Reinventing Trixie

It's 6:50 PM, and you're in Ponyville again, standing next to the stage that you and Trixie had finally gotten set up a few hours ago. Since then, you and she have spent every minute triple-checking, quadruple-checking, and- in one or two instances- quintuple-checking everything to make absolutely sure that nothing would go wrong during the show. Meanwhile, on the other side of the thick black curtain that shielded the stage from view, you could hear the crowd begin to gather.

And what a crowd it is. With interest running high, you'd personally made a last-minute arrangement with the mayor to switch over to a small pasture just at the edge of town, to give everyone the best chance to see the stage. Benches and the like had been hastily set out to provide seating, but the crowd quickly overflowed them; there were quite a few ponies, as well as no small number of humans, some griffons, a group of Diamond Dogs, and even a few buffalo, all standing around in the meadow in front of the stage. The camera crew you'd hired for the livecast/recording of the show had to set up stands for their cameras to get clear shots above the crowds.

At this moment you're seated on a stool next to the stage, going over the routine once more in your head. You're brought out of your reverie by a familiar bespectacled muzzle appearing next to you. “My table's all set up and ready to drop the beats,” Vinyl Scratch tells you.

“Great. Thanks for agreeing to do the soundwork for us, V.S.”

“Hey, not a problem, brony. First time I've ever actually DJed a magic act. And I like your playlist.” She grins. “This'll be fun. I'll go start up the pre-act music, get the crowd warmed up for you.”

“Appreciate it.” She heads out to the stage. A moment later, Trixie trots up to you; she's bedecked in the cloak Rarity designed, and it's certainly a wonderful outfit that accentuates Trixie's look. You notice that she's attached the gem that had been on her old cape to the cloak's clasp. “Well, here we are,” she says. “How are you feeling?”

You take in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Ready,” you say. “How about you?”

She nods. “The same,” she tells you. “I would have expected to feel nervous or hesitant, but... right now, I'm just eager to get on the stage and start it all off.”

You glance up; the sky is thick with clouds, a special present from the local weather team to ensure that you get the best possible environment for your lighting-based tricks. You can already hear the driving beats coming from Vinyl's table, as well as some excited chattering, stomping and clapping from the audience. You take another deep breath, marveling for just a moment at how calm you feel- all the preparation has been done, and now it's just you, your friend and the stage.

You give Trixie a smile. “Let's not keep the crowd waiting, then.”

She uses the stageside controls to turn down the lights, sets the timer, then signals for you to turn on your microphone as she switches hers on. On-cue, Vinyl starts up the first song on the playlist, muted at first so that Trixie's voice can be heard over it. “Ponyville!” she calls out over the speakers, once you and she take your positions on the stage. “You've welcomed us here with all the warmth this town is known for. Tonight, we intend to repay you. With music, with mystery, with mirth, and maybe... with just a little bit of magic.”

The curtains slide open to reveal what will look to the audience to be an empty stage. You and Trixie have carefully placed matte-black curtains on thin telescoping stands, just wide enough for either of you to hide behind. The effect for the audience, as you and Trixie strut and sway between them in time to the music, is that you seem to be appearing and disappearing at random. The week and a half it took the two of you to choreograph this part pays off, as you've already got the audience cheering and clapping or stomping along to the music.

Just as the song reaches a crescendo, you trigger the stands to retract as Trixie activates the first pyrotechnic set. The shower of sparks and flame disguises the curtains lowering, and to the crowd it looks like you both appear from out of nowhere, suddenly lit up by the stage lights, you kneeling down and staring out at the audience with Trixie reared up on a platform behind you. It was a really dramatic entrance when you practiced it in front of the camera, and the crowd's reaction shows it- the applause and cheering almost drowns out the music.

You hold the pose for just a moment, then stand up with a smile as Trixie hops down next to you; both of you bow grandly. “Good evening, Ponyville!” you call out into your microphone. “Thank you for coming out tonight! I'm Donovan Trellis, and my lovely partner is the Great and Powerful Trixie.”

“Wouldn't they know that already?” Trixie counters. “Our names are on the posters outside the park!”

“Well... some of them might have gotten lost on the way to the comedy club. Anyway!” You clap your hands together. “Thank you all for coming to see us tonight. We plan to make it worth your while. Are you all ready?”

The crowd cheers loudly and applauds.

“Excellent! Handling music and soundwork tonight will be the one and only DJ PON-3, also known as Vinyl Scratch. Let's give her a round of applause!” You clap your hands and Trixie stomps her hooves along with the audience, and the musician in front of the stage waves a foreleg in acknowledgment. “Scratch, are you ready?” you ask.

She gives a nod and another wave of her hoof.

“All right then, my good mare. Drop a beat on us while we get things started!”

With deft movements and magic, the DJ drops a new record on her turntable, and you raise your hand and snap your fingers- at the precise moment Trixie hits a hoofswitch. The stagelights go out once more, and once you and Trixie have surreptitiously taken your places under cover of darkness and music, you trigger the center blacklights- which illuminate the almost ghostly-looking smoke image Trixie had quickly crafted while the lights were out. The crowd lets out an assortment of “oooh”s and “aaah”s as the images seemed to shift in time to the beat of the music, and some of them begin to clap or stomp along to the rhythm.

You and Trixie launch yourselves into the act, smoothly transitioning from trick to trick, keeping things lively with miniature musical sections or dialogue between you and her as you set up some of the more complex tricks. Soon you're about midway into the act, and one of your favorite parts is coming up- the coin trick, which requires an audience volunteer. You can tell that Trixie can barely hide her grin as she looks up at you. “Donovan, we have a problem.”

“I told you not to eat so many of those apple fritters from the cart out front.”

“That's not what I mean and you know it!” She pauses for a moment. “They really are good fritters, though. But anyway- we're going to need someone else on stage to help with this.”

“Hmm. A... volunteer, then?” You look out into the audience expectantly. Practically everyone raises a limb and waves it around excitedly, hoping to be chosen; you pick up a wireless microphone from the edge of the stage and head out into the crowd. You look across the rows of eager-looking people, searching for someone who catches your eye- there, five rows down, a cream-colored earth pony with a two-tone mane. She seems almost shy even as she waves a foreleg, apparently being prodded into volunteering by the green unicorn next to her. You make your way up to the hesitant-looking mare. “Hello there, miss,” you say, giving her a charming grin while you hold up the microphone so she can be heard by the audience. “What's your name?”

“I'm, uh... I'm Bon-Bon.”

“It's good to meet you, Miss Bon-Bon. Enjoying our show so far?”

“Oh, absolutely!” She brightens up, losing some of her hesitation. “It's loads of fun.”

“I'm glad to hear it. Say, do you think you could help us out a bit, Bon-Bon? It's nothing complex, but we could use a helping hoof.”

“I... well... sure!”

The rest of the audience applauds as you lead the mare up to the stage, where Trixie has already set up a wide stool next to a table. You have Bon-Bon take a seat where she can easily reach the table. “Now for the first part of this trick,” Trixie says, “we'll need one Equestrian bit. Sadly, I left my coinpurse in my other cloak....”

You turn towards your guest mare. “Miss Bon-Bon, would you happen to have a bit to spare?”

She blinks in surprise. “I, um....” she stammers.

“Oh, wait, you have one stashed away right here.” You reach behind her ear and produce a shiny one-bit coin. This gets a bit of applause from the audience and a surprised look from Bon-Bon; ponies always seem to be fascinated by the palming tricks and sleight-of-hand humans can do. “Now, Bon-Bon, you can see that this is nothing more than an ordinary Equestrian bit, right?”

She gives it a close look. “It seems to be, sure.”

You hold up the thick golden coin for the audience to see for a moment, then lay it down on the table. “Now, Bon-Bon, all I need you to do is to place a hoof down on this coin for us while we do our next trick. You're free to watch us perform, but please keep the coin covered.” You smile as she sets her hoof on top of the coin.

The next trick- the dartboard one, revamped to take advantage of the blacklighting- goes on around Bon-Bon as she remains seated at the table. A couple of times during the trick, you stop for a moment to show that the coin remains under Bon-Bon's hoof- until the last time you check, which is when you palm the coin and trigger the small button on the side of the table that raises a small coin-sized wooden disc under the mare's hoof just before she places it back down. She doesn't even notice the difference, and is too busy watching the act to check on the coin.

Finally, once you've finished the dartboard trick- to a thunderous round of applause; the crowd loved how you were able to pop the balloons in time with the music- you turn back towards the table. “You know, Miss Bon-Bon,” you say, “there seemed to be something a little odd about that bit, now that I think about it.” She looks at you in confusion as you stroke your chin. “When I held it up, the texture of it felt strange. Almost like I was stroking... feathers?”

“Really?” Trixie replies. “You've reminded me of a story I heard when I was a filly, about an evil wizard who experimented with dark magics. She changed wild animals into coins so that she could buy supplies for her laboratory.”

“Seems like the perfect crime... how could anyone find that out?”

“Oh, it seemed there was a flaw in the spell! When the coins became warm enough- usually through touch- the spell would fail and the animal would be transformed back to its usual shape, safe and sound. The wizard was found out, caught and arrested so that she couldn't continue her wicked magic any longer.”

“Interesting. But that's surely just a foal's tale, right? I doubt there's any of these coins actually around....” You pause for a moment. “Bon-Bon, let's have a look at that bit again.”

As her hoof lifts, the release of pressure from the disc triggers the well-hidden trapdoor underneath it- and in a shower of sparkles and confetti, a trained dove bursts upwards from the carefully-crafted box installed inside the table itself. The crowd gasps in surprise and then bursts into wild applause as the bird circles around the stage twice before landing on your outstretched arm, and you and Trixie bow before them again. “Everyone, let's hear it for Bon-Bon!” Trixie exclaims, gesturing towards the grinning mare with a flourish. “Truly a wonderful volunteer for our act.”

You escort the pony back to her seat as the audience gives her even more thunderous applause, then return to the stage. “Now, everyone, for our next trick I'd like-”

“Donovan?” Trixie fixes her gaze on you. “Aren't you forgetting something?”

“...no, I'm pretty sure I remembered to put my socks on before my shoes this time....” You glance down as if to check, as chuckles break out among the audience.

Trixie points out into the audience, at Bon-Bon. “You still owe that mare her bit.”

“Oh! I, um....” You make a show of patting yourself down and checking your pockets, then glance up at the mare. “Err... bill me?”

Laughter ripples across the crowd as you flash your best grin, getting an exasperated sigh from Trixie. “That bit's coming out of your share of the profits,” she tells you.

“Aww, but I wanted to eat this week!”

Trixie gives the audience a put-upon look, and waves a hoof at you as if to say “This is what I have to deal with”. More laughter comes from the audience as you and she take positions for the next trick- and you can't help but give your partner a quick wink and a smile, which she returns immediately. It's obvious that, despite her onstage persona, she's having just as much fun as you.

Finally, and what seems to be all too quickly, you reach the finale of the act. The huge wooden trunk you've been pulling various props out of throughout the entire show sits innocuously in the center of the stage as you lean upon it from behind, while Trixie speaks from stage front. “Now, everyone,” she says, “this last trick has been classified as dangerous. Incredibly so. In fact, the number of performers who have survived it lies in the single digits.” With every word, you let your mock expression of horror deepen. “But! We've promised to pull out every stop for your entertainment. So, Donovan....”

You duck down behind the trunk as she turns towards you. She trots towards the box to look behind it- but you're already underneath the stage, making your way towards one of the vertical supports, which also serves as a handy disguise for a trapdoor. You hear Trixie wandering the stage as you climb back up and then peek around the support, getting some laughs from the audience; you make an exaggerated “shhh” motion and glance around the support towards your partner. “Donovan, come out right this minute!” she demands.

“No!” Your hand flies to your mouth in mock horror as she spins to face towards you; you immediately duck back behind the support- and drop back under the stage, to head towards one of the other supports, as Trixie makes a show of searching the area you'd just been. Once you're back onstage, you peek around the support again. “Come on,” she says irritably. “You know I was just exaggerating about how dangerous the trick is!”

“I'm not so sure about that! ...oops.” You vanish again as she gallops over towards the support; you hear her stomping about the stage as you take position for the last part of the gag. “Donovan?!” she calls out. “Why you....” She lets out an exasperated sigh, then makes her way to stage front again. “Well. It seems I'm in need of a new partner! Any volunteers?”

You burst out from inside the trunk with an expression of mock indignation. “HEY!”

“THERE you are!” She spins around and rushes towards you, and you let out a yelp, ducking back into the trunk as she dives in after you a second later. The lid slams down behind her, and the trunk shakes around as you and she make the sounds of a tussle underneath. After a moment, you both stop. “Uh-oh,” Trixie says.

“What?”

“The lid appears to be stuck.”

“Are you kidding me? Let me find the emergency release.” You rustle around inside the box for a moment. “Argh, it's too dark to find it... hang on. I think I just bumped into a candle; let me light it.”

A moment later, the lid flies open, and you and Trixie poke your heads out, while you hold up a bright red stick with a long, sparking fuse. “Phew!” you say. “I thought we'd be stuck in there forever.”

Trixie looks towards you, and an expression of shock crosses her face. “Donovan!” she yelps.

“What?”

“That's not a candle!” She points towards what you're holding. “That's the dynamite I was going to use for the last trick!”

You and Trixie stare at each other for a moment, then turn towards the audience with matching expressions of fear- then you both duck back into the box, as the lid slams shut above you.

BOOM

The custom-crafted trunk shatters in a carefully-rigged explosion, sending its sides and top tumbling away- none of them coming close to the audience- and throwing up a huge plume of smoke and sparks. The rest of the stage lights cut out as the center-stage ones form a spotlight on the smoking remains of the trunk... and then the rear stage lights come on, showing you and Trixie standing on a platform, in a dramatic back-to-back pose with her on her hind legs, and her front legs crossed over her barrel as your arms are crossed over your chest.

After a moment of stunned realization, the audience absolutely goes wild.

The breath you were holding comes out in a short laugh that even you can't hear for all the applause and cheering, and you and Trixie dismount the platform to return to the front of the stage, both of you giving the audience the grandest bows you can. “Thank you, Ponyville!” you call out in unison, before Trixie steps forward. “We'll be having an autograph session outside Town Hall in a few minutes,” she says. “We welcome you all to bring whatever you'd like signed, and we'll also have free mini-posters available for signing as well! Thank you so much, Ponyville, and good night!”

You and she give the audience one final wave before heading offstage- and once you're out of sight, Trixie immediately throws herself into your arms, her forelegs flung over your shoulders. “We did it!” she exclaims. “I can't believe it! Everything went so wonderfully! It was even better than I expected!”

She goes quiet for a moment as you put your arms around her to support her. Her joyous smile and proud expression make your heart skip a beat, and you realize how wonderful it is to see this mare so happy- to see her years of toil and struggle finally come to fruition. And you realize she's moving her head towards yours, her eyes half-closing, and you're leaning in towards her, your head tilting a bit towards the side....

“Guys! Wow!” Vinyl Scratch comes trotting into the backstage area, her glasses raised and her red eyes wide. “I mean, I cannot believe that show you put on! It- oops.” She pauses for a moment, taking in the sight before her- you and Trixie a fraction of an inch away from a kiss. “Whoa. Um... sorry to interrupt!” she says, a grin splitting her muzzle.

“Oh! It, um....” Trixie blushes profusely- not that you can blame her; you can feel a blush on your cheeks as well- as you reluctantly put her back on her hooves. “It's alright....” your partner stammers. “We, err....”

“Nah, it's cool, you don't have to explain.” Scratch chuckles. “But seriously, you two... that was a sweet show. I almost missed a couple of music cues because I was as caught up as the audience.”

You grin. “We didn't notice. You did great work with the music, V.S.”

“Indeed!” Trixie smiles. “We can't thank you enough, Vinyl. I can't say I was a very big fan of that sort of music before... but I find it growing on me.”

“Hey, expanding the musical horizons of others is one of the things I love about what I do.” The white mare gives Trixie a cocky grin. “But hey, you two better get moving. Don't you have autographs to sign?”

“Quite true! Come on, Donovan- professional performers do not keep their fans waiting!”

What you see as you make your way to Town Hall floors the both of you. You expected a good response, sure, but it seems like every last audience member has lined up for an autograph; the queue goes on down the street for two blocks. “I think I'm in for a sore hand tonight,” you chuckle as you approach the table you'll be using.

“Along with a sore horn on my part,” Trixie replies. “But... entirely worth it!”

You both take your seats, grab a pen and get down to business providing autographs for your waiting fans. It seems that everyone who gets one has a compliment about some part of your act, a particular part they liked. The fact that pretty much every trick gets at least a few compliments gives you a good feeling- all that work you and Trixie put into making sure the show had something to appeal to everyone really paid off.

The approach of a rather sad-looking earth pony colt with what seems to be his father at his side catches your attention. “Hey, kiddo,” you say as he comes up to the table. “Something wrong?”

“Um... no! No, it's....” He trails off for a moment, until his father puts a comforting hoof on his back. “It's... um, well. You see... I always wanted to be a magician, just like you two! But some of the other foals in school give me a hard time about it. They say that I can't ever hope to perform, because I'm not a unicorn.”

You give him a smile. “Well, kiddo... what's your name?”

“I'm Copper Coin!”

“Okay, Copper. Now, let me tell you something- and don't let this get around, but....” You lean forward and give him a loud stage whisper. “I'm not a unicorn either.”

The crowd laughs at that, and it even gets the young colt out of his funk for a moment. “But you have hands,” he says. “You can do all sorts of tricks with those. I've only got hooves.” He looks down at them for a moment.

“Hooves are perhaps not as limiting as you think.” Trixie smiles. “Not everything I do is with magic!”

“Well, okay, but... how would I be able to do anything flashy?”

“Hm.” You rub your chin, considering for a moment, before turning to your partner. “Trixie?”

“Yes?”

“I think maybe what we should do is start putting up instructional videos on our site. Little 'how-to's on beginner to intermediate tricks for any prospective magician to learn from, no matter what species they are. What do you think?”

She gives you a warm smile. “I think that to be an excellent idea! Young ones like Copper Coin here should have every opportunity to follow their dreams, no matter what challenges they may face.”

“We'll do that, then.” You look down at Copper to find a broad smile replacing his earlier frown. “Wow, you'd do that?” he exclaims. “That's so awesome! I bet it'd really help!”

Your site's address is printed on the bottom of the mini-posters, so you hand over one- with your and Trixie's autographs on the back, both wishing him luck- to the excited young colt, who trots away chatting excitedly with his father. Getting a chance to help a hopeful kid follow in your footsteps gives you a unique feeling of warmth and accomplishment that rivals the success of the show.

The autographs go on- is that line getting any shorter?- and Trixie gives her pen a critical look after a while. “I think this one is going dry,” she comments.

“Good thing we've got spares.” You lean over to grab the small box under the table with spare supplies. “Ah, excellent,” you hear Trixie say. “I would hate to send any of our fans home disappointed, with...” Her voice trails off. “...oh my.”

You rise back up, pen in hand, to find out what's gotten her attention. What you find makes your jaw drop and sends the pen tumbling from your fingers.

“Well, yes, I have to admit I'd be a little put out if I couldn't get the autographs of two such talented performers.” Princess Celestia gives you a warm smile, while her sister Princess Luna lets out a good-natured chortle at your stunned, slack-jawed expression. “Pri... Princesses?” you manage to stammer out. “I, um... wow. I had no idea you two were here, Your Highnesses!”

“We certainly wouldn't have had you wait in line if we'd known!” Trixie adds, no less taken aback than you.

Luna smiles. “Forgive our mild deception, but we wished not to overshadow your performance, so mine sister and I disguised ourselves during our attendance.”

“Indeed.” Celestia chuckles, the sound practically musical. “After I read a rather unique friendship report from my faithful student, I decided that perhaps Luna and I should see how one of our subjects so remarkably overcame adversity with the help of a good human's friendship.”

You blink in confusion as her words ring a bell in your memory. “Friendship report?”

“Uh... yeah, that would've been from me.” Twilight steps out from behind the Princesses, bearing a somewhat sheepish grin. “Remember when Trixie told me about how you two met, and I commented that it'd make a great report on friendship to the Princess? Well... it ended up being one.”

“And quite the intriguing one at that.” Luna turns her gaze to Trixie. “Our little pony, you've worked very hard to come to this point, I have learned. And you have struck no small amount of difficulties along the way.” The Princess of the Night smiles broadly. “To return to this place as you have, to give yourself to the understanding of those who dwell here, and to show such magnanimity as to present such a wonderful performance... in this, has the Great and Powerful Trixie indeed proven herself to be great of heart and powerful of soul.”

“And as for her partner,” Celestia continues, turning those kind magenta eyes to you, “my good Donovan Trellis, you have shown all those wonderful traits I sensed in humanity in those days after the Discovery. You have the strength to test your own limits, so to help a friend reach her dream, and the confidence to be so open and free with yourself as you perform, to laugh at yourself along with us.” She smiles. “Truly is yours a strong partnership, blessed with the magic of friendship itself.”

For once in your life, you are completely without words. Your mind is reeling- meeting celebrities is one thing, but the Princesses of Equestria? And to have these immortal goddesses compliment you and your friend so strongly? A quick glance to your side shows that Trixie is just as flabbergasted as you. “Um....” she manages, in practically a squeak. “I... your Highnesses, I don't... I don't know what to say! The honor....”

Celestia bows her head slightly. “The honor has been all ours, Trixie. In fact, we would like to ask a favor of the two of you.”

You finally find your voice again- and use it to sound like a doofus. “Uh... sure!” you blurt out.

Luna actually giggles at your outburst, and Celestia doesn't quite hide a small grin. “A wonderful show like this deserves more exposure, I think,” the Sun Goddess says. “And after a hoofful of... well, debacles, I've decided that the Grand Galloping Gala requires something of a revamp. Could my sister and I, perhaps, persuade you to perform there? Certainly all the energy and excitement of your show could only help foster a more lively atmosphere.”

It's a wonder your jaw doesn't hit the ground hard enough to leave an impact crater. The G3 is the most talked about social event on both sides of the gateways; just about any performer of any kind would give up several vital organs to do a show there- and here you are, with a personal invitation from the Princesses themselves to do just that. You'd pinch yourself to see if you're dreaming if your brain wasn't spending all its power on going “Ohmygosh” over and over again.

Finally, you break out of your mental loop, and find yourself speaking in sync with Trixie. “Yes!”

Celestia chuckles good-naturedly. “Excellent! We'll have the relevant materials mailed to you soon. You'll have plenty of time to prepare.” She glances down at the mini-posters on the table; her horn flares, and one of them lifts up. “And in the meantime... I'd love to get your autographs.”

As you and Trixie pen your autographs for the Princesses, Luna leans in closer to you. “I must admit,” she says, “some of those tricks confound even I. How did you manage that one with the flower pot and the three bricks?”

You pause for a moment... and then, with a cheeky grin, you decide to test the sense of humor of a nigh-omnipotent goddess and the co-ruler of the nation you're standing in. “I'm sorry, Princess... but a magician never reveals his secrets.”

Trixie outright gapes at you for your brashness, but a soft laugh from Luna calms her. It's a beautiful laugh, too, and you think that the Princess of the Moon's reputation for being humorless and overly serious is probably really undeserved. “That is fair enough,” she tells you with a smile. “What is life without its mysteries, after all?”

The Princesses can't stay around after, but they give their thanks and well-wishes to the residents of Ponyville before teleporting out. The rest of the autograph session goes smoothly, with lots of chatting with the fans; Vinyl Scratch is thrilled to hear about the G3 invite and practically begs the two of you to have her work with you there as well- she's been dying for a chance to “drop a serious beat on those overstarched nobles”- and you're all too glad to agree. “You know, brony,” she says to you as you finish signing her autograph book, “not too long ago I gave you an autograph. Now you're giving me one. How's it feel to be on top of the world like this?”

You take in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Honestly... I'll let you know as soon as I figure it out myself.”

The DJ laughs at that. “I know that feel, D.T. But you two earned this. Don't let anyone tell you different. Right?”

Trixie smiles and nods. “Right. Thanks, Vinyl.”

Finally, the autograph session ends, and you and Trixie partially break down the stage and secure everything before deciding to leave the rest for morning. Neither of you is feeling up to the train and bus ride back home, so you rent a room at the Ponyville Inn- all the rooms are single-bed, it turns out- and order a light dinner to be delivered. You open your travel suitcase and change into a more comfortable outfit of a T-shirt and sweatpants, hanging up your dress suit and Trixie's cloak carefully before sitting on the bed next to her. “So,” you say quietly. “How do you feel?”

“I'm not sure there are words to describe it.” She rests her head on your shoulder, one foreleg wrapping around your side. “I... I dreamed of this, Donovan. Dreamed of finally having my name in lights, giving the grandest show anyone had ever seen. Those dreams can't hold a candle to what actually came to be.” She looks up at you with a smile, her eyes shimmering with tears. “It couldn't have happened without you.”

“Without us,” you correct her. “All this, everything we've got now... we did it together, Trixie. We earned it together, just like Scratch said.” You gently put a hand on her back. “No matter what else happens from here on out... tonight? It's ours. And nobody can change that.”

She leans against you, closing her eyes for a moment, with little tears of happiness trailing down her face. And there's a gentle smile on her lips that makes her look so beautiful to you, and you find yourself leaning in, brushing away one of the tears with your fingertips, bringing your lips to hers-

knock-knock “Room service!”

You and Trixie both let out a slightly-irritated sigh, and you leave her side to go to the door and get your meal. The food is definitely good, filling your stomachs despite the smaller portions you ordered; by the time you've finished, the exhaustion of the night is definitely catching up to you. You both climb into bed and shut off the lights, and in the darkness you find Trixie pressing herself against you, snuggling into your embrace as you fold your arms around her. She lets out a quiet sound of contentment. “I think,” she murmurs, her voice already thick with sleepiness, “that right now I am happier than any mare has a right to be.”

“I think I should challenge that limit,” you chuckle, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. “Tomorrow. In the meantime... sleep well, Trixie.”

“You too, Donovan.”

And, with the warm feeling of contentment paired with the warmth of Trixie's body, it takes you almost no time at all to fall into a deep, comfortable sleep.