Part One: Make This World Seem Right
After a long day of showing off to everypony and impressing them, only to take their bits, Trixie often retreated to her wagon in the woods every evening for some much needed rest and relaxation. As she periodically checked over her shoulder while going down the path she usually took, she smiled, and quickened her pace. She looked forward to an evening all to herself. That's all that mattered at the end of the day, is Trixie. Not even Starlight's company could improve the night she had planned out.
Underneath some shrubberies that grew tall enough, Trixie came up to her hidden retreat she had picked out just for herself, and checked her surroundings one last time in order to make sure nopony was around. To her relief, the coast seemed clear, and she went inside. "It's a good thing that nopony comes around here very often. It makes for a good place for Trixie to unwind..."
She laid down on her lavish looking bed, which had blankets with pictures of herself on them, and the pillows also all had Trixie's photo imprinted on them. She looked around the room, and smiled. It was all decorated with her dazzling image. Picture frames were utterly scattered about on all the tables, and her dresser. If one were to check the contents of said dresser, all anypony would find inside would be many blue shirts with Trixie's smirking face on them. Even the magnets on her fridge were made to look like Trixie.
She breathed all of this narcism in deeply, and exhaled slowly, savoring her surroundings. "Oh, that's nice... Trixie just loves herself. Why, Twilight and Starlight both can't compare to the marvel that is the Great and Powerful Trixie. The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn't even need to be an alicorn in order to be so great! She's already reached that status, and all on her own. Trixie does have to admit, though... It's too bad she doesn't have much going for her magic to back up all this flaring personality she's got already..."
She reached out a hoof, and sighed. "It's getting late... Trixie should eat."
She used that hoof to promptly get herself back out of bed, and lazily proceeded with getting something leftover from out of the fridge. "Mmh, here we go! Cabbage stew... It's still got a fresh smell to it, too..."
She took another whiff, and quickly had second thoughts. In little more than a few seconds, Trixie had to open up a window next to the front door. This was not only to eliminate the smell, but to also throw out the very thing that was causing such a foul stench in the first place. Afterwards, she would settle for some leftovers that were actually, truly fresh.
"Veggie Spaghetti! That's perfect," Trixie said merrily as she slowly began warming it up with her magic, and serving it on a plate. The plate also had Trixie's face on it, and now it was covered in spaghetti. All Trixie could do was lick her lips, and loftily trot on over to the table where she was planning to have the most relaxing meal of her entire day.
She sat down on a pretty, pink pillow, and the plate of food came wafting down slowly in front of her. It landed nicely atop a very small, and rather expensive looking glass table. The size of the table left a perfectly small gap between Trixie, and her very special guest. "But, wait! Who might happen to be Trixie's special guest tonight?"
"It's Trixie, but of course," Trixie said. It was her very own reflection in a mirror, staring back at her, giving her all the attention she liked. Not like other ponies that just simply aren't Trixie. "Most of them are jealous of you," Trixie told herself, pointing a fork. "Trixie knows that they can get on your nerves, and that sometimes... it's hard just being you, but hey..."
She looked at herself confidently, and said, "Nopony can do tricks like you can. No matter what, you've got a routine going. Heck, Twilight with all of her dumb books couldn't pull off most of the spells you manage to scrape together!"
She chuckled, and took a bite of her meal which had cooled off by now. "Oh, yeah, baby! Trixie knows already. Why're you giving her a pep talk? Ah-hah! She knows! Oh," Trixie hoofed to the mirror, carrying on the conversation all by herself. "She knows... Starlight's awesome, and Twilight's awfully brainy, but those two put together still don't compare to Trixie's magnitude of-"
She heard something outside, and gasped sharply. A noodle still hung from her open mouth. She slurped it up, and asked, "Err... Is anypony out there?" Walking towards the window, she looked outside only to see a raccoon trying to drag off what she had thrown out earlier. "Oh, it's just the wildlife..."
Twilight hid from Trixie's line of sight as best she could. She was right behind a bush which was directly to Trixie's right, close to where the cabbage stew had landed.
"I should probably close this window."
Twilight's quivering lip opened, her snicker going away, and some sweat forming on her forehead.
Trixie shrugged, and said, "Eh, what's the point? Nopony's even out there..."
Twilight breathed more frequently after holding her breath for such a long period of time, but not loud enough for Trixie to really notice anything out of the ordinary. As she sat back down, Twilight continued to peer in, a smirk forming once again upon her face. Twilight wouldn't normally be doing this sort of thing. That much is obvious, but Twilight just so happened to be walking by, and saw the stew being tossed out. She could also hear the way Trixie was going on and on about herself, and just couldn't resist the temptation to spy in on her. What a discovery it turned out to be for Twilight, too.
Trixie resumed talking to herself. "Anyways, my sweet, sweet me... How did you get your hair to be so fluffy?"
Twilight just couldn't contain herself much longer, and did her best to quickly leave before being spotted.
"And your coat! Rarity would probably just love to know your secret, wouldn't she?"
"PFFT!!!"
Twilight raced forth through the jungle, and she wouldn't stop, too. Not until she felt that she was a fair distance away from Trixie's wagon. Upon her reaching a clearing, Twilight checked behind herself. Amazingly, Trixie didn't seem to hear anything at all, and was probably still talking to herself inside her wagon.
"Oh my... Sweet Celestia, that's too funny! Hoo!" Twilight giggled, and laughed to herself while sniffling lightly. "I mean, I knew Trixie was all about herself, but... just, wow! How am I supposed to...?" She looked around, making sure she was still all by herself, and quietly asked, "Just how exactly am I supposed to keep this a secret, and all to myself?" She tightly closed her eyes as she giggled yet again, but her morals were quickly coming back, and she said, "It was wrong of me to-"
She broke out into a prolonged wheeze before she could finish, but soon recuperated.
"Okay, okay... It was, uh, wrong of me to even eavesdrop on Trixie. I can't tell anypony..."
While Twilight began headed back to the Castle for the night, Trixie was right in the middle of finishing her meal. If only Twilight had stayed for the best part. "This has been... scrumptious! Did you make it yourself?"
She hoofed, and said, "Actually, Trixie thinks she got it at... was it some restaurant? Eh, who cares? The point is, Trixie's all done with her meal, and she hasn't gotten a single kiss out of you all evening."
She made a welcoming face, and gestured with open hooves, "Come here!"
Slowly, her saucy muzzle met the cool surface of the mirror. Tenderly, she kept pecking away at her beautiful reflection, dirtying up the mirror even more as she went along. "Mmh," she sighed with pursed lips. "If only you were real. Perhaps someday, but then... the world might not ever be ready for such a lavish blessing."
She spun the summit of her hoof around in a circular motion, right up against where she could just barely see her torso, and finished this up with one last, long smooch. Parting with herself, she commented to the mirror, "Speaking of Twilight... Trixie wonders if Trixie should work up the nerve to ask her Highness out yet. After all, it's not like Trixie can truly date herself, now can she?" Before getting up from the table, she said, "Celestia knows she's tried."
Before hopping off to go do her chores, followed shortly by going to bed, the mare in the mirror asked one last thing. "Umm... Are you gonna be the one to clean all of this up, or do I have to do it?"
Meanwhile, within the castle of friendship, Twilight was justly going back to her bedroom for a good night's sleep when she noticed Starlight's bedroom door standing open. This didn't catch her attention so much as the pictures that she could see while looking through the crack. Most of them were of Trixie, and Twilight had started to wonder if Starlight even knew what Trixie did in her alone time.
"Umm, say, Starlight?" Twilight asked kindly while knocking on the door.
"Come in," Starlight greeted welcomingly. "What can I help you with, Twilight?"
Starlight watched Twilight as she glanced from one photo to another. "Uhh, so, Starlight? Something interesting just..."
Twilight couldn't contain her laughter. "What is it?" Starlight asked with curiosity.
"Okay, okay... Get it together Twilight..."
Starlight just stared at her friend with utter confusion. "Are... you alright?"
Twilight responded, "Yep! I'm fine... It's just, I was out taking a walk, and... to sum things up, I happened upon Trixie. She was-"
"Err... stop, please," Starlight said, turning back around to continue working on her kite. "I actually wouldn't really care to know. I can only take... so much of the Great and Powerful Trixie."
"But, you don't even know what I was going to say!"
Starlight gave Twilight a sideways glance, and said, "Oh, you were about to tell me more about how you've discovered her hidden ego that I already unfortunately knew about, but that I didn't really want to know about. Look, Twilight," Starlight said, finally looking Twilight in the eyes. "Remember a while back when Trixie and I got back from that long, and overly enduring trip together? Trixie calls it 'the road to friendship'. She even thinks it might've made our friendship even stronger than ever."
Twilight grimaced, and asked maturely, "You think otherwise?"
Starlight turned away, and said, "Don't tell anypony this. Especially Trixie, but... Well, we're still friends, but last time we were together for such a long period of time... she really got on my nerves. Although..."
Twilight came up next to where Starlight sat, and asked, "What's up?"
"I did manage to come across something about Trixie by traveling with her that you might be interested in."
Twilight's curiosity was getting the better of her, and she asked with a raised eyebrow, "And what might that be?"
"You saw all of those framed pictures? Pay attention closely to them. Who's mostly in them? It's not me, I can tell you that much!"
Twilight chuckled, not knowing what Starlight had meant. "Well, of course it's not you! It's Trixie."
Starlight shook her head, not sure if she had heard Twilight correctly. "Huh?"
"Yeah! That's what I was coming to tell you about, but you already know. Trixie had her picture framed, magnets, and... all sorts of things inside of her wagon. She was even boasting to herself in the mirror."
Starlight blinked a couple of times. "What?"
Twilight chuckled only once more, but then, she stopped. "You... didn't know about that part?"
Starlight frowned, and said, "I didn't really even need to know." She glanced away, and said, "Look, never mind, it's... It was probably nothing. Most likely, I was reading too much into what I was seeing."
Twilight questioned her some more, trying to get more info out of Starlight, but she just wasn't cooperating any longer. "But, who was inside of the other photos you mentioned?"
Starlight just rolled her eyes, and answered, "Just our friends... Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna, and all of the girls. It's just... you were in every single picture, but that's probably just coincidence."
Twilight sat there quietly after that, allowing her mind to process what she was hearing. Even so, she still wouldn't pursue this notion only because it barely had any merit to it at all. "Huh," Twilight sighed. "You're probably right."
Shortly after her conversation with Starlight, Twilight headed off to bed while still thinking about Trixie.
Part Two: Make The Darkness Bright
The very next day had arrived, and Trixie was hard at work making herself plenty of bits all over again. The whole afternoon had been almost perfect, too, save for just one, small cloud that could just barely be seen floating way up in the sky.
"Thank you, thank you," Trixie cheered, happy that not a single pony had challenged her this entire time. "Trixie greatly appreciates the attention! Thank you, all of you, once again! Now, she must retreat for a few minutes. Trixie has become quite parched from completing so many feats of amazement, and simply requires a small break."
She was soon leaving the setup, but she wasn't necessarily headed backstage within her wagon right away. Sure, Trixie had said back there that she required something to drink, but actually, she had just spotted Twilight passing by, and wanted merely to ask her something. "Twilight! Wait for Trixie, please."
"Oh, no," Twilight said to herself silently. "Try and stay calm about yesterday. It never happened..."
"Ah, Twilight! Thank you so much for waiting up. Trixie was wondering, why doesn't she see you more often amongst her audience members?"
Twilight felt sweat start to form on the back of her neck. The more Trixie talked, the more Twilight thought back on last night, and how Trixie had been whispering sweet nothings into that mirror of hers nonstop.
"What Trixie means to say is, you're more than welcome to watch her perform if you've got the time, if you'd like. She hardly ever sees you, so... uhh, if you think that you have to make donations, or something silly like that, you don't! Trixie would just... like to see you in the audience these days. When was the last time Trixie had spotted you out? She thinks it might've been right before she went on that trip with Starlight."
Twilight had barely been listening. "Huh?" She stared at Trixie with sheer bewilderment. "Oh, y-yeah, sure thing! I'll consider it."
Trixie smiled even more, and said, "That's great! Trixie will look forward to seeing you later on, then?"
"Seeing me? Where?!"
Trixie just stared at Twilight with a frown. "Uhh..."
"Err... I'm sorry, Trixie. I've, uh... been distracted lately." She smiled sheepishly, and began backing away.
"Distracted?" Trixie asked.
"Yep, with lots of studying."
Trixie smiled kindly, and questioned Twilight forwardly. "Oh? What're you studying nowadays? Time travel? Parallel universes?"
Twilight choked at that point. What left her lips would nearly give herself away. "It's, umm... It's nothing like that! I'm studying... more normal stuff, like... a way to make a mare's mane more fluffy! Yep, stuff like that."
Trixie's smile once again went away. "What?"
"It's for Rarity," Twilight said, allowing the lie to grow that much more, not even necessarily realizing just yet what she was actually doing. It wasn't until Trixie uttered her next words that Twilight would finally stop quite literally giving herself away. "She's been asking me to look into it for her, and I've just been putting it off for a long time now, so I decided-"
"Fluffy?" Trixie asked, shutting Twilight's blabbering mouth up rather effectively. "Is... that the word you just used to describe it?"
Twilight smiled with possibly the worse pokerface anypony had ever seen her dare to wear. How she managed to pull it off was a mystery even to herself. "Y-yeah...! Fluffy... hehe..."
Trixie blinked, and almost seemed ready to call Twilight out on her fib. However, she didn't, and simply brought back her smile while glancing away. "Huh... Probably just a coincidence, Trixie hopes."
Twilight asked sounding just about as dumbfounded as she could, "What was that?"
"Oh, nothing!" Trixie rolled her eyes, and said, "Anyways, just... The point Trixie was trying to make here is, please... Don't be a stranger, Twilight." All things considered, this much broke through. "We hardly ever speak to one another, and you've never really invite Trixie to the castle for anything. There was the time where she was being rewarded for saving everypony from Chrysalis, but that's all she can really recall. Anytime I'm over there hanging out with Starlight doesn't really count, either, by the way. Okay?"
Twilight raised her eyebrows that much more. "Oh, okay?"
"Maybe you haven't realized this, Twilight, but Trixie would..." She gulped. "She'd invite you out to lunch, or something, but... Trixie doubts you'd have time for her, so she also understands why she never sees you at her performances... especially now that you're a Princess, and everything. Still, try to find some extra time, huh?"
Twilight didn't say anything. She just stood there, staring blankly like a fool. "You... what?"
"Anyways," Trixie said, hoofing nervously with a blush. "Trixie's clearly said enough. See you around, Twilight!"
Trixie started galloping off, leaving Twilight to think about what had just happened. All alone, she reasoned with herself, "Just a little while earlier, except for Starlight Glimmer, I had thought that Trixie didn't even hardly like anypony but herself. If that were true, then why was she just now telling me about how she wouldn't mind going with me out on a date? And why me of all ponies?!"
Every once in a while, as she slowly made her way back to the castle, Twilight would scratch the back of that big, brainy egghead of hers. Even despite what Starlight had said to her the previous night, she'd still not be able to figure this one out. She asked aloud just before coming up to the doors, "She hasn't been invited to the castle by me, like... hardly at all? Why didn't I notice? I suppose I wouldn't really mind going out on a date with Trixie, or anything... She just completely caught me off guard back there, especially considering what happened last night. Ugh!"
Just before she opened the door, she would ask herself, "Should I even do anything at all?"
The answer would end up being a definite yes. After realizing that she had been lying to Trixie the whole time, Twilight would know exactly what she would have to do. Although, telling Trixie the truth that night was still going to be extremely difficult for her.
The moon was now shining upon Princess Twilight. She walked up to the wagon nervously, and could hear Trixie within talking to herself. So, she came up to the door, and prepared herself for what was about to happen next. With her hoof raised, she waited.
Inside, Trixie was quite busy with staring at herself, and caressing her reflection while softly singing to it, "Only you... can make this world seem-"
Twilight had started knocking, and cut off the rest of Trixie's song. Trixie gasped tensely, but nevertheless, she got up to go see who it was. "H-hello? Who could possibly be out there, if Trixie might ask?"
"It's Twilight. I've come to talk."
Trixie opened the door ever so slightly, and blocked most of the contents of her home as best she could. "Oh, hehe... Twilight! What a nice surprise. Trixie isn't exactly prepared, so if you'll just give her but five seconds-"
"Actually, Trixie," Twilight said, cutting her off. "I've seen it already."
Trixie blinked, still hiding what was directly behind her. "Uhh, seen what? Trixie doesn't... have anything to hide. She's just... Trixie was just sitting down for dinner. Why? What... What did you see?"
Twilight sighed, and said, "I saw you toss out that dish last night, and when I saw the decorations, I snuck around in the bushes in order to... watch you."
Trixie made a displeased face, and said, "Ohhh..."
"Yeah," Twilight agreed. "It's... usually not in my nature to do that sort of thing. Believe me when I say that, but then, earlier, I might've been lying to you. Remember what I said about Rarity, and making her mane more fluffy?"
Trixie backed away with an embarrassed expression. "Trixie thought she saw somepony running away from her wagon last night. Oh, this is just..."
She face-hoofed, and then left the entrance allowing Twilight to finally come all the way inside, and to take in her surroundings. Now, in full view, Twilight could see even more decorations of Trixie scattered in every corner. "Trixie, it's okay," Twilight tried to say. Upon her taking in all the sights, though, she just had to remark, "Wow, Trixie... Just... wow."
Trixie nodded, and got on her bed while still facing away. "Just go away if you've come to badger Trixie! She knows you must not like it very much in here, Twilight Sparkle."
Twilight definitely felt uncomfortable to say the least, but that didn't stop her from coming up next to Trixie. Placing a hoof on her back, Twilight said, "Hey, I don't feel that way at all. It's a little disturbing, sure, but it's what makes you happy. Right?"
Trixie loosened up, and glanced at Twilight. "Well, of course, but it's also just... all about Trixie! You probably want to tell everypony about it, huh?"
Twilight laughed at that, and said, "Of course not! I mean, I'm here to be honest, so the thought did happen to cross my mind." She sighed, and corrected herself, "Sorry, but actually... I've already told Starlight come to think of it, but I swear that she's the only one that knows besides myself."
Trixie seemed hurt to find out about this at first, but then, she settled down rather quickly. "Well, since we're for whatever reason being honest with one another, Trixie should let you in on a little something. Starlight's already come pretty close to finding out about Trixie's secret anyways. Trixie supposes she forgives you... Just, please, don't tell anypony else."
Twilight nodded happily, and chose that now would be a good time to point out, "Actually, I'm also here to ask you about that date."
Trixie blushed at first. "Oh, you are? Trixie didn't think you were actually listening back there," she teased.
Twilight was the one that was blushing now. She looked at a few of the frames before stating, "I was, and I think it's sweet. I wouldn't mind something like the movies, or dinner sometime. How about you?"
Trixie got up, and out of bed to say, "Well, if you'll have her... She's available right now! Trixie actually has just enough spaghetti for two, and she needs help finishing it off. What do you say?"
Twilight watched at Trixie got out the leftovers. She then placed the Styrofoam container on the same glass table from before, and Twilight asked, "Are you sure? I mean, sorry to say, but the setting isn't really all that fitting."
Trixie chuckled at Twilight before responding with, "Don't you remember Trixie saying earlier that she only needed five seconds? Watch this."
Trixie's horn lit up, and before Twilight knew it, the entire room was transformed right before her very eyes. The magnets were quickly put away, and replaced with regular ones which were stored in boxes just above the freezer. The pillow casing was flipped inside out, and the blankets were turned upside down. Even the picture frames weren't spared, and the ones of Trixie simply slid right out. Underneath were more regular photographs, just as Starlight had described it the previous night.
"Huh," Twilight said. "I'm in every single one of them."
Trixie nodded, standing right by her side. "Mmhmm!"
Twilight noticed a particular picture frame with just her inside of it, all alone. The carvings surrounding it also made a big, red heart which encircled her. Twilight wasn't afraid to point this one out, either. Gesturing with a hoof, she asked, "Really?"
Trixie smiled cheekily, and laughed before saying, "Oh, come on, Twilight! Trixie's got to like somepony other than herself."
Twilight laughed along, and said, "I know, but the heart... thing is a bit much, don't you think?" She lowered the picture back down, and looked back at Trixie with a curious expression. "So, you don't feel that way towards Starlight, or anypony else?"
Trixie smiled serenely, and came closer towards Twilight in order to say, "Only you."
Soon enough, they turned around to face the glass table, and sat down. Twilight hadn't even noticed Trixie warming their food the whole time, and was surprised with the aroma she took in as Trixie opened the lid. Her stomach hadn't growled like that in a long time. As the two ate, Twilight just so happened to look over to the mirror adjacent to where they both say.
"Hey, look, a double date."
This sparked even more laughter from the two ponies, kindling their relationship, and taking it to even greater, and more powerful heights.
Meanwhile, within the castle of friendship, Starlight was all alone within her bedroom. She sat quietly at first before a large object, it's round spherical shape taunting her to just... talk to it.
She blinked at her reflection with intimidation, frowning at first, but the moment she spoke, that frown went away. "Well, well, well... So, Trixie thinks this is the best, and most soothing way to relax, and unwind? Very well! The Masterful, and Devious Starlight Glimmer shall test this mirroring technique out, and she'll do it just as Twilight had described it earlier! Starlight can even do Trixie's magnificent third-perspective narrative better than she can. Amateur..."
She looked behind herself only to see Spike staring blankly at her. "Uhh... Okay, then. I'll just be going now."
Starlight scoffed loudly, stopping Spike from leaving just in time. "Starlight really hopes that your meddlesome ways doesn't lead you to whisper any rumors to a certain Princess that Starlight just so happens to know of..."
Just before exiting the room, Spike replied, "I won't say anything, jeez! Just, please, get rid of that mirror, and tone down Trixie impersonations. It's good and all, but I think you're trying too hard."
Starlight nodded in compliance, saying, "Deal."
