~A few hours later, the Crystal Empire~

She woke up, feeling her love's embrace leaving her slowly. She shot straight up, refreshed from such a short, yet sweet and unbroken, sleep. She looked around for the blue mare, seeing her still beside her. "We are almost there, my little Sparkle. It's time to wake up." Trixie smiled gently at her, rubbing her mane. "You looked so peaceful, I hated waking you up, but this trip is all for you, so I figured you should be awake when we get off the train." She giggled, blushing as she knew just how much she probably did hate waking her up, knowing the usual nightmares that tore sleep from them both.

She stared out the window, eager for a first look at the beautiful Crystal Empire she had read about. Trixie giggled behind her, trotting up behind her as she nuzzled her mane. "I'm glad you decided to come. I could tell that, even if this doesn't help, you needed a break from the constant attacks in Ponyville." They were both the target of constant anger, ponies lashing out randomly at them anytime they were in town, spearheaded by the efforts of five rather annoying specimens of pony-kind.

"Enough about that, Trixie. Your heart's in the right place, and I thank you for everything you've done or put up with." She giggled with glee as the nuzzling continued. Suddenly, she gasped. "Ohhh...It's so...pretty! Much prettier in person!" Of course, Twilight's book had held pictures of the city, but nopony could tell you to your face it even got into the same measure. The twinkling of the sunlight off the crystals, the ponies trotting through the streets...It was all so breathtaking. She turned away rather quickly, however, to stare into Trixie's eyes.

An ear-splitting smashing noise seemed to echo in Twilight's head as she screamed, cowering with her forehooves on her ears. "Aieeee!" Then, it was replaced with a vision. Her eyes crossed as she looked far away, into the past. As the train pulled into the station, Trixie pulled the fallen unicorn off the train by her hooves, being very gentle with her. Unbeknownst to her, Twilight was having a flashback to the first time they had met. She saw the "Great and Powerful Trixie" for the first time.

She giggled every time one of those dreadful ponies got punished for insolently challenging Trixie. She could see why she didn't like them, and thus decided, with no further ado, to hate them with all her heart. She woke up after a while in the hospital, lying in bed, with Trixie lying next to her, touching horns. She nuzzled her face softly, rousing the blue mare. She woke up with a dull expression, and Twilight hadn't been expecting it. "Um, Trixie? You're scaring me..." At that, Trixie squealed in delight and hugged Twilight so very tightly. "Oh, my dear Sparkle, I was so worried!" She seemed very exuberant about this. Too exuberant, in her opinion. "What's up?" She smiled encouragingly at the mare. Trixie looked away. "You've...You've been out for about ten days, Twilight. I-I didn't know what to think of it..."

At that moment, two ponies entered the room. A light pink alicorn and a white unicorn that reminded Twilight so much of that stuck-up alabaster pony from Ponyville she couldn't help the reflexive snarl of pure rage. The unicorn stepped back a few paces, uncertain, and probably would've fled the room if not for the gentle hoof on his back from the pink one. The look of intense hatred on Twilight's face was soon replaced with confusion, as she realised she actually did not know this pony. "Oh, sorry, you just bear a striking resemblance to someone I'd rather not think of...Who are you, though? Really?" Twilight couldn't remember either of these ponies, and so thought it polite to ask their names.

From the looks on their faces though, it wasn't very well done. "T-Twilight?" The pink one was absolutely distraught. "I had heard of your condition, but thought they were exaggerating...I'm sorry. My name is Cadance. I am the princess of the Crystal Empire. I sense your confusion, but also that you love someone in this room very much." She giggled, as the love spiked through Twilight, being reminded of it. "So, who's the lucky mare?" Cadance was totally oblivious to Trixie sitting there, apparently. Interjecting before Trixie could get angry, Twilight spoke first. "Right here, princess. This is Trixie." A sharp gasp from the unicorn earned him another hostile look, not quite as strong as the first. "Care to join the conversation over there, or you just want to laugh at us?!"

The unicorn looked shocked at the way he was being treated. "Twiley..." He didn't get any farther, as Twilight immediately used a little of her magic to shut his mouth. "Nopony has ever called me that. What makes you think you're so special?! Trixie doesn't even call me that." At that, she curled up into Trixie's side. The unicorn, finally realising that he had only been momentarily hushed by the lavender glow, tried a new tact. "Twilight. My name is Shining Armor. I am your brother."Twilight gasped, looking up at him suddenly. "My...brother..." Shining Armor nodded slowly, swallowing. A burst of blue magic filled the room as the unicorn was blasted out of the room. Cadance, shocked, followed him.

Twilight looked up at Trixie, attempting to see why she had done that. She saw a fading grimace of pure anger on her features. When Trixie looked down at Twilight, she had a smile on her face. "It was obvious that they were bothering you, so I...showed him the door. For you, my little Sparkle." Trixie seemed genuinely concerned, so Twilight accepted it as truth. She pulled the blue mare down to kiss her, all her fears melting into love.

In the depths of her mind, however, her fears lay unanswered. What happened in that room, and why had Trixie been so angry? Those questions spun around in her subconscious, layering on top of all the hurts inflicted to her during her two weeks in Ponyville with Trixie. Her "new" mind needed care and love, unobstructed. However, the few times she'd been out of the library had obstructed Trixie's love with anger and mistrust. It had scared and angered her as well. She was now dripping with resentment for anyone she saw, other than Trixie.

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Trixie blinked, staring deep into her eyes as they were curled into each other. For just a second, she thought the purple-flecked brown of her magic-starved eyes had started to get swallowed by her pupils, but when she looked again, it was normal. She sighed, stroking Twilight's beautiful purple mane. She hoped that it was just a trick of the light, what she had seen, and decided to file it as such. She giggled playfully and touched horns with her, drawing up a little magic to put into her, trying to help any way she could. She gently pulled Twilight to her feet, guiding her to the floor. "Easy, now, my little Sparkle. You've been out for over a week, don't push yourself. Here, lean on me." She blushed, noticing that even with her guiding hoof, Twilight could barely stand, and so supported her as best she could, her head resting in her white-blue mane. They slowly trotted out of the hospital and into the wide streets of the Crystal Empire.

Author's Note

Sorry that I keep throwing all these jerkish moves out of Twilight's actions, but it's part of her inner turmoil, and it's actually helping me construct the plot. As always, appreciate all the feedback you all give. If you think it's too short, I'm sorry, but I really wanted to end it there and pick up next chapter. Cutest couple, anyone? ~Honey Heart, the Filly