> A Tricky Love Interest > by Israel Yabuki > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > A Tricky Beginning > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Tricky Love Interest Written by Israel Yabuki Co-written and edited by NineTailBeastBall Out of the billions of people in the entire world, you were one of the very few who was born with a special gift. Specifically, that gift is that you possessed incredible psychokinetic powers. While some would probably feel proud to have such abilities, you felt quite the opposite since you unfortunately haven’t lived an easy life. Your parents still loved you, even though you were different than them. However they couldn’t take the risk of someone finding out about your powers. Because of this, you were homeschooled and therefore never had any friends. However, somehow word got out that you possessed psychic abilities, as one day when you were still just a 9-year-old child, government agents took you away from your family and brought you to a lab. You never saw your family again. Since that day, you’ve learned to control your powers as the scientists subjected you to a series of painful and inhumane experiments. Such experiments included putting shock collars on you and drowning you in water. It’s been 13 years since you were brought to this lab. Basically your entire childhood has been taken away from you and they didn't even care. Right now you were sitting in a chair with a device strapped to your head as some scientist took notes on progress for today. You had nothing but hatred for these men, they saw you as nothing but a laboratory specimen. But later on, they would soon discover that when your anger was pushed too far, your psychokinetic powers would grow stronger by the second. The device on your head kept beeping rapidly from the anger that boiled deep inside you. ‘Is this really my purpose? Am I just an experiment? A labortory specimen? THIS CANNOT BE... MY DESTINY!!!’ you thought to yourself, feeling the device on your head start to break. Sirens went off and the scientists tried to stop you, but they soon learned that it was pointless. The device on your head shattered into pieces and your eyes began to glow, as they were no longer able to suppress your abilities. You levitated a few of the scientists and threw them across the room. The security team came in and shot at you with tranquilizer darts. After all, you were a valuable asset to their research, they couldn’t just kill you. You quickly put up a barrier, blocking their assault. The fact that they would rather put you to sleep instead of kill you and put you out of your misery made you even angrier. Your eyes glowed even brighter, and soon, you made your way over to an explosive chemical container. The security team and the head scientist who was responsible for taking you away from your happy life all had you cornered, but you didn’t care. “Stop! Don’t do this!” he shouted out. “Why should I listen to you? All you’ve ever done is use me as your own personal lab rat! You’ve used and abused me like I wasn’t even human at all! How can you even do this to your own kind with no remorse whatsoever?! You took away from my loving family, my childhood... YOU TOOK MY WHOLE LIFE AWAY!!!” you shouted “You should feel proud that you might actually help America! With your gift, you can even help stop these meaningless wars and save humanity! You should be thanking me that I’m helping you improve your powers!” “Is that the best excuse you can come up with? I’m starting to think you’re not even human at all if all you do is use and abuse me! I’m not your lab rat, I am a human being who was born with feelings and a heart!” “Those were only the standard precautions we took so you wouldn’t turn your back against your own country. We need your special powers to use as an advantage in order to protect the land of the free!” “Humans have lives, too. You can’t just take their lives away from them just because of their special gifts and stuff like that!” “I’ll do whatever the hell I want and if you don’t comply, you’ll never see your family again!” You clench your fists and the veins on your forehead began to pop out. “Then maybe I should just kill you all right where you stand!” Your hands start to slowly clench into a fist and the chemical container was getting dented. “You’re not even a human anymore. You turned your back on your own kind, so now I will make sure that you will never EVER exist in this world, again!” “SEIZE HIM!” he shouted. But only one security guard went after you, only for him to get levitated and slammed against the wall and the man who took everything from you. He fell back and hit his head on the wall. “N-No... don’t... do this! Please!” he reached out in vain. “Go to hell, you miserable pieces of shit!” As you said this, you aimed your hand at the chemical container and clenched your hand into a fist. Upon doing so, the container burst open and explodes and the sounds of the men screaming in agony filled your ears for only a split second before only catching the sight of darkness. ‘Why? Why was life so cruel to me? I didn’t ask for this gift, so why bother? It doesn’t matter to me anymore. They can’t do anything to hurt me anymore,’ you thought to yourself, drifting through the darkness. Then at the end of the dark void, you saw a small glimmer of light and reached out for it, and felt its warm glow coat your whole body. ‘So this is it...’ you thought as you slowly close your eyes. ‘Goodbye mother and father. I only wish I could have seen you... one last time.’ A few minutes went by and all that you could see were the flashbacks you had back when you were just a kid, learning everything your parents taught you and the times you were having so much fun with them. ‘Why?’ you thought to yourself as you watched the flashbacks. ‘Why couldn’t I have been born normal?’ That’s all you had time to think about before you completely fell unconscious. Some time later, you began to regain consciousness and your eyes started to open up and you looked around to find yourself in a field. You gingerly clenched the grass beneath you, as you haven’t been outside since the day you were taken away from your parents. “W-What the? A-Am I... dead?” you asked yourself before feeling a very sharp pain in your head. That definitely answered your question, as your mother used to tell you that there’s no pain in Heaven. As powerful as your psychic abilities were, they still have consequences. Too much use of your ability could cause serious headaches, sometimes even worse. The experiments may have been immoral, but at least they taught you how to control your psychokinesis. Having released all that power during your rampage, your headache won’t be going away for quite a while. You let out a grunt while getting up and dusted yourself off before scanning the area around you. This field was so peaceful, a much better improvement than that cruel laboratory. For the first time in 13 years, you felt at peace. You were finally free and could now live more peacefully. To start off your new life, you took a little walk, taking in the fresh air and listening to the beautiful sounds of birds chirping and the wind blowing against your hair. This might not be Heaven, but the peaceful scenery brought you joy nonetheless. Looking down, you saw that the uniform you were forced to wear was torn because of the explosion, but that wasn’t important right now. For the first time in years, you were a free man. And surely this new world you’re in must have inhabitants. You didn’t care what they were like, as long as they accepted you for who you are. Soon, you caught the sight of a nice little town out in the distance. Activating your power, you could sense life. You casually walked straight into town. You were in no rush to arrive, however, when you got close enough to the town, you realized there wasn’t anyone in sight. You stroked your chin and looked around to see where the people might be. Before you had the chance to activate your power again, you heard a distant cheering. You paid close attention and walked into the direction where the cheering was coming from. Around the corner of the town, you looked and saw a bunch of creatures that looked like anthropomorphic horses and they all seemed to be happy and cheering at whoever was on the stage. Of course, you had no idea what it was or who it was they were cheering for. Your clothes were still torn up from the explosion, however even if they weren’t you weren’t sure who to trust in this unfamiliar world. Just then, in a huge cloud of smoke, another anthro horse appeared. She had bright silver hair and sky blue fur with lavender eyes. She wore a purple cape with stars decorating it, as well as a matching hat. Underneath her cape, she wore a dark violet dress that nearly covered her whole entire body. All you could see was her lower legs. “Good day, fellow ponies!” she began in a loud voice “I, the GREAT and POWERFUL TRIXIE, will dazzle you all with my newest magic tricks! But first, Trixie requires a volunteer from the audience, if you please!” “Magic tricks?” you quietly asked yourself while watching from the corner. Somehow, she must have noticed your presence and pointed her horn in your direction. “Et voila!” she exclaimed. The next thing you knew, you weren’t standing in the corner, but now on stage with her. The audience gasped as soon as they looked at you. You turned to the horse who called herself Trixie with a blank expression, wondering what would she do next. You of course, have never volunteered during a show before because you’ve never been to one in your life. While you had the option of reading her mind with your ability, you chose not to. “Now, let’s get on with the show, shall we? The Great and Powerful Trixie will amaze you all with the old “chained prison escape” trick! And to make it even better, Trixie’s trusty assistant shall wrap the chains around me!” she said. ‘Is she really that serious?’ you thought to yourself while slightly widening your eyes. Trixie levitates the chains onto your hands and smirks at you with confidence. If this is really what she wants to give the audience, then that’s what you were gonna help her with. You walked over to Trixie, who then poofed out a chair and sat on it. For a moment you hesitated to sit down, due to the memories of the chair back at the lab, but you eventually conceded. She first started by wrapping the chains around her upper torso and worked your way down to her legs. Once done, she levitates you the key, which you use to lock the chains together, leaving her completely chained up. “Now watch as the Great and Powerful Trixie attempts to escape her prison!” she exclaimed confidently. She started moving around in the chains and all you could do was watch, not knowing if she needed help or not. For now, she seemed perfectly incapable of getting out on her own. Just then, one of Trixie’s arms slid out of the chains, and next, her other arm. Her legs soon squeezed out of the little gaps in the chains and jumped out with a front flip. “Ta-da!” she exclaimed. The crowd immediately applauded her for the amazing trick she performed. She took her hat off and bowed to the audience as they clapped. “Thank you, thank you! Trixie is pleased at how much you enjoyed it. But this is only the beginning! For I shall now perform, yet another trick that’ll amaze you all!” You weren’t sure if you wanted to stay on the stage or not. “Would Trixie’s assistant please have a seat?” she asked you, kindly. You kept the same emotionless look, but you still obeyed her and sat down on the chair. “Now my assistant, Trixie asks you to look deep into Trixie’s eyes and listen… to this.” Trixie said, pulling out a pendulum from her cape. She tilts it, making it tick back and forth. “Now listen to the sound of the pendulum. On the count of three and with the snap of Trixie’s fingers, you will think you can do psychic powers. One... two... three!” Trixie snaps her fingers, but you knew this was one trick that was going to become real. You stood up from your chair and looked at it as your eyes began glowing. You placed your hand out and levitated it off the ground, making everyone in the crowd, including Trixie, gasp in surprise. Several seconds of complete silence passed before the ponies once again began applauding. Trixie was still flabbergasted by the fact that she didn’t even levitate the chair herself, however, she quickly changed her expression and smiled at the crowd. You lowered the chair down and looked at the crowd cheering for you, but you didn’t smile back. For that matter you found it somewhat distasteful that Trixie was taking credit for something she didn’t do. Obviously, the crowd believes the trick was successful and that she was the one who levitated the chair. And yet somehow, you were relieved that they thought it was her. The last thing you wanted to do was cause panic around town if they found out it was you... you didn’t even want to think of what might happen. “And now everypony, for my final trick, the Great and Powerful Trixie, will have her volunteer sawed in half!” It was at that moment that you’ve had enough. There was just too much around you that reminded you of what those scientists did to you. Turning away, you began to walk off of the stage, much to the audience’s confusion. “Where are you going, sir? Trixie isn’t done yet,” Trixie called out. “I’m just not worthy of your time,” you replied in a flat tone before continuing on your way. Even after the show ended, you kept your distance away from any civilians as you wondered throughout the town. Those horrible memories of that laboratory kept flooding your mind to the point where you could potentially snap. And that was something you didn’t want to happen. You slide down the wall that you were leaning on, holding your head as the vile memories came back to you. “Excuse me?” a very familiar voice rang in your ears. Slowly looking up, you saw that it was Trixie, and she looked like she was concerned about you. You couldn’t stop shaking in fear from those horrible memories, though she thought you were just cold. “Now now, it’s okay. Trixie has the remedy for this.” She unties her cape and wraps it around your body like a blanket. A blanket was one of the many things you were denied of during your time in that research facility. Next thing she does is levitate a plate of food in front of you. The scientists never exactly starved you, but the food was the farthest thing from pleasant. You lost your ability to care about taste a long time ago. At this point, your taste buds have probably dulled from the flavorless meals you ate, but you didn’t want to be rude, so you grabbed the baked potato on the plate and sank your teeth into it. You chewed it slowly, and to your surprise, it tasted incredible. You went at a steady pace as you ate your baked potato before moving onto what looked like a carrot dog. Once you were done with the meal, you decided to finally say something. “That show you put on was honestly the first one I’ve ever seen. Still, I must admit I find it somewhat... insulting to take credit for work that’s not yours.” Trixie’s eyes went wide as you once again displayed your abilities by levitating the plate back to her. “Especially inferior work,” you added, as telekinesis was one of the easiest things you could do with your ability. “Hello, you took Trixie by surprise when you did that trick. You think I didn’t notice those eyes of yours glowing back there? Trixie didn’t want to take the credit, but if I didn’t, who knows what they would have done!” The emotionless expression on your face didn’t change, even as you turned away from Trixie. Whether she knew it or not, you were still paying attention in case she had anything else to say. “I’ll tell you this much sir, numerous humans have come to our world and none of them can do what you did on that stage.” After that sentence you faced the blue unicorn again. You had hoped when you saw these ponies, that you wouldn’t have to see another human. “Wait, there are other humans here in this town?” you asked, clenching your fists out of distress. “Of course there are. Why do you sound so frightened about it? Trixie’s confused,” she said. You didn’t want to explain it to Trixie, or anyone in this town for that matter. You just kept trembling every time you kept thinking about your scarred past. “Look, Trixie doesn’t understand why you’re so frightened about humans, but if it helps, Trixie could at least try to ask somepony to help you out, okay?” It brought a little comfort to you when she offered you help, so in response, you nodded. Trixie lent you her hand to help stand you back up. Hesitating for a moment, you took her hand, feeling her bring you to your feet. “Follow me, Trixie knows somepony who can help you,” she said. Trixie held your hand and guided you throughout the town while you kept your head low. For a few seconds, you gazed at Trixie and just realized how beautiful she looked. As she led you by your hand, you looked around at the civilians were all just going about their day. There seemed to be no conflict or misery at all in this peaceful town. ‘What is this comforting feeling? I don’t understand it,’ you thought. You were snapped out of your thoughts as you noticed a light purple pony coming your way. She too had a horn and she was also apparently pregnant. However what really caught your eye was that she wasn’t alone. Standing beside her, holding her hand... was a man. Despite the stress building up inside you, your usual emotionless expression didn’t change. Rather all you did was look away from this smiling man, causing him to frown out of confusion. “That was quite a performance, Trixie,” the purple unicorn commended as she took Trixie’s hands in her own. “I’m so glad you managed to find somepony to help you with the show. Pregnancy’s been a full-time job for me, lately.” Trixie giggled. “Trixie can see that, Starlight. And she would like to offer you her congratulations and best wishes for your little triplets.” You were about to walk away when you felt Trixie’s grip on your hand slightly increase. Reluctantly, you returned your gaze back onto the human and the pony named Starlight. “We saw you on the stage sir,” the man said offering his hand out. “They call me Chance. What’s your name?” You didn’t answer nor did you take his hand. But when Trixie placed her hand on your shoulder, getting your attention, you just watched her tilt her head at the guy who’s called Chance. You were hesitant at first, but then you stuck your hand out and felt him shake your hand. “What are you doing?” you ask, finally deciding to speak. Chance just chuckled. “What do you mean? It’s called a handshake. It’s how we say “hello,” he explained. You don’t respond, but you pulled your hand away. “Don’t touch me again.” It was at this moment that Chance felt insulted. “Trixie’s sincerest apologies, but for some reason, when I first mentioned that humans were here in Ponyville, he just got all shaky, like he was afraid of them,” she explained. Starlight looked at you with curiosity. “Your eyes show no emotion. What caused such a thing?” she asked sympathetically. You looked at Starlight and said in a very quiet tone, “Lab... research... pain... darkness... torture... experiments... so cold... no home...” However she tilts her head. “What did you say?” she asked hoping, you would be a little louder this time. Unfortunately for her, you didn’t repeat your words. All she heard from you was your quivering and whimpering. You turned around before unknown to the three, your eyes started to glow again. Trixie was about to ask you to turn back around when a voice echoed in her head. ‘I’m... I’m afraid…’ The voice was quiet and reserved, but Trixie easily recognized it as your own voice. Thanks to a little help from Starlight, Trixie can also use telepathy, ‘What are you so afraid of?’ Starlight and Chance just looked at each other confused. ‘Even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand. Nobody would...’ ‘It still wouldn’t hurt to hear you out. Look, Trixie doesn’t know what happened to you back in your world, but if you don’t talk about your problems, how are you going to be able to move on? You gotta have confidence.’ It was at that moment that you’ve had enough. Using your power, you created a mental barrier, cutting off Trixie’s telepathy. She doesn’t have any idea what you’ve been through, so what right does she have to lecture you over it? With her cut off from your mind, Trixie facepalmed herself, confusing Starlight and Chance even more. “Is everything alright, you suddenly got very quiet.” said Starlight. Ignoring her you pushed passed Starlight and Chance. “Just stay away from me,” you said quietly, but loud enough for them to hear you. Trixie sighed, “Listen, I know this sounds like an odd request, but do you think tomorrow you can get Twilight or Princess Celestia to come down to my wagon? Trixie feels like right now is unfortunately not a good time to talk to him.” As Starlight nodded, Trixie ran to catch up to you before you went too far. You had avoided any conversation with Trixie as she led you out of town. Just as you were displeased with her giving you a lecture, she was displeased with you for how you acted towards her friends. After about ten minutes of walking you finally stopped at what appeared to be a wagon. You only recognized what it was due to the picture books you used to read as a child. Trixie walks up to the door and opens it, still giving you a sour look as she did so. However, you didn’t return the glare. All you did was walk inside as soon as she gestured you to go in. Once both of you were inside, she closed the door a little hard and kept on glaring at you. “What in Celestia’s name is your problem?” she asked, scolding you, “I don’t know what it was that freaked you out back where you lived, but that’s no excuse for you to act like a jerk towards my friends like that! They were trying to be friendly with you and you just shunned them out!” “What is a friend?” you asked flatly, catching her off guard. Trixie unfortunately took that as an insult and became angrier. “Excuse me? Just what is that suppose to mean?” “I don’t know how to be any clearer. What is a friend?” you repeated. Trixie wasn’t sure if you was being honest or just pushing her buttons, but she tried to calm down so she didn’t freak you out. “A friend is someone, or in my case, somepony, who sticks by your side and helps you no matter what.” You looked up at the ceiling for several minutes as you took in what she just said. “Like I said before, you wouldn’t understand my suffering. You see I-” You were cut off as you heard a knock at the door. “Huh, who could that be?” Trixie asked herself. She went to the door and opened it, checking to see who it was. You look with remote interest and raised an eyebrow as you saw someone new step inside the wagon with Trixie. She was a pony with lavender fur and had a horn like Trixie and Starlight. However, you saw that she also had a pair of wings. “Seems like Equestria has yet another new human,” she said with a friendly smile. “It’s nice to meet you my name is Twilight Sparkle, princess of friendship,” she explained. You nodded. “And what is it you want with me?” you asked in your typical flat tone. Trixie gritted her teeth at your apparent disrespect. “Well, I received word from Starlight and Chance that you were acting rather strangely, no offense,” that last part she said quickly. Trixie decided to speak up. “He’s also quite… different from all the other humans we know.” Twilight’s curiosity peaked when Trixie mentioned this. “Why do you say that?” “You want to tell her or should I?” Trixie asked you folding her arms. Whether you or her would spill the beans, the truth was gonna come out eventually. In a sigh of defeat, you stood up, made your eyes glow again and you pointed your hand at Trixie’s bed, lifting it off the floor. Twilight’s mouth dropped as you did this. ‘Amazing! But... how is that possible?’ she thought, unaware that you were able to hear her thoughts. ‘You want to know about me, don’t you?’ your voice echoed in her head through the use of telepathy. Twilight turns her attention back to you before her vision began to change. The same thing happened to Trixie. It no longer appeared like they were inside the wagon, but rather in a dark room with a single chair. They saw that in that chair you were tied down as scientists came into the room with some strange tools. ‘What you’re looking at here are my memories. Like Trixie here said, I’m quite different from most humans.’ your voice echoed. You continued to show them different memories, letting the two mares observe the vile experiments that were performed on you. You decided that was enough and stopped projecting the memories. “You saw it. Over at that facility I was never treated as a human. You see I was born with powerful psychic powers and therefore I was treated only as a science experiment. I was nothing more than a lab rat to those disgusting fools. They took me away from my family. They took me away from my life and I couldn’t stand being there any longer.” It amazed Twilight that as you spoke of your horror, you could keep a calm expression. “What did you do?” she asked. “Ordinarily I don’t show emotion, however one day, I let my anger take control and I escaped into this chemical lab and focused all of my power into pressurizing these chemicals. When the man who took my life away tried to stop me... I killed him. All I could remember after that was the screams of agony and the fires engulfing my body. I was no longer of that cruel, heartless world anymore.” Trixie was no longer angry with you, quite the opposite. Putting a hand over her mouth, tears soon fell down her cheeks. “I-I just hope the nightmare’s over and d-done with,” she stuttered as she tries to control her crying. Twilight couldn’t help wrapping her arms around the show pony. You sat down and sighed, looking down at the floor. “I hope so, too,” you replied. Without warning, Trixie leapt forward and gave you a surprise hug. Widening your eyes slightly, you slowly turned to her and heard her sobbing quietly. No one has ever hugged you besides your parents. Right then and there, your heart began beating faster than usual and your face grew wet. For the first time in years, you cried tears of sadness and joy as you returned a hug to Trixie. > Farewell Darkness, Hello Light > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It’s been a few weeks since you revealed your secret to Trixie and Twilight. It’s been difficult to talk to the locals in Ponyville, due to your quiet and reserved personality but with Starlight and Trixie’s help, you were slowly coming out of your shell. To earn money you would occasionally visit the farm called Sweet Apple Acres and use your power to help pick the apples. Applejack, the owner of the farm, and her husband, who she called Bucky were very appreciative of your help, including their son, Apple Slice, who’s also taking a liking to you. Also thanks to a fashionista named Rarity, you finally threw away those filthy lab clothes since she made you new ones. Her generosity confused you, as neither she nor her husband, Silver asked you for any money. Rarity said to think of your new clothes as gifts. Silver explained that his wife was willing to make a new wardrobe for any new friends that become permanent residents in Ponyville. At the moment, you were sitting on a bench reading one of the many books you got from the library in Twilight’s castle. Due to being neglected of books for many years, you’ve developed an interest for reading. Twilight even gave you a few reading lessons and showed you how to pronounce some of the advance words in the books. If she had things to do, her husband Beau would do the tutoring, not at all disturbed by your quiet behavior. ‘Why are the humans here such good people?’ you wondered, putting a bookmark as you finished the chapter on the book you were reading. That was a question not even your powers could help you figure out. And so, the weekends came by and Trixie was about to set up her stage for another show. You gave her a helping hand so she wouldn’t strain herself. As you both were setting up, you both heard two voices you were unfamiliar with. “I take it you two must be magicians?” a female voice asked. You and Trixie turned around and saw a mare, probably a unicorn, judging by her broken horn. She also had a scar on one of her eyes and her red mane was styled like a mohawk. She wasn’t alone either, as wrapping his arm around her shoulder was yet another human. What’s more is that the unicorn was holding something wrapped in a blanket. “It’s been a while Tempest,” Trixie said with a smile. You quirked an eyebrow at Trixie, unaware that she knows this mare. For that matter, you’ve never seen or heard of the man accompanying her. “Same to you, Trixie,” Tempest replied before revealing what she was holding. It appeared to be a human, only it looked to have the same colored skin as Tempest. Trixie looked down at the baby with a smile as she began to stroke her tiny head with a finger. “Aww, Tempest, she looks so beautiful!” Trixie said, giving into Tempest’s adorable baby girl. The man finally got his chance to speak. “It was a bit of a difficult decision, but we decided to name her Swizzle Berry,” he said looking at Tempest with a teasing smile. She giggled and started blushing. “You can be mean at times, Ventus,” she replied before kissing his cheek. Tempest then turns her attention towards you with curiosity. “Oh, hello there. Who might you be?” You were denied of many things back in that lab, but you never forgot your name. You stare at them with your usual blank expression, causing Tempest to chuckle. “A quiet one, aren’t you? Reminds me of someone else I know,” she said looking at her husband with a smirk. Ventus avoided eye contact with a smile and his cheeks turned red while scratched the back of his neck. Tempest and Ventus were so distracted that they failed to notice that your eyes began to glow. You looked into Ventus’ mind and discovered that he too used to shut others out, as well as display little emotion. Deactivating your ability, you finally decided to speak. Getting their attention, you told them your name. “Also... no, I’m not a magician,” you added. “Oh okay, so are you Trixie’s assistant?” Tempest asked. Her eyes widened when she thought she knew what was up. “Or are you perhaps her special somepony?” she asked, slyly. “I don’t know what that means,” you said blankly. “Uhh, let’s just say he’s been living in a cave for a few years back home,” Trixie said. “That’s a lie,” you said as blankly as before. Trixie slightly glared daggers at you while you just shrugged like it was no big deal. Trixie went up to you and whispered in your ear. “Look, I’m not in the mood for you to embarrass me like that, buster. And would you please show a little more emotions towards other ponies?” “I’m just being honest,” you said blanky, again. Trixie facepalmed herself and looked back at Tempest and Ventus. Both of them were giving you and Trixie confused looks. “Sorry about that. He’s still pretty new to the whole “friendship” thing. Plus, I’m not sure if he and I are interested in starting that sort of relationship so soon.” Tempest raised an eyebrow. “Okay then, so how are Twilight and her friends, are they all still doing okay?” she asked. “Most definitely. Why, are you looking to visit Twilight?” Trixie asked. “Yeah, she invited us over for a little visit and so she could see Swizzle,” Ventus explained. “Oh okay. I’m sure you know where to find her. The castle’s not that hard to miss.” Trixie said, pointing to the giant crystal castle in the distance. “Thanks, and good luck with your show, Trixie,” Tempest said before she and Ventus walked down the road. “Thank you, and see you later, Swizzle Berry!” Trixie cooed adorably to the baby. Swizzle just yawned softly and snuggled into her mother’s arms. You waited until Ventus and Tempest were completely out of sight before turning away to finish the stage. Just as you were about to finish, Trixie placed her hand on your shoulder, turning your blank expression towards her. Even though she wasn’t glaring at you, she did look disappointed. Probably upset about how you were so emotionless towards Tempest and Ventus. “Listen, Trixie understands you’ve had a rough childhood and Trixie’s even willing to give you a chance to start over, but you’re acting like you don’t want to. All you do is speak like one of Pinkie Pie’s sisters.” Your expression was the same as usual. “Easier said than done. All that time I spent in the lab has turned me into a narcissist and you and I both know it wasn’t pleasant. Not even my powers can help. I really do want to feel other emotions, Trixie.” Trixie’s expression softened and suddenly without warning, she placed a kiss on your forehead. “Then perhaps Trixie might have another solution that could help you. Have you ever heard about Princess Celestia and Princess Luna?” she asked. You shook your head in response. “Well, both of these princesses rule over the entire kingdom of Equestria. They can even look into other ponies and humans hearts and help cleanse and heal any wounds that are lingering.” ‘Why did she kiss me?’ you wondered staying silent. However, you were also curious of whether or not these “princesses” could help you heal the aching wounds in your heart or not. “I don’t want anyone messing with my mind,” you said somewhat sharply. Trixie was somewhat shocked by the change in your tone. “They’re going to do anything wrong with you. The princesses are kind and caring, nothing like those scientists who abused you.” You stared at her, “I said no.” This time, you said it a little more seriously, barely managing to keep yourself from yelling. “Why are you so against the idea of healing your wounds?” “My mind is a private place, I barely managed to keep the scientists from looking into my thoughts during their experiments.” “Then how come you used your powers to prob other ponies minds?” Trixie grew irritated. You looked up at the sky. “Because it’s been a long time since I’ve last trusted someone.” “Fine, how about this: Trixie’ll invite only Princess Celestia over and just talk with you about the hardships you faced growing up. And if you feel like it’s going nowhere, then Trixie is not going to force Celestia to go anywhere near your mind. But if you choose to go through with it, Trixie will be there for you, no matter what. Trixie’s only doing this for you so you can bury your cold dark past and look to the future. That’s what friends do,” she explains. You thought for a moment, looking back at the sky as you did so. Returning your gaze to Trixie after a few seconds, you gave a nod. “Why did you kiss me?” you asked. Trixie blushed when you asked this. “T-Trixie was just showing you a little sympathy to show that Trixie cares,” she stuttered. “A-Anyway we should get back to work.” You were curious of why she was so nervous, but overthinking this wasn’t going to do anything to get the show started tomorrow. You got back to setting up the stage, specifically, setting up the smoke bombs for when Trixie makes her grand entrance. “You know, Trixie was thinking, would you like to perform with her?” she asked. “It’s been a few weeks now and Trixie wants to at least give you a fresh start at making a name for yourself. You’ve got talent and it wouldn’t be fair for Trixie to leave you out of her act.” The thought of being a part of Trixie’s act got you thinking. The last time you got called up on stage, you nearly panicked at the thought of the audience learning what you could do. “You and I both know, the thought of someone learning my secret scares me more than anything else,” you reminded. Even though you had the power to do so, you refused to look into the future out of fear of what you would see. Trixie nodded. “Precisely, but it’s only gonna get worse if you keep your powers a secret. And if the princess finds out, you can rest easy that she’ll be more understanding than those scientists. Princess Celestia will never let any harm come to you.” You still weren’t convinced. “I’ve had enough of your lectures for one day,” you responded coldly before walking off the completed stage. You then used your power to teleport back to the wagon before she could say anything else to you. Trixie sighed, but she could tell her words were getting through to you. “He’ll come around,” she said with a reassured smile. Back at the wagon you were laying down, considering what Trixie had said. You didn’t care much for her lectures, but to be fair, she did have a point. You’ve been keeping your powers secret for the past few weeks. True, her lectures bored you, but she was only trying to be a good friend to you and you hated yourself now for snapping at her like that. You levitate a glass of water which was sitting on the nightstand beside you. You sat up a bit and took a few sip of your water before putting it back on your nightstand and laying back down. It was at that moment that you sensed a familiar presence at the door. Trixie walked in with concern in her eyes, obviously not mad for what you said to her. “How are you feeling?” she asked. “I was a bit thirsty earlier, but I took care of that,” you replied. Trixie walked over to the bed you were laying on and sat down on the edge. “Trixie’s sorry for-” you cut her off before she could say anymore with a raised hand. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. After I thought about it, I realized you were just trying to help me. And you’re right, Trixie, I can’t keep my powers a secret forever. “Does that mean... you’ll be my partner?” she asked carefully. You turned and looked at her. After several long minutes of silence, you finally nodded, but you still didn’t smile. Trixie, on the other hand, gave you a warm, pleasant smile and a big hug. “Thank you. Trixie appreciates it.” With that, she leaned up and gave you another kiss on the forehead. You didn’t know how to feel about her acting this way with you, but whenever she hugs you, it just felt so nice. The soft texture of her lips was also a pleasant feeling. “Are we friends?” you asked as she pulled away from your forehead. She raised an eyebrow and soon giggled. “Of course we are, silly. Trixie even considers you one of her best friends. Of course, when Trixie starts the show tomorrow, Trixie will make sure not to use the sawing in half trick again. You looked really really scared when I was about to perform that trick,” she said, concerned. You sighed and took your shirt off revealing your many scars. Trixie gasped and almost gagged at the horrific sight. Still, she took it all in and started putting a few pieces together on why you were so scared of that trick that day. Yet, you explained to her anyways. “Take a good long look, Trixie. This is the result of so many cuts and battering bruises I took in that horrible place. Anytime I see a sharp object, my body grows cold and shakes violently. I’m sorry I didn’t explain why I left the stage that day, but now you know that sharp objects scare me.” After explaining, you put your shirt back on so she didn’t have to bare witness to your scars any longer than she should. Tears began to appear in her eyes. You could tell she wanted to hug you again. You leaned in and wrapped your arms around her at the same time she wrapped her arms around you. ‘Why do I feel this comfortable around Trixie?’ you thought as you rubbed her back. As you were hugging her, your heart started to beat a little faster than usual and it felt good for some reason. But all that mattered right now was giving Trixie some comfort. You felt a little guilty for showing her your scars, but you made up for it with this hug. The next day came by and already, there was a huge crowd waiting with food and drinks. They wondered what kind of show Trixie would be presenting to them this time. Trixie peeked from behind the stage curtains with a big smile. The crowd was so much bigger than the last time she performed. You were sitting on a crate with your hands locked together. “What are we going to do?” you asked as blankly as usual. “Patience, my friend. The Great and Powerful Trixie will work her magic sooner than you think.” You raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything else as Trixie prepared to exit through the curtains. “Greetings mares and gentlecolts. And welcome to another performance of the Great and Powerful Trixie!” she announced. The audience clapped and cheered, anxious to see what Trixie has planned for them. Trixie could feel the excitement and felt proud and confident that she’ll put on a good show. Twilight and her friends were amongst those in the crowd. Her husband, Beau was quite confused why his wife convinced him to come here. “I must be honest, I don’t understand why you made me come here,” he said turning to the lavender alicorn. “Trust me, Beau, you’re in for quite a treat,” Twilight assured as Trixie had told her that you would be performing in this show. Everyone was just about to see what it is that you were capable of. “And now, will you all please give a round of applause for my new assistant!” she announces. She takes a step to the side and watches one of the smoke bombs go off and in that instant, you teleported onto the stage. This time, your stage fright wasn’t as severe as the last time. When the smoke finally cleared up, everyone clapped for you while you took a bow. Trixie also clapped for you for summing up the courage to appear. Once the applause died down, Trixie nodded to you and you realized it was time to reveal your power to the audience. You took a deep breath and concentrated really hard, closing your eyes. When you opened them back up, they started to glow and your feet started levitating off the stage, making everyone gasp. “For all of you who think this is my doing, take a good look at Trixie’s horn.” The audience did as she instructed and soon gasped in amazement. To make things more interesting, your eyes darted at a few fallen tree leaves on the ground and levitated them towards you, moving them around you in a horizontal figure-8 motion. ‘What is this excitement?’ you thought to yourself as the audience began to cheer. That was your cue to lay the leaves down onto the grass and bring yourself back down to the ground. You stopped making your eyes glow and took a bow. “Thank you, everyone,” you said. “Very well done!” Trixie said. “Now, for my next trick, the Great and Powerful Trixie shall perform a teleportation spell, not on herself, but on a creature that I’m sure you’re all familiar of!” With that she lit her horn and you watched as she summoned what appeared to be a lion with a scorpion tail. No doubt it’s a manticore. You’ve learned about these creatures from the books Twilight gave you, but this is your first time actually seeing one. Seeing how it had no mane, you learned it’s a she. “My assistant here is capable of so much more than mere levitation and Trixie is going to prove it,” she said as she sent the manticore to charge towards you. Feeling calm despite the danger in front of you, your eyes glowed again and you merely teleported out of the way. You reappeared next to the beast and placed a hand on her head. ‘Stand down,’ you told it through telepathy. The beast understood your command and sat down on the stage, leaving the audience speechless. ‘How strange. I’ve never felt anything like this before. My whole body feels like it’s trembling, but in a good way. This freedom... This excitement...’ you thought. “Behold, everypony! Not only is he skilled in levitation, but also in teleportation and telepathy!” Trixie said. Almost on cue, the audience rose from their seats and clapped for the amazing performance. None of the humans in their world have been shown to perform these abilities. You instantly bowed to the applause and petted the manticore. ‘You’re not too upset, are you?’ you asked through telepathy. She merely gave you a lick on the face and nuzzled you. The audience couldn’t help but laugh a little, but you didn’t feel offended. “Aww, look everypony, our newest star has made himself a friend,” Trixie said. She couldn’t stop thinking how adorable it looked to see the manticore warming up to you. Your telepathy allows you to communicate with the minds of all creatures, not just ponies and humans. The show continued all the way until midnight, however, the hours didn’t stop the ponies’ admiration for your psychokinetic power. You watched from the stage, as everyone stood from their seats preparing to go home while the manticore, who you named Nala, was laying on your lap. As you stroked her soft fur, you still couldn’t figure out what it was that you felt during your performance. “Fillies and gentlecolts, the Great and Powerful Trixie would like to thank you all for coming to tonight’s show, but first, before we say our goodbyes,” Trixie paused and looked said to the audience with a sad look “My assistant would like to say something to you concerning his special abilities.” Right after she said that, you moved Nala off your lap and got up on your feet, moving to the front of the stage. You cleared your throat and began your sad story. “Now you’re all probably wondering how I, out of all the humans, have these psychic powers. The truth is, a very small percentage of humans in my world are born with psychokinesis.” Tears began to fall down your eyes by this point, confusing the crowd. “Because of this, I was taken away from my parents and was held captive in a laboratory. The things they did to me scarred me for life. I was only a child, but they saw me as nothing more than a science experiment, a lab rat. They showed no mercy on me. I was in a living hell. All I wanted to do was get out of there and see my parents, but I was always denied that request.” The crowd got all shocked as you went on. Nala moved to your arm nuzzling it and you put your hand on her head. “Eventually, one day, I decided that I had enough and wanted the suffering to end. I let my anger take control of me and I escaped into this chemical lab where... I... I did what needed to be done. I caused an explosion that took me away from their cruel world and eventually, I ended up here in what I now call home.” You paused for a moment and looked over at Trixie, who was wiping her tears away. “But it was all thanks to Trixie for helping me turn my life around. If it wasn’t for Trixie’s help, I would’ve been a sad, isolated man with these powers I thought were a curse in my life,” and from that point on, you felt your sorrow slowly leave you and for the first time in years, a warm, happy smile appeared on your face. “And now I just want to say... thank you, Trixie, for being such a great friend,” you then turned to the audience, where some of the ponies were crying from that touching story. “And thank you all for being such a great audience and accepting me as one of your own,” you finished. Right after that, the audience cheered for you and clapped. Trixie walked up next to you and grabbed your hand. Nala grabbed your other hand and the three of you took a bow on another great performance. Soon, after the applause died down and everyone went back their homes, you helped Trixie clean up the stage and revert it back into a wagon. Afterwards, you and Trixie went inside the wagon while Nala stay outside and laid herself down in front of the wagon. “Trixie, you got any spare blankets?” you asked. “Sure, what for?” she asked back. “Well, I don’t want Nala to freeze out there.” Trixie gasped in surprise. “Could it be that Trixie’s assistant is beginning to care?” she asked with a smile. You nodded. Trixie didn’t say another word and got under the bed, pulling out a purple checkered blanket. She gives it to you and starts hanging up her hat and cape while you went outside. You went to the front of the wagon where Nala was laying and covered her up with the blanket. Though, she was very big, she still felt comfortable and gave you another lick. “Good night, Nala,” you whispered to the manticore, petting her and making her purr. You walked back into the wagon and saw Trixie wearing pajamas that looked exactly like her cape and hat. She climbed into bed and laid on the far side, giving you enough room. You yawned and walked over to her and laid down next to her with your backs facing each other. “Good night, Trixie,” you whispered. “Good night, my #1 assistant,” she whispered back. Not long after, the two of you felt your eyes growing heavy and fell fast asleep. > The Start of a Brand New Life > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- In a matter of 7 months since you came to Equestria, you had completely put the past behind you and started looking towards the future. More specifically your future with Trixie. You were well aware that the show pony can be conceited and opinionated but it all makes up for her amazing talent and her kind personality. It was a very rocky start when you were starting to get to know her, but she never gave up on you. At the moment you were preparing the wagon, as word of your career with Trixie spread pretty quickly. The two of you had a grand tour around Equestria and the first stop is the Equestrian capital, Canterlot. You’ve met Princess Celestia and her human husband who she calls Platinum two months ago, as well as her sister, Princess Luna and her human husband, Nebula. Like all the others, they were surprised when you showed them what you could do as well as sympathetic when you told them what you went through. Not long after meeting Celestia, Starlight finally had her triplets. You went to the Ponyville Hospital with Trixie to support Starlight as she gave birth. After cleaning them up, Starlight and Chance named their daughters Starshine Glimmer and Lucky Star and their son Blessed Night. Lucky Star inherited her father’s hair color while the rest of her looked and matched her mother’s fur. She also inherited her father’s hazel eyes. Blessed Night had dark purple fur with some light blue like his mother as well as the same eye color. However, his hair color matched the color of his father’s hair. Lastly, Starshine had most of her mother’s features, starting with her beautiful blue eyes and fur color. Like her brother, she too had hair matching Chance’s own hair color. Your pet manticore, Nala who was as affectionate as ever purred as she snuggled on your lap. You chuckled as you stroked her furry head. ’Remember to behave yourself while we’re in Canterlot,’ you telepathically spoke to her. Nala was a huge part of your act with Trixie, unfortunately she only listens to you. Trixie was a bit bothered that by how Nala wouldn’t listen to her either, but she felt relieved that you could control her. “I have to tell you Trixie, I feel like an entirely new man,” you said with a big smile growing on your face. You no longer spoke without a hint of emotion in your tone. Trixie returned the smile before leaning down to give you a kiss on the forehead, causing Nala to growl out of jealousy. ‘Easy girl, we talked about this,’ you reminded and the manticore immediately settled down. “It’s gonna take a little while for Nala to handle Trixie, isn’t it?” Trixie asked. You chuckled as you continued to rub Nala’s head to keep her calm. “I won’t let her hurt anyone, especially you,” you promised. You looked at Nala and spoke to her. ‘There’s no reason to be so jealous of Trixie. She’s just trying to be kind and caring. I care for both of you all the same and I don’t want that to change.’ Nala turns an eye to you and nods, letting out another beautiful purring noise. “Well, we’d better get ready. We don’t want to be late for our show in Canterlot. You sure you can handle the nobles in the rich city? They can be a bit picky when it comes to ponies, or in your case, people who don’t have a high social status.” Trixie asked. When Nala heard “Canterlot,” she emitted a low growl. She hated the noble ponies and how they would always judge others that are “inferior” to them. “The nobles don’t scare me in the slightest. Besides, even if they try to act like they’re better than us, they fail to see the hard work and success we put into our career,” you stated proudly. “Well,” Trixie said, impressed with your choice of words, “Since when did you get so smart and mature all of a sudden?” You were about to answer when Nala suddenly got behind you and wrapped her paws around your neck in a possessive manner. She then began grooming you on your head, making Trixie giggle. You looked up at Nala and petted one of her paws as she kept you in her embrace. “To answer your question, I owe it all to you and your friends for helping me bury my past and look towards the future. If I had never met any of you, I’d probably be the same isolated, scared and emotionless human being I was when I first arrived,” you explained genuinely. You couldn’t deny that Trixie was indeed important to you, but was this love? That was one thing that you didn’t know yourself. Nonetheless, you still cared about Trixie just as much as Trixie cared about you. There was one question you never figured out over these last few months. “Trixie... what do you think love is?” Trixie blushed slightly, since love was still pretty new to you, even at your adult age. “W-Well, let Trixie put it in a way you’ll understand. Love is a type of emotion that lasts a long time, probably even forever. Take Nala for example. She stays close to you the most because she loves you the most. That kind of love is something that can never be broken. But love is bit complicated when it comes to having feelings for others that aren’t your family.” “Is that why you kissed me?” you asked not really thinking. Trixie felt her face blushed intensely the moment you asked that. “W-Well... umm...” Trixie couldn’t find the words to respond to that. She wasn’t expecting you to ask her such a question. You still waited patiently for her to answer you. Trixie let out a sigh before smiling. “At first, Trixie kissed you out of sympathy, but that’s just how she feels about you at the moment. As I told you before, you’re one of Trixie’s most precious friends and Trixie will never change that... Mystic.” “Mystic?” you asked before Trixie gave you another kiss, but this time on the lips. “It’s Trixie’s nickname for you. It goes along nicely with your special gift.” You felt quite accepted, as all of the humans that have been sent to Equestria have been given a nickname. Now you have one as well. “Mystic, huh?” you asked, somewhat amused. “Interesting.” Returning your focus to what’s important, you told Nala to get into her cage, which she obeyed. You locked up the cage and helped Trixie pull the wagon and the cage on your way to Canterlot. Nala didn’t complain in fact she took the liberty to take a nap as she usually did. Being part lion, she would usually just sleep most of the day. The trip was quite a long ways since you had to travel by wagon and the train wasn’t big enough to hold it. But it still gave you some time to think about your “friend” Trixie. She seemed to be hiding something from you and didn’t want you to find out. You could easily probe her mind using your ability, but you have given up on invading the privacy of one’s mind. She had already explained to you what love means to her, but you were still wondering if you had the same kind of feelings for her, or if it was more than just the whole “precious friend” thing. Another question that bugged you was why she kissed you on the lips? At that moment it was like a spark had just lit up inside you, and you also remembered the feeling of your heart beating faster. Your thoughts continued for another 10 minutes and it was at this point that Trixie turned to you confused. “You’ve been very quiet for a while now, Mystic. Is there something on your mind?” she asked. Trixie’s words snap you back into reality and turn to face her. “I don’t know if I’m overthinking this. I just can’t help wondering how I feel towards you. You’re a very talented unicorn with the most amazing magic tricks I’ve ever seen. Even after I was cruel to you and your friends, you didn’t give up on me.” Trixie deactivated her magic to stop the wagon for a moment. She touched your cheek with her soft hands and smiled. “Let Trixie tell you something. You may already know this, but long ago, Trixie was always so uptight and trying to prove she’s the greatest magician unicorn anypony’s ever seen. However, there was one unicorn who proved to be... far better than Trixie thought. And that unicorn was Twilight Sparkle.” “I once looked into her mind with my power, apparently she wasn’t always an alicorn, correct?” you asked. “Indeed. I was so humiliated when she out-bested me during the ursa minor incident. As my jealousy grew, I stooped so low to even use a forbidden artifact called Alicorn Amulet just to prove I was the better unicorn. At first, Trixie was victorious, but Twilight tricked me and by using these impossible spells that turned out to be her friends deceiving me. I was fooled into getting rid of the Alicorn Amulet.” Feeling the need to comfort her, you couldn’t help pulling Trixie into a hug. “That’s enough Trixie, that’s all in the past. I took your words to heart when you told me you had become more patient and caring thanks to the help of your friends. I no longer focus on the past, but rather the future.” You didn’t know it, but small blush had appeared on Trixie’s cheeks as you held her in your arms. She didn’t have to worry about Nala’s jealousy as the manticore was still fast asleep in her cage. Just like before when Trixie kissed you, your heart started to beat faster than before. Was this the same feelings you felt before? “T-Trixie is grateful for your loving words,” she said pulling away with a smile. You returned the smile back at her. With nothing else left to say, you both got back to moving the wagon. It took about 4 hours before you finally arrived in Canterlot. As expected, the locals were uptight and snobbish, except for this one mare named Fleur De Lis who approached you along with her husband. He too was a human who went by the name of Fortis. The couple also had a daughter who was looking at you from behind her mother. No longer the standoffish man you were before, you greeted the couple with a friendly smile and a handshake. Fleur and Fortis have visited Ponyville a few times as they are fond of Rarity and her family. They too knew about your powers and explained how your special gift can be both a blessing and a curse, but in your case, the blessing was outweighing the curse. “So the tour starts here in Canterlot I see,” Fleur said “That is correct, Mrs. De Lis,” Trixie said, smiling proudly. “This city is going to be amazed with what we have to offer in our magic show. The Great and Powerful Trixie and her trusty number one assistant, Mystic can promise you that.” “Sounds like a show we can all enjoy. Especially with that manticore you’ve got there,” Fortis said gesturing to Nala who was still sleeping. “Yeah, Nala’s become a big part of our act. You could say she’s like family more than a pet.” you said, walking over to the cage. “Right, girl?” you asked Nala. She awoke and smiled at you before licking her paws. “Come on now, Mystic, we’ve got to set up our wagon so we can start the show. After all, it’s not polite to keep our audience waiting.” Trixie said. You nodded and got to work, setting up the wagon with Trixie’s help. Just like the beginning of all your performances, the two of you set up a few smoke bombs underneath the stage for a little added effect. You knew some of the audience would be snobs but they’ll be impressed once they see what you’re capable of. By around 6 to 7 PM, the ponies of Canterlot were all seated and had a few “snacks and beverages.” Behind the curtains, you look at Nala who was sitting peacefully waiting for her commands. You then turned to Trixie with a smile. “You ready for this?” you asked. “Oh, the Great and Powerful Trixie is was born ready!” Trixie replied, with a wink. She lights up her horn and causes a few smoke bombs to go off and immediately, she teleports on stage. “Fillies and gentlecolts, welcome to the show. I am… The Great and Powerful TRIXIE!!!” with a wave of her hand, the smoke cleared up and there she was, out on the stage for all to see. As expected, the snobs just gave her a slow clapping, unamused. “And now, let Trixie introduce you all to her trusted partner and precious friend, the Great and Powerful MYSTIC!!!” she calls caused more smoke bombs to go off. That was your cue to make it out on stage. Your eyes glowed and suddenly, you teleported on stage with your feet a few inches off the ground with a rapid spin before landing gently down. The audience thought you were levitated by Trixie and weren’t convinced that you had any special powers, other than Fleur and Fortis. You didn’t give up though, they would learn the truth very soon. “Now, for our first trick, Mystic and I will make our trusty pet, Nala, disappear!” Trixie said. Nala walked up onto the stage, leaning up to you and purring as usual. The audience looked both disturbed and impressed at the fact that the manticore was being friendly with you. Trixie uses her magic to teleport a stand onto the stage, big enough for Nala to step onto. You walked Nala over to the stand where she laid down on all fours before you and Trixie covered her in a blanket. “Now, everypony! Watch as Trixie’s partner works his “magic!” she announced. The audience either looked at each other with curiosity or just chuckled it off. The chuckling however stopped as they saw your eyes begin to glow. Their chuckles were replaced with gasps as you directed your hand towards the covered up manticore. With one swift movement of your hand, the blanket dropped onto the stand as if there was nothing there. Trixie grabs the blanket and pulls it off, showing the empty stand where Nala once was. The first ones to applaud were Fortis and Fleur, followed by a few other nobles, then practically the entire audience shortly afterwards. However they should save the cheers for the show isn’t over just yet. “Now, for our next trick, we shall bring our favorite pet back onto the stage! Mystic, you shall have the honor.” Trixie said. You smiled and clapped your hands together, focusing your powers. You closed your eyes and then opened them back up as they started glowing again. You slowly lifted your arms up in the air and in a split second, Nala appeared out of thin air and slowly levitated down onto the stage. Nala licked your cheek and wrapped her paws around you. “There, there, girl,” you told her, giving her a big hug. Half of the audience clapped while the other half went “aww.” There were a few snobs amongst the crowd who showed disgust, but you ignored them. “You did good, Nala. Now take a break, you’ve earned it,” you say, before kissing Nala on her forehead. Following your order he manticore went backstage to lay down. “Very good, Nala. Now, our next trick is a simple one,” Trixie said. She lights up her horn and teleports a deck of cards into her hand. “Would any of you good ponies out there like to take a shot at it? Just pick a card, any card.” “Ooh, how delightful!” Fleur exclaimed, “Count me in!” “Me, too!” Fortis said. “Ooh, excellent,” Trixie exclaimed, beaming with joy. Fleur and Fortis walked over to the front of the stage while Trixie held out the cards for her volunteers. Fleur and Fortis picked their cards and took a good look at ‘em before giving them back to Trixie. “Now, Trixie shall guess what cards you just drew!” Trixie stroked her chin, thinking to herself what the cards were. You can recall how you once used your powers to tell her what cards the previous volunteers had, but in order to show that you both weren’t cheating, you kept your thoughts to yourself and hoped for the best from her. “Trixie predicts… you,” Trixie said, pointing to Fleur, “...chose the 5 of spades!” she said. She then points to Fortis, “And you, sir, chose the ace of hearts!” “Oh my, she guessed right!” Fleur said. “Same here! How did she do that?” Fortis asked in amazement. “The Great and Powerful Trixie never reveals her secrets! Neither does Mystic,” she responded with her chin up and a proud smile. Every time she did that, you would always chuckle, thinking it was so adorable when she boasts like that. The show continued until somewhere around 11 PM. By that time, you and Trixie ended your little magic show with a few fireworks and a loud round of applause from most of the nobles who came to accept your newfound powers, while others thought it was still just smoke and mirrors. Oh well, their loss, your gain. You and Trixie already cleaned up the stage and converted it back into a regular wagon before heading inside and laying yourselves down onto the bed. “That was quite a performance. Fortunately, we get to take it easy tomorrow,” Trixie said with a yawn. “I don’t think I can perform another trick tonight. All that performing made me tired and hungry,” you said. “By the way, you were pretty good tonight.” “Aww, thank you, Mystic. Trixie is pleased with how you performed splendidly tonight. Care to have a late night snack before we call it a night?” she asked. You nodded, “Sure, anything to stop the rumbling in my stomach.” Trixie giggled at your joke and wrapped her arms around your own. You looked down at her noticing how the moonlight shined on her fur and silver mane. The light from the moon made Trixie look like a beautiful angel of the night. The beating in your chest quickened again and you still didn’t understand why, but it somehow felt good. With your other free hand, you reached over to Trixie and rubbed her cheek. She hummed and nuzzled her cheek into your hand. “You’re beautiful,” you said with a smile. She looks up at you with a smile of her own. “You really think Trixie is beautiful?” she asked and you nodded as you continued to stroke her cheek. Sadly, your stomach let out another grumpy growl, cutting your little moment short. You looked at each other and laughed before walking off to find somewhere to eat. Despite the attitude of many of the nobles, the food here in Canterlot is quite delightful. Trixie told you the story of how Pinkie Pie and Rarity once encouraged the cooks in Canterlot to make their food the way they wanted to, instead of listening to the so-called famous restaurant critic: Zesty Gourmand. Apparently, Zesty lost her job years later when she almost ruined some of the restaurants with her strange tastes in food. After a good meal you and Trixie focused on heading back to the wagon for a good night sleep. You smiled as the magician was still snuggling against your arm. “Trixie... remember when I asked what love means to you?” you asked. “Mmhmm,” she replied. Looking into Trixie’s eyes which sparkled with the moonlight, you decided you couldn’t hold this back anymore. “My time in the lab was nothing but misery and pain. When I came to this world and met you, I didn’t expect that you would bring so much change in my life. I’m an entirely new man because of you and your friends. While the scientists who tortured me saw me as nothing but a guinea pig, you treated me like a friend and never gave up on me.” Tears of joy began to fall down your face as you continued your speech. “I can no longer hold back what I feel anymore, so here it is.” You took a deep breath and looked straight into her eyes and finally let it out. “Trixie, I love you.” Trixie put a hand over her mouth, as her own tears began to well up from your wonderful confession. “I... I... I’ve never... been this happy...” she said, before lunging forward to wrap her arms around you in a big hug. “I love you too, Mystic,” she said. Brushing her hair in a loving manner, you gave Trixie a kiss. She had kissed you before, but this time it was the other way around. And this kiss wasn’t out of sympathy... it was love. After what seemed like hours, Trixie pulled away from you and you saw a blush form on her face. Even without reading her mind, you were able to tell what she was thinking. “Are you sure?” you asked. “Absolutely,” she replied. “Trixie’s had feelings for you for quite some time now. Now that she knows it’s mutual, there’s no reason to hold back.” You smiled and without warning, you scooped the blue unicorn bridal style, causing her to giggle. You carried her the rest of the way back to the wagon, being extra careful so you wouldn’t drop her. Once you got back at the wagon, you opened up the door with your powers and walked inside, gently laying her down on the bed. Afterwards, you laid yourself down on the bed, letting out a sigh. “Good thing Nala is asleep,” Trixie said as she placed her hand on your chest. “After feeding her that humongous meal, I don’t think even a train could wake her up. She’s going to be out cold until probably around noon,” you replied. “Lucky for us,” Trixie said as she leaned up to give you a quick kiss. As she pulled away, you made sure to close the curtains before she starts to undress herself. You’ve read about the act of reproduction in one of the many books you’ve read however this of course would be the first time actually doing it. You of course had no regrets that Trixie would be the one to take your virginity since you’ve already declared your love for her. Now that the curtains were tightly shut and both you and your lover were completely naked, Trixie crawled on top of you and laid down, brushing your hair with her soft, furry hands. At some point, you felt yourself getting aroused by her bold movements. For the first time in years, your face flushed red but you still managed to smile. While Trixie continued to run her fingers through your hair, you decided to return the favor and began to caress your lover. You start with her hips before moving towards her plump butt. You gave very gentle squeezes on her wand-styled cutie marks, causing her to moan. Hearing her moan, you moved one hand away from her rear and began to caress one of her breasts, which felt just as soft. “You’re so gentle,” Trixie said through her soft moans, “No pony has ever had the privilege of touching the Great and Powerful Trixie like you are right now, Mystic.” “Only the best for my Great and Powerful Princess,” you replied, still caressing your beautiful unicorn lover. As you did so, you began to feel something in between your legs, yet another thing you haven’t felt in a while. Trixie also noticed it herself and giggled. “Does somepony want to play?” she cooed before moving herself away from your arms. She lowered herself down and caught a full view of your huge, erect shaft. “Oh my, it’s much bigger than Trixie thought. Somepony’s been eating their vitamins,” she teased, grabbing your shaft and stroking it slowly. You’ve never known pleasure like this before in your entire life. Trixie had already let out plenty of moans, but this time, you were the one moaning. “Does it feel good my #1 assistant?” she asked raising an eyebrow in a seductive manner. You couldn’t get the words out with all the moaning, so you just nodded and smiled at her with your face still flushed. “Good, Trixie’s going to make sure you’re treating well.” she whispered. True to what she said, Trixie ups the ante by taking your member into her warm, inviting mouth. This felt even better than when she was using her hands. She took it to the next level by putting her breasts between your shaft. Your body got goosebumps from this new but pleasurable feeling. “A-Are you sure you’ve never done this before?” you managed to ask. “Trixie picked up a few tricks from a book that Twilight and Starlight let me read,” she answered before putting her mouth back on your shaft. Once again, she had you in the palm of her hands, or breasts for that matter, but you didn’t mind it at all. You gripped the bed sheets tightly, moaning louder than before. You started breathing more heavily. Trixie hummed on the tip of your shaft, sending shivers up your spine. Your legs twitched when she did that. In your studies, you’ve read that unicorns have sensitive horns so you decided to test the theory. Leaning up you reached out to gently grab your lover’s horn which felt remarkably soft. Trixie yelped adorably the moment you touched her horn. Your theories were right, her horn proved to be sensitive. You were about to stop, but Trixie encouraged you to continue and you did just that. Soon you and Trixie both increased your pacing, you were rubbing her horn while Trixie’s sucking became more intense. The pleasure was getting so intense, you could feel yourself about explode and Trixie felt the same thing happening to her. You were about to warn her, but you were too late and soon, you felt yourself blowing your load into Trixie’s mouth. Her cheeks inflated and she moaned, feeling her own climax hit her. Her horn started emitting small fireworks. Thank god they were very small. Trixie soon swallowed every single drop of your climax and licked off whatever was left on the tip of your shaft. She pulled away from your member with an audible pop, gasping for air. You also felt yourself low on air. She snuggled up beside you as you were still laying down and licked her lips. “How was that?” she asked looking you in the eye. “It was... amazing!” you answered through your pants. Looking down, Trixie saw that you were still rock-hard. “Aww, does Trixie’s #1 lover want some more pleasure?” she asked, teasing you by grinding her butt against your hardened member. “Y-Yes, please.” you replied. Trixie gave you a kiss on the cheek. “Very well then. Trixie’s been saving herself for somepony special, like you,” she said. Afterwards, she grabbed your shaft and aimed it directly under her dripping marehood. “Are you ready to become one with Trixie?” You nodded with a smile and hugged her. “Ready as I’ll ever be,” you replied. Trixie giggled and slowly lowered herself down onto your manhood. She stopped for a moment and closed her eyes tightly as soon as she felt the tip reach the barrier inside her. She took a few deep breaths and then lowered herself down further until her hymen was finally broken. She gasped in pain while you grunted from how tight she was. “A-Are you okay, Trixie? Did I hurt you?” you asked, worried as you saw the blood flowing out from her pussy. “N-No, Trixie’s okay. Although, Trixie’s proud to say neither of us are virgins anymore, my darling Mystic,” she replied with reassurance. She leans down and hugs you warmly in her arms. “Thank you for caring about Trixie. I’m gonna move now.” After giving her a nod, Trixie began to slowly bounce on your shaft. You grunted out of pleasure, rather than pain. Trixie started moaning and gasping. Every time she did gasp, she’d shudder from how her inner walls were being stretched by your massive cock. “H-How does your... first time with me f-feel?” Trixie asked as she increased her speed on your lap. “It’s... oh sweet Celestia that feels good!” you groaned, latching onto her long, slender legs. Just then, without knowing it, your hips started moving to match your lover’s bouncing. Your hips collide in perfect sync, causing both of you to moan even louder than before. Trixie leaned down wrapping her arms around your head, pulling you into her bosom. You grunted slightly as you feel her nails dig into your scalp, but you didn’t stop your thrusts. Trixie’s breathing grew heavier as you increase your thrusts. It felt as if you were both in heaven. “Oh buck! Trixie wants it harder! Give it to me! Buck Trixie into submission like she’s your wife!” That outburst caught you off guard for a moment and you began to slow down. “Wife?” you asked. Trixie blushed as she got caught up in the excitement that it just slipped out. You’ve just declared your love for each other so marriage felt like rushing things. “Oops, sorry. It felt so good, Trixie would sometimes say things from the ecstacy.” “Is that why you told me to buck you like you’re my wife?” you asked, putting two and two together. You don’t have anything against marrying Trixie eventually, but right now you just saw her as your marefriend. “Yes, but right now, Trixie prefers to be your marefriend. Now, what do you say we finish off where we left off?” she asked. “Sometimes I wonder if you’re reading my mind,” you chuckled before continuing. Your lover let out a giggle which was quickly replaced by a loud moan. Trixie grinded and bounced on your lap more eagerly and leaned down, locking her lips with you. After many long and passionate minutes of sex, you suddenly began to feel the pressure build up in your shaft again. Pushing Trixie off of you was next to impossible. You were about to activate your power to levitate the unicorn off but Trixie quickly stopped you. “No please...” she panted “Trixie wants it all... inside...” “A...Are you sure? What if you...?” you asked, but couldn’t finish your sentence as Trixie silenced you with a quick kiss. “Don’t worry about it! Trixie trusts you with all her heart! Now hurry up and cum inside me!” she replied, reassuringly. If this is what she wanted, you weren’t gonna hold back. Keeping your hands on her hips you pound into her as fast as you could possibly go as you felt the pressure increase. Trixie moaned and panted heavily and you felt her pussy clench around your member. “This is it Trixie! I’m gonna...!” you were unable to finish your sentence and felt your orgasm shoot into Trixie’s womb, making her scream as loudly as she could. Keeping your member inside her for a few seconds, you finally pulled out with an exhausted sigh. Trixie laid herself down onto the bed by your side, as you both pant heavily while drenched in sweat. She wrapped her arms around you before using her magic to pull the covers over you both. “Oh, wow. You were amazing, Trixie...” you said softly, making the unicorn’s cheeks turn red. “Trixie could say the same about you Mystic...” she responded with a pleased sigh. She snuggled against you and vice versa. “By the way, I just want to say thank you for making me the happiest man alive. I love you so much, Trixie,” you said resting your head against your lover’s. “I love you too,” she responded before sleep finally took over the exhausted mare. Within seconds, you drifted off as well, more happy than you’ve ever been. For once in your whole life, you finally experienced true happiness after so many years. And best part for you was that you weren’t alone. You had a mare you loved deeply, and pretty soon… a brand new life would be brought, but that is best saved for another time.