"Hooooooo."

The sound of an owl's cry echoed throughout the library, alerting the purple unicorn surrounded by stacks of books, paper and quills in its centre. She pulled her head out of the clutter of ink and stationary to gaze up at the feathered fowl who was now circling the library foyer.

"Owlicious?" Twilight questioned. "What are you doing up at this hour--"

She answered her own question with a gaze to the nearby clock, which revealed the hour to be two past midnight.

"Two a.m.!" Twilight exclaimed. She was ready to admit she often lost track of time, but now she was certain the day had just jumped ahead without so much as a warning, the last eight hours being stolen from her.

Worry crept upon Twilight as she realised Trixie had not returned in this time. Thinking of the terms she and the magician had left on, all manner of horrific possibilities began to encircle her mind, each more grave than the last. When it all became too much, she decided she had to find Trixie. She dashed towards the library's front door.

Only to have it swing suddenly towards her.

Twilight yelped as the wooden article reached out to meet her approach. She had just enough time to shield her face with her hooves, which took the brunt of the door's force as it sent her reeling back, falling flat on her flanks. Dizzy from the sudden impact, she looked up to see what appeared to be a giant purple cone sitting on a blue pony.

"Heeeeeeey Twi!" The cone pony yelled as it meandered inside the building.

Twilight blinked, slowly bringing herself to her hooves. When her vision eventually stabilised, she was able to identify the cone pony as Trixie, her signature wizards hat atop her head.

"Oh, Trixie, its you," she spoke with relief. "I'm glad you're ok."

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" Trixie's speech had an audible slur, and she seemed to be having trouble staying upright.

"Oh Trixie... are you drunk again?" Twilight asked.

"Yup!" Trixie replied with pride, a wide grin across her face. "I can still walk this time though... kinda." Trixie shut the door behind her and wobbled towards the center of the room.

A few moments of awkward silence passed. Well, it felt awkward for Twilight at least, Trixie seemed perfectly content.

Rubbing her leg with a hoof, Twilight glanced nervously at Trixie.

"So um, are we ok?" she asked.

"What?" Trixie raised one eyebrow as she swayed in the spot. "Oh you mean the yelling earlier. No we're fine, I just really like kissing you, but you won't let me!" Trixie took a couple of steps forward and then suddenly rolled onto her back.

"You can make it up to me with a belly rub though!" she offered with a smile, glancing up at Twilight who was now standing over her.

Twilight giggled. "Seems fair enough."

Twilight proceeded to massage Trixie's belly with her hoof, stroking her soft fur in a circular motion. A calm silence descended on the library as she petted Trixie. A strange emotion crept upon Twilight as she continued, one of sentiment. She felt a connection to the magician in front of her, as if her presence provided some long-sought desire she never knew she had. In this very moment in time Twilight felt serenity, she felt completely content. It was a moment she would freeze in time if she could. She only now became aware of the smile that had spread across her lips.

A satisfied hum from Trixie broke the perfect silence.

"A little lower," she requested. "Lower... a little more..."

"Trixie!" Twilight snapped, her voice agitated as the magician's voice goaded her hoof dangerously close Trixie's lower regions. Her irritation only earned a chuckle from Trixie.

"Relax Sparkle, I'm just kidding!" Trixie's smile then suddenly dropped, and she peered up at Twilight, her face now all serious, her eyes wide as she looked into Twilight's.

"That is... unless you want to..."

Twilight's heart skipped a beat as the words left Trixie's mouth. Her intense gaze was captivating. Her eyes twinkled in the dim light of the libraries lamps, like two impossibly rare and perfect gemstones, inviting her. She glanced down at where her hoof lay, just inches from Trixie's most private of areas, and she was inviting her, giving her permission, allowing her to take the plunge into a new experience, one she had heard so much about but never tried yet. How many times had she dreamed of what this moment may be like? Who it would be with? Now it lay before her and she had no idea what she wanted. Why not do it? Is it right? Trixie wasn't sober, but she had been making advances many times when she was, so was it still ok?

Twilight winced as the thoughts barraged her tired mind like missiles, each one taking her further and further away from a conclusion. Eventually she took her hoof off Trixie, closed her eyes, and inhaled a deep, calming breath. She felt her mind clear as she released the air from her lungs.

"I'm sorry Trixie," she said with confidence after gaining some composure. "This is really not the best time for this."

A flash of disappointment crossed her face, before dawning a one more akin to guilt.

"You're right, as always," Trixie agreed. "It's just that I like you Twilight, I like... like like you, its like... like... all of my like!"

This brought a smile to Twilight's face again. The combination of her near gibberish confession of affection, and the very confession itself brought a mirth back to her. She also felt humbled, surprised to hear that she had had such an effect on Trixie, a pony who seemed to need nopony else, one who seemed so confident by herself. Twilight's mind flashed back to what Trixie had told her on the train from Canterlot, that she would need a pony very talented and very pretty to ever be her special somepony, and here she was admitting that Twilight filled that criteria for her. It was intensely flattering.

"Wow Trixie, thats really amazing to hear. I just wish I was more certain about my own feelings..."

"Do you know why Trixie was drunk the first night she arrived?"

"No actually, you never explained that."

"Trixie was soooooo nervous about seeing Twilight Sparkle again."

Another bomb on Twilight's heart. This pony, this closed off, ultra confident pony was now opening everything to her. Was it just the alcohol talking?

"Thats... I..." Twilight was truly lost for words.

"I think we should get to bed Trixie," she suggested eventually. Surely things would be clearer in the morning.

"Sounds like a plan," Trixie agreed, struggling to her hooves.

"If you are going to be getting into my bed again, brush your teeth first," Twilight commanded with a grin.

"Hold on... am I getting into your bed again?" Trixie raised an eyebrow as she swayed on the spot.

"Uhhh..." Twilight blanked, the realisation of what she just suggested only now hitting her.

"Well, if you want to but... its just to sleep ok!" she did not want to dissapoint Trixie further.

"Sounds... sounds fine to me," Trixie replied with a smile.