of Trixie, when you are around her in person.”

“Well… she is quite pretty…” Twilight admitted, scratching the back of her neck with a hoof. “…And her coat and mane always look really well groomed…” Twilight’s eyes began to drift as she thought of Trixie in her mind. “…And she usually smells pretty good…”

Rarity placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry to have to tell you this Twilight, but you’ve got a crush on Trixie,” the mirth in Rarity’s voice was barely hidden.

“But I… how…” Twilight fumbled, trying to fight the truth.

“I was just kidding Twilight, it’s nothing to be upset about! In fact you should be happy!

“But I can’t be!” Twilight cried. “How am I going to be able to talk to her now that I know this?!”

“The same way you always talked to her?”

“But now I know I’ve got a crush on her! It’s going to be all weird and-“

A sudden deep gasp cut off the end of Twilight’s sentence.

“I JUST INVITED HER TO STAY AT THE LIBRARY FOR THE WEEKEND!” she screamed, leaping off the chair. “THIS IS AWFUL!”

“Twilight, calm down,” Rarity placed a hoof on the panicking alicorns shoulder. “Deep breaths.”

Twilight closed her eyes and took a few long breaths, slowly regaining her composure.

“It doesn’t have to be any different than before, you’re just aware that you like her more than you realised. You should be excited about this!”

“But it’s all I’m going to be able to think about now when she visits! You have to come with me to meet her!”

“I really think-“

“You have to help me Rarity! This mess is your fault now!” Twilight argued.

“Its not my fault you’ve got the hots for Trixie!”

“I know just… be with me when she arrives, please! Just so I can feel a little better.”

“Ok, fine, I’ll help you break the ice with her.”

“This is a disaster…” Twilight muttered in response, throwing her head in her hooves.