//------------------------------// // 23 - Closing Thoughts (Trixie) // Story: Eyes On You // by UnlicensedBrony //------------------------------// “Eyes On You” Chapter twenty-three: Closing Thoughts Trixie's eyes drifted open the following morning to come face-to-face with the silken wall of midnight blue and purple-pink highlights that was the back of Twilight Sparkle's mane. Her forelegs were wrapped around the lavender unicorn's sleeping form, and she could feel the slow, gentle rhythm of Twilight's breathing, second to the comfortable warmth of her body. Needless to say, Trixie awoke with a smile. Still very much dreamy as she was, she gently drew a hoof back along Twilight's side and lifted it up to stroke her mane. Twilight had removed the bun before turning in, so her hair was back to its usual, neat straightness, and Trixie could run her touch along its length without a care in the world – simply enjoying its softness and hoping that Twilight felt the same warmth that she was feeling right now. Twilight let out a grunt – a quiet, content sort of grunt. It was almost a shame to have woken her, but the sight of her sleepy face as she rolled over was more than worth it. She lifted her eyes open half-way, and met Trixie with a smile of her own. “Good morning,” Twilight whispered. Trixie wasn't sure whether she was quite awake enough to speak yet, so, just to be safe, she opted for the next best thing. She closed the tiny gap between them and planted a soft, sweet kiss on Twilight's lips. It was the easiest, most tiny little gesture she could think of, and yet it felt more powerful than a dozen longer touches. She felt the tender smile on Twilight's lips even before she pulled back and opened her eyes. “Good morning, Twilight,” she whispered back. They stared at one another for a long moment, before Twilight moved in and nuzzled up against Trixie's chest, closing her eyes and exhaling in comfort. Trixie rested her head atop her partner's and closed her eyes too. There was no need to get up just yet... * * * They cuddled for much of the morning, though it finally came to an end when Twilight needed to get up to use the bathroom. After that, it wasn't long before Trixie was up on her hooves as well, tidying her mane and checking herself over in her mirror. The smile never left her face for a second – never before had she woken feeling so content as this. It was already ten o'clock by the time they went down for breakfast in the dining hall, just off of the lobby. They'd eaten in there before, though never so late in the morning, and it seemed a lot busier now, by comparison. The dozens of different-sized tables dotted around the hall were so full that it might've been a challenge to find an empty one if not for the waiter that met them at the door. He showed them to a table in the far corner of the room and brought their breakfast salads over a few minutes later, leaving them to eat. Trixie wasn't particularly hungry, so she took little more than an idle mouthful before looking across at her partner. Twilight glanced up from her bowl and smiled, still chewing her way through her mouthful. They stared at one another in silence for a moment, until Twilight swallowed and spoke up. “Hey, um... I wanted to say thank you,” she said, “for sharing the bed with me last night. It... meant a lot.” Trixie rolled her eyes lightly. “Shouldn't I be the one thanking you? It is your bed, after all.” “Hmm...” Twilight frowned down at the table, as if she was genuinely thinking about it. Then, after a moment, she smirked and met Trixie's eye again. “Yeah, maybe you should be.” Trixie'd been going to leave it at that, until she saw the nervy, expectant look on Twilight's face. Trixie scoffed and found a smirk of her own. “Thank you for letting me share your bed, Twilight Sparkle.” With a satisfied giggle, Twilight took another forkful of her salad and turned to the side, looking out across the hall. Trixie followed her gaze. A few tables along, Nightshade and Violet were eating their own breakfast. And a few tables along from them sat Earth Twister and Sandstorm. “Looks like everypony's eating late today,” said Twilight idly. “Or taking longer to eat,” Trixie observed, watching the normally-upbeat Earth Twister eat his silent way through his meal. “It looks like they're all on edge – probably anxious about the results.” Twilight grunted. “That makes sense, I guess.” Trixie frowned as she looked across at Twilight, who was wearing an unreadable expression. “Are you okay?” Trixie asked. There was a short pause before Twilight flashed her a bright smile. “Of course. I've never been better.” Trixie couldn't help but smile at the simple statement. It was a typical something that everypony heard all the time – 'I've never been better.' But, somehow, she knew that Twilight really meant it. She never had been better, and that was exactly how Trixie felt, waking up beside her that morning. “I suppose you still have that good feeling, then?” said Trixie, idly digging at her salad with her fork. Twilight nodded brightly. “That's right,” she chirped. Still smiling and keeping her eyes on Twilight all the while, Trixie raised the fork to her lips. “...Good,” she said. * * * Fireworks exploded in the air overhead as the ten competitors made their way out into the arena under the midday sun. Two rows of trumpet-bearers flanked them as they marched through the open portcullis, and horn blasts filled the air along with the approving roar of the audience, many of whom stood and waved down at the ponies entering the field. Trixie walked near the front of the group, with her cape trailing out behind her and with an immodest smirk on her lips. She couldn't so much as bring herself to feel anxious. It all came down to this, but, like Twilight, she had a good feeling – especially after having one-upped Flaire with the dance last night. 'I've beaten him this time,' she told herself, smirking wider. 'With Twilight backing me up, he never stood a chance.' Twilight herself strode alongside, wearing a proud smile instead of a smirk, but otherwise looking just as confident as Trixie felt. Their eyes met, and they exchanged a quick, knowing glance before turning to face ahead again. In the centre of the arena, Princess Celestia stood tall and graceful, from whom Trixie received a flattering smile. The Princess overshadowed a unicorn stallion – with a light brown coat and a short, dark mane – who had one forehoof perched on a small, wooden chest. This stallion wore a particularly cheesy grin, and as the five pairs of competitors approached, he levitated a microphone from behind his back and raised it to his mouth. “Welcome! Welcome all of you!” he said, and his voice echoed out through the stadium. There was no mistaking that accent – this was the announcer that had been commentating their performances throughout the Display. Trixie and Twilight stopped a respectful distance away from him and the Princess, and the other competitors lined up alongside. “Well, it's been quite the Display this year, folks,” the announcer continued. “We've had the excitement of chimaera wrangling, the drama of the pillar climb and, of course, those spectacular magical performances, hoof-crafted by our competitors themselves. But, alas, we've finally come to the end.” He hung his head in mock sorrow for a moment, before raising it up and grinning widely again. “But one thing remains!” he said. “The placings for each pair have been decided, and we have the exciting matter of crowning our victors yet to come. And while I'm sure I could ramble for hours about all the highlights and dramatic moments we've had thus far, I think you'd all much rather hear the results, am I right?” This was met with an approving clap from the audience, as well as a shuffling from the competitors' line, as they prepared for the news. Trixie cast a smirk sideways at Flaire, who stood at the opposite end of the line. He caught it and smirked back, apparently unaware of his imminent humiliation. That suited Trixie just fine... “Well, alright then!” chuckled the announcer. He stepped off of the chest, magically opened it up and proffered it to the Princess. “Princess Celestia, if you would.” “Thank you, Broadcast,” said Celestia warmly. Her horn lit up a brilliant yellow, and she magically reached into the chest to retrieve a pair of copper medallions, along with a slip of paper. She lifted her head a little, to address the stadium as a whole... “In fifth place--” Trixie cringed at the sudden volume of the Princess' voice. She hadn't used the microphone, but still her words echoed out across the entire place. “--Most notable for their unique and wonderful performance in the third event, I am pleased to announce that Nightshade and Violet are the winners of the copper medallion.” A polite sort of clap spread throughout the stands, though the pair in question didn't seem too satisfied with it. Nightshade hung his head and frowned deeply, whilst Violet gave him a long, apologetic stare. The Princess smiled patiently at them, whilst the announcer, Broadcast, beckoned them forwards. Violet nuzzled her partner's neck. He looked at her, cracked a tiny smile, and together they shuffled forwards to receive their medals. They both bowed their heads before the Princess and allowed her to slip the prizes around their necks. “Do not despair, you two,” said Celestia quietly. “Your performance here displayed an impressive level of both talent and determination. These things will take you far, so long as you do not give up.” The two ebon-coated ponies stood in awe of the Princess' kind words, and each offered a quiet mumbling of thanks before moving along to one side – to start a line next to Broadcast. Trixie cast a long, pensive look at Celestia. 'They lost,' she mused. 'I can't imagine... But the Princess is right – giving up is pointless. I wouldn't give up if I lost. ...If I lost.' A frown crossed her face, but she promptly shook it off as the audience gave another polite clap for Nightshade and Violet. Waiting only for them to take their places, Broadcast offered the chest to Celestia again. From it, she withdrew another slip of paper and two more medallions – this time bronze. “In fourth place, we have what is no doubt our most diverse couple this year!” said the Princess. “Let us applaud for Bay Dasher and Cherry Blossom!” Applaud they did, and considerably loudly – probably thanks to the Princess being the one that asked. True to form, Cherry Blossom was as cheery as ever, and Bay Dasher held his stern expression as they approached the Princess. 'Diverse' was not the word Trixie would have used to describe them. “Thank you all for being such a wonderful audience!” Cherry Blossom bade, overpowering the announcer's magic and seizing hold of the microphone. “We hope you all enjoyed our performances this year, and we'd also like to remind you all of the Manehattan Flower Festival coming up next month! Make sure to get your tickets early to avoid disappointment, and volunteers are always welcome!” With a sickeningly sweet smile, she passed the mic over to her partner, who drew himself up and eyed it warily. He leaned in. “Bay Dasher returns now to his bakery,” he said, in an appropriately gruff voice. “Where he will bake sweet buns and tasty treats. I pity the fool that does not come and get a free sample next Wednesday. Hmph!” This announcement was met with a momentary, stunned silence, followed by a much louder applause. Princess Celestia actually let out a warm chuckle at that, as the pair returned the microphone and bowed their heads before her. She spoke to them as she presented their medals, but Trixie couldn't make out the words over all the clapping. Bay Dasher and Cherry Blossom took their places beside Nightshade and Violet, whilst the next pair of medallions – made of a shining silver – were lifted from the chest. “For their domination of the pillar climb event, as well as their overall impressive performances during the others, I hereby announce Earth Twister and Sandstorm as winners of third place!” Trixie couldn't help but cast a glance at them as the applause started up. Twister grunted an “Ah,” and kicked the ground lightly. He didn't seem too put out though, because he and his brother exchanged a smile straight afterwards, and started forwards. Just as those before them, Twister and Sandstorm bowed before the Princess and accepted their medals. “Congratulations to both of you,” she bade. “You've shown a unique discipline in your use of magic here, something that is quite rare among unicorns your age. You might bear in mind that the Canterlot Guard are always looking for gifted magic users, if such a thing strikes your fancy.” Having received their words and spoken their thanks, the two joined the line with the others. And as they did so, the stadium steadily fell into expectant silence. Now, only two pairs – and two placings – remained. Two triumphant winners, two humiliated losers. 'No,' Trixie corrected herself. 'This is personal. There's only going to be one humiliated loser – and that's either Flaire... or me.' Her smirk had long since faded from her face now. She felt herself beginning to waver. The silence in the stadium was absolute, and it served to remind her that there was nothing she could do now to influence the result. She'd done her best, and her best was amazing. But, from a third pony's view, was her best better than his best? “Can you feel that tension in the air, fillies and gentlecolts?” said the announcer, speaking into his microphone again. “I know I can! Only four competitors remain – all winners in my book – but only two will walk away with the platinum medallions, and the title of Champions of the Manehattan Display.” The announcer grinned between the four of them for a moment, before striding forwards towards Flaire and Rose. Trixie's heart jumped into her throat. “Do you have anything you'd like to say to your rivals before the announcement?” he asked, offering the microphone. “Some fighting words, perhaps?” Trixie let out a silently relieved breath. Flaire exchanged a glance with his partner and gave quiet chuckle. “No fighting words,” he said. “But I would like to say that it's been an exciting experience to compete against such talented unicorns as you, Twilight and Trixie--” He flashed them a smile. “--Thank you for an exhilarating competition.” This drew a round of applause from the audience, and a forcibly suppressed smile from Twilight. Trixie herself bit her tongue. “Well, what a nice sentiment,” said the announcer, trotting over to stand beside Twilight and Trixie next. “And have you anything to say in return, fillies?” He extended the microphone to Twilight, whose jaw fell open a little as he did. Clearly caught off guard, Twilight made to backstep, only to stop half-way and make herself look even more awkward. She glanced at the Princess. “I... um...” Her stammering echoed throughout the stadium, and hearing this made her cringe a little. Her face was flushed, her mouth moved slightly and soundlessly. It might've been an adorable sight, if not for the embarrassing fact that they were being watched by hundreds of speech-hungry spectators. On instinct, Trixie lifted her nose and stepped forwards to seize control of the mic and make an improvised speech of her own. She cleared her throat, took a breath, and stopped... Twilight, Celestia and Broadcast were all looking at her expectantly – just as much of the audience were. Trixie stayed silent. Not because she didn't know what to say – she could ad-lib a speech with the best of them. It was more that she felt a strange kind of obligation to let Twilight say her piece. So – after the moment's hesitation – she shut her mouth and took a step closer to Twilight. Smiling into her partner's eyes, Trixie reached out and crossed a hoof with her – an offer of support, and a silent gesture of more. Twilight stared at her for a long time, mouth part open as the colour in her cheeks returned to normal. She blinked. She returned the smile. And then she turned to face the microphone. “I-I'm sorry, I lost myself for a moment there,” she said, drawing a smile and an understanding nod from the Princess. “Thank you Flaire, and Rose, and everypony else too. It's been a real honour for us to compete alongside you all, and to perform for such a wonderful audience.” The crowd offered her an appreciative round of cheers. During the pause, Twilight cast a long, thoughtful glance across at Trixie, who also smiled her approval. “And, of course, I hope we win,” Twilight continued, a little more quietly, and with a self-conscious glance at Celestia. “But I'm also very grateful for being invited to compete in the first place. If not for this event, there are a lot of things I might never have seen or done... or felt--” She gave Trixie a warm smile. “--Whatever happens next, I know that I'm a better pony for it, and that I'll be in good hooves with the new bonds that I've made. Thank you.” As thunderous applause rang out across the stadium, Trixie could only stare at Twilight – chest swelling with something so much warmer than embarrassment at the awkwardly romantic statement. Standing so close, she was hard-pressed to not simply lean in the rest of the way and steal a kiss from Twilight right there and then. The poor mare would probably die of embarrassment in front of her Princess though, and thankfully, Trixie managed to maintain some of her discretion. It could always wait until later. “Well, I'm sure the romantics in all of us can appreciate that nicely-delivered sentiment,” said Broadcast, stepping back to smile at them both. “Thank you, Flaire and Rose, Twilight and Trixie. Now that the speeches are out of the way, I can, without further ado, go on to announce a certain turn of events regarding our placings.” Lost in Twilight as she was, it took Trixie a moment to register the words. When she did, she blinked rapidly and turned to face the announcer, who was standing by his chest again, but hadn't lifted it. “What turn of events?” she muttered. Her curiosity was matched by a cautious muttering from the audience, as well as some exchanged glances between the other competitors. “Princess,” said Broadcast, bowing his head to her. Celestia bowed her own head grantingly, before unfurling her wings. She kicked off from the ground, sending a blast of warm air over the ponies closest to her, and began to fly off towards her box in the stands. “Where's she going?” Trixie hissed into Twilight's ear. “How should I know?” said Twilight. “Throughout the first and second events,” said Broadcast, speaking into his mic again. “Trixie and Twilight Sparkle remained slightly ahead of Flaire and Rose, in terms of points, that is. But the third event saw a spectacular performance from each pair, for which the final round of points was then awarded, as you know, by our judges--” Trixie's body stiffened. 'He said 'but'...' “--and the points awarded were as thus – Flaire and Rose received an average of nine-and-a-half points out of a possible ten, whilst Trixie and Twilight received an average of eight-and-a-half.” “What?!” Trixie growled, surging forwards only to be held back by Twilight's soft touch. The announcer pulled a slip of paper from his wooden chest and smiled at it. “These points were then added to the totals, leaving us with turned tables and a new score... “Our two pairs are tied for first place!” “...What?” said Trixie and Twilight both. They were far from the only ones bemused by the statement – throughout the stands, a rowdy sort of muttering began to break out, punctuated by yells along the lines of “A tie?!” and “That's rubbish!” The announcer chuckled a little into his microphone. “Easy now, folks! I know you're all hungry to see a winner. You don't really think we'd leave it at that, do you?” The crowd quietened down, apparently willing to listen for now. For their part, Twilight and Trixie exchanged questioning glances. “'But how do we resolve a tie between two pairs with identical scores?' I hear you ask!” Broadcast yelled. “Well, the answer is simple...” Trixie cast a look at Flaire. He also had a brow quirked in question. Rose looked concerned, Twilight anxious. They all turned to face the announcer together, as he threw up his hooves and yelled at the top of his lungs. “A magic duel!” * * *