//------------------------------// // Trixie: First Date // Story: Stranger in a Strange Land // by Andrew Joshua Talon //------------------------------// Three years before Nightmare Moon Returns... Prince Ryan never made a big scene out of being the top student every semester. He accepted it with cool, calm dignity, and gave Twilight a gracious congratulations on making it to second, again. She once again gave a gracious smile and nod, as well as basic congratulations. What no one knew... Was what both of them did afterwards. Twilight, for her part, cried and threw a bit of a temper tantrum. Understandable. Ryan, on the other hand... "YES! YES! YES! HA! BOOYAH! IN YOUR FACE, SPARKLE! WOO! WOO! WOO! WOO!" He shadowboxed triumphantly in the colts' bathroom, and fist pumped in his victory. "Yes, yes, yessss...!" "YES!" Ryan paused. That wasn't him. He had about half a second's warning from his mage senses before a girl tackled him into a tight hug. He turned around in her grip, and looked down in surprise. Trixie Lulamoon was grinning back up. "Trixie? This is the colt's room-" "Don't care, look, LOOK!" She held up her score sheet. Ryan blinked. "Uh, yeah, you passed-" "Trixie passed!" Trixie sobbed happily, hugging him tightly and burying her face in his chest. "All of my classes, I passed!" "Yes... That's what happens when you study hard," Ryan said, still confused. "Congratulations-?" "Ugh, NO! Trixie means that... Look," she beamed up at him, "Trixie's mom kept telling me to just marry a good stallion, and leave school. But with this, I qualify for a grant! I-I can finish my schooling! I can graduate!" Ryan blinked, and patted Trixie on the back. "I... Yeah, you did it Trixie-" "I couldn't have done it without you!" Trixie insisted. She beamed up at him, eyes full of tears. "You're not talking in the third person as much, are you all right?" Ryan asked earnestly. Trixie answered... By standing up on her tiptoes, and pressing her lips against his. It was warm. It was wet. It was... electrifying. Ryan found his hands naturally wrapping around the shorter mare to hold her, as her mouth began to move against his. He felt warm all over, like a bolt of lightning had shot through him. They broke the kiss, both panting hard for breath. Trixie stared up at him, a deep blush on her blue cheeks. "I-Um... Trixie apologizes," she murmured, "I-I just... Uh... I mean, Trixie... I mean..." She giggled. "You... You okay, Your Majesty?" It suddenly occurred to Ryan that... Trixie was a mare. He'd always known that intellectually on some level, of course. His colthood crush on Cadance had been all about her being a princess, and he was a prince, and princes would save princesses and they'd live happily ever after. That's how it had gone. But now... All of a sudden, Trixie was a mare. He could feel her chest through their clothes as she pressed up against him. He could feel how warm she was, how good she smelled. It hit him like a meteor from the sky: Trixie is a mare. A hot mare! She kissed you! "Ryan?" Say something, dumbplot! "I... I'm... Happy for you," Ryan said, "really happy." My voice just broke why did it break you idiot arrrrgh...! "I... I really couldn't have done it without you," Trixie said softly, "you pushed me to be... Better. And I really appreciate that." Come on brain... Something... Say something...! Ryan's magnificent brain was usually firing on all cylinders like an efficient machine... But right now it was sputtering and lagging. "Dinner?" Trixie blinked. "Huh?" "A... My place... Food... To celebrate?" Ryan managed, his voice breaking again towards the end of what could almost be considered a sentence. "Tonight?" Trixie grinned. "Trixie would-I mean... I'd like that," she said, "I-I would really like that. Is... Is six okay?" Ryan nodded, now grinning like an idiot. Trixie hugged him again and pranced off, looking giddy. Ryan was feeling like prancing himself... And he didn't know why. Which is when his brain finally got back into gear. Did you just ask Trixie out on a date? Or rather, to your home? For a date? His face paled. Oh buck me... Ryan arrived at the palace a bit later than usual. He easily ducked through the employee entrance to avoid the crowds of ponies leaving after Day Court was adjourned. He came up through the secret tunnels and soon, entered into the throne room. He could see a few ponies leaving, deeply frustrated and hiding it poorly as he walked up to his mother. She sat there, regal as ever, but just a hint of strain around her eyes. This had been a long day for her, he could tell. Twilight Sparkle was also there, sitting at his mother's side dutifully taking down notes. She scowled at him, but he was too overwhelmed to return it properly. Celestia's face did brighten when she saw him. "Hello Ryan," she said warmly, "how was your day?" "Uh, good, very good," he said carefully, "number one in class again." Twilight's scowl deepened a bit, as Celestia beamed. "Wonderful work!" "And..." He trailed off. His mind had been going in circles the whole way home. "Mm?" Celestia hummed curiously, leaning in. "I uh... Trixie is coming over," Ryan said carefully, "at six. For dinner. With me." Celestia continued to smile. Twilight blinked, confused. "We... Er..." "Yessss?" Celestia prompted, her face threatening to break out in a grin. "It's no big deal, really," Ryan insisted, "just a date-" Celestia crowed happily, and practically teleported up to hug him and spin her son around in the air. "MY SON HAS A DATE!" Celestia laughed. "MOM!" Ryan growled. He focused his magic and used a wind spell to push himself away. "Seriously Mom! Please!" Celestia sniffled, still beaming like her sun. "Oh, my foal is growing up," she whimpered. "Mom, please," Ryan tried, "please, don't go overboard? I really want this to go well, you-you know?' Celestia paused in her celebrations, and smiled knowingly. "I understand. I won't embarrass you, promise," Celestia said, "so, how about I have Raven Quill set up a nice little dinner table in the Northwest Tower Garden?" "Yeah, that would be great," Ryan said, smiling. "I'll get the band and the guards-!" "MOM," Ryan groaned. Celestia flushed, and nodded quickly. "No band, no guards! Just you two. All alone. It will be very romantic!" "Thank you," Ryan sighed, "uh... Not... Too romantic, okay?' Celestia smiled warmly. "You know, I wouldn't mind if you made me a grandmother this soon-" "MOM!" Ryan practically shrieked. Celestia giggled and hugged him. "Just kidding! Don't you worry, Ryan! You go and wash up! Wear your nice suit! But not the nicest! No need to overwhelm her!" "Thanks Mom," Ryan sighed, smiling a bit. He hugged her back. As silly as she could be, he did love her dearly. "Twilight! Come! Help me organize things!" She cried, grabbing the purple haired mare. "Wait what-AHH-!" They vanished in a burst of teleportation magic. Ryan sighed, and brought his hands together in silent prayer. "Please, great Harmony, let tonight go well?" He murmured. His brain caught up again, pointing out the obvious to make him relax: What could possibly go wrong? Ryan had opted for a simple suit and tie. Long-tailed but otherwise black. He really didn't want Trixie to feel intimidated. He went to the front entrance of the palace, nodding to the guards on watch. Steel Trap grinned and winked at the Prince, while Misty Shore remained her stoic self. He clapped his hands together, trying to look calm and princely. "RYAN!" He blinked in confusion as he spotted Trixie. His face went r red as he got a good look at her as she hurried up with a grin on her face. She had gone for a simple blue, sparkling dress with tight straps on her shoulders and a scandalously low neckline. Her hair was done up in a simple ponytail that waved with her actual tail. He was transfixed at the sight as she fairly bounced into his arms. "Hey! Sorry, I had to run to avoid my mom," she said breathlessly. Ryan winced. "She... doesn't approve of-?" "No, the opposite: She approves way too much," Trixie groaned, "come on! Let's eat!" "Sounds good to me," Ryan laughed, taking her hand. He looked to the guards. "Please be on the lookout for Mrs. Lulamoon. Don't let her in." Steel Trap nodded. "Description?" He asked. "Like me as a fat, melted candle," Trixie snorted, squeezing his hand. Ryan took the hint, and led her inside. Trixie gaped, oohed and awed appropriately as they walked through the palace. Ryan pointed out a few items of interest: The scepter of Megan the Magnificent, a painting of Gusty the Great fighting Tirek, a statue of some pony named Sandy Dunking who apparently invented modern cakes... (His mom really could be strange sometimes.) Until finally they broke out into the Northwest Tower Gardens. Trixie's eyes went wide in amazement. "I think I could fit my whole neighborhood in here!" Trixie gasped. "It doesn't look that big from the outside!" "Mom had some spells placed to make the palace look smaller," Ryan explained, "so it wouldn't look like we were showing off. Oh!" They turned a corner around some rose bushes, and beheld a white cloth covered table. It was under a tree with glowing fruit bulbs, with just two small black chairs on either side. "Ooh... A Neighpon Lantern tree!" Trixie enthused. "I read about them in a manega!" They were right under an isolated tower in the garden, but that just added to the beauty of the scenery. Ryan led Trixie to the table, pulling out her chair. She graciously sat, and he took the other one. A moment later, an unhappy looking Twilight appeared. "May I take your orders?" She said dryly. "Sparkle?" Trixie gasped, "what are you doing here?" "I live here!" Twilight growled, pointing at the tower. "Look, Sparkle," Ryan tried, "we can just get food for you-" "No! Your mother wanted me to organize things, so it's organized!" Twilight stated, holding back a growl. She teleported some menus and handed them over. "Take your pick! I organized them based on your observed preferences." "Er... Thanks, Sparkle?" Ryan managed, "I'll take the fish please." "Why is everything on Trixie's menu a thin salad?" Trixie complained. "That's all you eat at school," Twilight stated tensely. "Well yeah, Trixie eats it because it's cheap! What would you recommend, Ryan?" "The Elixir Salad's pretty good," Ryan suggested. Trixie smirked and nodded. "I'll take that, thank you!" Twilight continued to scowl, but teleported the order away. In a few moments, the dishes appeared in her hands, and she slammed them down on the table. "Enjoy, you have fifteen minutes to eat before the date progresses to the next stage," Twilight stated. "What stage?" Ryan asked, confused. Twilight rolled her eyes, and produced... Ryan groaned... A checklist. "According to the research I did on dates, a successful date is divided into proper stages. First, you greet eachother." She checked that off. "Done! Next, eat. You're falling behind. After that is basic small talk-I have a list of potential topics for discussion. After that is music. Then, walk around the gardens. Finally, a first kiss-" "We did that already, Sparkle!' Ryan groaned, as Trixie gaped in disbelief. "Well this will be first romantic kiss on a date, under the moonlight, which should be much more romantic! About 45 percent more in my estimation," Twilight said, "after that, you can progress to making out, and here are some suggested-" "LOOK!" Trixie cried, pointing behind Twilight, "SOMEPONY'S DOGEARING A LIBRARY BOOK! "WHAT?! WHERE?!" Twilight cried, spinning around and scanning for the offender. Ryan grabbed Trixie's hand, and the two ran off into the gardens before Twilight spun back around. "I didn't see any-HEY! COME BACK HERE!" Ryan ducked into the hedgemaze on the grounds, as Trixie struggled to keep up. "Ugh! These stupid high heels!" Trixie cried. Ryan shook his head. "Lose 'em!" "Wait, but I-!" Ryan's ring lit up, and so did Trixie's high heels. They flew off her feet, and Ryan caught her to keep her from stumbling as they ran through the maze. "My shoes-!" "I'll buy you new ones!" Ryan laughed. "HEY! YOU'RE SKIPPING AHEAD!" Twilight shouted, somewhere far behind. Ryan ducked around a corner into a small open area. A strange statue stood in the center-A man with a wild look in his mismatched eyes, and several strange alternate parts from other animals all over his body. Ryan had asked his mother about it a few times, but she just said she'd tell him about it later. "And..." He pulled up a patch of soil, and a secret passageway appeared. He grinned as he jumped, dragging Trixie in behind him. "AHH!" The hatch slammed shut behind them, just as Twilight rushed into the open area. She looked around, scowling. Below, Trixie and Ryan were walking slowly through the passage. Trixie looked around, holding onto Ryan's hand. "Secret passageways?" She asked. "Trixie's impressed!" Ryan chuckled. "Wouldn't be a palace without them..." They walked for a while, until they at last came to a door. Ryan carefully opened it, and led Trixie up some stone stairs. He pushed open a hatch, and they emerged in a wide room filled with workbenches and tools. Ryan waved his hand, and magical lights powered on. Trixie looked around the room in some amazement. "What is this place?" "My workshop," Ryan said, "it's on the other side of the hedge maze." He led her to one workbench, where armor was lying in pieces on the pitted surface. Trixie tilted her head curiously, as she picked up a device with a glowing magic crystal suspended in a glass tube. "Huh... Isn't this that magicite reactor you brought in?" Trixie asked. Ryan carefully took it out of her hands. "I brought in a prototype," he admitted, "this is the second generation version. It should be more powerful, and I can channel the explosions into a flight system." "Flight system?" Trixie asked. Ryan rummaged around the workbench, and held up a boot. He plugged it into the boot, and turned on the reactor. It glowed brightly, and he pointed the boot away from him and Trixie. "Yeah! It'll work like-" He triggered the device... And was blasted off his feet, over the workbench, and down to the floor. Trixie gaped, holding her hands over her mouth. "I'm okay!" Ryan managed. Trixie walked around the workbench and helped Ryan up to his feet. She giggled. "I don't know why you do all of this," Trixie said. Ryan blinked, sitting down on a nearby stool. "Do what?" "All this work," Trixie said, "I mean... You're a prince! Why aren't you living it up like Blueblood? Partying constantly?" Ryan shook his head. "Well... Why haven't you just tried to marry some rich stallion?" Ryan asked. "I..." Trixie looked down, gripping her right forearm. "Trixie?" Ryan asked. "... Okay... The truth is, my mother wanted me to entice you into marriage," Trixie said, "however possible." Ryan blinked, and slowly nodded. "I see... So-?" "No!" Trixie immediately held her hands up. "No! No, this isn't anything like that! I-I mean... Look, originally, I thought about it. But you actually... Helped me," she admitted, "and-and I passed my classes and I might graduate... And you didn't have to do any of that!" She sighed. "I want to be a great performer! I want to live a great life making ponies be amazed, starstruck! To make them laugh and cheer and applaud! I can't do that as some trophy mare." Ryan smiled, and nodded softly. "Same reason I don't want to be like Blueblood," Ryan admitted. He stroked the chest plate of his armor. "I wanna be something more... For my mother." "In my case," Trixie said, "I just want to escape my horrible mother. But you? Your mom's... I mean, she's immortal-" "And she's tired, Trixie," Ryan said earnestly. He looked her in the eyes. "I mean... Not physically, but... You've heard about the Mare in the Moon?" "Nightmare Moon? Isn't that an old mares' tale?" Trixie asked, blinking. Ryan shook his head. "No... Princess Luna is my mother's sister. A thousand years ago, she became Nightmare Moon, and tried to take over the kingdom. She tried to kill my mother... And my mother had to seal her in the Moon with the Elements of Harmony. They were both the Holders of the Elements... But by using them against her sister, she lost her power over them..." At Trixie's blank look, Ryan quickly moved on. "Point is... She loved her sister. And she had to imprison her in the moon. She's ruled Equestria alone, for a thousand years. She doesn't show it, but... She's so tired. I want to rule alongside her. To help her. I mean..." He looked down, sighing softly. "I was just some alien baby. She could have dumped me in a orphanage... But she took me in. She made me her son. I can't let her down. I need to be as good as her, at least. I won't be a downgrade!" "That's... Really ambitious," Trixie said. Ryan chuckled. "Yeah... I probably can't even do it," he admitted, "but I really want to try. To be more than I am." Trixie hugged him tightly. He looked up in shock. "I... I really do understand," Trixie said gently, nuzzling him. Ryan smiled back up at her. "Thank you, Trixie," Ryan said. He pulled her down into a kiss. One she returned eagerly. Just then, the clouds parted. Moonlight shone down on them. Ryan pulled back, admiring her. "You know... Twilight's right," Ryan said, "moonlight does make things 45 percent more romantic." "Hmph, just that?" Trixie laughed, leaning in to kiss him again. Twilight sat down, outside of the view of the window. She sighed silently, and looked up at the window. She looked at her checklist. She had succeeded... But why did she feel so bad about it? Celestia hummed as she watched the proceedings through her crystal ball. Cadance sat next to her, smiling warmly. "You know," Cadance said, "I didn't think I was going to like this Trixie mare... But all of a sudden... Hmmm!" "Come on Cadance," Celestia sighed, "I want my son to be happy, but all this drama-!" "He might be able to woo both of them," Cadance suggested, "and so you get twice the grandfoals?" Celestia paused, and then smiled. "And suddenly, I'm all right with this," the Princess said happily. "Still," Cadance said, "what he said about you... Auntie, are you-?" Celestia smiled gently, and squeezed her niece's hand reassuringly. "Let's focus on the grandfoals, Cadance," Celestia chuckled softly.