Chapter 1
Twilight rolled over in bed, the purple mare's body slowly stretching in her half-awake daze as she murmured gently to herself. As her eyes closed once more to enjoy those last few moments of blissful sleep, her forehooves dug into the bed sheets before bumping into something familiar. A wistful smile crossed her muzzle as she smiled, reaching forward with her muzzle as her nostrils began to sniff her favorite scent. Opening her eyes slowly, Twilight saw Trixie's half awake eyes staring back into hers as a sleepy smile crosses the blue unicorn's muzzle.
"Mmm, good morning, sleepyhead..." Trixie's usual defenses by now were dropped when around Twilight, but her voice still carried that slightly haughty tone to it at times. It wasn't intentional most the time for her, it's just that the magician unicorn had her stage persona so ingrained into her normal psyche. "It's about time you woke up..."
Twilight gave a slow smile as she reached out, her right hoof touching Trixie's face lightly as her own smile deepened. "Mmm, Trixie... I had such a wonderful dream about you last night. Just you and me, by ourselves, traveling the countryside together performing like you promised the last time you visited."
Trixie let out a light laugh as she leaned forward, nuzzling the purple unicorn's muzzle with her own before nibbling her way up to Twilight's ear. She then began to whisper into the thin equine ear, her words caressing the inside of this sensitive place with the heat of her breath. "Mmm, Twilight... What do you mean? I promised I'd never leave you again! Now, stop being such a neigh-sayer and get up... You need to run thru the shower before me so you still have some hot water left. You know it takes me much longer due to having to leave all my mane conditioner in! After all, the greatest and most powerful stage performer in Equestria has to look her best!"
A shudder ran over Twilight's body, feeling the hot breath in her ear as she bit her lower lip in anticipation. Swallowing softly, she turned her head towards Trixie's face, their eyes locking before she darted in to give the blue mare's lips a gentle peck. "Mmmm, do I have to? Can't we just stay in bed today?"
Trixie shook her head and made a shooing motion with her forehooves. "No, or we'll never get out of bed, just like yesterday! Now you go get into the shower and then go make some tea... I'll be down later after my shower."
Twilight let out an exasperated sigh as she slowly rose up out of bed. "All right, but you owe me for getting out of bed, Trixie." Rising to her hooves, the violet unicorn trotted out of bed before turning her head. As she looked over her right shoulder at the bed, Twilight gave an impish grin as she batted her eyelashes. "You know I love you, Trixie..."
The blue unicorn's cheeks blushed as she nodded. "I know, Twilight... And I love you, too. Now hurry up and get into the shower, before I have to swat your flank into it!" Grinning, the blue unicorn raised a hoof in a teasing manner as if reaching over for the newspaper on the bedside table as if to roll it up.
Twilight let out a squeal as she shook her head. "No-no-no-no! I'm going, I'm going! See you downstairs!" Giggling to herself, Twilight galloped out of her bedroom towards the bathroom. As her hooves shook the wooden floors of the tree house, a large photo was shaken off the bedspreads, the thin paper catching the air as it fell picture-side down on the floor next to Twilight's bed.
After a refreshing shower, Twilight trotted towards the bedroom to tell Trixie the bath room was free. She paused, looking in to see the blue unicorn no where in sight. Looking around, Twilight soon found her blue unicorn crawled halfway under the bed as if searching for something. "Trixie..." Twilight began as her right forehoof started to impatiently tap on the floor. "Whatever are you doing under there?"
"Oh, Twilight," the slightly embarrassed tone evident in the blue mare's voice with her head under the bed. "It's just... The photo fell down off the bed, and I got stuck down here trying to get it back. Would you be a dear and help me out of this mess, please?"
Shaking her head in disbelief, Twilight's horn came alight with magical energies as she gently pulled Trixie from under the bed. Walking over, Twilight dusted her off with her hooves as she sighed. "Oh, what am I going to do with you? What if any of your fans saw you so dishevelled! You'd be on the cover of all the tabloids!"
Trixie's blush still burned on her cheeks as she pouted. "But... I thought you were my biggest fan, Twilight?" Turning her head away, the other unicorn slipped easily into the act of being hurt from all her years on the stage.
Twilight let out an exasperated sigh before shaking her head. "Oh, Trix... You know I am, and you know I was only kidding. Now, come on, my favorite magician. Go get yourself cleaned up, and then come meet me downstairs, please?"
Trixie let out a depressed sigh, but the smile upon her muzzle lips showed plainly that the sigh was still part of the act. "Oh, all right," Trixie began in a pouting tone of voice. "But only because you said please."
Twilight leaned forward, giving the other unicorn's brow a gentle kiss right under her horn as she smiled. "That's better, love. I'll see you downstairs." Giving a soft smile towards Trixie, Twilight trotted out of the bedroom with a final smiling glance over her shoulder at the mare she loved sitting atop the bedspreads. Then, turning away, she finally began to trot towards the stairs.
As Twilight trotted down the stairs, she was surprised to see Spike already awake and busy cleaning in the kitchen. "Oh Spike!" she began in a cheerful tone. "What are you doing up already?"
The dragon froze, nearly dropping the plate he had been washing as he turned towards the sound of the cheerful voice with a shocked look upon his face. "T-Twilight! What... You're finally out of bed? I mean, I'm glad to see you finally up and trotting around, but it's been over a week since you left it!"
Twilight shook her head and sighed deeply. "I know, I know... But Trixie and I decided we finally had to get out of bed."
Spike winced slightly, the purple dragon looking a bit queasy as he fumbled to find just the right words to say. "Ah, Twilight... You... I mean, what do you mean by that? Don't you remember what happened?"
Twilight turned, looking at the baby dragon as a frown crossed her muzzle. "What do you mean, Spike?"
The dragon sighed, fearful at the fact it seemed it was going to be another one of those days. "Well, you know... About Trixie. I mean, she-"
"Is upstairs taking a shower." Twilight cut in with a firm tone as she looked at the dragon with cross eyes. Then, as quickly as the glare crossed her face, it was gone. "Oh, but I want to get something nice for Trixie, Spike. Why don't you run to Sugarcube Corner and pick us all up something sweet for breakfast, all right?"
Spike swallowed nervously as he shook his head. "Whatever you say, Twilight... Should, I mean... Do you think you want to talk to your friends today? They've all... I mean, we've all been really worried for you, Twilight. We know how hard this must be for you, and we all just wish you'd let us in to help you."
Twilight turned towards the dragon, her happy demeanor faltering for a moment before she gives a light laugh. "Okay, Spike! If you want, you can call up my friends and we'll have a good ol' Pinkie Pie party later this afternoon. Is that fair?"
Spike nodded and began to scurry towards the door. "Thanks, Twilight!" He paused at the door as he opened it, the baby dragon looking over his shoulder as he smiled nervously. "You... You'll be okay while I'm gone, right? You won't do anything crazy, right?"
Twilight gave Spike a firm glare as she shook her head. "Spike! I'm shocked you'd even hint at something like that! I'm just going to go curl up in bed with a few research books while waiting for Trixie to finish her shower, and then we'll both come downstairs by the time you and our friends get back, okay?"
Spike shook his head sadly before turning to leave. "All right Twilight, whatever you say... But I'm bringing your friends back this time, because you told me to. So please let them help you this time..." With those words, Spike closed the door to the library as he headed out to gather everypony.
As Spike left, a cold shudder ran over Twilight's body. "Oooh, Spike, so melodramatic." Turning to trot up the stairs once more, the purple unicorn stepped carefully between the plates of moldy, uneaten food as she worked her way towards her room again. Opening the door, the bedroom was in shambles as dirty clothes, used crumpled tissues and newspapers were strewn across the floor. Trotting towards the bed, Twilight sighed. "Trixie, you wouldn't believe how strange Spike was acting this morning!"
Sitting on the bed, the unicorn looked over to the bedside table to see the same yellowing newspaper she'd been re-reading for the past few weeks. The cover photo was of a collapsed stage and the bold-faced headline read, 'FREAK WIND STORM CAUSES PYROTECHNIC MISFIRE, KILLING STAGE MAGICIAN'.
Looking away, the unicorn's magic picked up the photo laying atop her bedspreads as she sighed. "I know you're dead, Trixie. I know it every minute of every day. But I still love you..." The tears threatened to bust from her eyes one more as Twilight stared at the photo of her and Trixie on the day they announced their engagement to their friends-the two of them hugging and laughing the night before Trixie left to go on tour.
Laying the photo back on the bed, Twilight shook her head in frustration as she fought the onslaught of tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "Why can't they all just let me have this... This one moment when we're still back together. When the dreams are still fresh in my heart, and I can be happy again." Laying down atop her bed again, the unicorn's forelegs reached out to the photo to clutch it to her chest as she felt the tears begin to flow like waterfalls down her face once more.