> Something About Her > by LightningBass94 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Trixie's Crush > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- FLASH! There was a moment of silence. BANG! "Urgh!" Came the dissatisfied, frustrated groan, "No, no, no!" Trixie was standing in the den of Twilight's library. Six times now, she had attempted to manipulate the fire in the fireplace, and six times now it had created a small explosion dangerously close to her mane. She wiped the sweat from her brow. She had begun to sweat profusely by that time, partly due to the heat of the explosions, and partly because she had been exerting quite a bit of energy on this spell. "I need this!" She thought, determinedly, "If I intend to present myself properly in my new show, I need this spell!" It was a fairly simple spell for a unicorn of her caliber, especially for one with a special talent in illusion magic such as herself. It was only a spell to make the fire rise into the air, take the shape of a dragon, and shoot a stray flame from it's fiery mouth. Why then, could she not perform it? "Ugh! Why is this so difficult!?" She asked aloud. She was not expecting an answer, but she got one regardless. Spike couldn't ever resist the urge to point out the obvious. "You can't focus," He retorted, not even glancing from his book. The purple-scaled dragon sat lazily on the couch, close enough to watch everything Trixie had done in the past hour. Trixie scoffed at her dragon friend, "Why would the Great and Powerful Trixie have any problem focusing?" She slipped into her stage presence, feigning pride, "She is the most magnificent magical mare in all of Equestria!" That made Spike roll his eyes. He closed his book and looked up to the powder-blue mare with a snarky expression, "Because, Twilight went out to the park with Rainbow Dash to read, and you're jealous," His smug smile only got wider as he finished the statement. Trixie gave a theatrical gasp and stammered, trying to come up with a proper comeback, "H-h-how could you even consider that? Trixie is never jealous, especially over Twilight Sparkle!" Spike read her like an open book. He was enjoying making her fluster. He got up and began walking into the kitchen. "Uh-huh," He called from the other room, "So I suppose you wouldn't be interested in what Rainbow told me before they took off!" Hook. "Told you?" Line. "Told you what?" "Oh nothing, really," Spike stifled a giggle, "Just that she's going to ask Twilight out on a date today!" "WHAT!" Trixie shrieked. Sinker. Trixie ran into the kitchen, fear spread across her face. She was hyperventilating and looked to be in dire need of Rarity's fainting chair. Spike busted up laughing, falling on his back onto the floor. With on claw covering his gut, he pointed a finger at Trixie, "Gotcha!" Trixie huffed, "Alright fine!" She caved. "I may have a tiny crush on her, but that was certainly not very nice!" "Tiny!?" Spike asked, incredulously, "You kissed her and fell to sleep in her arms just two weeks ago!" "I-I-I- That was- I was drunk!" She finally got out, "That d-doesn't count!" She turned her head in an attempt to hide her all-too-obvious blush when they heard the door slam. "I'm home!" Twilight called cheerfully, but as she glanced toward the fireplace her eyes widened, pupils the size of pin pricks, "Holy Celestia! There are scorch marks and soot everywhere! Trixie!" Trixie cringed. She had not yet had a chance to clean up. She looked to the book still floating at her side for answers only to see she had burnt the corner of it off! She quickly hid the book and walked slowly into the den. With a sheepish grin, she apologized, "I'm sorry Twilight. I got carried away with my practice. You know how that is. I'll clean it up as soon as I can find the spell to get rid of the scorch marks," She hoped that was enough. Twilight was fuming, but she made a soothing gesture with her hoof and sighed. All at once, she seemed more level-headed than ever. "Alright, Trixie," She accepted the apology. Trixie mentally bro-hoofed herself. "Just please, please, please try not to burn the house down." Trixie nodded and began to search the shelves for a book on restoration spells. Spike silently began cooking dinner, and Twilight sat down to scribble a couple notes on her day with Rainbow Dash in the journal they all shared. Trixie made a mental note to read that entry while Twilight wasn't looking. The rest of the night would no doubt go by in an awkward silence, like many of their nights had in the past couple weeks. Dinner was the most awkward part of all. Twilight and Trixie sat opposite of each other, trying not to make eye contact. Spike sat between them, and groaned several times at the situation he was in. Every night it was the same. Twilight and Trixie would take turns looking up from their food to take furtive glances at each other. Occasionally, they would take a glance at each other, locking eyes for just a moment before both turning away and blushing, trying to pretend they hadn't seen the other. It was usually at those moments that Spike would groan or smack his face with his palm. Feeling unnaturally courageous that evening, Trixie actually spoke up, "S-s-so, Twilight?" "Y-yeah?" Twilight responded nervously, refusing to look up from her food. "H-how's Rainbow Dash? I-I heard she qualified to go to the Equestria games?" "Yes, that's right." Twilight felt a bit disappointed that they were talking about Rainbow Dash. "Well, she certainly must be excited." That killed the conversation for at least a minute before Trixie asked the question that had been begging her to ask it, "H-h-how was your day with...her? Anything special happen?" That got Twilight's attention. Was Trixie jealous of her time spent with Rainbow? Spike bit back a light giggle and excused himself from the table. "N-no. Nothing important. We just read part of the newest Daring Do book, and Rainbow did a couple tricks in the air. Same old, same old." "Oh," Trixie responded. Barely audible, she added, "Good." Twilight heard the addition and blushed. She was briefly reminded of the taste of Trixie's lips the night they kissed. She longed for that taste again, but she knew she could never be that forward. She let out a sad sigh, unrelated to the conversation she had been having, and the action brought more questions to Trixie's mind, but she remained silent for the rest of the meal. > Starstruck > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two days had passed, and Twilight had spent most of that time helping -watching, rather- Trixie prepare for her show. The mayor offered to let her rent the stage outside of Town Hall for a small cut of the profit, and Trixie was determined to make this show more spectacular than ever. Just as Fluttershy had shown her, she planned to let her actions speak for her. For that, she needed all the spells she could find. Trixie really did have great magical power, but it was all illusion magic. She was a novice at best when it came to Arcana. That was Twilight's forté. Twilight mostly sat and stared in awe. She would clap her hooves at any spell she deemed especially impressive, and offer encouragement when Trixie failed. This was usually rewarded with a kind smile and words of thanks. Trixie was refusing to practice one spell, the final blow to seal the deal between her and her audience. She didn't want Twilight to see it just yet. She had been practicing the spell alone, but she couldn't actually guage if the spell was working correctly without some form of audience. It would have to be a surprise, even for herself. She hoped Twilight would like it. Her show was, in fact, later that night. She breathed a contented sigh and stared at Twilight a moment, just a hint of longing hidden away in her purple orbs. "I think that's enough for now. I don't want to be exhausted before my show starts." Twilight smiled at this and stood up to give her friend a hug. It was a warm, gentle embrace, but as her hooves wrapped around the magician's neck, she shivered in satisfaction. She had been sitting some distance away from her all day, and had longed for even a simple embrace such as this. She sighed. How easily she would sleep if she could just hold this mare in her arms each night. "Your show is going to be magnificent," She whispered. Her hot breath tingled Trixie's ear and made it twitch. She smiled and wordlessly thanked her friend by returning the hug and nuzzling into the fur of her neck. Trixie took in the princess' scent. She smelled of lavendar and the sweet, homey scent of an old book, with just a hint of maple. "Perfect," She thought simply. The embrace lingered for several more moments, and they eventually took a step away from each other. Neither seemed overly embarrassed by that, despite finding it hard to talk to one another at times. "So," Trixie broke their serene silence, "Earlier you told me that Rarity had a surprise for me? We should get going." She gave Twilight a confident, playful smile, then walked to the door with a bit more sway in her hips than usual. Twilight blushed at her sudden sultry attitude and stood frozen in the room for what felt like decades as she studied the curves of Trixie's flanks. Her wings threatened to pomf on their own, extending slightly from her body. She snapped out of it when Trixie opened the door and looked back over her shoulder. "Coming?" She asked innocently. "Y-yes. Right behind you!" Twilight gave a quick gallop to catch up to the magician. "Is Trixie coming onto me?" She thought. She had read many a novel on the subject, but romance was still a foreign language to her. The closest thing she'd ever had to a relationship was a two day blushing contest with Flash Sentry that she was fairly certain she won. "Tonight will be...interesting." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "Darlings!" Rarity boomed as she opened her door. As she stared the two down, she could practically smell the sexual tension of two mares not sure how to express their feelings toward each other. She had an eye for such things and it had been increasingly obvious to her the past two weeks. "It's so good to see you both again." She ushered them inside. "Now, the main treat is for Trixie, but I have a little something for you as well, Twilight." She stated matter-of-factly as she levitated two white boxes to the mares, Trixie's noticibly larger. Twilight began to open her mouth in protest to recieving anything at all, but Rarity's practiced hoof was quickly over her muzzle. "Sush, dear." She turned toward Trixie and pointed her horn toward the changing room. "You can try it on over there." Trixie didn't know what to say. Rarity had a way about her that just left Trixie speechless. She decided to make her way to the changing room without a word in fear of saying something stupid in her dumbfoundedness. There was a gasp that could be heard from the room as the unicorn opened her box. Twilight raised a brow, but Rarity beamed at the unseen reaction, "Go ahead and put it on, Dear." There was a rustling, then silence. A suddenly bashful unicorn stepped from behind the curtain and it was now the others' turns to gasp. She was beautiful. The design was of a simple cloak and hat, very similar to Trixie's classic outfit; however, this outfit was anything but simple. The stitch somehow allowed the cloak to hug tight to her curves, effectively showing them off in a classy but sexy way, yet still allowed it to flow freely as a cloak should. The hat was fit to Trixie's head better than her old hat ever had. It's tip ended in a small, silver bell. Both items were black with a matching design; a design that was moving? The -very realistic- galaxies adorning the outfit were not just spinning slowly upon the fabric, but they also gave off their own faint glow. They were of a light blue color, mixed with lavendar, matching Trixie's coat and eyes. Ever so often, a stray comet would rocket swiftly and quietly down her back. It was clasped with a bright sapphire, nearly identical to Trixie's classic broach. To finish the ensemble, Rarity had added short, black boots, the tops of which lolled over the sides like an elf shoe, the toe coming to a point with Trixie's hoof. Twilight's mouth had been hanging open for the last thirty seconds as her lavendar orbs rolled over Trixie's body with the ensemble on, eliciting a small blush from the blue unicorn. Rarity, on the other hand, was beaming like a mad mare. "Oh it fits you so well!" She commented. "The enchantment was a special request I had to make of Princess Luna. I'm satisfied, to say the least. I never looked at it after she sent it back, and the comets were her idea, I presume. You look ravishing, Darling." "Th-thank you, Rarity," Trixie smiled back at her friend, "I can't believe you went through all this trouble just for my performance!" Rarity dismissed the comment, "Oh it was no trouble at all, Darling. I'm glad you like it." She turned to Twilight, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. She spoke just slightly lower in a sultry tone, "Now, Twilight. I believe you have a gift as well." She gave a confusing wink. Twilight walked into the changing room and closed the curtain behind her as Trixie sat down next to Rarity. There was a rustling as the package was opened. "WHAT? I CANNOT WEAR THIS IN PUBLIC!" "Just put it on, Dear~," Rarity replied slyly, giving a small wink to Trixie to reassure her everything was alright. "And put your hair up in a bun like you did for the gala!" Time passed and a very flustered alicorn tentatively walked from behind the curtain. Trixie gasped, her own jaw hanging as she looked on at the gorgeous alicorn princess with a mixture of excitement, surprise, longing and lust. With her hair in a bun, Twilight wore a black gold tiara, very much like her -seldomly worn- golden, royal tiara. She had on a small, sexy black silk dress, fit specifically to her to show off all the right curves. It twinkled like stars when the light hit it at an angle. Her back hooves were adorned with black, thigh-high stockings. It was just enough to be sexy, while retaining some class; pretty, without drawing too much attention. 'H-how do I look?" She asked them both, but she really only wanted to hear from Trixie. Rarity knew it, and kept her mouth shut. She nodded in silent approval. Trixie shook her head to clear her mind and responded with an awkward, "Y-you look amazing!" Rarity grinned. Her work here was done, and it was nearly sundown. Time for the show! > The Spectrum of Emotion > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dark. That was the only way to describe the moonless, Summer night. Beyond that, there was sufficient cloud cover to blot out most of the stars, a select few twinkling in the night sky. It had been an hour since Celestia had lowered her sun, and a large crowd had gathered. It was an adult crowd. Trixie had decided foals may actually be frightened by some of her tricks, and that she would perform weekly street magic near the fountain with simple tricks to entertain children. There wouldn't be many bits in it, but it would certainly make them happy. Now, however, the crowd was full of adults; adults ready for real magic. That was the goal. She needed to really amaze these people. There was no entry fee, only a tip trough before the stage. Using a night vision and invisibility spell, Trixie scanned the crowd. Her friends and Twilight were near the front. They all looked excited, or maybe Pinkie Pie looked excited enough for all of them. It was hard to tell. Rainbow Dash, of course, hovered over the crowd to get a better view. She looked almost as excited as Pinkie. Those were the ponies most important to Trixie, but beyond the massive crowd that she had gathered, there were some very important ponies. Most notably, she spotted two musicians: Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Philarmonica, the former nuzzling the latter's neck. Next to them was another musician, Neon Lights, making faces at the couple in mock disgust. They all laughed. She could have sworn she even caught a glimpse of Fancy Pants. She didn't doubt it. She knew Rarity and he were "friends," but she hadn't expected him there. She supposed it did make sense, as she was wearing Rarity's design. With that in mind, she noticed the most important pony in the back row last. Sitting on her haunches atop a regal, maroon cushion sat Princess Luna herself. She looked at the stage with child-like excitement, yet somehow retained the regality of her expression. There was also a small, brown pony with wild eyes that she could not help but notice gave a striking resemblance to Discord. It was time to start. The dark atmosphere Luna provided was perfect, and the crowd was just anxious enough. There was a series of flashes in the air above the stage, and with that distracting her audience, Trixie dropped the spells she had previously cast. The crowd applauded as she appeared on stage. "The Great and Powerful Trixie is honored to have you as her guests. Now behold, ponyvillians, her awesome power!" She boomed, giving a bow. Her stage presence was like second nature and unwavering. Just because she had dropped the boasting did not mean she had to drop her attitude. It was all part of the show. She pranced pompously from one side of the stage to the next, showing off the hat and cloak Rarity and Princess Luna had made for her. For just that alone, she recieved "Oohs" and "Aahs." "Easy crowd," She thought. That was enough. Those ponies came to see her magic. She summoned several torches to the stage with a bit of arcane magic, then used them to perform her fire dragon spell. It went off without a hitch, and she added her own flare to it. As the dragon shot his flame, it slowly turned into a serpent. As the dragon was flame, it began exhausting itself. It became a serpent as well, it's mouth firmly over the end of the other serpent's tail. The first serpent attatched itself, swallowing the remaining tail. They had become Ouroboros, the serpent that swallows itself. It spun slowly in the air, disappearing as it devoured itself. The were several gasps and admiring comments from the crowd. When the flame disappated, the crowd cheered. Trixie smiled smugly. That was nothing, yet. She cast several lower-level illusion spells on their own. That was partly filler, and partly a setup for her next trick. She concentrated hard and three copies of herself appeared on stage. They weren't exactly clones, more like mirror images, but they seemed as such. Each one oncentrated hard, and in front of each Trixie, a different spell was cast. This was impressive from an untrained eye's standpoint, but even more so to Twilight and Luna. Trixie was casting five medium-strength illusion spells at once and executing them perfectly. It was unbelievable. Trixie disspelled all at once, her head spinning a bit. That had taken more out of her than she had hoped, but she still had enough juice to perform the finale. She bowed as the crowd cheered. "Ponyvillians, the Great and Powerful Trixie has a special treat for you all!" She announced. "She has been saving this for a special occasion! Trixie has created her own spell!" She stood on her hind legs in her showpony pose, one forehoof over her chest, and the other waving in the air. She stood normal once more and looked toward the crowd seriously. "Now, Trixie must explain. This spell is not for the weak of heart or stomach." The crowd exchanged worried glances with each other. Luna raised a brow, increasingly curious. "This spell is very intimate, and Trixie has never had an audience for it. It may not even work, but if you're willing, I will blow your feeble minds!" The last six words were increasingly loud as she rallied the crowd behind her cause. They cheered. "This spell is known as the Spectrum of Emotion!" She explained, "I will cast it and immediately you will see me as your worst fear, but I too will see all of you as my worst fear. Eventually we will look upon each other with the emotions: fear, hate, sadness, disgust, lust, and love, in that order," She paused enough to let that sink in. "Let us begin!" She concentrated harder than ever before, her mind struggling to focus on all those emotions at once. Her eyes opened wide, bright white. Blue magic swirled around her and every member of the audience, then it stopped. She blinked her eyes several times, returning them to normal. "Did it work?" She looked out to the audience in time to see a legion of Ursa Minors. She cowered in fear, but soon realized that they were doing the same. Her mind rationalized, finally. "The spell!" She thought, "It really worked!" Suddenly the spell changed and she saw the crowd once more. However, this crowd was different. The smile on her face wiped away as she saw them. They were the same ponies, but they were the bastardized version she had created in her head the second time she had been to Ponyville. She nearly hissed at them, but they changed once more. They were her parents. They were dead. Half of them were her father. He was sitting, body limp and a bottle of pills close by. In his cold hoof there was a bottle of whiskey. Across from him lay her mother, hair singed as she lay lifeless on the ground. Her horn broken from the backlash of the spell. Tears flowed freely from her eyes. "No!" She shouted. "Why? Why this again?" No one heard her, also trapped in her illusion. They shifted again, now becoming, quite comically, Snips and Snails presenting to her a love letter signed with boogers. That really was the most disgusting thing she could think of. There was a resounding "Eeew!" From her and the entire crowd. Suddenly, they changed once more, and Trixie's mouth dropped open. The entire crowd was, at that moment, an army of lavendar alicorns in lingerie. She almost jumped out at them. Twilight wondered if the spell was over. Trixie had gone back to normal, though she was drooling at the audience. She momentarily thought about tackling her to the ground, taking advantage of her seemingly vegitative state. She blushed furiously as she remembered what the second to last emotion was meant to be. "Lust? Really? Do I lust over her more than any other?" She countered her own thoughts, "Do I even lust for anypony else?" The crowd shifted again. They didn't change shape. They simply shed their clothing and each gave her a warm, loving smile. She looked over to the only one wearing a black dress. Twilight hadn't changed. She mouthed the words as they stared into each other's eyes, "I love you, Twilight Sparkle." Twilight blushed furiously and mouthed back, "I love you too." The spell was complete. Many couples embraced each other, Vinyl and Octavia included, while others pondered the possibilities of what they had seen. After some time, they all directed their attention back to Trixie. Silence. Absolute, terrifying silence. Trixie gulped loudly, staring the crowd down. Seconds turned into minutes until the crowd finally erupted into applause. Trixie beamed and bowed. "Thank you, thank you!" Luna looked at the unicorn in a new light. "She may be the one I have been searching for." > One Thing Leads To Another > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "It's so big!" Trixie couldn't help but snort, though she never took her eyes off the bag. The trough had been filled, its contents now enclosed in a rather large burlap sack. Ignoring Twilight's poor wording, she too commented, "I never, in my wildest dreams, expected to recieve this amount in a single show!" She was incredulous, "This is more than I used to make in a year!" The two mares were the only ponies left at city hall. Everyone else had gone home. The money bag wasn't really consuming their thoughts, however. Twilight had stayed behind to talk to Trixie about their revelations, but both mares found themselves stalling, finding every excuse to prolong the increasingly awkward moment. Daring not to look at her, Trixie was the first to talk. "Twilight, I meant what I said!" She shouted out abruptly. A blush crept onto her less-than-concealing azure coat. Twilight blushed too, gazing at Trixie with a surprised and loving expression. She reached out a hoof to turn Trixie's face. Their matching, lavender eyes met. "I meant it too," Twilight responded quietly, nearly whispering. She leaned in and placed a firm kiss upon Trixie's blue lips. Trixie's eyes snapped open wide in shock, but soon after closed as she leaned into the kiss. She reveled in the taste of lavendar and maple as her tongue darted across Twilight's parting lips. Their tongues met within the Alicorn's mouth and wrestled with each other. It felt like hours, and the world around them slowly melted away. As a result, they didn't hear Princess Luna walk up on them until she cleared her throat for a third time, louder than the rest. The mares jumped away from each other. Their faces flushed and they were both panting heavily as they took in their first full breaths in minutes. Luna covered a small giggle with her hoof. "I apologize for interrupting thine kiss; however, if thou art finished, I would like a minute of your time, Miss Lulamoon." The night princess gave a small smile in a bowing Trixie's direction before regarding Twilight. "Doth thou mind, Princess Twilight?" Twilight shook her head and smiled. "By all means," she responded just before departing to intently study the leaves of a nearby tree in an attempt not to eavesdrop. It failed. "Thou art very talented, Beatrix Lulamoon. We are thoroughly impressed." Luna began, "However, we would like to ensure your skill increases as it should." Trixie had to bite back old habits to bark at anypony using her full name or suggesting that she was not already perfect. "Thank you Princess, but what do you mean?" She cringed at her wording, feeling she had not spoken formally enough for one of the royal sisters' presence. She let out a gasp as Luna put a hoof on her shoulder, her leg brushing against her silver mane. "You can relax around us, Mi- Trixie." Luna caught her own formality. "We would like to take you under our wing as a student." Twilight's eyes went wide in surprise, along with Trixie's, no longer caring if the pair knew she was listening in or not. "We have been searching for a student since we were restored to full power; however, unlike our sister, we wish not to start from scratch with a filly." She gave a furtive glance in Twilight's direction with a grin. "Not to say that the filly did not produce fruitful results. After a millennium on the moon, we find ourselves not to be quite as patient as our sister any longer. Regardless, we find thou art perfect for the position. Doth thou accept?" Trixie hesitated. She looked longingly at Twilight. She made up her mind and put on a brave face. "No." She surprised even herself. "Trixie has finally found a place in which she belongs and cannot leave her friends to move to Canterlot. Besides," She added, "Trixie specializes in illusion magic." She huffed and looked away defiantly, trying not to cry. As much as she loved Twilight and her new home, she had a serious passion for magic. She disgusted herself with the rejection. Luna gave a hearty laugh in response. "Our sister managed to teach Twilight from afar, and surely we could do the same. Regardless, as an alicorn, we are powerful with Arcana. Forsooth, as a mage, we are an illusionist. She winked at Trixie's surprised expression. She wasn't taking no for an answer, that much was clear. "Thine first lesson will begin shortly. For now, farewell Trixie." With that, Luna climbed upon her awaiting chariot and was whisked away by two bat ponies in silver armor, leaving Twilight and Trixie to stare up at the night sky in awe until the chariot was swallowed whole by the clouds. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The library door was slammed open with magic as the -still- making out mares stumbled in. As they passed the threshold, it promptly slammed shut again. A magically held bag of bits dropped to the ground with a resounding THUMP! They continued to move. Trixie backed Twilight into a book shelf and pinned her against it. Their tongues fought for dominance. Twilight was taking Trixie's lead. She had more experience with that sort of thing, as it were, and somewhere in the back of her mind Twilight was relishing in the oppurtunity to learn something. Closer to the front of her mind, however, she was enjoying Trixie's perfect curves as she moved her hooves across them, the feeling of the silk dress against her smooth fur as their bodies pressed against each other, and most of all, the feeling of Trixies hooves as they moved down to grope and caress her firm flank. She moaned into Trixie's mouth and her hooves found a flank of their own. She gave Trixie a light spank, having read about such things before, and was rewarded with a light giggle and a nibble upon her bottom lip. Trixie broke the kiss and looked with fiery determination into Twilight's purple orbs. "Bed. Now." > Nightmare > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Her hooves made a loud, echoing clatter as they walked along the gunmetal grey marble tiles. It was the only sound to accompany the soft wind. The sky was black and devoid of life, but in the distance she spotted Equestria, far up in that forboding sky. Beyond the large square of marble, there was dust; dust and rocks, nothing more along the horizon as far as she could see. Her hooves refused to stop. She was forced across the marble board by some unseen magic. On the other side was an obsidian throne. She imagined that was her destination. Steeling her resolve, she stopped fighting her hooves and followed them much quicker toward the throne. It was raised above a chipped block of obsidian, and the entire thing seemed to have been carved from a single block. Just like everything else, the throne was empty. Trixie too felt empty, and at that moment wanted nothing more than to have that emptiness washed from her. She stared into her reflection in the obsidian only to see her lifeless eyes staring back. What had happened to her. Where was she? Why had she been sent here and by whom? Who was she? In this empty place, she couldn't be sure anymore. She was devoid of emotion, a shell of who she once was. Black lightning struck the obsidian and changed everything. Trixie remembered herself as she stared up into the glowing eyes of her princess. It was Princess Luna. She was wearing armor that Trixie silently prayed to Celestia was for effect as it made the night princess look like Nightmare Moon. Subconciously, she knelt to the ground in a slow bow. Nightmare Moon scowled down at her. "This shall be thine first lesson, Beatrix!" She boomed. Her voice was cold and heartless, and it echoed through Trixie's very soul, sending chills down her spine. The princess didn't wait for a response before she continued, "All magic is measured in intelligence and will. Intelligence determines how much information about magic one can retain. Will determines how much magic power, known as mana, one has!" Trixie knew all that already, but she dared not interrupt. "One must channel one's thoughts into one's horn and will them into reality to perform any magic; however, one must have even more will in order to use illusion magic!" Nightmare Moon jumped from her throne and landed softly on the tile, her muzzle inches from Trixie's. Her fiery eyes seemed to be gazing straight into her very soul. Her blue armor glinted with the low light provided by Equestria above. "Thine will must be stronger than any other to use illusion magic on them." She spoke quieter now, but her voice still carried an air of ferocity that chilled Trixie to the bone. "Anypony with more willpower than thou will see through any illusion thou throw at them. Thou must reach into their minds and battle their will with thine own. We have devised a course for thou to take, the reason we did not want a filly. If thou survive through the night, thine willpower will have grown exponentially. Thou shall face all thine worst fears, and thou must dispell them with pure willpower. If thou perform as expected, thou shalt be in a state of lucid dreaming. If thou shalt fail," Nightmare Moon sneared a toothy, almost demonic snear, "Thou. Shalt. Die." She cackled and disappeared. With her went the throne and the marble. Trixie was left completely alone with the rocks. She heard that evil voice once more. It boomed through her ears as a purple, magic smog covered the upper atmosphere. "NOW THINE NIGHTMARE COMES TO LIFE!" +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! "Oh buck!" Trixie thought. She knew that stomp anywhere. It had plagued her in dreams akin to this one for years. Of course, the princess of the night would know all about that. Ignoring her teacher's words, she decided not to face the ursa just yet. She turned on her hooves and ran in the other direction in a full gallop. She looked behind herself at the sudden absence of stomps only to run into something hard and scaly. "Oomph!" She slowly rose to her feet to see an excessively large draconequus upon a large throne of pony bones. He gave her a toothy grin and chuckled loudly. His rotten breath wafted over her. If she weren't so terrified, she would have gagged. She quickly identified the draconequus as Discord; however, this was not the reformed Discord she had come to know as Fluttershy's lover. This wasn't even the weakened and insane Discord that the elements of harmony had defeated. This was the Discord that nopony had seen for even thousands of years before the royal sisters defeated him, the one she had read about as a small child. This was King Discord. He sneered at her. She was frozen in fear. His red eyes, set in yellow orbs roamed across her body. "What do you want, snack?" He asked. His voice sounded younger and more cruel thaan she was used to. A crown of bones set atop his black, greasy mane. His tail twirled around her body and the tip rubbed against her cheek. The dragon scales sliced her delicate skin. She gulped and stuttered, trying to put on a brave face. "T-T-Trixie has come to defeat you!" Discord gave a hearty laugh. "Really? Where is this Trixie?" He picked her up with his tail and brought her closer to his face for further inspection. "She surely must be larger and more powerful than you to have the gall to attack me!" He raised a brow. "Surely you don't believe you could defeat me?" He looked on at her with amusement until she disappeared. He could not see or feel her caught in his tail anymore. His eyes went wide. He lowered his tail to see her some distance away. She had a smirk on her face. "Discord, you're all talk and no bite!" Her horn glowed. Discord opened his gnarly mouth to protest, only to realize he had no teeth. He let out a shriek. This little mortal pony was somehow beating him at his own game. He disappeared and reappeared behind her. He was going to swipe his talon at her until he realized it was gone. The small chicken that had replaced it clucked and ran away. He let out a roar before he was hit with a magical blast to the forehead. Slowly, he began to change into the animals which his body consisted of, the dragon being just an egg. Trixie laughed loudly. Caught in her illusion, Discord had begun trembling and wimpering on his throne. It all disappeared with a POOF! She silently thanked Fluttershy for showing her the real Discord. It made defeating his youthful facade that much easier. She started to feel better about the whole ordeal. "How many things could I honestly be afraid of?" She chuckled and turned around to come face to face with...herself? No. Not herself. Her irises were red, set into black, souless orbs. Her horn was at least three inches longer and had a sadistically sharp point to it. She wore a tattered, black cloak that barely concealed...WINGS! She was an alicorn? No. The wings were that of a bat's, though they were blue, just like her fur. She wore a leather harness around her barrel, chaining her to the neck of two other ponies she identified as grown-up versions of Snips and Snails. They looked bloodied, beaten, and starved. Bat Trixie's horn glowed red, and a burst of pure magical energy was shot at Trixie from point blank range. Too late, Trixie realized that her adversary still wore the Alicorn Amulet. Laying on the ground, entire body aching, she whispered out the question, "Who are you?" Bat Trixie sneered. "I'm you. Well, I'm a better you." She chuckled madly. She looked a bit feral. "I'm you if you had never taken off the Alicorn Amulet. You would have so much power! Trixie is ruler over all Equestria!" She raised to her hind hooves, inadvertently tugging forward on Snips and Snails' necks. She didn't care. Now, if I kill you right now, I can take your place in the real Equestria!" That made Trixie laugh. "You're just an illusion! You're a figment of my imagination!" She slowly walked up to her sadistic counterpart. "You can't take anypony's place." She whispered into the bat pony's ear, "I. Am. You." She backed away, Alicorn Amulet in hoof. "W-What? No!" Bat Trixie started to fade away. "Nooooo!" Trixie smirked. That had been too easy. She stomped on the amulet and began walking in what she believed to be the direction of the stomps. No better time to face the beast, she supposed. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Ursa Minor was waiting for her, laying down with it's paws under its chin. When it finally saw her coming, it growled and raised to its haunches. Trixie wasn't stupid. She knew she was much too terrified of the drooling, celestial beast to focus on doing anything to it, so she instead cast an illusion on herself. She was mere paces away from the creature, and it towered over her. She gulped loudly and closed her eyes to concentrate better. Her horn began to glow brighter and brighter. Sweat dripped from her brow, but after awhile, her brow was gone. She had been replaced by none other than an Ursa Major. The Minor's eyes went wide. This, it had not forseen. Seeing the expression, Trixie smirked. It turned into a low, menacing growl. The Minor flinched. "Go to your room!" She shouted, the illusion automatically translated the speech into Ursa. "Go to your room!" She repeated, "You've been a naughty boy and Mummy is very cross!" The Minor hung its head, turned and walked away, disappearing after just a couple steps. Returning to normal, Trixie let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad that worked. Those would have been horrible last words!" The voice came from behind her. It was a quiet, caring voice. "Thou have passed the test Trixie. We apologize for scaring you." Trixie turned around to face a, now normal, down trodden princess, slightly ashamed of her actions. Trixie ran to Luna and wrapped her up in a hug. Luna's eyes shot wide open. "No Princess! Thank you!" She cried. Tears of joy ran down her face. "I learned so much! I even know now how to combat my one, very real, fear all thanks to you!" Luna smiled and returned the hug. "We are thankful that thou have forgiven us, now wake to thine Twilight, Beatrix Lulamoon." There was a flash, and all went black. Trixie recognised the familiar blackness of the back of her eyelids. She slowly opened them to see her sleeping marefriend next to her. The corners of her lips pulled into a small smile and she pulled Twilight into her barrel. She closed her eyes to sleep the rest of the night away, confident that her next dream would be much more peaceful. > A Mare, Some Friends, and a Stack of Dishes > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "WAAAAAAHHH!" "AAAAAHHHHH!" "Wha-huh?" It was noon, and a startled dragon had come home to see his sister figure in bed with another mare, suddenly happier than ever that he had stayed the night at Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight had shot up at the sight of Spike, quickly pulling up the duvet to cover herself. Why? Who knows, really? They were almost always naked, anyway. Trixie, on the other hand, had groggily rose from her deep slumber, absolutely confused by all the yelling around her. A tiny drool spot could be seen on Twilight's shoulder where her muzzle had been. After his initial shock, Spike grinned happily. "Finally! I mean, I certainly didn't expect you two to jump into bed so quickly, but Rarity and I were starting to think you two would never get together!" His grin became a smirk. "I'm so getting my own room now." He turned to walk away, and almost as an afterthought, added, "By the way, it's noon, and we have company." Twilight jumped out of the bed. "Oh no! Company? Now? Why?" She ran to her vanity and began to make herself a bit more presentable. Trixie just lay on the bed, watching her new marefriend run around frantically. "So, does this mean I don't get cuddles?" She gave a little pout that was rewarded with a quick, but loving kiss. "Later," Twilight beamed at her. "For now, we have exciting news to tell our friends!" With that, she ran out of the room, leaving her marefriend to get ready by herself. Trixie rolled her eyes amusedly. "You're such a dork!" She called out loud enough for Twilight to hear from the staircase. She stretched cutely, a small yawn escaping her lips as she crawled from the bed. She walked to the vanity and began to slowly and calmly run the brush through her silver mane. She sighed contentedly as she finished. "Alright, let's get this over with." She giggled to herself. "Twilight certainly is excited." In the dining room, all their friends had gathered. Spike had apparently served a lunch of dandelion sandwiches and peanut butter crackers. It was a combination of her and Twilight's favorite snack foods. She pranced in happily and took a seat next to Twilight around the table. She gave her a quick peck on the cheek and raised her sandwich in her azure aura to take a bite when, mouth agape, centimeters from the sandwich, she noticed everypony staring at her. She lowered her sandwich to return the gaze. "Yes?" She asked, a brow raised. "Y'all mind tellin' us what that was all about, Sugarcube?" Applejack responded bluntly. "Yeah!" Rainbow Dash piped in. She even had her head cocked to the side in confusion. Rarity, on the other hoof, was fully aware of what was going on. She shared a knowing look with Spike, but kept quiet. Fluttershy remained silent as well. While she was curious about what had just transpired, she felt no need to draw any attention to herself with the question already asked. Pinkie Pie had leaned in, anticipating the answer, but waiting -not so- patiently for it. Twilight and Trixie's faces lit up with twin blushes. They looked at each other before returning their gaze to their friends. Twilight was the one to speak that time. "Trixie and I are marefriends now..." "PAAARRTTTYYYY!!!!" Pinkie's voice reverberated off the walls with a volume that would put the Royal Canterlot Voice to shame. Before any of them could respond to her outburst, she had zipped out the front door, leaving a gust of wind in her wake. Rarity released a squee and clopped her hooves together. "Finally! I am so excited for the two of you!" "Oh my. Well, I'm glad you're both happy. I certainly can't judge either of you for your sexual preferences. I find Discord quite attractive and he's of a different species," Fluttershy's whisper was nearly inaudible, a large blush spreading across her entire face. "Alright, cool!" Rainbow brohoofed Trixie and smiled at them. "Spitfire and I will have someone to double date with, for once." Applejack sat back, her face expressionless and unreadable. "Ah don't understand none of it. All a y'all got somethin' strange goin' on but Rarity, but jus' 'cause ah don' gettit, don't mean ah can' accept it. Y'all're mah friends, and whatever decision y'all make, ah'll stand behind ya." Trixie couldn't be sure, but she was fairly certain Twilight was actually tearing up as she responded, "Thankyou, AJ. That's all we would ever ask of you." She held Trixie's hoof in her own and squeezed. AJ just tipped her hat in response and stood up, "Welp, ah best be gettin' back ta mah farm. Ah gotta' lot a work ta get done if'n ah wanna' go ta whatever kinda' party Pinkie's plannin' later," She smiled and walked out the door, closing it gently behind her. Rainbow, Fluttershy and Rarity stayed to chat for around an hour before they each decided to take their leave. Spike had gone off to take a nap, which left the lovebirds alone with a stack of dishes. "Trixie, would you mind helping me with these?" Trixie just nodded with a smile and got up. As she walked into the kitchen, she levitated the dishes along with her. She put a little extra sway in her hips as she turned the corner, winking at Twilight on her way into the kitchen and eliciting a heavy blush from the easily-flustered alicorn. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Bump! "Hey, Trixie," Twilight complained, though more amused than anything. She swayed, bumping Trixie's rump with her own in a feeble attempt at revenge. That only seemed to taunt her foe as her curvy blue rump once again struck Twilight's, slightly harder this time around. She giggled. "We're supposed to be doing the dishes," Twilight attempted to complain again, but it was all for not. "What ever are you talking about, Sparkle," Trixie voiced grandiloquently, "We are doing the dishes!" Bump! Twilight giggled now, her complaints becoming weaker. She bumped into her marefriend even harder. "Stop bumping me with your rump!" "But Twilight, it is you who has been bumping into Trixie's rump. She cannot help it if you feel a magnetizing effect to her glorious plot!" Trixie giggled as she bumped Twilight once more, quite a bit more forcefully than when they started. This was responded in kind with a heavy blush and a bump just hard enough to topple her slender form, which it did. Seeing her on the ground, Twilight quickly gave Trixie her full attention. "Omigosh Trixie! Are you ok?" Rather than respond, Trixie gave her a half lidded gaze, complete with smile, and raised her hoof to be helped up. Twilight took it only to be pulled down on top of the tricky magician. "Aaah!" She fell with a giggle and stared into Trixie's eyes, their bodies rubbing against each other and their muzzles just centimeters apart. "I love you, Trixie Lulamoon," Twilight whispered. "And I love you, Twilight Sparkle." The mares fell into a passionate kiss. The dishes could wait. > Honey, I Shrunk the Mares! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- BANG BANG BANG-BANG! "I'll get it!" Trixie called from the couch. Spike was still napping, and Twilight had moved to the basement for some sort of chemistry experiment. Trixie had opted to stay upstairs and read up on Princess Luna's history before Nightmare Moon to get a good idea why she acted the way she did. Some of the things she found were...enlightening. She had no idea the princesses shared a romance with each other at one point, nor did she realize that Luna had grown colder toward everyone when it ended, far before Nightmare Moon ever reared her ugly head. Always the more compassionate of the sisters, Luna had found shutting her emotions away necessary to make royal decisions after their devastating break-up. She closed her book, marking the spot with a small, wand-shaped bookmark. She happily pranced to the door and opened it wide with a smile, only to have a burlap sack shoved in her face. "I cannot take this!" Trixie recognised the frantic voice of Mayor Mare behind the burlap sack which had abruptly consumed her entire field of vision. "Why not?" She asked, confusedly pushing the sack from her face. "You requested it!" "Miss Lulamoon, I believe I requested ten percent, not four-hundred-twenty-eight bits!" The mayor responded incredulously. "And Trixie recieved four-thousand-two-hundred-eighty bits at her performance," Trixie rebutted in a matter-of-fact tone. That stopped the mayor in her tracks. "W-wha-huh?" Trixie giggled. "I was just as surprised; however, surprised or not, this is your fair share." Trixie gave her a warm smile. "Thank you so much for allowing me to perform at your venue, knowing full well the damage my shows have caused here in the past. It means a lot." The mayor blinked several times as if trying to reset her mind. "W-Well thank you, a-and you're welcome. You can certainly have your shows there any time." "Oh perfect!" Trixie exclaimed, raising off her haunches in her excitement. "How about same time next month?!" "S-sure, Trixie." Just like that, Trixie's business had come to an all-time high. Great business, a beautiful new marefriend, tutelage under one of the royal sisters; things were looking up for Trixie Lulamoon. After some planning and business jargon, the two said their goodbyes, and Trixie ran down the stairs to tell Twilight all about it. FWOOSH! She had run straight into an explosion. Surrounded by green smoke, her only coherent thought was, "This can't be good!" +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "Twilight! Twilight!" Trixie coughed as she inhaled the slowly clearing smoke. She frantically searched for her marefriend through the thick smog. "I'm over here!" Twilight called out. "I'm ok, but you're not going to like this!" Trixie travelled toward the source of her voice. The smoke was thinner in the area and she had begun to be able to see around her. She bumped into something that seemed to tower over her. She looked up to inspect the mighty wooden obelisk, only to see it end at a plateau, high above her head. She screamed a blood-curdling scream that could have shook mountains. Upstairs, Spike heard a small squeak. "Great," He mumbled, rolling over in his bed. "We must have a mouse." Twilight did the only thing she could think of to silence the tiny-fied mare in front of her and lunged at her, knocking her to the ground in a passionate kiss. It worked and Trixie swiftly shut up, wrapping her hooves around Twilight's neck and returning the kiss. When they broke it, Trixie spoke up, "You know, I've never had tiny sex before." She added a wink for good measure. Twilight shook her head solemnly. "There's no time," She responded seriously, "We need to figure out a way to reverse this before Pinkie's party tonight." She thought on it a moment, "Though that does sound like fun..." She quickly locked the thought away in the vault for later use and rose up off her mare. "First thing's first." Determination was the prime tone of her voice now. "We need to get back onto that chemistry table!" She pointed up at the tall object casting its shadow on and all around them. Trixie groaned. This was going to be a long day. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Owlowiscious was stirred from his slumber by a large explosion. With a startled, "Hoo!" He flew down the stairs to the basement and perched on the edge of the table in the empty room. "Hoo?" He hooted confusedly. Where did all that racket come from? Down below, the mares had just begun to emerge from underneath the table, both of them oblivious to the owl's presence. With their tiny ears, the hoots sounded like a low hum, much like many other sounds that had dropped in frequency. They could scarcely hear them above the bubbling of boiling, steaming chemical compounds above them. Owlowiscious became aware of a small journal, notes scribbled along the lines of the pages. He stepped the short distance toward it and began reading through the material. He hoped to get a good idea of what had happened. Before he could discover what the desired potion even was, however, Twilight had noticed him when she had decided to begin judging the distance to the top of the table. She let out an excited gasp and used that extra air to scream out at the top of her lungs, "OWLOWISCIOUS!!!" Trixie's head whipped around, eyes wild as her mind caught up to her and processed what had just happened. "Are you crazy!?" She cried, "Owls are birds of-" "Hoo?" Owlowiscious's head spun around slowly to gaze behind him. His eyes gazed down hungrily at the two small animals, clearly the source of the squeaking. Trixie gulped, "Prey!" Owlowiscious dove at them, beginning the hunt earlier than usual. His stomach growled in anticipation of the meal. "Split up!" Trixie thought quickly, running away from Twilight and to her right. Twilight let out a squeak and ran in the other direction, narrowly escaping Owlowiscious' deadly beak. The mighty bird rose up, out of his nose dive and far up in the room, nearly grazing the ceiling with his wings. He lazily turned in the air to see one of these strange animals had taken flight. He couldn't quite focus on the things, but he knew one thing for sure: prey taking flight to escape a bird was possibly the worst -and last- decision it could possibly make. With a determined hoot, he took chase toward the easier prey. He was going in for the kill. Trixie looked back over her shoulder at the scene and immediately began to panic, until she remembered her training from the previous night. She stopped and turned in one fluid motion, hooves skidding across the rough wood with a screech. She let out a flurry of fireworks as if Twilight's life depended on it -which it did- in order to draw the owl's attention. Confused as he was, Owlowiscious did, in fact, divert his attention away from Twilight and toward the other creature. "Hoo?" He let out, head cocked to the side. Trixie paused the fireworks show and concentrated hard. Before the owl's eyes stood Trixie, though she seemed to be shaking and out of focus. She even seemed to blink out of existence from time to time. He briefly wondered if he needed to get his eyes checked. Trixie smiled for a moment at her successful hologram spell. It was much harder to make it so much bigger than herself. She wouldn't be able to keep it up for long. "Owlowiscious stop!" The hologram shouted. "The things you are hunting are Twilight and myself! Go get Zecora! Don't hu-" The hologram disapparated. That was the last of her magic, the size of the spell taking its toll. "Please listen to me! Oh please, oh please, oh please!" Owlowiscious hovered in place for a second before zipping out to find the familiar Zebra. Twilight let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She gently landed next to her marefriend, noticing the unicorn was clutching her head in pain. "Are you ok?" She asked. Trixie just nodded silently. "That was really brave of you and brilliant...Thank you. You saved my life, Trixie." That elicited a response. "We're even then. We've both saved each other from a situation the other brought on to themselves," The words were laced with venom, and Trixie immediately regretted them. Twilight felt a pang of guilt deep in her heart. "I-I'm sorry." She hung her head, tears rising into her eyes. She felt a hoof on her shoulder and looked up to see Trixie looking back at her with a guilty expression. "I'm sorry too," she responded. "I didn't mean it," Twilight slapped Trixie across her muzzle, then threw herself into her arms and cried into her shoulder for several miutes before she could calm down. Trixie gently reassured and shushed her the entire time, stroking a hoof through her indigo mane. Twilight pulled away, a renewed expression of determination written across her face. "I have a plan." She stated, "I think I can fly us up to the table top if I teleport us as far up as I can first," She explained, excitement clearly rising with every word she spoke. Trixie had her reservations about being teleported high into the air by a mare who may or may not be able to support her weight during flight, but nodded in agreement anyway. "Alright Twilight," She said slowly, "I trust you." Twilight got behind Trixie and wrapped her forehooves behind hers, "Foal Nelson" style. "Ready?" She asked. With a determined nod, Trixie responded, "Ready!" +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "My, my! This predicament you're in," Zecora called as she stepped into the basement. Spike was at her side and Owlowiscious was perched upon her back. "It's quite amusing. Where should I begin?" Without expecting a response, she stood over the table. She smiled at the two mares curled up together on the corner, then looked over to the materials she had to work with. She pulled off her saddle bags and emptied their contents onto the metal surface. In front of Twilight's flasks laid an array of different herbs, powders and macical spices. "To make this special brew, your ingredients will not do. Expecting this, I brought my own. Now excuse me while I step into the 'zone'." All in attendance watched in awe as Zecora's hooves moved with lightning speed and precision as she mixed powders, herbs and even some of Twilight's chemicals in Twilight's large melting pot. As a final step, she added the potion which had caused the previous explosion, pointed out to her by a helpful Owlowiscious. The brew needed to know what to counter in order to work. The potion she was making was very similar to the one she used to counteract the effects of poison joke on that fateful day she became friends with the Ponyvillians. Zecora took the pot off heat and let it cool. Without warning, she scooped the tiny mares up and tossed them in the pot, then scooped them up again, more swiftly than it seemed possible for her to move. Horrible things would happen if she left them in the pot for too long. She quickly set them on the floor just as they began to grow. Wide-eyed and soaking wet with a blue goop, they stood at their regular heights. Spike covered his mouth with a claw in a poor attempt at stifling a giggle. Too surprised to move, they let Zecora walk past them, her saddle bags adorned atop her flank. "I'll see you at the party. I was invited." A hoof on the steps, she paused and looked warmly back at them. "To see you two together, I am excited." She continued up the stairs and called back happily, "Don't forget to wash behind your ears! The clock is ticking. The time is near!" > The End is the Beginning is the End (Epilogue) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "TRIXIEANDTWILIGHTAREDATINGANDTHAT'SSUPERAWESOMESOIGOTCHEESESANDWICHPARTY!" A highly over-enthusiastic pink mare screamed at the top of her lungs. "AND CAKE!" A caramel-colored stallion with a curly, brown mane and tail added, calmer than Pinkie Pie, but still just as enthusiastic and loud. Both of them wiggled a little, then stepped out of the way as a giant cake smashed down right where they had been standing. "Ok," Cheese Sandwich admitted, "Less cake." "Mmmm," Pinkie took a bite of the upside-down, smashed cake. "This is as sweet as your relationship!" She held out a hoof covered in frosting and cake crumbs to Trixie and Twilight, whom had arrived just moments before. Trixie stepped back a few steps, "Eeeeee..." "I think we're good," Twilight responded calmly, more used to her Party Pony friend. She decided to change the subject to the stallion in an Old Western poncho and hat. "So Cheesy, where's the music?" "It hasn't arrived yet," he responded with a shrug. "Usually, I play some good ol' polka at my parties, but Pinkie invited a guest who insisted on providing live entertainment." He grinned a bit at that. "Yeppers deppers peppers!" Pinkie would have said, had she not been cut off by some very loud feedback. Trixie and Twilight made their way into Applejack's barn to see a huge party, filled with everypony they knew. A light machine danced to an unheard rythym, casting everypony in a myriad of colors. At the other end, a small stage had been set up, with a massive speaker system and turn tables adorned across its surface. Behind the instrument stood a familiar grinning unicorn in purple shades. "Sweet Apple Acres, are you ready to kick it?!" Vinyl asked, just before a blast of synth and clav filled the air. "Yeah!" She added enthusiastically. Trixie gasped loudly. "Pinkie you're a genius! I love Vinyl's music!" She grabbed Twilight by the hoof and pulled her into the mix of ponies that had begun to focus in the center of the barn. "Let's dance!" She suggested, not giving Twilight much of a choice in the matter. She didn't mind, of course, and followed her marefriend onto the dance floor. She quickly identified her friends. Rainbow and Spitfire were the easiest to spot, hovering over the crowd as they danced. Discord could be seen from a mile away, despite being in a pony shape so as not to frighten anypony. He was dancing wildly with -an obviously, slightly inebriated- Fluttershy. There was no other way she would dance so freely in such a large crowd, though Discord did tend to have that effect on her. Rarity was off to the side of the crowd, attempting to have a conversation with Fancy Pants over the loud music. Pinkie and Cheesy had entered the crowd right behind them and were already dancing like no tomorrow. Applejack was watching suspiciously while....wait, was Spike dancing with and making googly eyes at Apple Bloom? It didn't matter. She was brought back to reality by a peck on her cheek. She looked back at her mare to see she was giving her an expecting look. Twilight took the hint and began dancing. Both mares moved to the beat, keeping eyes locked on each other. Maybe it was the music or the lights painting her in a new color every couple seconds, but there was something in the way Trixie moved while she danced that was undeniably sexy. Twilight was swept away by the rythmic clav and the sight of her mare disappearing and reappearing before her as she was washed over with light by the strobe. She would have to thank Vinyl later, but all she could concentrate on at the moment was dancing. Trixie was just as transfixed. She'd never seen Twilight look so free. She seemed to become one with the music, her wings and hooves all moving wildly and expertly to the beat. The look of pure bliss spread across her face made Trixie happy. She had no idea how much Twilight enjoyed dubtrot music or dancing. She let go of reality a little and decided to melt with the music, but as she did, the song changed. It was a song written by Octavia, sung by Neon Lights and remixed by Vinyl. It had recently become very popular, but it was slow. The couple had stopped dancing. Trixie wasn't sure what to do, but Twilight had decided for her. She stepped closer and nuzzled against Trixie's neck. She began slowly stepping back and forth in a simple, slow dance. Trixie blushed and joined in, nuzzling against her mare. She didn't know what it was, but there was something about her that just felt...right. As the song began to end, Trixie pulled away to look into Twilight's eyes. "I love you," She mouthed. Twilight looked back at her lovingly. "I love you too!" She opted to yell over the music. They continued to stare lovingly into one another's eyes until eventually, Twilight's closed. She began leaning in for a kiss, and Trixie mirrored her actions. Her lips were just about to make sweet contact with Twilight's when an blood curdling scream cut through her bliss from somewhere in the crowd. Her eyes shot open just in time to see Twilight's shocked expression as she was picked off the ground by a large, black tentacle. Their hooves reached out for one another, barely missing. "Trixie!" Twilight shouted, being dragged toward a large, black mass. It seemed to be made of some sort of black smoke, as well as the tentacles and tendrils extending out of it in all directions. Twilight was wrapped up by several of them before being violently sucked into the epicenter. "AAAAHHHHHH!!!!" All went silent. The music had been cut off, the regular lights were on, and no one dared speak a word. Trixie looked into the empty space she had last seen Twilight as the black mass disappeared. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes before dropping to the ground and finally letting out several sobs in anguish. "Nooooo!" She screamed out. The partygoers slowly exited the building, being ushered out by her friends. Twilight was gone, and there was only one pony they could go to if they wanted to rescue her. It was time to go to the palace.