Moving the Stars

Chapters

Prologue: Shame
Chapter 1: I Told You
Chapter 2: The Test
Chapter 3: Two Enemies in One Day
Chapter 4: I Enjoy You
Interlude 1: Growing Bonds
Chapter 5: Tenderness
Chapter 6: Bonding
Chapter 7: Enter the Wolver
Chapter 8: Broken Peace
Chapter 9: Secrets Revealed

Prologue: Shame

Moving the Stars

Story 2

Prologue: Shame

By: FluttersIsAwesome

The large, ivory gates of Canterlot’s Comet Mansion loomed over me. Just the gate itself was enough to mesmerize any ordinary pony with its gorgeous design and grand carvings of Equestria’s royal sisters. It was here that I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, studied magic under a rather powerful unicorn. "He’s so impatient, it would be best not keep him waiting,” I told myself. Shaking with both anger and a slight amount of fear, I opened the door and entered into the mansion’s courtyard. It was a beautiful landscape with multiple hedges cut into various shapes. On either side of the walkway to the mansion itself was a glorious fountain statue. On the left, Princess Celestia stood tall before all who entered into her presence, her head held high and a grin on her face. On the right, Princess Luna towered over her subjects, her mighty wings spread out and her piercing gaze centered on whoever looked upon the statue.

I finally reached the door to the mansion itself and pushed it open. The light of the moon pierced through the darkness of the mansion through the hexagonal windows positioned underneath the ceiling of the second floor. I approached the long, spiral staircase and took a moment to look at it. The golden rails that lined the stairs shined in the moonlight, and the gold was a pleasing compliment to the bright scarlet of the stairs themselves. I began climbed the stairs until I came to the large, white door. Carved into it was a shining crescent moon of gold, surrounded on three side by glowing yellow stars. Pushing it open, I entered into the pearly white dome that was the Meteor Observatory. Various books lined the shelves on the walls, and many different charts, graphs, and maps hung along the walls that were not already occupied by bookshelves. The grandest thing of all, however, was the enormous telescope extending from the northern edge of the dome outward about fifty feet. I then turned to the landscape window where the balcony was, and noticed the pony that held my future in his hooves: Astro Stellaris, my mentor.

"Trixie, I am pleased that you are not late for once." He turned to me and his emerald-green coat and rust-colored mane shone in the light of the moon. "I assume you know why I called you here?"

I am the Great and Powerful Trixie. I knew all, so answering his question was no issue at all for me. "Yes, I do. What of it?"

The piercing gaze from his cobalt-blue eyes caused me to sweat a bit. "So you do not remember your little show back in Ponyville, then?"

I nodded. "Yes, I recall." My legs began shaking again as I looked into his eyes, unable to look away.

He sighed. "Trixie, tell me something. What was one of the first lessons you were taught as my apprentice?"

Being as great as I was, I remembered the answer easily. "Humility, Astro. No matter how powerful a unicorn's magic is, they must never gloat and always act as if they have no power."

Astro nodded. "Good.” Now his tone was becoming harsher. “Now tell me, do you think you demonstrated this idea very well during your visit to Ponyville?”

"Yes." I struggled to try and find more to say. My heart was racing; despite the fact that I knew I had all the bragging rights in the world, Astro’s anger still frightened me to a certain extent. I forced back a lump in my throat as Astro stepped down and walked up to me with a considerable thump in his step.

"Let me ask you something else. What was the reason you gave me for wanting to study here in the first place?" As he always did when he was irritated, he began pacing back and forth.

"I wanted to be like you. I wanted to be a Sage." The title of "Sage" was given to a unicorn Celestia allowed to have their own constellation They were never major, and often went unnoticed except by a few astronomy enthusiasts. However, I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, aimed to create the grandest of all constellations as a testament to my amazing power.

Astro stopped in front of me, his stare as cold as ice and as paralyzing as snake venom. "Ok then. So tell me, doesn't it make sense to you that an apprentice who wants to be like her mentor would try to mimic the bloody mannerisms of the mentor?!"

It was my turn to raise me voice. “I am not you, Astro. I am the Great and Powerful Trixie. Nopony, not even you has the right to tell me not to

"Trixie, listen. I don’t know, nor do I care what youthink this is.” As I looked down a small bit, I noticed he was gritting his teeth. “All that matters is what you’re really here for: to harness that superb amount of raw magical talent you have and form it into the shining diamond I know you can be."

I might've thought he was trying to preserve my feelings if he had not raised his voice again. I stepped forward a bit, not willing to let him think that I was frightened, because a pony as amazing as me does not get intimidated.

"However, I can’t help you if you don’t listen. We may be the same age, but I have still been given superiority over you! Despite this, you continue to defy me and do whatever the hell you feel like. You had better straighten up, because I won't continue teaching you if you keep this up.” He stepped forward again, causing me to back up. “You always claim that you're my best student, but in order for me to acknowledge such a misguided statement, you must first prove to me that you deserve to be called my best student. Get the bloody hell out of my sight!"

I stomped the ground fiercely. “Who are to say these things about me?! I am the Great and Powerful Trixie, and I will prove to you just how powerful I am.”

In complete contrast to his previous attitude, he grinned. His voice was calm and lowered, and his expression became soft. “Very well then. If you really think you can prove to me how amazing you are, meet me in the front courtyard tomorrow at seven a.m. on the dot. Am I clear?”

I was still seething with anger, but I nodded. “I’ll be there.”

Chapter 1: I Told You

Moving the Stars

Story 2

Chapter 1: I Told You

By: FluttersIsAwesome

After his lecture, Astro had left me to my own devices, so I decided to actually do some work for once. The library was dark, but a simple luminosity spell fixed that problem easily. I looked around for the book I was currently supposed to be reading: "Behind the Magic". It was somewhat hard to navigate through the narrow aisles that were formed by the immense bookshelves, but somehow I managed.

When I found the book, I pulled it out with a little spell. Setting it on the table, I began to flip through the pages. Seeing as how I was, and still am, such an amazing pony, reading posed no challenge to me. The more I read, the more immersed in the text I became. It delved deep into the secrets of mastering powerful spells, such as shape shifting, object materialization, and even a spell to give a non-pegasus pony wings.

Again, I am the Great and Powerful Trixie. I finished the book in about an hour despite its length. Closing the book with a great yawn, I stood up and began the trip back to my room. My bedroom was, without a doubt, my favorite room in the entire mansion. The large, queen-sized bed was tailored just for me. The brilliant silver sheets and gorgeous light-blue quilt and pillows matched me perfectly. Every morning I would awaken to the image of the greatest unicorn in Equestria looking at me from the other side of the gold-rimmed mirror, and the ceiling was painted to mimic a clear night sky. Each star was placed perfectly into its proper position with the glistening moon outshining them all.

As I tried to get to sleep, I began to recall how I even came here. I had been studying magic since I was a small filly, and my parents believe that I had the talent to take advanced studies. Thoroughly convinced of my amazing power, they signed me on to take the test required of all unicorns wishing to graduate to advanced studies. For a pony like myself, the test was simple: hatch a baby dragon. It would have been no small feat for any other pony, but for me hatching the dragon was easier than brushing my teeth.

After passing the test with flying colors, I was given a mentor and taken to his dwelling. When I first met Astro, however, I drew back. Before me stood a colt that was maybe a year older than me. I was incredibly reluctant to believe that he could even think he was powerful enough to teach me, but for the sake of making my parents happy I went along with it.

To this day I both regret my decision and praise myself for it.

That morning when I woke up, eager to make Astro eat his words. Contrary to my normal routine of making my bed neatly and grooming myself for an hour, I simply jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs toward the door. I opened it hastily and ran out into the courtyard where Astro was standing, tapping his hoof while waiting for me.

"So, you actually came. Good, I didn't think you would, Trixie."

The smile that appeared on his face made did nothing irritate me. “You’re a jerk.”

He ignored my comment. "So, are you ready? I found a spell I think you'll find very useful, especially considering the fact that you wish to be a Sage."

I nodded hurriedly. "Whatever it is you have, I'll master it in half the time you did!"

Astro laughed, irritating me further. "You have no idea how good it feels to hear you being so enthusiastic, nor any idea how delighted I was to find you in the library for once. It's quite the contrast to your normal attitude. Did my lecture last night make you change your perspective?"

Rolling my eyes, I agreed. "Kind of. I’m here to prove to you that I am deserving of my title. I am great and powerful."

Astro raised an eyebrow. “Alright then. Let’s see if you can actually do it."

Scoffing at him, I flipped my mane as a sign of brushing him off. “I can.”

His continued optimism and smiling began to change my attitude. I began to think that he really did have faith in me as he spoke. "Alright, Trixie. This is one of those spells that a pony must work on gradually in order to master." He motioned to a set of plates that were sitting on the left picnic table. "You see those plates there? This is a telekinesis spell, but not the simple kind. It involves much more concentration, and the spell renders the user immobile while it is being used. Now, I want you to-Trixie!"

My giggling was rather loud, and he caught on quick. Astro's accent always made it sound funny when he pronounced the "or" sound, and today, despite my excitement, was no different. However, I jumped up and focused on the subject at hand when he called my name. "Sorry, Astro, I-"

"Had your mind on other things?" He rolled his eyes, but chose to overlook my little distraction. "Okay, time to get back on track. The way this spell works is like this." He closed his eyes and his horn began to glow.

As I turned to the plates, one of them had risen and was spinning rather fast, like a saw. While I was still facing it, it flew right past me with blinding speed and lodged itself halfway into a large oak tree about 90 feet away. I turned to him and tapped my hoof. I wasn’t impressed.

"It's a bit more complicated than your average telekinetic magic. It's required to move heavier objects, but all unicorns that wish to learn this spell must first start off small. Are you ready?"

Eagerly I made my way over to him, picking up a plate with my own magic. When I saw him smile at me, for some reason I felt gratified to know that he was actually happy to have me there for once.

At once he began to explain, "The way this spell differs is in the way it's executed. A normal spell only consists of picking up an object and telling it where to go. This spell tells an item where to go and also how to get there. It's different because with a normal spell, you tell the plate to hit the tree. With this spell, you tell the plate to hit the tree at a 45 degree angle while doing seven loopy-loops and a u-turn. Not only that, but the reason the user becomes immobilized is because the pony quite literally puts their mind into an object, almost as if they are the object. This is what allows the unicorn in question to move heavier objects."

While he spoke I became lost in his words. My mind began to drift, and I soon found myself in a daydream.

I heard nothing around me and I wasn't really "seeing" anything around me, either. I looked around at the adoring crowd in front of my stage as I lifted up my front hooves. “Yes, yes, my adoring fans. I know it’s hard for you to contain your excitement, but be calm. The Great and Powerful Trixie shall not disappoint.” I turned to the sky and my horn glowed. I looked at the stars as they began to move, controlled by my spell.

I forced them to take the shape of my amazing and majestic profile, and all of my adoring fans screamed. It almost brought a tear to my eye as I observed the crowd. They knew who I was, and they respected me; everything was as it should be. I turned back to them with a smile and waved my hat. “Yes, yes, Trixie knows she is great.”

I then saw Astro in the crowd and drew back. "Trixie. Trixie. Trixie. TRIXIE!"

Reality came crashing down upon me again. Astro was looking at me with a rather angry expression, and I knew he had realized I drifted off.

"Repeat what I just told you."

I couldn’t and just hid behind a nervous grin, as I was far too lost with my fantasy to pay any attention to his instructions. I tried to think of something to say, but all that came out was, “Bah, you got me.”

"I thought as much. Trixie, I appreciate you trying to take magic seriously, but you've got to focus." He repeated his instructions to me, this time demonstrating while he explained. This made it easier to focus on.

Now that I had actually heard his explanation, I was ready. I picked up a plate and closed my eyes. The image of the plate rising and flying into the tree formed in my mind. I replayed this scene in my head, each time with a new addition. First I made the plate spin, then I made it curve as it flew, and finally I made it do a loopy-loop just for fun. I opened my eyes when I heard the sound of shattering ceramic, and saw that the plate had fallen in front of me.

Astro shook his head. "Trixie, listen to me. I told you that you have to do this quickly. An untrained unicorn will only be able to hold the object in this way for a short time, so you have to take it to its destination quickly. Try again."

I did just that. I took out the loopy-loop this time around, and although I didn't make it to the tree, I did make the plate move about nine feet. I kept trying, and eventually I began to get tired.

Astro heard me panting slightly and put a hoof on my shoulder. "Take a rest, multiple uses of this spell can get tiring. Sit down and I'll bring you some water."

Left to my own devices when he departed, I sat and continued my wonderful daydream. Astro had no idea how earnestly I wished for those dreams to come true, and I knew I was more than capable of making that dream come true. I looked at the stack of plates in front of me and realized that it had dwindled down to one. I wondered what he would say if I pulled it off without him even being there, so I closed my eyes, but before picking up the plate, I envisioned the movement. I pictured myself flying off of the table and toward the tree, cutting into it until my spin was finally slowed to a stop. I kept imagining it before picking up the plate, which made me a bit more confident in my ability to actually move the plate.

I opened my eyes at the sudden sound of glass breaking and turned to see where the sound had come from. My eyes widened as I saw Astro standing in front of me with a shallow cut on his cheek and the pieces of broken glass in the small water puddle in front of him. But what excited me the most was what I saw when I looked behind him. There, stuck in the tree right under Astro's plate...was my own! I did it! I turned to Astro, who was now almost in my face, and I looked at his cut again. "Um, sorry Astro."

He paused for a moment, as if to say something, then burst into laughter. "Well done, Trixie, well done! That was superb! Not only did you get the plate to the tree, you also pulled off a spin too, enough to cut my face, I might add." He stopped me as I went to speak. "Don't worry about it, I've had worse. This is just a scratch, don't worry about it! I'm proud of you, Trixie. It looks like you've remembered the reason you're here." He began to clap happily as he chuckled. “You may just prove me wrong.”

I grinned at him proudly. “See, Astro? I am great and powerful.”

Chapter 2: The Test

Moving the Stars

Story 2

Chapter 2: The Test

By: FluttersIsAwesome

Astro looked sternly at me. “Trixie, remember. I got on you last night about bragging, don’t make me do it again.”

I pouted a bit but nodded in agreement. “Fine.”

He smiled and looked at the sky as if he was lost. “Trixie, I never told you why the Sages even exist, did I?”

I shook my head. It never made sense to me, either, why did Celestia give constellations to unicorns? “Tell me.”

“I wish I could tell you more than just what I was told. I will tell you that, but I can’t guarantee its accuracy. Celestia told me that she allows a unicorn to have a constellation if two conditions are met: they must prove they deserve it through a display of magical talent, and they must have a reason for wanting a constellation that she deems worthy.”

“Really? Well, what was your reason?”

A hardy laugh echoed from the green colt. “You ask me as if I’m going to tell you just because you’re my student.”

A small chuckle escaped my lips, but then I began to think. “How hard is it to become a Sage?”

His hoof met his chin and he pondered. “Well, you don’t necessarily have to be ‘special’. Anypony can become a Sage if they train and practice hard enough. They do, however, have to be approved by Celestia.” He paused and glared at me with those ice cold eyes again. “Don’t get to thinking that you succeeding with the plate means that you can master this spell. You still have a long way to go, Trixie.”

I puffed my cheeks out. “Do not tell me things I already know.” I then matched his glare with one of my own. “You remember that I am still powerful! I may have decided to brag less, but that doesn’t mean I am any less amazing.”

When those cobalt blue eyes met mine, I thought there would be a hole between my eyes next time I looked in a mirror. He turned and began to walk away. “We’re done today, Trixie. When you decide to change your attitude, let me know.”

I suddenly realized the grave mistake I had made, and rushed to cut him off. “Astro, wait! I didn’t mean to... raise my voice.”

He stopped, but didn’t turn back around. “Trixie, I understand that you act out of pride. I am not mad at you for raising your tone. I am upset at the fact that you ruined my good mood with your self-proclaimed greatness.” He turned to me, looking almost sad. “I was going to congratulate you by taking you to dinner, but now I see that you want no part of it.”

My ears fell. I had missed a chance to actually enjoy myself with Astro for once. Despite how much I hated his guts, he was fun to hang out with when the barrier of teacher and student was taken down. I ran back to him and walked alongside him. “Please Astro, give me one more chance. I promise I won’t act high and mighty.”

He closed his eyes. It felt like an hour had gone by when he opened his eyes again even though I knew better. “Fine. Follow me, and I’ll test you. If you pass,” he smiled and nudged me teasingly, “I’ll reconsider taking you to dinner.”

A grin spread across my face. “No problem. Whatever test you have in store, I’ll pass with flying colors. Just make it hard so that I can add another notch to my ‘greatness’ ladder.”

He laughed. “I’m sure you will.” His expression became calm again. “Trixie, while we walk, I want to talk to you.”

“What about?”

Astro sighed. “I should have told you sooner, but honestly, your view of Sages is overly glorified.”

My head tilted. “What do you mean?”

He chuckled a bit. “We’re not as great as you think. Believe it or not, we don’t even use our powers. The only time we do is when we are given the chance to make our constellations. Not only that, but we’re not special.”

Hearing him talk like this was new. I understood his reason for telling me this, but it took a bit to sink in.

“I do not lie, nor am I just being humble when I say that I am not special. I would be just like you if it were not for my training.”

I stomped again. “Do you honestly expect me to believe that?” I let my hooves express my anger as I stomped with each step. He was trying to make me look like an idiot, and I knew it.

Astro, however, grabbed me and forced me to look straight into his piercing gaze. “I told you, Trixie; the only reason I even have a constellation is because I barely passed the test, and the princess deeply sympathized with my reason.”

His look was so fierce it was frightening. Over the years, it became clear that whenever Astro donned this look, he was as far from lying as one could get. He hardly lied anyway, but whenever he did this, it was undeniable proof of his honesty.

“Are you ready to go?”

I nodded as he let me go, but my agreement was met with but a simple grunt. My ears fell again; I pissed him off something fierce.

We were a good ways into Dew Rise Forest when I realized where we were headed. The crude path of flattened plants and broken tree branches reminded me of the many times I had walked through the forest with my mentor. The path led to a gorgeous, fast-flowing river that originated from a waterfall. The glistening, clear water reflected the sunlight beautifully; it truly was an amazing sight. It was behind this waterfall that Astro’s best friend lived: Oceana, the River Mare.

River Mares were a subspecies of unicorn whose magic was based around living under or around the water. They were a dying breed, and Oceana was one of only seventy left in Equestria. Our first meeting was a result of Astro’s brilliant thinking. He said it would be a good idea for me to meet a more “mystical” being. I knew, however, that no being could be more mystical than I. He introduced us, but I couldn’t stand her; she always gave me the impression that I was intruding on her alone time with Astro, and it made me mad. One should never anger the Great and Powerful Trixie.

Today, however, was different. Rather than approaching the waterfall and splitting it in half, he turned to me with a grin. “Here’s your test. Open the way.”

A lump formed in my throat. Astro had indeed taught me a spell that dealt with manipulating substances that were moving at high speeds, but to this day I still had trouble with it. I hated to admit it, but this spell was difficult.

“Let’s see how well you paid attention to my lesson on this spell. Recite to me everything you can remember about what you learned when I taught you this spell.”

I closed my eyes in order to drown out unnecessary distractions. My recollection of that particular lesson was rather foggy, but I did remember most of the key points that Astro stressed. “One: The easiest way to execute this spell is through magic wavelengths. Rather than try and actually take control of the substance, it’s better to simply alter its course by blocking its original path.”

He nodded. “Continue.”

“Two: In order to create a working wavelength, concentrate magic energy and compress it into a tangible form. After this, give the wave enough strength to hold back the substance in question by adding a chainsaw-like rotation.”

“And finally?”

“Three: Never move the rotation with the flow of a moving liquid. This will only cause the user’s magic to be pushed along with the liquid, so it’s important to always move against the flow.”

His grin brightened my mood. Apparently I had actually gotten something right in his eyes. “Well done. Now let’s see if you can actually apply those rules to this waterfall.”

The nervous grin returned to my face; Astro knew I had trouble with this spell. It didn’t have a problem actually making the waves; it was applying a fast enough rotation to actually hold back the water that gave me trouble. Most of the time the water broke through my magic, but nonetheless I decided to try. I closed my eyes yet again and focused on concentrating my energy

He watched and spoke softly to me. “Apply what you did with the plate to this. See what happens.”

I didn’t understand what good it would do, but like I had done with the plates, I formed the image of the rotating waves splitting the waterfall in two. Normally the waves look like they’re still, but the rotations I put in were strong and visible.

Just I had heard the plate break Astro’s glass; I heard a splash as I split the waterfall. I opened my eyes and stared at the waterfall that was now open like a curtain. “Easy as pie.”

My mentor put his arm around me and laughed. “Very well done, Trixie. Looks like you’ve earned that dinner tonight.”

Never doubt me, Astro. You know how amazing I am, so just admit it. It took a hard bite on my tongue to keep from saying that right to his face as we walked behind the waterfall and entered Oceana’s home.

Chapter 3: Two Enemies in One Day

Moving the Stars

Story 2

Chapter 3: Two Enemies, One Day

By: FluttersIsAwesome

A chill ran up my spine as I heard that disgusting, too-cute-for-her-age voice ring out as we approached Oceana’s cabin.

“Oh my, visitors~”

Seeing Astro grin as she spoke only made my sickening nausea worse. I hated everything about that pony. I took a moment to look at the cabin: the exterior was nothing special. It met my expectations of a simple log cabin, with the exception of the decorated window beside the door.

Astro knocked on the door when we arrived, and that irritating voice called out again.

“Cooooming~”

Dammit, Astro, why did you have to make me come with you? I wish I had never agreed to take your test, I found myself thinking as a bright turquoise filly appeared in the now open door.

“Astro! Come in, please!” She jumped towards him and wrapped her arms around him like she always did. Then she turned to me. I couldn’t help but put on a smug grin every time that annoying smile of hers contorted into a frown. “Oh... hello again Trixie.”

The way she acted like saying my name pained her made me want to show her what real pain was. Luckily, I am the Great and Powerful Trixie, and she does not lose her head over a simple mare’s lack of manners. “Hello Oceana,” I managed through gritted teeth under the guise of a fake grin.

She allowed us both in her kitchen and prepared tea for us. I won’t lie, as much as I hated her, one thing I could praise her for was her cooking. She sat down with us, but kept her eyes on my teacher.

“So what brings you to my humble abode, my dearest? You need something, or are you just here to visit?”

The colt set his cup down and gazed at her for a moment before clearing his throat. “It’s actually about my student.”

Her smile faded again; I was torn between satisfaction at her realizing Astro’s motive for visiting and malice towards her unwillingness to do something for me.

“Really now? And what does she want?”

Astro shot her that angry, frightening glare that he had given me so many times in the past two days. “We need two bottles of Marine Luster, and you’re the only pony I know that can make it.”

Both my eyes and hers became wider than platters. Marine Luster was a fine alcohol that was quite expensive. In unison, we both asked him, “Why would you need that?”

Seeing Astro make any sort of joke was always a rare sight.

“ALCHEMY!” he shouted proudly.

However, Oceana, being the ditz she is, actually believed him. “Really? Um... okay. I’ll do it, but know this: I wouldn’t do it for any other pony.”

My mentor grinned softly and patted her shoulder. “I appreciate it, lass. Thank you,” he set his cup down and rose from the table as he spoke; “now if you’ll excuse us, we have to leave. Take care, my friend.”

She grinned as he walked off, but I stayed. I rose as well, but instead of leaving I got right in her face. “Now you listen here, Little Miss ‘Charm’. Astro was not, is not, and never will be in love with you, you got me? And not only that, but if you think you can get away with talking down to the Great and Powerful Trixie, you’ve got several things coming.”

Before she could even retaliate, I turned sharply and smacked her in the face with my tail as I left. I savored the look of utter shock on her face as I looked back before closing the door. Who does she even think she is? I wasn’t sure why, but for some reason I was slightly offended at seeing her try to flirt with Astro.

I quickly caught up with Astro; he hadn’t gone far by the time I had left the cabin. In fact, he was facing my direction as if he was waiting on me.

Surprisingly, a grin was spread across his face instead of the scowl I was expecting. “Nice job, Trixie. I was wondering when you’d finally develop the backbone to tell off Oceana.” He clapped a bit, and I could help but chuckle. He turned and began to walk again once I was by his side.

“So, what exactly do you need the Marine Luster for?” I inquired.

Astro hesitated before answering. “Well, I told you I’d get you dinner, but what’s the point if you don’t have anything good to drink?”

I looked at him inquisitively. Now I was curious as to where he planned to take me. “Where exactly are we going, Astro?”

He shrugged. “Do whatever you want. I think you’ve stressed yourself enough with the plates and the water, and you need to take a rest.” His head swiveled a bit as he cracked his neck, and I stopped walking.

“Are you saying that you don’t think I could handle another lesson?” That’s exactly what he was saying, and he knew I didn’t like it. My irritation was only exacerbated when he turned to me with his infamous superior look. This was the expression he donned whenever he scolded me.

“Listen, Trixie. You may not feel it, but you are getting tired. This is not physical exhaustion, it’s magic. You won’t feel it in your body; you won’t become sluggish and you won’t feel tired. However, should you try and cast more spells, not only will you be unable to, but it will start taking a toll on you.”

In spite of everything he had done for me that day, I couldn’t help but scowl. I understood what he was talking about, as it had happened once before, but I was positive I was past that point by now. “Fine, Astro. I’ll do as you say and go to bed.” There was no point in trying to argue, so I began walking again, but he blocked me.

“You don’t need bed rest. Don’t you remember your last incident with Magic Exhaust?”

To say no would be a bald-faced lie, so I nodded slowly.

“And what did we have to do?”

I blushed slightly when I recalled my last incident. Astro told me that energy could be restored through meditation in a specialized area of the manor, but the fastest way was for another unicorn to lend their energy to the weak one. Astro had voluntarily given me his energy last time, so I assumed he would do it again. “You gave me your energy.”

Astro nodded, but closed his eyes. “Good. I have no qualms about helping you again, but I still want you to take it easy.”

Really? What am I going to do for the rest of the day, then? I decided against arguing again and simply nodded.

“Alright then. Close your eyes, friend.”

The sensation that flowed through my body when Astro’s horn touched mine still made me shudder, and could never figure out if it was just his magic or something... more. Not only that, but it was odd for him to call me “friend” out of the blue like that. Normally he only addressed my like that when I passed a test or successfully mastered a spell. Not to mention the rare occasion where I managed to make him laugh.

Seeing as how I literally had nothing better to do, I decided to head into Canterlot proper and take a look around the shops. As I walked down the stone road, I felt my stomach rumble. “Heh... I guess even the Great and Powerful Trixie has her limits.” Luckily the Herb Garden, my favorite luncheon restaurant, wasn’t but a few feet away. I walked quickly to the door and pushed it open. I wish I had never gone in.

Twilight Sparkle and her little dragon friend were there as well, also getting ready to order.

Avoiding her gaze was easy considering she hadn’t turned around when I came in. All I needed to do was make sure that she didn’t realize I was here and dealing with her would be made much less difficult. However, as usual, my luck turned against me as I approached an empty order counter.

“Trixie? Is that you?” The lavender unicorn was staring straight at me.

Damn! When did she see me? It took all the strength I had to keep myself calm, but somehow I managed. “Hello Twilight. What’s the occasion for you being here?” It was only when I finished my sentence that I realized I was grinding my teeth.

She, however, seemed as if she had forgotten all about my ordeal in Ponyville. Twilight trotted over to me with a smile. “Princess Celestia called for me. She said she wanted an in-pony evaluation of my study progress. What about you?”

I figured that since she was apparently doing her best to be nice, it would only be polite for me to do the same. “Astro gave me the rest of the day off. I’m merely waiting for him to return since he promised to take me out to dinner.”

She titled her head. “Astro? As in Astro Stellaris, the Sage that made the Sea Guardian constellation?”

My eyes widened. I had seen Astro’s constellation before, but he never actually told me what it was. “Yes... that Astro. How did you know about his constellation?”

“Well, I saw it completely by accident when I was updating my star charts one night. I decided to look it up and I found that Astro was the one who made it, but the book never gave a reason as to.”

I rested my chin on my hoof and thought. “I’ll have to talk to him about it tonight.”

Chapter 4: I Enjoy You

Moving the Stars

Story 2

Chapter 4: I Enjoy You

By: FluttersIsAwesome

I had been working on reading the book I started that morning when I heard the door to the library open. When I turned, Astro was standing there with a small bottle of Marine Luster in each saddlebag.

“Ready to go, Trixie?”

The sight of him smiling was enough to excite me. This is going to be fun. It was nice to think that we would be able to share an evening together without any lectures or punishments. “Yeah, let’s go.”

As we left the Manor, Astro turned to me. “So, where are we going?”

I think he knew I hadn’t really thought much about it and was trying to tease me. “Um... I don’t know. Surprise me.” I wasn’t too sure if telling him to surprise me was a good idea or not, but I knew he wouldn’t take me anywhere he didn’t think I should be. As we walked, I remembered that I wanted to talk to Astro about his constellation. “Astro, can we talk?”

By now I head learned that his ears perking up was a sure sign that I got his attention. “What about?”

I never knew what his reason for wanting a constellation was, but that was because he never told me when I asked him. He always said “now’s not the time.” Deciding that I wouldn’t take no for an answer this time, I looked at him sternly. “Tell me: how did you get your constellation, and what exactly is it?”

I heard him sigh as he lowered his head a bit. “I guess it’s finally time to tell you.” As we came onto the bridge leading to the main part of Canterlot, he stopped me and leaned on the guard rails. “Look up at the moon.”

I did so. It was a full moon, bright a beautiful as always. However, I didn’t see anything unusual until I went to look back at him. Underneath the moon was a close assemblage of stars that formed what looked like a dolphin with a horn; it was the crest of the River Mares.

Lowering my head back, I noticed that Astro’s expression was one that I had not seen before. He looked... lost. His eyes were staring into space and he was as still as the toaster in the kitchen. It made me think of a father who had just lost his child.

“I never told you about the history of the River Mares, did I?”

I shook my head. He knew I didn’t, so it was a mystery to me as to why he asked.

“Trixie, there’s a disease. It’s a common one, but it’s deadly to River Mares because of their need to coexist with some form of water. It’s called Hyperthermal Cerebral Syndrome. It’s like a fever, but more intense. Some ponies merely call it heatstroke, but it’s still slightly different. Not only does it raise one’s body temperature, but it also drains the body’s fluids at a decent pace.”

I nodded. I understood the disease, seeing as how I had come down with it a year ago. However, I didn’t see how it would affect a River Mare any differently than a normal pony. “Ok? Keep going.”

He closed his eyes and hesitated before resuming. “River Mares depend on water. It’s what powers their magic as well as their physical bodies, and because of this, even the slightest shift in fluid content can make one bedridden. Such a fast loss in fluids will definitely kill them. Not only that, but they seem to be more susceptible to it than regular ponies and we still haven’t even figured out why. It kills them quickly, and as a result their numbers will eventually dwindle to nothing.” He stood up and motioned for me to follow as he walked.

“I wanted to give the River Mares a way to be remembered. When I met Oceana swimming in a lake near my house, I was captivated not only by her beauty, but also by her exceptional magical talent. I wanted to give the lass, and all of her kin, a way to be remembered. After a few long years, I went to Celestia and told her my reason for wanting a constellation. She said that she believed it was noble motivation, and if I could manage to create it, she would allow it to stay.”

I couldn’t help but stare at Astro for a minute. “That’s... sweet of you.” To think that everything he did... I couldn’t finish my thought. We were standing in front of Floral Essence, one of the most expensive restaurants in Canterlot.

Astro opened the door for me and held his hoof out. “Lassies first.”

I smiled as I entered with Astro following close behind. The entire place smelled like a mix of sweet pastries, warm pastas, and the fragrant flowers placed on each table. The walls were covered with embroidered banners and beautifully decorated tapestries, and the ceiling was one huge mural of the royal sisters.

The light blue filly standing behind a podium bowed to us. “Two?”

Astro nodded. “Yes ma’am. Should be under Stellaris.”

She looked through the list before her and found the name. “Right, Astro and Trixie, corner table. Right this way, please.”

She led us to a table in the far back of the restaurant. It was in a corner with a curved leather cushion next to a window: quite cozy. As I slipped in to my seat, I noticed that Astro was sitting a bit closer to me than he had on previous “dates” like this.

The filly smiled as she bowed again. “Your waiter will be right with you.”

Not two minutes after she left, a light brown colt with a suit and a smile walked up to our table. He seemed quite cheery, and I noticed he had an accent similar to Astro’s. “Hello! Thank you for visiting Floral Essence. My name is Collin Windfall, and I’ll be your waiter this evening. How are you both?”

His perkiness quickly rubbed off on me. I grinned as I responded, “I’m doing wonderfully, thank you.”

Astro apparently felt the same way, despite his response. He yawned loudly, but was smiling when he came out of it. “Sorry, lad. Didn’t get much sleep last night.”

Collin laughed heartily. “Don’tcha worry. I’ve had my share of tired times too.” I saw him take out a pencil and a notepad using magic, and only then did I notice his horn. “So, any drinks for the two of ya?”

Astro shook his head and took out the Marine Luster. “We brought our own for tonight.”

Collin nodded. “Alright then, either of you interested in appetizers?”

Picking up the menu, I perused through the list of appetizers, but decided not to get anything. “Nothing for me. Astro?”

He shook his head as well. “I’ll just skip straight to the main course.”

Collin nodded again. “No problem, then. What’ll ya have, friend?”

Astro looked through the menu, but waited for me to order.

I was particularly interested in the pastas, so I ordered something called Idoniya Masterwork. Astro said he would share with me, and after writing it down, Collin left to deliver the order.

“You seem awfully laid back.”

My mentor grinned at me. “Why wouldn’t I be? Tonight is a chance to relax, so that’s what I’m doing.” He took out the Marine Luster and two glasses from the saddlebags, setting one in front of my and the other by his side. As he filled the both, he used magic to lift his up and winked at me.

I followed suit, and we clinked our glasses together. “Cheers!” Although we had started at the same time, Astro finished first. Call me prejudiced, but I couldn’t help but think that his lineage gave him an advantage when it came to drinking.

He smiled at me again and patted my back. “I’m proud of you, Trixie, I really am. You did well today, and you’ve earned this.”

I saw myself blush in the reflection of the window, but our moment was interrupted by a familiar, obnoxious voice.

“Look, girls, it’s Trixie!”

Three mares stood at our table, and I recognized them immediately. The one on the left was tall, with a light green coat and pink mane. She looked about three years older than me. It was Midnight Dawn, Astro’s first student.

The one in the middle was the shortest, sporting a black mane and a blood red coat. This was Diamond Rose, Astro’s second student.

Finally, the filly on the right was a dark blue with a purple-and-red combo mane: Astro’s third student, Haze.

Astro’s expression changed, and he looked severely irritated. However, before he could say anything, Diamond walked up to me with a condescending look on her own face.

“Careful, Trixie. You wouldn’t want to screw up your ‘date’ and have the table flip over on top of Astro~”

After her, Haze joined in. “What makes you think you can even get with dearest Astro anyway? I mean, you’re such a failure Astro probably is inches away from kicking you out.”

Right on cue, Midnight chimed in. “She’s right. Have you even managed to learn anything? I bet you’ve done nothing but break stuff and give Astro a headache!”

They all cackled like witches, making me jump up. I was not about to put up with their insults. “Now you uncouth wenches listen to me! I am the Great and Powerful Trixie, the greatest unicorn to ever live! I’ve been practicing spells that unicorns like you only dream of! You could never hope to reach my level of prowess, and knowing you three, you’d most likely die trying.”

Diamond got in my face with a smirk. “Prove it.”

My hesitation brought out laughter from all three of them, and I was on the verge of tears. They called my bluff, and now I had no way of defending myself.

Astro had many tell-tale signs that he was mad. Seeing the mares’ reaction to the loud bang that came from beside me, I assumed that Astro slamming his hoof on some surface was one of them. He stood up, furious, and stalked towards the three mares. “Now you listen, and you bloody listen well! I’ll have you know that outta all four of you, Trixie may not be the strongest. However,” As he moved forward, the three began to cower, “She has admirable traits you three never had and never will have: ambition, drive, the willingness to learn.” Another loud bang came from his left hind hoof as it met the floor. “Midnight Dawn! You were the most self-absorbed, selfish git I ever met! You were so preoccupied with dressing up and beautifying yourself that you failed over half my damn tests!”

He then turned to Diamond. “Diamond Rose! You operated on your own bloody schedule, despite knowing that’s not how things work. You never listened and you went out of your way to piss me off! You were incompetent and defiant, and you wonder why I kicked you to the ploughin’ curb!”

He stomped again as he faced Haze. “And you, Haze! You were the sluttiest piece of shit that I ever had to deal with. You never even got past the first week, you were so damn flirty! If any of you think you can come in here and insult the one student I’ve had that has parted water and passed the plate test, you had better be ready to deal with me! I want you all gone, and if I ever see your faces again, it won’t be pretty. Now get out!”

After a final stomp, all three of them hurried out. As Astro looked around, he realized that most of the patrons had gathered to see the altercation. My teacher backed away a little, sheepish. “Sorry for the commotion...”

His apology was not needed. A clapping came from the crowd, and soon everypony else followed suit. We heard many “Sock it to ‘em”s and “You tell those assholes!”s coming from the crowd, and after they had calmed down, they all smiled and returned to their seats. Astro sat back down by me with an embarrassed grin. “Sorry you have to keep dealing with those three, Tri-“

I had wrapped my arms around him in a hug. “Thank you, Astro... nopony’s ever stood up for me like that before... I thought I got on your nerves more than anything.”

I knew my face turned red again. Astro pulled me to him, smiling. “You irritate me sometimes, Trixie, but in all honesty, I enjoy being with you. You’re by far my favorite student.”

Interlude 1: Growing Bonds

Moving the Stars

Story 2

Interlude 1: Growing Bonds

By: FluttersIsAwesome

Aside from the altercation with my former students, the night went over quite well. The food was amazing, and it was nice to actually spend some time with Trixie without having to worry about the barrier between teacher and student. She didn't know it, but I truly savored those times when she wasn't my pupil, but my friend. However, one thing still had power over the outcome of that night: Trixie's love of alcohol.

I should've known better than to let her have her own bottle of Marine Luster. Before I knew it, she was piss drunk and spouting out all kinds of random gibberish.

"Astro... can penguins throw toffee rolls?" was the last thing she said before I decided it was time to call it a night.

Shaking my head, I picked her up. "Let's get back home, you're too damn drunk to stay here."

She struggled a bit, but in her intoxicated state there wasn't much she could actually do. "Whaddya mean, I'm fine!" It was hard to suppress my laughter as her speech was fragmented by hiccups, but somehow I managed.

Knowing that her pride would never allow her to be seen in this state, I decided to take the less crowded way back home so nopony would see the "Great and Powerful Trixie" riding on her mentor's back, hopelessly drunk. I wasn't too sure about leaving her in the manor alone, but I had no choice since I had business to take care of. As I tried to get her to sleep, her struggling got more difficult to handle. However, after a bit of protest, she finally conceded and let me put her to bed. "Get some sleep, Trixie. You're gonna need it."

If she hadn't already fallen asleep, I was sure she would have said something. Seeing her look so peaceful put me at ease. Looking at Trixie without a sarcastic, angry, apathetic, or troubled expression on her face always helped me to relax. Smiling, I reached back and pulled her blanket over top of her. "Good night, Trixie."

As I turned to leave her room, a soft, quiet voice came from behind me. "Good night, Astro."

Nothing could wipe the smile off of my face as I quietly closed her door and walked down the stairs. The mansion was always quiet at night, and I enjoyed taking walks before going to bed. Tonight, however, was no ordinary walk. As I opened the back door onto the balcony that overlooked Lake Equen, Oceana was leaning on the rail waiting for me.

"Is she alright?"

Turning to hear, I leaned my back against the railing. "She's fine, just drunk."

She giggled a bit to herself. "How sweet of you to bring her home."

I shrugged. "Well, I wasn't about to leave her there. What kind of teacher would I be if I did that?"

Seeing her scowl was a rare sight. "When did you start caring about what your student thinks of you? Until now, you've acted like Trixie was just a narcissist in need of an attitude adjustment. Why the sudden change of heart?"

Oceana knew I didn't smile without legitimate reason, and had learned to keep quiet when I did. "It's simple, friend; Trixie has gone through that very adjustment." My smile did not leave my face, even as I turned to her. "Do you know why I'm teaching Trixie in a different manner than my previous students?"

"I never even realized you were."

I nodded earnestly. "It's also part of the reason that I kicked out the other three. It was perfect; my other students constantly belittled Trixie while they were all living in the mansion, out of all four, Trixie was at least interested in actually learning magic, and I felt that she would learn more easily if it were just she and I. Kicking the others out was only logical."

I heard a small popping sound come from her as she tilted her head. "You're dancing around the subject, Astro. What are you trying to say?"

"You know what she's like, right?"

"No, I don't. You forget, she and I don't see eye to eye." She was no longer scowling, but she was still sporting quite the unattractive frown. "Honestly, I think she's jealous."

Now it was my turn to ask questions. "Trixie? Jealous? Filly, you have lost your mind-" I never knew Oceana could hit so hard. In a matter of seconds, I was on the floor with a sharp pain in my left cheek.

"For all the wisdom you posses, you are one foolish colt."

Standing up slowly, I rubbed my cheek a bit. "Blimey... what the bloody hay was that for?" I wanted to say more, but the uncharacteristically cold gaze I was met with shut me up instantly.

"For being so thickheaded. You need to start paying more attention to Trixie's feelings, Astro. She may not show it, but I think she feels a great deal of affection for you."

I stared at her pensively for a moment. "You're gonna have to elaborate, because I honestly have no idea where you're getting these assumptions from."

With a sigh, she sat down on the chair behind her. "Alright, let's start from the beginning. Do you remember the first time you actually took her to meet me?"

"How could I not? Trixie constantly groaned at me the entire time."

As her hoof flew towards me again, I cringed. However, a wave of relief washed over me as it simply hovered in front of my forehead. "Do you realize why she was groaning and griping so much?"

After a moment of thought, all I could do was shake my head.

"Because you wouldn't shut up about me! Trixie is egotistical, this is true, but even I wouldn't want to hear you ramble on about another pony the way you did. If you ask me, Trixie had every right to be upset at you."

"Okay, but what does that have to do with her 'affection'?"

With a loud "ugh", she continued. "Believe it or not, Astro, she does look up to you. She may be defiant, but that's only because she wants your attention." She took a moment to rise, and with each word she jabbed her hoof into my chest. "You need to start being nicer to her. All she wants is for you to acknowledge her, and you won't even give her that."

A long paused followed her rant, and the only sound that came out of either of us was the slow, rhythmic breathing as her chest rose and fell. The silence gave me time to think, and slowly I pieced together everything that Oceana had said, and realized that she was right.

"I'm glad we could have this talk, Astro. I'll leave you to your own devices now." Jumping off of the railing, she fell down to the lake. As the ripples from her splash dissipated, the lake became as if she had never made contact with it.

I was awakened by a loud splash outside. "Stupid mare..." Turning over in my bed with a splitting headache, I began hearing hoofsteps slowly approach my room.

Then the creak of a slowly opening door was heard. "Trixie? Are you awake?"

I decided to play possum so he would leave me alone, but as I heard him come closer, I shut my eyes in case he decided to look.

I wasn't sure what to think after he pulled his little stunt.

As he took his lips away from my forehead, I picked up on a small mutter. "I'm sorry for being so hard, Trixie. You really are amazing, but I was just too blind to see it."

My hoof met his body and he stopped.

"Trixie... why are you groping me?"

Drawing black quickly, I receded underneath the sheets. "Didn't mean to grab your flank... I just wanted you to listen."

"Well, you got my attention."

With a tremendous blush and closed eyes, I managed to form my thoughts into words. "Could you... stay in here tonight?" I didn't actually want him to sleep beside me, but I wanted him with me, so I did my best to deal with it as I felt my bed move.

"Are you sure you want me in here?"

Wrapping my arms around him in a hug, I smiled softly. "I just wanted to spend more time with you before we became student and teacher again."

My eyes met his as I was pulled from under the sheets by his embrace, and in contrast to his usual ice-cold stare, his gaze was soft, kind, and almost loving. "Trixie, from now on, we're always friends. Teacher and student can come after that."

Hearing this made me feel relieved for some reason, and I laid my head on his chest as I closed my eyes. "You'll have to tell me what Oceana told you tomorrow morning. Seeing you be this soft is... surprising to say the least."

Chapter 5: Tenderness

Moving the Stars

Story 2

Chapter 5: Tenderness

By: FluttersIsAwesome

“Ugh... what the hay did I do last night?!” As I slowly opened my eyes, I thought the pounding in my head was going to split my skull in two.”

“You drank probably twice your threshold of strong alcohol and passed out piss-drunk, forcing me to carry you home.”

Instantly after hearing that voice, I jumped out of bed. “ASTRO?! What the hay are you doing in my bed?”

He laughed as he rose up. “Forgive me, I forgot that your memory when you’re drunk is complete shyte. You asked me to get in bed with you last night. Don’t ask me why I agreed, though. I’m still trying to figure it out myself.”

Seeing him there was a shock, to say the least. “I would ask myself what I was thinking if I weren’t so sure I hadn’t been thinking at all.”

“Well that’s a no-brainer for you.”

With one corny joke, Astro had completely eliminated the tense, serious cloud that had brought itself down upon us when I woke up.

“Since when do you make jokes?”

Another laugh preceded his response. “Trixie... I’ve been thinking.”

“Uh-oh.”

“Very funny.” He patted my head lightly with a smile. “Lately I’ve been a bit more than harsh on you-“

“Oh, you think?! Astro, you have no idea how many times you have nearly driven the Great and Powerful Trixie to tears! And that is saying quite a lot, as I’m sure you know. It’s very difficult to make one as amazing as me cry.”

“You could let me finish, you know.” After a sigh and a stern glare, he continued. “I realize that it’s not the best way to teach. So, from now on, rather than being harsh and strict...”

I saw the red spread across his face as he attempted to form his next words.

“I’m going to do my best to be kinder to you. You’re not just my student, you’re my friend.”

With a slight smirk, I raised a brow at him. “So what exactly did Oceana say to you last night?” Trixie one, Astro none. Hehehe.

“W-what? How did you know she was here?”

Finally I had a chance to boast without Astro scolding me for it. The quick flip of my mane may have been a bit much, but I had every right to act high and mighty right now. “Please, Astro. How many times do I have to tell you? I am the Great and Powerful Trixie; nothing can escape me, even in my sleep.”

“Meaning the splash woke you up, right?”

Trixie one, Astro one. “...Screw you.”

I wanted to just knock him over and beat him as he nearly feel back, cracking up, but at the same time I wanted to hug him as I beat him. “You truly are my favorite student, you know that?”

“Of course I am. I’m only the most talented, most powerful unicorn in Eque-“ I was interrupted by two sudden hooves under my arms.

“Oh, hush, you.” He had me on the ground in tears, our laughs mixing together in the echoes of my room.

“Astro, stop, you know I’m ticklish!” I managed to get out between fits of laughter. “Stop it!”

He continued his tickle raping, and I was left with only one option. I needed something either extremely awkward or even funnier than this tickling to stop him. I may be amazing, but I’m not funny.

I was forced to choose a terrible option in the former category. As my hooves pushed him down and my lips met his, the tickling ceased instantly. I held him there longer than I had intended, and that’s when I realized my arms were locked. I didn’t want to let go. The only thing I could think about after letting him go was finding a way to make it look like the kiss was just a way to make him stop tickling me. “Pbbtth! Ugh, I will never even think of doing that again!”

I was torn between wanting to cry, in a good way, and just simply wanting to faint and fall backwards as he lifted me up. Finding myself unable to speak and my face more red than his mane, I could do nothing as he returned my kiss, but his lasted only a few seconds.

“You really are being nicer...”

His shining blue eyes now displayed a look of comfort as opposed to his usual hostility; it was a welcomed change. “I told you I would, didn’t I?”

I was seeing my mentor in an entirely new light. He was being kind, tender, and most of all: loving. “Astro... I...”

He held a hoof up to my lips. “You don’t need to say it. I already know you love me.”

I felt my face heat up as “love” escaped his lips. Up until this point I had always thought I was just clinging to him out of loneliness, but now I realized that I was in love with him. Suddenly, my true reason for hating Oceana also became apparent: I was jealous. At first I thought I believed he was giving her more attention than she deserved, but it had become apparent that I merely craved the same attention. Nuzzling against his chest made me feel so warm and safe; all of this was completely new to me. I felt my muzzle being raise as my lips met his again.

Only this time, the kiss went on for a good, long, sweet while. I began to wish it would never end...

Chapter 6: Bonding

Moving the Stars

Story 2

Chapter 6: Bonding

By: FluttersIsAwesome

I sat there in his embrace, the tears falling like raindrops. “C-can it be?”

I felt several pats on my back as Astro spoke. “What do you mean, Trixie?”

“Is it true that I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, have succumbed to simple charm? Given in to the weakness of needing? What is wrong with me-“

Of all the ways Astro had silence me before, his kiss was definitely my favorite. “This is one of your issues that I’ve been trying to help you overcome. You have a terrible habit of laying to yourself, sweetheart.” I began to feel my face heat up as he pressed nis neck against my shoulder and continued. “This is a new beginning... for the both of us. You’re being honest, and I’m learning to open up. I love you, Trixie.” His hold on me tightened, but it was like a warm blanket to me. "I just couldn't swallow my pride and admit it. You have no idea how relieved... and how happy I am that I finally said something."

Words had become scarce for me. I had no idea what I wanted to say, and I didn't want to say anything that would ruin our moment. In the end, I just made a pillow out of his shoulder with a simple "mmhmm." Not even Celestia herself could've torn me away from him in that moment. "Astro... why?"

"Must you really ask? You may be a difficult student, but inside you’re a wonderful pony.” He presses a hoof against my chest, making me blush even deeper. “You can be stubborn, and yes, you have a habit of letting your pride get the better of you,” I felt my head being turned to face his. The blue eyes that met mine were so soft and loving... just staring back at him lulled me into an almost hypnotized state. I loved him so much, “but despite that, you have a good heart, and a pure mind. You're a sweet filly when you want to be, and I even get a little kick out of when you throw a fit. There's just something about you... that gets me any time you do something."

Obviously I was moved, but his words got me to thinking. "If all this is true, then why are you so hard on me?"

I had to surpress a giggle as his eye twitched slightly. "Um... Trixie, let's talk about this over breakfast."

* * *

After two days of forgoing my normal morning routine, I was happy to finally be able to fix up my gorgeous mane and brush my shining coat. It was strange though; rather than staring and admiring my own reflection for ten minutes, I was more eager to see my mentor-turned-coltfriend. After descending the spiraling staircase and entering the kitchen, I found Astro seated at the small table next to the window as opposed to his normal seat on the end of the twelve-chair table. He had a plate of eggs, toast, and grass waffles in front of him and was staring at the garden outside the window. After a second quick look, I noticed the female deer with her little fawns nibbling on some weeds.

"Come sit, Trixie. I can't eat all this food meself *." He motioned to the seat across from him that had the same arrangement as his.

"What's that?" I nudged the stack of papers before him, but he pushed them aside.

"Let's talk about your question first. You wanted to know why I've been so hard on you, right?” After I nodded my response, he began again. “Trixie, every teacher wants their students t' succeed. I do what I do because you’ve forced me to. I’m bein’ honest, Trixie. Time and time again, you’ve proven to me that bein’ rewarding and enforcing wouldn’t work, and that I’d have t’ beat the knowledge into you if I wanted you t’ learn. Me main goal is t' show you that bein' showy isn't always the best thing, and given your recent successes, I'd say you're starting t' learn that. Have you noticed?"

After swallowing a mouthful of the eggs, I took a moment to watch the doe and her fawns. "I guess you have a point." A bit of musing over the tests he had put me through for the past week shed light on his words. "No, there's no 'I guess'. You areright. Up until now, all my spells have been simple, therefore easy to embellish. But-"

"Once you got into the more difficult spells, makin' them showy resulted in failure, correct?"

As I nodded in reply, I took note of his words. He didn't often put me in a situation, or ask me a question that gave me no choice but to agree with him. However, I didn't mind this as much as I normally would have, probably because of the truth in his statement. "Wait, wouldn't that mean that me getting my Cutie Mark was a fluke?"

My mentor simply shook his head. "Not necessarily. Just because you happened to find it when doing a show doesn't mean your special talent is performing."

I raised a brow at him. "That makes no sense! What else could it be?" Trying to think of anything plausible became difficult due to my current state of confusion. As I scrambled to find words, Astro somehow managed to calm me.

"Potential. While it may not be a talent, it's most definitely part of it. You told me of the show that you claim earned you your Cutie Mark, but I believe that rather than producing a good show, your true abilities as a unicorn began to awaken. Somethin' tells me that you aren't meant to be a showmare, but somethin' greater."

It was my turn to shake my head. "So you're saying that my special talent isn't specific, but magic in general and what I do with it is my decision?" I was quite pleased to finally ask something that he didn't have an immediate answer for. His pause also gave, me a chance to return to my breakfast.

After about a minute, he finally turned his focus away from the grazing deer and back to me. "Not exactly. Yes, I am sayin' that your special talent is magic, but I doubt that it would be free reign. Your magic abilities, as they are, are probably limited to one field or category. Which is why I try so hard to pull you away from your comfort zone. If magic really is your special talent, then me goal is to give you as many opportunities as possible to pursue. Now then, you ask me about this paper, did you not?"

I instantly gave up on continuing our previous conversation more as a sign of politeness; usually Astro only changed subjects so abruptly when the current topic became irritating or uncomfortable. "Yeah, what is it?"

Setting it before me was smart, I guess. He finally had a chance to eat as I perused the contents of his paper. "Figure it out, yet?"

"I don't know what it's to, but it's obviously some sort of script. Care to explain?"

Finishing what was left on his plate, he pulled the script back to him. "I wanted t' make sure tonight's date was entertainin'. I asked for scripts of all the shows playin' at Equine Theatre tonight' and I think I've found one you'll like.

“That’s funny, because I barely even recognized the lines,” I told him with a somber stare.

He simply raised his brow. "Then you must not have read very far into it." He rose, taking the script with him.

"O, that this too too solid flesh would melt

Thaw and resolve itself into a dew!

Or that the Everlasting had not fix’d

His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!

How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable,

Seem to me all the uses of this world!

Fie on’t! ah fie! ’tis an unweeded garden,

That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature

Possess it merely. That it should come to this!

But two months dead: neigh, not so much, not two:

So excellent a king; that was, to this,

Celestia to Discord; so loving to my mother

That he might not beteem the winds of heaven

Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth!

Must I remember?"

My eyes immediately lit up. "I remember now! That's part of the first soliloquy in Hooflet." I couldn't help but clap as well. "That wasn't half bad."

The blush on his face was adorable. "Well, I did do a bit o' theatre work back in college. I was no thespian, but I was told I did well with Coltbert and Stallionvan, so-"

My ears perked up at the name. "Wait... you sang Coltbert and Stallionvan?"

If I didn't know better, I'd have thought the grin was going to crack his face. "I am the very model of a unicorn astronomer. I've studied stars from Varia to Jaren and Caranimer. I'm quite good at star mapping (as a subset of cartography) because I am an expert (which I know is a tautology). I've studied all the traits of space, from satellites to meteors, I am the very model of a unicorn astronomeeeeeeer~"

I thought I was going to suffocate. Astro had done a terrific job at waking up a morning slug, and he knew it. "So, the show starts at noon, so what are we going to do with our four plus hours?"

"Hm... good question." He turned back to the window with an empty gaze. "Well, I do feel a bit bad that me former students felt th' need t' ruin our dinner. Is there anywhere aside from the theatre you want t' go?"

I didn't have to think for very long. "Remember the bridge you took me to? I want to visit that park... and maybe we could write verse together...." My eyes widened a bit as I drew back at seeing him smile.

"Trixie, I didn't know you were int' that kinda thing. When did this happen?"

He won't be mad if I tell him... I did contemplate lying, but I had paused for too long, which was sure to damage my chances of getting away with it. "I did some midnight snooping. You had left some of your writings in the library when I went looking for books, so I took it upon myself to read them; you're very talented."

His smile both warmed my heart and slightly frightened me. However, his tone put me at ease again. "I knew that part, I'm askin' what got ya interested in writin' it?"

At this point, the truth was actually what I wanted him to hear. "Well... I thought it would give us something else to share... something else in common." My lips quivered a bit as I spoke; I had no idea why I still felt so nervous, though. His silence didn't help, either.

"Well... that's certainly flatterin'." He turned back to the window, but the does and her fawns had scampered off somewhere. "Sure, that sounds nice."

* * *

The river reflected the sunlight like a mirror; in the spots where it wasn't shimmering, fish could be seen rushing through the clear water. Astro and I found a perfect spot, shaded by a giant oak, where we sat down.

"Astro, what are those?" There were three crescent-shaped stones with odd runes carved into them that he had pulled out of the large sack he brought with him.

He merely smiled as he lifted one up. "You've never seen one of these before? They're called Echostones, and they're my main tool for recording my writings." He set it upright in front of me, still smiling. "Touch the top rune and speak."

"What am I supposed to say?" I asked as I stared at the odd rock.

He gave a quick wink. "Anything ya want. Just touch th' rune under that when you're done."

The best thing to say was obvious. "Trixie is the greatest and most powerful unicorn in Equestria!"

Only a brief moment of silenced filled the gap of our speech. "Trixie is the greatest and most powerful unicorn in Equestria!"

I turned to look at him. “So, this is how we record our ‘writings’?”

“Exactly. I’m ready to work when you are, sweetheart.”

Hearing him call me sweetheart was probably the best thing to come out of his mouth since I’ve known him. We spent the remaining time we had musing over subject matter and line structure until we finally figured out what we both could write about. I was surprised to find myself asking him not to make it about me, but I finally gave in.

Astro and I both changed that day, and our evening date would only make our bond stronger.

Chapter 7: Enter the Wolver

Moving the Stars

Story 2

Chapter 7: Enter the Wolver (FINALLY AN UPDATE)

By: FluttersIsAwesome

I was pulled out of my peaceful sleep by the knee continually nudging me. The grass had become a soft bed, calling for me to rest. However, I was kind of glad I fell asleep, as it made time seem to skip forward until it was time for us to leave for the theatre.

“Wake up, sweetheart. Time t’ go.”

“Nnngh... five more minutes...” I didn’t really want to keep sleeping, but I was too tired to get up for some reason. It took a few tries, but Astro finally managed to nudge me into a crude standing position, forcing me to fix my posture. “Okay, I’m up, I’m up!” After getting my bearings, we were off. Luckily, the Canterlot Playhouse theatre was only a short walk away since I was still a bit tired. I always found it odd that even after a nice long rest ponies could still wake up tired.

We were only two minutes early for the show. Astro gave our tickets to the pony at the door, and an usher led us to our seats. We were dead center and two rows from the front. The theatre itself was like a large bowl, so I was glad we weren’t in the higher seats. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember the first half of it, as I was on a constant roller coaster of closing my eyes and being nudged off Astro’s shoulder.

“Astro... did I eat something funny? I’m normally not this tired....”

“It’s not just you... I’m havin’ a hard time... stayin’ awake... meself.” In addition to Astro’s drowsiness, I noticed many a yawn coming from the crowd, and even some of the actors were sluggish. I should’ve known something was wrong when one of them fell off the stage, but was lulled into sleep myself before I could react.

* * *

I wasn’t exactly awake, but I was no longer asleep either. I was dazed enough so that the hits merely felt like light taps, but the sound of the hooves meeting my face was unmistakable.

“Take it easy, Dusk, we don’t want to kill the little tramp.” The voice was unmistakable too. The same bitch that ruined my last date had struck again.

I was still in a fog, but at least I had an idea of what was needed to form words. “Midnight Dusk (changed her name)… do you have to screw up everything I do with Astro?”

Another smack, this time from Haze. “Didn’t we tell you, Twitzie? If I can’t have Astro, nopony can. Especially not a cheap little whorse like you.”

“I said take it easy! Banging her up a bit was fun, but we want to keep her intact! If you biff it and hurt her too much, Astro won’t even want her anymore!”

“Heh, that’s nice of you to say. At least something about me has to change for him to leave me hanging.” I tried to laugh, but all that came out was a sputtering cough. Making smart comments wasn’t a good idea to begin with. I was at the mercy of these two volatile, smack-happy fools that could literally do whatever they saw fit if I made them angry enough. Sure enough, I was treated to a nice hoof in the face.

“If you don’t shut your fucking mouth, I swear I-“ Saved by the ring? A ringing began to echo through what I now realized was an abandoned shack.

“Haze, keep quiet, I’m making the call*.” Mere moments passed before I heard Astro’s voice call out.

“Midnight Dusk? What the bloody hell do you want, I’m extremely busy right now!”

“Oh I know you are, Astro. Don’t worry, I can solve all your problems right now. We have your little bitch, and if you want her back, you’ll comply with our demands.”

They’re ransoming me… I should have known. I knew how these mares felt about me. I was wondering why they kept me alive, but for some reason a ransom just didn’t pop into my head. However, the idea that scared me the most wasn’t what they would do to me if Astro didn’t cooperate, but what they were going to want from him in order for my safe return; I knew now that Astro would stop at nothing to keep me out of harm’s way.

“Alright, what is it you want?” Strangely enough, he sounded calm. A relaxed tone like that was not what I expected to hear from him, given the current situation. In fact, it almost sounded… amused, like he was about to tell a joke or something.

“Come here, alone. We’re in Glimmerstone Cave, about ten kilometers east of the bridge over Moonbeam River. We’ll be waiting for you, but don’t keep us waiting too long; we can only tolerate your little pet for so long.”

I heard a bit of mumbling before Astro’s response, and I think I even heard another voice. “I will have Trixie back, mark me words. You girls will live to regret this day.” With a click, the conversation was over. A small wave of fear passed over me as I wondered what allowed Astro to be so… laid back. However, I wasn’t given much time to think, as one of the girls approached me and laid a hoof on my head.

“Hush now, little worm. Sleep tight, and you’ll be fine.”

The wave of fear became a wave of drowsiness as I began to fade. There was no way to tell how much time had passed, but I was sure I wasn’t supposed to have woken up when I did; loud shrieks aren’t normally a good replacement for a natural wake-up. Between the frantic shouting and nervous pacing it was almost impossible to hear the extra hoofsteps echoing through the cave.

“Where is the mare?” The deep, gruff voice echoed with a frightening seriousness throughout the cave. Whoever, or whatever it was was not in the mood for games.

My vision was blurred, and my mind was foggy, but after hearing this creature walk again I came to the conclusion that the loud clang was being made by boots. Either Astro had come armed, or I was about to be taken from the witches and taken to mercenaries. In all honesty, the latter was far more preferable.

"Your friend won't be here to back you up; we've made sure of that. Hand Trixie over now before I decide to search myself. And do believe me when I say I'm thorough when I want to find something."

The girls were foolish, but they weren't complete imbeciles. However, their thickheadedness still astounded me.

"Just who the hell are you? And what makes you think we'll just give up our catch of the day?"

Haze's idocy was the straw that broke the camel's back. "I am the Wolver." His seemingly calm, focused tone made him all the more menacing. It was as if he were holding back a primal fury that he would release in full force should the girls not cooperate. "I will tell you one last time: give me Trixie, or my special friend and I will tear this place apart."

OnceI had regained enough strength, I turned over to try and see what was happening. The figure was definitely one of us, the red horn protruding from his yellow and red mask made it clear. Other than the horn, there was no indicator that he was a pony; every feature of his body was cloaked under the helmet and fur coat. He was truly an intimidating sight, and I could only hope he was here to help me.

Suddenly, a shrill whistle came from beneath the mask, followed by a terrifying cross between a roar and a howl from outside the cave. "You have ten seconds before my 'friend' arrives. Give. Her. Up."

Suddenly, I felt myself suspended in midair, floating gently onto this stranger's back. His slow movement out of the cave must have been to avoid hurting me, and I wished I had the strength to tell him I was alright. However, his words were enough to comfort me back into a semi-peaceful sleep.

"Astro sent me. Don't worry, you're safe now."

*she used a long-distance communication spell that works kind of like a phone call.

Chapter 8: Broken Peace

Moving the Stars

Story 2

Chapter 8: Broken Peace

By: FluttersIsAwesome

To be honest, the only thing making me feel any safer with this mysterious “hero” was the fact that he said he was sent by Astro, and I was simply too tired to realize he could have been lying. At this point I really didn’t care as long as I was away from those witches, and with this colt carrying me, the cave I was being held in disappeared in what seemed like an instant. I could feel exhaustion and a pounding headache lulling me into another heavy sleep. After what could’ve been a few short minutes or many long hours, though, I was awakened by that familiar accent.

“Trixie? Trixie? Open your bloody eyes, girl!” Astro always had a certain… I don’t actually think I’d call it charm, but he had something about him that made others listen to what he said.

This time was no different; almost on cue my eyes sprang open. The wooden walls and sound of a rushing waterfall were all I needed to figure out where I was. “Why bring me here?” I wanted to say more, but a horrid cough gave Astro an opening to explain himself.

“Oceana’s place is not only closer, but harder to get into. She can also provide more help than I could on me own. I managed t’ heal your broken ribs and various cuts, but her special herbal tea blend should help ya regain the blood ya lost. I unfortunately don’t have a spell for that, so unless ya want t’ be lightheaded and weak for the rest of your life, I suggest ya let her help.” My vision was blurred, but I could still make out his basic form. Surprisingly, I couldn’t see the white gleam of a clever smirk, which I was sure he’d have on his face after speaking to me like that. “She doesn’t hate ya, no matter how much ya think she does.”

“What of the other colt?”

Again, as if on cue, a dark red unicorn entered the room. It was quite obvious it was the same one that had rescued me; though the scar across his face, his dark blue mane, and bright yellow eyes were now exposed his body armor gave him away instantly. His voice was on the border of raspy and gruff, but neither an extreme, like somepony had simply sprinkled some of both in a pot of deep voice brew. “You alright, Trixie? Astro sounded quite panicked when he first called for me.”

A small nod was all my still aching body would let me manage. “I’ll be fine in a few hours… I expect you to have a few new lessons prepared by then, Astro.”

My mentor, however, shook his head at me with a grim frown. “No, Trixie. I barely managed t’ pull you out o’ a coma, and there’s only so much Oceana can do for the remainder o’ the pain. I hate t’ say it, but you’ll be bedridden for quite a while. Anywhere between a week t’ two months, possibly.”

I hadn’t really noticed until now, but everything about this situation had slowly started infuriating me. My vision was almost totally red when I snapped to Astro with a scowl. “So first you don’t even have the balls to rescue your own marefriend yourself, and then you tell me I have to stay in bed for two months?! Who do you think you are, doing this to me? Do you honestly expect me to-“ The crack was all that was needed to shut me up instantly. I fell back onto the bed, unaware that I had even risen until it was too late. Pain unlike anything I’ve ever felt nearly paralyzed me to the point where I couldn’t even turn my head without my chest hurting.

“Trixie, please calm down and let me explain this t’ ya, okay? I promise I can make meself look like less o’ a wuss once I tell ya why exactly I did what I did.”

I love Astro with all my heart, but sometimes his smartass remarks seriously get on my nerves. I couldn’t tell if he was trying to make a joke since I couldn’t get up, so I had to calm down, or if he seriously thought I would try to hurt him despite my pain, but either way, he had the floor. “Go ahead.”

“Okay, listen carefully, love. I knew this would happen eventually, but I never thought the girls would be ballsy enough t’ start this so soon.” Almost as if he could see the future, he pressed his hoof against my lips before I even had them fully open. “I discovered not long after I had dismissed Scarlet Rose that all three girls had found a new mentor, one who specialized in dark magic.”

I’ve talked about the different degrees of seriousness I’d seen on Astro’s face in the past, but his gaze now looked as if it could turn anypony into stone just as cold as his eyes. “So? What does that have to do with us?”

The gruff voice of the other colt was the one I heard in response this time. “Trixie, evil forces have been stirring in recent days. I first noticed it a few hours after the last of the Changelings had been driven from Canterlot Castle after the attack on the royal wedding. Ever since-“

“Whoa whoa whoa, you stop right there. I don’t even know you, so before you even think of trying to explain this situation to me, you’d better explain who you are.” Maybe I was being a bit rude, considering this colt had saved my life, but I failed to see what right he even had to place himself in Astro and I’s affairs.

“I will get to my place in this mess in a moment. Ever since these forces were first felt, guards and soldiers from not only Canterlot, but each major station city (basically means anywhere big enough to need its own armed protection) were put on high alert, and security’s been tightened. Not only that, but we’ve seen reports of attacks on cities and towns by hostile creatures other than ponies skyrocket.” He threw his hoof up at me as I began to open my mouth again, and once seeing that it was still his turn to speak, resumed. “My name is Cutlass, and I am a member of a special sect of Celestia’s Royal Guard. We’re called Spiral Knights; where the name comes from I still have yet to figure out. Rather than being trained traditionally, we’re given special mentoring to be better equipped to fight exotic adversaries, such as Griffins, Manticores, Hell Hounds, and various other beasts. I believe that the sudden rise of this malicious force has something to do with the increased numbers of attacks from these beasts.”

Calming down was much easier now that I knew who this colt was and what he had to do with us, but rather than simply relaxing, my anger was slowly replaced by fear. “So… why are you still here?”

Astro cleared his throat, swallowing hard as if to delay saying whatever he planned on telling me. “Trixie, a war is brewing. We believe there’s planning behind these attacks. Not only has it been feral monsters, but it’s also been orchestrated attacks like the one against us tonight. Scarlet Rose, Haze, and Midnight Dusk are all working for whoever is behind all of this chaos. Cutlass is here to help get us prepared. (I pretty much said forget the accent at this point, you guys know he’s Irish) Yes, I said us. You’re lessons are going to be double-parted now: I will be teaching you the magic we’ve been working on, and Cutlass will be working with both of us on combat magic.”

A small chuckle came from Cutlass’s direction. “Congratulations, Trixie. You get to see Astro fumble around with spells just as much as you will. Gone are the days where he has a leg up on everything.”

If it weren’t for the pain that, albeit fading, still made it near impossible to move I would’ve giggled at that. “Do you have any idea who might be pulling the strings?”

They both shook their heads, but Astro beat Cutlass to the punch. “With Princess Luna back in her right mind, Discord sealed away once again, and Chrysalis pretty much left powerless, there’s nopony that we know of powerful enough to command such a wide variety of creatures.” He closed his eyes for a moment before kissing my forehead. “Trixie, we need to act quickly, so starting tomorrow I will begin training. Don’t worry, I’ll still work on lesson plans for conventional and advanced magic, but your lessons with me will be shorter than you’re used to. Is that alright?”

I closed my eyes in return, not bothering to open them as I wanted to get to sleep as soon as possible. “Yes, it is. Just don’t get too far ahead of me, love.”

“I love you, Trixie.”

“I love you too, Astro.”

* * *

Living with Astro for so long made me pretty much immune to waking up from the sound of a crash. Three or four were not normal, however, and they combined with the smell of scrambled eggs and toast jolted me out of a decently peaceful sleep. After shaking my head a bit to regain my bearings, I turned to Oceana, whom was the one carrying the food. “What the heck is Astro doing so early?”

She giggled as she set the plate down in front of me, waiting until I had tasted the eggs and gotten my approval before answering. “Weren’t you listening? Astro told you last night he’d be starting combat magic training today.”

“Oh, right… where are they? I’d like to talk to him.” She opened the window right beside the bed, and I had a clear view of the pond, waterfall, and the forest clearing. Lying there, I began to understand why Oceana loved it here so much. Astro often took me on nature hikes, animal watching trips, and boat rides with the intention of “teaching me to appreciate nature’s beauty”, and I started to understand where he came from. From the window I could see a few scarecrows set up along the pond’s shore or bank or whatever the edge of a pond is called. Cutlass was shooting powerful magic bolts at each one, then replacing them for Astro to try. His average number of attempts for each looked to be about four or five; keeping track while I ate was kind of fun.

The odd thing was, despite this being the first time I’ve watched them do this, it seemed so… normal. It was like this was an everyday, mundane thing. I think I truly began to start appreciating nature’s beauty. My attention soon began to drift away from my lover and the knight and toward the waterfall and the trees. Oceana was kind enough to set me up in her bed; it was situated in a small room protruding from the main cabin. In fact, it was the bed against the wall, and enough room for Astro and Cutlass to stand on the right of it, as the nightstand and small bookshelf took up the corner between the right wall and the bed. The foot of the bed marked the border between this little notch and the rest of the cabin, and it was quite cozy.

“I envy you, being able to wake up like this every morning. It must be so relaxing.” After finishing the last of my toast, I took another look around and noticed the two large pillows in front of the fireplace along with an open book beside on. “Oceana, why didn’t you sleep in your guest room?”

She took my tray with the same smile she had when setting it down for me. “I offered it to Cutlass and Astro. However, your sweetheart wanted to stay close to you, so he simply stayed here with me beside the fire. I’ll be using the guest bed tonight, though, since Cutlass can’t stay here every night. It’s nice to hear you speak to me without any hostility in your voice for once, too, and to see you enjoying nature.” The mare came over beside the bed after washing off my tray, lifting my blanket to check my chest. “How are you feeling?”

With a light sight I looked back out the window. “Better than I was. When do you think I’ll be able to start my training?”

“For now, just focus on resting, Trixie. We still have some time before we have to turn our focus away from this beauty and to battle. Just relax while you can.”

Chapter 9: Secrets Revealed

Moving the Stars

Story 2

Chapter 9: Secrets Revealed

By: FluttersIsAwesome

After a few days of rest and watching Astro train, I was finally able to get up and walk around on my own again. I decided to surprise Astro with some homemade breakfast, but whenever I tried to pick up something, my magic was weak and faded. “Oceana… what’s wrong?”

She looked me over for a quick moment and patted my back. “Well, your body is doing much better, but your magic still needs more time. I think you should go see your sweetheart, he told me to let him know the minute you could finally get up, he has a special lesson planned for you.”

With a smile, I thanked her and headed out the back door. Just as she had said, Astro was waiting for me.

“Glad to see you out and about, love.” He smiled as I nuzzled my head under his chin. “I’m assumin’ you can’t use magic right now, right?”

“Yes, Oceana said my magic still had to refill.”

He nodded and pulled a book out. “That brings us to your special lesson.”

He raised an eyebrow when he saw my confused expression. “Wait… how can I-“

After a quick sigh, he set a hoof on my shoulder and looked me right in the eye. “Trixie, I know you’re not gonna like this, but I’ve brought somepony here that can help you gain immense power. With my teaching, this book, and her help, you’ll be as powerful as I am in no time.”

“Am I late?”

A chill ran up my spine as I heard the calm, soft voice of none other than Twilight Sparkle come from behind me. “Astro, please tell me you’re kidding.”

She walked up beside me, an ironic smile on her face. “He’s not.”

My teacher nodded, his smile fading at my dismay. “Go ahead, tell her why you’re here.”

Twilight nodded back at him, turning back to me with a slight eager rush in her voice. “Well, Shining Armor, my brother, noticed that things seemed to be getting a bit more restless during the day. He had a conference with Cutlass about adjusting his shift, so now he’ll be coming at night to help you two. They also told me what was going on, and Cutlass told me Astro wanted my help.”

Now, I had learned by now that holding a grudge would simply hold me back, but I still held a slight bit of resentment toward the purple mare. “Help with what, exactly?”

As always, Astro’s throat clearing never failed to draw attention to him. “If you’ll both join me, I’ll explain.” After both of us had sat down in front of him, he pulled the book over to us, flipped through the pages, and set it down before us once he had found what he was looking for.

The chapter actually sounded quite interesting. “Breaking your limits? What is this, Astro?”

“If I may-“

“I’ll explain, Twilight.” He turned back to me, using a projection spell to show a silhouette of a unicorn with what looked like two tanks inside it. “Picture this, Trixie. Imagine that all magic in unicorns is stored in two wells, alright?” As he spoke, the two “well” began to be filled with green magic. “One is always open, and the other is an untapped well that only opens in dire emergencies, such as emergency healing and such. As of now, you only have your first well open.” Again, he changed the image, making the magic travel out of the well, into the horn, and out of the horn into the air. “Now you’re like this: near empty. I also believe you know where this is going.”

My eyes lit up for a brief moment. “You’re going to teach me how to reach into the locked well?”

Twilight beat Astro to the punch this time. “More than that, Astro said he wants to teach you how to keep it open.”

He nodded and resumed his explanation. “Promise you won’t get mad at me, love. This is how powerful unicorns normally start. By learning how to unlock that second well and keep it unlocked. However, it’s extremely difficult and takes about two years to learn how to do it. Luckily, it only took me a few months since I’m a quick study. (Just a note, that’s what his cutiemark comes from. He got it because of his magical ability, yes, but the only reason he’s so powerful is because he catches on and can master things quicker than most.) However, there are some ponies, like Twilight, that have this well open naturally.”

Twilight looked at me with a slightly frightened expression; I’m guessing she was afraid of how I would react and was assuming I was jealous of her. “Right, so we’re going to teach you how to do the same as us.”

Another cough from my love. “Actually, Twilight, it’s kind of complicated.” Once again, he had his trademark sly grin spread across his face. “Whether you know it or not, your well is already open.”

I think both mine and Twilight’s eyes grew to the size of dinner plates, but she spoke first. “Wait, how can you tell that?”

He set his hoof on my shoulder again. “I figured it out by the spells I’ve been teaching her.”

I never would have imagined the filly to be so talkative. “But, she doesn’t even feel that strong….”

Now I was all ears. “What do you mean I don’t feel strong?”

Astro took a deep breath, no doubt preparing for yet another long explanation. “Okay, listen, Trixie. Every unicorn puts off a sort of pressure or essence that varies in strength depending on how powerful their magic is. You, however, don’t seem to release anything at all. This leads me to believe that, while your second well is open all the time, your magic is suppressed by something. I knew both your wells were open, because most of the spells we’ve worked on recently could only have been pulled off by a unicorn with both of them.”

Who could’ve known that convoluted ideas could actually induce headaches? “So… if it’s already unlocked, then what am I supposed to do? It’s not like I can undo whatever is making it weak. Hell, I don’t even know where it came from in the first place.”

The sound of flipping pages echoed through the woods as Twilight searched. “Well, the most likely explanation is that your body couldn’t handle the extra magic when you were young, so somepony probably put the suppressor on you to keep you from getting hurt. This is normal for most unicorns with extra power, but what we think is whoever put the spell on you wasn’t around to take it off.”

“I’d do it myself, but I think it was a parent that weakened your magic, because when I tried the first time magic was rejected. So, the only way to get rid of it is to lock the well ourselves, and then help you unlock it again. The lock will replace the weakening spell, and once you’ve tapped into your second reserve again you’ll be much stronger than you could ever imagine.”

My eyes lit up again. “Really? So I really can become great and powerful?” Excitement began taking me over, and I was about to clap until I saw Astro’s face. “…Sorry. I promise I’ll do my best not to let my head get as big as it used to be. So, we’re on limited time, when do I start?”

“Right now. As you said, time is short, and I fear the situation is much graver than my sister and I thought.”

Every head fell to the ground as Princess Luna, accompanied by Princess Mi Amore Cadenza landed on the ground beside us. The latter giggled and addressed Twilight as they embraced. “I thought I said we had to stop meeting when the fate of Equestria hung in the balance.”

“Cadence… what are you and Princess Luna doing here?” She looked from one Princess to the other.

Luna, however, seemed to disregard both mine and Twilight’s existence. Her eyes were ice cubes and her mouth a frightening frown as her gaze fixated on Astro. “I assume Cutlass has spoken to you of the sudden increase in monster activity as well as the sudden evil presence in the air?”

My coltfriend’s face, in response, turned just as cold as the day he got mad at me after our work with the plates. “What is it?”

“Our seal is slowly breaking. Both my sister and I knew he would gain some power back with the death of King Sombra, but a second vessel has also been destroyed.”

Now it was Astro’s turn to have his eyes get dinner plate sized. “You mean he’s returning?”

“Yes. There’s still no guarantee that he’ll be fully restored, but he’s still a massive threat with barely a quarter of his power.” For being a pony with love as a central theme, Cadence had quite the intimidating serious voice.

Twilight moved her head from under Cadence’s chin and turned to the other princess. “Who is ‘he’? Yet another monster that the Elements need to defeat?”

“I will explain everything when we have time. All I can really say now is that the Elements of Harmony alone will not be enough to stop him. We will need every capable fighter of every race to aid us in this fight.” She paused for a moment, turning back to Astro. Unfortunately, all I could really hear her say was “the other”. “Which is why Cadence and I are here. We will aid you in hastening your training.”

Once again there was a princess switch. “Twilight and I will help Astro during your day lessons-“

Back and forth, it felt like one princess couldn’t complete a statement and had to have the other one do so. “And Cutlass and I will aid in yours and Astro’s combat magic training. Now, I must return to the castle. My sister requests your presence tomorrow, and I should be back that day to let you know. Good luck, all of you.” With that, Princess Luna departed.

Now all eyes were on Princess Cadence again. “If all three of us combine our magic, locking Trixie’s reserve should be relatively easy and quick. However, I’m still not sure how you plan to go about unlocking it again.”

“With our help, and enough of her own effort, Trixie should be able to unlock it by attempting one of the spells I’ve taught her.”

I thought for a moment, turning back to the creek. “The waterfall won’t be stopping anytime soon. I could try splitting it again, if you think that will work.”

Both the other mares turned to Astro, a slight twinkle in their eyes. “She actually pulled off that technique?” They then focused on each other, trying not to giggle at the simultaneous speaking.

Astro’s horn began to glow as he pointed himself straight at me. “Alright, love, just hold still… and….” The giant bang, loud yell, and seeing Astro laid out on the ground had everyone thinking he’d been knocked unconscious. However, after a few coughs, he managed to stand back up. “Okay… that didn’t work. Trixie, what did they do to you? That was a much darker power than I remember that just pushed me away….”

At this point, Twilight seemed unable to sit still as she turned to me. “Oh no, that isn’t good. Astro, I think I may know what’s causing this blockage now.”

The stallion raised a brow at her, turning first to the Princess then back to the anxious filly. “Go ahead then, tell me what you think.”

A chill ran up my spine as she looked at me, a slightly fearful look on her face as well. “You didn’t tell him, did you?” I shook my head, and she took a quick glance at my teacher before returning her gaze toward me. “Do you want to tell him or should I?”

My fear only grew as I stood there, contemplating how the result would differ, if it even would, if I were to tell my coltfriend the secret I’ve been keeping as opposed to my new friend. She began to open her mouth, but I jumped in front of her, pushing her back. After a hard swallow, I did the best I could to look into his eyes. “Astro… against your advice, I tracked down and bought the Alicorn Amulet and used it to amplify my power. With it, I went back to Ponyville and beat Twilight in a duel, forcing her to leave Ponyville. I was so bent on revenge… I feel like I forgot who I was.” My head hung lower than I even thought possible; I was ready for whatever punishment Astro was going to give me, but before he could even inhale, Twilight jumped in front of me.

“Astro, listen for a moment. I’m positive that you warned Trixie about the dangers of the Alicorn Amulet, but please find it in your heart to forgive her. Like she said, she forgot who she was, and if I can forgive her, so can you. Please don’t hold this against her.”

No words from Cadence. Nothing for what seemed like forever from Astro. There was only silence until I heard him clear his throat once. “Twilight, move.” There was no anger, no frustration, no emotion at all in his voice. Obviously intimidated, she moved out of his way as his horn began to glow and he approached me. “Lift your head.” What he did after I did as he asked still amazed me to this day. “Vas… FEN KAHN!” His voiced was an explosion of force and sound and his magic slammed into me like a pile driver, sending me right into Cadence. Luckily she knew it was coming and was able to catch me.

“Astro! She’s unconscious! Don’t you think that was a little extreme?”

Words were pointless right now; I had many things to explain, and I felt like saving my breath. “Princess, please get her back to bed. Looks like our training will have to wait a bit longer.” After she went off with Trixie, I turned to the younger mare. “Twilight, we have much to discuss. When Cadence returns, I need you to tell me what you did with the Amulet. Obviously Trixie took it off, so I assume you’ve hidden it somewhere?”

“Yes, my friend Zecora is keeping it now, but what’s all this about?”

By this time, the sky was beginning to darken. Cadence returned moments later, and we both nodded, acknowledging that she had to go. Almost immediately after she had left, Cutlass jumped down from a tree branch.

“I hope I’m not late.”

A slight chuckle escaped me. “Actually, your timing couldn’t be better. Call Snarbolax, we need to get somewhere, and fast.”

He nodded quickly, and let out a shrill whistle. Only moments later, the large, black beast jumped out from under the ground. “Where are we headed?”

I bumped Twilight, and she shook her head quickly and turned her attention to the soldier. “To the Everfree Forest outside of Ponyville.”

He nodded again, jumping on Snarbolax’s back. “Hop on you two.”

After we were both safely on, we took off. Snarby was a powerful beast, running faster than most Earth Ponies I knew. “Twilight, listen to me, and listen to me carefully. The Elements of Harmony… are not the only set of special Elements that have been created.”