Here is chapter twenty-two. Apologize for the lateness but I've had a few things to deal with over the winter break and now collage is starting up again which means I will have less time to write new chapters.
Chapter 22: Dinner with the Teacher Princess
Lunch started out about as normal as Trixie had expected it to go. Twilight’s parents had asked her various questions about her upbringing, family, and past experiences. Cadence was more interested in the romantic side of the discussion like how we met and what kinds of dates we had been on. Both Twilight and I were honest with our answers and it wasn't long before the questions ran dry and we all focused on the food that was in front of us.
Eventually, Twilight was unable to hold off her curiosity and asked “So why did my brother act so…strange? Was it something that I said?” You could hear the concern tone that was complemented the distant almost fearful look in her eyes. It was a sight that almost caused Trixie to reach out and comfort the purple unicorn in a tight hug. However, proper table manners and the fact that she wanted to keep a good first impression resulted in Trixie just placing a hoof over Twilight to let her know that she was present. Twilight returned the small gestured with an equally small smile but on the inside she was glad that Trixie was slowly warming up to the concept of them being marefriends, even if it was just a small simple gesture.
Cadence noticed the simple back and forth between the two unicorns and couldn't resist the gentile smile that was barely showing on her face. She had to admit there were times where she was worried that her favorite little filly was going to grow up without finding that special somepony that would complete her. It never occurred to her or for that matter her parents judging by their reactions that said ‘special somepony’ was in fact going to be a mare. However, she could sense the love that was slowly blossoming between them and hoped that this Trixie was the half that would complete Twilight and the other way around.
Slightly clearing her throat, Cadence said “You have to understand Twilight that your brother…my husband has had some rather…strict teachers. You see, unlike you who were taught mostly under Celestia; Shining has had multiple teachers while training and rising through the ranks to become Captain and a few of those teachers had some rather…out dated views on society.”
Twilight was quick to point out “But that shouldn't make a difference if his teachers had biased views or not!”
Cadence gave a gentile smile, expecting such a response from her sister-in-law. However, Trixie noticed that the smile never reached her eyes as she replied “If there is one thing that I have learned Twilight is that students sometimes take more than just knowledge from their teachers.” She noticed the slight confused look and continued “For example, you consider yourself to be Celestia number one student right?” Twilight nodded and Cadence stated “Have you ever noticed times when you tried to imitate or copy and of Celestia’s habits or traits?”
Twilight was about to voice her disagreement but stopped when memories started to resurface in her mind. She could recalled the times where she was walking around her house trying to copy her teacher’s grace and poise and there was her embarrassing ‘dessert’ phase she went through. Slowly, the purple unicorn could see where exactly her old foal-sitter was going with this and the rather defeated look on her face was enough to let Cadence know that she had come to an understanding.
Trixie could feel Twilight’s body starting to slightly shake as what was no doubt that scenario after scenario was playing through her confused mind. Feeling it was best to try and give Twilight some kind of ray of hope; Trixie looked at the pinkish alicorn and asked “Do you think that Shining Armor would come around?”
Cadence looked at the blue unicorn that Twilight had fallen for and could see the inner turmoil that was going on inside of her. Despite that turmoil, Cadence could tell that Trixie was at least trying to comfort and support Twilight and she could tell that the blue unicorn had a strong amount of love for her purple counterpart. She wouldn't tell them just yet, preferring to let love bloom at a natural pace; but she believed that they were a perfect match for each other. Giving Trixie a smile that before was reserved for Twilight she responded “I believe so Trixie. I do not believe this bias outlook on something that is completely natural to get in the way of his deep sense of love for his younger sister. He’ll come around in time, especially when he realized how happy you and Twilight are together.”
Twilight had paid attention to the conversation and she was grateful for Cadence to remind her of how much her brother actually cared for her. More importantly, she was thankful that Trixie was there to find that one piece of information that managed to steady her mind. It was then that Twilight came to the simple conclusion that she felt almost dependent on Trixie to be there to keep her mind focused and her body calm and collected. It wasn't uncommon for the purple unicorn to go off on mild panic attacks and she felt that she was close to having one at that moment. However, Trixie managed to pull herself from that panic mid set and allow her more calm and logical mind to regain her thoughts and emotions. To show her thanks, Twilight slightly leaned over to the blue unicorn and gave her a quick but thankful peck on the cheek.
Trixie felt the moment when Twilight’s lips connected on her fur and, like the times before, she was met with a sudden rush of heat and a slight tingly feeling inside of herself. The others could see the start of a blush forming on the blue unicorn face and their response was varying giggle of merriment. Their giggle only served to further embarrass the former magician but it wasn't long before she too joined in of the chuckling.
Eventually, lunch was finished and next came the part of the day that Trixie wasn't really looking forward to; the face to face talk with Twilight’s parents. To her surprise however, she found that it was only Twilight’s father that wanted to speak with her in the living room while Twilight and her mom went upstairs, no doubt having a similar chat in Twilight’s old room.
When she and Twilight’s dad had gotten settled, he started what he would consider a ‘friendly conversation’ while Trixie felt it more or less fit the concept of ‘interrogation’. The male unicorn was both straight and direct with the questions he was asking and Trixie did her best to respond to the questions as best she could. However, given the location on where she sat, she had a clear view of the trophy case that was behind Twilight’s dad. While a good portion of them belong to Twilight and Shining; the rest all belong to their parents and the awards ranged in various styles of the arcane including a set of trophies awarded to Twilight’s mom for her skills in fire spells. Those accomplishments were enough to further enforce the idea that the Sparkle family was more than capable magic users and it wasn't wise to be on their bad side.
Luckily, Trixie seemed to have made a good impression on Twilight’s dad due to the grin that was threatening to form on his mouth. It was also around this moment that Twilight and her mom returned from upstairs with neither of them looking no worse than before. Twilight quickly moved to sit next to Trixie and the two love struck unicorns waited while the verdict was being decided. Twilight was feeling slightly confident that the result was going to be positive but Trixie was still feeling somewhat nervous. Still the presence of Twilight being next to her was enough to keep that nervous energy from showing.
So it came to both a joy and a relief when the parents gave their approval of Twilight dating Trixie. Twilight had felt so happy upon hearing the news that she literally tackled Trixie and gave her a solid kiss on the lips. Trixie was completely taken by surprise by the kiss but slowly started to loss herself in the feel of Twilight’s lips upon her own and the feeling of her coat touching her own. Eventually, Twilight realized what she was doing and quickly detached herself from her marefriend leaving her in a state of embarrassment, Trixie lost in her own little world and two parents chuckling silently.
Twilight and Trixie stayed in the house for a few hours which mostly consisted of Twilight showing Trixie around the house and especially showing her old room. Twilight’s room was about what Trixie had expected; that is to say that a good half of the room was filled with books. Unlike her library home back in Ponyville, these books were more towards younger fillies and colts though there was the occasional higher learning material hidden around. The two eventually got settled down on Twilight’s bed with a few of her old books and took turns reading them if nothing else then just for the sake of reading and to enjoy each other’s company.
Eventually, the sun was reaching the evening time and Twilight felt that it was about time for dinner. Trixie had expected to have dinner here but Twilight was quick to inform her that they were going to have dinner with her teacher; or to me more accurate, the Royal Princess of Equestria and bringer of the Sun Celestia. Now it was pretty obvious that Trixie was feeling downright scared of being in the presence of royalty and more importantly joining said royalty for dinner; considering the fact that it was pretty much impossible to have dinner with the princess unless you were a diplomat. However, the look of normalcy on Twilight’s face made Trixie wonder if these kinds of things happened often while Twilight was living in Canterlot.
Trixie was so engross in her own thoughts that she didn't realize that they were already at the front gate to the castle. It wasn't until she heard Twilight talking to one of the guards standing there that it finally dawn onto the blue unicorn that she was about to enter a place she never imagined she would ever find herself in. Yet, she watched as the castle doors slowly opened and she found herself staring in awe as to what was behind the door.
‘Massive’ was the first word that came into Trixie’s mind when she saw the foyer. The room itself appeared to be large enough to fit a full grown dragon and every inch of it was stunning from the golden walls to the weave tapestry. Truly it was a place that could have only existed inside Canterlot Castle. However, the foyer was nothing compared to the beauty that was waiting for them at the top of the stairs.
Like her sun, Princess Celestia shinned brighter than anything Trixie had seen and perhaps will ever see in her life. Her perfect coat and rainbow flowing mane could inspire beautiful works of poetry and music and her gentle smile gave off a new feeling of comfort. Trixie still recalled how she felt when she was standing in front of Princess Luna and while the night princess had an air of royalty and power around her; the solar princess seemed to radiate warmth and kindness.
Trixie quickly brought herself to a bow while Twilight quickly raced over to meet her teacher. The blue unicorn was unable to see what was going on due to the position she was in but it wasn't long before she heard the gentle patter of metal striking metal before a rich voice said “So you are the pony that Twilight has taken such an interest in?”
Trixie felt the compulsion to keep her current position but the gentle undertone made her head rise to meet the sovereign gaze before her brain could form a decision. One look into those eyes seemed to cast all the doubt and uncertainty that filled the blue unicorn’s heart and the gentile smile was both refreshing and comforting. Those combine were enough for Trixie to give off her own smile before replying “Yes your majesty.”
Trixie rose from her bowing position just when she became aware of the sounds of hoof steps getting louder. The three ponies looked over to one of the side hallways and saw the appearance of another unicorn. From the overall appearance and face build; it was quite clear that this unicorn was a mare. However, she held herself with the kind of confidence and poise that would indicate that she was not a pony to mess with. Unlike the normal guard colors, this mare was only wearing a highly detailed golden chest plate which didn't do much to cover her coat which was a very bright tone of yellow. Her mane was a mixture of red, orange, and yellow that was styled to appear as if her mane was on fire. However, it was those eyes of blue that caused the most reaction. They had the appearance of a pony that has seen things that no other should ever witness but were masked with a kind of determination that one would have when they had to fight to survive. So intrigued by those eyes, Twilight and Trixie almost didn't notice the sword and sheath resting along her side.
The strange unicorn ignored the two unicorns and instead focused her gaze on Celestia before saying “Your Majesty. I have just been informed that dinner is now ready.” Celestia nodded her head before the unicorn continued “Also, I have been informed by the Moon Champion that Princess Luna will be unable to attend due to a matter that requires her attention.”
Celestia nodded her head and replied “Thank you Commander Solarshield. We shall be there soon.” The unicorn, now known as Solarshield, merely nodded her head before making her way down the hallway she came from. There was a slight moment of silence before Celestia commented “Well we wouldn't want to let dinner get cold.” Twilight and Trixie nodded in agreement and moved side by side while following Celestia to the dining hall.
As the three were walking, Celestia made it a point to try and get Trixie to relax by inquiring about her travels. Trixie was happy to be able to recount all that she had seen but she did her best to try and not sound boastful. Eventually, Trixie started to ask about how Twilight was as a student which eventually led to what felt like a never ending barrage of embarrassing moments directed at the blushing purple unicorn. Twilight would have asked Celestia to stop but when she saw how calm and at ease Trixie was; that notion fizzled out in her head.
It was at that moment that Celestia and the two unicorns passed through a set of double doors to the royal dining hall. The hall was one of few rooms in the castle that could be altered to serve different functions. In this case, the room could become large enough to fit a fully grown dragon with multiple tables set up in front of the royal table or small enough that it would look like something you would find in any ponies house. In this case, it was the latter with a small table and three plates set up though only one of plates was gold while the rest were a silver chrome-like color.
Celestia sat in front of the gold plate while Twilight and Trixie sat next to each other but across from Celestia. The two unicorns notice that Solarshield was in the room with them but she made no appearance of taking a spot at the table. Instead, it looked like she was staring off into space. Before the two unicorns could inquire about her strange behavior, a door was quickly opened and three servants rushed into the room each of them holding a chalice in their magical grip. As quickly as they had appeared, the servants placed the chalices in front of the ponies sitting at the table before leaving back through the door they came from.
Celestia and Twilight didn't wait for too long before they grabbed the chalice that was in front of them in their respective magical grip and taking a sip of the refreshing drink. Trixie took a look at the red fruit punch mixture and became aware of the dryness of her throat. So she followed the example of the monarch and her marefriend and took a rather enjoyable sip of her drink.
However, the moment that the drink entered her stomach, she became engulfed in a large amount of pain. Trixie lost her concentration of the chalice, causing it to crash onto the floor leaving a red stain on the white tile. Celestia and Twilight, surprised by the sudden noise, were unable to stop Trixie from collapsing on the ground in a fit on intense pain. Trixie let out a chocked scream as she felt her inside being engulfed in fire.
Solarshield, who had remained passive at the moment, quickly made her way to the side of the blue unicorn. Her horn alight, she quickly cast a spell designed to paralyze a pony’s body in order to slow down whatever toxin was inside of them. When the spell was cast, Trixie let out another chocked scream before her eyes rolled up and she collapsed on the ground in silence. Solarshield wasted no time before shouting “I need this unicorn delivered to the medical wing NOW and can somepony get me Snake Eyes!” The response was a collective ‘Yes, Ma’am’ before two guards grabbed the paralyzed pony and galloped in the direction of the medical wing. One pegasus guard quickly volunteered to locate Snake Eyes and didn't hesitate to fly out the window. The rest either remained in the room to guard the Sun Princess and her student or were sent to wherever their Commander ordered them to go.
Twilight was oblivious to what was going on around her. All she could feel was the warm comfort coming from Celestia’s leg, the bitter tears on her cheeks and the cracking of her heart.
Man…I finally got this chapter done. I am such a slow writer that it is not even funny. Anyhow, hope you enjoy the chapter.
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Sees update.
Has this reaction:
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I will now proceed to read!
My...my feels...
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I just want to know two things: Who was behind the poison, and why was Trixie the only one to be affected by it?
And that Mood Whiplash...things were starting to look like they might be all right, and then THIS happens!
But I will not cry! My feels have endured the following stories from start to finish without being completely overwhelmed: The Empty Room, Inner Demons, Rainbooms and Royalty, Last of the Dragonlords, A Dark Knight for Equestria, Pony Ball Z, Fragmented, Trixie's Gettin' Back On Her Hooves, The Immortal Game, Nightmare Night and Nyx, and Past Sins.
What's more, I'm following these feel-intense stories as well: True Colors, Embracing the Darkness, The Vampony Chronicles, Nyx's Family, Winter Bells, Sweetie's Mansion, Everlasting Night, After That Fateful Night, Myths and Birthrights, Storms On the Horizon, Guardians of Magic, Friendship is Aura, The Conquering of Love, The Powers of Harmony, The Quiet Place, Letters From a Friend at the End of the World, and In Her Blood.
In other words, my feels are veterans, so I can endure whatever you throw at me!
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And you have a character named Snake Eyes? Let me guess: Black bodysuit with a mask that hides the face, ninja, and silent at all times.
Here, have these badges of approval while we wait for Trixie to be cured!
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Also:
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2119482
there is such as thing as too many pictures...
You jumped from third to first then third. And don't try to pull the "It was a first-person from Trixie who speaks third-person". Some parts didn't work for that (later on).
gentle*
said,*
out,*
gentle*
replied.*
Twilight, it is*
slightly*, continued.*
stated,*
poise,*
pace,*
responded.*
unicorns*, giggles*
giggling*, magician,*
face-to-face*
positive,*
Still,*
kiss,*, lose*
Replace "room" with "it".
Sun,*
engrossed*
dawned on*
shined*
flowing rainbow*
music,*
Luna,*, her, the solar*
in,*, said,*
cast out*, heart,*, gentle*
combined*, replying.*
whenas*, sound*build,*
saying,*
continued.*
replied,*
commented,*
was,*
up,*, replace "rest" with "others"
choked*
choked*
shouting,*
Sorry. I just couldn't help it. These moods come and go. You got it while it was fresh. I know I missed some stuff cuz my focus started to drift a bit in. Sorry.
Delete this comment when you are done.
Im senseing poison.
Yeah, new chapter!
I will add my 2 bits by saying that the end feel 'weak', I didn't sense a feel of panic!
Twilight just 'cry' in Celestia arms, it feel it was clear that it was Trixie who was targeted... or was it Twilight? Celestia?
And I second sywak on everything (s)he point out! (some brun my eye more than over)
Hope to see a better next chapter when you have one!
2121888
Agree! Shining, just stop it! You're better than that!
Man I missed your story and I am glad you are back continue at your own pace.
Okay... that's not good! And things were looking so well, too.
Okay...What did Celestia do?
Hm, let's look at the facts
1. The purpose of the dinner was supposed to be to discuss the relationship
2. Apparently, only Trixie was affected
3. Clearly, the perpetrator didn't want either Celestia or Twilight hurt
4. Princess Luna was unable to attend so more than likely, someone held her up
5. In response to the above comment, he/she would've had to be close to Luna
6. Given Solarshield's actions shortly before Trixie was poisoned, it's possible he was in on it
7. Shining Armor, who as Captain of the Guard and wife to Cadance, is close to the Princesses and seems to be against the relationship
Here's my conclusion
Shining Armor hatched a plan to poison Trixie and had Solarshield carry it out in order to avoid suspicion and wanted to keep Luna away so she couldn't help or so he would have an alibi by staying with her. Solarshield either cast the spell on Trixie so he wouldn't be a suspect or because he decided to not follow orders fully.
What's with the first person when the rest of the chapter is in third person?
2144101
If that is the case, can you explain why Twilight went crying to Celestia instead of frantically worrying about her marefriend?
2309496
She's in a state of shock. This can happen when a tragedy just occurs out of the blue. Generally, the result can be lightheadedness, inability to think, something akin to paralysis, or fading in or out of consciousness. She can't think clearly right now at all.
Also, the last part of the quote about "the cracking of her heart" implies that she is worried about Trixie.
2119886
Actually gentile is an appropriate term to us there.
*any
Still really good story.