The Facets Start to Strain
"-And that's how Equestria was made!" Pinkie finished while picking up another cupcake. This was, perhaps, the second tray of them she had finished on her own since the three of them met up to talk in one of the corners of Pinkie's work place, Sugarcube Corner.
Trixie blinked, and looked over to Maud. Maud gave a brief glance and a shrug so minuscule that Trixie would not have caught it if she wasn't deliberately pressed against Maud's side.
"...Uh-huh...Pinkie? Trixie asked if you were ready for the music exhibition next week. What even is an Equestria?"
Pinkie stared at Trixie blankly for a moment, a disturbing, almost comical amount of sweat suddenly running down her face. "O-ohhh, right! I never explained that. How silly of me, heh heh. Well, you see, Equestria is-"
Whatever Pinkie was trying to say quickly become muffled as she spoke rapidly while stuffing her face with cupcakes.
"Pinkie!" Trixie cried out as muffin flew in every direction. "The Great and Powerful Trixie demands you stop that this in-gak!"
Trixie started coughing as a piece of flying muffin became lodged in her throat.
"Oh!" Pinkie quickly swallowed. For a second, Trixie swore she saw Pinkie's neck expand outward as Pinkie downed everything preventing her speech in one go. Trixie's eyes were watering though, so she couldn't be sure. Not to mention the choking issue.
"Woopsie! Sorry, Trixie." Pinkie held out her hand to Trixie. "Here, wash it down with this, quick!"
Trixie quickly grabbed at Pinkie's hand. "Fff-thank *cough* you, *hack* T-rixie-"
Looking down, Trixie could see the bleary sight of another muffin in her hand.
"-hates you." *hack*
A large force crashed against Trixie's back, jarring her teeth and forcing her head to smack into the table. She had barely managed to turn her head to the side in time to prevent her nose from being broken. Maud continued to slap Trixie's back with bone shattering force. The second blow dislodged the muffin from her throat. The third almost dislodged Trixie's lungs as she urgently waved Maud off by flailing her hands.
The slaps stopped, giving Trixie a small reprieve. After a bit of coughing, she spit the muffin piece out onto a plate and laid her head down, using her hands as pillows. With eyes closed and head still turned to the side, Trixie decided that it would be best to just ignore everything around her for the next few minutes.
Trixie heard a slurp as Pinkie took a drink. "Is she okay?"
"...Yeah,-" Came Maud's slow reply. Trixie felt Maud lightly rubbing her back "...just give her a few minutes..."
Trixie had learned first hand over the last two months about the dangers of being around the Pie family. On their own, Trixie could manage all right, but when two or more were together, well, moments like this were commonplace. More often than not when Pinkie was involved.
Maud had quickly learned to just let Trixie zone out and keep others from disturbing her when she was like this. The back rubbing was new, though not unappreciated.
After another moment, Trixie sighed and lazily waved a hand in the air, the other hand still supporting her head comfortably. "So...the music exhibition?"
"Hmm?" Pinkie mumbled, before catching on. "Oh, right! It's going pretty well. You were there when we got the posters done in the gym, right? You and those other two girls?"
"Mhm." Trixie mumbled, eyes still closed.
"Pfft, I dunno, Trix, you sure sound like Marble, but you definitely don't look like her."
"Uh-uh."
Trixie felt a prod at her cheek and opened her eyes. Maud's hand was slowly creeping away from Trixie's face. Quickly, Trixie grasped it with her own and drew Maud's hand down to her thigh. Trixie gave a small, knowing grin as Maud's pupil restricted the tiniest amount, a clear sign that Trixie was unnerving her a little.
Trixie kept Maud's hand pressed firmly against her left hip as she picked her head up and smiled at Pinkie. "Yes, Maud's shy about being around Fuschia and Lavender, so it was just the three of us. How's band practice?"
"It's superific!" Pinkie's grin became wide, a bit too wide, actually.
"Oh? So, no problems in the band, then?"
"Ah heh heh, nothing I'd say as a problem. Just a few teeny little things we need to work on."
Trixie nodded thoughtfully as she tried to speak in terms Pinkie would understand. "So, the right ingredients, just a few mix ups in the amount of each?" Trixie grinned as Pinkie gave her a enthusiastic nod. "Hmm, would one of those be, say, a big, rainbow colored ego?"
Pinkie blew on her bubble pipe. She didn't have one seconds before, but, Trixie wasn't surprised at its sudden arrival.
"You are very good at this, Detective Trixie. Still, I am quite sure this is something the suspect will realize without our prodding giving some time and opportunity."
Trixie rolled her eyes and waved Pinkie's thoughts away. "Good luck with that. You know, Trixie is pretty sure there is one ingredient you could remove to make things even out better."
Pinkie looked confused for a moment. "Wait, ingredients are people in this, right? So that would meeeaaaannnnn- gasp!" she gave Trixie a disapproving frown. "She's not even part of the band, Trix."
Trixie let go of Maud's hand and folded her arms in front of herself irritably. "Trixie wasn't just talking about removing her from the band..."
"Double gasp! She's not that bad now, Trix! She's stopped bullying others and deserves a second chance!"
Trixie sighed and pretended to be studying her nails. "Sure. Whatever."
Pinkie's expression quickly became pouty. "Are you at least going to come see us in the band exhibition?"
Maud nodded. "...Sure."
"Will Sunset be there?" Trixie asked.
Pinkie nodded.
"Then Trixie must decline."
"Awwwww!" Pinkie cried out, before looking over at Maud in a pleading manner.
"...Sorry..."
"Hmph! Well, you can't stop me from bringing Sunny to see your performance!"
Trixie glared. "Pinkie, if I see her anywhere near me at that exhibit, and I find out you're the cause of it..."
Pinkie groaned and leaned back in her chair. "Okay, okay, sheesh. What's it gonna take for you to give her a chance?"
With a grunt, Trixie stirred the straw in her drink around for a moment. Pinkie usually dropped this subject by now, knowing how sore it made Trixie.
Humming softly, Trixie thought it over. "get her to drop out of school?"
Pinkie gave her a deadpan expression. "Yeah, that's sooo not happening."
Trixie shrugged. "Then how about getting her to give Trixie whatever magic she used at the dance?"
Pinkie's eyes widened. "You mean the mind controlly demon making, friend ruining magic?"
Trixie nodded.
With another groan, Pinkie deflated in her chair, limp as a noodle. "You totally know she can't do that. It got blasted out of her. Why would you even want that?"
"Why-" Trixie continued with a grin. "so Trixie could convince Sunset to drop out of school, of course."
"Triple gasp!"
Shortly after, their talk meandered to less upsetting subjects, up until the moment Pinkie realized she was late for rehearsal. With a quick wave, Pinkie ran out the door of the bakery, leaving Maud and Trixie alone.
Trixie poked at her milkshake, pondering on what Pinkie had said about Sunset. Sunset had tried to talk to Trixie on several occasions in the last month, about what, she couldn't imagine. Luckily, Trixie had managed to slip away each time.
On that note, I should probably thank Vice Principal Luna again for no longer confiscating my smoke bombs.
It looked like Sunset had taken the hint though, as she stopped trying to talk to Trixie about two weeks ago. Trixie's allowance was still cut in half over that particular incident, but, she was pretty sure the school window would be paid off in another month or three.
Trixie supposes Sunset found someone easier to menace by now. I'm sure those five must make great henchgirls for her.
It nagged at her though, that Maud's sister was so close to Sunset. What Sunset might be using Pinkie for.
Was she really safe around that monster?
Maud did her best not to move. She was good at fading into the background, at being still enough that others didn't notice her. But, that had stopped working on Trixie after their first few meetings. For now, she simply stared at the girl and tried not to be noticed.
Trixie looked to be thinking over something, her hand absentmindedly stirring her milkshake. Maud's gaze slowly turned to Trixie's dark red shirt, then down to her orange skirt. Maud was always interested in the different styles Trixie experimented in, outside of school, at least. Trixie kept to her old outfits when in school, trying not to be as noticed as when she was trying to be popular.
Maud's eyes continued to trace over Trixie's form. The way the shirt slowly softened in color, meeting the skirt with equal color before going completely over to orange was, well, Maud couldn't place it exactly. Molten lava bursting to fire on the surface? Or, perhaps, the look reminded Maud of the way a sunstone can slowly change colors as you slowly turn it in your hand. Regardless, it fascinated Maud more than it should. The fascination brought feelings with it, feelings Maud had been warring with since Trixie first teased her over a month ago.
Maud had quickly become aware of little things Trixie started to do since that night. If they sat next to each other, Trixie always found a way to lean against Maud, or some excuse to entrap her hand with her own. The close contact wasn't unwelcome, the teasing though... Maud had assumed it was a friends thing until Lime pointed out what was really happening.
"Look, I...fuck." Limestone looked to the side, pretending to skim over the rocks on the shelves in Maud's room. "How is this not obvious to you by now? She's trying to get you to go out with her."
Maud slowly blinked. The lack of response irritated Lime.
"Seriously? How are you not getting this?"
"...Where does she want to go?"
Lime groaned and rubbed the side of her head. "No, there is no fucking way I am letting you be this clueless with a pervert like her visiting all the time. She wants to go on a date with you. Be your girlfriend, all that shit."
Despite knowing Lime wouldn't lie to her, it was still a hard concept for Maud to wrap her head around. Mainly because Trixie was always so straight forward with Maud about what she wanted. So why wasn't she this time? Was this why Trixie's teasing had become much more intense?
Thankfully, Trixie's teasing hadn't quite gotten as intimate as that first night, but there had been some close calls at first. All of this left Maud in a strange spot, one she hadn't expected to ever worry about. Sure, Maud thought she might find someone, someday, but, she didn't ever think that someone could be Trixie. Maud liked being around her, and they had been through a lot of emotional mishaps together. But, liking someone, and wanting to go out with them, Maud wasn't sure where that line was. She'd break someone in half for Trixie, sure, but, she'd do that for anyone in her family.
Though seeing any of her siblings nearly naked never brought on the same feelings as when Trixie did it. Some nights, when Trixie had gone home, she couldn't help but think about those images...
Maud quickly shook the thoughts away. A quick glance over revealed a curious Trixie staring back at her.
"You okay, Maud?"
"...Yeah. sorry. So...how is your band?"
"The Illusions? Heh, don't you worry, Maud. We'll be more than ready to blow the exhibition away. Still..."
Trixie grabbed the side of Maud's arm and squeezed.
"Trixie knew those five were making a band. But she didn't know they'd get Sunset involved. At least she is only there for the rehearsals. They're smart enough to know no one would show up if that witch was really in it. But, why are they helping her?"
"...Pinkie said they promised Twilight."
"Twilight? The girl who came to school for, what two, three days, then disappeared?" Trixie glared angrily. "Why didn't she take that demon with her? Or at least stick around to make sure she wouldn't do anything? No, instead, she pawned it off on your sister and just walked away."
Carefully, Maud wrapped an arm around Trixie's shoulders.
"Why hasn't she taken the hint yet, Maud?" Trixie continued. "The angry words, the stares, why won't she just leave? Why does she get to hide behind others? She doesn't deserve to!"
"..."
Trixie leaned against Maud a little and looked to the side. "I'm...not happy that Pinkie is wrapped up with her either. Trixie knows we've only started talking, but, she's nice, and she's important to you. So, Trixie really doesn't want to see her caught up in whatever scheme Sunset is planning. Aren't you worried, Maud?"
Maud slowly brought her hand up and gave Trixie's hair a gentle pat. This part of Trixie was, in Maud's opinion, amazing. The part that cared about something, or someone, because they were important to Maud. It made her feel...something strong for Trixie. A blur of happiness, with something else underneath that she couldn't quite place.
"...It's okay. Pinkie is...stronger than she looks. And-" Maud gave Trixie's shoulders another squeeze. "If she needs help...she knows where to go..."
Huh, well, this is different.
Trixie could admire a spectacle. And one that livened up lunch time was certainly appreciated. When three girls Trixie had never seen before walked into the cafeteria, humming loud enough to be heard over the din of the crowd, it was clear that she was in for a show.
The leader *Who else would be in the middle?* was a slight yellow girl with bright mulberry eyes and huge, fluffy orange hair held in a ponytail by a black, spiky band. The red gem around her neck shimmered and shined, almost like it was lit from the inside. Trixie loved what she did with her clothes. The pink, fingerless gloves, the gold belt, they fit perfectly with the girls pink and purple outfit. While the ensemble left little to the imagination, it spoke volumes on the girls fashion sense and intent.
The purple tights with the silhouettes of Doritos was a little off putting, but Trixie let it slide.
There were two others along with her, but, really, why would Trixie waste time watching the stage hands? She decided to stay standing where she was in the cafeteria for now. She could get back to her lunch afterwards.
"We heard you want to get together." The leader sang. "We heard you want to rock the school."
How she keeps that hair from consuming her is beyond Trixie. She thought, watching the girls walk down separate aisles. Each one would briefly touch any student not paying attention. The chatter in the room died down quickly.
"Why pretend we're all the same," The yellow one sang out, drawing more and more attention as her and her friends walked around the room. "when some of us shine brighter!"
"Aaahaaa aaahaaa!" The blue and purple girls accompanied.
It was a nice performance, Trixie had to admit. Not nearly as good as Trixie's, but it still managed to stir something up inside her. A desire to do...something. Briefly, Trixie's eyes flashed over to Sunset, sitting at one of the tables and watching the scene.
Without Trixie noticing, the orange haired singer had suddenly stopped in front of her. Gently, she cupped Trixie's chin with her hand and drew Trixie's gaze from Sunset to her own.
"You're a star and you should know it."
Not more than a second or two later, the girl took her hand away. The girl's companions came over and picked her up, hoisting her onto the nearby table as she continued to sing.
"Yeah, you rise above the rest!"
This caused Trixie to roll her eyes. Sing right at Trixie for a second, and then walk away. Screw you too.
"Let's have a battle! A battle of the bands!"
Still, for some reason, Trixie could feel herself being pulled by the message of the song. Turn the music exhibition into a contest? A battle? It sounded fun enough, as Trixie thought more about it. And it was a chance to prove to the rest of the school how amazing she was. What was wrong with that?
Others began calling out, mixing their desires in with the song as it continued. Trixie couldn't help but voice her own thoughts when a lull in the song hit.
"I so want this!" Trixie heard herself cry out, only to immediately receive a response.
"Not if I get it first!"
Trixie glared over, spotting a blue skinned guy that screamed 'hippy' in Trixie's mind.
That little jerk, just wait. Trixie will win this, show the school how great she is, and then...and then...
Memories of the past trickled in. Snips, Snails, Rarity, and the dozens of others who had once called her amazing, only to drop her as soon as she became inconvenient.
And then have a school full of 'friends' that couldn't care less about me...
For what felt like moments, Trixie felt a confused conflict in her mind. She wanted to do something, something to prove how great she really was. But, to who? For what?
The song and voices faded into the background as Trixie thought through the conflict in her head. For some reason, she couldn't decide to just not compete, but, she couldn't find a clear reason why she wanted to, either. This war dragged on inside her, until-
"Hmm-" Trixie faintly heard from behind her. "Well, I expected a hiccup or two. Girls? I'll catch up with you in a few minutes."
"Pssh, whatever. Don't get lost, Adagio."
"Well, hello there." The smooth voice said, directly behind Trixie.
Coming out of her thoughts was surprisingly hard. Sluggishly, Trixie looked over. The yellow girl, Adagio? She was standing next to Trixie, hand on hip, and a seductive smirk on her lips.
"Oh? What's wrong? Not going to join your friends?"
"M-my friends?" Trixie heard herself say.
Adagio pointed over to the crowd of people arguing with each other. "They are all having fun, why not join in? You don't have to hold back." The girl eyed Trixie up. "Someone with such...flair is sure to make a splash at the competition."
She hesitated for a moment, her words slow and halting as Trixie's brain worked them through. "They aren't friends, they aren't important."
Adagio hummed to herself, raising a perfectly manicured finger to her lips as she thought. "I see. It's like that for you? Well..." she leaned closer, her eyes shimmering with amusement. Trixie's head felt fuzzy. "If the allure of the crowd isn't...enough...then what is? There must be something? Some hidden, dark, desire?"
Slowly, Trixie's eyes looked over to Sunset and the five girls she was sitting with. A light laugh came from Adagio.
"How cute. Do you like one of them?"
"...No."
"Do you hate one of them?"
"..."
"That's it then?" A hand ran through her hair from behind, lightly ruffling it. Normally, Trixie would slap it away, but she was transfixed on Sunset Shimmer.
"Well, this is a good opportunity, isn't it?"
"How?" Trixie asked, listless.
"Believe me." Adagio whispered into Trixie's ear. "Just look at how everyone else is focused on winning. What makes you think they'll be worried about anything, or anyone, for the next few days? Why-"
With that, Trixie felt a pressure in her let go, her mind became less fuzzy. Turning around revealed Adagio slowly walking away from her.
"-I'll bet no one would even notice if something happened to one of those girls."
"You're sure about that?"
"That's what I saw." Fuschia grinned. For the moment, the three of them were talking by Trixie's locker just after school.
"Sunset and those Lamegoons are panicked." Fuschia continued. "About what? I dunno. But I heard them talking about getting in touch with Twilight. They must really want to win."
"You're sure?" Trixie almost hissed. "Sunset is only a, ugh, friend of theirs. Why is she panicked?"
Fuschia shrugged. "Not really my concern, Trix. She isn't even part of their band."
"M-maybe she's acting like their manager?" Lavender squeaked out.
Trixie thought on that. Sunset befriended those five girls right after they beat her. Afterwards, it was rare to see her without one of them. And now, they were calling for reinforcements just to win a band contest. Trixie's eyes widened.
"That bitch is learning." Trixie growled out.
"...W-what?"
She's taking a back seat this time. Trixie thought. She wants to win without getting her hands dirty.
"Trixie...gets it." For a brief second, her eyes flashed green. "Sunset's making her move. She has those dupes following her command now."
She grit her teeth. It had only been a few months, but, Sunset had learned enough dirt on nearly everyone in school in that time to become untouchable. It would probably be child's play for her to have dug up something on those five if that was all she focused on. Duping Twilight into trusting her friends to help probably wouldn't be that difficult.
Trixie sighed. Those five were stupid. Hell, everyone in the school was stupid for not running Sunset out the second she was beaten. Of course she would pretend to befriend the ones who beat her. Fooling and threatening others until she had control over them was just what Sunset did.
"Well girls, it looks like the Illusions will have to win this thing."
The other two grinned at her. Fuschia pretended to wipe sweat off of her forehead.
"Gotta admit there, Trix. For a bit, I didn't think you'd want to compete. Since, you know, Sunset is involved."
"Oh no." Trixie shook her head, giving them each a sinister grin. "Trixie wants to compete because Sunset is involved."
Trixie clenched her fist. For once, thoughts of Sunset brought no fear to her mind. Instead, that fear was replaced with something else.
"Trixie wants to crush her and those idiots."
Beating them on stage, in front of a crowd? Yes, that would do for the Rainbooms. She didn't like several of them, anyways. The others, she didn't want to, but, if they were Sunset's tools, so be it. She could apologize to Pinkie later.
Sunset, however. Now, there was someone Trixie wanted to beat. Not in a band battle, or a silly popularity contest.
No, Trixie wanted Sunset to watch as her plan fell apart, and then beat her in the most literal sense of the word.
Maud turned over in bed again. Sleep was hard for her. Her thoughts kept bleeding out and encompassing the entirety of her mind. Trixie, despite her absence, just wouldn't leave her alone.
It had started just before Maud's third class. Rumors of the music exhibition changing to a band battle were everywhere. Some talked with excitement, some confusion. Maud ignored it. If it was anything important, Trixie or Pinkie would probably bring it up later anyways.
Then, three girls Maud had never seen walked down the hallway, loudly humming. For a moment, Maud felt her mind freeze, her eyes, almost forced to watch the girls until they finally rounded a corner and were out of sight. Then, things got...weird.
The other students around her started to argue, talking about which band was the best of the competitors. Over the course of several minutes, the arguments turned to shouting matches. No physical violence had occurred, but it hadn't seemed that far off, in Maud's opinion. Still, Trixie's name had come up several times, and not always in a good way.
Trixie was in the band exhibition, would she also be in the battle?
Since then, Trixie began plaguing Maud's thoughts, her concerns getting darker as the day wore on. What was Trixie doing? Who was she with? Were Fuschia and Lavender really just friends, or did they want something more from Trixie? Would Trixie leave her for them? What if Maud needed to get rid of them, would Trixie be angry at her if she couldn't compete? Why hadn't Maud ever learned to play an instrument?
Questions and thoughts plagued her mind, anger and jealousy were common place in them, and the only reprieve was when Maud and Trixie met up later that day. Maud's fears and concerns had ebbed around Trixie. Trixie was there, she was safe, and Maud was close enough to make sure it stayed that way.
Maud also learned that, yes, Trixie was going to participate. Afterwards, when Trixie went off with Fuschia and Lavender to practice though, the feelings and concerns returned, stronger than before.
Oddly enough, Maud didn't hate this feeling. It overwhelmed her, but, it had been a long time since an emotion had taken hold of her like this. It scared her, but, in the darker parts of her mind, Maud could feel herself reveling in it.
Maud's eyes, unseen by herself or anyone else, glowed green for a second. Her hands came up to clutch at her blushing cheeks as more thoughts came to mind.
Later that night, Maud tried to remember the names and faces of the ones who were talking about the contest earlier. The ones that had bad mouthed Trixie.
Perhaps she would pay them a visit.
"Friendship iiis Magiiic!!!"
The party held for the participants in the battle was going quite well up to this point. Trixie was having a wonderful time explaining to Flash the myriad of reasons why his band sucked. But, this?
This was awkward.
Trixie and the rest of the crowd watched the Rainbooms and Twilight as the six girls kept their eyes closed and held hands in the middle of the gym. A quick glance over to the side showed Trixie how nervous Sunset was starting to look.
Is...this a part of her plan? What in the world are they doing?
Shortly after, the six girls opened their eyes, seemingly confused.
Is Sunset drugging them, or something? Was the crappy fruit punch *Seriously, who uses this much grape juice?* spiked?
Trixie quickly thought back to what Twilight Sparkle said less than a minute ago.
"There isn't going to be a battle of the bands! We're going to make sure of that!"
Was that it? Did Sunset just try to have them blast all the competition with...whatever they used on Sunset before?
That must be it. Trixie glared at the six girls. They really just tried to hit us like they did Sunset and it failed!
She grinned as her eyes flashed green once more. If they couldn't use that magic here, then they probably couldn't use it to cheat in the competition.
Trixie's odds just went up.
"You better believe" Trixie sang out, accompanied by Fuschia and Lavender on their synthesizers. "I've got tricks up my sleeves."
Fuschia's parents garage was, luckily, large enough for them to practice in, though the slight echo was irritating. Then again, it was fortunate they found anywhere to play at all. The other bands were hogging the music room, as well as any free place the school could offer up already. Trixie and the Illusions was originally just for fun, and the band needed to put in some serious hours to secure the win.
Sunset won't even know what hit her. Trixie thought with a grin and a wink towards Maud.
Surprisingly, Maud requested to come and watch them practice, though asked if they could wait a little bit for her to wrap some things up around the school. Trixie agreed without hesitation, perhaps Maud was ready to give Fuschia and Lavender a chance! Besides, it would be...safer with Maud.
Apparently, the band competition had resulted in a few injuries. At least three people were assaulted and hospitalized today. None of the victims had gotten a good look at who did it, but apparently it was a girl none of them remembered seeing in school before.
Oddly enough, little fuss had been caused over it. Principal Celestia had simply made a small announcement for everyone to be more careful, and the matter was quickly ignored. Trixie had only paid a little attention to it to gauge what Adagio had said to her earlier.
Just look at how everyone else is focused on winning. What makes you think they'll be worried about anything, or anyone, for the next few days?
It was true, and Trixie couldn't be any happier.
"Maud? Could you hand Trixie her guitar?"
With a quick nod, Maud picked the guitar that was next to her up and handed it over. Trixie gave Maud's arm a brief pat of gratitude before turning to the others.
"Alright, from the top!"
The sound of metal bending rang out as the locker dented beneath the force of something slamming into it. Maud turned around and walked away, ignoring the sound of someone crumpling to the floor behind her. Her mind was focused on her left hand. The hand that had gently taken Trixie's, and held it against Maud's cheek for just a few seconds after band practice was over.
Maud had barely registered grabbing Trixie's hand at all until it happened. It was so warm, so perfect. Maud couldn't help herself, she just had to feel it against her face.
Trixie had asked if Maud was feeling well. She had to think about that for a second, at first. Was she feeling well?
Maud's eyes flashed green.
Of course she was feeling well. She had never felt better. Trixie was there, so there was no reason not to feel good.
Maud's mind continued to swim in euphoria as she walked into the bathroom.
Trixie felt good. Trixie had told Maud that she could help out, though Trixie didn't know how Maud could. Perhaps, if Maud helped her more, Trixie would be okay with Maud being around more? With touching her more?
Trixie was prideful in the best of ways, but that pride was fragile too. Making any of the bands she was against not show up would make Trixie upset. So, Maud wouldn't physically touch any of them. Still...
Trixie had talked about some of the stuff Flash had said to her at the party. She wouldn't hurt them, but, that didn't mean she couldn't mess with them in some way. Right?
Calmly, Maud washed the blood off of her hands. Trixie would worry about Maud if she saw it.
Trixie was wonderful like that.
Author's Note
Sketch will be replaced by my actual commission later, but I wanted the story up, and it IS an awesome looking sketch.
Second part will be up later this week, hope you enjoy.
Maud twitched, coming out of her half-sleep as she heard noises downstairs. It was late at night, and with Lime and Marble out for the next few days, Maud could only imagine it being Pinkie or her friends.
Despite the animosity Maud had for Sunset, Pinkie Pie was her sister, so Maud had said it was fine for her friends to come over tonight to plan out what they would do for the competition.
Maud was, however, in conflict with herself about that. Not a room away slept a band that, come tomorrow, would probably be going against Trixie. A band with Maud's sister in it, supported by Sunset no less. She got out of bed while thinking on whether or not she should intervene.
No. They're Pinkie's friends. And Sunset, Trixie wants to beat her on the stage.
With barely a noise, Maud made her way out of her room and down the stairs. She came to a stop at the bottom of them and peered over at the two girls currently occupying the kitchen.
The kitchen itself was larger than necessary, but that's how their parents preferred it. It was designed with wooden floors and an overabundance of cabinets. One side contained a table the family often sat at and the family refrigerator, the other side contained the stove and cooking area, a small island in the center, and Pinkie's personal party fridge. The fridge quickly became a necessity as Pinkie's party penchant proved problematic, as well as her desire to purchase party foods in bulk.
There she is. Maud thought, watching as Sunset and Twilight talked about something. Sunset opened the fridge and gazed at the bulk order of whipped cream cans Pinkie had bought last week while Twilight stood at the island holding a notebook while she talked.
"We only get one shot at this, it has to be perfect."
Maud quietly disagreed as she rubbed her arm discontentedly. It bothered her more than she cared to admit. Sunset Shimmer, the one who hurt Trixie over and over again, in her house, and she couldn't do anything to her.
Still, a side of her argued, spooking her would be a little fun, right?
Cautiously, Maud made her way over to the two girls, keeping the open fridge door between herself and them. The two girls were smiling at each other, eyes distracted from Maud as she got into position. Sunset closed the fridge, catching the vaguest of movements to her side, and turned towards it. A second later-
"GYAH!"
It wasn't as satisfying as Maud wanted, but it would have to do for now.
Trixie gave out a grunt as Maud shoved a small box into her hands. Without another word, Maud pressed her head against Trixie's shoulder and let out a loud, satisfied sigh.
"Are you okay, Maud?"
Maud breathed in the scent of Trixie's hair slowly before answering. "...Yes..."
Rolling her eyes, Trixie turned her attention to the box. A quick look revealed it to be filled with mouthpieces and guitar picks of various shapes and sizes. Trixie sighed, irritated that Maud's idea of helping was only proving to be a distraction from her main goal. A goal she had been slowly obsessing more and more over as time passed.
"Umm...thanks, Maud. But, first, we don't play any wind instruments. And second, Trixie already has enough picks."
Maud nodded, keeping her head right where it was.
"Yes, you do."
"...What?"
Flash Sentry, lead singer and guitarist, was having a very bad day. Frantically, he looked over his book bag and locker again. He had to go on stage soon.
"Where the hell are they!?"
It was all Trixie could do to stop herself from cackling at the spectacle before her. Rarity, that egotistical jerk, was being thrown around the stage by two magnets connected to the myriad of metal objects adorned on her outfit. The small ropes attached to the magnets were easy to see, and a clear indication of foul play. If that wasn't funny enough, one of the stage lights kept following Fluttershy, no matter how she ran around on the stage. So much chaos and confusion surrounded the Rainbooms as they tried to perform, and Trixie was loving every moment of it.
A quick look over to Principal Celestia and her sister Luna confirmed that they were merely observing and jotting down the occasional note. Not a single eyebrow was raised by either of them as Fluttershy jumped behind Pinkie Pie's drums and hid from the horrifying light that kept searching for her.
To the side, Trixie could see Sunset, confused and concerned, and smirked. Everything Sunset was trying was falling apart, and the whole school was helping to stop her.
Trixie crossed her legs and quietly reveled in the spectacle. It was such a shame that Sunset wasn't up there and being humiliated as well. But, Trixie was fine on waiting for that to happen. Sunset was a powder keg, she'd blow her top sooner than later. Trixie was sure of it.
Besides, the thought of personally humiliating Sunset was growing on her more and more.
She was so close now.
Trixie's body was on fire with energy and confidence as she walked down the empty hallway. She had just wrecked Bon Bon and Lyra. Who brought a piano duet to a competition like this? Idiots.
After being declared the victor, Trixie had separated from the others to use the restroom and was just headed back now. Finally, after all her work and practice, the sleepless nights planning lyrics and going over her parts, she was exactly where she wanted to be. In Sunset's way.
She was the one standing against the Rainbooms in the semifinals. She just had to beat them once, and Sunset's plans would fall apart. They were already on shaky ground, with how nervous and out of place Twilight Sparkle was acting on stage. And that wasn't even mentioning how most of the school was treating them. Sunset must have been counting on those six's reputation to keep them in good graces. Pathetic. The only reason they were liked in the first place was because they destroyed Sunset Shimmer's hold over everyone. Was Sunset really so off her game now that she didn't even realize openly endorsing the band would drag them down?
It didn't matter, after tomorrow, Trixie, would finally take her rightful place on top of Sunset Shimmer.
That thought stopped Trixie in her tracks. ...Huh, glad I didn't say that out loud...gonna have to find a better way to phrase that during my victory speech.
"Trixie!"
No, that was all wrong. Sunset should sound a lot more broken when Trixie speaks to her again.
"...Umm, hey, Trix?"
She shook her head. Better, she should be confused at how she lost, but the last one had more-
Someone put a hand on her shoulder. Trixie looked behind herself and came face to face with Sunset.
"Gah!"
Trixie took a few steps away from her, practically feeling the adrenaline in her body start to skyrocket along with her own heartbeat. Sunset put her outstretched hand behind her own head and gave Trixie a sheepish smile. "Sorry, you were a little out of it. Do you mind if we talk?"
Warily, Trixie looked Sunset over. Something was wrong, but she couldn't quite place it. "About what?"
Sunset closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them again as her hands gripped into fists at her sides. "I know you really don't want to see me, and if there was any other way, I wouldn't be here. But I..." She hesitated, looking off to the side. "I need your help."
Trixie's eyes kept moving as sweat started trickling down her face. Half of her was screaming to run right now. But, the other half, the other half was why her eyes kept roaming. Her mind sensed something she never thought to ever find in Sunset. Vulnerability. Fear.
"You tore me apart..." Trixie heard herself say, her fears slowly being pushed away. "Why would I ever help you...?"
Sunset brought her hands up in a placating manner and bit at her own lip in anxiety. "I-I know. I tried apologizing to you, but you never-"
"Apologizing? APOLOGIZING!?" Trixie covered up her own shaking by stepping forward and balling her own hands into fists. "What the hell did you think an apology would do!? You want to apologize!? Then disappear!"
"I...Trixie...look, I..." Hesitation and doubt were all over Sunset's face, causing Trixie to rapidly forget her remaining fears. "I swear, I wouldn't be here if I could help it. It's the sirens. O-or well, the Dazzlings. I know they are making you want to win this, but-"
"Sirens? The Dazzlings?" Before she knew it, Trixie felt her own forehead against Sunset's. The adrenaline rush, the smell of fear, the widening of Sunset's eyes, it all drove Trixie forward. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but I don't give a fuck about this battle! It's not like Trixie cares what the idiots in this school think about her anymore."
"Trixie, i-is that true?" Strangely, some spark of enthusiasm entered Sunset's voice. Quickly, Sunset spoke, trying to get everything out at once. "Look, I'm sorry about how I was. I-I was in a bad place. Please, I know it's a lot to ask, but, I need you to drop out. The Rainbooms have to URK!"
Sunset felt Trixie's fist bury itself in her stomach. For a few seconds, they stared into each other's eyes. Sunset knew Trixie would hate her for what she did in the past, but, seeing that hatred, just inches away like this, made it seem so much more real for some reason.
Trixie pulled her fist back and stared down at Sunset as she fell to her knees, clutching her stomach. Trixie's thoughts swirled maddeningly in her mind, ripping at her. Trixie's fear was consumed by a growing rage. That rage in turn quickly became something far beyond anger. Something darker. Before she even registered doing it, Trixie kicked Sunset in the chest. She wasn't a strong girl, but it was enough to push Sunset several inches into a locker.
Sunset's groan of pain, her squirming on the ground, Trixie wanted more. She couldn't understand why, but she was getting to the point of not caring about anything else but the way Sunset writhed before her.
"You're an idiot." Trixie quietly rasped out. "If this is all you can do now to win, you really are an idiot."
Sunset coughed, refusing to look up as she clutched her hands to her chest. She grit her teeth and tried again. "I know, I know I hurt you, I'm sorry, but, please, you don't understand! We have to go against the Dazzlings! If we don't-"
"Ssssshhh-" Trixie interrupted. Slowly, she put a hand on top of Sunset's head. Her emotions danced in a sick ecstasy at the way Sunset flinched. "You're trying to give Trixie a warning, right?"
"Y-yeah...something like that." Sunset's breathing began to calm down as she rubbed her sore stomach. "Are you feeling be-"
Sunset's cry as Trixie clutched and pulled her hair, it was undefinable, musical even. It probably surpassed sex, despite what others had told her about it. Still, as the seconds passed, something in Trixie's body began to feel off. "Shut up. I'm so sick of your warnings. Your stupid threats. Let Trixie guess." She brought her head down, gazing at the small tears starting to form on Sunset's face as she grasped Trixie's hand. Oddly enough, Sunset didn't actually try to pull away or remove her hair from Trixie's grasp. Trixie's own hand began shaking after noticing this. "Should I expect to be covered in soaked crackers next time I go on stage!?"
"P-please, Trixie, I-"
Trixie slammed the back of Sunset's head into the locker and let go. Awkwardly, as though her own legs were rebelling against her actions, Trixie stumbled a few steps back from Sunset. The feeling of pleasure and what she can only describe as wrongness in her body began overwhelming her. Sunset just sat there, clutching the back of her head and giving out a short sob every so often. Trixie's gaze raked across Sunset's crumpled form and, for a second, Trixie remembered all the times that she had been in this situation.
She deserves this.
The thought echoed in Trixie's mind, soothing her a little. Despite the reprieve, Trixie couldn't continue like this with Sunset. Not right now, at least.
I can't do this.
But you want to.
"I-I don't know what you're up to, Sunset. I don't know what your plan is, and I couldn't care less about Sirens or Dazzlings. All I care about is seeing you fail. I won't let you win. Not this time. Not after...everything. If you want to apologize to Trixie, then struggle. Squirm until Trixie's boot stomps out whatever the hell you are trying to get away with."
Trixie turned away.
"You are going to fail, Trixie swears it."
Walking away set off more emotions. The desire to run, a strange guilt that was quickly swallowed by yet a stronger emotion. And all the while, the urge to do it all over again began to grow.
It wasn't enough. Her mind repeated. She deserves so much more.
Despite the distance, Maud could hear as Flash's doorbell rang for the third time that night. An angry women, Flash's mom Maud assumed, answered. Behind her was a tired and upset Flash Sentry shaking his head back and forth while the delivery man rattled off the order.
A quick glance at her phone revealed to Maud that it was two in the morning. Flash's band would be playing in seven hours.
One more Maud thought, flipping through her phone to find another all night restaurant that delivered. In an hour I'll have one more delivery made. That should do it.
An exhausted rival would only cement Trixie's victory today. Maud didn't resist the small shiver that ran up her spine as she imagined the look on Trixie's face when she won.
Right before the semi-final...
Trixie rubbed her forehead with one of her hands, letting out a small exasperated sigh. "Trixie is facing the Rainbooms today, Maud. Not Flash. Flash was already trounced by the Dazzlings an hour ago..."
"...Oh..."
Celestia and Luna stood on the stage in the gym, dully looking over the crowd for a few seconds. Finally, Celestia brought the microphone up and made the announcement.
"The band that will be joining the Dazzlings in tonight's finals...the Rainbooms!"
Trixie froze up in shock. It felt like something in her mind snapped and her vision was replaced with a red haze. Almost unconsciously, Trixie made an offhand threat to the Rainbooms before storming off, her mind trying to piece together what just happened.
How? HOW!?
It went perfectly, everything went perfectly! Trixie and the Illusions nailed their set to the roar of applause. The Rainbooms had, what any sane mind would consider, their worst set yet. They didn't even complete their song thanks to Sunset Shimmer!
That part still confused Trixie though, why did Sunset tackle Rainbow Dash off the stage? Sure, Trixie taunted Dash earlier, mocking them for bringing in a magic muscle like Twilight. D-did that really bother Dash? Enough for her to go off of Sunset's script and force her to step in?
Either way, it didn't matter. She had lost. Lost! Despite everything she had done! Despite the entire crowd booing and telling the Rainbooms off! Why had Principal Celestia and Luna done that? Did they feel some guilt over seeing Sunset ruin the Rainbooms chances? Did they feel nothing for throwing Trixie aside!? It wasn't fair!
Trixie ground her teeth together as she watched Sunset walk out of the gym. She should have done far worse to her when they were alone! She should have caved her head in and ended this whole thing then and there! But no, Trixie played Sunset's game. Even with that slip up of Sunset's, she had still won!
Trixie saw red.
"This is a travesty, a travesty!"
Someone gripping her shoulder brought Trixie out of her murderous thoughts. With an angry glare, she looked over, meeting the eyes of Adagio.
"It really is," Adagio stated, putting on wide, innocent eyes that quickly turned away from Trixie. "The Rainbooms don't deserve to be in the finals. Not when your band was so much better in the semi's."
"And wanted it so much more," Aria said from Trixie's right side.
Crap acting on both their parts. What the hell do they want?
"Alas," Adagio continued, nettling Trixie with how innocent she was trying to sound. "This is the way it's going to be. Dazzlings versus Rainbooms."
Sonata chimed in, standing to the side of Aria.
"Unless of course the Rainbooms don't manage to make it to their set," At this, Aria and Adagio squeezed Trixie's shoulders encouragingly, a smile like that of a snake's forming on both their faces. "-or are held up for some reason."
It only took a few seconds for Sonata's words to sink in. Trixie knew the Dazzlings were trying to use her, but she really didn't care about their intentions right now. Her mind was already planning what she'd do to the Rainbooms. And then, after the Battle of the bands, to Sunset.
"So, like, what's her deal, Adagio?" Aria quietly asked as Trixie stormed off.
Sonata nodded as they walked out of the gym. "Yeah! What was all that stuff she was whispering about Sunset?"
"Something about her, like, didn't taste right. Is she really under our spell?"
"You two idiots would know why if you ever paid attention when I explained things." Adagio rubbed her forehead. "Do you even remember why we haven't tried controlling more than a dozen people at a time since we landed on this stupid planet?"
"Because you're, like, too scared after what happened in Equestria?"
"Because the bodies are too hard to hide?"
Adagio gave Aria a warning glare, entirely ignoring Sonata. "No, it's because our power is scraping the bottom of the barrel, and we are trying to keep an entire school under control! That's why we tried to focus everyone on the battle of the bands in the first place! Apparently, Trixie was more focused on...something else when she was charmed."
"So, do we need to, like, do anything about it?"
Adagio shook her head. "No, this still works for us. Luckily, she has something against Sunset Shimmer. The charms only magnifying that for now. Once we get our hands on that Equestrian magic, we'll be strong enough to just have everyone focus on us from then on. We just-"
"What were you talking to Trixie about?"
Adagio blinked, staring into the dark blue eyes of the girl who just stepped in front of her. While the gray skin and blue frock barely registered as interesting while Adagio looked her over, the taste she caught from the charm placed on the girl was of some concern.
It felt off, much darker in taste than the rest of the school. It was very similar to Trixie's.
Great, another one. Let's just tread carefully until we find out what she wants.
"Oh? What do we have here?" Adagio cooed, smirking at the girl. "Are you a fan of Trixie's?"
"Psh, that loser has fans?"
Damnit, Aria!
The charm's taste became bitter as the gray girl looked over to Aria.
"...Loser?"
"Well, duh? She lost to those Raintoons, so, like-"
The wall behind Aria suddenly found itself with a new occupant as the gray girl slammed Aria into it and began trying to choke the life out of her.
"She's not a loser..."
"Hey! Stop that! Only I get to pick on her!" Sonata yelled out, grabbing onto one of the girl's arms and trying to pull her off of Aria. Adagio grabbed the other arm, but neither proved a match for the girl's disturbing strength. She didn't let it show, but Adagio was a little freaked out at the way the girl's expression was still unreadable despite her sudden assault on Aria.
"L-let m-me g-go *cough* y-you-" Aria stopped talking as the girl's grip grew tighter.
"Adagio, fix the spell!" Sonata screamed, watching Aria's face starting to turn a deeper purple. "Fix it fix it fix it fix it fix it!"
It doesn't work like that! Adagio yelled in her own head. Okay, think. Mocking Trixie triggered her, and she probably didn't like me talking to Trixie, so it's an obsession of some kind. I can work with that.
Adagio let go of her grip on the girl, and instead, placed a hand on her shoulder. She did her best to ignore the look on Aria's face as she calmly spoke to the stone golem currently squeezing the life out of her sister with disturbing apathy. "What Aria meant was, she's upset that Trixie is going to be thought of as a loser now. That's why we were talking to her after the announcement."
The girl's eyes slowly veered over to Adagio's face. While she hadn't let go of Aria yet, her grip had definitely slackened.
"Why were you talking to Trixie?" The girl's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"
"Sshhh, relax." Adagio softly cooed out, patting the girl's shoulder. "What's your name?"
"...Why were you talking to Trixie?"
Adagio breathed in deeply, tasting the charm again. It was something akin to ash and sunshine.
Yes, obsession, and a destructive one at that. Okay, keep working with it, no mistakes, we'll get her safely fixated on us instead soon enough.
"We were just giving Trixie some advice on how she could still participate. We felt just awful about how that other band cheated her out of the spotlight."
The girl's head tilted to the side. Adagio was impressed at how Aria's flailing and Sonata's pulling still hadn't budged her an inch.
"I'm Maud. Why do you care about Trixie?" Maud's eyes turned back to glare at Aria. "Aren't you her enemy?"
Crap! New plan!
"Rivals, dear, not enemies. But that is only if she gets to compete. You know-" Adagio looked up into the air thoughtfully, bringing a finger to her own lips. "Trixie said she had a plan. But, if she is going to have any hope of competing, she said she'd need some help."
Maud lowered Aria to the floor.
"She's...looking for help?"
Adagio nodded. "Yes, why, I'm sure she would be very grateful to whoever assisted her. Do you know-"
Before Adagio was finished, Maud was already disappearing behind a corner of the hallway.
Aria dropped to the ground, gasping and gripping her throat. Sonata put a hand on her shoulder, but was quickly shrugged off. "What the hell was that?"
"That, my dear girls, is what happens when an emotion, bad or good, is driven to an extreme through magic. Apparently, that girl, Maud, has a bit of an obsession with Trixie." Adagio shook her head. "Let's go and see what they are up to, but keep your distance, if they get any worse, well, I may not be able to talk her down next time you run your mouth, Aria."
"Tch. Fine."
"See you neverrrr!"
Trixie cackled as the floor shut, sealing the Rainbooms below the stage. Oh, the look on Sunset's face just as the floor closed, It was glorious! This plan was perfect! Sunset could hear Trixie win, and not do a thing about it. Well, so long as Maud had already carried out her side of the plan.
A part of her noted that she'd have to apologize to Pinkie later, but, then again, wasn't it her own fault for still being involved with Sunset? She was warned by both Trixie and Maud already. Really, she only had herself to blame at this point.
She sighed and gave the stage a little kick. Trixie wouldn't see Sunset's pained face for several hours. A part of her longed to forget the competition and find other ways to torment her. But, she couldn't, not with knowing that ruining Sunset's plans by winning the competition would be far more scarring in the long run.
"Well done, you two." Trixie grinned and looked over to Lavender and Fuschia. Both were smiling back at her.
Fuschia let out a laugh. "No problem. Those chuckleheads didn't deserve to be up here anyways."
"Glad to help. We're going to win this!" Lavender whispered out.
"We are." Trixie smiled, looking over to the Dazzlings. The three girls were by one of the entrances to the small outside arena they'd be playing in. Naturally, they watched the entire scene between Trixie and the Rainbooms, and did nothing.
A shame they wouldn't be so easy to fool. Trixie will just have to crush them fair and square tonight.
Interestingly, Adagio suddenly blanched and the three of them walked off just as Maud approached the stage from the other side.
"I did it..." Maud stated as she walked onto the stage and approached Trixie.
"Perfect, and you're sure they won't be getting out anytime soon?"
Maud nodded. Briefly, she entwined one of her hands with Trixie's and squeezed.
"Wonderful, thank you, Maud." Trixie squeezed back briefly, before untangling her hand. Maud's face fell a little at that, to Trixie's irritation.
She's just so needy lately.
It was strange, not a week ago, Trixie was sure that Maud behaving this way, like a dog falling over itself for its master, would have made her ecstatic. The plan had been to make Maud confess first, after all. But, right now? It just didn't interest her. Not like crushing and hurting Sunset did. Still...she did care about Maud. perhaps they could both get what they want?
Yes. It's not like anyone would care if Sunset disappeared after this, right? The thought appealed to Trixie. Perhaps her and Maud could have some fun together after the battle with their new toy.
"So...that happened..."
Maud remained silent as she lightly massaged Trixie's back. To top off how exhausted Trixie was after the charm that kept her body going throughout the competition disappeared, she had also sprained her foot among other injuries by falling off of the bleachers earlier that night. Once everyone finally calmed down after the band battle, the two had retreated back to Trixie's house.
Every part of Trixie burned. She was pretty sure everyone else who competed was in a similar state right now. She had stayed up at all hours obsessing over this, writing and practicing music, dreaming of-
Trixie placed her hand on her stomach in nausea at the images of what she wanted to do to Sunset, let alone what she had actually done to her.
I wanted her gone from my life...I never wanted to be like her!
"...You okay?"
"No..." Trixie groaned. Glancing behind herself at Maud. Looking her over, Maud wasn't in great shape either. Bags could be seen under her eyes, along with many, many bruises encompassing her hands.
"...At least you won, right?"
That was...technically true. The Dazzlings were booed off stage, and the Rainbooms had never made it to their time slot, forfeiting it to Trixie. It helped that none of the Rainbooms had mentioned the whole trapped under the stage incident to the principals. Vice Principal Luna had told Trixie not brag to anyone, though. The entire school was disoriented and tired, with many of the students having forgotten entire sections of the last few days. Celebration was not on the menu after what happened, let alone caring about who won. Trixie had to make due with Luna privately congratulating Trixie in her office and handing over the trophy and prizes.
Trixie looked over to the statue now adorning the top of her dresser. She felt she deserved it for all the crap she had gone through, but it still felt like a hollow victory. Rainbows, magic, a giant horse with a horn and wings, the craziness of the situation just gave her a headache to think about right now.
"I...guess. But, Sunset looked like the good girl this time, not Trixie."
Maud nodded and began massaging Trixie's sprained foot. "...Yeah...sorry..."
Trixie shook her head and hissed under Maud's ministrations. "It's not your fault. I don't know. Maybe this time she was the good girl? I still hate her, though."
One good act doesn't make someone a good person, and one bad act doesn't make them a bad person, right? Trixie and Sunset were still far from even. But, all that hate...Trixie just didn't have the energy to dredge it up. The urge to squash Sunset, the desire to follow through with those...horrible thoughts she had earlier, was gone.
She was just so tired, but her mind refused to stop bringing up images of what she had done over the last few days.
"I...think I remember everything I did...Maud...I-I..."
Maud gently took both of Trixie's hands in her own and laid down next to her. "It's okay...I do too..."
"I-I nearly hurt people."
Maud let out a single, solitary, "heh."
"What's so funny?"
"You're too weak."
Trixie frowned at the remark. "I am not! I could hurt someone if I got serious! I, I beat up Sunset!"
"She looked fine to me."
Trixie shook her head as the images continued coming back to her. The fleeting memories of those dark desires and what they almost drove her to still lingered. A part of her still wanted them, much to her own disgust. "You don't understand. I almost...I wanted to-"
A gray finger stole the tear currently running down Trixie's cheek. "But you didn’t...you're fine..."
“What do you mean I…Oh!” She shook her head again and wrapped her arms around Maud, pulling her close before hiding her head in Maud's chest. "I-I'm sorry, Maud. I wasn't thinking about what you went through; all those things you did, I-"
"Shhhh...I'm fine..." Trixie could feel Maud's fingers gently running through her hair.
"H-how can you be-"
"-Because I was helping you..."
That wasn't entirely true. Maud doubted sending those students to the hospital really helped Trixie in anyway, but she wasn't going to worry about the details right now. Maud was tired, but Trixie was sore, exhausted, and badly upset. Maud could worry about her own state of mind later. The people she sent to the hospital would recover. Maybe it was a little callous, but, she thought she was helping Trixie at the time, and that was enough for her to not lose sleep over it.
If anything, she was thankful for the experience, she just wished Trixie hadn't been forced into it as well. Or, that Trixie at least had managed to lose a good deal of her darker memories like most of the students.
Maud wondered if those out of control emotions were what Lime experienced after what happened to Marble. If so, then she couldn't really blame Lime for how crazy or violent she was in the past. Did Lime, from time to time, still feel that way? She'd have to ask her sister about it. Maud had to marvel at those feelings, though.
The urge to do something, to find anything that could even remotely help Trixie, had been so strong. Trixie's urge to crush Sunset had been as, or, perhaps, even stronger than Maud's desire to help Trixie. It had been a bad time for both of them. Yet, there was a piece there that, just on its own, had made the last few days worth going through.
Trixie, exhausted and battered, no longer under the Dazzling's charm, regretted what she did to Sunset. It was unlikely that Trixie would ever feel so hurt and angry about Sunset again.
But, Maud's desire to be around Trixie was still the same, despite her exhaustion and the charm's destruction. Maud's desire to pound anyone who hurt, or insulted Trixie was still there, just less...caustic. Despite thinking of almost nothing but her for the last few days, Maud was still here, laying in Trixie's bed.
And there was nowhere else she wanted to be right now.
Lying in bed beside Trixie, Maud stared at the statue on the dresser, everything they’d done the past week was just for this. There was something else too, but she’d never asked. It was nagging at her now. "...What did you win...?" Maud mumbled as she poked the blanket-hogging winner, pulling her back from the brink of slumberland.
Grumbling, Trixie squeezed Maud tighter against herself as the two continued to lie in bed under the covers.
"Pfft...I don't know who picked out the prizes for this, but they were idiots. T-Trixie...*yawn* received over two hundred dollars in coupons to, believe it or not, nothing but Mexican restaurants."
Maud froze as Trixie’s head came to rest on her chest and made itself comfortable on the new ‘pillows’.
"...O-Okay...?"
Trixie continued to listen to Maud's heartbeat, letting it silently drag her to unconsciousness.
"I...I know...right? I gave most...*yawn* most of them to F-Fuschia and Lavender...but I kept the...the fancy looking ones...want to go...sometime...?"
Maud shifted and nodded, inadvertently bopping Trixie on the head with her jaw as she did so, eliciting a sleepy grumble. "...Sure...it's a date..."
"...Cool...is'za date zen..." Trixie nodded back, slipping into a warm blackness.
Author's Note
Sonata may have had a hand in picking the prize for winning. But, better her than Aria, right? Who needs that many gift certificates to Hot Topic anyways?
So, hope you enjoyed and enjoy the rest of the year! 
