Chapter 22: I'll Be Coming Home

Chapter 22: I'll Be Coming Home

— — —

Late fall was always one of Spike's most favorite times of the year. Few ponies knew about his sentimental, aesthetic streak— the sort of thing you picked up after years of being Twilight Sparkle's number one assistant— but he had something of a soft spot for the way the weather cooled down, the trees turned orange and red, and the days got shorter. It was a nice way to ease into winter, the season he liked the least, because of all that blasted snow.

Of course, Ponyville had work to do. There were leaves to run, crops to harvest, orders to fill, and the whole town had to settle the accounts of spring and summer before the snow came and the land renewed itself for a few months under frozen skies.

He made his way down the leaf-strewn streets of town, a dragon with a purpose. Fall was pretty, but it was also a time of urgency. Stuff had to get done before the snows came. The weather team was busy putting together the winter storms that would bring the cold.

Spike glanced down at a hill beneath the clouds, where Rainbow Dash was hovering over another pony. The blue pegasus on the ground, surrounded with papers and charts and her wings still bandaged up and healing, had been sent from the Royal Guard's custody to Ponyville. "Community service," Princess Celestia had called it. Either way, the pegasus named Whiplash was stuck under Rainbow Dash's supervision— and RD was a ruthless taskmaster. Rarity had asked her why once; it turned out that Rainbow's trust, once lost, was difficult to regain. But no one could say that Whiplash wasn't trying to regain it.

Spike waved to Rainbow Dash; she waved back, said something to Whiplash, and then rocketed off towards the town square. Spike grinned at the sight. Everything was coming together perfectly.

It had taken a lot of subterfuge, to use one of those cool big words Twilight used sometimes, to get this whole thing going. He'd never actually been sneaky about using the magical enchanted link to Canterlot before. He'd also never had to cough up letters from Princess Celestia quietly, which was an interesting skill he now possessed. But it was all going to work out.

After all, not everyone always gave Spike the credit he deserved. He wasn't totally clueless. He could pick up on lots of things. And he'd noticed, for the past few months, that Twilight Sparkle was kind of out of sorts. She wasn't miserable— except for that time when the Cutie Mark Crusaders had managed to get some poison joke up into the rain clouds, but then everyone had been miserable then— but there was something missing, a piece of the puzzle that wasn't fitting into place. And Spike wasn't stupid. He knew exactly what that was.

And, not being stupid, Spike knew that this was sort of a risk. But it was a risk worth taking. Making Twilight happy was worth it— and, really, what were the odds that this wouldn't work? Thus it was that Spike went back into the library and tried to drag Twilight out for what he called a walk.

Twilight stared at him skeptically. "Spike, I'm still behind on my studying."

"But it's a nice day out! And winter's gonna start soon and then we're gonna have to stay indoors all day, and we'll look back and say, 'gosh, I sure wish we'd taken more walks before all the snows had come,' and then you'll be sorry!"

Twilight blinked. "Since when did you care about— " She paused and then a sly grin spread across her face. "Oh, I get it, you just want an excuse to go see Rarity."

Spike blushed. Technically that was kind of true in a sense but right now it was only ancillary! "Well...fine, yeah, so what?"

Twilight arched an eyebrow. "Well, I suppose a break wouldn't hurt. And I guess we need to let your inner Romeo out every once in a while."

"That's the spirit! Come on."

— — —

Ridiculously poorly-concealed crush on Rarity or not, Twilight Sparkle could always tell when Spike wanted something and wasn't willing to come right out and say it. And today he apparently wanted something somewhere in town. Probably he saw some huge piece of chalcedony or something— he'd developed quite the taste for quartzes recently— and this was an elaborate plan to con her into buying it. But whatever, she would play along for a while and then deliver the smackdown with a stunning lecture on the importance of needs versus wants.

They headed down the street together, winding towards middle of Ponyville. Twilight frowned in surprise at the sight of a small crowd starting to form in the square, around one of the staircases leading up into the town hall.

"What's going on there?" she asked.

Spike shrugged. "Let's go check it out."

Twilight made her way closer. "Is the mayor giving a speech or some— "

She jumped in surprise at the sound of an explosion— and in the air above the square erupted a dazzling display of fireworks. The ponies in the square cooed appreciatively as glittering light fluttered down over them.

"Come one, come all," cried a voice— a voice that made Twilight freeze in disbelief, "and feast your eyes upon the magical marvels and arcane talents of the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

"N-No way," Twilight whispered. She looked down for Spike— but he was nowhere to be seen. And instead, up there at the head of the crowd, standing on the staircase with her cape billowing behind her, was none other than Trixie.

Twilight's jaw fell open. She would have recognized that confident grin and those dazzling violet eyes anywhere. There was no wagon, no stage, just Trixie, her magic, and a duly impressed crowd— but as the fireworks faded away, so too did the crowd's eager faces, as they began to remember just who the Great and Powerful Trixie was.

"Yes, it is I, traveling showmare extraordinaire," Trixie said with a bombastic sweep of her cape, "and Trixie must confess it's a bit strange to be back here in Ponyville. I'm sure, after all, that I need no introduction to the likes of you! It turns out my illustrious self has something of a history in this humble little hamlet. However!" She doffed her hat and bowed her head. "The Great and Powerful Trixie is as modest as she is magnificent," Twilight blinked in shock as she made no effort to acknowledge the giggles in the audience, "and is willing to let bygones be bygones! After all," she shrugged and tossed her hat back onto her head, "let's be honest, an Ursa Minor rampage is pretty much just Tuesday for this place."

"Yeah," someone muttered, "that's probably true."

"Glad to hear it!" Trixie thundered. "Now, my monumental mastery of the mystical arts promises you quite a show today, but we have a bit of housekeeping to take care of first. You see, winter is fast approaching and as Trixie can tell you, trudging around in the snow as a traveling showmare is no fun, no fun at all. And so I announce that I am ending this year's touring season here, in Ponyville!"
Twilight's jaw dropped again and now her brain seemed to trip over itself. Trixie was back in Ponyville? Staying back in Ponyville? Was this a dream? Was Spike about to come wake her up and ruin everything?

"Of course, you may ask yourself, 'why have you chosen to spend the winter in Ponyville, O Great and Powerful Trixie?' And the answer, as it always seems to be, is simplicity itself. You see, yours truly must humbly confess to a bit of unfinished business here, and there's no season like winter to get that sort of thing done." Twilight felt her heart speed up. Trixie's eyes scanned over the crowd and Twilight felt her heart stop as Trixie's eyes met her own. "You there!" She pointed, the crowd parted, and Twilight squeaked in terror. "You look familiar! Get on up here, Trixie doesn't have all day."

Twilight felt her legs move her up to the steps next to Trixie, even though her mind seemed to be watching from above and her heart had leapt out of her body entirely and started running laps around the square. "T-Trixie...?" she whispered.

"Well, this is a fortuitous meeting!" Trixie cried with a grandiloquent grin. "Now I'm sure I don't need to introduce this particular young mare to you! Twilight Sparkle, bearer of the Element of Magic, the personal student of Princess Celestia, vanquisher of Nightmare Moon, Discord, and Nightmare Inferno, sister of the Captain of the Royal Guard, sister-in-law of Princess Cadence, and the librarian of Ponyville. Quite a résumé, wouldn't you say? But!" Trixie turned towards the crowds, her bombastic smile gone. "There's more to this upstanding young citizen than meets the eye! For you see, she is also a thief!"

"W-What?!" Twilight squeaked; the crowd gasped in shock.

"I know! Shocking!" Trixie went on. "Who could suspect such a crime of such an illustrious pillar of the community? But the Great and Powerful Trixie is here to tell you all, citizens of Ponyville, that Twilight Sparkle has taken something from me! Something of enormous value! My dearest and most prized possession!"

"What?!" the crowd cried.

The Great and Powerful Trixie grinned excitedly— and then whipped around and planted a kiss on Twilight's lips...and Twilight's brain immediately short-circuited.

Trixie pulled away with a smile. "My heart."

Silence hung over the crowd for a moment, before they began to cheer and applaud— and slowly, Twilight's faculties began to return. "T-Trixie...?" she gasped.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that, bookworm," the blue unicorn said with a smile. She immediately turned back towards the crowd. "That's right, citizens of Ponyville, this incorruptible exemplar of equine society has made off with my heart! And she won't give it back! Now just how did this happen?!" Up above, swirls of pink magical light began to coalesce in the air. "I've told this story far and wide, in every corner of Equestria, from Los Pegasus to Manehattan, from Vanhoover to Appleloosa. Although I have to say," she smirked over at Twilight, "it's the first time I've had my costar here to watch." Twilight blushed as the crowd laughed. "So sit back and enjoy as I tell for you the tale of how two unicorns saved all of Equestria from an ancient conspiracy of evil..."

— — —

It was another hour before Trixie's tale came to an end. Twilight's ability to function mentally had returned shortly before the story began, and for the most part it appeared to be reasonably accurate— although Twilight didn't exactly recall riding a quarray eel to safety in the collapsing caverns of Canterlot, but that was probably an ultimately forgivable dramatic license. Interspersed with magic tricks and the illustrated story in the air, Trixie wound the tale to an eventually climactic conclusion— and took a bow to raucous applause.

And as the crowd dispersed, an eminently pleased Trixie hopped down from the steps— and immediately ran straight into Twilight Sparkle's friends. Rainbow Dash hovered above her with crossed arms and a look of moderate contempt.

Trixie cringed. "Oh, right," she sighed, "let me guess, one bone per tear?"

Rainbow scowled back— and then landed and closed up her wings. "I'll give you a pass this once," she said, "but if you ever run off on my friend again, I will introduce you to a world of pain you never imagined could be real."

"Rainbow Dash!" scoffed Rarity. "Really, how rude." She smiled brightly at Trixie. "I, for one, am happy to welcome you back to Ponyville, Trixie."

"We're so glad you're staying the winter," Fluttershy added with a timid smile. "Twilight's going to be thrilled."

"Yeah," Applejack went on with a tip of her hat, "good to have ya back."

"Wait," Pinkie exclaimed, "if you're staying in Ponyville and you're gonna be with Twilight again, then that means we have to have A PARTY!"

Trixie looked back at Twilight— still completely shell-shocked. "Um...how about tomorrow?"

"But you got back today!" Pinkie protested— but Rarity immediately picked her up by the tail with a flutter of magic.

"Excellent idea, Trixie," Rarity said with a glare at Pinkie. "After all, I'm sure you and Twilight will want some time to catch up."

"That's the idea," Trixie said with a shifty glance.

"But why would— ohhhhh, wait, I get it!" Pinkie crowed— and then Applejack immediately shoved an apple into her mouth.

"W-Wait," Twilight sputtered at last, and she looked around as her friends made a quick escape— and found Spike slinking out from his hiding spot behind Fluttershy, "you set this up, didn't you? You knew!"

Spike shrugged and smiled. "Pretty cool, right?" And with that he bolted after the rest of their friends.

Trixie cracked a smirk. "So I guess this means your friends are okay with me after all." Her smirk faded. "Or they're insane."

"It's not an either/or," Twilight mumbled.

Together they went back to the library, and found that Spike and Twilight's friends had steered clear. Instead they headed upstairs, to the familiar room where Trixie had spent her convalescence. She tossed her saddlebags at the end of her old bed. "I was serious about everything I said up there," Trixie began. "I'm staying the winter in Ponyville."

"Y-You're really back?"

"Of course I am."

Twilight was motionless for a moment— and then she flung herself into Trixie's arms and kissed her with every ounce of loneliness and despair that had welled up in her the past few months. Trixie blinked in surprise as the purple unicorn pulled away with tears in her eyes. "You came back to me," she whispered. "What...what changed your mind?"

Trixie looked away awkwardly. "I really have been telling that story all over Equestria," she said. "Oh, by the way, if someone asks you about the time we defeated a basilisk and then made out on top of a mountain, just smile and nod and pretend you know what they're talking about."

"W-What?"

"Dramatic license."

Twilight blinked. "Okay...but..."

"But back to your question," Trixie said, "I told the story and a little foal pointed out at the very end that we saved the world and then we pretty much broke up, and that was kind of stupid. And I realized eventually that she was right."

"We broke up?"

"Well, yes, pretty much. But I kept thinking about it, and about us, and," she fidgeted, "this is going to be really hard for me to say..."

Twilight pulled Trixie close again. "You don't have to— "

"Yes I do." She took out a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I...I realized that I was...scared, of the way you loved me, and how serious it was. And I left and I thought it would be all okay. But," she scratched the back of her head, "I've had admirers and flings before, but no one has ever loved me the way you do— giving up your own happiness to ensure mine."

Twilight frowned. "I-I was happy— "

"That's not what your friends said," Trixie interrupted. "And..." She shuffled her hooves awkwardly. "Jeez, this is harder than I thought." But before Twilight could say anything, she put a hoof over the purple unicorn's mouth. "But the more I went around telling this story, the more I realized that somewhere inside me, there's still that scared filly who wants to be loved. The one that I didn't want to be there. But if that's the case," she sighed, "I guess it's pretty stupid to go running away from the one pony who really loves me, huh." She smiled and nuzzled Twilight. "So I'm here for the winter."

"Just the winter?"

"I'm getting back on the road when the touring season starts up again." Trixie smirked. "Gotta be me, y'know."

"B-But...you're gonna leave— "

Trixie put her hoof over Twilight's mouth again. "No," she said. "I went around Equestria thinking there would be nothing to tie me to one place, but I guess that's not really true. I'm spending my winters here. With you."

Twilight blinked. "But...how will that even work?"

"We'll figure it out as we go. Put that 'School for Gifted Unicorns' education of yours to work, eh?" She shrugged. "This is what I am, Twilight. I go around the country putting on shows so ponies will love me— and I know there's one that loves me more than anyone else." Trixie frowned. "Isn't that who you said you love?"

Twilight wiped the tears from her eyes and threw her arms around the blue unicorn. "You had to ask?"

She savored the feeling of closeness and warmth that had been missing for all these months. And in that moment, nothing else mattered.

— — —

It turned out that marching all over Equestria was actually pretty exhausting, and Trixie had pretty much immediately gone to sleep in Twilight's bed.

Twilight was perfectly happy with that. She was perfectly happy with everything right now. Trixie was curled up comfortably against her side, sound asleep, and Twilight put her head down on the sheets and enjoyed the feeling of her even breaths. A whole winter together. Maybe even more. Maybe Twilight could go with Trixie on a leg of her tours or something. Maybe Trixie could stay in Ponyville a bit longer and refine her magic, and put on ever more dazzling shows. Maybe this, maybe that...

And maybe this was really what Shining Armor and Princess Cadence had, and what Princess Celestia had meant when she'd promised Twilight that these feelings would bring her happiness. She looked over at Trixie and never ceased to feel amazed at how strong her feelings were. No wonder the Changeling Queen had been overwhelmed by Shining Armor and Cadence.

Twilight kissed Trixie's forehead, and then levitated over a pen and parchment. A few weeks ago, Princess Celestia had asked for a report on what Twilight had learned from this all— about the bond with her friends, about the nature of love, about the magic that ran through it all...when she was ready, of course. And the ache was still too raw to write about. But now the pain was gone, now her friends were with her, now the one she loved was by her side, and now she knew what it meant to be in love.

And the princess was waiting. Twilight turned towards the parchment.

Dear Princess Celestia...

— — —

End