//------------------------------// // Chapter 39: Dawn of the Final Day. // Story: My Little Fantasy // by GuyWhoWritesThings //------------------------------// Chapter 39: Dawn of the Final Day. Sunlight filters in from above, through the lake's surface, casting light along rounded rock architecture contained inside crystalline walls like an unbloomed flower. The walls keep the water of the lake at bay, despite not fully surrounding the structures, and the matching crystal stairs from the surface are somehow equally protected. Traversing them and the stone steps that follow eventually leads me to a flat rock surface, water gently resting against its side. The path forward requires hopping to a cylindrical platform, then another, five hops in total between ever-rising platforms, until one final hop lands me atop a larger, mushroom-plumed platform with the base of a ten-step staircase connected to it. These steps connect the platform to a large, railing-bound altar, four curved pillars supporting a small glass dome above it. Traversing those ten stairs is like crossing a barrier, each one requiring a breath and a determined step. At the top, however... the altar is empty. I look around at the surrounding buildings and pathways, and... nothing, just the still water, and beams of sunlight from above. I reach my hand to my back, finding a familiarly-placed hilt, and draw the Buster Sword from its place, holding it in front of me by the hilt and back of the blade. The shine of the metal is gone, the engravings filled with dirt and the blade itself beginning to rust. I look up again toward the light coming from above. This is the Forgotten Capital's hidden altar, where Aerith had come to try and call forth the planet's protector with the White Materia, and where she... The only way this place can be empty, and I can be here, holding the Buster Sword, is if... "Come out, Luna." I say firmly, the words echoing slightly off the stone. The clop of hooves on the steps behind me answers my suspicions. "You've become perceptive of Us after so many visits, dreamer." I walk to the far side of the altar, resting the Buster Sword against the railing before turning and leaning against it myself to face her. "Hopefully you haven't come to ask for a tour of my head now that it's fixed." "Nay." She shakes her head. "Tonight, We merely perform Our duty to quell a nightmare." "Is that so?" I ask, only partially believing her. "Quite so." She affirms, closing the distance between us, her eyes moving from me to the sword at my side. "This weapon you wield in your dreams has become quite worn." "Use brings wear, tear, and rust." I recite the old saying from memory, looking sidelong at the blade myself. "Hm?" She steps away from myself and the Buster Sword, looking around the dream version of the Forgotten Capital. "Is that why you stopped using it?" "What do you mean?" I ask, turning my attention to her, though her back is to me now. "You used a smaller sword with a bronze blade and eight gems against the creature." She states, turning her head back to me. "You must have a reason to retire an item that holds such importance to your heart that it appears in all your dreams." I turn my attention back up to the sunlight glittering through the lake's surface. "I think... it just became too heavy." Princess Luna giggles audibly, the sound amplified by the Forgotten Capital. "To be cryptic against We who safeguard dreams is a fruitless endeavor, dreamer." "...Whatever." Her wings flare and flex, the sound pulling my attention back to her as she takes to air, weaving between the various pieces of architecture that make up the Forgotten Capital. "Such a city beneath the water... it is good to see your world has beauty, too." "I suppose so." I reply half-heartedly, turning my attention back upward. After a few moments, another clop of hooves against the altar's floor signals Princess Luna's return to land. "Our visit does have more meaning than the mere dispelling of a nightmare." She says, pulling my attention back down to her as we lock eyes. "Though it was past the raising of the sun, We deployed Our Night Guard to the diamond dog burrow upon Our return to Canterlot, after parting the company of yourself and Twilight Sparkle." "And?" I ask, a pause in her explanation as she turns to the side leaving me needing to prompt her to continue. "The entire score of Night Guard have not returned." She says, her voice lowering slightly as she steps to the edge of the altar to look down to the water below. "It is safe to conclude that some presence of the creature still resides inside the burrows, though We can know not whether it is the controlling consciousness or but another piece." "It'd be too easy any other way, wouldn't it?" I ask, looking at the Princess sidelong, though she doesn't react to my quip. Her gaze instead remains fixed on the water below. I sigh and push away from the railing, picking up the Buster Sword in my right hand and returning it to its place on my back habitually, despite this merely being a dream. "So, when do we leave?" "It will take Us one night longer to recover Our physical form." She explains, finally turning back to me. "Those We sent to find the smithy have born fruit, however. The smithy says 'a toothpick the size of his nail' shall take less than a day with the materials We have provided him." "So the day after tomorrow." This is, of course, considering this dream to still be the same day as before I fell asleep, and not as the day I'd be waking up into. "Yes." She nods her head in confirmation. "We shall convene once more with Our Sister to decide the best course to approach this threat before then." I walk up to the ledge she had just been looking over, crossing my arms against it and looking down into the water myself. "How is Trixie?" I ask, remembering the events of the previous night. "The mare defies expectation, and has no nightmares." She replies, turning back to look over the ledge with me. "Instead her dreams sort through that which she's gleaned from the spell to repair your memory. As you are doubtless aware, her interactions with those memories were intimate by necessity in order to perform the magic Twilight Sparkle gifted her." "Yeah..." I reply absently. "They are not pleasant dreams," Princess Luna further clarifies, "but they are not nightmares of her new condition that require Our intervention." I sigh. "I'd be less worried if they were." Princess Luna takes a step back and flaps her wings, taking to the air and moving opposite me, hoving herself above the water. "We understand your concern, dreamer. Know We watch her closely." "Thanks..." I trail, the sentiment not alleviating my concerns. Her wings beat again, taking her higher into the sky, my gaze following her. "Daylight soon approaches. Make use of this day's respite well." Her wings beat a final time and she ascends up, past the surface of the lake, the rays of sunlight descending into the Forgotten Capital intensifying as she flies ever higher. I squint my eyes shut, futily trying to press the sunlight back, and as I open them again, the Forgotten Capital is replaced with the ceiling of the Golden Oak, sunlight from the window at my left landing directly on my face. ...I need to stop sleeping under this stupid window every time I'm here. I turn my head to the right and press my cowboy hat over my face to block out the light, taking a moment of bleary semi-consciousness to scan my eyes around the room. Shining Armor is sleeping on a bundle of blankets and pillows similar to my own, the two of us having split the items that Twilight had allowed Trixie and I to use last time the two of us slept at the library for a night. Twilight and Spike are sleeping in the upstairs guest room, since Trixie had, well... Trixie had asked me to let her be alone for a while in Twilight's room the night before, once she had... recovered. However, 'a while' soon turned into the entire night. Any time someone tried to get her attention, they'd simply be met with a grumbling 'go away' from the far side of the door, be it myself, or Twilight, or any of the others, the door itself locked. Between myself and a unicorn capable of teleportation, a lock wasn't really a preventative measure, but we felt it better to let her be. When asked what had happened after Trixie pulled me in there with her, I simply told everyone that the hooficure she'd asked for had gone horribly wrong. An obvious lie, but they'd gotten the hint that it was something better left unsaid as we packed up the party and stored away the cake Pinkie had made for another day. After a few minutes of trying to fall back to sleep, I hear rustling to my right as Shining Armor pulls himself up. "Hey, Cloud, you smell that?" He asks, audibly sniffing the air. I slide my hat from my face to the top of my head as I lean up, supported by my right arm as I turn to him. "It's probably Spike cooking." I reply, the aroma of food from the kitchen beginning to meet my nose as well. If Spike's awake then there's no point in going back to sleep now. "What's that about me?" A yawning dragon asks from the stairs, the clatter of his claws resounding against the wood, though he stops walking as a sniff of the air shows him taking note of the smell as well. "...Twily's not cooking, is she, little man?" Shining Armor asks, gulping, though his question is quickly answered by the patter of lavender hooves on the stairway behind Spike. "No, Shiny, I'm not cooking." Twilight rolls her eyes and shoots Shining Armor an annoyed glance as she makes her way down the stairs. The four of us all trade looks, then turn to the kitchen. There's only one other possibility left, unless the library was broken into while we were asleep... Our question is answered by the familiar voice of the one pony currently not in the library foyer, though its melodic, sing-song tone is a stark difference from what anyone is accustomed to hearing it using. "Who's ready for waffles?" Out from the kitchen steps Trixie, the bandages adorning her body the night before gone as she walks on her hind hooves. Her front limbs and head are balancing five plates of waffles with ease, her cargo not so much as jostling as she steps, steps, and spins on her right-hind leg, before taking another step, step, then spin on her left-hind leg. It's a simple dance, but impressive nonetheless given her recent condition, cargo, and pony anatomy. She reaches the table in the main room and takes an open-armed bow in front of it, the motion allowing the five plates to slide off her and onto the table with only the most minor of clatters of plateware against wood. Twilight clops her hooves against the floor in the pony-equivalent of a clap. "I didn't know you could do something like that, Trixie!" Trixie steps back from the table and takes a second bow at the praise. "I'm a mare of many practical talents, in addition to the arcane, Twilight Sparkle." "Sweet! A unicorn that finally knows how to cook!" Spike declares as he heads over to the table, earning himself a glare to the back of the head from Twilight. "Wait... how did you make waffles? We don't have any of the tools for that." "Tsk, little dragon," Trixie replies, flipping her mane to the right with a hoof, now back on all fours, "a magician never reveals her secrets." She gives him a sidelong look, her usual pride showing, but the smugness character to The Great and Powerful Trixie not. With her mane brushed to one side, though, the only thing I find myself noticing is her forehead - flat as an earth pony's, the change in texture from fur to smooth bone previously hidden by her mane the only indication something's wrong. Even with her mane to the side, it's difficult to notice, and I can easily see myself missing it had I not known what to look for. She went through with it after I left, after all... A quick look to Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor shows they've noticed what she's done as well, as their eyes linger on her revealed forehead just a bit too long, but both stay silent on it. "The bigger secret here," I begin, trying to pull my mind and everyone else's attention from the elephant in the room, "is you knowing how to cook at all." "Hmph!" She throws her head back in reply. "A life alone on the road necessitates learning many talents, Dusk." I sit up fully, folding my arms across my chest as I give her an accusatory look. "Says the one who insisted on eating every meal at a diner or hotel instead of cooking." "Either way, it looks great." Shining Armor comments, making the save before Trixie can retort me. "Thank you, Trixie. But... are you sure you're alright?" "Quite." Trixie nods. "Consider this an apology for the previous night's... behaviour. It ruined Pinkie Pie's party, after all." "It's alright, Trixie." Twilight assures her as I finally decide to get up, and the five of us take seats at the table: Trixie at my right, Shining Armor left, Spike across, and Twilight to his right, across from her brother, the plates quickly distributed. "Everyone understands, I'm sure." Trixie nods, but doesn't say anything in reply, turning down to her food. Eyes stay on her a moment longer, but, one by one, we each turn down to our own plates. An awkward silence passes, interrupted only by the sound of a single set of silverware against its user's plate. "Hey, Trixie!" Spike says, mouth half-full. "These are great!" A faint smile traces Trixie's lips before she comes out of her stupor, turning to Spike with a more characteristc grin. "Of course they are. A great mare can only be fueled by great food, after all." Said grin becomes her trademark smug smirk as she turns her attention to Twilight. "And certainly cannot be fueled by self-making cereal." "Why's everyone picking on me, lately?" Twilight grumbles, front hooves crossed, glaring at Spike as she conveys an unspoken 'I'll get you for this, mister'. I finally take the chance to cut into my waffle, skewering it on my fork and pulling it in for a bite. "I think they call this flirting, Twilight." I quickly shove said waffle piece into my mouth to hide my smirk at the oncoming fallout. Though, Spike has it right - the waffle's far better than I expected it to be. "W-w-what?!" Twilight presses her front hooves against the table, leaning back as her eyes dart from me to the mare at my right. Trixie leans in, resting her right elbow against the table and chin against the hoof, giving Twilight a grin. "You're especially cute when you're flustered, Twilight." ...What have I started? "Trixie!" Twilight's now-confused protests get louder. "Oh, hush, Twilight! It's just a joke." She rolls her eyes, then turns to face me, posture not changing as Twilight relaxes and lets out a sigh of relief. "Although..." I turn my now waffle-less fork at her, pointing with it as I finish chewing and swallow said fork's previous contents. "Not interested. Ever." "That's not what you said on Twilight's bed last night." What?! There's a choking sound from Shining Armor on my left as Twilight's hooves again slam against the table. "On my bed?!" I leave the fork pointing at Trixie as I turn to Twilight, whose face is a horrified mix of emotions. "She's joking." "Am I?" Trixie asks, leaning closer. I turn back to her, giving her a stern glare. "Yes!" Trixie lets out a small, satisfied laugh. "Don't start what you can't finish, Duskie." She sits back up, returning to a normal sitting position as she takes the first bite of her own food. I leave my fork pointed at her a moment longer, trying to find the words to retort, but failing, eventually turning back to my food and taking another bite. I can already tell this is going to be a very long day. Though, given tomorrow, that might not be as bad as it would be otherwise. The others get back to their food as well, the back-and-forth now wound down aside from some sniggering from Spike. Right now, I'm thinking it's better not to ask what he thinks is so funny, and it seems everyone else is thinking the same, as no one ever asks. "It's good to see you're doing better so soon, Trixie." Twilight says cheerily, now halfway through her meal. "Though, I can't say any of us were expecting, well, this." Trixie gulps down her mouthful of food, her notorous food-inhalation now leaving her as the one with the least left on her plate. "Is cooking for friends really so strange?" She asks, dodging the actual content of Twilight's question. I narrow my eyes as I turn my eyes to her. "For you? Yes, it is." Trixie skewers her last piece of waffle with her fork, waving it at me as she debates a reply, but decides to simply eat it instead and cast a glower at me. Now it feels like I'm the one getting the 'I'll get you for this, mister' look, except from Trixie instead of Twilight. Once the rest of us make it to the end of our meal, Spike hops from his seat, collecting the plates in the practiced motions of Twilight's Number One Assistant. "Thanks for cooking, Trixie!" He stacks the five plates in his right claw, whistling to himself as he brings them back into the kitchen. "Man, it's good to only have to do the cleanup for once." Not long after the small dragon disappears into the kitchen, the door to the library raps with the ever-more-familiar rapping of a hoof against it. "Come in!" Twilight calls to the door, slipping out of her seat at the table and taking a moment to stretch her limbs. "Library's open!" The door pushes open, revealing Rarity, a pair of pink, gem-emblazoned saddlebags across her back as she steps inside and shuts the door. "Good, you're all awake, Twilight dear. And it looks like I'm not a moment too soon!" This makes me begin to wonder - does anyone in this town actually use this library for, well, library things? I've only been here a few times, admittedly, but I've only ever seen Twilight and her friends in here. "Hey there, Rarity." Twilight greets as Rarity makes her way over to us. "Too soon for what? What's got you over so early in the morning?" "You see, I just had to..." Rarity looks from Twilight, to me, and finally to Trixie as her voice trails. "...Cloud, you never gave it to Trixie, did you?" "Gave me what?" Trixie asks, now looking between myself and Rarity questioningly. "Cloud and I made you the most beautiful thing, Trixie, dear." Rarity informs her, wearing a proud smile that turns into a frown as she turns to me. "But it appears after the previous night's events, someone forgot to give it to you." Deciding it best not to earn the ire of yet another unicorn today, I keep my mouth shut as I head over to the old crate, still sat right where I'd left it the night before. I pull out the box containing the fruits of my endeavor with Rarity, sitting down and sliding it to Trixie as Twilight returns to her seat at the table, clearly herself curious at this new development. I try to think of something that's not incredibly awkward to say as I pass it over, but settle on a simple "Here." Rarity beams as Trixie slowly takes the box in her hooves. "Go on, open it! I'm so glad I won't miss the unboxing after all!" Trixie turns the box over in her hooves, taking her time to look it over and test its weight before gently sliding the cover off the top and setting it aside. She reaches a tentative hoof inside and pulls out the topmost item - a deceptively simple-looking, white, button-up dress shirt with a popped collar and long sleeves, an untied royal purple bow-tie hanging loosely from it. "Oh..." Trixie's hoof slides down the fabric of the shirt and into one of the many carefully-hidden pockets along its body, which may as well be invisible to the untrained eye. "I've seen practical performers in Las Pegasus wear things like this. Rarity, this is..." "It's only half the set, is what it is." Rarity's pride in her work only seems to be growing at Trixie's reaction. "Originally, we only meant to make a vest reminiscent of what Las Pegasus showmares wear, but then Cloud had a wonderful idea or two and I might have gotten... carried away." Trixie looks up to Rarity, then back into the box, and spots the second item in the set. She sets the shirt gently down on the table and reaches in to pull out the set's matching royal purple overcoat. Its golden, notched lapel glistens in the morning light that's filtering into the library, along with the matching cuffs on the sleeves. A front pocket rests over the right-breast, the opening outlined in more of the glittering gold, matching buttons trailing down the front of the coat. Trixie takes a tentative breath and opens the coat, feeling along the velvety, matching purple interior, soon finding what she was clearly searching for - even more of the well-disguised pockets, so that the coat could be opened and revealed to a waiting audience without exposing their existence. She closes the coat in her hooves again, looking over the front once more, trailing one hoof along one of the golden lapels. "Hey... what's this bump?" She asks, her hoof stopping as she feels something unusual beneath the lapel. She unfolds the heavy, golden fabric to peer underneath, and is greeted by a glistening gemstone. She continues to examine under the lapel, only to find four pieces of Materia hidden behind the lapel on each the left and right side. "Dusk, this is..." Rarity wasn't able to properly replicate the linked Materia Slots present in my bangle or sword, but the patterned mix of one Red, one Yellow, and two Green Materia under each lapel wouldn't require them. I shrug and fold my arms, leaning back in my chair to try and avoid the incoming awkwardness in front of the current audience. "It's not a big deal. It's not like I can use it all at once, anyway." She lets out a small laugh and smiles, still looking over the coat in her hooves. "Thank you." She finally says, with a softness I'm still not used to hearing in her voice. "I take it you like it, then." Rarity says, finally taking a seat at the table herself and resting her saddlebags on the floor. "I love it, Rarity." Twilight claps her front hooves together, beaming herself now. "Well, let's see it on you, Trixie!" "Of course." Trixie nods and sets the coat down, picking the shirt back up and tossing it across her back, slipping her hooves through the sleeves. She buttons each of the cuffs, then begins her way up the shirt, each of the buttons in a royal purple to match the bow-tie when worn without the coat. Her hooves close the collar, then reach for the bow-tie, and Trixie bites her lip. Her hooves fumble at it, trying motions she'd clearly once memorized with her magic. After a moment, the tie glows a light blue and ties itself, a sympathetic smile on Rarity's face as her horn glows. Trixie looks up, returning it with a sad smile of her own. "...Thanks, Rarity." Rarity simply nods as Trixie turns her attention to the coat. She slips it across herself, same as the shirt before it, though she takes a bit of extra time to adjust it on herself afterward. She inspects the coat's cuffs, finding they don't require buttoning, and moves to the body of the coat, taking her time as she slips each button into place. Once it's fully secure, she moves out of her seat, taking a few steps back and flipping her mane to the side with her right hoof in her signature manner. The coat's long tails reach down her back, extending to her flanks and obscuring her cutie mark from view. "So, everypony, how do I look?" She asks, allowing some of her stage-confidence to seep into her voice and giving a matching smirk. It's Shining Armor that's able to speak first. "You look great, Trixie." "Calm down there, playboy." Twilight playfully nudges Shining Armor in the shoulder with a hoof. "Though, he's right. You look amazing, Trixie." Trixie walks back to the table and takes her seat. "Thank you again, Rarity." Her eyes turn down to the box the outfit was packed in, and she notices a final item sitting at the bottom of the box. She lifts it out, clearly confused at the ornate gold Wizard Bangle resting between her hooves, eight more peices of Materia glittering inside it, three Green-Blue pairs alongside a Green Materia and the faded Bahamut Materia in the remaining two slots. "Dusk, why is this in here?" "Because I want you to have it." I answer her simply. "But, won't you need this to-" "Look." I cut her off before she can complete her question. "Luna sent me a message through her ability to invade my personal space saying the guards she dispatched to the burrows never came back." I take a quick moment to formulate my next words, but continue before anyone else can interrupt. "She also said that everything will be ready for us to go there ourselves tomorrow and see exactly what's down there." I close my eyes and tip myself back slightly in my chair, trying to keep up my cool demeanor. "And I'm sure there's nothing we could do to make you stay here while we handled it, whether we wanted you to or not, right?" She simply nods, all the emotion that's been building up in her eyes since first opening her new outfit being replaced with a solid determination. "Then I want you to have that. Luna says she's handled getting my weapon repaired, somehow, so I'll be fine without it." "But, Dusk..." "...I'll be counting on you, got it?" She lets out a small laugh, turning her attention back to the bangle between her hooves. "You're always counting on me, idiot." She slips the bangle over her front-left leg, the coat and shirt padding out the size of her limb enough for it to fit. She puffs out the cuff of her sleeve slightly and slides the bangle down, allowing the golden cuff to rest over it. This hides the inlaid Materia and most of the bangle itself, while also giving it a bit of added security to prevent it falling off. "Wait." Rarity blinks as Trixie continues adjusting the bangle to give it the best purchase on her wrist. "You'll be leaving tomorrow to fight that awful creature again?" "Apparently so." I shrug. "I had some orders that needed to get done, but if that's the case..." Rarity turns froms to Twilight, "Twilight, none of these three have ever had a proper tour of Ponyville, have they?" She asks, motioning to Trixie, myself, and Shining Armor in turn. "I don't think so." Twilight answers, a bit confused at Rarity's line of questioning. "That's settles it, then!" Rarity slams a hoof down on the table. "The five of us can all go have a day on the town! A trip to the spa and café does sound quite excellent, and it'll be a great way to relax with all the things that've been going on lately." "Rarity..." Twilight trails, looking between her and Trixie, the concern on her face obvious. The unspoken 'what if she's not ready to face other ponies yet?' is obvious on her face, but Twilight never vocalizes it even as her and Rarity trade looks. "That sounds great, Rarity." Trixie says after a moment, looking between the other two unicorns. "If Twilight and the others don't mind coming, it sounds like it'd be fun for all six of us to get out for a day." "Six?" Rarity asks, counting heads for a moment before realizing what Trixie means. "Oh, of course. We can't leave dear Spike out if he wants to come along, too. Where is he, anyway?" "Just finishing the morning dishes." Twilight informs her. "Ah, right. Well, one more thing." Rarity's horn glows, and one of her saddlebags pops open, placing a new, slightly larger box on the table and sliding it to me. "I noticed the... looks from other ponies as we walked to my Boutique yesterday, Cloud. It put the ensemble you wore on your previous trip to Ponyville in a bit more perspective, so I made you something quick last night to replace it." I raise a curious eyebrow and turn to the box. I want to protest accepting it, but I can tell Rarity's the type of person who'd have none of it, so I slip open the cover of the box. What greets me is what appears to be a simple bundle of red fabric as I grip it and pull it out, the size requiring me to stand to remove it from the box completely. Once it's fully removed, it becomes more obvious what it is - a simple, full-body red cloak, with a fitted hood and a raised neck to cover my face in a manner similar to my old poncho. Though, it's not solid red, the edges of the fabric containing a gold trim that matches the shine of the gold on Trixie's new outfit. However, the trim's not solid gold, either. I pull it closer to inspect it, and find the trim is actually small a pattern of symbols - a six-point star, a balloon, a four-point gem, a lightning bolt, a butterfly, and an apple, all outlined by a thin strip of gold running down either side to give them the illusion of being a solid piece of gold trim when viewed at a distance. "So," I begin, turning to Twilight and Trixie, "which one of you told her that quip I made about wanting to go red while I was bleeding everywhere?" "Oh, it's nothing like that." Rarity insists. "You just wear so much blue that I thought the red might be a nice contrast. Though, you should look inside. It's technically reversible." "Inside?" I ask, opening the sides of the cloak to look inside. The inside is azure, and contains the same trim as the red outside. Everything else otherwise looks the same, except for one particularly obvious detail... "Rarity." I close the cloak and lower it so I can peer at its creator. "What?" She asks me, feigning innocence, though her look says she knows exactly what the problem is. "What is it, Dusk?" Trixie asks curiously. "What's inside?" I quickly flip the cape over my head and shoulders, pulling the hood back for now as I set it into place. The red side is facing out and visible, and will be for as long as I have the option to choose which way to wear this 'reversible' cloak. "Some things are better left a mystery." I reply, causing Trixie to retort with a pout and a 'hmph'. "Oh, come now, Cloud." Rarity says playfully, still wearing her innocent grin. "It's not that bad." "Sure it's not." I reply, pulling the cloak closed. The fabric is quite soft, reminding me more of a thin blanket than a piece of clothing. "Thanks, Rarity." "Don't mention it." She nods, then turns to Trixie. "Either of you. Now, let's get dear Spike out of that kitchen so we can have ourselves a good day while we have the chance!" She slips from her seat and heads off into the kitchen to see how the little dragon is doing. Trixie soon follows suit, though instead of the kitchen, she heads to the coat rack containing her old hat and cape. She pulls the cape from the rack, and begins sifting through its apparently many hidden pockets, pulling out various basic magician's supplies and placing them in the pockets of her new outfit. One item in particular stands out, though - a fairly small, nondescript-looking wooden box, that her eyes linger on for several seconds before she stashes it somewhere inside her coat. "Hey," she starts, standing on her hind legs to hold the cape out in front of her and inspect it with her front hooves, "does anyone know where the brooch for my cape is?" "It's in the crate Shining Armor brought." I inform her. "I'd meant to place it back on after I took out the Materia, but..." "It's fine, Dusk." She replies as she places the cape across her shoulder and returns to all fours, making her way over to the crate. She then pulls herself back up to her hind legs, supporting herself with her front elbows on the edge of the crate as she takes the brooch out. Her eyes linger on it for even longer than the wooden box as she rolls it around in her hooves, clearly lost in an old memory. After a few long moments, she pulls her cape off her back and holds it in front of her, fastening the brooch in place before putting the piece of clothing back over her shoulder. She walks back to the coat rack and returns to her two-legged posture, holding the cape out in front of her one final time, its brooch finally back in place, appreciating some sentiment that's unreadable with her back to me before placing it on the coat rack again. She takes a moment to collect herself before turning around and facing us again, a small smile back on her face. "Let's get going. Rarity's spa idea is sounding better and better the more I think about how sore I've been since yesterday."