FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

I know I pointed out how I noticed in an earlier entry that I always seemed to start my journal entries by documenting the start of my day and how it may have been starting to become repetitive. I apologize for that, but... I feel compelled to mention it today. I really do not know why.

I awoke this morning to the feeling of something being pressed against my lips. My eyes opened rather abruptly, almost startled by the odd sensation. But what I saw before me calmed my nerves in an instant. Lying before me with her own lips pressed against mine was dear Fluttershy. Her eyes were closed, either from being asleep or to help her get into the moment.

Faced with this most pleasant way of waking up in the morning, I could not resist. I reached out and pulled my girlfriend closer to me as I too pressed into the kiss. I heard a cute muffled moan come from the lovely pegasus' throat as her wings spread wide. That moment... What a perfect way to start my day.

Moments passed before we started to pull our faces away from each other. I felt so warm in my face, most likely from a blush. I could plainly see a blush on Fluttershy's face as well, though I saw none of her usual awkward nervousness in that expression. It was nothing but pure bliss. Such serene contentment in those eyes. Finally, she spoke with that meek and tender tone of voice I had always known her by. "Good morning, dear."

There was just something in those words that made me tingle all over. The way she spoke the word 'dear'. Is this what it feels like to be married? Regardless, I felt compelled to reply the only way I could. "Good morning, honey."

Fluttershy's blush seemed to deepen at the sound of my words while she grinned a tiny meek yet happy grin. She pulled herself closer and rested her head next to mine while embracing me in her arms. There were no words. Just long blissful sighs. I did the same. Wrapping my arms around my beloved and holding her against me while sitting up in bed. What a perfect way to start my day.

"I love you." I heard her mutter. And yes, I am sure I have chronicled her saying those words many times in my entries so far. But you know what? I see no point in withholding those words from them. I want to be able to look back on these days and remember these special moments. Insignificant to all but Fluttershy and myself.

"I love you too, Fluttershy." I whispered softly into my lover's ear. I could feel her tense up and shudder with glee. As if those words hit a soft spot in her heart.

"I just... I can't believe how lucky I am to have you..." I heard her whisper. "It could've been Rainbow Dash you chose... Or maybe Rarity or Twilight... But you chose me in the end... I've never been happier."

I leaned my head against her, remembering my fifth day in Ponyville. I will never forget that adorably mushy love letter her pet rabbit Angel brought to me. To think Fluttershy can be that poetic. "I admit... I was really blown away that you started to feel that way for me so soon after my arrival."

Fluttershy nodded, lightly digging her chin into my shoulder for a brief instant. "I never thought I would know what it is like to fall in love... I'm just so glad you weren't put off by my... My..."

I stroked my fingers through the feathers on her wings, prompting her to shudder and become silent. "I know what you mean, Fluttershy. I admit it was surprising to find that happening after less than a week. But I had to give it a chance. I couldn't just turn you away without at least seeing where things could go first. And I'm glad I stuck with you."

At first, Fluttershy did not respond. But an instant later, I felt her grip on me tighten to the point where I though perhaps Pinkie Pie or even Applejack was giving me a tight hug. I too tightened my grasp around her. It just felt so...perfect. Like things could not be better with us.

Moments turned into minutes as we just sat there. Not moving. Not separating. Just savoring each other's presence. Finally though, Fluttershy whispered. "I should get started on breakfast. Scootaloo will probably be pretty hungry as soon as she wakes up."

I cracked an awkward smile. What a way to wreck the moment. "Heh, right. The kids come first, don't they?"

Fluttershy giggled lightly for a second before pulling away and placing a brief kiss on my lips. "We can always make up for it tonight, right?"

I nodded with a grin, nuzzling my nose against her snout. "Count on it, honey."

My girlfriend grinned adorably before stretching and flexing her wings, putting on quite a display in the process. I made certain to avert my eyes though. I doubt Fluttershy would appreciate me gawking due to how shy and reserved she is. And if you have been reading my previous journal entries, you probably have a good idea of how shy she can be.

Once she let out a long sigh of relaxation, Fluttershy looked over at me and smiled warmly. "Come on down when you're ready. I'll try to be quick with my cooking."

"No need to rush, honey. Just take your time." I replied with a nod. Once Fluttershy had departed and walked down the stairs into the kitchen, I decided to get dressed for the day. Today is a Sunday, so I pretty much have the entire day free.

I raised myself out of bed and stretched my arms as far as they could reach while my body arched backwards. I groaned loudly, feeling my tension flowing out of me. No matter how many days in a row I stretch like that, it never gets old. I then pulled open my clothing drawer and started rooting around in it. With today being in the middle of summer, I went with a pair of khaki shorts and a blue polo shirt. Both had been weaved for me by Rarity recently to give my attire a bit more variation.

Once I went into the bathroom, I grabbed the nearest hair comb before wetting it down and stroking it through my hair to get it a bit more straightened out. I did run into a few snags that required me to get creative to avoid ripping a few strands of hair out of my scalp, but I managed. Although before I could finish, I suddenly felt a little pressure on my shoulder. I turned to look and found little Angela looking at me with her big round black eyes.

"Aw, hello there, pretty bird. How're you?" I could not help asking my little friend. All right, I suppose she was really my pet. But after spending so much time around various little animals with unusually expressive faces and showing clear signs of sentience, I found that it was very difficult for me to view animals as mere...well...animals. Of course, there were some exceptions. Gummy, Pinkie Pie's pet alligator, can hardly be considered sentient with that constant blank expression of his. And some fish seem rather blank-faced as well... Am I getting off track again?

Anyway, Angela returned my greeting with an adorable coo before rubbing her little beak against my cheek in a show of tenderness. She was actually attempting to preen me, which is a genuine show of affection from most birds. Using my spare hand, I gently caressed her body while using my other to finish up with combing my hair. Once that was done, I set the comb down on the sink and proceeded down the stairs with little Angela perched upon my shoulder.

I could already smell Fluttershy at work on breakfast. The smell of fried eggs, toasted bread, and sweet fruit jam was wafting out of the kitchen. "Guess we better wake little Scootaloo up so she can join us, right?" I asked while looking at Angela. The little dove nodded before fluttering off of my shoulder and into Scootaloo's room. I quickly followed to make certain Angela did not do anything without my consent.

When I entered Scootaloo's room, I found the little pegasus filly still snoozing peacefully in bed with the covers pulled up over her body. Her little hooves were curled over the tips of the covers as if she was ready to yank them off at any time. But I then noticed Angela overlooking her while perched above Scootaloo on her bed's headboard.

I smiled at Angela while she began to coo rather loudly while bowing her head with every coo. It was fairly loud, but sounded too cute for words. I suppose I could describe the coo as a brief coo that almost gave me the impression that she was inhaling, only to be instantly followed by another longer coo that had... Well, the way it sounded brought to mind someone rolling their R's. Over and over, Angela cooed above Scootaloo until finally she rolled over with a grimace on her face and smacked her hoof into the headboard. "Ugh... Where's the snooze button..."

Seeing a way I could make the moment more humorous, I walked up beside the bed before dropping down onto one knee. I then reached out and pressed my fingertip into Scootaloo's nose. "Right here."

The touch of my finger against her nose caused Scootaloo's eyes to pop open while Angela stopped cooing. My little sister's grimace then turned into a groggy smile. "Oh... Morning, big brother. What's...erf...up?" She asked while stretching her forelegs to loosen herself up.

I reached out and stroked my hand through her messy purple mane. "Well, Fluttershy's getting started on breakfast. You wanna grab a bite?"

Scootaloo let out a long yawn before she grinned at me with the doziest expression I had seen on her in a while. "Sounds great... Just let me get myself moving and I'll head on over." She then started to bring herself to a standing position on her bed while letting out a long yawn. She flexed and stretched her legs and those tiny wings on her back while Angela perched on her head. "Huh? What's... Oh. Hey there, Angela."

I could not help but shake my head at just how cute those two looked together. "You have a real thing for birds, don't you?"

The little filly gave me what looked like a playfully annoyed scowl. That is to say her eyes looked annoyed, but she still managed to show a smirk. "As long as you don't call me 'chicken', I don't have a problem with birds."

I held out my hand to signal for Angela to come over to me and perch on it, which she did after fluttering through the air for a second. "Well, you come on into the kitchen when you're ready." I reached out and patted Scootaloo on the head with my spare hand before leaving the room and entering the kitchen. Like pretty much every morning before, I found Fluttershy hard at work on cooking breakfast. Well...I suppose she was not working that hard on it. She hardly seemed stressed, if at all.

"Need a hand, honey?" I asked while stepping inside. From what I could see, there were eggs frying and bread being toasted inside the nearest toaster, which had a lovely green color with flower motifs adorning the sides. I could smell the sweet scent of apple cider in the air, a beverage that I have really taken a liking to recently. I heard that it is normally only available in cooler seasons, but Applejack had recently started keeping a few barrels of it frozen for use by her friends year-round.

Fluttershy looked my way with a smile before replying softly. "No, I'm almost done. But could you please set the table?"

"Sure thing, honey." I retorted with a nod before rummaging through her kitchen cabinets. I grabbed three large plates for our main course and three smaller plates to hold the slices of toast plus three clear glasses for our drinks. I also grabbed a few bendy straws so Fluttershy and Scootaloo could drink their beverages more easily.

The clinks and thuds of porcelain and glass touching wood were heard as I set them on the tabletop. Although earth ponies and pegasi normally do not use silverware, I was pleased to find early on in my time in Equestria that unicorns do normally use silverware with the use of the basic levitation spell. With that in mind, I can partially see the reason why so many of the unicorns in Canterlot seem so high and mighty... Wait, I am going way off the current topic here. My apologies.

I watched while Fluttershy grasped a butter knife in her teeth before spreading soft butter over the slices of hot whole-wheat toast to allow the butter to melt into the bread before it could cool. She then spread sweet strawberry preserves over the bread, turning them into slices of sweet mushy and crunchy... Why am I writing like Pinkie Pie now?

I watched silently while my girlfriend brought over the pan that was full of eggs and...fried hash browns? Oh right, I forget that I also noticed those being fried in the pan as well. The light brown shredded potatoes took up one half of the frying pan while the fluffy scrambled eggs. In a truly impressive balancing act, Fluttershy balanced all six slices of toast on the tip of her snout with each one on top of the other. Stacked vertically.

What a sight... I did not move or speak while I watched her walk slowly forward, keeping the stack of toast slices from toppling. Once she drew close enough to the table, Fluttershy tilted her head down slightly to cause the top two slices to fall off. They landed on one of the smaller plates with the sides covered with jam facing up. She lifted her head before the other four could fall and carefully adjusted the angle of her snout so that they were no longer leaning in any direction. She repeated the process two more times before all six slices were off of her nose and on the plates.

"Whoa... That was a cool trick, Fluttershy. You been able to do that for a long time?" I asked while lightly tapping my fingers together for a quiet applause.

The timid pegasus smiled at me with a faint blush and grin. "Well... I didn't want to carry them in my mouth since that's food for more than just me."

I reached out and stroked her beautiful pink mane while also showing a smile. "That was very considerate, dear. Especially considering how kids can be about the stuff that belongs to them."

Fluttershy could only close her eyes and smile brightly at my praise and tender caresses. But as I looked at her, I noticed something about her that had slipped my mind. Her coat is yellow and her mane pink. And Scootaloo's coat is orange and her mane a shade of purple with maybe a hint of red to it. The same colors as Fluttershy's, but darker. Could it be that...

I leaned forward to look out the doorway to see if Scootaloo was coming our way. What I was about to ask was definitely a sensitive subject and would probably be best if she did not hear it. Fortunately, Scootaloo was nowhere to be seen, so I went ahead and asked the fateful question. "Fluttershy? Don't take this the wrong way, but...uh... Are you and Scootaloo...related?"

This clearly caught her by surprise. Fluttershy's eyes opened and gave me a very bewildered gaze. "Related? Me and...Scootaloo? Why do you ask?"

"Well... Your mane and coat colors are the same as hers, only much lighter. And you're both pegasi. Did you ever have a kid before in a previous relationship?" I asked further, wondering if Fluttershy was keeping any interesting secrets from me.

Fluttershy seemed genuinely shocked by my questions. "Wha... A daughter?! Oh, no. I've never been in a relationship before you came along. Most stallions hardly ever noticed me and I was just too shy to approach anypony about that. And I know Scootaloo isn't related to me. I was always an only child and I know she isn't even my cousin... But now that you mention it, I guess we are kind of similar like that... Maybe she is a very distant relative of mine."

I shrugged my shoulders while giving a whimsical smile. "I guess we'll never know if that's true. Although I think it wouldn't matter to her in the least. We're her family now, right?"

My girlfriend could not help but giggle at those words before nodding with a warm smile. "We are. And she really has been fun to have around the house. And it's much easier taking care of just her than all three of them."

"All three?" I asked while raising an eyebrow. "Hang on... You babysat those three fillies once, didn't you?"

Fluttershy nodded while setting out a few more tabletop staples, such as salt and peppershakers. "Well, we usually call it 'foalsitting' in Equestria. But yes, I did volunteer to watch them for a night. And they were almost more than I could handle." She then looked right at me and spoke, "They hardly listened to me and just kept being rambunctious and loud and playful. I even had to go into the Everfree Forest when they snuck out at night and had to protect them from a cockatrice."

I froze where I was sitting while looking right at her. Fluttershy taking on a cockatrice? An avian and serpentine creature that can turn you to stone with a single stare? How in the world did she handle that? A mirror to turn its petrifying gaze back on itself? "Um... If you don't mind me asking... How did you save them?"

Fluttershy gave me an awkward grin. "Oh... It was nothing, really. All I did was give it..." She then got right up in my face and gave me a very stern glare with her strong cyan eyes wide open and her mouth curved downward into a frown. "My best stare."

At first, I did not know how to react. Although I know Fluttershy is too tender a woman to harm even a fly, not to mention she would likely lock herself in her bathroom for an entire evening in shame if she did, I must confess that stare was quite...unnerving. "Well... I can see why it worked so well. That's quite an intimidating glare."

Before Fluttershy could respond, a familiar voice spoke up from the direction of the kitchen's entryway. "And that's why we call her the Stare Master!"

The two of us looked over at the source of the voice and found Scootaloo looking at us. "That's a really creepy look, huh? Stopped that cockatrice cold!"

Remembering when I went into the Everfree Forest a few times in the past, I was quite relieved at that point that I never once stumbled upon a cockatrice myself. "Heh... Wish I could glare like that."

Without further delays, Scootaloo hopped up onto her seat while I started passing around the food Fluttershy had prepared. Scootaloo eyed everything I held with a very hungry and eager stare. I could notice her bouncing in her seat with some excitement, clearly hungry and was likely being teased by the aroma from the various foods.

Once all our plates were loaded down with our breakfast, the three of us engaged in idle chitchat. But we barely had ten minutes to eat before Angel came charging into the kitchen while looking and sounding out of breath.

Fluttershy was quick to notice the white rabbit and asked, "Oh, good morning, Angel. Are you all right?"

The little white rabbit suddenly held up what seemed to be a stopwatch. Fluttershy seemed to recognize it instantly, or at least remember a similar incident. "Oh my! I'm late aren't I?"

Surprisingly, Angel shook his head. "Oh... Well... Is it about to start soon?" Fluttershy then asked, prompting a nod from the rabbit. "Oh... Well, that gives me enough time to feed everyone before I head into town."

Scootaloo then asked, "What's going on?"

Fluttershy looked at her and explained, "I was invited to...to... Oh, drat... I can't recall. But it's being held at Sugarcube Corner... Oh!" She then looked towards me and spoke, "I was supposed to let you know that you're invited too, James. I'm sorry I forgot until just now..."

I shrugged my shoulders, not really bothered at all. "It's OK, Fluttershy. I'll just clean my plate and get going. I'll see you there in a short while, right?"

My girlfriend nodded with a smile. "Of course. I never miss an event I've been invited to. Just give me a little while and I'll be there shortly." She hopped down from her seat and gave Angel a grateful nuzzle. "Thank you for reminding me, Angel. I'll bake you a little carrot cake today."

After saying goodbye to Scootaloo and finishing my breakfast, I hurried out of the house and down the path before crossing the meadow and entering Ponyville proper. Nothing of interest occurred on the way... Actually, wait. There was one thing that did catch my eye.

When I was starting to draw near Sugarcube Corner, I noticed an unusual sight. Walking through the middle of the street while pulling... I suppose the best way to describe it was a mobile home. At least that is what I was thinking while I watched. It had a slanted roof while not being very large at all. It just seemed to be the size of a shed. There was a window with wooden shutters on each side with one door on the backside with collapsible steps. Pulling the..... Well, I am not certain of what to call it, so I will refer to it as a carriage. At the front was a lone pony who seemed to be completely covered with a dark gray cloak while the harness of the carriage was attached underneath.

I could not help but stop and watch. I had never seen anypony wear that type of attire before, nor had I ever seen such a carriage in town. From what I could see, the pony's lower forelegs seemed to have a beautiful shade of bright azure to their coat. And from what I could tell from the exposed muzzle structure on the face, the pony was likely a mare. The hood prevented me from seeing her eyes or even the rest of her face while the rest of the cloak completely concealed her tail. She did not seem to be in the mood for conversation and even seemed to be trying to avoid drawing attention to herself. I was left feeling very curious and wanting to investigate this mysterious cloaked pony, but felt it would be best to leave her alone for the time being seeing as how she seemed to be maintaining her distance from just about everypony else. I turned and continued onward to Sugarcube Corner.

Once that giant gingerbread house came into view, I paused for a second. Stationed before the front door was a pair of royal guards clad in their iconic golden armor. I was utterly baffled by their presence. Why in the world would we need them stationed right outside the store? Regardless, I approached the door without much of a second thought. They certainly did not seem to be paying me much mind with their stone faced expressions. But just as I was about to reach the door, they both extended their wings simultaneously and blocked my path with them like a pair of lances being crossed.

"Halt." One spoke in a deep gruff voice.

The other then asked with an equally gruff tone, "Who goes there?"

Even though I was off-duty, I was rather annoyed that I was not being allowed into my own workplace. "Excuse me, sirs, but I happen to work here."

The guard on my left then spoke without budging from his position. "We need to see some ID."

A form of identification? Since when does anyone in Equestria need such a thing unless they work for very specific businesses? Having no means to counter their demands, I rolled my eyes and let out a sigh of frustration. "Never mind."

I turned and began to walk away. I was hoping the back door that leads into the kitchen was not being manned as well. But before I got far, a voice suddenly spoke up from behind me that I recognized instantly. "Helloooo?! I'm asking you guys what the pay is like in the royal guard! How much is it a week?! A hundred bits?! Two hundred?!"

I turned and saw Rainbow Dash hovering before the two guards, both of which were still maintaining their motionless stances with utterly frozen facial expressions. I stepped forward and asked, "Heya, Rainbow. What's up?"

My pegasus friend turned to me and grinned in an instant. "Oh hey, James! What's up? Still trying to get a rise outta these living statues?"

I came closer and crossed my arms while looking down at the two armored pegasi before us. "Hmm... I can't imagine Shining Armor of all people drilling such rigid behavior into any of his new recruits. And I doubt the royal family would appreciate it either. The royal guards are a security force, not a freaking military."

"You can say that again." Rainbow Dash said with a nod while she crossed her forelegs over her chest while hovering in place. After a moment of thought, she suddenly gasped and whispered into my ear. "James, come over here a minute."

I had a weird feeling in my gut, but I followed her anyway. We went to the side of Sugarcube Corner so that we would be out of sight of the two guards. She then snickered with a very devious grin. "I know how to get those two lugs outta the way. You game?"

The first thing that came to mind was that she wanted me to pull some sort of prank on them. "Rainbow, you know I'm not really big on pranks..."

My words did nothing to deter her from whatever she had in mind. "Oh, come on! I promise it'll be funny! And it'll let you get inside without any trouble! Come on!"

For the first time in a very long while, I decided to not listen to my gut instinct and went ahead with Rainbow's idea. "All right, fine. What do you have in mind?"

The rowdy pegasus mare grinned while making a giddy snicker. "OK. All you have to do is head on over to the prank parlor and ask the guy at the counter for a 'foot-long'. He'll know what it is."

I cocked my head to one side. It sounded way too simple to be true. "That's it? All I have to say is 'foot-long' and he'll know what that means?"

Rainbow Dash nodded with a cheeky grin. "Yeah. I'll wait here for you."

"Hang on. Why don't you go get it?" I asked with my arms crossed, seeing as how the prank was entirely her idea.

"Do you wanna get in there or not? I'm already cleared to enter, so I'll get nothing out of it!" Rainbow retorted with an anxious frown. I suspect she was making the whole thing more complicated than it needed to be just to mess with the guards.

"Ugh... OK, fine. I'll go get this...'foot-long' and be right back. But if anyone asks, it was your idea." I spoke with a groan before turning and walking away.

It took me less than ten minutes to reach the prank parlor. When I stepped inside, I found the place to be devoid of customers. I suppose Sundays are slow for pretty much all businesses. I found the stallion I was looking for leaning on the front counter while looking over a magazine. I very rarely ever set foot in that place, so I never got the chance to learn his name. I think I mentioned his appearance a while back in a much earlier journal entry.

I walked over to him, prompting the stallion to look up at me. "Oh, hey! What can I help you with?" He asked with a bright smile. I suspect he was feeling rather bored and was relieved to have a customer.

"Um... Yeah. I was hoping you have a 'foot-long' in stock." I asked, trying to not sound too suspicious. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I had a bad feeling in my gut that I was not going to like what this 'foot-long' was going to turn out to be.

The stallion gave me a really odd look with one eyebrow raised. "Uh... Really? You?"

I shrugged my shoulders, not sure why he seemed so surprised. "Um... Yes, really. Why?"

He replied with his bewildered look never once leaving his face. "Well... It's just that no stallions...er...men ever ask for it. You getting it for your girlfriend or something?"

It was then that I was really starting to wonder just what in the world I had just asked for. "Actually, I was hoping to just borrow one of these...uh...'foot-longs' for a bit. I swear I'll bring it back in a little while."

I was not expecting the stallion to actually allow me to borrow store merchandise without paying for it. I especially did not want to spend money on something I did not even know the identity of yet. Despite my doubts, he actually nodded. "All right then, you can borrow it for a bit. Just make sure you bring it back in less than an hour." He then looked left and right, apparently checking if there were any other customers around before he ducked under the counter. "All righty then.... Here we go. One foot-long."

A second later, he popped back up above the counter and set a... Well... Uh... Actually, I think it will be funnier if I wait until a bit later to explain. Regardless, I could not stop myself from wincing at the sight of the object on the counter. "What the hell, Rainbow... This is what she sent me to get?"

The clerk seemed somewhat baffled by how taken aback I was. "Huh? Rainbow Dash? Yeah, she does occasionally ask for the stuff I keep under the counter. She's my best customer for this stuff."

I crossed my arms and shook my head while letting out a groan. "I'm not surprised! Anyway, I'll bring this back as soon as I can. Thanks... I think." The clerk then placed it in a paper bag and I got out of the prank parlor as fast as I could. I was really hoping no one would stop me to talk while I was carrying that thing around.

I got back to Rainbow Dash as quickly as I could without resorting to running. She was waiting for me right by the side of Sugarcube Corner where we had spoken. As soon as she saw me, she waved at me to let me know where she was just in case I did not notice her right away. Once I drew closer, she asked with a look of excitement in her eyes. "Did you get it?"

There was only one response I could give her. "You're one twisted pervert, you know that?"

Rainbow Dash sounded like she was on the verge of busting out laughing at my words. "Oh, come on! You know it's gonna be funny! Do you need me to talk you through the rest?"

I rolled my eyes and started to walk towards Sugarcube Corner's front door. "Nah... I think I know what to do. I just hope I don't regret it..."

Sure enough, the two guards were still standing at their posts while keeping a constant vigil. I stood before them, their eyes never once looking directly at me. I glanced out of the corner of my eye at Rainbow Dash. She was peeking around the corner and gave me a wink to signal me to start the show. I could only give her an awkward frown. I really was not sure if I wanted to do this.

Improvising on the spot, I spoke to the guards. "Excuse me, gentleman. I have one question for you." I then reached into the bag and firmly grasped its contents. I muttered to myself in barely a whisper, "I really don't even wanna touch this..."

I lifted my hand from the bag and held out its contents in my palm. To my surprise, the guards instantly turned their heads to look directly at it with eyes as wide as saucers. Resting on my upturned palm was a large black...dildo. It was shaped like...like... Actually, forget it. I do not even want to know what its design was supposed to resemble. Even so, I managed to crack a whimsical grin and asked, "Who wants to be first?"

The guards certainly did not waste any time in giving a response. They both turned and leapt through the door while simultaneously shouting in unison, "Hay no!"

Sure enough, Rainbow Dash broke out in laughter and fell on her side. "Ohhohoho man, that was awesome! You really need to pull pranks like this more often!"

Despite just how perverted and genuinely messed up Rainbow's prank was, I could not help letting out a hearty chuckle as well. It was actually well executed. And how often can you say you managed to freak out a pair of royal guards?

Once her laughter had run its course, my pervy friend trotted over to me. "I don't think they're gonna come back out for a minute. Better get in there while you can."

After I had placed the dildo back in the bag, I turned to face her. "Sounds good. But I should drop this off at the prank parlor first. I only borrowed it."

Not surprisingly, Rainbow Dash gave me an awkward smile. "Um... Actually, could you let me borrow that for a bit?"

Predictable. I replied with a stern scowl on my face. "Absolutely not. I know what you wanna do with this and the answer is a big NO in capital letters. I'll get in trouble if I don't bring this back."

Rainbow got a good snicker out of my response. "All right, all right! I'll drop it off for you. I swear I won't stick that anywhere!"

With some hesitation, I handed the bag to her and let it hang by its handle from her mouth. "You better not. If anyone comes knocking at my door for it, I'll tell them you were the one who had it last."

My friend nodded with a somewhat nervous grin on her face. "Yeah... Well, get going. Somepony's expecting you in there." Before we could converse further, Rainbow Dash turned and galloped away and out of sight. I wasted no time and stepped through Sugarcube Corner's front door before the guards had a chance to come back out.

Almost instantly upon entering the storefront, I was greeted by both of the guards looking quite irritated and seemed like they were prepared to pounce on me. But before they could act, a voice I am quite familiar with spoke out with a hint of irritation. "Guards, stand down! He is one of our most anticipated guests!"

Both guards instantly backed down with looks of genuine surprise. Without a word and looking rather embarrassed, they both walked right by me and returned to their posts outside the door. I looked around and found that the entire storefront was decked out for a party. Colorful banners were strewn about the walls while balloons were tied down everywhere. Colorful and delicious treats were set about for the partygoers to enjoy. Speaking of which, there were quite a few ponies around, although more than a few seemed slightly apprehensive of something. And I soon saw what had them on edge. At the far end of the storefront sat the three royal sisters themselves. A long table was set out before them and was lined with all sorts of Sugarcube Corner's best creations. Celestia herself was seated at the center while Luna and Nightmare Moon were at her sides. Luna in particular was waving at me, most likely to signal me to come closer.

More than happy to see two of my most precious friends, I made a beeline through the crowds of ponies and soon found myself standing before the table. However, Nightmare Moon had already moved to meet my approach and was standing before me. "It's been too long, dear friend." She spoke to me, looking absolutely amazing after having finally fully healed. Her sleek black body was free of bandages and scars while her royal tiara rested on her head. Hang on... Did I already mention that in an earlier entry? Oh right, she attended my birthday party a month or two ago. And I always write in ink... Regardless, seeing her and Celestia in the same room, I can now safely say that her beauty does indeed rival that of Celestia herself.

I reached out and held the princess of dreams in a tender embrace, feeling my cheek resting against the side of her neck. I felt her return the favor, wrapping a foreleg around my back. "I was wondering when would be the next time I would see you outside my dreams." I muttered softly.

The two of us stood there, just savoring the moment. It did not matter to me that there were more than likely some eyes looking right at us. I had not seen Nightmare Moon in person for several weeks and I was not willing to part with her anytime soon. However, Celestia then giggled at us. "Don't hog him all to yourself, sister. Luna was looking forward to meeting up with her friend as well."

Luna flapped her wings to propel herself over the table and landed beside me. "Is there room for a group hug?"

I could only barely stop myself from snickering at just how cute the idea sounded to me. I extended one arm to her and grinned broadly. "I've got an arm free, so why not?"

My royal friend quite literally leaped at the chance. She stood on her hind legs and embraced me the best she could. "Then let the hugs be doubled!" For whatever reason, that just sounded so cute to the point of it being funny.

For a moment or two, I just stood there sandwiched between the two gorgeous princesses of the night. My arms were wrapped around them while they grasped me as tightly as they could. But we were suddenly interrupted by the feeling of something long and stretchy wrapping around us like a rope. "No way I'm missing out on a group hug!"

Nightmare Moon asked while glancing down. "What just grabbed us?"

Luna replied with her head right next to mine. "It would seem to be...a very long and elastic pink band."

I recognized the voice instantly and looked down. Pinkie Pie had grabbed us all in one big embrace. Her...forelegs were...extended to impossible lengths...wrapping around all three of us several times...like ropes of taffy. "Pinkie... How are... Forget it! Just let go!"

At my words, her legs unwound and retracted back to their original lengths. Luna and Nightmare Moon released their grasps on me and looked down at our silly pink friend. Nightmare Moon spoke first and asked, "Do I really want to know how you did that?"

Luna retorted with a rather uneasy expression. "I can assure you that you do not."

"Oh, I can tell you! First, I just...mmph?!" Pinkie Pie spoke for a few seconds before Nightmare Moon stuffed her hoof into my silly friend's mouth.

"Don't. I'm taking my sister's advice on this one. Not another word." Nightmare Moon spoke with a rather stern glare that showed she was really not in the mood for anymore silliness. Pinkie could only nod in agreement before the princess of dreams removed her armored hoof from her mouth.

"You've gotten really quick on the draw there, Nightmare Moon." I spoke with a faint chuckle, still amazed that she is the only person I know with the boldness to just plainly stop Pinkie Pie from talking

Nightmare Moon rolled her beautiful and exotic eyes. "I have a low tolerance for incoherent banter. And she seems to be the only pony I know who does that." She then seemed to glance at the table and Celestia behind her before looking back at me with a smile. "But now that you are here..."

I felt Luna move behind me and start to push me towards their table. "Why don't you join us? We have a lot to chat about."

Just chilling with the three royal sisters just did not sound proper to me. Granted, I was happy to spend time with my two royal friends, but just dining with them during what I assumed was an important visit? "Um... Are you sure this is proper?"

Nightmare Moon smirked while she too nudged me along. "What's wrong? You don't like the perks that come with having close ties to members of Equestria's royal family?"

"Well... Uh..." Try as I might, I could not find a retort for that.

Celestia was clearly enjoying the show as I shuffled towards her. She let out a loud chuckle before speaking to me. "Oh, do loosen up a bit, James. My sisters have been eagerly awaiting a chance to meet up with you again. And you wouldn't turn down an opportunity to spend time with them... Would you?"

There was something about that last line she spoke combined with that look on her face that got me feeling nervous. Almost in a teasing way... Man, those three certainly do get playful when together! It feels as if their royal inhibitions and protocols are more easily discarded when enjoying a pleasure trip.

"Well, if you insist." I spoke briskly before walking ahead of my own accord and taking a seat on the floor with Celestia on my right. Luna and Nightmare Moon returned to their places behind the table as well with Nightmare Moon on my left.

However, I noticed Luna look back and forth at me and the spot where she had been seated before. She then leaned forward and whispered something into Celestia's ear. The princess of the dawn... OK, that actually sounds quite poetic. I think I have found the moniker Celestia probably prefers to go by. Regardless, she nodded before suddenly moving about four feet down the table in a flash of white light. Most likely just the use of a teleportation spell.

"Thank you, sister." Luna spoke politely before taking a seat where Celestia had once been sitting. She then looked to her left at me and grinned. I see what she did there. She asked Celestia to move so she could sit closer to me. And I suppose I would have done the same too if I thought Celestia would agree.

I glanced back and forth out of the corner of my eye. Both of the night sisters were looking right at me. After a moment, I finally spoke up. "So... Who's going to break this awkward silence?"

Both of the two alicorns burst into snickering. Nightmare Moon spoke first. "Well, if you would rather not make the first move..."

Luna then tried to strike up a conversation. "Well, this is the first time all three of us have ever visited Ponyville together. Just a visit to spend time with our people and get to know the locales."

I then looked at Nightmare Moon, who was also looking right at me. "All of you? And is everypony used to you now, Nightmare Moon?"

My dark alicorn friend looked straight ahead at the rest of the partygoers. Many were enjoying the various treats littered around the storefront while others seemed to be locked in conversation. However, a great deal of the ponies I did not personally know were clearly moving about with a nervous spring in their step and often glanced in Nightmare Moon's general direction. "Well... I guess I could say it's steadily getting there."

"At least they are not running for cover like the last time." Luna spoke with a chuckle, clearly recalling when she and Nightmare Moon arrived for my surprise birthday party back in May. Nightmare Moon merely rolled her eyes with a less than pleased frown, clearly not remembering the townsfolk's reactions with the same level of enjoyment.

I shrugged my shoulders and looked at Nightmare Moon with a smile. "Maybe they just don't know how cuddly you can be." I then reached out and embraced her with both of my arms, resting my head on her shoulder.

At first, Nightmare Moon did not offer a reply of any sort. I looked up at her with one eye. She seemed rather puzzled by this show of affection coming out of nowhere, but soon smiled warmly and gently nuzzled my cheek with her snout. I noticed her spread her right wing before draping it over me like a cloak. I felt it slightly pull me closer to her, clearly holding me in a type of embrace as well.

For the next moment or two, we just sat there. Holding each other in a sweet embrace. I eventually cracked one eye open to see what was happening around us. As it turned out, a few ponies had drawn closer to the end of the table. They seemed to be trying to be quite passive about it, although I noticed one seemingly inching towards the table while trying to look inconspicuous. I recognized the pony as Diamond Tiara. She seemed to be trying to ascertain what direction to approach that corner of the table from without instigating a hostile response from Nightmare Moon. I almost laughed at just how overly complicated that filly was making the whole thing.

Nightmare Moon soon noticed the filly slinking around the edge of the table and looked her way. "Hello, child. Do you need something?"

Diamond Tiara instantly froze as her eyes opened wide in shock. She clearly did not expect to be detected with my friend preoccupied with me. The few ponies who were close by were also eyeing Nightmare Moon with looks of fright and dread. Diamond Tiara swallowed hard while seemingly gathering her courage. "Um... I just wanted to say... You...look very pretty in your blue jewelry." I could tell she was apparently just trying to stay on Nightmare Moon's good side with a show of sycophancy.

However, Nightmare Moon seemed to take her praise seriously. She released her grasp on me to focus on the shiny blue metal tiara on her head. "Oh, these? Well... Thank you, child. Everything but my crown is really just my armor from my...well...rebellious days. But it does look quite impressive with a little polish, doesn't it?"

Diamond Tiara seemed to relax slightly since she got a positive response out of Nightmare Moon. The other bystanders also seemed to relax somewhat as well. The filly cleared her throat before continuing. "Well... Um... Is there a reason why it's blue?"

Nightmare Moon replied promptly. "I've wondered that from time to time myself. I like to think of it as an effect of a 'blue moon'. I could be wrong, but who really knows?"

I said nothing and merely watched while Nightmare Moon and Diamond Tiara conversed. Over the next couple of minutes, the other partygoers seemed to just lose their nervousness and went about their business while having a good time. Even Diamond Tiara seemed to completely relax after a short while. They discussed various topics ranging from food, Canterlot landmarks, and jewelry, the last of which seems to be a subject Diamond Tiara appears to be especially fond of.

"Is that so? You got your cutie mark when you made your first piece of jewelry?" Nightmare Moon asked while giving Diamond Tiara her undivided attention while I listened to every word.

Diamond Tiara, now with a bright smile on her face, continued. "Uh huh. And I always wear it. This tiara on my head is the first piece of jewelry I ever made. It's my most prized possession. Well, except for my cutie mark." I have to admit I had wondered at times what Diamond Tiara's special talent is. Making jewelry? And still just a child? That is quite a talent. And from the look of that tiara she always wears, her skill in that craft must be quite high. It seems absolutely flawless.

"Well, I hope you do a fine job as your skills develop. Best of luck, child." Nightmare Moon spoke with a smile while she nodded her head once.

"Thank you, your highness. I'll do my best." Diamond Tiara replied with a bow before turning and walking away.

As I saw Diamond Tiara walk away, I debated whether or not to ask her something. I had to think quickly before she went out of earshot. After a few seconds, I decided to go ahead with the idea even though I was not sure if I was making the best choice. "Hey! Uh... Diamond Tiara?"

The filly turned to face me right away. Without a word, I motioned for her to approach me. Luna seemed to be locked in conversation with Celestia. Something about a Saddle Arabia this and a Crystal Empire that. Certainly not anything that I had any business discussing. Nightmare Moon seemed to notice that I was about to discuss something with Diamond Tiara and went ahead to preoccupy herself with a cup of tea in the meantime.

Once Diamond Tiara was standing on the opposite side of the table from me, she finally asked, "What did you need, James?"

I leaned closer to avoid letting myself be heard and spoke in a quiet whisper. "You said your special talent is making jewelry, right?"

Her puzzled expression turned into a smile right away. "Uh huh. I sometimes make some to practice and see what kinds I'm best at. So far, this tiara is my best work."

I nodded with a smile of my own and whispered into her ear. "If that's the case, may I ask a favor?"

Diamond Tiara seemed rather puzzled by my request. I strongly doubt people actually ask her to craft anything for them. She gave me a puzzled nod ad listened closely. I explained quietly, "I'm not sure when the day will come. But when it does... May I ask you to make my and Fluttershy's wedding bands?"

This really caught her by surprise. Diamond Tiara looked right at me and spoke just one word. "Really?!"

I could not help snicker at her response. I am sure anyone else would have given me the exact same reaction. I chuckled while I think there was a blush forming on my face. "Easy there. I'm not sure when I'll ask her or even if I ever will. But should it happen... What's your answer?"

The filly seemed to take a moment to process what I had just asked of her. And I swear Nightmare Moon was trying to not laugh at her expression. Eventually though, Diamond Tiara did manage to force out a reply. "Um... Well...wow. Wedding bands? Um... OK! It'll be a first for me."

I reached out and gently tussled Diamond Tiara's white and purple mane. "Thank you. I'll let you know when that day comes." She giggled with a rather excited grin on her face before trotting away. It seemed that Silver Spoon was at the far end of the room and was waving for her to come near.

"Seems like a sweet child, wouldn't you say?" Nightmare Moon asked from my left.

"Heh, you wouldn't know it if you knew her a year or two ago. She was nothing but a daily headache for me when I first showed up in town." I replied while memories filled my mind of having to deal with her day after day when I took her cutie mark away as punishment for her bullying the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Taking away something a child values is a very effective way to punish them, especially for the horribly bratty types. Although I never expected her to be quite that malicious in her attempts to blackmail me into returning it. As for how I took it away... Heh, I see no point in writing it again. Go ask Diamond Tiara herself next time you see her. Or even the Cutie Mark Crusaders seeing as how they witnessed the event.

"Really? How so?" Nightmare Moon asked with her head cocked to one side. She clearly did not understand how a child could be a threat and I do not blame her.

"She was a schoolyard bully. I just happened to catch her in the act and took her cutie mark away as punishment with a little pranking tool I had picked at the prank parlor nearby. I refused to give it back until she agreed to stop tormenting her victims, but she didn't want any part of it and kept trying to force me to return it once a day in varying ways. It's thanks to her that I had to hide out in the Everfree Forest that day." I explained, still remembering those silly antics.

Nightmare Moon paused for a moment, seemingly taking a moment to think something over. I did not have to wait long for a retort. "But that means if it wasn't for her, I probably would not have met you before I returned."

That was certainly a thought I had never once considered. "Huh? You mean... Actually... Huh. I guess you're right. Doesn't seem right to thank her though."

"I'm sure that whatever it is she did to force you out there, she is probably sorry about it." Nightmare Moon spoke with a chuckle. I could only nod in confirmation. Diamond Tiara has changed for the better and I am glad for it.

I took a moment to enjoy a chocolate drop that had been left on the table along with a vast array of too many types of pastries to count. But after a moment, Nightmare Moon whispered into my ear. "I'm sorry to say I overheard your conversation with that child. Did you say you are planning to marry Fluttershy?"

I nodded honestly. "Eventually, when the time is right. Why?"

I do not know why, but that smile she gave almost seemed...forced. As if it was not genuine. After a moment of silence, she looked down at my shoulder. I saw her horn become coated with her magic's billowing blue aura while my shirtsleeve was also coated with it. It slid upwards, revealing my cutie mark. "Hmm... Seems you two are a fine match."

She only just then made that observation? "Um... What makes you say that?" I asked, puzzled by what she was getting at.

She let out a soft chuckle. "She is a butterfly. You are a dove. Both are creatures of the air that are renowned for their gentle tender nature. Therefore, you two are naturally compatible."

I felt very warm and tingly upon hearing those words. I casually pulled my sleeve down while a wide, and rather embarrassed, smile spread across my face. "That sounds so poetic..."

In an unexpected show of humor, Nightmare Moon smirked while rolling her eyes. "I did not suffer through a course at the college of noble speech for nothing."

Luna, clearly having overheard, leaned in our direction and spoke with a scowl. "Oh please, that style of speech was...what is that term used today...? Oh yes, all the rage back then! Why do you suppose it was so rooted in my vocabulary when I made my first public appearance since my return?"

Celestia could not help laughing at those words. "THAT is why you took so long to start speaking like most people do these days?!"

Nightmare Moon groaned in a dismissive fashion. "I will never understand why I... I mean you enrolled there in the first place, Luna. It is a headache just trying to remember that outdated lingo." I had to work hard to not laugh at the banter the two sisters were throwing at each other. It reminded me of just how similar and different Luna and Nightmare Moon are when compared to each other.

Before long, Celestia let out a startled shriek. "What in the world?! Who are you?!"

That got Luna and Nightmare Moon to shut up. We all looked over at Celestia, who seemed to be looking down at a large punch bowl on the table. That look on her face... I could tell she was not certain of how to react to what she was seeing. "What's up?" I asked, not sure what was happening.

Luna leaned over and showed a bizarre grimace. "There is a head floating in the beverage..."

"Wait... What?" I muttered before leaning to my side to get a better look. Turns out there really was a head floating in the brew. A gray filly's face was looking up at Celestia with a yellow and orange striped mane a pair of large glowing yellow eyes. "Peh... What's up, Ruby?"

My little ghost friend grinned before seemingly sinking out of sight into the bowl below and popping out from under the table. "I'm just having fun! How are you, your highness?" She replied with a cheeky grin. I swear that filly has a habit of popping up where you least expect her sometimes.

Celestia, somewhat taken aback by have a disembodied head floating in her drink a second ago, grinned with a rather unnerved expression. "Oh, I'm...uh...just fine. I'm really enjoying myself this morning... And you are?"

My little friend bowed before replying. "My name is Ruby, Princess Celestia."

"My, such a polite child. And where are you... Hm? Yes, Luna?" Celestia spoke before Luna started tapping on her shoulder rather furiously. The princess of the sun lowered her head to the princess of the night, who then whispered something into her ear. Judging by how Celestia showed a look of profound shock and sadness, it is very likely that Luna had just informed her sister exactly who Ruby is and where she is from. Definitely not something everyone in the room needed to hear.

"Oh... I see. Thank you, Luna." Celestia muttered with a very disheartened expression before turning to face Ruby once more. "As I was saying... Where are you...um...staying these days?" She asked while carefully minding her words, more than likely going from asking where she was from to a question that would not prompt a dark response.

Ruby grinned while rooting around under the table for a moment. "Oh, I'm all over the place! I also run a bit of a business. It's called 'Ruby's Lost & Found'. You lose it, I...found it!"

All four of us leaned in Ruby's direction. I was curious as to just what she had located, as were each of the three princesses from the look of things. When the little ghost detective emerged from under the tablecloth, she had what seemed to be a little electronic device in her mouth. "Here we go! One Joyboy. And it was right where he said it was."

I never thought I would see one in Equestria, but... I swear that 'Joyboy' was an electronic handheld video game console. But Equestria does not have any video game systems... Does it? "Um... Are you sure that's a Joyboy and not a Gameboy?"

Ruby cocked her head to one side while looking up at me while that device stayed in her mouth. "Huh? Gameboy? No, I'm sure he called it a Joyboy. Wanna look at it?"

The three princesses watched me with a curious interest while I took the device into my hands. It was quite small, being one of the smallest handhelds I have ever see. It had two relatively large buttons on the right side with a standard directional pad on the left and one wide and narrow rectangular button just under the screen. By all accounts, it was virtually identical to the classic Gameboy in terms of number of buttons, although the layout was closer to the Gameboy Advance... Wait, you have no idea what I am writing about, do you? Um... Never mind the above paragraph. I was just rambling. Do not think too hard about it.

Regardless, I was rather surprised to see that Equestria does in fact have video game systems. Although since I have not seen them in any stores, I strongly believe they are merely not very popular or it is difficult to design a system that a creature with hooves can interface with easily. I was having a hard time imagining how a pony, even one with smaller hooves like a colt, could actually use this device without something precise like fingers to press the buttons. "Huh... And it's called a Joyboy? Well, make sure to get this to its owner." I spoke before handing it back to Ruby, who grasped the device in her mouth.

"Will do! And it was good seeing all of you! Bye!" Ruby replied with a grin before running...right through the table and across the room and out the door. It was simply a miracle that no one noticed her do that.

"She has taken quite well to Ponyville, hasn't she?" Luna asked with a noticeably relieved smile.

Nightmare Moon nodded and looked at her sister. "I would say she has. And it's good to see that she is quite happy here."

Not even a full minute later, I saw another face in the crowd of partygoers that I recognized all too well. At the far end of the storefront while seemingly having a hard time deciding what to eat first was Mitta. Having just met Ruby a moment ago, I felt compelled to approach the other migrant from Sunny Town. I looked back and forth at the three princesses and spoke softly. "Excuse me, ladies. I'll be right back."

None of my royal friends offered any protest as I stood up and made my way over to my gray and crimson friend. She looked back and forth over muffins, Danishes, chocolate drops covered in colorful icing, cupcakes, the list goes on and on. It was no wonder she was having a hard time deciding.

I walked up right alongside her and started glancing back and forth at the various treats on display. Completely unaware of my presence, Mitta continued to survey her choices. Every few seconds, she would start to reach for one pastry with her open mouth before pulling back and going for another. She just could not make up her mind. "Ugh... So hard to choose... Maybe this...? Or...that?"

Finding her indecision to be rather amusing, I finally spoke up and pointed at a chocolate drop with red and green icing spread on it that looked like a red rose. "I recommend you try that."

Mitta glanced to her right and saw my hand with one finger extended towards the pastry I had just recommended. She then glanced up at me with her surprised expression, but it quickly turned into a grin of delight! "Oh! All right then." She then chomped her mouth down onto the chocolate drop and devoured it rather quickly. "Delicious!"

Before I could recommend anything else, Mitta grabbed me in a warm embrace. "I was hoping I'd see you here. Have you seen Ruby running around? She said she was looking for something."

I returned her affections by holding her in my arms while dropping to one knee. "I sure did. She found what she was looking for and headed on out the door. I guess there's no rest for Ponyville's personal missing item detective."

Mitta giggled lightly while my hand stroked her crimson mane. "She's been getting quite a few cases. I don't think any of her clients know she's a ghost though."

Looking down at my dear friend, I felt compelled to ask a question. "Hey, Mitta? How've things been since you moved in around here?"

She looked up at me and beamed with a grand smile. "I really couldn't have asked for more. Everypony in Ponyville is just so pleasant. And Rarity is always so supportive and attentive to me. She's made me all sorts of nice clothes, even though I don't wear them often..." She then buried her head against my chest and spoke in a softer tone. "Thank you, James... Thank you for bringing me here."

I returned the favor, my hand stroking her red mane. But before long, something suddenly covered my eyes. A very familiar quiet voice spoke up from behind me. "Guess who?"

A smirk creeped across my face while I thought up a witty response. "I will have to say...a tree."

I doubt anyone else would have gotten that joke, but the person behind me giggled softly before removing her hooves from over my eyes. "Nope. Although I'd like to be a tree."

Mitta looked behind me and smiled broadly. "Hello, Fluttershy. Glad you could make it."

My girlfriend cantered forward and gave our friend a gentle nuzzle. "I'm just glad little Angel reminded me of it. I would've missed the whole thing otherwise."

While Fluttershy and Mitta chatted with each other, I glanced around and just happened to catch sight of Luna waving at me and beckoning me to come closer. Only unlike before, her expression seemed to be a bit more serious. When we locked gazes, I pointed a finger at myself to silently ask if she was asking for me to approach. She then nodded, but then seemed to point her hoof just slightly to my left. Directly at Fluttershy. Or was it Mitta? Was she asking for both of us?

Not certain of who she wanted to see, I decided to ask both of them. "Excuse me, ladies. I think Luna wants to see us."

Mitta and Fluttershy looked at me simultaneously before glancing over at Luna sitting beside her sisters. Fluttershy then nodded with a smile. "If the princess wants to see us, it's probably for something good."

The three of us approached the table where the royal sisters were seated. "You called for us, your highness?" Mitta asked with a noticeably curious expression.

Luna nodded while Celestia and Nightmare Moon looked on in silence. "Well, I was more than anything wanting to speak to you, Mitta."

Mitta only? This caught both Fluttershy and I by surprise. The two of us watched quietly while Mitta took a few more steps forward. "Really? What is it?"

Luna's expression darkened. She almost seemed ashamed of something. "I have been pondering this for some time now, and... I really must apologize to you."

Celestia seemed especially puzzled. She leaned to her left and asked, "Apologize for what, Luna? You seem to have done nothing wrong as of late."

My friend continued with her gaze focused solely on Mitta. "The night you emerged from the Everfree Forest..." She then bowed her head in shame. "I judged you far too quickly... And completely cast aside any thought on the dangers James must have faced just to rescue you from that deathtrap, especially so soon after having awakened from another trial the previous night... Not to mention the support you were receiving from his friends as told by their presence when you arrived at the palace... It was very unbecoming of me. Can you ever forgive me?"

It was not something I would have ever expected from Luna. In fact, I had all but forgotten her actions that night. We all watched in silence, though it did not take long for Mitta to bow her head as well. "It's fine, your highness... I honestly was not expecting you to remove the curse at all."

"You are certain? There is nothing I can do to alleviate any bitterness you may still hold towards me?" Luna asked with increasing insistence. She really sounded as if that guilt had been eating at her at the back of her mind for some time.

Much to all of our surprise, Mitta ended up letting out a quiet giggle at Luna's words. "Your highness... I hold nothing against you for what happened. It wasn't your fault that I was cursed. And besides, I can't tell you how much better my life has gotten and how quickly it has improved since the night it was lifted. I have the best friends I could ever ask for in the friendliest town I have ever seen. Please don't blame yourself, Princess Luna. It's all OK now. Really."

After a few more 'trulys' and 'are you absolutely sures', Luna finally relented. She bowed her head and let out a long sigh. "All right... Forgive me if I seem pushy. This has been weighing down on my conscious ever since that night. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

Mitta seemed to pause for a moment, most likely thinking the offer over. I had a good idea of what to pick. But just before I could speak it, Fluttershy beat me to the punch. "How about inviting her to the next Grand Galloping Gala?"

Luna seemed rather surprised by the suggestion, but Celestia gave her a reassuring nod. Our friend then turned her gaze back towards us and nodded with a smile. "Agreed. I will make certain Celestia adds an extra ticket next time they're sent out."

Just before we could converse further, Mrs. Cake approached me after apparently leaving the kitchen. "Oh, there you are. So sorry, your majesties, but I need to speak to James for just a moment."

Nightmare Moon nodded with a smile. "That's quite all right. Take your time."

I followed Mrs. Cake over to the counter. Resting atop it seemed to be a white paper box that was probably filled with pastries. "So, what's up?"

Mrs. Cake went behind the counter and pushed it towards me. "Fluttershy brought in an order from somepony who passed her on her way here. Would you be a dear and deliver these please?"

I was honestly surprised that we were even open today, what with the royal visit and all. But I suppose business is business. "Today? Oh, sure. You got the address?" I replied while taking the box into my arm's grasp.

"Oh yes. It seems the address is... The alley between Stirrup Street and Trottingway Lane?" Mrs. Cake explained while reading over a small note on her hoof, sounding understandably baffled. Who sets up a home in an alley? Oh wait, I have seen certain houses on earth where the access point always faced an alley. I suppose I should not be surprised that it is possible here too.

"OK then. And the price is...four bits. I'll get back as soon as I can." I replied with a nod before heading out the door. Not surprisingly, the guards took a step away from me upon catching sight of me walking by them after stepping through the front door. I really hope Rainbow Dash did not steal that thing.....

I wandered for a bit, trying to locate the alley between the two streets I had been told about. Even though I have memorized the names of most of the streets in Ponyville, even though there are not very many at all, I still have a habit of remembering locations based on appearance. Eventually, I did find my destination. The alley was somewhat dark with two tall long buildings standing on each side that were too large to be mere housing.

"This can't possibly be a trap... Right?" I muttered to myself as I walked through the dark passage. And once my eyes had adjusted to the change in lighting, I saw it right in the middle of the alley on one side. The same carriage that I had seen being pulled through town. Only the pony who had been pulling it was nowhere to be seen.

"Um... That can't be it." I muttered, walking past it and checking the sides of the two buildings at my sides for doorways. I found none, each wall being bare aside from the peachy yellow hued paint coating their sides and the thick wooden support beams fused into the structures. "So... The address is that?" I asked myself while tilting my head to one side while looking at the carriage. From my current location, the door was visible. With nowhere else to go, I decided to check to see if the occupant of the carriage had placed the order I was carrying.

With a bit more caution than I normally carry, I approached the door quietly and slowly before knocking on it. Just inside the door, I could hear some faint rustling noises. And a moment later, I took a step back as the top half of the door creaked open just a crack. A woman's voice spoke up in a quiet tone with a sense of urgency. "Are you here to deliver the order I sent to Sugarcube Corner?"

This was by far the most awkward interaction I had ever had with a customer. It almost felt like I was smuggling some form of contraband. "Um... Yes, miss. The price comes to four bits."

At my words, the top half swung open all the way. The same cloaked pony I had seen before was now standing before me. Her hood had been pulled down further than before, probably to hide her eyes in such a way that I could not see them from my current position. Although she could clearly still see me, judging by her following action. "Thank you. Here's... Wha... What are..."

She began to back away from me. Apparently forgetting about her reservations, she raised her head while giving me a perfect view of her face. Her eyes were open wide in a show of shock, her irises being a shade of some faded dark violet. I was not sure of what to say, seeing as how it had been quite a while since anyone had last reacted with shock upon seeing me for the first time. "What are you?! How...ack!"

I saw the mare disappear from sight. Judging by the way she seemed to lean back, she must have tripped over something. I was naturally concerned and took a step forward to peek in to see if she had been harmed. "Ma'am, are you OK?! Is anything...huh?"

The mare I had been speaking to really had just tripped over a wooden stool set in front of a sort of vanity. Now lying on her back in a very awkward pose, her cloak was now lying flat on the floor below her, giving me a completely unobstructed view of her body. Like the little bit of her forelegs I had seen earlier as well as her face, her body was a beautiful shade of light azure. Her tail and mane were quite long, almost looking like shorter versions of Fluttershy's hairstyle, though not as meticulously kempt. Her mane and tail consisted of two shades of cornflower blue, both hues being very pale. All in all, she was very attractive to my eyes. But I felt a chill in my body when I saw her cutie mark. It displayed a magic wand with a star-shaped gem at the tip with a crescent shaped shawl or glittering trail of magic dust overlapping it, both being shades of light blue to apparently compliment her own natural color scheme. I knew this mare. And everything I had heard about her had been nothing but bad news. "The Great and Powerful Trixie."

The mare before me almost seemed to panic and moved her hoof over her mouth, probably as a way to tell me to keep quiet. She then spoke in a loud whisper, "Just... Get in here! Hurry!"

While still wary, I could tell that this pony was not a threat. I reached inside the door and pulled it open before practically crawling inside due to its low height and the fact that it was raised off the ground by almost a full foot. Once inside, I closed the door's two halves behind me and closed the lock. It was then I noticed just how cramped the interior was. "And I thought the Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse was cramped..." I had to stay on my knees. There was so much in there and so little room to move around, I was afraid I would break something. There was not much to see there. Just the vanity lined with makeup and other cosmetics, a small bed, a dresser, a mini refrigerator, a chest for gear used in Trixie's performance's, and what seemed to be a door to a small bathroom at the end of the room. Basically the necessities of a traveling performer. Something that stood out for me was a matching cape and wide brimmed wizard's hat hanging from a bedpost. They were both mainly light purple while being adorned with many yellow and pale blue stars while the cape had a sky blue hexagonal gemstone serving as a pendant to hold the cape together at the base of the wearer's neck. And on the wall over the bed was a poster depicting Trixie in her cape and hat from what I would assume was a time when she was in her prime.

"Um..." The mare before me spoke, doing nothing to confirm whether or not she was indeed the Trixie I had heard about every once in a great while. I did not take my eyes off of her once while maintaining a constant scowl of wariness. Using the basic levitation spell, she moved the stool she had tripped over towards me. I felt myself warm up to her just slightly by this small show of hospitality. I stood up while minding my movements and took a seat on the stool. It was still very close to the floor, but it was better than putting more strain on my knees.

"Thanks... Now tell me. Are you the so-called 'Great and Powerful' Trixie or not?" I asked once I was seated, the box of pastries still in my hands.

Despite having such an astronomically huge ego, at least from what I have heard, the pony before me was very reserved and hesitant to seemingly do anything. She was nervous. I could see that much. But why?

Finally, she seemed to find the will to speak and cleared her throat before speaking in a loud and bold tone. "Yes! I see my name precedes me! You stand before the great and powerful Trrrrixie!" She did a good job of rolling her R's and really gave off a proud and capable presence with that display. While speaking those words, she even stood on just her hind legs while reaching out with one foreleg while the other was crossed over her chest.

If I had not known about her at all, I am sure I would have been mildly entertained. But not this time. I watched her with a display of indifference. I did not even so much as crack a smile. With the atmosphere in the cramped confines of the carriage having become incredibly awkward, Trixie grinned nervously before letting out a sigh of defeat while lowering herself back down to the floor. "Oh, who am I kidding..."

What was wrong with her? She did not seem just defeated. She seemed downright depressed. "Um... What's wrong? I was expecting you to be a bit more extravagant and over-the-top in your behavior." I asked, actually starting to feel some concern for the mare.

Just as it seemed she was about to talk, her gaze looked me over again. Even though clearly down about something, there was still a glimmer of curiosity in her eyes. "Before I say anything... What are you? I've never come across anything in Equestria like you before."

I replied dryly. "I'm a human."

Trixie cocked her head as I spoke those words. "A...human? Really? Oh... I always claimed that they were monstrous sea creatures with massive tentacles that try to draw in anything that drifts near them..."

I rolled my eyes at that assumption. "That sounds more like a kraken. Anyway, are you the one who ordered this?" I held out the box to her. There was a noticeable sweet scent slipping through the lid's edges.

"I did..." She spoke softly while going over to a small dresser. While she walked, any wariness I felt towards her began to slowly fade. She looked absolutely miserable, a far cry from the Great and Powerful Trixie I had heard about.

"Hey... Are you all right?" I finally asked after wondering if it was my business to worry about her.

She stopped in her tracks before bowing her head. Trixie then looked over at me with a very sad gaze. "Don't tell me you really believe I am the Great and Powerful Trixie..."

I sighed, seeing just how down she was. Despite her mood, I spoke honestly. "Well, you certainly don't seem 'great' or 'powerful' in any way. And I'm going to be honest with you, Trixie. I have heard nothing but bad things about you."

She seemed to tense up at the sound of my words, almost sounding like she was having trouble breathing. With a brisker pace, she turned and walked over to her vanity before using her magic to open a medicine bottle on it that I had overlooked. With a twist of the cap, a single white and blue capsule floated out before she snatched up a water bottle on the floor next to the vanity with it being securely held between her hoof and foreleg in her ankle joint. She set the pill on her tongue before chugging some of the water to wash it down. She let out a gasping sigh before setting the water bottle and medicine bottle back down.

Seeing this, I was naturally worried. I had all but forgotten any wariness I had towards her. "Are you OK?"

Trixie looked my way after taking a long sigh to apparently calm herself. "Anti anxiety pills. I... Things have not been easy for me lately."

It was by this point that I just could not sit there and do nothing. I had to find out why this 'Great and Powerful' Trixie was nothing like I had heard about. "OK, you're officially getting me worried. What is wrong with you?"

She sighed while looking away from me for a moment before turning and resting her head on her vanity while looking into the mirror with a truly pathetic posture. "I'm just a mare who's down on her luck. Isn't that obvious?"

I crossed my arms, starting to become mildly annoyed by her beating around the bush. "No, you're not just 'some mare' who is down on her luck. You're Trixie. You had a strong fan following not that long ago, from what I've heard. What happened to you since the last time you were in Ponyville?"

Trixie's eyes widened somewhat while she turned her gaze to me, though she then sighed again and let her body go limp with her head still on her vanity. "Why would you even care for a fraud like me?"

I responded honestly. "No, I wouldn't have much love for a fraud. But... I'm concerned, OK? When I look at you, I don't see a prideful egotistical jerk of a mare. I see a young woman who needs help. I may have some doubts about you, but I am a good listener. You can tell me. I won't tell anyone else."

She hesitated for a moment before asking me while constantly facing her reflection in the mirror. "Were you told about what happened when I last came here?"

It is rather hard to forget a story where a total jerk of a magician comes to town and publicly humiliates three of your closest friends and fails to stop a towering Ursa Minor like she had claimed to have done so in the past. "Yes. I heard."

Trixie let out yet another long sigh before speaking further. "News spread after that. I lost fans. Nopony took me seriously anymore. More and more was discovered about my claims to greatness. People stopped attending my shows... At one point, I was so low on funds that I had to...resort to working on a rock farm for a week..." She then suddenly looked towards me with tears streaming down her face, her eyes open wide in a show of rage and shame. "A ROCK FARM!!!"

I flinched at that sudden outburst. I did not see it coming at all. But that glare did not stay on her face for long. She seemed to realize what she had done and buried her face in her folded forelegs. "Sorry... It's just... I don't know what to do... If I don't find a way to bring my audience back... My career is over... And I know I can't! I'm a fraud!"

She was taking it very hard. Her speaking had dissolved into sobbing. This was not at all how I expected my first meeting with Trixie would go. I honestly felt terrible for her. "You became a victim of your own lies..."

"That's exactly it..." She muttered between sobs while raising her head enough for me to see her eyes. She then looked at me with a tearful and desperate pleading gaze. "I'm out of options... I came to Ponyville to try to start a comeback tour. I have even been studying and practicing new tricks and spells to really capture my audience's attention. But... This is where my downfall began! Nopony here will even look at me now!" She suddenly lunged at me, holding onto me while gazing up at me. "Please... Tell me! What can I do?! What has to be done to free me from this downward spiral?!"

Even in her darkest moments, it seemed that Trixie still had a flair for being dramatic. However, I doubt she was doing it voluntarily. I looked down at her. She was gazing at me in tears, looking for guidance. She was truly lost by this point. If I had any ill will towards her before, I can safely say that it was all gone by that point.

After taking a moment to think up a response, I finally spoke. "Well, the first thing you need to do is probably the hardest thing you could ever do."

Her gaze of desperation instantly became a hopeful smile. "Name it! Tell me!"

I braced myself. Knowing her ego, she was not going to like this suggestion. "The first thing you need to do is admit the truth to everyone."

Trixie's expression changed to one showing profound fear. And that was to be expected. For someone who had probably been in show business since most likely her late teens, she had probably gone a long time without admitting she is wrong. Before she could object, I gently caressed her mane to calm her while I spoke. "I know what you're thinking and you're right. It's never easy or pleasant to admit that you were wrong. But trust me on this. The longer you take to do so, the harder it will become. You need to admit to the people you have been deceiving that you were a fraud. That's the only way you'll get their respect back."

I was almost expecting her to explode in defiance. And yet, she remained silent. Trixie rested her head on my chest, my hand constantly stroking her mane. "Admit...that I was wrong..." She muttered in a very subdued tone.

"You have to. Your pride is dragging you down and you need to let that go. Pride can hurt you more than others can. That's why I try to not take pride in anything I do." I spoke softly, trying to reassure her the best I could.

After a moment longer, I felt Trixie let out a long sigh before looking up at me. Her tears had stopped flowing and she looked more at peace than I had seen since first meeting her. "Thank you for your advice... Please leave me alone for now. I need to make some preparations."

"Really? Are you sure you're gonna be fine?" I asked, not entirely certain I should leave her alone after seeing just what a wreck she had become.

Much to my surprise, she gave me a very faint smile. "Yes... I'll be all right. But I need some time alone for now. There's a lot I need to get done before nightfall." She then went over to her dresser and pulled a drawer open before four bits floated out of it while surrounded by a billowing light pink aura, as was her horn. "Here... And thank you for these."

I took the four coins in hand, but then glanced back at Trixie. With all things considered, she was probably suffering financially due to lack of attendance to her shows. After a few seconds of contemplation, I took two of the bits between my thumb and index finger and set them on her vanity. "Two is fine. Sugarcube Corner is Happy Hour during this hour. All pastries are half price."

Trixie looked at me without a word, her expression showing what I think was a bit of guilt. "I know you only just now made that up..."

I rolled my eyes in defeat. I was just trying to be supportive of her. "It's fine. I'll just take half. Don't worry about it." I then carefully opened the door behind me and set the box of pastries on the vanity nearby before slowly slipping out of the carriage.

"Wait!" I heard Trixie call out before she stopped the door from closing completely by shoving her hoof in the doorway. She peeked through the crack at me, one of her purple eyes looking at me. "May I please know your name?"

I could not help but crack a warm smile. For all the bad things I had heard about her, I was starting to like Trixie. "It's James."

Trixie smiled warmly at my response while also showing a very grateful expression. "OK... James... Please come to my performance tonight." She then silently closed the door. Taking two extra bits out of my own pocket to complete the payment for the delivery, I made my way to the end of the alley and made my way back towards Sugarcube Corner.

There were no real distractions on the return trip. Rather than have to potentially deal with the guards again, I decided to go through the backdoor through the kitchen to get back inside Sugarcube Corner. Fortunately, it was not being manned by any guards. Much to my surprise, I found Spike of all people sitting at the counter while using his flame breath to roast various treats while wearing a white apron and a chef hat. Among them was one tasty treat I recognized. "Ooh, crème brûlée? Save me some!"

Just after ringing a small desk bell to signal that the latest batch was done, Spike looked my way while Mr. Cake grabbed the tray the treats were being served on in his mouth and carried them out to the storefront. "Oh, hey! Yeah, they've got me fire-roasting some of the goodies they've got out there. Quick and easy!"

"You sure they're not overworking you on this? That's a pretty big party out there." I asked, wondering if he had been single-handedly providing every last edible morsel out in the storefront.

Spike shook his head before blowing fire over the tops of more custard, roasting their tops to a golden brown. "Nah, I can only roast a few things. I asked if they needed me to roast some of the pastries, but they said they need an oven for that."

"Makes sense, seeing as how the fire quickly roasts the surface while not being able to warm the insides quickly." I retorted while he roasted marshmallows that where resting atop chocolate cupcakes.

I decided to leave Spike to his duties and slipped back out into the storefront. There was still quite a bit of commotion with all of the partygoers having a good time. Although I suddenly heard a familiar voice yelp. "No! Keep that away! You know cherry juices stain!"

When I turned my head to look at who had just called out in fright, I saw none other than Rarity standing perfectly still while wearing...of all things...the dress she wore to the Grand Galloping Gala. Why in the world was she wearing that to a casual party? Regardless, I tried to approach her. "Hey there, Rarity. Looking...uh...fabulous today. Can I get you anything?"

My overdressed friend looked as if she was about to ask me for something with a smile, but it suddenly turned into an extremely anxious frown. "Oh, I couldn't possibly ask for anything! Everything here will be an absolute disaster on my dress! Could you stand to see a masterpiece like this tarnished?"

I rolled my eyes while slightly shaking my head from side to side. "I'm trying to comprehend why you are even wearing that thing to this party. Isn't that a bit... Oh, I dunno... Over excessive?"

She clearly did not agree with me one bit. "Excessive?! You can't possibly be excessive when it comes to a visit from royalty! Just look at the princesses! They are clad in fine jewelry!"

I turned to look towards Celestia, Luna, and Nightmare Moon. They were indeed clad in their royal tiaras and matching shoes and neckbands. But that was when a thought occurred to me. "Rarity... They wear that stuff all the time. If this was meant to be a glamorous occasion, you'd think they would spice things up a bit with truly spectacular dresses or something."

"Well, I still would prefer to look my best so as to not be upstaged by... Uh..." Rarity replied before stopping rather abruptly while looking up. I felt a presence just to my right and looked to find Nightmare Moon herself standing beside me while wearing a rather irritated frown on her face. "Oh, hello, your highness! Are you...uh...enjoying this fine soiree?"

Nightmare Moon did not seem to be in the mood for conversation since she seemed to merely look Rarity over for a moment. When I happened to glance behind her, it seemed that Luna and Celestia were watching her with noticeable interest. Just what was the princess of dreams up to?

After a brief moment of silence, Nightmare Moon seemed to smirk before using the levitation spell to carry a cupcake over to Rarity from nearby. "You seem famished. Here, enjoy this."

"Oh, thank you, your highness. It does look... Wait. Does that icing stain? Quick! Get it away from me!" Rarity replied, at first seeming calm before suddenly panicking and backing away.

At this display, Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. "Then take that dress off so you can enjoy yourself." I see what her game was. She was trying to convince Rarity to remove her dress so she would not have to worry about dirtying herself.

Despite this coming from one of the princesses, Rarity still managed to hang onto her defiance. "What?! I couldn't possibly do that! This is a royal visit, so I must... Eep!" Rarity was silenced instantly when Nightmare Moon lowered her head until she was glaring right into the finely dressed unicorn's eyes.

"Do it, or I will confiscate that dress and modify it into curtains for my chambers." Nightmare Moon spoke with a smirk.

This clearly frightened Rarity. Not surprising, considering that her gala dress is possibly one of her most prized possessions. My friend was twitching with terror before she rigidly nodded before walking over to Pinkie Pie and muttering something into her ear. Pinkie Pie seemed to agree to whatever my friend asked. Rarity then made her way to the stairs right behind the store's counter and walked upstairs and out of sight into Pinkie's loft.

"Were you getting fed up with her unreasonable compulsion to look as extravagant as possible, regardless of missing out on all the tasty treats being offered?" I asked while glancing at Nightmare Moon out of the corner of my eye.

"Was it that obvious?" She replied with a chuckle. "I just can't abide pointless silliness. I love a good bit of humor as much as the next pony, but when they start getting overly dramatic or just won't shut up is where I draw the line."

I crossed my arms and shook my head in amusing while a while grin spread across my face. "I guess that's something we have in common." This prompted a chuckle from my royal friend.

A few minutes later, I noticed Rarity and Pinkie Pie emerged from the stairwell. This time, Rarity was free of clothing. "OK, back to the party!" Pinkie spoke with glee while trotting off to what seemed to be a long table holding a variety of treats and a large bowl of purple punch.

Rarity walked right over to us and looked directly at Nightmare Moon with a rather nervous expression. "There! No dress to see or tarnish! Happy now?"

Nightmare Moon smirked while gazing down at my refined unicorn friend. "You tell me. Can you finally enjoy yourself?"

For a second, Rarity seemed uncertain of what to say. However, Pinkie Pie then trotted over to us with a cup of punch resting in her mane like a cushion. "I haven't seen you eat anything since you got here, Rarity! Come on, drink up!"

Rarity seemed to forget all about her dress since she immediately used her magic to levitate the cup to her lips and took a sip. "Ah, I was simply parched. Many thanks, Pinkie!"

"See how much easier it is to sate your appetite without having to constantly worry about your attire?" Nightmare Moon spoke while still keeping that snide smirk on her face.

I could tell that Rarity seemed utterly embarrassed about having to effective been forced out of her dress just to enjoy herself. Clearly not wanting to admit her fashion faux pas, she merely turned towards Pinkie Pie and gave the silly pink pony a rather uneasy grin. "So...uh... Pinkie. What other tasty treats are being offered today?"

"I'm sooo glad you asked! Right over here." Pinkie Pie replied before leading our friend to one of the tables that was completely covered in platters of a variety of pastries.

"Stubborn, isn't she?" Nightmare Moon asked without looking at me, her gaze focused on our two friends.

"When it involves her finest dresses and events like this, as stubborn as a mountain against a storm." I replied in an attempt to be witty.

Nightmare Moon took the opportunity to grab a bite to eat by levitating a cupcake from a long table right next to her. But just before she could take a bite, Pinkie Pie dashed right up to her on the table in such a manner that left their faces on the same elevation. This sudden approach caused Nightmare Moon to pause before she could even taste the cupcake. "You gonna eat that?!" Pinkie Pie asked loudly just before chomping the cupcake down in one bite.

What a blatant disregard of manners! Even I was actually rather offended that Pinkie had so rudely devoured the treat Nightmare Moon was about to eat when there were dozens more strewn around the entire storefront. Nightmare Moon could only glare at Pinkie Pie in obvious disgust, but there was also a loud gasp before Mr. Cake ran by and grabbed Pinkie's tail in his mouth before dragging her down the table and out of sight. But without even looking in the direction the cupcake thief had been dragged off to, Nightmare Moon spoke dryly while her horn was coated in her deep blue magic aura. "Not so fast."

Pinkie Pie came floating back over to us while giggling in glee from rolling through the air while surrounded by a blue aura. Mr. Cake was right behind her with an absolutely terrified expression. He pleaded while trying to keep his cool. "Your highness, please go easy on her. I'm sure Pinkie was just too famished to be picky about what she ate."

"As famished as a termite in a lumberyard, I'm sure." Nightmare Moon replied with a look and tone of irritation. Pinkie Pie was floating upside-down right in front of her with a rather curious expression. I suppose I could have said something or convinced Nightmare Moon to let her go, but how often do you see someone not letting Pinkie Pie off the hook with her impulsive shenanigans?

Mrs. Cake seemed to take notice of the confrontation that was beginning to occur and rushed to Nightmare Moon's side with a fresh cupcake on a tiny plate resting atop her mane. "Your highness, here! Fresh and just iced! Don't worry about Pinkie, please!"

Nightmare Moon seemed to take Mrs. Cake up on her offer since the cupcake was then engulfed by the same type of aura that was surrounding Pinkie Pie. "Many thanks, Mrs. Cake. But I still need a word with Miss Pie here." Our employers watched with bated breath. Although I am quite certain Nightmare Moon meant no harm.

"Heheh... No hard feelings, right?" Pinkie Pie asked, seemingly starting to understand that she was not going anywhere as long as Nightmare Moon had anything to say about it.

The princess of dreams did not blink once while looking directly at Pinkie Pie. The ponies who were closest in proximity to us had also stopped to watch. The ever-lengthening awkward silence was causing Pinkie Pie's expression to darken into one of genuine nervousness. Finally, Nightmare Moon spoke. "No, there's no hard feelings. But let me make something clear to you. You asked me if I was going to eat that cupcake. And what was my answer?" Once she finished speaking, she took a bite of the cupcake she had floating near her mouth in a rather imposing manner. I suspect Nightmare Moon would make a fine interrogator if the need ever arose.

"Uh... You didn't say?" Pinkie replied with a question of her own.

"No, I did not. You devoured that cupcake before I could even put words together to reply. If I had said I was not going to eat that, it would have been fine to consume it. But I did not say that. What do you have to say for yourself?" Nightmare Moon continued while never once looking away.

"Sorry?" Pinkie Pie replied quietly while trying her best to smile.

"That will do." Pinkie was suddenly dropped back to the ground while Nightmare Moon consumed the rest of her cupcake with a somewhat satisfied expression. Mr. and Mrs. Cake both let out a big sigh of relief. "Be more mindful of others next time to you ask if they are going to eat something, or we will have to do this song and dance again."

"Heheh... Will do." Pinkie spoke with a sheepish grin while lying on her back while Nightmare Moon made her way back over to her sisters. The atmosphere had gotten rather heavy from that little talking-to I had just witnessed, so I went to the closest refreshment table to loosen myself up.

While I waited in line, I noticed someone standing close behind me that I recognized. "Huh? Rainbow?"

Turns out Rainbow Dash was in line right behind me. My brash pegasus friend looked up at me and grinned. "Heya, James! Been having fun?"

Before I could offer a response, a thought came to mind. "Wait a sec... Did you only now just get back? You were gone way too long for a mere delivery."

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes while a rather goofy grin creeped over her face. "Well, I might've ducked into a cloud for ten minutes... Maybe fifteen?"

I winced at the thought. "Rainbow, you didn't actually use it, did you?!"

She laughed while also showing a deep blush on her face. "Hey, I washed it off when I was done and he was never the wiser!"

"Well... Fine, I guess... Just... Don't talk about that to me! It puts thoughts in my head!" I groaned while trying to focus on the treats laid out before me. For someone who has already had intimate encounters with Fluttershy, it does not take much imagination to wonder how Rainbow Dash looks under her tail as well.

"Think about it?! Why bother with that?" Rainbow retorted before hovering next to me with one elbow resting on my shoulder. She gave me a very whimsical smirk before speaking further. "You know I wouldn't mind letting you seeing down there sometime."

I am very certain I had started to blush at those words. "Rainbow, we already went over this on Hearts and Hooves Day! I can't!"

Rainbow Dash covered her mouth with a hoof, apparently to stop herself from exploding into laughter. She did eventually manage to squeak out a reply though. "I know, I know, sorry! It's just that you're so much fun to mess with!" I could only grumble to myself while moving along in line.

Once I had loaded up my plate with a fair amount of goods and with a punch cup in my hand, I started to make my way back over to the table the three royal sisters were seated at. However, on my way, I found Applejack standing at a table with an extremely varied list of foods ranging from sandwiches and salads to cookies and pastries. She had seemingly left her hat at home this time and was wearing an adorable red and white checker boarded neckerchief around her neck that complimented her quite well.

As I approached her, I noticed that Applejack seemed to be rather bothered about something. "Hey there, AJ. Something wrong?"

Applejack looked right up at me and managed to flash a smile. "Howdy, James! Just...uh...tryin' ta figure out... Which of these are appetizers and salads."

I pointed directly at a small bowl filled with a leafy green vegetable topped with shavings of an orange vegetable and coated with a glistening fluid. You know, a salad. "That's the salad. And come to think of it, I could use one." I managed to carry both that and my plate in just one hand.

"Oh, right. How'd I ferget what a salad looks like? Well... Uh... Nuts, I still can't decide where ta start." Applejack grumbled, moving her open mouth from one item to the next without ever taking a bite.

After a moment of silent observation, I finally pointed at what seemed to be a scone topped with white icing and a cherry. "How about starting with that?"

"Don't see why not!" Applejack replied before gobbling down the scone in one bite. With how famished she was acting, I have to wonder if she had deliberately skipped breakfast so she could pig out on the buffet. "All right, now I've got an idea of what I wanna try next."

After merely watching for a moment, I snuck away and returned to the seat I had been offered at the table being used by the royal sisters. Luna spoke up first. "Quite a variety you picked up, James."

I looked at the princess of the night and gave her a nod. "I fit as much as I could on my plate. Always does the body good to have a salad afterwards to wash it all down."

Nightmare Moon took a sip of her teacup right next to me before suddenly Mrs. Cake came running up to her with a teakettle hanging from her mouth before promptly pouring another dose of tea. "There you go, your highness."

"Huh... Well, thank you." Nightmare Moon spoke with some hesitation, clearly surprised by the sudden refill of her cup of tea. And no sooner had she sipped it down that Mrs. Cake poured her some more.

"The hospitality seems rather...excessive, doesn't it?" I heard Luna whisper to Celestia to my right.

"Oh, they're like this all the time. What say you we have some fun with them?" Celestia replied with a wink. Luna seemed to giggle lightly while Nightmare Moon also gave them a wink. I stayed silent and decided to just watch the show.

Celestia took a sip from her teacup, only for Luna to immediately follow with a sip from hers, and then followed by Nightmare Moon. In response, Mrs. Cake went to one end of the table and poured Celestia more tea before moving on to Luna and Nightmare Moon in quick succession. They then reversed the order with Nightmare Moon taking a sip before Luna and finally Celestia. Once Mrs. Cake poured them some more, Nightmare Moon and Celestia each took a sip from their cups simultaneously after Luna took a sip from hers. Just when it seemed like Mrs. Cake was about to have to debate who to tend to first, Mr. Cake came along with a teakettle of his own and they both tended to the princesses at the ends of the table. All three of them smirked at each other. I knew what was coming next. Nightmare Moon and Celestia took the first sips at the same time before Luna followed up with a sip of hers. As expected, Mr. and Mrs. Cake refilled Celestia and Nightmare Moon's teacups before attempting to both do the same with Luna's teacup. Only since there was only one cup and two ponies trying to refill it, my two employers ended up running right into each other headfirst. I finally let out a howl of hearty laughter at the spectacle. "What is this?! Musical teacups?!"

I was not the only one being entertained. All three of the royal sisters let out snickers and chuckles in unison while Mr. and Mrs. Cake staggered about for a second in a daze before realizing what they had done before joining in the laughter.

"With all due respect, I believe we have had enough tea for now." Celestia spoke with a crooked smile on her face.

"As you wish, your highness. If you need anything, please just speak up." Mr. Cake spoke while he and his wife backed away with nervous smiles and heads hung low in a type of bow.

"Everypony seems to overdo it on the honorifics and protocols whenever we visit. It can get to be a bother after a while." Luna spoke while letting out a sigh.

Nightmare Moon then lowered her head until she was closer to me. "At least somepony here has the sense to loosen up around us." I could only let out a snort of suppressed laughter.

A few minutes later of enjoying my food and listening to the three sisters engaging in pleasant conversation, I noticed Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy heading our way. Celestia spoke first. "Ah, hello, Twilight. Have you been enjoying yourself?"

Our friend spoke with a nod and smile. "Absolutely. I never miss a visit from you, Princess Celestia. And it's so good to see you both attending too, Princess Luna and Princess Nightmare Moon."

Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes as she was addressed. "That's a mouthful. Nightmare Moon alone is fine, Twilight Sparkle." Luna could only cover her mouth with suppressed laughter at her sister's disdain for her full title. It is amazing to see how similar they are, yet how different they are also.

Suddenly, Fluttershy spoke up while seemingly looking past me. "Oh! You brought Philomena again!"

Philomena? I was surprised to hear that name since I had not once heard it since arriving in Equestria months ago. I turned around to see what seemed to be a gilded birdcage propped up near the wall. "Huh? I thought this was just part of the décor in here." The cage was of the wired frame variety. And perched motionlessly inside it was a surprisingly tall bird. Its frame was very thin with a rather thick beak. Its plumage was made up of vibrant reds and fiery oranges with a few stiff feathers forming a type of 'crown' similar to what you would see on a peacock's head. Three long orange tail feathers hung down from the bird's posterior. Including the length of the tail feathers, it was almost as tall as me.

Celestia seemed mildly amused by my obliviousness. "Oh, I'm not surprised Philomena was trying to blend into the background. She is rather mischievous herself." Her golden magic aura engulfed the cage's door before it swung open. Celestia then held out her right foreleg to serve as a perch. "Come here, Philomena. And please be on your best behavior, young lady."

As commanded, Philomena slipped out of the cage and spread her magnificent wings wide before gliding over to Celestia and perching on her foreleg. Such a majestic bird. I would expect no less from a princess. She looked my way, those bold orange avian eyes gazing at me. Celestia then smiled while moving her head to look past her pet. "Can you guess what bird she is?"

With all those fiery colors in Philomena's plumage, I did not have to think long for an answer. "She's a phoenix, yes?"

Celestia seemed fairly surprised that I knew of what her pet is. "Yes. You seem fairly knowledgeable about phoenixes. Did you read about them since arriving here?"

I merely smiled while reaching out and caressing Philomena's feathers, prompting a coo of approval from the fiery bird. "Well, I did write something of a story years ago that heavily revolved around phoenixes and their resurrection capabilities. I'm not sure how well it would hold up here though."

The princess of the sun nodded with a smile. "You seem to be fairly knowledgeable about animals as a whole. Would you care to hold her?"

I extended my arm towards Philomena while preparing for additional weight to be applied to it. . "I would be honored. Excuse me, Luna." I spoke, allowing Luna to move to my left.

Philomena glanced to Celestia, who gave her a smile and nodded. The phoenix then looked towards Fluttershy, who I assume must have a sort of bond with her. My girlfriend nodded and spoke softly. "Don't worry, Philomena. James is very good with animals."

That bit of encouragement from Fluttershy was all that Philomena needed. With a flap of her great wings, she hopped onto my arm. Despite her impressive size, I found that Philomena is in fact very light. I suppose I should not be surprised with how slender her frame is. I merely looked up at her for a moment while she looked at me. No one said anything, almost as if they were just waiting to see what Philomena would do.

I made the first move. My fingers gently ruffled her breast, fluffing up her feathers while Philomena spread her wings in a manner that seemed to be for keeping balance. "Hello, Philomena. You're a pretty bird."

Philomena cooed lightly before lowering her head to me and parting her beak before reaching out and touching my cheek with her tongue much like how a parrot would. Celestia giggled rather loudly at this display of affection. "It seems she likes you."

I could not help but grin at those words. I leaned forward and nuzzled my face against Philomena's feathered chest. While I was enjoying myself with Philomena, I heard Twilight Sparkle speak to Fluttershy. "Oh, Fluttershy? Do you still have that feather you got from Philomena?"

This caught my attention. I immediately looked towards the two ponies while Fluttershy nodded in confirmation. "Yes, I'm making sure it stays safe and sound in my home. It makes for a handy bookmark."

"Hang on... You were given a tuft of phoenix down?" I asked with my attention focused on Fluttershy.

My girlfriend seemed rather baffled by my words. "Huh? Down? Oh no, that was a wing feather. It was just one and very long."

I could not help but grin. "Oh, so it's a phoenix pinion then. Very nice. Make sure you hold onto that. Those are very useful."

Finally, Celestia herself spoke up. "Useful? In what way are phoenix feathers useful?"

I was rather surprised that Celestia had no idea of what I was speaking. And probably for good reason. "Wait... You mean phoenix feathers can't...you know...bring the dead back to life?"

There was a long awkward silence as I felt all eyes fall upon me. Even Philomena seemed to be giving me a weird look. Eventually, Celestia spoke up. "Um... No, they can't. What gave you that idea?"

I bowed my head in embarrassment, unable to look my friends in the eye. "Uh... It would take too long to explain."

Philomena then hopped from my arm and walked across the table before gently nuzzling Fluttershy's face. I suppose those two must have developed some sort of bond in the past. Luna seemed to notice me trying to lean towards Celestia and stood up. "Oh, allow me." She and I then swapped seats so that I was seated beside Celestia.

Celestia could tell that I had something on my mind and smiled towards me. "Something you wanted to ask me?"

I nodded before whispering in a soft voice. "Did something happen last time between those two?"

To my surprise, Celestia rolled her eyes while a silly smirk spread across her face. "Oh, that's an interesting story. I brought Philomena with me to a party just like this one. The only problem was that she was very close to the end of her lifespan and looked... Well..." Her horn was then coated by a billowing golden yellow aura while what seemed to be a photo slid up out of the golden band around her neck. "It's difficult to put into words what she looked like, so I had a photo taken of her a few days before our visit so we could have something to look back on. She's only been reborn a few times."

I took the photo in hand and looked it over. It showed Philomena perched in her cage. However... Just... What was I even looking at? The bird in the picture did not look like Philomena at all. It did not even have the same body structure! It was covered in unkempt pale pink feathers, the eyes were large and listless, the beak was rather large and uneven, the wings were scrawny... Ugh, it was by far the most pitifully bizarre sickly bird I had ever seen in my life. "How in the world is that even Philomena?! That bird doesn't even have the same build!"

Celestia had to stop herself from laughing at my response. And I can only imagine the expression I was making. "Oh, I don't blame you. I had to remind myself that was her the first time she took on that form. That is the state a phoenix takes on as the end of their lifespan."

"And then they die in a flash of fire and are then reborn of their ashes, right?" I asked while sliding the photo between her neck and jewelry.

"That's exactly right. It's a shame you missed it. It only happens once every five hundred years." She said with a nod. I admit I was somewhat disappointed that I had missed the rebirth of a phoenix by probably only a couple of years. But actually being able to see, hold, and pet a phoenix was a fine compensation.

However, Celestia then leaned towards me and whispered. "Now it's my turn to ask a question. Tell me, just what did you do to make my guards come barging into the place in such a panic a while ago? They are trained to remained focused on their duties at all times, so it must've been especially clever."

I rolled my eyes at that question. "Believe me, it wasn't my idea. Rainbow Dash proposed the idea. I would've slipped in through the back if she hadn't suggested it."

Celestia also seemed mildly annoyed herself, though hid it with a whimsical smile. "Do try to be patient with the guards, James. I've tried to remind them to lighten up in locales that are renowned for being peaceful, but they have a habit of taking their roles a little too seriously at all times." But she then asked with a most curious expression. "But enough of that. What did Rainbow Dash suggest that you do? I'm very curious of what could've caused a royal guard to lose his cool like that."

I had a feeling at the time that I was going to regret my answer. "Well, she had me go somewhere to ask for a 'foot-long' and show it to the guards. And it worked."

The royal alicorn tilted her head to one side. "That's it? What in the world did you show them that caused them to flee?"

"Well, I also said something to them as well. But thinking back on it now, I probably should've said..." I spoke before leaning in as closely as I could before whispering very quietly into her ear. "Prepare your anus."

Celestia just froze at those words and sat perfectly still without looking at anyone in particular. I watched in concern, wondering if I should not have said that. While the droning roar of many conversations filled the air around us, Celestia suddenly burst out laughing. "Hahahaha! Prepare your anus! Oh my lord... Pffft....Heeheehehahaaa!"

As you would expect, every single pony in sight turned to look at the princess. I felt my face flush red in embarrassment, unable to believe she would react so strongly to that little quip I had just mentioned to her. It did not take long for her to notice and began to slowly turn her laughing into awkward chuckles and giggles.

"Oh... Uh... I mean... I must be off now for...um...a meeting with the mayor! Yes, that's right! Luna, let's be off." Celestia spoke with a very awkward grin spreading across her face.

"Uh... Sister, we do not need to depart just..." Luna spoke while looking up at her sister, but was interrupted when Celestia spoke with an obvious embarrassed tone in her voice while a blush filled her white cheeks and face.

"There's no time, Luna. Let's be on our way. Nightmare Moon, please remain here and mingle with our guests." Celestia spoke briskly while seemingly trying to get out of there as quickly as she could. A handful of seconds later, she and Luna were approaching Sugarcube Corner's front door in single file. Along the way, I heard her snicker loudly. "Prepare your anus... Heheheh..."

Luna clearly overheard as well. "Sister, please! Compose yourself! Everypony can still hear you!" The partygoers seemed to take the command surprisingly seriously too, all of them looking over their shoulders and at their rumps with uneasy expressions.

All I could do while watching was hold my head in my hands and grumble under my breath. "Oh lord... What have I done?"

Twilight Sparkle stepped forward with her eyes focused on me, Fluttershy standing beside her. "What in the name of Equestria did you say to her?"

I looked directly at my friend, my face frozen in a look of irritation. I rigidly pointed my arm at Rainbow Dash who was sipping from a cup of punch nearby. "It was Rainbow's idea."

Twilight and Fluttershy glanced over at Rainbow Dash, who threw up her forelegs. "Whoa, don't look at me! I don't know what that all meant!"

I then smirked at her. "Then explain the 'foot-long' you had me show the guards."

Fluttershy and Twilight both gave Rainbow Dash a very suspicious stare. Our pegasus friend could tell she was backed up against the wall. Sweat oozing down her face, she grinned nervously. "Uh... Right. About that foot-long..... Gotta go!" She then bolted for the restroom and locked herself inside before anyone had the chance to react.

"Do we really want to know what she meant by a 'foot-long' back then?" Twilight asked as a rather uneasy expression spread across her face.

"Um... Let's not?" Fluttershy replied with an equally nervous expression. Although judging by that blush on her face, I suspect she had a pretty good idea of what Rainbow Dash meant.

Before I could say anything, I paused while my eyes noticed something outside the window. Across the road was a pony clad in a familiar dark cloak with a pair of light brown saddlebags hanging from its sides. It... Or rather she stopped in front of a building before a billowing light pink aura coated the bag's flap while a rolled up poster of sorts was lifted out of it. It unfurled before the pony tacked it onto the wall before running off and out of sight. One word escaped my mouth. "Trixie?"

Nightmare Moon seemed to notice me speak. She looked my way and asked with a curious look in her eyes. "Hm? You see someone you know?"

Knowing that Trixie would more than likely want to keep her return secret until the proper time, I feigned ignorance. "Nah... Just thought I saw someone I recognized. My mistake."

Over the next hour, my friends and I continued to mingle and just have an overall good time. We talked, we ate, and we made merry. It was one of the better get-togethers I had attended in quite a while. And I made certain to spend as many minute as possible with Nightmare Moon since I do not get to see her as often as I would like. And I can tell she too does not get to spend time with me as frequently as she desires.

Nightmare Moon gazed in my direction while sipping from a cup of tea. "Have all your friends been well lately?"

"Yes, very. Things are always great with us. There are lots of ups with a few downs as well, but I really don't think things could get much better with us right now." I replied while sipping from my punch cup. "And what about you? Have things been getting better at Canterlot?"

My friend seemed to roll her eyes at my question. "Well, it's been steady. My sisters and I made an agreement that we would not have an official public visit to any other city or town until after I had been fully accepted back into the city from which we reign." She bowed her head and snickered while squinting her eyes shut. "It took some time and effort, but at least now I can walk through the streets of Canterlot without the locals scrambling for cover. Although we did have to order the guards to barricade the doors on the first try..."

I could not help but laugh at the thought of the prim and proper ponies in Canterlot flipping out over seeing Nightmare Moon walking down the streets. "I honestly wish I could've seen that... Wait, this isn't your first visit to Ponyville. What about the time you attended my birthday party a couple of months ago?"

Nightmare Moon chuckled at my confusion. "That was a private visit. You know I would never miss the birthday of my most precious friend in the world. Even if it did cause a few of the locals to panic." I could only shake my head at that response while a silly smirk spread across my face. I suppose she had a point there.

Some time later, one of the two guards that had been posted outside the front door marched in and proceeded right over to Nightmare Moon's side. She seemed to know what he wanted and lowered her head so her ear was closer to him. The guard seemed to mutter something into her ear, prompting a rather unpleased expression. "You are sure? Right now?"

The guard nodded in silence before walking away and towards the front door. Once he was out of earshot, I leaned towards Nightmare Moon and spoke into her ear. "Did something happen?"

My friend let out a sigh before nodding solemnly. "Yes, unfortunately. It would seem that Luna and Celestia are requesting that I attend their meeting with the mayor. Most likely as a means to improve my image with her."

I too was rather disheartened. I was almost expecting to spend the entire day with her, but now it was being cut short. "Well... It was great to see you again."

Nightmare Moon nodded with an unhappy frown and rested her head on my shoulder in the form of an equine hug. I returned the favor by wrapping my arms around her, my fingers stroking her long billowing mane. There was a moment of silence before she whispered into my ear. "Shall I visit you in your dreams tonight? I would love to see this 'Throat of the World' you spoke of."

A smile creeped across my face. Things always get more interesting whenever she shows up while I sleep. "Deal. It's quite a sight."

Once the two of us had parted, Nightmare Moon stood up and made her way to the center of the storefront. "Excuse me. May I have your attention? All of you." She spoke boldly in a slightly louder tone than she normally uses. All eyes fell upon the princess of dreams.

Nightmare Moon looked around at everyone who was giving her their attention. "I wish to thank you all for giving me such a warm welcome. My return to Equestria has not been a smooth transition for me, let alone my return to the throne. I thank you all for your patience and your hospitality and hope I may be able to visit again soon."

There was an awkward silence for a moment. It seemed that nearly everyone who was present was at a loss for words. Some seemed to mutter softly to each other, but things were still eerily silent. At least until Mitta took a step forward.

Mitta gazed up at Nightmare Moon in silence before slowly lowering herself to the floor in the form of a bow. "We're glad to have you here with us, your highness."

It sounded as if Mitta was trying to sound as refined and as professional as possible. As if on cue, every last pony in the storefront bowed as well. Nightmare Moon was frozen to the spot. Her eyes glanced around at her subjects. Ponies who had once been deathly afraid of her were now bowing in reverence to her. The room was silent, although I could feel the emotion building.

Finally, Nightmare Moon spoke with a noticeably shaky voice. "My subjects... Please rise." As commanded, everypony rose to a standing position. Nightmare Moon then bowed her head and slowly lowered herself. "It is I who should bow..."

Everyone stood aghast. The lighthearted and cheerful party had become a gathering of shocked faces as the princess of dreams herself bowed before her subjects. "It has always been my dream to be accepted and loved by my people... And that dream is now a reality. Thank you all..."

Slowly, Nightmare Moon rose to her feet and began to make her way to the door. As she walked, the ponies around her began to stomp their hooves against the hard wood floor in a type of applause. Bewildered and fearful frowns turned into smiles as they happily saw their princess off. I stood up and walked to the front most area of the storefront to see my friend off as well. But just before she could close the front door behind her, Nightmare Moon looked over her shoulder while her eye looked right at me. I could only smile while she smiled back. Neither of us looked away until the door shut completely.

"So delightful that our princess has been wholeheartedly welcomed back, is it not?" I heard Rarity ask while looking towards Pinkie Pie. Among her words, I heard countless ponies around me chattering about Nightmare Moon. It seemed that she had become the main topic for all of them.

"Yeah! Now everypony can laugh and smile when she's around instead of running for the hills! Maybe I'll even make some Nightmare Moon themed pastries soon. Should I put her cutie mark on the tops to show who it's about?" Pinkie Pie retorted while holding a hoof to her chin to ponder.

"You'll probably have to do better than that, Pinkie. Nightmare Moon and Princess Luna's cutie marks are virtually identical." Twilight replied while a slight chuckle. I suppose she is right too. With the exception of the colors, they are essentially the same.

As it turned out, pretty much everypony present began to make their ways out of the store. I guess when the princesses leave, the party is over. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Rainbow Dash peeking out of the restroom. "The party's over?"

Twilight looked her way, apparently having all but forgotten why she had ducked in there in the first place. "Looks that way. Everypony's on their way out."

Fluttershy then glanced up at Philomena, who was still perched upon her head. "We all had a good time, didn't we?" Philomena let out a gentle coo that was unlike that of any bird I had ever heard before. Wait, should I have mentioned how she sounded earlier? I suppose it is too late for that now.

Rainbow Dash trotted over to my friends while I too drew near. "Is everything OK though? I thought I heard things get really quiet for a minute."

I replied first. "Just Nightmare Moon departing with some words of thanks for her guests. I think Ponyville has all but completely accepted her now."

"Sweet! She'll be stopping by again soon, right?" Rainbow Dash asked with a delighted grin.

"I dunno 'bout that, Rainbow. Them royal types usually don't have all that much time ta visit. But I reckon she'll be stoppin' by again in a few weeks at least." Applejack replied while she placed her hat back on her head. I suppose she decided to keep it off until the event was over.

Twilight then smiled while Spike came out of the kitchen while carrying a tray of various leftovers over his head. "All read to go, Twilight? And the Cakes are letting us take a whole bunch of goodies home too!"

My wise unicorn friend giggled at the little dragon's enthusiasm. "At least this way we won't have to worry about what's for dinner. Let's go home, Spike. And it was great seeing all of you."

Pinkie Pie waved goodbye along with the rest of us while Twilight and Spike walked out the front door. "See you again soon! Don't be a stranger!"

"Well, I do believe we should also be on our way. There's quite a bit to clean up and we should get out of Mr. and Mrs. Cake way." Rarity spoke next while hurrying upstairs to retrieve her dress. Hopefully the next time there is a royal visit like this, she will keep her extra fancy clothing at home.

"Leave the leftovers to me... Oh, right. Gotta control my sugar intake, right? I'll just gather up the goodies and store them for later." Pinkie Pie spoke with a nervous giggle before trotting off to help clean the place up. I had crossed my arms and was smirking while shaking my head. At least she is trying to mind her sugar intake. The day Pinkie Pie develops diabetes is the day Ponyville loses something very special.

Fluttershy began to walk over to the table where the three royal sisters had been seated a short while ago. "I'll keep an eye on Philomena until Princess Celestia gets back. I know she won't leave without her pet. Right, Philomena?" The phoenix effectively bended forward until her head was upside-down before nuzzling Fluttershy's nose, prompting a delighted giggle from my girlfriend.

"OK. I'll be taking a walk before heading home. See you there, honey." I spoke while waving goodbye to Fluttershy. One by one, my friends and I made our ways out the front door and went on our ways.

Before I did anything else though, I made my way over to the poster I had seen being set up outside a short while earlier. It seemed to be showing a stylized cloaked pony in a cloak and wizard's hat from the side with its eyes closed. At the top in bold letters, there were words spread out while some more were near the bottom. "Debuting magician... Outside town hall at 8 pm..."

While I was looking the thing over, I heard the faint clopping of hooves coming up behind me before stopping to my left. A familiar voice spoke up in a southern accent. "Debutin' magician, huh? Let's hope it ain't like that Great and Powerful Trixie from way back when."

I looked down and found Applejack looking the poster over too. Although it was tempting to say that I had met her, I decided to withhold my knowledge of Trixie's presence in Ponyville at the time. "Still remember her, huh?"

Applejack looked up at me with a rather irked scowl. "Kinda hard ta ferget somepony who lassoed ya with yer own rope. Wouldn't ya say?"

Yes, it is rather hard to forget the things I heard Trixie had done to her, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. I was really curious of what Trixie had in mind for that evening. "Uh... Right... That sounds pretty mean... I need to get going though. Talk to you again soon, right?"

Applejack's frown turned into a brighter smile. "Sure thing, pardner. See ya around." We turned and went our separate ways. I was feeling up for a walk through the park at that moment.

I must admit not much happened for the rest of the after that was worth mentioning. Mostly just a typical Sunday of relaxation. But when 8 pm started to get close, I made my way towards the town square. I was all but certain my friends were going to show up to in order to witness this 'debuting magician' in action.

Since it was mid summer at the time, the sun had not yet completely set despite being very low in the sky. Along the way, I saw many copies of the poster I had seen before strewn all across town. It would seem that Trixie was doing her best to rake in as many onlookers as possible.

"Yo, James! You heading where I think you're going?" I heard a voice call down from above. Sure enough, Rainbow Dash was descending towards me.

"Yeah, I am. It's been a long time since I last attended a magician's show." I replied with a smile while waving at her. Rainbow soon dropped down to the ground and began to walk alongside me.

"Sounds like it's somepony new too. I'm glad it isn't that Trixie girl. I told you about her, right?" She spoke while looking up at me.

Her story about Trixie using a rainbow she had created and moving it to actually spin Rainbow Dash around until she was dizzy to the point of being unable to stand was something I could not forget easily. "Yeah, you did. But jerk or no, you have to give credit to some who can turn a rainbow into a solid object and make it interact with other things."

Rainbow Dash showed a bewildered expression on her face for a moment. Eventually, she did reply with a more relaxed expression on her face. "Huh... I guess you're right. When you can turn a rainbow into a real physical object, I guess that does give you some bragging rights. I still can't believe I could feel that thing touching me!"

Eventually, we did arrive at the town square. Dozens of pones had gathered in front of the town hall, a familiar carriage standing before them with its side facing the audience. Some of the pegasi in the audience were even hovering a good distance off the ground to likely get a better closer view of the stage. At least they would if there actually was a stage. There was a noticeable murmur in the crowd as some of the audience was engaged in quiet conversation. There was no sign of Trixie though.

While Rainbow Dash and I scanned the crowd to find a place to sit, we soon saw a familiar white unicorn waving at us while seated at the back of the crowd. "Yoohoo! Over here, darlings!"

"Oh, hey! Thanks for grabbing us a spot, Rarity!" Rainbow called out before galloping over to her while I broke into a jog to try to keep up. As it turns out, all five or our closest friends were spread out in a row. Even Spike was attending, although it seemed he had to stand on Twilight's back to be able to see over the crowd. I suppose it was for the best that we were situated at the back of the crowd. No one would have been able to see over me with how much taller I am than most ponies.

"Is everypony here now?" Fluttershy asked while glancing around before looking up at me with a smile. I responded with a grin of my own before stroking her lovely long mane.

"Looks like it. So, did anyone get a good look at the magician yet?" Spike asked while carefully peering over the top of Twilight's head, his large eyes squinted almost shut while scanning the area ahead of him.

Twilight Sparkle shrugged her shoulders. "I've only seen a few glimpses of her running around. She's doing a good job of making sure nopony can see her under that cloak. Very mysterious. She's probably from some faraway corner of Equestria with some really exotic magic to show."

We did not have to wait long for something to happen. Almost like...a little girl's play set, the carriage effectively 'unfolded' on the side that was facing us. The wall folded down to form the stage floor before the edges folded outward to make it wider. I was almost expecting more to happen, but that was as far as it went. In the wall's place, a long indigo curtain hung over the empty space. By this point, the area had started to get dark. Luna and Nightmare Moon were likely tending to their duties in Canterlot at that moment since a half moon had risen into the sky while the stars had started to become more visible.

"Welcome..." A familiar bold voice spoke as if speaking through a megaphone. At that word, a spark of pale blue light flashed up and to the right of the stage, only slightly gyrating back and forth while casting its glow over the center of the stage like a floating stage light. "People of Ponyville. Brace yourself to be dazzled and filled to the brim with inspired awe. For you are about to bear witness to the spectacles of Equestria's greatest enchantress!"

Spike actually looked rather fired up. He could hardly sit still on Twilight's back. "Whoa, this is looking good... Whoa?!" Another sphere of light burst into existence parallel to the first on the opposite side of the stage, shining a bolder purple light onto the same spot. It seemed that Trixie was starting off small in order to build suspense. And with only magic at her beck and call. I did not see a single prop in use.

"It's looking mighty promising. I reckon this girl's gonna blow us all away." Applejack spoke with a hint of wonder in her voice. She then looked up at me and swayed her back from side to side. "Hey, James? Ya'll need a seat?"

I looked down at her and smiled, seeing that she was offering to allow me to use her back like a bench. "Oh, thanks. It feels awkward standing up during a performance." I then sat down, comfortably seated on Applejack's back. Being the burly earth pony she is, she did not seem bothered by my weight at all. I then reached down and patted her shoulder. "Thanks again. I don't want to seem like I'm about to up and leave in the middle of the thing."

A thick mist seemed to begin to cover the stage from nowhere as we watched. Once more, the voice spoke. "Fillies and gentlecolts... Behold the return debut of the Great and Powerful..." There was an instant murmur in the crowd the instant those last three words were spoken. And an instant later, there was a bright flash in the center of the stage as a familiar unicorn mare seemed to use a type of teleportation spell to appear out of nowhere. The mist was blown away as she rose up on her hind legs and raised her forelegs to the stars above. "Trrrrixie!!!"

Indeed, it was Trixie. Only then she was clad in her star-studded hat and cape. She did indeed have the flair one would expect from a professional performer. However, the instant she revealed herself, there was a massive uproar of boos and shouts from the audience. Trixie instantly lost her dramatic flair and cowered before the audience with her two 'stage lights' disappearing due to loss of focus. I heard people shout things such as 'Get outta here, you fraud!' and 'More like the dishonest and conceited Trixie!' among others that quickly filled the air around me. Some even began to hurl objects at her ranging from food items and drink cups, to name a few.

"You've gotta be kidding me! Get lost! You did enough harm last time!" Rainbow Dash roared with her hooves near her mouth to project her voice directly at Trixie. I have to say it was a very unpleasant atmosphere. Even Applejack, Rarity, and even Spike had joined in the shouting. Only Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Twilight Sparkle were remaining civil, seeming more like they were not sure of how to react to the audience's extremely hostile reception to Trixie's appearance. Even I was not sure of what to do. All I could do was watch the performer on stage as she seemed to be mentally struggling to not resort to fleeing backstage and taking cover behind the curtains.

After a moment of stumbling sidesteps to evade incoming projectiles, Trixie was finally struck by a plastic drink cup as it hit her in the head and knocked her hat off. She seemed jarred by the blow, even if she did not feel the full impact. I silent muttered to myself. Pleading that she would do something to make them stop. It honestly hurt to see what was happening. Eventually, she finally seemed to muster the courage to take a stand. Her horn was engulfed by her billowing pink magic aura, as were all of the airborne projectiles flying her way. The crowd fell silent at this show of defiance while their belongings were lowered back down to them.

"Please..." Trixie spoke, her voice no longer amplified like before. "Boo me and bombard me with whatever you wish. But before you do, there is a story I must share with all of you."

Applejack did not seem to take kindly to those words. She held a hoof near her mouth to make certain she was heard before yelling out. "What kinda story?! Another one about how ya took down an Ursa Major?!"

Trixie solemnly shook her head while trying to stay calm. "No. This is not some fabrication, nor a tall tale of any sort. This...is a true story."

The crowd fell into brooding silence. They clearly wanted to drive her out of town or just turn and walk away, but they were at least letting her speak. I too was very curious of what she had to say. With a very reserved tone, Trixie began to speak. "Years ago, in the capital city of Canterlot, a young filly attended the Summer Sun Celebration that happens once a year. She had woken up early, just like many others, to witness Princess Celestia raise the sun to begin the morning. That filly watched in awe as our ruler caused the sun to rise over the horizon. But more than anything, she saw the wonder and awe such a display gave those who witnessed it. And she began to wonder if she too could bring joy and wonderment to others just as effectively as Princess Celestia herself." Trixie paused for a moment to let out a long sigh before allowing herself to continue. "That filly...was Trixie Lulamoon."

Trixie Lulamoon. For all the times I have heard of Trixie before, I have never once heard her full name. At the mention of her name, a great deal of the hostility in the audience had faded. I glanced at my friends. None of them seemed angry anymore. They were now transfixed on the unicorn up on stage. Apparently seeing that her audience was no longer likely to throw anything at her, Trixie continued speaking.

"Little Trixie Lulamoon became obsessed with the magical might of Princess Celestia. She began to make many trips to the ancient library within the palace. While being escorted by one of the guards, of course. She studied as much as she could about the most powerful forms of magic she could find. And, try as she might, all of her attempts to master such magic ended in crushing failure. But she did not give up. Her desire to bring wonder to others drove her to strive to do...what could not be done." Trixie paused for a moment, her face seemingly showing a type of deep emotional pain the likes I had not seen on her before. It was as if just thinking about what she was talking about was painful to her.

"Eventually, the truth finally set in. What little Trixie Lulamoon wanted to become was nothing more than an illusion. She lacked the power to achieve what our princess could. But in a last desperate attempt, she went for the next best thing. To provide the same awe-inspiring spectacle, only minus the substance." Trixie paused for a moment as a rather nostalgic smile spread across her face. "It was the night of her school's talent show. Wracked with nervousness, she was the last to perform. Using just her magic, she put all she had learned to the test. Sparks, stars, and streams of light spread every which way. There were gasps of surprise within the crowd. And all Trixie could do was keep her eyes closed while hoping for the best."

Whenever Trixie paused, I swear you could hear a pin drop. The audience was silent and listening very intently to the performer. And it was indeed a touching speech to listen to. "Eventually, Trixie relented in her endeavors. Silence filled the air. And then..." To my surprise, and likely to everyone else's too, tears of bliss seemed to begin streaming down Trixie's face while her gaze was turned slightly upward towards the sky. "Applause. The crowd cheered and even demanded an encore. Trixie opened her eyes to see the people before her cheering and smiling. She had succeeded in bringing wonder and joy to her audience, much like Princess Celestia herself. She knew what her talent then was. And..." Her head then turned to look towards her rear. "It was then that this equally spectacular cutie mark made its presence known."

I was very tempted to applaud right there, but I had to restrain myself. I could tell the story was not yet over. Trixie continued after wiping her tears from her eyes. "Years went by and Trixie honed and perfected her skill with the illusory arts. Her performances became more intricate and broad. More and more demanded to see her perform. Until finally the day came where Trixie gave herself a title to help her adoring fans recognize her. The title of 'Trixie the Illusionist'. And so her name spread across the land."

Immediately after that, Trixie's expression darkened. "For a time, it was all she could ever hope for. The adoration of her fans brought on by her talents. But... Before long, the constant praise began to corrupt her. She no longer was satisfied with bringing joy to her audiences..." I could see tears once again beginning to trickle down Trixie's cheeks. When she resumed speaking, I could hear her voice starting to break. "In time, she lost her desire to bring joy to others and became obsessed with her own image. No longer was her talent for dazzling others. Her goal was to make herself look and feel grander than she could ever be... And so 'Trixie the Illusionist' ceased to be while the 'Great and Powerful Trixie' was born."

She was in pain. That face showed a profound shame and sorrow. And all we could do was watch and listen. "She traveled to many corners of Equestria, humiliating her volunteers to establish her false superiority. Spreading lies of impossible accomplishments that never happened. But it all ended, as you know, here in Ponyville a few years ago. When she... I..." She paused, temporarily overwhelmed with emotion. She sobbed for a moment while using her cape to dry her eyes before continuing. "My farce was revealed... I fled, hoping it would be the last time I would ever be found out. But word of my failure spread. Discoveries were made about my past. I lost my fan... I lost all respect... But more than anything, I lost sight of what I had always wanted in the first place."

I glanced around at the other ponies around me. They were motionless. Their eyes were directed at no one but Trixie herself. Pinkie Pie seemed to be tearing up herself while keeping a box of tissues on standby. Such emotion. Finally, Trixie's sorrow overflowed as she began to openly sob while speaking. "I am a fraud... I betrayed my fans and have become a prisoner of my own charade... I cannot ask you all to forgive me... But...from the bottom of my heart... For all I have done..." She then bowed her head and closed her eyes, her tears falling to the stage below. "My sincerest...apologies..."

The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. At that moment, it felt as if anything could happen. Trixie stood motionless up on stage. She was clearly waiting for the audience's next move. I waited too, wondering who would speak first. And soon, something broke the silence. The sound of two hooves smacking into each other in a very slow rhythm.

I looked to my left, as did most of my friends. Rarity, seated beside me, was clapping her hooves together in very slow applause. Trixie seemed to notice as well, her head jerking up with a look of tearful shock on her face. A few seconds later, Rainbow Dash joined in the applause. While she and Rarity at first seemed resentful for doing so, their angry scowls slowly turned into expressions that showed the one thing Trixie had been hoping for. Silent praise.

Beneath me, I felt Applejack's body shake as she began to stomp her front hooves into the ground for a more traditional form of equine applause. Bit by bit, the steady rhythm spread, growing into a powerful noise of dozens of hooves creating the sound of applause. Finally, I joined in too. I began to clap my hands together to add to the noise. Although I am doubtful anyone could here it amid the roar.

Trixie glanced around in shock. Her eyes kept darting back and forth while still spilling tears like a kitchen sink not entirely turned off. Before long, she could no longer contain herself. She collapsed to the stage floor, sobbing and weeping uncontrollably. But among the sound of the roaring applause, it was nearly impossible to hear her. While she cried, the applause continued. It was as if the audience was giving her such a vigorous show of applause to show that even as she reeled from the emotion, they were there to support her.

Moments passed with the applause never once weakening. Although I eventually had to stop since my palms were becoming rather sore. Soon, Trixie staggered to her feet and made a motion with her hoof to command the audience to be quiet. The applause steadily ended, leaving the area silent. Trixie then spoke with a smile of genuine joy on her face. "Thank you... I cannot recall the last time I heard such an impressive display of such hearty applause... And for that, I must accommodate all of you."

There was a faint murmur in the crowd while Trixie used the levitation spell to retrieve her wide brimmed wizard hat and placed it upon her head. She then dried her eyes with her cape and showed a wide grin. "The Great and Powerful Trixie is no more. But before we start things off on the major event, how about a little comedy?"

Many of the audience looked at each other and seemed to mutter to each other a bit. Near us, Pinkie Pie spoke in a reserved yet cheery tone. "Ooh, Trixie does stand-up now?! What do you think she's gonna joke about?"

Trixie answered that question with a more confident tone. "Let's start things off with something familiar. Anything you can do, I can do better!"

This instantly got a lot of boos and yells from the audience. Twilight even shrugged her shoulders next to me. "I guess old habits die hard."

To my surprise, Trixie jumped right off of the stage and began to walk through the middle of the crowd before her while they started to make a path. "No need to get snippy! I know what I'm doing! But first, I require a volunteer!" Under her hat, her horn's magic aura glowed brightly enough to be partially seen through the fabric. She closed her eyes while walking as she seemed to be focusing. "I know the ideal person for this challenge is over here. Perhaps here? No? Then maybe over this way."

Everyone remained silent while Trixie walked along. Eventually, she walked right alongside Applejack and I before suddenly looking my way and opening her eyes. "Ah ha! Oh, the human in the audience! You'll do nicely."

Before I could even object, I found myself with Trixie up on stage in the blink of an eye. Was that a real teleportation spell? Trixie seemed to know what I wanted to ask and looked up at me before squeaking out a whisper. "It took me a long time and a lot of practice to get that one right." She then cleared her throat and spoke to me in a booming voice oozing with confidence. "Now then, human. I will let you decide what the challenge is. Make it interesting for me!" She then whispered towards me while keeping her mouth obstructed from the views of the audience. "Make sure its something I might have a hard time doing."

Now that I think back on it... I believe what she was doing was a show of humility. A means of making herself look bad to even the score with those she had wronged in the past. I thought over what to challenge her to for a moment before a sly smirk spread across my face. It was probably going to be a little mean spirited, but there is no denying it was a game she could not win. "I got one. A game of rock-paper-scissors."

Trixie cocked her head to one side, clearly baffled. "Come again? What am I supposed to do with a pair of scissors, a sheet of paper, and a rock?"

I was hardly surprised to see that Trixie had never heard of it before. Especially considering that you need hands to play it. After chuckling lightly, I tried to explain the rules. "Here's how it works. Scissors..." I then curled my hand into a fist while extending my index and middle fingers. "Beats paper..." I then extended all five fingers while keeping them against each other. "While paper beats rock..." I then curled my fingers into a full fist. "And rock beats scissors. Understand?"

The unicorn before me laughed at the challenge, although I suspect she was still baffled and was only acting confident. "As clear as a bell. Ready when you are."

I got down on one knee so that I was closer to Trixie in height before I slowly shook my fist up and down while performing the chant. "Rock...paper...scissors." Simultaneously, we extended our hands. Or rather I extended my hand while Trixie extended a hoof. My hand was laid flat to show the paper gesture which I then closed over Trixie's hoof. "Paper wraps rock."

The crowd was surprisingly silent at this display, probably because they had not caught on to what we were doing. Trixie, on the other hand, seemed to instantly realize what I was doing. With her hoof unable to extend fingers due to simply not having any, she could only settle for the rock gesture. She smirked at me and whispered quietly. "Nicely done. Let's go a few more times." She then spoke loudly to make certain the crowd could hear her. "That was a fluke! I demand a redo!"

Three more times, we played the game with Trixie being stuck with 'rock' each time while I countered with 'paper'. On the third time, Trixie defiantly pointed at her extended hoof with her other. "No, that's scissors! Not rock, scissors! Scissors beats paper!" She then raised her hoof to show it to the audience. "Come on, doesn't this look like 'scissors' to all of you?!" Sure enough, the crowd cracked up into raucous laughter. She was doing a fine job of entertaining them, I must say.

Finally, Trixie smirked at me with a rather unnerving look in her eye. What was she up to? "All right. One more time. Just one!"

Seeing no reason why not to, I agreed and went through the procedure again. As expected, Trixie got stuck with rock while calling out 'scissors' again. I closed my fingers around her hoof. "Paper wraps rock."

"Uh...no." Trixie spoke in a triumphant tone. I then noticed to my right a disturbingly large pair of glowing translucent magic scissors with the open blades aligned with my wrist. "Scissors cuts paper." And that is exactly what she did. With a quick snip, she cut my 'paper'. That is to say she snipped my hand off!

"What the... Agh!" I jumped back with a shout of fright as I saw my hand separate from my wrist. The audience was equally freaked out with screams and yells in the audience as they started to scramble every which way. However, I quickly noticed something odd. "Wait a sec... That didn't hurt!"

The crowd seemed to calm down at my words and my obvious lack of pain. There was not a single drop of blood falling from my wrist either. My wrist and the spot on my hand where it had been connected to me were covered by a flat smooth layer of skin. "How the... OK, Trixie. This is creepy..." I just had to say that to her. Seeing my own hand separated from the rest of me was mind bending. That, and I could swear I could still feel it.

"Seems your hand would much rather stay with me than you, huh?" Trixie spoke with a smirk as my hand...stood up on just its middle and ring fingers while the thumb curled against its palm to apparently make it seem like it had two arms and legs. It balanced itself on her foreleg and took a bow before suddenly waving at the perplexed audience.

"How are you..." I could not even finish my sentence. My mind was turning and spinning while trying to make sense of what I was seeing.

"What's that? You want to show the audience something?" Trixie asked while lowering the side of her head to my hand while it held its pinky close to the wrist area much in the same manner one would do to whisper to someone. If it HAD a mouth to speak with, that is.

"Ah, so that's it. Everypony, it seems we have a first-time performer with us tonight!" Trixie spoke boldly while tossing my hand up into the air. My hand then did a few cartwheels before landing on its 'feet' atop the wide circular brim of Trixie's hat.

"Lights!" Trixie spoke as a pair of 'stage lights' seemed to pop out of nowhere while casting their glow upon my little friend atop Trixie's hat.

"Music!" She called again, a series of light pink translucent musical instruments popping up out of nowhere behind us while floating in the air. I saw a piano, a cello, and a drum and cymbal set.

"And now, action!" Trixie finished while what seemed to be a miniature cane and top hat flashed into existence near my hand. My five-fingered friend grabbed the hat and placed it on the top of itself where my wrist would be connected before snatching up the cane and giving it a playful twirl before seemingly 'grasping' it with the tips of its index and pinky. Oddly enough, those two props seemed to be regular objects and not magical conjurations like the instruments and light sources. Just how was Trixie doing all that?

Without further delay, the instruments behind us began to play a rather whimsical tune, which my hand began to dance to. A possible form of ragtime? I would not know, but it sounded like a kind of song one might hear in some sort of bistro restaurant or during a classical suit-and-tie play. Regardless, my hand was certainly showing some dance moves that would probably appeal to the upper class ponies of Canterlot.

Before long, Trixie decided to spice things up. She placed her hoof on the brim of her hat and gave it a spin. Her hat spun rapidly on her head, my hand being stuck on her brim for the ride. It disappeared behind the hat's crown before reappearing and then being carried out of sight again. Eventually, the hand took a running start and began a long series of cartwheels while moving fast enough to constant stay on the front of Trixie's hat. Or perhaps not. With the hat's brim constantly spinning, I suppose it kept changing from front to back constantly.

Eventually, my hand reached the end of the brim and went spiraling into the air towards me. More out of instinct than anything else, I reached out with my right wrist after temporarily forgetting that my hand was no longer there. My aim was just right, my hand falling right onto my wrist where it belonged.

"Wait a sec..." I muttered, noticing that my hand was back where it was supposed to be. I tried flexing my fingers to see if my hand had been put back on right and found that it functioned exactly the way I wanted it to. "Huh... Everything's OK now."

"Give our little friend a big hand, everypony!" Trixie called out as the musical instruments behind her fell silent. The audience responded in kind with a hefty round of applause. I admit now that the performance there was not terribly impressive and maybe even a bit corny, but turning my hand into a living prop certainly came out of nowhere and really caught everyone by surprise. A nice little prelude for the main event. While Trixie took a bow, I too waved at the crowd with my right hand. The one that had just 'performed'.

"Thank you for letting me borrow you for a bit, sir. Now, back to your seat! Time for the main event!" Trixie spoke to me before I suddenly found myself seated on Applejack's back.

"Whoa, she's getting' mighty good with that teleportation thing, ain't she?" Applejack asked while she nearly gave way under my weight being added to her back. She clearly had not been prepared for an extra load of weight when Trixie sent me to the back of the audience.

Rarity took a moment to look my hand over. "Are you all right, darling? Didn't that hurt?"

I shrugged my shoulders, not surprised by her concern. That stunt would have gotten scary really fast if even a drop of blood had been spilled. "Surprisingly, no. I didn't even feel a sting."

Pinkie Pie giggled in excitement while she turned her attention to the stage ahead. "She's gotten really good at this illusion stuff! What's she gonna do next?!"

We did not have to wait long at all for an answer. Trixie closed her eyes while the pink glow under her hat became steadily brighter. "Now that we've started off small, it's time to start thinking big. Prepare yourselves for a journey into the unknown and the magnificent. Fillies and gentlecolts... Behold the grand return debut of Trixie the Illusionist!"

The instant she finished speaking, the immediate area around Trixie turned into...the void of space? It rapidly expanded, reaching up around us as if there was an actual wall for it to crawl over. Up, down, left, right. Everywhere we looked, the many stars of the night sky were littered around us with even a few planetoid objects floating in the void. Nothing was completely still either. It was as if all of us were slowly drifting through the illuminated void.

"This... This is unreal!" Twilight exclaimed as she stood up. There was no floor under us even though we could feel it beneath our feet. It was just the vast expanse of space. The entire audience were now standing while looking around in shock and bewilderment, though it was clear they were all dazzled by the experience.

I really had nothing to say to this. It was as if a projector of sorts was casting an image over the walls of a room to give the illusion of being in space. All we needed now was a small metal orb with a yellow eye floating past us while yelling its favorite word and the entire experience would be complete... Oh, why not.

Just for fun, I held out my arms and shouted loudly. "SPAAAAAACCCCEEE!!!"

"You are exactly right!" Trixie's voice called out. With a flash, she appeared while relaxing and lounging on a light blue crescent moon nearby that matched the one on her cutie mark.

"This is...so...amazing!" Fluttershy spoke with a slightly louder tone of voice than she normally uses. She hovered in the air, reaching out to little sparkles that floated by that probably looked like stars from farther away.

"Whoa, heads up! Check out that comet!" Rainbow Dash shouted while pointing ahead. Sure enough, a large pale blue object engulfed in ethereal gases and light was rocketing towards us. Everyone let out a myriad of different sounds as it flew over us so closely, I swear I could have reached out and touched it. The passing comet left a very long gaseous trail in its wake. Pinkie Pie even tried hopping as high as she could in attempts to apparently eat it like light blue cotton candy.

Eventually, Pinkie tried to take a bite out of a passing pale moonlike object, only for her to phase right through it and fall back to...the section of the void we were standing on. I found this to be utterly silly and just had to speak up. "Hey, Pinkie! I know the moon sometimes looks like a C because it seems someone took a bite outta it, but you can't eat that!"

My goofball friend groaned in mild frustration. "Ah, phooie! I thought it looked like it was made of frozen eggnog or something!"

While Trixie watched, we all just took in the sights and even the sounds of the spectacle before us. And then, it ended. The lights faded away one by until only the blackness of the void was left. A few seconds later, it too retracted until it had vanished as well. We found ourselves in front of Ponyville's town hall while Trixie stood on the stage while looking quite exhausted. Her head was hanging low while seemingly breathing slow and deep to try to relax herself. I was hardly surprised. An illusory projection of that magnitude most likely requires a great deal of focus and mental stamina. I suspect the entire display was an experiment on Trixie's part to see just how far she could push herself and to see how long she could maintain such a spell.

There were quite a few groans of disappointment in the audience. I can hardly blame them. That was truly a spellbinding experience. I would have preferred it to go on for another ten minutes or more myself. Even so, it was clear everyone present did enjoy it. Everyone burst into wild applause, seemingly startling Trixie in the process.

I too clapped my hands together in unison with the rest of the audience. During that time, Trixie once more looked around at her audience. She seemed taken aback. As if she could hardly believe what she was seeing. Finally, her mouth curved upward into a joyous smile as big wet tears streaked down her face one last time. I can only imagine the bliss she was feeling as that sound most sacred to her filled her ears.

Trixie took a graceful bow before her audience before raising her hoof to signal the crowd to be silent. "All of you... I cannot tell you how it feels to hear your praise and see your faces filled with wonder and awe. I had forgotten how amazing it feels..." She then coughed to clear her throat. "My sincerest apologies if this performance was a little on the short side. Think of it as a prelude to the main event. I am still developing my first real performance and it should be ready in another two days. Can I ask you all to wait until then?"

The crowd was filled with nods and cheers of confirmation. Seemingly trying to stoke her audience further, Trixie called out. "Do you want to be dazzled and awed once more?!" This got an even more vigorous response from the crowd. She was teasing them like a dog being tempted by a bone.

"Then you will all get what you desire! I will be taking the day off tomorrow to plan out the performance. But I will see all of you at this time in two days! Thank you all for coming and good night!" Trixie spoke boldly before taking another bow. She then turned and walked behind the curtains of her carriage while the audience bid her farewell with another round of applause.

"Woo! Gotta say that turned out much nicer than what I was plannin' ta see!" Applejack spoke with a satisfied sigh while I stood up to lift myself from her back.

"Definitely. I never imagined Trixie would ever get that good with that kind of magic!" Twilight added with a pleased smile.

As the crowd started to break up and go home, I saw Mitta trotting our way. "Hey! Did you all see that?! I swear I could almost feel myself floating!"

Spike countered with his own observation about the experience. "Feel it? I swear I could almost smell the stardust. I think that smell is still stuck up my nose!" Most of my friends got a good laugh out of that, especially when Spike started exhaling forcefully through his nostrils to get the smell out.

"Well, that certainly was a fantastic display. But it is getting rather late now. Shall we all head home for the evening?" Rarity asked while Mitta stood near her.

Pinkie Pie let out a long yawn before anyone else could speak up. "I guess so. Big parties combined with really special events take a lot outta you."

Rainbow Dash then pointed at our party animal friend and grinned. "One party isn't enough to wear you out, huh?"

Fluttershy also spoke up. "Um... I think I should get home too. I need to make sure Scootaloo gets to bed since she has school tomorrow."

"Ditto. Let's all see each other again soon, girls." I spoke while we all waved goodbye. One by one, our friends headed on their way with Mitta staying close to Rarity since they are housemates.

I looked down at Fluttershy while she looked up at me. "That was a lot of fun. Shall go home too?"

Just as I was starting to open my mouth to speak, a peculiar sight seemed to pop up behind Fluttershy. It seemed to be a translucent 'screen' of sorts with text being typed across it. The edges were a billowing pink aura that I recognized all too well. The text that was being written spelled out 'Come to the carriage's door.' Once every last letter had been typed in.

Not wanting to turn the invitation down, I tried to come up with an excuse to slip away. "Actually, I just remembered that there's something I need to tend to before I head home. Could you go on ahead without me? I swear I'll get home soon."

Fluttershy gave me a baffled gaze before suddenly turning around. Was she catching on that I had seen something? However, the screen had disappeared by then. She seemed understandably baffled for a moment, but then smiled at me. "Well... OK. Please don't take long." I kneeled down and gave my girlfriend a kiss on the cheek before she turned and began to walk away.

I made my way over to the carriage's door on the backside. Before I got there, I found that the stage had folded back up into its original form. I made sure to glance around to make certain no one was watching. I am not certain if Trixie would want others to know that she and I were making contact. Once I had confirmed that the coast was clear, I knocked on the door a few times. "You wanted to see me, Trixie?"

The top half of the door swung open slowly before I was greeted by the face of the unicorn performer. She smiled brightly at me before opening the lower half of the door. "Please, do come in."

While making certain to mind my head, I crawling through the low doorway before finding myself in Trixie's trailer once more. Trixie had removed her cape and hat, which were now once again resting on her bedpost. Despite the wall on my left having been a stage floor not even ten minutes ago, everything seem to be just the way it had been the first time I had seen it. "You know... I have to wonder. Is that wall right there just an illusion?"

Trixie could not help chuckling at my observation while she walked over to a small refrigerator. "Just because I am an illusionist does not mean EVERYTHING in here is not what it seems. But now that you're here, make yourself comfortable."

I did as I was told, but was still puzzled by exactly why Trixie had called me over. "OK... Great first show, by the way. That last trick felt...almost real. But aside from that, what's up? Why'd you call me?"

Trixie turned my way while smiling as a pair of bottles floated before her before the caps popped off. "I just wanted to thank you."

One of the bottles floated over to me before I grasped it. A quick sniff told me that the contents were hard apple cider. "Thank me?"

Trixie took a seat by her vanity while taking a quick drink of her own bottle. "Yes... James, was it? I want to thank you for the advice you gave me earlier. I don't know what I would've done if you had not given me a nudge in the right direction."

I took a sip of my cider while I listened. It was indeed hard, the faint strong taste of alcohol bringing a bit of warmth to my throat as I swallowed it. "It's no problem, Miss Lulamoon. And it was very brave of you to go into such detail about your past. I was impressed. Really."

"Please... Just call me Trixie." She spoke with a flattered blush on her face. She really was being surprisingly cute now that her ego had been cut down to a more manageable size.

The two of us just sat there for a moment, engaging in idle chitchat. I mostly asked her about where some of her tours had taken her. She has seen the rugged frontier of Appleloosa, the high-rises of Manehatten, and even the exotic locales of Saddle Arabia to the south. She must have seen quite a bit during her glory days.

After a pause in the conversation, I noticed Trixie's expression take on a more somber look. "Are you OK?"

She stayed silent for a moment with her head bowed before speaking. "I'm glad I met you when I did... If I had not... I fear desperation would have eventually driven me to do something dark... So... Thank you, James. You helped save my career."

I have to admit that praise was quite heavy. I think I may have blushed at those words too. "It really was no big deal..."

Trixie suddenly closed the distance between us with a more urgent expression on her face. "No, I mean every word of it! I dread what would've happened if you had not been there for me today!" I leaned back somewhat at this sudden approach. It actually startled me. However, Trixie soon relaxed and let out a long sigh. "I'm sorry... It's just that... I've been through a lot since my last visit to Ponyville."

"I think you made that quite clear in that speak you gave." I retorted while gulping down the last of my cider.

There was another moment of silence before Trixie approached her wardrobe. "Before you go, there is something I want you to have." A drawer slid open while what seemed to be a type of scroll rose out of it while coated with her pink magic aura.

I did not say anything at first while the scroll floated over to me. When I took the scroll in hand and pulled it open, I found what seemed to be an autographed photo of Trixie herself while still clad in her stage attire. In a very stylish type of writing, the words 'To the Great and Powerful Trixie's greatest fan'.

"Um... I think it's a bit early to say I'm a fan of your work, Trixie. Let alone your biggest fan." I spoke while trying to not chuckle.

It seemed that Trixie was not aware of what the poster actually said, judging by that surprised expression. "Oh, wait! Let me see that for a moment." The poster floated out of my hands before Trixie took a moment to examine it. "Hmm... I see what the problem is." With a flash from her horn, a burst of light came from the side of the poster that was facing her. "There we go. Now take a look."

The scroll floated back over to me and into my hand. When I took a look at the front, I found that not much had changed. But what had changed touched my heart. Trixie's expression had gone from a proud smirk to a more modest humble and even grateful smile. And the text had been changed to read 'To Trixie the Illusionist's dearest friend' instead.

"...Trixie?" I asked while looking up at her. The unicorn was gazing at me with a rather nervous expression. She curled her foreleg around the other while looking down and away from me.

"I never once sought the friendship of others... I was always only interested in bringing awe and wonderment to others, or to make myself look and feel good..." She spoke with a rather remorseful expression. She then turned her gaze towards me, her expression slightly more hopeful. "May I have the honor...of calling you my first friend?"

I was taken aback by those words. In a good way, that is. After a moment of thought, I smiled warmly while reaching out with my arm. I spoke no words, though Trixie knew what I was trying to say. While seemingly holding back tears, she sailed into my chest and embraced me as tightly as she could while I wrapped my arm around her. "You're very sweet, Trixie."

"Thank you...James..." She whispered softly while appearing to take a second to remember my name. She stayed there for a moment longer, never letting go. Just snuggling with me in an almost childish fashion. She must have had a very lonely life once her career had started to fall apart.

"You'll be staying in Ponyville for a little while longer, right?" I asked, my lips right next to her ear.

Trixie nodded lightly without raising her head from my chest. "Yes... I'll be taking tomorrow off to plan out my next performance."

A thought occurred to me at that point. While gently stroking her mane, I asked quietly. "Would you like for us to meet up for some lunch tomorrow at the café?"

At those words, Trixie pulled away until she was looking at my face. Her face showed a broad smile. "It would be an honor. I think I know what café you mean too. Does noon sound fine?"

I nodded while starting to climb to a kneeling position. "Sounds great to me. Now, if you don't mind, I should probably get going. My girlfriend is waiting for me at home and these quarters are just too cramped for my taste."

Trixie let out a little chuckle at my obvious discomfort. "Yes, so sorry about that. When you're traveling on the road like this, there's only so much you can have and only so big your home can be while still being a practical size."

I managed to slip out the door with my poster rolled up and in hand. But before I could go anywhere, Trixie peeked out at me from a crack in the doorway. "Have a good evening, James. Trixie the Illusionist will see you tomorrow."

I find it rather charming how Trixie sometimes speaks in 3rd person when referring to herself. It helps her stand out and is rather amusing to hear. Regardless, I waved goodbye with a smile of my own. "I'm looking forward to it. Sweet dreams, Trixie."

I made my way back home as quickly as I could. There were few ponies out and about with how dark it was getting. I made a beeline through Ponyville and trekked across the meadow to the west before coming to Fluttershy's cottage. There was no activity on the outside, but there were a few lights shining through some of the windows.

I knocked on the door before stepping inside. "Hello? Anypony?" I found the living room to be empty. But when I peeked into Scootaloo's room, I found my little sister tucked in and fast asleep. I found this odd since she seemed to have gone to bed just a little too early.

Regardless, I kneeled next to her and gently caressed her mane. I noticed that her coat and mane seemed a bit frazzled. I did not pay much mind to it though and gently kissed her on the forehead. "Sweet dreams, little sis."

I made my way out of the room before heading upstairs. When I reached my bedroom, I found Fluttershy gently nuzzled Angela while the little dove was perched on her hoof. "Sorry if I kept you, honey."

Fluttershy glanced my way and smiled in an instant. "Oh, it's no trouble, James. I was just helping Angela get ready for sleep too... Hm? What's that you have there?"

I noticed that she looking at the rolled up sheet of paper in my hand. "Oh this?" I held it out to her and unfurled it for her. "Trixie gave it to me. How's it look?"

My girlfriend paused for a moment to look it over before smiling warmly. "Aww, you made a friend in her? But how? I don't think she met you until tonight."

I chuckled for a moment while grinning whimsically. "Actually... Remember that order you were passed this morning? On your way to Sugarcube Corner?"

She nodded readily. "Oh, right. I remember. Somepony wearing a cloak asked me to drop that off at Sugarcube Corner when I got there... Wait. Was that...?"

I nodded while rolling up the poster again. "Yup. That was Trixie. I was the one who made the delivery. I ended up getting invited into her carriage and she told me what had happened since she last visited Ponyville and I gave her the soundest advice I could to help her. And... Well, you saw the result of that encounter tonight."

Fluttershy let out a delighted giggle. "She seemed like a completely different pony. I'm glad you were able to help her. I honestly didn't know if she could ever change after that last time."

I took another look at the poster while voicing a reply. "She really did get nice once she let go of her ego... Hmmm.... I think we should frame this. Do you have a spare frame that'll fit this?"

"I think I do. I'll look around for it while you wash up. OK, honey?" Fluttershy replied with a nod. I nodded as well with a thankful smile before stepping into the bathroom to wash up for the night. At least I would have if a question did not pop into my head.

"Say, Fluttershy? Why does Scootaloo look a bit scuffed up downstairs? She try something crazy today?" I asked from the bathroom doorway.

"Huh? Oh, her. She said something about trying to get a cutie mark for...carrying apple bushels on just her front legs. And they tried sledding too." Fluttershy replied with an uneasy expression. Angela seemed equally bothered since she seemed to facepalm with her wing. Or is that facewing?

"Uh... They do know that you need snow to go sledding, right?" I asked, finding the idea of someone sledding down a grassy slope to be stupid to the point of being laughable.

Fluttershy gave me an awkward grin. "Um... I guess they thought there's a first time for everything." That got a good laugh out of me. With nothing else to do but laugh the thought off, I stepped into the bathroom to wash up for the night.

This day was filled with quite a few unexpected twists. I never expected to bump into Trixie in town, let alone become friends with her. As I write this from my bed, I can see Trixie's poster framed on the shelf above the fireplace nearby. Fluttershy is fast asleep now and I am eager to join her.

I think now is a good time to wrap this entry up. I hope Trixie will be all right from now on and will hopefully make sure her ego stays as deflated as a hot air balloon during a tornado season. And I can only wonder how much more impressive her act will be on Tuesday. Only one way to find out. And next time, I'll be sure to bring Scootaloo and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders along for the ride. They will be glad to see the show. Until then though, I must sleep. Good night.