//------------------------------// // 20 - What She Sees (Trixie) // Story: Eyes On You // by UnlicensedBrony //------------------------------// “Eyes On You” Chapter twenty: What She Sees 'If you want to cuddle up to the enemy, that's fine... But don't drag me into it!' Trixie stomped down the street with a vicious determination to ignore any and all questioning looks thrown her way. She'd passed the chariots waiting outside the stadium without so much as a sidewards glance at the Royal Guards. She wasn't interested in a comfy ride back to the hotel, she'd much rather walk. “Trixie, please wait!” The showmare's stride faltered a little, but she quickly composed herself. 'You're mad at her, remember?' she told herself. 'You thought she was smart enough to avoid falling into his trap, but apparently you were wrong. It's as much her fault as it is his.' The thoughts were a little hard to swallow, and maybe they were born mostly out of the heat of the moment. But still, even if Flaire was deserving of most of the blame, Twilight wasn't completely innocent. “Trixie!” Twilight galloped up alongside and fell into step, having to trot to keep pace. She cast Trixie a worried look. “Trixie, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to upset you--” “It's fine, Twilight,” Trixie spat, not looking at her. “I'm a big mare. If you want to spend time with him then be my guest.” “But I don't!” said Twilight. “That's not what I want at all. I was only trying to help you two make up.” Trixie rolled her eyes. “Oh, please, I wasn't born yesterday. He's obviously got you under his spell.” Twilight slowed down a little, obviously caught off guard. “W-what? What are you talking about?” she said, hurrying to catch up again. “As if you don't know,” Trixie threw back, along with a scolding look. “You said yourself that you find him charming.” “I-I never said that!” Twilight retorted. Despite her words, there was a noticeable flush on her cheeks, and Trixie wasn't convinced in the slightest. She turned her eyes back to the path ahead and huffed. “It's not really your fault. He does it to everypony...” “Trixie, please!” said Twilight desperately. The lavender mare upped her pace so that she could look in Trixie's eyes again. “You don't have to be jealous of him, not on my part! He wanted to regain your trust, and he asked for my help, that's all.” Trixie scoffed. It sounded like a very Flaire thing to do – playing the good guy to make himself look better. Whether it was true or not was a different matter. Even if it was, Trixie had no interest in 'making up' with him. She'd come this far without him, and having him around would just slow her down again. She chanced a look over at Twilight, who still had a sad and concerned frown on her face. Even with the mood she was in, Trixie found it hard to just ignore that look... “Trixie,” her partner began. “He... told me that you were brother and sister.” “Hmph. I'll bet he did,” Trixie grunted. “I suppose you want to know why I didn't tell you?” Twilight bit her lip, then shook her head. “I honestly don't care,” she said, taking Trixie by surprise. “It's none of my business. I shouldn't have gotten involved.” Trixie found herself slowing down and regarding Twilight with a curious look. She'd been expecting the inquisitive unicorn to at least press her for information. And now she was just apologising and willing to leave it there? “Then why did you try to help him in the first place?” Trixie asked. Twilight slowed down along with her and glanced at the ground in thought. “I just thought it might be worth trying. That part of you might want to get to know your brother again, even if you were too proud to admit it.” Trixie dropped her gaze. “...You were doing it for me then?” “I thought it might make you happy,” Twilight muttered. There was a long pause. Coming from anypony else, Trixie would've taken the sentiment as utter ponyfeathers – an excuse to get out of trouble. But this was Twilight, and this was the kind of thing that Twilight would do. In the face of that, it wasn't at all fair for Trixie to stay angry... She huffed again and deliberately turned her head away. “Well, in that case, I suppose I'll have to forgive you.” “Forgive me?” Twilight repeated. Trixie threw her a look, at which the bemused expression on Twilight's face morphed into a hasty smile. “I mean... good! Thank you.” They stared at one another for a moment, before looking back to the path ahead in silence. Their hotel was a fair ways away from the stadium, so it wouldn't exactly be a short walk. Whilst casting her mind about for something to occupy her, Trixie remembered the envelope that they'd been given in the waiting room. “What's in the letter?” she asked, determined to sound casual. “Hmm? Oh, right.” The lavender unicorn subtly flourished her horn and brought forth the envelope which held each of their names and titles on the front. She split it open and pulled out the single piece of paper within, holding it where they could both see it... Competitors, congratulations on your performance during the first event. We have been instructed to inform you that Mittens thoroughly enjoyed himself, and that he and his tamer were both highly honoured to have the chance-- Trixie skipped ahead to the important part... ...Enclosed are the details of the third and final event of the Display. For this event, each pair will be allocated a five minute time slot, during which they have the arena floor to themselves. During this time, your goal should be to use your magic in combination with your partner, in order to create a unique performance to 'wow' the crowd, as well as those judges who will be determining your score. Besides the maximum time limit, there are no special restrictions for this event. You may use any and all forms of magic you possess in whatever way you deem most effective. You have been allocated the remainder of today, in addition to the entirety of tomorrow, to plan and prepare for the event. You will receive a summons on the following morning, and a chariot will be waiting to deliver you to the stadium by noon. Shortly thereafter, the event will begin. Also, as a fair warning, we are permitted to tell you that the weather schedule for the day of the event calls for rain, beginning mid-morning and ending in the late afternoon. All competitors should prepare themselves accordingly. Good luck to you both. We look forward to your performance. Having finished reading, Trixie gave the details one last skim before grunting loudly. “No different than what I do all the time. It should be easy... so long as there's nothing to fall off of,” she added in an undertone. She still couldn't believe that she'd actually fallen from the pillar. As far as embarrassing losses went, that was one of her worst since... Well, one of her worst in a long time. Trying to put it from her mind, she cast a glance over at Twilight, who was staring at the document, as if deep in thought. “What's wrong with you?” said Trixie. “We're competing directly against the others' magic, they don't stand a chance.” Twilight shook her head. “No, we're performing,” she stressed. Trixie shrugged. “Same difference.” “No, it's not,” said Twilight. “The other two events were practical challenges. This one sounds like it's a lot more about style... showing off.” Trixie let out a loud groan and rolled her neck back in exasperation. “Tell me we're not going to do this again--” “No, you're right, I'm sorry,” Twilight huffed. “I just don't want to mess this up. We're so close, and I know how much you want to win.” “Twilight, please, you haven't messed anything up so far,” said Trixie darkly, scolding herself again. “I fell from the pillar and got disqualified, I made a dumb move and ruined our ruse with the chimaera... If anything, I should be the one worried about making another mistake.” Twilight seemed to have no response for that, though her jaw tried hard to find one. After a long moment of her wordless stammering, Trixie finally took mercy and huffed again. “Look, my point is that you are doing perfectly. Just keep it up and we'll come out on top.” Twilight hesitated, but she managed a nod. “O-okay.” * * * They didn't get much of a chance to speak to one another that evening. Or rather, they had the chance, but Trixie opted not to take it. Twilight headed into the library on the way back to the hotel, insisting that she pick up a couple of books on stage performance. Trixie, despite giving an unsubtle eye roll, made no verbal objection. If Twilight wanted to waste her evening on that, it was her choice. They had the whole of the following day to plan their performance anyway. The two of them sat in their room that evening, with Twilight poring over her books in silence whilst Trixie sat on her couch, pretending to be planning out the coming event. In reality, she was just moping around, still distracted by her mistake – so much so that she found herself taking any opportunity she could to avoid making progress. They had both agreed to compare notes and sit down for a planning session the following morning, but by the time it came, Trixie still had next to nothing to offer. And the night's restless sleep hadn't done anything to help her mood... “'A Filly's Guide to Stage Performing: Magic Edition' insists that one should always take into consideration the size and positioning of the audience when planning presentations,” Twilight explained. “Therefore, the magnitude and direction of one's spells will always be directly affected by the number of ponies in the crowd, and their respective positions, to make sure that everypony can see. Right?” “Mhm,” Trixie grunted. Her chin rested atop the arm of the couch, and she stared boredly at the opposite wall whilst her partner paced around the room. “So, since our audience consists of several hundred ponies, sat in a huge circle around and above us, we have to make sure that any spell we use is big enough and high-up enough for them to see.” “Mhm.” “Hmm, and it's also going to be raining, so visibility is going to be less than desirable. What did the book say about that? '...Spells that use environmental conditions, such as weather, to their advantage show the ingenuity of the performer, and as such are generally encouraged...' I guess that means we should think about including some water-bending spells in our routine. What do you think, Trixie?” “Mhm.” It didn't even occur to Trixie that her response had been less than adequate until Twilight abruptly stopped pacing and let out a loud huff. “Alright, this isn't working,” the bookish unicorn declared. Trixie blinked, then again, before turning her eyes to Twilight, who was standing half-way across the room with a firm frown on her face. It was directed straight towards Trixie. “...What?” said the showmare dumbly. “You know what,” said Twilight. “You've been distracted all morning.” Trixie closed her eyes and stretched her fetlocks out in front of her. “Mm. Have I?” she grunted casually. “Yes! And you've been moody too.” “...Moody?” Trixie repeated, sitting herself up and throwing Twilight a quizzical look. The lavender mare nodded decidedly. “There's no point in us doing this now if you can't concentrate. You need a break. Come on.” With that, Twilight turned, trotted over to the door and held it open. Trixie remained on her couch, bewildered. “And what exactly did you have in mind?” she asked defiantly. “You're going out with me,” Twilight declared. Trixie raised an eyebrow. * * * “Remind me where we're going,” said Trixie, casting a sidelong look at her partner as they ambled down one of Manehattan's many streets. “I didn't say, because I don't know,” said Twilight relaxedly. “You mean to tell me that you don't have our entire day planned out?” said Trixie. “I find that hard to believe.” Twilight shrugged and smiled, unconcerned. “I can be impulsive sometimes. I guess the competition has helped to bring out that side of me.” “Uh huh,” Trixie grunted sceptically. Why she'd agreed to this was beyond her understanding. She didn't particularly want to be out 'taking a break' today. She'd much rather be indoors on her couch. Though she had to admit that she was curious as to what Twilight had in store for her. And her choice of words... 'You're going out with me.' ...Not that there was really anything strange about that expression, but it was still... interesting that Twilight had chosen it. The streets were fairly busy, presumably because it was downtime for the Display. Or maybe everypony was simply out enjoying the heat of the sunshine before the rain tomorrow. At any rate, Trixie and Twilight both drew a number of looks and excited mutterings from passers-by. Trixie would've felt a lot better about that if she'd actually finished the pillar climb... as it was, she couldn't tell whether what they were saying was in praise or derision. She actually glared at a couple of fillies that giggled in passing. They'd been walking for a good fifteen minutes at least, before Twilight came to a steady stop and beamed at a building across the street. “There!” she said. “That's perfect!” Trixie followed her gaze to the emblazoned sign above a long windowed storefront. “'Mister Softy's Ice Cream Parlour',” she read aloud. “You're not serious...” “You don't like Mister Softy's?” said Twilight, throwing her a surprised look. Trixie flushed. “I-I didn't say-- It's just ridiculous. What if somepony saw us?” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “In an ice cream parlour on a hot day? I don't think anypony would mind.” The tantalising tinkle of the door across the street drew Trixie's eyes to where a trio of fillies had just emerged, bearing bowls of strawberry-glazed sundae on their backs. They set them down on one of the tables outside and beamed at one another before digging in. Trixie licked her lips. She promptly shook her head and turned to Twilight, who was smiling invitingly. “I-- Well--” Trixie tried, but ultimately she found herself conceding. With a loud huff, she started towards the parlour door. “Alright, fine. But I won't enjoy it.” She forced herself to ignore the sound of Twilight clopping her hooves together in girlish triumph. They entered the parlour and took the smallest table, in the corner by the window. Twilight waved over a waiter and ordered two of the same from the menu, without so much as asking Trixie's opinion. The showmare supposed that she could trust her though – Twilight Sparkle seemed to have good taste in sweets, at least. As the waiter hurried off to get their order, Twilight flashed a wide smile across the table. “Alright, what're you up to?” said Trixie. “Nothing!” Twilight assured her. “We're taking a break to cheer you up, and I intend to do just that.” Trixie grunted. “Don't need cheering up...” Twilight definitely heard the grumble, but she didn't make any comment or argument – she just kept smiling. The waiter promptly arrived back with two flutes of ice cream – creamy white with a strawberry glazing and a dainty cherry on top. Obviously, Twilight had seen Trixie looking at the fillies outside... When Twilight offered payment, the waiter shook his head and declared that these two were on the house, since the pair of them were competitors in the Display. With that, and a “Thank you very much!” from Twilight, he left them alone. While Trixie waited, eyeing her partner suspiciously, Twilight didn't hesitate. She dug in and raised the spoon to her lips, managing somehow to smile at Trixie even around the utensil in her mouth. For her part, Trixie rolled her eyes, determined not to smile back, despite how cute she looked. Neither of them said anything as they both started eating their way through their desserts. It was... kind of delicious, Trixie supposed, but she didn't let the frown on her face falter. It wasn't until about a third of the way down her flute that something distracted her from Twilight's insistent smile. Beyond the window, she perchance caught a hint of green in the corner of her eye. Turning her head, she saw its source across the street, and her eyes narrowed into a firm glower. Flaire was strutting along – cool as he dared – with Desert Rose at his side, and together they were smiling and nodding to the passers-by that recognised them as competitors. 'Typical, attention-seeking, big-headed--' “Ahem!” Trixie blinked in surprise and turned to Twilight, who had just cleared her throat loudly. The lavender mare had an eyebrow raised and her spoon levitated mid-way to her mouth. “...What?” said Trixie. “Eyes on me, please,” said Twilight. “We're on a date, aren't we?” Trixie's mouth edged open a little as she found herself hesitating. “T-that's a little bold, for you,” she said hurriedly, trying to hide her astonishment. Twilight's cheeks reddened a little as she resumed lifting her spoon to her mouth, but for once, she didn't let her embarrassment get the best of her. “Well,” she said, glancing down at the table. “I had a Great and Powerful teacher, didn't I?” She smiled up at Trixie again, before quirking her head cutely and taking the next spoonful of ice cream. The normally self-assured showmare found herself at something of a disadvantage. Twilight Sparkle, confident and decisive? Trixie couldn't help but wonder if this was really her doing, more than it was that of Twilight's success in the Display. At any rate, she had to admit that she found it somewhat... appealing. They both fell into silence again as Trixie tried to focus on eating, to little avail. Twilight seemed to make a game of staring across at her when she wasn't looking, only to pretend to be regarding her ice cream when the showmare looked up. Trixie stayed her comment of “That's annoying”, not wanting to give Twilight the satisfaction of admitting that she'd noticed... * * * While it felt like hours, in reality it only took minutes to finish their ice creams, after which it was still forenoon, and much of the day was still ahead of them. Rather than heading back to the hotel room though, Twilight insisted that their break wasn't over until Trixie was cheered up. And despite Trixie's assurances that she was plenty cheered up already, Twilight remained solidly determined. There was definitely something up her proverbial sleeve... The lavender mare guided them through the streets – or rather, she plodded along, taking seemingly random turns and keeping an eye out for anything interesting, whilst Trixie followed beside her – and eventually they came to some sort of marketplace. The whole street ahead of them was flanked by stalls and stands of all kinds on either side of the road, and the place was bustling with activity. “What do you suppose this is all about?” said Twilight, looking over at a stall that sold mainly hats and robes. “It's probably in honour of the Display,” Trixie mused. “It looks like a lot of the stands are focused on selling magical goods – or replicas, anyway.” Twilight's eyes went wide and glistened with excitement. “A magic bazaar?” she breathed. “I haven't been to one of these since I left Canterlot. Come on, let's explore!” “Why? It's mostly junk,” said Trixie, even as she picked up a supposed legendary cape clasp, in the form of a red ruby jewel. She considered taking back her words for all of the two seconds it took her to find the 'Made in Las Pegasus' sticker on its back. “That's not the point,” Twilight countered. She paused to press gently up against Trixie's side. “I want to explore with you.” Trixie shot her a sidelong look. Twilight smiled back. Conceding – though not without an air of suspicion – Trixie huffed and started towards one of the less dull-looking stands down the way. Her partner trotted merrily alongside, casting her eyes about with a lot more determination than it took for simply browsing. She was looking for something... “So, what's wrong?” Trixie asked, as they passed another trinket stall. “Nothing, as far as I know,” said Twilight cutely. “Are you okay?” “I'm fine,” huffed Trixie. This was getting unnerving, she had to say something... “Look, not that I don't admire the newfound confidence, but you're acting weird, even for you.” Twilight cocked her head and gave an innocent smile. “Am I? Well, maybe I just woke up on the right side of bed this morning.” Trixie stared at her, deadpan. Speaking from experience, there was a big difference between cute, morning Twilight and the Twilight that was walking beside her now. This wasn't just one of those 'annoyingly good mood' things. Eventually, Twilight's smile faltered a little, and she turned her head away, pretending to look at the necklaces on a nearby stall. “Or, maybe, I woke up and decided that I was going to do something today.” Intrigued now, Trixie raised an eyebrow. “And that something is?” “A secret,” said Twilight shortly, trotting onwards without her. “But you'll find out as soon as I find what I'm looking for. And before you ask, that's a secret too.” Trixie gave the back of Twilight's head a short glare. “Confound your secrets...” For what felt like a very long time, they just walked and browsed in a sort of companionable but distracted silence. Trixie kept trying to guess what Twilight was looking for by the stalls she chose to scrutinise more closely, but to no avail. And despite getting no closer to finding whatever it was, Twilight didn't seem to lose any of her enthusiasm. After searching about a dozen stalls, she did slow down noticeably, but her smile didn't leave her. She pressed unsubtly hard against Trixie's side, as a precursor to her next question. “Do you want to talk about the pillar?” Trixie furrowed her brow. “The pillar?” “That's what you're grumpy about, isn't it?” said Twilight. “Falling from the pillar. I mean, besides what happened with me and Flaire...” “Forget Flaire,” snapped Trixie, seeing what Twilight was getting at. “I told you, I forgive you for that. You were right the first time – I'm mad at myself for not even finishing the race.” Twilight opened her mouth. Trixie cut her off. “Don't say it's not my fault. If it wasn't, then the flower filly would've fallen too. But she didn't – I was the only one.” Twilight's mouth closed, and Trixie instinctively turned her gaze to one side with a self-punishing glare. She had to admit – silently, to herself – that part of her had been hoping that Twilight would argue with her, maybe to convince her that it wasn't her fault after all. But, in the end, they both knew that was a lie. “It's not the end of the world though,” said Twilight, after a moment. “Or the Display, for that matter. In fact, since I beat Flaire, and we won the first event, we should still be in the lead, points-wise.” Trixie shook her head slightly. “...That's not the point.” Twilight sighed. “I know. I'm just trying to help you see the bright side. I want to see that smile of yours.” “That's unlikely,” said Trixie, rolling her eyes. “I think the only thing that could make me smile right now would be--” “Hold that thought!” said Twilight, beaming wide at a stall across the street. She flashed Trixie an excited look. “Wait right here, I'll be back in a second. No peeking!” And, with that, she dashed off towards the stall in question, disappearing into the small crowd that ambled past. Trixie blinked after her. She'd been about to say 'your home-made cinnamon-apple pancakes', but if Twilight had seen those on that stall, Trixie would eat her cape. 'Why is she acting so strangely?' she wondered. 'Whatever she's decided to do today must be very important...' As hard as she tried to deny it, Trixie felt a rush of anxious excitement well up inside. Whatever it was, it obviously had something to do with Trixie herself. But what was it? When Twilight emerged from the crowd about three minutes later, with a subdued but still very warm grin on her face, Trixie got the feeling that she was about to get her answer. “Okay,” said Twilight, choking a little as if her throat was dry. She promptly cleared it as she came to a stop beside Trixie and planted her hooves just-so on the pavement. It looked like she was about to give some sort of prepared speech. But instead, she magically levitated what looked like a hoof-held mirror from behind her back, and proffered it to Trixie along with a smile. Trixie raised an eyebrow and tilted her head at the object. Upon closer inspection, it was, indeed, a hoof-held mirror – oval in shape with a decent sized handle, all with what looked like solid gold around the edges. Said gold was emblazoned with a swirling pattern which gave it a rather regal look. It was pretty, for sure... Taking it in her magic, Trixie chanced a brief look at her own reflection. She looked gorgeous of course, if perhaps a little grumpy too. “Is this a hint that there's something on my face?” said Trixie, not realising how cold the words sounded until after she'd said them. Twilight didn't seem to notice though – she actually let out a little giggle. “Hmhm, no. Touch it with your horn.” Trixie creased her brow. “What? Why?” “Just do it, trust me!” said Twilight brightly. Confused as she was, Trixie wasn't exactly quick to obey. Twilight seemed awfully excited about this... She doubted that the bookish mare would play a prank on her, but it was strange, all the same. When it came down to it though, Trixie trusted her partner more than she trusted anypony... '...Why not?' she reasoned with a curled lip. Trixie leant forwards and lowered her horn slowly, glancing at Twilight as she did. The lavender mare held her smile. Biting the proverbial bullet, Trixie closed her eyes and pressed her horn up against the cold sheen of the mirror. She felt a tingling surge as her magic connected with that which was hidden inside the mirror. The connection startled her, but she didn't pull away. It didn't feel malevolent, rather, it felt a little bit like... Twilight. That was the only way she could describe it. Whatever spell the mirror had been channelling through her came to a gentle end. Trixie opened her eyes and pulled back to get a look at what had been done. Around the mirror, she saw that Twilight was still watching closely, though her smile seemed a little anxious now... Trixie did a double-take at the image in the mirror. It was her – Trixie. But it wasn't her reflection, as it had been a moment ago. It was as if she was standing opposite herself, watching herself looking in the mirror... and it was as disorientating as it sounded. She lifted her hoof. The Trixie in the mirror did the same. She moved the mirror to one side. The mirror within the mirror moved with it. She thrust a hoof towards Twilight. The azure mare in the mirror pointed right out towards Trixie. It was kind funny to watch... It took a moment, but the cogs in Trixie's brain began to lock into place. She looked away from the mirror to meet Twilight's smiling, slightly amused eyes. “It's... me,” Trixie muttered. “But from your point of view.” Twilight nodded happily. “It's a sight-bonding enchantment. The spell within the mirror attunes itself to two unicorns, and whichever of those unicorns touches it thereafter will be able to see through the other's eyes.” Trixie's jaw fell open a little as she glanced across at the mirror again. Sure enough, she saw her 'reflection' gawping to one side at the floating mirror. “So... right now, I'm seeing myself through your eyes,” said Trixie. It wasn't a question – she understood the concept – but taking in this kind of magic was a bit of an undertaking. “Yes,” said Twilight. “It only works between two ponies who trust one another, and if there's ever anything I'm not comfortable with you seeing--” She nodded at the mirror, then demonstrated looking across the street at another stall. “--The image blurs out.” Trixie checked, and saw that her words rang true. The mirror seemed to have fogged up, though her attempt to wipe it clean was fruitless. A moment later, the fog cleared as Twilight went back to smiling at Trixie. The fog that was forming in the showmare's mind however, was not so easy to get rid of. “Why are you giving me this?” Trixie asked, searching for the answer in Twilight's eyes. Twilight opened her mouth and hesitated, smile falling as she did. Where, for the entire morning so far, she'd been so brazen and confident, she suddenly seemed to mellow out into a much more familiar, self-conscious Twilight. The lavender mare dropped her gaze to Trixie's chest and pursed her lips in thought. “...This is what I was looking for,” said Twilight quietly. “Something like it, anyway. I wanted a way to show you-- I-I mean, I wanted something to let you know that... I'm thinking about you.” Trixie raised her eyebrows and gulped as the street around them seemed to go deadly silent. Twilight bit her lip for a second before continuing. “If we split up after the Display, this will keep us connected. You can look at it and... you'll just... know.” She met Trixie's eye. There was a pause for all of a second before Twilight started stammering in a sort of panicked determination. “A-and the reason I chose this in particular is because I was looking for something to make you smile, a-and I started thinking about things that make me smile and then the first thing that came to mind was...” She broke off and managed to take a silent breath as she bit her lip again. “...You.” The sheepish mare tipped her head to one side as she went on at a mercifully slower pace. “I-I thought, if you could see yourself the way I see you, then it might--” She made a face as if she was cringing inside. “--Oh, I sound so sappy...” Trixie found herself staring, wide-eyed as her partner turned her gaze to the ground in shame. In the long silence that followed, Trixie's brain functions started to return, and she began to process everything she'd just heard. Words didn't avail her. The only thing she could think to do was to turn to look in the mirror that floated beside her. Held within was a misty image of the stone paved floor beneath Twilight, with a purple blob – which looked like a hoof – in one corner. Trixie stared at it for moments that might've been minutes, until finally, it began to shift. Steady as it dared, the image within the mirror seemed to pan upwards as Twilight lifted her head. It was still hazy, but Trixie could see her own hooves. Then her fetlocks joined the picture, her chest. A hesitant pause. Then her face. The mist started to disperse. Trixie could make out more and more of herself within the mirror, until at last she became clear as day – the tall, azure-coated mare with long, silvery locks that parted at the ends. Her face wasn't blank, rather, it was calm, confident... serene. The cape fastened around her neck flowed softly along her sleek back and down past her hindlegs, where the hint of a tail crept out from underneath one side. As cliché as it sounded, she was beautiful. Trixie's lip twitched. A smile was tugging at her, and she no longer felt any desire to hide it. As her mouth curled upwards at one side, then the other, so too did that of the mare in the mirror. It was the tiniest, most lovely smile, and the sight of it only served to make it grow larger. Trixie brought a hoof up to brush her mane back past her ear. She felt a tingling rush as her reflection copied her. There was absolutely no convincing herself otherwise – these were Twilight's feelings. This was what her partner had wanted to show her. And to think, all this time she'd been worried about Twilight falling under Flaire's spell... “Twilight,” she muttered, remembering the mare across from her and meeting her gaze. “I... I don't know what to say.” Twilight pursed her lips and shook her head the tiniest smidge. “You don't have to say anything--” “Yes, I do,” Trixie interrupted. “I just... I need some time to think about it--” She paused, specifically trying not to make sense of the tightness in her stomach. “--But, not now. Just... wait. Okay?” Twilight nodded slowly. “...Okay.” Feeling that there was something left to be done – something missing that kept her from moving on – Trixie bit back her pride and ground a hoof against the pavement. “...Thank you for cheering me up,” she said, managing an honest smile at her partner. It was easier than she'd thought. The lavender unicorn across from her cracked a smile of her own. When she realised that Trixie was being genuine, the smile grew even wider. There was a long, long pause, during which Trixie continued to stare at Twilight. She wasn't thinking – that was for later, when she had some time alone. But simply standing there, smiling, didn't seem all that ridiculous, now that she'd seen herself through Twilight's eyes. A gentle breeze blew past, and the world around them seemed to fall back into place, piece by piece. The market was still there, and ponies were still milling about, filling the air with the sound of hoof falls and chatter. Trixie wasn't startled by the sudden awareness though. In fact, it was as if some sort of strange calm had overtaken her, and for the briefest of moments, her senses were all attuned perfectly in a burst of clarity... A pair of colts sang in tune somewhere beyond the crowd. An earth pony at a nearby stall juggled magical, flaming torches, to 'ooo's and 'ah's from the crowd watching him. The feather behind Twilight's ear fluttered in the breeze... “Trixie? Are you alright?” said Twilight, noticing the blank look on Trixie's face as her eyes roamed the market, taking in the little details one-by-one and piecing them together. After a long moment of silence, Trixie's lips finally lifted into a smile. She reached out and put a hoof on Twilight's fetlock. “Twilight,” she said. “I'm a genius...” * * *