And the Heart Beats On

by LunarShadow

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, Trixie, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 2682

Continuation of Heart's Desire

What does a given pony see when they look into the Mirror of Erised?

The events leading up to the discovery of the mirror and the heart's desire of each pony that looks into it.

The continuation of "Heart's Desire" due to character limit. It is highly suggested that you read at least chapters 1 and 3 of "Heart's Desire" before skipping to this story if you plan on skipping. Lastly, the first chapter is not a pony, but a recap of the first story for those who do not plan on going back to "Heart's Desire" before moving on. *Warning: it contains spoilers.*

Published 2012-07-06 11:24:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-07-06 11:24:01 UTC

Not a Chapter: Recap

Recap

Okay, this is just a short, quick guide to what’s happened in each chapter of “Heart’s Desire”. This will contain spoilers. This will tell you if the mirror was moved, where it was moved, how any given pony stumbled across it, and what they saw. Do not read this if you’re a new reader unless you really want to just skip chapters all together. If you do not read this, but do not want to read previous chapters, it is highly recommended that you read chapters 1 and 3 as those are the chapters that explain where the mirror is at the moment.

Spoilers:

Twilight: Receives the mirror by special delivery by Derpy from Princess Celestia. She has it put into the basement. We also find out that Derpy was supposed to have a letter for Twilight explaining it, but it was lost in transit. Twilight says that she can send for another copy and goes to check the mirror out after Derpy leaves. She sees herself as the head of a prestigious library in Canterlot. She is joined there by her family and friends and everypony is happy.

Princess Celestia: The first chapter where a pony isn’t looking into the mirror for the first time. We find that she has succumbed to the need to look into the mirror. However, she realizes that what’s shown in the mirror is not real. She sees herself traveling back in time and preventing the transformation of Luna into Nightmare Moon. Twilight discovers her looking into the mirror, but she manages to escape before she could be questioned.

Rainbow Dash: Twilight has a pretty good grasp on what the mirror does, but she’s uncertain. She enlists Rainbow Dash’s help, but is turned down on basis that Rainbow Dash already knows what she wants. However, Rainbow Dash begins to doubt that and goes to take a look anyways. She sees herself with an unknown stallion. She’s in the hospital and giving birth. It’s theorized that she doesn’t know exactly what she wants other than a family. With who remains to be seen. *No shipping intended*

Fluttershy: She is having a bad day with certain animals when she’s reminded by Rarity that they have a spa appointment together. At the spa, we find that Rarity has Opal with her because she didn’t have time to drop off her cat back at the boutique. When they go to get into the salt bath, Opal freaks and runs away. Fluttershy offers to chase after Opal and eventually ends up chasing the cat into the Ponyville LIbrary. There, she is fooled by Opal into going downstairs where she discovers the mirror. Fluttershy sees animals, both the hunter and the hunted, living in perfect harmony. Twilight discovers her and Fluttershy runs back to the spa.

Big Macintosh: He is cleaning some farm tools when he is approached by Twilight. She asks if she can move something to the barn barn for safe keeping. She explains that it’s the mirror and he agrees as long as he is out of the barn at the time she hides it. He goes to collect tools from the orchard while she hides the mirror. But as he does so, Twilight’s spell goes off with a bang and she’s thrown from the barn loft. After he watches her teleport to the hospital, he goes to investigate the bang to ensure that there’s no fire hazard. He bumps into the mirror. He sees his entire family working under him on Sweet Apple Acres. He’s caught by Applejack and is reminded of Twilight. He runs off to check on her.

Princess Luna: Princess Luna confronts her sister about recent behavior. Celestia has been acting strange and it bothers Luna. She finds out that Celestia has acquired the mirror and has been looking into it, causing her to go mad. We find out from Celestia that the mirror’s previous owner passed away and it was transferred to her for safekeeping. Luna determines that Celestia needs to go to sleep for her own safety and attempts to force it on her sister. The briefly fight and Luna succeeds in casting a sleep spell. She then goes to Ponyville in search of the mirror. At the library, she finds that Twilight has been hospitalized after being blown from the Sweet Apple Acres barn loft. Luna immediately goes there with the intent of destroying the mirror. Just as she’s about to, she sees her desire and it gives her pause. She sees herself conquering Equestria in the name of the Lunar Republic. We learn that deep down, desires never change.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders: it’s a new day of crusading and after a brief argument, they decide that maybe their cutie marks will be discovered in the barn loft. The intent is to discover what spell Twilight cast and earn their marks in Thaumatology. They get there and while searching bump into the mirror. Scootaloo sees herself having been adopted by Rainbow Dash and they live together happily. Apple Bloom sees the Cutie Mark Crusaders as older, but still the best of friends, and they earned their cutie marks. Sweetie Belle sees her family reunited, her parents no longer traveling. They are all happy and no longer argue. Applejack catches them while they’re looking and sends them away disappointed.

Applejack: While she’s bucking apples, she wonders out loud why she managed to catch both Big Mac and the Crusaders up in the loft. Rainbow Dash, who is helping her, tells AJ to just go check it out. Applejack does and remembering one of the crusaders excuses, a mirror, searches the hay for one. She bumps into the mirror. Being the Element of Honesty, she sees that she only wants the truth, and she gets the truth. She realizes that the mirror isn’t all that it seems. As she realizes this, Big Mac comes up to the loft for a second glance. Applejack warns him, but he pays no heed to it. Applejack rushes off to tell Twilight. Twilight explains the full purpose of the mirror and Applejack rushes out again to get Big Mac away from it.

Pinkie Pie: She is visiting Twilight in the hospital. They talk a bit before a nurse comes in with some sleep medicine for Twilight. Just before she falls asleep, she asks Pinkie to check on Applejack who had left just before Pinkie arrived. Pinkie agrees and goes to the loft. There she finds Applejack attempting to remove her brother from the loft. She helps and together they drag Big Mac away. Left alone in the loft, Pinkie becomes curious as to what Big Mac had been staring at. She discovers the mirror. She sees herself throwing the largest party in Equestria. There is no more crime and no more misery while the party is being thrown. We learn that in theory, the mirror affects ponies at different rates.

The Great and Powerful Trixie

Trixie

Sweat dripped down Trixie’s brow as she peeked out at the audience. It wasn’t that she was nervous or anything, but it was brutally hot. However, Trixie knew that the show must go on no matter the cost.

Trixie will not be forced to delay her show because of the heat. She grinned confidently, watching the last of the ponies drift in from the camp. Performing for a trade cavern is perhaps the best idea Trixie’s had yet. They travel too much to hear about Trixie’s... embarrassment.

“Welcome Fillies and Gents to the greatest magic show in Equestria!” She tossed out a smoke pellet and behind the cover, galloped to the center of the stage. As the smoke cleared, she reared up and whinnied with confidence. “Watch and be amazed as the Great and Powerful Trixie performs feats unmatched by any unicorn ever!”

She set off the fireworks, listening for the cheers of the cavern ponies. She frowned when none came. Instead of cries of wonder, there was a hush. Suddenly, one of the ponies screamed.

“Fire!”

Spinning around, Trixie gasped in horror. Her entire wagon had been engulfed in flames within seconds of the first firework going off. She summoned a burst of water from her horn and sprayed the area.

The other Fireworks! If Trixie doesn’t put out the flames now...Time seemed to slow down, her gaze turning to the back of the wagon where she kept her stockpile of fireworks. A stray flame leapt into the boxes. Trixie’s eyes widened and in a split second had a basic shield around herself and the wagon. Trixie may be above all others, but she will not let harm come to other ponies. What would that do to her reputation if the death of others marred her?

The wagon exploded, sending wooden splinters everywhere. Trixie flew back, crashing into the shield. It shattered and she landed at the hooves of the crowd. They immediately rushed forward. A group of unicorns headed for the wagon to put out the fire, water already bursting from their horns. The rest of the cavern members crowded around Trixie.

She shoved them back and stood up. “Get away! Trixie does not need help from anypony.” Staggering back, she headed towards the wagon and fell down beside the ruins.

No... why? Trixie could barely afford this wagon after her first one was destroyed. She gently pushed what was left of a wheel, hoping that maybe she wouldn’t be able to feel it, that it was all a dream. She grimaced as a splinter lodged itself in her hoof. Grabbing it in her teeth, she gently pulled it out.

Something was draped over her back. “We’re sorry about the wagon. We can’t help you there, but we can replace the cape. You might also want to see a mane stylist about your tail,” said the cavern leader.

Trixie glanced up and raised an eyebrow. “N-new cloak? Tail?” Looking back, her eyes widened in surprise. Nearly her entire tail had been burned off in the explosion. Shrugging off the cape that had been draped over her, she found that it too had been lost in the fire.

She felt like crying. But the Great and Powerful Trixie does not cry. She has her skills and she will continue on. She sighed and shook her head, dejected. She can save up for a new wagon.

The cavern leader looked like he was waiting for something. When Trixie didn’t say anything more, he continued. “You’d best leave now. You’ll want to be out of here before a patrol of guards arrive to check this out.” He waved at the wreckage. “It’s illegal to shoot off fireworks in weather this dry.” Looking into the distance, he said, “Though, it may not be so dry in half an hour.”

Trixie nodded, doing her best to maintain a straight face. “Trixie will take her leave now. And...” She paused for a second, looking away, and mumbled, “Thanks for the cloak.” Coughing, she walked away and broke into a gallop heading south.

Trixie had been running through the rain for more than an hour now. It had soaked her to the bone and she was shivering. Trixie thought it was supposed to be the hottest summer Equestria’s ever seen. She growled, looking up at the clouds. It’s as if somepony is in the heavens laughing at her.

She slowed to a halt, arriving at a crossroads. Looking at the directions sign, she pondered her choices. Manehattan to the east, ten miles. Trottingham twelve miles to the north. Ponyville, five miles south.

Trixie can’t go back the way she came. She is not ready to return to Manehattan. Ponyville it is, as much as Trixie would like to avoid the town. Sighing she rolled her eyes and continued her gallop towards safety. High above her, lightning crackled and thunder boomed.

The edges of a farm appeared on the horizon. For the past hour Trixie had been running, nothing in coming into sight, even though she could see for miles because of how flat the plains were.

A few minutes later, she passed by the first of a grove of apple trees. It’s surely been five miles. Trixie should have arrived in Ponyville already. She looked around for the main path that would direct her towards town. Trixie should not have tried to take that shortcut.

On a hill in the distance, she saw an old barn. It was obvious that it had been repainted several times. Shingles were missing and the door swung slightly in the rain. Looking around, she could see the farmhouse not too far from the barn.

There were lights in the windows, but otherwise, she couldn’t tell if anypony was actually doing anything. Shrugging, she made for the barn. Trixie will just wait out the storm in the loft. The owners won’t mind, right?

Soaking wet, cold, and miserable, Trixie stomped into the barn and shook water off of herself. Frowning, she looked around for the stairs. In the dark, the tools against the wall looked creepy as if they were something that would jump out at her.

By the far wall, she found the stairs. Putting on a brave face, she trotted across the barn and went up into the loft. Peeking just over the edge of the loft, she found it empty. Good. Trixie can stay here until the rain lets up.

Spotting a comfortable looking pile of hay across from her, she thought, Perhaps a quick nap will do Trixie good. She trotted over, and smacked into something very solid. Growling, she lashed out with a spell. It bounced off of whatever she had run into and threw her down on her flank.

Groaning, she rubbed her head and looked up. Her eyes widened in surprise. Where nothing had been a second ago stood a mirror. Examining it, she could smell the remains of what had once been a cloaking spell.

Twilight! But why would she want to hide a mirror? Trixie tapped her chin. Maybe... A slight movement in the mirror caught her eye. Focusing on it, she looked closely. She sat down in amazement, her mouth hanging open, realizing that her reflection had just moved on its own accord.

She seemed to be walking through a long hall. She could tell that the hall belonged in a castle of some sort. Trixie could tell by the red velvet carpet her reflection was walking on. At the end of the hall, a door stood partially open.

Her reflection pushed it the rest of the way open and trotted in. Inside, at a desk, sat Princess Luna. She looked up and smiled. Levitating a scroll up, she held it in front of the other Trixie.

Trixie strained to read it at the same time her reflection did. However, she couldn’t see what it said. Just as it was coming into focus, a noise from the stairwell caused her to spin around.

What? Why is somepony coming up to the loft? The storm can’t be over yet, can it? She looked out the window and sighed in relief. She hadn’t been lost in the mirror for long. The rain still beat down and thunder still rumbled in the distance. But that doesn’t solve why somepony is coming up the stairs.

She took one last look into the mirror. Her reflection seemed to wink and wave goodbye to her. She turned her attention to the window and jumped through, landing in a pile of hay underneath.

A pony poked her head out of the window and shouted, “Hello? Anypony there? I thought I heard someone?” She looked around for a second more and then shrugged, going back into the loft.

Twilight! Oh how Trixie wishes she could stay and have a word with that mare, but... Trixie stood up and brushed herself off. Trixie had best leave again before she makes a fool of herself.

She took off at a hard gallop to the east and away from Ponyville. Maybe next time.