A/N: Almost been a month since the previous chapter, but here it is at last!
I do have to apologize for the slow delay in chapter uploads. I've been going through a lot of stuff in my personal life, but I have been going to see some psychiatric help from someone at the hospital. Just today, I went into hysterics and it resulted in me having a breakdown and I was crying and screaming. I felt very overwhelmed and I really didn't know what to do, so one of my friends had to call and calm me down. I am fine now, but I do have to take my mental health seriously.
Other than that, I was at a concert on the first day of June where I got to meet not one, but two bands at the same time: 'Luca Turilli's Rhapsody' and 'Primal Fear'! I ended up getting to tell Luca that he inspired me as a guitar player, and both me and him shared so many friendly hugs. He told me to sing loudly at the show, and I did so as I was front row and over on his side of the stage. In the end, I got a poster signed from both bands, two picks from the Primal Fear show plus setlists from both sets.
I have seen the news about what happened in Orlando recently and I am praying for both the lives lost in the nightclub as I support LGBT rights. I also am praying for Christina Grimmie and her family. :(
Review Responses:
billykilly: Thanks. :)
Steve03: I might take that into consideration for a future chapter after all, as there might be something going on at the same time when Blueblood decides to point a hoof at Brayden and blame him along with the snobs on his side.
jvs12: Thank you.
4theworldman: Nah, I thought she deserved it for mocking the poor.
Gto99: Read on and find out. Hopefully I did a good job. :)
Star trooper: Future chapter.
Ghostbusters fan: It's a surprise, I'll reveal it in a future chapter. ;)
raven 2012: Thank you. :)
P.S. I plan on seeing two movies in theatres that I haven't seen already. "TMNT: Out of the Shadows" and "Independence Day: Resurgence". "Finding Dory" is on my list, but I will check if I have some time to see it.
P.S.S. Two things: 1. I have an ending to Learning To Live in development, and so far I'm liking what I have planned with the idea of multiple endings. 2. My hype for the MLP movie in 2017 is starting to give me a few ideas for a fanfiction, which is in the Learning To Live universe. It won't be canon to the actual story of Learning To Live, but if I really love the story; I'll definitely put it into action.
Something special was going on tonight, and it won't be long until that time, as it is still morning, transitioning into an early afternoon as the set up at Twilight's castle was proceeding in the dining hall.
In case you are wondering what is going on, there was a dinner party going on in the evening for the special occasion. Being that Starlight has been Twilight's student for quite some time now, my mother Celestia has been wanting to catch up with how the friendship lessons have been going between both of them. I was told that it was an open invitation for me to join at the dinner party, even providing an extra seat at the round table we were making preparations.
Besides my seat at the dinner party, there's also another special spot at the table that I was unaware of until I noticed. Twilight however was telling me that I'll know about when she tells it to Starlight, because it is apparently important for her lessons.
I have my hands on the cart that I am pushing forward, piled with the necessary requirements for the dinner party. Silverware such as forks, knives and spoons were there in rows while the five plates were neatly stacked on top of one another. I suppose that Twilight would want to take her plate from the cart so I directly approach her, coming right to a stop at her assigned spot.
With a smile, she trots forward, using her mouth to take ahold of the first plate on top of the stack and trotting over towards the table once again, setting the plate down with a very light thud heard when usually placing plates of food onto tables. All the while I am taking my plate and the necessary three silverware and place it in the seat that would be in position with Twilight next to me on my left and on the right to whoever will sit there.
"First lesson of the day," Twilight begins as she is facing Starlight who stands there from across the room. "We very carefully set the table without using magic, so that-" She is however a bit surprised when all of the silverware and plates have been lifted. "Yikes!"
I could see from across the room that it was Starlight Glimmer who had magic channeling from her horn with all of the silverware and plates off from the cart and setting each plate by each spot where the chairs face the table. The forks, knives and spoons join alongside on both left and right sides of the plates with a bit of a clatter sounding off. With that, she just smiles proudly while I can see that Twilight looks rather surprised by all of this.
"Did you...?! How? When? What?!" Twilight couldn't figure out what to say about this. I don't really have a reaction on this, but I am quite impressed.
Starlight looked a bit confused. "What?"
"She said no magic," I spoke out while Twilight was still trying to snap out of that shock. "You were supposed to do it by hoof as she requested so she could work in a friendship lesson."
"Oh I heard 'set the table' and just kinda went for it." Starlight tells me, almost in a way of telling both me and Twilight that it wasn't that big of a deal.
"Well if you hadn't used magic, you'd have heard me say..." Twilight says, pausing for a moment to point out both of what had been set on the table by using her magic to highlight each one. "This plate represents your head, this spoon is your heart, and the knives... are sharp! Always be careful with knives," Of course Twilight, I'm always very careful when it comes to that and I'm sure she is too. She finally lets out a bit of a sigh before continuing. "The metaphors make more sense when you're actually setting the table."
"Should I... change it back?" Starlight asked, now realizing that something was wrong.
"I just want to make sure you're ready for this dinner," Twilight says, trotting over towards her student. I follow right behind her to join the both of them while listening to the conversation. "Princess Celestia will be joining us tomorrow night to see how the friendship lessons are going!" The tone of her voice was quite happy to tell that, as even I am excited to see my mom again.
Starlight's eyes turn towards the round table for a quick moment before turning back to look at the both of us. "If it's just you, me, Brayden, and Princess Celestia, why are there five seats?"
"Well, the whole point is for you to bring a new friend," Twilight explains to her. "That way the princess will see for herself just how far you've come. And how good a teacher you have."
"Well, I can't choose." Starlight admitted, smiling. "I like all your friends."
"That's the best part!" Twilight sounds rather proud by her tone. "You have to make a new friend!"
"New friends?" Starlight says, sounding curious before putting on an almost-evil look on her face. "Hey, maybe I'll just force friendships by magically enslaving the entire population of Ponyville!"
"Starlight!" Twilight scolds her rather quickly when she started acting that way.
She puts a smile on that joking face with a bit of nervous laughter. "Kidding!" She tells us, and I can tell that she was telling the truth this time instead of lying because I could tell if she was. So far though in being the student, she's been really good.
"Are you sure that you can do this by yourself?" I asked Starlight.
She nods her head to my question. "Absolutely. It's an assignment that Twilight's given me and by the lessons I've taken with her, this should lead off to a great start."
I turn my head to look at Twilight who is smiling at her. "Don't worry about it Brayden, I'm sure that she'll do just fine by herself." She tells me.
Agree with her for that point, but when it comes to making new friends that hasn't met before like: Lyra, Bon Bon, or anypony else in Ponyville that I haven't seen her interact with yet. I have to keep a close eye on her, just in case she seems to be a bit awkward when introducing herself to the others. "I know she could do fine, it's just... I want to make sure that she doesn't mess up on making friends in that awkward way. I mean, we all acted that way, right?" I unreservedly ask Twilight.
"That is true, but it's all up to you really if Starlight wants you to join alongside her. Even with assignments, asking friends for help on it is a huge benefit."
Starlight shows an expression upon her face that seemed like she could be able to tolerate my company alongside her as she is a friend now. "Well, me and him haven't talked for a bit of a while. While he's helping me out, I and him could catch up on what both of us have been doing." She says to her.
"Great then! I'll be at the castle, just setting up everything for tonight's party. I'll be expecting a new friend, and I'm sure you'll find the right one." Twilight assures her.
I turn and approach towards my special somepony. "See you in some time then, Twi." I told her with a trustful smile broadening on my mouth.
Our heads have moved closer and I close my eyes before my lips have touched hers to share a quick peck with Twilight, and then released after that was done with both of us sharing that same happy look both of us have been giving each other since we started dating. My right hand moves forward and both gently and slowly strokes her soft mane. She seems to feel very comfortable with me doing this, so it is quite normal after having known each other for some time.
"Come on now Brayden!" Starlight calls out to me, by which I turn around and take a few steps back from Twilight, removing my hand off from her. "This assignment has got to be done, and the last thing I want to do is disappoint both Twilight and Princess Celestia!"
I turn around and share another smile with Twilight, before turning back to run up from behind to follow Starlight Glimmer out from the dining room and out into the hallway, glancing back only for a moment to wave at Twilight as her right front hoof is raised to wave back at me at the same time with that affectionate look on that face.
Today seems like this will be quite a fun day with Starlight Glimmer, considering this is the first time me and her have decided to talk to one another. I catch up with her as she is trotting towards the spiral stairway, catching a glimpse of me coming as I approach and move alongside her.
"Must be quite something to be dating Twilight huh?" Starlight asked me.
I smile at her with confidence. "Of course. I've always trusted Twilight, and it's something that I'll always do."
The both of us have touched onto the first step downward as we continue to talk among ourselves. "I know. I am very happy for both you and Twilight in your relationship together. But if I can question you about something, why are you also dating Nightmare Moon and the mare from Manehattan... Coco Pommel if I'm correct?"
"It wasn't easy at first for something like that to happen, but even if I trust you now it still is going to take a while until I tell you the story of what happened when Twilight found out about me and Coco." I said to her, keeping that memory or incident behind and moving onward to live in the Here and Now.
"Sorry for asking then." Starlight says to me, sounding only a small bit apologetic with a sheepish look on her face.
"No worries at all," I accepted her apology. "When the trust has sunk in a little bit more, I can definitely tell you some stuff. For now though, we are beginning to be friends and I would like to ensure that we become good friends from here on out."
Me and her continue on down the steps until we made it to the main floor below from where the staircase have taken us. Which reminds me, that I do have my wings so I can always fly up to the balcony from above ground. Spike gets a little confused why I would do that, but as of the moment he is away. I'm not sure where... probably off to visit the dragon lands again to see that Princess Ember he's been telling me about for a while.
When the mention of the dragon princess came to mind, I wasn't actually sure what she would look like. Spike has told me the exact description but I would have to see her with my own eyes to get the main idea of what her appearance is to be. He's also mentioned that she might be planning a diplomatic trip from the dragon lands to Canterlot to initiate a peace treaty between Equestrian-born dragons and ponies.
Starlight's magic has channelled and opened both of the golden doors for the both of us to walk under past the arch they were posted to. We went outside, and I can hear the doors closing behind us and without the aura of Starlight's magic gripping a hold onto them. We begin making our way down the small trail leading between here all the way to where Ponyville's shop district would be.
I glanced back at the castle only for a moment. A few good memories slipping through from when both me and Twilight had gathered at her castle with our friends to hang out and talk amongst ourselves. But this castle would also be a grim reminder for monsters to never attack the free Equestria, and a representation of Tirek's defeat. Bet he's just grumbling in the Tartarus that he is bound to and stripped of his powers to complain about. If he tried to escape and steal magic from ponies again, you can bet that Twilight and her friends will put him back in his place like before.
Starlight takes in a slow, deep breath and exhales out at the smell of winter as it was coming right to a close soon within a few weeks. "A shame that the winter has to end soon. I was really enjoying the sight of snow and frozen lakes to skate on." She comments loudly as her eyes stray onto the distant snow-covered fields.
"It's my favorite season, but I can certainly give it a few cons here or there," I responded to her. "The freezing temperatures are something my human body can't normally deal with. It easily makes me prone to the flu or a simple cold."
"Oh my," She says to me, turning her head to look at me as I'm walking next to her. "Hopefully you did get your flu shot before the winter equinox."
"I don't even go to get those. I'm frightened of having needles put into my arm." I confirmed to her, shuddering at even the thought of having one at all.
Starlight has that look upon her face that expresses only a bit of concern for me. "I know that it's your choice to have it or not, but I can see the reason why Twilight and the rest of your friends would be a little worried about you. They want to make sure that you're going to be okay." She tells me, the tone of her voice sounding really calm.
"That I can understand. But I'm not a pony like everypony else as I am a human. Like every species, humans aren't the perfect ultimate race."
She was silent for a few moments before she spoke up again. "I know you might not be, but neither am I either. I've made a few mistakes here and there," A positive smile on her face lifted my spirits a bit to make my mouth curl up a small smile which is enough to remove the bad side of things. "But I am ready to put them all behind me and find the friends I need in my life like you and Twilight."
I chuckled and reminded her of something she forgot. "Don't forget our other friends."
"Don't worry about that, of course." She says to me with a trustful smile on her face as we continue forward into the town of Ponyville.
As usual in the shop district, the streets were usually not as busy but only when there were ponies trotting about, I can assume it was many groups of friends gathering today to meet up and talk amongst themselves. A few fillies are galloping about outside, playing tag with their friends I suppose by the joyful looks on their faces while a few others are making snow-pony angels in the snow or just having a snowball fight for fun.
Starlight seems to have become only a little bit nervous, but not too nervous. She knows she has to remain confident though and think about the assignment at hoof. "Let's see... make new friends in Ponyville, the friendliest place in Equestria," She comments to herself which I could hear. "Shouldn't be too hard..."
The first thing that caught my eye was the Sugarcube Corner and this gave me a bit of an idea who we could go to for finding new friends. "Perhaps we could try the Sugarcube Corner, because we all know that somepony who is always looking to connect ponies with other ponies."
"Pinkie Pie?" Starlight turns to me with a smile on her face, filled with glee for pointing that out in assisting her.
I nod my head to her question and turn towards the direction of the building. "Of course!" I said to her. "Right this way!"
"Need to make a new friend huh?" Pinkie Pie said to Starlight as we were in the kitchen of the Sugarcube Corner, with a really happy expression on the pink mare's face that she can be of help for her. "I know just the pony for you!"
At the counter in the middle of the kitchen, Mrs. Cake was there just decorating a cake that was most likely preparing for a customer that has ordered it, or it was going to be for display in the shop.
Sonata isn't there at the moment, as Pinkie had told me that she was taking a day off of work to go and hang out with a few friends, telling me not to worry. At first I was worried because after the outburst I had, I thought she would never want to talk to me again! Turns out that she was really concerned for me, and if I was to come into the Sugarcube Corner when she was on break or off-shift, she'd be able to talk to me and ask me if I was okay.
"Miss Starlight Glimmer," Pinkie's bright and joyful voice brought me back into reality as all three of us approach her. Mrs. Cake's brilliant rose eyes turn away from the cake she was working on with a greetful smile. "Meet Mrs. Cake!"
"How are you dearie?" Mrs. Cake was kind enough to respond to Starlight as she reached for a introductory hoofshake.
"I'm doing fantastic," Starlight responds to her with the same greetful smile that Mrs. Cake was sharing with her. "Are you baking? Can I help?"
I noted that her horn began to ignite magic and channel it while Mrs. Cake wasn't paying attention at all to what was going on with the cake behind her as magic was swirling around for a moment with my own eyes, and even Pinkie looks rather surprised as well when the magic has lifted.
Pinkie bounced up and down happily as I always like to see her, exclaiming "Wow, Mrs. Cake! Look what your new friend made you!"
The owner turned around and looked over at the place that the cake had stood while she chuckles to herself "New friend, I like the sound of-" She gasped when she found out what the cake turned out to look like, as it was all decorated and well-done when it came to the detail and even I was surprised from Starlight Glimmer herself as she was just as talented as Twilight when it came to magic. "Howza-wowza!" She managed to get out before continuing. "A-Are you trying to put me out of business with your fancy magical-thingy-whatsit cake?!"
As I know Pinkie too much, she goes diving right onto the cake with a huge splat when she lands on top of it, splattering everything in a short distance, but it doesn't leave the kitchen in a huge mess. I do however get a couple chunks of the frosting all on my coat and a bit on my jeans.
Starlight looks a bit disappointed in herself for trying. "Sorry..." She managed to slip out an apology.
The pink mare pops out from the frosty, splattered mess that was the cake, licking and swallowing the mess from around her mouth. "In her defense, it is delicious!" She manages to get out before chomping into another bit of the mess on the tray left there.
Well, this won't do. Luckily for me, I have another close friend that could be of great help for Starlight.
Sweet Apple Acres was our next stop after the first attempt at the Sugarcube Corner didn't work. As I know my first close friend Applejack, I know she can be of really good help and besides her hard-working and honest spirit, she could definitely know somepony to help out my friend here.
Big Macintosh was right ahead, gathering a few empty baskets around the apple-occupied tree and propping his back legs to kick the trunk with a huge thump heard after that. The apples hanging in the tree have snapped from the branches they reside on, and fall right into the baskets below as we approach him.
"Ah think Ah have just the pony for ya Starlight," Applejack is telling her as the stallion's green eyes turn and look at the newcomer before his own eyes. "Meet Big Mac!"
"Eeyup!" That was the response that comes out of his mouth as I usually knew from him.
I turn my head to look at Starlight. "He's not much of a talker." I told her so that both AJ and her brother could hear what I had to say for more information from knowing Big Macintosh through my close friend.
"Nnope." Big Macintosh stated once again, remaining quite calm.
"Oh, that's too bad..." Starlight says to him, as I don't even notice her horn channelling magic with a bit of a spell being cast. "I love a good conversation."
By this point, I was able to see the magical smoke floating towards Big Macintosh and I can tell that it was hers, but I withhold my reaction of stopping it, but to instead watch what should happen next if this was bad or not. When the stallion opened his mouth, the magic seeped right in from there and I think it began to work something in him.
At first it started out low, but then the volume eventually came to a normal tone but the speed that he was speaking with that of a motormouth! "Eeyup-yup-yup-yup-yup-yup-y-y-y-y-ya did something!" He finally spoke sounding really shocked and I guess a little scared of the situation. "What's happenin'? Ah feel really weird! Ah'm talkin' so much! And Ah'm so articulate! Enunciating with such precise pronunciation!" He pauses for a moment before saying a statement. "Annie Apple awoke and accidentally ate an auburn azalea!"
With that shock coming into place from the spell that Starlight had cast, he lets out a bit of a scream and gallops away over the hill to probably the next acre of apple trees to hide. "Make it stop!" I can hear his panicked voice getting distant the further he galloped.
I can clearly tell that Applejack was a little pissed. She wasn't angry at me, thank goodness as I know that she wouldn't ever go that far as to doing that. Her head turned to look at Starlight Glimmer standing there with a rather shocked look on her face from the situation at hoof. A growl was emitted and I knew that was my close friend. (It sounds like serious business when she growls...)
"I can't be friends with somepony who doesn't talk." Starlight clearly stated as I have a look of annoyance on my face, glaring at her.
Another growl from Applejack was sounded off, and it looks like she was trotting much closer towards her.
Starlight paused for a moment when she saw the glares on both mine and AJ's faces. "...And I guess my first instinct shouldn't be to magically command ponies to act the way I want them to?" She spoke out.
"Starlight..." The tone of my voice was rather firm with warning when I spoke out while AJ still is growling a bit from this.
She gets a bit annoyed with trying to talk us out from it when we saw everything. "Alright, I'll change him back!" She said to us.
Well, that didn't work out well. Next stop then...
Both me and Starlight are now at the Carousel Boutique, seeing that Rarity was another that could come to my mind for helping her out. As I know Rarity, I was so sure that she could actually give some advice on how to find a friend to make in Ponyville. As usual though, she's most likely going to find Starlight a dress or design one for her.
"The trick to finding a new friend is to render yourself radiant," Rarity is explaining to her as my ears are listening. "First impressions count a great deal you know."
"I'm glad you all got past my first impression." Starlight Glimmer commented with a smile.
"Well everypony deserves a second chance," She said right back with a happy tone before a point of realization came to her making that smile brighter. She moves behind the curtain and disappears for a moment but still speaking to her. "Now I have a top-notch idea. I'm thinking pastel silk here and here with a crinoline underneath." She comes out on the other side of the curtain, now wearing a dress.
Starlight looks a bit questioned about this. "You really think a new outfit will help me meet ponies?" She asked.
"Oh with the right outfit, you can do anything darling!" She responded back.
"When will it be ready?" I asked Rarity as she trots away from the curtain.
"Three weeks." She confirmed.
Starlight looks a little disappointed to hear that. "Dinner's tomorrow." She stated.
To be honest, I can tell that Rarity was only a bit speechless about it, but nevertheless tries her best to fix the situation. "Well then, how about a hat from the..." She clears her throat for a moment before continuing and using a hoof to point out the box sitting there filled with hats, some creative and some anew. "...clearance bin?"
Rarity's magic channelled on her horn as she takes a hat from the bin and placed it on Starlight. "Ugh... maybe not." She says to me.
Hmmmm... maybe Rainbow Dash could connect her with somepony.
The rainbow-maned pony let out a bit of a chuckle after hearing about what went on in our search so far to find Starlight a new friend. "Nopony's gonna make friends with you because of your outfit. The only thing you want a new friend draped in is coolness." She tells her, as her wings flap and in mid-air off of the ground.
"Like you?" Starlight asked.
"Yeah," Rainbow answered her question. "But you already know me, so..." She stops for a moment to gasp, managing to spit out a bit of a recognizable name. "Spitfire!" She covered her mouth for a moment from excitement, but lowering her front hooves down with another chuckle. "Sorry."
Starlight looks a bit curious about who Spitfire was. I know I haven't exactly met Spitfire yet either, but I was aware of her from the episodes I've watched involving the Wonderbolts. Hell I even remember the episode where Rainbow Dash managed to get into Wonderbolt Academy and there was a bit of trouble with another pegasus named Lightning Dust who was similar to my best friend. "Who's that?"
A gasp was out from Dash's mouth again before she explained in quite an excited tone in her voice from hearing the mention of either the two words 'Spitfire' or 'Wonderbolts'. "Only the Wonderbolt-iest pony in the Wonderbolts! Come on, I'll introduce you both to her!"
With a bit of a sonic boom, she takes off into the skies, leaving me standing there with my wings behind my back still closed and Starlight still very confused. As Rainbow Dash was still teaching me to fly, I don't think she realized that my wings are still in the training state as of the moment. She was distant at first before looking back to see that we were still there on the ground.
She flies right back to us, looking at us like something was uneasy about meeting her. "You coming or what?" Rainbow asked both of us.
"I'm not even sure we can meet her for two reasons: me being that I'm still learning to fly," I said, pointing out my wings and even opening my right wing to show her which was a good reason for her to understand. "The second reason is that Starlight Glimmer doesn't know who the Wonderbolts are."
A face of horror crossed upon the pegasus' face when I told her the second reason and turning to look at her with a gasp accompanied by that reaction. "You've never heard of the Wonderbolts?! Where have you been?!" She exclaims with shock that this was the second wo doesn't know about the Wonderbolts, the first having been my good friend Sunset Shimmer when she came back to Equestria from the mirror world with me and Sonata.
A nervous look came upon Starlight's face before she got out her answer. "Enslaving villages, I guess..."
"Right..." Rainbow Dash finally said, realizing what happened before when Starlight Glimmer was still the past her, even though I was not there to experience that until the time travelling incident.
Well, there wasn't really much of a point there... might as well see what Fluttershy is up to.
Not really much to say to describe the situation, but all I can think here is that I find it really adorable that Starlight would be getting along well with Fluttershy's bunny rabbit Angel and giving him gentle rubs on the tummy. He is giggling while she is treating him well by that, and even Starlight herself is smiling.
I find it quite odd myself... Angel's only thrown carrots at me sometimes while I have breakfast with Fluttershy, but he can accept belly rubs from Starlight. Kind of odd, but hey it's his taste on who he likes; so I'm not going to judge.
"You're adorable," Starlight says to the bunny rabbit himself. "But... probably not what Twilight had in mind."
She starts to trot away while Angel is reaching out to her, probably a way of asking for more belly rubs from her. As I am there to assist Starlight in her assignment, I'm not sure how to comment on that. Again, it wasn't what Twilight was thinking. I follow behind Starlight as she is trotting towards the snow-covered dirt trail from out of the green fields of Equestria.
Taking a look behind me, I can see Fluttershy approaching the tea party that she and her animal friends were doing as of the moment. We were distant so I don't think she saw us. She had come back with getting some extra snacks in case we were joining. She let out a bit of a sigh which I couldn't hear from the distance we were far from. I know that she won't take it too hard for me because she trusts me.
Starlight on the other hoof... she looks a little bit stressed about not being able to find anypony yet to befriend.
For the walk on the dirt trail together, she had remained mostly silent and that was a sign for me that I could tell that something was wrong. My concerns were raised a bit and inside I did feel a little worried about her. Nevertheless, we are approaching a few of the social points of Ponyville, where the fountain could be seen from that part.
There were ponies among us chattering to their other friends, talking about how their day went and sounding very silent like it was illuminating a quiet village on a peaceful afternoon.
I could hear a groan out of Starlight and by the sound of it, she sounds a bit frustrated. "What is going on?" She questions to herself that I could hear. "This is Ponyville!"
"Of course it is," I responded to her question and statement. "I find it rather odd today that this would be happening for you."
"I don't know Brayden... if I can't make a friend here, there's got to be something wrong with me!" She says to me trotting forward towards the fountain and looking down into the water contained, featuring only a few golden bits at the bottom possibly tossed in by the young fillies in town to make a wish.
"Keep yourself calm, stress isn't really good for your health after all." I suggested to her as she looked at her own reflection in the water.
She let out a sigh and turns to look at me away from the reflection in the fountain. "You're right... I should calm down. Nopony makes friends with a total stresscase..."
The chattering among everypony began to grow in volume and I was looking around to see what was going on today at the social points here. A few fillies galloped about, giggling and laughing. Some just trotting along and talking with their young filly friends. The stallions talking about their day at work around town with few from the municipal town hall and it's politics.
I turn my eyes for a moment towards Starlight, and her stress level is starting to rise again. I don't think she feels okay about this and I can remember how Twilight felt at one point when it came to stress. I wasn't there but she stressed the hell out about an assignment that was close to being overdue and went crazy about it, as I could remember that episode quite well. But surprisingly Starlight was much calmer when it came to that, not flipping out over fear of failing.
"Stop stressing..." I can hear her murmur loudly to herself while everypony else was still going about and chattering at a loud volume. Finally, her teeth grit for a moment and then she screams out "STOP STRESSING!"
Everypony in the area grew quiet when they heard her scream and they look with almost surprised looks on their faces. I wasn't surprised myself, but more worried about her in this state as I don't need her going crazy like Twilight did when she was a student to my mother.
I carefully approach her, knowing that she can trust me but with caution. "Starlight?" The tone of my voice was gentle as I asked her this question, moving my left hand and placing it onto her right cheek to comfort my friend. "Are you okay?"
She had been looking down at the ground at first, but as I put my hand on her cheek her eyes and head lifted up to look at me. She sighed for a moment, before speaking to me. "I... I don't really know. This assignment Twilight gave me is just much harder than it looks to be; so I'm a bit stressed about it."
"Well... I don't really know what to say. There is a way to relax though, and I suggest you follow me. I've been there before with Fluttershy and Rarity; it's just what you need right now."
"You mean the spa?" Starlight looks a bit confused. "How exactly will it help?"
I smile as I take my hand off of her cheek and guide her with me in the direction to the spa by the river that I know Aloe and Lotus work at and it is the only spa locally in town that could be of use for anypony whenever they need to take a break. Even if I have been there once, it is quite the experience.
"There," I said, pointing it out with my right hand's index finger from across the river to the building. There's a stone bridge above the water so she doesn't really need to use magic to levitate across for that one. "Why don't you go and take a break? I'll notify Twilight about it, and I'm sure she will understand. She did learn the same thing before after all."
She trots forward a few steps and then I can hear her say "If you say so." before she continues on her way towards the spa.
While she is going to take a break, I might as well go back to the castle and see how Twilight is faring with preparations for the dinner party for tomorrow night. I start to make my way back, smiling and knowing that Starlight will be fine by the time she is done relaxing at the spa.
Maybe she'll make a friend there...
Starlight Glimmer's POV
Ahhhh... all that stress on me is finally gone!
Brayden was right after all when he had told me that I should ease up and go take a visit here at the spa. When I told Aloe and Lotus that I was feeling very stressed out, they were more than happy to help me out and bring me into the spa room where everypony was getting their massages or face masks with cucumbers to cover their eyes.
That is what was going on with me as of now, I was laying back and relaxing with my eyes closed and covered by cucumbers while I'm guessing that Lotus Blossom is painting a face mask on me. It feels reather relaxing, especially when somepony is massaging my hooves. A reminder to come here whenever I need to get away from the stress.
I let out a slow, relaxed and content sigh before I spoke loudly to myself yet again. "This is just what I needed." Okay, I also have to remind myself to stop talking loudly to myself, ponies might think I'm a little crazy.
I can hear another sigh behind me and a female voice speak out. "Tell me about it." She told me.
"You ever have one of those days?" I asked her.
"For me, they're all one of those days." She responds to me with that statement, still sounding quite relaxed.
I let out a bit of a giggle, seeing how this pony behind me has now taken my interest to talk to already. The sound of her relaxed voice, I can tell that this could be the first pony I'm am speaking with who isn't weirded out or forced to speak.
"I'm going to start coming here every time I visit Ponyville." She states to me.
"I'm not from here either," I said to her, while she shuffles a bit in the seat behind me to make herself more comfortable I suppose. "I've been trying to make friends, but it's not easy. They're not saying it, but I think everypony knows about my past. I may have been a tiny bit..." I paused for a moment to get the right wording out. "Completely and utterly evil?"
"Ponies judge me on my past too." She comments.
I take the cucumbers out from my eyes and turn around to look at the mare sitting there. Before I spoke, a smile shines on my mouth and my face looks like it is filled with glee.
"Finally, a pony I can relate to."
Brayden's POV
I was back at Twilight's castle, and I have finished preparing everything with my special somepony for tomorrow night's dinner.
She is trotting around the table with me walking beside her on her left as she is looking over the plates with not even a speck of dust found on them nor any leftover food messes. Even the silverware and other accessories are there that even I myself is impressed on how well this party is going to be.
"Soup spoon, salad fork, pasta spoon, strawberry pick," She says, examining the silverware at the table and all the others that had already come to my mind when my eyes looked upon them. "I'm beginning to think that after friendship, the greatest magic of all is proper silverware placement!" She giggles after she has said that.
I place my hand on her back to get her attention. She turns her head and looks at me with a sweet loving smile upon her face. "You forgot somepony?" I asked her with a smirk on my face.
"Oh I didn't forget about you," She says with another giggle as we both turn to face one another. She raises the both of her front hooves for me to take with the both of my hands which I do, holding onto them gently with a good balance that she had with her back hooves supporting her as she moves closer to me. "I know that tomorrow night's dinner will be great. You at my side with Princess Celestia joining us."
"What matter most though is that I'm with you." I said to her in a happy, yet gentle tone.
She moves her head forward towards my cheeks, as the both of us gently nuzzle our cheeks together, feeling comfortable with her in my arms wrapping softly around her. Her cheeks were warm and fuzzy as I always pictured them to be from when I first arrived in Equestria, and they were a little pink with blushing. Again, mine most likely was too.
After our gentle nuzzle, we still hold each other close, but with my brown eyes staring into her heavenly violet eyes. Her head moves forward and I close my eyes knowing what to expect as she places her lips upon mine to share another kiss with me. While my lips were upon hers, my right hand moves to gently stroke her soft, silky mane.
We release from the kiss and all we can do after is continue to gaze whilst I continue caressing her mane. "Thinking about something Twi?" I asked her with a comfortable smile on my face.
"Of course," She tells me. "I was thinking that you and I could go on another date sometime after the dinner and Winter Wrap Up if you're not too busy."
I chuckled for a moment as I look at her. "I'm never too busy to go out with you. I'm always there for you, even when you need me," I said to her. "What's on your mind for a date?"
"I'm thinking that we could spend our date in Canterlot as we've never really gone outside of Ponyville before to do these. I can book ourselves a table for the two of us at the most luxurious restaurant in the high-class district that my family have gone to many times when I was both a filly and a student to Celestia. After that, we will go to the Canterlot Castle Gardens and spend some you and me time there by ourselves." She tells me, a smile on her face as she spoke with an informed tone in her voice.
"Now I know one of the reasons why I fell in love with you Twilight," I said to her. "Just like me, you know how to plan things well."
"Of course, and the reason we share a lot in common is why I-" She was about to tell me more, but there was the sound of the dining room doors opening up.
I let go of Twilight and she let go of me, placing the both of her front hooves back onto the crystalline floor of her castle. In the room comes a happy Starlight Glimmer galloping to see the both of us with a bright and eager smile upon her face. Guess that spa treatment really helped out in the end.
"Twilight! Brayden! Guess what?" Starlight exclaims happily as she galloped. "I made a new friend!"
My special somepony never looked happier to hear that news coming from her student. "That's fantastic news!" She said proudly.
"I'm so happy to hear that Starlight!" I told her as I approach my friend, offering a friendly hug which she accepted. The friendly hug was for a few moments, and then we look at one another, though I know she means that she is looking at both me and Twi. "I am really proud of you."
"Thanks Brayden!" She tells me. "Now my friend... she's Great!"
"Great!" Twilight commented with the same proud tone that I had.
"Awesome!" I also commented.
"She's Powerful!" She said, which really got my attention.
"Powerf- wait, what?" I said, all of a sudden with my tone shifting to sound very questioned on why she would say powerful. Something inside tells me that this sounds like somepony familiar like I have heard her name before.
Twilight looked questioned herself on who she could be talking about as well. "Powerful?" She asked.
Starlight turns to look at the unicorn figure approaching the door who was already in the light as it would have to be dark to make quite a surprising appearance. She never lets down her smile as she looked to her new friend standing at the open archs.
"Hello... princess!" I knew I recognized that tone by the mare's voice.
I take a look at the appearance of Starlight's new friend before me taking a look at her appearance. Her wizard's hat and cape were that of the color that quitely almost resembles purple with stars on them like she was a powerful unicorn or magician you see entertaining others. When she turned and showed her face with an almost evil looking grin, I can see that her eyes were the color of dark grayish violet (almost similar to Twilight's eye color), her mane was the color of pale cornflower blue with very pale cerulean stripes entwined with that. Her coat color is a brilliant azure and her cutie mark resembled a light blue magic wand with a crescent moon.
I knew exactly who this was, and I don't want to say her name yet as I have a feeling Twilight will be the first to say it. But I knew who this was by the tone of her boastful tone that sounded a bit arrogant.
"Trixie?!" Twilight manages to say with a shocked tone in her voice by surprise while Starlight continues to smile. For me, I'm not surprised at all seeing that I knew meeting her would eventually happen sometime in the future but never really thought about it... or did I?
"You know each other?" Starlight asked when she heard the shocked tone and turned to see the surprised expression on her mentor's face.
Twilight immediately began to glare at the unicorn that was already coming into the room to join us. "You could say that." She grumbled a bit while Trixie trotted towards her, practically in a face-to-face kind of way.
"We've had our differences," Trixie managed to speak after her introduction from Starlight Glimmer, speaking again after she put a smile on her face. "What matters is Twilight gave me a second chance, and I appreciate it."
I took a few steps back from Starlight and approach both Twilight and Trixie. "I am quite happy that the both of you have settled your differences and made up," I told the both of them. "It isn't exactly easy, but eventually came forgiveness... and we all know that it's one of the keys to friendship."
Trixie turns her violet eyes to look at me, after having shared a smile at Twilight which she smiled back at her. "Well... I'll be," She says, sounding a bit surprised by my appearance before her. "I recognize you. Why else in Equestria did I remember seeing you in the newspapers everywhere from when you first appeared in our world? You must be that human."
"That I am," I said to her. "And don't call me human."
"My apologies then," Trixie says, offering her right hoof for a handshake from me. "It is a honor to meet you. I will admit that I was in a bit of a surprise when Starlight Glimmer here was telling me all about you, one of her new friends."
I brought my right hand forward, wrapping my fingers around her soft hoof and giving it a shake. Twilight who is watching this in silence, has a bit of an odd look on her face. Judging by the look of it, I'm pretty sure it was giving away that I should be careful because she still doesn't trust Trixie after the Alicorn Amulet incident that I remember from watching the episode 'Magic Duel'.
"An honor to meet you Trixie, and apology accepted." I commented as her hoof is shaking my hand.
I heard a bit of an abrupt cough coming from Twilight after I have let go of Trixie's hoof from shaking it. "So," Twilight began after that introduction from the azure unicorn. "What brings you to Ponyville?"
Of course with that, Trixie immediately goes into her usual self that I normally saw her since the episode she first appeared in with the Ursa Minor incident. "The Grrrreat and Powerful Trrrrixie has come to perform a new stage show of grand illusion! I am calling it 'The Humble and Penitent Trixie's Equestrian Apology Tour'!"
"That's quite a mouthful there if you ask me." I commented, scratching the back of my head as I was saying that. Starlight Glimmer joins up on Trixie's right side, having heard everything.
All Trixie could do is smile at the both of us and say in a hushed kind of way "It's a working title." A wink from her came afterwards, as I return a friendly smile towards her way.
"Starlight? Brayden?" I can hear Twilight's voice calling for us as I turn my head to see my special somepony standing a small distance from Trixie with what looked to be a faked smile. "A moment? Over here?"
I was going to move and go see what Twilight wanted, but I can see magic channelling to her horn to put an aura around both me and Starlight, pulling us over towards her closely. Once within her hooves' reach, she puts one hoof around my shoulder to keep me close, as well as Starlight.
"What is it Twilight? Is there something troubling you?" I asked, sounding a bit concerned on why she had that fake smile on her mouth.
Her violet eyes were the first to turn to me. "I'm... not sure," She said, turning to look at Starlight for that matter. "I know I said make friends with anypony, but well..." She paused for a moment to pick up on what she was trying to say to both of us. "With Trixie's past, and Starlight's past, I'm not sure she's the best... first friend."
"But whatever she did, you've forgiven her, right?" Starlight asked.
"She did, in that kind of way you could say," I responded to her with a statement. "I was back on Earth when I saw those episodes."
"I know I did Brayden. It's just... She wasn't the nicest pony." Twilight said to me before finishing off that sentence to her student.
"Well you did say anypony," Starlight commented as Twilight moves her hoof that had been on her student's shoulder off and back onto the crystalline floor. "I just assumed that you'd trust me to make my own friends the way Princess Celestia trusted you."
I move my right hand onto Twilight's gentle soft mane which caught her attention to turn and look at me. "I know it's still a hard thing to do to trust her, but you forgave her. All I'm asking is that you give her another chance as I am."
Twilight could only pause for a moment before exhaling a sigh that was heard by all of us in the room. "You're right... I trust Starlight, but I just need to think over on trusting that Trixie has changed for the better ways." She turned to look at Starlight who is looking at Trixie who has joined us. "Starlight, you can go with Trixie; but remember to be back in time for the dinner with Princess Celestia."
"Thanks Twilight!" Starlight says happily as she begins trotting off beside Trixie on her right. "You won't regret it!"
Twilight turned to look the shaped silverware that Trixie had created while Twilight had been talking to us, sighing in annoyance for a moment. "I hope not..."
"Twi?" It was like she didn't hear me as she is busy trying to unbend the silverware for the dinner. "I know you still have a hard time dealing with her."
As she put the last unbent fork back in its regular place, she turns around and looks at me with concern. "I don't trust her..." She tells me, which I wasn't surprised at all since the Alicorn Amulet incident had changed her opinion on her. "I feel like she might influence Starlight to be like her and that she hasn't changed at all."
"Why would you say that? She seemed to be more open and friendly towards introducing herself to me. I know about both the Ursa Minor and Alicorn Amulet incidents, but I am open to giving her a chance as well."
"Brayden, I don't know..." She warns me, looking a little worried that something bad would happen to me if I decided to make that decision. I'm walking towards her, trying to keep her calm. "I've seen what she has done before. What if she makes you turn against me?"
"Twilight." I placed my arms gently around her neck to keep her calm in case she was going to panic again. "I know you feel uneasy, but I'm going to go and spend time with both Starlight and her. Why would you think that?"
Her worried face remains as those beautiful eyes of hers look into mine, a fearful expression detailed in those eyes to give away that she was scared about losing me to her. I think she might be overreacting though. "But Brayden, I don't think-"
"It'll be fine. We'll be back to the dinner... I promise." The tone of my voice grew gentle and almost to a whisper as I said this. Afterwards, I move my head forward to gently press my lips onto her forehead to give my special somepony a kiss to keep her calm and to let her know everything will be okay.
I release my lips from her forehead and remove my arms from around her neck before turning towards the open dining room doors and leaving the room. I looked back for only a moment, and I can see a saddened Twilight left behind with the both of her ears flopped down to give off that expression. Part of me felt like I wanted to go back and give her some comfort, but I knew that I had to befriend Trixie just like everypony else.
I can see Trixie and Starlight almost down the end of the hallway when I turned to the right from where they left. "Trixie!" I called to her.
She turns around to look at me when she heard the tone of my voice as I'm hurrying down the hallway to catch up with them. I approach the both of them, saying "I decided to come with you guys and befriend you Trixie."
"What about Twilight?" Starlight asked.
"I told her I'll be fine," I said to her before turning back to look at Trixie. "Well, I would like to join the both of you to help you out with your magic show, as long as it doesn't interfere with the dinner plans."
Trixie raised one hoof and brought it to her chin as if she was scratching it with a bit of a smirk on her face. I can't even tell if that was her thinking face or if she had something planned for me. Finally she sets her hoof down, and had a good answer.
"Sure, come along Brayden."
The afternoon sun was above in the sky, and by the small snow-covered birch tree was a medium sized platform of wooden planks being used to ready for tomorrow night's magic show performed by none other than Trixie herself as to set up for the tour that she mentioned. Starlight is joined with me, as we are helping her new friend prepare.
"This magic show is going to be the greatest thing Ponyville's ever seen!" Trixie exclaimed as her magic levitated a chest of supplies down onto the snow. Both of them were wearing their scarfs to keep warm, but I'm not too worried about the cold as I have my heavy coat on.
The chest opens up and the azure unicorn begins to dig into what could be used to further install the basic set-up for the show. I knew from Earth's tales that magicians never reveal their secrets, so I look away to make sure that I don't see any of her secrets like I did with any magician visiting my elementary school when I was a very young kid; though I was amazed with magic tricks.
Starlight Glimmer is helping her out with the decorations to be strung out over the stage in relation to the stars and the crescent moon that Trixie had on her cutie mark. All of it seemed quite peaceful... well, until the quiet sounds began to pick up from my ears.
My eyes perch to the side after having turned to see what Starlight had been doing. A few of the ponyfolk in town were trotting about, showing looks of caution upon their faces. Their mouths were moving, but I knew the sounds they were exchanging amongst each other were the sounds of whispering, like they were telling their friends the rumors they saw or what they heard. I'm pretty sure that Trixie was feeling a bit nervous about this, considering that she did a few bad things here or there until now.
Trixie stopped ravaging through the chest, turning to look at me with a look of guilt. "Everypony always says they'll give you a second chance, but deep down, they never forget." She tells me.
"That's what I'm worried about." Starlight comments, seeing that something was wrong when the few groups of ponies were trotting past and whispering.
I can hear Trixie exhale a sigh. "What is it?" I asked her, my tone sounding a bit questioned.
"It's not you Brayden, don't worry. It's Twilight," She says to me, sounding a little bit sad with a tone of disappointment in her voice. "I heard what Twilight said about me, and... she's right. I wasn't very nice. I'd understand if you and Starlight didn't want to be friends."
"Are you kidding?" Starlight says with a smile on her face to cheer her friend up. "You're the first pony I've met who has any idea how I feel!"
"I know you from the world that I came from, and you didn't know me at the time, but I always have the honor to meet anypony, no matter what they did in the past." I said to Trixie, placing my hand on her shoulder.
Trixie manages to put on a bit of a smile after those previous thoughts she had that her own past would always be remembered by have slipped away. Her expression does look like she is thinking about something... but I don't know what it is, especially after her eyes turn to look around to see if anypony was looking before turning to look at Starlight.
"Can you and your friend Brayden keep a secret?" She requests.
Starlight could only raise one hoof and put it into a shrug-like movement. "What are friends for?" She said, which did mean yes after all.
"Don't worry, I have a very open mind and I won't judge your secret." I said to her.
Trixie took another chance to peek around for anypony listening in, and she speaks to us in a rather hushed volume. "The things I've done? I did them because I was jealous of Twilight. She's just the best at everything, and I wanted to beat her at something!"
"Your secret is safe with me." Starlight said in a hushed tone.
I nod my head in agreement and in the same tone they spoke in, I said "Same here." Why did I have to say I'd keep the secret safe about Twilight? I know she didn't like it if I kept secrets from her, but I know that she'll be bound to get it out of me.
"Thanks," The azure unicorn responded, sounding rather relieved to hear that. "Do you both want to help me unpack my wagon?"
"Why not?" I said to her. "Seems like you could use our help."
Trixie begins to trot past us and ahead whilst she spoke to both of us. "Then come along you two, my wagon is right down the trail from the stage, couple of steps away from here."
Starlight joins up beside Trixie as she was beginning to trot toward the clean path of dirt connecting the way to the town and to wherever like Sweet Apple Acres or any town in Equestria by distance. I decided to follow along behind them just to make sure that both of them were safe on the path, as sometimes a timberwolf would get loose sometimes, though it is more common to see them in this season and the summer nights than in daylight.
A few ponies were trotting about on the path, chatting with their friend as they went. None of them really pay too much attention to Trixie, being that even if a few saw her and began the rumors they would have forgotten that she was the one who had them trapped in a huge dome of what would seem to be unbreakable glass. Kind of reminded me of a cartoon movie back on Earth I saw... even reminded me of it.
I thought to myself that so far Trixie didn't seem to be very suspicious, so I can tell that she had changed for the better, even if she had a bit of guilt from her past. But keeping her secret from being told to anyone or Twilight... it seems kind of hurtful, but yet I am not affected by it; since it was more directed towards my special somepony. Still seemed like it would bring harm verbally to her.
"I spend a lot of time on the road with my wagon, so it might be a tad messy." Trixie commented as she is trotting along the dirt path. From here, it is a bit blurry but I can see Trixie's wagon sitting there in the small patch of the snowy field.
"Maybe we can help," Starlight commented. "Brayden can help out with the stage set-up, but I'm pretty good at organizing stuff as well. Magic props, brainwashed crowds..."
I knew that she was bringing up her past again in a joking way. "Starlight!" I warned her once again, the tone turning firm for a moment.
"Relax Brayden, just a joke!" Starlight responded to me with laughing from both her and Trixie.
"Still though, I don't want you to go back to that part of your life again." I said to her with concern and worry.
Both of them have stopped trotting as soon as I have stopped. Starlight's face had a trustful smile on her face when she turns around to see my face filled with anxiety that it would be the case. She trots a few steps towards me and places her left front hoof onto the top of my right hand before her persian blue eyes look up at my brown eyes.
"You know me though now," She said to me. "Ever since I helped you out in return, I've never wanted to do anything bad and... I don't even want to thanks to you and Twilight for stopping me from altering time forever."
A small smile does crawl upon my mouth when she told me that and I chuckled a bit. "That's true, who knows what bad things would have happened if I never came to Equestria."
"Pssssssst! Pssst! Psssssst!"
While Trixie wasn't looking at us, but trotting a bit towards her wagon in the field, one of the bushes with snow covered on top and around the leaves begins to rustle a bit, catching both me and Starlight by surprise. Both of us look very cautious about it like this was a piece of important information being delivered to us, but I knew that sound was very familiar to somepony I knew and loved.
Starlight trots closer towards the bush, having that whoever was in it had shaken off the snow from the bush and we could see a familiar face with a bit of her mane peek out from the bush underneath with those violet eyes and that sapphire blue mane. It was Twilight herself! She must have been following us... or probably either of us to raise our suspicions about it.
As it sounds like she has shushed the both of us quietly, I knew that Starlight was probably going to distract both of us from Trixie for a moment to see what Twilight had to say. "Uh, we'll catch up," Starlight calls out to the azure unicorn. "I think there's something in my hoof, and Brayden is helping me get it out."
"Sure," Trixie said with a smile. "The wagon's over there, come over when you both are finished."
Once Trixie had gone off a good distance from hearing range, both myself and her turn to look at Twilight who had been hiding in the bush the entire time, as she rose on out of it. I'm still unsure on why she would be following us.
Twilight sounded rather hushed as she spoke to us. "So, how's it going with your new friend?"
"Great," Starlight tells her, sounding a bit sarcastic as she spoke. "Thanks for asking in a completely 'not creepy' way."
"Because you know," Twilight says, taking note and ignoring that sarcasm most likely. "If it isn't working out for any reason, I could introduce you to my friend here."
Another bush beside her began to rustle which also caught Starlight's attention. Starlight could only turn and lower downward to look at the bush as if it was somepony, though looking a bit weirded out and deadpan.
"Nice to meet you." She said rather blankly as her hoof reached forward and rustled the bushes further.
"No, no!" Twilight says with a bit of a friendly giggle. She turns her head to the top of the snow-covered bush and looks at whoever was in there. "You can come out now!"
The sound of the dubstep-like sounds coming from the headphones along came into the sound, and I knew by that mane style and purple toned glasses that it was Vinyl Scratch herself, just smiling and nodding her head to the beat, probably not paying attention to what was happening as of right now with our conversation. Being that she works as a DJ under the name of DJ Pon-3, I can clearly see why she doesn't use her actual name nor has she spoken to me about it, since she always listens to that music which I don't have a problem with.
"You like music, right?" Twilight asked Starlight.
I raise my left hand to get her attention. "I do!" I called out in a normal volume in the tone of my voice.
Twilight giggles for a moment. "I wasn't asking you Brayden, I already know that you like it," She tells me before turning back to Starlight to finish talking. "DJ Pon-3'd be the perfect friend for tomorrow night's incredibly important dinner with Celestia. You know, if you decide to make a last-minute change."
I look rather suspicious about what Twilight was trying to say to her student. "So back at your castle when you said to Starlight "I trust you", you meant "I don't trust you"."
My special somepony begins to look a little nervous about this, and even the tone of her voice gave it away. "Who can really say who said what? I know I can't!" She turns to Vinyl for a moment with that awkward smile on her face. "Can you?"
Vinyl Scratch nods at her request and gets out of the bushes to trot off in a direction that led back to town. Even though she was there, she was pretty busy there to where she probably didn't know what they were talking about over the loud music she was blasting through those headphones of hers.
"Both of you... I'm just trying to look out for both of you." Twilight said, sounding a little calm but a little concerned for possibly the wrong sake.
Starlight could only sigh after hearing that. "I appreciate it, and I'm sure Brayden does too," She responded to her, by which I nod in agreement. "But you're wrong about Trixie. She's just like me. We have a real connection."
"That's kind of what I'm afraid of," Twilight confessed to her before something or somepony must have caught her attention. Being that it was the sound of wings, I can tell it was somepony that came to her. "Oh! What about her?" She suggests.
I turn my head for a moment to see that it was Derpy Hooves herself just flying by and waving at all three of us before she hit her head onto the tree branch in the way. She falls to the ground afterwards with her eyes going cross-eyed for a moment before moving on to wherever she had to go to.
"Please, Twilight!" Starlight begins to sound very annoyed with her teacher's suggestions. "I know you're trying to help, but I need to make friends on my own if I'm going to become a better pony."
"But do you really think Trixie's the one to help you with that?" Twilight asked.
Oh no... she didn't. "Wow," Starlight was pretty angry now by the way she sounded when she heard Twilight say that to her. "Trixie was right. You're not really giving her a second chance. I wonder what that says about how you feel about me."
We could hear a snort for a moment, with all of us turning while Starlight begins to trot away. I turn around for a moment and see that familiar donkey trotting on the streets: Cranky. I recall having seen him a few times, but didn't really get the chance to introduce myself to him. I will have to make sure to do that later, as I am assisting my friend right now.
"Oh! Now he'd be perfect!" Twilight suggested, another smile upon her face as she said that.
Starlight could only groan and gallop off to join up with Trixie at her wagon as she was setting up. All the while, I was a little bit angry at Twilight for trying to intrude between Starlight and Trixie's friendship and turn to look at her with a frown and what seems to almost look like a glare on my face.
"Twi, why are you stepping in her way?" I asked her, sounding very disappointed in her.
"I... I just-" Twilight says, knowing that even I was angry about this. "I want to make sure that Trixie is not trying anything like brainwash you to side with her."
"She's not! Nor would she try to brainwash Starlight, because I am truely accepting that she has changed her ways."
Twilight wants to say something to me in return, but seems very unsure about what to tell me, but is instead trying to put a smile on my face which I wasn't falling for. For this, I did have enough of what was going on with her following us, and I proceed to turn and walk towards Trixie's wagon to join with my two friends.
"Look, both me and Starlight need our space with Trixie, so please leave us alone for a bit." I told her as I walk away.
I don't really realize that I must have upset her, as by how her ears have flopped into a sad position. I just didn't really notice though as I was walking away.
Trixie and Starlight were in sight, chatting amongst themselves while Starlight is helping her unpack her wagon which she has left open to get out the supplies needed to set up for tomorrow night. Starlight's horn is channelling with magic as it is levitated a chest of where the magic tricks would be for the performance.
Being here though thankfully, they wouldn't want to accidentally get them wet in the snow below their hooves and my boots. I join up with them, Trixie forming a smile upon her mouth when I had returned. She on the other hoof has magic ignited to move a large black box with a star upon it that can be broken by all sides of it. She silently assigns me to check on the smoke machines on the wagon's porch.
I go up to the porch by her own permission, approaching the smoke machines and the percentage of smoke that had been inserted into it. If one of them didn't have enough smoke to process for tonight, there was a container filled with smoke liquids of the sort to restore it back into balance. I'm no mechanic, but I didn't see any leaks that would seep through the bottom of them, so it should be fine.
"I was thinking," Starlight spoke up while checking the magic potions for play and show. "You said Twilight is better than you at everything, but that's not true. You're better at magic."
"Only when I'm wearing a soul-sucking evil amulet, so I don't think that counts," Trixie responds to her, refering to when she had the Alicorn Amulet which is now in safe-keeping with Zecora and away from hooves getting ahold of it. "Funny story. Don't need to get into it."
While I check the second last smoke machine, I made a comment. "She meant stage magic."
"Well, of course! Great? Yes. Powerful? Obviously." Trixie says with a smile while her magic levitates a row of cards in the air to demonstrate that arrogance which doesn't really bother me because that's her personality. "As great and powerful as I am, there's one trick I've never been able to do..." She pauses for a moment before continuing. "The Moonshot Manticore Mouth Dive!"
"MMMD, I will just shorten it to that," I said, stopping for a moment to see if there was an explanation behind that trick. "What exactly is it?"
Trixie turns to look at me and explains. "Only one magician has ever pulled it off - my hero, Hoofdini! You are supposed to blast yourself into the open mouth of a hungry manticore! After the manticore chews you up and swallows you, you magically step out of a box on the other side of the stage! Completely unharmed!"
"That sounds very..." Starlight says.
"Dangerous?" Trixie questions her, in case it was most likely one of those ponies going to laugh for the fact nopony could ever do that.
"I was going to say very cool!" Starlight responds to her question with amazement after having heard how this trick worked.
I chuckled for a moment and moved on to the last smoke machine while Trixie put a clever smile on her mouth, trotting beside her. "I knew I liked you for a reason. I don't know how he did it!" Her expression and tone of her voice turned to sound a little fearful. "If I tried that, I'd get chewed up and swallowed by that manticore."
"Not if you could use real magic." She commented back to Trixie.
"Obviously," Trixie says to her, annoyed that it is the typical answer. "Way to rub it in."
"No, I mean, I could help!" Starlight says, sounding like she had the right idea on how to work out the magic trick with her assistance. "You could start the trick, and right before you got chewed up, I could use magic to save you..." Her horn ignited, casting a teleportation spell and disappearing. The black box opened up though and I can see that it was her who was still speaking. "...and make you appear in the black box!"
"I guess that could work..." Trixie says like she's given the idea of thought, but her tone changes when she continues. "But if you made one mistake, I'd be a goner."
I finish tweaking the last smoke machine, and get off of the wagon's porch to join them both. "I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to be eaten by a manticore. Even though I advise caution, I hope you two don't make a mistake to cost one life. I know this since I have dealt with timberwolves after all."
Starlight could only scoff at my comment. "Please Brayden, when it comes to magic, I don't make mistakes. Maybe I could be her... magic show helper pony!" She suggested to me.
I place my right hand's index finger and thumb onto my chin to give it some thought. Don't really think she knew how the term was really said, but I'm sure she'll be fine knowing what it was. "They call it 'assistant' in the magician business Starlight." I said to her.
"Nopony's ever offered to help before." Trixie says, a little surprised in the tone of her voice that her new friend would suggest becoming her assistant for this show and possibly the next if all went well.
"Well, I'd be honored." Starlight says, a smile lighting up on her face.
Trixie's face was rather enlightened by this honorable insistance from the mare that became her friend to this day. "You may have just made my great and powerful magic show even better!" She exclaims proudly before trotting up to the wagon's porch and channeling magic to her horn to grab a poster and open it up for all three of us to see. "Which I didn't think was possible! We're going to blow them away tomorrow night, and you are welcome to help out Brayden!"
"Say... thanks." I said to her, kindly appreciating her offer to let myself join up for a great show with the redeemed mare who could potentially still be rivals with Twilight in some way but not really.
All Starlight can really do though is groan though in disappointment. "We can't!" She says to the both of us like she was realizing something. "Tomorrow night's this incredibly important dinner with Twilight."
"Oh..." Trixie said blankly, before a look of disappointment crossed upon her face and rolls up the poster to put it away.
"Can I vent for a moment?" Starlight does ask while I am listening. It isn't directed towards me, but back to Trixie.
Trixie turns to look at her, still standing on the porch. "What are friends for?"
Starlight had an expression on her face that felt like she had no choice but to tell it how it is. "Even after Twilight says she trusts me, she clearly doesn't trust me enough to choose my own friends," She sighed for a moment before her ears flopped and her head lowered with a disappointed look on her face. "I guess you were right... no second chances."
I want to say something about this, but a 'hmph' from Trixie just pretty much said it all. "I wish I could say I was surprised. Well, lucky for 'Princess Twilight', I have my magic show tomorrow night. If you both have to go to the dinner, I completely understand," The tone of her voice changed and she soon started to sound very dramatic. "I just hope I can find a way to survive the Moonshot Manticore Mouth Dive without my new assistant!"
I had to figure something out, and fast! I didn't want to miss out on Twilight's dinner with Celestia because it wouldn't give us a chance to meet up and connect. Especially with the ruler of Equestria being my mother, I would end up disappointing her. At the same time, I don't want to skip this opportunity to watch Starlight and Trixie in action together at the show, as I would have to be wary should something go wrong. The azure unicorn was putting herself at risk of getting killed and I didn't want that to happen.
"Wait!" I said, knowing that there really wasn't any point in going back on this. Trixie stops acting dramatic about it, and Starlight no longer looks disappointed when I spoke up.
"Wait for what?" Trixie asked me. "Twilight obviously doesn't want either of you to miss dinner, so I might be off on my own to doing this trick without assistance which is a scary kind of trick through the eyes of everypony watching me do this."
"That's why I'm thinking, we could skip the dinner to help you out tomorrow night!" I said to her, feeling quite bad. "I know that being Twilight's special somepony, she may be a little angry at me; but this could all be worth it in the end."
Starlight doesn't know what to think yet, but begins to pace left to the right, repeat progress to think over what I had said to her. I mean, skipping dinner would leave consequences on us and even if she is angry I knew deep down she wouldn't want to hurt me again and leave my heart broken like she did before. Wouldn't want to run away and get recaptured by changelings now, would I? Not at all anymore.
A moment of realization came to her at last from the words I spoke, and she smiles. "You're right!" She exclaims with a smile on her face. "I'm sure Twilight even won't notice that we haven't gone yet, thinking we both had taken a sick day!"
"Then excellent!" Trixie says proudly. "I'm glad you both could take the opportunity to assist me. Starlight, you can help Brayden out with moving the smoke machines and other supplies and props used for the show tomorrow. I'm just going to go into the wagon for a moment to check up on the manticore."
I nod to her with understanding. "Alright, do what you have to do. Wouldn't want to overfeed the creature from the Everfree Forest now, would we?" I said with a clever look on my face.
All Trixie does is smile and turn around making her way past the curtained doorway and into the mobile wagon, kept still by the red brick below the wheels to keep them from moving in the snow.
I still find it funny that she hasn't complained about wheels...
Trixie's POV
I enter the wagon alone, checking behind me to make sure that Brayden nor my new friend Starlight was watching. I push the curtains closed to make sure of that and I begin trotting towards the small cabinet while my magic is opening it up to reveal that it is filled with real potions used whenever necessary.
Most of the potions are mostly for healing whenever an injury comes and happens on occasion, but usually coming through papercuts or bruises from accidentally tripping. But there is one potion that I can see of use to for that human with wings.
My magic pushes the other potions to the side, revealing one that has not been of use to me which I could for now, seeing that I have some interest in trying to sway Brayden into my direction on what I was trying to accomplish. Now you may say that I'm going to sound a bit arrogant, but... personality-wise! Don't forget that now!
Yes... I knew that this potion was the one that I could put to use! It is a love potion, having been that it was never used after hearing about an incident over Hearts and Hooves Day. The recipe for it was thrown out to the paper eaters and forgotten, but there is this one which still remain.
If I can put this into effect by having Brayden drink it, he'll be distracted from thinking that Twilight is the love of his life, but more rather instead... making him mine for me to use as my own puppet and for him to promote me into this fame on my apology tour! Should Twilight enter, she'll be in for a real disappointment when she finds out that I've got him under my spell!
Yes! I have a feeling that tomorrow night, I will finally beat Twilight at something and be better than her!
Brayden's POV
Tomorrow night's evening...
Wow, I can't even believe how good of a job both me and Starlight did for the stage together as well as setting up the lights above.
The show was just a couple of minutes away from starting, and the groups of ponies from town were already starting to make a gathering around to face the stage, a few of them snatching some good spots to get a good view for the azure coated magician and what other tricks she had up her sleeves, even though this wasn't the mirror world's version... who knew what kind of tricks and illusions she had though.
I can see a few of my friends coming up to the front as they were probably aware about me helping out Trixie after all she had done, but they had such curiosity and question on their faces. I know they might be thinking, why is he and Starlight giving her a chance? It may be hard for them to understand, but they'll soon see that she is different from the last time she was in Ponyville.
Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Fluttershy were there at the front as neither of them have noticed me peeking out at the side curtain to watch what was happening, as they chatted among themselves which the volume got a bit decent so I could hear it.
My close friend who we know for her parties is the first to speak in relation to what was going on. "So this is the Humble and Penitent Trixie's Equestrian Apology Tour?"
"Ain't that a mouthful o' molasses." Applejack comments, the tone of her southern-accented voice sounding quite surprised even when the posters stated that.
"It's a working title!" Trixie pokes her head out of the center of the curtains that would be pulled back in a few minutes to be most firm with Applejack before poking her head right back in.
Well, I can't waste any more time just watching this large enough crowd of ponies gathering to the event. I step back and pull the curtain to close off that section of the stage from being spoiled to any of the young ones if there was any there with their mothers or fathers to begin with. Trixie might need me to go over more final checks before the curtains open up.
Trixie was practically jumping up and down with victorious happiness with Starlight, and she doesn't have her cape and hat on for show yet, but I know she will before she goes on stage anyway. "This is going to be the greatest night of my life!" Trixie exclaims with joy before realizing that Starlight and I are right there watching, even as I approach. "Excuse me. Our lives."
Starlight can only sigh in relief to this. "I'm so glad we're not at that boring dinner." She stated.
"Trixie?" I asked approaching her as she looks rather patient when it came to me about to ask a question. "Do you have anything else that I could do to help you out before the show starts? I mean, it is in a few minutes."
A smile grew on her face and she turns to trot over towards a small counter. "I don't, but you look rather thirsty after all of that hard work," She tells me, her horn channeling magic and levitating a small potion bottle towards me which I take with my left hand. "I brewed you something up to drink to."
I look at the potion bottle filled with pink fluids, looking a little suspicious about it at first. "Uhh, I don't think I am thirsty. You know that I've had apple juice with me under the winter sun." I told her, seeming a bit unwary about it.
"No fears, it's just a simple strawberry-raspberry flavor to it. Shouldn't hurt!" Trixie insisted to me, showing no holding back on this. "I'm just going to tell Starlight where to go in place for the Manticore trick."
She trots to join up with her friend once again and I looked at the bottle filled with fluids. Taking a sniff, maybe she is right about it after all. Strawberries and raspberries mixed doesn't sound too bad for the taste of it, but this aroma that is coming from it is a bit rather attractive yet I am resisting on what it is.
I only have the edge of the glass bottle to my lips ready to take a sip of the potion until a loud "Ahem" cleared the room, catching all of our attention and interrupting me from taking a drink that Trixie provided me.
I knew by that mulberry colored coat, the sapphire blue mane with purple and pink streaks that it was my special somepony Twilight, who had seemed to slip in from out of the shadows with a rather firm glare on her face, most likely directed towards me and Starlight. I definitely knew what that face meant, and I can tell what was wrong easily.
She wasn't really happy with either me or Starlight.
"You just both decided to skip our dinner without telling me? Are you aware that, as this very moment, Princess Celestia is waiting for both of you at a table with exquisite silverware placement?!" She scolds the both of us. I already knew that she was disappointed in me for my action, I look down with guilt on my face.
Starlight tries to say something. "Yes, but-" Unfortunately, it seems that Twilight already has the bull by the horns.
"This is exactly why I didn't want you to make friends with Trixie." She stated, even sounding disappointed in Starlight though she looks rather brave about putting up with this.
"A-ha! You still don't trust me!" Trixie says, sounding like she has just solved a mystery or more rather found the clue to a mystery case if she were a detective, but this is not what she is. Just a magician in general, while her face was close to her rival's face who happened to be the one I loved. "But guess what princess? It doesn't matter if you want to give me a second chance or not. Starlight and Brayden had to choose between you and me, and they chose me... so ha! I win!"
"You win?" I asked sounding a little suspicious about what was going on.
"That sounds like you just made friends with me to beat Twilight." Starlight comments, sounding a little fearful and suspicious on the tone of arrogance that Trixie was starting to show.
"Exactly!" Trixie proudly exclaimed to respond to Starlight's question before returning to Twilight. "So you probably wonder why Brayden drank the love potion that is in his hand? That why, I can have Starlight's friendship and you won't be able to have Brayden at all, as he would be mine to love!"
Are you... are you kidding? Starlight's face looks rather devastated to hear those words coming from Trixie's mouth as even Twilight is rather surprised by this. Thankfully, it was clear to me that Ihad never taken a sip from that potion, but more rather get angry about this. I took the grip of the bottle, slamming it onto the small wooden table, smashing the glass and letting the fluids of the potion drain down and leave a bit of a stain.
The azure unicorn's face changed when she saw how angry I was at her for that confession, and seeing Starlight trying to hold back tears at the same time. "Wait! I mean no!" She tries to calm down the situation. "I got caught up in the moment. I like both of you, really. Beating Twilight is just a bonus." She gasps when she realized that she said the wrong thing to her friend which wasn't helping at all, but made it worse. "Saying that didn't help, did it?"
"You're lucky that I didn't even take a sip of this!" I shouted at her, sounding rather cross but not furious at others had seen me whenever I spaced out which I don't do that anymore. "Trying to poison me with this? Shame on you!"
"I should have known." Starlight says as tears were starting to crawl down from her eyes. "Nopony else in Ponyville wanted to be my friend. Why would you?!"
Trixie doesn't really know what to do, but Starlight was sobbing her eyes out and I had a bit of a need to comfort Twilight's student in any way that I could to keep everything calm for her. But unfortunately, Starlight just gallops out from the wagon with Trixie following behind.
I follow right behind her, my thoughts of disappointment have slipped away. Starlight jumps out onto the snow, heading straight for the hills to the left. Surprisingly from my point of view, I don't think anypony would have noticed that. But I could tell even when somepony was upset, that I would do all in my power to make sure they would feel better when I have given them hope.
"Wait, it's not like that!" Trixie called out to her, her tone sounding a bit upset as well while her hooves trotted only a few feet in the snow, but not moving away from the tent as Starlight began to go distant. "I am your friend..."
However I knew that Twilight wasn't done when it came to this situation, but I believe she does have a bit of a point considering that I would have been used if she hadn't come to stop it. "Well, you won. I hope you're happy!" Twilight scolds her, knowing that maybe Trixie learnt a lesson out of this... which didn't help.
All the azure mare could do was sigh and turn around, trying to hide the tears in her eyes. "Looks like the Great and Powerful Trixie is back to a solo show..."
As of that moment, Twilight must have realized the consequences right about now and began to show a little bit of concern for her rival. "Trixie?" She asked, sounding a little worried.
"...Which is exactly the way she likes it!" Trixie could return to her with a glare, the tears finally visible to all of us while she trots up to her wagon to ready as the show would start in a minute from now. "Thank you Princess Twilight and Brayden for getting rid of that annoying pony who wanted to be my first friend! I am not sad at all!" Clearly, you are Trixie... don't lie to me because I can see the tears right now and the flopped downward ears. "I definitely don't feel as if my heart is breaking into a million pieces!"
She pushed the curtain that barriered between the outside and the entrance into her wagon closed, and though I did kind of feel a little bad about the situation that was going on, I knew that Starlight was pretty devastated and both myself and Twilight being that she is her teacher had to be there for her.
"We have to find her," I said, turning to look at Twilight who is trotting up beside me while my eyes were studying the hoofprints that were on the ground in the direction Starlight galloped off in. "She couldn't have gone off that far."
Twilight nods her head in understanding, galloping off to follow the hoofprints left in the snow. For me, being that Rainbow Dash has taught me a bit on flying, I could last for a bit in the air to see if she hasn't gone off that far. I spread open my wings and begin to flap them, lifting myself up off of the ground.
I was in flight while taking note of the hoofprints leaving a trail that could potentially lead us to Starlight. My eyes are also looking up at the same time if she was located in the winter moonlight on top of the hills, crying.
Twilight is galloping while I am keeping in flight, but the spotlight clanking on caught my attention and it was directed towards the stage which the curtains open up to reveal the magician mare that I knew, and it was like she had forced herself to stop crying over losing a new friend she just made yesterday.
Even after she tried to trick me into drinking a potion to make me fall in love with her, I wouldn't go as far as to hate her... I'd never do that. I would always consider her a friend, and when this is resolved I will ensure that me and her stay that way as friends as taking it that further would never work due to the things that weren't common interests. Granted, there are a few... but not much.
Trixie sounds very unenthusiastic when she spoke to the audience, probably trying to hide that she was sad. "Come one... come all... Come and see the Pathetic and Friendless Trixie's 'Way-To-Go-Dum-Dum-You-Really-Messed-It-Up-This-Time Repentance Tour'."
The crowd looks really confused as to why she would be acting this way even as she announced in that tone of voice. When they remembered her, they saw her as being arrogant and ambitious.
"It's a working title!" She quickly scolded the audience before going back to that same dull, unenthusiastic tone. "Behold... your fears come true... A pony-eating Manticore..."
The curtain dropped on the left side of the stage revealing a Manticore that seemed to be straight from the Everfree Forest itself as I remembered there being one in the series premiere when Twilight and the rest of my friends were facing off against one until Fluttershy tamed it by her acts of kindness. This manticore however was not the same one that Fluttershy tamed as it seemed more vicious.
The manticore let out a mighty roar to give the audience a bit of a shiver, but when I look down for a moment to see whoever was at the front, I was clearly surprised. Fluttershy was right there, seeing it for the first time. She looked like she was trembling at the sight of this monster from the forest, untamed like it really would eat anypony.
"For tonight... the Great and Powerful Trixie will be performing the Moonshot Manticore Mouth Dive..." Trixie announced yet again.
The audience who was watching there gasps in horror when they realize how dangerous a trick it would be for her to pull it off. However, she raises a hoof to keep the audience in silence while trying not to worry them about it.
"Now now, save your gasps for when I defy the beast's jaws of doom and appear inside that black box..." Trixie announced before her tone of voice changed to sound very dramatic. "I was supposed to perform this trick with my great and powerful assistant, who was also my great and powerful friend!" A cannon for her to be launched from appears out in the field the audience were in, but thankfully spaced away so nopony got hurt.
As she hops off the stage with a helmet for her head, I could see a bit of a flash signalling me in the color of that familiar aura that I knew. When I turned my head, I knew that it was Twilight who was signalling me in the way of telling me that she managed to find Starlight Glimmer up on the hill.
I flew down from the night sky and joined up with her as Starlight becomes visible. She is sitting right there in the snow, watching the deadly trick that was going to commence really soon. I can't see the expression on her face, but it was probably over-thinking about what Trixie had done.
"Starlight," I called out to her which raised her ears slightly, which her head turns to me with a saddened look. My tone becomes calm and gentle, but I join up beside her and kneel down into the snow, putting my right hand onto her back. "You really worried both me and Twilight when you ran off."
She is holding back more tears, unable to cry anymore. Tears come from her eyes anyway, and I'm not sure what to say to her to comfort her in any way. When it comes to that, I could see why the friendship between her and Trixie was quite well even when she made friends with her in a day.
I can feel a soft hoof touch the top of my left hand though. I turn to see Twilight standing there, looking at me. "May I tell her something, Brayden?"
I nod my head in understanding, releasing my hand from Starlight's back and backing off for a moment to let the teacher and student talk. My ears are open so if there is anything that I need to say, it would probably be very appreciated.
"Starlight," Twilight began, sounding very calm now after having scolded us. "When I first came to Ponyville, Princess Celestia gave me room to make my own decisions and my own friends. I need to give you the same freedom." Starlight's tears seem to have faded when she turns her head to look at Twilight as she was speaking. "I shouldn't have tried to pick and choose your friends for you. I am aware that Brayden was helping you out, but I was worrying too much about him when he was going to hang out with you and her. Just like me, you have to make your own decisions and your own friends."
"But... what if Trixie really was using us just to one-up you?" Starlight asked, my vision directing for a moment towards the azure unicorn who is putting on her helmet and hopping right into the cannon.
"From what I've seen, she's the real thing." Twilight responded to her, putting on a small smile at the same time.
My vision is still directed to Trixie in that cannon as Twilight was talking to Starlight. Her horn ignited a bit of magic to spark up the fuse for the cannon and begin the short countdown to fire her straight at the hungry, hungry manticore.
"But it's not my place to judge," Twilight confirmed as she stood back to let Starlight decide if she wants to give Trixie a chance or not. "It's all up to you."
With the hissing of the fuse and the manticore roaring hungry again, my ears are directed away from the conversation in front of me and I walk beside Starlight to keep an ear open on what Trixie was saying. She was shouting something into the air, hoping that there was a wish to come true.
I did manage to decipher what she was saying even with a bit of the winter wind blocking a bit of my hearing. "Starlight? If you're out there and you still want to be friends, let's be great and powerful together! Please?"
Finally when the fuse had run out of the sparks, the cannon had fired away and she was launched straight into the air en route towards the manticore itself. The manticore can see its food coming by air delivery on its way and roars once more at the scared azure mare in flight though she doesn't have wings.
Trixie realizes how much this was dangerous and that her life was going to come to a close too soon, and shrieks right as she approaches the mouth that spelt certain death itself. Trust me on this though, if she does get killed or I witness it, I would definitely feel pain like what happened when Starlight first altered the past to bring in the 'King Sombra' present... okay, I'm not going to bring that up ever again.
The mare was flung right into the manticore's jaws, with its mouth closing up and chewing her on the inside for a few moments before swallowing Trixie down and letting out a loud belch to tell the audience that Trixie has been eaten. The crowd gasped, and I called it when Fluttershy fainted right there on the spot for seeing somepony get eaten alive as well.
I turn around for a moment to see that Twilight was still there, but Starlight had disappeared once again without even a trace there. My special somepony gives me a wink, as in the way of telling me that something must have happened if she made her decision well.
When I look back at the scene, I could recognize that magical spark from inside of the manticore's inside and then connecting towards the black box on the right side of the stage. I could tell that it wasn't even Trixie's magic aura, but more rather Starlight's because it was a turquoise color.
The box breaks apart and I could see Trixie who looks all beat and razzled up standing there, barely able to stand when she declares the words in a woozy way. "Behold, the Peat and Growerful Triskie...!"
She collapsed onto the stage's floor which had me worried about her for a moment. But out of the shadows and the cheering of the audience that she had survived, Starlight Glimmer was there to help her up off of the ground with the offer of a hoof. Trixie smiles when she sees her friend standing there and takes her hoof, getting up off of the floor.
Trixie looks very enthusiastic once again with a bright smile this time. I spread open my wings, taking flight over towards the stage to join the both of them. She looks rather happy to see that I was coming to join her for the introduction of her new best friend. She finally turns to the audience when I stand there on her left side and close my wings, making her announcement.
"And now, I'm proud to introduce two of my new friends, this here being Brayden on my left!" She says, pointing a hoof at me followed by applause from everypony who knew me. "And on my right is my great and powerful assistant! And best friend... Starlight Glimmer!"
The audience roars once more with cheers and applause, and I look over at the hill where Twilight was standing, giving me a proud look on her face. I knew very well that it was directed towards both me and Starlight. A smile on my face appears there, knowing I made my special somepony proud once again for making a new friend in my life.
But I did know that the show had to go on, and with me and Starlight to help out... there is no doubt this show will be a success after all.
The magic show went on as well as I had thought, and all of us had gone off of the stage to take a bow to the audience for our participation. Trixie was the first to lead us backstage as the curtain has closed and the show ended, waiting for the fireworks to beign shortly.
"Trixie?" We could hear Twilight as she was trotting into the wagon to see us once again.
Trixie looked a bit annoyed, seeing that Twilight was a rival to her. "What do you want?" She questioned, only glaring a little bit.
Twilight felt bad for what she did, but I knew very well what she had to do. "I was wrong," She confessed. "I'm sorry. And I have to hand it to you, I could have never pulled off a trick like that."
The azure mare herself never felt happier to hear those words coming from Twilight and throws herself forward, wrapping her hooves around the alicorn to give her a friendly hug which Twilight puts on a warm smile and hugs her back with one hoof around her. "Thank you, princess." I could hear Trixie say to her, knowing that she has truely forgiven and put their rivalry aside once and forever.
Both of them release from the hug and Trixie turns around to look at me, feeling a little bad at herself. She trots forward and approaches me, raising her right front hoof and using it to gently touch the top of my left hand holding a small bit of guilt on her face.
"Brayden," She began to speak with me, followed by the exhale of a sigh. "I have to apologize to you for trying to manipulate you from that potion that I gave you. I truely understand now why you and Twilight have a really close relationship and I shouldn't have tried to get in the way to make you mine."
"Hey, no worries," I told her. "But here on forward, I would prefer it if we were just friends from now on."
Trixie smiles in response to that statement. "I would be happy to be your friend. I will admit though when it comes to your relationship with Twilight; I think both her and you do fit quite well together."
I think my cheeks are lighting up with pink, as even Twilight's cheeks are in that color as well when Trixie had admitted that for the both of us to hear. My ears could pick up some hooves coming in the way near the curtain and I turn to see Starlight Glimmer standing there and waiting for Trixie to join her to ignite the fireworks.
I offer Trixie a friendly hug which she accepted with no trouble at all. After we release from the hug, she trots over to join with her best friend as Twilight is joining beside me.
The magic of the two channeled and the fireworks were thrown out into the skies of Equestria, sparking with booms and exploding colors so beautiful. My right hand can feel Twilight's soft hoof as she is taking a hold of my right hand which I allow her to do so while me and her watch the fireworks from the slightly open curtain that both of the friends had started.
I turn to look at Twilight and she looks at me. My head moves forward and I close my eyes, knowing that this would be another moment between the both of us. I knew that Trixie and Starlight were watching the both of us, but I didn't really care as long as Twilight was with me. Besides I didn't mind if they were watching and neither would Twilight. I can feel my lips on Twilight's as both me and her are sharing a passionate kiss under the fireworks together.
Another good day done with a new friend made and a problem resolved to my own relief. Now I have one other thing that must be done really soon...
I must muster up some courage to go on a date with Twilight and propose marriage to her, and I know somepony in the Crystal Empire who can give me the right advice on how to propose and seek her hoof for marriage.
A/N: Thank you for reading the new chapter!
Alright, I'm going to be taking a very short break, but I will be back in no time! ;) Next chapter will be taking place in the Crystal Empire. Yes to you 'guest', Brayden will finally get to meet Flurry Heart. :)