"That will be all Twilight, I trust you will complete your assignments with your usual diligence."

The high ceiling of Princess Celestia's throne room loomed over Twilight as she levitated the books and documents the princess had just provided her with into her saddlebag.

"Of course Princess," Twilight assured as she finished packing up. She opened her mouth to speak again, but then a nervous look crossed her face, and she hesitated.

Celestia did not miss the expression.

"Is something troubling you Twilight?" she asked, looking down on her student with concern.

Twilight scratched the back of her neck with a hoof. She thought of Trixie, and she sat struggling to decide if it was worth troubling Equestria's ruler with her social life.

"You know you can talk to me about anything Twilight, I'm not just your mentor, I'm your friend as well."

Twilight looked up to see the princess smiling down at her, and she paused for a moment to appreciate the impressive radiance of her teacher. Her warm smile made her uneasiness melt away.

"It's about a... friend of mine." Was that the right word to describe Trixie? "She is coming to take an exam here soon."

"Ah yes, miss Lulamoon. Luna told me you were tutoring her yourself. I must commend you on your compassion Twilight. It takes a lot of it to assist a pony after the trouble she caused for you."

The memories of Trixie's last visit to Ponyville flooded through Twilight's mind. She found herself surprised as she recalled the incident with the Alicorn Amulet, struggling to believe the pony she had been sharing a bed with recently had been the same one who tried to banish her from her hometown.

"I... I almost completely forgot about that!" Twilight admitted. "Trixie has shown herself to be far more friendly than I ever expected. I really think the incident with the amulet was just her being rash and not thinking about the consequences of her actions. She really seems like a good pony at heart."

"I trust your judgement Twilight, it has gotten you a long way," Celestia offered.

"Yes well, the thing is, Trixie has caused another conundrum for me."

"Oh?" Celestia looked interested.

"You see she... well I..." Twilight began to blush furiously as she scrambled to explain her situation.

Celestia chuckled.

"She must be a very interesting pony if she has you this flustered."

"She is certainly interesting," Twilight agreed.

"So what is the issue? Remember, like I said I am happy to hear any concerns you may have."

Twilight looked up to her mentor again, and found a moment of confidence.

"Me and Trixie seem to be closer than friends." Twilight's voice sped up, deciding the easiest way to get past her embarrassment was to spill the beans quickly. "She has told me she likes me, a lot, and we have... we have kissed, a few times." Twilight stared at the floor as she finished her confession, the blood vessels in her cheeks threatening to burst.

A few moments of silence passed, and Twilight grew nervous as she stared at the floor. It only now dawned on her that the princess may not approve of her relationship with a troublesome pony like Trixie. She sat rooted to the spot, unable to move, waiting for a response from her mentor.

"And why is this a problem?" The response finally came. The tone of Celestia's voice calmed Twilight, she did not sound dissapointed or angry. "This is the kind of thing that would make most ponies happy."

"Well, the problem is, I'm not sure how I feel about her, and its lead to a couple of arguments, and I'm worried it might lead to problems with her exam." Twilight now felt the courage to look her mentor in the eye. She was pleased to see Celestia was still smiling down on her.

"I think the answer is very clear Twilight," she responded. "Would you usually feel the need to tell me about small problems in your life?"

"Well no, not really. I usually save most of the important stuff for my letters to you."

"Indeed, and now you have just told me about Trixie in person, what does that tell you?"

Twilight paused for a moment, her forehead furrowed as she considered the question.

"That Trixie is very important to me, at least right now."

"Exactly, and I think this means she is special to you in some way. As I said earlier, your judgement has gotten you very far, and I think you should be able to figure this out too."

"But, I've never really dealt with this kind of thing before," Twilight protested.

"You didn't consider yourself very social before you moved to Ponyville either, but you took to friendship with little problem. This is just another step along that path. There are different kinds of bonds you will have with the other ponies you meet. It is important to explore them all, no matter how intimidating they may seem."

Celestia's words put the situation in a new perspective for Twilight, and she suddenly felt more assured on how to handle the situation.

"That makes a lot of sense Princess, thank you!"

"Anytime, my faithful student," Celestia answered as she leaned down to touch her neck to Twilight's.