A Strange But Familiar Place

As her lips left mine, I felt two different kinds of warmth. One that rose in my body and made my heart ablaze. The other however set my brain on overdrive.

That was so.. Nice.. But really Devan?!? The one thing I'm not supposed to do, and I did it. Well she did it. I was just involved! Yes, I didn't do anything!

Looking down at her and seeing a shy and somewhat reserved Pinkie Pie glancing at me from under her mane, which has gone straight completely, made me question if I cared or not.

I feel my throat gulp hard before finally speaking. "That was... Well, that was something."

Pinkie giggles before the waiter shows back up with the bill and lays it on the table. Her hair returns to normal as she says 'Thank you!' to him.

I don't know.. What i should do. I can't go behind Celestia's back with this. I don't even know if I love Pinkie! She makes me happy, but I can't for certain say I would want to be with her. I need to be loyal first before I get kicked out of Equestria or some shit like that.

While Pinkie is staring at the bill with a brighter shine in her eyes, I pull out a certain pen I haven't used in a long time and write a quick message on a napkin. It's sent into the air and I can't help but feel more tense.

"Well, uhm... Let's go check out MY magical items! It's nice hanging out with you, and I'd love to show you more." Pinkie says while getting up. After a few feet of us moving towards what I assume is her wagon, we stop and she turns around quickly with a bit of panic. "I don't mean MORE more, I mean show you more of me!" she says before quickly continuing. "Not THAT way! I just want you to know me better! I want to show you what I have! I.. Oh nevermind. Just follow me."

I can't help but chuckle at her nervous tirade of words before replying. "It's okay, I know what you meant. I'd enjoy getting to know you more."

Turning her head a bit, I see a smile go across her face before she looks forward again.

Celestia probably won't allow this... Is she going to use some mind erasing spell? Just vaporize me? Jeez.. All the fics I've seen paint her in a bad light, so hopefully they are all wrong. I mean come on.. She wouldn't do that! Right?

We reach our destination and Pinkie's head goes straight up before dashing inside. A lot of clanging and movement resounds from the wagon to my sympathy of many last minute cleanings I did when people came over to my old worlds home. After a few more moments a very exhausted Pinkie Pie opens the door that leads into it and gives a nervous but wide smile and lets me in. In the somewhat cramped wagon there lies the usual stuff I saw in the show. A fan was hanging to the right of a table with a crystal ball in the middle of it. A dream catcher was directly behind it and a trunk full of who knows what was underneath the fan. I nod and look at what you can't see in the show. A rug was hanging on a sort of curtain rod that seemed important. A few other random items were either hanging around the wagon or just sitting around.

"Well, you have a lot of things in here. Where'd you find them all?" I ask bluntly.

"Oh here and there. Some merchants come through the town and claim to sell magical items. I somehow seem to know which are and which aren't! Must be my Pinkie sense I guess. I know! Wanna see some of them now?" Pinkie replies with unending excitement.

I simply smile and nod to her question, sitting down a nearby chair, making sure not to break it. After Pinkie rummages through the chest across the room for a small while, and me being glad that her tail is so big and poofy or else I'd be seeing more than what she wanted, she turns around to reveal a mirror.

"I got this from some random merchant! They claimed it to be some sort of magical mirror, though I can't figure it out at all." she says while looking at herself in the mirror, putting on a very cliche model look.

That looks familiar... I remember!

"I know what that is. It's a mirror that, when connected magically to a being, can be used as a communication device. It probably just isn't connected to you, but I can fix that.. I think." I say, questioning myself.

"Wow, really!? How does it work?" Pinkie asks with exuberance, leaning her head on my shoulder while I inspect the mirror.

"Well... The gem is usually on the back of the mirror, and apparently the spell is really simple. Mirrors like these were passed on or sold often, so it'd have to be easy to change the owner of them. So just stand still, and I'll try my best." I say while holding the mirror out.

Pinkie nods and proceeds to do as asked as I channel a spell. I give it a command to link the gem in the mirror to Pinkie Pie. It starts to pull a little of Pinkie's magical essence and pull it to the gem on the mirror.

Alright, going wel... What the FUCK IS THAT!?!?

Flowing out of Pinkie Pie, who seems to not notice anything besides my new facial expression of horror, is her magical essence. It's colors are a deep black, almost like it's a part of my vision cut out. It's oozing onto the floor slowly, almost leaking out of her essence. It is also mixed with the brightest white I've ever seen. The combination of different colors overloads my eyes somewhat, causing me to cover them.

The black part... It was more prevalent than the bright white I saw. It was even dripping down onto the floor! How the hell does magical essence just do that?... I know Pinkie was a bit bipolar because of that one episode but damn, even her magic is like that as well? Should I tell someone? Is this a bad thing? Is she cursed?! I don't know enough.. So it's time to ask someone who does. I'm going to regret this. So, very, much.

I stop the linking spell and pull Pinkie Pie to me as I teleport us to the only pony I know would be able to help us. Someone who knows too much about magic.

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We arrive in the destination I set for the spell and I look up at her as she points at me after looking down and assumingly thinking about how we arrived there.

"You can use magic!?" Twilight says with her typical surprised voice.

I feared this day, yet I brought it upon myself. The wrath of Twilight's inquisitive mind will soon crash down upon me. But not before she answers me.

"You know how to use a spell that lets you see magical aura's correct?" I say quickly.

She breaks out of her surprised demeanor before answering. "Yes, of course. Starswirls Magical Detection Spell, simple and easy."

"Alright, I need your opinion on something. Pinkie, stand still again while I show Twilight something." I say, giving a somewhat forced smile to comfort her.

Pinkie nods slowly with some confusion before standing absolutely still.

I nod at Twilight, who casts the spell on her eyes. I use the previous spell I cast to lure out Pinkie Pie's magical essence and after a moment, it rears it's head. The dripping pitch black essence is still there, intertwined with a smaller spindle of bright white again. I look over at Twilight to see her reaction and she seems horrified yet intrigued.

"This is impossible.. I've NEVER heard of, or seen anything like this at all. By nature, no one being should have just Light or Dark alignments. Yet Pinkie Pie... You have both. Two supporting alignments at once. This needs research. just to make sure it isn't a curse or someth—" Twilight tries to say, before another flash happens in the room.

Celestia appears from her teleportation spell, looks around the room once and sighs. Luna is right beside her, someone I didn't notice until she stepped out from behind Celestia. Luna looks up at her sister and Celestia, hesitantly, nods. A second later a flash is sent out from Luna's horn, and Pinkie Pie along with Twilight instantly stand straight up. They both then close their eyes and stay standing, while I on the other hand, can move freely.

"Did this happen in the show?" Celestia asks me with a straight face.

"Well uh... No. I suppose not. But what are you doing to them?" I say cautiously.

Luna answers my question with another. "If this wasn't supposed to happen, then we have to erase the fact it even did. We assume that you wanted to show Pinkie Pie's essence to Twilight for good reason, and we don't understand how your brain works completely, so we won't erase your memory. Theirs however, must be erased."

Their memory... What?

"Erase their memories!? Isn't that against some law or something?!" I say with anger feeding into my words.

"We made the laws Devan. We will do anything it takes to stop something that isn't supposed to happen. You said the future was good, yet if this wasn't shown then we must assume that it wasn't meant to. Pinkie Pie's magical potential wasn't shown as far as you know, correct?" Celestia replies sternly, walking up to me with her head high and eyes focused on mine.

But.. I mean... This isn't right, is it? Doing this is morally wrong... Right?

"Will.. Will they be damaged in some way or another? How much are you going to erase?" I ask with hesitation, accepting that this will happen whether I want it to or not.

"Of course not! I have mastered the art of mind manipulation years ago. We did have to ban it due to others using it in a negative way, but it can do plenty for healing the mind and even cure brain disabilities! So don't worry Devan, I promise that they will just forget this event in life. Though I think Celestia might want to talk to you about something specific." Luna says confidently, ending on a somewhat parental like note.

"Yes, about your note you sent. Pinkie Pie kissed you, correct? Why?" Celestia says with absolute power flowing out of her, expecting a good reason.

"I.. Don't know. We've had some close moments, but nothing I would consider to be loving.. I suppose the moments we shared were good enough for her to want to be with me. The idea is even bizarre to me considering what I know." I say hesitantly, with an extremely apprehensive tone.

"But, do you feel the same way for her?" Celestia asks calmly.

"I don't know. I feel like I want to protect her, and after learning about how she truly feels about her life.... I can't help but want to make her feel wanted and not alone. She reminds me so much of how some of my species back on my world. Everyone there put up a mask to make others feel less worried about them. To see that in this world... It unnerves me. I know how it feels, so I sympathize with her and want to help her as much as I can." I say while realizing what I'm saying sounds like...

"That's love. True Love as far as I can tell. I'll give you two options, so listen well. One, you may continue on this path with her, but you cannot mate with Pinkie or become biased towards her in the protection of my lands. If you break that rule, you will be banished from these lands and I will make sure no one remembers you. This is not to hurt you, but to undo any damage to the timeline that is fated to be." Celestia says, giving me time to respond to the first choice.

"How would I even mate with her? We are two different species, right?" I say with immense confusion.

"Yes well, magic flows through almost every being which allows procreation with any other being. Anything is possible, Minotaurs for example. They are a hybrid race, as well as Gryphons." Luna says, informing me on the possibilities.

That would be... Weird. A human pony hybrid.. Centaur? Or a stereotypical anthropomorphic pony? Yeah, I'm just not going to think about it.

"Alright, and the second option?" I say, trying to move on from those thoughts.

"You leave now, never to return again unless needed. In those moments you are to remain hidden, though I won't remove their memories of you. I will explain that you had to leave and return to your world after finding a portal that would take you there." Celestia replies, gazing at the sky outside of the window upstairs.

"I mean that's not really a choice. Either way I leave, just one lets me stay longer if not indefinitely. I will stay and protect your lands, as well as with Pinkie Pie." I say confidently, making sure I look her in the eyes as I said it.

Celestia gives me a graceful smile and nods before signaling Luna. "I hope you have a good excuse to tell Pinkie. They will all wake up in a minute or so, oh and watch Spike for us. Magic, no matter how powerful, affects Dragons less so. He will most likely have some dream about these events, but Luna will filter those out. Just make sure he doesn't come to realize it all really happened."

I look around and find Spike towards the stairs, blinking slowly. He finally closes his eyes completely and Luna lets off, what I assume is, the mind altering spell. A few moments later, Pinkie, Twilight and Spike fall slowly on their side. Luna and Celestia nod at me while Celestia also lays a note next to Twilight before winking at me.

Luna speaks up before both Celestia and her teleport away. "We have taken care of Twliight and told her it was a test, but you must take care of Pinkie Pie. We trust you to do this, for we are sure you have enough knowledge about her and care for her to do so. Until next time, Devan."

I just sigh and wave at where they just were and smile sarcastically. "Yep, totally can do that." I say while placing my hand on Pinkie Pie and teleporting back to the wagon she uses for her gypsy activities and collection.

Well... Time to just ignore what I found out for now, but first I need to finish my spell from earlier.

After successfully binding Pinkie Pie's essence to the magical mirror that is still on the table where I left it, she begins to stir. Pinkie sits up slowly and yawns before looking at me and smiling.

"Hi Devan! Guess I took a nap huh?" she says with a somewhat confused tone.

"Nah, I just accidentally took a bit more than I should have to connect you to that mirror. I put some back in you while I was doing the spell. You should be fine now though!" I say, putting on a smile for her.

I look into the mirror and think back to Pinkie Pie's magical essence, how it looked and made me shiver when I saw it. How Celestia will allow me to be with her now, as well as how she let Luna erase memories of Twilight finding out about her essence as well.

Something tells me that Celestia knows something about Pinkie Pie that she doesn't want to let out. Unfortunately for her, I need to know.