14. Calm
Chapter 14. Calm.
“Then, you’ll strip in front of everyone.”
“Sure,” Sunset said, stifling yet another yawn.
“You’re not listening!” Trixie yelled, flicking her fingers at Sunset’s forehead. “Wake up!”
Sunset blinked, looking at Trixie with a lazy frown. “Sorry,” she said before yawning once again.
Trixie let out an annoyed sigh. “What’s going on, Sunset?” She asked. “You’ve been awfully absentmindedly today.” She leaned back a little, putting her hands on her hips. “Just because you have the ‘lovely’ part of the ‘lovely assistant’ down, doesn’t mean you can skip over the actual assisting.”
“I know, I know,” Sunset replied. “I didn’t sleep very well last night, s’all.” Stupid nightmares. She thought as she crossed her arms.
“Do you want to take a break?”
“I’m fine, really,” Sunset replied.
Trixie huffed. “Very well, but if you start snoozing out again, I’ll kick you.”
“You and your weird fetishes,” Sunset said, walking up to the stage’s edge. Trixie noticed Sunset’s failed attempt at hiding her limping. “The brothers will be at the very front,” she commented, seeing two seats with signs of ‘reserved’ on them. “You really think you’d be able to fool them?”
Trixie raised an eyebrow. “Sunset, you should already know that the closer people are to the magic tricks, the more amazed they are.”
Sunset gazed at the rows of chairs turned to the stage, already set for the show. “I guess you’re right.” She yawned again and turned around to look at Trixie. “So, one last practice and call it a day?”
Trixie hummed for a moment, staring at Sunset’s tired gaze. Sunset already knew what to do at every moment of the show, and their last rehearsal had gone pretty good, even with Sunset’s yawns. She offered Sunset a smile. “Alright.”
The next twenty minutes went by really fast. Even with the tiredness holding her back, Sunset still admired every single trick Trixie did. Even when she knew exactly how everything worked, she couldn’t help but be amazed at how Trixie played everything and made it look so easy. She was sure that Flim and Flam were going to be completely astonished.
By the time Trixie was getting off of the mechanism for her last trick, Sunset was already sweeping the remaining petals and feathers from the stage. “I believe that we’re ready for the show,” Trixie said, unhooking the stirrup from her boot. “We can do one last rehearsal tomorrow and use the remaining time to enjoy ourselves.”
Sunset smiled slyly at Trixie. “You know, I still want to see you do a double backflip.”
Trixie slowly walked to Sunset and gently grabbed her jacket from the zipper, playfully pulling her closer. “Well, you can invite me to a date today, and I might bring my sneakers tomorrow to please your request.” Her fingers trailed up and down the jacket’s zipper.
“Luckily, for you,” Sunset said, touching Trixie’s hands with her own, “I have enough money on me to take you out today.” Her gaze was fixed on Trixie’s lips. “But, nothing too fancy, ok?”
“A date’s purpose is to get to know each other,” Trixie replied, playfully biting her lower lip. “I wouldn’t mind if you want to go to Joe’s.”
“Joe’s it is,” Sunset said, licking her lips with a predatory smile. She leaned closer and gave Trixie a nice kiss on the lips. “Shall we get going, mademoiselle?”
Trixie snickered at that. “You’re so weird.”
“How so?” The smile didn’t leave Sunset’s face.
“I’ll tell you on our date.” Trixie turned around, effortlessly freeing herself from Sunset’s grip. “But first, let’s finish cleaning this place.”
“Roger.”
~~~~~~~~
“You know…” Trixie had chosen the farthest seat from the entrance; a dim lit corner next to the window, but not too far from the counter. The yellow lightening of the coffeehouse, mixed with its rustic decorations, gave the impression that it was late in the afternoon, even when the wall clock barely reached 2 p.m. “I have a confession to make.”
Sunset drifted her gaze from the window and to Trixie, giving her an interested smile. “You’re gay?” Trixie deadpanned. Sunset shrugged apologetically, but her smile didn’t fade. “Sorry. What is it?”
Trixie sighed through her nose, idly playing with the spoon of her cappuccino cup. “When… When I asked you out… I was really scared that you-”
“Wouldn’t be into girls?” Sunset finished. When Trixie nodded, she reached out her hand. “Well then, it’s a good thing I’m… how do humans call it? I think the correct term is pansexual.”
“Uh…”
“It means I don’t care, as long as you know how to cuddle.”
Trixie arched an eyebrow. “Have we even cuddled?”
Sunset shrugged. “I rested my head on your shoulder for, like, twenty minutes before you asked me out. I’m pretty sure that counts as cuddling.”
Trixie smiled at Sunset, momentarily showing a grin. “If you think that was cuddling, then you must learn what proper cuddling is. And of course, the Great and Powerful Trixie will be happy to teach you… How to cuddle.”
“You repeat ‘cuddle’ too many times. It loses its meaning.”
“Are you afraid that Trixie ends up being a better cuddler than you?”
Sunset narrowed her eyes as a thought occurred to her. “Say, I’ve always wondered why do you always speak of yourself in third person.”
Trixie leaned back and looked at her cup of coffee. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Why not?”
Trixie blushed. “It’s… embarrassing…”
Sunset arched an eyebrow as a devilish smile appeared on her face. “Oh, come on, Trix,” she insisted. “We’re dating. What can possibly be more embarrassing than holding hands?”
Trixie slowly looked up at Sunset with a thoughtful expression. “We’ve never held hands.”
“Because it’s embarrassing. See my point?”
Trixie deadpanned. She scratched her forehead for a moment while taking a deep breath. “Fine.” She straightened up and stared straight to Sunset’s eyes. “You know that when toddlers start speaking, they struggle with something about the language.”
“Uh-huh.”
“In my case, it was the pronouns. It was easier for me to just say my name when referring to myself…” Trixie couldn’t held Sunset’s gaze, and decided to focus on her coffee once again. “Since people thought it was cute, I kept doing it, and it just kind of… stuck with me. Nowadays, I use it more as a theatrical way to draw attention to me as a performer.”
Sunset hummed for just a second. “And the “Great and Powerful” title is a toddler thing too?” Trixie glared at her. “Too far, I get it.” Sunset raised her hands in front of her. “I won’t joke about it anymore.”
Trixie huffed. “Really?”
“Nope.” Trixie couldn’t avoid chuckling at that. “But on a more serious note… There’s something that’s been bugging me…” Sunset crossed her arms upon the table and leaned on them, taking a closer look at Trixie’s eyes. “Why me?”
Trixie blinked. “What?”
“Why me?” Sunset repeated. “Up until two weeks ago, I was the big bad bully of Canterlot High. Of all the girls there, why pick me as romantic interest?” When Trixie looked away, Sunset decided to lighten up the mood. “It’s the jacket, right? It has to be the jacket.”
“You know what? I’m hungry and I want to take my order right about now.” Trixie waved her hand at the waitress.
Sunset decided to speak before the waitress could hear her. “Did you accidentally see me naked in the lockers room?”
“Are you ready to order?” The worker asked, just as Trixie’s face became a cute shade of red as her jaw worked silent words.
“Yes,” Sunset answered calmly. She leaned back and rested her body on the back of her chair. “I want a baguette, extra spicy. And she wants a slice of orange cake.”
When the waitress finished writing down Sunset’s request, she turned around to go for the food. Sunset grabbed the cider she had asked for herself and gave it a quick sip, all the while gazing at Trixie’s expression.
“I can get used to that look on your face,” Sunset said before quickly smacking her lips. “It’s certainly adorable.”
Trixie closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before slowly releasing it. “Just for the record, I’ve never seen you naked.”
“Do you want to?”
“Fine, I’ll tell you!” Trixie snapped. “Freaking perv.” Sunset shrugged nonchalantly, but remained silent. Trixie started to idly play with her fingers. “But I warn you that you won’t like it.” At that, Sunset arched an eyebrow, and Trixie took her time to order her thoughts. “I’ve… always found you quite hot, honestly. But you were a total bitch, so I didn’t give you much thought, until…” She swallowed some air. “Two months ago, I saw you crying.”
“Tch, yeah, right.”
Trixie gave a sad frown. “It was well after classes finished. I forgot my phone in my locker, and since I was near the school, I decided to go and get it.” She gazed down to her coffee. “I saw you walking towards the gym. Of course, given the hour, I found it weird, so I followed you. You went straight to the storage room, and for a moment I thought that you were just, you know, planning to do something bad to someone…”
The waitress appeared in that moment, reaching the requested food to each girl before walking away.
They sat in silence for a full minute; Trixie staring at her food, and Sunset gazing at Trixie’s eyes. Even through the bustle of the coffeehouse, they could hear one another’s breathing. Trixie’s was deep and slow, while Sunset’s was sharp and in rapid successions. Trixie didn’t dare to look up at Sunset, and yet, after another minute, she decided to continue.
“You were crying and screaming… And I didn’t know what to think… I mean, you clearly were having a really bad day. But whether it was a one-time thing, or something you did on a regular basis, I don’t know.” She idly played with her thumbs. “But I did realize that you weren’t just the stereotyped high school bee queen. You were -still are- a real person. You weren’t full of just ambition and power; you had fears and weaknesses, just like any normal girl. I realized that beyond the mask of big bad bully, there was a real girl… The real you.”
Trixie finally gathered enough courage to look up, and she found that Sunset’s expression was unreadable, if a little saddened. Trixie managed a weak smile. “And since then, I’ve been meaning to meet the real you…”
“And you jumped at the first opportunity.” Sunset’s voice was unnervingly calm, but with a certain shakiness that didn’t go unnoticed.
Trixie nodded slowly. “In these months, I’ve been searching for something that could help me get past your shell… But-”
“It was completely obliterated at the Fall Formal,” Sunset finished. She closed her eyes, resting her weight on her elbows and intertwining her fingers. “I told you I was, in my world, a student of magic, right?”
“Yes, you said that the principal’s counterpart was your teacher, or something like that.”
Sunset smiled so briefly that Trixie thought she imagined it. “Yes. Princess Celestia, the sovereign ruler of Equestria, picked me as her protégé in magic.” Sunset’s voice was full of nostalgia. “That’s not something that happens everyday. It is something every young unicorn dreams of. I wouldn’t have to do anything else anymore, as I had been granted a life of luxury… My name was already going to be in history books, just because I was Princess Celestia’s personal student…”
Sunset took another, longer sip to her cider, sighing heavily before looking back at Trixie again. “But, you know, I was greedy. I wanted more…” Her voice was progressively becoming shakier. “I wanted to become a princess, just like her. I thought I deserved it… You already know the consequence of my stupidity…”
“But… when I came to this world, I was so full of myself that I thought… I actually thought that Princess Celestia would regret the day she lost me as her student... “ She chuckled in an attempt to hide a painful cry. “Imagine my surprise when I learned that, as fast as I disappeared from her life, she got herself another student!”
Tears ran freely down her cheeks, but Sunset still refused to stop recalling her story. “I was furious! I hated her, and I hated Twilight for taking the place I thought it was only mine! But I still thought I was better. I still thought that Twilight would never be any better than me at anything… But then, two months ago…”
“She became a princess…” Trixie finished. Her voice was barely audible as understanding was slowly sinking in.
“Back… Back then…” Sunset continued, despite the hiccups. “I thought I was engulfed with rage. But now that I have a clear mind, I know that… It hurt me… It still hurts… Not because she became what I desired, but because I was replaced so easily… I was nothing but a disposable pawn that turned out to be defective…”
“Sunset-”
“I loved her…” Sunset interrupted her. “I loved Princess Celestia. She was like a second mother to me… Formerly, I would have never admitted it, but I always loved her… And I was willing to happily play as a pawn for her… But I wanted my prize before my deed, and she disposed of me, like one disposes a used napkin…”
Sunset placed a hand over her forehead, as if trying to hide her tears from Trixie. “I think that’s when the stupid idea of conquering Equestria came to my mind... “ Her voice was a low yet audible whisper. “Maybe, in my wicked reasoning, I thought that Celestia would acknowledge me…” She snorted. “I’m so stupid…”
Trixie leaned forward, reaching Sunset’s hand -the one still upon the table- and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Sunset, you’re not stupid. You’re… You’re just lost.”
“Lost,” Sunset deadpanned.
“Yes.” Trixie gulped and shifted in her place, using her thumb to caress the back of Sunset’s hand. “Back then, you didn’t know how to react at what looked like betrayal. You could have had many bad ideas that could have ended being a lot worse.” She took a deep breath. “Sunset, it’s meaningless to look at your mistakes. You have to look at your present and future instead.”
“Are you going to give me the “you have a life full of possibilities” speech?”
“Maybe…”
Sunset lowered the hand from her face and looked at Trixie with a pained gaze. “Honestly, you don’t strike me as the type of giving motivational speeches.”
“Well, I’m like this just with my girlfriends.” Sunset snickered at that. Trixie relaxed her shoulders and let out a silent sigh. “Seriously though. The past is in the past. You have to start thinking on what’s in front of you, and on what you want to see in the future.”
Sunset gave a thoughtful expression for a moment, looking down at her cider before returning her gaze to Trixie’s eyes. “Are you saying I should start going serious with you?”
Trixie arched an eyebrow, gaping for a moment before pressing shut her lips before speaking up. “Weren’t you being serious already?”
“Well, yes and no,” Sunset answered. “I don’t think the girls know about us yet.”
“Are you going to tell them?”
“Do you want me to tell them?”
Trixie frowned. “Are you going to answer all my questions with more questions?”
Sunset smiled playfully. “Are we going to keep talking with questions the next couple of minutes?”
They stared at each other for a few seconds before bursting into laughter.
It felt good, Sunset thought, to laugh with someone as if everything was good in the world. Even if her life wasn’t exactly terrific, she was having a pretty nice moment. Trixie was one of the very few people in any world that somehow knew when to start joking and when to be serious with her. She was glad she hadn’t rejected Trixie when she asked her out.
The rest of Saturday went by real fast. Sunset and Trixie decided to talk about other stuff, like the upcoming magic show, classes, and the like. When the sun was starting to hide in the horizon, they went to their respective houses, agreeing to meet once again the next day for one last rehearsal.
Sunset wasn’t exactly delighted with the idea of going to sleep, given her recurring nightmares, but the promise of spending another day with Trixie was something worth looking forward to. If anything, being with her helped Sunset forget about her problems for a while. She wondered if spending time with her self-proclaimed friends would too help her ease her mind.
It was something she’d have to test some day.
~~~~~~~~
Sunday morning was especially chilly. Sunset had heard on the radio that there was something called a Cold Front, and that the following week was going to be really cold, even if it wasn’t winter yet. These random weather patterns didn’t happen in Equestria, so she was really confused when she first learned about it. Thankfully, she was prepared this time.
Instead of her usual look of high-heeled black and fuchsia boots, mid-thigh length skirt, cotton blouse and leather jacket, she opted for a warmer set of clothes. She was using a dark red turtleneck sweater, black wool pants, black flat-heeled winter boots, and to cover everything, she picked a dark gray coat that reached her knees, a yellow and red striped scarf, and a pair of black wool gloves.
It wasn’t exactly in season, but Sunset was warm and still looked stunning.
Tucking her scarf over her mouth and nose, Sunset walked up to the statue in front of Canterlot High. She had agreed to meet Trixie there at ten in the morning, and she had gotten there with a full hour of anticipation. Mostly because she didn’t have anything better to do.
She placed a hand on the surface of the portal and stared at it. She didn’t know why, but every time she touched the portal, she felt relaxed, at ease, as if the worries of her heart and the weight on her shoulders disappeared. She wondered if the nightmares would stop if she slept in this place.
With a soft sigh, Sunset placed her forehead on the portal and closed her eyes. The first of the thirty moons sure was taking its time.
“Hey, Sunset,” Trixie called from behind. “Are you feeling sick?”
Sunset slowly turned around. Trixie was wearing navy blue pants, white sneakers, and a dark blue coat to cover her usual lavender blouse and blue hoodie. “No, I’m fine.” Sunset looked at the portal again, producing a sad smile.
“Are you sure?” Trixie asked. “You don’t really look fine.”
Sunset inhaled loudly. “I think I’m just… homesick.”
Trixie glanced over the statue and then at Sunset, arching her eyebrow in the process. “You know, it just struck me that you haven’t told me how to get to your dimension.”
“I thought you already knew,” Sunset replied before humming for a moment. “Now that I think about it, I guess the girls are the only ones that know…”
“I suppose it’s my fault for not asking.”
“No, no,” Sunset turned to look at Trixie. “They know because they saw Twilight returning home. Which makes me wonder if Vice Principal Luna saw her too or not… Hm…”
Trixie glanced at the statue again, seeing how Sunset gently moved her hand through it. She narrowed her eyes. “So…”
“Yes,” Sunset said in a whisper. “This is the portal.”
“The statue?” Trixie asked, scrunching her nose in disbelief. “Really?” Sunset nodded. “Who would put a magical portal to another dimension on a statue, in front of a High School, where anyone could trip and fall through it?”
“I don’t know, but…” Sunset chuckled for a moment. “It’s impossible to cross it by accident.”
Trixie leaned back a little. “What do you mean?”
“If you don’t know it’s a portal, you can’t physically cross it.” Sunset smiled sadly again. “When I learned about that property, I almost had a heart attack.” She chuckled again at Trixie’s confused expression. “Two weeks ago, before I returned to… to steal Twilight’s crown... “ She sighed. “Two weeks ago, Snips and Snails surprised me when they came before I crossed the portal. They leaned on the surface, and I thought they’d fall to the other side and find out the truth… But they didn’t. Because they don’t know the truth.”
“It sounds too convenient,” Trixie said, then shrugged. “But who am I to criticize how magic works?”
Sunset tilted her head, looking at the portal with a nostalgic smile. She worked her mouth silently for a full minute, before deciding to speak up. “Remember when you asked me if I could find your counterpart in Equestria?”
Trixie arched an eyebrow. “Yeah…”
“The girls asked me something that relates to it… They asked how could I know things that happened there, even if I was here and the portal was closed…” Sunset turned to look at Trixie, giving her a serious glance. “Trixie, I’m going to tell you something very important. Something I don’t want anyone else to know. Even if I’ve already told you a lot, I need you to tell me I can trust you…”
Trixie smiled tenderly. “You can trust me.”
“You won’t tell anyone. Not even the girls. Not even the Principal. Not even your diary.”
“Sunset.” Trixie placed a hand on Sunset’s shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “I won’t tell anyone. What kind of girlfriend would I be then?” She put her hands behind her body, leaning playfully on her heels. “If you want, I can tell you a secret of mine. To make it even.”
Sunset crossed her arms, looking expectantly at Trixie. “Alright.”
Trixie rolled her eyes. “Fine, I go first.” She looked around to make sure no one would hear her. She leaned closer to Sunset and whispered. “I have stage fright.”
“Really now,” Sunset deadpanned.
“I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true,” Trixie said, putting her hands on her hips and looking away. “Since I was a little girl, I always felt really nervous when I have to talk with people I don’t know, and it was worse if I had to speak in front of a crowd.” She tilted her head and looked at Sunset. “It was the gymnastic classes that started to help me get over it. I was terrified to compete for the first time, now I’m just a little scared…”
“As a matter of fact, I started calling myself Great and Powerful in part to help myself get over my stage fright.” Trixie made a gesture with her hand. “That, coupled with the third person speech, draws attention to me, forces me to be in the spotlight. It took me quite a few years -six, to be exact-, but now I can be on a competition or have a magic show with relative ease.”
Sunset remained silent for a moment before smiling at Trixie. “Is it ok I can only think that I want you to do the backflip you promised?”
Trixie smirked, holding back a chuckle. “Well, just after you tell me your secret about the portal.”
Sunset sighed once again and looked at the portal. “Not a word about this to anyone.” She placed a hand on the surface and stared at it. “This was a theory I had that turned out to be correct. Every full moon, for just one day -the whole day-, if you concentrate hard enough, you can force a small opening in the portal. Like a window.” She smiled fondly at the thought. “You can see Equestria. You can watch and hear everything that happens there, just like a movie.” She looked at Trixie, the smile never leaving her face.
“That must be really cool,” Trixie said. “When’s the next full moon?”
“In twelve days,” Sunset answered, dragging her hand over the surface. “I don’t know if you can do it since you don’t know what Equestria looks like… But if you’re a good girlfriend, I might let you try.”
Trixie bit playfully her lower lip. “If backflips is all I need, then I’m already looking forward for the full moon.”
Sunset chuckled at that. “I still need to watch you do that.”
“Then let’s get going to the gym.”
“After you, Trix.”
Trixie hummed, turning around and walking to the school’s entrance. Sunset followed her, hiding her hands in the pockets of her coat. They walked in comfortable silence until they got to the gym. As soon as they arrived, Sunset began taking and folding the chairs.
“What are you doing?” Trixie asked.
“What does it look like?” Sunset replied, stacking the folded chairs on a corner. “You need space to do the backflip.”
Trixie chuckled. She supposed that the rehearsal could wait an hour or two, so she helped Sunset taking the chairs away, leaving the gym with enough space to let two basketball teams practice at the same time.
Once they finished, Trixie took off her coat and tossed it on one of the stacked chairs. Sunset also disposed her coat and scarf, stacking them upon Trixie’s coat, and then leaned on the stage’s edge. She crossed her arms and tilted her head, smiling expectantly at Trixie. “What’s the best thing you can do?”
Trixie was stretching her arms, already sweating a little by putting away the chairs while using a thick coat. Sunset noticed that Trixie’s clothes weren’t exactly the usual, as she originally thought, and instead consisted on a dark-purple leotard with black sleeves, matching the black of her pants. “Instead of telling you, I’ll show you,” Trixie answered. She sat down and took off her sneakers.
Sunset raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”
“I can’t perform with these things,” Trixie answered simply, tossing the sneakers to her left.
“Why did you bring them then?” Sunset frowned. “Why did you need them in the first place?”
Trixie smiled, stretching her left leg in front of her and easily reaching her toes with her fingers. “I went running to warm up before I came here.” She switched to her other leg. “If I don’t warm up properly, I can get hurt real bad.”
“Makes sense, I guess.” Sunset tapped her fingers against her arms. “How much do you run? A hundred meters?”
Trixie chuckled. “Ten kilometers, minimum.” She smiled at Sunset’s surprised expression. “I’m an athlete, Sunny. That’s like a walk in the park to me.” She then placed her hands on the floor in front of her and spread her legs apart, effortlessly making a split.
Sunset whistled, showing a wide grin afterwards. “Alright, forget watching Equestria. You already earned to visit it when the portal opens.”
“I’m not sure I like that look on your face,” Trixie said, raising an eyebrow.
“It’s your fault for being so… flexible.”
Trixie deadpanned. “Don’t get your hopes so high.” Sunset groaned, making Trixie smile. “I learned to take things slowly, you know?” She stood up and did one last stretch with her back. “You’ll have to conform with backflips for the time being.”
“And splits,” Sunset added.
Trixie rolled her eyes. “Whatever.” She took a deep breath to prepare herself and observed the space she had available.
It happened in just a couple of seconds, but to Sunset, it felt like minutes. Trixie was incredibly agile, jumping and flipping in mid-air, falling with her hands to boost another jump. She did realize a double backflip at some point, but it didn’t really matter to Sunset, as she was enthralled by Trixie’s mesmerizing performance. Trixie had such grace and elegance, it almost looked like she was dancing in the air.
Sunset gulped a few times, feeling her cheeks getting numb and warm. She was so, so glad she hadn’t rejected Trixie.
Once she had finished, Trixie ended her performance by softly falling on her toes and lifting her arms, stretching them upwards and smiling. Sunset didn’t realize she was clapping until Trixie started walking towards her. “Thank you, thank you. That routine got me a second place at a national tournament last year.”
“Really?” Sunset couldn’t hide the surprise in her voice. “I mean, this is the first time I see something like this, so my opinion may be a little biased, but I think you should’ve gotten first place.”
Trixie stopped mere inches away from Sunset, grinning pridefully. “I won’t tell you to stop praising me,” she said, placing her hands on Sunset’s shoulders, “but you oughtta know you’re not getting in my bed anytime soon.”
Sunset circled Trixie’s waist and pulled her closer. “I can wait.” She gave Trixie a quick kiss and smiled. “It’s not like I’m with you just for sexy times.”
“That sounds like it’s the exact opposite.”
“We wouldn’t be talking if that was the case.”
“Touché.” Sunset leaned down to kiss Trixie again. “It’s not fair,” Trixie said in a whisper. She smiled nervously at Sunset’s confused expression. “You’re taller than what I expected…”
Sunset raised an eyebrow, and for the first time, she realized the true height difference between them. Trixie was short; about one and a half meters, if she had to guess, which made her about five or so inches shorter than Sunset. And for some reason, Sunset found that to be painfully adorable.
“Are you saying you use ridiculously high-heeled boots to put up with your tininess?” Sunset asked, smirking at Trixie’s increasing frown. “I guess it makes sense you have such an amazing balance, what with walking with those tentpoles you call high heels all the time.” Trixie huffed and tried to step back, but Sunset held her firmly against her. “Oh, come on, Trix. I’m just messing with you.”
“Well, don’t,” Trixie said, not really making a big effort to get away from Sunset. “I don’t like people mocking me because of my height.”
“And here I thought you were a grown girl.”
Trixie’s frown deepened. “Quit it.”
Sunset’s grin grew wider. “You shouldn’t sweat the small stuff.”
“You done?”
“Just a little more.”
“You think this is funny, huh?” Trixie glared daggers at Sunset. “Well, you’re the one who’s coming up short.”
Sunset tilted her head. “For someone who plays with cards all the time, you wouldn’t be a good poker player.”
Trixie pouted, but just a moment later, she chuckled. “You’re a dork.”
Sunset hummed. “I’ve been called many things in my life, but never a dork.” She narrowed her eyes as her smile became more tender. “I might get used to it, if it’s you who calls me that.”
This time, Trixie leaned up for a kiss. Sunset didn’t fail to notice how Trixie had to tiptoe in order to reach her mouth. “Let’s rehearse already. After that, we’ll have the whole day to do as we please.” Sunset wiggled her eyebrows. “Except that.”
“What?” Sunset asked innocently. “I just want some cuddling. Especially now that I learned how adorably tiny you are.”
“I’m not tiny,” Trixie replied through her teeth.
Sunset playfully squeezed Trixie’s waist before releasing her, chuckling softly as she walked to the stage. Trixie huffed as she prepared her props for the rehearsal, but by the time she started with the first trick, she had forgotten her anger at Sunset’s teasing.
The rehearsal went by pretty fast, mostly because they decided to skip the parts where Trixie would have to distract the audience and keep driving their attention away from the trick. Even the last trick, Trixie’s masterpiece, was shortened to just a couple of seconds, if only to make sure the nylon string that replaced the rope worked fine.
Trixie jumped off the stirrup just as Sunset finished sweeping the stage. “I think we’re ready,” she stated.
Sunset hummed. “If this doesn’t amaze the brothers, nothing will.”
Trixie stopped and looked at Sunset with a worried expression. “They will like it, right?”
“I dunno,” Sunset admitted. “I don’t see why they wouldn’t, though.”
Trixie walked backstage and searched a box filled with the props the brothers gave her. She grabbed something and walked to Sunset, who was tossing away the trash. “Well, I know you like it. That means everyone else will like it!”
“I only like it because I’m dating you,” Sunset replied with a bored expression. She immediately smiled guiltily. “Just kidding.”
“I know you’re kidding,” Trixie said, raising an eyebrow. “Anyway, can I practice a trick with you?”
“Sure, I guess.”
Trixie sat down cross-legged and showed a deck of cards. Sunset mimicked her and waited. “This is one of the first tricks I ever learned.” She shuffled the cards, making them jump from hand to hand and making them look like they were moving on their own. She placed the deck on the floor and spread the cards. “Pick one.”
Sunset did as was told, taking one from the center and lifting it, careful to not let Trixie see it. It was the Queen of Spades. “Alright, now put it back.” Trixie was holding the deck in her hand, face down. Sunset carefully placed the card in the middle of the deck. “Now, shuffle it.” Sunset raised an eyebrow, but obliged. Trixie noticed how Sunset had to use the floor as support to shuffle the cards.
“What was your card?” Trixie asked.
Sunset tilted her head in confusion, intrigued by Trixie’s question. “The Queen of Spades.”
Trixie hummed, staring deeply into Sunset’s eyes. “Interesting card. Very fitting, I’d say.”
“How so?” Sunset asked, still shuffling the cards.
“Well, in order to tell you that, I’m going to give you a history lesson… So to speak.” Trixie cleared her throat. “The Kings, Queens, and Knaves all represent historic or mythological people. In the case of your card, the Queen of Spades, it represents Pallas, who was Athena’s childhood friend.”
“Uh-huh…”
Trixie sighed. “Athena is the greek goddess of strategy,” she explained. “Anyway, Athena and Pallas used to practice the arts of war together. But, one day, they had an argument and started fighting for real. Pallas was gaining ground, and she was about to strike Athena down, but then, Zeus interfered, taking Pallas by surprise. Athena took advantage and killed Pallas. She gets so distraught by this, that she adopts her name for herself, thus being called Pallas Athena ever since.”
Sunset hummed for a moment. “I still don’t know how that relates to me.”
“Didn’t you pay attention?” Trixie asked. “Athena was the goddess of strategy, and yet Pallas was a better fighter.” She placed a hand upon Sunset’s and smiled at her. “You have a lot of skills you’re not even aware of. I still don’t know much about your past, but I do know that you’ve overcome many obstacles in your life. You are brave, and you can take anything life throws at you and use it to step up and move on.”
Trixie inhaled deeply and took the deck from Sunset’s hand. She placed it face up and spread it. Sunset’s eyes widened in surprise at what she saw. Fifty cards were from the red suits, and two of them were Queens; one of Spades, and one of Clubs. Trixie smiled. “Ah, the Queen of Clubs. That’s my favorite card.” She looked at Sunset’s awed expression. “Two black cards amongst red ones. Kind of reminds me of you and me…”
Sunset raised an eyebrow.
“I admire you, Sunset,” Trixie said, looking away to avoid Sunset’s gaze. “You are brave and strong… Going even against the royalty of your world just to pursue your dreams… You have guts.” She smirked. “It doesn’t matter if it was a mistake or not. You had a goal, and you chased after it. And me? Heh, I have to hide that I’m doing this show from my family. I don’t have the guts to go against their word. Who know’s how they’ll react?” She chuckled. “Heck, I don’t even want to imagine just telling them I’m gay.”
Sunset placed a hand on Trixie’s shoulder and squeezed it gently. “Don’t worry, Trix. You just need your career to start, and you won’t have to worry about what anyone has to say. I’m sure you’ll…” She blinked. “Wait, what?”
Trixie looked at Sunset. “What?”
“They don’t know you’re gay?”
Trixie went silent for several seconds.
“... No?”
Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Why not?”
Trixie looked away, pouting. “Because they are close-minded, and also homophobic. They think my ex-girlfriend was a guy…”
“... Huh…”
“Yeah…”
Sunset idly scratched her nose. “Well… I think you’ll have to tell them… eventually… I guess…”
Trixie couldn’t help but smile at Sunset’s awkward tone. “This may be a new concept to you, Sunny. But to us humans it’s pretty normal to worry about that stuff…”
“What? ‘To us humans’? Are you discriminating me, girl?” Sunset asked, exaggerating an offended voice.
Trixie chuckled. “And what if I am? What are you gonna do about it?”
Sunset grinned and gently grabbed Trixie’s shoulders, effortlessly pushing her down. “Depends on whether you hate or love the punishment.”
“Well.” Trixie placed a finger on Sunset’s lips. “I’d really hate if you invite me to a third date.”
Sunset made a thoughtful expression. “I think I can afford something like that… How does it sound going at the Jazz Club five blocks from here?”
“I might hate it.”
“The Jazz Club it is.” Sunset leaned down, closing their distance. “But, it opens in six hours. We’ve got a lot of free time on our hands.”
Trixie smiled. “I would really hate to spend all that time on the cuddling session you’ve been pleading for the whole day.”
Sunset leaned her body down, resting her weight on her arms. She gave Trixie a quick kiss. “Sounds like a plan to me.”
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Aww so much love in the air!
I love the cutessy play you made here! THIS is what inspired me to write the way I do. Glad to see you haven't lost your touch!
On a more serious note. Poor Trixie with her parents. It's sad when people are close minded. But I understand why parents are like that. They just worry. At least in this case I hope that's all. And I want to see what happens if Trixie meets her counterpart!
Or god forbid both Sunsets meet both Trixies!
OMG DO IT!
That romance. The ship is pulling its anchors aboard and sailing.
Trixie, you're gonna have to continue a little bit of give and take with Sunset. You lucked out that Sunny is pansexual, well, in thirty months time you're going to have to start being ponysexual
Especially with all those comments Sunset makes about you being flexible and the like 
Now to wait for them to blow...the minds of the audience away when The Great and Powerful Trixie does her show.
6423248 In the "Sunset Shimmer’s Time to Shine" chapter book, Trixie wanted to break up the Rainbooms so she can have Sunset all to herself. So take that as you will.
i think this is my new favorite ship
Moar please 
Ah, our shipping questions were answered. This chapter did a good job selling the relationship, I think.
That seems excessive for a gymnastics warm-up. It's not a big marathon or anything but it's big enough that she probably spent about an hour jogging for this (I assume she was jogging, running full out for any distance isn't really something I think of as a warm-up).
It feels kind of weird to go from meters to inches in the same sentence, since they're from two different measuring systems.
6424112
Wait, is that canon? Because if so, I may have to discard my alternate theory of "or maybe Trixie is just weak against mind magic".
I'm amazed I don't see more Sunset/Trixie, given that.
All right, headcanon finalized-- human Trixie likes orange badgirls with magical backgrounds and singing talent. Having two minions is optional.
6427012
Yes and no.
Well, not everybody have read the book.
6419160 I certainly hope nobody meets their counterpart...
6426996 What were the questions again? xD
I'm glad ya'll enjoying my fic =D I wish I could write faster xD
Hnnnng, so adorable i love it! Smol Trixie is best trixie <3
yeah, save that for the sequel!