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What's a Human?1,560 words
Introductions and Recoveries2,221 words
Traveling and Learning2,807 words
Of Trappers and Magic Tricks2,832 words
Lessons on the Road Side3,083 words
Sicknesses, Swamps and Monsters oh my!2,527 words
A Night Away1,894 words
Revelations in Manehattan1,895 words
Forgetting of the Past1,652 words
A Grand City, A Happy Night And A Dark Surprise [Part One of Two of the Finale]2,239 words
The Battle Between Good and Evil [Part Two of Two of the Finale]4,253 words

Lessons on the Road Side

[POV: Joseph]

"So what exactly was in that sack the bar owner gave you?" Joe inquired. It has been five hours since Trixie's performance, and she and Joe were currently sitting on opposite sides of a fire in their little camp. It had taken an hour in itself to leave the bar, for the audience demanded an encore and did not wish to let Trixie leave. After convincing the crowd that she was too exhausted to perform again they let the duo leave, showering her with praise. One pony in particular had followed them out and, after following them for a few minutes, offered Trixie a job preforming at a city called Trottingham. Trixie agreed to the offer immediately and they discussed the where and when.

"Hm? Oh, they're just bits." She answered casting a sidelong glace to her cart where the thousand bits were stored.

"Bits? I assume they are some form of currency in...?" Joe started.

"Equestria," Trixie finished.

"Ah, so that is the name of this land, interesting." Joe responded, looking at Trixie, "You know Trixie, I have very little knowledge of Equestria, so I have a proposition for you."

Trixie cocked her head to the side, "Proposition? Proposition for what?"

"I propose that while we are traveling together that we share our knowledge. You teach me about Equestria while I teach you how to perform some spells. How does that sound?"

Trixie all but froze in the flow of space-time. "You...want to teach me spells?" she asked cautiously, as if afraid that Joe was lying.

"Indeed I do, I thought that we could start the lessons tomorrow, but you still have to teach me more about this land."

Trixie nodded her head very fast "I will! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Trixie cheered, getting up from her makeshift seat and hugged Joe. It has been years since he had the comfort of a gentle hug. Closing his eyes he chose to savor the moment, wrapping his arms around the still-thankful Trixie. After what felt like hours they let go of one another.

Trixie yawned, covering her mouth with a hoof, "I think it is time for me to sleep, good night, Joe."

"Good night Trixie."

You're getting attached to her. said Blake, breaking the silence of the night.

So what if I am? Joe responded. Blake had been pestering him about how he's been acting to Trixie, mainly saying that he's gotten too close to her.

You know exactly why I'm saying you're attached to her. This is when you were seventeen all over again.

This is nothing like when I was seventeen! You know as well as I do that I had just started dating the wrong woman at the wrong time, and got stabbed in the back. She was truly psychotic.

Doesn't matter, I'm saying that Trixie could be set off like that and you won't be able to bring yourself to hurt her when that happens.

Blake, I know Trixie, she would not go completely insane from one isolated incident.

You say that, yet you know it's true.

Enough! Joe shouted mentally, I've had just about enough of you criticizing my choices. I'm doing what I think is best and will lead her to trust me even more than she does now. I know even now she wishes to ask me questions that I know she won't be able to stand to hear the answers to. This whole fiasco that I've been dancing through would be far easier if you would actually help me instead of pestering and annoying me!

I have been trying to help! Blake growled, causing Joe's head to ache ever so slightly, For once I'm agreeing with the pony, you're as stubborn as a mule!

Don't you dare demean Trixie! You have no right to say anything insulting about her! The pain in Joe's head started to slowly get worse.

I can say anything about the god damn horse I want! You may be the controlling personality but you have no power over me!

Scowling Joe entered his subconscious, to glare at Blake face to face, "Want to say that again?"

Blake just crossed his arms across his chest a cocky smile on his face, "You have no power over me. sidestepping to the right to avoid the punch Joe had aimed at him.

"I'm getting really sick and tired of these charades of yours." Joe said walking up to Blake, "You know my reasons, you know my tactics, yet you continue to say that you know better than I in this matter."

"I'm telling you what needs to be said, you fail to understand that you're getting consumed with these travels of yours and that Trixie is going to snap eventually. She has nightmares every night and you know that, hell, even the night she met you she did! Before that even."

Joe's eye twitched, punching Blake in the stomach he stormed off shouting, "I know what I'm doing Blake, you just need to shut your pie hole and let me work all of this out!"

Blake-hunched over with a hand over his abdomen-shouted back "You don't understand anything! This whole situation will blow up in your face sooner or later!"

Joe exited his subconscious and put up a few mental barriers around his subconscious to keep Blake quiet. He sighed, as much as he hated Blake he has the slightest point. Getting up from the log he had been sitting on for the past three hours, he stretched his legs and began walking in a random direction, hoping to get someones annoying banter off his mind.

"Alright, are you ready Trixie?" Joe asked, creating a large board made of magic showing every statistic of a tree near the edge of the Everfree forest as Trixie called it. It was just after nine p.m. and the sun was nearing the horizon, with a few clouds and a breeze that was light but refreshing. Trixie had been educating Joe about Equeastrian history while they traveled, and is wasn't as complicated as Joe expected.

Unicorns were snooty and haughty because they had magic, built castles, had many formalities and supposedly rose the sun and moon. Pegasi were a small, warlike tribe who cared not for formalities, only food, land and military strength, and all Pegasi had the ability to changed the weather manually. Earth ponies were peasant farmers who cultivated the land, with no formalities like the pegasi but only cared to survive off the land they grew on, but had to pay taxes to the Unicorns and Pegasi for their services to the Earth ponies.

After a blizzard created by windigos nearly wiped them out, they all left their old land for the land now known as Equestria, bringing the windigos with them. After setting aside their differences and creating a bond of friendship, the windigos left Equestria and the three tribes became one, marking that day as 'Hearths Warming Day' and the birth of the Equestria as a nation. Joe found all of this information interesting, mainly the point of the three different races not coexisting as Joe had seen while on Trixie's back going to and from the bar on 'Mane' street.

"Trixie is ready, Joe." she said charging up her horn, taking Joe's attention back to her.

"Remember, focus your magic into a concentrated beam, and release it forward."

Trixie closed her eyes, the aura around her horn growing brighter. With a quick thrust of her head she launched a pink beam of magic at the tree Joe had statistics on, causing the information on his magic board to change.

Studying the new information, Joe calculated how strong her beam was. "I must say, you did better than I anticipated for your first try." he said, looking back at the slightly-gasping Trixie, who now held a proud smile upon her muzzle.

"I did?" she asked, walking up to the scorched tree. It was blackened where the beam struck and even had a small dent in it.

"Yes, you did, if I was to give you a number out of one hundred, I would give you a fifty seven."

Trixie's proud smile faltered ever so slightly, but remained fixed in place. "Well I guess we're going to have to change that now, aren't we?"

Joe gave Trixie a smirk, "Indeed we do."

Trixie growled in frustration, she'd been trying to make a stronger beam for three hours now, but has been in the same range of strength the whole time. "What the buck?! Why can't Trixie get it any stronger?!" she shouted, trying to release some of the pent up anger at her inability to progress.

"I'm not sure, you're executing it perfectly." Joe responded, hoping that the small complement could ease Trixie some. It failed.

"Trixie doesn't care if she's executing it perfectly! Trixie cares about making it stronger!"

Joe sighed, This has gone on for too long she's getting too frustrated with herself. he thought. "Trixie, you won't master a spell in one day, it takes time."

"Says the smartest being in Equestria," she mumbled, speaking up she suggested,"Why don't you do it? Maybe if you show me how to do it instead of explaining how to do it I can understand better."

Joe put his bandaged hand on his chin, he had yet to heal himself, but the wounds didn't hurt overly much, and allowed Trixie to baby him a little. "I don't see the harm in that." he said finally. Raising an arm he reached into the depths of his mind where his 'magic' lay, creating the white aura around his raised hand. Focusing his strength in his palm, the aura grew brighter until it burst forward, the beam created ripped through the tree with ease, as well as several dozen behind and around it. As fast as it had came, it went. Leaving a section of the forest to have only chard stumps present.

Joe looked over at Trixie, who's mouth was agape, and said, "That's how you do it, but I might have gone the slightest bit overboard with it." Trixie just stood there, looking at the now-nonexistent stand of trees. Joe walked in front of her and squatted down to look into her magenta eyes. "Trixie? Are you alright?" He asked, concern laced in the tone of his voice.

"That was so powerful...It was great!" she exclaimed, tackling Joe. "You did that with so little effort! You're amazing!"

Joe smiled up at Trixie, seeing the wide smile upon her own face. "Trixie, you are aware that it's hard to breathe when you are standing on my stomach, correct?"

Trixie looked down and blushed, getting off of Joe and helping him up, she let loose a torrent of apologies. Joe raised a hand and cut her off, "It's no problem Trixie, really."

"But-"

"It is not a problem. Now off to bed, if you are to learn, you need your rest."

"But Joe," she whined, giving him the puppy eyes.

"Off to bed." he stated firmly.

"Awww.."

"Do not worry Trixie, you can work on it in the morning."

"Fine. Good night Joe." she said, a little disappointed.

"Good night Trixie. May all your dreams be sweet tonight."

[POV: Trixie]

Trixie smiled as she beheld the sunset, in all its glory. The day she's spent with Joe has been amazing, and he smiled the whole time, nothing could spoil the happiness that Trixie felt right now.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Joseph asked walking to Trixie and stopping besides her.

"It really is."

"You know Trixie..." Joe started, looking to Trixie, "I've had a great time with you but..."

Trixie looked at Joe with concern, "But what?"

"How...How can you stand yourself?" he asked, scowling at her.

"What?!" Trixie exclaimed.

"How can you stand yourself?!" he repeated, "All you do is lie to your crowd, while I save your sorry flank from going bankrupt! I am the only reason that you can even eat at this point!"

Trixie was shocked and hurt to the core. How could he be saying this? Why would he say this? "Joe, you-but I- you," she sniffled, tears running down her face like great rivers, "How can you be saying this?!"

A demented smile formed on Joe's face, while his clothes, hair and eyes started to blacken, "Because it's true. Failure. Fraud. Words used to describe you throughout your whole life! You don't deserve someone-anyone- to care for you, you're hopeless, and will never be remembered!" he spat

Tears continued to flow from Trixie's eyes, he was right, she didn't deserve someone as great as him.

Joe keeled down, propping Trixie's head up, "Now you know, but you will be the first to see the end of your wretched world."

"What?!"

Standing up, Joe surrounded himself in a black aura. The ground shook violently, the winds buffeted Trixie, the sun slowly darkened, until it was pitch black.

"Fraud...Failure...Never remembered, and the first to die!"

Trixie screamed, and an all too familiar figure opened the door.

[POV: Joseph]

Maybe I should've bent the truth some, at least to boost her confidence instead of telling her that she was barely above par. Joe thought. An ear-piercing scream sounded form Trixie's cart, this one louder than the previous nights. Trixie! Joe shoot up and dashed to the door, opening it as fast as he could without damaging it.

"Joe! What are you doing in here!?" Trixie exclaimed.

"You screamed, I thought that you may have had a nightmare."

Trixie, looked away mumbling that she did. "Well, what was it about?" Trixie didn't respond. "Was it truly so bad that you don't wish to tell me?"

Trixie didn't respond.

"Well whatever it be, know that it most likely will never happen." Joe said, with a smile and turning around to leave when Trixie exclaimed, "Wait!"

Turning around, Joe gave Trixie a confused look, "Yes?"

"Um...Do you, maybe, know some way to help put me to sleep faster?" she asked in a shy tone.

Joe thought for a moment, and came up with one possible solution. "There may be one, but are you sure that you want my help?"

Trixie nodded, laying back down, and pulling up her sheets. Joe sat down beside Trixie, and closed his eyes, staying silent for a few minutes before starting to sing a lullaby.

"You're a bright and shining star way up high in the sky~
Shining peacefully through the night~
Through the worry, through the strife, you should be happy and full of life.
No matter how big the problem be, you can always put your faith in me~
Fear not the monsters of the night, you and I will put up a fight,
To stop the evil in it's tracks, and let you sleep peacefully~
Dream a dream of color and light, do not fear for I am here, to combat those of dark and sin, and let you dream your dream~
Through the worry through the strife, You should be happy and full of life.
No matter how big the problem be, you can always put your faith in me.
Some nights may be scary, some nights may be lonely.
But tonight, is a night for sleep, my dear.
And rest assured knowing I'll, be, here..."

The cart was silent after Joe stopped singing, it had been years since he's sung that lullaby to any living being. Mother...Sarah... he thought, fighting back tears.

"That...was beautiful..." Trixie said slowly, awe in her tone.

"Thank you Trixie." Joe said, opening his eyes.

"Is that a human nursery rhyme, or did you make it?"

"I made it. When I was fifteen I had a little sister, her name was Sarah, she was six years old, and had nightmares almost every night, and with my mother being single and having two children, she was at her wits end most of the time. When she woke up, screaming or crying, I got up too to comfort her, and I made a simple lullaby to tell her that I would always be there for her." Joe paused, "The day after I made my lullaby I got sick, and my mother went with Sarah to get me medicine...and never came back."

"What happened?" Trixie asked quietly.

Joe took a deep breath and stated, "They were both killed in a horrible accident. When I learned of there terrible fate, I vowed to never forget the lullaby I made for Sarah. And what I sang to you was that same lullaby."

Trixie seemed stunned, and seemed to pity Joe. She slowly got up and embraced him, "I'm sorry." she whispered. Joe sniffed, and fought back the tears harder than ever. Before he knew what happened Trixie had locked her lips with Joe's. He went wide eyed and stood up, breaking the kiss, shocked at Trixie's actions.

"Good night Trixie." he said before bolting out the door, closing it gently behind him.

What...Just...Happened? Joe asked himself.

Author's Note:

Guys, I wrote a majority of this chapter from midnight to four in the morning, coffee works wonders! So, now you guys have a bit of Joe's past, think of it as you will, and just one little thing, Joe's lullaby is a lullaby I had made myself, credit goes to no one but me for that little tid-bit. And for those who are still reading my first fic, I thank you all! I hope you all have a wonderful day~

P.S. If you know what song I subtly reffered to when I put 'May all your dreams be sweet tonight,' Let me know in the comments!!

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