“You did WHAT?” Spike screamed as Twilight broke the news to him.

She sighed. After that scene in the alley, Trixie’s behaviour towards her had improved significantly, but she still seemed incapable of treating anypony else with even an inkling of respect. She had already managed to severely upset a waitress and two Ponyville Express conductors, and all within the first minute of meeting them. But as soon as she was alone with Twilight, she actually became sufferable. It didn’t make any sense. It did explain Spike’s reaction, though.

“If it is of any consolation: Trixie wouldn’t be caught dead under the same roof with a brat like you if it wasn’t for Twilight Sparkle’s kindness,” Trixie said, as she threw her mane back over her neck.

The two of them looked each other in the eyes for a few moments, then simultaneously started throwing insults back and forth, until Twilight just couldn’t take it anymore.

“ENOUGH!” she yelled. “Both of you, stop it, you’re giving me a headache.”

“Oh... uh... sorry, Twilight...” Spike mumbled sheepishly.

“Trixie apologises... but only to you,” the blue unicorn said, as she looked at Twilight intently.

Twilight gritted her teeth, then sighed. It’d have to do. She turned towards Trixie, who was just kinda moping about. “Trixie, the bathroom is over there on the right, I don’t know if you’d like to... ?”

The showmare’s face lit up with enthusiasm. “Trixie would like to very much! It has been ages since...”

She coughed, feeling suddenly embarrassed as she strode out of the room.

“Please tell me she isn’t staying long, Twi,” Spike said pleadingly.

Twilight went closer towards him, and smiled sympathetically. “Oh Spike, I know you’re upset... But what was I supposed to do, let her starve? Leave her out to freeze to death come winter?”

Spike opened his mouth and pointed at her, before closing it again and lowering his hand. Finally, he crossed his arms in front of his chest, and stared at the floor. “I still don’t like her.”

“I’m not asking you to like her, just... just give her a chance, alright?” she said as she patted Spike on the head. “I think she’s actually really insecure, so she constantly pushes everypony away before they can get close, to avoid getting hurt.”

“I doubt that,” Spike replied as he tried to get out from under Twilight’s petting. “But I’ll give her a chance, Twilight. For you, not for her.”

She smiled. “That’s all I ask.”

***

Twilight raised a hoof to knock on the bathroom door, when it opened seemingly on its own. Trixie was standing right in front of her, a towel wrapped around her head, and her coat still glistening. She looked a lot better already, and she smelled nice, too...

“Uh, Twilight?” Trixie said as she raised an eyebrow.

The purple unicorn shook her head, suddenly aware that she’d been standing there with a grin on her face for several moments. “Oh! I uh... came to see if the bathroom... was free...”

Trixie nodded. “It is now... Trixie is so happy to finally feel clean again, you have no idea what it’s like for a pony as magnificent as the Great and Powerful Trixie to have to live in filth. Truly disgraceful.”

“Well then, I’ll get cleaned up myself, and after that I’ll make us dinner,” Twilight said as she slipped past the other mare.

“You’re making dinner?” Trixie asked as she started closing the door behind her. “Hmmm.”

Twilight blinked. What had she meant by that? Did Trixie doubt her cooking skills? She shrugged. The day had been stressful enough without her adding imaginary problems to the mix. Right now she was just going to take a bath, relax, and forget about everything for a while.

***

When Twilight finally emerged from the bathroom half an hour later, she was instantly greeted by a pleasant smell that permeated the air. She made her way over to the kitchen on a hunch, and, sure enough, she found Spike sitting against the wall, right next to the kitchen door. He had his arms folded across his chest, and he looked none too pleased.

“Twilight!” he said as he spotted her, getting up to his feet. “You’ve got to do something, Trixie’s barricaded herself inside of the kitchen!”

She raised an eyebrow. “Why would she do that?”

“Well, I saw her sneak in-”

“Sneak?”

“Ok, walk in,” Spike admitted, “so I followed her, and she started taking out the knives and stuff, so I tried to stop her, and-”

“And she kicked you out,” Twilight ventured a guess.

“... Yes.”

The purple unicorn walked away, sitting down at the living room table. “She’s just trying to be nice by making us dinner, Spike.”

The little dragon begrudgingly pulled up a chair--which they kept around the house just for him--and started moping, putting his elbows on the table and holding his head up with his hands. “I still don’t like it. She could poison us, or worse!”

Twilight threw him an angry look. “That’s enough, Spike. I’ve just about had it with your open hostility towards Trixie! She’s going to be staying with us for quite a while, whether you like it or not, and you’re driving me absolutely crazy!”

“But-”

“Spike,” Twilight said severely, “you promised.”

The dragon grunted something that vaguely resembled “alright, alright,” and the unicorn sighed. She foresaw some tiring days ahead of her.

A few minutes later the kitchen door finally swung open, and Trixie emerged, levitating several dishes, forks, knives and the like. A shallow plate spread a delicious smell, as steam rose up from it.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, prepare your taste buds for the culinary miracle of the century!” Trixie proclaimed as she set the table in an instant, putting the dish down in the centre of the table. It almost looked like a pie.

“So, what is it?” Twilight asked curiously as Trixie sliced off a piece and put it on Twilight’s plate. It was green on the inside.

“Vegetable quiche,” Trixie said proudly, “and the very best there is, if Trixie does say so herself.”

She quickly cut pieces for Spike and herself as well, although the dragon didn’t look at all enthusiastic. He watched Trixie’s every move closely, completely ignoring the food on his plate.

“This is delicious!” Twilight proclaimed as she took a bite. “I didn’t know you could cook, Trixie.”

“But of course, did you really think there was a skill the Great and Powerful Trixie could not master?” She raised her chin haughtily and put of a piece of quiche in her mouth herself, closing her eyes to enjoy its taste and texture.

Spike immediately took advantage of the opportunity, imitating someone who had to puke by pointing two fingers into his opened mouth. Twilight threw him a stern look by way of reprimand, and he grumpily crossed his arms in front of his chest. When Trixie opened her eyes again, the grim atmosphere immediately betrayed that some manner of exchange had taken place. She didn’t know exactly what it had been, but she could guess. And so it was that they continued eating in silence; that is to say, Trixie and Twilight ate, while Spike glanced around grumpily.

Despite the heavy atmosphere, Twilight was really enjoying her meal, and her lips couldn’t help but curl up into a smile after every bite she took. Trixie wasn’t just a competent cook, she was really, really, really good. Eventually her enthusiasm (and the lack of early poisoning symptoms) even got to Spike, and he hesitantly cut off a tiny piece, putting it into his mouth quickly, not giving himself any time to reconsider. His face lit up and he immediately tried a bigger piece, followed by another, which was again followed by half of his plate. Twilight smiled happily; perhaps there was hope yet. Trixie didn’t seem to pay any attention to the dragon’s sudden enthusiasm, though.

“Wow, this is good,” Spike said despite himself. He froze for a moment as he realised he had just given Trixie a complement. “You know, for vegetables, I mean.”

Trixie let out a little laugh, as she threw her mane back over her neck, pointing at Spike with a fork which hung in the air right in front of her. “Trixie didn’t make it for you, simpleton. Trixie simply didn’t want Twilight to have to do all the work.”

Twilight groaned. Couldn’t the two of them ever decide to be nice at the same time? It was almost as if they were taking turns being stubborn, to ensure at least one of them was adding fuel to the fire at any given time.

Spike stared at Trixie coldly, as he put down his fork and knife and pushed his half-finished plate away from him. “I’m not hungry anymore,” he said as he got up from his chair, walking away from the dinner table.

“Spike...” Twilight tried, but the little dragon ignored her as he stomped up the stairs. She sighed deeply, covering her eyes with her hooves, momentarily at a loss as to what to do.

As soon as the dragon left, Trixie’s haughty smile vanished as well. “Trixie is sorry...” she said softly, as she stared down at the ground, guilt and sadness in her eyes.

Twilight lowered her hooves and smiled at Trixie kindly. “It’s not your fault, he’s just a bit jealous...”

“Trixie just... I just don’t know what is wrong with me...” Trixie said as she rubbed a hoof against her eyes. “Trixie wants to be nice, really, Trixie does... But Trixie has been looking down upon and making fun of everypony she meets for so long now... Trixie just doesn’t know how to change.”

Twilight leaned over the table, and put a hoof on the showmare’s shoulder to show her support. “Hey, it’s ok. You’ve been wearing that mask for a long time, now you just have to learn to take it off. Like you do with me.”

Trixie put one of her own hooves on Twilight’s, and managed a little smile. “But that’s because you’re special.”

“Oh?” Twilight said playfully as she raised an eyebrow. “And why’s that?”

Trixie’s cheeks quickly flushed red, and she looked away shyly. “Well... Trixie was upset at the time, but upon thinking about how you defeated that Ursa Minor, Trixie has always thought that...” She swallowed, before continuing more silently: “Maybe... maybe you are just as great and powerful as she is...”

Twilight grinned at the other mare’s embarrassment; she knew how hard it had to be for Trixie to say something like that. “Come on, let’s clear the table and go to bed, it’s been a long day.”

Trixie nodded, but then a question sprang up in her mind. “Oh, euhm, Twilight? Where will Trixie sleep?”

“In my room,” the purple unicorn said as she carried the plates back into the kitchen.

Trixie’s face flushed red again. “Y-your r-room?” she stuttered.

“Yup! I’ve got an extra bed for guests there.”

“Oh,” Trixie said, as she sighed in relief. For a moment she had thought that... she shook her head. Of course Twilight didn’t expect her to sleep in the same bed. And that was good; Trixie wasn’t really comfortable with the idea. But if that was true, then why did she feel so... disappointed?

She shook her head again to get rid of the confusing feelings, as she followed Twilight up the stairs. She just needed a good night’s rest, and then it’d all make sense in the morning.

Or so she hoped.