//------------------------------// // 15 - Introductions (Twilight) // Story: Eyes On You // by UnlicensedBrony //------------------------------// “Eyes On You” Chapter fifteen: Introductions Twilight Sparkle awoke to a knock on the hotel room door the following morning. At least, she hoped that it was still morning – she was so comfortable in her bed that it was kind of hard to think about keeping track of time, even for her. Part of her... most of her... wanted to stay there, partially submerged in the mattress, for at least a couple dozen more hours. But she knew that today was important – to her, to Trixie and, apparently, to whoever was knocking relentlessly at the door. Dragging herself out of bed, Twilight trotted across the room, past the couch and the bedraggled, azure unicorn atop it, who had a pillow held defiantly to her ears to block out the noise. Twilight smiled beside herself and opted to give her partner a few more minutes of semi-sleep as she pushed out of the bedroom and hurried down the small corridor towards the room's entrance. No sooner had she pulled open the main door than the small stallion beyond almost punched her in the nose – having been about to knock again. “Whoops! Sorry,” he said, pulling back and cocking his head to the side, as if to look past Twilight. Judging by his spiked, black mane and his casual-looking sunglasses, Twilight guessed that he wasn't a member of staff. “Um, good morning?” she tried, offering a questioning smile. “Yeah, real good morning!” he confirmed, looking past Twilight's other side, before finally raising a light brown hoof to lower his sunglasses and meet her eyes. “Trixie Lulamoon?” Twilight creased her brow for a moment, processing the question with her early morning brain. “Um, no. Trixie is my partner. I'm Twilight--” “Whew! Great!” the stallion interrupted, grinning. “For a minute there, I thought I'd got the wrong room. And, let me tell you, that is a lot of stairs! Didn't like the idea of having to make two more trips up and down. I mean, I would've taken the elevator, but those things give me the creeps, y'know what I'm saying?” “Um--” He pushed past her into the room's entrance corridor and glanced idly about. “Hey, nice digs! You live here?” Twilight tried to blink the confusion from her mind. “What? No, it's a hotel. Can I help you?” “Oh yeah!” said the stallion, raising his eyebrows and turning to face her. “So, here's the deal – there's a chariot waiting outside, ready to take you and your partner to the stadium for your introduction. Oh, don't worry, you don't have to go right now!” he added, seeing the look of shock on Twilight's face. “But yeah, royal chariot, baby! I wish I got to ride on those things. Well, I do today. But I mean, like, all the time, y'know?” Twilight managed to latch onto the one part of that outburst which was actually important. “...Royal chariot?” she repeated, tilting her head. “Oh yeah, courtesy of the Princess herself. Pretty sweet, right?” He paused to retrieve two slips of paper from the one-sided saddlebag he wore and passed them over to Twilight. “Anyways, once you're all set to go, you'll want to fill out these forms and pass them to the guard pegasus waiting on your chariot. He'll make sure they get to where they're going.” Twilight held the papers in her magic and squinted to get a better look at them. They seemed to be some kind of personal information forms... asking for name, partner's name, date of birth, current place of residence, etcetera. “Aaand... that's all I've got for you,” the stallion finished. He pushed past Twilight and over the threshold again to stand outside. “You've got about two hours or so before they'll be expecting you, so chill out and have some breakfast or something. Later!” With that, he zipped off around the corner, only to poke his head back into the doorway a moment later. “Oh, and if you don't mind me saying, you should probably brush your hair too. I mean, personally, I love the whole 'bed-mane' look, but seeing as how you're going to be meeting the Princess--” He shrugged. “--Just something to think about.” And then he was gone again. Twilight blinked dumbly in his wake, still working through the barrage of information. Of the two Manehattanites she'd met so far, both seemed to be less 'snobby' and far more 'energised' than she'd imagined. But, even if it was a little disorienting this early in the morning, it wasn't really a problem. Twilight would take another Pinkie Pie over another Prince Blueblood any day of the week. Though she hoped it wouldn't come to that... Shaking off her tired thoughts, she closed the door and headed back towards the bedroom, staring at the forms as she went. “Trixie, I think it's time to get up...” * * * The couple of morning hours they had left went very quickly. After having breakfasted and made themselves as presentable as possible using their bathroom, there was hardly enough time to do anything else before filling out their forms and heading down to the chariot a few minutes early. As the strange stallion had said, it was indeed a royal chariot. It was manned by a pair of stallions from the Canterlot Royal Guard, with a third waiting at the side, ready to receive their forms and fly them off to the stadium ahead of the chariot. Just as Twilight and Trixie had settled in and were taking off, another chariot arrived – presumably to pick up another pair of competitors. It gave her a small sense of relief to know that they wouldn't be the last ones to arrive at the stadium that morning – which, in theory, meant that they wouldn't stand out too much from the others. The city of Manehattan was far below them now. Although the buildings appeared tiny, and she could cover several of them just with the tip of her hoof, Twilight couldn't help but think that the city looked even bigger from above. The sheer amount of buildings – all clustered together and each one trying to stretch higher than its neighbours – was amazing. It surpassed even Canterlot in size. And, in the middle of it all, there was a great, circular stadium. Their destination... Twilight cast a look across at her partner, finding that Trixie was sat back on her haunches with her chest puffed out, nose held high and lips in an unbridled smile. Her cape billowed out behind her in the wind as they soared through the sky, and she almost seemed to glow with pride. It was almost enough to bring a tear to Twilight's eye, knowing that she had helped to make Trixie this happy. This Display really did mean everything to her... 'I just hope that I don't mess it up.' When Trixie turned to meet Twilight's gaze, the nervous frown that had been making its way onto the lavender unicorn's face was instantly dashed. “Your feather is trying to fly away,” said Trixie, nodding towards Twilight's ear. Twilight quickly reached up with hoof and magic both to readjust the plume, offering a timid chuckle by way of thanks. “So, are you excited?” Trixie asked. “I'm sure that you're looking forward to seeing your Princess again.” “She's not my Princess,” said Twilight embarrassedly. “But, yes, I am...” The showmare adopted a curious frown and tilted her head. “But there's something wrong?” she guessed. It was a good guess. At the mention of the Princess, Twilight felt a whole new set of doubts rising to the surface. She was worried about what the Princess would think of her competing... and without telling her, no less. In retrospect, it was probably because she was afraid of Celestia's reaction that she didn't write a letter in the first place. But Trixie had told her, just yesterday, to be herself – 'Just be Twilight' – and everything would work out. She wanted to believe that it applied to the Princess, too. “It's nothing,” said Twilight with a shake of the head and a smile. “It's just nerves. I'll be alright as long as you're with me.” Trixie didn't seem all that convinced, but she only stared for a moment longer before smiling and turning to look ahead once again. “Yes, you will,” she said, by way of subtle reassurance. A few more minutes passed in silence before the chariot began its spiralling descent towards the stadium, and the sounds of thunderous applause started to roar louder and louder. Hundreds upon hundreds of ponies filled the stands, all cheering and clapping their hooves as the chariot approached. Twilight got an eerie sense of déjà vu as she peered over the edge. It was just like when she came here with the Princess as a child... Her eyes were drawn to the western side of the stadium, where an enormous screen of water – swimming with brightly coloured images – covered a good fifth of the stands on that side. Six unicorns – three mares and three stallions – stood in the box overhead, constantly channelling their magic in harmony to keep the spell going. The level of concentration that must take was even more amazing to Twilight now that she was old enough to appreciate it. But she had little time to ponder that as she realised what the images on the screen depicted. It was a real-time, moving picture of the chariot – with Twilight herself peering over the edge whilst Trixie sat upright, looking as proud as ever. “--And it looks like our next two competitors are arriving now!” came an echoing, male voice from below. “Hold onto your hooves, fillies and gentlecolts – I can practically feel the magic coming off of these two!” Twilight suddenly became aware of the butterflies surging around in her stomach, and her hooves felt like they'd just been strapped down with lead weights. Turning urgently to her side, she saw that Trixie didn't seem fazed in the slightest. In fact, the azure unicorn was smiling wider than ever, ears perked up and nose held almost vertically as she took in the sound of applause. The chariot touched down with a jolt, on a flat landing area atop the eastern stands, and Twilight yelped in surprise. It was enough to snap her out of the initial shock of receiving so much attention, and she actually managed to flash a smile in the general direction of the audience, albeit an obviously pained one. “And here they are!” the echoing voice announced. “Hailing all the way from Hoofington and Ponyville respectively, we have the Great and Powerful Trixie and the Educated and Well-read Twilight Sparkle! In my entire career, I've never seen more blatant abuse of the 'Name' field on the entry form! I tip my hat to you, fillies!” As the crowd roared and the camera zoomed in on she and Trixie in turn, Twilight managed a nervous chuckle. It sounded even sillier now that she heard it broadcast across an entire stadium full of ponies. But Trixie had insisted that her partner needed a title... and at least the announcer had made a joke out of it. Something brushed against her hoof. Her attention was pulled to the side, where Trixie was smiling expectantly up at her, having already stepped down from the chariot. Twilight hesitated – her hooves still felt heavy. 'You can do it,' she promised herself. 'Just keep your eyes on Trixie. Nopony else matters.' In response to her thoughts, the crowd's roaring approval seemed to quieten the tiniest amount. Keeping her eyes locked with Trixie's, the timid unicorn took a deep, soothing breath and managed a petite but honest smile as she stepped down from the chariot. “Just like we practised,” Trixie whispered as she led Twilight up to the edge of the stands, looking out over the arena before them. Twilight hesitated, and Trixie picked up on it immediately. Subtly, so as not to let the crowd notice, Trixie slid a hoof across to touch against hers. The gesture sent a reassuring warmth up through Twilight's foreleg, all the way up into her chest, where it sparked a determined fire. 'We can do it,' she told herself. Trixie's nod signalled the start of a silent three count, just as they'd practised. Twilight positioned her hooves, cleared her mind and readied her spell, and she felt Trixie do the same at her side. On three, the two mares reared up together, threw their hooves wide and released their spells. “Watch in awe!” they yelled, as magical sparks and fireworks shot up into the air overhead, intermingling to make a wondrous, colourful display. “Wow! What did I tell you?” cheered the echoing voice. “Such an effortless double casting, and perfectly coordinated as well! No doubt a sign of great things to come - these two are a pair to watch, fillies and gentlecolts!” As Twilight resettled on all four hooves, she found herself grinning. Not only had she not made a complete foal out of herself next to Trixie, but, together, they'd actually managed to impress everypony. Hearing the approval of the announcer, not to mention the redoubled cheers from the crowd, sent an electric tingle of pride through her body. And she liked it. “See?” said Trixie, nudging her in the side as the camera panned to a different part of the stadium. “I said you'd be brilliant. And the Great and Powerful Trixie is never wrong about these things.” Brimming with sudden confidence, Twilight couldn't help but giggle. “I guess she's not,” she said happily. “This might not be so hard, after all.” “It won't be,” Trixie assured her, smiling out across the stands. “Just remember what I told you and our competition won't stand a chance.” “Pardon me,” came another voice from beside them. Turning, Twilight saw a short, dainty-looking mare with a fashionable red hat and scarf, smiling between the two of them. “If you'll both follow me, please. There's another chariot on its way in.” With a nod to the mare and a last smile at one another, Twilight and Trixie followed her along the wall to a roofed box that held ten padded pillows lined up as seats, six of which were already filled. “Please take a seat,” said the mare. “These are your fellow competitors, so feel free to introduce yourselves while we wait for the last pair and the Princess to arrive.” As she was instructed, Twilight stepped up into the box and settled on her haunches beside a tall, brown-coated stallion, who flashed her a smile. “Nice entrance,” he said. “Th-thanks,” said Twilight, returning the smile. “Um, I'm Twilight Sparkle, and this is Trixie--” She gestured to her partner, who'd taken the seat beside her. “--Nice to meet you.” “Yeah, you too,” he said coolly. “My name's Earth Twister, and this is my brother, Sandstorm.” A smaller stallion with a tan-coloured coat poked his head out from behind Earth Twister and waved a hoof. The two of them then leaned back to reveal the other four competitors further along the row. “This is Nightshade and Violet,” Twister explained, pointing to a stallion and mare in turn, each with clearly dyed ebony coats and pale white manes. The former didn't seem to even acknowledge his name, simply staring out at the water screen with a faint smile. The mare at his side was just the opposite, giving a start at the sound of her name and hiding behind her partner in an extremely Fluttershy-like manoeuvre. “...And those two at the back are Cherry Blossom--” He pointed to a pink-coated mare with a flower garland atop her greenish mane. She offered a warm smile and a wave. “And Bay Dasher--” He singled out the stallion on the very end of the row, who had a dark brown coat and a scruffy, black mohawk for a mane. He was at least an order of magnitude larger than either of the other stallions, and he looked very out of place next to his dainty partner – with a stern frown on his face and his fetlocks folded across his chest, showing off his bulging muscles. He merely grunted in acknowledgement. Twilight thanked Twister and gave each of the competitors another look over before turning to gaze out over the stands. It seemed that ponies of all kinds were competing this year. She was curious as to what each of their talents were, but now was hardly the time to bring up such a conversation. “Aha!” came the announcer's voice, all of a sudden. “The final pair are arriving now! Everypony turn your eyes to the eastern stands and give a warm, Manehattan welcome to the two ponies that we've literally all been waiting for!” Twilight leant forwards and peered around Trixie, towards the landing area. As she did so, she noticed that the showmare herself was suddenly looking rather attentively in that direction, seeming to have dialled down her joyful pride. It only took Twilight a moment to figure out why... As the chariot touched down, a pair of smiling faces appeared from within – a stallion and a mare. Trixie shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “I'm sure that the first of these two requires no introduction,” said the echoing voice. “That's right, folks – the stunning mare you see before you is none other than Canterlot Sleek Fashion Magazine's own star model – Desert Rose!” This announcement was met with another roar of approval, filled with a great number of hoots and whistles from the louder stallions among the audience. Twilight, recognizing the name, turned a curious eye towards the water screen across the way. Sure enough, the screen showed a close-up of the mare smiling and waving from the chariot. Her coat – a warm tan in colour – was sleek and well-groomed, and there wasn't so much as a hair out of place among the long, brown locks of her mane, flowing down to her knees. She was every bit as lovely as she looked in Rarity's magazines... The fashionista was going to scream when she heard that Twilight had a chance to meet Desert Rose in person. “And, escorting everypony's favourite fashion model, we have another pony from Hoofington!” Trixie stirred in her seat again, so much so that she accidentally bumped into Twilight's fetlock. The picture on the screen panned across to a tall, strapping stallion, also waving out at the crowd with a toothy grin on his face. His coat was a pale, relaxing green – very similar in intensity to Trixie's blue – and his straw-coloured mane hung coolly down past one shoulder. There was the briefest of moments when his eyes locked with the camera, and Twilight felt a sudden, powerful presence – as if he was looking straight at her through the screen. It was a ridiculous thought, but she couldn't force herself to look away from his deep, piercing blue eyes as her breath caught in her throat... “What a smile, eh, fillies and gentlecolts? Although I can't say I wouldn't have the same in his position... lucky dog... Uh, l-let's all get a round of applause for Flaire! Flaire, everypony!” The crowd cheered again, though there were noticeably less hoots than there had been for his partner. He didn't seem to mind though. His grin shifted into a tender smile as he stepped down from the chariot and offered a hoof to help Desert Rose down. Twilight chanced a look at her own partner, only just noticing how tense Trixie was. The showmare's face was turned away, towards the new arrivals, but her hooves were pressing down viciously against her pillow-seat, as if she were subconsciously trying to crush it or rip it to pieces. Clearly, she disliked this Flaire just as much as she'd let on. In a bid to soothe her, Twilight reached out a hoof towards Trixie's leg. The moment that Twilight touched her, the azure unicorn's death grip on the pillow melted and her shoulders seemed to relax a little. “Are you okay?” Twilight whispered. Trixie turned to meet Twilight's eyes, hesitating for only a second before she offered a tiny smile, as if to say 'I'm fine'. It wasn't incredibly reassuring, but Twilight took what she could get. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the new arrivals being led towards them by the red-uniformed mare. With an uncertain gulp, Twilight nodded in their direction. Trixie turned, saw them, then snapped her eyes towards the opposite side of the stadium in a rather poor pretence that she hadn't noticed. Twilight mimicked her, managing a smile that said something along the lines of 'If I smile, maybe they won't kill each other.' Flaire entered the box first and took a seat beside Trixie. Neither of them looked at the other. “Trixie,” said Flaire. “Flaire,” said Trixie. There was a short pause before Flaire spoke again. “You're looking as lovely as ever.” “Yes, I am,” Trixie threw back. “Just like your partner. I see you haven't changed.” “Says the mare who's still wearing the cape I gave her when we were children,” Flaire countered, with a smirk that was obvious in his voice. “Whatever happened to the hat? I seem to remember that you looked utterly adorable in it.” “I lost it in a fight with an Ursa Minor,” said Trixie casually. “No great loss.” Flaire grunted with interest. “An Ursa Minor? You?” Twilight saw Trixie smirking out of the corner of her eye. “Don't sound so surprised, old man,” said the showmare. “My magic is twice as powerful as the last time we met. Anything you could throw at me now would be foal's play to counter.” “Is that so?” said Flaire. He paused, apparently giving it some thought, before lowering his voice to a whisper which Twilight could barely make out. “Well then, this should be interesting, for once.” Trixie flicked back her mane dismissively, and that seemed to be the end of the conversation. In a silent sigh of relief, Twilight's shoulders relaxed and her frightened smile became an honest, mellow one. She wasn't quite sure what she'd been expecting... maybe for Trixie to lose her temper and turn Flaire into a flowerpot? But neither of them seemed particularly aggressive towards the other, although there was a definite hostility in the air between them. She made a mental note to ask Trixie about the 'old man' comment later – Flaire didn't look that much older than either of them... Before she could give it much thought, the announcer's voice rang out across the stadium again. “Alright, everypony! All our competitors have arrived – and what a line up we have this year! - but before we reveal the first event, we have one last, very special pony to welcome. That's right, folks – please, all rise for her majesty, Princess Celestia!” Twilight's stomach lurched as the image on the water screen twisted and blurred to depict another chariot that was descending upon the stadium. She stood, along with her fellow competitors, and watched as the Princess appeared on the screen. She was as tall and beautiful as ever, sitting regally inside the chariot and smiling around at everypony as her shining mane flowed out behind her. The chariot flew straight over the competitors' box and landed on another flat section of wall just a little further along, beside a very impressive-looking box with an arched, white marble roof. The Princess emerged to more cheers from the obviously excited crowd, and made her way up to the raised seat that would no doubt offer a perfect view of the arena below. “Doesn't she look radiant, fillies and gentlecolts? Celestial, even! If I've used that one before, it's because it never gets old!” Twilight felt a sudden movement at her side. Starting with Bay Dasher, at the far end, everypony was filing out of the box, heading towards the Princess. Surprise and confusion taking hold, Twilight shot a look towards Trixie, receiving a questioning smile in return. “We all get to meet her, remember?” said the showmare, nudging Twilight to get her moving. “What's wrong? Getting cold hooves?” “Oh... N-no, I'm fine,” said Twilight. She turned to follow Earth Twister's short, brown tail out of the box, though she didn't match his near-bouncing, excited trot. Of course she knew that they were supposed to speak with the Princess, but she didn't think that was going to be right now... Trixie came up alongside Twilight, offering a little reassurance as they followed the other competitors along the wall. The lavender unicorn was conscious of all the eyes looking down on her from the stands overhead, but they didn't seem all that scary right now. Talking to the Princess, on the other hoof... 'What will she think of me competing?' Twilight wondered. 'Will she be upset that I didn't tell her? Should I apologise? I mean, I really haven't done anything wrong. I just forgot!' As they neared the pair of guardsponies barring entrance to the box, she tried to shake off the nagging thoughts. She was probably just making a big deal out of nothing. “...Omission isn't grounds for banishment, right?” Twilight whispered hopefully to her partner. Trixie raised an eyebrow. “Not that I've heard,” she said warily. “Right. Of course it's not,” said Twilight, nodding to herself. “That's silly.” “Twilight, if you're going to panic and teleport yourself back to Ponyville, at least let me know beforehoof, so that I don't look like a complete foal when you do,” said Trixie casually. Twilight managed a laugh at that, and it lightened her mood like nothing else could to see Trixie's immodest smile. The line of competitors came to a stop before the royal guards, who instructed them to approach in pairs. Bay Dasher and Cherry Blossom, being at the front of the group, went first, leaving the rest to wait until they were finished. Realising that they probably had a bit of a wait ahead of them, Twilight adopted a relaxed stance and cast her gaze around the stadium. Most of the crowd were chattering amongst themselves now, presumably very excited about the soon-to-come reveal of the first event. Some of them, though not as many as she'd thought, were still watching her with curious or intrigued eyes, but she tried to take that in stride. Hopefully, they were just admiring her entrance... “Excuse me,” came a voice from behind Twilight. Turning, she came face to face with Flaire, who was smiling gently. “Oh, um, hello,” said Twilight, politely returning the smile. “You'll have to forgive me,” said Flaire. “But, in my excitement at seeing Trixie again, it seems that I forgot to introduce myself to you.” “Oh, t-that's alright--” Twilight began, only to be cut off as the stallion offered her a hoof. “My name is Flaire,” he announced. “May I ask yours?” Twilight opened her mouth, hesitated for a moment, then took the hoof. “I-- Um, Twilight Sparkle,” she managed. “Nice to meet you.” Flaire smirked in a very Trixie-like manner. “The pleasure is all mine.” Twilight wasn't quite sure what she was expecting, but she was pleasantly surprised when Flaire bowed his head and laid a kiss upon her hoof. It was a greeting she hadn't received since her time in Canterlot, and it brought with it a nice kind of nostalgia. As Flaire pulled back and released her hoof, he looked towards the smiling mare at his side. “And this is my partner, Desert Rose,” he said. “Perhaps you've heard of her?” “I have,” said Twilight, flashing the gorgeous mare a smile. “It's an honour to meet you, Miss Rose.” “Yes, how did you manage to con a supermodel into being your partner?” said Trixie suddenly, giving Flaire an expectant look. Contrary to Twilight, who was caught completely off guard by the question, Flaire didn't seem put off in the slightest. He actually gave a little, dignified laugh before answering. “I haven't 'conned' anyone, my dear Trixie. Rose and I met at a ball in Canterlot a few months ago and-- Well, we just hit it off.” Flaire caught his partner's eye, and they smiled warmly at one another. Twilight thought it was kind of sweet. Trixie looked like she was going to be sick. “What of you, Twilight?” said Flaire. “How ever did Trixie manage to convince such a lovely young mare as yourself to partner with her?” Twilight smiled at the compliment. “Well, she's my friend,” she said with a shrug. “And she asked me to. So, here I am.” “I see,” Flaire muttered, casting a glance towards Trixie, who was now smirking proudly. “I don't mean to sound doubtful, but it's just that she's never been particularly good at making friends – with all that boasting of hers.” “Well, she made friends with me,” Twilight chirped. At this point, Trixie was starting to look very much like she wanted to stick her tongue out at Flaire in triumph. She managed to restrain herself though, for which Twilight was grateful. Flaire shook his head and raised a hoof by way of apology. “Please, forgive my rudeness – I didn't mean to imply otherwise. I'm just glad to hear that Trixie has finally found somepony to watch out for her. To keep her out of trouble, as it were.” “I'm perfectly capable of keeping myself out of trouble, Flaire,” Trixie threw back. “Didn't you just say that you got into a fight with an Ursa Minor?” said Flaire, arching a brow. “Speaking of which, we must meet up for lunch so that you can tell me the story. It sounds fascinating.” Trixie scowled at something in his tone which Twilight couldn't pick up on. “Twilight and Trixie already have plans for lunch. Forever,” the showmare added coldly. Flaire laughed again. “Ah, same old Trixie. How I've missed you...” The next pair had already made their way to speak to the Princess at this point, and it wasn't long before Earth Twister and his brother followed suit. When they, too, had finished speaking, bowed their heads and left via the other side of the Princess' box, it came Twilight's turn to step forward. Unlike Twilight, Trixie didn't hesitate. But, just as the showmare started forwards, she was blocked by one of the guard stallions. When, after a few seconds, it became obvious that he had no intention of moving, Trixie stepped back and glared. “...You're in Trixie's way,” she informed him. “Apologies, Miss,” said the stallion, shaking his head. “The Princess has requested that you and Miss Twilight Sparkle be the last pair to speak with her, after these two.” He nodded to Flaire and Rose. “What? Why?” said Trixie indignantly. “I'm afraid that's all I was told, Miss.” “Not to worry, Trixie,” said Flaire, as he and Rose stepped forwards. “We'll be brief. After all, it hasn't been that long since the Princess and I spoke to one another--” He paused and cast Trixie a smirk. “--Are you sure you don't want that lunch?” Trixie scowled at him, but made no retort as he walked past the guards and towards the Princess' box. “Why would she want to talk to him first?” Trixie grumbled, turning to Twilight. “She doesn't, she just wants to talk to us last,” Twilight corrected, though she couldn't fathom why the Princess would want that, either... “Same difference,” said Trixie dismissively, turning to watch as Flaire and his partner strode up to the Princess and bowed their heads. The azure unicorn let out an impatient huff. Now that there weren't so many ponies between them, Twilight tried to catch Celestia's eye, to no avail. She was smiling and occasionally laughing as she spoke to Flaire, but she wasn't that distracted... she had to have noticed Twilight's attempts to make contact. The nagging feeling that the Princess might be upset with her started to creep back into her mind... When Flaire kissed the Princess' hoof and left the box alongside Rose, Twilight shook her head to clear it. The guardsponies stepped aside, and Trixie started forwards almost immediately. “About time,” she muttered, holding her nose high. Twilight could've sworn that she'd seen one of the guards roll their eyes, but it must've been a trick of the light. She hurried up alongside Trixie, and together they made their way up onto the raised, red carpet before the Princess' seat. As she stepped into the warm radiance surrounding Princess Celestia, Twilight couldn't help but bite her lip – like a schoolfilly who knew that she was about to get in trouble. The Princess, however, made no move to suggest this. In fact, when she finally met Twilight's gaze, it was with a tender smile. “Hello, my faithful student,” she greeted. Twilight bowed her head. “Hello, Princess,” she said timidly, buying time whilst she cast her mind about for something to break the ice. “Um... Fancy seeing you here!” The tinkling chuckle that escaped Celestia's lips was enough to wash any remaining doubt from Twilight's mind. The Princess was happy to see her. “You continue to surprise me, Twilight Sparkle,” said Celestia. “How long have you known that you were going to compete this year?” “Oh, not that long,” Twilight kind-of-lied, but not really. “I was going to write you a letter, but we were really busy practising--” She paused and cast a hopeful look towards the Princess. “--You're not mad, are you?” Celestia shook her head. “You say the strangest things sometimes, my dear. But it certainly makes you more endearing, so I won't complain,” she added with a wink. Twilight flushed. “No, Twilight, I'm not mad,” the Princess continued. “On the contrary, I'm very impressed.” “...You are?” said Twilight, cocking her head. With a smile and a nod, the Princess rose from her chair and took a few steps closer. “My dear, your participation in this event displays an impressive level of confidence in your abilities. It's something that I fear you've been lacking for a while now, and it speaks volumes to your development as a sorceress.” “...It does?” said Twilight, with a grin creeping onto her face. The Princess nodded again, before leaning down to cross necks with Twilight. “It does. I'm very proud of you, Twilight.” Twilight opened her mouth, closed it again, then smiled and moved into the hug. “Thank you, Princess,” she said simply. Beside them, a certain azure-coated showmare made an unsubtle noise. “Oh! Um--” Twilight pulled back and glanced across at Trixie, who had an eyebrow raised and an expectant look on her face. “Princess, you remember Trixie, don't you?” “I do,” said Celestia. Trixie tilted her head. “You do?” Eyes widening in near-panic, Twilight cast her mind about for some way to deflect that. “From the letters!” she managed. “The letters?” said Trixie doubtfully. “Yes!” said Twilight. “The ones that I wrote to her. To the Princess, I mean. About you.” Celestia let out another giggle, which kind of gave the game away. “Yes, indeed,” she said. “Only good things though, I assure you.” “Oh...” Trixie shook off her scepticism and offered the Princess a quick bow. “Well, Trixie is honoured to meet you, Princess Celestia.” “And I you, Trixie,” said the Princess, also bowing her head. “I believe that I have you to thank for inspiring such confidence in my little sorceress?” Twilight's face caught fire as Trixie shot her a sidelong smirk. In that moment, she had the distinct, nauseating feeling that she was never, ever going to live the nickname down in Trixie's eyes... “That's right, Princess,” said the showmare. “Trixie has been teaching Twilight Sparkle how to properly assert herself on stage. But it hasn't been hard – she's a natural.” The Princess grunted in agreement and smiled at Twilight. “I found the same thing when teaching her as a child--” She shook her head and chuckled again. “--In any case, seeing how close the two of you have become brings warm feelings to my heart. Perhaps, Twilight, after the Display, you'll have a couple of reports to send me?” Despite her still-fading embarrassment, Twilight managed a smile at that. “I expect so, Princess.” To Twilight, that seemed like as good a place as any to leave the conversation. Although she obviously wanted to talk with the Princess a lot more, they were on something of a clock – the crowd would grow restless if they took too long. She caught Trixie's eye, and the showmare nodded to show that she got the message. But, instead of turning to leave or bowing her head, Trixie took a step forwards. “Before we go, Princess, Trixie has a question.” “Oh?” said Celestia, smiling encouragingly. Trixie flicked her horn and summoned her invitation, before showing it to the Princess. Twilight understood, and, judging by the way the Princess closed her eyes and nodded, so did she. “I expected that you would ask, that's why I requested to speak with you after everypony else,” said Celestia. She turned and retook her seat before meeting Trixie's eyes again. “Not because I was putting it off, I'm sure you understand, but because it's going to take a few moments to explain.” Twilight shuffled her hooves against the carpet. “Everypony's waiting... Is this really the time?” “The audience can wait a little longer,” said the Princess calmly. “In fact, I believe that the waiting is supposed to... 'increase the hype', was it?” She nodded to herself. “Yes, that sounds right.” “The seal?” Trixie pressed, much to Twilight's chagrin. Celestia bowed her head. “Of course. You see, I encountered Flaire at a ball in Canterlot, several months ago. He was incredibly cheerful, having just been invited to compete in the Display himself. So cheerful, in fact, that he put on something of an impromptu magic show, which went down particularly well with the other party-goers.” Trixie scoffed in obvious disgust, but didn't say anything. “His magical talent is extraordinary for a unicorn his age, especially considering that he never had any formal training,” the Princess continued. “Some of his spells caught my eye – along with the eyes of a number of other mares in the room, I might add – and so I approached him after the performance, out of curiosity.” She looked to Twilight and adopted a more subtle smile. “I've always been one to seek out and nurture potential, and I saw a lot of it in Flaire. Once we got to talking – with which he seemed to have no problem – he eventually came to mention a lifelong rival by the name of Trixie Lulamoon...” She paused and looked to Trixie before continuing. “I believe his exact words were 'Without her, the competition just wouldn't be a competition'. Naturally, I saw an opportunity there.” With that, she stopped talking and smiled expectantly. Twilight and Trixie looked to one another, utterly clueless. “Um, I don't understand, Princess,” said Twilight bluntly. Celestia gave a little chuckle. “As I said, I'm nurturing potential. They say that competition brings out the best and worst in us, do they not?” “They... do,” said Twilight slowly, cogs turning in her brain. “Then there is your answer,” said the Princess proudly. “If you don't understand now, then you will, in time. You may have my word on that.” “Oh...” said Trixie. “But--” Her mouth hung open, and her jaw seemed to be trying to form words, but to no avail. Twilight had to admit to being rather confused herself. But she knew from experience that when the Princess said something to the effect of 'You'll figure it out', it meant that she had a plan. And, after the Nightmare Moon incident, Twilight had come to trust the Princess' plans implicitly. She found a smile and bowed her head. “I understand, Princess.” Trixie threw her a look. “You do?” “Well... no,” Twilight admitted, offering a sheepish grin as she stood up again. “But I will. And so will you.” She cast a look towards the Princess, and received an approving smile and nod in response. It brought a warm feeling of accomplishment to her chest, even if she hadn't actually figured anything out yet. Trixie stared blankly at Twilight for a long moment. Then she huffed in defeat. “Fine. I trust you. But if I don't understand by the end of the Display--” “Then I will make sure to tell you the whole story,” the Princess broke in. “Though I suspect that it won't come to that. In either case, I think the two of you should get moving. It's about time that the first event was revealed, don't you agree?” “Oh! O-of course!” said Twilight hastily. “Come on, Trixie!” She and Trixie each bowed deeply before hurrying down from the carpet and starting towards the stone railing where the other competitors were now gathered. “Is she always that... cryptic?” Trixie asked, frowning. “Well, not always,” said Twilight generously. “But she has her moments.” Trixie grunted. As they came up to the railing, they took a place beside Flaire and Rose, who looked up from their conversation to offer quick smile. Twilight smiled back. Trixie rolled her eyes and looked down into the arena. “The time has come, fillies and gentlecolts!” said the echoing voice of the announcer. All over the stadium, voices fell silent and eyes turned to face the centre. “I'm sure you've all been speculating as to what this year's first event will involve. Well, I'm pleased to have the chance to tell you that we've got something very special in store...” Twilight's ears perked up as she caught a vibration on the air. Not magical, but a very literal vibration, like a low rumble. “Over the many years that the Manehattan Display has been held, we've seen a lot of weird and wonderful things. But when they told me about this, I thought they were pulling my leg.” The air vibrated again, and Twilight's gaze was instinctively drawn down into the arena. As she searched for the source of the disturbance, she started taking in the details for the first time. She, and the rest of the audience, were currently atop the wall of the bowl, which dropped vertically down about two stories onto a flat, stone field in the centre, at least a hundred ponies in diameter. Embedded into the north and south walls were small, pony-sized grates – the entrances, obviously. And in the far, western wall was another grate, although this one was a lot larger, perhaps big enough to fit two covered wagons, side-by-side, with some extra room on top. It was from there, Twilight determined, that the sound was resonating... Suddenly, with a scraping of metal, the grate began to lift from the ground. Behind it, Twilight could see only blackness, though she could feel a definite presence. A few moments passed, during which everypony squinted and cocked their heads, trying to get a look inside. And then an earth pony stallion came trotting steadily along out of the darkness. He had a very plain yellow coat and a very plain brown mane to go with his very plain red bandana. The stadium was deadly silent as the stallion made his way to the very centre of the arena and came to a stop. The audience waited. The other competitors, Trixie included, shifted to try and get a better view of the stallion. Twilight cocked her head at the open grate and gazed into the darkness. Silence. A different kind of vibration suddenly shook the stadium, strong enough to make Twilight wobble on her hooves and bump into Trixie. She was still recovering when something massive shot out of the darkness. Hundreds of gasps came all at once as the thing ground to a halt above the earth pony and raised itself up to let out a massive, distorted roar. When Twilight's ears stopped ringing, she chanced a look towards the creature. Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. There, in the centre of the arena, the beast stood four ponies tall and as many broad. It might've been mistaken for some giant manticore, if not for the two extra heads protruding from its shoulders – a snake and a goat, both as massive as the first lion head. The claws jutting out of each of the creature's four paws were at least as long as the earth pony they surrounded. Judging by the casual smile on said pony's face, he was either quite happy to be eaten, or he was a tamer. “Fillies and gentlecolts,” yelled the announcer. “I give you our opening event!” * * *