//------------------------------//
// Side Story: Xavier's Revelation 
// Story: Days in the Mind of One that is Great and Powerful 
// by The REAL Mister Pkmn 
//------------------------------//

After the others had left, it was just Xavier and Natalie left in the park. Natalie looked uncertain, anxious, and nervous all at once. Xavier wasn’t quite certain why she’d stuck around, but it wasn’t long until he got his answer. “Xavier, I was wondering… would you… go out with me, just once?”

Xavier’s eyes widened as he processed that. Natalie was asking him out. He wasn’t sure what to say, let alone think. So, he decided to take a breather for a moment. “I’ll… get back to you on that. Stay here while I… Deliberate.” He slunk away quickly, to sort this all out. Once a suitable distance away, he tried to sort out what was going on. Was he being punked? It would make the most sense, but he wasn’t quite sure. As for how he felt towards her… Well, he did like her, there was no question about that. But the question was, how much did he like her? He had never asked such a question before, seeing as he had been pushing people away for years. He sat down, and tried to puzzle out the answer.

He was startled a little when a light purple cat-like anthro surprised him. “Troubled, are we? Matters of the heart can be quite difficult indeed.”

Xavier stared at this anthro for a moment. He had amber eyes, and yellow patches of fur on his paw-like hands. Gathering his senses, Xavier realized who this was. “You’re ‘Catseye’, right? ‘Skyreach’ mentioned you. What do you want?”

The now identified “Catseye” smiled, and bowed a little. “I just want to help you with your troubles, is all. Now, you are questioning how much you like Natalie, right?” Xavier nodded, shocked that “Catseye” had read him so well. “Catseye” then pulled out a pad of paper, and a pen. “So tell me, what comes to mind when you think about her?”

Xavier thought a moment, with “Catseye” writing down every answer. “She’s dependable, and kind. She always listens, and treats me like an equal. She has the sweetest laugh I’ve ever heard. She is considerate, and trustworthy. She was dedicated enough to her promise to herself that the instant we met again, she followed through. She… understands me, like nobody else does.” He paused for a moment as he realized something. “I think I’ve figured it out now.”

“Catseye” smiled as Xavier stood, and ran off back to Natalie. “Isn’t it beautiful, ‘Frigid’?”

An ice blue pegasus mare stepped out of the shadows, a blank expression on her face. “Tear-jerking.” However, her blue eyes remained devoid of any hint of emotion, along with her voice. “C’mon ‘Catseye’, ‘Slighthand’ is expecting us.”

Sighing, "Catseye" shook his head. “Alright, sis. Let’s go.” The two then went on their way, as silent as they’d come.