“I love you, Spike.”
Trixie held a deep crimson blush as she admitted her long held feelings for her dragon friend. She had been planning this moment for weeks, unbeknownst to anyone, and ensued making it special. She found this spot when she ran from Ponyville after being humiliated and stayed here for a bit to calm down. Seeing as how she had lost her traveling wagon she could not go anywhere too far away, so she arrived here often after scavenging for food from Everfree Forest. She knew that Luna planned a full moon tonight, and if she did not take Spike here this very day, she would have to wait another month to bring him here. She had planned this for weeks, and planned to make it perfect. Now all that's left is Spike's reaction.
Trixie payed attention to Spike's mixed reactions, hoping for acceptance. At first, he held a look of shock, then transitioned into one of thought. His final expression displayed indifference, and remained silent for a few minutes.
“Oh no, what's wrong? Did I do something wrong? Did I mess up somewhere? Why won't he say anything?”
Spike yet remained silent. Every second he remained silent felt like at eternity to Trixie, gnawing at her mind like a swarm of locust.
“Oh no oh no oh no! What if he denies me, or doesn't love me back?! Or worse, what if he hates me and doesn't want to see me again! Oh no, no, no!”
“So, are you sure about this?” Spike said in a concealing tone.
“I'm more sure then anything.”
“Trixie, a few weeks before you came here, I was rejected by Rarity. After she did that, went through the worst feeling in my entire life, and i really don't want that to happen again. Promise me that you won't do that to me to.”
“I promise.”
“Really?”
Spike stifled a small smile.
“Really.”
Spike no longer concealed his feelings, now holding a grin so large that it would put one of Pinkie Pie's to shame.
“Trixie, I love you too.”
Hearing these words made Trixie's eyes light up brighter then the full moon. She gave Spike a glomp of epic proportions, knocking the air straight out of his lungs. She then gave him a tight hug, which didn't really help since all of the air was knocked out of him a few seconds ago. He struggled a few words out.
“I...can't............breathe...”
Trixie heard him and got off immediately
“Oh I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-”
Spike silenced her with a kiss. Trixie's eyes widened out of surprise, but after a few moments, she relaxed and happily accepted it. This moment was just as Trixie imagined, kissing the pony, er, dragon of her dreams under the starlit sky. They maintained the kiss for a few minutes before breaking off. Once finished with the kiss, The two newly-found lovers fell back into the meadow, looking up at the night sky. After a few minutes of silence, Spike broke it with a question.
“So... How are we going to tell this to everyone else?”
“...You know, I hadn't thought about that.”
“Well, I think we should start by telling Twilight.”
Trixie tried to think of a way to break the news to Twilight during the entire walk back, but could not come up with anything.. She started panicking when they arrived at the doorstep to the library. Spike must of noticed, because he gave her a tight hug, calming her down a bit.
“It's okay, I'll explain everything to Twilight. I assure you, nothing will go wrong.”
Trixie nodded in acknowledgment and put her trust in Spike. Once they opened the door, they were greeted by an ashamed looking Twilight.
“There you are! I was worried sick about you two! Where were you at this time of...”
Twilight's mouth opened in shock.
“Trixie, what happened to you!? Did you go through poison joke? No, that can't be! You can only find poison joke in the Everfree Forest...What were you doing in the Everfree Forest? And why did you take Spike with you? What's going on here!?”
“Calm down Twilight,” Spike reassured. “I'll explain everything.”
Once Spike was done explaining the situation, Twilight sat in discernment. Their story seemed genuine, but there were still many questions to be asked.
“So you've been lying to us about your age this whole time?"
Trixie looked down to the floor, feeling a pang a guilt as Twilight accused her of lying.
“Yeah, I'm sorry about not telling you about this before.”
“But why would you hide your age? It doesn't make sense!”
“Well, if a filly put on a stage act, who would take it seriously? I had to learn and cast an age-changing illusion so I can attract real audiences for my stage performance, and charge them admission for it.”
Twilight thought about that for a moment, and decided that it was a reasonable explanation.
“Well, that's fair I guess, but it seems a bit deceptive...”
Trixie shrugged.
“Well, without my parents to take care of me, I had to make a steady income to care for myself. And magic is the only thing I know how to do.”
“Oh...”
Twilight regretted asking the question and mentally slapped herself. Awkward silence reigned for a few moments, before Spike asked an even more awkward question...
“Uh.. I'm sorry if this brings back bad memories or something, but what happened to your parents?”
Trixie grit her teeth and looked down to the floor. This indeed was a sore subject for her, but since Spike has done so much for her, she might as well tell them. She took a deep breath and exhaled.
“Well, my dad was a scientist and my mom was a florist, so they often worked together in studying local plants. We lived in Baltimare, so we were fairly close to Everfree...”
“Wake up, Trixie.”
Trixie yawned.
“Do I have to? There's no school today...”
“Trixie, have you already forgotten what day it is?”
“It's Saturday...”
“Yep. You know what's so special about today?”
“Uh...”
Flora Lulamoon chuckled.
“Trixie, have you really forgotten your own birthday?”
Trixie slowly rose out of her bed, still half asleep.
“Huh..?”
Flora chuckled once more. Trixie could be so forgetful sometimes.
“Happy birthday, honey! Now come downstairs for your birthday breakfast, Daddy made chocolate chip haycakes.”
Trixie bounced out of bed and galloped to an awaiting birthday breakfast. In the dining room was her father, Dusk, and stack of haycakes on the table. Trixie took a seat on the table.
“Good morning, Daddy.”
Dusk gave Trixie a warm smile.
“Good morning, honey. Want some breakfast?”
“Yes, please!”
Dusk placed a few haycakes on Trixie's plate. They were shortly joined by Flora, completing the family table. They started chowing down on the masterfully made breakfast.
“Time flies by so fast. To think, your already 10 years old! It seems like yesterday that you were still a foal.” Flora commented.
Flora was a middle aged earth pony with a sapphire coat and a straight silver mane. Her cutie mark consisted of three different kinds of flowers, a daisy on the left side, a yellow rose in the middle, and a marigold on the right side.
“Yep, I still remember holding you on the day you were born like it was just yesterday.” Dusk added.
Dusk on the other hand was a unicorn with a midnight blue coat and a spiky sky-blue mane. His cutie mark was an empty flask next to a corked test tube.
“You were so much trouble back when you were a foal. Even back then you had quite the talent for magic.”
“I wonder if magic is my talent?” Trixie wondered.
“You'll find that out soon enough, your around the age where you get your cutie mark. But speaking of magic, How about we go outside and you show us one of your magic shows again?”
Trixie's eyes filled with glee. She quickly finished her breakfast and trotted outside to the back porch while her parents took seats on lawn chairs in the back yard.
“Watch as I, The Great and Powerful Trixie, perform a show so amazing that you will never forget it in your entire life!”
Trixie's horn lit and fireworks shot from below her while two fire-lit spinners spun in place on her sides. She used it as an introductory performance to all of her 'magic shows.' Normally, her shows would consist of levitating rocks and teleporting a few meters away, but since it was her birthday, she had to do something to really pump up the crowd. She has to do something she's never done before.
Trixie thought for a second, and came up with something. She teleported to the top of her house and promptly dove off. As she was about to hit the ground, she disappeared into a cloud of smoke. Flora and Dusk panicked as they checked the spot where she landed. She reappeared behind them, completely unharmed.
“Ta-da!”
“Trixie! You had us worried, we thought you were really hurt! Don't you ever perform such a thing-”
“Dusk, look!”
Flora pointed to Trixie's flank, Dusk gasped.
“Trixie, you have your cutie mark!”
Trixie quickly looked at her flank, and indeed there was a cutie mark. She could barely contain her excitement as she realized that she found her special skill in life. But there was still one question.
“What does it mean?”
Flora and Dusk looked at each other in wonder. What did it mean? Dusk examined it closely.
“Well, it's made of a wand and some stars, so something with magic?”
“Maybe her talent is actually magic...”
Trixie pondered that for moment. Trixie never tried to attempt this trick, so indeed she had skill. At this thought, Trixie widely grinned.
“I really AM great and powerful!”
Flora chuckled once more at her daughter's naivety.
“You sure are, honey.”
“Wow, it's afternoon already?”
Flora checked the clock, and confirmed Dusk's suspicions. They spent the whole morning praising Trixie for getting her cutie mark, and didn't notice the time pass by.
“You know dear, Trixie still didn't ask about her presents...”
Trixie's ears perked up. Dusk smiled wryly.
“Maybe she just doesn't want them...”
“I have a present!?”
“Maybe...”
“What is it what is it what is it what is it what is it!?!”
“Why don't you see for yourself?”
Dusk floated a wrapped box from high atop a shelf using his magic and placed it in front of Trixie. Trixie quickly unwrapped the box and levitated the contents out. Inside the box was a purple cape patterned with assorted yellow, blue, and white stars, and under it was a matching wizard hat. It seemed a bit large, but regardless...
“I love it!”
“I'm glad you do, dearie. We knew you'd like-”
Dusk was interrupted by a knock on the door. He went to go answer it, and was greeted by his Boss.
“Hello, Mr. Lulamoon.”
“Boss? It's my day off, what's going on?”
“We have found a rare species of flower, and need your help examining it.”
Flora glanced at her husband's boss.
“Oh?”
“Boss, now's not really a good time...”
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, Mr. Lulamoon, this plant only blooms once every hundred or so years. I'm not forcing you to participate, but simply giving you the option. I'll give you a few minutes to think on this.”
Dusk's boss stepped outside, giving Dusk and Flora time to think about acting on this opportunity.
“Honey, I think we should take this. As he said, it's only a one-time opportunity.”
“But what about Trixie? It's her birthday, we can't just leave her with a babysitter!”
Dusk glanced at Trixie, who was still admiring her present.
“Maybe we can take her with us. After all, she might enjoy spending more time with us.”
“...Okay. But if anything happens to her, I'm blaming you for this.”
“Were only going to a clearing in the Everfree, what could go wrong?”
“Fine, then.”
Flora walked over to Trixie.
“Honey, would you like to follow me and daddy to work?”
Trixie's eyes lit up.
“No babysitter this time?”
“Nope, you get to come along this time.”
“Yay!”
Spike noticed a tear coming out of Trixie's eye.
“Boss, why are royal guards following us?”
“Safety Measures. There have been sightings of Manticores recently.”
“Manticores?! I brought my little girl today!”
“I realize that, but these guards were trained to handle bad situations. I assure you, even if the manticore attacks, they will handle it.”
Trixie notices ruffles in a nearby bushe.
“Um...Mommy?”
“There it is!”
There in front of them laid a 5-foot rose-like flower with a bright pink stalk and hundreds of hazel pedals. Trixie stood in awe.
“It's so pretty...”
“Boss, what is that?”
“It's called Hellion. Don't get too close to it, it's pollen carries a hallucinogen that makes consumers go insane.”
Dusk nodded.
“Note taken, everyone put on your safety masks.”
Flora securely placed one on Trixie. Everyone walked carefully toward the hellion, making sure that no one ingested the pollen. Dusk and a small team of scientists plucked a pedal off and examined it with mobile lab equipment. As they did the field research, Flora examined the stalk, being careful as to not touch it.
“Strange, I've never seen a flower with a pink stalk. Shouldn't the chlorophyll make it green?”
“The plant itself may have been from a recessive gene. It's a good thing we had an opportunity to study this.”
“You may be right. Any luck on the pedals?”
“It seems that the pedals themselves are not poisonous. We've noticed something odd about them.”
“What it it?
Dusk folded the pedal into the shape of a gem. The pedal started glowing white. Once it stopped glowing, a blue gem appeared in front of them. Flora, Trixie, and the group of scientists looked awestruck while Dusk and his boss simply nodded.
“Amazing. This discovery can make us rich.” the boss stated.
Dusk held the gem and thought for a second.
“Trixie?”
“Yes, daddy?”
“Happy birthday.”
Dusk placed the gem in Trixie's hooves, dropping her jaw in the process.
“Really? For me?”
“Of course.”
Trixie placed the gem on the neck of her cape and started hopping in joy.
“It's perfect!”
Trixie started hugging her dad in pure glee.
“We have to report this to Celestia immediately, this may change the face of-”
“GGRRROOOOOOO”
Out of a bush came a crazed manticore. Everyone stepped back in fear, while Flora and Trixie retreated behind a nearby tree. then the royal gaurds leaped in to action, one distracting it while the other jumped on its back. While the manticore stood up to shake off the guard on it's back, the guard that was once distracting it bucked it's chest. The manticore roared in fury and pain, then tried to swipe the guard that bucked it. The other royal guard leaped up and kicked it's back, forcing it to roll over in pain. While it's legs were in the air, the royal gaurds tied them up, disabling the manticore. Once it was taken care of, the royal gaurds took a moment to regain composure.
“What just happened? Manticores are usually docile unless provoked.
“It must of ingested a lot of the pollen.”
“See Mr. Lulamoon? We're in safe hands.”
“Are you kidding me?! My daughter might be traumatized!”
Trixie was crying while Flora tried to comfort her.
“M-m-mommy, I want to go home...”
“It'll be okay, Darling. Come on, let's go.”
“Flora, its not safe to go back without protection!”
“Then come back with us.”
“I can't- This work is too important!”
“What to you think is more important, some stupid flower, or your wife and daughter?!”
“...”
“Thats what I thought. Come on Trixie, we're going home.”
Flora starts walking back, Trixie closely following. Dusk takes a moment to think about this.
“Sorry boss, I'm going to have to go back with them.”
“Mr. Lulamoon, Your our lead scientist, you play a much too important role to leave. If you do choose to leave, your fired.”
“...Fine. My family is more important anyway.”
“Fine. But no guards are going to escort you.”
“Flora! Wait up!”
Dusk galloped to catch up to his wife and daughter, not regretting his decision. The boss just scoffed.
“Back to work, people...”
“Well, there goes our spending money...”
“I still have a job, honey. I make enough to pay the bills.”
“That's okay I guess. But what about food and other necessities?”
In the distance, a bush ruffles.
“Um, daddy?”
“We have enough food to go for a few months. That should be plenty of time for you to find a new job.”
Trixie felt slightly offended about her parents talking about her parents ignoring her. But from another direction another bush ruffles, this time, much closer.
“Mommy?”
“Okay then. There aren't too many positions here in Baltimare, so we might have to look elsewhere...”
Trixie spots two shadows speed past them. This time, Flora and Dusk notice.
“What was that?”
Everyone stops. It's silent. After a minute or so passes, They assume it's clear.
“...Lets just keep going. We don't want to-”
From behind them, they get jumped by two manticores, both with the look of death in their eyes.
“...FLORA! TRIXIE! RUN!”
“Dusk! What are you-”
“I'll distract them! Go, NOW!”
Dusk pushes them with his magic. Flora and Trixie run to town. Trixie hears a bolt of lightning, and when she looks back, one manticore drops. Dusk tries to hit the other one and misses, the manticore then jumps on top of him and holds a paw up...
“DADDY!”
Trixie tries to run back to her dad, but Flora swoops her up.
“No, Trixie! We have to get daddy help!”
“DADDY! NO!!!”
Trixie is crying on Floras back, while the aforementioned mare gallantly sprints toward Baltimare. Nearing the zone where the forest connects to town, another manticore jumps out in front of them. Flora keeps charging the manticore, who attemps to swipe at her. Flora expertly dodges the swipe by twisting past it, Trixie still hanging on to her back. Everything goes slow for a second as Trixie witnesses the claw of the manticore barely skimming the hairs on Flora's hoof.
Once avoided, Flora bucks the manticore, causing it to stumble. It gets up in anger and starts chasing after Flora, who is already quite a bit ahead. As Flora hits the edge of town, a group of people notice her and the manticore that's pursuing. Three stallions try to jump in the way, but the manticore charges through them with a devoted resolve to get Flora. It catches up to flora and grabs of her back hoofs, causing her to abruptly stop and Trixie to fly off of her back and face plant into the gravel. Flora escapes the grasp by bucking at the manticore's face and gets back up. Three residents from Baltimare come to Flora's aid, but the manticore only cast's it's deathly gaze at one mare. One resident charges at it, but it works to no avail as the manticore swipes him away. Flora gasps at this and forms a fighting stance. The manticore charges and attempts to swipe at her, but the swipe is responded to by yet another agile dodge and a buck to the back of the face. The manticore falls, and the other two residents try to stop it by jumping on it. The manticore shrugs them off like they are nothing, and a crowd of residents begins to form. Trixie also watches as the fight between Flora and the manticore unfurls. Flora glares at the manticore, who responds by swiping at her once more. The manticore takes note of the dodge tactic and swipes at her once again while she's in the air. The manticore hits her successfully, it's claws tearing a deep cut in Flora's chest while she is in the air. Flora hits the ground hard and starts bleeding critically.
“MOMMY!”
The crowd of baltimare residents let out a synchronized gasp and all start charging at the manticore as Trixie rushes toward her injured mother.
“Mommy! Mommy, are you okay?!”
Flora responds with a groan, her massive blood loss making her stir. A tear forms in her eye as she lifts her head up to look at her beloved daughter.
“...Trixie...”
“Mommy! Don't worry, you'll be okay! Someone, help!”
The sheer number of Baltimare residents was too much for the manticore, who was successfully taken care of. The attention of the crowd shifts from the detained manticore to Trixie and Flora.
“Mommy! Stop bleeding! Stop stop stop!”
Trixie falls to the ground and starts openly sobbing by her dying mother.
“Mommy... please... I need you! Please, no...”
Flora takes the hoof that she wasn't holding her open wound with and lifts Trixie's head from the muzzle.
“It'll be okay sweetie... be strong for mommy and daddy...”
“mommy...”
“Remember... m-mommy always loves you...”
“M-mom!”
“urk... Mommy... always... loves...”
Flora's hoof drops from Trixie's muzzle and her eyes close.
“MOMMY!"
“My mom died before the doctors got there and my dad was never found.”
Trixie was now openly crying, but still maintaining composure.
“I would give anything to get them back..”
Twilight eyes started swelling up.
“Trixie... I'm so sorry for your loss”
“It's fine. I'm used to it... *sniffle*”
Spike stood silent. He stared into space with resolve in his eyes for a few seconds before going over to Trixie and hugging her.
“It's okay, Trixie.”
Hearing the dragon's soothing voice calmed Trixie down a little.
“...*sniffle*. Yeah, I guess. After all, I do have you now.”
Trixie cuddled into Spike's hug and have him a soft kiss on the nose. Twilight couldn't help but let out a “d'awww.”
“You two are so cute together...
Tell you what, Trixie. You can stay here for as long as you want.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. If you want, I can even teach you some spells.”
Trixie's sad expression changed to an eager one.
“You would do that for me?”
Twilight warmly grinned. She loved teaching young unicorns about magic.
“Yeah, we can start tomorrow if you want. But it will take up about half of your day each session.”
Trixie looked to Spike.
“Sure, I can survive for half a day without you. I might have stuff to do anyway...”
Trixie widely grinned
“Okay! Lets do it!”
Trixie also had a look of resolve in her eyes and struck a pose much like one of Daring Do's. Twilight giggled.
“Okay, we'll start with basics tomorrow morning.”
Trixie slipped from her pose and almost fell.
“But I already know the basics...”
“Advanced magic needs a great deal of energy, and the basics are a great way to work on building that energy.”
Trixie looked to Twilight with pleading eyes.
“But Twiiiiligghht!”
“No But's, Trixie.”
Trixie looks down in defeat.
“Aww.”
Meanwhile, Spike had something on his mind.
“How can I do that...”
Spike thought for a second before coming up with something brilliant.
“Thats it! Maybe He'll be able to help!”
Spike looked at Trixie with that look of resolve.
“I have to do it... for Trixie.”
Every day for the next few weeks went as scheduled. Twilight and Trixie would wake up early to practice magic, Spike would do his chores and go off somewhere every day and come back an hour before Trixie and Twilight were done practicing to greet them with dinner. Trixie and Spike would then go off with each other for the rest of the evenings. Trixie was very efficient at magic, learning and mastering at least one new spell per day. She learned the more advanced basics, such as teleporting farther distances, lifting heavier objects, and better controlling her magic by juggling multiple objects. Once she was finished with the basics, she learned about defensive spells, such as the simple magic bolt to ethereal magic weapons and controlling natures elements. Today she learned how to use lightning as her father did to fend off the manticore. Spike was impressed how quickly she learned how to use magic fire, for it took him months to master his dragon fire. One evening in a small meadow, Trixie wanted to know who was better.
“I bet I can use fire better then you can.”
Spike laughed.
“You just learned how to use it today. I've known how to use fire for years.”
“So then why are you scared to take my bet?”
“I'm not scared of anything! Okay, i'll take your bet.”
“Okay, loser has to give the winner a kiss.”
“Fine, I'll go first.”
Spike took in a huge breath and let out a 12 seconds of continuous fire, reaching about 7 feet high. Trixie giggled.
“That was good, but watch this.”
Trixie's horn started glowing and she started concentrating. A few beads of sweat went down hear forehead as a ball of fire about 5 inches in diameter formed and flew about 10 meters before hitting the ground with a tiny explosion. Trixie frowned.
“Aww, but I did it better this morning!”
“Ha! One kiss for me.”
Trixie admitted defeat and gave Spike a small peck on the cheek. Spike grinned in victory.
“You won this time, but I can beat you in lightning any day!”
Trixie stuck her tongue out at Spike and ran back toward the library. Spike rolled his eyes and ran after her.
Trixie was indeed very good at welding lightning. She practiced by hitting a metal target that measured the strength of the bolt with Twilight checking it afterward. The bolts were weak at first, but by the end of the day she learned how to use them, she was firing bolts that would make Zeus himself jealous. This skill would be needed one day, unbeknownst to Trixie, as Spike did not come home until late one day.
Twilight was beginning to worry as it was already late in the evening and Spike did not come back yet.
“Where could he be this time of day?”
Trixie was pacing around the room impatiently.
“I don't know, but before we started our magic training, he said he would come back today with something special.”
“What? He never told me anything...”
Twilight and Trixie hear the door open.
“Hey everypony.”
“Spike, where have you been? Do you know what time it... Dr Whooves?”
Behind Spike comes the mysterious Dr. Whooves. Twilight tilts her head in confusion.
“It's a pleasure, Miss Sparkle.”
“He's with me.”
Spike diverted his look to Trixie.
“Trixie... We're going back in time to save your parents.”