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                  Sleeping With the Enemy                  
               -by yellowstripedflutterbat-                
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                         a chapter                         
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a chapter
When everyone comes into the cafeteria buzzing and gossiping about "the new girls", Trixie isn't very inclined to listen. This school is *far* too easily impressed by anything new and shiny - as a lifelong devotee of the fantastical and the mysterious who has never received the adulation she deserves, it irritates her. So *what* if the last new girl to arrive at Canterlot High happened to sprout pony ears and wings - Trixie could make that happen with a click of her fingers (well, given some assistance for appropriately timed smoke and prosthetics), and that makes it difficult for her to care when Lily is yammering in her ear about *ohmigosh they're so cool, did you see their CLOTHES, Trixie, where do you think they got them, she should totally ask because they need some awesome stuff for the band...* Honestly, can't a girl eat her peanut butter crackers in peace?
But then the doors open, and a hush falls over the whole cafeteria, one table by one. Trixie frowns, glancing up to see what's going on – and then *she* walks in, and she understands in an instant.
These girls are not like every other other new student – they don't shuffle in, awkward and embarrassed, just hoping they'll be accepted. These girls sashay through the room like they know everyone is watching and admiring, and they wouldn't expect any less – they don't ask for attention, their very presence demands it. Three of them, all beautiful, all mesmerising – but she is the obvious leader, the star. Phoenix hair streaming behind her, impossibly big, impossibly bright, leaving a trail of admirers in her wake. She stops and looks around, surveying her kingdom with a satisfied smirk – she doesn't have to do anything, say anything, to know that every single person in this room is watching her. She outshines them all by her mere presence, and Trixie watches with one eyebrow raised, feigning indifference. But she, too, is holding her breath in anticipation of what will happen next.
And then she starts to *sing*.
A voice so sweet and pure, beautiful and clear and yet *sharp* - with an edge to it, too, something darker lurking beneath the surface, tempting and exhilarating and terrifying. Three voices intertwining in perfect harmony, as naturally and effortlessly as if they were made that way. It's like nothing Trixie has ever heard before, and nothing she could ever explain except that she *feels* it, everywhere, like aural ecstasy pouring over her body and heart and soul. They sing like a challenge, a promise, a threat: battle, competition, revolution. Prove yourself special, prove you are worthy of our attention – and Trixie *understands* these words like nothing she ever has before. They ignite that burning desire within her, to prove herself, to shine so bright she eclipses everyone, the desire she has always had but has never felt so *right*, so complete, so perfectly realised as now. She can feel it rising, every word building to a crescendo of *yes, yes, YES* – and then the sudden, fierce burn of anger, sharp and almost painful in her chest when she looks out over the crowd - this pathetic little crowd, as captivated as she is but understanding nothing. Trixie wants so much more than they do, *deserves* so much more, and it's about time this school knew it.
And almost simultaenously, *she* turns around, scanning the crowd with laser beam eyes – and somehow they find Trixie's, and it's like she *knows*.
Trixie doesn't know how she knows, but she knows, because now she is singing for Trixie, it can't be a coincidence, never breaking her gaze even as she's still walking, still singing. Trixie is powerless to look away – even if she wanted to, she never backs down from a challenge, though she doesn't know if this *is* a challenge, or a promise, or a threat, until she's right there in front of her. Trixie feels her face burning, her stomach tighten, and time almost seems to slow down as she reaches out, never missing a beat or a note, and she trails her slender, manicured fingers under Trixie's chin.
They're only there for an instant, but her touch is electric - Trixie's stomach flips and her heart soars, but before she can react she is gone, literally rising above the crowd, aloft on her bandmates' arms to stand on the tabletop. Trixie's skin still tingles long after, and she stares helplessly up at her, wishing she could follow.
"See? I *told* you they were the coolest," Lily elbows her in the ribs and Trixie jumps, brought swiftly and unpleasantly back to reality as Lily smirks. “You're blushing.”
"No, Trixie's not - it's hot in here," she snaps back, turning away and making a show of fanning herself. She's not technically lying - it *is* hot, but there's something else in the air too, the atmosphere around them seeming to crackle and fizz with anticipation. The thrill and the tension of competition, as all the different groups stare each other down. Just like that – with just a few sweet, poisonous words – they all know now. The gauntlet has been laid down, the stakes have been raised, and everybody in this cafeteria is hungry for it.
But Trixie...Trixie understands most of all. She understands now what she has to do, what she must do. She will prove herself the best, so above all the others, because her attention makes her feel like nothing ever before. Because she *understands Trixie, somehow, in a way no one else ever has, in a way that just hearing her name rippling through the crowd gives her a thrill. That name she'd heard all day, but never *listened to. Never understood now, as she does in this moment, what it could mean, what *she means. The beautiful new world of possibilities Trixie can see opening up right in front of her with every glance, with every awed, excited whisper of that name.
*Adagio Dazzle.*
So, obviously, the whole school is desperate to hang out with the Dazzlings. Trixie didn't exactly need her crystal ball to predict that would happen - nothing exciting ever happens at this school (okay, nothing ever *DID before the Fall Formal), and they're new and cool and mysterious.
Trixie's not usually one to care what the masses think, because she meets very few people she considers worthy of her time - but Adagio Dazzle is not *most people*, and she knows it's going to take her best tricks to stand out from the adoring throng.
Fortunately, she also knows a few things about drawing attention and making herself stand out from the crowd ("for all the wrong reasons", her school reports usually say, but Trixie doesn't believe there are any). So she spends a few lunchtimes watching from afar, plotting - appearing in a puff of smoke is one of her old favourites, but it may require assistance, and she's not sure she trusts any of her friends with such a perilous task. Offering to show them around is far too pedestrian, even if Sunset Shimmer hadn't gotten there first. Trixie needs to make an impression, to prove she's head and shoulders above the crowd - but how?
The answer doesn't come, but rather floats by her ears one lunchtime on the way to the canteen: Trixie stops in her tracks when she hears those beautiful, seductive, immediately distinctive harmonies, casting a trail for her to follow like something from a fairytale, and leading her straight to the source.
The three of them are gathered together on a bench, eyes closed, all clutching their ruby-red pendants like a lifeline as they sing. Even unrehearsed and unawares, they sound divine - Trixie means to alert them to her presence, but she gets distracted just watching. They're effortlessly mesmerising, swaying subtly together as they sing, rainbow hair shimmering like flowers in the wind: Sonata's blue, Aria's purple, and Adagio at the centre, full bloom, the jewel in the crown. Maybe it's the lighting, or just good makeup, but Trixie swears she seems to *glow.
And then her eyes flutter open, and Trixie freezes, her heart jumping when their eyes connect, just like last time - except now she's a hundred times more exposed, more vulnerable.
Adagio elbows Sonata and Aria as one and they jump, the song cutting off abruptly as their eyes snap open. Now Trixie's under the glare of three simultaneous spotlights - but she smiles, determined to style it out.
"Please - don't hesitate on *my account," she declares, waving a hand airily as though imploring them to continue. "Trixie was just enjoying the show."
She determinedly ignores the pink spots she can feel flaring on her cheeks as she faces her audience: Aria sits with her arms folded, one eyebrow raised somewhere between boredom and irritation. Sonata blinks, her head cocked as though she's trying to decipher some strange alien language. Adagio's face is carefully blank, a mask impossible to read, but Trixie can *feel her eyes on her, sizing her up. It only makes her more determined to impress.
"Um," Sonata's the first to break the silence. "Who's Trixie?"
"And why, exactly, should we care?" Aria interjects.
Tough crowd, Trixie thinks, feeling her smile wavering - but she's faced plenty of those in her time, and she knows the golden rule is: never *ever let your audience get a hint that you're struggling, or they'll jump all over you. Maintaining her facade of superiority (though let's face it, in most cases it barely *is a facade) is key, even if impressing these three is proving to be her toughest gig since that time at Maud Pie's surprise party.
"Oh, no," Trixie gasps, clasping her hands to her mouth theatrically, "don't tell me you've been here for a whole week and *still haven't heard of me?" She shakes her head sadly. "Honestly, Trixie feels sorry for you girls - clearly you've been hanging out with the wrong people if they haven't yet told you about..." - pause for emphasis, toss of her head so her hair blows attractively in the breeze, in absence of her cape - "the Great and Powerful Trixie, CHS' one and only magician extraordinaire!"
This, finally, succeeds in eliciting a reaction: Aria's other eyebrow shoots up, and she and Adagio exchange a meaningful glance. Sonata's eyes grow wide, and Adagio leans forward, elbows resting on her knees and that wonderful, beautiful glimmer of interest in her eyes.
"Did you say *magic?" she repeats, and Trixie smirks, congratulating herself on her showmanship.
"But of course," she replies. "Trixie specialises in revealing the unseeable, producing the impossible, conjuring visions beyond your wildest dreams..."
"Oooh!" Sonata interrupts her, bouncing excitedly in her seat. "Does that mean you can, like, find a quarter behind my ear? Cause I really need some change for the vending machine."
Aria groans and facepalms. Trixie frowns - it wasn't quite the response she was anticipating, but it is at least *a response, and it's been so long since she got one quite as enthusiastic as that, she can't help being a little charmed.
"Well, Trixie doesn't usually do requests," she says, attempting to maintain the appearance of professionalism - she'd usually start off with something much more impressive. "But I suppose - since you're new here..."
Painfully aware of all three pairs of eyes watching her, Trixie digs in her pocket for a quarter and slides it up her sleeve with finesse. Sonata giggles as Trixie's fingers fumble behind her ear, making a show of searching before coming up with the prize and presenting it to her with a triumphant "et voila!"
Sonata gasps in delight – Trixie's not quite sure if she's playing along or sincere, but she will gladly take it, smiling anyway. She just wishes Adagio and Aria were half as easy to impress – when she glances over to gauge their reaction, they're looking considerably less enthused.
“Oh, that's what you meant by magic.” The light in Adagio's eyes has dimmed considerably, and Trixie feels a stab of shame as she smiles unconvincingly, wrinkling her nose like a bad smell. “Well, isn't that...nice.”
Nice – the word stings harsher than the most damning critique, and Trixie almost winces. She wants to be spectacular, astonishing, and, yes, dazzling. She doesn't want people to think she's nice – any boring doormat can be that – she wants them to notice her, to be blown away, to not give them a choice. Nice isn't going to be enough for Adagio Dazzle – she is already looking away, boredly examining her nails – and it's not enough for Trixie, either.
“That's not *all* Trixie can do,” she blurts out hastily, before clearing her throat in an attempt to regain some composure. “I mean – of course that was just a teaser, the tiniest taste of what Trixie is really capable of, but I can hardly be giving out free shows here where just anybody can see. Besides,” she continues, risking a wink, “Trixie wouldn't want to overwhelm your senses with too many incredible feats all at once, especially with you three being new here. Come to my show sometime, then you can really experience the Great and Powerful Trixie's wonder for yourself!”
“Oh of course, we certainly wouldn't want you to blow our tiny little minds too soon,” Adagio replies, her voice dripping with sarcasm, but something that could be a smile tugging at her lips, which gives Trixie hope that she just might get it – get *her. “Would we, girls?”
“Do you *always refer to yourself in the third person like that?” Aria asks, her face somehow incredulous and utterly unimpressed at the same time. Trixie is quickly deciding that she doesn't like Aria.
“I think it sounds pretty cool,” Sonata unexpectedly comes to her defence, before Trixie can think of a suitably cutting comeback. When Trixie looks at her in surprise, she grins. “I mean, *Sonata*  thinks it sounds cool.”
Aria snorts. “Maybe that's because Sonata's *lame.”
“Sonata thinks Aria's the *lamest.” Sonata sticks her tongue out at her.
“Well, Aria thinks Sonata's -”
“Girls,” Adagio interrupts them swiftly, pushing the two of them apart with a hand on each of their shoulders, “why don't you two go get some lunch, hmm? And we'll catch up with you later.”
Sonata perks up instantly at this suggestion, on her feet before Trixie has time to savour that we. Aria sighs long-sufferingly, but she doesn't resist when Sonata loops her arm through hers as though they hadn't just been at each other's throats, and lets her tug her off in the general direction of the cafeteria – leaving Trixie, wonderfully, terrifyingly, alone with Adagio.
There's an awkward moment of silence, and then their eyes meet. Adagio smirks and inclines her head invitingly, her eyes lingering on Trixie like a lioness sizing up her prey. It's both deeply unnerving and strangely exciting, and Trixie doesn't know what game she's playing but she's not about to lose it: she simply smiles back and slides into the vacated space next to her as though she owns it, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach.
“So, the Great and Powerful Trixie...” Adagio purrs, with the same mocking tone that Trixie's used to hearing, but something else too – a hint of curiosity, intrigue, something that sends a shiver down Trixie's spine. “I assume you have a band, to back up all your big talk?”
“Naturally – Trixie is a woman of many talents,” Trixie retorts, tossing her hair. “But I have to admit, the Battle of the Bands is an amazing idea - I don't know how you managed to convince Principal Celestia, but Trixie can't wait to unleash the Illusions on the school. Trixie has biiiig plans – a unique fusion of the musical and the magical, the likes of which nobody has ever seen before!” She clasps her hands together, just picturing it: her combination of beautiful music and dazzling tricks would blow everyone away. The crowd would watch in awe, and then they would go wild, the whole school cheering her name...
Adagio nods, seemingly genuinely interested. “I could tell you'd have some pretty impressive tricks up your sleeve. And that's exactly what we're hoping for, with the Battle – anyone can get up and play a showcase. But when you make it a competition...” She smiles devilishly, eyes shining with excitement and a hint of mischief, “things get interesting. That's when the true stars shine, because everybody has to prove themselves, that they deserve to be in the competition. And if some can't handle the pressure, well -” She pulls an exaggerated sad face, all huge eyes and pouty lips, “that's too bad for them, but they'll just have to go and play elsewhere. The way I see it, it's time those among us who are truly talented got the chance we deserve.”
“Yes. Yes,” Trixie nods vigorously, abandoning any pretense of disinterest. “Trixie could not agree more! But just try telling that to Trixie's 'bandmates',” she finger-quotes pointedly. “Lily doesn't want us to be called Trixie and the Illusions – even though I spent forever thinking of the perfect name – because she thinks it's making everything too much about me. She says that a band should be more of a team effort.”
“Oh, a team effort.” Adagio chuckles, surprisingly deep and low in her throat, and it does funny things to Trixie's stomach. “That's sweet – and, I suppose, fine enough for ordinary people. But a team is only as strong as its weakest member, and if you want to get to the top, that's not going to cut it. Think about it, Trixie – no matter how good you are, no matter how hard you work at something or how much you want it, it only takes one member of your band to screw it up for all of you. I don't know about you, but that really doesn't seem fair to me.”
Now that Trixie thinks about it...”It isn't fair,” she agrees, voice rising in indignation. “Just because they don't understand Trixie's vision – they have no idea just how important this is! How much I need this – they say I'm just a show-off, hogging the limelight, but Trixie was meant to be in the spotlight, I've always known it. Meant for something more than this boring life.” She indicates the school with a dismissive sweep of her hand - the same people, the same conversations, the same classes day after day. Boring, boring, boring.
Adagio isn't boring. She is golden, glittering, glorious, a beacon shining with the promise of something new, different, better. Trixie can hardly believe she's even real, but she's here, and it's like she was heaven sent just for Trixie as she leans in closer, nodding knowingly. "Believe me, I know just how you feel," she says. "Oh, Sonata and Aria, they're...fine, and they play their part just fine. But every band really needs is a *leader*. Someone with the talent, but also the passion, the drive, the determination to make things happen. Someone who is prepared to do *whatever it takes* to succeed, to push your band to be the very best it can be