The Great and Powerful Centaur

by Viper Pit

Unexpected meeting

"Man, deciding who to pick is gonna be a pain in the flank," I say as I take a stroll through the park where I held the interviews. I am poring over my notes on the accidents over and over again not really paying attention when I suddenly smack one of my shins into something very hard. "YEOW!!!" I yelp as I back up a little to immediately check the injuries.

That will bruise but that's about it I think as I rub them down. Looking up, I see a massive crystal table that I know wasn't here earlier. Looking closer at it, I can see a map of what I assume is Equestria but it is off in different ways. Towns appear to be in different locations. Where my hometown Las Pegasus should be, Ponyville is located, and vice-versa. For some reason, Canterlot on the map is hanging off the side of the mountain rather than on top of it.

"Well, that is an interesting interpretation on the world I'll say that much," I muttered as the soreness in my legs went away for the time being. But I know that once the bruises set in then it will come back with a vengeance. I was about to go on my way when what looks like a giant hole appears before dropping out a green pegasus with a blonde mane and tail and... TWILIGHT?!

"Twilight." The pegasus called out the unicorn's name while laying down with his eyes closed. From the voice and muzzle, it is clearly him.

"Yes, Mark?" Twilight replies, back both of them sounding completely exhausted.

"I am getting really sick of these sudden travels." He lets out a tired breath.

"So am I, Mark, so am I" Twilight replies. "But we gotta get home."

"I know, but I could go for some food." As if to prove a point, his stomach growls. "Fighting Starlight and Travelling dimensions really works up an appetite."

"If I may interject into the conversation, why does Twilight have wings?" I asked, nabbing both of their attention.

"Oh, this world doesn't have a Princess Twilight yet?" The pegasus whose name that I assume is Mark answered. When he looks at me, he looked shocked. That doesn't surprise me as I am rather unique even among centaurs. "Trixie, is that you?" That took a turn I didn't expect.

"Yes, why?" I ask. I notice off to the side Twilight doing something about her wings. My guess he is trying to hide them.

"It's me, Mark." He asked as if he knows me.

"I'm sorry. I don't know anybody by the name of Mark. I do know a Jake; he's a really sweet kid." I reply and he looks sad for a moment and an awkward silence hangs over us for about a minute. During that time I can't help but think that the name Mark isn't quite a pony name and more of a human name. "Hey, Mark," I said, breaking the unbearable silence.

"Yeah, Trixie?" His voice sounds like he's trying to hide the pain and I could see him biting the lower part of his lip before he responded to me.

"Why do you have a Human name?" The look on both of their faces almost makes me want to laugh but I don't because I'm sure that there is more to this then I want to know.

"Well, I used to be one, of course." I give him a skeptical look for a second. "I came to my Equestria by a magic mirror and the magic part of that was to turn me into a pony." He explained clearing things up.

"I see and here I thought you were cursed like my mom and forced to turn into a pony." By this time, Twilight gets back if the gasp I hear is indeed coming from her.

"How did that happen?" Twilight asked. Mark nodding in agreement.

Turning Twilight and before l look back at Mark. "Let's go to my trailer we can talk there." All three of us get moving. As we walk I can see the questions brewing in their heads. Taking a second to channel some of my stage personas, I said."We can walk and talk on anything you want to know about that isn't too personal."

"That would be nice thank you, Trixie" Twilight says with a smile. She levitates out a notebook out of her saddlebags. "Are your humans natural to this world?"

Straight to the point. Yeah, she definitely is Twilight. "No actually, they are not from this world." I give her a minute to write before continuing. "I just know that with some exceptions a human comes here about every twenty years or so."

As she writes Mark speaks up. "How do they get here then?"

"Like you did." I see worried looks on there faces. I elaborate further. " You know through portals. I don't know the details but apparently, our worlds are close enough that wild portals open up and take ponies or people to the other one's world."Yeah I am definitely going to need to hear their story.

"Really have any ever returned?" Mark asks again to which I just shrugged. "What research is being done?"

"I honestly don't know I just know that not all humans come here with there sanity intact." I take a deep breath. "Humans and magic don't really mix well I know that it can have nasty effects on the mind of one."

"What about this Jake person," Twilight speaks up. I can see the worry in her eyes.

"He's young about eight or nine and I would say rather healthy," I explain "I would know I just saw him a couple of days ago with his adoptive mother." Before they can ask who the mother is I answer "Her name is Lyra heartstrings and she really cares for the little guy."

Twilight takes a sigh of relief. "Well as long as he is happy."

"Feel free to look around I know it isn't much but it's mine," I say once we get to my trailer and once head inside I offer them some of the leftover brownies for the interviews which they happily take. After eating a couple they thank me and I get comfy for when they are ready to ask more questions. I don't have to wait long.

"So, how do these portals form?" Twilight asked.

"I'm sorry, I don't know how exactly they work. The only ones who would be able to answer that would probably be this world's version of you or some of the genius' bighorns at Canterlot." I gave a slight bow as I say this.

"It's alright. Trixie." Mark puts a hoof on me to show his support. " So do you have any questions for us. Twilight and I would be more than happy to answer them."

I give a smile and a nod as Mark starts to look around. "What's your world like?"

They begin to explain to me the world they live in and how the royal sisters are missing and how their version of me somehow got put in charge, which followed shortly with Twilight once she earned her wings by completing some spell by Starswirl the Bearded, beating her idol at spell crafting with the power of Friendship or something similar to that. And apparently, they are about twenty-two months (basically a year and ten months) ahead of my current time which I find to be rather fascinating. Well, their whole tale is fascinating two be honest.

These future bad guys sound like something I should warn the Princesses about. I should send a letter to Cousin Shining Armor to tell his fiance. Maybe to Uncle Nightlight and Aunt Velvet to tell the Princesses.

"Wow," I say once they finish telling their story. "That is quite the tale." I notice that Twilight had fallen asleep during the story. Lord knows how many times they had to repeat it.

"Yeah, it is." Mark says "but its all true. I think the evidence of Twilight with wings is proof enough." He gestures to the napping Alicorn.

"Well, feel free to stay the night but I still gotta pick a bodyguard to travel with me." I exhaustedly groaned as the re-reading the interview notes takes a lot of decision making energy.

"Mind if I help you pick one?" The green pegasus asks and I nodded as I levitated my interview notes over to Mark. "Let's see here Gilda likes to boast but inexperienced, Giza experience but may start a fight intentionally, Iron heart has some unique gear but that seems to be all she has, Nightslash is looking for experience and seems to be laid back." He squints to look at Chiron's section to ensure something. "NOPE!"

"Yeah, I agree with you on that last one." I stood up to stretch my legs. "Coffee?"

"Yes, please." I nodded as he goes over the notes while I got the pot of water with the coffee grounds inside boiling. "I think this Nightslash pony would be your best bet." He stated with an approving tone.

"Why is that?"

"She's got the basic skills that are necessary for a dependable bodyguard down. And having a Thestral with natural night vision, enhanced hearing, and flight could be extremely useful for a bodyguard and traveling companion." Mark described Nightslash's many beneficial traits. I didn't even consider her innate Thestral abilities.

I would've just picked her for her adorable laid back attitude and love for stage magic since it might help my hearts condition by not having a high maintenance traveling companion stressing me out.

"Yeah, I can see your point." We sat in silence until it was broken by steam whistling from the coffee water. I poured the coffee on both mine and Mark's cups. "Cream and sugar or just stick to black?"

"Cream? No milk?" He asked. I could hear the sadness in his voice.

"I gotta have only non-perishables goods since I got to long trips before I reach a settlement and getting an enchanted fridge would hurt more than help in a financial and magic use sense," I responded as I grabbed the creamer and sugar cubes from one of my cupboards. "How many lumps of sugar do you want?"

"I'll take three sugar cubes." He replies. I just nodded while I finished preparing his cup of coffee.

Handing over his cup I sit down. "When you finish, can you put the cup in the sink?"

"Of course but I wish I had more than brownies to eat." He then takes a long sip from the mug. "Oh yeah, I needed that thanks."

"You're welcome, Mark." I take my own sip. "I am gonna Keep an eye out for your counterpart assuming he is even here and not on earth still."

"You don't have to do that but I appreciate it." Mark gives me a small smile. " I should probably wake Twilight up because as nice as this world is I still have a wife to be to get back to."

I take a look outside to see the sun in about the three o'clock position. " Yeah, I will take you back to that table if you want," I say as Mark take a feather and tickle Twilights nose causing her to sneeze herself awake. I may have laughed harder then I meant to which caused me to spill some of my coffee.

"Oh, before we go mind, if I take a picture with you?" Mark says as he pulls out a camera. Twilight rubs her eyes from her impromptu wake-up call and starts stretching. "After you get the coffee cleaned up I mean hehe."

"Sure and for this Starlight person, I will pray for your safety and for your quest to succeed without getting into too much trouble," I told them as I clapped both my hands together before I take Mark's empty cup and put it in the sink. When I say sink I mean it is just a hole in the counter that you put water into it by bucket to wash dishes. As I do I notice an extra Cross.

Would they like this as a keepsake? After a brief of consideration, I decided to at least offer it to them. Grabbing it, I follow my guest outside for picture time. We take a couple with several funny poses but I think my favorite one would be the picture we took where I'm laying down with Twilight and Mark in my arms like I just bought a couple of sacks of potatoes or some large pumpkins.

Our fun comes to an end shortly after and I guide them back to the crystal table. "Well, this is goodbye," I said, I then pull out the cross and hand it over to Mark. "So that God will be with you on your journey."

"Thank you, Trixie, I will take good care of it for you." He gave me a hug and so did Twilight. "Good luck and goodbye to you as well Trixie," Mark said as he breaks the hug.

"I'm sorry about your cousin Trixie but in my defense, I was stressed out about Celestia coming to visit and the Parasprites were not helping." Twilight had a blush on her face. It was faint but I could see it. They got on top of the Crystal Table and Twilight's horn light up followed by a portal sucking them up into the sky. As soon as they were gone the Table sunk into the ground.

"Well, I guess I better contact Nightslash and tell her she's got the job," I quietly said to myself as I took one more glance at my chosen candidate's notes. If I have to guess, with her personality, she would (metaphorically) be over the Moon with this news.

Author's Note:

This chapter is brought to you by the fabulous people over by Off the Mark I highly recommend reading the story if you haven't already.

Comments

[badninja]

Is this whole chapter an April Fools joke? It just was so random.

[harts fire]

O a grate cross over chapter.
Author's Note:

This chapter is brought to you by the fabulous people over by Off the Mark I highly recommend reading the story if you haven't already.

i agree 110% off the mark is a amazing read.

[Viper Pit]

9540436
Yes but it also served the purpose of announcing trixies new body guard

[crank1116]

9546080
Well there's still time I friend. I mean I know the story isn't over. So there's a possible way of working that in I mean if that's the path you want to go down. Just a thought

[Gundamdragon]

Still ship cat bird with bigger cat bird

[Viper Pit]

9546107
Very true