Chapter 5: The Deception
(Alex's POV)
I wake up, my head pounding, and I reach a hoof up to it, rubbing my temple, trying to make the pain go away. I reach further up, gently touching my horn, making sure it was still there. I had an odd dream last night...I was a human, one of the creatures of myth, and that our Day Princess turned me into a unicorn. The problem is, I've been a unicorn my whole life. I get out of bed, and fall to the floor, my legs tingling. Hmm...must have slept funny. I wait until I get the feeling back in my legs, and then I stand up, and walk to the bathroom, standing in front of a mirror, making sure I am the way I always have been...I'm one of the few stallions out there who does not have a cutie mark yet, but I don't fret, as I am certain I will get one soon... My cream and red swirl coat shines in the light, and the four color stripes, 2 white and 2 red, whirl around my horn, giving it a candy cane like look, are present, and I check my flank, just to make sure... "Yep. No cutie mark yet." I laugh to myself, and then trot around the room a few times to make sure my legs are, as well as I am, fully awake. I nod, and then turn, trotting downstairs, sitting at one of the tables in the library. I think about how I got there...I spent most of yesterday in this very room, reading book after book, going through a small portion of the library's books. I then somehow fell asleep right in the middle of reading one of the books, and apparently, the librarian, Twilight Sparkle, moved me from the main room to a guest bedroom. I can only assume that it was put in for just such an occasion. I sigh, and then trot downstairs, heading towards the door to leave, when Twilight Sparkle stops me.
"Good morning Alex."
"Oh, good morning Miss Sparkle."
"Please...call me Twilight."
"Very well Twilight."
"So, what are your plans now that you've read pretty much everything we have on the Princesses?"
"I don't know...I guess my first thing to do is to find some breakfast."
She laughs, and her horn glows. I look around, trying to find what her magic is affecting, and I open my mouth to ask, but then I suddenly gag on an apple that was shoved in there.
"Eat that, and then we'll talk."
I sigh through my nose, but I eat the apple anyway, and I swallow the remnants, smiling.
"Thanks, though I can't say I was expecting that from you of everypony I know...You being a librarian, me being a simple customer..."
Her voice takes on an ominous tone. "You're not a normal customer..."
I blink, curious. "What do you mean?"
Her voice returns to normal. "Oh nothing. I was just testing my vocal range." She blushes imperceptibly, but I shrug.
"Okay then." I turn, and head outside. I spin around, unused to the colors, despite the fact that I've been in Ponyville all my life. I shrug somewhat, and start to walk towards Sugarcube Corner when a familiar pink earth pony bounces to a stop in front of me.
"Oh, hey there Pinkie Pie."
"Huh? The new pony already knows my name? I...must...be...FAMOUS!!!!"
I laugh a bit. "Pinkie, I've been here all my life. I already know who you are...I just wonder how you did not know my name by..."
My sentence trails off as I notice that she is somehow on top of me, yet not weighing me down... Then, she licks my horn.
"Uh, Pinkie....What the hay are you doing?"
She licks it again, seeming to like it "It tastes like a candy cane silly. Didn't you know that?"
"Uh no, I did not know that. I did not even know unicorn horns had tastes."
I see Twilight walk out of the library from the corner of my eye. I turn, and manage to trot up to her and tap her side with a hoof.
"Twilight, is this normal for her?"
She looks up at Pinkie, and sees that she is continuing to lick my horn.
"Uh, not really. Then again, I would think she would know that unicorn horns have no taste."
"I don't think she realizes that."
"I can tell. PINKIE!"
Pinkie looks at Twilight, pausing for a moment.
"Yeah Twi?"
"What are you doing?"
"What's it look like?"
Their tones rapidly shift to annoyance at each other and I sigh.
"Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie. Stop."
They both look at me, Pinkie's head hanging down in to my vision.
"Yes?"
"Please stop fighting, okay?"
"For the new guy, fine."
"Only you would want mares to stop fighting over you Alex."
I shake my head and sigh. "You're right. You two may be fighting over me, but you're still fighting. I don't want to be the cause of a rift between you two."
They smile. "It really is nice that a stallion puts mares fighting over him, and their friendship, before his own interests and desires."
I blush a bit, and smile. "It's just how I work."
Something in my heart stirs from all of this, but I go on, ignoring it for now. I shiver as she decides to truly believe my horn is a candy cane, and she sucks on it some, like one would a piece of candy.
"And now I'm concerned she is gonna try to bite a piece off."
Twilight laughs and I shrug again.
"Well, as long as she is not weighing me down, I guess she can stay."
Pinkie looks up, releasing my horn for a few seconds as she squees. "YAY!"
I shiver again as she returns to my horn. I look over at Twilight, and see her mouthing to me.
'What the hay are you thinking?'
'I'm just trying to keep everypony happy. If this is a way to do it, then by Celestia, I'll do it!'
'I see. Stubborn as ever, you are.'
I bow slightly. 'I try.'
Only then do I realize we've been talking in our thoughts.
"Uh Twilight, since when can unicorns use telepathy?"
"They can't. Only one other unicorn in Equestrian history besides the princesses and myself can use it. It's quite a mystery as to how you can use it."
"Who's the other unicorn?"
"Trixie."
"Who?"
"She calls herself 'The Great and Powerful Trixie'. Supposedly, though I'm almost certain this is false, she is the most powerful unicorn in Equestria.
I laugh. "Lemme guess. She's extremely arrogant isn't she."
"Eeyup. And she sometimes talks in third pony."
"Meaning she uses her own name instead of 'I'?"
"Eeyup."
I facehoof. "You're not kidding are you?"
"Sorry, but no."
"Okay then. How is it that I could use telepathy if only you, the princesses, and Trixie can use it?"
"I do not know."
"Maybe we need go talk to this 'Trixie' and see if she has any ideas."
"If we must. I believe she has a show here in Ponyville in a week or two."
"Hmm....Interesting. In the meantime, what am I going to do?"
"How am I supposed to know?"
I rummage around in my head and find nothing prior to last night.
"Uh Twilight? What exactly happened last night?"
"Well...It's a long story."
I sigh and sit down , staring at the sky, when I see a shimmer, and it disappears, revealing...Her.
End of Chapter 5: The Deception