//------------------------------//
//  End Show Confessions Part 1 
// Story: Hopes and Follies 
// by Phaoray 
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        Twilight sighed contentedly, almost purring as her mother slowly brushed her mane, painlessly removing any knots she came across with gentle hooves. 
        Mmmmm….this is better than any day at the spa, no matter what Rarity might think.
        The brushing continued on to Twilight’s back and sides, though she absentmindedly noticed the brushing was only on her right side for the moment. She also didn’t remember there being so much of her to brush the last time her mother did this for her. 
        After what felt like a far too short eternity, the brushing ceased. Twilight mewled in protest, hoping her mother would take the clue and continue, when…
        POINK!
        “GAH!” Twilight cried, waking up from an incredibly sharp pain coming from her right wing. The pain continued to  permeate for several seconds before dulling into a sore feeling along her primary feathers. Looking over, Twilight saw Trixie sitting beside her, quickly packing a few things into her saddlebags.
        “Oh! Umm…Good morning Trixie. D-did you just poke my wing or something? It’s really sore right now…”
        Trixie replied while keeping most of her face in her saddlebag. “Trixie’s sorry about that, you were just more grey then lavender last night, and after Trixie finished packing the camp, she figured you wouldn’t mind if she cleaned you up a little. Trixie’s not the…best with wings, so she must have pressed a little too hard.”
        “O-oh.” Twilight lightly flushed and looked her wing over. The pleasant feeling of just being preened was still lingering, as was the soreness. She supposed her wing looked a bit better than it had last night, though admittedly, she was preoccupied with other issues at the time. She did, however, notice her own mane and non-bandaged fur on her right side looking  and feeling much better.
        “I see you also did a little bit with my coat … umm … thank you, Trixie. And I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t mean to make you upset.”
        Trixie seemed to have finished packing her saddlebag and took her muzzle out of it to flash Twilight a small smile. “It’s okay, Twilight. Actually, it let Trixie work out some issues she has been struggling with for a while now. Trixie’s head is much clearer now thanks to last nights … discussion.”
        Twilight smiled back at Trixie, happy that her screw up last night had inadvertently done some good. Right, if she was still mad at me, and didn’t think of me as a friend, she wouldn’t have groomed me. The preening is a little embarrassing, but I doubt she knows what that implies in Pegasus society. 
        Twilight winced a little as she started to stand up. Trixie noticed this, and stayed near her side to let Twilight lean on her as she got to her hooves. “Thanks. I’m sorry Trixie, but I may need to lean on you a bit until we get out of here. Were you able to clear the path at all last night?”
        Trixie gave a dismissive snort. “Trixie did work on a rock farm after all. If there is one thing she is capable of, besides being an amazing and talented unicorn loved by all, it’s rock clearing.”
        Twilight rolled her eyes but kept a grin on her face at Trixie’s statement. “Right, well, let’s get out of here and get looked at by a doctor then, Miss amazing and talented. How’s your eye?”
        Trixie levitated Twilight’s saddlebags onto her back, and after making sure Twilight was okay, began to slowly walk towards the cavern’s exit. Twilight in turn leaned her right side against Trixie and did her best to keep the slow pace. 
        “It feels…heated for the most part. Burns a little, but something like this won’t stop Trixie for long.”
        Twilight nodded. “That’s good to hear. Look, once we both recover, and I finish an important assignment the princesses gave to me, would you like to come to Ponyville? At least, for a little while? I know you’re not fond of the town, but it would be really nice to talk a bit more and get to know you better. I realized after what happened last night that…despite being friends, we hardly know anything about each other.”
        Trixie gave a small sigh and looked away from Twilight for a few minutes. She was starting to worry that she had said something wrong again; when Trixie turned back to her with the same small smile she had seen earlier.
        “The Great and Powerful Trixie assures you Twilight, that regardless of whatever task the princesses have you on, you will be seeing a lot more of her...”

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        F-finally!
        Twilight and Trixie were standing outside of the tunnel’s entrance, having spent the last several hours slowly making their way through the caverns. Twilight leaned against Trixie for another minute to catch her breath, and then slowly sat down where she was with a groan.
        “I-pant-know I’m more injured, but how are you still standing after that?”
        With a grass eating smirk on her face, Trixie sat down in front of Twilight. Her fur was damp from perspiration, and she was breathing fast, but she was in far better shape than her lavender counterpart at the moment.
        “Trixie guesses you don’t get out much, apart from your Equestria saving adventures, hmm? Trixie needs to haul her cart and everything in it all throughout Equestria after all, so that helps. Plus-“Trixie stood up and turned to her side, emphasizing her toned body to Twilight with a hoof. “If Trixie were to do something silly, like hide in a library all the time, well, tips from stallions make up over half of what Trixie makes each year, and they may not be as rampant fans of hers if she changed her figure.”
        Twilight blushed a little and quickly directed her gaze to Trixie’s face, while raising an eyebrow at her. “A-are you calling me fat? And I don’t recall anything from your show that implies what I think you’re describing.”
        Giving an amused snort, Trixie launched several bursts of different colored magic into the air, letting them linger high above them and act as an emergency beacon for the Canterlot guards. “Trixie thinks the word ‘sedentary’, or ‘inactive’ fits you better. Though Trixie must say that you carry it in all the right places.” Winking, Trixie stood up and walked a little closer to Twilight, almost causing their muzzles to touch. 
        “And as for Trixie’s shows, you only saw the one for general audiences. You didn’t see her midnight showing. Adults only, of course.”
        Twilight blushed at the sudden closeness and the images trying to force their way into her mind. Trixie’s breath tickling her muzzle didn’t help much either. She was about to stand up and put some distance between them, when she felt Trixie’s hooves wrap around her.
        Confused at the sudden action, Twilight didn’t respond when Trixie put her head on Twilight’s shoulder and tightly hugged her. 
        “A-are you okay, Trixie?”
        “Mhmm, just stay like this for a little longer, Twilight.”
        I really wish I could understand what is going on in your head Trixie. Are you feeling ill? Do you just need a hug, like Pinkie Pie sometimes does?
        Without any idea on what she should do, Twilight gently rubbed Trixie’s back, hoping the azure Unicorn was okay. After the hug went on long enough to enter awkward territory, Trixie finally let go and took a few steps back. To add to Twilight’s confusion, Trixie then turned around and started slowly walking away from her, horn glowing as she weaved some type of enchantment around herself.
        “Goodbye, Twilight.”
        Twilight raised a hoof up reflexively to grab onto Trixie, despite now being too far away. “What do you mean goodbye? The guards will be here soon, and your eye is hurt Trixie!”
        Trixie continued to walk away from Twilight, but talked to her over her shoulder. “Don’t worry Twilight; Trixie just doesn’t have time to waste in a hospital right now. She’s on an important mission of her own, actually.”
        “Trixie! Stop being as cryptic as Celestia and get back here! I’m sure whatever show you’re going to be late to isn’t worth letting your injury get worse!”
        Trixie stopped about a hundred yards away from Twilight and turned around. She had that same small smile on her muzzle from earlier, and the tone of her reply was melancholy, as if she was thinking of something pleasant, yet distant. 
        “Believe Trixie, Twilight; it’ll be worth it, even if the cost turns out to be both of her eyes.”
        Her horn lit up, and a small item clothed in a black hoof towel levitated out of Trixie’s bag. It shot over to Twilight, sliding a few inches as it landed at her hooves. Twilight ignored it for the moment, more concerned with the infuriating Unicorn in front of her.
        “Trixie…what do you mean by both of your eyes? W-what in Tartarus did I do to you…? Trixie! Show me what I did to you!”
        Trixie looked away from Twilight and towards Canterlot, acting like she hadn’t heard her. Looking in that direction herself, Twilight could barely make out two Pegasus flying in their direction.
        “Don’t worry about Trixie, Twilight. She’s more than amazing enough to keep going. Just worry about getting better again. Unless … you’re giving up on retrieving Luna’s lost little toy.”
        …what?
        Trixie had turned back around and was walking away again. Twilight looked down to the clothed object on the ground, and slowly levitated it up to her face. She brushed the towel aside to reveal her compass, pointing straight ahead of her, the same direction as Trixie. The compass’s point glowed with a grey energy, quickly pulsing to display just how close Twilight’s target was.
        …You’re kidding me…
        Twilight stood up and started limping after Trixie, her horn sputtering sparks as she became angrier and tried to work a spell, any spell, to stop the Unicorn that had now proceeded to do a fast trot away from Twilight after looking over her shoulder.
         You’re FUCKING kidding me!
        “TRIXIE! COME BACK HERE!”
        “… No!?”
        Twilight’s teeth grinded together as her horn kept sputtering uselessly; too much of her magic had been used over the last few days though for her to cast anything useful at the moment, even if she wasn’t currently too angry to concentrate. And any magic she had regained over her rest was reflexively being used to fuel her bodies’ recovery. She kept her eyes on Trixie the whole time she continued to limp after her, realizing that Trixie was looking less and less like a Unicorn and more and more like a blue speck in the distance.
“TRIXIE! GIVE ME BACK LUNA’S SEED AND I PROMISE SHE WON’T HURT YOU!”
“…Luna’s not the one Trixie is concerned about being hurt by at the moment, but thanks! And she can’t give it back to you, Trixie assimilated it! We are now one!”
“QUIT JOKING AROUND!”
"Oh lighten up, Twilight!"
“WHAT!?”
"Lighten up!"
“TRIXIE! I CAN’T HEAR WHAT YOU’RE SAYING! GET BACK HERE SO I CAN YELL AT YOU PROPERLY!”
“TRIXIE SAID LIGHTEN UP!”
“GAH!”
Twilight fell over to her side and gave a groan before looking to where the sudden shout had come from. A weird….something, had formed behind her, about as tall as a pony and outlined with Magenta energy. 
It’s some kind of…magical hole I guess?
        Looking into the hole, she could see Trixie standing on the other side of it, grinning and blowing Twilight a raspberry while the opening quickly grew smaller and smaller.
        “Get better Twilight, and then try to catch Trixie, if you can.”
Twilight’s eyes bulged, and her embarrassment was fighting with her anger on who could make her face the most red at the last thing she saw before the hole had disappeared.  Some of Trixie’s mane must have worked itself loose from her hat as she ran, as the left side of her mane was now sporting a braid. Wrapped in this braid was a large lavender feather that caused Twilight’s wing to ache again on sight.
….No! Nonononono! She can’t…if it’s seen…rumors! Misunderstandings! 
It was at this point where Twilight’s brain thought it was best to shut down for a few minutes and let her scream it all out.

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        Trixie continued to run, a blue blur across the rarely used dirt road as she headed towards the next target on her list. She giggled giddily at her last few moments with Twilight.
        That went perfectly! Oh, she was so cute with all those dumbfounded expressions! Thank Celestia I had the time this morning to figure out how to direct that little show! She’ll definitely chase after me now when she’s recovered!
        Her happiness was abruptly diluted as she noticed heat and pain growing in her left eye again. She was thankful that her medical kit had a large supply of pain relievers, as they would be desperately needed over the next few days.
        Despite that, it almost feels like everything is becoming easier for Trixie. For once, everything has become so…simple. 
        She thought back to the few sentences that had decided which path to take in what had been her hardest decision to date.
        “I’ve not had time to think about any of the obstacles I’ve faced in the past.”
“I want to forget about Discord, but he’s just so irritating and won’t leave me alone! You and I, we resolved things. You apologized and left.”
Those words had hurt so badly at the time, but…
They also made it so Trixie knows how to handle Twilight now. Bother her, Trixie. Be the obstacle that she has to deal with. Don’t try to resolve or apologize for anything if you can.
Everything felt easier now that she finally had a choice, and one that Twilight had made for her no less! Of the two, rival or friend and maybe even more, it … wasn’t the choice Trixie was hoping for … But she’d take what she could get.

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        I miss Ponyville…
        Twilight sighed and cursed her luck and whoever was responsible for the insane situations she kept finding herself in. Her hoof tapped impatiently on the ground as she watched the patrol get closer and closer to her. 
        Irritation once again turned to confusion for Twilight that day, as she squinted to see the guards better. She then groaned and rubbed the side of her head with a hoof.
        “Now what happened!? I was gone less than two days!”

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Earlier that day…

        After raising the sun, Celestia walked into her and Luna’s shared bath chambers. Celestia had seen little need for a second bathing room the size of several houses, so upon having Luna’s rooms made a few years before her return, simply had an adjoining door made connecting it to Luna’s chambers.
        Sighing contentedly, Celestia turned the showers on, reveling in the feel of multiple shower heads warming her up to be ready to face the day. Closing her eyes, she silently thought over recent events.
        I wonder where Twilight went to in such a rush. She was here less than a day before disappearing. She’s not returned to Ponyville, and yet I’ve had no visits from her, nor is she using her rooms in the castle. Strange ...
        Celestia heard Luna’s door opening, and the loud yawning of her sister as she entered the bath chambers.
        I shouldn’t be worrying, I’m sure she is fine so long as she is keeping a level head.
        “Good morning, Luna.”
        “G-good morning, Tia.”
        Celestia heard the sounds of the second shower turning on, and could already imagine the sleepy look her sister must have right now. Eyes nearly closed, and doing her best not to nod off before reaching her bed.
        “Ugh, we feel so … filthy, listening to those fools for so long. And of course, we seem to only attract the nobles with plans you already turned down due to how slimy they were.”
        “I’m sorry Lulu; it’s just that you’ve only returned a few short years ago. The nobility is testing you, seeing where your limits are and if they can get away with anything they know they can’t with me.”
        “Hmmm…a test then? Perhaps we shall start testing them in turn to repay the favor.”
        Celestia lightly laughed, imagining the grin her sister must have on her face. “Just don’t hurt any pony.”
        “Perish the thought dear sister; we only desire to offer them a little of what they have offered us.”
        A loud banging was suddenly heard on the door from Celestia’s room, causing her to sigh.
        I must really have a word with the new Chancellor. The court will not fall apart from my staying a few more minutes in the shower. She was quickly brought out of her musings though by a deep male voice.
        “Get out of the shower!”
        Celestia growled, irritated at the command, and levitated a white towel over to herself as she walked towards the door.  She started preparing to gently, and kindly, remind whoever was there that she could have them removed from their position and packed for an outpost on the border within the hour if she so chose.
        Wiping the water from her eyes, she unlocked and opened the bathroom door. Three royal guards, or at least three ponies dressed as royal guards, were staring back at her, wide eyed. The reason she at first doubted them being actual guards was a simple one. 
        Two of them were light pink.
        “Princess! There is something wrong with Canterlot’s water!”
        Celestia looked down at herself.
“Huh. So there is.”
        She then dropped her pink towel onto the floor and looked over to her still showering and barely awake sister. Celestia cringed.
“Luna? By chance, are you asleep? 
“Nay we are not, sister.”
“I see. Forgive my curiosity, but what did you think of my mane when we were younger?
“What are you blathering about?”
“Never mind. Are your eyes still closed?”
“Yes, why?”
“I want you to keep them that way, if you could please.”
“For how long?”
“I think it should only take a couple of days for the dyes to wear off, so just till then.”
“Oh…all right then we’ll simply have to-WHAT!?” 

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        What kind of spell needs something like this?
        Trixie was currently in the cellar of a small mansion located by the Unicorn Range. Surrounding her were hundreds of poorly labelled wine bottles in wooden racks. While the trip here took her the better part of two days, it had been easy enough to sneak her way through the vineyards, and pathetically simple for Trixie to slip in an open window and enter the small mansion. A few illusions, and standing still till they passed her by took care of any pony she came across. 
        But…it’s not like many ponies would risk their lives upsetting a royal family for a bottle of wine.
        Trixie never did understand how the Blood family was related to Celestia, but that was the general claim the family toted, and Celestia had never been heard to deny it. 
        Nobles, Trixie doubts any of them have stepped a hoof in this mansion in years. Probably just has the staff send whatever wine they want to Canterlot.
        Trixie suddenly felt the world shift on her, and spots started to appear in her vision.
        Not again…
        Lying down on the cool cellar floor, Trixie did her best to calm her breathing and close her good eye as she felt the vertigo start to course through her. Her stomach felt slightly nauseated, but it paled in comparison to the heat and pain blooming from her left eye. The vertigo spells had started a day ago, and were happening more often now. After enduring it for several minutes, the worst finally passed, letting her open her eye again and shakily stand up.
        Ugh, Trixie’s feeling weaker after each of those. She doesn’t have time for this! Now, which one of these bottles is the stupid 200 year old sweet Pinot Neigh?
        Trixie carefully looked around and finally placed her hoof on one of the bottles. As she was about to pull it off the shelf however, she noticed a note wedged between it and another bottle. Curious, Trixie picked up the note.
        Not this bottle! It’s over there, to the right! What kind of show mare doesn’t even know her wines? Nice eye patch by the way, real classy!
        Eyebrow twitching, she almost unconsciously burned the note to cinders before looking to her right, noticing another note sticking out between two bottles. With a sour look on her face, Trixie quietly walked over and picked up the folded paper.
        Sheesh, talk about being easily led by the coat tails. You should really work on that. Also, work on your reading, you had the right bottle the first time.
        Growling, Trixie turned around, seeing a tag hanging by a string on the wine bottle she had previously picked up. The tag had a picture of Discord on it giving her a thumbs up. She grabbed the bottle and promptly tossed the tag to the floor, giving it a stamp with her hoof.
        “Really Discord? You sent Trixie all the way out here when you could have just picked it up yourself!? “
        She levitated a small list out of her cape and crossed off the wine, feeling a little elated to realize only one more item was on Discord’s list. Putting away both the list and wine, Trixie quickly made her way to the stairs and back up from the cellar. Upon reaching the door however, she found yet another note resting against the handle. 
        Hey, not my job. This is all you, little miss wanna-be Alicorn. Or are you starting to lean towards becoming a pirate instead?
        Rolling her eye, Trixie promptly turned the note to ashes and then quietly opened the door.
        One more to go, just need to hold it together till then. Then Trixie can smack some sense into that stupid goat-dragon thing.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

        Looking over the railing of the balcony to her room, Twilight gulped and, after a few nervous seconds, leapt over it, flapping her wings inexpertly to restart her pursuit. Once she stabilized her flight slightly, Twilight checked the compass around her neck. It was pointing to the South West and so she set course in that direction.
        Three days. Three wonderful, yet, insufferable days. It’s not fair for Trixie to make me feel so much anxiety in what should have been such a nice time. 
        A fairly pink Celestia had fussed over her, periodically checking up on her several times each day and keeping her company. If it hadn’t been for Celestia’s constant attention, Twilight would have most likely set fire to a good deal of the nurses and doctors in frustration.
        I need to send them something for putting up with me, especially poor Doctor Stabilize. 
        Her first day in the doctors care was tense on both sides. Twilight was enraged at Trixie’s deception and was near to ordering the doctors to burn themselves out so she could immediately fly after her. The doctors had refused. It all came to a head when Twilight had impulsively ordered them to heal her until she was up to flying again. After doctor Stabilize had knocked himself out from mana drain, Twilight had come back to her senses and apologized, letting them treat her as they saw fit from then on.
        Still, I’ve lost three days, who knows what Trixie has been up to in that time? At least my talk with Luna went well…


___________________________________________________________________________________________

        “-But thankfully, it has turned out to not be as dire as we had feared, the water is quite drinkable, despite the unfortunate effect of dying everything it comes in contact with pink.”
        Luna and Twilight were sitting in the small den of Luna’s chambers, both outstretched on couches opposite of each other. A small table separated them, black with Luna’s cutie mark adorning it, and a small jade tea set rested upon it.
        “I’m glad to hear that. It was a little awkward to see so many pink ponies on my way to the hospital. Though I’m sure Pinkie will be disappointed at missing out on the next few days.”
        Luna nodded before taking a sip of her tea. “Right, speaking of which, we would like to know the source of your injuries. We find it quite surprising for you to have acquired them in such a short time as last we met, let alone so close to Canterlot.”
        Twilight nodded, her face getting a little heated from embarrassment. She slowly sipped at her tea for a moment to gather her thoughts, and then began to explain to Luna all that she had been through for the last day and a half.
        Luna tsked sadly at Twilight once her explanation was done. “Tis a shame Trixie evaded you so easily, but thou still has the compass, yes? Permitting that thou ... err ... sorry … you … yes? Permitting that ‘you’ do not get into any more accidents while spelunking, you should be more than a match for her. Even with the seed aiding her.”
        Putting down her teacup, Luna gave Twilight a comforting smile. “While we wish to punish Trixie for her actions, she does seem to care for you, or at least, she went through the actions of caring in the mines. And though you seem very … upset with her right now, we do not think you really wish harm on her. Therefore, if you can bring her to us, and she is willing to cooperate, we promise to make the removal of the seed as painless as we can, as well as show lenience to her transgression upon us.”
        Twilight sighed with relief at hearing this, having worried about Trixie’s fate at Luna’s hooves. Now Trixie just had to be concerned with her fate at Twilight’s hooves. She felt the need to rip into Trixie’s hide at least a little for putting her through all of this after all.
        “Thank you, Luna. She may be a little insufferable at times, but she’s good at heart. She knew I was after her, but still helped me when I was in trouble after all.”
        “Think nothing of it, Twilight. Actually, we may make her into a servant of ours for some time. It would be good to have a Lulamoon back in our retinue after so long. Call it nostalgia if you will.”
        Twilight chuckled a little at this, having read about the old families who once followed Luna. “I know she needs to be punished, but I think she’d rather stay in a cell then ‘lower’ herself to serving any pony other than herself, Alicorn or not.”
        Luna smirked over at Twilight and gave her a wicked enough expression to cause Twilight’s face to heat up again. “We wouldn’t worry about that Twilight, we’ve seen a little of Trixie’s dreams, and think she will be easier to persuade then you realize.”
        Twilight gulped audibly and nodded to Luna before rolling off of the couch and getting to all fours. “I’ll just … leave that to you then. If you’ll excuse me, I’m feeling a little tired so I’m going to head to my room now. I also want to look and see if I can find out what Trixie did to the water.”
        Luna nodded in understanding. “Of course Twilight, we totally under-wait! Did thou just say Trixie is responsible for this pink travesty?”
        Twilight nodded warily at Luna. “Besides me, she was the only pony in those mines, and it is known that Canterlot’s water runs through those caverns. It’s highly unlikely to be a coincidence that she was down there right when the water started turning ponies pink.”
        “… We see … why that little … Night Light! Piercing Star!” At Luna’s shout, two pink bat ponies entered the room and bowed low to Luna. 
        “You called, Princess?”
        Luna’s eyes started to glow a dangerous red in stark contrast to her comically bright pink body. “Yes, we need your assistance in tracking and killing…no, severely maiming a pony and bringing her to us!”

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        Well, it went as well as I could have hoped, given Luna’s temper. At least Celestia was able to calm her down enough not to send those guards after Trixie.
        Still, Celestia had recommended that Twilight quickly find Trixie before Luna decides to take matters into her own hooves. 
        But, Trixie wouldn’t have done something so odd to Canterlot’s water if she had nothing to get out of it. She was far too focused when I saw her to cause a prank like that. Discord. He has to be involved in this, the dirty liar.
        Okay, focus! One thing at a time. First, bring in Trixie, and hope her injury isn’t getting any worse. Then, the princesses and I will deal with Discord.